November and December 2024 Wrap Up

Just a few days late. Sorry about that.

The end of the year kind of sneaked up on me. I got sick for several days at the beginning of December and then Gabriel (and Kevin and I) got parainfluenza which caused croup. We ended up taking Gabriel to urgent care one evening and they admitted him to the PICU. They released us the next night, but about two nights later (around midnight) we ended up taking him to the ER and being admitted to the general pediatric unit for about a day. A couple of days later was Gabriel's first birthday and the day we were leaving for Connecticut. But we ended up canceling our flights out to take Gabriel to the ER again for more breathing treatments. We did get to go to Connecticut but we left on Christmas. And then I got sick again for a couple days on the way back. Anyway, it has been super hectic and I think I just need a break.

Being a parent is still hard and time-consuming. Gabriel is moving and playing and eating real food, which is great. But it is still difficult to keep up with everything else in life. He is such a cutie though and it is fun to watch him learn and grow.

Work is kind of terrible right now. I was passed up for a promotion again in favor of someone much less experienced who takes on much less work and extra tasks, but who is liked by the supervisor. But a couple of people have left which has very much improved things in my department overall.

We will be moving soon to a larger apartment, which is very exciting! We will have two bedrooms (instead of no bedrooms) and two bathrooms, full size washer and dryer, much more space and more storage/closet space. I hate packing and moving, but I cannot wait!

I want to do quick book reviews and then I will talk about my sort of New Years goals from last year. I will do my best to get up a New Year post to talk about goals for this coming year.

Dreadful Company and Grave Importance

by Vivian Shaw 

Narrator: Suzannah Hampton

Re-reads

4 stars out of 5 stars

 

A Curse for True Love by

Stephanie Garber

Narrators: Dan Bittner and Rebecca Soler

Synopsis/Thoughts: This is the last book in the Once Upon a Broken Heart trilogy. I didn't remember the previous book as well as I maybe should have, but it was fine. Evangeline enters the story with her memory gone, married to a prince, and trying to figure out what has happened to her. Her husband, Apollo, is doing his best to keep her from remembering anything. And Jacks, the Prince of Hearts and Fate is hiding from Apollo and his men but staying close enough to Evangeline to help and protect her, even if she doesn't know him anymore. I enjoyed these books. After the Caraval series, I really wanted books about Jacks and it wasn't exactly what I was expecting, but I am still happy with it.

3 1/2 stars out of 5 stars

When I Was Your Age by

Kenan Thompson

Narrator: Kenan Thompson 

Synopsis/Thoughts: Kenan Thompson talks about his rise to fame and the various jobs he has worked and making it in the world of comedy, but also having a normal life. Parts of this book were a little disorganized, from my perspective, but I did like it overall. And I am a sucker for memoirs read by the author.

3 stars out of 5 stars

 

Bits and Pieces by

Whoopi Goldberg

Narrator: Whoopi Goldberg

Synopsis/Thoughts: Whoopi Goldberg focuses on her growing up and rise to fame but through the lens of her relationships with her mother and brother, to whom she was very close. I really enjoyed this book. It was a great read and occasionally very funny. I don't know a whole lot about her, but it was interesting learning some and hearing about her mother and brother. And again, read by the author which I love.

4 stars out of 5 stars 

Divine Might by

Natalie Haynes

Narrator: Natalie Haynes

Synopsis/Thoughts: This book was all about different goddesses in Greek mythology. And read by the author to boot. It probably will come as no surprise that I really enjoyed this book. I know I have read at least one other book by her and liked it. I would like to read more. Definitely recommend if you like Greek mythology.

4 stars out of 5 stars 

 

Wolfsong by

TJ Klune

Narrator: Kirt Graves

Synopsis/Thoughts: Ox's father abandoned him and his mother when he was 12, but taught Ox to believe that he wasn't worth much and that no one would like him before he took off. Despite that, Ox manages to gather people around him who become family. Including the family that moves in next door who have a bunch of their own secrets that change Ox's whole life. This book was, first off, longer than I was expecting. I think I liked it overall. I liked how Ox developed and really liked his relationship with Gordo. I was interested in a lot of the characters individually as well, like Kelly, Elizabeth, and Robbie I haven't decided if I will continue the series or not. I think I would like to, but I have been bad at investing in series these days.

