Laura Chapman's Blog, page 33

happy holidays from ctw!

Merry Christmas
from the
Change the Word editorial team!

Wishing you a happy, safe and wonderful holiday.
Love, Laura & =^.^= (Bingley)
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12 days of reading 2014

Blogger's Note: With Christmas just around the corner, there's still plenty of time to ask Santa for a few new reads under your tree. Rather than share 12 writing tips (like in 2011 and 2012) or some favorite writers (like last year), this year we are sharing 12 notable (and potentially Christmas list-worthy) books from the past year. I have enlisted the help of my good friend (and voracious reader) Whitney to create this list. Enjoy the 12 Days of Reading.

12 Days of Reading 2014
Day 1: Love Like the Movies by Victoria Van TiemDay 2: Twisted Sisters by Jen LancasterDay 3: As You Wish by Cary ElwesDay 4: The One & Only by Emily GiffinDay 5: The One by Kiera CassDay 6: Goodnight June by Sarah JioDay 7: The Secret Keeper Fulfilled by Brea BrownDay 8: I Am Having So Much Fun Here Without You by Courtney MaumDay 9: Every Time I Think of You by Tracey Garvis GravesDay 10: Landline by Rainbow RowellDay 11: Yes Please by Amy PoehlerDay 12: Neil Patrick Harris: Choose Your Own Autobiography!
In addition to these 12 noteworthy reads of 2014, there were several more stories we loved and wanted to share. Unfortunately we weren't able to find a way to turn 12 into 20 (the official 'calendar people' could not be persuaded) and in most (okay, all) cases we just ran out of reading time. Still, we felt these books deserve to be paid homage, so we are adding them to our Honorary 12 Days of Reading Bonus List.

Honorary 12 Days of Reading Bonus List
From Laura
1. Pioneer Girl by Laura Ingalls Wilder, Edited by Pamela Smith Hill - The autobiography originally written by LIW before the rest of the series, this offers a more grown-up look at what happened on the prairie. The only reason this book didn't make the main list is because demand is so high for this book, our copies haven't arrived yet. Whitney and I can't wait to finally sink our teeth into this read.

2. Shopaholic to the Stars by Sophie Kinsella - This is the continuation of the many adventures of Becky Brandon (nee Bloomwood). If only there was more time in a year.

3. The Collector by Nora Roberts - Again, I (Laura) ran out of time to read this one, but I have an audio copy ready to go during my upcoming vacation days. Huzzah.

4. How Do You Know? by Meredith Schorr - I'm a big fan of Meredith's and I can't wait to dig into her latest book. It's ready and cued up on my Kindle for imminent reading.

From Whitney
5. One Plus One by JoJo Moyes - Love her, can't wait to read the latest! If you haven't read Me Before You, do it now. Then be prepared to read every other book she's every written, including One Plus One.

6. Driving with the Top Down by Elizabeth Harbison - Why do all of my library requests come at the same time. Will make this one a priority before it's due.

7. Tempting Fate by Jane Green - Lately I have loved Jane Green's books and look forward to this one just based on the plot alone.

8. Catching Air by Sarah Pekkanen - If I didn't go to bed at 9:00 p.m. this one might be finished, but I am liking what I've read so far...

Thanks for joining us this holiday season as we counted down our favorite reads. From both of us, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!


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12 days of reading - day 12: neil patrick harris: choose your own autobiography!

Blogger's Note: With Christmas just around the corner, there's still plenty of time to ask Santa for a few new reads under your tree. Rather than share 12 writing tips (like in 2011 and 2012) or some favorite writers (like last year), this year we are sharing 12 notable (and potentially Christmas list-worthy) books from the past year. I have enlisted the help of my good friend (and voracious reader) Whitney to create this list. Enjoy the 12 Days of Reading.

Day 12:  Neil Patrick Harris: Choose Your Own Autobiography!
By  Neil Patrick Harris
Published October 14
Picked by Whitney

Tired of memoirs that only tell you what really happened? 

