Stephany Writes

Meet Eloise

I shared some very exciting news on Instagram yesterday, and now it’s time to share it on my blog. Prepare yourselves, friends, because there’s about to be a whole lot of cat posts and pictures on this blog! Please meet my new little ball of love, Eloise Joy. She is around 6-8 months and was a stray who needed a good home, and I am so blessed to be able to be the one to give that to her.

As many of you were aware, I was planning on getting kittens sometime in the new year. I thought that would be the perfect way to start 2019, since 2018 started on such a low note. However, that’s not exactly what life had in store for me.

Last week, one of my mom’s coworkers texted me about a cat her friend, K., had rescued. She was estimated to be around six to eight months old, a former outside cat who showed up on K’s back porch a few weeks ago in rough condition. She was skin-and-bones with matted hair and was being bullied by one of the other outside cats. K was able to coax her into her garage. K is a cat lover to her core and fosters kitten for a nearby rescue all the time, so she was well familiar with how to take care of Eloise. She fed her, bathed her, and took her to the vet so she could be spayed and dewormed. She also got a round of shots. Gradually, as the weeks progressed, Eloise fattened up, her hair and whiskers started growing back, and she became a snuggly ball of love with K.

And, boy oh boy, did K want to keep Eloise. Unfortunately for K but fortunately for me, K already has a cat and this cat was not a fan of Eloise. He told her in no uncertain terms that K was going to need to find a new home for her.

I met Eloise on Friday, a week ago. She was reserved with me, not quite sure what to make of this strange woman in the only home she’s ever known. She never really warmed up to me on Friday, although she did let me pet her while she was eating and played with me for a short period of time. But even with her reservedness, I knew. She was meant to be mine. We were meant to find each other at this point in time.

On Saturday, I texted K and told her that I wanted to bring Eloise home. K was overjoyed, saying all she wanted was for her to find a good home before Christmas.

And it’s been quite an interesting week for me, learning the ropes of new cat motherhood. 🙂 Eloise is a sweetheart in every sense of the word, but she’s understandably very skittish and unsure of me right now. She spends a lot of time under my bed, although she gets braver as each day passes. Yesterday was the first time she came to me for pets and even let me hold her. Slowly but surely, she’s warming up to me. I have no doubt that she’ll be ruling the roost, running all around the apartment and getting into lots of trouble in no time.

For now, I am so grateful to have her in my life. I already love her immensely and I miss her the whole time I’m at work. I can’t believe how everything worked out. It feels like this was exactly the way it was supposed to happen. This was the cat I’ve been waiting for this whole time. I was meant to be her human and she was meant to be mine.

Serendipity at its finest.

What I’m Reading (11.26.18)

Happy Monday, my friends! I’m finally ready to bring back my “What I’m Reading” series. Yay! It’s been a long time since I last did this, but boy did I miss it.

Last week, I was off work for the holiday and it was a much-needed break. I did a lot of napping, watching episodes of Friends, and spending as much time as possible with my fur-brother Chip. And reading! I finished three books this week and the reviews are below:

Books Finished

Title: Now That You Mention It
Author: Kristan Higgins
Genre: Women’s Fiction
Published: 2017
Format: Library e-book
Rating: ★★☆☆☆

Plot Summary: After being hit by a car and then breaking up with her long-time boyfriend, Nora takes a leave of absence from her job to spend a summer at home. She wants to reconnect with her mother and her teenaged niece but finds that’s going to be a lot harder than she ever expected.

My Thoughts: Normally, I love a good Kristan Higgins novel. Her romances are usually light-hearted without falling into the chick-lit category. And while this book had all of that, there was also a level of fat-shaming that I found problematic and irresponsible. You can read my review on Goodreads for further detail on exactly the different types of fat-shaming the author felt necessary to include (oh yes, there were multiple instances of it), but it downgraded my review significantly. I just cannot abide by it anymore. I don’t care how funny or engaging your book is, there is no excuse for fat-shaming ever. And there is no place for it in the world of romance. Basically, Kristan Higgins is now forever on my “do not read” list, which sucks because the last book of hers I read was five stars. But I just cannot support authors who condone these behaviors.

Title: No One Tells You This
Author: Glynnis MacNicol
Genre: Memoir
Published: 2018
Format: Library hardcover
Rating: ★★★★☆

Plot Summary: “If the story doesn’t end with marriage or a child, what then?” is a question that plagued Glynnis MacNicol on the eve of her fortieth birthday. She’s single and childless, two statuses that often come with a level of pity from other people. Over the course of the year, Glynnis is going to figure out exactly what it means to live life on her own terms.

My Thoughts: Oh, how I loved this book! We need more stories from single women who are forging a new, completely different path than what is traditionally defined in our culture. I felt a kindred spirit in Glynnis and even though there were many parts of her story that made me sad (during the year she documents, her mother’s health declines rapidly and she has to go into a nursing home), this story was still uplifting, hopeful, and made me feel better about my chronically single status. I think what really pulled this book together was not only that Glynnis was single and happy with that status, but that she was not always happy with it. There were times when she is deeply vulnerable about wanting a partner and not wanting to be alone. Of recognizing what a couple-centric society we live in, and how much easier the world can be to navigate for those with partners. There was something so human and beautiful in that acknowledgment. Also, Glynnis’s writing is exquisite and she had so many turns of phrases that I had to sit with and soak in.

