Still Alice

Still Alice by Lisa Genova

 Alice, a professor at Harvard has been forgetting things more often than normal lately.  She is eventually diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's disease.   Over the chapters she steadily declines from just forgetting about an upcoming appointment that day to forgetting who her daughters are. 

 It is heartbreaking reading about this strong woman, only 50 years old, slowly deteriorating.  She is such a strong woman in the beginning: a beloved professor and  very smart woman who people look up to.  She enjoys going for runs; eventually she is unable to go for a run by herself without her husband since she gets lost and will forget where her home is.  What makes this book even sadder to read is that Alzheimer’s is a real disease. 

*This book review was previously published on August 9th, 2015 on a blog I previously contributed to.*

Caught in Time

Caught in Time

by Julie McElwain

"Caught in Time" is the third book in the Kendra Donovan series.  Kendra is an FBI agent who has traveled back to 1815.  

Only two people know the truth that Kendra is not from their time: her new guardian, the Duke of Aldridge, and his nephew, Alec. There are a series of murders and Kendra is investigating with the help of the Duke.  Since the Duke has a title, he is respected and has authority that Kendra would otherwise not have.There is the mystery of who is the bad guy murdering people and why as the investigation continues.

So far, I have really enjoyed this series.  I like reading about the time in 1815 and how different things were.  You have this strong female character, who is in the FBI and just not your typical woman from the time period.  I love seeing her just stand up to the men and surprising them, holding her own ground, and in this book defending another woman who is an abusive relationship.

I do hope this author ends up writing more in this series, it's just a fun series to read.  

Rodeo Red

Rodeo Red by Maripat Perkins and Molly Idle

Rodeo Red is one of our new children’s books.  The main character is a little girl called Rodeo Red.  She has a new baby brother, Slim.  Slim comes in and starts taking over her territory.  One day Slim takes Rusty, her beloved sidekick stuffed animal.  Rodeo Red must figure out how to get Rusty back from Slim without making him cry and making the Sheriff and her deputy (mom and dad) come running.

            This is a fun children’s book about a child getting a sibling.  The book is written cute and the language flows rather nicely as you read it out loud to your kids.  It is fun for both the kids listening and for the parent reading.  The pictures are fun too.  There is a picture of Slim starting to get mobile and happily pulling big sister Rodeo Red’s hair.  There is also another picture of Rodeo Red having fenced in her brother in a tiny little area, saying that is his area to play and the rest of the room was hers.  When Rodeo Red gets a time-out she is sitting behind a chair that looks like prison bars.

            I found this book especially fun since it reminded me of my own family, a little girl getting used to a younger sibling that is just starting to become mobile.  My three-year-old has even started calling one of her stuffed animals “Rusty.” 

*This book review was previously published on June 28th, 2015 on a blog I previously contributed to.*

Lies

Lies
by T.M. Logan

Joe is happy with his life.  He is married to a beautiful woman, they have a 4 year-old son, and he enjoys his job.  

Then one day a drive home from work and one decision changes everything.  One day on the way home, his son points out his wife's car and he decides to follow her.  Everything changes after that when she see her meeting another man.

I enjoyed this book, it was quick paced and kept me interested.  It reminded me a bit of David Baldacci's "The Innocent," I think because of the way the writing was and the short chapters.  And a bit of "Gone Girl" as there is a bit of mystery of what's going on.

I wanted to keep reading to find out what was going on.  Joe's opponent always seems one step ahead of him, and things just keep looking worse for Joe

I read in a few other reviews that people guessed the ending.  I did not.  I knew something was up and that there was going to be some twist, but I didn't see it, so it made it probably better for me reading the book, to at the end go, oh, wow.

It look like this author just had another book come out, so I'm adding that one to my to-read list.  

The Rosie Effect

The Rosie Effect by Graeme Simsion

This is the second in a series featuring Don Tillman, a geneticist with Asperger’s syndrome.  In the first book Don was searching for a wife, and in this sequel his wife is now pregnant.  Don is coming to terms with becoming a father and researching pregnancy and parenthood in a way only Don could.

Don means well, but his well-meant intentions do not always go over very well. Researching kids by studying them on the playground gives the wrong impression when he does not have any kids at the playground.  He researches what pregnant women should and should not eat.  Then he takes it to the extreme when cooking for his wife, which is not always appreciated when she craves something that is not on the healthy list.

Don’s well-meant intentions keep getting him in trouble.  You find yourself rooting for him and for everything to work out in the end.

*This book review was previously published on June 7th, 2015 on a blog I previously contributed to*

When the lights go out

When the Lights go out
by Mary Kubica

Jessie has been taking care of her ailing mother.  After her mother dies, she is trying to start a new life.  She applies to college, but then finds out that her social security number raises a red flag.  She is soon trying to discover her past that her mother did not tell her about as she tries to find out why there is something wrong with her social security number.

This novel rotates chapters between Jessie and her mother, Eden.  The chapters with Eden are from twenty years earlier.  

You learn about Eden's early marriage and her struggles to have a baby.  She wants a child more than anything, but her and her husband are having problems.  They go to see a doctor and soon she is taking shots, doing IVF, and whatever they can.  This is expensive and drains their bank accounts, puts them into debt and puts a strain on the marriage as her husband wants to move on and Eden is obsessed with having a child.  

Reading about her infertility struggles is heartbreaking.  She sees a friend, pregnant with her fourth child, ignore her children and go on about how she didn't want her three boys, she wanted a girl and never wanted to have a fourth child.  Each month is another disappointment as Eden gets her period.  She even has hope one month and then suffers a miscarriage.  

I found myself much more interested in Eden's story than Jessie's.  I ended up more skimming Jessie's chapters.  And then the ending.  I cried, as a different choice could have easily been made which would have impacted the lives of people in a better way.

Butter

Butter by Erin Jade Lange

This is one of the selections for the Iowa High School Book Award 2015-2016.  This is about an obese teenager who puts up a webpage saying that on the last day of the year he is going to eat himself to death.  The website is found out by his classmates who rally around him and Butter finds himself becoming popular for the first time.  However, Butter’s threats on the webpage snowball into something he starts to seriously consider.

            I picked this book out because the idea seemed outrageous, that somebody would plan to kill themselves by eating themselves to death.  Once you start reading it, you start to care about Butter and you do not want him to go through with his plan. You keep reading to find out if he goes through with the plan or if he finds a way out.

*This book review was previously published on May 17th, 2015 on a blog I previously contributed to.*

These Girls

These Girls
by Sarah Pekkanen

This novel focuses on three different women in New York, who have different personalities and become roommates.

Cate recently had a job promotion to features editor of Gloss, a high-end lifestyle magazine.  She is under pressure to make her first official magazine issue the best.  This is a new position for her, new pressures and she is still figuring it out.  She questions having a co-worker edit a piece she doesn't feel is quite strong enough, and there is a power struggle to get him to edit his piece.

Renee is in the running for beauty editor at Gloss.  However, she feels the pressures to be thinner.  Her normal size 12 is fine, but she feels only someone thinner could receive the promotion that she so desperately wants.  She begins taking diet pills, that do help her lose weight, but also gives her side effects such as trembling hands, a racing heart and fainting. 

Abby is their newest roommate.  She is a graduated student who had been working as a nanny.  Something happened to upset her, she fled, and isn't quite talking about it yet.  Cate and Renee are friends with her brother, Trey, and that is how she connects with them and becomes the third roommate.  

I enjoyed this novel.  The character I found most interesting was Renee.  Talking diet pills is not the way.  Or starving yourself.  You just want to take those away and tell Renee she is good enough, she doesn't need to lose weight to make a good beauty editor at the magazine.  

This novel was better than the last one I read by this author.  I read The Ever After a week or so ago.

Skinny

Skinny by Donna Cooner

 This is one of the selections for the Iowa Teen Award 2015-2016.  It is about Ever, an overweight 15 year old who weighs 300 pounds.  Ever has a voice in her head that is always telling her negative things about herself; such as: she is ugly, fat, and worthless.  One day, Ever decides to do something about her weight and she has gastric bypass surgery.  Ever changes how she eats, begins to exercise and starts feeling better about herself.  Ever loves to sing and as she gains confidence from feeling better, she is able to work towards her goal of singing in the school play.

  I liked reading about the transformation that she went through as she started to take better care of herself.  At the beginning she was isolated and just ate, and then as she began eating healthier and exercising, her confidence began building and she noticed people around her.  She was not alone and she was starting to work towards her dream of singing.