Sick of deeply personal accounts written in the first person? Seeking an exciting, interactive read that puts the “u” back in “aUtobiography”? Then look no further than Neil Patrick Harris: Choose Your Own Autobiography! In this revolutionary, Joycean experiment in light celebrity narrative, actor/personality/carbon-based-life-form Neil Patrick Harris lets you, the reader, live his life. You will be born to New Mexico. You will get your big break at an acting camp. You will get into a bizarre confrontation outside a nightclub with actor Scott Caan. Even better, at each critical juncture of your life you will choose how to proceed. You will decide whether to try out for Doogie Howser, M.D. You will decide whether to spend years struggling with your sexuality. You will decide what kind of caviar you want to eat on board Elton John’s yacht.

Choose correctly and you’ll find fame, fortune, and true love. Choose incorrectly and you’ll find misery, heartbreak, and a hideous death by piranhas. All this, plus magic tricks, cocktail recipes, embarrassing pictures from your time as a child actor, and even a closing song. Yes, if you buy one book this year, congratulations on being above the American average, and make that book Neil Patrick Harris: Choose Your Own Autobiography!

I tell ya, there’s no better way to enjoy a celebrity memoir than listening to them read it to you on audio book while you’re driving to Target or whatever. Neil Patrick Harris: Choose Your Own Autobiography! is no exception, even though, as my sister reminded me, you can’t choose your own adventure, which is a super fun take on an autobiography. But, you don’t really miss out as the audio book still takes you down a path riddled with potential options, and there are even bonus features, like audio of a speech by youngster Neil Patrick Harris.

Listening to this book was so enjoyable—it’s hilarious, of course, because what else could you expect from NPH—but also touching, moving, and thought-provoking. Plus I feel like you get a lot of insider, behind-the-scenes takes on certain experiences NPH has been a part of, all while feeling like you’re hearing it from the source himself.

Rating: 5 of 5


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12 days of reading - day 11: 'yes please'

Blogger's Note: With Christmas just around the corner, there's still plenty of time to ask Santa for a few new reads under your tree. Rather than share 12 writing tips (like in 2011 and 2012) or some favorite writers (like last year), this year we are sharing 12 notable (and potentially Christmas list-worthy) books from the past year. I have enlisted the help of my good friend (and voracious reader) Whitney to create this list. Enjoy the 12 Days of Reading.

Day 11:  Yes Please
By Amy Poehler
Published October 28
Picked by Laura

Do you want to get to know the woman we first came to love on Comedy Central's Upright Citizens Brigade? Do you want to spend some time with the lady who made you howl with laughter on Saturday Night Live, and in movies like Baby Mama, Blades of Glory, and They Came Together? Do you find yourself daydreaming about hanging out with the actor behind the brilliant Leslie Knope on Parks and Recreation? Did you wish you were in the audience at the last two Golden Globes ceremonies, so you could bask in the hilarity of Amy's one-liners?

If your answer to these questions is "Yes Please!" then you are in luck. In her first book, one of our most beloved funny folk delivers a smart, pointed, and ultimately inspirational read. Full of the comedic skill that makes us all love Amy, Yes Please is a rich and varied collection of stories, lists, poetry (Plastic Surgery Haiku, to be specific), photographs, mantras and advice. With chapters like "Treat Your Career Like a Bad Boyfriend," "Plain Girl Versus the Demon" and "The Robots Will Kill Us All" Yes Please will make you think as much as it will make you laugh. Honest, personal, real, and righteous, Yes Please is full of words to live by.

Amy Poehler is everything. This is an important fact to establish before gushing about how fabulously enjoyable this read was.

After once seeing an interview where Poehler said she had no plans to write a memoir--that being mentioned in memoirs by Tina Fey and Mindy Kaling was more than enough--I was basically beside myself when I learned Yes Please was coming to a bookseller near me.

As I do with most memoirs, I picked up the audio book for this one to hear the story from Poehler herself. A talented writer as evidenced by her work on Parks and Recreation, it was no surprise that her story was well-told. But more than that, I was struck by the total honesty she shared about her life. She didn't gloss over hardships, like her divorce from Will Arnett, or the great effort and hard work it took for her to achieve the success she has now. And it's a battle that is never over.

At times charming and funny, others emotional and thought-provoking, for me reading Yes Please only solidified how much I admire Poehler as a comedian, writer, actress and human being. I found myself inspired and motivated to work harder to achieve my own goals, which is no small feat for a memoir to achieve.

It also reassured me that I was totally right about dressing up as Poehler's author photo for Halloween.


