August Reads (15)

One star = did not like it at all

Two stars = eh, it was okay

Three stars =  liked it

Four stars = really, really liked it

Five stars = absolutely loved it

2-Star (1)

***The Bookshop on the Corner (Fiction, Jenny Colgan)

The most annoying thing about this book was the title.  There was no bookshop on the corner!  It was a mobile book store in a van.  What the heck?  There was plenty other annoying things about it too.

3-Star (8)

***The Breakdown (Fiction, B.A. Paris)

This is my second B.A. Paris book.  I liked it better than the first (although I gave that one 3 stars as well).  If you’re looking for a twisted mystery that’s not gross and written well, then read B.A. Paris books.  Especially this one!!  This is one of the best ‘thrillers’ I’ve read in quite a while.  Thriller/mystery books probably won’t ever get more than 3 stars from me, just because it’s not my favorite genre and I typically won’t read them again.  So 3 stars for a book like this is high praise.   

***Soulful Simplicity (Non-Fiction, Courtney Carver)

Pretty good book about simplifying your life.  Not anything earth shattering.

***The Art Forger (Fiction, B.A. Shapiro)

An interesting story about, well, an art forger.  It had a little bit of everything, but I wasn’t as captivated as I had hoped to be.  But it did keep my interest.

***Smoke Gets In Your Eyes & Other Lessons from the Crematory (Non-Fiction, Caitlin Doughty)

Okay so if you are not interested in medical stuff or get easily grossed out or are squeamish, then do NOT read this book.  It is not for the faint of heart.  There were a few times I actually gasped.  But it was really fascinating.  We never hear about what really happens at mortuaries and crematoriums.  Because it’s such an unpleasant topic.  If you are ever curious about these things, then read this book for sure.  The author does not hold back AT ALL.

***The Light of the Fireflies (Fiction, Paul Pen)

I went back and forth for quite a while on whether to give this book 3 stars or 4 stars.  Ultimately I decided on 3, because of content.  This is a HIGHLY disturbing, dark, horrifying-yet-can’t-look-away novel.  The first part of the book is told from the perspective of a 10-year old boy who lives with his family in a dark basement.  He was born in the basement, so this life is all he knows.  But then he starts to question his family.  Why were they in the basement?  Why could no one ever get out?  Why was his family constantly ‘tricking’ (lying) to him about everything?  As the book unravels, more extremely disturbing truths come out.  The first half was really good, but by the 2^nd half, I just wanted to get some answers already.  And then once I got some answers, I wished I hadn’t ha ha.

***The Little Book of Japanese Contentments (Non-Fiction, Erin Longhurst)

I love learning about other cultures and practices.  This little book was a nice read about Japanese cultures.

***You’ll Miss Me When I’m Gone (Fiction, Rachel Lynn Solomon)

This is a YA book, but again, there are some very adult things that happen.  It’s about twin 18-year-old girls.  Their mother has Huntington’s Disease.  The girls get tested, and one girl has the gene for HD and one does not.  This is the story of how they cope (and NOT cope) with this news.

***Our House (Fiction, Louise Candlish)

A VERY original plot.  Fiona drives up to her house, only to find that another couple is in the process of moving in.  Her husband is nowhere to be found.  It was a good story, however it was REALLY all over the place and I found myself skimming a lot of the middle (which backfired at the end when I was confused ha ha).

4-Star (5)

****The Bell Jar (Fiction, Sylvia Plath)

This is one of those books that I’ve heard about for years but never read.  It’s the story of Esther Greenwood and her descent into mental illness.  It is devastating, mostly because the book is a semi-autobiography of Sylvia’s life (and we all know how that ended up).  But it was beautiful writing.  She described her depression as a feeling of being trapped under a ‘bell jar’, struggling for air.  Ugh.  So real.

****Three Things About Elsie (Fiction, Joanna Cannon)

Florence is a resident of an assisted living facility.  When she falls, as she’s lying on the floor, she tells us stories of her past.  One involves a mystery that she, her best friend Elsie, Jack, Simon, Mrs. Ambrose and a handful of other characters try to solve.  It is heartbreaking (Florence has dementia), but the book was written so beautifully that I still really enjoyed it.

****Unbroken (Non-Fiction, Laura Hillenbrand)

The true story of POW Louis Zamperini (an Olympic runner).  This man survived 40+ days drifting on a sinking raft, starvation, hungry sharks, only to survive and be sent to a Japanese prison camp where the torture he received was unimaginable.  Laura Hillenbrand is an amazing storyteller.  I highly recommend it.  I listened to this on audio and it was read by the wonderful (late) Edward Herrmann (a.k.a. Richard Gilmore).