*This book review was previously published on May 17th, 2015 on a blog I previously contributed to.*

Countdown

Countdown
by Deborah Wiles

Franny is 11 and the year is 1962.  She has an older sister and a younger brother.  As a normal 11 year old, she would like to be like her older sister.  However her older sister has recently gone somewhere and her parents aren't telling her what's going on.  Other than being a normal 11 year old, what isn't so normal is the constant worrying about how the Russians might bomb us.

They are constantly doing drills at school and being told to "duck and cover."  What a scary time for a 11 year old, and really a scary time for anyone.

Intertwined with the story are real pictures from the 60s and info from that time period.  I really liked how the author added these extras in, as it made the book more interesting.  Reading the Cuban Missile crisis was also interesting.  This is not something I had worried about as it was before my time.  However, you can see how scary and terrifying that would have been to everyone at the time.  Imagining October 22nd, 1962 and how scared people would have been listing to President Kennedy.

As of now there is another book in this series, and I will be adding it to my to-read list.

Big Girl

Big Girl by Danielle Steel

 Victoria is the odd one out in her family.  When she was born, her parents are disappointed how she looks.  She looks nothing like either parent. Her father, Jim, names her after Queen Victoria.  Later on Victoria is hurt when she sees a photograph of Queen Victoria and realizes her parents named her that because they thought she was ugly.  Unfortunately for Victoria she takes after her great-grandmother who was known to be a big lady, both tall and heavy.  Then along comes her younger sister, Gracie, who looks exactly like their parents, both slim and beautiful.  As Victoria grows up people always comment about how beautiful Gracie is, then turn to look at Victoria and either say nothing about her or ask if she was adopted. 

 The novel follows Victoria from when she was a baby, thru childhood, college, and then on until she is in her early 30s.  Victoria’s parents are hard on her.  They are always asking her when she is going to lose some weight. They never notice when she does lose weight, which discourages Victoria. She always seems to be going on diets, then breaking the diet and going on an ice cream binge, losing any progress she may have made.   Victoria’s parents are not happy with her choice of occupation either.  She decides to become a teacher and they tell her she should do something else that would make more money. 

 It is frustrating how her parents are constantly criticizing her about her weight, her looks, and her choice of occupation.  Their constant criticizing has made her feel as if she is not worth anything.  She assumes that she will always be alone, because no man would find her attractive.  Near the end of the book she has finally realized that she is worth something, no matter what she looks like. 

 I liked this book because you were rooting for the main character to stop listening to the negativity from her parents and finally realize that she was worth something.  She finally accepts herself and starts to take care of herself by eating healthy and exercising, not to lose weight but just to be healthy.  

*This book review as previously published on April 5th, 2015 on a blog I previously contributed to.*

Nine Women, One Dress

Nine Women, One Dress
by Jane L. Rosen

Nine Women, One Dress intertwines different stories and characters and how one dress effects them.  It was a fun read.  I enjoyed reading the ongoing stories among the characters and seeing how the dress would connect their stories one to the next.  It was fun, something a little different.

Natalie is a salesgirl at Bloomingdale's, upset over how her ex-boyfriend is already engaged to someone else after they just broke up two months ago.  Next thing you know she is dating a movie star, who is of course actually a nice guy.  In a mix-up she thinks he is gay, when he is not.  I pictured the actor who plays Kevin on This is Us.  And oh I wanted their relationship to work out, I was rooting for them.

Felicia, an executive assistant, has been in love with her boss for twenty years.  While his wife was alive, Arthur only had eyes for her.  Apparently Felicia's feelings have long been clear to everyone around her, including his wife while she was alive.  Felicia was always respectful and never made a move.  Interesting how Felicia and his wife actually got along quite well and respected each other. 

Andrea, is a private eye investigating a husband accused of cheating.  And oddly soon finds herself falling for the husband, who turns out to be a decent guy.

Sophie, is a Brown graduate, living at home and currently looking for a job.  She starts posting on Instagram fake pictures to make herself look better.  I found her annoying, making stuff up, posting fake pictures.  She could probably use her time better.

There are more minor characters intertwined throughout the book, but those were the main stories that stuck out to me and I enjoyed reading.

