Fall temperatures finally arrived. After some 90 degree days early this week, it’s finally in the 70s, just where I like it. Jason is 99% recovered from Covid after two weeks, Gage is in school, and I’m trying to map out what I want for myself this year. Blogwise I’ve got some big goals. I’ve had my favorite 100 books and 100 movies posted here for years. I’m a list maker so I’m doing a rehaul. I’ve made lots of lists that you can see. But before a book goes on the new list, I’ll be giving it a reread or watching it again and posting about it. It’s a big project that will satify my goal to slow down and will, most likely, be ongoing for a year or two.
After a few friend recommendations we finally watched Jury Duty. We laughed at James Marsden, but it really just wasn’t for us. Ronald came across as very likable, but what did he do to deserve such a big, very public prank?
Puzzle
This was my 1000 piece puzzle from Completing the Puzzle and I loved it. It’s Tokyo from Coudberries.
Plans for the Weekend
Shopping for school clothes and seeing the parents for Grandparents Day!
Flying Colors follows the mystical adventures of John Freeman, who’s young, ambitious, and on the verge of achieving everything he wants when he finds himself the student of a mysterious flight instructor whose initial lessons have little to do with flying planes. Over a remarkable summer, as John struggles to unravel the secrets behind the instructor and a mystical airfield stuck in time, he becomes torn between his professional ambitions and the lure of a simpler life. But to earn his wings and soar, John must face the ultimate test of discovering his true self and what matters most.
John meets a mysterious man in an airport who opens his eyes to a different way to live, to new possibilities never dreamt of before. When John arrives back home to a job that is ready to serve up the life he’s always wanted on a silver platter, the memory of the man in the airport has him questioning what it is he really wants.
Mysterious and mystical and a great first novel.
“No one can teach another person. If something’s worth learning we teach ourselves. We become our own teachers by doing, by experimenting. We teach ourselves by making mistakes and experimenting until we get it right. Everyone wants answers, but the answers can’t come from other people because the answers you get are to the wrong questions, answers meant for someone else’s life, not yours.”
Many thanks to the author for sending this uplifting book my way!
Love on the Brain by Ali Hazelwood. 4.25 stars, STEM RomCom, 354 pages, 2022
Like an avenging, purple-haired Jedi bringing balance to the mansplained universe, Bee Königswasser lives by a simple code: What would Marie Curie do? If NASA offered her the lead on a neuroengineering project–a literal dream come true after years scraping by on the crumbs of academia–Marie would accept without hesitation. Duh. But the mother of modern physics never had to co-lead with Levi Ward.
Sure, Levi is attractive in a tall, dark, and piercing-eyes kind of way. And sure, he caught her in his powerfully corded arms like a romance novel hero when she accidentally damseled in distress on her first day in the lab. But Levi made his feelings toward Bee very clear in grad school–archenemies work best employed in their own galaxies far, far away.
Now, her equipment is missing, the staff is ignoring her, and Bee finds her floundering career in somewhat of a pickle. Perhaps it’s her occipital cortex playing tricks on her, but Bee could swear she can see Levi softening into an ally, backing her plays, seconding her ideas…devouring her with those eyes. And the possibilities have all her neurons firing. But when it comes time to actually make a move and put her heart on the line, there’s only one question that matters: What will Bee Königswasser do?
After reading The Love Hypothesis last month, it took me no time at all to realize that I would be reading more from her. It was fun, smart, and romantic. What’s not to love?
Love on the Brain is very similar to TLH. It’s set in academia, has offbeat heroines and stoic heroes (unless there’s sex and then all bets are off), and an obvious attraction seen by the reader even though the heroine misses it. But, in all of the ways that TLH went over the top and sometimes missed the mark, this one didn’t. It’s a more mature story, complete with cats and near death experiences.
Bee and Levi are working on a project for NASA and they have a history. Bee runs a site for women in science to vent their frustrations. What happens when Bee’s worst day involves both parts of her life.
I’ll be moving on to my next Hazelwood romcom soon and I can’t wait!
“Fun fact about me: I am a fairly mellow person, but I happen to have a very violent fantasy life. Maybe it’s an overactive amygdala. Maybe it’s too much estrogen. Maybe it’s the lack of parental role models in my formative years. I honestly don’t know what the cause is, but the fact remains: I sometimes daydream about murdering people. By “sometimes,” I mean often. And by “people,” I mean Levi Ward. I have my first vivid reverie on my third day at NASA, when I imagine offing him with poison.” from Love on the Brain
In a comment, give me your 5 words (or less!) and earn $1 for charity. Once we get to $100 the person with the most reviews will choose the charity. Click here to see the past winners, the charities they chose and the other reviews you can add to. Anyone is welcome to join in at any time. Click here to see past movie posts.
I only read 20 books this month, and a weird range of reads too.
I read 9 picture books, 7 fiction, 2 non-fiction. My favorite being
Wombats are Pretty Weird: A (Not So) Serious Guide by Abi Cushman. There are characters (Gage loved the snake) that will appeal to the littles in your life and just enough information to make those littles smarter! The back pages had photos and facts about the different types of wombats and the page on their cube shaped poop is fun for all.
I managed 5 romances, 2 modern, 2 historical, and 1 teen. My favorite being
The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood. Ladies in STEM unite! So much fun! If you have a thing for smart men, are inspired by intelligent women, and love some spice then this is the romance for you! It wasn’t without issues, but reading it felt like I was sitting down to eat a big bowl of M&Ms for dinner. I can’t wait to read more by this author.
I also read 6 non-fiction, 2 photography books, 1 health, 1 inspirational journal, 1 graphic biography, and 1 cartoon collection. Two favorites from this group were
Humans of New York by Brandon Stanton. I’m sure most of you have seen Humans of New York online. Brandon Stanton started taking photos of people in various cities along with a caption or story and his blog gained traction. By the time his camera found the humanity and exuberant essence of NYC, people were paying attention. And still are. This book was originally published in 2013. I loved every bit of it. The people, the quick story, the quote, the photos.
Interspersed amongst the rest is the story of Steve Martin and Harry Bliss, told in comic style, and how they came to put together this book. My favorite is when they were checking each other for ticks. It’s a great 20-30 minute read, sure to make you chuckle.
I’d never heard of Stephanie St. Claire, a Black woman from the Caribbean who ran the Harlem numbers in the 1920s and 30s. This was not a woman’s game and she did it at the same time and in the same city Lucky Luciano was running the mob.
There are flashbacks to her Martinique childhood where you can see what made her the powerhouse she became. This shows the racism of the day and also the way that powerful men thought they could control her through violence and sex.
I loved the two pages about the Harlem Renaissance and the two pages on the famous players in the story. And can we talk about the arresting cover? Gorgeous. A 155 page graphic biography.
Firefighter Cassie had closed herself off emotionally until one weak moment changed her life. From Austin to Boston, hero to ‘the girl’, and never been kissed to cherished forever, Cassie’s story hit all the sweet spots. A fun and thoughtful read. I loved Cassie’s confidence in herself and getting a feel for life at the fire station.
The Lady Risks All by Stephanie Laurens. Stephanie Laurens was a new author for me and I really liked the unconventional characters, unique circumstances,and very real dangerous mystery of this one. At over 450+ pages i really got to know the characters and why in the 1820s a Duke could not just become owner of gambling houses without sacrifices being made.
My Indigo World: A True Story of the Color Blue by Rosa Chang. For the older elementary or even early middle schooler. Chang shares her memory of all things blue and there is so much great information. It’s all over the place, jumping from her first trip to the blue ocean to growing indigo to Korean history, but in the best possible way.
A few months ago I read Anatomy: A Love Story and liked the young adult book. This is the sequel. In the first book Hazel found a way to make me her surgeon dreams come true in 1800s Edinburgh, but saw her love hanged by a mob.
In Immortality, after being imprisoned for helping a woman who had aborted her pregnancy, she is ordered to London to treat Princess Charlotte, the heir to the throne. She’s invited to the elusive Companions to the Death club, where she learns more about the tincture offering everlasting life. This tincture, which she had given to her love Jack, proves to be the real deal.
So, I liked it well enough for the crazy that it was. It’s brings the story that began in Anatomy to a nice end. Although, I’m speaking as an older woman here, I question her big life decision. And some endings are mind boggling, like that of Marie-Anne.
Patchwork by Matt de la Pena and Corinna Luyken. When you were a kid what did you think your life woud look like when you gre up? Sometimes you can see the seeds of who you will be, but sometimes your life will take a different direction.