****In the Woods (Fiction, Tana French)

I have had this book on my shelf for probably 2 years.  I’ve picked it up a couple of times, but put it down.  It is a dense book (496 pages) and it just seemed a bit daunting for some reason.  BUT then I put a hold on the audio book at the library and when it came through I couldn’t stop listening.  The book is French’s debut novel about the Dublin Murder Squad (a detective squad in, well, Dublin).  It is creepy, atmospheric, a bit wordy at times, and I can totally understand why people could either love this book or hate it.  The ending leaves a lot of questions unanswered and the main character is not entirely likable.  Which is usually really important to me…but I could NOT STOP LISTENING.  It is extremely well-written and the plot and character development is amazing.  However, (from what I’ve read online), her other books in the series each focus on a different character.  So Rob Ryan (the main character in In the Woods) does not make any further appearances in any other book.  However, his partner, Cassie (who is very likable) is the main character in the next book in the series (which I already have on my shelf!).  I’m VERY glad I stuck with this and am glad I have the next book in the series to read. (warning…there’s language in this book)

****The Grapes of Wrath (Fiction, John Steinbeck)

Shame on me for not having read this book before now.  This is the story of the Jode family.  They leave Oklahoma during the great depression to head out West to California.  Now…this is not a happy read.  Life is HARD.  And they just don’t catch a break.  Ever.  If you’re expecting a happy ending or answers and resolutions, you won’t get it with this book.  However, once again, Steinbeck writes BEAUTIFULLY and portrays what life was like in America during the depression.  I may read it again.  East of Eden is still my favorite Steinbeck, but this one is definitely my second.

5-Star (1)

*****Small Great Things (Fiction, Jodi Picoult)

I’ll admit, I haven’t read Jodi Picoult’s last few books.  I read a couple of stinkers in a row and then I kind of gave up on her.  But I kept hearing RAVE reviews about Small Great Things, so I borrowed it from the library and read it on my Kindle.  I don’t think a single book has ever made me think so much as this one has.  Jodi Picoult tackles the most difficult subjects and is such an amazing writer that it’s hard to believe this book was written by just one person, instead of the three people that tell their story in this book.

Here is a portion of the description of the book from Goodreads:

Ruth Jefferson is a labor and delivery nurse at a Connecticut hospital with more than twenty years' experience. During her shift, Ruth begins a routine checkup on a newborn, only to be told a few minutes later that she's been reassigned to another patient. The parents are white supremacists and don't want Ruth, who is African American, to touch their child. The hospital complies with their request, but the next day, the baby goes into cardiac distress while Ruth is alone in the nursery. Does she obey orders or does she intervene?

With incredible empathy, intelligence, and candor, Jodi Picoult tackles race, privilege, prejudice, justice, and compassion—and doesn't offer easy answers. Small Great Things is a remarkable achievement from a writer at the top of her game.

This book will make you incredibly uncomfortable and you’ll put it down multiple times.  But PICK IT BACK UP!!  It’s worth the read.

Total Books Read: 15 (4 non-fiction, 15 fiction)

Formats

Kindle: 5

Audio: 7

Real Books: 3

Books I read for FREE via the library e-book/audio book system:  10

Books I paid for (actual books/Kindle books):  5

DNF (Did Not Finish) 5:

I See You – lost interest

Midwife’s Confession  – lost interest

Before the Fall – lost interest

A Wrinkle In Time – not my thing

Arcadia – one more strike and you’re out, Lauren Groff

One Year

I meant to blog about this in July, but I didn't have time.  July marked one year since we moved into this house.

Sometimes it feels as if the year has flown by, sometimes it seems like it's dragged on.  But only because we've been in non-stop project mode for basically the entire year.

The first few months were a blur of unpacking, company, and trying to get somewhat settled.

Then project mode started.

Here's what has been completed since February:

1.  A kitchen for my mother-in-law:

2.  All duct work was pulled out of our house, along with the 3 swamp coolers (2 on the roof, one on the side of the house, and replaced with ductless cooling units (2 on the roof, one on the side of the house, as well as individual units for each room in the house (with the exception of the bathrooms):

3.  We had insulation blown into our attic.  No pictures....it isn't pretty ha ha.

4.  We had 3 rooms painted.  The kitchen, the sunroom, and the laundry room:

5.  Our latest project was some concrete work.  We needed to finish the outdoor part of the addition, as well as some work on the other side of the house.  We hired a concrete crew to add a pathway to my mother-in-law's new front door. 