Rating: 5 of 5


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grownup advent week three

My Grownup Advent Calendar continued this week (check out weeks one and two), and it required a lot of reading. This turned out to be a good thing, because I had a lot of other fun activities to participate in all week (like wrapping presents for children receiving them from an angel tree, a Facebook Christmas party and a holiday party with my co-workers).

Take a look at what my week held:

Day 14: Holiday nails (and a Hallmark movie).
Day 15: Curling up with a peppermint
cocoa and Christmas novel.
Day 16: Read from "Five Golden Rings"
(which I'm doing while checking out
the December Delights Bookish Party).  Day 17: Make a donation to a charitable organization or cause.
Day 18: Read "The Gift of the Magi."
Day 19: Christmas cupcakes and wine.
(Sugar, I wish I knew how to quit you.)
Day 20: Christmas movie marathon and carryout.
Up first: SCROOGED. 
Only four more days of my Grownup Advent Calendar to go!

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12 days of reading - day 10: 'landline'

Blogger's Note: With Christmas just around the corner, there's still plenty of time to ask Santa for a few new reads under your tree. Rather than share 12 writing tips (like in 2011 and 2012) or some favorite writers (like last year), this year we are sharing 12 notable (and potentially Christmas list-worthy) books from the past year. I have enlisted the help of my good friend (and voracious reader) Whitney to create this list. Enjoy the 12 Days of Reading.

Day 10: Landline
By Rainbow Rowell
Published July 8
Picked by Whitney

From New York Times bestselling author of Eleanor & Park and Fangirl, Rainbow Rowell, comes a hilarious, heart-wrenching take on love, marriage, and magic phones.
Georgie McCool knows her marriage is in trouble. That it’s been in trouble for a long time. She still loves her husband, Neal, and Neal still loves her, deeply—but that almost seems beside the point now. 

Maybe that was always beside the point. 

Two days before they’re supposed to visit Neal’s family in Omaha for Christmas, Georgie tells Neal that she can’t go. She’s a TV writer, and something’s come up on her show; she has to stay in Los Angeles. She knows that Neal will be upset with her—Neal is always a little upset with Georgie—but she doesn’t expect to him to pack up the kids and go without her. 

When her husband and the kids leave for the airport, Georgie wonders if she’s finally done it. If she’s ruined everything. 

That night, Georgie discovers a way to communicate with Neal in the past. It’s not time travel, not exactly, but she feels like she’s been given an opportunity to fix her marriage before it starts. . . . 

Is that what she’s supposed to do? 

Or would Georgie and Neal be better off if their marriage never happened?

I was lucky enough to get to see Rainbow Rowell at a reading of Landline and she was lovely, hilarious, and real—she had so many thoughtful things to say about writing, being an author (I consider those two different things sometimes) and everything else. She also talked about the book, and her inspiration for it, and keeping that in mind, it was even more fun to read.

The book itself was good—I liked the magical phone element and the idea of whether you should change fate if you have the chance. But what l liked so much about Landline was the character of Georgie. I appreciate that she is a strong, successful female character, as these are sometimes hard to come by. She is well-written, three dimensional, and real, and makes Landline worth the read.

Rating: 4 of 5


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12 days of reading - day 9: 'every time i think of you'

Blogger's Note: With Christmas just around the corner, there's still plenty of time to ask Santa for a few new reads under your tree. Rather than share 12 writing tips (like in 2011 and 2012) or some favorite writers (like last year), this year we are sharing 12 notable (and potentially Christmas list-worthy) books from the past year. I have enlisted the help of my good friend (and voracious reader) Whitney to create this list. Enjoy the 12 Days of Reading.


Day 9: Every Time I Think of You
By Tracey Garvis Graves
Published September 16
Picked by Laura

Thirty-year-old Daisy DiStefano has two people she holds dear: the grandmother who raised her, and her three-year-old son, Elliott. But when Daisy’s grandmother is killed in a seemingly random act of violence, Daisy must take steps to protect herself and her child. 

Despite a thriving career in San Francisco, thirty-six-year-old Brooks McClain has returned home to spend what little time his mother has left before she succumbs to the deadly disease that is ravaging her. The seasoned investigative reporter has taken a position with the local newspaper and been on the job less than twenty-four hours when he’s summoned to cover the death of Pauline Thorpe. 

Brooks is all business, but the more time he spends with Daisy DiStefano, the more invested he becomes; there’s something about a single mother, a defenseless child, and an unsolved crime that has stirred Brooks’s protective instincts like nothing ever has before. 

