review: finding yvonne by brandy colbert

Since she was seven years old, Yvonne has had her trusted violin to keep her company, especially in those lonely days after her mother walked out on their family. But with graduation just around the corner, she is forced to face the hard truth that she just might not be good enough to attend a conservatory after high school.

Full of doubt about her future, and increasingly frustrated by her strained relationship with her successful but emotionally closed-off father, Yvonne meets a street musician and fellow violinist who understands her struggle. He’s mysterious, charming, and different from Warren, the familiar and reliable boy who has her heart. But when Yvonne becomes unexpectedly pregnant, she has to make the most difficult decision yet about her future. ~ Goodreads

Source: ARC received via ALA18

Review:
I had been wanting to give Colbert’s writing a try and picked up both her Stonewall Award winning book, Little & Lion (purchased) and an arc of Finding Yvonne at a signing while I was at ALA.

I’m so glad I did because this quiet little story packed a lot of emotional punch.

Yvonne has always been surrounded by people who knew their calling right away and are brilliant at it. Her dad is an a successful chef and restaurant owner, his sous chef, and Yvonne’s love interest, Warren, is an up and coming star in the food scene.

For Yvonne, the violin is her talent and escape but when she realizes that she’s not going to be the best – or even good enough to get into a conservatory – her hopes are shattered and confidence shaken.

Finding Yvonne does a wonderful job of showing how messy and confusing and SCARY it can be as a teenager – not quite an adult but no longer a child - when everyone around you seems to have it all together but your path suddenly changes.

To complicate matters, Yvonne’s mother abandoned her when she was a child. Her father loves her but is distant and unwilling to answer Yvonne’s questions about her mom. He provides the essentials but lacks in providing the affection and advice a teenage girl craves. She’s lonely and scared and seeks comfort and guidance in those who don’t judge her and give her the attention she craves.

Yvonne is quick to feel the sting of rejection and sometimes makes it bigger than it is, unwilling to see that some of her friends and mentors are opening the door to new possibilities, but that’s all part of her working things out. She stumbles, makes choices that complicate matters but it was all written so beautifully and realisticly.

Yvonne’s relationships with her father, Warren, best friend, Sabina, and an enigmatic musician she meets are complex and nuanced and often explore the intersections of race, class and expectations.

In particular, the relationship with her father cut me deep. I felt like Colbert had actually somehow been in my house when I was a teen recording conversations I had with my own father. My mother died from cancer when I was a teen and while I didn’t have the abandonment issues that Yvonne has, the relationship with her dad was so spot on it was difficult to read at times. It was strained, messy and awkward - both making mistakes but the love between them was still there.

This is a book that I wish I had when I was a teen. And a book that I apparently need as a 50-ish year old woman as well. It made me reflect on so many things that I saw one way as a teen but in hindsight - have more empathy for what my father was going through as well.

As the blurb says – there is an unexpected pregnancy. I wouldn’t call Finding Yvonne sex positive so much as sex realistic. Colbert shows all the joys and consequences of sex. All the choices and all the possible outcomes in a non-judgmental way not often explored in YA.

I’m going to discuss what may be considered a spoiler concerning the pregnancy and another issue below. Highlight if you’re interested.

SPOILER:
Many readers felt Yvonne cheated on Warren and I HATE cheating in books but let me explain why I didn’t have a problem with it here.

 For one, I don’t consider this a romance. This is a book about Yvonne. her coming of age, her choices, her potential and possibilities. While there are romantic interests in her life – and consequences – it’s not the main theme. Yvonne made her choices and had to live with them. The author did a wonderful job letting every character have their say about how it impacted them. < END SPOILER

If you’re looking for a YA romance (which I LOVE!!!) this is not it. This is a book about the complexities of growing up, becoming a responsible adult, about opening yourself up to new options, even f it’s scary, even if it isn’t what other people expect or want from you.

Highlight for content warnings: drug use, sexual situations, pregnancy, abortion

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: Does it bother you when a book cover doesn’t match the characters in a book?

Answer: It used to bother me more when I first started reading/blogging but while I love a good cover – I don’t choose my books because of them and I’m drawn to unique covers more than character covers so….

It used to piss me off a lot in romance when the cover has a blonde dude or girl and then in the book they have read hair or something. But I read so many romance books on my Kindle now that I barely see or remember the covers anyway at this point.

Thankfully Amazon usually reminds me that I’ve read a book before I buy it twice lol

Basically, I’ve given up the fight. I know authors can’t control their covers, there’s a limited pool of stock photos and publishers tend to go for trends rather than accuracy so it’s an uphill battle.

Two things that DO bother me about covers though…

~ whitewashing

If a publisher is afraid to show the characters ethnicity/skin color on the cover then they really need to examine that thought process.There is no excuse that’s good enough. Whether on the publishers or readers behalf.

If you can’t embrace the story as written then that's a problem.

~ Misleading genre covers

This is happening A LOT lately. Cheery romantic covers for books with no romance. Stark thriller type covers that are paranormal or fantasy.

I don’t mind thinking outside the box with covers or mixing things up but not when it feels purposefully misleading. Like they're trying to lure in people from one genre to read another??? I don'tknow but it always leaves me disappointed when the book isn't what I was expecting.

Tell me what you think about covers that don’t match the characters!

monday minis: Unclaimed Baggage, Artificial Condition, The Simple Wild

Unclaimed Baggage by Jen Doll

Source: ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review via ALA18

Doris--a lone liberal in a conservative small town--has mostly kept to herself since the terrible waterslide incident a few years ago. Nell had to leave behind her best friends, perfect life, and too-good-to-be-true boyfriend in Chicago to move to Alabama. Grant was the star quarterback and epitome of "Mr. Popular" whose drinking problem has all but destroyed his life. What do these three have in common? A summer job working in a store called Unclaimed Baggage cataloging and selling other people's lost luggage. Together they find that through friendship, they can unpack some of their own emotional baggage and move on into the future. ~ Goodreads

My thoughts: Told in the alternating pov’s of 3 teens are working at a store that sells the contents on unclaimed baggage from airlines (plus a couple of chapters of a suitcase pov…I know it’s weird but it makes sense lol).  This was a quirky YA novel that felt a little TOO quirky at first but grew on me with an utterly charming cast of characters and setting. It was so refreshing to read about teens that actually enjoy their job and support each other through the tough times.

I liked the unlikely friendships, the depth to some of the characters and how the author touched on religion, racism, addiction and more.

However, the tone was often a little uneven when going from lighter plot lines – like blossoming crushes – to the weightier topics of race and religion. At times it felt heavy handed – as in the author was trying to make specific points – rather than having a natural flow to the story.

But still – a cute summer read.


Artificial Condition (The Murderbot Diaries #2) by Martha Wells

Source: Finished copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review via ALA18

It has a dark past – one in which a number of humans were killed. A past that caused it to christen itself “Murderbot”. But it has only vague memories of the massacre that spawned that title, and it wants to know more.
Teaming up with a Research Transport vessel named ART (you don’t want to know what the “A” stands for), Murderbot heads to the mining facility where it went rogue.

What it discovers will forever change the way it thinks… ~ Goodreads

My thoughts: It took me a bit to get back into the swing of things. The first 1/3 seemed very technical and less snarky than the first Murderbot book. Murderbot almost sounded human instead of a hybrid - but things quickly took off again giving readers a big reveal and while setting up the next installment.

Murderbot is never better than when he’s passing judgement on puny humans while secretly having a soft spot for and wanting to protect them.


The Simple WIld by K.A. Tucker

Source: Purchased

Calla Fletcher wasn't even two when her mother took her and fled the Alaskan wild, unable to handle the isolation of the extreme, rural lifestyle, leaving behind Calla’s father, Wren Fletcher, in the process. Calla never looked back, and at twenty-six, a busy life in Toronto is all she knows. But when Calla learns that Wren’s days may be numbered, she knows that it’s time to make the long trip back to the remote frontier town where she was born. ~ Goodreads

My thoughts: A spoiled princess from Toronto, a physically and emotionally distant father who is dying from cancer and a sexy but gruff Alaskan pilot set against the rugged Alaska wild made for a very emotional story.

The rebuilding of Calla and her fathers relationship in his final days cut me deep as it mirrored s much of my own relationship and loss of my own dad.

The romance was less successful for me. Jonah, the grumpy pilot that works for Calla’s dad, had every right to be wary of Calla but he was infantile & controlling in the way he treated her at times. It surpassed cute pranks to…this guy worries me. He reeled it back in later in the story and I came to root pretty hardcore for them but it ruined what would have been a 5 star read for me.

A lot of messy, flawed characters and relationships in this one. A powerful story of love, forgiveness and reconciliation.

To All the Boys I've Loved Before & Love, Simon - A.K.A. - Kevin's education in Rom-Coms

Kevin and I have a lot of shows that we watch together but most of the time when there’s nothing we both want to see he puts on his sci-fi/war movies and I read a book.

He prefers when I read because otherwise I don’t pay any attention to the movie for the first 1/2-1 hour then something grabs my attention and I ask 100 questions so I can get up to speed and he calls me the peanut gallery. lol

This past weekend I really wanted to watch to All the Boys I’ve Loved Before and Kevin was home. I was thinking – should I make him watch it or just wait until next week when I’m alone and don’t have to see him roll his eyes?? Then I remembered a few years ago the Princess Diaries was on and he started watching it and wouldn’t let me change the channel so I thought we’d give it a go.

And just to go full out on this YA romcom weekend - we watched Love, Simon (which I’ve already seen) after.

The big takeaway is that Kevin doesn’t understand the rules of Rom-Coms. He keeps wanting a different outcome lol But like me, he picks his ships early and sticks to them to the bitter end.

But he did like both movies and what follows is our viewing experience…A.K.A. as Kevin’s education in Rom-Coms…

***THERE WILL BE SPOILERS!!!!

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before - Netflix

The gist: Someone sends Lara Jean’s secret love letters to boys she’s crushed on are released and she agrees to a fake relationship with the popular jock – Peter Kavinsky so that he can make his ex girlfriend jealous and so that things don’t get awkward with another recipient – Josh – Lara Jean’s older sisters newly ex boyfriend.

Here we go!



~ Kevin loves the Covey family and we covet their house. Kevin wants their kitchen & I want their yard.

~ Lara Jean’s sister breaks up with the boy next door, and Lara Jean’s crush, Josh.

~ LJ’s love letters to the boys she’s loved have been released into the world, including one to Josh. he starts looking at Lara Jean differently and wants to talk to her. She avoids him.

~ Kevin is hooked. He likes Josh.

~ Then we meet Peter (one of the letter recipients). He’s a bit cocky and dating someone else – who is a bitch to Lara Jean. Peter is kinda spineless about it.

~ We hit our first speed bump…

~ Kevin: She ends up with Josh right? Peter is a jerk.

~ Oh how cute….Kevin has his first ship…and it’s going to sink.

Sinking Ship GIF from Sinking GIFs

~ I had to break it to him and he started coming around to Peter with him being all cute with the notes, the movie watching scene with LJ’s little sister, their conversation about their parents.

~ I comment on how Lara jean is so effortlessly cute all the time – Kevin likes her boots.

