the Pulpwood Queens’ Tiara-Wearing, Book-Sharing Guide to Life by Kathy L. Patrick

First line: “If you saw me today in my full Pulpwood Queens Book Club regalia featuring hot pink, leopard skin, and a diamond tiara, you might not immediately think of me as a bookseller.”

With the average American reading one book a year, I have to admit I like the idea of the author’s ingenious salon/hairdresser concept, Beauty and the Book. And I’d much rather hear about a good book while trapped in a salon chair than the hairdresser’s love life. I’m probably not the only one. The book is just as inspired, part memoir, part self-help book, tossing such pearls of wisdom as “If life hands you a lemon, make a margarita.” Who can argue with that?  What sets the book apart is Patrick’s love of books and her quick pick for any given situation. She has enough recommendations to fill your book club for the next ten years. As the first line indicates, she started her own book club spawning chapters all over the States. In fact, a little tiara-wearing, book-sharing is exactly what we need more of. Patrick’s personality is probably contagious, so no one in her company feels blue for long. Her book can offer the same remedy.

For: Spawning your own book club and a cheerier outlook on life. - Malena Lott

Buy it at Amazon.