“[I]t was a truth universally acknowledged that by age forty I was supposed to have a certain kind of life, one that, whatever else it might involve, included a partner and babies. Having acquired neither of these, it was nearly impossible, no matter how smart, educated, or lucky I was, not to conclude that I had officially become the wrong answer to the question of what made a woman’s life worth living. If this story wasn’t going to end with a marriage or a child, what then? Could it even be called a story?”

Title: The High Season
Author: Judy Blundell
Genre: Women’s Fiction
Published: 2018
Format: Library audiobook
Rating: ★★★☆☆

Plot Summary: Every summer, Ruthie, her teenaged daughter Jem, and her ex-husband Mike have to pack up their belongings and give up their home during the summer. It’s the only way to afford the house, which is Ruthie’s pride and joy, so she does what she must to keep it. This summer, though, things are going to get a little crazy when the elegant and popular Adeline Clay arrives and set their seaside village ablaze.

My Thoughts: So, I listened to this book on audio and there were pros and cons to that. On the pros side, this is a slow-moving story that is more character-driven than plot-driven, which always works better for me on audio since I can dip in and out of it. On the cons, though, was that the story could feel boring and meandering at times and it took me forever to figure out who was who. There were so many different characters and it was hard to understand their significance to the overarching plot until further into the story. All in all, though, it was a well-written story that had a lot to say about privilege, love, divorce, art, and the messiness that accompanies being both a teenager and an adult.

What I’m Reading This Week

  • The Road Back to You: An Enneagram Journey to Self-Discovery by Ian Morgan Cron and Suzanne Stabile – I’m reading one chapter a day of this book and I think that’s the perfect way to consume a book like this. Each chapter throws a lot of information at you, so it’s really not one to breeze through quickly. I’ll finish it this week, and hopefully, I’ll be able to figure out what my Enneagram number is when I finish it!
  • Happily Ever Ninja by Penny Reid – I’m a quarter of the way through this novel. Since the main characters in this romance are married, it’s not a typical romance. But that’s par for the course with Penny Reid! She’s not a typical romance writer. 😉 It’s engaging so far, but I have no idea where it’s going yet!
  • Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty – I picked this from Book of the Month for November, and I was stoked. Liane Moriarty is one of my favorite authors and I’m looking forward to reading this novel.
  • Starry Night by Debbie Macomber – Even though I’m a voracious romance reader, I don’t tend to read too many Christmassy romances during the holiday season. Well, this year, I’m changing that. I mean, I love a good Hallmark Christmas movie, so why not the same thing in book form? I’m starting my binge with this one by Debbie Macomber, which sounds delightful!

What are you reading?

A Thanksgiving Recap

Yesterday was Thanksgiving here in the US, and while it was a difficult day – the first one without Pops – it was also a good day. I thought it would be fun to recap my day the way Amber usually does for her Canadian Thanksgiving, recapping everything she did and listing out what she’s grateful for. Here we go!

***

I woke up on my own a little before my alarm was set to go off and decided to spend that extra time reading before I needed to get up for the day.

I am so thankful for my love of reading. Reading sustains me, encourages me, comforts me, makes me think, and makes me laugh. I would not be the person I am today without reading.

After spending some time reading, I got up and got ready and then headed over to my mom’s. We went on a long, hour-long walk with Chip. It was 60 degrees, sunny, and so, so beautiful.

I am thankful for my relationship with my mom. We grow closer and closer as the years pass, and I wouldn’t trade our relationship for anything. She’s the best mom and the best friend I could ever ask for. I am thankful for Chip and how he has helped stitch my heart back together after it was shattered from losing Dutch. And I am so thankful for clean, healthy air. It’s never crossed my mind to be grateful for that until I watched news story after news story about these terrible California wildfires and schools and businesses closing because it’s just too dangerous to even walk outside. 

I left my mom’s apartment a little after 10 and zipped right over to Starbucks to order a peppermint mocha, my very favorite drink that I wait for all year long. I had great service, the kind that put a smile on my face.

I am so thankful that I am financially stable that I can order a drink from Starbucks whenever I want. There was a time in my life where even a $5 drink was out of my budget. I am also very thankful for peppermint mochas. 🙂

I came home, drank my peppermint mocha while posting to Instagram Stories and scrolling through social media, and then got ready for Thanksgiving dinner while listening to a podcast.

I am thankful for social media and podcasts – two things that help me feel less alone. Social media helps me connect with people and share my life, while podcasts keep my apartment from feeling too silent. Podcasts have also opened my worldview, encouraged me, and kept me laughing even on days when I thought laughter wasn’t possible. I am so, so thankful for the joy that podcasts bring me.

