My Happy Place

by | Sep 14, 2017 | All About Erik, All About Family, All About Me, All of Us, Blogging Life, Disney, Disney Mom, Florida Dreaming, Redefining Perfect

 

Florida.

Sun. Sand. Palm Trees. Oh, and those little places called Disney & Universal.

My son is down there now, and I have every intention of packing up to follow him as soon as is possible. (Unfortunately I’m no longer 19 and packing up to take off is a bit more complicated than it was for him).

Now, before you go saying, “it’s your vacations that make it so relaxing.”

It’s not about that.

It’s about a sensation. An instinct.

I’ve been there for other purposes. I’ve worked my ass off there for a week & never saw a single vacation destination. Never saw anything beyond the convention center.

I still felt it.

Recently Erik and I got to go down for his 50th birthday (for my 40th we took a trip around the state & visited a haunted spot. He got to drink around the world for 50 😉 ).

We got to spend some time with our son after not seeing him for six months.

Within minutes of seeing him, he was already annoying us with his antics, his puns, and snark. I loved every annoying minute.  He planned surprises for hubby. He planned out our perfect spot for the fireworks shows. He showed us where he lived, where he worked, and in general spent a lot of time with us.

It was fabulous.

Erik and I got to lay out in the sun.

Go on a date.

Relax.

Talk about moving.

Or not.

When, or how.

Enjoy the sun.

Enjoy the parks.

Discuss our next trip.

Next time we go back will be at Christmas.

This trip will be about a lot more than Disney. Of course, we will go for a couple of days…but we’ll do more.

We’re going to take the girls to see more of Florida.

Take Erik to see more of Florida.

Because there’s more to life than the theme parks (though they are awesome).

And if I ever hope to move there, I want to see it all.

 

Butterbeer Cookies for the Win!

by | Sep 11, 2017 | All About Me, All of Us, Blogging Life, Geek Life, I am a Geek, recipes, Redefining Perfect

The past couple of years I’ve made Butterbeer fudge for Christmas to much acclaim among the family. It’s a huge hit to this geeking family.

Then, a couple months ago when I was making cookies for the hubby, I started to wonder whether I could bake the deliciousness of Butterbeer into a cookie. I knew the basics, but wondered how I could add that flavor incorporated into a cookie.

My first test run was pretty successful, but for a few things.

So I played with it more, and came up with this recipe here.

Needless to say, I have another huge hit on my hands around this house.  I could hardly keep enough around to get some good pictures of it.

I’m not going to prattle on long, just let the recipe speak for itself. Enjoy!

Butterbeer Cookies with Cream Soda Frosting

Cookie

  • 1 Cup Vanilla Chips (Rough chopped if desired)
  • 1 Cup Butterscotch Chips (Rough Chopped if Desired)
  • 1 Cup Coconut Oil (Softened. If it's hard, pop it in the microwave for a few seconds (5-8))
  • 2 Cups Dark Brown Sugar
  • 2 Large Eggs
  • 4 Tbs Vanilla Extract (Yes, that is tablespoons)
  • 2 1/2 Tbs Unsulphered Molasses (More or less to taste. Use mild or medium, but not dark, that's too bitter)
  • 3 1/2 Cups Flour
  • 5 tsp Corn Starch
  • 2 tsp Baking Soda

Frosting

  • 1/2 Cup Coconut Oil (Softened.)
  • 1 Tbs Vanilla Extract
  • 2 Tbs Cream Soda Syrup (See instructions)
  • 4 Cups Confectioners Sugar

Prep Work

  1. Make Cream Soda Syrup by placing a bottle of vanilla cream soda in sauce pan. Boil until reduced by at least half. I reduced it to 4 oz.  Once reduced, place in refrigerator until ready to use.

  2. If desired, roughly chop your chips. I did this because I wanted the flavor woven into the cookies more, but it does make them flatter. This is your choice.

Cookies

  1. Mix together coconut oil and sugar. 

  2. Add vanilla and egg. Beat on med-high heat until light and fluffy.

  3. Scrape down sides of bowl. Add molasses. Beat until incorporated. 

  4. Add flour, corn starch, baking soda, and mix until just combined.

  5. Add chips. Mix in by hand.

  6. Using 1 or 2 inch cookie scoop, scoop out dough onto cookie tray. I used a 1″ because that’s what I have, but 2″ would be great, too.  The cook time will be slightly longer.