Finding Me: A Decade of Darkness, a Life Reclaimed

Finding Me: A Decade of Darkness, a Life Reclaimed: A Memoir of the Cleveland Kidnappings

by Michelle Knight

Michelle Knight was kidnapped by Ariel Castro and held captive for over ten years.  Michelle was later joined in captivity by two other victims: Amanda Berry and Gina DeJesus.  This biography describes her life from a child, to the time she was abducted, and then finally to when she escaped and regained her freedom.

Michelle has a difficult life that starts with her childhood.  She is abused as a young child by a family member.  Later she has a child, Joey, at a young age and struggles to financially provide for him.  Joey is taken away from her because of suspected abuse, which happened while she was working and he was in the care of her mother and mother’s boyfriend.  Michelle’s story then goes on describing being held captive for over ten years and the abuse she endured. 

What impressed me the most with Michelle is that even though she goes through much more than anybody should have to endure, she comes through it all with a positive attitude.  After she finally regained her freedom, she made plans for her future, including going to school, getting a job and speaking out for other kidnapping victims.  Michelle’s positive attitude is inspirational.

*This book review was previously published on March 15th, 2015 on a blog I previously contributed to.*

I'm not Missing

I'm not Missing
by Carrie Fountain

Miranda is best friends with Syd.  They both have something in common that bonded them: both are motherless.  Miranda's mother abandoned her to join a cult when she was 8 and never saw her again.  It's not clear what happened to Syd's mother, just that she is not there and that her father has remarried. 

Syd is on her way to an Ivy League school, does well in school, has started several successful school clubs and is doing well.  Then one day, suddenly and seemingly for no reason, Syd disappears.  She leaves a note that says "I'm not missing" so at least her family knows that no fowl play was involved and she had purposely disappeared.

Miranda is left behind wondering why her friend has disappeared.  What happened?  Why did she leave without telling her?  Along the way, Miranda falls in love with Nick as they search for answers.

Syd's parents (father and stepmother) were cold and uncaring.  When she goes missing, they cut off her phone, report the car as stolen and even move shortly after.  This was quite a contrast from Miranda's father.  He was very caring, a great dad who genuinely cared about his daughter.  

I kept reading as the mystery about where Syd had gone was interesting.  I was a bit disappointed when you find out about what had happened.  Really?  That's it.  I don't want to give away the ending for those who haven't read the book, but I don't really care for Syd.  She seems selfish and not a very good friend, and she makes poor choices.  Her running away wasn't necessary, she should have gone to college like she had planned.

Brother's Blood

Brother’s Blood by Scott Cawelti

 This novel is a fictional account based on the true events of a murder that occurred in Cedar Falls 1975.  The novel is written from Jerry Mark’s view.

 Jerry Mark was a Peace Corps volunteer, lawyer, 4-H leader, and vice-president of his Cedar Falls High School senior class.  He was about the last person you would expect to murder his brother and family in cold blood. Jerry is jealous of his brother inheriting the family farm.  He tells everybody that he is taking a motorcycle trip to find himself.  He calls his girlfriend a few times and tells her where he is located.  However, later the police find out that Jerry lied about his location when they are able to trace his phone calls.  He is actually much closer to Iowa than he wants anybody to realize.

 This novel is much darker than something I would normally read, but I chose this as part of the true crime genre while participating in the library’s 5-5-5 Challenge.  (Read five different books from five genres that you normally do not read from.)  The novel was well written, and kept your interest.  It is horrifying to think that this really did happen, that a brother would murder his own brother out of jealousy and that he would also murder his sister-in-law and an innocent five year old and a 21 month old toddler.

You can decide for yourself if Jerry is guilty or innocent. However, the evidence presented in the book make a strong case against him.   After reading this, you may want to go and hug your own children.

*This book review was previously published on February 22nd, 2015 on a blog I previously contributed too.*

Life after Theft

Life after Theft

by Aprilynne Pike

Jeff is starting at a new private high school.  He meets Kimberlee, who is a ghost.  She stole a massive amount of stuff while she was alive and wants Jeff's help to return the items.  

I found Kimberlee, the ghost character interesting.  Jeff talking to  her, being careful when people see him otherwise they think he's talking to himself and crazy.  

