the friday five: scents

Blog All About it is a prompt challenge hosted by Anna at Herding Cats, Burning Soup. March’s prompt is SCENT

Five of my favorite scents

PUPPY SMELL

In puppies - there’s that spot on the nose, just below the eyes that smells like all things good in the world.

I know some people say the same thing about babies but I’m a all about the puppy smell!

STRAWBERRIES

I love strawberry scented products but it has to be the real fruit – not the fake stuff. That smells cloyingly sweet and fake. (And yes, I'm using strawberry scented baby body wash and lotion lol)

RAIN

I love the smell just after a rain shower. Everything is all crisp and clean smelling. Of course, in FL, that then becomes a humid, festering hell hole within a half hour – but I enjoy those first few minutes while they last lol

COCONUT

Coconut is probably my FAVORITE scent. I find it to be calm, comforting for some reason and if I could wrap myself up in a coconut scented blanket I would.

THE BEACH/MOUNTAINS

I love it whenever I can get out in nature and smell that fresh, clean air. At the beach, I love the smell of sand, saltiness and warm breezes and in the mountains I love how natural everything smells – like it’s been here long before we existed and will still be here long after we’re gone.

What are your favorite scents?

*CREDIT: All photos (except the strawberry one, which is mine) are from pexels

whatever wednesday: movies

I’m usually so far behind with movies but I went a little movie going crazy this past week and saw THREE. Look at me being on top of this whole entertainment thing! lol

First up –

 Love, Simon


Adorable! If you loved 80’s John Huges films and all things rom-com, then you’ll love Love, Simon. I only vaugly remember the book so, other than the main storyline of Simon exchanging anonymous e-mails with “Blue”, a fellow classmate that has just come out as gay – I can’t say how accurate it was to the book.

It has all the teen rom-com trappings of slightly inept adults, grand gestures and cool music. At one point I felt that a side story involving Simon’s bully and one of his friends almost took over Simon’s story but otherwise this was all I was hoping for.

I didn’t think a movie could pull off the emails and Simon going through his list of suspects but they did a great job with it.

And can I just say I want Simon’s bedroom??!!!! The whole bed is surrounded by chalkboard walls and a shelf! In a cute little alcove!

***

Game Night

Starring Jason Bateman and Rachel McAdams as a couple who thinks they are having a murder mystery party and find out it’s very, very real. Loads of fun, great cast but definitely for the adults only.

***

Tomb Raider

I barely remember the original, starring Angelina Jolie, and I’ve never played the game so I might not be the best judge of this movie but it was ehh. Alicia Vikander was great as Lara and the action scenes were intense but the movie lacks any sense of fun and adventure. I didn’t see anything that hasn’t been in a hundred other movies of this type and seriously – Lara should have died about a dozen times or at least got her pony tail messed up. Defintely not the worst movie I’ve ever seen and I don’t regret seeing it – but it didn’t stand out either.


Have you seen any good movies? What should I see next?

monday minis: Pitch Dark & White Rabbit

Hey there! I’m still in some weird blogging/reading limbo – not quite a slump – but I’m reading reeeealy sloooow (for me) and blogging sporadically.

I also hurt my wrist so I'm a little slow in commenting on your blogs but I'm getting there!

I am making some real progress on my physical TBR pile though! I haven’t counted, so I don’t know the #'s. but it feels like I’m clearing out quite a few books and there are shelves that are empty! Of course, new ones come in (I have gotten an influx of unsolicited arc’s for some reason) but overall I’m happy and feel like a huge weight has been lifted off of me. I actually think that lack of pressure is what's changing how I read and I might talk about that in a post soon.

In the meantime - here are a few mini reviews for books I enjoyed!



Pitch Dark by Courtney Alameda
Sci-fi/horror - YA

Set against a future of marauding space scavengers and deadly aliens who kill with sound, here is a frightening, fast-paced YA adventure from the author of the acclaimed horror novel, Shutter.

Tuck has been in stasis on the USS John Muir, a ship that houses Earth’s most valued artifacts—its natural resources. Parks and mountains are preserved in space.

Laura belongs to a shipraiding family, who are funded by a group used to getting what they want. And they want what’s on the Muir.
Tuck and Laura didn’t bargain on working together, or battling mutant aliens who use sound to kill. But their plan is the only hope for their crews, their families, and themselves.

In space, nobody can hear you scream . . . but on the John Muir, the screams are the last thing you'll hear. ~ Goodreads

Source: arc provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review

My Thoughts: Pitch Dark dives right in and doesn’t let go. That’s both a pro and a con. For almost 1/3 of the book, I was completely lost when it came to some of the slang (for example, one of the characters says *wedge me* instead of swearing – like when BSG uses frak instead of fuck) and it just seemed like such a silly term it kept distracting me. Tuck said *bruh* a lot and no. just no. I’m not a huge sci-fi reader and a lot of the technical aspect went right over my head.

However, the characters are are tough as nails, adaptive and snarky, the action unrelenting and gruesome with an eerie sense of terror looming around every corner. There’s a slight romance between Laura (pronounced Lao-ra) and Tuck but it’s not overbearing – they’ve got shit to do – like fighting off creepy af monsters.

Pros: strong characters, sci-fi/horror mash-up while touching on values, privilege, eco-terrorism and family, with lots of gory action (I’ve read gorier but this was pretty good for YA – think Aliens level gore)

Cons: not a lot of answers or explanations for things, a lot of terminology and phrases that were confusing at times until you got used to the writing.

Despite a few quibbles, I really enjoyed this one and finished it in just a few hours.


White Rabbit by Caleb Roehrig
Thriller/Mystery/LGBQT, YA

Rufus Holt is having the worst night of his life. It begins with the reappearance of his ex-boyfriend, Sebastian—the guy who stomped his heart out like a spent cigarette. 

Just as Rufus is getting ready to move on, Sebastian turns up out of the blue, saying they need to "talk." Things couldn’t get much worse, right?

But then Rufus gets a call from his sister April, begging for help. And then he and Sebastian find her, drenched in blood and holding a knife, beside the dead body of her boyfriend, Fox Whitney.

April swears she didn’t kill Fox—but Rufus knows her too well to believe she’s telling him the whole truth. April has something he needs, though, and her price is his help. Now, with no one to trust but the boy he wants to hate yet can’t stop loving, Rufus has one night to prove his sister’s innocence…or die trying. ~ Goodreads

Source: arc provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review

My thoughts: Even though I’m not a fan of thriller/mysteries, I loved Roehrig’s debut YA novel – Last Seen Leaving – and couldn’t wait to read White Rabbit. While the mystery aspect didn’t work quite as well for me here as it did in LSL, I love the way the author writes his characters and how he manages to interweave seemingly unrelated threads – like romance, first love, coming out, and issues of class and bullying – with an overarching mystery and impending danger. Themes that were present in both of his novels thus far.

The reason Rufus and his ex- Sebastian are investigating a series of murders rather than going to the police is a tad flimsy but there’s a good enough explanation that I bought into it. But after questioning the suspects and realizing their answers are being given piecemeal, I grew a little wary and bored going back to the same witnesses multiple times, only to get an abrupt ending.

Same as above: despite a few quibbles, I really love Roehrig’s voice, realistic characters, dialogue and all their relatable issues and look forward to reading whatever he comes up with next. I would LOVE for him to write a straight up contemporary! 

the friday five–Finding felicity by stacey kade

Caroline Sands has never been particularly good at making friends. And her parents’ divorce and the move to Arizona three years ago didn’t help. Being the new girl is hard enough without being socially awkward too. So out of desperation and a desire to please her worried mother, Caroline invented a whole life for herself—using characters from Felicity, an old show she discovered online and fell in love with.