  7. Refrigerate dough for at least 2 hours, up to 3 days.  This must be done to keep the cookies from spreading too much. 

  8. Pre-heat oven to 350. On parchment lined cookie tray, set out cookies about 2″ apart. I managed to get 1 dozen on each sheet.

  9. Bake 6-8 minutes for 1″ cookies (7 minutes was spot on for me). For 2″ cookies, 8-10 minutes should be good. 

  10. Cool. Add frosting if desired.

Frosting

  1. Add coconut oil, vanilla, and syrup to stand mixer. Mix well.

  2. Add in confectioners sugar until desired thickness. I made mine smooth enough to go through a bag. You can make it thicker and spread on with a knife if you want.

  3. The frosting seemed sweet to me so I added a splash of vanilla almond milk to cut it. This did the trick for me. 

I hope your fam enjoys it as much as mine does!!




What I’m Reading – July 2017

by | Jul 5, 2017 | All About Me, All of Us, Blogging Life, I'm A Reader, Redefining Perfect, Wordy Wednesday

Happy Independence Day to my American friends!  To everyone else…HIHI! 🙂

I was going to initially say June was a slow month for me…until I started gathering all of the images for the post and realized that…nope…I actually read quite a bit…so bear with me while I try to be concise!!

What I Read

Born with Teeth – A Memoir (audiobook)

Autobiography of Kate Mulgrew read by the author.

Deeply fascinating and moving…I learned so much about Kate Mulgrew that I never knew before. I’ve only ever known her as Captain Janeway, but now there’s so much more to her than I ever realized before.

Definitely worth a read…

Definitely worth listening to the audiobook even more. There is nothing like hearing an actress tell her story in her own words.  I’ve heard a rumor that she’s planning to continue on with her memoir (this one concludes around season 5 of Voyager)…if she does, I’m all in.


Star Wars: Rogue One (A junior novelization audiobook)

Grabbed this on impulse at the library because…it was there. I really enjoyed the movie and thought I’d enjoy this one. I was right.  The narrator was good and easy to listen to.

Despite being a “Junior” novelization, the story didn’t feel lacking in any way, shape, or form. It covered all the key points of the movie, left nothing out, and added to the depth of the story in just the right places. I liked getting into the mind of some characters more than you do just seeing them on the screen.

Great movie, and a great book.

 

We Come Apart

Ooof.

As soon as I saw Sarah Crossan’s name on this one, I knew I had to try to get it…and I started reading it within hours of being approved. After all, I’d truly loved (despite all the wild feels) her book, One…and though I knew nothing about Brian Conaghan…I was more than happy to read another of Crossan’s stories in poetry form.

I’m not sure what I expected out of this…but I didn’t get it…I got something better. You’re immediately thrown into the sort of mindset these two teenagers are in. Nicu is clearly foreign as his verses are all broken English and strange phrases.

The connection between the two starts slow, and builds into a snowball.

I couldn’t put it down.

*Copy attained via netgalley. All opinions are my own.

 

The Ocean at the End of the Lane

While at the library looking for something else to read…I did a search for quick reads. This one came up, the library had it, and I’d been wanting to try some Gaiman.

So glad I did. This was quite startlingly engrossing. I stayed up until almost 3AM to finish it once I sat down with it.  A strange mix of fairy tale and reality, the flashback of a story.

Honestly, I don’t even know how to begin to describe it. It’s just a book you need to read.

*

Wake of Vultures (The Shadow #1)

This was a re-read for me. I read it a couple of years ago, but wanted to reread it so I could read the second because the third book in the series will be out this year. A couple years ago I picked it up on a blind read from the library because of the cover and loved it.

I think I forgot in the interim how much I enjoyed it.  This is such a fascinating blend of paranormal and historical. It’s not a romance, but there’s definitely romantic elements, there’s a resolution, but there’s no complete ending…and the…

Okay, all I have to say this is the most literal of cliffhangers ever.

Onto the next. ASAP.

*

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Audiobook)

What can I say? I’m addicted to audiobooks.  The silly thing is, I could just go into the library and take out the CD’s of this series..but I just put them on hold through Overdrive and wait with anticipation…getting the next one is like a little (free) Christmas present every couple of months. 🙂

As usual, the audiobook did not disappoint. I even enjoyed hearing the story over either watching or reading it directly. I’m not sure how or why the narrator made it so much more enjoyable, but he did…and I looked forward to turning on my app every day.

