I recently received this book from Wiley publishers and, admittedly, was drawn to it because of the spectacular cover art. Beautiful flowers, bright colors – how could I resist! I then read the reviews and learned that Julia Roberts just bought the movie rights and, needless to say, “Hot House Flower” jumped to the top of my reading list.

Berwin tells the story of lonely Lila Nova, a recently divorced advertising copywriter in New York. One day, Lila stumbles across David Exley’s plant stand at a green market and randomly purchases a bird-of-paradise (it’s a tropical plant for those of you lacking a green thumb). All of sudden, Lila finds herself drowning her sorrows by collecting and caring for exotic plants. Walking home from a work event, she passes by a Laundromat filled to the brim with gorgeous, tropical plants and is invited in by Armand, the owner.

Armand enchants Lila with tales of the Nine Plants of Desire. When one possesses all nine, they shall have whatever they want and Lila is enthralled. Armand hints that he has the nine plants, stored in a back room of his Laundromat and that if Lila proves herself to be true, he will let her see them.

Shortly after, Lila and David go on a date and she shows him the Laundromat and absentmindedly mentions Armand’s nine plants. The next morning, Lila learns that Armand’s nine plants have been stolen by David and, since it is her fault, he wants her to go to Mexico with him to replace the plants. The two end up on a wild quest through the dense Yucatan jungle, searching for the plants while Lila searches for herself.

Besides being highly-entertaining (and fast-paced – my favorite), “Hot House Flower” also allows the reader to do some soul-searching. I am thoroughly impressed and amazed at the comparisons Berwin makes between plants and human nature. Almost every chapter contains a valuable life lesson, which I found myself reflecting on every time.

With “Hot House Flower and the Nine Plants of Desire” Margot Berwin delivers a hit. Funny, fast-paced, insightful and entertaining, women of all ages will devour this read. If you’re looking for chick-lit with some substance, pick up “Hot House Flower” and enjoy!

Is this just a publicity stunt for Leighton Meester?

Kim Kardashian wants to be a singer.

A look at Michael Jackson’s top 10 music videos.

Assault with a deadly Cheeto?

Andy Dick – still gross.

What is the most popular beauty product in Hollywood?

It’s been a busy week of jumping through puddles and praying that the sun will come out tomorrow. Or, I don’t know, yesterday? But a new month starts next week, and so does a new fresh start to the beloved season.

To kick of July with a bang, we get to choose from our lovely collection of swimsuits to show off at the beach, (paired with our handy T-shirt tote bag, of course,) spice up our outfits with a scarf and maybe take a day off from work using the clever period excuse (even if we’re lying about it).

What we won’t be doing is getting the new iPhone, lest we get too fat to fit into our swimsuits. Or having some  casual sex because, although it may seem like a great idea in the moment, it’s not that great the next morning. And, most importantly, we will not be asking men anything, because it makes us want to pull a Will.I.AM. move on every man we see.

On the brighter side, we’ve got some awesome new jams we heard about, and it looks like there really are a bunch of jobs out there for all those post-grads. So after doing some soul searching, we can fill out some applications.
AND no excuses for not working out, because we got some awesome tips to relieve that muscle pain.

A few months ago, while visiting the parentals for break, I hooked up with a friend of a friend. And it was awesome. He was hot, he was funny, and he had a visible six-pack. Yes, that was the first visible six-pack I’d ever boom boomed with, so it was pretty magical. In fact, that night is on my list of top 5 life experiences between my bat mitzvah and that time I found a Calvin Klein dress on sale for $9.99.

I have thought about that boy a lot since we awkwardly parted ways in the morning (“Maybe I’ll see you around next time you’re home.”), but have yet to contact him. It’s not like I want a relationship with the kid (it’s hard to build something real on a nice set of abs), but I would like to make this a continuous encounter on any and all trips back home. Read More »

We’re back with another edition of G.W.W.E. (Guys We Wanna Eff)!

Ladies, do you like a good nibble during a makeout sesh? Do you get off on the idea of escaping from the perils of public life into seclusion with your hunk? Do you get hot for precariously messy coifs? If you said ‘yes!’ to all of these questions, and can stand the sight of blood without fainting, Robert Pattinson may be the boy-toy for you.

At 23, Pattinson has set the world ablaze with his vacant, erotic stare that communicates the only emotion I ever need to know: ‘I want to eff the sh*t out of you.’ The hottie shot to fame last fall  for his film role as bloodsucking, sexy vampire Eddie Cullen in the Twilight series. Ever since, ladies aged 8 to 88 have been fainting in the streets at the mere sight of the British hunk, who has been known to instigate spontaneous orgasm with a single scowl.

