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Pickin' Tomatoes
Pickin' Tomatoes is the Shirley You Jest! Book Awards / Shirley LOL (1st place) Fiction WINNER!
"This charming novel features a heroine you can't help but root for even when she's leaping from one ill-advised plan to another. A strong voice, organic humor, and food...what's not to love?" Shirley You Jest! Book Awards
Pickin' Tomatoes is about picking the right choices in life. Sometimes you pick rotten tomatoes, sometimes you pick Heirloom tomatoes. Root for Maggie Malone as she searches for herself and Mister Right. She's part Stephanie Plum, part Bridget Jones and part pre-renowned Julia Child and will definitely keep you in stitches.
"This charming novel features a heroine you can't help but root for even when she's leaping from one ill-advised plan to another. A strong voice, organic humor, and food...what's not to love?" Shirley You Jest! Book Awards
Pickin' Tomatoes is about picking the right choices in life. Sometimes you pick rotten tomatoes, sometimes you pick Heirloom tomatoes. Root for Maggie Malone as she searches for herself and Mister Right. She's part Stephanie Plum, part Bridget Jones and part pre-renowned Julia Child and will definitely keep you in stitches.
266 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 1, 2012
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
August 5, 2012
This book would be an incredibly successful romantic comedy. It is a unique story with so much witty humor from the main character---Maggie, who is newly divorced, a new Mom and desperately in need of income. When she sees an ad for a recipe contest, Maggie (a woman who has never successfully cooked a meal in her life) decides to enter, in the hopes of winning the prize money and becoming a new columnist for a cooking magazine. I literally laughed out loud at Maggi's escapades in the kitchen---cleaning meat with palmolive was my favorite :)
This book is not simply fluff, though---Maggie's heartache over her ex-husband Richard is revealed through flasbacksthat are told with an amazing amount of heart. These flashbacks made me feel for Maggie, to understand her so much better, and to sympathize with how she came to be single, and the mother of a new baby. The flashbacks were an incredibly important part of this book, and done very, very well.
My only complaint is that the ending was a little too "wrapped up in a bow" perfect for my taste (hence the 4 stars), but still a wonderful, wonderful read. And I can honestly see it becoming a romantic comedy starring Debra Messing (she is my Maggie!) and to be honest, movie execs LOVE "wrapped up in a bow" endings! Looking forward to more from this author, for sure!!!
This book is not simply fluff, though---Maggie's heartache over her ex-husband Richard is revealed through flasbacksthat are told with an amazing amount of heart. These flashbacks made me feel for Maggie, to understand her so much better, and to sympathize with how she came to be single, and the mother of a new baby. The flashbacks were an incredibly important part of this book, and done very, very well.
My only complaint is that the ending was a little too "wrapped up in a bow" perfect for my taste (hence the 4 stars), but still a wonderful, wonderful read. And I can honestly see it becoming a romantic comedy starring Debra Messing (she is my Maggie!) and to be honest, movie execs LOVE "wrapped up in a bow" endings! Looking forward to more from this author, for sure!!!
July 28, 2012
Can you reinvent yourself ... even if it means telling "little white lies" to get what you want? And if you do succeed at reinventing yourself, can your fabrications come back to haunt you?
Maggie Malone is a forty year old soon-to-be divorced mother of a newborn who wants a new life. After seventeen years of marriage to Richard, a successful defense attorney who has an affair with their next door neighbor's wife, their marriage is over. Now as a single and unemployed mother, Maggie has to decide what to do next. She enters a cooking and advice column contest in Cooking and Women magazine, comparing finding Mr. Right to cooking. The requirements to enter the contest are: must be single and with experience as a chef. Ummm .... there's just a little bit of a problem: she's still married, has a daughter and can't cook! Maggie tells "little white lies" and enters the contest by claiming that she is single, was a chef at Lavande Restaurant in Paris, and that daughter Catherine is her niece. Maggie's entry of "Mister Right Salsa" recipe is a winner and she assumes the persona of The Chef of Hearts, writing a monthly column called Pickin' Tomatoes (Cooking and Men), where she is able to dissect relationship problems with a paring knife, comparing cooking to men, and serving up delicious recipes sure to win the hearts of any man! Fumbling through her charade, she manages to submit columns and recipes that gains fans nationwide. Enjoying success has a price, and for Maggie, her "little white lies" surface and she learns a valuable life lesson.
Pickin' Tomatoes is an entertaining, laugh-out-loud story that will keep you in stitches. Written in a quirky, humorous fashion, the story is told in the first person narrative by the protagonist, Maggie Malone, chef extraordinaire. In her debut novel, author J.W. Bull weaves an amusing story that any woman can relate to, I know I sure did!
Maggie is a realistic, down-to-earth, hilarious lady who is finding herself at a crossroad in her life. Who hasn't been in that situation? With a newborn daughter, no job, and no prior cooking experience, she has to find a way to reinvent herself. Maggie's foray into learning the joy of cooking is full of pure comedic relief. I found myself snickering as I read, thinking back to when I was a newly married woman who never cooked before, needless to say it wasn't pretty. Maggie's advice and recipe columns were hysterical, she ranks right up there with Dear Abby! I couldn't help but cheer for Maggie on her journey of self-discovery, in a way, there is a little bit of Maggie in each of us.
I would be remiss if I didn't mention the wonderful culinary and advice quotes that the author includes at the beginning of each chapter. The quotes are a wonderful touch added to the story, who doesn't love such well-known foodies and advice columnists like Erma Bombeck and Bobby Flay, just to name a few.
Lastly, the recipes ... I am such a sucker for recipes ... okay I admit I am a cookbook addict, and author J.W. Bull has enabled my addiction with some really great recipes that are included in the story. Like Maggie, recipes were a trial and error effort for me when I first learned to cook, but the joy and challenge of creating your own recipe that is appealing and delicious is well worth it.
Pickin' Tomatoes is a witty, lighthearted comedic story that pokes fun at the trials and errors of choices made that everyone encounters at some time in their life. If you can't poke fun and laugh at yourself as you journey down life's road, then you need to lighten' up buttercup, because Pickin' Tomatoes is all about picking the right choices in life, and sometimes you pick the rotten tomatoes, and other times you pick the Heirloom tomatoes! Kudos to author J.W. Bull on a wonderful and entertaining debut novel.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book from the author in exchange for my honest review and participation in a virtual book tour event hosted by Chick Lit Plus.
Virtual Book Tour Event: On Saturday, July 28, 2012, author J.W. Bull participated in a virtual book tour event with an Author Guest Post on Jersey Girl Book Reviews.
http://jerseygirlbookreviews.blogspot...
http://jerseygirlbookreviews.blogspot...
Maggie Malone is a forty year old soon-to-be divorced mother of a newborn who wants a new life. After seventeen years of marriage to Richard, a successful defense attorney who has an affair with their next door neighbor's wife, their marriage is over. Now as a single and unemployed mother, Maggie has to decide what to do next. She enters a cooking and advice column contest in Cooking and Women magazine, comparing finding Mr. Right to cooking. The requirements to enter the contest are: must be single and with experience as a chef. Ummm .... there's just a little bit of a problem: she's still married, has a daughter and can't cook! Maggie tells "little white lies" and enters the contest by claiming that she is single, was a chef at Lavande Restaurant in Paris, and that daughter Catherine is her niece. Maggie's entry of "Mister Right Salsa" recipe is a winner and she assumes the persona of The Chef of Hearts, writing a monthly column called Pickin' Tomatoes (Cooking and Men), where she is able to dissect relationship problems with a paring knife, comparing cooking to men, and serving up delicious recipes sure to win the hearts of any man! Fumbling through her charade, she manages to submit columns and recipes that gains fans nationwide. Enjoying success has a price, and for Maggie, her "little white lies" surface and she learns a valuable life lesson.
Pickin' Tomatoes is an entertaining, laugh-out-loud story that will keep you in stitches. Written in a quirky, humorous fashion, the story is told in the first person narrative by the protagonist, Maggie Malone, chef extraordinaire. In her debut novel, author J.W. Bull weaves an amusing story that any woman can relate to, I know I sure did!
Maggie is a realistic, down-to-earth, hilarious lady who is finding herself at a crossroad in her life. Who hasn't been in that situation? With a newborn daughter, no job, and no prior cooking experience, she has to find a way to reinvent herself. Maggie's foray into learning the joy of cooking is full of pure comedic relief. I found myself snickering as I read, thinking back to when I was a newly married woman who never cooked before, needless to say it wasn't pretty. Maggie's advice and recipe columns were hysterical, she ranks right up there with Dear Abby! I couldn't help but cheer for Maggie on her journey of self-discovery, in a way, there is a little bit of Maggie in each of us.
I would be remiss if I didn't mention the wonderful culinary and advice quotes that the author includes at the beginning of each chapter. The quotes are a wonderful touch added to the story, who doesn't love such well-known foodies and advice columnists like Erma Bombeck and Bobby Flay, just to name a few.
Lastly, the recipes ... I am such a sucker for recipes ... okay I admit I am a cookbook addict, and author J.W. Bull has enabled my addiction with some really great recipes that are included in the story. Like Maggie, recipes were a trial and error effort for me when I first learned to cook, but the joy and challenge of creating your own recipe that is appealing and delicious is well worth it.
Pickin' Tomatoes is a witty, lighthearted comedic story that pokes fun at the trials and errors of choices made that everyone encounters at some time in their life. If you can't poke fun and laugh at yourself as you journey down life's road, then you need to lighten' up buttercup, because Pickin' Tomatoes is all about picking the right choices in life, and sometimes you pick the rotten tomatoes, and other times you pick the Heirloom tomatoes! Kudos to author J.W. Bull on a wonderful and entertaining debut novel.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book from the author in exchange for my honest review and participation in a virtual book tour event hosted by Chick Lit Plus.
Virtual Book Tour Event: On Saturday, July 28, 2012, author J.W. Bull participated in a virtual book tour event with an Author Guest Post on Jersey Girl Book Reviews.
http://jerseygirlbookreviews.blogspot...
http://jerseygirlbookreviews.blogspot...
July 13, 2012
J.W. Bull is currently on tour with CLP Blog Tours and Pickin’ Tomatoes. This is book after my own heart. The heroine, Maggie Malone, is soon-to-be-divorced and now a single mom. Okay, that’s not me but she also cannot cook (not even a smidge) but bluffed her way through a contest and is now the Chef of Hearts – dating and food columnist for Cooking and Women magazine. Yes! I loved the plot line for this book, and it was not a disappointment!
Maggie is thirty-five (cough,forty,cough) an ex-chef of Lavande Restaurant in Paris (cough,nevercookedbefore,cough) and single (cough,stillmarriednotdivorcedyetwithadaughter,cough). And she had a new job as a columnist for a real magazine! Maggie is thrilled with her good fortunes, and excited to start this new chapter in her life. But will pretending to be someone she’s not really work out in the end for her? And how long can keep she keep up the charade that she is a real chef that has served the Pitt-Jolie clan in Paris?
I loved Pickin’ Tomatoes! So many of Maggie’s kitchen woes have actually happened to me! If you follow my tweets – you understand it’s best that I stay far, far away from the kitchen. Nothing good ever seems to come from it. I absolutely loved the part where Maggie washed the chicken with Palmolive. Why? Because the first time I washed chicken on my own – I literally questioned if I should use soap – no joke! I was rolling on the floor laughing when I read that part. (And no – I skipped the soap that fateful first time!) This was a very-well written novel, humorous and very delightful to read. Sometimes I did wonder how Maggie avoided all the disasters when she was in public versus in her kitchen, but I’m letting that slide because I really loved the book. 5 stars from me!