But now it’s time for Caroline to go off to college and she wants nothing more than to leave her old “life” behind and build something real. However, when her mother discovers the truth about her manufactured friends, she gives Caroline an ultimatum: Prove in this first semester that she can make friends of the nonfictional variety and thrive in a new environment. Otherwise, it’s back to living at home—and a lot of therapy.
Armed with nothing more than her resolve and a Felicity-inspired plan, Caroline accepts the challenge. But she soon realizes that the real world is rarely as simple as television makes it out to be. And to find a place where she truly belongs, Caroline may have to abandon her script and take the risk of being herself. ~ Goodreads

Source: e-arc provided in exchange for an honest review

 Five Things I Loved About Finding Felicity

Premise

Caroline is very awkward/shy and has a difficult time making friends. After her parents divorce, her mom moves them to a new town, making things even harder on Caroline. When her mother starts questioning (& pushing – but we’ll talk more about that in a minute) she offhandedly gives her mom names of her “friends”, who are actually characters from her favorite tv show, Felicity. Things spiral out of control and Caroline, again inspired by Felicity, follows the boy she’s crushing hard on to college, in a new state hoping to reinvent herself and snag the guy of her dreams.

It’s a fun, original, premise that takes place in that transitional period of time – between graduating HS and moving on to adulthood  - that isn’t often explored in YA.

Anxiety

I know everyone experiences it differently, but as someone who suffers from social anxiety and panic attacks, Stacey Kade nailed it. She has been quite open about her own issues with anxiety, so it’s no surprise that she’s written it so well here.

Caroline feels like everyone around her gets life in a way that she doesn’t. Everything seems so easy for everyone else while she struggles just to wear the right hing, find her new classrooms or not say something stupid while meeting new people. I related to her SO much!

I think some readers might get annoyed her. She can be frustrating with the way she retreats and breaks down so easily. She can also come off as self absorbed, but it felt so real and authentic to me. When you’re stuck in the panic it seems like no one understands and you can’t get the simplest of thing right.

I also love that Caroline does fight her way through the anxiety and becomes a better version of herself but doesn’t miraculously become this outgoing prom queen type. She’s still quiet and introspective but also takes more risks and let’s people in to her life.

Mom/therapy

I actually really disliked Caroline’s mom. She’s outgoing and friendly and doesn’t understand why Caroline isn’t. She’s the type to push Caroline into situations she knows are uncomfortable for her as a way to help her "get over it". Which is the worst thing you can do to someone going through it.

But – I got it and I was happy to see a parent who at least cares and is present. Even if she wasn’t the perfect parent. I would be afraid for my daughter if she created an entire made up world too.

She also makes Caroline go into therapy – another thing that’s usually glossed over and was nice to see. It would have been better if her mom went too but I was happy to see both an interested parent and therapy included.

Friendships

Now THIS is where Finding Felicity shines! Once Caroline is off at college she meets people from all walks of life and despite her goal to make herself over, make friends and win the guy – she falls into the same patterns as before. The few times she does break out, following a crowd that has her doing things that really aren’t her, she fails miserably.

What Caroline learns though, is that every one is just winging it and putting forth an image, hoping to to fit in or fly under the radar. She begins to form solid friendships and Kade did an amazing job giving the supporting cast (mostly girls) their own stories and nuance, in particular, her prickly roommate, Lexie.

YA/NA with very little romance

Yes, Caroline follows a boy to college and there is a touch of romance but this is not a romance novel.

Getting the guy is not the point of this story. Finding yourself, standing up for what you believe, letting go of what’s not good for you and embracing friends who help make you better is.

*You do not have to have watched Felicity to read or understand this book. I have a basic knowledge of the show but I’ve never seen an episode and it didn’t hinder my enjoyment at all. Felicity is a jumping off point for Caroline. She may want to follow in Felicity’s shoes but she forges her own path.

This is a quieter, character driven, sort of novel. If that’s your jam then I highly recommend Finding Felicity!

whatever wednesday

CNN's Christiane Amanpour travels the world covering global affairs but hadn't explored the love lives of strangers -- until now. Amanpour gets personal with women she meets in various corners of the globe by inquiring about their intimate lives. In the process, she shines a light on what sex and love look like around the world.

Saturday 10pm CNN

I watched the first episode of Christine Amanpour’s 6 part series - Sex & Love Around the World and it was fascinating.

I’ve mostly watch food related travel shows and I love learning about people/culture through food  but this was more intimate and revealing than any traditional travel show I’ve seen. The people were shy, yet open and honest about their lives and relationships.

