Dawn Bonner

This is a quick list of five wonderful books to get for yourself, a friend, your mom, sister, co-worker…Anyone you would like to make a wonderful gift basket for.  They are fun, easy reads, written by talented women, and will assist in great laughs, wonderful advice, and the best you possible.

Sinners and Secrets is a novel written by our very own Robin Hoselton.  Yes, you read that correctly.

It reads as easy as her column A View from Robin’s Nest does.  This is the description of the book:

The devout cleaning lady was a Trojan Horse–leaving the houses of the pandered rich with their darkest secrets.

Frieda Wimple’s expertise in house cleaning gives her access to the mansions in a Louisiana parish during the 1960s.  Believing herself a handmaiden to the Lord, she spies on her wealthy clentele to uncover their wrongdoings.  Frieda bribes her wayward niece, Amanda Tucker, to become an apprentice for 90 days while learning how to clean houses and punish their errant employers.

One of their victims is Susan St. Clair, a former waitress and beauty queen, who married into money.  The destinies of all three women are interwined as Susan’s life is turned upside down, and Amanda discovers that her aunt Frieda has a sinful secret of her won.

Robin is penning another novel as we speak.  So, we have more to look forward to from her.

Fifty is Not a Four-Letter Word is a comical novel written by Linda Kelsey, former editor of UK Cosmopolitan and She magazines.

“Funny, wise, true,” says Wendy Holden, author of The School for Husbands.

“Funny, spikey, and with the ring of truth on every page,” says Rosie Thomas, author of Other People’s Marriages.

The book description:  As Hope Lyndhurst-Steele approaches her fiftieth birthday, it looks like she has it all: a top magazine job, a wonderful husband, and a loving teenage son.  But, when she comes back to work after a vacation, she’s told the ‘having it all’ woman is out–and Hope along with her.  Being unemployed starts to strain her relationship with hubby, Jack; son Olly begins chasing the local trashy mom; and Hope’s own contentious mother soon makes a heartbreaking announcement.  With fifty certainly feeling like a four-letter work, Hope takes a solo trip to Paris, wondering if her marriage and long-dormant libido can get the jump-start they need.  In the offing will be some astonishing truths about herself and her age: While fifty is not the new thirty, it could be that the best is yet to come.

Living Beauty by New York Times best-selling author Bobbi Brown.

“Living Beauty is about creating a new ideal, a new reality, and a new aspiration for yourself,” says Bobbi Brown.  And, who better to show us how than 52-year-old, make-up artist can CEO of Bobbi Brown Cosmetics, than Brown herself?

The book description: True beauty is simple and achievable.  For more than twenty-five years, Boobi Brown has been the leading authority on women’s makeup and individual beauty.  Now, in this refreshing handbook, Bobbi redefines beauty for women in their forties, fifties, sixties, and beyond, giving readers specific surgery-free solutions for looking and feeling better.  Full of step-by-step makeup instructions, before-and-after photos, and inspiring advice from role models such as Susan Sarandon, Ann Curry, Vanessa Williams, and Lorraine Bracco, Bobbi Brown Living Beauty is the ultimate insiders guide to what works.  Discover: The Makeup Face-Lift, Beauty treatments and ingredients that actually make a difference, How the right haircut and color can lift your look, and Head-to-toe makeovers.

How Not to Look Old by Charla Krupp, a contributing editor to People: Style Watch, former senior editor at InStyle, beauty director of Glamour, and a regular on Oprah, The View, Tyra, CDS Early Show, Entertainment Tonigh and Access Hollywood.

The book description:  Right now, are you wearing…too-short bangs…granny dresses…dark lipstick…cakey foundation…fake nails…a matchy-matchy outfit…blue eye shadow…baggy jeans?  All these things scream ‘Old Lady’ to the world.  Look younger and hipper–right now!

Because looking great is critical to every woman’s personal and financial survival, Charla Krupp offers a comprehensive plan to keep you in the game.  Acclaimed by the press, her runaway bestseller has already helped hundreds of thousands of women.  Now updated with new product and salon recommendations, as well as lists of go-to experts, her book, more than ever, teaches you how to look younger and hipper–and still appropriate.  Discover: 10 things you can do in the next 10 minutes to take of 10 years, What’s to young, what’s too old, what’s just right, When you should (and shouldn’t) spend the big bucks, The top 25 clothes that just gotta go, High-, medium-, and low-price options, ‘Brilliant Buys’–shopping lists of products that really deliver,…and advice from Charla’s A-list of hair pros, makeup artists, designers, dermatologists, cosmetic dentists, and personal shoppers.

The POWER of 4 by Paula Owens.  Check out her article, What is Holistic Health?

The book description: THE POWER OF 4 is for anyone interested in health, vitality, longevity and fat loss. This book is all inclusive with the four powers (holistic nutrition, lifestyle, exercise and supplements) in one book. THE POWER OF 4 guarantees to change your body and transform your life by enlightening the reader with empowering information based on current scientific research and the author’s 25+ years of experience and expertise. An informative book on educating and empowering you to your highest level of health by selecting two simple, yet profound, Winning Formulas each week. Beginning with a detailed explanation of holistic health, the reader is given a no-fail solution toward attaining optimal health, vitality, longevity and fat loss. Digestive health; Foods to include for health, vitality, longevity and fat loss; Holistic remedies for food cravings, fatigue, depression, PMS; Balancing hormones; Lifestyle and fat loss; Stress busters; Suggested blood labs; The best exercise for fat loss; The top supplements for health, vitality, longevity and fat loss; The truth about soy–a health food??; Non-pharmaceutical, natural healing modalities for various health conditions plus more!

“Perhaps the most remarkable thing about Paula’s book is that it took so long for someone to transpire all of this information to share with the public,” said Harry O. Eidenier Jr., Ph.D. “I sincerely believe this book should be used as a text in any institution of higher learning where the student is pursuing a degree in nutrition, exercise physiology or dietetics.”

“Paula Owens walks the walk!”

This is a terrific program that can benefit and empower you.” ~ Jonny Bowden, PhD, CNS author of The 150 Most Effective Ways to Boost Energy

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