I have a confession to make: I am no Martha Stewart. Crafty projects that look so cute in magazines die slow, painful deaths in my hands. Dishes that enter my oven have about a 50/50 chance of making it out alive. Forget about dinner parties - the mere thought is enough to make me break out in hives. So, when I was asked to review Easy Entertaining for Beginners by Patricia Mendez, I jumped at the chance. I mean, any book that puts the words easy and beginner in the same title as entertaining screams for a look-see from this homemaking horror show.

Mendez begins the entertaining guide with two very profound rules of thumb: Pace yourself, and Do a few things and do them well. When I think of every party I've ever stressed over (and that would be every one I've ever thrown), I realize that most of my anxiety came directly from not following these suggestions. Next time I get crazy enough to throw a party, I'm going to remember to take it slowly and not overwhelm myself with doing everything perfectly.

To encourage this pacing process, Mendez's book offers 13 complete menus for various types of parties, including children's birthday bashes, a Mother's Day tea and a men's night out. Each party idea comes with a step-by-step plan to follow. She even suggests music to go with each occasion and shortcuts to make the menus even simpler. Although there are some recipes that sound exotic (Shrimp Ceviche with Tostaditos, for example), most actually look manageable. No matter how delectable a dish sounds, I won't try a recipe if it calls for ingredients I have to look up in the dictionary. For the most part, Mendez's menus call for simple, everyday items. In short, the book contains recipes I might actually try.

Right after combing through Easy Entertaining for Beginners, I glanced through the Paula Deen magazine I bought on impulse while waiting in the checkout lane for a snowbird to sort through her mountain of coupons for every product but the ones she purchased, and I realized at once what Mendez's book is missing - personality. The writing lacks sparkle. I thought for sure the section "My First Thanksgiving" would have some funny anecdotes, but nope. Snappier prose would have made the book so much more memorable. I also wanted more color photos - I need to at least know if the dishes I make come anywhere near to looking like they are supposed to.

So, if the words "dinner party" have you quaking in your boots, you should definitely glance through this book. It needs snappier prose and more color photos to earn an A from me, but really, it's a very decent entertaining guide. Is it convincing enough to get me started on the housewarming party I've been putting off for the last 2 months? C'mon, no entertaining guide is that good.

Grade: B

Chucking the hustle-bustle of New York City for the gentle pace of island life seems like a no-brainer. So, why is Marissa Price finding life in Hawaii so difficult? Maybe it's because she's traded her high-powered career for the lonely life of a stay-at-home mom. Or perhaps it has to do with her husband Paul who spends his days enjoying his job, cavorting with his gorgeous secretary, and clocking in a lot more hours at the gym than at home. Of course, it could be the leaky, crumbling B&B she now inhabits that is getting her down. Whatever the reason, Marissa is feeling bored, lonely and impatient to get the heck out of paradise.

So begins Mia King's second novel, Sweet Life. By the middle of the book, Marissa is tottering on the brink of divorce, her daughter Pansy's unhappy at school, and the family's finances have taken a significant plunge. Determined to get back to her "real life" in New York, Marissa has to figure out how to make her dilapidated house sellable in a finicky market, while not bankrupting herself in the process. With Paul living in his own apartment, it seems logical to rent out rooms in her spacious house. Soon, Marissa finds herself living with an eclectic group of roommates, women she never would have chosen as friends. It works, somehow. In fact, with their support, she begins renovating her home, going on excursions with a handsome stable owner, and slowly shifting her priorities. By the time Marissa returns to New York for a quick visit, her mind is in turmoil - should she move back to the mainland, plop Pansy back in her sophisticated school, and re-join the ratrace? Or should she stay in Hawaii, where she has friends and peace of mind? Then, of course, there is Paul. Is their marriage worth trying to save? Or has it finally come to its inevitably bitter end? Sweet Life is a story about finding true happiness even in the most miserable of situations. It's about deciding what really makes life sweet.

Although I like the premise of this novel, it fell a little flat for me. For one thing, I found Marissa Price really dislikable. She starts off as snooty, selfish and condescending. By the end of the novel, she's less abrasive, but I still found her obnoxious. I didn't love Paul either. Even the characters who were more likeable seemed generic and colorless. The plot led in some interesting directions, but I felt the story was overly long and downright dull in places. I did like the story's exotic setting, and the way King painted it with charming and vibrant details. I connected with King's Hawaii, if not with her characters.

So, my opinion of Sweet Life is decidedly ho-hum. I didn't love it, didn't hate it. In the end, I have to channel my inner Randy Jackson and say, "Sorry, dawg (wahine?), this one was just okay for me."