Hello, everybody!! It is my greatest pleasure to introduce you to this month's top five line-up. I found something to love about all of the following titles so I hope you do too!! Without further ado, the books you MUST pick up this month:
#1: The Grace Year by Kim Liggett I had never heard of this book or author before being gifted it at Christmas. Thank goodness Alexis decided to veer away from the list I provided and get something that was the complete opposite of my requests. I couldn't put this book down! The plot was super engaging and the characters were so complex. The genre for this book is somewhere within dystopian fantasy and fiction. The author doesn't come out and tell you the timeframe so it could be before modern times or years afterward. What I really liked and appreciated was that the society within the book wasn't completely unbelievable. Some dystopian novels get very big with their stories and other parts of the development that you can't visualize any of it actually happening. But with the way that The Grace Year was written, I could buy that it was something based of real life but altered in some ways in order to fit with the author's overall ideas. #2: Virgin River by Robyn Carr If you have never heard of this series, you're missing out. It's a show on Netflix that takes its inspiration from the above book series. I watched the show before reading the books which I almost never do but in my defense, I didn't know the books existed until afterwards. I went in sort of knowing what to expect- or at least I thought I did. First of all, the books are so much more dramatic than the show. Granted, books have a little more autonomy than TV shows when it comes to drama and violence. However, they're still super easy to read! The plot just has a little more going on than your average romance novel. #3: When The Stars Go Dark by Paula McLain This book took me by surprise. It's actually based somewhat on events that really happened. The author uses the real-life events more as a device to further the plot than as the central focus. The whole book is spent trying to find a missing girl which then leads the investigators uncovering a whole slew of other missing girls. The reason? A serial killer, obviously. I find the way that the author wrote the story interesting. She managed to incorporate real events, people, and places while not letting it invade her story and allowing it to stand on its own. While it is a bit on the murder-y side, the journey of self-discovery that the main character goes through makes it worth all the not-so-nice details. #4: Caraval by Stephanie Gerber Caraval is like The Hunger Games on steroids. There's so much focus on the settings and the little details that your mind is able to create an almost spot-on image. If this turned into a movie, I would love to see what the set designers came up with. The author even includes a reading playlist (songs that fit with the mood or events within the chapter) in the back of the book. Sometimes I will admit that it wasn't the easiest to follow along with because a lot of stuff is packed into every chapter. The characters also weren't very likable at times and there's one supporting character that just gets. under. my. skin. I will leave it to you to discover which one. But overall, it was a fantastic story and two more books follow this one. #5: Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen Ah, the classics. Full of tongue twisters and confusion. If I had to rank the ones I've read thus far for most confounding, Sense and Sensibility takes the cake. I really wanted to enjoy the story- and some parts I did- but overall, I had a hard time reading. It took me six months! The chapters may be short but the language makes it feel like you're trying to get molasses off your hands. As most Jane Austen novels are, this one is a romance but there were many times I wondered where exactly the romance was. And don't get me wrong, Pride and Prejudice is one of my favorites but I can't say the same for this one. I will say, the difficulty made me more determined to finish it. Even if I didn't completely understand the ending. See you in March!
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2/18/2022 0 Comments Ledgendary Cookies, An Eventful Shopping Trip, and One Unforgettable Trip to the Movies Somehow the middle of February has already arrived and, shockingly, I've done so much this month. I've seen new movies, read a ton of books (what else is new), discovered some new foods (of the sweet and sugary variety), and a few other interesting things that I feel meet the merit of importance to be forever immortalized on this blog.