And when the unthinkable happens, Brooks will do whatever it takes to clear the name of the woman he’s fallen for and the child he’ll protect at any cost. 

Romantic and suspenseful, Every Time I Think of You shows how far two people will go to fight for the ones they love, and the life they’ve always imagined.

It's no secret Tracey Garvis Graves writes well--superbly so--and she lived up to her reputation with Every Time I Think of You. Character-driven and expertly crafted, I found myself wishing I could read and flip the next page faster to get to the end.

From the onset, I was drawn to Daisy and Brooks, the main characters who tell most of the story. They are both hard-working, family-oriented individuals who face hard times, sometimes make the wrong decisions, but make every choice with the intent of doing well. I so desperately wanted these two crazy kids to be together, because they were exactly what the other person needed to survive and live to their fullest potential.

Garvis Graves also continues to impress with the amount of research and attention to detail she gives. As a former reporter, Brooks's actions, lines of questioning and written products were spot-on. The depictions of ALS, and even meth addiction and peddling, were developed so completely I felt like if stepped into and episode of a hospital drama or Breaking Bad, which I loved.

Though not as steamy as some romances or nail-biting as some thrillers, there was enough toe-curling passion and page-turning intrigue to keep my interest piqued from page to page. This story had enough interesting and relatable elements that it didn't need gimmicks to work.

What made this book all the more exciting for me was the fact that I went to see Tracey speak while she was still in the developmental stages of working on this book. She offered a few bits about what we could expect, and I eagerly anticipated the moment I would finally get to read this story. It didn't disappoint.

Rating: 4 of 5




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12 days of reading - day 8: 'i am having so much fun here without you'

Blogger's Note: With Christmas just around the corner, there's still plenty of time to ask Santa for a few new reads under your tree. Rather than share 12 writing tips (like in 2011 and 2012) or some favorite writers (like last year), this year we are sharing 12 notable (and potentially Christmas list-worthy) books from the past year. I have enlisted the help of my good friend (and voracious reader) Whitney to create this list. Enjoy the 12 Days of Reading.


Day 8: I Am Having So Much Fun Here Without You
By Courtney Maum
Published June 10
Picked by Whitney

In this reverse love story set in Paris and London, which Glamour hailed as one of the “10 Best Books to Add to Your Summer Reading List Right This Second,” a failed monogamist attempts to woo his wife back and to answer the question: Is it really possible to fall back in love with your spouse?

Despite the success of his first solo show in Paris and the support of his brilliant French wife and young daughter, thirty-four-year-old British artist Richard Haddon is too busy mourning the loss of his American mistress to a famous cutlery designer to appreciate his fortune.

But after Richard discovers that a painting he originally made for his wife, Anne—when they were first married and deeply in love—has sold, it shocks him back to reality and he resolves to reinvest wholeheartedly in his family life…just in time for his wife to learn the extent of his affair. Rudderless and remorseful, Richard embarks on a series of misguided attempts to win Anne back while focusing his creative energy on a provocative art piece to prove that he’s still the man she once loved.

Skillfully balancing biting wit with a deep emotional undercurrent, this “charming and engrossing portrait of one man’s midlife mess” (Elle) creates the perfect portrait of an imperfect family—and a heartfelt exploration of marriage, love, and fidelity.

So often we see the traditional love story of boy meets girl, they fall in love, they get married and have kids and live happily ever after. But these things are much more complicated than that, and that is what Courtney Maum explores in I Am Having So Much Fun Here Without You. (Hereafter referred to as “the book,” as while I love the title it’s awfully long to type.)

The book is a compelling story with interesting characters and humor, and it felt very real to me, like the characters were people I knew instead of a character in a book. And by looking at what marriage, parenting, and creating an identity for oneseself can do to (and I would even say for) a couple, the love story is there, even if it is unexpected.


Rating: 3 of 5



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12 days of reading - day 7: 'the secret keeper fulfilled'

Blogger's Note: With Christmas just around the corner, there's still plenty of time to ask Santa for a few new reads under your tree. Rather than share 12 writing tips (like in 2011 and 2012) or some favorite writers (like last year), this year we are sharing 12 notable (and potentially Christmas list-worthy) books from the past year. I have enlisted the help of my good friend (and voracious reader) Whitney to create this list. Enjoy the 12 Days of Reading.