Episode 1 is about Tokyo, where public displays of affection is frowned upon, most marriages are described as sexless and most couples don’t say I love you. Yet the entertainment – mainly in the form of manga & Yaoi (a Japanese genre of manga known as boys’ love) – is highly sexualized.

Women’s sexuality is the focus of this series but men are also interviewed. There’s no judgement, just curiosity. There is some graphic content, mostly in the form of explicit art work but mostly stays free of titillation, although the filming has a sanitized, dreamy quality to it at times.

Amanpour keeps it light and doesn’t delve very deeply into the topic but it’s nice to get a perspective we don’t often see and directly from the people themselves.

Future episodes included Asia, Europe and Africa.

monday minis: Suddenly in Love, A Princess in Theory

LYING LIARS WHO LIE

Today’s Monday minis are both books where the hero lies about his identity while starting a relationship with the heroine. Not a trope that I like but I did end up enjoying both of these books.


Suddenly in Love (Lake Haven #1) by Julia London
Audio narrator: Cristina Panfilio

Source: Kindle Unlimited

~ Goodreads

Mia Lassiter is thrilled to finally put her artistic skills to use working for her aunt’s interior design shop in her hometown of East Beach. While renovating an old mansion overlooking stunning Lake Haven, she encounters a scruffy but attractive man named Brennan—the owner’s son. She doesn’t realize this sexy recluse is actually Everett Alden, the world-famous rock star in hiding who’s nursing his own artistic and personal crises.

As their personalities clash, tension simmers between the struggling artist and jaded musician, and their time spent alone together in the gorgeous old house only serves to turn up the heat. Soon, Mia and Brennan’s creative passions boil over to inspire passions of another kind…

But reality comes crashing in when Mia’s celeb-obsessed cousin discovers Brennan’s true identity—and reveals it to the world. As paparazzi and industry execs swarm the mansion, Brennan is thrust back into his rock star lifestyle. Will Mia lose her soul mate just when she’s finally found him? Can their love survive the glaring spotlight?

My thoughts: This was your typical jaded rock star becomes a recluse – not trusting anyone until the one girl who doesn’t recognize him or take his crap shows up. Standard fare here but both Mia and Brennan are good people and in a slight twist – Mia is also artistic (a failed painter) – and struggling with the same doubts about her talent as Brennan. They’re kindred spirits and this romance just works despite the over used premise and annoying back & forth once the secret was revealed.

As for the Brennan lying. I got it. And he didn’t exactly lie – just never told Mia he was a rock star. In fact, he was probably more honest with Mia than he was with anyone else in his life. Other than that one itty bitty fact. lol

Audio thoughts: This was my first book on audio and…eh. It wasn’t awful but I could have finished this SO much faster if I read it on my Kindle. On the other hand, listening probably helped me get past the whole lying thing since it felt more like I was *watching* the story unfold. I would have gotten mad and skimmed if I was reading. The narrator (Cristina Panfillio) did a good job but I wasn’t a fan of her voice for Brennan – it sounded strained and whenever she did an excited/exasperated voice for Mia, it was grating.

A Princess in Theory (Reluctant Royals #1) by Alyssa Cole

Source: Purchased

~ Goodreads

From acclaimed author Alyssa Cole comes the tale of a city Cinderella and her Prince Charming in disguise . . .

Between grad school and multiple jobs, Naledi Smith doesn’t have time for fairy tales…or patience for the constant e-mails claiming she’s betrothed to an African prince. Sure. Right. Delete! As a former foster kid, she’s learned that the only things she can depend on are herself and the scientific method, and a silly e-mail won’t convince her otherwise.

Prince Thabiso is the sole heir to the throne of Thesolo, shouldering the hopes of his parents and his people. At the top of their list? His marriage. Ever dutiful, he tracks down his missing betrothed. When Naledi mistakes the prince for a pauper, Thabiso can’t resist the chance to experience life—and love—without the burden of his crown.

The chemistry between them is instant and irresistible, and flirty friendship quickly evolves into passionate nights. But when the truth is revealed, can a princess in theory become a princess ever after?