First and foremost: crumbl cookies. If you know, you know. If not, where have you been? In some other universe? Crumbl cookies are essentially the greatest thing ever and yes, I am putting them above my planners as well as my obscenely large collection of fuzzy socks because they deserve that honor. Last weekend, we drove all the way to Ankeny just to procure ourselves a box of the goods. My thoughts are as follows. FREAKING DELICIOUS AND WORTH THE DRIVE. These things are the size of a human head. That is not an exaggeration for emphasis. That is a fact. They come freshly baked and smell like joy. The flavors change each week so you definitely won't run out of things to try if you have an out of control sweet tooth. You can get three different boxes ranging from four, six, or twelve cookies. The box of four lets you choose the flavor of every cookie. The box of six gets you every flavor for the week. The box of twelve lets you get two of each flavor. Can you guess which one we bought? In the midst of our cookie adventure, we also went shopping because my closet has been desperately begging to be refilled after my New Years purge. If you're on a budget and haven't been to Plato's Closet yet, I highly recommend it. There's name brands for such great prices. I got a Ralph Lauren sweater for $10 and Fabletics leggings for $5. All-in-all, we spent $130. But that's not even the best part of this story. Coming out of Plato's Closet, as I'm getting in the car, what do I notice? A flat tire, of course. Mind you, we drove at least twenty-five minutes and had no issues. So we (my mom, Ashley, and I) had to sit there and wait for my dad to come and change the tire. My mom was so annoyed (mostly at my dad because he just kept asking stupid questions) but at least I got to finish a book. My grand book total for the last week rounds out to five:
Yesterday, I did something exceptionally brilliant. I broke my bedroom door. Now you might be thinking, "How does one break their bedroom door?" Well, when one has a 300+ pound machine in place of legs, things happen. And sometimes those things can be quite destructive. What you need to know is that my closet is on the right side of the room. My bedroom door opens inward to the right side. When it's open, it blocks the closet door. In order to complete my most favorite chore of putting away laundry, the door has to be shut. Yesterday afternoon, I close the door, open the closet, and start putting things away. However, I hadn't latched the door all the way so as a result, this little thing called gravity was pushing the door open again towards the closet. For some reason, my brain didn't recognize that it was right there so I do a back-up-turn thing and the front tires (that have been apparatuses sent by demons since I got the chair) slammed right into the bottom corner where a pretty decent-sized dent now resides. It was my karma. The last week and a half had been going way too smoothly up to that point. My dad turned an undisclosed age on Tuesday! The man notoriously hates big celebrations so my mom planned a rather low-key affair at Spare Time, a bowling alley across the street from Jordan Creek. It was a rather chill dinner for us. Between discussions of delusional relatives, the bar seemingly being out of every ingredient for nearly every alcoholic drink Brandon wanted (I mean, the waiter came back three different times with varying expressions of sympathy), the misordering of MJ's salad (that is not a joke, ask her) and an epic birthday sundae. we all had our fun in the arcade. This place was no joke! I excelled in the coin games, lost to Kenzie at air-hockey, got severely dizzy after going on a virtual rollercoaster (even wheelchair bound people have to have their fun, even at the expense of my parents' backs), and had a great time watching my dad's first experience with virtual reality. In the entertainment area, I went to a movie theater for the first time in five months. My mom and I saw Marry Me which was so good! The perfect feel-good rom-com, especially with everything going on in life recently. The seats we booked were able to have food served during the movie so plus points for that. Although, there was something trés crazy that we encountered. One movie-goer was apparently very cautious about COVID. Not only was she wearing a mask but she also sported surgical gloves. Before her family sat down, she disinfected every seat and then proceeded to pull out her own plates, silverware, bowls, and even Yeti's with their own drinks. But that's not all! There was another person in a wheelchair who had come with his wife so they were right across from us. I would like it known that because a movie theater is a very open public area, I couldn't help but overhear these next parts. No eavesdropping was involved. Apparently, the wheelchair seat was available, the two seats next to it had been bought. The manager was very nice about the whole situation and promised to get it sorted out as long as the people who purchased the seats weren't disabled. Turns out that our walking health precautions billboard bought the seats. Not only did she buy those seats, but she bought her entire row and the row ahead of her. That's over $100 in empty seats for those of you at home scratching your head. With that, I am pleased to inform you that you have reached the end of yet another one of my highly entertaining, sometimes chaotic blogs. Have a fabulous weekend and make sure to check back soon for the return of a fan-favorite! It's time for a raid 0f my bookshelves to find the next round of novels that you must read.