~ We both love how she’s shy but still stands up for herself and asks for what she wants.

~ Then…the ski trip.

~ So the cute/sexy things happens – we’re happy – we’re both Team Peter now.

~ Then we’re not.

~ Kevin: Ok, so now this means they don’t stay together right?? That’s unforgivable!

~ Poor sweet naive Kevin. I need to explain how Rom-Com's – TEEN Rom-Coms - work before he gets his heart broken.

~ Because I understand this is part of the process –the meet cute, the misunderstanding, the dark moment, growth, the big gesture, HFN/HEA

~ But Kevin is having NONE OF THAT!

~ Peter makes a few tentative steps towards explaining things and forgiveness.

~ Kevin: NOPE

~ Me: But…things weren’t what we thought.

~ Kevin: NOPE – he could have just said that then.

~ Me: But... then there’s no plot – no conflict – no movie.

~ Kevin: NOPE

~Fast forward to the growth, the grand gesture, the HEA/HFN and he grudgingly accepts it and admits that he even loved the movie but is still not Team Peter. So overall - Yay!

~ Then there’s that mid-credits scene…

~ Kevin: So she ends up with THAT boy???

~ Me: Oh Kevin…you’re hopeless

via GIPHY

So anyway – I really loved this movie! The hype was real. The acting and the casting were perfect. I know Noah Centineo  (Peter- aka teen Mark Ruffalo) is getting all the attention right now but how awesome was Lana Condor as Lara Jean??? I mean – she was PERFECT. The mannerisms, the tiny facial ticks that expressed so much emotion. This girl needs to be in all the movies!

I would LOVE to see more movies like this! It was fun but smart and sweet!!


So I feel like Kevin has a basic grasp of the ins & outs of a YA Rom-Com and can handle Love, Simon, which I’ve seen already and own on DVD…

The gist:  Simon is gay but not out to anyone yet. He starts up an email friendship/relationship with another gay boy who is also not out yet and won’t reveal his identity but calls himself “Blue”. Simon spends most of the movie trying to find out who Blue is by connecting the dots from their conversations with different boys he meets throughout the film.There’s also blackmail and family/friendship drama as a consequence.


~ Opening scene is of Simon and his friends car pooling to school – stopping by Starbucks to get their coffee first…

~ Kevin: teens drink coffee before school now? (we’re old) then laughs hysterically imagining what I would be like going to school jacked up on caffeine – then crashing 3 hours later with no way to get another cup.

~ Simon is with his beautiful family in the kitchen. We start wondering how every YA kid comes from a  rich, gorgeous, funny family. And both Simon and Lara Jean have GORGEOUS bedrooms!

~ I’m an adult making money and I will never have a bedroom that nice.

~ So Simon is now emailing with Blue and thinks he knows who it is.

~ Kevin: Is that boy Blue?

~ Me: I decide to hold firm this time and not let him know who the OTP (one true person) is yet. He doesn’t take it well.

~ Stuff happens, first dude might not be the dude…for reasons…so Simon considers other guys.

~Kevin starts shipping one of them.

~ Poor, poor Kevin. picks the wrong dude AGAIN!

~Do I tell him? Nah…I’ll wait. Boy has to learn how to do this on his own.

 ~Now Simon is being blackmailed and Kevin wants to know if asshole dude pays for it in the end. Sort of?? Maybe?? Depends on your definition. Kevin wants to know exactly what happens NOW. The real bad stuff hasn’t even happened yet but Kevin is already filled with rage on Simon’s behalf. lol

~ All hell breaks loose - and being vague – there is fallout. Kevin is a little irritated at Simon for throwing people under the bus. He thinks he could have told a certain person something while he was telling that certain person something else.

~ He’s being a peanut gallery now constantly questioning how all this turns out.

~ I’m a tad annoyed.

~ So this is what it’s like when I talk through his movies. Huh…I might try to scale that back now that I know what it's like on the receiving end.

~ I have to break the news about his ship again because he wasn’t letting it go.

~Not his first choice but he likes who it is and he’s handling it better than the Peter incident.

~Fast forward to the BIG moment. We both think it’s super cute and John Hughes-ish but wish it was done a quieter way because Blue was always trying to stay private but it’s ok.

~Back to a repeat of the carpool/coffee getting scene from the beginning. Kevin wants to know why Leah is sitting in the front seat. Isn’t this supposed to be a HEA Rom-Com ending?? Where’s Blue?

~I’m a little teary eyed now because he’s learning!

~ Wait for it Kevin…waaaait for it.

~ Ok – he’s happy now – even though he’s pissed that you know you didn’t pay a big enough price.

Despite having his ships sink – he liked TAtBILB a little better but loved them both - especially the both Simon and Lara Jean's families.


I watched The Kissing Booth – also on Netflix - by myself the next day and THANK GOD! Kevin would have had feelings about that one and would have ended up hating everyone! lol

Have you guys watched these movies yet? And what are your favorite Rom-Coms? 

And more importantly - can anyone agree on the spelling of Rom-Coms??? Is it Rom-Coms? romcom? 

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 things are you drawn to when choosing your next read?

Answer: Apologies to Heidi (who hosts Tell Me Something Tuesday) but I’m going to put a bit of a twist on this because honestly, I'm a mood reader and I just read what sounds good to me at the time. And recently I am ALL over the map as far as genres go.

My few reading catnips though are: enemies to lovers and anything described as light/funny or low angst.

So instead I’m going to be a negative nilly and talk about what will make me avoid a book when I see these things in a blurb.

*NOTE - I am not shaming anyone for what they want to read!!! These are just things I don't enjoy. I believe that everyone should be able to read whatever they love - no judgement!!

The bad/dangerous dude who is also hot – 

“He’s dangerous/obsessed with me. I should fear him but his touch makes me crave more even though I’m terrified”

“He’s an arrogant asshole who treats everyone like dirt. But he’s irresistible”

The thing is…if the dude wasn’t hot this wouldn’t work. It all hinges on good looks overriding all common sense so NOPE.

Also anything considered dubcon (dubious consent). No means no in my book.

Best friends little sister/brother

I know I’ll get some push back on this one because it’s a very popular trope!

I actually enjoy it overall – because it can be cute/awkward with the new dynamic but hate when the setup is – I can’t betray my best friend by dating his sister or the brother putting a *not allowed to date* sign on his sister.

a) It’s none of your buisness big brother

b) If you think your bff is such a bad boyfriend/douche to girls – then why is he your best friend?

So I love this when it’s more of an awkward change in dynamics – not a big brother telling everyone who they can and can’t date.

The special girl/hot newcomer boy

“Jane was an awkward girl who tripped over everything and smashed into walls but then one day a beautiful boy with piercing green eyes & 8 pack abs (because they all have to have piercing eyes and ripped abs!) transfers to Jane’s school to show Jane how special she is and now Jane is the only one with the power to save the world.

ANY variation on the love triangle

“This book will break your heart” is "bittersweet" "requires Kleenex"

Don’t go breaking my heart Boo(k). That’s not why I read. Anything that requires a box of tissues is a no go for me.

Dirty talkin’

Another one that I think most will disagree with but it drives me crazy. I’m always thinking either ewwww or shouldn’t you be too busy doing other fun stuff during sex instead of talking?? lol

BDSM/menages

Not a fan of power dynamics – I hate being told what to do 🤣 but I also hate domineering others so this rarely works for me.

And menage romances make me jealous on everyone else's behalf.

Even though I know this is all concensual for everyone involved. Not judging but it’s not my thing.

Having said all of this there are exceptions that I’ve loved.

It was M/M but I loved Annabeth Albert’s dating the baby brother trope in At Attention. Maybe because the older brother loved and respected both his baby bro and BFF and wanted them to be happy. Although the couple was worried about him knowing it was not the core of the story.

I love Cara McKenna’s erotic romances – even the menage/BDSM ones. There’s always clear consent and an exchange of power that elevates it for me.

I liked the brother love triangle dynamics in Ann Aguirre’s Like Never and Always. I thought it had a different twist. *Note – I beta read an early version of this – not the final copy and things might have changed.

Miscellaneous stuff:

Nosy families or neighbors

Ex's reappearing out of the blue

Secret babies

Cheating

Abuse - by men or women

What draws you to read a book or like me – turns you off?

review: Team phison

For 55-year-old Phil Hutton, finding a new boyfriend is tough, especially since he’s still hurting from his ex leaving him for a younger man. Online dating has been a soul-crushing experience for the restaurant owner. Too many meat-haters interested in microbreweries or something called geocaching. His matches in the multiplayer for his favorite video game have been equally sucky too.

One night, he encounters a newbie who is so helpless, Phil can’t help showing him the ropes. It doesn’t take long for Phil to become interested in his enthusiastic teammate. 28-year-old Tyson Falls from Georgia loves working as a server in a rinky pizza joint and sees the best in everything. As Phil’s online dating matches get worse and his in-game matches with Tyson get better, he finds himself wanting to pursue the easygoing chatterbox with a thick, sexy drawl.

But Phil can’t get past the fear that Tyson couldn't possibly want a fossil like him. If his brain doesn’t stop being so damn insecure, it might be game over for his heart. ~ Goodreads

Source: Purchased – only .99 on Kindle right now

Review:

This was a short novella at 132 pages so this will be a short review but if you are in need of a super cute, quick read this is it!

*M/M age-gap

*Older, Grumpy with a capitol G - get those hipster millennials off my lawn hero (bonus – he’s hilarious)

* Sweet as pie younger love interest with a sexy southern drawl

*Long distance, slow burn romance

*They are not perfect looking

*Real jobs – Phil is a restaurant owner of a fancy burger & drink pairing establishment while Tyler is a waiter at a greasy spoon – and loves it! and no one tries to *improve* him

*Insecurities that are explored and give heft to this short story yet don’t bog it down.

*Online gaming and geekdom which I completely don’t understand but had fun with anyway

*Funny, sweet, dorky, heartwarming and a little sexy

Basically  - a fast read that gave me 😍

What do a Black American soldier, invalided out at Yorktown, and a white British officer who deserted his post have in common? Quite a bit, actually.

• They attempted to kill each other the first time they met.
• They're liable to try again at some point in the five-hundred mile journey that they're inexplicably sharing.
• They are not falling in love with each other.
• They are not falling in love with each other.
• They are… Oh, no.

The Pursuit Of… is about a love affair between two men and the Declaration of Independence. It’s a novella of around 38,000 words. ~ Goodreads
Source: Purchased

Review:

Henry could get a bit rambly but this was such a sweet story that didn't shy away from or ignore the obstacles that stand in Henry and John's way. 

Milan found the perfect balance between humor and pragmatism between a seemingly doomed from the start couple.

This is a super slow burn romance with an incredibly satisfying end!

the friday five

Netflixing and such…

1.

The Rain

Netflix – 1 season – renewed for a 2nd

A Danish (subtitled) dystopian series about a toxic rain that kills nearly everyone in Scandinavia.

Two siblings emerge from an underground bunker after 6 years to try and find their father, a scientist, who never returned after leaving to help find a cure.

The usual – must band with strangers to survive/don’t know who to trust – and add in a small dose of YA angst. They are, after all, teens that were kept in a bunker – away from humanity during their formative year.

