The Truth About Twinkie Pie

Thanks to a million dollar prize in a cooking competition, GiGi and her big sister DiDi are starting a new life in New York!  All GiGi has ever know is her home in small town South Carolina where pretty much did nothing but study.  DiDi has been taking care of her since GiGi was a baby and their mother died, and big sister is determined to make her little sister a success.

GiGi wants to start fresh at this new school where no one knows her.  It's the perfect opportunity for reinvention.  Of course, she'll keep studying and making good grades, but a little fun never killed anyone.  That's why she's decided her recipe for success will involve a lot more friendship and a lot less studying in the library alone during lunch.

It seems to be working from the start.  When she literally runs into a beautiful and cool boy named Trip on the first day, she is pleasantly surprised to find a genuine friendship developing.

But, of course, it can't be that easy.  Mace has been friends with Trip forever, and she takes an instant dislike to GiGi.  Things get worse when GiGi catches Mace and DiDi hanging out.  DiDi never lets GiGi hang out with her at the salon, so why is she suddenly so friendly with her own sister's mortal enemy?!

When GiGi decides to make a grand gesture to fix her relationship with her older sister, she discovers a shocking secret that makes her doubt everything.

I really enjoyed Kat Yeh's book about friendship and family.  There are several laugh out loud moments, and GiGi's personality shines through on every page.

Close to Famous

Joan Bauer is one of my favorite authors because her heroines are always strong individuals who are unabashedly unique.  If you enjoy Close to Famous, give some of her other books a try!  Some of my favorites are Squashed, Peeled, and Backwater.

Foster and her mother are leaving Memphis a hurry to get away from a bad Elvis who just happens to be Mama's no good finally ex-boyfriend.  They just keep driving until they get stuck in a fog bank and stop for the night.  The are rescued by a couple from Culpepper, West Virginia, who just happen to have a vacant trailer in their backyard.  Since Foster and her mama just happen to have no money and nowhere to go, it seems like a perfect match.

Foster has more problems than leaving Memphis.  She is still mourning her father who died in Iraq, and her problems in school are worse than she wants anyone to know, but Foster has big talent and big dreams.  She bakes cupcakes and muffins and brownies that can melt anyone's heart, and her goal is to be on the Food Network like her Idol, Sonny Krull, celebrity chef and former Marine.

Culpepper isn't doing so well either.  The new prison was supposed to bring jobs, but it seems to be making the economy worse, the church is for sale, and the main industry in town is closed down.  There's also a former Hollywood starlet living like a hermit because she doesn't want to face the world.

Foster and Culpepper are both struggling, but maybe if they work toether, things can turn around for this baker with big dreams and a town that has forgotten how to dream.

With her usual style, Joan Bauer has created a book that is funny, touching, and true.  You'll laugh at Foster's dry sense of humor and sympathize with her struggles at school.  This is another winner!

Visit Joan Bauer's website for recipes and other extras!

Here's a video of the author talking about writing in general and some of her other books: