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Review: 1st to Die (Women's Murder Club Series #1) by James Patterson

The first of the Women's Murder Club pulled me in from the beginning, and it happens to be the first book by James Patterson that I've ever read. This is an easy book to listen to while I'm multitasking on other thoughtless activities because there aren't many details that absolutely have to be remembered to enjoy or understand the story as a whole. In other words, there isn't a lot of depth to the plot or the characters. It's a mindless story, which surprises me somewhat considering how popular James Patterson is as an author.

As James Tivendale, another Goodreads user and book reviewer, put it in his review, "I tend to read Patterson's books when I don't want my brain to work that hard. 1st to Die fits that bill perfectly." He is absolutely right.

While I loved the idea of a Murder Club, as opposed to the book clubs that typically catch my attention, and that the club consists of four women in jobs that typically work closely together on crimes, I was not keen on the fact that none of the women were all that "real." The journalist, Cindy Thomas from the San Francisco Chronicle, is portrayed as a stereotypical drama queen. Lindsay Boxer, a homicide detective for the San Francisco Police Department, had a health scare that seemed to only be included to give the character a personal crisis to handle while trying to track down a possible serial killer. The district attorney, Yuki Castellano (token Asian and Italian name/character?), was not memorable - perhaps those were the sections where my mind had wandered to something else. Claire Washburn, the medical examiner, is the token best friend and confidant for the main character. Why is it always the medical examiner that serves as the token confidant and wise person in crime dramas?

All the fluff of "you go girl" kind of attitudes left me cringing and wondering if Patterson just wrote this for the sake of writing this kind of story, or if he really does actually know how to write strong female characters.

I don't typically like reading the first book of a series because it's such a commitment if I end up liking them and there are so many other books I'd prefer to read. This particular series has 20 books, which is why I chose to read it because it fits the 2020 Popsugar Reading Challenge Advanced prompt of "A book from a series with more than 20 books."

In the end, this book accomplished its purpose for me - checking off a reading prompt. I am 100% okay with not continuing to read the rest of the books.

I recommend this to those who enjoy mindless reads, shallow characters, and fluffy plots. This is perfect for a beach read.

**
Review: 1st to Die by James Patterson
Format: Audiobook
Narrator: Suzanne Toren
Published: November 1, 2005 by Hachette Audio
Dates Read: August 12-17, 2020

Reading Challenge: 2020 Audiobook Challenge

Better late than never to officially post and sign up for the 2020 Audiobook Challenge hosted by Hot Listens and Caffeinated Reviewer. This year officially marks the 4th year that I've participated in this challenge, and every year I have a stronger appreciation for the audiobook because without it, I wouldn't digest nearly as many books as I would like.

As I mentioned in last year's signup post, I used to be anti-audiobook because it felt like cheating and like I wasn't truly reading. Once I got past that and realized that I was still absorbing the same information, it became a real challenge for me in the sense that it's a competition for myself.

I enjoy trying to outdo myself and now that I've been doing this challenge for a few years now, it's amazing to see how my listening habits have evolved over the years.

There are seven Achievement Levels:

• Newbie (I’ll give it a try) 1-5
• Weekend Warrior (I’m getting the hang of this) 5-10
• Stenographer (can listen while multitasking) 10-15
• Socially Awkward (Don’t talk to me) 15-20
• Binge Listener (Why read when someone can do it for you) 20-30
• My Precious (I had my earbuds surgically implanted) 30+
• Marathoner (Look Ma No Hands) 50+

In 2017, I was the Stenographer because I listened to 15 books.
In 2018, I surpassed my personal goal of 15 books, and achieved the Binge Listener level by listening to 24 audiobooks.
In 2019, my goal was 25 books (Binge Listener), and I surpassed that by listening to 34 books pushing me into the My Precious level.
My 2020 Goal: 30 books to reach My Precious level again. I may increase it to 50 at some point considering I've listened to 22 books so far this year (thank you COVID-19).

Are you interested in signing up for this challenge? Head on over to Caffeinated Reviewer's link up post where you'll also find the rules. You do not need to be a blogger to join - you can link up using your Goodreads, Facebook, LibraryThing or other account.

Happy Listening!

Poem: She's More

She's more than meets the eye

She's more than your preconceived notions

She’s more than the one awake at night

                watching over her child(ren)

                                She worked so hard to have

                or staring out the window

                                Wondering when she’ll be next

She’s more than the one declining invitations

                to the baby showers

                                to avoid the painful reminders

She’s more than the one always on the sidelines

                watching others catch her dreams

She’s more than the one trying so hard to be whole on the outside

while she’s cracking from within

She’s more than the one who wants to scream from the rooftops

and tell the world her story

but instead, she sobs

into her husband’s chest

while he’s hurting too, and doesn’t weep with her

because “big boys don’t cry”

She’s more than the one who feels punched in the heart

                every time there’s a pregnancy announcement

She’s more than the one who crumbles

                every time the pregnancy test is negative

                and her feed is full of positives

She’s more than the one who’s constantly wondering if she’s worthy

of the love society says she should have

the love of parents (a status she wants so badly to have)

of partners (who leave because she can’t make them parents)

of children she doesn’t even know if she wants

and if that decision is because of infertility, or not

She’s more than the one waking up at 2am

from the nightmare that her surrogate would change her mind

the one staying up late rereading tips

                                on how to get pregnant for the 1767^th time

or trying to figure out ways to pay

                                for the treatments, adoption fees, surrogacy

                wishing people wouldn’t be so hurtful

She’s more than the one crying (again)

                that her surrogate did change her mind

or that yet another embryo transfer didn’t take

or that her husband left her because he couldn’t handle it anymore

and(or) he found someone to finally make him a father

She’s more than the one putting on a brave face

                in public

                in the face of the news that it’s actually her husband who is infertile

She’s more than the one wondering

                why her body is unable to do the one miraculous thing it’s built to do

                                carry a child – make another human

                when people will stop invading her privacy

                                with silly questions

                “are you pregnant yet?”

