Tag Archives: books

Crave: “Kids’ Letters To President Obama” Book

Leonora EpsteinSeptember 22, 2009 //

Lately, the politicos have been hitting President Obama with a lot of criticism, and it seems everyone would like to tell our president what to do: “Don’t eat junk food. Junk food makes you fat”; “I know you want to save the earth, but people don’t want to clean”; “You should not smoke when you are president! Because you will die by smoking, and then you will not be president!”

Well, at least, that’s what America’s kids have to say to him, and they do so every day by sending thousands of letters to the White House. Kids’ Letters to President Obama, edited by Bill Adler, compiles 200 of some of the more hilarious notes. Read some selections on McSweeney’s, like our favorite so far:

“Dear President Obama,
I want to tell you hi. Do you work with Santa Claus? Can I meet you in your house? Can I say bye to you after I meet you? And then can I meet you again? And then again after that?

Sergio Magana, age 5
San Francisco”

Cracking up yet? [$15, Barnes & Noble]

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Michelle Obama Not So Happy That Ladies Love Grabbing Barack’s Bum

Kate Torgovnick/Kate-Book.comSeptember 22, 2009 //

Chris Andersen’s biography of the Obamas, Barack and Michelle: Portrait of an American Marriage, comes out today, and in it he dishes on a lot more than the first couple’s date night. According to Andersen, women are constantly rubbing up against Barack, slipping him their digits, and whispering suggestive comments in his ear. “On more than one occasion, Barack tried not to look startled when some random woman in the crowd would grasp him firmly by the derriere — and sometimes try to hold on,” writes Andersen. After one rally on the campaign trail, Barack supposedly said, “Jesus, I wish they’d stop grabbing my ass.” Keep reading »

A Must-Read: Everything You Always Wanted To Know About Ex

Erin FlahertySeptember 21, 2009 //

Think you know everything there is to know about that ex you’ve obsessed over? Well, authors Heather Belle and Michelle Fiordaliso want you to know that there is so, so much more. (Curses!) The two psychotherapists have both “professional and personal experience with exes.” Some of us could use some pro insight on factors like how to be friends with an ex, whether you should get back together, why you really shouldn’t and, say, moving on. Their new book Everything You Always Wanted To Know About Ex tackles all of this. Anything that helps us step away from the dramz is probably a good thing, right? Read it when you’re contemplating a drunk dial. [Amazon] Keep reading »

Do Women Take Better Pictures Of Other Women?

Catherine StrawnSeptember 21, 2009 //

Ellen von Unwerth is one of only a few women in the fashion photography world. In a field largely dominated by males, von Unwerth’s often-dream-like photos have appeared in magazines like Vanity Fair, Interview, and Vogue, along with ad campaigns for major brands, including Chanel, Banana Republic, and Victoria’s Secret. In a very expensive book ($700!?!) called Fräulein, to be released in December, the Bavarian photographer celebrates sexy female icons of the modern era.

In an article in The Sunday Times, Katie Roiphe writes that the women (from Claudia Schiffer and Milla Jovovich to Christina Aguilera and Britney Spears) in von Unwerth’s book are sexy because they seem to be enjoying themselves, “though they might be even happier if another person were there.” They look good because they’re self-confident — and not the least bit clingy. Could part of the reason for the heightened sexiness be that the photographer is also a woman? Keep reading »

Get Your Tentacles On “Sense And Sensibility And Sea Monsters”

Ami AngelowiczSeptember 17, 2009 //

Love is a nightmare. This we know. I’m so tired of those stupid chick lit books where everyone ends up safe, happy, and in love at the end. That’s why I’m so excited that the new romance/horror mash-up from the genius behind Pride and Prejudice and Zombies is now on bookstore shelves! In Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters, Ben H. Winters expands on the Jane Austen classic with all-new scenes of giant lobsters, octopi, two-headed sea serpents, and other sub-human monstrosities. Now that’s my kind of love story! Bloody, gory, awkward, and odd—kind of like it is in real life. When the Dashwood sisters are forced to leave their childhood home and sent to live on a mysterious island, they will either drown or stay afloat. While sensible Elinor falls in love with Edward Ferrars, romantic Marianne is forced to choose between two suitors—handsome Willoughby and half-man/half-monster Colonel Brandon. That’s a no-brainer—go for the monster dude, of course! See a video preview for the book after the jump. Keep reading »