The first few episodes after they get out were a little eyeroll worthy but the show picks up steam with a few clever plot twists and was rather addictive.

2.

3%

Netflix

2 seasons – renewed for a 3rd

3% is a Brazilian (subtitles) dystopian thriller that’s a similar to The Hunger Games in that people are chosen from their impoverished districts. the reward here though – if you survive the process – which only 3% do – is a chance to advance to the “better side” where there is modern conveniences, technology, and affluence. If you don’t make it you are eliminated. Meaning killed.

I’ve only watched a few episodes of this one but I like how dark and gritty it is. The characters seem to have a lot of ulterior motives that keep you guessing and lead to a few shocking moments.

3.

Alex Strangelove

Netflix

Alex is a high school senior who wants to lose his virginity to his girlfriend until he meets Eliot – an openly gay teen that he starts to hang out with and have feelings for. Alex starts to question his sexuality – is he bi? gay?

If you loved Love, Simon this is a a similar (albeit a raunchier) film. It’s a bit more PG-13 – borderline R, especially because of explicit language, than Simon though. 

It’s cute, a little weird and occasionally cringe worthy as Alex tries to force himself to be with his girlfriend and grapples with his new feelings.

Definitely not a perfect film but cute with a fluffy romcom feel.

CW: drug use, homophobic slurs, one flashback scene of bullying

4.

Janelle Monáe 

Dirty Computer (Emotion Picture)

Trailer:

Vimeo

(also on YouTube)

This is a narrative film that accompanies the singers album by the same name. It’s a sci-fi/dystopian future world in which Monáe, playing Jane, and her companions are captured and have their minds and memories removed by the Nevermind so that they will become *clean*. 

The 45 minute movie is interspersed with the videos from her album and it’s pretty cool. We saw her in concert (she was AWESOME!) and she incorporated quite a bit from this short film and into her show.

5.

Barbarella

This movie happened to come on tv and it's.....something.

Space ships with shag carpeted interiors (even on the walls!), being pulled across the ice - water skiing style - by a stingray with a unicorn horn??, groovy 60's music,  getting chomped by dozens of dolls, with razor sharp teeth and sex, sex and more sex. 

This is a movie I've always heard about as being a cult classic and it is completely wild. I only made it about 1/2 way before bailing but I'm scarred for life by what I did see. lol

*Bonus trivia! The band Duran Duran was named after Barbarella villain Dr. Durand Durand played by Milo O'Shea. He even reprised his role in the bands concept concert film - Arena (An Absurd Notion).

The chair is not my son and other misheard lyrics…

I had the song Fake Love by BTS stuck in my head for several weeks – except I thought I had heard someone say it was Freaky Love so that's how I've been singing it until I saw the video and the real title.

Honestly, I think that sounds better so I’m sticking with it. I will die on this hill. lol



It got me thinking about other misheard lyrics and reminded me of the funniest misheard lyrics story from my teen years.

Back when I was a kid…

It was the 80’s, before you could look up lyrics on the internet. You used to have to do it the old fashioned way. Record Casey Kasem’s American Top 40 Countdown on cassette tape and play it back word for word and write the lyrics out in a notebook. IT took hours, days, weeks, MONTHS! Life was soooo hard!

So anyway…I was dating a DJ at the time – Michael Jackson was the King of Pop and my bf played his music often…



And he INSISTED that the lyrics to Michael Jackson’s Bille Jean were

“Billie Jean is not my lover
She's just a girl who claims that I am the one
But the chair is not my son
She says I am the one, but the chair is not my son"

Instead of….

Billie Jean is not my lover
She's just a girl who claims that I am the one
But the kid is not my son
She says I am the one, but the kid is not my son”

I mean…the CHAIR is not my son??? That doesn't make any sense! lol  You’re a DJ! You should have your record spinning license revoked for that!

More misheard lyrics:

The Neighborhood – Sweater Weather



In the chorus:

Correct lyrics -

“Coming down
One love, two mouths
One love, one house
No shirt, no blouse”

I hear:

“Coming down
One love, two mouths
One love, one mouse
No shirt, no blouse”

I think my lyrics are cuter lol

alt-j – In Cold Blood



Correct lyrics…

“01110011
Crying zeros and I'm hearing 111s”

I hear…



“01110011
Crying zeros and Ian Ziering 111s”

Again...I think my version improves upon the song lol

Do you have any funny misheard lyric stories to share? 

monday musings

I hit a reading milestone this month!

100 books read for my Goodreads Challenge!

2018 Reading Challenge

Karen has completed her goal of reading 100 books in 2018!

hide

103 of 100 (100%)

view books

I’m both shocked and relieved by this because just a few years ago I was in the mother of all book slumps and wasn’t sure I would ever have fun reading again.

I’m REALLY happy that I’m keeping up with my ALA books. I always seem to fall into a huge reading slump after book conferences which sucks because you have all those new books. This time I let myself give into the slump this time and did everything but read for a few weeks and it worked! I’ve already read 6 ALA books as of this writing!

This is my August TBR pile and WHOA – I already read all but one of these!

A quick batch of minis:

A Study in Honor by Claire O’Dell: I’m enjoying this but I’m not quite in the mood for sci-fi/dystopian/mystery suspense atm so I’ve set it aside and hope to still finish by the end of the month.

It’s partially told (at least for now) in journal entries that read kind of dry.

Our Stories, Our Voices – essays by assorted authors: I reviewed this on the blog last week.

Finding Yvonne by Brandy Colbert: I loved this book and have a review coming up this week.

Save the Date by Morgan Matson: I thought I was going to love this one but it was too over-the-top silly and too long for me. I was #TeamMike – the brother who stayed away from this ridiculous family for 18 months had the right idea.