3 stars out of 5 stars 

 

Keep Moving by

Dick Van Dyke

Narrator: Dick Van Dyke

Synopsis/Thoughts: I went on a memoir kick. Another one, read by the author. Dick Van Dyke talks about himself later in life and what it is like growing old. He is still so remarkably with-it and active at the age when he wrote this book, it is actually really interesting to hear about. Maybe it could inspire me to do better for myself as I get older.

3 stars out of 5 stars 

Beyond the Wand by

Tom Felton

Narrator: Tom Felton

Synopsis/Thoughts:Yet another memoir read by the author. This focuses on Tom Felton's life leading up to, during, and shortly after the filming of the Harry Potter movies. There was a lot about him that I didn't know, but he tells it in a way that is very honest and human. I admire him and am glad that I read this one.

4 stars out of 5 stars 

 

You're a Mean One Matthew Prince

by Timothy Janovsky

Narrator: Mark Sanderlin

Synopsis/Thoughts: Matthew Prince is a spoiled rich kid who, in a bid for his parents' attention, buys an island and ends up banned to the small town his mother grew up in to spend the holidays with his grandparents. And with the annoying guy who is staying with his grandparents. As predicted, he starts to have a change of heart. This was very predictable, but also a sweet, easy read.

2 1/2 stars out of 5 stars

 

 

Landline by

Rainbow Rowell

Narrator: Rebecca Lowman

Re-read

5 stars out of 5 stars

 

 

A Christmas Carol

by Charles Dickens

Narrator: Tim Curry
 Re-read

4 stars out of 5 stars

 

A Universe of Wishes

Editor: Dhonielle Clayton

Various Authors

Synopsis/Thoughts: This is an anthology of diverse stories. I really liked some of the stories and definitely liked some more than others. But I think there is something for everyone. And diversity in authors and characters is always welcome!

4 stars out of 5 stars

Winterwood by

Shea Ernshaw

Synopsis/Thoughts: Nora comes from a long line of witches but seems to have no special power herself, though she longs for it. On the heels of her grandmother's death, a snow storm takes out the power, phone lines, and roads to her family cabin as well as the surrounding area which includes a camp for troubled boys. While walking through the dark (maybe evil?) woods, she encounters a boy from the camp who should be dead. Oliver's memories aren't clear anymore and he is keeping secrets from Nora, but the dark woods and perpetual storm will drag everything out eventually. There were a few different layers to this book. I loved Nora and her family and their spell book. The way people interacted with Oliver was so strange that it kept me engaged as well. Overall it was a good read.

3 stars out of 5 stars 

 

Spectacular by

Stephanie Garber

Synopsis/Thoughts: Short story that is Caraval 3.5. The Great Holiday is coming and Donatella is distraught. She has been feeling unsure of Legend's feelings for her and is determined to come up with the best Great Holiday gift for him. Her search leads her on a rather strange adventure. This was a fun story story. It has been a while since I read the Caraval series so all the details weren't as clear, but it was cute and enjoyable.

3 1/2 stars out of 5 stars 

10 Things That Never Happened

by Alexis Hall

Narrator: Will M. Watt

Re-read

4 1/2 stars out of 5 stars 

Favorite book read in November/December: Am I allowed to say Landline?

Least favorite book read in November/December: You're a Mean One Matthew Prince

I managed to pass my reading goal of 75 books for the year. I read 83 books.

One of my goals at the start of the year was to get back into journaling, which I have actually been keeping up with pretty well. I found a way to get my journal set up that helps keep me more engaged. I hope to do a blog post one day, but we see how that goes anymore.

I wanted to read more of my backlogged Owlcrate books this year, and I did OK with that. For the normal subscription books I read 17 in 2024. I read more if you count the sequels and special editions that Owlcrate did separate from the normal subscription. I didn't really track those but I am going to try to do so moving forward.

December 2022 Wrap Up

December has been quite a month. Normally it is my favorite month, but it really got off to a rough start until closer to the end of the month. Mostly because of work. Because work is hard and frustrating and all-consuming. So that is all I will say about that.

December means Hanukkah, which I celebrated by getting new electric candles for my little menorah. That was lovely. December also means my birthday, which work almost ruined, but I managed some days off and had dinner with friends, went to see a play with Kevin, and some other fun things. 