Our reservations for Thanksgiving dinner were at 1 p.m. at a restaurant downtown, and it was my first non-homecooked meal Thanksgiving. It was… weird. I don’t particularly enjoy all the work that goes into Thanksgiving dinner – the cleaning, the meal prep, the cooking – so I wasn’t sad to give all of that up for a restaurant meal, but it was still a weird experience. My brother, sister-in-law, and two nephews came to dinner (sadly, my stepdad had to work) and it was nice to have a very low-key meal. I have a big family, so Thanksgiving can typically be overwhelming and overstimulating for me, and this was the opposite of that. So, in that respect, it was nice. The food was pretty delicious, although I wish I could have gotten a to-go box for leftovers, haha. But still, nothing beats a homecooked Thanksgiving meal. Maybe next year… or maybe not. We’ll see.

I am thankful to have family to celebrate the holiday with, family I love and who fill my heart up. Family can be difficult… probably the most difficult aspect of the holiday season, but I’m glad to have my family. The boys were cute and fun, and it was so nice seeing my brother (the last time I saw him was at Pops’ funeral, sigh) and chatting with him.

After dinner, we strolled through downtown for a little while to walk off our meal. There was a Christmas tree and lots of Christmassy decorations to look at. We took family photos in front of the tree and then watched the boys chase each other for a little while.

I am thankful for the gorgeous weather that allowed us to walk outside without a) shivering or b) sweating. It was the perfect temperature yesterday! I am also so thankful for my nephews who made me smile and laugh on a difficult day.

I arrived back home a little before 3 p.m. and I immediately took off my makeup, got in comfy clothes, and slid into my bed with a book. And then I napped for… oh, three or so hours. YES.

I am thankful for napping! Oh, man, do I love a good nap. I look forward to my naps and feel zero guilt about taking them. It’s one of the perks of singlehood – napping whenever I want. I take advantage of this any time I can.

After a wonderful, long nap, I took time to post to social media (including a very cute post on Chip’s account) and then had a low-key evening. I watched a few episodes of Friends, ate a snack, and colored.

I am thankful for TV shows that help me take my mind off my sadness whenever I need it to – and Friends has definitely helped me through this season of grief. I am thankful for coloring because it’s one of my favorite methods of self-care. And I am very thankful for chocolate chip cookies. 🙂

The end of my Thanksgiving was spent working on this blog post and reading blogs. It was the perfect ending to a rather emotional day!

I am so thankful for this blog and the joy it brings me. I have recently realized how much blogging truly fills up my life, helps me to feel less alone and sort out my feelings. I’m not sure what my life would look like today without blogging!

Other things I’m thankful for this year: football, my cute apartment, the ability to move my body in the way I want to, medication that moderates my anxiety symptoms, proactive doctors, a job I love, sweet friends, online shopping, my comfy couch, kittens, travel, and homemade pumpkin bread.

What are you thankful for this year?

What I’m Reading (10.8.18)

Happy Monday! My weekend was pretty great – I took in a comedy show with a friend, participated in a local pet walk with my fur-brother Chip, and took a looooong nap on Saturday afternoon. I also started reorganizing my apartment and getting it ready for kittens. Whee!

This week, I finished two books and I gave both of them five stars. Unheard of! Here are my reviews:

Books Finished

Title: Home Front
Author: Kristin Hannah
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Published: 2012
Format: Library hardcover
Rating: ★★★★★

Plot Summary: An unexpected deployment takes Jolene far from her family: her two young daughters and her husband of twelve years, Michael.

My Thoughts: This might be my favorite Hannah novel so far – yep, even above The Nightingale. It had everything I love about her novels: authentic characters, a fast plot, and emotion. I cried reading the last 50 pages, and I am not a crier. But this novel packed a punch. I loved how it gave a look into war and deployment from the female perspective, especially with this idea of a mother leaving her children. Jolene is asked numerous times, “How can you leave your children?” which is a question men are never asked. And there was also the perspective of a husband left behind, having to fall into the role of mother and father, and keep the household running. It was an unbelievably beautiful book and definitely earned a spot on my top ten list this year.

Title: On Second Thought
Author: Kristan Higgins
Genre: Women’s Fiction/Chick Lit
Published: 2017
Format: Library e-book
Rating: ★★★★★

Plot Summary: After Kate’s husband dies suddenly and Ainsley’s long-time boyfriend dumps her unceremoniously, Ainsley moves in with her sister to help them both heal.

My Thoughts: This novel reminded me why I love Kristan Higgins’s novels so much. She writes families so well and her characters are always so well-rounded. This novel was no different, featuring an incredibly interesting family dynamic and well-written plot. It was heartfelt and funny and moving, and while it could be gut-wrenchingly sad at times, it maintained a level of lightheartedness and sweetness so the novel never felt heavy. The way everything came together in the end was unexpected, but in the best possible way. If you’re looking for a sweet, lighthearted read that also packs an emotional punch, pick this novel up.

What I’m Reading This Week

  • The Book of Unknown Americans by Cristina Henriquez – I’m a little more than halfway through this novel and I’m enjoying it, as much as one can enjoy a sad book. It’s giving me a look at the immigrant experience in an entirely different way.
  • I Knew You Were Trouble by Lauren Layne – My romance for the week! I’m so excited to dive into this one because a Lauren Layne romance is always a great time.
  • A Study in Scarlet Women by Sherry Thomas – I’ve had this book on my TBR for a long time and I’m glad I’m finally getting around to reading it. It’s about a gender-flipped Sherlock Holmes who masquerades as his sister to solve crimes. I’ve heard rave reviews, so I can’t wait to start it!

What are you reading?

What I’m Reading (9.24.18)

Well. This was a very successful reading week for me. I haven’t finished many books in the past few weeks, but I have five reviews for you today. FIVE. Three of the books I’ve been working on for a few weeks now, one was a short audiobook, and the fifth a novella. So, settle in, my friends, for quite a few reviews.

Books Finished

Title: The Meaning of Michelle: 16 Writers on the Iconic First Lady and How Her Journey Inspires Our Own
Edited by: Veronica Chambers
Published: 2017
Format: Library audiobook
Rating: ★★★★☆

Plot Summary: In this essay collection, 16 writers talk about the impact Michelle Obama had, both in the unconventional way she lived as First Lady and in the way she challenged ideas of what womanhood means in this culture.

My Thoughts: This was such a lovely, lovely read. I listened to the audiobook version, which is just under five hours, so it’s a fast read and a good starting point for anyone wanting to listen to more audiobooks. Michelle Obama had such a massive impact in our culture, and it is especially so for black girls who grew up not seeing themselves reflected in pop culture or politics. But for eight years, we got to have a black First Lady and someone who owned her blackness and celebrated it, someone who was beautiful and gracious but also unflinching in her beliefs. She was unlike any other First Lady in history, and I’m so glad we got to have her for eight years.

Title: Taking Fire
Author: Cindy Gerard
Published: 2016
Format: Library e-book
Rating: ★★☆☆☆

Plot Summary: Bobby’s been betrayed by Talia once – six years ago on assignment in Kabul – and when they are unexpectedly reunited at the U.S. Embassy in Oman and thrust into a dangerous mission, he has to decide whether or not he can trust her again.

My Thoughts: Cindy Gerard is one of my favorite romantic suspense authors, but I haven’t loved her last few novels as much as her previous ones. There’s something that feels… forced. The characters don’t feel real, the plot isn’t as dynamic as usual. This one even repeated a plot line from one of her previous novels, which I found to be just lazy writing. Plus, this book included my most-hated romance trope, a plot I just cannot get behind no matter what. Was the story well-paced and well-written? Yes. Was the action exciting? Of course. But I just expected more from Gerard.

Title: Persuasion
Author: Jane Austen
Published: 1817
Format: e-book
Rating: ★☆☆☆☆

Plot Summary: Anne Elliot and Frederick Wentworth were betrothed once, but she was persuaded by her dear family friend to break off the engagement since the match was unworthy. Eight years later, Wentworth returns as a successful sea captain, only to find Anne’s family at the brink of financial ruin and his sister renting the Elliot’s house.

My Thoughts: I gave Jane Austen a fair shot, and I have decided she is just not for me. And no, I don’t feel bad about this. I don’t feel I have to like Austen to be a “good bookworm.” I had to use SparkNotes to understand what was happening in this book, as so much of the language went over my head, and my reading experience was just not enjoyable. The plot could be considered compelling, but the writing felt so dense that it was hard to really get engaged in what was happening.

Title: Come as You Are: The Surprising New Science That Will Transform Your Sex Life
Author: Emily Nagoski
Published: 2015
Format: Paperback
Rating: ★★★★★

Plot Summary: This book, written by a human sexuality expert, explores woman’s sexuality – how it works, why it doesn’t sometimes, and how women can have fulfilling and happy sex lives.

My Thoughts: This book is life-changing, and it’s a book I want to get in the hands of every woman I know. I think it is so, so important to understand how sexual functioning works and why it sometimes doesn’t. I have a lot of thoughts about this book, and I’m going to save most of them for the blog post I intend to write very soon, once I’m able to formulate my thoughts into something coherent. I understand that it can be embarrassing for women to talk about sex (and to have a book like this on their Goodreads profile, ha), but I think that’s the whole point of this book. We need to stop being embarrassed, to stop thinking our pleasure doesn’t matter. It does. We do. And this book is a great stepping stone for that.

Title: Never, Never: Part Three
Author: Colleen Hoover, Tarryn Fisher
Published: 2016
Format: Library paperback
Rating: ★★☆☆☆

Plot Summary: In this third and final novella, Silas and Charlie are desperate to find out why they continue to lose their memories every three days.

My Thoughts: Oy vey. I was so intrigued after part one – it was so well-written and I just needed to know what happened next. Part two was less intriguing, probably because Silas and Charlie spent most of the novel apart and it felt like the authors were opening so many different doors. And part three? Part three was so disappointing. The reason for Silas and Charlie losing their memory was… silly. The loose ends that were opened up in parts one and two were never fully wrapped up. I think the problem with this series was breaking a full book into three novellas (still not sure why the authors did that…) I think it could have been much stronger as one book, and I think it would have been easier to really wrap this series up in the right way. Meh.

What I’m Reading This Week

  • Fear: Trump in the White House by Bob Woodward – I was surprised to get an email from my library saying the audiobook was ready for my to download! (When I checked it a few weeks ago, I was #24 on the list and they had one copy.) It is so, so good and reads like fiction.
  • Home Front by Kristin Hannah – Kristin Hannah is the kind of writer where I really have to be in the right frame of mind to read one of her books. Mostly because her books always pack an emotional punch, and most times, they have a slow pace. I’m a little over 100 pages into this novel, and I am loving it. It’s just so good, although I can tell it’s probably going to completely destroy me by the time I finish it. Eeks.
  • Dr. Strange Beard by Penny Reid – I’m about halfway into this contemporary romance, the fifth in Reid’s Winston Brothers series. So far, so good. (I’m reading it in between pages of Home Front because sometimes, I need a break from that heavy-ish read!)
  • On Second Thought by Kristan Higgins – Once I finish Dr. Strange Beard, this is next on my list! Higgins used to be one of my favorite contemporary romance authors, but she’s moved into women’s fiction and I haven’t read her recent releases. Remedying that now!

What are you reading this week?

What I’m Reading (9.3.18)

Happy Labor Day, my fellow American readers. Is there anything better than a three-day weekend? I think not! It’s been so nice to have a nice, long weekend where I can relax, get outside, and read as much as possible. I’m definitely trying to take advantage of all the sunny weather we’ve been having here in Florida (and since fall doesn’t exist here, wah, it’s something I’ll be taking advantage of for at least the next few months).

Last week, I finished two books and here are my reviews!

Books Finished

Title: Beartown
Author: Fredrick Backman
Published: 2017
Format: Paperback
Rating: ★★★★★

Plot Summary: Beartown is a hockey town, and the entire town’s hopes and dreams lie in the men’s junior ice hockey team where the national semi-final match is the catalyst for everything. By the end of the night, a violent act will have been committed and a town will be in turmoil.

My Thoughts: Okay, yes, sign me up – I am fully on board with the Beartown love. This book was phenomenal. Backman is such an incredible wordsmith, crafting sentence after sentence that had me setting the book down to recover. He really and truly got to the heart of what it’s like when a small town is broken apart by violence, and how each side wants to be heard. In this instance, there is only one right side, but the way Backman explored how people respond to tragedy when it relates to revered sports stars is so timely and important. This book should be required reading, although I do caution anyone who reads this book that the first half is kiiiiinda a slog. While I didn’t have to force myself to keep reading (Backman’s writing is so exquisite and kept me engaged), I do understand why someone might abandon the book at page 100. But, trust me, it is worth it. It is so, so worth it. You most definitely won’t regret spending time with this story.

Title: Love and Other Words
Author: Christina Lauren
Published: 2018
Format: Paperback
Rating: ★★★☆☆

Plot Summary: Elliot was Macy’s first love, and when she runs into him in a busy coffee shop in San Francisco 11 years after they imploded, she can’t help but question everything about her life and what would have happened if their last fateful night had never occurred.

My Thoughts: After reading and loving Roomies earlier this year, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on another Christina Lauren romance, but this one didn’t live up to my high expectations. The novel alternates between two timelines: “now” and “then.” “Now” takes place in present day in which it has been 11 years since Elliot and Macy have spoken to one another. They are both in their late twenties, leading completely separate lives. “Then” takes place from the time Macy was 14 until she turned 18, and gives readers the back story between Elliot and Macy. I loved the “then” story line and felt like it worked so perfectly. I could totally understand why Macy would fall in love with Elliot and their romance felt real and true. The “now” story line, however, did not work for me at all. It felt rushed and impractical, and there were times when I really, really could not stand Macy. I wanted the authors to explore their dynamic as adults and what Macy and Elliot have been doing in the time they’ve been apart. I wanted to know why these two are meant to be together now. Sure, they were each other’s first loves, but how does that correlate to the people they are today? First loves are often not last loves, so what makes Macy and Elliot’s love different? I don’t feel like that was explored at the length it should have been to make the romance believable.

What I’m Reading This Week

  • Persuasion by Jane Austen – I started this novel over the weekend to meet my goal of reading four classics in 2018. I’ve never read a Jane Austen book (I tried to read Pride and Prejudice in high school for a class project, but I gave up and just read the Cliff’s Notes version in order to complete the project), so I chose one of her shorter novels. And, oy, is it slow going. I have to read sentences three or four times to understand what she’s trying to say, but I’m getting through it and I don’t hate it, so that’s saying something.
  • My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante – I started this novel over the weekend, too! I’m not quite sure how I feel about it. The writing isn’t totally grabbing me, but it’s not not grabbing me, either. There’s something lovely about the setting and the characters, but I also don’t feel like I would be sad if I just stopped reading the novel. Still debating if I want to abandon it, which is typically a sign I should abandon it. 😉
  • Sleigh Bells in the Snow by Sarah Morgan – In between Persuasion and My Brilliant Friend, I’m picking up this light-hearted romance novel by one of my favorite contemporary romance author. It’s got that Hallmark Christmas movie appeal that I’m digging.
  • A Million Junes by Emily Henry – It’s the beginning of the new month, which means it’s time to listen to a new fiction audiobook. This one was immediately available to download from Overdrive, and it’s gotten rave reviews from friends. I’m hoping I love it just as much!

What are you reading?