I do reccomend this for people who love family drama and rom coms though.

Love Songs & Other Lies by Jessica Pennington: Mostly cute second chance romance with a few problematic things:

~ like a teacher who's assignment is to keep a journal with notes and observations of people and encourages the male students to use this as a precursor to find out more about the girl you like  (“Gentleman, perhaps this is a good time to learn more about one of the young ladies you’re interested in.” – NOPE, not on board with that

~ a secret that loses steam by the time it’s revealed

~ and no female friendships and girls portrayed only as callus or groupies (not including the protag who is a very cool girl).

Because of all that, has a slightly dated feel of YA from a few years ago but I do like the authors style and the romance overall. If you can let some of that go – I recommend it. 

It does have the best quote ever though:

“I love my sleep like I love my food: in large quantities, whenever I can get it”

It’s only August 13th so I guess I will be ambitious and move on to pile #2!

Dating Disasters of Emma Nash by Chloe Seager: From Goodreads – “Don’t miss the laugh-out-loud novel of the year!

Online, you can choose who you want to be. If only real life were so easy…”

The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff: “Mackie Doyle is not one of us. Though he lives in the small town of Gentry, he comes from a world of tunnels and black murky water, a world of living dead girls ruled by a little tattooed princess. He is a Replacement, left in the crib of a human baby sixteen years ago.” 

I’ve had this book on my shelf for YEARS and I’m using Bark’s Book Nonsense Ladies of Horror Fiction challenge as an incentive to clear it out. Follow the # for their August Instagram Challenge – #LadiesOfHorrorFiction for prompts and great horror book rec’s!

Mary Shelley: The Strange True Tale of Frankenstein’s Creator by Catherine Reef: Even though this isn’t horror – I think this biography of Mary Shelley could count towards the above challenge as well. (publication date, September 18, 2018. Arc provided by the publisher/ALA)

Tyler Johnson Was Here by Jay Coles: “When Marvin Johnson's twin, Tyler, goes to a party, Marvin decides to tag along to keep an eye on his brother. But what starts as harmless fun turns into a shooting, followed by a police raid.” I picked up a finished copy of this at a signing at ALA. Beautiful cover and it sounds like a powerful story.

And the Ocean Was Our Sky by Patrick Ness: “With harpoons strapped to their backs, the proud whales of Bathsheba's pod live for the hunt, fighting in the ongoing war against the world of men. When they attack a ship bobbing on the surface of the Abyss, they expect to find easy prey. Instead, they find the trail of a myth, a monster, perhaps the devil himself...” Another ALA ARC. It sounds….strange. But it’s a super short read (160) pages and 'I’m curious. Goodreads is divided lol

What have you been reading this month? Any recommendations?

Movie review: Mission: impossible Fallout

I gotta be honest. I don’t like Mission Impossible or Tom Cruise. So why did I see it??

Because we have a new movie theater with these seats. And I live in Florida – and it’s summer. And did I mention THESE SEATS??

So yeah – I’ll even go see MI and Tom Cruise if I get to stay indoors in the a/c in these seats.


So back to the movie…

MI Fallout is action packed, and Ethan is starting to show the strain of choosing this life and it adds some emotional depth and vulnerability to his character. The opening scene is awesome: emotional and creepy.

The gang is back and have an easy rapport at this point while adding Angela Bassett as the CIA director and Henry Cavil, as a CIA assassin who don't think Ethan is up to task, to the mix to shake things up.

I mostly liked it and I KNOW you kind of need to let logic go for these kinds of movies but…but…but…

Ethan does something so unbelievably stupid and it’s kind of the core of the story and I was just…how are you still employed????

SPOILER: > Ethan, Luther and Benji have arranged an exchange for 3 plutonium cores that goes wrong. In a stand off with the bad guys Ethan shoots Luther (who he believes is wearing a bullet proof vest and is ok) but then LEAVES THE PLUTONIUM ON THE GROUND UNATTENDED to run and check on Luther. And of course it gets stolen and puts millions of lives at risk. Bassett’s character is of course pissed and sends Cavill in to oversee this shit show and do what it takes to get that plutonium back when the time comes.

I must be an asshole – because I can’t for the life of me figure out how this makes Ethan a good agent. A good friend?? Yes! Agent – no. Fire his ass! lol < END SPOILER

Then my other peeves.

Ethan’s ex’s – Julia and Ilsa -(played by Michelle Monaghan, Rebecca Ferguson) look almost exactly alike. I thought they were the same person for most of the movie. I’m sure if you’ve seen the whole series this wouldn’t be an issue but Ethan definitely has a type.

*I also call this phenomenon the GBHG - Generic brown haired girl. Most movies have them. They play the love interest to spur the hero on and add no real value to the movie,a re easily forgotten and completely interchangeable.

Not that both of these actresses didn't do a great job with what they were given but - yeah GBHG.

Okay…okay…I know it’s an action flick and just go with it but both Ethan and August (Cavill) should have been in full body casts.

Aaaaand I know this is wrong of me but I was more of a fan of Cavill than Cruise. I’m not a fan of beards either but…yeah, it was working for me lol

I don’t think it made me a MI convert but all in all – it was a little too long, a little too preposterous but a fun movie.

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: For those who don’t have the time to re-read series, which ones would you re-read if found the time?

EEEEEEP!

I haven’t re-read a book since I started blogging and it’s something I used to do ALLLL the time and wish desperately to do again.

I broke this down a little because I have a keeper shelf of all my favorites. I’m only counting my physical books for the sake of this post. If I added e-books well….I don’t have that long and my memory isn’t that great anyway.

