Reading Challenge: Poetry - check!

I literally just got this book tonight and finished it while giggling to myself during many entries. So my book for poetry was:

Anyone who has been married for a while will appreciate the humor between these covers. This was one of my favorite entries - couples counseling (part 1):

The couples therapist urges

us to repeat

what each of us

has just said.

Okay. So I hear you saying

that I am a terrible husband,

man, and human being.

Hold on, Roger, the therapist says.

That's not what Amy said.

Yes, but that's what I heard.

Okay but what she actually said was she wanted you to listen

more.

Let's try to repeat the actual words

and not our interpretation.

Sorry, I wasn't listening...

This book was a fun, lighthearted view on what marriage is. We get excited when kids go to sleep. Leggings, sweats, anything comfy is what we look to wear. Sexy lingerie is not the goal as it may have been during the "wooing" stages. Oh my how I giggled while turning the pages!

A nice change of pace for me. A solid 4 stars for the entertainment value!

Reading Challenge: YA (young adult) - check!

Okay, so I have now finished 10 books in this challenge. What a way to hit double digits. This book:

Oh my. It was heartbreaking. The main character, Caitlin, goes through anger, sadness, despair, confusion...a gamut of feelings. Ultimately she gets to hope and the ride with her is so special. This book digs into a tough theme: teen suicide. That in itself is heartbreaking. Being a teen is tough enough without losing your best friend to suicide and not knowing that they even needed help. The questions and confusion that come from such a blindside can only be devastating in nature. The way that Caitlin's journey was described took me right back to being a teen in high school and all the awkwardness of that time. To have it all feel so real is a testament to Nina LaCour's writing. Photography plays a major role in the story and every image was written with such detail that I felt like I was looking at the pictures or felt like I had seen them somewhere. Every emotion and every act from Caitlin just made sense. Even when she was confused by her own actions, they made sense. I just wanted to give Caitlin a big ole hug. Taking the journey with her as she discovered new friends throughout the pain she was experiencing was also something that gave me pause. I was hoping that she would be able to open up enough to allow these new entities into her life even with such raw emotions under the surface. The moments where she stumbled made the whole story believable. If the storyline had been too perfect, I think it would have lost me. The stumbles added beauty to the story. I really loved it all (and flew through the book, I was so mesmerized).

This book is going to stay with me for a long time. I rated it 5 stars. Phew!

I have not decided on my next book yet, so that will just have to be a surprise.

Reading Challenge: A Book You Tried Once But Didn't Finish - check!

This next book was one that I originally tried to read once, but at the time I could not get into it, so put it down to read something else. I then tried it again and it became my 9th book in the reading challenge. A Spark of Light by Jodi Picoult:

I enjoy books by this author and several of my 5-star ratings are her books (The Storyteller, Small Great Things, etc...). I love what Jodi can do with a moral dilemma and show both sides with such skill. This one was about a very polarizing theme: abortion. Whether you are pro-life or pro-choice, most people do not waiver from what they believe. This story wove several stories around each other. I have read her back and forth between the present and the past in other books of hers and I have found it to be an effective tool. I am sorry to say I found the approach in this book to fall a bit flat with me. I prefer when she starts all the way back and works up to the present. In this book, she kept going further and further back. I found it a bit more tedious only because every I did not find that it brought me to what should have been the climax of the story. Although I enjoyed the book, it was not one of my favorites by this author. I felt like there were a few too many characters with too many points of view trying to be covered. Because of that, I did not really gravitate to any of her characters like I normally do. I gave it 3 stars on Goodreads.

And with that, I present the next book on my list:

Reading Challenge: Book That Takes Place in Another Country - check!

I actually finished this book a couple of weeks ago and am only getting to my post now. So this is my 8th book of the reading challenge. I put it under the category of taking place in another country as it was set in England. The Girlfriend by Michelle Frances:

This was a book that was a slow burn and then a roller coaster ride. When it hit the full-on crazy, it picked up a lot of speed. I enjoyed this book. The funny thing is that I was not really into any of the characters: Cherry was just way too focused on changing her place in the pecking order and was way crazy. Laura's lies kept compounding the problem and got way out of hand. And Daniel just did not have a clue. Even though I did not really like the characters, I really liked the story around them. I, as a mother, cannot imagine using a lie to try to get rid of someone - I am much too straight-forward for that. However, I can understand the desperation to keep her son safe. I was kind of annoyed with Daniel for so easily doubting his mother because he was so caught up in Cherry. How he did not see through her manipulative nature irked me. I would have liked to see a bit more sway between him with both women rather than just being on one side most of the time.

I see that Michelle Frances has a couple of other books - I may just have to try them out. I rated this book 4 stars on Goodreads for the fast pace at the end and the fact that I really needed to know where things were going. I was engaged the whole way.

I have also loaned this book to 2 different friends already and the one who has already finished it really enjoyed it.

My next book is by a favorite author of mine:

Reading Challenge: A Memoir - check!

Another book checked off the list: Becoming by Michelle Obama. This is my 7th book checked off the list from the reading challenge by Stephanie Howell and her Bloom Where You Are Planted Book Group.

I had heard good things about this book and was curious. I have always liked the way Michelle presents herself in public and admire the strong woman that she is. I was pleased that her story read like we were having a conversation over coffee or tea. Hearing about her upbringing and strong sense of family was something I could relate to. Her closeness to her brother is something I share. Only, my brother is younger than me. Reading about how she and Barack met and became a strong couple was interesting to read. Even humanizing him by mentioning his more roll-with-the-punches take on life to her very structured environment and how to make the 2 work reminded me of life with my husband. 

One of the main themes I gravitated to was how she balanced family with all that was going on around them. Being a mom of 2 girls, myself, I could identify with the struggle to teach my daughters to be self-sufficient and to be as present as possible with all the demands of having a full-time job and trying to be a wife as well. Throw in being the First Lady and that was quite the feat. Reading about her struggles made her relatable. At her core, she is a strong woman trying to do right by her family and hopefully having an impact on others as well.

I rated this book 4 stars on Goodreads. The length of time it took me to finish this book was in no way a reflection on the content or how much I liked it. The past month has been busy, so reading time was harder to come by. I really did enjoy this book. It made me feel like if I ever had the chance to sit and have a cup of tea with Michelle, it would be an easy-going conversation that would just flow naturally.

I am now moving on to my next book:

Reading Challenge: Thriller - check!

I was trying to keep this category until later in the game, but inevitable I was gonna check it off the list as thrillers are my go-to category when I want to read something I know I will like. I had seen many people in the Bloom Where You're Planted Book Group talk about this book, so I was very curious as to what it would be like.

It starts out in a very interesting way:

My name is Amber Reynolds. There are three things you should know about me:
1. I’m in a coma.
2. My husband doesn’t love me anymore.
3. Sometimes I lie. 

Thus begins a book that seems kind of straightforward. I was expecting the usual back and forth in the timeline to get to where things were, but just when I figured I knew what was happening, twist #1...then twist #2...then twist #3...then I couldn't really keep track anymore it got so twisty. It is a book that you need to know nothing about so I do not want to write any major details so as not to spoil the journey for anyone. I will admit that in the end I was a bit confused and had to really just catch my breath and think through the details and twists to get to a place where things made sense again. I enjoyed that it kept catching me off guard, but would have liked a bit more time between the twists to be able to follow a little bit better.

I did rate it 4 stars on Goodreads as it captured my attention and I really wanted to know what was going to happen. If you are looking for an "easy" read, this is not it as the plot twists will have you spinning on your head.

Now I am on to my next book:

 

Reading Challenge: Horror - check!

I have finished my 5th book in the reading challenge: horror. This is a genre I am familiar with as I have spent many an hour over the years perusing the books in the horror section of many book stores. I used to exclusively read thriller/horror books when I was younger. I had heard that this book was creepy:

I was not sure what to expect. If you do not want to know about what happens, I would stop reading now.

When the first stranger came into the story, I was wondering what would be wrong with him. I was a little uneasy, but nothing stood out too much. When the other 3 joined and they were harassing the family from outside of the cabin and coming in forcefully while saying they weren't going to hurt anyone, I was uneasy because of the contradictory actions. The first death was graphic, but it was the description of the white mask over the face that for some reason was the part that bothered me most. The visual was something that was hard for me to shake. As the situation continued to spiral out of control and more and more violence and contradictory words and actions took place, it was the religious zealot feeling that just felt off and left me unbalanced. Any story of any kind of compound with religious zealots in the news has always been unsettling to me because I cannot understand following anything blindly - that's not who I am. Even as a young adult I remember being on a retreat and having questions for the priest who was speaking with us and he said that he applauded my strong faith. When I asked him if all my questions bothered him, he said that the fact that I was willing to ask questions and form my own opinions was a blessing because I was thinking, not blindly following. We had a great conversation that weekend. But I digress...

The seemingly senseless deaths in this book just keep piling up and the one really heartbreaking one is the one that just does not make any sense because it did not help either side of the situation. There were some underlying stories that almost emerged, but then went nowhere. I was left feeling off-kilter and not sure what to think of this book. I was drawn to read it because I wanted to know where it would go, but in the end am not really sure I liked it. I rated it 3 stars on Goodreads, but I think I would lean more towards 2.5 stars as it left a sour taste in my mouth. In the end it was not my cup of tea. Maybe it was the fact that a family had to decide which of them should be a willing sacrifice and being at a point in my life where I am a mother, this did not sit well with me. I wonder if my younger self would have thought differently. Although the religious zealot side of it would probably still have left me feeling that this was not the book for me back then as well. And so another book is done...

Now I am starting a book that I just purchased and am already a third of the way in. Let's see where this one takes me...

Reading Challenge: A Book Written by a Woman of Color - check!

Once again I am a few days late in my post, but I am flying through books this year. Looks like I may just smash my goal of 30 books if I keep up this pace.

My latest read was The Lost Girls of Camp Forevermore by Kim Fu.

I made my way through this pretty quickly, but would have liked for the past and present to be tied  more cohesively together. I felt like the incident that was supposed to have changed everyone's lives, making them who they ended up being, was not delved into enough. I felt like it was just touched upon lightly and did not go deep enough for me. I was thinking it might be a bit more of a newer female version of Lord of the Flies (which I loved when I read it in Grade 9! I even saw both the original movie and then the remake that starred a very young Balthazar Getty). Where each of the girls ended up was interesting enough, I just wish that the time on the island had been more weighted. If not for the fact that it was supposed to be what influenced their later lives, the rest of the book was an interesting read in and of itself. I had a hard time relating to some of the characters - not quite sure why. I rated it 3 stars on Goodreads.

My next book is one that I have heard is quite creepy, so I am intrigued:

Reading Challenge: A Book With a Color in the Title - check!

This was an easy pick. The minute I saw a James Patterson book with a color in the title, I borrowed it from the library. I have always loved his books and just like many, have often found myself thinking, 'just one more chapter' and then it is 2am in the morning (those darn 5-page chapters are misleading)! I actually have my father to thank for introducing me to his books back when I was in college. He had bought Along Came a Spider and Kiss the Girls as stocking stuffers for me (must have been Christmas of 1995). Who could have known that he would put me on the path to loving a particular author?

NYPD Red is the start of a series (I just know I am gonna enjoy each book in the series) of NY City cops sworn to protect the rich and famous. High stakes, fast-paced and some fun characters. I always enjoy his characters as well as the sarcastic tones that always come across from some of them (this book was no different). I love the formula and always will. I once saw Patterson interviewed and one of the questions was, "Does it bother you that there are people who call you a sell-out because you keep using the same formula?" to which his answer was, "I sell millions of books every year - people can say whatever they want. Why would I change a thing?" I loved hearing that response! Only once did he really break from his normal formula and I was caught off-guard. I will not say which book, but in one the villain actually walks away in the end. I was shocked! And I thought, good on Patterson, for breaking the formula just once to surprise his readers. Even tried and true formulas can be broken just enough to throw fans for a loop. Well played...

