Having been upstaged in 2008 by The View's Elizabeth Hasselbeck as the crazy conservative that likes to say stupid things about Democrats, Ann Coulter is striking early and hoping to regain her rightful place in 2009. What better a target than the new incoming first lady, Michelle Obama.

In Coulter's new book, Guilty: Liberal "Victims" and their Assault on America, she attacks Michelle Obama's wardrobe. She notes:

"Her obvious imitation of Jackie O's style - the flipped-under hair, the sleeveless A-line dresses, the short strands of fake pearls - would have been laughable if done by anyone other than a media-designated saint."

Cindy McCain, whose husband John failed to win the presidency this past November, does however get Coulter's seal of approval. I can't say this is all that surprising. Coulter says that Cindy "Dressed well without freakishly imitating famous First Ladies in history."

Were You a Confused Party Host? Pick Up American Bar: The Artistry of Mixing Drinks by Charles Schumanm and Make Beverages Like the Pros.

Were you left scratching your head yesterday when one of your party guests asked for a mixed drink that you had never heard of or didn't know how to make? That problem is not a good one to have your hosting a social get-together but its also one you can avoid by adding a good book on mixology. Pick Up American Bar: The Artistry of Mixing Drinks by Charles Schumanm is a valuable resource to have in your library whether it is to entertain your guests or to enjoy a well made cocktail at your leisure.

The book is packed full of recipes in 400 pages and comes in a hardback cover that will endure years and years of use. The book is a perfect compliment to your home bar and will help you create a vast array of cocktails for your enjoyment and impress guests when you invite them over for a New Year's party or Super Bowl party next month.

Not only does the book educate you on preparing cocktails, it gives you insight on the history of the origins of specific types of liquor, the glasses that you should be prepared to have and which ones to prepare for specific drinks, and cocktails to serve before, during, and after dinner,

Here is a tremendous refreshing guide for everyone who is looking for a balance between being successful financially AND maintaining personal integrity. Everyone I know wants to be more successful financially. Sometimes the consequences of achieving wealth and prosperity comes from unscrupulous means. In this book "The Compassionate Samurai" the whole goal is achieving the perfect balance of being motivated and satisfied with adding a great deal of wealth along with becoming a humble, trustworthy professional businessman.

As you may imagine by writing for this popular website, I have an enormous love affair with the rich history of the city of Cleveland. Cleveland Then and Now is a fantastic book for those who share the same affinity for the city as I have. Running over 140 pages of illustrated history of the great cities most famous locations will give you a great idea of how things have changed. Side by shots of how things looked decades ago and what the landscape now holds is truly fascinating and will be I highly recommend picking it up and taking a look at the contents at Borders or Barnes and Noble when you are out on your holiday travels.

Had the GOP won the presidental election, Sarah Palin would have made little over $200,000 per year as vice president. It seems, however, that not winning the election and the mere fact that she ran as John McCain's running mate was enough to net her an even better offer. The Times has reported that Palin has been offered $7 millions to pen a biography and 7-week memoir on the campaign trail. With figures like that, that comes to roughly $1 million per week that she spent campaigning, and writing a book is far less stressful than the job she would have had as VP.

When Palin was announced as McCain's running mate, she was relatively unknown to the non-Alaskan masses. The Times suggests that Palin is following in Obama's footsteps, whose book "The Audacity of Hope" is what they called his springboard to the presidency. By letting us know about herself through the book, allowing her intelligence to shine through, and gaining sympathy as a working mother, she might just be able to snag a ticket in the next presidential election.

It's also rumored that talk shows and numerous other opportunities have been offered to Palin, and that the book deal should be finalized by the end of the month.

To celebrate Barack Obama’s victory in The 2008 Presidential election, Derek Hess will be giving away a free Obama poster with every purchase of his latest book, Please God Save Us. Supplies are limited, so be sure to get yours NOW.

“With the election over and the good guys winning, it looks like the change is in play, so I decided to give a signed “Change” poster away with a book purchase,” says Hess.

Please God Save Us, by Derek Hess and Kent Smith, is available for purchase in stores and online at www.strhesspress.com and www.amazon.com.

Please God Save Us is a collaboration from Hess and Smith that features over 50 pieces of Hess artwork and covers an array of topics, all of which are ripped from US headlines. Thought provoking visuals and words address an array of important subjects including the Religious Right, Iraq War, censorship, evolution and global warming to name a few.

Derek Hess is an internationally known artist who launched his career creating rock-and-roll poster art. His work has graced the walls of hundreds of galleries and museums throughout the world and is part of the permanent collection of Louvre and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Additionally, in 2003, Hess launched a clothing line called Strhess showcasing his art.

Bestselling author Michael Crichton died today after a battle with cancer that he had kept hidden from the public. Crichton was 66.

Crichton, who may be perhaps best known for his novel-turned-movie Jurassic Park and the television show ER, was the author of more than a dozen best-selling novels.

His family posted a statement on his website, describing his battle with cancer as both "courageous and private".

“While the world knew him as a great storyteller that challenged our preconceived notions about the world around us - and entertained us all while doing so - his family and friends knew Michael Crichton as a devoted husband, loving father and generous friend who inspired each of us to strive to see the wonders of our world through new eyes.

“He did this with a wry sense of humour that those who were privileged to know him personally will never forget.”

“Through his books, Michael Crichton served as an inspiration to students of all ages, challenged scientists in many fields, and illuminated the mysteries of the world in a way we could all understand.

Britney Spears mother, Lynne Spears is now reported to be in talks with Hollywood studios to turn her controversial book about her daughter into a movie. The book, "Through the Storm" talks about Britney's struggles with drinking, drugs, and teen sex.

According to various reports, Anna Faris is being lined up to play Britney, and Lynne has her heart set on a Hollywood superstar to play the part of her. Why are we not surprised? Lynne has been pushing her daughters since they were born, and living vicariously through them to fulfill her own unrealized dreams of superstardom.

According to reporters, "She's pitching the book around to studios," and the superstar she has in mind to play her is Julie Roberts.

If Britney's mom manages to get this book made into a film, one can only imagine the effect it would have on Britney.

Roberto Saviano, author of the Italian best-selling expose on the criminal underworld in Naples, may be in danger of losing his life. On Tuesday, anti-Mafia prosecutors in Italy said that they are investigating a reported death threat against Saviano. Of course this is only likely to increase interest in the already wildly popular book.

Prosecutor Franco Roberti of Naples said that his unit is currently looking into a claim by an informant that the Camorra crime syndicate is planning to kill Saviano by December. Roberti said that the reported threat involved an attack along a highway that would also target Saviano's police escort.

Ever since his book "Gomorra", which denounced the Camorra's hold on everything from drug running to waste disposal to the garment industry, became a best-seller in Italy, Saviano has been under police protection.

In the book Saviano claims that Camorra-run cmopanies routinely win contracts to dispose of toxic wastes from northern Italian industries by underbidding competitors, and then disposing of it illegally and untreated in rivers and dumps in the region.

Saviano has been under police protection since 2006 when his book "Gomorra," denouncing the Camorra's hold on everything from garment industry to drug running to waste disposal, became a best-seller in Italy.

On screen in the hit television show "The Brady Bunch", Maureen McCormick was the vision of perfection. But off-camera, her life was a very different story, as she describes in her new memoir, "Here's the Story: Surviving Marcia Brady and Finding My True Voice", which hits stores on Tuesday.

McCormick was just 14 years old when she first began playing the role of the all too perfect Marcia Brady on "The Brady Bunch", which ran from 1969 to 1974 on ABC. Now 52, she is finally coming clean about her struggles during that time, and the period after the show ended.

The youngest of four children born to father who abused and cheated on their month, McCormick privately struggled with anxiety and insecurity, and even an on-screen romance with TV brother Barry Williams. After the show's demise, McCormick's life spiralled out of control and she took up a hard-partying lifestyle in Hollywood, complete with cocaine binges and parties at the Playboy Mansion and home of Sammy Davis Jr, an unwanted pregnancy, and swapping sex for drugs.

As a young adult in Hollywood, McCormick found it difficult to regain her earlier success, and landed some TV and movie roles. However she soon developed a reputation for being unreliable because of her addictions. She even messed up an interview with Steven Spielberg because she was high.