#1: A History of Wild Places by Shea Ernshaw This book shocked me in a good way. The overall plot was something I'd never really seen at all in a lot of the novels I've read over the last few years. At first glance, A History of Wild Places appears as your typically mystery/suspense story. A missing girl, a small amount of clues, and one man determined to solve the whole thing. But then he disappears as well and what follows will truly blow your mind. #2: I Was Anastasia by Ariel Lawhon Where are my fellow history nerds at? This novel covers one of my favorite subjects: Russian history. Inspired by the fall of the Romanov Dynasty, the story takes place in many different times and places. The period of 1917-1918 is told from the point of view of the Grand Duchess Anastasia, who is the second youngest child of the imperial family. The period of 1920 and on is told from the point of view of Anna Anderson, whose claim that she was the youngest Grand Duchess of Russia's last royal family captivated the world for much of the twentieth century. This book combines accurate history with some creative imagination to make one intriguing tale. #3: Mercy by David Baldacci I had a love/hate relationship with this one when I thought it was the final book of the whole series because the ending left so many unanswered questions. I was so mad that I had invested in two previous books when the finale technically didn't even qualify as one. Overall, it kept my attention and had an interesting plot but that ending, you guys. I just can't get over it. I will say that what it implies is interesting and the reason it's on this list is because I feel the author deserves my attention for writing a fairly decent book. For as many answers that weren't given, we ended up with quite a few resolutions which I appreciated. I think I will forever have an unbalanced enjoyment of this particular novel. #4: Daylight by David Baldacci Remember how five seconds ago I said there was no actual ending to the previous book series? I welcome you to that actual ending. My annoyance at Mercy can be forgiven since the story now has a conclusion. And a pretty epic one if I do say so myself. There's government corruption, hitmen, mob connections, mistaken identities, emotional reunions, and fight scenes that left me physically in pain just imagining them. I read this book in three hours on Christmas Day. It was so good! I definitely think the series could've been shorter. As we know, the last book infuriated me on another level. Don't get me wrong, four to five book series' can work but you have to make it go on in a way that's interesting. While the overall story is cool, I only really appreciated the first and last books. The middle ones had more filler and random information than I would've liked. This one got right down to business and I appreciated that all the questions were answered fairly quickly. Insider note: You could totally read the first book, which is called Long Road to Mercy and then skip to this one. You wouldn't be missing much. #5: The Turn of the Key by Ruth Ware Overall, I think what the author wanted to achieve was cool but the execution failed. The whole book is written as a letter from a prison inmate to a lawyer explaining their case and why they're innocent of murder. First, you get a house in the English countryside that is portrayed as spooky but it really isn't. You have a rich family with demon children with a flakey dad and a mom whose just trying to raise her kids. In comes a new nanny after half-a-dozen have already been ran off because the house is supposedly haunted. The whole supernatural aspect just throws me off. It kind of is pulled together in the end but I hated it and wish it was never involved in the first place. I wish it would've been explained as the actions of the demon children in the beginning and not as a ghost. Also, there's a "romance" plotline that does not work at all. I wish that had been cut entirely because there's no build-up and no after effects except for a five page run in the middle of the story. It's supposed to aid in getting to the climax but instead it's like another story got inserted in this one. This novel starts out strong and then slowly devolves into a chaotic mess with the author hastily trying to tie up all the loose ends. But then at the ending, she LEAVES A LOOSE END?! Some books have endings that leave you wondering and they are fabulous. Hello, Verity. In this particular instance, I hate it. Just give me the clear ending after persevering through that whole thing. The only reason that The Turn of the Key ended up on this list is because it's so messy and chaotic and outrageous, it makes for great reading. And with that, January's books are concluded, ladies and gentlemen. Until February..... 1/11/2022 0 Comments I Finally Did It…. Happy New Year! I hope you had a great holiday filled with all your favorite people and things. The post-Christmas/New Year's fog has finally lifted from my brain and let me tell you, it was rough. I had no sense of time no matter how many times I looked at a calendar (which was a lot) and no motivation whatsoever. I had been on autopilot for most of December but am glad to finally be back to some form of normalcy.
One Week Later.... Hello. It's been a week. A long, boring week that I had to drag myself through. It was cold and my computer kept dying literally everyday and I had to finish writing an English paper about Russian history of all things. I did a whole lot more that I won't bore you with but all you really need to understand is that my brain is fried. Today we're starting our final speaking exam in Spanish which I'm torn over. I'd love to get it over with but I also don't want to do it. Which is so dumb. I'm creating stress for myself for absolutely no reason but that's how my brain operates. It's very annoying. As I'm writing this, I'm listening to music and I just totally missed three songs from Hamilton. I'm sad now. Those were some of the best songs. I'm contemplating rewinding. Does anyone else do that? You miss your favorite song or part because you spaced or gasp, breathed too loud? I finally did a thing. I posted a TikTok. This is a very big deal. I never got on the TikTok train when it first came out but now I have started using it more and thought, Why not? I mean, it's not great but it doesn't suck either. My username is carolinehill1 if you want to form your own opinion. Update: I did my speaking exam. My final thoughts: it wasn't that hard. Luckily, we got to use notes so I wasn't totally thrown into the deep end. Next semester (which starts a week from today), I'm taking Spanish III so I better be a fluent-ish speaker by May otherwise I'm going to be very mad. I also have $100 so let me know what I should do with it because I've hit a wall. I'll probably end up buying more books, lets be real here. In other news, Grey's Anatomy got renewed for a nineteenth season and I don't know how I feel about it. I love the show and will watch an episode a million times over but this last season has been a hard one to get through. It's missing the feeling that the older seasons have. I don't get as excited anymore which makes me so sad. It was the first show that I truly binged watched before binge watching was even a thing. I'll keep watching new episodes but I think the end is very close. I mean, there aren't that many characters left to kill anymore. I need to cease procrastinating and actually get some studying done so I’ll be back next week! Hopefully when I return, it’ll actually make sense and isn’t just my thoughts as I think them. Have a great week! It's book club time! I'm going to tell you now that there are no murdery, mystery novels. I'm giving you all a break for December and these are strictly all my mushy, rom-com, family books. Enjoy!
#1: One Day in December by Josie Silver I love this book!!! If memory serves me correctly, I included another book by this same author last month so if you were interested in that one, you're going to like this one. In short, it's about love at first sight and if that is even a real thing. At the beginning, two people see each other at a bus stop and they both have this moment of connection through a bus window. But then the bus leaves and they never meet again for another couple of months. The whole book traces the evolution of their relationship and what's cool is that the narrative switches between both the guy and girl. I think you'll be very happy when you get to the end. #2: In A Holidaze by Christina Lauren Another book that takes the cake! This book is like the movie, Groundhog's Day. The same stretch of December keeps repeating itself until the main character finally starts getting things she got wrong right. Whenever she starts over, it always happens very violently. The first time she's in a car accident. The next time she trips going down a set of stairs. The last time she gets hit by a falling branch. There was almost a fourth time where she was hit by a car and then a rock gets launched at her head. But she ended up missing both so it's fine. #3: The Beach House by Mary Alice Monroe This book was so sweet and comforting. It's set in South Carolina which I actually enjoyed. The main character is having a really difficult time so she decides to come home. Her mother loves turtles and helps them hatch and then get to the ocean. The two of them reconnect after almost twenty years of estrangement and disconnect. The book spans over a summer of many revelations, trials, hardships, love, family, and friends. #4: The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood I will be honest and say that I would've been perfectly fine if this book went on forever. It's a chill, feel-good story. The ending, even though I felt that it was predictable from the beginning, actually threw me for a loop. I didn't think it would be as intense as it was but I appreciated the intensity. Romance novels are a very open and shut story in general but this helped change the pace and pull the readers back in. Especially for people who lose interest or attention fast. #5: A Little Hope by Ethan Joella Finishing out December's book club is this very fast, refreshing novel. The characters have traits that we can all associate to ourselves. I love books that are actually meaningful to human behavior and like soul/spiritual stuff. It's not cheesy or overdramatized. There are a lot of characters but they all fit in really well. In the middle is a major twist that I was not expecting but then the plot is able to change and explore some other things with the characters and their motivations/feelings/thoughts! The next time we'll be back for a book club is in 2021! How crazy is that? I hope you have a very merry Christmas and a happy New Year! See you all in January for another round of books! Happy December everyone! I can't believe that we're already in the final month of 2021! I’m looking forward to all the fun things that are going on over the next few weeks. Now, I am a total nerd because my room has been decorated since Halloween. This is my favorite time of year so I went all out. I just love Christmas, alright!
This week has been another interesting one. On Sunday, I got a horrible migraine that lasted well into Tuesday. Then, I spent the last part of the week catching up on everything I missed which thankfully, wasn't a whole lot. Two days of school missed is much more manageable than three weeks. I've also been writing this blog all week. The first paragraph took me until today to finish. Six sentences took five days. I'm a horrible procrastinator. But that's not all! Yesterday, my entire bookshelf came tumbling down. It's no big deal, I just find the whole thing really funny because I can't tell you how many times I've had the thought that maybe I should move the shelf over. The way my room is now, it sits right next to the bathroom door against a wall. This means that you have to be very careful when coming out and not turning too sharp. There have been a few close calls in the past but yesterday was finally the day where close call would turn into actually happening. Now I'm really thinking about moving it and also maybe just getting a new bookshelf entirely. The one I have is from Walmart and I have put so many books on it that it actually like leans forward slightly. We'll just call this whole thing a sign from the universe! In other news, I have finally finished every single book I own. There are no more. Never in a million years did I think this day would come. Why? Because buying books and reading books are two entirely different activities. However, I have found a sort-of solution for my dilemma. My mom bought us advent calendars this year and mine is from Barnes and Noble. It's disney princess short stories! I've been filming the opening of them every day so you'll be seeing them all soon! I'm also a member of a monthly book subscription box and I've already ordered my box for December but it's taking an epically long time to ship. Speaking of subscription boxes, I got my winter FabFitFun box last week and have just remembered as I'm writing this that I still haven't blogged about it. Look forward to that at some point! And yes, December's newsletter will be out by early next week. I'm giving myself a deadline. I know I've been really bad with consistent newsletters but with this one, it's seriously my favorite one to make and it's only me doing it. So give me a little more of your patience. I promise it will be coming soon and it will be magical. I am still obsessed with Starbucks peppermint mocha. If you haven't tried it yet, you need to. It is delicious. The only way I can describe it is as caffeinated hot chocolate. I've tried some of their other ones but I just don't get the same taste of gloriousness. I will forever love the iced white mocha but Christmas puts me in a different mood. Also hoping to get one of the new Starbucks Christmas tumblrs but my fight is currently facing challenges as my mother thinks that because the actual holiday is close I can get it as a gift. But by then, what's the point of the Christmas tumblr if Christmas is literally passing as I receive it? I'll keep you all posted on this developing story. I hope you all had a fabulous start to December and the holiday season if you're one of those people who doesn't start celebrating after Halloween. I don't know why you wouldn't, honestly but I digress. This is a space of inclusion....even if you do happen to unfortunately fall under the Grinch category. It's everybody's favorite time of the month! This month's book club picks are honestly some of my favorites. There's some great stories in here about triumph and perseverance that I've really come to appreciate. Don't get too soft though because there are some major schemes and deceptions going on as well. Have fun with November's selections!
#1: The Two Lives of Lydia Bird by Josie Silver I came by this book by total chance. I was in Barnes and Noble, searching for a new book because I had surprisingly almost read all the ones I owned. After nearly two hours, I caught the name of an author I had read before and the rest, as they say, is history. This novel is one of those where you finish and all you want are a million sequels. The titular character, Lydia, is dealing with the repercussions of her fiancee's death. He died suddenly in a car accident but his best friend lives. To help, her psychiatrist prescribed sleeping pills. Soon, Lydia discovers that the pills take her to an alternate dream world where her fiancee is still alive. Lydia assumes this'll make everything easier but is leading two lives ever easy? #2: Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo This title may be familiar to you because it's been adapted to a show on Netflix. That's the main reason why I wanted the books. I hate watching a movie or show when there's a book because I think the book is just cooler because there's more information packed into it. Shadow and Bone is the first book in a trilogy series. My biggest draw to this book is that it actually draws off of Russian history and culture. I'd call it more of a dark fantasy novel. There's elements of magic but things definitely take a violent turn in the middle part. Basically, there's this place called The Fold, which is essentially darkness and you can't travel through it without some source of light or a lot of artillery. That is because within The Fold there are creatures called volcra. The volcra thrive in darkness and like to kill all the people who attempt to pass through. Fun fact: they're actually people. When The Fold was created, they were trapped inside and turned into vicious creatures. However, there is a way to get through safely with the help of the Sun Summoner. I won't tell you who it is but I will tell you that said unknown character has the ability to summon light with their hands. Things get absolutely wild and it is truly a journey. #3: Sparks of Light by Janet B. Taylor I'm late to the party with this one but better late than never. If you recall to one of my very first book clubs, you may remember a book called Into the Dim. Remember when I mentioned it had a sequel? Remember when I mentioned that I would try to include it in the next month's post? Remember when next month's post turned into almost two years later? With the first book, there was so much action. A teenager discovers that she's part of a time-traveling family and must go back to the 1600s to save her mother who became trapped while time-traveling herself. The sequel had much of that same quality but I'm not going to lie when I say that I actually got emotional while reading. Something happens to one of the main characters that I wasn't expecting. I kept hoping that it wasn't happening and at the last second, the author really gets your hopes up before sticking the final nail in the coffin. For as long as it took me to blog about it, I managed to read Sparks of Light in a few hours. It keeps you engaged and has a really great cliffhanger ending. #4: Not a Happy Family by Shari Lapena We had to get here eventually. It's time for the murderous selection. This novel had an ending that you can perceive if you pay enough attention and stick to your gut instinct. The author writes in a way that makes you think any one of the main characters could've done it. Every perspective is so believable that even if you feel confident in your opinion, there will still be that little nagging voice in your head. The author does tie everything up in the end but the road to get there is not so neat and tidy. #5: Star of the North by D.B. John I got this book almost a year ago and I was dragging myself through it. I don't know where I found it but somehow I got the motivation to start reading for real. The novel has three different perspectives and I will admit that I found myself enjoying some perspectives over the other. The story was still fantastic and I could see why the certain characters were needed but some of them were just boring to me. Once I got in about a hundred pages or so, the pace started to pick up and it (thankfully) began to drift out of the slowness that comes in the beginning. Something that I appreciated was the genre which was actually really surprising. The book is a political thriller and I've never had great experiences with those in the past. I found the plots dull, characters uninspiring, and a spark of something missing. I think that's what caused my slow start to begin with. Star of the North threw all of that out the window. There was so much to take in and so much to experience with the novel being primarily set in North Korea. A worthwhile story all around. And with that, I give you November's book club! Come back in December for some cozy titles! Target has finally started putting all their Christmas stuff up for sale so obviously I went at the first opportunity. We were there on Sunday and I forgot what month it actually was. I kept seeing fall stuff everywhere and I couldn't figure out why until I was so kindly reminded that there is a month before December and we still have to go through it. I love Christmas so much that my mind immediately switches to it on October 31st. I forget about Thanksgiving and the rest of fall. It's full-on winter wonderland, deck the halls mode.