Jeff starts making friends and gets help from them to return the items.  Otherwise apparently it would have taken Jeff forever to return the items since Kimberlee stole so much stuff.  How did she never get caught if she was able to fill a cave up with stolen items?  You would think someone would have seen something.

I don't think this was the best book by Aprilynn Pike, after a while I found myself getting bored with the book and not caring so much about what was going to happen.  I would recommend her Wings or Earthbound series instead.  Those were both pretty good reads.

That Night

That Night by Chevy Stevens 

Toni and her boyfriend, Ryan, spend 15 years in prison for the murder of her sister.  They are innocent.  The novel switches back and forth between a few months before the murder and when Toni is getting out on patrol.  Toni and Ryan were both rebellious teenagers getting in trouble.  Her younger sister, Nicole, seems perfect but is hiding a secret.  Toni is bullied by a group of popular girls led by Shauna.   Toni would like to clear her name but does not want to end up back in jail from violating her parole. 

Right away it is clear that Toni and Ryan are innocent but it is unclear as to who really murdered her sister for most of the novel. They are troublemakers, but that does not mean they are murderers.  Toni’s mother is a cold and heartless woman, never believing Toni is innocent.  Her mother is not much warmer during the flashbacks of when Toni is a teenager.  Her mother just plain never seems to like Toni.  Meanwhile, Nicole can do no wrong, when she is actually keeping secrets and sneaking out at night.  It is surprising how easily Toni and Ryan can be set up and falsely accused of something that they did not do.  They have several witnesses who lie in court.  Read to find out if Toni’s name is ever going to be cleared of the wrongful conviction.  

*This was previously published on February 1st, 2015 on a previous blog I contributed too.*

The Ever After

The Ever After
by Sarah Pekkanen

Josie and Frank Moore have a good marriage, at least that is what Josie thinks.  Until one day, Josie looks at her husband's phone and notices messages to another woman.  Frank is having an affair.  Josie is in disbelief and shock.  She had no idea.  

The novel flips between present day and flashbacks to before the affair, to try to explain how they ended up where they did.  They did fight and argue before the affair.  And afterwards they end up going to therapy, which does seem to help.

This novel does a good job of going into the depth of emotions Josie is feeling after finding out about the affair.  Frank says he is sorry and sounds remorseful.  However, after what he did I would not trust him again and Josie should have kicked him out of the house immediately.  The snake.  He might be a good husband for a while, but once he has strayed, I could see it happening easily down the road.

It was a bit of a darker read for me, and the next book I read, I'm picking out something a bit lighter.

Five Days Left

Five Days Left by Julie Lawson Timmer

This novel splits between two different characters both counting down to an event in five days.  Mara is a lawyer, wife, and mother who was diagnosed with Huntington's disease four years ago.  Mara is planning on killing herself in five days.  Scott is a teacher who has five days left with his foster son before he is returned to his birth mother.  Both characters have five days left to say goodbye to their loved ones.

 Scott is dreading giving up his foster son back to his birthmother.   Scott’s wife is currently pregnant.   Scott comes across as caring more about his foster child than his pregnant wife and unborn child. 

I found Mara’s character much more interesting than Scott’s story.  The author does a good job of drawing you in describing how Mara goes from this successful lawyer to losing control of her own body.   She has to buy Depends for when she accidentally pees on herself; She is horrified that she can no longer control her bladder. She is shaking her arms nonstop and walking funny, like she is drunk, without realizing it.   She knows that she is going to keep deteriorating until she is in a nursing home.   Mara does not want to be in the nursing home, feeling she would be a burden to her husband and an embarrassment to her young daughter.  She decides the best thing to do would be to commit suicide before she loses even more control over her body.  Nobody has any idea that this is what she is planning and it is difficult to decide what is worse: for Mara to commit suicide before her disease gets worse, causing her family to lose the time they had left with her; or for her to keep deteriorating as her family watches her get worse and worse until she can no longer take care of herself.

*This book review was previously published on January 11th, 2015 on a previous blog I contributed too.*

Someone I used to Know

Someone I used to Know
by Patty Blount

This book looks at the aftermath of a rape.  Ashley is raped and this book flips between before the rape happened and her life two years later.