Kevin and I went out to Connecticut to visit his family for Christmas. Our flights were some that got totally messed up so we were stranded out there longer than planned, but it was a nice time. We went to see Mark Twain's house, which was very cool. And we went to the Harry Potter Forbidden Forest Experience, which was awesome. I posted photos and videos of that on my Instagram if you are interested in looking.

The rats are getting along in years. Festus and Dion turned two in November. Eros turned two this month and Apollo turns two in January. Festus is having respiratory issues, but we have tried so many antibiotics and treatments and nebulizers. I think it is just a matter of keeping him happy until it gets to be too much and we need to put him to sleep. But he's doing OK. Dion is still on heart meds and not exactly healthy, but also fine. Eros might have some sort of autoimmune or genetic something? He has lost some fur in weird places and not grown it back and one of his feet occasionally swells for a day or two. Otherwise he seems happy and healthy. And Apollo has never had a health crisis and hopefully never will!

Mallow had his second Gotcha Day on New Year's Eve. Little demon. I guess he's OK mostly and we kinda like him. Sometimes. He's cute though, so there is that!

I did alright with reading this month. I am going to try to keep reviews very short so I can touch on goals for the coming year.

Title: Landline

Author: Rainbow Rowell

Narrator: Rebecca Lowman

 

Synopsis and thoughts: I don't need to review this one, right? It is one of my all-time favorites and yes, I read it more than once this December. I always love it so much.

 

Rating: 5 stars out of 5 stars

 

Titles: Magic Steps and Street Magic

Author: Tamora Pierce

 

Synopsis and thoughts: The first two Circle Opens books about Sandry and Briar becoming teachers. I have read these books many times over the years. These are comfort reads and I do enjoy them.

 

Rating: 4 stars out of 5 stars

Title: The House in the Cerulean Sea

Author: TJ Klune

Narrator: Daniel Henning

 

Synopsis and thoughts: This was a re-read for me. After I finished Under the Whispering Door, I wanted to revisit it. It is a lovely, sweet story and I definitely recommend it.

 

Rating: 4 1/2 stars out of 5 stars 

Title: Eight Nights of Flirting

Author: Hannah Reynolds

Narrator: Emily Lawrence

 

Synopsis: Shira is determined to return from winter break with the perfect boyfriend. The only problem? She cannot, and I mean cannot, talk to boys without being totally awkward. Enter Tyler, her old crush and master flirt. They strike a deal where he will teach her to flirt and she will introduce him to her uncle for an internship. That will work, right?

 

Thoughts: A Hanukkah story! Yay! This was pretty cute actually. I didn't totally love everything (maybe because I am older than the target audience), but it was an enjoyable and easy read. And I am always interested in Hanukkah stories.

 

Rating: 3 1/2 stars out of 5 stars

 

 

Title: The Matzah Ball

Author: Jean Meltzer

Narrator: Dara Rosenberg

Synopsis: Rachel, good Jewish girl and Rabbi's daughter has a secret: she ghost writes Christmas romance stories. She loves Christmas, the magic of it. But she is about to lose her job if she doesn't come up with a Hanukkah romance. In her search for inspiration, she gets in with Jacob who is running the biggest, fanciest Hanukkah event: the Matzah Ball. Rachel just needs to get in and she is sure she will find her story.

Thoughts: A Hanukkah story! I always get a bit excited when I find Hanukkah stories. This story was cute and fun and chaos happens. The ending was definitely cheese-y, but you have to know that is coming when you go in. It was a nice story and worth a read if Hanukkah romances might be your thing!

Rating: 3 1/2 stars out of 5 stars

Title: A Christmas Carol

Author: Charles Dickens

Narrator: Tim Curry

 

Synopsis and thoughts: Another one I read nearly every year that I probably don't need to really review. I still enjoy this every year, this is a great version, I still picture them as Mickey Mouse characters.

 

Rating: 4 stars out of 5 stars 

Title: The Further Adventures of Ebenezer Scrooge

Author: Charlie Lovett

Narrator: Tim Gerard Reynolds

 

Synopsis: What happened to Scrooge after his life-changing Christmas experience? Well here is an answer for you. And he sets out to save other people like himself.

 

Thoughts: I was worried this would be bad. It was maybe a bit cheese-y and I didn't think that him needing to save the first and third people were really true to the story, but that's OK. It very much keeps the style and tone of the original story. It was a fun, quick read.

 

Rating: 3 stars out of 5 stars

 

 

Favorite book read this month: Landline? Always? I can't help it.