If you don't follow me on any social media, you missed a great time on Sunday night. I spent the whole day decorating and I shared a video of the finished project which I'm totally over the moon about. Yes, I realize that was a cheesy sentence but I really don't care. The joy that I feel is too great to not describe with incredibly cheesy sentences. I'm hoping to post a video going through all of my holiday decor so maybe then you'll get a better understanding and share in the joy with me. I'm also going to try my hand at Pinterest so pop over there in a few days to see it all. In other news, happy November! Now that I, you know, realize it exists. This week we started a new term so our classes changed. Luckily for me, two of my classes stayed the same and only two switched. This term, I'm taking creative writing and psychology as my new classes. My two classes that didn't change are English and Spanish. Kind of a full schedule but I don't mind much. So far, they've been pretty interesting. I think creative writing will be the most beneficial because I've been in a writing rut. I won't call it writer's block because I have ideas and I'm constantly thinking but I just can't seem to translate it onto paper. Some days, I'll sit in front of my iPad and just stare at it for a good hour or more. By the end, I'll have written a handful of sentences that I'll have written and ripped apart a thousand times. I can't help myself because I'm too much of a perfectionist on the first try. My teacher is trying to get us all to understand that first drafts are a thing. Our assignment last night was literally called "A Crappy First Draft" where we just wrote whatever was in our heads without stopping or correcting anything. My only complaint about this week is that it won't stop dragging on. This may be published on a Friday but I've been writing since Monday. I can't wait for the final bell to ring. At 3:10, I'm out and I'm shutting my brain off for two days. I feel like the first week of the month is always like this especially when you're taking multiple new classes in the same week as well. Let's all pray that next week goes faster. If you didn't know, Starbucks dropped all of their holiday drinks yesterday and I got one just for this. I have thoughts. Let's discuss. My normal order is an iced white chocolate mocha with vanilla cold foam. The holiday drink that I ordered was a toasted white chocolate mocha topped with whipped cream and peppermint sprinkles. It is essentially the same as my normal drink except the beans are toasted, as the name implies. It was definitely much stronger but I liked it all and all. My only negative is that we didn't get the holiday cups. I don't know if it was just the location or what but I was very bitter about that. Tomorrow I'm hoping to try the peppermint mocha because although there were peppermint sprinkles, this drink really didn't taste different and I want the Christmas feeling! No matter what, I will get it. With that, I will leave you pondering all of life's questions. Have a great weekend and I'll see you back here next week for more holiday-centric discussions. Get excited because I am still going to post whether you're Cindy Lou Who or the Grinch! -Caroline Happy book club day! This is an extra-special edition because it's October, meaning that I can go all in with my most crazy murderous faves without being looked at like a psychopath. Enjoy October's extra spooky selections!
#1: Pretty Little Wife by Darby Kane This is my most recent completed book and I'm still thinking about it. The story has all the trappings for a quality, suspenseful story. A small town, a pattern of missing people, a seemingly picture-perfect marriage, and so many secrets. After a local high school teacher suddenly goes missing, suspicion immediately falls upon his wife, Lila. She's seen as the perfect wife to everyone in town but no one really knows her. Turns out, she's got a sinister secret but is she the only one who has things they need to hide? Pretty Little Wife is the debut novel of Darby Kane and I will definitely be picking up any of her future works after reading this. #2: Watchers by Dean Knootz I'm not going to lie. It took me awhile to get into this novel. I wasn't sure if I would end up finishing it but I did and I'm actually glad that I pushed through. While slow in the beginning, the plot really picks up in the middle of the book. By then you learn that the whole plot is centered around a government experiment gone awry. Even I was lost for a bit trying to figure out what was actually going on and how each character fit into the overall story. My only complaint is that the author switches which character perspective he's writing in, especially throughout the early chapters and it made things, in my opinion, more confusing than what was needed. I liked the suspense but he starts off by really wanting to build it and as a result, overwrites and ends things at odd spots. However, I ended up loving this book despite its initial put-offs. I think the plot developed nicely and I appreciated the character development, although some may feel that it was rushed once you actually read it. I encourage all of you to pick this one up because it is truly a diamond in the rough. #3: The Night She Disappeared by Lisa Jewell There's nothing like a classic who 'dun it/missing person plot. I read this one in a single day and I suspect you will too. What's cool about this novel is that it runs in two timelines. The present and the past leading up to the disappearance. There's so many different characters and you get to hear from all of them in some way thanks to the alternating timelines. The setting is in England which I think adds some additional mystery and suspense to the story. While stories like this can have a predictable ending, The Night She Disappeared actually stumped me and I had no clue what actually happened until the author decided to weave it all together in the end. It's a totally twisted ending but also satisfying. Love! #4: 56 Days by Catherine Ryan Howard I'm not kidding when I say that no other book like this one exists at the present. This novel takes place during the pandemic and it was the first book I came across since this all started that incorporated what we're going through right now. It's pretty accurate excluding one small detail. Someone dies. Did you think any thing else would've happened? Murder in quarantine. Seems like it'd be pretty open and shut, right? You'd be wrong. Quarantine makes things nearly impossible to figure out because nobody's actually seen the murder victim in months and therefore anyone he was with leading up to the murder is a complete mystery. Though not to the reader because the perspective switch between our dearly departed and his super-secret girlfriend who may or may not be responsible for ushering the Grim Reaper to his door. This book is also atypical because it is actually effective in making you think about every possible scenario, letting you think you figured it out, and then completely turning the whole thing on its head. Totally mind-blowing and leaves it open to interpretation as to who the true hero and villain is. #5: Survive the Night by Riley Sager Get ready for a blast from the past because Riley Sager's latest thriller takes readers back to the 1990s. A killer is terrorizing a college campus and the latest victim's best friend decides to leave. She accepts an offer from a stranger and literally embarks on the ride of her life. The ending completely blind-sided me but the epilogue ends everything on a fairly happy note. I liked the fast moving plot and the ever evolving characters. Once the killer is revealed, I guarantee you'll be rereading to find all the foreshadowing. I hope these books peeked your interest and you find your next spine-tingling, pulse-racing thriller/mystery. Happy reading! 10/12/2021 0 Comments Spooky Season Kicks Off With A Bang It's officially spooky season and already over one week in, the 2021 season is one for the books. Shockingly, it's not because of a ravenous global pandemic that seems to have wiped rationality and common sense from the brains of many. Instead, the planetary alignment at the present time is to blame. Ladies and gentlemen, it's the final Mercury retrograde of 2021 and everything is screwed up.
If you're not into horoscopes or zodiac signs or anything like that, you're probably saying, "What is Mercury retrograde and why do I care?" Allow me a minute of your time to explain. Mercury retrograde occurs three times a year and during each period, there are more likely to be events like the following:
Each Mercury retrograde is in a different sign and this time around, the lucky winner is the air sign Libra. What does this mean? The planet Venus rules Libra. Venus is the planet of art, money, and creation. As a result, you could experience a lower cashflow especially if your work is dependent on technology. Venus is also the planet of love if any of you are familiar with roman mythology. While the above can and most likely will happen, the main focus of this retrograde season is relationships and even the smallest interaction isn't safe from evaluation. Communication between these relationships will be at the forefront. You may find yourself thinking more about how you communicate with everyone in your life from family to friends to co-workers and how to make that communication better if need be. Not only will you be thinking about how you can potentially communicate better but your active communication will get interesting. You may end up speaking before thinking more times than not and your words may be viewed more as a weapon while mercury is in retrograde. So how do you get through it? Take your time and double-check everything. Do. Not. Rush. Also, and please don't take offense to this, consider just shutting up for a little bit. After all, staying silent is a whole lot better than putting words out there you can't take back. Take this time and reflect so you can be ready for whatever the universe wants to throw out next. You have all of my best wishes that you survive this trying time with your sanity intact. Happy haunting! |
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The Blog in a NutshellHi! Welcome to Fashion Fun and Extra, a blog run by Caroline Hill. A wheelchair user, podcaster, little sister, writer, and more, Caroline's unique view on life allows readers to take a glance into something they don't experience everyday. Told with humor, realness, remarkable wit, and a special kind bluntness, no blog will fail to entertain!
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