My thoughts: I LOVE the premise! Ledi keeps getting those – you are betrothed to an African Prince – please send your social security # and all personal information – emails lol Of course Ledi deletes all of them but then a real life African prince shows up to claim his bride. Only he falls for her and pretends to be Jamal, a regular guy who waits tables and lives next door.

Ledi falls hard and I had to step away from this book for a bit because of it. Ledi has been let down SO often and Jamal/Thabiso knows this – yet lies to her anyway. I actually understand his reasons and he did try to tell her multiple times but he didn’t. And continued to sleep with her. I just felt SO bad for Ledi and what was coming.

But! Once I took a breather from it and came back to it I loved them together. Thabiso has the whole fish out of water thing going on – having never had to do anything for himself before, and Ledi learns how to stand up for herself more. These two are combustible together and make each other stronger and better,

I wasn’t a fan of the rushed ending either but still a fun read.

Are there any tropes that you aren’t a fan of but found books that made it work for you anyway?

tell me something tuesday

Tell Me Something Tuesday is hosted by Rainy Day Ramblings and discusses a wide range of topics from books to blogging.

Question: What are good series for younger/MG readers?

I don’t read a lot of MG or very young leaning YA, but other than the obvious – Harry Potter, Percy Jackson series – I’ll recomend one of my favorite series, MG or otherwise, The All Four Stars trilogy by Tara Dairman ~ GOODREADS



Summary for All Four Stars, (All Four Stars #1)

“Meet Gladys Gatsby: New York’s toughest restaurant critic. (Just don’t tell anyone that she’s in sixth grade.)

Gladys Gatsby has been cooking gourmet dishes since the age of seven, only her fast-food-loving parents have no idea! Now she’s eleven, and after a crème brûlée accident (just a small fire), Gladys is cut off from the kitchen (and her allowance). She’s devastated but soon finds just the right opportunity to pay her parents back when she’s mistakenly contacted to write a restaurant review for one of the largest newspapers in the world.

But in order to meet her deadline and keep her dream job, Gladys must cook her way into the heart of her sixth-grade archenemy and sneak into New York City—all while keeping her identity a secret! Easy as pie, right?”

This is one of the most adorable series I’ve ever read and I recommend it to readers, young and old, especially if you love food, travel and spunky, determined little girls.

my monday musings

Soooo….week 2 of not having any posts drafted and not really reading anything.

I tweeted this this morning and it pretty much explains my current frame of mind.

“I realized this morning that I never changed the time on my appliances/ manual clocks Saturday night, so I lived in two time zones all day. That explains why the day was going either fast or slow depending what room I was in lol”

I wish everything could be blamed on daylight savings time but I seem to be in some weird funk regarding reading and blogging.

I sat down to write a few posts but instead made an Easter header – because that’s what I needed to be doing with my weekend. Also, I seemed to decide to overlook St. Patrick’s Day lol

Here’s a quick recap of what I’ve been reading/watching:

Watching

The Frankenstein Chronicles on Netflix - Inspector John Marlott investigates a series of crimes in 19th Century London, which may have been committed by a scientist intent on re-animating the dead.


We watched the first 2 seasons and it was pretty good. It’s bleak, cruel and violent but also more of a mystery than horror series. Since I’m not a big fan of detective type stories, I was a little let down that the “Frankenstein” aspect wasn’t as prominant as the case solving was.

I do recommend you give it a try though – you’ll know fairly quickly if it’s for you or not.




Happy on SYFY – “An injured hitman befriends his kidnapped daughter's imaginary friend - a perky blue flying unicorn.” based on the graphic novel by Grant Morrison.


This is DARK and I don’t even know who I would recommend it to. I mean REALLY dark. It has a lot of humor but also violence, gore, drug use and children in danger – which is going to be difficult for some viewers to stomach. I did mostly enjoy it but you have really got to be able to tolerate your characters flawed and be able to handle dark subject matter to watch this.








Reading:



I’m still reading A Princess in Theory by Alyssa Cole. It’s cute but I’m not *can’t put this book down"* in love with it yet. I’m not a fan of the hero who is lying atm but I’m hoping I’m won over soon.