Least favorite book read this month: The Further Adventures of Ebenezer Scrooge, only due to it having the lowest rating.

 

I read a total of 91 books this year. My goal was 60.

Now for the new year!

My reading goal will be to read 75 books.

I also want to make a real effort to get through more of my Owlcrate books. They are almost always fantasy and I so rarely want to read fantasy these days, but I need to either read them or stop subscribing!

In non-reading goals:

• I want to be better about saving money. I have already been good about contributing to my retirement (at Kevin's insistence). 
• I want to cut down on the number of emails I am subscribed to. That sounds silly, but I am so tired of having to delete 50 ads in my email every day. I have already started this process. 
• I haven't been great at keeping my journal the last few months, so I'd like to get back on that wagon. Part of my problem was adding book reviews into my journal. Doing them in there and on this blog got exhausting and then I didn't want to do it anymore. I just need to modify how I journal. 
• I want to cut down on the number of stupid games that I play on my phone. 
• Lastly, I want to go through things that I have and get rid of anything I am not using. It is something I have been working on and I sometimes do well and other times don't.

Anyone else have good goals for 2023?

November 2022 Wrap Up

Another month flew by. I guess that will keep happening.

Things have been hectic for me, mostly due to work. I am almost the only person who can do any of my job which means a lot of work falls on me and I can't get help and support because no one is trained and the only one who can train them is me and I don't have time to train them... There are some big studies going on and a very big one coming up to prepare for.

In personal news, I have been missing Poseidon like crazy. The other boys are doing alright. Festus still battles respiratory issues and I recently started him on a steroid in a nebulizer which seems to help out. So we keep going along.

This might be weird, but I recently got into slime. I can't remember how I even found it at first, I think it was through a toy/asmr account that I follow on Instagram. And I loved listening to people playing with some of them, so I have ordered some! My first two were from Slime Obsidian. I got a fizz and an icee one. They smell amazing, first off. I took the icee one to work to play with when I feel anxious or while I am reading things. That has been nice. I have since gotten a few others from a couple other shops. I have enjoyed the ones I have ordered from BlushingBB Slimes, one cloud slime that drizzles and one that has beads so it sounds crunchy. I need to post some photos and/or videos on Instagram. I find the crunchy and sizzle-y ones very satisfying!

Anyway, enough of that. Lets do some quick book reviews and figure out what I should read for the holidays!

Titles: Daja's Book and Briar's Book

Author: Tamora Pierce

 

Synopsis and thoughts: These are the third and fourth books in the Circle of Magic series where the four take on forest fires and a plague. I have read these books many times, they are comfort reads for me. I always enjoy them.

 

Rating: 4 stars out of 5 stars

 

 

Titles: Strange Practice, Dreadful Company, and Grave Importance

Author: Vivian Shaw

Narrator: Suzannah Hampton

Synopsis: This series follows Dr. Greta Helsing as she treats patients who, according to the rest of the world, don't exist.

Thoughts: I have read these books at least twice each. I just think they are fun and wonderful. I can't recommend them enough. And they have the cutest illustrations in the front of the books that I get a kick out of.

Rating: 4 1/2 stars out of 5 stars

 

Title: The Last Olympian

Author: Rick Riordan

Narrator: Jesse Bernstein

 

Synopsis and thoughts: This is the last book in the Percy Jackson series. Another one I feel like I don't need to say much about. I have read these books many times and I always enjoy them. They are more comfort reads for me.

 

Rating: 4 stars out of 5 stars

 

 

Title: Under the Whispering Door

Author: T. J. Klune

Narrator: Kirt Graves

Synopsis: Wallace is dead, there is no doubting that. Especially when a reaper appears to take his soul to Charon's Crossing and the ferryman and tea shop owner, Hugo. Not ready to cross yet, Wallace remains at Charon's crossing learning about life and death and what it means to be a good person.

Thoughts: This book was recommended by a friend and I already read and liked House in the Cerulean Sea. This story was wonderful and charming, occasionally funny and touching and sad. I did guess about the Manager before we saw him, but it didn't take away from the story. This book was so great and I definitely cried, sometimes when it made me sad and sometimes when it made me happy. The characters are so great. They are flawed and they learn and they feel more real.

