Tag: book

Five on Friday #10

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TGIF! It’s been a longggg week and now I’m going to have a busy weekend. Here’s to hoping I’m able to sleep in past 7:30 Saturday morning!

  1. The first airshow of my season (Brett’s already been to a couple) is this weekend. I don’t enjoy airshows that much but Brett loves them and it gives me a chance to do a ton of reading!
  2. Brett and I got a couples massage on Tuesday after work and it was really nice! He got me a gift certificate for Valentine’s Day and we finally found time to use it. The massage was at a castle that is right outside of our downtown area. We’ve had dinner their a couple of times and I went to a bridal show that they hosted but the massage was a new experience. It was really nice!
  3. It’s been a dream of mine since I was really young to write a book. I’ve been bouncing around this idea in my head for the last couple of years and I’m finally getting to work. I don’t think anything will come from it but it’s still fun to brainstorm.
  4. Every summer my city has an art fair downtown in the park across the street from where I work. The art fair starts today and I can’t wait to explore during lunch with my co-workers. My mom is meeting me downtown after work to walk around too. It’s great to be able to support local artists and businesses!
  5. June is National Migraine and Headache Awareness Month (MHAM). This month is special to me because I often feel isolated because of my migraines. During the month of June thousands of migraine patients come together to spread awareness for their disabling conditions. I’m planning to do a post about it soon because I’m passionate about advocating for my self and for others who also suffer.

Do you have any plans this weekend?

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Photo by Ben White on Unsplash

 

 

A Study in Charlotte by Brittany Cavallaro

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A Study in Charlotte by Brittany Cavallaro book review

One of my favorite Youtubers, Abigail’s Cup of Tea, recommended the Charlotte Holmes series awhile back and I added it to by TBR list. Abigail is a huge Harry Potter fan and an avid book lover and we usually have the same taste in books. A Study In Charlotte is currently free on Kindle so I downloaded it and got to reading!

Summary:

Jamie Watson has always been intrigued by Charlotte Holmes; after all, their great-great-great-grandfathers are one of the most infamous pairs in history. But the Holmes family has always been odd, and Charlotte is no exception. She’s inherited Sherlock’s volatility and some of his vices—and when Jamie and Charlotte end up at the same Connecticut boarding school, Charlotte makes it clear she’s not looking for friends.

But when a student they both have a history with dies under suspicious circumstances, ripped straight from the most terrifying of the Sherlock Holmes stories, Jamie can no longer afford to keep his distance. Danger is mounting and nowhere is safe—and the only people they can trust are each other.

Review:

I lived off of Baker Street when I studied abroad in London so the Sherlock Holmes series is associated with a really happy time in my life. As soon as I heard about this book I knew that I had to read it not only for the Baker Street reference but also because it sounded like a really unique twist on the original idea of Holmes and Watson.

First of all, I loved the gender swap with Charlotte Holmes playing the strong, unemotional, and intelligent female lead. Jamie Watson was just as devoted to Charlotte as the original Watson was to the original Holmes. I also liked that they moved the characters from England to America. You still get all of the British lingo and culture with the American culture thrown in as well.

When a fellow student ends up being murdered this duo has to pair together to solve the mystery. Details from the Sherlock Holmes books are brought in to try and frame Charlotte and Jamie for the murders. It’s suspenseful and entertaining.

Favorite Quotes:

“Four girls went by here last night in a group, She said finally getting to her feet. You can tell by the stampede of ugg boots.”

“You think you’re defending my ‘honor,’ but you’re just as bad as he is.”

“The two of us, we’re the best kind of disaster. Apples and oranges. Well, more like apples and machetes.”

“I began wondering if there was some kind of Watsonian guide for the care and keeping of Holmeses.”

“I don’t need someone to fight for me. I can fight for myself.”

“I have a rainy-day fund, you know,” she said, not quite looking at me. “Until recently, it was raining…rather a lot. But I…I’ve been trying to use an umbrella.”

“I’m sorry I didn’t trust you,” I said to my Holmes, in a low voice . . . “I meant to say that I won’t doubt you again.”
“You won’t,” she said with flat surprise. “You really won’t, will you?”

Rating: 3.5/5 Stars

I really did enjoy A Study in Charlotte but I’m only giving in 3.5 stars because I ordered the next book in the series, The Last of August, right after finishing this book and still haven’t brought myself to read it. Usually if I love a book I read the next book in the series ASAP. In this case, something has been holding me back.

If you like a good mystery but nothing too dramatic then this is the book for you. Can we also take a moment to appreciate the beauty of this book cover? I’m a sucker for a good cover design!

Do you like Sherlock Holmes? Have you read any good books lately?

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Top Ten by Katie Cotugno

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Top Ten by Katie Cotugno - YA Book Recommendation

Last summer I reviewed 99 Days by Katie Cotugno and I really enjoyed it! If I like a book by an author I always make sure to check out other books that they have written. Top Ten has been on my Amazon wishlist for months and I finally purchased it when I was looking for a quick and fun read.

Summary:

Ryan McCullough and Gabby Hart are the unlikeliest of best friends. Prickly, anxious Gabby would rather do literally anything than go to a party. Ultra-popular Ryan is a hockey star who can get any girl he wants—and frequently does.

But somehow their relationship just works; from dorky Monopoly nights to rowdy house parties to the top ten lists they make about everything under the sun.

Now, on the night of high school graduation, everything is suddenly changing—in their lives, and in their relationship. As they try to figure out what they mean to each other and where to go from here, they make a final top ten list: this time, counting down the top ten moments of their friendship.

Review:

If you want a book that will take you back to high school, this is it. I hated 98% of my high school experience but I do really enjoy YA books. This book was so relatable because it explored friendship, first loves, breakups, tense family dynamics, and mental and physical health.

I really enjoyed the perspective from both Ryan and Gabby. Their characters were developed really well throughout the book. The timeline was a bit hard to follow because it kept jumping back and forth from the past and present. But overall it was cool to read about how their friendship developed and changed over the years and it made me miss my high school friends.

What I loved most about this book though was Gabby. I loved her introvertedness and how awkward she always felt. I loved when she explains her anxiety and her fears. I loved her sisters and her family. And I really loved reading about how she finally overcame her fears.

I did not enjoy the ending of the book. It feels unfinished and I still have so many questions. I enjoy having everything tied up in a neat little bow and that didn’t happen this time. I was also left thinking about my own high school experience which is never the most fun thing to think about.

Rating: 3/5 Stars

I’m a quick reader so if I like a book I can fly through it in one sitting. This book took me a couple of weeks to finish. I’d read a couple chapters each night before bed but honestly I wasn’t super invested in the book itself. I still give it 3 stars because the characters were so well developed and I did enjoy the plot. I think Katie wrote about some tough topics that are important to read about and understand.

There’s just something about high school that makes everyone a little mushy on the inside. Whether you enjoyed it or hated it, there are still so many memories associated with that time period of your life. For me, I had a best friend turned boyfriend who I dated for the first two years of high school. We had been friends for years before that so he just felt like such an important piece of my life at the time. He was nothing like Ryan from this book though and it was a blessing in disguise when he broke up with me. But still, the memory of my ex-friend/boyfriend is one of the main things that ruins my high school memories.

I’m already finished with my next book so hopefully I’ll have another book review up soon! Have you read any good books lately?

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Five on Friday #5

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Five on Friday

It’s been a hot second since my last Five on Friday post! Today I am finally back with another five things that I am looking forward to or thinking about on this dreary Friday morning.

  1. We leave for Arizona tomorrow morning to visit my grandparents! My mom, sister, Brett, and I are going down for a few days of relaxation and family time before my sister moves to Hawaii next month. I can’t wait to be back with the fam and have a few days off of work!
  2. I have five books packed in my suitcase ready to go for some serious pool time reading. I’m flying through books again so please send me your recommendations! I’m trying to read a variety of different genres this year.
  3. I’m in the process of redecorating my house for spring and it’s making all of this snow and ice much more bearable. Michigan went from -37 degrees Fahrenheit to 40 degrees Fahrenheit in the matter of a week. My body is confused about what season we are in.
  4. I’m working on changing my mindset towards weight loss. I’ve been really struggling since early 2018 with my weight after taking a medication that made me blow up like a balloon. I’ve had issues with food in the past so I know that I need to be careful with myself and try to keep this experience as positive as possible.
  5. Brett and I are trying to plan out our summer! Summertime in Michigan is my absolute favorite but I always feel so stressed to squeeze everything in my the time it rolls around because I didn’t plan ahead. This year I just want to spend as much time at my grandparent’s house on the lake as possible.

What are your plans for this weekend?

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The Way I Used To Be by Amber Smith

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Book Review - The Way I Used To Be by Amber Smith

Hi friends!

A couple of weeks ago I read The Way I Used To Be by Amber Smith. I had read the first two chapters online and really wanted to know what ended up happening to Eden. I knew this would be different than the other books I have been reading recently.