[Rating: 5]
Maggie is thirty-five (cough,forty,cough) an ex-chef of Lavande Restaurant in Paris (cough,nevercookedbefore,cough) and single (cough,stillmarriednotdivorcedyetwithadaughter,cough). And she had a new job as a columnist for a real magazine! Maggie is thrilled with her good fortunes, and excited to start this new chapter in her life. But will pretending to be someone she’s not really work out in the end for her? And how long can keep she keep up the charade that she is a real chef that has served the Pitt-Jolie clan in Paris?
I loved Pickin’ Tomatoes! So many of Maggie’s kitchen woes have actually happened to me! If you follow my tweets – you understand it’s best that I stay far, far away from the kitchen. Nothing good ever seems to come from it. I absolutely loved the part where Maggie washed the chicken with Palmolive. Why? Because the first time I washed chicken on my own – I literally questioned if I should use soap – no joke! I was rolling on the floor laughing when I read that part. (And no – I skipped the soap that fateful first time!) This was a very-well written novel, humorous and very delightful to read. Sometimes I did wonder how Maggie avoided all the disasters when she was in public versus in her kitchen, but I’m letting that slide because I really loved the book. 5 stars from me!
[Rating: 5]
July 7, 2012
Okay, it's my story, so it's close to my heart. Got to give it five stars, if for no other reason, it's been a an amazing journey writing it and publishing it.
December 8, 2012
I was the girl that laughed all the way through Bridget Jones on a night flight from New York – much to other passengers dismay and the irritation of my (now ex) husband – I kept digging him in the ribs to read bits out to him; so when JW contacted me to ask if I’d consider her for the Thursday Throng and that her book was Bridget Jones meets Cooking – how could I refuse. The book didn’t disappoint in the slightest and I loved every minute of it, laughed at the situations Maggie gets herself into, reading it with that feeling of trepidation for her, as you just know where it’s all going to end up. The recipes look interesting and I do have a (slight) interest in cooking – I’m more Maggieish than I’m prepared to let on – and at some point I will try them. Maggie is a character that I bonded with and I’m looking forward to the next in the series about Maggie’s cousin.
July 21, 2012
This book had me laughing out loud several times. It is a fun read.
July 13, 2012
Pickin' Tomatoes is a charming, highly amusing story about Maggie Malone who wishes she had a road map for her life....a map that would help her to make all of the right choices; Instead, her life is filled with a muddle of grey from which she must choose the lesser of evils. Maggie, however,is an indomitable character who is driven as a single mom to make a better life for her baby as well as herself. She enters a contest and suddenly becomes The Chef Of Hearts,a columnist who dishes out advice to the lovelorn and recipes which promise to be a sure way to a man's heart. In the process, she becomes famous and seemingly in control of her life. But her position of power is built on truth stretching and little white lies; all for a good cause and the right reasons but the two lives she is living become such a dichotomy that her house of cards comes down. You will fall in love with Maggie and want to hang with her for a long time, especially when you see how everything turns out.
JW's comedic timing is wonderful and as I read further I began to recall Lucy Arnaz who was kooky but always touching at the heart of truth. Bridget Jones came along with her Diary after Lucy and added to this special kind of humor with a stream of consciouness outook and the same wonderful kind of timing. JWBull has now arrived on the scene and has carried their outlook to new heights. She writes in a similar freeflowing style that makes you feel almost as if you too are inside her head and going thru these amazing predicaments that she finds herself immersed in...and you are almost too close to them for comfort. At the same time, you laugh along as she goes thru her antics...but you also know that they have struck a chord of reality.
And,at all times. there remains a freshness and unjaded quality to JW Bull's writing that I hope she never loses. Pickin' Tomatoes is a great first offering.I have read that her next book is going to be about Mollie Malone, Maggie's cousin, a part time symphony player and part time Irish fiddler who gets involved in a murder during a symphony....what a yarn that should be!
