Cassidy Hutchinson’s desk was mere steps from the most controversial president in recent American history. Now, she provides a riveting account of her extraordinary experiences as an idealistic young woman thrust into the middle of a national crisis, where she risked everything to tell the truth about some of the most powerful people in Washington. from Goodreads
I admired Cassidy Hutchinson’s testimony before the January 6th Committee. Too few were coming forward with the truth and she was a reluctant witness, but one willing to put country above loyalty to one man.
She was an ambitious workaholic and proud to be part of the Trump spin machine. She said again and again how adept she was at the politics of it. She did not resign on January 6 like many others did and even intended to go and work for Trump in Florida. She was a tried and true Republican.
She spoke at length of her fractured relationship with her father, the close relationship she shared with Mark Meadows, and her repeated creepy encounters with Matt Gaetz.
A good 90 percent of this book paints her time in the White House as a positive. I was surprised at her change of heart. She reveled in the politics. To see her go from a Trump sychophant to truth teller was fascinating. For her it came down to something that was said to her about having to look at herself in the mirror for the rest of her life and having to live with that person. She also took great courage from the book The Last of the President’s Men by Bob Woodward and Alex Butterfield’s Congressional testimony about Richard Nixon.
After her January 6 I heard all of the Republican noise about her not having ‘real’ access and Trump saying he barely talked to her, at some point I’m pretty sure he said he didn’t even know her name. These attempts at belittling her are obviously false. Before working for Chief of Staff Mark Meadows she worked in the offices of Scalese and then Ted Cruz.
If you are considering voting for Trump, I’d read this. She was his people until she wasn’t and loyal longer than most with a conscience.
Lucy and Savvy were the golden girls of their small Texas town: pretty, smart, and enviable. Lucy married a dream guy with a big ring and an even bigger new home. Savvy was the social butterfly loved by all and, if you believe the rumors, especially popular with the men in town. But after Lucy is found wandering the streets, covered in her best friend Savvy’s blood, everyone thinks she is a murderer. from Goodreads
Lucy left her small Texas town for LA five years ago after everyone there became convinced that she had killed her best friend Savvy. When a popular true crime podcaster starts sniffing around that can only mean trouble.
My favorite character of the book was her day-drunk grandmother who is turning 80 and convinces Lucy to come home. She’s a hot with a heart. Lucy is such an unreliable narrator, not just because sure she still claims amnesia from the night, but because of the voices in her head. Her wicked humor had me chuckling throughout.
This was a fast paced thriller that was hard to put down. I breezed through it in a day.
I don’t listen to podcasts, but this is the second book I’ve read this year with a true crime podcast driving the plot (Christmas Presents by Lisa Unger was the other), but I preferred this one. Are you a true crime lover?
I loved reading this book with Gage when he was younger. There are so many ways to be inspired, so many fabulous activities to do with your little ones. The most important thing about this book is the lesson that there’s magic in imagination. This magic may come from creating your own world through art or words. Or the magic from getting lost in a story from someone else’s imagination. Art is subjective. Art is your own point of view. Embrace it.
The illustrations are simple, just a black and white Harold and everything that comes from his purple crayon. It encourages enchantment of the mind. There is magic in the every day, the mundane. He draws himself into comforting situations and into danger equally and manages to be zen about it.
Gage and I went to see the movie this summer starring Zachary Levi as Harold. It maintained some of the magic and much of the simplicity of the book. I thought it was cute, although I did take issue with the bad guy being a librarian/writer.
I’ve been a bit neglectful posting here this summer. It’s time for my $100 renewal for the blog and I had to take a step back and remember why I started this blog in 2008. I wanted to write and journal and maybe make some friends (I did all that). I have to acknowledge how the blog has changed over time, mainly after I had Gage in 2010 and I started posting about motherhood. And now, where do I want it to go, if anywhere? I do like talking about books and movies and making connections. It’s more of an online journal for me, one that I can access anytime I want to share old posts with people who might need to read them.
I started my Top 100 lists last year and haven’t gotten very far. I decided that I wasn’t going to add a book to the list unless I’ve read it more than once, so I’ve reread a handful of books this year to see if they’d make the cut. The criteria, might I want to read them again in the future. That’s it really. If I’m not interested in reading them again they don’t make the list.
A BEST list is different than a FAVORITE list. I’ve had Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck on my Favorite book list since 2009, but what I realized after a reread a few weeks ago is that it’s more of a BEST book. There’s a reason it’s a classic. I loved the spare prose writing style, how much he was able to say with so few words, and the full circle story of George and Lenny. BUT would I want to read it again? I’m not sure. I tend to love rereading favorite romances or fantasy or thrillers more than something so sad, no matter how good it is. I’m guessing my top 100 lists will be full of comfort reads when I’ve finished.
My last 5 star read was Funny Story by Emily Henry. What was yours?
The beginning of every school year seems to bring different emotions. Today it’s excited nervousness or nervous excitement, take your pick. Gage went to the same school K-3 and 7. We homeschooled 4-6. Today he started 8th grade at a new school.
This school will challenge him in every possible way. I envision a rough few months, but like everything I’ve ever asked of Gage, I know he will rise to the task. I know that. What I don’t know, yet, is how much of his rising will depend on me.
Being on the autism spectrum and finding the right school can be tricky. We live in a district with very good schools, but not right for Gage. Some kids thrive, but Gage needs a smaller class with teachers who can see when he’s zoning out. He needs a school that teaches executive functioning skills to all students. He needs a school that knows all kids learn differently. I hope that we’ve found that school.
Over the summer Gage went back to FIT Learning (we used then when homeschooling) for tutoring in reading and writing, every day for 45 minutes. I also hired a math education major home for the summer to come twice a week for an hour to teach him math. I had a meeting this morning to go over his end of the summer assessment. He improved in the reading and writing (but it’s still a struggle), but in math he scored in the 97th percentile for his age!
When you have a kid who falls behind in some areas of learning it’s easy to get stuck focusing on that. Having a young woman come and teach him math, a subject he really likes, was a new approach for me and one that paid off. Celebrate all of the successes and let the kids truly excel at what they are gifted at. Here’s to a great school year for all the kids and teachers.
I like a good time travel book. They’re usually exciting and learning about a new time and place in a fun way is a bonus.
My personal favorites… Outlander by Diana Gabaldon – It’s been a long time since I read the first four books of this series back to back to back to back 🙂 Once day I may start from the beginning and read through the whole series. Or maybe I’ll watch the tv show. It’s a toss up.
Kindred by Octavia Butler– This was an interesting look at travelling back to the time of slavery and becoming enslaved. It left me with many conflicting feelings, something I quite enjoy in a story.
The Winter Sea AND Mariana by Susanna Kearsley – two of my very favorite books from one of my favorite authors. Both historical fiction with satisfying romantic storylines.
A few days I read Captive by Brenda Joyce and was disappointed in it. I couldn’t imagine a less strong, modern woman than the heroine. The Tripoli setting and her eunuch slave/best friend kept me reading til the end. But now I’d like a good one.
I read 12 books this month. An amazing feat considering I was on vacation for 7 days and a girls weekend for 2 and a half and I NEVER OPENED A BOOK! I’m at 87 books for the year.
Clementine is publicist for a New York publishing company. James is a famous young chef. They’ve just met, haven’t they?
What happens when you meet in different times, 7 years apart. I loved this story of heartbreak and waiting, acknowledging that a person is never the same moment to moment. In love and life timing is everything. Romantic and sweet.
This book has been everywhere for so long and I was finally double dared to read it this summer. This is book one of a 4 book fantasy series about Feyre, a 19 year old young woman who supports her family by hunting. One day she kills what she thought was a wolf but was actually a fairie and Tamlin, a high lord, comes looking for her to seek reparations. She is taken to the fairie lands and faces danger and love with equal bravery. Loved it and am reading the second book now.
I finally read the House in the Cerulean Sea. I’m not sure what took me so long? From the descriptions I was reading it just didn’t seem like something I’d like. I was so wrong. But apparently I read it at the perfect time so it fresh in mind for the sequel coming in a few short months.
Linus Baker and his transition from company man who asked no questions to man defending magical children was a delight. I loved all of these characters so much and the story is hopeful and joyful at such a time when we could all use a bit more of that in our daily lives.
In a tale as old as time, a book editor inspires a behind deadline famous person to write the book of his life. All she has to do is move into his magical mansion in Santa Barbara and be taken care of by cooks and cleaners, and lazy days by the pool. It’s a hard life.