                                Are you smart yet?

                “when are you having kids?”

please drop the “when”

                “when are you starting a family?”

Um, my partner and I are already a family…

“you’re not a real family until you have kids”

                See above answer.

“what do you mean you’re not? (pregnant, having kids)

                Uh, “no” is an option…

                “it’s your responsibility to raise the next generation!”

                                Really? Says who?

                “what’s taking you so long?”

                                Oh, so many things…

                “trying to get pregnant is the fun part!”

                                Obviously you’ve never really tried to pregnant

                                Or have a functioning uterus

She’s more than the one who’s lost friendships

                because they simply don’t understand

                yet she’s been welcomed into a sisterhood of those who do

She's more than all of the bad days.
She's more than the battles, the fights, the tears, the pain.
She's more than the distance between her and her partner.
She's more than the obstacles.
She's more than the decision to pursue motherhood.
She's more than the decision to not pursue motherhood.

She’s more than the negative:

She's the one who still hopes

                amidst the questions, the doctor’s visits, the endless tests,

                the pain, fear, and broken dreams

                the weight gain, needles, and heartbreak

She’s the one building others up

                because she knows what it’s like to be down

She’s the one breaking glass ceilings

                and floors

                and walls

                breaking the silence to show that there’s no shame in this struggle

and somehow manages to lead by example…

She’s the one who practices

                self-care and self-love

                to maintain her own mental sanity

She’s the one who has the strength to say no
because she knows when

she needs to say yes to herself

yes to her family

She’s the one who politely exits a conversation

                about periods, pregnancy, families

so others can save face

she doesn’t need to be rude
they don't know

She’s the one who loves with all her heart

even when she’s not feeling so loved herself

She’s the one who learns to own her truth

and discovers her worth,

stands up for what

and who she believes in

She’s the one who uses her pain to her advantage

to treat others with compassion

because she knows that behind that smiling face

are years of heartbreak

and some of the strongest people

She may have crashed and burned

                and then rose from the ashes

                a member of a club no one ever wanted to join

                yet proud to represent the strength and love

                of an infertility warrior

Review: Summerland by Elin Hildebrand

Secrets, lies, teenage angst, depression, and heartache lead to even more heartache for small town high school kids in Nantucket. One night of drinking after graduation and secrets divulged, and many lives are changed forever.

Synopsis: A warm June evening, a local tradition: the students of Nantucket High have gathered for a bonfire on the beach. What begins as a graduation night celebration ends in tragedy after a horrible car crash leaves the driver, Penny Alistair, dead, and her twin brother in a coma. The other passengers, Penny's boyfriend, Jake, and her friend Demeter, are physically unhurt--but the emotional damage is overwhelming. Questions linger about what happened before Penny took the wheel. As summer unfolds, startling truths are revealed about the survivors and their parents--secrets kept, promises broken, hearts betrayed. Elin Hilderbrand explores the power of community, family, and honesty, and proves that even from the ashes of sorrow new love can take flight.

Review: Elin Hilderbrand has a style that works for her and there's no reason to change it. She does an excellent job of showing how despite how things might look on the outside, things can actually be drastically different than what meets the eye. Penny and Hobson are the "golden children" of Nantucket High. Penny is destined for Broadway or an otherwise equally famous destination with her beautiful singing voice. Jake, her highschool sweetheart, would do anything for her. Hobson inherited his father's athletic abilities on the football field and is expected to "make it" at any of the college's he so chooses to attend. One night around the time of graduation, Penny is driving Jake's Jeep home from a party with Jake and their friend Demeter in the back and her brother in the front. She is clearly upset about something Demeter had told her earlier in the evening and they can't seem to calm her down.

It isn't until the end of the book that really know the full story of what was going through Penny's mind in the moments leading up to her death. We learn that Hobson, also called Hobby, didn't know his twin sister as well as he thought he did. Zoe, their mother is second, triple and even quadruple guessing everything she did in raising her twins. She withdraws from her friends and focuses all of her energy on Hobson's recovery.

Demeter falls into a deeper depression and resorts to drinking on the job and stealing from her company's clients homes to drown out her feelings. Jake’s father, Jordan, and his mother Ava have been having marital problems, partly related to Ava's desire to move back to her native home of Perth, Australia, made especially stronger over the last decade since their younger son died of SIDS. Penny's death gives Jordan the motivation he needs to give into Ava's longing to go home. He thinks that Jake needs a fresh start away from the reminders of Penny's death, despite Nantucket being the only thing Jake has ever known. Ultimately, Jordan's primary motivator is his need to distance himself from Zoe, his lover since his marriage to Ava has suffered.

Life on Nantucket isn't always what it seems as Hilderbrand easily paints in her stories. The ending of this story left me wondering what's next for these particular characters and how they survive the traumatic loss of a promising young person. Maybe we will see them again in another one of her novels.

I highly recommend this to anyone who needs an easy, summery, beach type read at any time of year. 5 out of 5 star rating.

**
Review: Summerland by Elin Hildebrand
Format: Audiobook
Published: June 26th 2012 by Hachette Audio
Dates Read: August 31, 2018 to January 5, 2019

Review: Rokitansky by Alice Darwin

This book. All the feels. The only non-textbook I've highlighted and marked up. The first book in a long time that took me a journal entry and a day and a half to mentally and emotionally process before I could talk about it. I have the same condition as the main characters (Rokitansky, also known as MRKH), and reading this book made me grateful for all the support I've had regarding my syndrome and yet angry that any woman has to suffer the emotional and physical trauma of infertility and resulting shitty relationships.