We also added a patio for her:

The concrete is stamped and tinted to give it a little more character (as opposed to just regular concrete that looks like an outdoor basketball court ha ha).  The bucket is there for a future fence post.  We are putting up a vinyl-coated aluminum fence to close that gap.  We will have our backyard completely private again.

We also had the concrete crew pull out the old (non-working) 'water feature' that was in one corner of the yard.  It included a pond (non working and non draining, so every time it rained my husband had to suck all of the water out of it), and a rock 'feature'.  It was just hideous.  Maybe if it would have worked we could have cleaned it up and actually used it.  But we didn't want to invest the time and money to get something working that we weren't even sure we wanted.

Within about an hour, they had it gone:

In about 20 years (ha ha) we would like to put a hot tub in this corner.  But for now, my hubby and mother-in-law may plant some annuals or something.  It's nice to have the hideous water fountain gone!

Then, we had some drainage problems (of course) on that side of the house as well.  Basically when it rained, the water would pool in one corner around the garbage cans (lovely).  So the concrete crew pulled out all of the old stuff and poured new concrete that will drain properly down the driveway and into the street (as it should).

Unfortunately, because of these unforeseen issues, our flooring inside will have to wait.  We have hideous carpet all throughout the house.  It looks filthy, even though we have cleaned it multiple times.  :(  Oh well.  

We still have the front yard to work on, as well as adding the fence.  But those are more affordable things that we should be able to handle over the next few months.  

So we really have accomplished a lot!  I'm pleased with the progress so far.  And it feels good to have the not-so-glamorous-but-necessary stuff done (concrete, insulation, etc.).  It feels so...adult.  Ha ha.

Random

*Costco has started selling SKYR!!!!!  It’s not widely found in the United States.  We have found it at Sprouts and Whole Foods, but it is way expensive.  We LOVED it when we were in Iceland and it was one of the few grocery items that was affordable.  We get 2 cases of it each time we are at Costco.  It’s 4 Weight Watchers points for one container.  15 grams of protein.  There are other products out there (Siggy’s, etc.) that claim to be Skyr, but they’re not.  This one is the only one available in the US that contains Icelandic Heriloom Skyr Cultures (from Iceland’s oldest farmer-owned dairy).  It was a happy, happy day when we discovered it.  It’s the little things in life, you know?

*I’ve pretty much given up TV.  I watch maybe 1 hour on the weekends.  That’s it.  And sometimes not even that.  And when I do watch, it's usually something I've watched before like Parks and Rec or Downton Abbey.  And you know what?  I don’t miss it.  I’ve been READING LIKE CRAZY.

 

*We went back to English.  We talked and prayed about it for months now and felt it was the right decision for our family.  I am relieved, but I am also heartbroken about leaving our French family.  We truly are a family.  And it’s going to be hard to find that again.  But at the same time, English has already given us a huge spiritual boost.  And our new congregation has lovingly welcomed us.

*This hairbrush has changed my life.  Well, not really, ha ha.  But again…it’s the little things.  I LOVE it.  It’s the Conair Ceramic Porcupine Cushion Brush.  My hair takes less than a minute to brush out as opposed to 10 minutes ripping through it with a wide-toothed comb.  I don’t know why I waited so long to switch to a brush.  I got it at Target….I think it was $9?

 

*Monsoon season is still going strong.  This is the heaviest monsoon I’ve seen since I’ve lived here.  My mother-in-law says the same thing and she’s lived here 20+ years.  It’s been raining almost every night.  I love it!  The dog…not so much.  The picture below is from abqjournal.com.  It is a very accurate portrayal of monsoon season.  This is looking East (the Sandia mountains are right behind the rain) and the Rio Grande is where all the green trees are in the middle.  We live on the East side (so basically, right where the rain is dumping).  Anyways...the sun will be out, then all of the sudden one part of town will look VERY ominous and there will be an isolated monsoon that dumps a crapload of rain for a good 15-20 minutes.  Streets flood, traffic comes to a stop.  And then the next day, there are traffic crews out cleaning up the rocks.  Because there isn't a lot of grass here, there are rocks in it's place.  And when there's a tremendous amount of rain, the rocks get washed into the street. 

I just have to give a shout-out to my washer and dryer.  Ha ha.  I do at LEAST one load of laundry per day, sometimes more (gym clothes, work clothes, meeting clothes, towels, bedding, etc.).  They are LG Front Loaders.  I love them!!!!