Rating: 4 1/2 stars out of 5 stars

 

Title: My Evil Mother

Author: Margaret Atwood

 

Synopsis: This short story follows a teenage girl in the 1950s and her tumultuous relationship with her mother. Her mother is single and, apparently, is a witch. As this teenager grows up and she has different thoughts about her mother, finding her more and more outlandish, until she understands her.

 

Thoughts: I have never read anything by Margaret Atwood. This story was interesting and I definitely enjoyed the way that it progresses. I wasn't sure if it counted as a book since it is a short story, but I have already surpassed my reading goal for the year so I am going to count it.

Rating: 3 1/2 stars out of 5 stars

Favorite book read this month: Under the Whispering Door

Least favorite book read this month: My Evil Mother, but only because it has the lowest rating, it was good.

I have read 83 books this year. My goal was 60.

And holiday reads. Here are some of the books I have that I will probably select from. I may not read all of them and I have a list of others that might grab my interest instead. I know I will read Landline at least once (maybe twice because I love it so much). And the Matzah Ball because it is rare and fun to find Hanukkah books.

I hope you all enjoy your holiday season! Let me know if you have any good holiday reads!

December 2021 Wrap Up

We made it to the end of another year. But everything feels so different with covid, right? I feel like time passes differently. 

It's been a busy month: end of Hanukkah, birthday, Christmas, and the New Year. I thought a bit about New Year's resolutions, but I may forgo that this year and stick with a few personal goals with no pressure. I will set a reading goal. I managed to get through 58 books this year, even with wedding planning and so on. My 2022 goal will be 60. I will adjust it (up or down) if I feel like I need to.

My other reading goal was to finish/continue some series that I haven't gotten around to yet. I managed to read Silvered Serpents and the Obelisk Gate to continue those series (maybe I can finish them this year). I read the Night of the Dragon and finished that series. I started reading Winter at the beginning of the year and haven't managed to finish it... not because it isn't good, I just haven't been feeling it. I wanted to read Vengeful, which is still high on my list once the new year starts. And I seriously need to finish the Three Dark Crowns series. I love the books, I think I am just scared to read the last one.

And I decided I am actually going to put together some DIY wedding posts. I have remained part of a couple wedding planning groups on Facebook and I actually have helpful information, apparently. I will get to work on those in the new year, too.

Another goal will be to get at least a couple new disease posts up. It has been a while and I do so love infectious diseases!

And December is the time for holiday reads! And I have a whole list of ideas for holiday reads and I read none of the ones on my list because I just wasn't feeling them, but that's alright. I'm a big mood reader and this year it has been extra hard to read books I am not in the mood for. So here are the books I read this month.

Title: Landline

Author: Rainbow Rowell

Narrator: Rebecca Lowman

 

Synopsis: (Copied from last year's post.) Georgie loves her husband, Neal. And she know he loves her. She's pretty sure, anyway. At the last minute, her job requires her to stay in LA to work and Neal takes their daughters to Nebraska for Christmas. Georgie all but moves back in with her mother, who thinks Neal left Georgie, though Georgie argues that this is not true. Desperate to connect with her husband, she keeps calling but can never get through. Until she tries her old yellow rotary phone in her childhood bedroom to call Neal's landline. And she gets through! To Neal in the past, during the Christmas week he had broken up with her and gone to Nebraska alone. Georgie hadn't talked to him the whole week, but he showed up to propose on Christmas morning. But now she is talking to past Neal. Is she supposed to change something? Fix something?

Thoughts: I still love this book. It is one of my very favorites. I usually cry all the way through the last few chapters and it makes me hopeful, I think. I just love it so very much. After I finished listening to it, I read/listened to some other books and then turned around and listened to this one again... So technically, I read it twice this year. I did that last year, too. I'm not sure what that says about me, but oh well.

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

 

 

Title: A Christmas Carol

Author: Charles Dickens

Narrator: Tim Curry

 

Synopsis: I don't think I need to describe this classic! Christmas ghost story. A bit spooky and otherwise lovely.

 

Thoughts: One of my annual re-reads. I still love it and I still imagine the characters as Disney mice and ducks. And Tim Curry's narration is just awesome, I highly recommend it.

 

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

 

 

Title: If the Fates Allow

Author: Rainbow Rowell

Narrator: Rebecca Lowman

 

Synopsis: In the midst of the Covid pandemic, Reagan prepares to spend Christmas with her grandpa. She is great at social distancing and has made sure she couldn't expose her grandpa. Maybe if they can spend Christmas together with grandma's traditional Jello salad, things will feel normal again.