Day 7: The Secret Keeper Fulfilled
By Brea Brown
Published September 27
Picked by Laura

New family members, new career paths, and new neighbors create new challenges for the Northams in the final chapter of the popular Secret Keeper series. 

Wrangling more children than ever and living with a clergyman who doesn't know how to sit still, Peyton doubts she can keep up with the latest batch of changes. Family feuds, growing pains, and unspoken truths between husband and wife only add to the frenzy surrounding Brice and Peyton as they cope with the aftermath of the life-changing events from months before. 

With her insecurity at an all-time high, Peyton must heal her raw wounds—both old and fresh—and uncover one more secret before she can be fulfilled at last.

I may be a little biased with this pick, but what the heck, it's my list and my blog and I can do what I like!

During the past couple of years I have had the privilege of becoming friends with Brea Brown. Throughout last summer, Brea and I had many conversations about the book she was writing--the final chapter of her well-loved The Secret Keeper series. Wanting to be as supportive as I could, I gave the first book a go on a Friday evening. I ended up staying awake all night to finish the story. So I started the second book. Then the third... And by the end of the week, I'd caught up with Brea and demanded she finish the series.

What made this all the more fun and exciting--and unique--for me as a reader was that I could talk with Brea while she worked on this book. We discussed a few inner writerly battles she was fighting, and I could be her cheerleader. (I also may or may not have mentioned a few things I really, really liked about the first few books, and what I might really, really like to see in the final installment, which in hindsight was pretty rude of me to do.)

I also had the opportunity to serve as a beta reader for this book. Like the other stories, I inhaled it. And I was deeply moved by the lovely note Brea wrote for me in her author's note. While Brea was the one offering me thanks, in actuality I'm the one who is grateful. The whole interaction was powerful for me as both a reader and writer. I had a front-row seat to watching a story I loved be crafted. I also could see how a writer I respect practiced her craft, which helped me reflect upon my own approach. Even now it's surreal to me. It's hard to explain how much it meant to me.

As for how the final Peyton and Brice story turned out, my Amazon review says it best:

It's never easy to say good-bye, but like graduation or moving to pursue a dream, it can be more sweet than bittersweet. That's how it felt reading the final installment of Brea Brown's Secret Keeper series. We've been through a lot with Peyton, Brice, and the rest of the gang, and this was a lovely and satisfying send-off for a cast of characters we've grown to love like family. Like the rest of the series there were a few tears, plenty of laughs, and a whole lot of heart in The Secret Keeper Fulfilled. This book lives up to its title. 

Rating: 5 of 5


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12 days of reading - day 6: 'goodnight june'

Blogger's Note: With Christmas just around the corner, there's still plenty of time to ask Santa for a few new reads under your tree. Rather than share 12 writing tips (like in 2011 and 2012) or some favorite writers (like last year), this year we are sharing 12 notable (and potentially Christmas list-worthy) books from the past year. I have enlisted the help of my good friend (and voracious reader) Whitney to create this list. Enjoy the 12 Days of Reading.


Day 6: Goodnight June
By Sarah Jio
Published May 27
Picked by Whitney

Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown (Goodnight Songs) is an adored childhood classic, but its real origins are lost to history. In Goodnight June, Sarah Jio offers a suspenseful and heartfelt take on how the “great green room” might have come to be.

June Andersen is professionally successful, but her personal life is marred by unhappiness. Unexpectedly, she is called to settle her great-aunt Ruby’s estate and determine the fate of Bluebird Books, the children’s bookstore Ruby founded in the 1940s. Amidst the store’s papers, June stumbles upon letters between her great-aunt and the late Margaret Wise Brown—and steps into the pages of American literature.

As the mother of an almost-one-year-old, I spend a lot of time reading children’s books, Goodnight Moon especially. (This is the one I have mostly memorized, in fact.) So it was super fun that an author I already love, Sarah Jio, has written a book on the imagined history of the well-known children’s book.

Jio always does a nice job of crafting multiple main characters with different voices and perspectives, and Goodnight June is no exception. I also love the fact that the book takes place around a children’s bookstore, as I think that would be my dream job. Combining mystery, a love story, and of course, books, Goodnight June is a quick, cute read.

Rating: 4 of 5


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