Most recently, Robert has been making headlines in New York for the legions of girls who’ve come out to stalk him catch a glimpse as he films his new movie, Remember Me, in the Big Apple. Just last week, the effable villain was clipped by a New York taxi cab as he tried to escape the hordes of tween girls throwing themselves upon him in lust. But breathe easy ladies, he’s fine (or shall I say, he’s foyne!).

So, RP, I confess: your devilish grin has inspired me to return to my TigerBeat roots and pin up your photos all over my walls. And refrigerator. And, well, the inside of my medicine cabinet. No facade in my home has been spared from your infinitely effable visage. When you’ve decided you’ve had enough of the tween fandom and want a real woman, come scowl in my direction.

If there’s one thing I’ve learned in my life it’s that people will do anything for money, fame, or sex.  But for a bag of Frito Lays? Well yes, apparently that fits into the same category for some people out there.

Sue Smith a 36-year-old woman from Oklahoma, agreed to accept a box of Frito-Lay chips in exchange for oral sex. John Faron Johnson, a Frito-Lay employee who participated in this trade, didn’t have money but she agreed to do the deed anyway, as long as she got her hands on those chips. I mean, pretty sweet deal on John’s part, but a BJ for some corn chips!?

I hope she enjoyed those things, because Sue was ordered to pay a $1,142 fine as a result of a prostitution charge. Yes, BJs for chips is considered prostitution.

Sue got me thinking. I can tell you one thing for sure, although I am a fan of those Frito-Lays (bbq are the BEST) I would not trade sex for them. Here are some things that I’d say would make a fair deal.

A day at the spa
It’s difficult to splurge on things these days with our not-so-hot economy, especially when it comes to things like manicures and pedicures. You feel stupid for wasting all that money when you can paint your own nails at home. So yeah, if someone were to give me an entire day at the spa with a manicure, pedicure, massage, and facial all included, I’d totally be down (pun intended). Read More »

The 4th of July.  An excuse to drink beer, dress up in festive clothes and eat late-night salty munchies… all day. Sounds like a typical college weekend and it is oh-so-welcomed after 2 months of spending our weekend nights at home with our parents playing Scrabble.

But what to wear?

Not only is it day-to-night activities, but you don’t want to pull a George Banks and be a total party pooper (that’s why we invited you!) avoiding the red, white and blue all together, but, then again, you don’t want to be so obviously festive that you look like a walking Old Navy ad (or a pro wrestler). Thank God I’m here!

I can dress you from the beach to the fireworks so all you have to do is show up, grab that Corona and hot dog and enjoy. Read More »

Ok, so it’s no surprise that Perez is a dick, but this is just too much. It’s one thing to claim celebs have drug problems – it’s quite another to speak this way about such a serious topic. If you didn’t want to punch Perez in the face before, what do you think now?

[The post has since been removed from douchebag's site.]

I am a chronic list-maker, whether I have to make a difficult decision or not.  Lists help me organize my thoughts and remember important facts and details that I need for later.  However, there are some things that I would rather forget and that’s what this week’s showdown concerns.

Everyone loves a diva.  Well, not really.  They just think that everyone loves them, despite having no real talent or anything to offer to society.  When you say “diva,” two women jump to mind – Mariah Carey and Jenifer Lopez.  The glitz, the glamor, the bad acting and the attitude (ohhh the attitude) define who they are.   Where would we be without these ladies?  Probably in a much less annoying world, but let’s make a list just to be sure…

Career
Mariah Carey is a machine, pumping out annoying hit after annoying hit.  Yes, I hate her music.  No, I can’t stop myself from trying to sing along with her in my car.  However, I categorically refuse to watch Glitter or any of her other attempts at “acting.”  Most of the rest of the world seems to refuse as well.

Jennifer Lopez used to be a good actress (Selena! I was so down with watching that movie every day in fifth grade…in between Titanic showings, of course).  Then something terrible happened and she started making movies like Angel Eyes and Monster-In-Law.  Her music isn’t great either. Read More »

There are few things more awkward than having a strange woman apply hot wax to your happy place as you sit spread eagle before her holding your undies out of the way. Except, maybe, hoisting your leg up on your bathroom counter and doin’ it yourself.

Maintaining a nice coif (or lack thereof) downtown takes a lot: of patience, of work, or pain, and of self esteem. I mean, you don’t lay on a table with your legs wide open for just anyone (sober, at least). And being that it’s such a sensitive situation, there are bound to be some awkward experiences along the way.

After opting for a cheap wax in the back of a Korean nail shop in Midtown Manhattan, where the room was so small I had to rest my legs against the wall and use my pants as a pillow while the teeny lady did her work, I wanted to see if anyone else had similar experiences. Here is what the rest of the CollegeCandy team had to share – well, the ones who didn’t block the experiences from their memories. Share your own stories in the comments! Read More »