 

Thoughts: This is a short story that Rainbow Rowell released this year. I enjoyed it (even if the idea of Jello salad horrifies me). It was a nice, short holiday read.

 

Rating: 3 1/2 out of 5 stars

 

 

Title: Christmas Every Day

Author: Beth Moran

Narrator: Helen Keeley

 

Synopsis: Jenny's life has just taken an extreme turn for the worst so she decides to start over. She has inherited her grandmother's cottage in a remote village. And she certainly has a project on her hands to make the cottage livable. Meanwhile, she tries to make friends with the locals, including her handsome and cranky neighbor.

 

Thoughts: This was actually better than I thought it would be. And while I cared little for the main romantic story line, I did like Jenny's friendship with Mack and I enjoyed the side characters.

 

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars 

 

Title: The Trials of Morrigan Crow

Author: Jessica Townsend

Narrator: Gemma Whelan

Synopsis: Morrigan Crow is a cursed child, doomed to die by her twelfth birthday and blamed for any and all bad things that happen anywhere near her. Just before she is due to die, she is rescued by the eccentric Jupiter North who spirits her away to Nevermoor. Once she arrives, Jupiter enters her into a competition to enter the very prestigious Wonder Society. But she doesn't even know what her knack is. But she knows that if she doesn't get in, she is as good as dead.

Thoughts: This was a re-read. I was going to try to wait until 2022 to re-read these books, but I was impatient. And I still loved it. It was unique and fun and kept me interested the whole time.

Rating: 4 1/2 stars out of 5 stars

 

 

Title: The Fire Rose

Author: Mercedes Lackey

 

Synopsis: A twist on the Beauty and the Beast story. Rosalind Hawkins is a recently orphaned and destitute scholar recruited by reclusive rail baron Jason Cameron to read and translate obscure books for him. But then Rose starts to wonder if all this magic the books talk about might actually be real.

Thoughts: I loved this book when I was younger and had not read it for nearly 10 years. It is still not the best and a bit contrived. Once I get into the story it bothers me less. But it is still kind of a fun take on the beauty and the beast tale.

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Favorite read this month: Landline (always)

Least favorite read this month:  probably the Fire Rose

And now on to the new year. I hope it will only get better.

November 2021 Wrap Up

November felt so fast. Probably because the first part of the month was finishing wedding things and going on our honeymoon. And then my October wrap up being sooo late. I will try to be better from now on.

But our honeymoon to Hawaii was lovely! We got to see a ton of things on Oahu. Saw a bunch of different beaches and areas of the island, the Dole plantation, Disney Aulani resort, sea turtles, and so much more. It was great and coming back to real life was hard.

We have now been married for a month! Had our first married Thanksgiving together, just the two of us. That was also very nice. He's my favorite person and being married to him has made me very happy. We finally ordered and got our thank you cards so we need to work on getting those out soon.

I managed to read a fair number of books. I have felt a bit bummed because I just haven't found a book to read (a physical book) that I LOVED in a long time. It has made me feel discouraged. I have soooo many books that I haven't read and some of them seem good, but nothing has really sparked my interest. I have picked up several and none have held my interest. I guess I am in a rut. I hope I will find something to get me out of it soon.

Here are the books I managed to finish this month. All audio books.

Title: The Frontier Magic trilogy

Author: Patricia C. Wrede

Narrator: Amanda Ronconi

 

Synopsis: This series follows Eff, the unlucky thirteenth child. Her twin brother, Lan, is a lucky seventh son of a seventh son. Lan is a natural magician and powerful. Eff is afraid of her magic hurting someone when she "goes bad." So Eff's magic develops a little bit differently, but it gives her a unique perspective that, turns out, is just as important as Lan's.

 

Thoughts: I have read these books many, many times. They are old favorites, old friends. And comfort books. I can't explain it, but I just adore this series.

 

Rating: 4 stars out of 5 stars

 

 

Title: The Charm Offensive

Author: Alison Cochrun

Narrators: Vikas Adam, Graham Halstead, and Cassandra Campbell

 

Synopsis: (Copied from my review in September) Charlie is a socially awkward, anxiety-riddled wealthy and eligible bachelor who agrees to be on a dating reality show to help improve his public image. Dev is a huge romantic and it has been his dream to work with the reality dating show Ever After. Despite his lack-luster romantic life, he really believes in true love. And then he is promoted to being Charlie's handler for the show. And Dev has his work cut out for him getting Charlie to be the prince he is expected to be. After spending some (awkward) time together, Charlie realizes that his chemistry with Dev feels like so much more than his chemistry with the 20 women on the show. Dev agrees, but his career and heart are on the line. Can they find happily ever after?

Thoughts: I just had to re-read this again. But I loved this book just as much the second time. And if you want to know more, you can read my review from September.

Rating: 4 1/2 stars out of 5 stars

 

 

Title: Boyfriend Material

Author: Alexis Hall

Narrator: Joe Jameson

 

Synopsis: (Copied from my review in March) Luc has to clean up his image fast or risk losing his job. He needs to be seen with a nice, normal, appropriate boyfriend. Enter Oliver, a serious, ethical barrister with a squeaky clean record. The two enter an agreement to be fake boyfriends as it will be mutually beneficial. And then real love happens.

 

Thoughts: I generally love the fake dating trope. This was yet another re-read. And I still loved it and thought it was sweet and funny!

 

Rating: 4 1/2 out of 5 stars

 

 

Title: The Love Hypothesis

Author: Ali Hazelwood

Narrator: Callie Dalton

 

Synopsis: PhD candidate Olive is in a weird position. She needs a boyfriend, or a fake boyfriend, ASAP in order to convince her best friend, Anh, to date Olive's ex (who Anh really likes). The only man at hand, however, is Dr. Adam Carlsen, notoriously unapproachable and harsh. Luckily for Olive, Adam needs to convince the administration that he isn't going to leave Stanford any time soon and having a girlfriend will help him look more settled. So they fake date. And of course, real feelings happen.

Thoughts: Fake dating trope, need I say more? That's sort of my thing I guess. As a scientist myself, I enjoyed the science parts. I really enjoyed the book overall. My only complaint was that it felt like the ending fell really flat for me but I can't put my finger on why exactly. But it was happy and fluffy and definitely worth the read!

Rating: 3 1/2 stars out of 5 stars

 

 

Favorite book read this month: geez... since I mostly re-read favorites, nearly all of them?

Least favorite book read this month: none, really. I guess the Love Hypothesis only because it has a slightly lower rating, but not because it was bad and I didn't enjoy it.

I have read 50 books towards my goal of 50! Yay! Maybe I didn't need to lower my goal as badly as I thought. So now I am ahead of schedule for my 2021 reading goal and I will see how many books I get in and plan next year accordingly.

And now it is December! Hanukkah has already started, but I always enjoy Hanukkah and "lighting" my menorah (they are electric tea lights...). Then my birthday and Christmas. Kevin and I will be going out to visit his family in Connecticut for a few days over Christmas, which will also be nice. I love December. And I love holiday reads. Especially Landline (which I believe I read twice in a row last year...). Anyone else have exciting holiday reads planned?

November 2019 Wrap Up

This post is soooo late and I am sorry about that. I usually keep up with parts of these posts throughout the month, but for November that just didn't happen!

I also did not get a disease post up last month, which I said I would do because I missed October, too. But I promise that there will be one in December. I've already started it and I hope it will be awesome.

So November was a bit strange. We ended up going up to Colorado Springs sort of last minute because Kevin surprised me with tickets to see the Trans-Siberian Orchestra which was lovely. I love their Christmas show and even though I have seen it a few times, I still enjoy it. Then we went up to Denver for Thanksgiving and I packed my days full to bursting to see as many people as I could.

There were a few things at work that held me up. We had a few things going on that stressed me out immensely. I got through them OK, so maybe I won't stress so much this month.

And lets get on to little book reviews. I also did not read nearly as many books as I hoped to, but I got a few under my belt. I'm not sure I will hit my reading goal this year, but that's OK.

Title: The Hearts We Sold
Author: Emily Lloyd-Jones

Synopsis: Dee is desperate to stay in her boarding school and avoid a troubled home life. In order to get the money she needs, she makes a deal with a demon. In exchange for her heart, she will have the resources she needs to keep her life the way she wants it. With one stipulation: she is also at the demon's call to help him and his team of heartless destroy mysterious portals. The experience will change her life in many ways.