My favorite book

Wicked Game by Jeri Smith-Ready

This is one of my favorite series – one of my first vampire/PNR books and one of the main reasons I started blogging.

I love it so much that I have it in English, French and German.



My PNR/UF phase favorites

I have no idea if I would still Cat & Bones, Eric & Sookie anymore but I used to re-read those books several times PER WEEK. I would love to re-read Carolyn Crane’s Mind Games series again. That was such twisty fun!

I’ve given up on the Ward’s BDB and I doubt I would re-read any of the others from the series but Z! And Stacia Kane seems to have abandoned her Downside Ghosts series but I miss Terrible!



Books I adored but would I still love them?

I’m not so sure so I’m kind of afraid to re-read this batch. They’re kind of perfection in my memories so maybe it’s best to keep it that way.



Favorite series

My Ghost and the Goth series by Stacey Kade is annotated (meaning the author wrote notes throughout) so it is something I like to browse though now and again for fun but haven't done a full re-read.

The Razorland Trilogy by Ann Aguirre is still one of my favorite dystopian series. I had beta read them as she was writing and haven't done a full reading of the finished versions so that would be fun!

I want It That Way also by Aguirre is one of my favorite NA series.

And The Hallowed Ones duology is underrated IMO. It’s EXCELLENT! Thought provoking and creepy AF!



And...

Tammara Webber is probably most popular for her NA novel Easy – but she was one of the first indie authors I ever worked with when I was newbie blogger and it’s her YA Between the Lines series that’s my favorite. I would love to binge read this again one day.

The Chocolate Kiss by Laura Florand made me swoon in delight but I haven’t had a chance to re-read it yet.

monday minis

Our Stories, Our Voices: 21 YA Authors Get Real About Injustice, Empowerment, and Growing Up Female in America by Amy Reed (editor)

From Amy Reed, Ellen Hopkins, Amber Smith, Sandhya Menon, and more of your favorite YA authors comes an anthology of essays that explore the diverse experiences of injustice, empowerment, and growing up female in America.

This collection of twenty-one essays from major YA authors—including award-winning and bestselling writers—touches on a powerful range of topics related to growing up female in today’s America, and the intersection with race, religion, and ethnicity. Sure to inspire hope and solidarity to anyone who reads it, Our Stories, Our Voices belongs on every young woman’s shelf.

This anthology features essays from Martha Brockenbrough, Jaye Robin Brown, Sona Charaipotra, Brandy Colbert, Somaiya Daud, Christine Day, Alexandra Duncan, Ilene Wong (I.W.) Gregorio, Maurene Goo. Ellen Hopkins, Stephanie Kuehnert, Nina LaCour, Anna-Marie LcLemore, Sandhya Menon, Hannah Moskowitz, Julie Murphy, Aisha Saeed, Jenny Torres Sanchez, Amber Smith, and Tracy Walker. ~ Goodreads

Fresh Ink: An Anthology: Careful--you are holding fresh ink. And not hot-off-the-press, still-drying-in-your-hands ink. Instead, you are holding twelve stories with endings that are still being written--whose next chapters are up to you. 

Because these stories are meant to be read. And shared.

Thirteen of the most accomplished YA authors deliver a label-defying anthology that includes ten short stories, a graphic novel, and a one-act play. This collection will inspire you to break conventions, bend the rules, and color outside the lines. All you need is fresh ink.
This anthology features stories by Lamar Giles (Editor), Nicola Yoon, Malinda Lo, Melissa de la Cruz, Sara Farizan, Eric Gansworth, Walter Dean Myers, Daniel José Older, Thien Pham, Jason Reynolds, Gene Luen Yang, Sharon G. Flake, Schuyler Bailar, Aminah Mae Safi ~ Goodreads

Source: Both arc’s provided by the publishers at ALA18 in exchange for an honest review

My thoughts: I’m in the middle of reading Our Stories, Our Voices, so this isn’t a final review but my impressions so far. 

This is a political book and it’s meant to be; the essays written by a diverse group of women concerning the topics of immigration, feminism, sexual abuse, LGBQ (sadly, there is no transgender rep in this collection), racism and more. The collection is at times heartbreaking and powerful with each author willing to share their own personal struggles and pain of what it’s like to be a female in America with the hope that maybe one child will see themselves in a story and not feel so alone. To know that you’ll make it and you are seen.

Some of the essays are more polished than others – technically speaking – but the raw honesty and emotion more than make up for it.

Fresh Ink - an anthology in partnership with We Need Diverse Books – features 13 Own Voice YA authors and 10 short stories, a graphic novel, and a one-act play.

The stories are beginnings more than complete stories (but still very satisfying) & cover topics like gentrification, immigration, racism, LGBQT, bullying and more with a range of emotions. Some stories are are poignant, others powerful and impactful and others just plain fun. 

A few of the stand outs for me were Super Human by Nicola Yoon (superheroes, racism), Catch, Pull, Drive by Schuyler Bailer (diving, transgender, bullying) & A Boy's Duty by Sharon G. Flake (astronomy, racism, homelessness, second chances) & Eraser Tattoo by Jason Reynolds (first love & goodbyes/gentrification)- but it's a solid collection overall.

Help!

*I'm looking for diverse bloggers to possibly partner with to share ARC's

I've been getting a variety of diverse YA books for review. I would like to pass the books on when I'm done with them to own voice reviewers and may not have access to publishers or arc's.

I know there's the #bookwish thing going on right now on Twitter but I'm hoping to find a few blogs/bloggers to work with on a regular basis to get the books more exposure and own voice reviews.

I can't promise specific books or time frames because I intend to read and review the books myself first - but I'm thinking of possibly sending a list at the end of every month to choose from?? I guess I need to see how much interest there is first. I haven't had much luck with this in the past but I'm giving it another shot.