Rokitanksy by Alice Darwin captures the ups and downs of MRKH so well, I definitely recommend this to anyone and everyone who'll read it. My only advice is to make sure you have tissues nearby, especially for the twist at the end! I had this for 4 years and I was finally able to get through it, even though I had to take a break every 20 pages or so to breathe and remind myself that I'm okay! I wonder if it took me 4 years to get around to reading this because I needed to be in an emotionally strong enough place in my life to be able to handle the roller coaster of emotions.

Darwin does an amazing job of portraying the emotions of an MRKH diagnosis at every stage of life, even when it seems like the older woman isn't affected anymore. She's at a stage in her life where it doesn't bother her much anymore - the diagnosis is hardly even mentioned until the end.

Moira is trying to navigate college life and figuring out who she is as a person, while fighting an internal battle of constant reminders of what she doesn't have since she's living with female roommates. She throws herself into a shopping addiction instead of dealing with the problem head on because she feels so ashamed of who she is and can't bring herself to share her experience with others. She has internalized her mothers feelings towards the condition, and believes that she can't make the decision for herself of who she can and cannot tell.

Tori yearns to be a mother at any cost. She wishes the cost of her dreams was only financial, and not also the price of her marriage. She wishes she and her husband Harry could go back to what life was like before they hired a surrogate. Harry wants their journey to parenthood to end because he sees how it is destroying her - the beautiful woman he once fell in love with has been taken over by a stranger, a brokenhearted woman he does not recognize and does not know how to help. Yet, somehow they figure out to communicate again and come to a decision with which they could both be happy about. 

Mrs. Brown is tired. So very tired of everything, of life. She misses seeing Mr. Brown more often, and hopes that something will give and they'll be able to spend more time together. Rokitansky is not mentioned in her story line until the every end of the book, which makes me wonder if she's come to terms with the condition and is "okay with it."

It is the last chapter when we understand why Rokitansky was at the forefront of Moira and Tori's stories, but not with Mrs. Brown. It is a twist that I saw coming roughly 3/4 of the way through, but wasn't entirely sure how it would play out.

Darwin shows us the heartbreak, anger, confusion, strength, love, perseverance, and courage that are synonymous with Rokitanksy, and any infertility diagnosis. Out of pain, comes beauty. Out of the ashes, a phoenix rises.

Reading Challenges for 2019

I am participating in 10 reading challenges this year, with the possibility of more. While this is a lot of challenges, there is also A LOT of crossover between the challenges. For example, a book that is in translation that qualifies for the Modern Mrs. Darcy challenge could also be by an author from South Asia which would then qualify for both the Read Women (Goodreads group) challenge and the Reading Women Podcast challenge.

Click on the title of the challenge to visit the site or social media post for more information.

2019 Goodreads Reading Challenge

This challenge is run by Goodreads, and is a great way to track how much and what I've read this year. My overall total goal for the year is 40 books, and I may increase it if I reach 40. Last year my original goal was 20, I increased it to 35 and then surpassed it by reading 38 books.

Goal: 40
Rules: none. Any format, genre, theme, setting, author. Basically any book I read counts!

2019 Read Women

This is another challenge on Goodreads, though it's hosted in the Read Women group. Overall goal: 20 books by women.

Goal: 20
Rules: read books by women.

2019 Read Women Around the World

This is another challenge by the Read Women Goodreads group. They have an ongoing challenge to read women authors around the world that doesn't have a time limit. My overall goal is 30 and so far I've read 8 in the last few years towards this goal.

Goal: 5
Rules: read women authors from other countries than your home country, or the setting of the book is primarily in a country other than your home country.

2019 Read Women Winter Challenge

This is a new challenge this year in the Read Women Goodreads group

Goal: 5
Rules: women authors from Nigeria, Oceania and Canada read between January 1 and March 31

2019 The Unread Shelf Project

Hosted by Whitney on Instagram. This is the first year that I am participating in this challenge, and I need it because I have so many unread books on my shelves and I keep buying more or borrowing others from the library.

Goal: 12 (1 per month)

Rules: the book has to come from your unread shelf, and you have to finish the book by the end of the month, or GET RID OF IT. The hope is that having a deadline will help us decide whether or not the book is worth of a spot on our shelves. 

Monthly theme (if you want to participate):
▪️January - any unread book
▪️February - a book gifted to you
▪️March - the book that’s been on your shelf the longest
▪️April - the book you most recently acquired
▪️May - a book you bought because of the movie/TV/theater adaptation
▪️June - a book about travel or set in a country you’ve never been to
▪️July - a book from a series on your shelf
▪️August - a book voted for you to read by Bookstagram
▪️September - a book you can buddy read with someone
▪️October - a book that scares you, whether because of length, content, or actual horror level!
▪️November - a book from your favorite genre
▪️December - the shortest book on your shelf

2019 Tackle My To Be Read Challenge

This is hosted by another book blogger - Kimberly Faye Reads. This the first year I am participating in this challenge as well. The purpose of this challenge is to read books on our to-be-read pile! While there are plenty "to-be read" challenges out there, this one is the most appealing to me because it's low-key and has some flexible guidelines that you can follow if you want to make it more difficult for yourself.

Goal: 12 (1 per month) 
Rules (copied from her website):

•  The 2019 Tackle My TBR Challenge runs January 1, 2019 – December 31, 2019. You can join at any time.
• The goal is to read at least ONE book from your TBR every month. It can be an ARC, ebook, audiobook or print – your choice. Any reading is good reading!
• If one TBR book a month isn’t enough, set your goal higher! Do you think you can read five a month? Ten? Go big or go home! Just for fun, I’ve added some levels below.
• You don’t have to be a blogger to participate. You can track your progress on Goodreads, Insta, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube… wherever you want!
• Use #TackleMyTBR2019 on social media.
• Feel free to use the banner graphic on your posts and/or social media.
• Link up below to declare your intentions.
• Tell your friends!

Levels: check out her post to see what they are!

Monthly Themes - if you want to participate, are pictured above

2019 Audiobook Challenge 

Hosted by Hot Listens! and Caffeinated Book Reviewer, this is the 3rd consecutive year that I'm "link-up" post goes into more detail about the challenge and my goal.
participating in this challenge. The goal is to find a new love for audiobooks and/or outdo yourself by listening to more audiobooks this year than last year! My

Goal: 20
Rules: must be audio format, any genres count, re-reads or crossovers from other challenges count

2019 Modern Mrs. Darcy Reading Challenge

This is the 9th year this challenge is being hosted by Anne Bogel, and the second year I'm participating. But 2018 didn't really go well for me so I'm hoping that by using her fun printout guides that I can make some kind of progress this year! I've already printed them out and put them in my journal - her love for journaling and reading are two reasons I love this challenge! To get your printouts, visit her 2019 reading challenge post where she also gives some great tips on how to stay on track and motivated.

Anne'll be using #MMDchallenge and #MMDreading on Twitter and Instagram, and you can tag her @annebogel. Most of all, let's have FUN!

Goal: 12
Rules: books that meet any of the 12 themes in the challenge.

2019 Reading Women Podcast Challenge 

Not to be confused with the Goodreads group, this challenge is hosted by the women behind the Reading Women Podcast. What I love about this one is that there are themes that weren't listed on any other challenge that I had found so far - like one about a woman athlete for example.

There are 26 challenges (including 2 bonus challenges) in this one, but you don't have to do every single one! It's really just a great way to get readers out of our comfort zones. The hosts will be doing mini giveaways along the way to help with motivation!

They also have some great recommendations in their post on their website. They also have a Goodreads group called the Reading Women group.

Share your progress on social media by using the hashtag, #ReadingWomenChallenge 

Goal: 12
Rules: All books read this for challenge have to be by or about women, and you can complete as many challenges as possible. Books can count for two categories. Additional rules in their post!
 

2019 PopSugar Reading Challenge

This is a new to me challenge and I listed this one last because I'm not sure how much I'll be able to accomplish of this one since there are 40 different challenges, plus 10 advanced prompts! I think I'll do what I can and read books for other challenges and if they happen to meet this one too, then that's good enough for me for this first time! To help readers, they have a Goodreads group, printables (found in their post), and book recommendations that fit the prompts in a list at the end of their post (or in a slideshow).

Also, you can share your progress on social media using the hashtag, #popsugarreadingchallenge.

Goal: 20
Rules: no rules other than books that meet the themes. The purpose is really to read more books and less popular genres.

Additional Challenges?

I may add 3 additional challenges throughout the year if the Read Women Goodreads group does them and I feel like I can easily meet the criteria. Those challenges would be the spring challenge, summer challenge, and the autumn challenge if they decide to keep doing the seasonal challenges similar to the winter challenge.

Reading Challenge: Audiobook Challenge 2019

2019 marks the third year in a row that I am participating in this challenge hosted by Hot Listens and Caffeinated Reviewer. This challenge has helped me gain an appreciation and love for the audio book format. I didn't used to like audio books because I didn't think listening to a book really counted as "reading." It felted like cheating. I have since learned that while it technically doesn't count as reading the words, it still counts as absorbing the story. Listening to audio books has helped me to "read" more than I would have otherwise, and also books I wouldn't have read otherwise such as classics like Jane Austen novels that are hard to read. One of my favorite authors to listen to is Elin Hilderbrand because her writing is so easy to enjoy while I am multitasking.

That said, I enjoy a challenge and I am super competitive so I enjoy trying to outdo myself. So far I've been able to do that with this challenge. In 2017, I was the Stenographer (see below) and in 2018 I skipped a level and achieved the Binge Listener level by listening to 24 audiobooks (as of Dec. 15). For 2019, my goal will be 25 to achieve at least the same level as 2018, if not more.

There are seven Achievement Levels:
Newbie (I’ll give it a try) 1-5
Weekend Warrior (I’m getting the hang of this) 5-10
Stenographer (can listen while multitasking) 10-15
Socially Awkward (Don’t talk to me) 15-20
Binge Listener (Why read when someone can do it for you) 20-30
My Precious (I had my earbuds surgically implanted) 30+
Marathoner (Look Ma No Hands) 50+

In the blogger-sphere, signing up is called "linking up" so if you'd like to link up for this challenge, hop on over to Caffeinated Reviewer's link up post where you'll also find the rules. You do not need to be a blogger to join - you can link up using your Goodreads, Facebook, LibraryThing or other account.

Reading Challenge: Audiobook Challenge 2018

This is the 2nd year I've participated in the Audiobook Challenge hosted by Caffeinated Reviewer and Hot Listens! They do a giveaway at the end of every year for anyone who participates in the challenge and "links up" in their year end posts. Link up means signing up for the giveaway by submitting your link to a list of the books you've listened to throughout the year. Most people either submit a blog post or a link to their Goodreads shelf or list. This blog post counts as my sign up once I link to Caffeinated Reviewer's Final Check-In post. Interested participants can link up anytime through December 31, 2018.