What I’m Reading (8.6.18)

Happy Monday! I had such a fantastic weekend, full of friends and puppy cuddles and naps. I got to see Chip on Friday evening and he got super excited when he saw me, doing zoomies all over the apartment. It was so cute! That boy totally has my heart, 100%. I also got to celebrate a dear friend at her bridal shower and was thrilled when I won the “how well do you know the bride and groom” game. Of course, I lived with the bride-to-be for a year, so maybe I had a bit of an advantage. 😉 And, on Sunday, I had brunch with friends to celebrate another dear friend’s birthday. All in all, the perfect weekend and I’m diving into Monday feeling really and truly blessed about this life of mine.

Last week, I finished three books and gave all of them 4 stars. Let’s discuss:

Books Read

Title: Lies She Told
Author: Cate Holahan
Published: 2017
Format: Library audiobook
Rating: ★★★★☆

Plot Summary: This thriller is told in two alternating plotlines. First, there’s Liza who is a thriller author and has 30 days to produce her next masterpiece. And then there’s Beth, Liza’s character in her newest novel, who suspects her husband of cheating and ends up killing his mistress (not a spoiler, it’s in the synopsis). But as the novel progresses, the lines between Liza’s real life and Beth’s fictional one become increasingly blurred.

My Thoughts: Oh man, I loved this novel. I listened to it on audio, and I was concerned that I was going to get the alternating plots mixed up, but thankfully, there were two different narrators with very distinct voices so it was easy to keep them separate. I found the storyline to be so unique and refreshingly different from what we see so often in women-led thrillers nowadays. The twists and turns felt honest and never overly dramatic. And I found the ending to be so satisfying. I would highly recommend this novel if you love a good twisty thriller!

Title: The Woman in Cabin 10
Author: Ruth Ware
Published: 2016
Format: Library hardcover
Rating: ★★★★☆

Plot Summary: Lo is a travel journalist sailing on a luxury cruise, the kind that’s so exclusive that there’s only a handful of people on board. It seems like the assignment of a lifetime, until her first night when she wakes up to what can only be the sound of someone being thrown overboard. Only, everyone on the ship is accounted for and it’s up to Lo to figure out what is truly going on.

My Thoughts: I really enjoyed this thriller, and maybe it’s because I went into it with very low expectations. I loved the setting because what’s creepier than a cruise ship that has just a handful of guests and no cell service? And I loved all the twists and turns – it kept me guessing to the very end! I’ll admit that I fairly loathed Lo. I have a hard time with unreliable narrators and Lo is right up there with Rachel from The Girl on the Train. She made a lot of dumb decisions in her quest to find out what happened, but she redeemed herself in the end. All in all, a pretty solid thriller but probably not one that will particularly stand out in my mind.

Title: Never, Never Part I
Author: Colleen Hoover and Tarryn Fisher
Published: 2015
Format: Library paperback
Rating: ★★★★☆

Plot Summary: Charlie and Silas wake up one morning with no memory of who they are, and it’s up to them and them alone to figure out what happened.

My Thoughts: Oh, boy, do I love Colleen Hoover novels and this one is no exception. The concept behind this novel is so unique, and I just had to know what happened. Of course, this is only part one in a three-part series so I immediately requested part two from my library after I finished this book (I was prepared to buy the e-book, but it’s not available through Amazon weirdly). This novel was everything I love about Hoover’s writing, and I especially just adored the back-and-forth between Charlie and Silas.

What I’m Reading This Week

What are you currently reading?

Reading Wrap-Up | May 2018

Ooh, we are nearly ten days into June and I’m just now writing my reading recap for May – whoops! It’s just the way my blogging schedule shook out this month. In any event, May was an interesting month of reading. I read 10 books, which is about average for me, but only half of them were 4 or 5 stars. The other half were books that I either didn’t like or felt neutral about. However, one of the books I read is definitely in the running to be my overall favorite for 2018, so it all evens out.

Another interesting thing about May is that I didn’t listen to any audiobooks this month – ahh. Due to being on my cruise, I missed a full week of podcasts and my feed felt a little out of control, so I decided to take the month off listening to audiobooks to catch up on my podcast feed. I’ll be back on my audiobook game in June, though!

May Reading List

  • Overall favorite: The Garden of Small Beginnings by Abbi Waxman
  • Favorite romance: Moonlight Over Manhattan by Sarah Morgan (review)
  • Other 4 and 5 star reads:
    • The Day of the Duchess by Sarah MacLean
    • Sleeping Giants by Sylvain Neuvel (review)
    • How to Walk Away by Katherine Center (review)
    • I Wish You Were Mine by Lauren Layne (review)
  • Books I was lukewarm about: We Are Never Meeting in Real Life by Samantha Irby, About That Kiss by Jill Shalvis
  • Books I didn’t like: The Final Score by Jaci Burton (review), The Engagements by J. Courtney Sullivan (review)

Other Book Stats

  • Number of pages read: 3,343
  • Breakdown of formats: physical books (5), ebooks (5)
  • Breakdown of genres: fiction (3), nonfiction (1), science fiction (1), romance (5)
  • Number of diverse reads: 1 (10% – eeks)
  • Where I sourced my books: library/Overdrive (7), Amazon (1), Barnes & Noble (1), Book of the Month (1)
  • Book that took me the longest time to read: The Engagements (12 days)
  • Book that took me the shortest time to read: How to Walk Away (2 days)
  • Expense of books read: $24.98

Favorite Quotes

“Here’s what I think: I don’t think there is just one person for everyone. I think there are actually lots. But think about how many people you meet, and how many people you don’t meet. Hundreds of people pass you on the street every day, and somewhere among them might be the one you could fall in love with, have children with, or just live with in peace and harmony for your whole life. But what if they turn the corner before you do, or go back to get something they forgot, or take one minute longer to get coffee at Starbucks… you might never meet. And then what if you do meet but for some reason you’re having an off day, or they are, or they just broke up with someone, or they’re coming down with a cold, or whatever, so for whatever reason you don’t click right away with. It’s amazing anyone hooks up at all, really.” – The Garden of Small Beginnings

“From then on, whenever Kate caught sight of her sister’s diamond ring, she felt uneasy. She hated that it was supposed to symbolize love and perfection, an idea that seemed so removed from the nature of marriage itself, which even as its best was messy and mundane. She resented the whole notion that a relationship was perfect just because two people got married.” – The Engagements

“Whenever she’d thought about it, and she’d thought about it often, she’d imagined love would be a gentle, comforting, enveloping feeling. Like bathing in warm water or being wrapped in a blanket. She hadn’t expected it to feel like this. Hadn’t expected the wild intoxication that felt as if she’d inhaled an illegal substance. It made her giddy. It made her want to smile at times where no smile was warranted. When she was feeding one of the dogs or occupied by some mundane task like peeling potatoes.” – Moonlight Over Manhattan 

What’s the best book you read in May?

Currently in May

Loving… my fur-brother. Oh, you guys. He is so sweet and cute and funny and fun. He’s tiny – only 3 lbs – but he has so much sassiness in that little body of his. I’ve been trying to visit my mom as much as possible so that I can snuggle and play with him, and she brought him over on my last two work-from-home days so that I could puppy-sit him. Having a sleeping sausage curled next to me while I work is the best feeling ever. I missed it so much!

Loathing… sinus infections. I started feeling crummy over the weekend, waking up on Saturday to nasal congestion and lots of sneezing. I just got over being ill (I was sick the week after my cruise), so I was not too pleased with my body. This time around, though, it was obvious this wasn’t my typical cold because I was having a lot of sinus pressure and dealing with a low-grade fever. To the doctor I went, where she diagnosed me with a sinus infection and prescribed an antibiotic.

Watching… Scandal! I wasn’t able to keep up with the show after the winter finale, so I’ve been waiting for it to come available on Netflix. Scandal is seriously the perfect show to binge watch, so I can’t help but watch multiple episodes a night (which is so unlike me – it took me three months to watch one season of Mad Men, ha). It’s amazing, though, to think about how ridiculous Scandal’s plotlines used to be… and now it feels like every new thing that happens in politics today is ripped from a Scandal script. Sigh.

Listening to… When in Romance. This is a new-ish podcast from Book Riot, featuring two of their contributors who are mega-fans of the romance genre. Every other week, they talk about news from romance-landia as well as make romance recommendations. It’s really fun, but has made my romance TBR explode, ahh. Anyway, give it a listen if you love podcasts and the romance genre.

Anticipating… a three-day weekend. I’m not even planning on doing anything for Memorial Day, but I’m just excited to relax and enjoy a day off work. There’s something so indulgent about not working on a Monday, isn’t there?

Grateful for… helpful doctors. After feeling so crummy over the weekend, I scheduled an appointment at my primary care facility for Monday where I was given such amazing care. My regular doctor wasn’t able to see me, so I saw a different doctor and she was just so darn nice! She asked a ton of questions and really took her time with me – she didn’t just push an antibiotic on me immediately. When you’re feeling crummy, kindness from medical staff feels extra nice, so I was happy to have such a positive experience with this facility.

Needing… to get back into my healthy living game. Man, it has been so hard to get back into it after my cruise because I’ve been sick for the majority of May and then the weeks when I haven’t been sick have been so busy that healthy living takes a backseat. It’s been very frustrating, but I’m also trying to not beat myself up about it too much. After all, my self-worth does not lie with the scale. And being kind with myself is always going to motivate me more than berating myself.

What are you currently loving, loathing, and grateful for?

What I Spent in Q1 of 2018

On Wednesday, I wrote a brutally honest post about my financial situation as it stands today and I’ve been thrilled by the response! It is so gratifying to know that we’re all in the same boat – just trying to implement good financial habits into our lives, no matter where we stand with our salaries.

Today, I want to get into the nitty-gritty of my discretionary spending. This year, I’m trying to do a better job of tracking my expenses in all the different categories I use. I’ll be honest and say there have been weeks when I don’t look at my bank account once and when I do finally log on, it’s with a hand over my eyes. That’s not a good feeling, not one bit, and I want to stop that. I’m committed to checking in on a daily basis so I can make sure I know exactly where I stand with my money.

So, let’s dive into how I spend my money after my bills have been paid. I’m thankful to have enough discretionary spending to meet my needs, so I don’t feel as if I’m living paycheck-to-paycheck. I’ve separated these categories into where I spent the most money in Q1 to where I spent the least. But this is a pretty accurate depiction of how I spend my money:

Travel

I like to take two trips a year – one big trip with my mom (usually a cruise) and one smaller trip with my girlfriends. This year, I’m trying to tack on a third trip, so fingers crossed I can make it work!

In Q1, I spent $1,210 on travel, which is a staggeringly large number, but it includes my cruise deposit ($1,010) and the two shore excursions we booked ($200). I really prioritize this yearly cruise with my mom and it’s something I look forward to all year. I’m happy to spend the money on it because I know we’re going to have an awesome time and fully enjoy ourselves. And that’s what I want most from my life, both personally and financially.

Eating Out

Oh, this has always been my kryptonite when it comes to budgeting. I love eating out. If I could eat out every night, I probably would. I just do not care for cooking and I’ve stopped feeling bad about that. I’ve also stopped feeling bad about my love for eating out. I want to keep it in check, of course, but I’ve also realized that it’s something I truly enjoy and I should embrace it. So I have!

I have had to rein in some of my eating out behavior, mostly due to the fact that I’m trying to lose weight and most foods at restaurants are not very waistline-friendly. Of course, one can always find healthy options, but they are never as much fun as the unhealthy options and if I’m going to treat myself to a meal out, I don’t want to stick with chicken and steamed veggies. No thanks!

In Q1, I spent $585 on eating out. This includes social dinners, lunches out, pizza delivery, and all those trips to Publix for a sub (which happens at least a few times a week). This amounts to about $50 a week and yes, it’s definitely something I need to get a better handle on, I can admit. In Q2, I want to break down my eating out budget into different categories: eating alone, eating with Mom, and eating with friends. I’d like to see what the difference is there!

Beauty

This category includes hair appointments, pedicures, massages, and eyebrow waxes. I get my hair colored every other month and cut every four months. I like to get a pedicure monthly, if I can, just because it makes my feet feel so good and the place I go isn’t very expensive ($25). I get my eyebrows waxed every other month, and I try to do one massage every quarter.

Generally, this is an area of my life where I spend a lot of money, more than most people. It’s a version of self-care for me, but I also have to be careful about my spending, which is why I didn’t do my usual pedicure in March and I skipped a massage this quarter.

In Q1, I spent $343 and the majority of that came from a really pricey hair appointment. Actually, $270 of it came from this one hair appointment and I’m still sick to my stomach about it. Apparently, balayage is really frickin expensive! I mean, the color does last much longer, but I didn’t love my color enough for the price, ha. Lesson learned! I also got two pedicures and an eyebrow wax to round out my beauty spending. All in all, a very pricey quarter one for beauty. Yikes.

Toiletries

Twice a month, I take a trip to Target to stock up on personal care items, makeup, and household items. In quarter one, I spent $230 on toiletries, so about $77 a month or $38 every visit. This is something I don’t really put in my budget – it’s part of my discretionary spending, but I also want to separate out the different types of toiletry items I have. For example, I don’t think I should include my makeup purchases in the same category as my household cleaners, you know?

In Q2, I’m going to itemize my purchases for this category so that I can get a better handle on how much money I’m spending and where I’m spending it. (For example, how much money do I spend on makeup in a given month?) I’d also like to get to a point where I’m only shopping for toiletries once a month, rather than twice a month. I think that might also cut down on how much I spend here, too!

Amazon

Oh, dearest Amazon. I have a Prime membership and I’ve been contemplating canceling it for awhile now. I’m just really not using Prime to its fullest abilities. I spent $85 in Q1 on Amazon purchases, and only placed 8 orders over the entire quarter. It just seems silly to spend $14 a month on Prime when I’m barely using it.

Books

Ooh, my newest kryptonite! I never used to spend money on books, but now I can’t stop, won’t stop. Okay, I’m not doing terrible here. I spent $125 in Q1, and this includes my $15 a month Book of the Month subscription. It’s something I try to keep in check, by only buying books through BOTM or using Thriftbooks.com, where I can get a beautiful paperback for less than $5. Oh! And I’m also susceptible to $2 ebook deals from BookBub, but I only purchase the ebook if it’s something on my Goodreads TBR, and I only allow myself two ebooks a week. Standards, I have them?

Savings

I know, I know. “Pay yourself first.” But I haven’t gotten there yet. Instead, I’m using this handy-dandy worksheet to save $1,000 this year, which will serve as my emergency fund. (Currently, my credit card is my “emergency” fund, oops.) I have $173 in my savings and I’m slowly building it up. Slow and steady.

Birthdays

My nephew turned three, I celebrated the birthday of a friend, and I put together a care package for another friend, so I spent $60 on gifts in Q1. I’m happy with this one and that I was able to put a smile on the faces of my loved ones.

So there you have it – how I’m spending my money these days! There are definitely areas of improvement, especially when it comes to eating out and beauty. But there are also a ton of categories that I’m not spending money in – like clothing, entertainment, happy hours, and stuff like that. It’s always a give and take. Do I wish I could throw more money at my savings and debts? Of course. But not at the cost of losing out on living a life that feels enjoyable to me.