Walden on Wheels by Ken Ilgunas I tried with this one. I love the idea of this book. Reject consumerism and debt – live freely on the open road. See America and meet different people along the way.

It starts when Ken is young and just out of college so I tried to cut him some slack on his immaturity and judgy ways but at a certain point he’s just an asshole. He accepts help from everyone (including loans and free housing from his mom –works jobs where he gets to live rent free) then complains how he’s IN DEBT – a million times, while having no bills other than his college loan (starting at about $32,000), scorning anyone who dares to be  a”wage slave” for steady pay and benefits.

He waxes poetic about the people he meets in Alaska who are meth addicts, convicts (some accused of murder or abuse) because they’re free man….yet during a stint volunteering for clean up in the aftermath of Katrina – deems these people drug addled, sex crazed losers and contemplates going back to college so he can help good people. Not to mention his obsession with needing to point out everyone who is overweight and ewww…touching him. I tapped out.

If you want to read about wandering and getting back in touch with nature I suggest Bill Bryson. Although, it’s been years since I last read his books.



And lastly, tomorrow is my 31st (EEP) wedding anniversary!

And I remembered!! Seriously, it’s a big deal that I did (of course I might not tomorrow lol) but there have been many years that we’ve forgotten only to get a phone call from his mom wishing us a happy anniversary while we look at each other and go OH SHIT – OOPS. lol

But at least we both forgot so no hurt feelings or talk of divorce 🤣

What's up with you guys this week? Reading or watching anything good? Drowning in a sea of pollen like I am?

tell me something tuesday

Tell Me Something Tuesday is hosted by Rainy Day Ramblings and discusses a wide range of topics from books to blogging.

*Keeping with this weeks theme of posting a feature on the wrong day….lol

I’m sure I’ll pull it together next week. Maybe.

Question: What are your spring picks for 2018

I’m really bad at looking ahead for books. I’m barely keeping up with what I have now, and I’ve already said several times that this year is all about clearing that old TBR pile.

I did receive this Spring 2018 box of arc’s from Macmillan/Fierce Reads though (thank you!) so I’ll feature that because there are a few titles in there I’m looking forward to reading.



The Traitor’s Ruin (Traitor’s Circle #2) by Erin Beaty – I did not read book #1 but I believe this is historical fantasy??

Google It! A History of Google but Anna Crowley Redding – An odd choice to throw in with a box of YA but sure – I’ll give it a go.

How to Breathe Underwater by Vicky Skinner -  “Kate’s father has been pressuring her to be perfect for her whole life, pushing her to be the best swimmer she can be. But when Kate finds her dad cheating on her mom, Kate’s perfect world comes crashing down, and Kate is forced to leave home and the swim team she's been a part of her whole life.” Sounds like there may be cheating involved with the LI?? He’s a boy that already has a girlfriend. It is from their Swoon imprint and I usually like that line because they are low angst. But not usually my thing so we’ll see.

Love Scene, Take Two by Alex Evansley – “Debut author Alex Evansley delivers a sweet summer romance in this inventive novel about a young heartthrob and teen author falling in love.” – Sounds potentially cute has quite a few good reviews.

The Handsome Girl & Her Beautiful boy by B.T. Gottfred – I read Gottfred’s The Dirty and the Nerdy last year and thought it was wonderfully frank and sex positive but didn’t love it so we’ll see with this book that explores “gender, sexuality, and identity”

Summer Skin by Kirsty Eager – “Jess Gordon is out for revenge. Last year the jocks from Knights College tried to shame her best friend. This year she and a hand-picked college girl gang are going to get even.” 

Eep – not sure about this one. Neo riot girl falls for sexist pig? I hope there’s more to it than that…we’'ll see.

The Way You Make Me Feel by Maureen Goo  - I had a few issues with the heroines erratic (& I felt dangerous) behavior in Goo’s debut novel, I Believe in a Thing Called Love, but I adored the writing and sense of family, so I hope this is as adorable as it looks.

And I’ll add one book that I do not have -



Starry Eyes by Jenn Bennett. I love her writing and can’t wait to read this one!