I will start off my saying that I didn’t completely love this book. It was tough to read at times but the message is so important. After reading this I feel compelled to have others read it too. It may not end up being your favorite book but it might give you perspective and understanding of what other’s are feeling.

Here’s the description:

Eden was always good at being good. Starting high school didn’t change who she was. But the night her brother’s best friend rapes her, Eden’s world capsizes.

What was once simple, is now complex. What Eden once loved—who she once loved—she now hates. What she thought she knew to be true, is now lies. Nothing makes sense anymore, and she knows she’s supposed to tell someone what happened but she can’t. So she buries it instead. And she buries the way she used to be.

Told in four parts—freshman, sophomore, junior, and senior year—this provocative debut reveals the deep cuts of trauma. But it also demonstrates one young woman’s strength as she navigates the disappointment and unbearable pains of adolescence, of first love and first heartbreak, of friendships broken and rebuilt, all while learning to embrace the power of survival she never knew she had hidden within her heart.

If you have been through high school you can probably relate to Eden in some ways. High school is about finding yourself and Eden lost her way for a reason that was completely out of her control.

The book follows Eden through her high school career and gets darker as time goes on. I was mad at her for not telling her mom right after it happened and it hurt watching their mother-daughter relationship falter as the years went on. I wanted her family to understand how she was feeling so badly but completely understand why she felt that she couldn’t say anything.

The Way I Used To Be was a powerful book with a strong female lead. I actually hurt for Eden and it opened up my eyes to how people feel in her situation. It may not be based on a true story but it shows the victim’s perspective after being raped.

Have you read any insightful books that changed your way of thinking?

Thanks for reading!

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Summer 2018 – What I Read

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summer 2018 reading list

Hellloooo!

I keep talking about books and reading on the blog. I have always loved reading but just didn’t have the time in college to read for fun. After graduating I really wanted to get back into reading and this summer I was able to fall back in love with books. I’ve been sharing a few book reviews but I wanted to share the whole list of books that I read this summer.

Just a side note, please let me know if you’d like full reviews on any of these books. I did review To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before and 99 Days if you want more information on those. I have a hard time finishing books that I don’t like so I can honestly say that I would recommend every one of these.

  1. Empty Mansions – Bill Dedman and Paul Clark Newell Jr.
  2. Love & Gelato – Jenna Evans Welch
  3. 99 Days – Katie Cotugno
  4. 9 Days and 9 Nights – Katie Cotugno
  5. To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before – Jenny Han
  6. P.S. I Still Love You – Jenny Han
  7. Always and Forever, Lara Jean – Jenny Han
  8. I See London, I See France – Sarah Mlynowski
  9. Tell Me Three Things – Julie Buxbaum
  10. Wanderlost – Jen Malone
  11. My Life Next Door – Huntley Fitzpatrick
  12. The Boy Most Likely To – Huntley Fitzpatrick

I think this is pretty good considering my goal was to read 1 book per month! I started a few other books but didn’t like them so I didn’t finish reading them.

What were your favorite books that you read this summer?

Thanks for reading!

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To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han

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Helllloooooooooo!

I finally took it upon myself to order the To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before series by Jenny Han on Amazon before our trip to New York. I’ve been hearing rave reviews for the past couple of years from other bloggers but I had never taken the time to order the books. I’ve been really into reading lately, especially books that I can read in a single day.

With the Netflix movie coming out on Friday so I knew that I needed to read the books before I watched the movie. I don’t even watch TV that much so I’m not sure why I was so worried. I just like to be prepared I guess. Anyway, I took a chance and ordered all three books at once. I figured that if I didn’t like the first one I could return the rest. I usually never order a whole series before reading the first book to see if I like it.

The books arrived just in time for our trip to NY to visit my sister. I read the first book on the two airplane journeys. I couldn’t put it down! Jenny’s writing is amazing and Lara Jean ended up feeling like a friend in the end! Plus, I could not get enough of Peter 😉

Here’s what the back of the book says:

What if all the crushes you ever had found out how you felt about them…all at once?

Sixteen-year-old Lara Jean Song keeps her love letters in a hatbox her mother gave her. They aren’t love letters that anyone else wrote for her; these are ones she’s written. One for every boy she’s ever loved—five in all. When she writes, she pours out her heart and soul and says all the things she would never say in real life, because her letters are for her eyes only. Until the day her secret letters are mailed, and suddenly, Lara Jean’s love life goes from imaginary to out of control.

The description sounds like your typical YA novel. However, I am here to tell you that this isn’t just a normal book. Jenny Han is SO detailed with her writing and really captures the struggles of a high school girl trying to fit in and make something out of herself. My high school experience wasn’t quite so dramatic but I can relate to how Lara Jean is feeling for much of the book. Confusion, heartbreak, loneliness, and the surprise of falling in love.

Lara Jean is so lovingly quirky and I honestly love her character! She’s sassy while introverted and so very funny. Her mom died when she was young leaving her sisters, Margot and Kitty, and her dad behind. Margot took on most of the responsibilities but when she goes off to Scotland in the beginning of the book Lara Jean is left to take care of the rest of her family. Family is very important to Lara Jean and she makes that known very early on.

Can we also talk about how mortifying it would be to have all of your crushes find out that you liked them at once? I can’t even imagine how Lara Jean was feeling when Peter confronted her about the first letter. Everything happens for a reason though… the letters pushed Lara Jean and Peter back together in the most awkward way. It’s sweet, cringe worthy, and hilarious all at the same time.

So here’s my advice to you, dear reader. Go grab yourself a copy of To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before and read it. You will thanks me later 🙂

Seriously though, I loved this book and the two sequels, P.S. I Still Love You and Always and Forever, Lara Jean. I read all three books in a single weekend! They were just that good!

I can’t wait until the Netflix movie comes out on Friday! If I had a group of girl friends I would totally have a viewing party complete with Pocky Sticks and homemade chocolate chip cookies. I will still be watching on Friday, viewing party or not!

Let me know what your favorite summer reads have been! I’ve been averaging about 8 books a month so I need some suggestions!

Thanks so much for reading!

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Book Review – I Will Always Write Back: How One Letter Changed Two Lives

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I Will Always Write Back Book Review by Caitlin Alfirenka & Martin Ganda

 

Hey friends,

I am back with my first book review of 2018! One of my New Years resolutions is to read more so I figured I’d start out the year with a review of my favorite book of 2017, I will Always Write Back: How One Letter Changed Two Lives. I can honestly say that this book changed my way of thinking and made me reflect on the changes that I can make in order to give back to my community and make an impact.

This book was a recommendation on one of Jansen’s (Everyday Reading) blog posts. I was initially drawn to the book because one of my co-workers is from Zimbabwe and I have always enjoyed hearing his stories about growing up. He talked about the reason he went into Finance was because of the Financial crisis that occurred while he was growing up in Zimbabwe. He came to America to learn all he could with the goal of going home one day and using his experiences in finance to make a positive impact. This book goes into detail about the same Financial crisis that my co-worker experienced.

 

I will Always Write Back by Caitlin Alfirenka & Martin Ganda

 

I Will Always Write Back: How One Letter Changed Two Lives by Martin Ganda and Caitlin Alifirenka with Liz Welch

 

The New York Times bestselling true story of an all-American girl and a boy from Zimbabwe and the letter that changed both of their lives forever.

It started as an assignment. Everyone in Caitlin’s class wrote to an unknown student somewhere in a distant place.

Martin was lucky to even receive a pen-pal letter. There were only ten letters, and fifty kids in his class. But he was the top student, so he got the first one.

That letter was the beginning of a correspondence that spanned six years and changed two lives.

In this compelling dual memoir, Caitlin and Martin recount how they became best friends –and better people–through their long-distance exchange. Their story will inspire you to look beyond your own life and wonder about the world at large and your place in it.

 

Martin was from a small village in Zimbabwe. He greatly valued his education but his family struggled to pay for his schooling. Caitlin was your normal 12 year old from Pennsylvania. Her troubles included boys, clothes, and friends. They started writing letters to each other because of a school assignment.

It took a while for Caitlin to realize just how hard Martin’s life was becoming. His worries were vastly different than his. She would send gifts, $20 here and there, that would feed Martin’s family and send him to school. The books spans years and details the daily struggles, and what Martin had to overcome in order to get his education and take care of his family.

I read this whole book in under 24 hours. I could not put it down and I could not go to sleep until I knew that everything was okay. “Wow” is the only word that comes to mind when I think about the experience I had while reading. It was thought provoking, emotional, and I was honestly cheering Caitlin and Martin on as I read. I felt invested in the outcome of the book.

As an American, I know I am lucky. I am lucky to have grown up with a roof over my head, food in the cupboards, two parents with jobs, and a free public education. It is very easy to take all of these things for granted. We see the news and hear about the troubling times in other countries but we may never have to directly deal with any of these issues. This book puts everything into prospective.

I could say so much more but I will just leave you with this:

One letter changed Caitlin and Martin’s life. One book changed mine.

As always, thanks so much for reading!

 

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