Locke & Key vol’s 1-3

My friend, JoAnne, from book club recommended these graphic novels. At first, I wasn’t sure…but volume one, Welcome to Lovecraft, sucked me in quickly, and leaving things as it did, I couldn’t wait to pick up book 2.  I’m on volume 4 as we speak, but have slowed down this first week of July.  However, they’re all due next week so I expect to have them done soon.

Onto the stories themselves….creepy and dark, plenty of weird twists. The kids are in on it all, the adults mildly oblivious. Tragedy, terror, and complete utter weirdness is on every page of these GN’s and it’s fabulous.

A Year & a Day of Everyday Witchcraft and Supermarket Sabbats

I might have threatened to scratch out netgalley’s eyes if I didn’t get Deborah Blake’s book here. I’m a huge fan, she’s my friend on Facebook…and I just wanted it.  Thankfully, Netgalley complied, and I gobbled this book up FAST. As usual, Deborah’s voice, even in non-fiction like this, was warm and welcoming, easy to read when you’re reading a sort of devotional (but so not a devotional at the same time).  The daily tasks suggested were completely doable in a day, and the lessons wonderful. I have full designs on getting this in print so I can use it every day.

Supermarket Sabbats also had an easy voice to read, and some great tips on at-home rituals. Another great reference book that I’d like to get for my overflowing shelf.

*Both these books were received free via netgalley. all opinions are my own.

A Few Graphic Novels from an A to an “eh”-worthy D

Spill Zone – I’ve wanted this one for a while now…I don’t know, the cover appealed to me, the familiar author (though I’ve only read Uglies)…either way, this was a great, different post-apocalyptic world to explore. The characters were great, the artwork was wonderful, edgy and slightly abstract in all the right ways. I’m anxious to read book two to see where this goes.
Poe – A graphic novel depiction of some of Poe’s stories and poems. They were stunningly dark, appropriately dreary, and I’m a sucker for anything Poe-related. Definitely worth a read if you like Poe. *received via netgalley. Opinions are my own.
Artful – A weird vampire-filled take on the Artful Dodger story.  The artwork was…choppy to me. Perhaps it was intentional, but I didn’t enjoy it or the vampire storyline. I know that’s a “thing” now to do classics with monsters…but it’s not my thing. *received via netgalley. Opinions are my own.

What I’m Reading Now

Star Wars – Aftermath

Set after the events of Return of the Jedi.

The narrator on this is awesome…he’s the same that did the Junior novelizations of the original trilogy and his voice acting is AMAZING.

Anyhoo…I’m only about 20% in so I can’t say much about where the story is at…but I am highly intrigued. I love that it starts with a “known” character in Wedge before bringing in unfamiliar characters. Nice touch. Now I just have to finish before it’s due in 10 days.


Locke & Key vol’s 4-6

I’ve already started on 4…but need to get on the ball. These books are due in about 5 days and I’m out of renewals.

Really, really enjoy this dark and twisty series, I just fell out of my reading zone for a couple of weeks. I think I needed a breather. Anyhoo, back at it today. Watch me burn through those pages.

 

Zeroes

Hey, look at that…I seem to be on a Westerfield kick these days (I have Pretties on my bookshelf waiting for me).

So far Zeroes is decent. I’m really  not far in…this is a LONG book. Hopefully I get it done before it’s due back at the library.

Teens with magical powers that don’t make sense and aren’t exactly what you’d call “awesome” as they often hurt more than they help…but they banded together…then fell apart. This is apparently about how they end up beginning to pick the pieces back up.

 

Growing Wings

I read and reviewed book 1 sometime back…I was super excited to get on the review team for book 2…when it was supposed to be out on July 19th.  Yeah, it released yesterday and I’ve read like half a chapter because I wasn’t in the zone.

Still, I have started it and am super excited to see where the story goes. I’ll definitely let you know when I do. 😉

*copy received free via the author. all opinions are my own.

*

The Book of Broadway

I love all things Broadway. So this is a no-brainer.

It is HUGE and not at all in chronological order…so I’m trying to get used to that. Should be a quick read, though…even if it is on my computer only (hate books like that unless they’re graphic novels).

*

*~*

I’m going to spare you the what I’m reading next list since this is already huge, I’m running behind for work, and all of that jazz. See you next month!

 

What I’m Reading – June 2017 (Part 2)

by | Jun 21, 2017 | All About Me, All of Us, Blogging Life, I'm A Reader, Redefining Perfect, Wordy Wednesday

And I’m back with the books I read in May!!

Once again there’ll be none of the what i’m currently reading or reading next…because that would make this crazy long….so onto Part 2…

What I Read In May

Beauty in Summer, Beauty in Autumn, & Beauty in Winter (Beauty #’s 2,3, & 4)

As I mentioned last week, I picked these up on a whim on my way out of town.

As a whole I enjoyed the series. I enjoyed 1 & 3 most (Spring & Autumn).  Those two had backstory, something…more…to them.

For me, Summer and Winter were more sex for sex’s sake. It was “mates meet and that’s all she wrote.” They know nothing about each other, but sure, let’s bond for life. While they were short reads, I still want more substance to my smut.  Beauty in Autumn delivered that for me, Summer and Winter did not. Overall, I enjoyed the series, though. Fun, quick reads.


Joyride vol. 1

I had no idea what I was getting into when I requested this one from netgalley. I paid pretty much no attention to the blurb, and only noticed the top half of the cover. Let’s just say I was on a graphic novel requesting spree, and this fell into the pile.

I’m glad it did, though. It was fun, unexpected, and different. The fact that the Joyride is in a spaceship, and that the heroine is a ‘devil may care’ person bursting through life, and into the hearts of her both willing, and unwilling, compatriots, were unusual enough to keep my attention. Danger peered around every corner, and the resolution of each situation was swift, but not so swift that I found it inane.

I’m definitely interested enough to want to get the next in the series.

*Copy attained via netgalley. All opinions are my own.

 

The Wendy Project

A surprising take on the Peter Pan story, in graphic novel form, in a contemporary setting. I realized none of this when I requested it, but quickly realized what it was as I got into the heart of the story.

The artwork in this graphic novel is lovely. The mix of black and white and color to maintain the essence of what the story is really brings things into perspective.

About love and loss, grief and acceptance. The story, its message, and its artwork all combine into a lovely graphic novel well worth the time.

*Copy attained via netgalley. All opinions are my own.

 

Wires and Nerve vol. 1

A graphic novel that is, I didn’t realize, a continuation of The Lunar Chronicles (which I have not read). I only knew it was by Marissa Meyer, and that the cover looked cool, and I was seeing it EVERYWHERE. So when I spotted it at the local library, I picked it up.

Unfortunately, like most super-popular things, I have never been one to go crazy over the Lunar Chronicles (as is evidence by my partially read copy of Cinder that has been sitting on my shelf for years, as I found it “meh” and never finished).  The graphic novel itself isn’t so much a standalone as it referenced the series ALL.THE.TIME. That is to be expected as an extension of the original series, but I felt like I should have seen the massive spoiler alert on the cover (my fault for blind-grabbing).

Either way, I didn’t find this overly exciting, even with the inclusionof creatures and ships and such. The artwork was stunning, but the story itself fell flat for me, I’m afraid.  I think this would be PERFECT for fans of Meyer. Unfortunately, I am not yet one.

Gretchen (Zombillenium 1)

Just look at that stunning cover. How could you go wrong?

Add in a creature-filled zombie theme park, some clueless normal’s, a witch, a secret mission, and the ultimate creature being created…

Well, it was a fun little romp in the graphic novel realm for sure.  Short but sweet, fun and slightly weird, all in all just how i like them.

The artwork is gorgeous, the characters are interesting and fleshed out. Glad I picked this up on a whim at the library.

*

The Descendants vol 1 (Manga style)

Anyone that’s a fan of the movie will easily enjoy this version of the story.  The artwork is fun, and the story is true to the movie. A new way to see it all over again. It was fun, and cutoff with a little of a cliffhanger.

Would definitely grab it for my GN & Disney loving middle one.

*copy received free via netgalley. All opinions are my own.

*~*

That’s it for what I read in May. Even fewer than in April (although I may have accidentally put a few May reads in my April post by mistake. It’s a lot of books and I get confused, even with GR helping tell me when I finished something. lol.

Anyway, it’s back to regularly scheduled programming next month, and I have hit a milestone number in my books read for the year. 🙂

 

What I’m Reading – June 2017 (Part 1)

by | Jun 14, 2017 | All About Me, All of Us, Blogging Life, I'm A Reader, Redefining Perfect, Wordy Wednesday

 

Okay, so here’s the deal. Like I said on my last summary, I went out of town at the end of April/beginning of May and thus I had no recap in May. Not even a week late. It just didn’t happen. It was expected, but now I have to play catch up, and I’m up to 90-something books read this year as of June 9th and I’m not sure how many the past couple of months (although my vacay did slow me down. Spending time with my bestie and Mickey Mouse wins out over reading…yup. Anyhoo….)

So onto what I’ve read.  I won’t be doing a “reading now” or “reading next for this post to try to shorten it up a little…and I’ll put those down in a later part of my June reading posts!  Now for the massive list…Part 1…

What I Read In April

The Hockey Saint & Hockey Karma (Forever Friends #’s 2 & 3)

 

Back in April’s list, I mentioned the first book in this graphic novel series – Stereotypical Freaks. I really enjoyed that story. I liked the way the kids were depicted and how the events transpired. I was happy to get the next two in the series.

The Hockey Saint takes the MC from Stereotypical Freaks into college. His life is drastically different here, and the explanation toward why took some time to come by. I enjoyed the story and the introduction of the “Hockey Saint” mentioned in the title. My only issue with this one was the lack of mention of his friends from high school with any significance.

Hockey Karma, however, really knocked it out of the park. Not only did it wrap up the story line and characters from The Hockey Saint, it brought in, with force, all of the characters from Stereotypical Freaks. It was a GREAT, inclusive wrap up to the series. I’m super thrilled to have now connected with the author, Howard Shapiro on twitter. I’m looking forward to his next GN with quite some anticipation.

*Both graphic novels were received via netgalley. All opinions are quite definitely my own. 


Beauty In Spring (Beauty #1)

So…you know when you’re about to go on a trip, and get on a loooong flight, and even though you have 5 bajillion books on your kindle, you have a $9 GC burning a hole in your pocket…and thus…you shop. And you impulse buy books based on covers, don’t bother looking at the blurbs or anything?

Yeah, that’s what happened with this series. I bought all four. No clue about anything but the pretty covers and that they were modern takes on Beauty & the Beast.

Turns out they were very short erotic stories. Not a problem, just not my norm…and shocking when you’re reading in the close quarters of a packed flight to California. ~ahem~

Anyway, this is the first in the 4 book series of 4 different tales of Beauty & her Beast. This one I enjoyed. There was just enough of a connect, a backstory, and a reason to believe these two could make something happen for the sex to make sense. Definitely glad I picked this one up! 😀

 

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (Audiobook)

 

I’d heard rave reviews of the voice actor on the HP audiobooks and thusly sat in line for this book for MONTHS and MONTHS…only to find out I could have just picked it up on CD at my local branch at any time. ~ahem~  Well, then…

Short of it, I did enjoy the audiobook of my favorite series, although I wasn’t fall-over crazy about the narrator.

It was fun to have the book come alive in a new way for me, and I’m looking forward to listening to the others in the series as well. Definitely books that will remain on my audio-listening list throughout the whole series. 🙂

Real Friends

An endearing memoir in the form of a graphic novel that I quickly encouraged both of my girls to read. It’s a story of a group of friends and how they change throughout those challenging middle school years. The story centers around one young lady, Shannon, and how relationships with her friends change over time. From her friends, to her sister, to herself.

At times achingly real (and familiar), I read this one fast.

*received via netgalley. all opionions are my own.

*

The World of Laura Ingalls Wilder

Oh, how I am a Wilder fan. She helped infuse my love of reading into a strong passion when I was young. I read her books over and over and over again…so many times, my copies are well-worn, dog eared, nearly spine-less. They make me happy.

So, when I saw this on netgalley, I couldn’t help but try for it, and wish and hope that I would get approved (they seriously need an area where you can add your begging and pleading in if necessary). I was thrilled when I was approved.

A non-fiction book that goes into detail about the world Laura lived in. From plants to locations, it covers a lot of ground (pardon the pun). I imagine it is a good, thick book to have along with your other Laura books (like biographies, etc, that might be filling your shelves).  I really enjoyed this and hope to one day get it in hardback so I can reference it the next time I read the series.

*received via netgalley. all opionions are my own.


A few okay graphic novels I read

A few of my more lackluster graphic novel reads for the month ought to be mentioned.

Star Wars Darth Vader – Vader. I got it through Kindle Reads and thought it looked interesting…but meh. The story didn’t excite me and I found it rather annoying. Too much Anakin in this Vader, maybe? I dunno..but bleh.
The Creeps – not good for a semi-paranoid person to read. There’s a lot of “normal fears” realized into images. Just…no. Although it did live up to its title of “The Creeps.” *netgalley copy. opinions are my own.
Look – It wasn’t bad…it was actually sort of cute, but quite very predictable and had the feeling of “I’ve seen this story a million times before.” *netgalley copy. opinions are my own.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 8 vol. 4 – Pfffft. Turned me off to the comics, I even took the rest of the season back (of course, I was also heading out of town and didn’t want to leave anything lying around)…but still. I’m not in a rush to get the rest of the series back into my hands.

 

A few pretty good graphic novels

The Castoffs – Mage against the Machine – My least favorite of these three, but still an enjoyable read. Magic and hidden talents, and learning the value of friendship and trust were at the forefront here. *netgalley copy. opinions are my own.
Fire Starters – I’m not even sure I read the blurb on this, so the Native American portion of the tale caught me by pleasant surprise. A brutally honest look at what could/has happened when a business right near the reservation burns down and blame is tossed around. *netgalley copy. opinions are my own.
Elves vol. 1 – Another I grabbed without reading the blurb. I mean, look at the gorgeous blue elf on the cover! The story was good, but confusing and time-jumpy. I wanted more cohesiveness to the stories told within…but I’d probably get vol. 2 if I saw it. *netgalley copy. opinions are my own.

 

 

*~*

That’s it for what I read in April. Not as much because of trip planning and packing and all sorts o’ stuffs. May I picked it back up and I’m in another good groove for June. 😀  Next week I’ll show May’s reads for you!  Then maybe the week after I’ll give you a glimpse into what I’m reading and plan to read so you’re prepared for my June’s display of much reading 😉

 

What I’m Reading – April 2017

by | Apr 12, 2017 | All About Me, All of Us, Blogging Life, I'm A Reader, Redefining Perfect, Wordy Wednesday

I’m a week late this month…last week was craziness and I didn’t realize I’d forgotten until Wednesday was said and done…so here’s my March report a week late!!

I went a little crazy in March again. Apparently I’m on a crazy reading roll…with my office complete I’m hoping to slow down on the reading and speed up on the writing…but we’ll see what happens.

For March I read 26 books. Many graphic novels helped boost this number…but I’m still impressed with myself.  This month I made a concerted effort to read some books from my exceptionally long netgalley list and some books I got for free in exchange for reviews (ASAP reviews, I need to get finished with two more…eep, back to reading soon!!).

For the third month in a row, I will attempt to keep this concise…no promises, but I’ll try.

What I’ve Read

Ensnared

Wow.

First off…I got this book free from netgalley. All opinions are my own. This book does not release until December, so it’s a super-early release.

Now…let me just say…wow.

I’m a huge fan of the Beauty & the Beast tale (don’t get me started on the new live-action movie…I’ll talk your ear off)…and this was just amazing. A near-future retelling where robots have achieved an almost-human ability. This retelling sucked me in and had me upset to have to put it down (at 1am) because I had to sleep. Totally awesome, among my top reads of the month.

Flightless Bird

I got this one in exchange for an honest review. Releases 4/22

Holy cliffhanger, batman!!

This book left me with a hell of a cliffhanger. Let me tell you, as an author I LOVE cliffhangers…as a reader, no so much. 😉

This is a YA paranormal with an interesting twist on what the abilities are…and leaves you with some unanswered questions as to what everyone is in the end…questions that won’t be answered until the next book.

For the most part, I really enjoyed the book.  My biggest complaint was the insta-love (partially explained by the paranormal aspect) and the fact I kept wanting to scream at my Kindle “They are SOPHOMORES!!!! FIFTEEN and SIXTEEN!!  For crying out loud!”  Also, the quick resolution to the home-life aspect was a little to perfect and quick.

Still, it was a fun, quick read with an unusual paranormal twist.

 

What If?: Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions

Audiobook version – read by none other than Wil Wheaton.

Honestly, I don’t think I would have enjoyed this is print form.  In audiobook, as read by Wil Wheaton? So.Much.Fun.  Wil Wheaton had the exact right amount of sarcasm and hilarity in his tone to convey many of these answers.  It was fun, sort of random, and a different sort of book than I normally would have picked up if I hadn’t seen who the narrator was.

And yes…in case there was any doubt…the title does not lie. Many of the questions were crazy-absurd…and oddly random…but the serious answers to them were definitely interesting (and sometimes just as weird).

The Sculptor

This was a (very large) graphic novel…probably the longest I’ve read yet. Recommended by someone in my book club, I picked it up at the local library, only marginally intimidated by its size.

I ended up being grateful for the recommendation. The artwork was done all in blue tones, and was realistic enough without being too real for the tone of the book. The blues also portrayed the tone of the story quite well.  I was swept up in the slightly dark, paranormal, quirky story pretty quickly. The story tugged at my emotions, and did not have a happy ending.  My biggest complaint in the whole thing was that I guessed a key tragic aspect before it happened and was mad that the MC didn’t listen to what was being said to him.

This one is definitely worth a read. I kept thinking about it for days afterward, which is always a good sign.

Stitched

A fun little graphic novel I got free via netgalley. Not publishing until 5/2/17.

Cute, sort of creepy, and fun. I really enjoyed this little GN and plan to buy it for my youngest, who enjoys creepier things.  No, it’s not scary…but the whole thing is set in a graveyard and it has some classic monsters (not-scary) in it.  Ghosts, werewolves, vampires and swamp monsters dot the colorful pages. I look forward to seeing what my youngest thinks when she reads it.

Difficult Women

This one I picked up on recommendation & because of my challenge list (which I have since completely abandoned in all of my reading craziness). A collection of short stories, this one had its ups and downs for me. Some stories I really loved, others were either too strange or too dark for me.

Overall, worth the read, not sure I’d buy it for myself.

 

Magical Power for Beginners

Netgalley pickup for research – again, personal and writing related. I actually have a handful of books for that purpose on netgalley, but I just picked this one to go first.

I wanted to like it and glean some good information from it…but found it so long-winded that I grew bored (my typical complaint about non-fiction books). Unfortunately, it held true for the next couple of books I started to read along this line…until I got a winner (shown below in my currently reading).

Buffy The Vampire Slayer Season 8 Graphic Novels (1-3)

On recommendation from my bestie…I ordered all of these through the library system.

So far I’ve only read 1-3, and I’m still up in the air over whether or not I like them.  There’s some stuff I really like…and stuff I really don’t at all.  A total mixed bag, but I plan on seeing them through at least to the end of the ‘season’…seeing as I have them all here. 😉

Saga

Another recommendation by book club. I knew next to nothing going into it…except the recommendation I got.

It was…okay. I don’t get the crazy hype around it, but it probably just wasn’t my cup of tea. I probably won’t continue on with any of them further than this. We’ll see if I change my mind later. For now, it didn’t hold me enough to get me eager for more. It wasn’t bad…just…eh.

Honorable Mentions

Several books are worth a mention…others…well, aren’t.
Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, Beauty’s Tale & Beast’s Tale…Manga style. Cute, quick, fun little read that shows just a wee bit more into the minds of Belle and Beast from the live version of B&tB.  Nice accompaniment to watching the live-action movies. (netgalley reads.)
Cardboard. A recommendation from BOTH of my daughters. A little longer graphic novel, with a fun storyline. Read it in one sitting. Fun, and glad my girls feel they can recommend books to me.
Snow White Graphic Novel – A retelling of the classic fairy tale set in the 1920’s. I found this take quite charming.
The Woods Vol.1 & Vol. 2 – An entire high school, its students and faculty, are transported to a strange and deadly world by unknown forces. The way the students and staff struggle to figure out what’s going on & how to survive…how some show some very dark true colors, and others show bravery.  They find some weird things, and people, in this place. I still don’t know if I liked it or not, or if I’ll read more. I’m curious to know what else is going on…but enough to order more to the library? ~shrug~
Mer – (via netgalley) – a dark mermaid/merman tale, set in high school. This one was…different. Not my favorite, but not horrible.
Monstress – Spotted it on Amazon one day, requested it from the library based on the cover alone. Dark, unique, mildly disturbing. Curious – but maybe not enough to read more? Not sure.
Stereotypical Freaks – Another free from netgalley. I really enjoyed this one. Slow start, and totally went a way I didn’t expect at all. It was touching, and fun.  I am continuing the series (the next two of which I also got from netgalley).
The Wicked and the Divine vol. 2 (Fandemonium) & vol. 3 (Commercial Suicide) – I really enjoyed the first book last month, though I found it odd…so I went for 2. Fandemonium was great…so I went for 3, even though I’d seen some not-so-great reviews of it…and now that I’ve read it I see why many people said it killed their enjoyment of the series and why they say “Commercial Suicide” is an apt title. I belive the original artist is back for 4 so I may try to get that one…but then again, maybe not. Commercial Suicide did not leave me with a good taste in my mouth for the series.
Serenity – Those Left Behind. another rec from the bestie. Really enjoyed it and hope to read more once I thin out my to-read list some more.