What spring reads are you looking forward to?

my monday (okay–tuesday) musings…

I was on a roll for a while. I had blog posts drafted ahead for 3 weeks and that’s rare for me. I’m more of  a pantser when it comes to blogging. I was all HELL YEAH! I can chill a bit and still be way ahead of the game but... I’m me... and took my blog ahead advantage and sat on my butt – watching tv and adventuring outside (I did a 10 mile bike ride last weekend!!! Go me!) – and now I’m behind.

Whatevs….I’m just going to roll with it. lol

I only have one book for review in March and my reading has been ALL over the place as far as genres so here’s a bit of taste of what I plan on reading this month.

A Princess in Theory by Alyssa Cole - I'm reading this one now and it's cute. You know how we get those spam emails saying you are betrothed to a Nigarian Prince - you only have to send your SS & bank accounts #'s? Well for Naledi, it's real and Prince Thabiso has come to sweep her off her feet and make Naledi princess of Thesolo.

Finding Felicity by Stacey Kade - This is my review book and I'll start it right after finishing up A Princess in Theory. Love Stacey Kade so I'm looking forward to this one.

Bad Girls Throughout History: 100 Remarkable Women Who Changed the World by Ann Shen - " From pirates to artists, warriors, daredevils, scientists, activists, and spies, the accomplishments of these incredible women vary as much as the eras and places in which they effected change." This is on Kindle Unlimited and profiles 100 women - each with a beautiful watercolor portrait. Every profile is only about a page long so this is the kind of book I can read whenever I have a few minutes and set aside again.

Walden on Wheels: On the Open Road from Debt to Freedom by Ken Ilgunas - Another Kindle Unlimited book with free audible so I've been listening to it when I run errands in the morning. It's about a college student, sick of being in debt. He lives out of a van as he finishes college and travels while trying to become debt free. I love reading about unplugging and that nomadic lifestyle but I'm finding the authors narrative to be a bit cliche and filled with judgmental stereotypes - so I'm not sure how far I'll make it. I thought it might be the narrator since i don't do well with audio - maybe the humor wasn't translating well?... but most reviewers commented on the same thing.

Pitch Dark by Courtney Alameda - "Set against a future of marauding space scavengers and deadly aliens who kill with sound, here is a frightening, fast-paced YA adventure from the author of the acclaimed horror novel, Shutter." This sounds pretty cool so I hope to fit it in this month.

February Reading

I read 16 books in February - You can check out my Goodreads shelf 

I didn't have any WOW books but I enjoyed Cruel Prince, Milk & Honey, A Girl Like That.
Craig and Fred was my favorite and the most fun I've had reading in a long time. 

Reading Challenge:

2018 Reading Challenge

Karen has read 32 books toward her goal of 100 books.

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32 of 100 (32%)

view books

Doing pretty good!

What about you? What are you reading (or watching or doing) this month?

review: milk and honey by rupi kaur

milk and honey is a collection of poetry and prose about survival. It is about the experience of violence, abuse, love, loss, and femininity. It is split into four chapters, and each chapter serves a different purpose, deals with a different pain, heals a different heartache. milk and honey takes readers through a journey of the most bitter moments in life and finds sweetness in them because there is sweetness everywhere if you are just willing to look. ~ Goodreads

Source: Kindle Unlimited

Review: 

Milk and Honey is a collection of poetry divided into four sections. the hurting, the loving, the breakup, and the healing
I have no doubt in my mind that the author lived through these experiences her poetry explores; incest, an abusive relationship, family and friendships. The honesty and rawness cut deep.

As a collection it's a mixed bag. Some poems are beautiful, insightful and powerful while others read like a motivational tweet or something I might say to friend going through a hard time. Not that it isn't true or interesting - just not really poetry? But I don't read a lot of poetry so...

This would be a great book for people interested in reading poetry but are often intimidated. The messages are clear and accessible, the themes of "violence, abuse, love, loss, and femininity" universal.

I also loved how the author wrote about how women should view each other as empowering rather than through jealousy and would recommend this to people who are looking for a light at the end of the tunnel and hope to push through a difficult/abusive relationship.

I wasn't as blown away as some other readers were but it is a something I bookmarked often on my Kindle and could relate to.

TW: incest, abuse, violence