I Love This Book About Style

Catherine StrawnSeptember 15, 2009 //

Everyone went gaga over the release of The Sartorialist‘s book when it hit shelves last month, but how did the people featured in blogs and books like Scott Schuman’s become so stylish in the first place? Out today, Amanda Brooks’ book I Love Your Style: How to Define and Refine Your Personal Style breaks down the elements of style so you can develop your own. Keep reading »

Q&A: Comedian And Author Aaron Karo Takes Us Inside The Eternal Bachelor’s Mind

Jessica BartlettSeptember 15, 2009 //

Stand-up comedian and author Aaron Karo rose to fame as a college freshman at the University of Pennsylvania, where he began writing down what he called “Ruminations,” small observations about the universal truths of college: the dorm rooms, the friends, the food, the classes, the beer pong … and the women. (A sample “rumination” from September 2000: “You know what a great moment in college life is? Those two seconds. The two seconds when you first wake up at 3 p.m. after a hard night of partying. Because in those first two seconds you haven’t yet remembered that last night you threw up on your floor, punched a cop, and hooked up with an ugly chick. Savor those two seconds as best you can.”) One email to his close friends was forwarded to their friends, and to their friends. What started as a funny late-night email grew to an email newsletter, which grew to a stand-up comedy career, which grew to three published books. Keep reading »

“Racy” Twilight Books Banned From Schools In Australia

Jessica WakemanSeptember 14, 2009 //

Despite the fact that Stephenie Meyer‘s books are public service announcements for saving yourself ’til marriage, some elementary and middle schools in Australia are banning the Twilight series books for being too racy. Man, I don’t know what Twilight books these peeps were reading, but the one I read was 544 pages of agonizing blue balls. Though, in a roundabout way, fretful grownups could be doing these kids a favor, as one school librarian told Australia’s Daily Telegraph about the censorship, “We wanted to make sure [the students] realize it’s fictitious and ensure they don’t have a wrong grasp on reality.” Good point. In reality, Bella would’ve ripped the clothes off a hottie like Edward and boned that vampire ass, stat. Keep reading »

Q&A: Author Michelle Maisto Proves A Vegetarian And A Meat Lover Can Live Happily Ever After

Catherine StrawnSeptember 11, 2009 //

Food is an essential for life, of course, but it’s also a vital component of relationships. Without food, what would we do on dates? There would be no candlelit dinners, and no romantic champagne and strawberries or other supposedly aphrodisiac combos. In her new book The Gastronomy of Marriage, Michelle Maisto explores what happens in the food department after the dating stage is over, recounting the year before she and her fiancé, Rich, got married, and what they ate.

Both Michelle and Rich love a delicious meal, and they initially shared cooking duties when they moved in together; neither wanted to live according to dated rules dictating gender roles. But as Rich worked more to earn money for the wedding, Michelle volunteered to do his share, creating a more traditional division of work at home. So, did they go back to co-chefs after they got married? And how can a vegetarian and a meat-eater dine in harmony? We spoke with Michelle via email about food and marriage. Keep reading »

Why Do You Have Sex?

Ami AngelowiczSeptember 10, 2009 //

I just don’t know what to make of this new book, Why Women Have Sex, which claims to reveal the “real” reasons we ladyfolk do the horizontal polka. Authors Cindy Meston and David Buss interviewed 1,000 women and found some pretty shocking things. They say that 84 percent of the women surveyed claim to have sex just to “keep the peace.” Some other gems of reasons from the book include: “So he’ll take the trash out”; “To cure a headache”; “To relieve boredom”; “For presents”; and “Out of pity.” Even worse? (Cover your eyes, guys.) The book says, “Research has shown most men find most women at least somewhat sexually attractive, whereas most women do not find most men sexually attractive at all.”

What the #%&$? Excuse me. Hold on, please! Who were the 1,000 women interviewed for this book? These findings are total malarkey. Men of the world, I find you sexually attractive … I swear. And rest assured that I am not sleeping with you so you will take out my trash! Yes, there are many types of sex. But call me old-fashioned—I have sex (the majority of the time) because it feels f**king amazing and I want to connect with my partner. I am not at all satisfied with these findings, so I’m conducting a little research of my own. After the jump, some other better reasons why women have sex. Ladies out there in Friskyland, please add to the list so I have enough data to write a better book than this one! [News.com] Keep reading »

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