This is supposed to be a modern story based on Beauty and the Beast and while there were nods to it, it wasn’t enough to really feel like Belle and the Beast and crew. BUT, I did like it!
If you take away the B&B expectation, I found it to be a sweet romance. Sure Beau has some issues, but what we came to know about him made those issues seem like they could be overcome. Because this series is sponsored? by Disney the spicy stuff was behind closed doors.
❤️ The main character had a learning disability- dyslexia- and it was a big part of her story. ❤️ Learning more about how dyslexia affects not only reading but executive function. ❤️ Hot librarian. ❤️ Bad mothers exist and many cannot be magically made into caring matriarchs. ❤️ Love returning home story where you reconnect with family and friends.
😐 Hot librarian guy was a little too perfect. 😐 This led to a lack of tension.
It was a solid beach read, but missing a spark 🔥 I was looking for, even though there were spicy scenes.
My Life as a Potato by Arianne Costner. Middle Grade Fiction, 261 pages, 2020
Ben hates everything to do with potatoes, considering himself cursed. When his family moves from California to Idaho and a potato is the school mascot things look sketchy. But he’s made friends and the most popular girl in school likes him, so things aren’t all bad. Until…
I’ll say no more. Middle schoolers who like to laugh or have a thing for mascots will love it. There are even a few small illustrations thrown in once in awhile for fun. Gage’s favorite book of the summer so far.
How familiar are you with Ayurveda? Practical Ayurveda follows the vision of renowned Indian yoga master and medical doctor who wrote over 200 books.
Covering a wide range of topics in its 224 pages this is a beautifully laid out and edited book that made it easy for a beginner like me. I loved the inspiring quotes included. There was a quiz and a set of questions to answer to help you fine tune what you’re looking for in life.
This covered the health of the body and the mind and there are many things I’ve already started (or restarted) while reading this book and so many things to consider for the future. The yoga poses and what each does for the mind and body is something I will be working on. I’ve also started my morning tai chi again. I’m not sure how I ever let that go. Life gets in the way and I forget, and that’s why I need to be consistently reading books that remind me of what I know works for me.
This is a great book, especially when read after the Ayurveda book which touches on fasting. Fasting has been around forever. Fung focuses on the history, the studies, the ailments it can help control (diabetes being the big one), and how to get started. I have fasted at different times in my life and am going to focus on it for the next few months and see if I can feel the benefits. He suggests a 24 or 36 hour fast 2-3 times a week. I just finished my first one today.
Based on a Persian tale by Rumi a merchant has a parrot who was captured and very unhappy. She promised to talk to his friends when she travels and the message they send back sets him free. Interesting illustrations and a fun story.
The Rise of Magicks by Nora Roberts. 3.25 stars, Dystopian Fantasy, 464 pages, 2019
I finally finished the Chronicles of One trilogy. The first two were fast, addicting reads, but this third one was a bit of a slog with so. many. people. It was too much and it took me forever to finish it. It was a fine ending, when it finally came, but getting there felt somewhat tedious.
The Doom virus wipes out most of the world’s population (this is before Covid) and the people who are left are divided by people with magical powers and those without. But it’s the fight between light and dark that is the heat of the series. Fallon is The One to lead them all to victory, but she must be born and trained first.
This is an upper elementary, lower middle school read. Aref is 7 in the book the language feels somewhat young. It was a great in many ways. It was a love letter to Michigan, Oman, and immigrants. Aref is forced to move from Oman and his grandfather to Ann Arbor so his parents could attend UofM and his welcoming is warm.
It’s a gentle story, one that was slow, but also one that is uplifting for kids. They see the best of people in this book and that’s a nice find. If only we could all live up to the love and acceptance shown to Aref and his family.
Captive by Brenda Joyce. 3 stars, Time Travel Romance, 448 pages, 1996
I love Brenda Joyce’s romances. They are romantic and steamy. This one, however, suffered from an insufferable heroine. She was a ‘modern’ 23 year old woman who went to Turkey to find a ghost of a man she considered herself in love with. Somehow she gets thrown back in time and enslaved as a second wife at the palace. She was ridiculous. What saved it was the palace political intrigue, her personal slave and best friend, and the hero who does eventually show up and unfortunately falls for this woman.
Sometimes, the worst day of your life happens, and you have to figure out how to live after it.