I found this book relevant in the current #metoo movement.  It's an emotional read.  It's two years later and she still lives in fear.  You see how the rape has torn her family apart.  Her parents rarely communicate with each other anymore.  At one time Ashley was very close to her brother, and they are now distant.  When it comes down to it, she feels that he failed her and wasn't there for her, and he is overcome with guilt about not preventing the rape.  He feels he should have done something more to prevent his sister from getting hurt.

I thought this book really got into the aftermath of he rape and how it can effect numerous people down the road.  It also talks about the brother going to meetings at school and how to help others.

Now is Everything

Now is Everything
by Amy Giles

The McCauleys, a family of four, appear to be the perfect family.  Yet they are hiding a secret.  

Hadley is a straight-A student, the captain of her lacrosse team, and nothing is giving off a red flag that there is something wrong at home.  Yet something is very wrong at home.  Her father is extremely controlling, violent and abusive.  She has a younger sister and lives in fear that soon her father's attention will turn from her, to her younger sister.  

Hadley is nicknamed Muscles.  She is so athletic not by choice but because she has to go through brutal workouts with her father.  She gets up to run at 4:30am, she is lifting weights and it's too much for her body as she comments about her hip pain that she is running through.  

This novel rotates between after the accident and prior to the accident. I like to see what happened prior to the accident, what happened and how she felt so hopeless.  And I was curious to find out exactly what happened at the accident.

She is surrounded by people who would help her if she said anything.  Hadley fears that nobody will believe her and asking for help would just merely escalate  the violence at home.  Her teachers, coach, friends, boyfriend, any one of them would want to help her.  And she has the bruises on her body that would proove that someone is hurting her.  

It's sad as someone in such a seemingly hopeless situation is surrounded by people who would help.  However, I could see an abuser purposely isolating their victim so they wouldn't even have those people to reach out too.

The one person I don't see lifting a finger to help her is the mother.  Her mother is constantly drinking wine, clearly an alcoholic, her mother deals with the problems at home by drinking.  Her mother doesn't defend her daughter, she blames her.  It's frustrating to see the mother not stand up for her daughter or to leave the abusive man to protect her family.  

However, at one time she would have been the father's victim and who knows what horrible ordeal she went through in the past that has now broken her and made her to constantly drink.  At the one time he focused on her, and now he is focused on Hadley, and soon he will turn his attention to the younger sister.

This was a good story that made you think about domestic violence and how you might help someone in that situation.

Brave New Girl

Brave New Girl
by Rachel Vincent

This is the first in a series, it's a young adult dystopian novel.  I like reading dystopian novels as they are imaginative making a whole new world, a different way that the world could be.  

In this first book, you meet Dahlia 16.  She is one of five thousand clones that all look alike.   That is the way her world works.  There are large numbers of clones that are made.  There are no individuals, there are no people made like the old days.  That is antiqued and not efficient.  Mass-producing clones is the way.

One day Dahlia 16 is trapped in an elevator and that changes everything.  She meets Trigger 17.  She isn't supposed to talk to him, but she breaks the rules and does.  After that she can't stop thinking about him.  If she's caught, she will be considered flawed.  Which is very bad, because if she is flawed, then so are her 4,999 incidentals, who will all be recalled to be destroyed.

I ended up picking the second one in this series from the library, bringing it home, and then realizing it was a series.  Luckily I was able to find the first in the series at another local library.  

This was a quick read for me, after I read this one I couldn't wait to pick up the second.  I wanted Dahlia 16 and Trigger 17 to be able to be together, but their world was so different from what I'm used too.  All the clones.  The belief that if something is wrong with one of the clones, they all had to die.  

Strange New Girl is the second one is this series.

This one follows Dahlia 16 and Trigger 17 as they have escaped the city.  They have realized that the rest of the world is not like where they grew up.  They come from a clone farm that is mass producing servants for the elite. 

After Dahlia's 4,999 clones are recalled, she finds out she still has one remaining clone on the outside.  Her duplicate, who should not exists, is Whitney Whitmore, a rich, popular teenager who has a show that details her everyday life.  Whitney has no idea she is a clone.

I enjoyed the second book in the series more than the first, I'm not sure if it's by then I was just so into their world, or if it was the book itself.  I was rooting for Dahlia.  The clone aspect was intriguing.  And them trying to keep Dahlia hidden since no one was supposed to know that Whitney was a clone was interesting.  Whitney herself grows from a spoiled, rich brat, to somebody who cares about others: the clones.