The reason I'm signing up now instead of on December 31 is because I know I'll stay in the same level as I am now, which is Binge Listener, which is 20-30 books and I won't have time to write a post between today and the end of the year because of how crazy schedules get with Christmas approaching. As of December 15th, I've listened to 24 complete books out of my goal 25 for the calendar year. My original goal was 15 for the year and when I finished my 23 audio book I decided to up my goal. It's possible I may surpass 25 before the end of the year by 2-3 books because I have 4 hours left on one book and a 14 hour round-trip road trip ahead of me.

These are the levels:
Newbie (I’ll give it a try) 1-5
Weekend Warrior (I’m getting the hang of this) 5-10
Stenographer (can listen while multi-tasking) 10-15
Socially Awkward (Don’t talk to me) 15-20
Binge Listener (Why read when someone can do it for you) 20-30
My Precious (I had my earbuds surgically implanted) 30+
Marathoner (Look Ma No Hands) 50+

These are the books I've listened to:
January:
Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery
Winter Street by Elin Hilderbrand
Winter Stroll by Elin Hilderbrand
Winter Storms by Elin Hilderbrand
Second Glance by Jodi Picoult

February:
Undying by Corina Bishop

March:
Winter Solstice by Elin Hilderbrand
And Still I Rise by Maya Angelou
The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah

April:
Love Your Life, Not Theirs: 7 Money Habits for Living the Life You Want by Rachel Cruze
Troublemaker: Surviving Hollywood and Scientology by Leah Remini

May:
Fly Away: Firefly Lane 2 by Kristin Hannah

June:
Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult
Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

July: none

August:
The Art of Living: Peace and Freedom in the Here and Now by Thich Nhat Hanh

September:
A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles
The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life by Mark Manson
You Are a Badass: How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life by Jen Sincero
The Identicals by Elin Hilderbrand

October:
The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World by Dalai Lama XIV

November:
The Beautiful Struggle by Ta-Nehisi Coates
A Spark of Light by Jodi Picoult
The Home Front: Life in America During WWII by Audible Originals, Narrated by Martin Sheen

December:
Winter in Paradise by Elin Hilderbrand

Currently Listening to:
Close Your Eyes, Hold Hands by Chris Bohjalian - 4 hours left and will finish today
Girl, Wash Your Face by Rachel Hollis - starting today and will finish this week

May also finish this year:
You Are a Badass at Making Money by Jen Sincero

I'll update this post at the end of the year with how many I officially finished.

Review: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

Anything that's recorded by Jeremy Irons is good in my book! No pun intended. I enjoyed listening to this book because it told the story of how someone accomplished figuring out his own personal legend rather than the current trend of telling the reader how to do it for themselves. That said, I really didn't think it warrants being on many "top books of <fill in the blank>" lists. Santiago, the main character, is an Andalusian shepherd boy who yearns to travel the world in search of a treasure. His journey leads him to experience and learn things he never imagined to be possible. According to Goodreads, "Santiago's journey teaches us about the essential wisdom of listening to our hearts, of recognizing opportunity and learning to read the omens strewn along life's path, and, most importantly, to follow our dreams." I did not get that from listening to this book, at all.

Perhaps the message of "all you gotta do to accomplish your dreams is to go after it real hard with all you got and blinders on without caring about your other responsibilities" was inspiring and new in the late 1980s when this was first published. Or perhaps it was inspiring in Coelho's native country of Brazil. Who knows? I don't.

I can see why others would enjoy this if they haven't read other self-help, motivational, inspiring quest novels before this one. As for me , I wasn't sold on the message. I think a big reason why I kept listening to it was because I kept epxecting it to get better and I also enjoyed listening to the voice of Jeremy Irons.

**
Review: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
Audiobook, narrated by Jeremy Irons
Published 2005 by HarperCollins Publishers, first published 1988
Dates Read: June 10 - July 4, 2017
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Review: The Home Front: Life in America During World War II by Audible Originals

This book was suggested to me in my audible account last year when I still had an active account, so I subscribed to it since it's an Audible Original which allowed me to download it to listen at another time. From Audible's website, Audible Originals are, "are exclusive audio titles created by celebrated storytellers from worlds as diverse as theater, journalism, literature, and more, all produced in the Audible studios. Members can now select 2 of 6 featured Audible Originals every month, in addition to 1 audiobook, regardless of price, plus unlimited access to premier audio fitness programs. There’s never been a better time to join the listening revolution!" The Home Front was my first Audible Original title and I'm glad I chose this one!

I could listen to Martin Sheen all day long talk about any topic. He just has that kind of voice that sounds soothing to me, and it certainly helps that he is an actor so he's trained to "perform" in various settings. I enjoyed listening to these episodes about life in America during WWII. Every episode built on the previous episodes and covered subjects like women in the military, women who went to work (Rosie the Riveter) while their men went to fight, racial tensions, refugees seeking asylum in the US, internment camps for Japanese Americans, the round up of Italian and German Americans, the development and use of atomic bombs in Japan, and the affects of war on returning soldiers and what we now call PTSD which I learned wasn't called that until 1980.

We hear from the people who lived during these harsh times. Some stories were recorded during the war as part of FDR's "Dear Mr. President" episodes, among other series for the still new and exciting radio. Others were recorded after the war, sometimes even decades later, for a variety of oral history projects.

Listening to this series makes me grateful to have heard my paternal grandmother's role and life during the war, and also makes me wish I could've heard my other grandparent's experiences as well, or as much as they'd be able to tell me. Both of my grandfathers served in the military - one in the Navy and one in the Army - and they both passed before I was old enough to realize the importance of passing stories on to the next generation.

**

Review: The Home Front: Life in America During World War II by Audible Originals
Audible Audio (Audible Originals), 8 hours and 13 minutes
Published Sept. 7th, 2017 by Audible Original
Dates Read: November 11 - November 21, 2018

Poem: Pride

Take a moment
Pause what you are doing
Breathe deep
Be mindful of the moment
Where are you?
Physically? Emotionally? Mentally?
Are you where you want to be in life?
Reflect on your accomplishments today.


Then, ask yourself what you accomplished
in the last week
month
six months
year

write them down
post them on social media if you have to
share with a friend
have a drink
go for a walk
celebrate the minor successes
celebrate the big ones

and most of all
Be Proud of Who You Are

Review: Food Blog - A Pinch of Healthy by Marjorie

Recipe: Red Beans and Rice in the Slow Cooker

I found this recipe on Pinterest in April of last year and it's amazing! Coincidentally, I just made this recipe again almost exactly a year later.

This recipe calls for an onion, bell pepper, celery, garlic, chicken andouille sausage, dry red kidney beans, salt, black pepper, white pepper (optional), hot sauce, thyme, bay leaves, water, and cooked rice. For roughly $8, it's enough for 10 servings or more with the rice. I say $8 because the first time I made this recipe, I already had a majority of the ingredients, including substituting some for others. For example, I had a different kind of sausage in the freezer, and used some dried cranberry beans I had in the cabinet instead of kidney beans. I also used wild rice I already had instead of the jasmine rice she used. In total, at least in my local grocery stores, the cost is probably closer to $12. The second time I made this recipe, I used Italian sweet sausage and canned kidney beans instead of dry beans and white rice and it was just as good. I think just about any variation of this recipe will come out amazing!

The total time of 8 hours 45 minutes was a high estimate because it really only took me about 30-45 minutes to prep and then 6 hours on the high setting. I'm not really sure why the prep time comes out to be 2 hours and 45 minutes for her - maybe that includes shopping for the ingredients because it wasn't the time for soaking the beans. Also, the total cook time may vary depending on your slow-cooker.

One thing I love about this post too is that she provides a link to tips on how to make the recipe in less than 90 minutes on the stove top instead of in the slow-cooker. Her photos are good quality, and it's easy to read and follow the recipe. Marjorie does an amazing job of sharing recipes that are delicious, inexpensive, and healthy!

Poem: These Are The Days

Since most of what I've been writing for the last year or so on here are book reviews, I thought it was high time I finally get around to posting a poem. My writer's block when it comes to anything other than reviews has been strong until recently. Some poetry is slowly starting to work its way out of my system.

I started this poem on April 16th on what would've been the 12th anniversary of my relationship with my ex who passed away suddenly in 2013. While our relationship had turned into only friendship by the time he passed, he still holds a very dear place in my heart.

These are the days... for missing you.

These are the days... for standing strong.
These are the days... for moving on.
These are the days... for making waves.

These are the days... for living in the moment.

These are the days... for making memories.

These are the days... we've all been waiting for.

These are the days... we wanted to share together.

These are the days... with only your memory by my side. 

These are the days... we dreamed of when we were young.

These are the days... we never thought would arrive.

These are the days... taken to the Extreme.

Review: The Good Earth by Pearl S. Bucks

Chosen to be the July 2017 read for my book club, I enjoyed reading this story again from an adult perspective. I had read it as a teenager and vaguely remember having a much different take away from the book than I do now.

I initially picked up a copy because I grew up a couple miles from The Pearl S. Buck House in Pennsylvania and had visited it with my Girl Scouts troop. I was fascinated by her living abroad as a child, and her work to provide humanitarian aid to impoverished children.

Synopsis: This tells the poignant tale of a Chinese farmer and his family in old agrarian China. The humble Wang Lung glories in the soil he works, nurturing the land as it nurtures him and his family. Nearby, the nobles of the House of Hwang consider themselves above the land and its workers; but they will soon meet their own downfall.

Hard times come upon Wang Lung and his family when flood and drought force them to seek work in the city. The working people riot, breaking into the homes of the rich and forcing them to flee. When Wang Lung shows mercy to one noble and is rewarded, he begins to rise in the world, even as the House of Hwang falls.

Review: Pearl S. Buck had the ability to write characters of such varying personalities and backgrounds exemplified by his aunt and uncle who acted entitled to his father's success as a farmer, and his wives major difference. O-lan, his first wife through a chosen marriage, was caring, humble and hardworking. His second wife, whom he had purchased, was spoiled, entitled, and complained about lifting a finger to work. He was also in awe of the differences between his children, admiring both their strengths and their weaknesses.

The first time reading this as a teenager, I remember feeling frustrated with Wan Lung and wondering why he seemed to perpetuate the innate sexism that was so rampant and obvious as early as the first few pages. He held so much disdain for his father, but then supposedly couldn't wait to have a woman in the household to take care of him and the chores. His attitude towards women irked me in so many ways that I didn't read the book again for over a decade. It was when I reread this for book club last summer as an adult that I had a different perspective and understanding that it was the time period in which he grew up, and his culture that made him who he was, particularly towards women. I also noticed that he loved his wives, and his children, but was in a way "restricted" to the ways that he was brought up and the culture they lived in that dictated the gender roles they were required to fulfill.

Throughout the novel, Wang Lung relied on the earth to supply all his needs through his hard work. The physical labor helped him to focus on the important things in life. This is a story of perseverance, the strength of the human spirit, of love, partnership, and sacrifice in a marriage and family - things that transcend time and all cultures.

To learn more about Pearl S. Buck International, visit https://www.pearlsbuck.org/.