So even with my limited time for reading, I managed to get this one done in 4-5 days. A fun read! I gave it a rating of 4 stars on Goodreads.

Now I am starting The Lost Girls of Camp Forevermore, which will cross off a book written by a woman of color. Looking forward to seeing how this one turns out!

 

Reading Challenge: A Book That Stephanie Recommended - check!

I finished this book last weekend. 

Reading The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas was quite the ride. I found myself constantly trying to find time to read it as I wanted to know what was going to happen. The main character, Starr, was in such an impossible position at such a young age. Trying to figure out who she was and how to find her voice while living in 2 very distinct worlds/societies was a great weight on her shoulders while carrying so much tragedy, past and present. The thread of prejudice and racism was something that I wish I could say was an old theme and something that no longer exists, but I am not naive enough to say that. In fact, it brought me back to my days in college, living in Florida. Having moved from a melting pot of races and cultures, I will admit that it was very hard for me at that age to realize that what I had seen in movies was not necessarily exaggerated - it was just not something I had experienced first hand in Montreal (where I was born and raised). Having some situations to pull from with the writing style of Angie Thomas, this book really hit home and pulled me along from page to page, just hoping that things would work out somehow.

The theme of family was one that really hit me as well. What defines a family and the family dynamic is something that is different for everyone. I have always said that we have our family that is blood and our family that we choose. This was something that often came up throughout the book. I don't want to give anything away because I think that this is a story that everyone needs to discover as it happens in order to be able to feel a raw reaction. I was heartbroken while angry while hopeful all the while hooked to the story. I went through lots of emotions and that is why I gave this book a rating of 5 stars on Goodreads. I am still thinking about it, which means it made quite the impression on me. I encourage others to read it and go along the ride with Starr. 

That was a book that was one of Stephanie's 5-star ratings, so I am glad I picked it as my choice for something she recommended.

I have already started my next book: a book with a color in the title. Oh James Patterson, how I love your books. So far this one does not disappoint!

Reading Challenge: Non-fiction - check!

The first book I decided to read for the 2019 Reading Challenge was "It's Not About Perfect" by Shannon Miller and Danny Peary. I decided that this would be the one to check off non-fiction from the list.

I really enjoyed this book. I have always been a fan of gymnastics (not that I can do the sport at all, with my 5'10" frame) and got to relive what I saw in the 1992 and 1996 Olympics. Getting to know more about what led to them and all the years of work that Shannon Miller put into them was really interesting. She mentions her family often, whether to mention how her work ethic was instilled in her by her parents or just to say how supported she was by all the members in her family. Her drive to get to where she ended up, but never feeling like she was the best was surprising. She would only say she worked hard to earn what she received, not that it was because she was the best. Her love of the sport is evident and hearing about what went on behind the scenes was a nice new view on things. Going through her career and then seeing how tough it can be once a top athlete needs to find their way in the "real world" was a good reminder that even those we see in the public eye can be a bit lost at times.

Moving on from athletics to schooling, business and her own marriage and family was a nice glimpse into her life as well. When cancer came into the mix, she touched upon the devastation, but still kept positive and fought it with her trademark upbeat attack. It allowed her to make her company - Shannon Miller Lifestyle - really reach out to others as she really became the poster child for women's health and keeping up with doctor's appointments and such. Imagine if she had not gone in and caught the tumor on her ovary as early as she did...unthinkable!

An easy read and very upbeat story. I rated this 4 stars on Goodreads as I really did like it a lot (I nearly finished the book in 2 days!).

1 book down, 23 to go. Next I am tackling a book recommended by Stephanie: