Books!

This is a little off topic to Japan but is very relevant to me.....

Those of you that know me well (and really, why would you be reading this is you didn't) know that my friends are very important to me. And I get so excited and proud when something good happens in their lives! Today one of Juliet's big projects hits stores and I hope that you will consider purchasing it during your next trip to the bookstore. I have not read it yet but Juliet says that it is fantastic. Of course, she is biased. However, in addition, her mother loves the book and anyone who knows Mrs. Grames knows that she is not liberal with her giving of compliments and can be a harsh (although still fair!) critic. So the fact that she loves it must mean that it is good! Anyway, congrats to Juliet for a job well done. I hope this one flies off of the shelves- it sounds like a great read! If you are looking for your next book to read, pick up a copy of:

Sima's Undergarments for Women, by Ilana Stanger-Ross,

In the words of Juliet:
a debut novel I've been working on the last two years, is finally in stores! It's the story of a 63-year-old woman who lives in Brooklyn and runs a bra shop out of her basement, catering mostly to Orthodox Jews in her neighborhood. It's gotten stellar reviews so far, in PW, Kirkus, Booklist, ALA, New York Post, and Entertainment Weekly, and it has been nominated for the ALA's Sophie Brodie prize. The most important review to me was my mother's; she went crazy for it. If you know my mother already, you know what a tough sell she is. If you want to read the first chapter, send an email to OverlookChapters@gmail.com--it will appear in your inbox.
Here's the Amazon record, to give you an idea of the beautiful cover:http://www.amazon.com/Simas-Undergarments-Women-Ilana-Stanger-Ross/dp/1590200896/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1233700922&sr=1-1
If you're looking for a good read in the near future for yourself--or a gift for your mother, stepmother, aunt, or friend (perhaps particularly your female friend)--I hope you'll consider it. Also, if you're in the New York area, we'll be having a number of events between February 23 and March 1, including a media party, two bookstore readings, and several bra shop events. Let me know if you're in town then, and I'll send you the whole program.