you have no idea: book review + giveaway

* It's been far too long since I've belonged to a book club. My last one was reading the books of B. F. Skinner (Verbal Behavior alone took us two years to complete) and it was nowhere nearly as fun as this. 

• If you've ever had a conversation with your mother about whether she remembers some detail from your childhood and she told you exactly how she recalls it and it's not at all what you expected, then this book is for you.
• If you've ever watched VH1 specials and relished in the behind-the-scenes look into the scandal in the life of a celebrity, then this book is for you.
• If you have a daughter, or you find the mother-daughter bond fascinating, then this book is for you.
• If you like stories of triumphant comebacks, second chances, and resilience in the face of (very public) adversity, then this book is for you.

Vanessa Williams burst onto the scene with a big splash. Almost overnight, it seems, she became the first black Miss America and, shortly afterwards, was stripped of her crown because of the (unauthorized) publication of photos featuring her in nude poses.

I remember that! I was a teenager then. I remember how beautiful she was, how she filled that swimsuit in all the right places, how elegant she looked in that bedazzled and sequinned dress (hey, it was the 80s, we liked our clothes a little shinier then). And I remember not understanding what the big fuss was about her winning the pageant -- she was the prettiest, so what was the big deal about her race, again? And I remember vividly all the media frenzy over the scandal that ensued.

You Have No Idea weaves the story of Williams's life, interjected by her mother Helen's take on the events, comments, own history, and advice. Besides the first-person account of the very public events in her life (marriages, divorces, birth of her kids, the whole Miss America thing, her singing career, her acting career), the book also reveals quirky tidbits about Vanessa, the person behind the fame: that she was a latchkey kid; that her first kiss was at 10 with a 12 year-old boy wearing braces; that her mother once caught her, with her boyfriend, in flagrante delicto, in the middle of the family living room; that she kept a journal (humm, do you think that if she was born a couple of decades later, she would've been a blogger?)... and that's all I'm going to give away, so that you can discover the rest for yourself.

BlogHer Book Club is reading Vanessa and Hellen Williams's You Have No Idea this month. You too can join the conversation about this book and participate in the series of discussions, starting with this one:
Do you listen to your mother?

If you are interested in following Vanessa on social media, her Twitter handle is @vwofficial and her Facebook page is Official Vanessa Williams.

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Haven't read the book yet? 
Here's one way you can remedy that: Enter the giveaway below for a chance to win the hardcover copy of the book I was sent to review. Heck, I'll even throw in a $10 Starbucks giftcard, so you can sip that latte/mocha/cappuccino while reading it. Still not enough? Oh alright, for a second place prize, I'll part with the remainder of the money I'll be paid for this review: a second $10 Starbucks!!!


Giveaway details:

• First prize, the Miss America package: the You Have No Idea book (a $28 value) and a $10 Starbucks giftcard. Open to all US and Canada residents. Will need a valid mailing address from the winner, when selected.
• Second prize, the Miss America runner-up package: a $10 Starbucks giftcard. Open to all who wish to enter. I like how Starbucks lets you email an e-giftcard from anywhere to anywhere, will need a valid email address for the winner, when selected.
• Giveaway is open until 12:01am EST Wednesday May 9, 2012, so I can mail the book to the winner in time for Mother's Day, see how cleverly that works out?
• Only requirement is to answer the question: What about you do people Have No Idea? Never mind the grammar of the sentence, just answer the question :)
• For additional entries: Follow me on Facebook and Twitter, post a link to this review on FB, tweet about it using the hashtags #BHBC and #YHNIgiveaway. If you already follow me (thank you, thank you) you'll get credit for that too, just enter your info when prompted :) 
• May the most dexterous typist win!

Good luck!



a Rafflecopter giveaway

I've been seeing this cool app (rafflecopter) used for giveaways in a lot of blogs, lately, and I'm attempting to use it here for the first time. Just to make sure I've programmed it properly, I'll keep tabs manually as well. You'll be doing me a huge favor by helping me test its veracity. Please let me know if you come across any bugs or anything that doesn't make sense, I'm eager to learn from this experience.


* The legalese: This is a paid review for BlogHer Book Club but the opinions expressed are my own. 
So is the cash used to pay for the giveaway. 
Sadly, no one offered to pay me for the Skinner series.

You get a bar! YOU get a bar!!! YOU ALL GET A BAR!!!!

A few days ago, I was invited (VIP guest no less) to be an audience member for The Talk. Better, I was to visit the show on the day that Dr. Gadget was on, which meant that I would (and did) go home with one of each of the products demonstrated on the show. More better (as my daughter is fond of shouting when I add chocolate sprinkles to her ice cream), it was the biggest giveaway to date on the show! I was sent home with top-of-the-line latest must-have gadgets: a steam mop that turns into a hand steamer (manna for a wrinkle-free-nut like me), a super light and practical stroller (which I apparently have to sell on ebay since no one I know has small kids or needs strollers), a carry-on bag on wheels that converts into a handy-dandy seat (for the fortunate under-250lbs humans), a steam-iron that could put a serious singe into any fabric (or anything, really), and, the piece de resistance, “the world’s first complete, portable bar and entertainment system” which includes the bar, the stools, an umbrella, a cooler and a changeable banner to match any décor (there may be more but they had me at the portable bar) (I couldn't download a picture for it but trust me, it's a beaut!)

What does that mean for the average citizen? Bubkas.

Let me explain. The unfortunate masses of retired matrons who actually watch the show, are fans, and patiently wait to get tickets then wait in line to get on the show, any other day of the month than that day, get nothing. Except the joy of seeing their idols from a very safe distance (say hello to the healthily beefed bodyguards keeping strict vigil), show their appreciation by clapping on command, and going home hoarse from ooooh-ing and aaaah-ing on cue. My mother got dragged into one such similar show by a friend of hers and all she brought home were red hands, a sore throat, and a bag of popcorn (thus her insistence that logically, she deserves the carry-on-seat-thingamagingie). I was invited specifically for this show on this day because of the giveaways, and though very appreciative to my host who could have picked anyone else upon whom to splurge this favor, I am painfully aware that this is a very uncommon occurrence for most of us simple non-show biz schlobs.

Let me explain some more. The rich and famous get it all: best tables at restaurants (sans reservations), front of the line (better yet no line at all), best seats at any show or event, and freebees galore! The premise is fairly simple and oh-so-marketing clever: Knowing that so-and-so is using a particular product will entice fans to go purchase said product. And many do, thus the clever part. Meanwhile, your typical talk show host, even the run of the mill obscure one, has x-boxes and wii-s coming out of their attractive wazoo… whilst the poor nerds who would gladly exchange their first-born for a close-up glimpse of said products, get nothing. Delighted as I am for their success, for which I’m certain they work (modestly) hard, any one of the Leah Reminis, Sara Gilberts, Sharon Osbournes, Holly Robinson-Peetes, or Julie Chens of the world could comfortably afford any one of the products bestowed upon them as frequently as crumpled dollar bills on a pole-dancer. So why do they get all the loot while we get nothing for being loyal merchandise buyers who basically put these companies on the map and generated billions of profits for them? I dunno. But I donhafta like it.

I was given the Kindle (first generation, white, monochrome) as a present a little while ago. I in turn bought it as a present to my nearest/dearest in mutual reciprocation. I was utterly shocked when I got word that the (what is it now? fourth?) latest generation of Kindle is out, has so many more features than its pioneering ancestor and, adding salt to injury, you can now play games on them! FOR HALF THE PRICE!!! I understand that Amazon had to cut the Kindle price to rival those of the Nooks and iBooks and Whatnots with their competing reading tablets, but paying twice as much for the privilege of using a comparatively inferior product less than 6 months earlier than everyone else??? COME ON!!!

On the other hand, do you think that maybe karma’s magnanimous hand made up for my overpaying for the Kindle by gifting me with these generous (and awesome) goodies? If so, kindly disregard the above rant. 

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