JW's comedic timing is wonderful and as I read further I began to recall Lucy Arnaz who was kooky but always touching at the heart of truth. Bridget Jones came along with her Diary after Lucy and added to this special kind of humor with a stream of consciouness outook and the same wonderful kind of timing. JWBull has now arrived on the scene and has carried their outlook to new heights. She writes in a similar freeflowing style that makes you feel almost as if you too are inside her head and going thru these amazing predicaments that she finds herself immersed in...and you are almost too close to them for comfort. At the same time, you laugh along as she goes thru her antics...but you also know that they have struck a chord of reality.
And,at all times. there remains a freshness and unjaded quality to JW Bull's writing that I hope she never loses. Pickin' Tomatoes is a great first offering.I have read that her next book is going to be about Mollie Malone, Maggie's cousin, a part time symphony player and part time Irish fiddler who gets involved in a murder during a symphony....what a yarn that should be!
January 18, 2013
Claiming 1st Prize in the 2012 Shirley You Jest Fiction Book Awards, J.W. Bull's Pickin' Tomatoes was ripe for review. Deemed a romantic comedy, I found there was so much more to be found in the pages of this novel. . . self-discovery, overcoming loss, and the necessity of genuine friendship.
Not only was a smile spread across my face as I sat reading during my daughters' dance class, but tears flowed, too, during a young protagonist's dialogue with her mother, losing a battle with breast cancer:
"Momma? You don't feel so good?" I whispered as I peeked from behind Daddy's legs. The hospital was a scary place with weird smells and lots of whiteness. Where were all the colors? Momma stretched out her hand to me. I crept around Daddy and put my hand in hers. It felt dry and warm. "Sometimes even mommies get sick, Maggie," she replied in a voice that didn't sound like her. (Loc 548 of 3590 Kindle)
as well as a first-time pregnant woman at the deathbed of her father:
For a time, we stayed like that, curled up in the hospital bed together. Joined by memories and hearts. Until I felt his body begin to relax and his eyes closed.
And he went home to Momma. (Loc 1477 of 3590 Kindle)
Thus, the anecdotes sprinkled throughout such as: "Finding Mister Right is like washing dishes. Just when you think he's squeaky clean- bam! You find dried up, crusty old egg on him" (Loc 42 of 3590 Kindle) kept the pace of this work moving right along. In addition to the various literacy elements interspersed throughout, J.W. Bull offers the reader easy-to-decipher, mouthwatering recipes sure to please any food lover.
So, for the purposes of book club, assign one recipe found at the back of Pickin' Tomatoes to each bookie. This way everyone has a chance to sample each delicacy written about and compare ease of execution with the main character, Maggie Malone. Food for the mind and body. . . Pickin' Tomatoes is a win win!
Not only was a smile spread across my face as I sat reading during my daughters' dance class, but tears flowed, too, during a young protagonist's dialogue with her mother, losing a battle with breast cancer:
"Momma? You don't feel so good?" I whispered as I peeked from behind Daddy's legs. The hospital was a scary place with weird smells and lots of whiteness. Where were all the colors? Momma stretched out her hand to me. I crept around Daddy and put my hand in hers. It felt dry and warm. "Sometimes even mommies get sick, Maggie," she replied in a voice that didn't sound like her. (Loc 548 of 3590 Kindle)
as well as a first-time pregnant woman at the deathbed of her father:
For a time, we stayed like that, curled up in the hospital bed together. Joined by memories and hearts. Until I felt his body begin to relax and his eyes closed.
And he went home to Momma. (Loc 1477 of 3590 Kindle)
Thus, the anecdotes sprinkled throughout such as: "Finding Mister Right is like washing dishes. Just when you think he's squeaky clean- bam! You find dried up, crusty old egg on him" (Loc 42 of 3590 Kindle) kept the pace of this work moving right along. In addition to the various literacy elements interspersed throughout, J.W. Bull offers the reader easy-to-decipher, mouthwatering recipes sure to please any food lover.
