Book Review

★★★★

I read this book like 2 weeks ago? It was the book club pick for the month, and I wanted to review it b/c my other 2 friends that read it, hated it. I didn't hate it, so even though I read it a couple weeks ago, I wanted to write a review on it. 

I read reviews on Goodreads all the time and see where people will talk about the writing of the story, and not necessarily the story itself. I always think to myself how weird that it. Until I read this story. I listened to why my other 2 friends hated the book, and I agree with them on their reasons, but I still enjoyed to book b/c of the writing.

The story is about a "Spirit" who is in a new body every day. He's only in that body for the day, and never in the same body more than once. He stays in the same maybe like 200 mile area, and pretty much just suffers through the day trying not to meddle in the body's life too much. Then they meet a girl and lets her in on their secret and finds a way to find her every day. Or at the very least, they email her everyday. The story itself was eh, I found the spirit to be annoying and selfish at times. Like when they wouldn't board a flight to the body's sister's wedding, all b/c they wanted to see the girl. But what I did like about the book. was how the author made each new body their own character. For 24 hours, the spirit was a new person and the author did a good job describing their life. I liked that he was able to make up many many characters lives, even if they were small.

I also really liked the ending. I don't like happy, typical endings, and I don't want to give away the ending of the book, but this did not have a happy ending, and as odd as it sounds, I liked that.

The point of picking this book was so we could watch the movie for the meeting, but the movie didn't do great, so it wasn't out very long. I hope it's released to redbox soon so I can watch it!!

Spotlight Saturday

I've been slacking on my planner, so I finally sat down yesterday and updated it! I'm doing pretty good on my book bingo to be so early in the year.  I found out that James Patterson writes true crime stories, so I can't wait to pick up one of those for the true crime square.  I'm surprised I haven't read a dyspotian novel yet. Two years ago, that was my favorite genre. But now, I don't read them as much. 

So far, for the year I've read 19 books. I am thinking about raising my total for the year b/c I made my goal 40 when I didn't think I would be able to read that much this year since I am not supposed to listen to headphones at work. But. I've been doing it for 2 months and *knock on wood* no one has said anything yet. I also have a bookshelf to fill out the books I've read, like last year. But my writing is too big for the spines, so I decided to do something like this, while I am waiting for someone to write in the titles on my bookshelf page. #10 is 2 colors b/c it was an audio book, but the book club pick. I wish I thought about making it double colored before I colored the whole square orange but oh well. #17 is 3 colors  b/c I read half the book as a book and then listened to part while I was at work. Obviously, I've done more audio than any other, but I am excited I've managed to read 3 actual books so far!

Pin-it Tuesday

I know it's Wednesday, but my laptop hates me, and wouldn't connect to the Internet yesterday, so I have to do it a day late.

Chicken & Broccoli

I LOVE Chinese food, and it's very hard to find chicken and broccoli in the store to make at home. So I tried this recipe I found on Pintrest. It turned out really good! My only thing I would change, is I would actually not put flour, or cornstarch, in at the end. It calls for 4 tbsp of flour to thicken the sauce. And in my opinion, it just didn't need it. And if you want to thicken up the sauce, I would go for maybe 2 tbsp, but not 4.  Either way, it's something I will be making again!

Pin-it Tuesday

Today is supposed to be Pin-it Tuesday and I couldn't really think of anything to post so I decided to share this article that I read on Facebook today. I swear Fb knows more about me than I do. I've read some really great articles on Fb that have helped me figure out and sort out who I am. I'm not really sure if that's the right way to say it, but whatever.

Pretty much since I started dating, I was told I was the way I am b/c I have "daddy issues". That I pick married men, or men that have a girlfriend, b/c I am compensating for daddy issues, or that I have commitment issues b/c of my daddy issues. And I just believed it b/c why not. I couldn't commit to anything long term and I much preferred married men over single and available men. I was in 2 long term relationships and ruined them both by cheating on them with, surprise surprise, married, unavailable men.