**
Review of The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck
Paperback, 357 pages
Published Sept. 2004 by Washington Square Press, first published 1931
Dates Read: May 22 - July 2017

Review: Love Your Life, Not Theirs: 7 Money Habits for Living the Life You Want by Rachel Cruze

If you're already familiar with Dave Ramsey's teachings, then you'll understand what Rachel talks about in her debut novel. She's much more conversational in her writing, and gives her father's 7 baby steps a younger twist, making it targeted at those in their 20s and 30s who are just starting out with new life that may include things like student loan debt, first time purchases of cars and homes, getting married, having kids, and how important it is to not fall into the comparison trap.

The 7 Money Habits she talks about are:
1) Quit the comparisons
2) Steer clear of debt
3) Make a plan for your money
4) Talk about money (even when it's hard)
5) Save like you mean it
6) Think before you spend
7) Give a little...Until you can give a lot.

I was disappointed that she didn't go into more detail about the comparison dilemma that many of us experience, commonly known as "keeping up with the Jones's." This attitude is especially important in this social media age where we're so quickly and so often bombarded with our friends and family's "yay me!" posts about their latest vacations, latest and greatest tech purchases, new car/home, parties, weekend getaways, etc. Although I was grateful for the reminder that I am on a different journey than everyone else and that I shouldn't be comparing myself to others, I wish she had spent more time on the topic considering the premise of the book.


She spent A LOT of time talking about money in relationships in Chapter 4, and significantly less time on money for single people. This is an issue because although money is referred to as the leading reason for divorce, it's also why many single people are struggling. I'll give her credit to pointing out that money arguments aren't always about money - they're about communication, trust, and honesty. I did like that she pointed out that if you have different values about money, then the relationship is not going to work out and that it's important to have conversations about it before getting married, not after. As a single person, I'd have appreciated a little more time spent on money, budgeting, accountability, and even money in dating. I understand that she's married herself and she spoke about her experience, but I was hoping for a little more information and advice on resources for single people.

Cruze is a self-admitted spender and that her husband is the saver. She's essentially saying that she struggles with staying within the budget, and it's her instinct to be more free-spirited with her spending habits, whereas her husband Winston is the natural saver who checks the budget and accounts on a regular basis. I especially liked the story she shared about one of their vacations where he told her she didn't have to worry about the budget and she could spend whatever she wanted, but then she realized that it had become a habit to know how much money she was spending and that was more important to her than not worrying about it. This was the best example I think she used to drive home the point of creating good money habits and that it's possible for even the most free-spirited of spenders like herself. 

That said, this book is clearly written by someone who is not in debt, and while her advice is "don't go into debt" and she gives reasons why, it's not really written to help those who are already in debt and/or struggling to live. It's definitely written as a piggy back book to her father's teachings and with the assumption that one is familiar with his concepts and their lifestyle already. This book is more for those who are just starting out as a teen about graduate high school, or those who've already reached debt-free status, and/or newlyweds.

**
Love Your Life, Not Theirs: 7 Money Habits for Living the Life You Want
by Rachel Cruze
Audible Audio
Narrated by: Rachel Cruze
Published: October 2016 by Ramsey Press
Dates Read: March 17 - April 5, 2018

Review: Undying by Corina Bishop

This sci-fi book is a far cry from my typical genres of historical fiction and personal development so I was a bit skeptical at first, but the synopsis was intriguing enough that I figured it'd be worth a try even if I didn't ultimately enjoy the book.

I received a copy of this Audible Audio book for free from the author in return for a review. This does not affect my opinion in any way.

Synopsis:
To awaken and not know who you are is a crushing feeling. Panic and hysteria override all other senses. Strangers approach and terror builds within your chest. You hope these strangers, with their white lab coats, will bring an ounce of reason back to your jumbled thoughts. Instead they bring needles and knives that puncture your skin, introducing new horrors for your brain to try to comprehend.

This is the life Sentra is born into at the age of twenty-four. She is surrounded by people who only cause her agony and pay no mind to her mounting questions. Sentra cannot even find solace in her dreams, where she is haunted by memories from a woman who died long ago. If the pain and confusion wasn't enough, Sentra's body doesn't seem to be entirely human and her detainers have far greater plans for her in a war she wants no part of.

All Sentra knows for sure is that she wants out and she will do anything to gain her freedom.

My Review:
Since this isn't my usual genre that I gravitate towards, I'm giving this a 3 out of 5 stars. I say that because I had a hard time staying interested in the story-line, yet at the same time, the mystery of the unknown is exactly what kept me listening.

Eventually I did come to like and empathize with the main character instead of being annoyed by her. This is because over time, Sentra learns that she is the only one who remembers life before she woke up in a lab and used as a test subject to go on "missions." This discovery only adds to her fear and confusion, especially since she learns she needs to keep it a secret from the others that she has these memories. To make matters worse, her memories lead her to putting the others in danger during a couple missions and them not trusting her anymore.

This reads like the beginning of a series. The author's bio on Goodreads mentions it's the first book of what she hopes to be a trilogy. I'm curious to know what happens in the next installments!

**
Undying by Corina Bishop
Audible Audio, Unabridged
Narrated by: Laura Jennings
Published Sept. 15, 2017
Dates Read: Jan. 29 - Feb. 27, 2018

Review: The Miracle Morning: The Not-So-Obvious Secret Guaranteed to Transform Your Life (Before 8AM) by Hal Elrod

This was an appropriate choice for January for The Classy Career Girl Network book club that I decided to join this year. That said, while this book has gotten rave reviews and I'm sure it's helped hundreds, if not thousands of people, change their habits and ultimately their lives, it was a waste of time for me to read. I felt like 70% of the content could have been cut out, but then there wouldn't be a book without 70% of the content! Why was it necessary to be so repetitive with explaining his life story? Sure, Hal has been handed one hell of a deck of cards in this life and has certainly overcome the odds against him. And as a motivational speaker, he has certainly changed many people's lives. I don't deny his inspirational attitude in not quitting despite what he's been dealt.