So, for the purposes of book club, assign one recipe found at the back of Pickin' Tomatoes to each bookie. This way everyone has a chance to sample each delicacy written about and compare ease of execution with the main character, Maggie Malone. Food for the mind and body. . . Pickin' Tomatoes is a win win!
June 5, 2013
Imagine someone genetically spliced An Unmarried Woman with I Love Lucy (if there was an episode where Lucy leaves Ricky because he shagged Ethel) with Chef Paula Deen occasionally popping up and offering you something tasty to eat. The result is a funny, original and entertaining debut novel from self-published author J.W. Bull. A delightful piece of light women’s fiction, Pickin' Tomatoes reads like a good television sitcom.
Pickin' hits all the right chords, from tight story development, to light and downright funny dialogue, and it's topped off with a memorable protagonist. Combining a fictional novel with a cookbook is a unique, and smart, angle.
While a tasty read, Pickin' needed a little more seasoning regarding the supporting characters. They don’t balance the care and depth J.W. Bull bakes into Maggie’s excellent character. Also, I think the book could be slightly shorter. About two-thirds into the story I was ready to dispense with the reoccurring kitchen capers and get on with the plot.
However, these critiques are minor and Pickin' Tomatoes is certainly a yummy dish.
Read the rest of this review at Underground Book Reviews: http://www.undergroundbookreviews.com...
Pickin' hits all the right chords, from tight story development, to light and downright funny dialogue, and it's topped off with a memorable protagonist. Combining a fictional novel with a cookbook is a unique, and smart, angle.
While a tasty read, Pickin' needed a little more seasoning regarding the supporting characters. They don’t balance the care and depth J.W. Bull bakes into Maggie’s excellent character. Also, I think the book could be slightly shorter. About two-thirds into the story I was ready to dispense with the reoccurring kitchen capers and get on with the plot.
However, these critiques are minor and Pickin' Tomatoes is certainly a yummy dish.
Read the rest of this review at Underground Book Reviews: http://www.undergroundbookreviews.com...
October 21, 2012
I must admit, I bought this book hoping it would be awful. You see Pickin Tomatoes is up against my book in the finals of the Shirley You Jest Book Awards. Within the first few pages I was sorely disappointed. Not only was this book not awful - it was really, really good. The words flowed across the pages - funny and witty, the story dragged me into its soul - captivating and touching, and the protaganist, Maggy Malone, touched my heart making me laugh and even cry.
A beautiful tale of a woman struggling to move on from a manipulative relationship, Pickin Tomatoes will keep you entertained and turning the pages wanting more.
The book is well structured and edited, and ticks all the right boxes. J.W.Bull is clearly a talented authoress with a big future in front of her. I can't wait to read her next novel - Musical Chairs.
A beautiful tale of a woman struggling to move on from a manipulative relationship, Pickin Tomatoes will keep you entertained and turning the pages wanting more.
The book is well structured and edited, and ticks all the right boxes. J.W.Bull is clearly a talented authoress with a big future in front of her. I can't wait to read her next novel - Musical Chairs.
November 6, 2012
Who wouldn't like having a road map of life...so that you would always be able to choose the right path to follow? In this funny novel, Maggie Malone, is searching for that perfect path. Maggie is an almost divorced single mom. Maggie enters a cooking contest...which is a joke in itself as she can't cook! The grand prize winner will be offered a chance to write a monthly advice article relating cooking to finding the right man! No spoilers intended here...but just a heads up that this book will have you laughing as well as wondering if Maggie will be able to reinvent herself!
October 21, 2012
J.W. Bull cooked up a lot of fun silliness with her first novel. I picked a ripe tomato this time! The ending did seem like it was missing the whipped cream on a sundae though. Also the recipe for the Fish and Crab in Harmony didn't explain where to use the bread crumbs and cheese.
October 20, 2012
Fun, fast, fluffy read. Good combination of relationship advice and recipes.
Too bad most of the characters were liars though. :(
Too bad most of the characters were liars though. :(
November 21, 2012
A quick, fun read, though a bit far-fetched at times and poorly edited. Full review
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews