Top Ten Tuesday: Come On, Get Happy

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week's topic is...

Come On, Get Happy!

Bring on the puppy piles and unicorn kisses! I can't imagine there are many out there, who are not looking for a little lift right now. I won't lie, and say that I am "ok", because I'm not. It's tough times right now. Worrying about our loved ones, our health, our country, and our world. For most, their normal day-to-day has ceased to exist, and it's in times like this, that I appreciate the escape a book gives me. I have made no secret of the fact, that I often flee life via my books, and tend to read certain types of books in search of that exact thing.

This week, we were supposed to build a list around a certain genre, but I wanted to talk about books that make me happy. When I think about books that bring me joy, they are usually super cute and low drama. Then, there is my love for romance books. They always make me happy, because seeing someone find their HEA never fails to make my heart soar. I also adore seeing someone achieve something great, be it a small or big success. Because of that, I gravitate to sports books. I love having someone to root for and cheer on.

I honestly have a LOT of fun and happy books on my read shelf, but as always, I want to try and feature newer releases.

Top Ten Tuesday: Free Skate!

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week's topic is...

Free Skate!

Me skating on my aunt's pond back in the day. 

This week, we are left up to our own devices, and I wanted to do something that involved winter. While perusing my books, I saw, that I had quite a few, which featured ice skating in some capacity, and therefore, thought it would make a great topic for this week. All books are YA EXCEPT the last two, but I loved them both so much, and had to include them. I will admit, many of these books center around hockey, but there are a few, OK two, which focus on figure skating, and actually, made me want to find more YA books with figure skating characters.

Top Ten Tuesday: Tis the Season

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week's topic is...

Tis the Season!

Now that we have celebrated Thanksgiving Day in the States, we can commence with the Christmas Season! I don't tend to read a ton of holiday books, so please excuse the overlap. I do however plan to read more. For now, I am sharing some wonderful and heartwarming YA books, which are set during the holiday season.

Top Ten Tuesday: Family Ties

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week's topic is...

Family Ties!

This week, we will celebrate Thanksgiving Day in the US, and one of the reasons I appreciate this holiday is because it's not about gifts, but rather, it's about spending time with our loved ones. Because of this, I chose to feature books with a family focus. The stories featured wonderful siblings and present parents. They are all books I have recently read, adored, and featured families I wish I could join.

Five Star Friday: September 2019

On the first Friday of each month, I will share my five-star reads from the previous month. Fingers crossed, I have lots of books to tell you about.

In the month of September, I read 36 books, and was lucky enough to have FOUR each the full 5-stars. It was a mix of old and new, and each left me with some fabulous feels.

#AmReading YA

In a Nutshell: YA Edition

In a Nutshell Reviews are my version of mini-reviews, because sometimes, you just want the highlights.

Sundays with Sam - The Sunday Post

Sundays with Sam is a combination of Sunday Post hosted by Caffeinated Book Reviewer and Stacking the Shelves hosted by Tynga's Reviews.

In a Nutshell Reviews

In a Nutshell Reviews are my version of mini-reviews, because sometimes, you just want the highlights. These three books were really different from each other, but they had one thing in common - all three had fantastic endings and left me utterly satisfied.

Sundays with Sam - The Sunday Post

Sundays with Sam is a combination of Sunday Post hosted by Caffeinated Book Reviewer and Stacking the Shelves hosted by Tynga's Reviews.

Sundays with Sam - The Sunday Post

Sundays with Sam is a combination of Sunday Post hosted by Caffeinated Book Reviewer and Stacking the Shelves hosted by Tynga's Reviews.

In a Nutshell Reviews

In a Nutshell Reviews are my version of mini-reviews, because sometimes, you just want the highlights.

Sundays with Sam - The Sunday Post

Sundays with Sam is a combination of Sunday Post hosted by Caffeinated Book Reviewer and Stacking the Shelves hosted by Tynga's Reviews.

Sundays with Sam - The Sunday Post

Sundays with Sam is a combination of Sunday Post hosted by Caffeinated Book Reviewer and Stacking the Shelves hosted by Tynga's Reviews.

Sundays with Sam - The Sunday Post

Sundays with Sam is a combination of Sunday Post hosted by Caffeinated Book Reviewer and Stacking the Shelves hosted by Tynga's Reviews.