Thoughts: I started this one in October because demons=Halloween reads. But the demons were more complicated than that. And I liked the story and characters. And in the end I cried a bit, which usually means it was a pretty good read. It was different than what I expected, but not in a bad way for sure.

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Title: Master of the Phantom Isle
Author: Brandon Mull
Narrator: Kirby Hayborne

Synopsis: The story picks up where we left off in the last book: Seth has lost his memory and has found himself apprenticed to Ronodin, the dark unicorn. He does not quite trust Ronodin or the Sphinx (who seems to know him), but he's not sure he can trust Kendra (claiming to be his sister) or Bracken, the light unicorn. He sets out to find his lost memories. Meanwhile, Kendra is desperate to save Seth. On her journey, she ends up in Crescent Lagoon Dragon Sanctuary. They need help restoring the sanctuary protections.

Thoughts: I love the Fabelhaven books and I am so glad that he is writing this sequel series. I am enjoying the development of Kendra and Seth as they get a bit older and come in to their own. I love the world Mull created with these books and I can't wait for the next one.

Review: 4 stars out of 5

Title: Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky
Author: Kwame Mbalia
Narrator: Amir Abdullah

Synopsis: Tristan lost his best friend in a bus accident recently and his life has been in a downward spiral since then. His family thinks he needs a break, so he goes to spend time with his grandparents on their farm in Alabama. But on his first night, the journal his best friend left him is stolen by a creature right out of a myth. Because she is right out of a myth! This leads him on a great adventure through MidPass, where the great African gods and folk heroes live. In the course of getting there though, Tristan may have punched a hole in the sky and loosed an old, evil spirit who wants to destroy MidPass and all of the gods and heroes there.

Thoughts: This was the latest in the Rick Riordan Presents and as usual, I loved it. It was a fun and unique mix of the African gods and mythology alongside folk heroes like John Henry. It was a bit different and at first I felt that it was hard to keep up with. It starts a bit slowly. Then things happen so quickly and there are no explanations for quite a while. But once I had gotten through several chapters, it was easier. And by then I was pretty sucked in. I definitely recommend it! (And the narrator for the audiobook was great!)

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Title: Ancient Civilizations of North America
Author/lecturer: Edwin Barnhart

Synopsis/Thoughts: This is not really a book, it is a course. But I am counting it anyway. It is all about the ancient people of North America. It begins at the earliest records of civilization in North America and goes through several centuries as they grow and develop. It was very interesting and there was a ton of information in these lectures that I did not know. If you are at all interested in the development of the indigenous people in North America, I would recommend it.

Rating: 3-4 stars out of 5

Title: Miss Marley: The Untold Story of Jacob Marley's Sister
Author: Vanessa Lafaye
Narrator: Josie Dunn

Synopsis: Before Jacob Marley became the greedy man and disturbed spirit we are familiar with, he was a poor child who loved no one but his younger sister, Clara. For years, Jacob promised his sister a better life. He manages to pull them out of poverty, but the price is steep. They manage to make a better life for themselves, but Jacob begins to become the miserable human that we know from A Christmas Carol.

Thoughts: I love A Christmas Carol. It was fun to see this take on the early part of the story. We also get to see the early development of Scrooge. I thought this story was interesting and enjoyable. And sad, in case you couldn't have assumed that yourself. If you like A Christmas Carol, you might like this, too! And it was a good way to kick off the holiday season and my holiday reading list.

Rating: 4 stars out of 5


Least favorite book read this month: Not sure, they were all pretty good this month
Favorite book read this month: Probably Master of the Phantom Isle

Next month is holiday month. I have more Christmas-y books to read and holiday movies to watch. Kevin got Disney+, so I can watch all the Disney I want, too!

I'm very excited for December. I love Hanukkah and Christmas and adore seeing Christmas lights and trees everywhere. My birthday is coming up soon, which I pretty much always love. A couple of my girlfriends will be coming down to visit next week and we are going to take a short girls road trip around New Mexico. And then I get to go with Kevin to Connecticut and spend Christmas with his family. It will be a busy month, but it should be lovely.

Oh, and I found a local book club to join. I will go to my first meet up with them in January. I am looking forward to meeting more people and finding more places to go.

I've also managed to pick up a couple of high school students to tutor. That has helped me get out a bit and talk to locals. I'm trying to get more settled here, but it is difficult much of the time.

Anyway, I hope everyone is having a good holiday season and finding fun things to read!