Wilde Child by Eloisa James. I’ve read and enjoyed Eloisa James and her historical romances before, but this ended up being just okay for me. It’s the 8th in a series that I haven’t read and, to be blunt, I just got tired of hearing about Thaddeus’s cock (a word frequently used). A lady who wanted to be an actress, a big no no back then, and a future Duke who loved her adventurous spirit was a good story. Even the shared parental difficulties were engaging. Once the spicy scenes started they didn’t stop. So, if lots of spicy is your scene then this might be for you.
Faces of Cleveland by Laura Wimbels. This book, unlike HONY, is a collection of portraits of Clevelanders with just their name and occupation. At the beginning she has several locals tell how they know the author and what it is that makes Cleveland special. This is not a comprehensive collection in any way, but it’s always nice to celebrate the good things and people of this fine city. Although I’m a suburbanite, I can be downtown in 20 minutes and love this place I’ve called home for 23 years.
What to do after a long hiatus, the longest I’ve taken since January 2008 when I wrote my first post here? I’m at a bit of a crossroads. After 3+ years of homeschooling, Gage had his first day back in the classroom this week. I had two full days to decompress and think about what I wanted this year (and beyond) to look like. Then Jason tested positive for covid on Friday morning and we’re in limbo again, waiting to see if Gage and I can skate by without it this time. Jason hasn’t been sick in over 7 years and the man is as healthy as it gets and I think he’s pretty surprised at how sick he is with covid. I guess if we don’t show symptoms I send Gage back to school tomorrow?
I’ve blogged about a lot of things over the years, like being a 39 year old first time mom, movies, homeschooling, and trips we’ve taken, but at its heart this has always been a place to document my love of books and share that passion with other like minded readers. I like having this little piece of the net to do with as I please. I’ve turned to Instagram the last few years too, but that satisfies a different, more immediate itch.
Do I want to continue to blog? My current feeling is yes. I just paid for my site for another year, so I’ve at least commited to that! Do I still want to blog about books? Yes, I think so. Do I want to do something different? Maybe. I’ve got some newfound time to think about the possibilites. Stick with me and we’ll see what happens!
Living on the Maine coast with her husband and two small children, Grace’s life is turned upside down when wildfires advance toward their town. Grace is left on her own to save her children.
It’s a slow burn at first, but by the middle I hated to put it down. This book has an unexpected hitch and I was concerned and rooting for Grace the whole way. It was tense for a bit! Shreve got the to the heart of what it was to be a woman in the 1940s. Highly recommend.
I really liked this twisty tale. Told from three perspectives until the epilogue where we get a fourth, this is the story of a kidnapping for ransom that goes awry. We hear the story from during the abduction and after all mixed together from the voices of the detective, the kidnapper, and the victim’s mother.
An oldish thriller, but one perfect for your summer vacation if you haven’t already read it.
An atmospheric thriller that you’ll move through fast even as the absurdity hits you.
Abigail was getting married and her uber rich husband to be sends her and her bridal party off to a winery in California. Abigail, has a few drinks too many and makes one very bad decision. That very bad decision shows up at the private island resort where she and her husband are honeymooning 3 weeks later. As you might imagine, it doesn’t turn out well.
If you like sinister thrillers then I’d give this one a go. If you are marrying soon, please read this as a cautionary tale 😉
Have you had to deal with the death of a pet (or even a loved one) with a child? It’s tough enough for adults and a child has little way of making sense of it.
Addy’s cat was killed by a car and she asks Stillwater to help bring him back to life. Stillwater says he can help, but first Addy needs to borrow a cup of sugar from a neighbor, but not from any home who has lost a loved one. Sounds easy enough but as Addy learns, loss is a part of everyone’s life.
Addy’s Cup of Sugar: Based on a Buddhist Story of Healing ❤️🩹 is a wonderful book for children. It’s based on the Buddhist legend, The Mustard Seed, but it is a book for any faith (or none at all).
This oversized 85 page picture book is gorgeous. Go ahead and slide through some of the pages. Gage loves choose your own adventure books and when I saw this I knew it would be fun lunchtime browsing material. After he chose at least a half a dozen endings he rated it a 10 out of 10.
Obviously, there are a few favorite fairytale characters you can run into and some of them are scary 🐺. The illustrations are great and the reading level is maybe 3rd grade?