My Week in Review

I am writing this in-between graduation and packing the car, so I'll be brief. It's wonderful seeing my child again. I get to have her for one month, and will treasure every second. I am also excited to see Noor, our fellow WLABBer, again. We will dine and celebrate together.

I didn't get to read as much, since I spent almost all of Friday in the car, and Saturday doing packing/graduation things, but I did listen to a lot of audiobooks, and I chose wisely, because the ones I listened to in the car were fantastic!

In a Nutshell Reviews

In a Nutshell Reviews are my version of mini-reviews, because sometimes, you just want the highlights. I love when I can see some kind of unifying theme in my Nutshell books, and this week, I think both tackle feeling like an outsider. Jess struggled with being a bigger girl in a family of beautiful people, and Ron struggled being a half-Indian, half-israeli Jewish kid in Nebraska. Both stories were told with tons of humor and both warmed my heart.

Rebel with a Cupcake
Anna Mainwaring
Series: n/a
Age/Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary
Publisher: KCP Loft
Rating:  4 out of 5 stars
Goodreads

Jesobel Jones is bold and brash, the daughter of a hand model and a washed-up rock star. Jess sees no need to apologize for her rambling house, her imperfect family, her single status … or her weight. Jess is who she is. She makes her own cupcakes and she eats them, too. No regrets.

That is, until Own Clothes Day rolls around at school. Jess and her friends dedicate the requisite hours of planning to their outfits, their hair and their makeup for the one day they are free from school uniforms. But a wardrobe malfunction leaves Jess with a pair of leggings split open at the worst spot, and a mean girl calling her the one thing that’s never bothered her before: fat.

The encounter shakes Jess’s formerly iron-clad confidence, and she starts to wonder if she’s been just a little too comfortable in her own skin. When the boy of her dreams invites her to a party, she must decide whether to try to fit in for the first time in her life, or remain true to herself — whoever that really is.

In a Nutshell Reviews

In a Nutshell Reviews are my version of mini-reviews, because sometimes, you just want the highlights.

Sneaking Out
Chuck Vance
Series: Chased, #1
Age/Genre: Young Adult, Mystery
Publisher: Dunemere Books
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Goodreads

Could you sleep next to a murderer?

Luke Chase—yes, that Luke Chase, a modern hero ripped from the headlines—didn’t mean to get caught up in Mrs. Heckler’s murder. He just wanted to hook up with the hot new British girl at St. Benedict’s, and if that meant sneaking out to the woods after hours, then so be it. But little did he know someone would end up dead right next to their rendezvous spot, and his best friend and roommate Oscar Weymouth would go down for it. With suspects aplenty and a past that’s anything but innocent, Luke Chase reluctantly calls on his famous survival skills to find the true killer.

For fans of “A Study in Charlotte” and boarding school lit, “Sneaking Out” (book one in the “Chased” series) immerses readers in the privileged prep school world, with a mystery that exposes the dark side of life on a residential high school campus.

Sundays with Sam - The Sunday Post

Sundays with Sam is a combination of Sunday Post hosted by Caffeinated Book Reviewer and Stacking the Shelves hosted by Tynga's Reviews.

My Week in Review

I worked my first 5-day week in over a month, and though work went smoothly, my commute was even more of a struggle than normal. One day I had to go west to Trenton in order to switch to the eastbound side and get my train home, because the trains were bypassing my stop. NJ Transit is the gift that keeps on giving.

I was really overwhelmed with my discussion post this week. It's so awesome to have so many interactions. So, thanks to all of you, who stopped by and weighed in on the topic. ❤️🌸🦄

Top Ten Tuesday: What a Pleasant Surprise!

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week's topic is...

What a Pleasant Surprise!

This week, I am talking about books that surprised me in a good way. Each surpassed my expectations for different reasons, but each was a book that impressed me and delivered a wonderful reading experience.

Sundays with Sam - The Sunday Post

Sundays with Sam is a combination of Sunday Post hosted by Caffeinated Book Reviewer and Stacking the Shelves hosted by Tynga's Reviews.

My Week in Review

I think those of us that survived the nor'easter can claim that March came in like a lion. I am really grateful we didn't lose power, and I feel bad for all those who did. Otherwise, we had catering from Panera last week, and these amazing cakes on Friday. Did I mention how much I loved tax season? I also won a $20 Amazon gift card from The Candid Cover (Thank you!!!), and my daughter is starting to get job offers.