Book Chat: The Midnight Library

From Amazon:

“Between life and death there is a library, and within that library, the shelves go on forever. Every book provides a chance to try another life you could have lived. To see how things would be if you had made other choices . . . Would you have done anything different, if you had the chance to undo your regrets?” 

A dazzling novel about all the choices that go into a life well lived, from the internationally bestselling author of Reasons to Stay Alive and How To Stop Time.

Somewhere out beyond the edge of the universe there is a library that contains an infinite number of books, each one the story of another reality. One tells the story of your life as it is, along with another book for the other life you could have lived if you had made a different choice at any point in your life. While we all wonder how our lives might have been, what if you had the chance to go to the library and see for yourself? Would any of these other lives truly be better?

In The Midnight Library, Matt Haig’s enchanting new novel, Nora Seed finds herself faced with this decision. Faced with the possibility of changing her life for a new one, following a different career, undoing old breakups, realizing her dreams of becoming a glaciologist; she must search within herself as she travels through the Midnight Library to decide what is truly fulfilling in life, and what makes it worth living in the first place.

My Take:

This book was amazing. Hands down. I’m not a big fantasy person so when I saw the “fantasy” prompt on my reading challenge, my first inclination was to admit defeat early and move on. However, I did some digging to see if anything fit the genre that wouldn’t be absolutely insufferable to this crime/thriller/suspense junkie and what do you know?! I suppose this is the beauty of reading challenges isn’t it? Get outside your comfort zone and find a book that really speaks to you that you would ordinarily have walked right past.

I think most people have a handful of regrets, some little, some big. I’m not even sure you’d be human if you didn’t deal with that emotion, but this book tackled regrets in a way that made me think about my own and had me feeling happier for having read it. If that isn’t reason enough to buy it, not sure what else I can say!

Book Chat: Lie, Lie Again

 

Lie, lie again

From Amazon:

For three women with so much to hide, there’s no such thing as a little white lie…

All three women who live at 1054 Mockingbird Lane have secrets…and with a body at the bottom of their apartment building’s staircase, those secrets need to stay buried.

Sylvia Webb has a plan. And a potential Mr. Right. He’s sweet, simple, and dependably clueless about what she’s up to. The only thing unpredictable about him is his needy ex-girlfriend, who is this close to shattering Sylvia’s dreams. But Sylvia’s not going to let that happen.

Riki McFarlan has a good career and an amazing boyfriend who wants to settle down. If only she didn’t have feelings for her neighbor—who happens to be her close friend’s husband. With everything going so right, why is Riki flirting with something so wrong, so…dangerous?

Embry Taylor is as devoted to her children as she is to her husband, who’s a bartender by night, an aspiring actor by day. She is his biggest fan. But with his career not taking off and tensions high, even sweet Embry has something she’s desperate to keep hidden.

Lies, secrets, and revenge. For three neighbors with stakes so high, someone is headed for a downfall.

My Take:

First, let me say that though this book was marketed as a thriller, it wasn’t. There was nothing about this book that said thriller. It was full of unlikeable, hokey characters and honestly,  I couldn’t wait for the book to be over. The only semi-normal woman was Embry but even that got tired, like why don’t you just tell your freaking husband you’re pregnant already?!  Sylvia was annoying and Riki was downright childish, making starry eyes at every guy that was nice to her and pining away for her friend’s husband. Each of them lamenting over men, focusing all their energies on the men in their lives whether they be good or bad guys and it definitely got a bit tiresome as there didn’t seem to be anything else of substance in the book. It was kind of reminiscent of Melrose Place but much, much worse with less appealing characters.

signature-medium

Book Chat: They Did Bad Things

Ok, I admit, it’s been awhile. I kind of forget I have this blog and definitely forget to post! But I’m reading more as of late due to this whole coronavirus thing so I might as well share.

51CwBuuZJAL._SY346_

From Amazon:

And Then There Were None meets The Last Time I Lied in this dark and twisty psychological thriller.

In 1995, six university students moved into the house at 215 Caldwell Street. Months later, one of them was found dead on the sofa the morning after their end-of-year party. His death was ruled an accident by the police. The remaining five all knew it wasn’t, and though they went on with their lives, the truth of what happened to their sixth housemate couldn’t stay buried forever.

Twenty years later, all five of them arrive—lured separately under various pretenses—at Wolfheather House, a crumbling, secluded mansion on the Scottish isle of Doon. Trapped inside with no way out and no signal to the outside world, the now forty-somethings fight each other—and the unknown mastermind behind their gathering—as they confront the role they played in their housemate’s death. They are given one choice: confess to their crimes or die.

They Did Bad Things is a deviously clever psychological thriller about the banality of evil and the human capacity for committing horror.

My Take:

I’ll start by saying the premise is good, it’s been done before but that’s ok because the author put their own spin on it.  I thought the writing and character development was also good because I hated every freaking one of them, which I assume is what the author was going for.  I did find them a little hard to believe, I mean, who acts like that?! At times their characterizations were so OTT that I rolled my eyes in disgust but overall, I was enthralled and couldn’t wait to find out whodunit so when talking about a mystery, I’d say that’s a home run!

** Full disclosure: I received this book in exchange for an honest review.

signature-medium

I’m in a Bag Mood

I’ve recently put myself on a shopping ban to a) save money and b) declutter my house or at the very least not bring more stuff in. It’s not stopped me from window shopping online however, so I’m going to share a couple of my favorites from Anthropologie.

The first one I’m digging on is called Linnly and it’s a super cute crossbody bag:49099674_020_b

I’m literally only going on looks because I have not gone into Anthro to take a look at the quality etc., but tell me, how cute is this!? It seems like a great fall bag to pair with jeans and a sweater, preferably a nice hunter green number. ($138)

Another one I’m fancying is this bright baby here called Adilah Embroidered tote:

red bag

This looks fab for carting around your workout gear or your notebooks to and from class. I love the vibrant colors and it seems like it’d be a great way to brighten up your blah winter duds. ($98)

The price points are right and if you’re in the market, I’d check them out in person if you can. Anthro doesn’t always translate from online to in my hands, quality-wise so I always prefer to go in and check out stuff before making a decision.

signature-medium

 

Whaaaaaat?!

 

 

Bina_Effect_Letters_alphabet_red_62

Has it really been nearly a year since I posted? I think I need to wear a scarlet ‘S’ for slacker! It’s not like I haven’t been reading and ogling shiny things because I have, believe me. So let’s see, some of the books I’ve read since we spoke last were:

Amongst others but these are the freshest in my mind.  Looking at the list, there is a clear genre I opt for most of the time but to be quite frank, my favorite book of the lot is Educated. This book was phenomenal with it’s familial craziness paired with a hefty dose of religious beliefs and the amazing ambition & desire for learning from the author.

I am fascinated by all things religion but Mormonism is particularly interesting to me. I’m not sure why I find myself intrigued by that magic underwear wearing and caffeine avoiding bunch but I do, so any book that involves their belief system is a bonus.  Overall, everything about this book is good so if you’re looking for something to read, I highly recommend grabbing a copy!

 

signature-medium

Book Chat: Never Look Down

Unknown

Sorry I’ve been M.I.A, we were on holiday in Italy and it was aaahhhhhmmaaaaazing!! Two weeks, four cities, and more pizza, pasta, and gelato than you can shake a stick at! The only reason I didn’t come back big as a house was because we walked and walked, and walked some more, every day.  Tours, sometimes two a day, would make us walk even when our legs were screaming in agony.  Our first stop was Torino, which upon first glance, I wasn’t a fan of but after getting out and checking out the city, I fell in love. Such an amazing place filled with kind people, dogs running around without leashes, and squirrels you could feed by hand. While there we checked out the Egyptian Museum which was crazy good, I think probably one of the best in the world.

Next was Rome, where we did the Roman ruins, Colosseum, and Vatican tours. I’m not even remotely religious but I can’t even get over the Vatican and St. Peter’s Basilica. It’s huge and beautiful and over the top. We only had 2 days in Rome but we made the most of it, that’s for sure!

Then it was a train to Florence, where we stayed right on the Ponte de Vecchio, a view that is a requirement to see. The duomo was also glorious, but by this point the kids were churched out. They had more interest in staying in the hotel room, but I couldn’t blame them, it was the best we’d had thus far on the journey. Ferragamo doesn’t do anything bad, does he?!

Finally we set off for Venice. It was as cool as I imagined it to be, nearly as smelly but hey, it wasn’t summer yet so the worst smells were yet to come. We had a blast being typical tourists, taking gondola rides, feeding the pigeons in the piazza, and wandering the streets getting lost. None of us wanted our Italian journey to end but eventually, it’s back to the grind.

Back to the task at hand. So this review  is actually a bit old, I had forgotten to post it way back in February so here it is!

neverlookdown

From Amazon:

In his first case in private practice, Oregon lawyer Cal Claxton came to the aid of a tagger calling himself Picasso, a Banksy-like figure in Portland. Dividing his time between a wine-country town and the city, the ex-L.A. prosecutor now encounters another urban teen at risk, Kelly Spence, also a tagger. Using climbing skills learned from her much-loved deceased father, a mountaineer, Kelly places angry tags in visible, hard- to-reach places. A runaway from an abusive foster home and alternative high school student, she lives with her father’s former girl friend. Kelly is four stories up at 3:00 one morning when she looks down and witnesses the brutal murder of a woman in the parking lot below. Unluckily the killer spies her but Kelly escapes. The police soon seek her as a witness. Desperate to stay anonymous, she seeks help from someone on the street she trusts. Too soon she finds his mutilated body and becomes even more afraid. Cal is drawn into the case by his volatile Cuban friend and landlord who is devastated by the murder: the dead woman had just become his fiancée. Her ex is the obvious suspect, but Cal’s instincts lead him in a different direction where he will run into Kelly. Can he get her to talk, or will the killer find her first?

My Take:

I really enjoyed this book. I thought the characters were rich and well-developed. I loved the Cal Claxton character most, as I assume I’m supposed to being that he’s the protagonist. As for the story line, I thought it was good but a little unbelievable. I mean, he made Kelly sound like Spiderman, climbing buildings like it was no big deal. I had a hard time buying it but beyond that, it was a totally fun read, great for a ski weekend trip cozied up by the fire (can you guess where I read this, lol?!)

Overall, I’d definitely recommend and will be seeking out other Warren Easley books!

PS. Try not to judge the uber cheesy cover, I think they could have down waaaaaay better than that!

**Full disclosure: I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review

Stuff: My Itty-Bitty Interview Over At Whatmatterstomommy.com

Not gonna lie, I’m kind of loving Michelle’s blog, What Matters To Mommy. She’s full of great advice on making money, saving money, and all things blogging. It’s basically a mom’s place to hangout and learn how to be more than just “mom”.  I think a lot of mother’s tend to lose their identity after their kids are born, and I know for me it has definitely happened. But I do still yearn for something to call my own. Cue my starting up this blog.

Having not worked in so many years, I have kind of forgotten how to deal with things besides making lunches and being a mom taxi. (You’d think scheduling would be easy peasy for me but I literally just came home defeated because I missed lunch duty at my youngest daughter’s school.) With that said, blogging is a good reintroduction to finding yourself again while *possibly* making a little moola on the side. Clearly, I’m not there yet but am hopeful that once I really figure this stuff out, I’ll actually get some readers!

Anyway, Michelle asked me to do a little interview for her blog about introverted bloggers and I certainly fit that description. I’m feeling a bit badly as my answers are so minimal but that’s who I am, a woman of few words (not in this particular post I suppose) so I kept true to myself…hopefully not to the detriment of what she was trying to accomplish.

Michelle has started a Facebook group called Introverted Bloggers Unite so if you feel you fit in with that, go check it out, the more we can do to help each other, the better!

Thanks Michelle!!

signature-medium

Stuff: What I do besides ogle stationery and shiny things!

young-living-eos

 

I haven’t been terribly with it in relation to the blog and it’s for a multitude of reasons but one of the main things I do is study Aromatherapy.  I initially started out getting a starter kit from Young Living from a friend of mine and jumped in whole hog. I have always been a crunchy, granola type (if anyone takes offense to those terms I’m sorry because I find them fantastically complimentary!) of gal but didn’t really know the proper outlet until I stumbled upon essential oils and herbalism.

I was hesitant at first because I didn’t really know the proper way to use oils and was honestly almost afraid of them but I’ve been learning slowly. While I enjoy learning from my Facebook groups, I did take it upon myself to do my own research and started with a FREE introductory course from Aromahead. I enjoyed that so much I decided to go ahead and do the full-0n certification course and I couldn’t be happier.

As a mom, it’s important to me that I do things that will benefit my kids and some of the information I found online was misleading to say the least. I prefer to err on the side of caution and believe that less is more in just about every capacity (except maybe chocolate). What I was seeing on sites like Pinterest and the like were EO recipes that were far too strong or just not consistent with findings from leading people in the aromatherapy industry like Robert Tisserand.

So yes, I still use my Young Living oils, love them in fact, but I use them in ways that make me feel confident and comfortable. If you’ve ever wanted to experiment with oils, let me know, I’d be happy to chat with you, no pressure, I promise. I’m not in this to make money, I truly love, love, love all things oils! One of the best smells in the world is diffused Frankincense and Bergamot, especially when I’m doing yoga or meditating, but even if I’m not, it is a welcome scent any old time.

Other things I use my oils for are: diffusing Tea Tree in my bedrooms to help with mold spores as we live in a super humid climate where mold loves to grow; using Pine, Lavender, and Mandarin in a baking soda, Castile soap base to make a “soft scrub” for sinks and tubs. The list is endless and they truly are an amazing, non-toxic option for today’s overly chemical world.

Stuff: UO Ruthie Velvet Floor Pillow

40130924_054_g

 

Random? Perhaps. But if you like to be comfy then I can’t see it being a bad thing. I bought two of these pillows for my daughter’s playroom with the thought that I’d buy more if I liked them when I saw them in person. Needless to say, I loved them and promptly went onto Urban Outfitters to buy 3 more but to my dismay they were sold out. So I’ve been obsessively checking in to see if they’ve put them back up and lo and behold, to my delight, there they were the other day, in all their muted pink, crushed velvet glory!! I quickly scooped up three more, not caring that they are backordered until February. My derriere can wait…

Paper: This Is Ground ‘Mod Tablet 3’

mod3_toffee_06

 

 

Keeping in the vein of organisation, The Mod Tablet 3 by This is Ground is the older, more sophisticated version of my last post, when it comes to a place to keep your goodies. I bought one of these bad boys a couple of years ago and it’s gorgeous. The leather is beautifully worn and flexible and just looks rich. I have it in this particular colour, which is called “Toffee” and it’s been fabulous for traveling and keeping all my important documents together as well as all essentials like my headphones, iPhone and most importantly, the pen & paper to fill out those customs forms!

signature-medium