For the younger elementary kid. I’m obsessed with this and open it to a random page every time I walk by it. The art is GORGEOUS. I may have to buy this one just to have on our shelves.
A very creative story that will engage the older elementary kid. Ideas weren’t being shared and the inventions, songs, and performances were overwhelming the Cave of Untold Stories.
I thought this was very well done, taking us from her childhood to when she became first Black woman to serve as a US Supreme Court Justice. It only took “232 years and 115 prior appointments.”
So behind on this space, but envision more engagement in the next few months. I miss my blogging peeps!
In a comment, give me your 5 words (or less!) and earn $1 for charity. Once we get to $100 the person with the most reviews will choose the charity. Click here to see the past winners, the charities they chose and the other reviews you can add to. Anyone is welcome to join in at any time. Click here to see past movie posts.
Peanut Butter Falcon, 2019 (Shia LaBouf, Zack Gottsagen. Dakota Fanning, John Hawkes, Bruce Dern, John Bernthal, Thomas Haden Church, Yelawolf) Grade A
Everyone deserves to be seen.
Air, 2023 (Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Jason Bateman, Marlon Wayans, Chris Tucker, Viola Davis, Chris Messina) Grade A
Is MJ really MJ without his Jordans?
Rush, 2013 (Chris Hemsworth, Daniel Bruhl, Olivia Wilde, Alexandra Maria Lara, Pierfrancisco Favino) Grade B+
Racing greats very different approaches.
The Gift, 2015 (Jason Bateman, Rebecca Hall, Joel Edgerton) Grade B
Careful who your friends are.
Super Mario Bros Movie, 2023 (Voices-Chris Pratt, Anya Taylor-Joy, Jack Black, Charlie Day, Seth Rogan, Keegan-Michael Key, Fred Armisen) Grade B
Surprising fun. Peaches is addicttive.
Superbad, 2007 (Jonah Hill, Michael Cera, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Seth Rogan, Bill Hader, Emma Stone) Grade B-
Husband made me watch it.
Paranormal Activity, 2007 (Katie Featherston, Micah Sloat, Mark Fredrichs, Ashley Palmer) Grade C
I was expecting more scares.
The Hating Game, 2021 (Lucy Hale, Austin Stowell, Damon Daunno, Corbin Bernsen, Sakina Jaffrey) Grade C
Playing with lusty fire.
Chaos Walking, 2021 (Tom Holland, Daisy Ridley, Mads Mikkelson, David Oyelowo, Nick Jonas, Demian Bichir, Cynthia Erivo) Grade C-
Any Patricia Highsmith fans out there? This is a graphic bio of the time when she wrote Strangers on a Train and the lesbian thriller A Pinch of Salt under a pseudonym. A Pinch of Salt was later retitled Carol and is known for having the first happy ending gay characters had gotten in books.
Loved the book and recommend it. It was the Author’s Note at the beginning that hooked me. I left out more good stuff for brevity.
“This is a story I believe is worth telling. That being said, I want to be clear: The protagonist of this story is not a good person. She was deeply anti-Semitic, racist, and misogynistic, even by the standards of her time. I’m not being hyperbolic when I say that many of her beliefs were nothing short of evil…
History is populated by complicated and destructive human beings. I think it’s important that we reckon with that. Not every influential or important figure deserves to be put on a pedestal, including women and LGBTQ people…Patricia Highsmith is not a hero, and she had a huge, positive impact on LGBTQ literature, not to mention American literature in general…
If you read this book and end up conflicted about Highsmith and her legacy: good.”
Do you like football? Do you like poetic memoirs about learning to live your truth? Are you wanting to add to your Pride month reading list? I’ve got just the book for you!
RK Russell grew up in Texas with a single mom and very little money. He was big for his age, but even so didn’t start playing football until high school. He had a steady girlfriend. He went on to play football at Purdue University where he also had a girlfriend but also started questioning his attraction to men.
He went on to play in the NFL and the book has a few games rehashed in great detail for you football lovers. BUT this is more than football. This is about a young man coming to terms and then embracing who he is. I loved his stories of growing up as much as I loved the happy ending he made for himself.
He has a book of poetry published and I’m not surprised. He knows how to turn a phrase.
I received this from TLC Book Tours and was supposed to post my review May 22 😳. I totally forgot about it and once I picked it up it only took two days to read, so the tardiness is mine and no fault of the book.
Stacy's Books 