I'm working from home today.  He is not making it difficult AT ALL: 

Kindle

I am a fan of books in all form.  Real books, audio books, and e-books.  While I use my apps (Hoopla, Libby) linked to my local library a LOT for audiobooks, I don’t use them much for e-books.  There’s a reason for that.  In the past, I read e-books on my iPad.  Have you ever read a book on your iPad?  Maybe it’s different for people who don’t stare at a computer screen for 8+ hours a day.  But it is incredibly hard to stare at a glaring iPad screen to read a book.  It’s hard on the eyes.  It’s easy to get distracted. 

But there are SO MANY advantages to reading e-books.  First, you can get LOADS of them free from your library.  It’s so easy!  And if you are an Amazon Prime member, there are loads of free e-books as well (I believe you can have 10 free books at a time….there’s no time limit, but you can only have 10 free ones at once).  And….buying e-books is so much cheaper than buying real books.  I subscribe to 3 websites (Goodreads, Book Bub, Book Riot) that send out an email every day that list the best e-book deals that day (they change daily).  Most of the books they post are newer and/or best-sellers and they are usually $2.99 or less.  Most are $1.99. 

You can also buy brand new e-books on the date of their release.  A brand new hardcover new-release book at a bookstore will be $27.00.  That same book in e-book format will be HALF that cost.  Or less! 

But I haven’t been taking advantage of these deals until recently, because I do not like reading from my iPad.  But I got a Kindle Paperwhite!  What is the difference between a Kindle and a tablet?

1.  The screen.  The iPad uses a touch screen LCD display (the same as laptops and other PCs).  However, the Kindle uses e-ink technology that looks like paper.  While the iPad is all color, the Kindle is different shades of grey.  And most importantly:  because of the e-ink, you have ZERO eye-strain from reading on a Kindle.  There is also no glare.

2.  You can only do like 3 things on the Kindle:  read books, download books, and look at Goodreads.  That’s it.  No apps, no web surfing, etc.  It is great because you can’t get distracted!

3.  The battery.  The Kindle only needs to be charged like every 2 weeks.  Amazing!  I’ve had mine for 13 days and it still has ½ of the battery life left.

4.  The size.  The Kindle is much smaller (about the size of a Mass-Market Paperback).  It is super lightweight, even if you have a case on it (which I would highly recommend getting a case for it).

5.  You can highlight any passage from any book and it will save them for you in the ‘My Clippings’ section in your library (that's an ad at the bottom).  

Here are a few of my highlighted passages:

The Light of the Fireflies:

“There’s no creature more amazing than one that can make it’s own light”

The Bell Jar:

“I thought I would swim out until I was too tired to swim back.  As I paddled on, my heartbeat boomed like a dull motor in my ears.  I am I am I am.” Note:  I Am I Am I Am is also the title of Maggie O’Farrell’s memoir (taken from this passage in The Bell Jar)

“Wherever I sat, on the deck of a ship or at a street café in Paris or Bangkok, I would be sitting under the same glass bell jar, stewing in my own sour air.” (talking about depression)

“If I was going to fall, I would hang on to my small comforts, at least, as long as I possibly could.”

“I took a deep breath and listened to the old brag of my heart.  I am, I am, I am.”

The Bookshop on the Corner:

“Because every day with a book is slightly better than one without, and I wish you nothing but the happiest of days.”

“Some people buried their fears in food, some in booze, some in planning elaborate engagements and weddings and other life events that took up every spare moment of their time in case unpleasant thoughts intruded.  But for Nina, whenever reality, or the grimmer side of reality threatened to invade, she always turned to a book.  Books had been her solace when she was sad, her friends when she was lonely.  They had mended her heart when it was broken, and encouraged her to hope when she was down.”

You can also make your own notes on what you highlight.

There are so many other great things about it….you can travel with literally hundreds (thousands) of books.  I wish I would have had mine in Iceland.  I loaded up my iPad with books and then didn’t read any of them because it is just so hard to read on an iPad.  Such a strain on the eyes.

I’ve been reading on my Kindle every night.  I’ve pretty much completely stopped watching TV.  The only time I watch is if I’m folding laundry.  Or meal prepping (I’ll have my iPad on the counter with something on).  But at night?  I’m either reading in the man cave or outside, and when I go to bed I’m reading.  You can read in the dark on the Kindle too.  The screen adjusts to the light in the room.  It is wonderful!  I’m a fan.