This was such a fun series to read!  I read both of these books quite quickly as they were hard to put down.  I am eagerly awaiting a third book, if the author decides to write one!

My Year of Rest and Relaxation

My Year of Rest and Relaxation
by  Ottessa Moshfegh

I'm not sure what made me pick this one up at the library.  It was on the new book shelf, which is my favorite spot to pick out books to read.  

This book was well, just odd.  Our main character, is young, thin, pretty and a recent Columbia graduate.  Her apartment and everything else is paid for by her inheritance.  She doesn't have to worry about money, she doesn't have to worry about anything.  

She goes to see a psychiatrists who keeps giving her more prescriptions.  I don't know if the blatant lying of how she was feeling to score more pills to take was worse, or her wacky psychiatrists. 

She wants more and more pills, I have no idea how she could even keep track of everything she was on.  Or why that wasn't sending a dozen red flags when someone is on so many pills.  Either way, she mopes around and just takes more and more pills that she gets lying to her psychiatrists.  She ignores everything going on around her, including her one friend that tries to check on her.  And her friend needs helps too!

Towards the end of the book she is taking a pill that knocks her out for three days at a time.  She takes one, wakes up long enough to eat, shower, stay up for a brief amount of time and then takes another pill.

This book was depressing.  And then I see it's up for one of the Goodreads awards.  Why?!?  I feel like maybe I completely missed something with this book as I thought it was one of the most depressing books I have read.

If you have read this book, and liked it, please share below why.

Pig the Pug

Pig the Pug
by Aaron Blabey

As a mother of young children, I read quite a few children's books.  We read books at nap time, we read books at bedtime.  It has long been our standard routine.  

One of my favorites lately has been Pig the Pug.  I love this book!  It is fun, the pictures are hilarious.  Half the time I'm cracking up laughing.  

This book follows the antics of Pig, a selfish Pug, and his friend, Trevor, an easy-going dachshund.  Pig is always getting into mischief, and by the end Pig has learned another lesson.  

Each book has a nice little lesson for children (don't be greedy, share, don't cheat, etc.)

The first one is Pig the Pug.  And I have read this one so much, my son actually has it memorized and will say the words with me.  He is young enough, that he hasn't learned to read yet, but he knows his Pig the Pug books quite well.  

There are several Pig the Pug books, and I was so happy to see they were available via my daughter's Scholastic orders.  These books are fun enough for me to want my own copy, but hey, books are expensive!  What isn't too expensive are those Scholastic copies.  It's a win-win for all of us.  I am eagerly awaiting the latest Scholastic order where my daughter will get her book choice and I will receive Pig the Elf and Pig the Star.  I can't wait!

Fitness Junkie

Fitness Junkie
by Lucy Sykes and Jo Piazza

This one caught my eye at the library honestly because of the bright pink cover (my favorite color!)and it's title: Fitness Junkie.  I love to workout so I had to pick it up off the shelf and see what it was about.

Janey, is the CEO of a wedding dress company.  After getting photographed eating in the front row at a fashion show, her business partner, Beau, gives her an ultimatum: she has to loose 30 pounds in order to keep her job.  

The idea that someone would have to lose weight in order to keep their job is utterly ridiculous.  Though I could see that happening to someone who is a model, which is awful.  Anyway, without that ridiculous concept, you can't have what was a fun book.

I wanted to slap Beau, her business partner, who was the one who suggested she had to lose the weight, as she was the face of their company.  Such a snake!  He wasn't even the boss or owner of the company, he was the co-owner with her.  

The different diets that she comes across in this book were just amusing.  The clay diet where you only ate clay.  The butter diet. Yes, butter.  Ugh.  The all-white diet where you could only eat white foods.

Janey goes on her fitness journey, and soon meets Sarah Strong who is is currently doing a workout that is just called "The Workout" which is the latest rage as it's all hush hush to try to find the location and get into.  

I like as Janey moves from the beginning of the book from going to try to lose the weight from that snake Beau's advice, to growing through the book and eventually being comfortable in her own skin.  Heads up, she doesn't need to lose weight!

I think there were a couple other books by these authors at the library when I picked this one up, I will definitely be reading those down the road sometime too.