I know, I know. I’m a total book hypocrite. I used to make fun of women who read boatloads of Jodi Picoult and look at me now! This is the 4th. book of hers I’ve reviewed for CC! (“My Sister’s Keeper,” “The Pact,” and “Plain Truth.”) But, I’ve said it once, I’ll say it again – she is GREAT for entertaining reading. This woman can write, which probably explains why she is so darn popular.

“Change of Heart” starts out sad. So sad, in fact, that I actually debated even reading it. June’s husband Jack passes away in a car accident and she is left all alone with their two-year-old, Elizabeth. Yes, that is how the book starts.  But I’m not surprised because, after all, I’m reading Jodi Picoult. Begrudgingly, I continued on. June falls in love with the police officer who broke the bad news of Jack’s death to her, Kurt Nealon, and they marry. Then June becomes pregnant. And then Kurt and Elizabeth are murdered by a handyman June hired to help out around the house.

Yes, it does come out of nowhere. And yes, three of the main characters die within the first 25 pages.

When I got to this point, I once again considered putting the book back on my bookshelf for good, but decided that Jodi Picoult would have to revive the story and it was probably worth reading. And luckily, I was right!

The handyman who killed June’s family is suddenly at the forefront of the novel. His name is Shay Bourne and he is definitely simple-minded. He is tried and sentenced, where we meet another character in the novel, Michael. He is on the jury that decides to invoke the rarely-used New Hampshire death penalty sentence and is so upset over the whole ordeal that he joins the seminary and emerges as “Father Michael.” Read More »

Prominent themes in tonight’s episode of Gossip Girl included “Change of Heart,” “Tumultuous Backstories,” and “Going on Day-Dates in Lingerie.” Damn, I love this show.

Where shall I begin? Let’s start with the bad and work our way up to the “OMG!” Little J and Agnes had a change of heart, which prompted a fight, an attempted betrayal, and a nutso Agnes lighting the J. Humphrey Designs dresses on fire in an alley. Hey, at least Agnes admitted to being crazy.

Meanwhile, (perhaps the biggest 180 of them all) former ice crotch Eleanor Waldorf falling in love (gasp!) with Cyrus, played by Wallace Shawn, a funny looking little man you may recognize from Sex in the City, Clueless or The Princess Bride. Anyway, of course Blair is not pleased, and sets out to destroy the budding romance. Read More »

Jessica Simpson is set to rake in 3 million dollars to renew her deal with the pimple poppers over at Proactiv.

Basically, this means she gets more money than she gets to star in all of her blockbuster Hollywood films…to just stay kinda pretty and smile a lot. But get this! In the past, Jessica the Genius has gone on record saying that it was the prescription Accutane that cleared up her zits.

It wasn’t until she signed a contract with Proactiv in 2005 that she had what seems like a change of heart:

“I just had so much build up and so many clogged pores that once I started using Proactiv Solution, my face was just shining. I’m passionate about Proactiv because it worked for me and it gave me so much confidence.“

Maybe her face was shining because she’d returned to being excessively oily after the effects of Accutane wore off. Or maybe she’s just, you know, lying to make a ton of cash for putting in almost no effort. Read More »