At the same time, I didn't get anything out of reading this book because I am not the target audience. The target audience is someone who has never read any personal development books and views the whole genre suspiciously. I have read enough personal development articles and books, and participated in workshops around mindfulness, meditation, and visualization that I found myself skimming through much of the explanations of these concepts.

I'm in the minority in that I've already started working towards improving my life and changing my habits and routines. Therefore, as I said before, I'm not the target audience for this book. The target are those people whom have never picked up a self-help book or bothered to read anything about improving their situation before now. Nothing wrong with that at all, it's just disappointing for someone like me who is past the point of being helped by a book such as this one.

In sum, this book basically tells the reader how to gradually change their habits to become a better person by getting up an hour or two earlier in the morning. And in turn, implementing what he calls "S.A.V.E.R.S." At first, he suggests doing different amounts doing each step each morning and then gradually adjusting your routine to eventually designate 10 minutes of the hour to each step.


Those steps are:
Silent meditation
Affirmations
Visualizing the day ahead
Exercise
Reading, specifically to learn something
Scriving (aka writing/journaling/blogging)

While I don't do this in the morning as he suggests because it helps set the tone for the day, I do many of these throughout the day and particularly at night so that I can unwind from the days stresses and help set the tone for the next day. If I wanted to implement these habits in the morning, I could, but prefer to do them at night despite it going against Hal's whole premise of the book suggesting that even the night owl can become a morning person.

Overall, had this been published as a blog series, I would've appreciated it more. I like the concept but didn't appreciate the overly simplified steps.

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars - It was okay. Not for me. I can see why others enjoy it.

**
The Miracle Morning: The Not-So-Obvious Secret Guaranteed to Transform Your Life (Before 8AM)
by Hal Elrod
Kindle E-book, Published December 7th 2012 (first published December 7th 2006)
Dates Read: Jan 3-9, 2018

Review: Reading Progress to Date

If you follow my blog closely, you may have noticed that I haven't been posting much in the last couple of months. I was able to get plenty of posts done in December and early January, but not much since then because I am back to work full time. I was out of work for the month of December and then about a week in January due to illness, which left me with lots of free time to fill up!

What did I do with this extra free time when I wasn't sleeping? I was binge-watching TV shows, listening to audio books, and writing. That means I've "read" 8 books so far this year - and many of them are audio books. Which was awesome! Though ever since getting back to work, I let my passion of writing/blogging take a back seat.

Read so far in 2018 - 8 so far of my goal of 20 for the year! I intentionally set my goal low so that it would be attainable, and since I'm sure I'll complete it soon, I'm going to increase the number to TBD amount and see if I can reach that!

• Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery (audio book)
• Winter Street by Elin Hilderbrand (audio book)
• Winter Stroll by Elin Hilderbrand (audio book)
• The Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod (ebook)
• Winter Storms by Elin Hilderbrand (audio book)
• Second Glance by Jodi Picoult (audio book, though I did have a paperback copy)
• Edgar Allan Poe's The Raven & Other Tales by Edgar Allan Poe and Illustrated by Pete Katz (graphic novel)
• Undying by Corina Bishop (audio book)

I am a bit behind on writing my reviews. Since Undying was given to me for free by the author, that will be one of the next reviews on the blog. Others to follow, and the Winter series may be combined into one review once I read, or listen to, the 4th book that just came out last fall.

My book club, Vermont Books n Brews, met last Saturday to discuss Anne of Green Gables. It was an amazing discussion, especially since I was able to finish the book, but it had been too long since I listened to the book to remember the details. That said, we also discussed books to read for the next few months and dates/times/locations.

Before I start March's selection (Emma by Jane Austen), I want to finish at least one of my currently reading books. One goal this year is to finish at least one book in my currently reading list before starting another one! And I refuse to start any more series until I finish ones I'm currently reading.

Currently Reading list - I am close to finishing 3 of these books, and a few of them are short so it'll be easy to finish any of them before starting the next book.

• Winter Solstice by Elin Hilderbrand (audio book)
• The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah (audio book)
• A Simplified Life: Tactical Tools for Intentional Living by Emily Ley (hardcover, Classy Career Girl Network book club)
• Becoming Myself: Reflections on Growing Up Female by Willa Shalit (hardcover)
• When Strangers Meet: How People You Don't know Can Transform You by Kio Stark (hardcover)
• Rokitansky by Alice Darwin (paperback)
• Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon (paperback)
• Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult (paperback)
• The Dharma of Star Wars by Matthew Bortolin (paperback)
• Pursuing Gold: A Novel of the Civil War by Cynthia Simmons (paperback)

Although, I am pretty excited about reading Emma, I'm not going to start it until I finish a book that I am already currently reading. I have a feeling it will either be Becoming Myself, When Strangers Meet, or The Dharma of Star Wars. There's a chance I'll finish at least two of those in the next week because they're short, I'm on a roll, and I'll have ample time to be listening to audio books in the near future.

Be on the lookout for:

• A post about the books we're reading for Vermont Books n Brews
• Review of Undying by Corina Bishop
• A post related to my side hustle: Pampered Chef
• Reviews of the other books I've read so far this year

That's all for now! Thanks for reading, and as always, please leave a comment below with your thoughts on any of these books.