Details: I'm really sorry about this but it has to be US shipping only. All of my giveaways are international because of TBD but I personally can't afford to regularly ship boxes outside the US.

You can be a small blog (actually preferred!) as long as you post honest reviews on a fairly regular basis. I prefer a blogger but get in touch if you post elsewhere (like Goodreads/Instagram etc) but have a decent following or engagement with fellow readers.

Another option - let me know if there are any schools, youth groups, LGBQT centers or anything like that who need books. They are always in good condition but FYI - most are arc's and only occasionally are there finished copies.

Just a glimpse at some of the books I do have:

You can contact me at fwiw.kea@gmail.com

& share with anyone who you think might be able to help! 

review: free fall (fly me to the moon #5) by emma barry, Genevieve turner

Free Fall (Fly Me to the Moon #5)
by Emma Barry, Genevieve Turner

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

Houston, Texas, 1965

When an accident rocks the American Space Department, threatening the race to the moon, the agency is determined to eliminate distractions, including those in the bedroom.

Astronaut Dean Garland, on track to become the first man to walk in space, is fine with putting a temporary hold on his love life. Except the directive comes too late to prevent the biggest distraction of all: Vivian Muller… Garland. But now that he’s married, Dean is determined to follow the rules until he makes history with his spacewalk.

Vivy never expected to find herself pregnant or in a shotgun marriage, much less a sexless one. While her new husband might pretend to be perfectly happy sleeping alone, Vivy’s never believed in pretending or holding back. She’s determined to make her husband fall for her, even if it means bending—or breaking—the rules.

Dean’s resolve to keep marriage and work separate hits another serious snag: the suit he’s supposed to wear in the killer vacuum of space isn’t reliable, and his new father-in-law manufactured it. As Dean unravels the technical problem and Vivy tries to win her husband’s love, their hearts and his life hang in the balance. ~ Goodreads

My thoughts: I love this series. It has a vibe. When you finish reading you just want to start mixing retro drinks and make jello molds and tuna casserole. I was born in 1965 (when this race to space romance series takes place) and it brings back such fond memories of my mom and childhood. It’s like the series Mad Men but without the assholes. Well, there are assholes but our intrepid protagonists always win. 😜

In Free Fall, 19 year old socialite Vivian Muller, and Dean Garland, a 29 year old astronaut, make an instant connection at a party and hook up for one night. Vivy gets pregnant and her parents arrange for them to get married.

While Vivy has always had a bit of a thing for Dean, she has no idea how to be an astronauts wife and is pregnant by a man she barely knows. Add to that - her father owns the company that is making the space suit Dean needs to wear for his walk on the moon. It isn’t working properly, putting the astronauts in danger and forcing Vivy learn some hard truths about her “daddy” and choose between the men in her life.

Don’t get me wrong – I enjoyed Free Fall but there’s a lot going on. Vivy and Dean’s polar opposite personalities, the unplanned pregnancy and sudden wedding, the fact that Vivy has to start questioning her father’s integrity – all enough to add plenty of tension to a new marriage. Instead – the authors added tension in another way.

Dean and the other astronauts aren’t allowed to have sex until his moon landing is completed so they don’t get distracted. So for most of the book Dean avoids Vivy so that he won't give in to his desires. I don't care whether they have sex or not - but the avoidance made it difficult to build any connection between the two and then when they did connect it felt more lust driven than like a blossoming love. It felt like an artificial obstacle that wasn't necessary and kept me from seeing their relationship grow.

Not my favorite of the series but as always the space stuff is fascinating and Vivy is AWESOME. It was also great to catch glimpses of the former couples.

The first book, Star Dust, is currently free on Amazon (affiliate link) and the boxed set of the first 3 books is available for .99 until August 15th.

I highly recommend this smart, quirky series!

my blog’s name in books tag

I first saw this tag over at Book-and-Dachshunds and decided to join in.

*btw – I’m loving tags this summer! It’s a fun way to still talk about things while my reading has tapered down due to the heat. Feel free to tag yourself or recommend any other tags you know about.

Here's a fun one!
* Greg from Book Haven has a Nancy Drew/Hardy Boys Tag

So back to the Blog Book Name Tag!

Rules:
• Spell out your blog’s name.
• Find a book from your TBR that begins with each letter.

NOTE: You cannot ADD to your TBR to complete this challenge – the books must already be on your Goodreads TBR. Don’t cheat my friends!!!!!

I’ve only used books that are on my physical book shelf! I thought it would be super easy since my blog name has generic letters but it was hard! I actually have more U & W books than O’s lol And sooooo many L’s which were useless for this tag. And... If I ever pick a new blog name, it's going to be a lot shorter!! 🤣

I tried to pick a mix of old, new & upcoming books.

*Clicking on the cover will take you to the Goodreads page

FOR

Fuzzy Nation by John Scalzi

And The Ocean Was Our Sky by Patrick Ness (ok, I cheated a little there but desperate times and all that)

Rabbit & Robot by Andrew Smith

WHAT

What If It’s Us by Becky Albertalli & Adam Silvera

Hot Winter Nights by Jill Shalvis

Anger is a Gift by Mark Oshiro

Tyler Johnson Was her by Jay Coles

IT’S

I Am Still Alive by Kate Marshall

Tell Me Something Real by Calla Devlin

Some Girls Are by Courtney Summers

WORTH

Wilder by Andrew Simonet

Our Stories, Our Voices by Amy Reed, Ellen Hopkins, Amber Smith, Sandhya Menon & more… 

The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff

Things I’m Seeing Without You by Peter Bognanni

Hold Me Closer, Necromancer by Lish McBride