Now I've been single for 3 years, which is the longest I've been without someone since I started dating. To be honest, I really do enjoy being alone. Someone messaged me today and said it was unfortunate that I'm still single. My response was "why?" I'm happy in my little apartment.

Anyways, I read this article today and it clicked that maybe, once again everyone else was wrong about me. Daddy issues or not, maybe I am someone who can't commit b/c I enjoy independence. I enjoy making my own choices and not having anyone to answer to. I've been talking to someone for the last 2ish months, and all these what if's keep coming into my head and I assumed it was just about my son. What if I bring someone into his life and it's wrong. What if it doesn't work out. And I've been finding dumb reasons to doubt this, to keep up my walls b/c of the what ifs. It was really starting to annoy me, but maybe this article is right, and maybe there is a reason for it, and it's not my daddy issues. I like this reason much more than the other reason.

Here is the paragraph that spoke the much to me.

They can ‘what-if’ themselves to the point of decision fatigue, but ultimately independent women will make the silent decision to never change their ways. Behind the independence and the confidence is the brutal truth that independent women don’t trust themselves in a relationship. They’re not sure they can even be the other half of a healthy relationship.  So instead, independent women continue to choose emotionally unavailable men because they want to.

And here is the article, if anyone is interested in reading it 

Why independent women chose unavailable men

Tbr List

I didn't do so great on my TBR picks for last month, but I really hope I can do better this month. Both of these books are coming out as movies, this month I believe! 'Every day' is our book club pick for the month, and then we are going to see the movie. 

What's on your TBR list for this month?!

Wrap-up

February was a productive month! I read the book club pick, and was able to read a book off my book shelf. So that makes 2 books knocked off my challenge to read 25 books off my shelf.

★★★★

About prohibition, something I don't know much about, so it was really cool to read this story, and about the dangers the ones running alcohol illegally went through. 

★★★★

A quick poetry book that reminded me a lot of "Milk and Honey". I read this the last Saturday I didn't have my son. I had wanted to read so many other books and accomplish so much, instead all I got accomplished was this book. 

★★

The book club picked that I wanted to enjoy much more than I did. I listened to this and I am glad I did that, b/c it took place in Russia and there is no way I would have pronounced the names right. But also, listening to it i am not sure that helped all that much. Still couldn't follow it very well and that is probably the reason why I didn't enjoy it. 

★★★

I had a love hate relationship with this book...I didn't love it, but if there was a 2nd book, I might keep up with the story.

★★★★

Typical "fucked up romance" from good ole CoHo, but the thing I liked the most about this story was the story about why the guy is all fucked up. I rated this as a number 5 on my CoHo list, not my favorite, but better than some of the others, and kept me interested in it enough to actually read it. This is the book from my book shelf for the month. I've had it for almost 2 years and hadn't read it yet. 

★★★

This book was weird....another one I had a love hate relationship with. The one thing that did surprise me, was the discipline of the kids....taking place in the 1950s right outside of Detroit, the 2 kids, 7 and 12, and they get up and do farm chores everyday before school, then after school, then early on the weekends without any backtalk! I can't even get my kids to clean his damn room once every 2 weeks. 

★★★

A good suspense/thriller that had a good twist at the end. The main character in this book sees dead people!!!! She was in the military and was in charge of basically cleaning up bodies after a bomb or an IUD of any sense. She is then haunted by any of the solider's ghosts. Her boyfriend dies in the war and she takes on his military dog. Once she is stateside, she becomes a railroad cop in Colorado and ends up working on a homicide case, and her and her dog, Clive, work the case. It's an interesting book b/c they think the girl who was murdered, was killed b/c she knew about a secret operation that happened in Iraq. So while she is working the case, she is also hiding key evidence b/c she is afraid of the truth about the Iraq operation coming out. 

I think this is a series and I am interested in keeping up with the story!

I am sad that yet another month has gone by and I haven't really read anything amazing. Everything I have read so far this year has just been blah. I am reading a book now though, that I bet is going to be my favorite of the year so far!