 

 

What I’m Reading Now

The Queen of the Tearling

An impulse grab from the library based on some positive feedback I’d seen on the interwebs. Separated into several books, and so big it comes with its own bookmark…this one is probably going to take me a bit to read (and some renewals at the library). It took me about 100 pages to be fully invested and to FINALLY be rewarded with the heroine becoming what she needs to be…but now I’m all in. It’s just a hefty read and I’m going to need more time.

That said…based on the first “book” in the book…I’d say go for it if it’s on your list. The heroine is likable, if somewhat naive, and the people that cross her path are interesting, and the dangers and challenges she faces can get your pulse racing.

Feed

I started this book years ago when I bought it for my nook after some recommendations. Because my nook is an ancient first model and batteyr doesn’t last long, this is among the handful of books on that device I never finished.

I have picked it up from the library (and my hubby just gave me his newer nook to use)…AND I got to select the challenge for this month’s book club challenge…to which I picked “A book you started, but never finished”.  As I’ve said before, I’m not big on zombie-ness…but so far this book has less zombies and more facts.  Unfortunately, I didn’t realize how incredibly long this was when I decided to try again…so I’m trying, but oof, despite my initial excitement to get back into it…this one is not making me too eager to keep on keeping on with it.

Kitchen Table Tarot

(Free via netgalley)

Meant to be read like your buddy is just carrying on a conversation with you about tarot, this one is what it promises.  I love the authors voice and frank explanations. I think this, like the next book has been, will remain on my “currently reading” list for a while as I digest all it has to teach. I really want to get this one in print to keep on my shelf for regular referencing.

Awakening to the Spirit World: The Shamanic Path of Direct Revelation

Loooong title on this one…eesh.  Anyhow, I took this one out from the library for some dual research (writing related & personal related)…when I found myself wanting to make actual highlights in the book, I bought it off of Amazon. This will be an ongoing read for a couple of months, I think…but I’m learning a lot. For person that claims to not like non-fiction, I’m finding myself reading a lot of it lately.

Anyhow, expect to see this one on the list for a couple of months, probably 😉

 

Short

Someone in my FB feed posted about finding their child bawling, and the child proceeded to show them this book and told them to read it.  On our very next visit to the library I saw the book sitting on the shelf. Figuring it was serendipity, I picked it up.

Only one chapter in, distracted by office remodel, so no thoughts yet.

 

06bookHarry Potter & the Order of the Phoenix

Yup, this one is STILL here. Kennedy keeps asking to read and I keep being distracted by things to do, and rooms to redecorate, and the book’s in my bedroom and hubby is already asleep, and more and more and more…

REALLY hope to finish this before the end of May. I’m going out of two for two weeks in two weeks or I’d say before the end of April.  Goals. I got ’em.

Vengeance Be Mine

Grabbed this one in a ‘free for review offer’.  So far it’s catchy, but I have no distinct thoughts on it.  I like the world, I like the MC, and several of those around her.  I’m truly curious about the event I just read…but again, time is tight these days. Hope to finish this one this coming week as I have another ‘free for review’ out there…and not much time before they’re published.

 

What I’m Reading Next

Llewellyn’s Little Book of Chakras

Considering “little book” is in the title, hoping this is a quick, informative read.

Yup, another free from netgalley as well.  I have a lot of GN’s and Llewellyn books from there (and many many others)

Magic Fire

Another in my free for review pile I gathered this month. Need to finish it before the end of the month, if I can finish Vengeance Be Mine first.

Going in blind….based on cover alone. I have a tendency to do that, it seems.

Wake of Vultures & Conspiracy of Ravens

Honestly, I’m sort of already started on WOV – which is a total re-read for me so that I can read book 2, Conspiracy of Ravens.

I really enjoyed the first book first time around, and I’ve enjoyed what I’ve re-read so far. Makes me excited to get moving on it…damn elusive thing called time. So much to do and nowhere near enough time to do it all in. Oy.

Harry Potter & The Sorcerer’s Stone (Audiobook)

This sucker had a LOOOOONG waiting list at the library (all of them do), but I’ve heard fantabulous things about the audibook versions of these books…and I should have this one soon (I hope).

Really excited to have the HP books come alive for me in a different way than they have before.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Season 8 vol. 4

Next on the list…it’s got dark and scary Willow on the cover, so curious to see what happens here.

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Phew….I know, that was long. By far my longest book post yet this year. So many good things, eh things, and fun things to write about in the reading universe I’m in right now. 😀

I also have a ton of my OWN books that I need to get started on. Someone, please take away my library card so maybe I’ll focus on those books for a change?

You know what, don’t…you might send me into a panic attack. lol