So Clementine forms a plan to keep her heart safe: work hard, find someone decent to love, and try to remember to chase the moon. The last one is silly and obviously metaphorical, but her aunt always told her that you needed at least one big dream to keep going. And for the last year, that plan has gone off without a hitch. Mostly. The love part is hard because she doesn’t want to get too close to anyone—she isn’t sure her heart can take it.
And then she finds a strange man standing in the kitchen of her late aunt’s apartment. A man with kind eyes and a Southern drawl and a taste for lemon pies. The kind of man that, before it all, she would’ve fallen head-over-heels for. And she might again.
Except, he exists in the past. Seven years ago, to be exact. And she, quite literally, lives seven years in his future.
Her aunt always said the apartment was a pinch in time, a place where moments blended together like watercolors. And Clementine knows that if she lets her heart fall, she’ll be doomed.
After all, love is never a matter of time—but a matter of timing.
Clementine is publicist for a New York publishing company. James is a famous young chef. They’ve just met, haven’t they?
This took a few minutes for me to get in to since I thought I could see where it was going. And then it took a nice turn and I was hooked.
What happens when you meet in different times, 7 years apart. I loved this story of heartbreak and waiting, acknowledging that a person is never the same moment to moment. In love and life timing is everything. Romantic and sweet.
I listened to the audio and could have listened to him calling her Lemon all day long. Oh wait, I did that!
I did take off half a point for the somewhat slow start of the book.
Have you read it? Do you like time bending books?
I also loved her first book The Dead Romantics and gave it 5 stars last year.
I first saw Sandra in Speed (1994) and then fell in love with While You Were Sleeping (1995). It’s her girl next door charm and goofiness packed into a body with that megawatt smile. She’s charming in a way that makes her seem approachable and she brings that to most of her 60 movie credits. Of those 60 I’ve watched 29, but it’s those A movies that I’ve seen countless times that have made a lifelong fan. The vest majority of her movies that I’ve seen have been As or Bs.
She’s from Arlington, Virginia, where I was living when I met Jason. She’s adopted two children. She has a BFA in drama. She recently lost the love of her life to ALS. She’s lived the highs (winning and Oscar) with the lows (ugly divorce in the public eye).
So what is your favorite Sandra movie?
*Giving these movies an A*
While You Were Sleeping (1995) I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve seen this romantic comedy.
The Proposal (2009) A different kind of romantic comedy that was just as fun.
The Lake House (2006) Her domination of my favorite romantic movies continues.
Crash (2004) She had a smaller part that showed her not so happy side.
The Lost City (2022) I was expecting not to like this, so imagine my surprise!
Bullet Train (2022) Her part in this movie was fun (and small)!
Speed (1994) As a vehicle to stardom this bus worked.
*Giving these movies a B*
Gravity (2013) She carried a film few others could have.
My early morning reading is always nonfiction. Most often spiritual or related to health, I find it a great way to start the day focusing on important things. And, if it’s spiritual, health related and it’s something new to me, all the better.
How familiar are you with Ayurveda? Practical Ayurveda follows the vision of renowned Indian yoga master and medical doctor who wrote over 200 books.
Covering a wide range of topics in its 224 pages this is a beautifully laid out and edited book that made it easy for a beginner like me. I loved the inspiring quotes included. There was a quiz and a set of questions to answer to help you fine tune what you’re looking for in life.
This covered the health of the body and the mind and there are many things I’ve already started (or restarted) while reading this book and so many things to consider for the future. The yoga poses and what each does for the mind and body is something I will be working on. I’ve also started my morning tai chi again. I’m not sure how I ever let that go. Life gets in the way and I forget, and that’s why I need to be consistently reading books that remind me of what I know works for me.
A fabulous resource that I’m sure I’ll be referencing in the future.
A few of the highlighted thoughts to be found…
“Ayurveda is the knowledge of happy and unhappy, a good and bad life, and that which contributes to those four aspects.”
“Have faith in yourself; do the right thing; help others. This is the key to success. health, and happiness.”
“The secret of being healthy and happy at all times is to be a little hungry all the time.”
“Let your diet be anything, but it should pass this test: it should protect health and prevent disease.”
“Thought is a dynamic force; it shapes your destiny. Entertain pure and noble thoughts always.”
“Life is meant for service and not for self-seeking. Hold your life for the service of others. The more energy you expend in elevating others, the more universal energy will flow into you.”
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