“Sergeant Rex: The Unbreakable Bond Between a Marine and His Military Working Dog” by Mike Dowling c.2011, Atria Books $26.00 / $29.99 Canada 304 pages   By TERRI SCHLICHENMEYER These days, you sleep pretty well at night. Oh, sure, there are things that could keep you awake. Mostly, though, you’re tucked into bed when darkness [...]

“Working Out Sucks” by Chuck Runyon, Brian Zehetner (MS, RD, CSCS) and Rebecca Derossett (MSW) c.2012, Da Capo Lifelong $14.99 / $17.50 Canada 224 pages   By TERRI SCHLICHENMEYER The year has barely gotten started, and you’ve already ruined a resolution. Actually, make that all resolutions. You’ve already broken all your resolutions because the only [...]

“Building with Secondhand Stuff” by Chris Peterson c.2011, Creative Publishing International $19.99 / $21.99 Canada 144 pages By TERRI SCHLICHENMEYER Nobody needs to remind you that money’s tight. Still, you’ve been dreaming of a new look around your home, an addition or a total remodel, and that’s dangerous territory. You know from experience that one [...]

“Shiny Objects: Why We Spend Money We Don’t Have in Search of Happiness We Can’t Buy” by James A. Roberts c.2011, HarperOne $25.99 / $28.99 Canada 353 pages, includes index   By TERRI SCHLICHENMEYER Your financial goals for the next year are set. On the list are things like “pay off credit cards” and “save [...]

“Bedbugs” by Ben H. Winters c.2011, Quirk Books $14.95 / $16.95 Canada 253 pages   By TERRI SCHLICHENMEYER Did you hear that? It was loud, like a clunk but not quite. And it smells like smoke in here. Or minty; definitely something. You can’t smell it?  Unbelievable that you didn’t notice; you’re usually really observant. [...]

“Are You Ready? How to Prepare for an Earthquake” by Maggie Mooney c.2011, Greystone Books $15.95 / $17.95 Canada 160 pages   By TERRI SCHLICHENMEYER The footage of that day was beyond scary. It looked like those first few steps when someone gets off a carnival ride, those dizzy, leg-shaking seconds of no equilibrium. Like [...]

“Trust Me, I’m Dr. Ozzy: Advice from Rock’s Ultimate Survivor” by Ozzy Osbourne c.2011, Grand Central Publishing $26.99 / $29.99 Canada 274 pages   By TERRI SCHLICHENMEYER You can feel it down to your bones. You’ve got a pain in the neck, for one thing. No, not that kind – a real pain in the [...]

“The Secret Lives of Wives” by Iris Krasnow c.2011, Gotham Books $26.00 / $30.00 Canada 267 pages   By TERRI SCHLICHENMEYER You saw them walking around town today. Everyone did, and they all smiled. They had to be seventy- or even eighty-something. He had a cane over one elbow and his other was crooked for [...]

“Cat Calls” by Jeanne Adlon and Susan Logan c.2011, SquareOne Publishers $14.95 U.S. 123 pages   By TERRI SCHLICHENMEYER You’ve been thinking lately about the pitter-patter of tiny feet. You love a round baby belly and tiny baby ears. You long to gaze into an innocent little face as you hold your baby in your [...]

“The Night Circus” by Erin Morgenstern c.2011, Doubleday $26.95 / $32.00 Canada 384 pages   By TERRI SCHLICHENMEYER Some days, you feel like you’re living inside a circus. Each morning, your family races out the door like a herd of elephants. At work, you’re surrounded by clowns and dealing with a dog-and-pony show. You juggle, [...]