Book Review: The Weekly Gratitude Project

Do you journal? I do off and on, but I wish I were more dedicated to it. I also really wish I had been diligent about it when I came home after Lucy, there are so many things I don't remember. You'd think that because I regret that, it would make me more dedicated to it now but no... I don't know what my problem is. Perhaps having a guided project like this would be more helpful for those of us who aren't real consistent. 

The Weekly Gratitude Project

It’s time to start a project that will grow a grateful heart. The Weekly Gratitude Project is a 52-week guided gratitude journal that offers a life-changing journey through reflection prompts and inviting questions to guide you into a deeper relationship with God. This yearly gratitude journal features beautifully illustrated journaling pages that will help you discover more intimacy and joy in your spiritual life.

The Weekly Gratitude Project is:

Perfect for a beginner in faith and practicing gratitude, but strong and thought provoking enough for someone who already has a solid foundation. An easy-to-use journaling format designed to help you focus on adding more gratefulness into your day. A helpful companion for individual worship, Bible studies, and small groups.

Obviously, this is aimed for faith-based journaling, but I've found that several of the prompts could easily be used for those who aren't Christian or follow those teachings. 

First off, this book is gorgeous. It has that almost-clothlike textured cover, which are my absolute favorite. Just as the exterior is gorgeous, the pages throughout also are too pretty to write on! It only has 123 pages, and does include room for you to write within the book, but I found that using my personal journal worked best. It you do that you can easily pass this along to someone who would benefit from this, or at least enjoy it. I also thought this would maybe be a great thing to use in a Bible study group, or even faith based book club, it would certainly give you topics to talk about and compare your answers. 

Overall, I thought this was a well put together book, breaking it up over 52 weeks so you'd have a whole week to really think about your response to each question. It would make a great gift for sure, and with the holidays approaching, this would be a nice one to give so someone could start the new year with a positive start. 

Thank you to TLC Book Tours and Zondervan for having me on this tour and providing a copy for review! It's jumpstarted my own journaling, but I know exactly who I'm passing it along to. I'd love to know if you journal, and if you use anything to jump start your writing? Do you have a favorite book (or pen, I love a good pen) you use to write in? 

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Book Review: Rookie Mistakes

I love this cover so much, and I just have to put that out there. I love it.  I also have to comment that I noticed I haven't read as much nonfiction as I usually do by this point in the year, and I'm not sure if that good or not. I do have more coming up, but it was just a random observation. 

Rookie Mistakes - Kelly Bandas

In her highly anticipated nonfiction debut, comedian Kelly Bandas uses her trademark humor to recount stories of growing up and becoming a semifunctional adult in a dysfunctional world.

Raised in a devoutly Catholic home, Kelly Bandas spent her entire childhood trying hard not to tick off “the man” or the Lord. And for the most part, she crushed it. But as she got older and began to navigate what it looked like to truly live in a world where gender roles, race, and politics weren’t always so black and white, Kelly realized that her former worldview was beginning to feel like that pair of Forever 21 jeans that used to glide effortlessly over her hips but now required a lot of stretching and acrobatic maneuvering to shimmy into place. And she’s not alone. 

In Rookie Mistakes, Kelly shares stories of growing up in a church-centered, male-dominated society and how those experiences shaped and primed her for a new chapter of life. In this debut collection of essays, Kelly shares:

Funny, fast-paced, and uplifting stories 

Encouragement for women who are tired of feeling like they will never measure up—and kind of don’t want to anyway

Inspiration to find your voice, your power, and your people

Kelly shares everything from laugh-out-loud accounts of Oregon Trail-themed first kisses to heartfelt insights gleaned from navigating life as a Christian feminist doing her best not to screw up being a parent of a child with a disability, in a trans-racial family.

Rookie Mistakes is the call-to-action millennial women everywhere have been waiting for. 

Full disclosure, this does have a little bit of religious tones sprinkled about but as someone who wouldn't consider myself as religious, but I didn't think it was overwhelming in this, so go in knowing that. Also, if you love Jenny Lawson, you might really like this. They don't have the same writing style, but the comedy sprinkled into situations that probably don't warrant laughing, makes me think having a dinner date with both of them would be a good time. 

The book is comprised of several essays that span her childhood, growing up, getting married, being a mom, and then being a mom/everything during the height of the pandemic, and I don't care who you are, we can all relate to so many of these. The best part of this book is that the author shows us some of her shining mistakes, which many of us have done (or in the process of doing), but looking back on them in hindsight with humility, but also trying to learn the lesson, you know? The concept of not being so hard and judging ourselves, but also giving others the same grace, because life is rough on us all. I also really loved the nostalgia and love for the 90's in this book! I'm a 1982 baby, but I tell my kids all of the time that the 90's were the BEST time to grow up. I will forever be grateful that that's when me real growing up happened, because it definitely shaped me as a person. 

Honestly, this might be my top nonfiction book of the year. I really like memoirs anyways, but this one just really stuck with me. I could relate to the stories, and the author, and it encouraged me to look at the mistakes I've made and stop dwelling them. The other perk was that each essay isn't very long, so if you like a book with short chapters because you only get short spans of reading time, this is great for you. Needless to say, I flew through this one. The perk of my husband snoring outrageously loud is that I am getting a lot of reading in, so there's that. 

Thank you to TLC Book Tours and Thomas Nelson Publishing for sending me a copy of this and letting me jump onto this tour! 

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Book Review: The Gunslinger's Guide to Avoiding Matrimony

Can we just appreciate how pretty my hydrangeas are in this picture? Sure, you can't see the detail, but they have HUGE blooms. I don't want to get cocky, but I feel like I'm pretty good at growing these at least. Everything else? Slowly working on it. I should do a garden update soon, I can show you my fight against ivy, it's all very exciting. Ha!

The Gunslinger's Guide to Avoiding Matrimony Michelle McLean

At the ripe old age of twenty-eight, desperate-to-retire gunslinger Adam Brady has exactly two rules. And one of them is never, ever get married. So he’ll be danged when his dreams of permanently avoiding the bounty hunter on his tail in Desolation, the only town where notorious men like him can find respite, comes with one helluva string attached. The town has a new rule: gunslingers welcome—if they get a job…or marry.

Without realizing it, Adam stumbles into a big town wedding and accidentally marries Nora Schumacher, a sassy-mouthed mountain of a woman with legs as long as his wanted poster. So what’s a gunslinger to do but get himself unhitched and find a job. Any job. Except Adam keeps getting fired, one odd circumstance after another. And he’s running out of options.

Desolation was supposed to be his safe haven. Except, he’s not only running from his past but from the irresistible woman he married. And worse, he’s finding that he rather likes the enticing, if damnably independent, wife of his. But some men just aren’t the marrying kind. Only, if he leaves, his own life won’t be worth living. If he stays, he puts the lives of his newfound family and the woman he loves on the line. So much for Desolation being the answer to all his problems.

I know I say it everytime I read a western romance, but I truly always forget how much I like this genre until I'm in the middle of reading it. I actually read this one in the middle of the night while Matt slept great, but snored all night so I couldn't sleep. I haven't read the first one, but these are all going to be stand-alones, so no worries there. I do want to go back and read that one though, because I would have liked to know more on how this little town came to be, but also get a little more backstory on all the characters for my own curiosity. 

I have to start by saying I love a romance that has banter between the two main characters. Maybe because that's just my general personality so I can relate more? I'm not sure, but I love that immediately upon meeting each other, Adam and Nora are at it. Also, the idea that you can literally accidentally marry someone in the middle of town is bizarre, but also funny, so I liked how this one started right away. As we get through the book, we have a lot of... sexual tension, we have more banter, a little danger, but full of comedy but not in a laugh-out-loud way, more of a snicker to yourself kind of comedy. The only thing that gets me, and it isn't this book only but rather, romance books in general, is the lack of communication story line. I feel like it's in more books than not and while it was fun for awhile, it's just really played out and I'm over it. I think between that, and how comically unbelievable the entire premise is (though it is fun), I'd give this one a solid 4. 

I am looking forward to book three though, and if you're looking for something light and fun, this would be a great one to look at. Thank you to TLC Book Tours and Entangled Publishing for having me on this tour and sending me a copy for review! 

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Book Review/Feature: Little Dirt Road and Juiced

Happy Wednesday! I have been running errands and then on the phone literally the entire day. I really hate scheduling appointments, especially medical ones, because it's just a pain. I also got to take my vehicle for an oil change and $800 later.... I'm not even kidding... I have two new tires AND an oil change. I just want it on the record that every time I've ever had something in a tire it has been because of Matt driving my vehicle. He got it "fixed" a few months ago and I said, I don't think this is actually fixed, but you know, I don't know what I'm talking about. 

Even though I'm paying $800 today, I really enjoyed listening to the tech explain to Matt that the tire clearly wasn't done correctly. I don't want to say I told you so, but..... let's just say my track record of being right is pretty strong. 

In other news, I have a couple of books I think you might like if adventure with a little mystery sprinkled in. It's a departure from what I've been reading lately, and I really needed the change of pace. 

Book Review/Feature: Juiced & Little Dirt Road

Both books are the latest installments of The O'Malley Adventures (books 3 and 4), and I should mention I haven't read books one and two. I don't think you necessarily need to read these in order but I think it would add to the character development of our main characters. I personally like seeing the arc of the characters over an entire series, if done correctly you really see them change as a real person would. Let's take these in order so I don't get mixed up. 

Little Dirt Road: Bad Men on Whidbey Island

The O’Malleys are doing what? How is it possible that dangerous complications arise from their simple vacation in wine country? With their recent move to South Whidbey Island, only the O’Malley’s would stumble upon drug smugglers, embezzlers, and murderers amongst the locals. The quirky, pastoral island, reachable by a less than speedy ferry from Mukilteo or the narrow, deteriorating Deception Pass bridge, is no match for the wicked men about to visit.

A notorious drug lord and a nondescript enforcer with freakish hell-raising skills invade the peaceful Pacific Northwest island—where not even the friendly locales and free-roaming long-eared rabbits can soften his homicidal heart.

Weeding through the facts and surprisingly connected characters with their trusted friend, Bellevue Detective Bill Owens, the narrative swirls from Mexico to Canada and throughout Puget Sound. It’s a heart-racing and outrageously offbeat adventure for two innocent people, proving once again that trouble will find the O’Malleys without the slightest amount of effort on their part. 

I mean, who doesn't like a vacation going to hell, am I right? I've never personally been to the Pacific Northwest, but the descriptions were so spot on and descriptive, that won points with me. Let's talk about the things that made it tough for me first because there are far more good than bad. Having read two of Ted's books now, I get the impression his skill is in weaving the story together, and that means giving you some strings as you go and somehow by the end they all come together before you know it. It's 100% an issue with me, I have some cognitive issues so I sometimes have a hard time remembering those details so it takes me a bit at the end to connect things. Some of the twists were predictable, but not all. One of the perks of this for me was that you didn't necessarily seen some of them coming, so I appreciated that, it makes the book hard to put down and a rather quick read. I would say overall this is a little different, but in the best way possible. It made going into the next book much easier because I liked the writing style, but now I feel kind of invested in the O'Malleys! 

Juiced: A Whidby Adventure

An invention that can save the planet?
Somehow, someway the O’Malleys have found themselves in the thick of things once again. On peaceful, bucolic Whidbey Island, they become entangled in a corporate plot to stifle a paradigm-shattering discovery, one that promises to upend conventional thinking, topple markets, and create an entirely new industry.
Kevin and Jenne, along with scientists from the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, find themselves pitted against a band of bumbling criminals who will stop at nothing to get what they want—including arson and murder.
It’s another rollicking adventure for the retired interior designers ably assisted by their favorite detective, the FBI, and Emma, their ever-vigilant German Shepherd Dog.

So... what I gather from these is that Kevin and Jenne are forever falling into trouble somehow, no matter where they go or what they are doing. While we aren't dealing with a drug lord in this one, we are dealing with some serial criminals who aren't real smart. Let's just say they aren't watching enough Dateline because they kind of fumble along the way. I suppose if this was real life, that's for the best if you're tasked with catching them. I want to also say I love their dog. I really wish my dog was helpful, let alone dependable. I could be being murdered, but if it is his naptime, I'm on my own. 

This story centers around an invention of a power source that could really upend science, but also how society functions. Obviously, not everyone would be excited about that, specifically anyone that would be losing power and/or profits, but our rag tag team of heroes are on the case. I actually liked this one slightly more than Little Dirt Road, only because I felt like this one had a little more action. Coincidentally, I was just watching a documentary that talked about arson and how investigators can tell if a fire was arson or not, so I liked that this book featured arson. Which sounds weird to say. Overall, I liked this one and again, flew through this one in less than a day. If you're stuck and need a quick one to read, definitely consider these!

Thank you to Ted Mulcahey and Author Marketing Experts for having me on this tour and mailing me copies for review! 

Book Review: In The Dark We Forget

Two in one day, who 'dis? I know, I've finished a few books kind of all at the same time so I'm getting them out to you before I forget all about them. (I'm absolutely guilty of that and it's terrible!)

In the Dark We Forget - Sandra S.G. Wong

A jolting psychological suspense novel from an up-and-coming Chinese-Canadian crime writer about missing parents, a winning lottery ticket and the lies we tell ourselves in order to survive.

Some things are better left forgotten . . .

When a woman wakes up with amnesia beside a mountain highway, confused and alone, she fights to regain her identity, only to learn that her parents have disappeared—not long after her mother bought a winning $47 million lottery ticket.

As her memories painfully resurface and the police uncover details of her parents’ mysterious disappearance, Cleo Li finds herself under increasing suspicion. Even with the unwavering support of her brother, she can’t quite reconcile her fears with reality or keep the harrowing nightmares at bay.

As Cleo delves deeper for the truth, she cannot escape the nagging sense that maybe the person she should be afraid of...is herself.

With jolting revelations and taut ambiguity, In the Dark We Forget vividly examines the complexities of family—and the lies we tell ourselves in order to survive.

What interested me in this book originally was the concept of a main character having amnesia and trying so hard to get back any kind of memory back. As someone who actually has short term (and some long term) memory loss, the feeling of not being able to remember key events in your life is really unsettling. It's creepy and actually kind of scary. You have to trust what other people say, and the information they give you, and it could be completely wrong. The vulnerability in that is scary. 

In this book, we have Cleo, who literally wakes up in the middle of a gravel road and she knows she's been teh victim of something violent. Where she is, how she got there, why, but also who she is all information she does not know and she is tasked with figuring that out. It turns out she isn't the kind of person to rely on others, but being a Chinese-Canadian woman, in the middle of nowhere Canada makes her an outsider of sorts. She quickly finds commonality with an officer of sorts who agrees to help her out. Of course though, how easily would you believe someone who can't tell you where they are or how they got here, but oh yeah, has no idea who they are? I think any of us would have a healthy amount of doubt.  

Once we start unraveling this crazy ball, we start getting small pieces of the story at a time. We meet Cleo's brother and sister in law (both of which you never really get a good feeling from), you find out Cleo's parents won some crazy lottery, and as the story goes on more and more starts coming out all of my original theories were being tossed out one by one. 

I will say, I was starting to figure it out, and I felt like the author kind of pooped out. I was really expecting a more major bang at the end. It is a debut thriller from Sandra S. G. Wong and I was hooked on this one so I will absolutely read the next book she gives us. Can we also get excited about a Canada based novel? I feel like I've read books from lots of other countries but I truly can't think of one set in Canada. I also love the diversity of the characters but also like the inclusion of how that diversity would affect how authorities would treat them. 

Overall? I really liked this one and I'm really looking forward to the next book from Sandra S.G. Wong. Thank you to TLC Book Tours and HarperCollins for having me on this tour and sending me a copy for review!  

Book Review: The Craigslist Incident

I am trying to really catch up on reviews, but I also have some fun family things to post about soon, so I've got lots to do. The rest of our summer looks pretty lame, but I'm trying to squeeze one or two more fun things into this last month. Stay tuned!

The Craigslist Incident - Jason Fisk

In The Craigslist Incident, Edna Barrett takes an advertisement out on Craigslist: I’m an 18-year-old female and I want to take a hit out on myself. Joe Dolsen, a 20-year-old who has suffered from periodic blackouts his whole life, answers the ad. What would bring two people to such ominous points at such young ages, and will they actually go through with it?

OK, wow. This book was actually an emotional gut punch that I wasn't at all expecting. I knew going in these two characters have heavy backstories, but I thought it would get lighter and almost a happily ever after, you know? Turns out that isn't it at all. Edna and Joe each have their own awful backstories so you find yourself rooting for them because surely it can't get worse, right? 

Well, turns out it actually can. The book features mental health struggles, and completely dysfunctional families, and you know it has to be bad if an 18 year old young woman takes an ad out to have a hitman end her life. I mean... think about that. Enter a 20 year old guy, definitely not in a great place himself, decides that yup- he can totally do this job. The story sounds completely bananas at this point but it gets even more bizarre and I found myself just so sad, and upset for each of them, and I just kept hoping somehow this would all turn around for everyone. 

As a mom, this story broke my heart. As someone who struggles with mental health myself, and I've battled thoughts of suicide at different points in my life, I could relate and understand the feels Edna had. I will say for a book that doesn't even come in at 250 pages, there was so much packed in, but done very well. 

There are some triggers which readers need to know about, and those include abuse and rape, and obviously suicide. Interestingly though, there are two endings for this book. I actually have only read one other book like that before, but this one is almost like a choose-your-own-ending book from our childhood. I felt like that really enhanced the book for me, even though I already really liked this one. I definitely want to read more from Jason Fisk, I'm already anxiously awaiting the next book. 

Thank you to TLC Book Tours for having me on this tour! If you're looking for something a little offbeat, a little different, I definitely think this is one you should be looking at. 

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Book Review: First Bride to Fall

We had a pretty great weekend doing a staycation (kind of) with friends instead of a our usual road trip. I'll share more about that later, also Lucy's birthday. She's six now and I'm in my feels. 

First Bride to Fall - Ginny Baird

Nell Delaney will do almost anything for her parents and her two sisters. But enter a marriage of convenience to save the family’s coffee shop? Too far. So Nell and her sisters strike a deal: whoever hasn’t found love in thirty days has to step up to take one for the team. The good news? Nell knows the perfect guy to fall in love with. The bad news? She’s going to have to pretend she likes the outdoors…a lot.

Adventure guide Grant Williams knows immediately that Nell is not exactly Little Miss Outdoorsy. She’s a walking natural disaster—an amazingly adorable disaster. And whoa, their chemistry is unbelievable. Everything between them is so perfect, he’s not even a little bit shocked when he starts thinking of forever…

Right up until he catches the town gossiping about the Delaney sisters’ bargain and realizes she’s just using him to win a bet. Unfortunately, his family’s unreliable reputation means he can’t just dump one of the town’s sweethearts. No, she needs to dump him. If she’s going to pretend to be the perfect doting bride, well, he’ll just pretend to be the worst bachelor on the market.

Let the games begin…

I have a love hate relationship with the fake relationship trope, but this one was a fun read. Instead of a fake romance between people who don't like each other to start, this is one where Nell, our main character, has had a crush on Grant for quite awhile, so this isn't really a hardship for her. Bonus points are that it's the start of a new series, which I'm excited for, but also if you're looking for a clean romance, this is a good pick. Think Hallmark movie, so it isn't realistic so much, but it's sweet and fun. I did enjoy the humor throughout, I always appreciate a romance with some humor, especially when I'm in the mood for a palate cleanser, so to speak.  

My only issue was it's another book with miscommunication at the core. I feel like that theme has been beaten to death and I always enjoy a book with characters who communicate. Let's normalize that, you know? Overall though, I really enjoyed this one, it was exactly what I needed after a series of thrillers. It's light and fun, the absolute definition of a rom-com! It's my first read from Ginny Baird, but it definitely won't be my last, I really enjoyed her writing style. 

Thank you to TLC Book Tours and Entangled Publishing for having me on this tour and sending me a copy for review! 

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