Weekend Shopping: Underrated Books (part 3)

Let's just get to it, shall we?

Forty-one-year-old school nurse Kate Cypher has returned home to rural Vermont to care for her mother who's afflicted with Alzheimer's. On the night she arrives, a young girl is murdered—a horrific crime that eerily mirrors another from Kate's childhood. Three decades earlier, her dirt-poor friend Del—shunned and derided by classmates as "Potato Girl"—was brutally slain. Del's killer was never found, while the victim has since achieved immortality in local legends and ghost stories. Now, as this new murder investigation draws Kate irresistibly in, her past and present collide in terrifying, unexpected ways. Because nothing is quite what it seems . . . and the grim specters of her youth are far from forgotten.

I have to start by telling you this was a debut novel and every single one of her books are JUST AS GOOD. This isn't very long (250 pages or so) but it will hook you immediately and you will never see the ending coming. All of her books are so messed up, basically, and nothing is ever as it seems. I've always finished her books in one sitting and they are just so great for someone who loves a good murder mystery but doesn't have a lot of time to read.

When Frances accepts an invitation to visit Stiltsville, a community of houses built on pilings in Biscayne Bay, she has no idea that her simple "yes" to a new friend will determine the course of her life for the next two dozen years. Set in Miami from the late '60s to the 1990s, Stiltsville is a sweeping journey seen through the eyes of one woman as she experiences love, motherhood, friendship, hurricanes, racial tension, and finally, a tragic death in slow motion.

In her debut novel, Daniel describes the experiences of three generations in one family whose spiritual heart is centered in a modest bungalow built a few feet above the water. When Frances meets and marries Dennis, she learns to live her life on the water, from bay to ocean to everglade to bayou. She navigates through it all: infidelity, empty-nest syndrome, and debilitating illness sometimes with grace and humor, sometimes with anger and bitterness, but always with the same people by her side.

One of my, hands down, favorite books of all time. There is a quote towards the end that is maybe the only quote I've ever been able to remember verbatim and it speaks so much to my own marriage. I read this at a time when Matt and I weren't on steady ground and I was really questioning how people who are married fifty years really do it because it can't BE this hard always, right? It starts off slow and I didn't realize that it wasn't about any one climax, instead it's like a slow burn. A look into a marriage, the good and bad, exciting and boring. Truly, I think a lot of you will relate to it and it's one I pull out from time to time and just love. Her next book, Sea Creatures, is just as good if not better.

She was just three years old when her mother signed on as the organist of tent revivalist David Terrell, and before long, Donna Johnson was part of the hugely popular evangelical preacher's inner circle. At seventeen, she left the ministry for good, with a trove of stranger- than-fiction memories. A homecoming like no other, Holy Ghost Girl brings to life miracles, exorcisms, and faceoffs with the Ku Klux Klan. And that's just what went on under the tent.

As Terrell became known worldwide during the 1960s and '70s, the caravan of broken-down cars and trucks that made up his ministry evolved into fleets of Mercedes and airplanes. The glories of the Word mixed with betrayals of the flesh and Donna's mother bore Terrell's children in one of the several secret households he maintained. Thousands of followers, dubbed "Terrellites" by the press, left their homes to await the end of the world in cultlike communities. Jesus didn't show, but the IRS did, and the prophet/healer went to prison.

One of the most fascinating memoirs I have ever read. I read this right after I read a book I'm going to feature next week and they both had religion as the main theme. This book follows Donna as she essentially grows up inside a tent revivalist community. It's a really fascinating look at what life is like in that kind of community, and it makes you question how God fearing these people actually are. This does no favors for religious fanatics but I look at some churches even today and some of the same characteristics can be seen. What kind of people fall for this, do they ever leave, what are the consequences of leaving, should you follow your faith blindly, is it immoral to ask questions, etc. Again, not a lengthy book but I was immersed in it and have borrowed my copy out quite a bit.

Happy shopping!

   

Weekend shopping: Underrated Books (part 2)

I am having a lot of fun coming up with this list so I hope you're enjoying reading them. The three books I'm featuring today are some of the first books I reviewed as an official book reviewer.

An extraordinary debut from a talented new voice, Up from the Blue untangles the year in Tillie's life that changed everything: 1975, the year her mother disappeared.

Tillie Harris's life is in disarray—her husband is away on business, the boxes in her new home aren't unpacked, and the telephone isn't even connected yet. Though she's not due for another month, sudden labor pains force Tillie to reach out to her estranged father for help, a choice that means facing the painful memories she's been running from since she was a little girl. 

Anytime I'm asked about a book that shook me to my core, or one that I identify with, I will ALWAYS pick this one. Not only is it profoundly sad for Tillie, but when you find out what really happened to her mother, your heart breaks in a thousand pieces. At the core, this is about mental illness and when you think about the 70's, people just weren't educated on it and it was taboo, hidden. I read this years ago but when I think about it now, I relate to Tillie's mother so much and Tillie herself reminds me of my Olivia. Just so much about this book pulls at my heart. 

Prudence Burns, a well-intentioned New Yorker full of back-to-the-land ideals, just inherited Woefield Farm—thirty acres of scrubland, dilapidated buildings, and one half-sheared sheep. But the bank is about to foreclose, so Prudence must turn things around fast! Fortunately she'll have help from Earl, her banjo-playing foreman with a family secret; Seth, the neighbor who hasn't left the house since a high school scandal; and Sara Spratt, an eleven-year-old who's looking for a home for her prize-winning chickens.

I so enjoyed reading and reviewing this one because it involves a sheep with maxi pads stuck to it. That alone should make you want to read it. If I had to run a farm, I guarantee you this would be exactly how it would go.

Everything I Never Wanted to Be by Dina Kucera is the true story of a family's battle with alcoholism and drug addiction. In many ways, it is a cross between Mary Karr's The Liar's Club and James Frey's A Million Little Pieces. Dina's grandfather and father were alcoholics. Her grandmother was a pill addict. Dina is an alcoholic and pill addict, and all three of her daughters struggle with alcohol and drug addiction, including her youngest daughter, who started using heroin at age fourteen. 

Dina's household also includes her husband and his unemployed identical twin, a mother who has Parkinson's Disease, a grandson who has cerebral palsy, and various other friends and family members who drift in and out of the household depending on their employment situation and rehab status. On top of all that, Dina is trying to make it as a stand-up comic and author so she can quit her crummy job as a grocery store clerk. Through it all, Dina does her best to hold her family together, keep her faith, and maintain her sense of humor. 

I hate to end this post with a heavy book but what can you do? Especially given the drug epidemic in this country, this book is just as relevant now as when it came out. It's a memoir about a woman who is surrounded by addicts and alcoholics. It makes you question whether addiction is hereditary (I believe it is), and essentially it's a cycle of addiction. Dina has humor and tries to make light of the serious situation her and her family is in, and it's a glimpse into middle America. Low end jobs and how they cope. Fascinating book.

Again, here are the buy links so you can start your Christmas shopping early. Some jerk put a meme up on Facebook about how many Fridays there are until Christmas and it's like, NO. No, stop it, I can't handle that kind of stress! So I'm helping YOU out.

Weekend Shopping: Underappreciated Books (part one)

I get asked a lot about books I'd recommend, or maybe what some of my favorites are, and I have a lengthy list. A lot of them aren't super popular, or maybe not really head of, and I think that's a damn shame. So periodically I want to feature some books that just don't get the love I think they deserve.

It's 1960 in the Panhandle town of Charnelle, Texas -- a year and a half since sixteen-year-old Laura Tate's mother boarded a bus and mysteriously disappeared. Assuming responsibility for the Tate household, Laura cares for her father and three brothers and outwardly maintains a sense of calm. But her balance is upset and the repercussions of her family's struggles are revealed when a chance encounter with a married man leads Laura into a complicated relationship for which she is unprepared.

As Kennedy battles Nixon for the White House, Laura must navigate complex emotional terrain and choose whether she, too, will flee Charnelle. Dramatizing the tension between desire and familial responsibility, The Girl from Charnelle delivers a heartfelt portrait of a young woman's reckoning with the paradoxes of love. Eloquent, tender, and heart-wrenching, K. L. Cook's unforgettable debut novel marks the arrival of a significant new voice in American fiction.

I read this book... almost ten years ago, I think? It is STILL with me. I think I mailed my copy to my cousin and I wish I hadn't because now I have to buy another copy. This isn't one I would have picked up at a bookstore but it was so great. Laura's character just pulled at you and when I found out this was a debut? Blown away.

When Melody Grace McCartney was six years old, she and her parents witnessed an act of violence so brutal that it changed their lives forever. The federal government lured them into the Witness Protection Program with the promise of safety, and they went gratefully. But the program took Melody's name, her home, her innocence, and, ultimately, her family. She's been May Adams, Karen Smith, Anne Johnson, and countless others--everyone but the one person she longs to be: herself. So when the feds spirit her off to begin yet another new life in another town, she's stunned when a man confronts her and calls her by her real name. Jonathan Bovaro, the mafioso sent to hunt her down, knows her, the real her, and it's a dangerous thrill that Melody can't resist. He's insistent that she's just a pawn in the government's war against the Bovaro family. But can she trust her life and her identity to this vicious stranger whose acts of violence are legendary?

I picked this book up at the library simply because the cover looked interesting. The story itself is a bit far fetched, but the larger story of a young girl essentially being hunted by the mob because she something she shouldn't have, and what that means for her entire life, is thought provoking. Then you bring in the mobster sent to hunt her down and how that plays out? I really enjoyed it. A lot.

Meet June Parker. She works for L.A. Rideshare, adores her rent-stabilized apartment in Santa Monica, and struggles with losing a few pesky pounds.

But June’s life is about to change.

After a dark turn of events involving Weight Watchers, a chili recipe, and a car accident in which her passenger, Marissa, dies, June finds herself in possession of a list Marissa has written, “20 Things to Do By My 25th Birthday.” Even though they barely knew eachother, June is compelled by both guilt and a desire to set things right and finish the list for Marissa.

The tasks before her range from inspiring (Run a 5K), to daring (Go braless), to near-impossible (Change someone’s life), and as June races to achieve each goal before the deadline, she learns more about her own life than she ever bargained for. 

Again, I picked this one at the library because I loved the cover. I also have to tell you that this book was the book that made me create, and do, my 30 before 30 list. The story is about June, who is involved in a life changing car accident, and subsequently finds her passenger's bucket list. At a crossroads in her own life, she takes this as a sign that maybe she needs to go outside of her comfort zone so she decides SHE will finish the list in Marissa's memory. I loved this book and it really did inspire me to start my own list, which ended up being the best years of my life, if we're being honest. So I guess that's why this book holds a special place in my heart.

Below you'll find the purchase links for all of these and truly, if you want to read something not everyone is talking about, you will enjoy these. I'll feature three more next Saturday and hopefully by the time I'm done with my list, you'll be overloaded with Christmas gift ideas. 

 

Shopping for men stinks, let me help you.

I'm usually really great at buying gifts for people. My favorite is doing boxes of awesome, which is where I get a cute container (or box if I'm mailing it) and filling it with really awesome things I know the other person will love. I pick up little things all of the time that my friends will love and when I have enough for a box, off it goes.

My biggest challenge for gift giving? My husband.

Matt is awful. Every time I think I have a great idea, and I'm super excited to give him The Thing, I get a lackluster response. One time I waited over THREE HOURS at a ski lodge trying to get him a ski pass because I knew he loved skiing and I thought it would be a sweet gesture AND get him to relax after working so hard all week. I spent three hours in this lodge, freezing, with two kids who were starving.

He wasn't super excited about it and only went skiing once.

One time, friends.

Thankfully, we have websites like Uncommon Goods to help us. It's 2017 though, and so many of us are being selective on where we spend our money, which is why Uncommon Goods is a great solution. You probably don't know this, but Uncommon Goods features many products that are organic, recycled, or handmade. Are you an animal lover? You'll be pleased to know Uncommon Goods doesn't sell products containing leather, fur, or feathers either. Do you love to give back even when you're shopping? Perfect! When you shop with Uncommon Goods, you have the option to donate $1 to a selected non-profit organization, courtesy of their Better to Give program, which has already donated $1,000,000 since 2001. By focusing mainly to online retail, they've cut down on their paper usage (hooray for the environment!) from printing catalogs.

So that's super awesome, but let's shop!

The really great part of Uncommon Goods is they have done all of the hard work for you and have curated these collections specific to what you are shopping for. I know Christmas is coming, despite not being ready for it, but this is the time of year I start looking for ideas and buying items so I don't get stuck in the mailing frenzy in December. Not only do I have Matt to shop for but we have our dads and brothers and they are all awful to shop for. (Sorry, guys!) Clearly my first stop was going to be a collection just for men because it's broad and has something for everyone. Right off the bat I found something that Matt absolutely needs in his life because as a machinist, he comes home filthy.

Hard Working Man's Hygiene Kit - $50.00

I am so sick of him using all of my soap trying to work the grime off of himself. He needs this in his life. Immediately. Before Christmas, even.

Phone Storage Workout Bottle - $14.99

Here's a confession. If you've ever shopped with me you know I stick to the "one for you, one for me" policy so I have a terrible habit of shopping for myself while shopping for others. So of course, I'm scrolling through the collection and I see THIS. You guys, I NEED THIS. I have a medical condition that requires me to drink a lot of water so when I go for walks, I need to bring a water bottle. But I also need my phone because I get lost a lot and I like to listen to podcasts, so then I have my ear buds. This handy item does it all. Your phone (and some cash in case on your fitness walk you stumble upon an ice cream truck) stores inside the water bottle. You're only carrying one thing versus considering a fanny pack. Say no to the fanny pack.

Needless to say, I found a lot of items for the holidays.

If you are still looking for a gift idea for the hard working, mechanical nerd in your life (cough, MATT, cough), Uncommon Goods also has a collection aimed for groomsmen that also has every day men's gifts, too.

Multi-Tool Box of Wonders - $40.00

You know what we gave to our groomsmen? A leatherman tool. Had Matt seen this, he would have insisted we get these. These are the weird things Matt is into and this is something I would totally stick in his stocking. This little box has everything you need to perform 12 tasks and this is just right up Matt's alley.

What do I do for my anniversary? That also is a killer to shop for because Matt isn't sentimental, but I definitely am. So whether you are shopping for your husband, or your wife, you absolutely have to peruse the anniversary collection they've put together. Almost immediately I found something that is 100% Matt and I.

Personalized Anniversary Pushpin USA Map - $149.00

One of the things I love most about Matt is his total acceptance when I say I want to go on an adventure. Our goal has always been to see all 50 states and while we haven't got a great start (I think we only have nine states so far), it's hard to travel a lot with four kids. THIS would be an amazing art piece for our home, a cool conversation piece for visitors, and act as an incentive to get more pins up there! Not only would this be great as an anniversary gift, I think it would make a cool wedding gift for a new couple, too. Or maybe a graduation gift and instead of two couple's names, put the student's first and last names and they can mark off places on their travels. (There is also an international map, too!)

Speaking of weddings, if you can't quite find the right thing for your anniversary, or you're getting married and want to get a great gift for husband or bride to be, Uncommon Goods also has a fantastic wedding guide full of amazing gift ideas. Anyone can roll up to the gift table with a waffle iron you know you're re-gifting, but the best gifts are always personalized ones!

Happy shopping, friends. (I can fully say that because I just saved you hours of walking around the mall and you didn't even have to put pants on. WIN.)

Shopping Saturday: Teacher Gift Ideas

Let's just admit that this is going to be a steady thing now, OK? We are all going to shop together on Saturdays. That's all there is to it.

School is starting soon (except for the lucky people in the south who have already started) and I know some of you do a teacher gift for the first day. I totally do because I feel like at some point at the end of the first day they probably sink into their chair, look at the mess left behind by all the students and think, "It's going to be a LONG year.". Maybe not, but I think that happens more so than not. Then I try to think, what would cheer me up?

A basket of AWESOME STUFF, that's what.

Here are some things I've included before, things I'm including this year, and some ideas.

Most every teacher at my kids' elementary school knows I'm a huge book lover so I always include a book. In fact, I almost always include a book with all gifts because I love books. I'm forcing my love of books onto others. This year I purchased this one because I have heard nothing but great reviews for it and I want to read it so badly.

Jen Dixon is not your typical Kansas City kindergarten class mom--or mom in general. Jen already has two college-age daughters by two different (probably) musicians, and it's her second time around the class mom block with five-year-old Max--this time with a husband and father by her side. Though her best friend and PTA President sees her as the-wisest-candidate for the job (or oldest), not all of the other parents agree.

From recording parents' response times to her emails about helping in the classroom, to requesting contributions of-special-brownies for curriculum night, not all of Jen's methods win approval from the other moms. Throw in an old flame from Jen's past, a hyper-sensitive -allergy mom,-a surprisingly sexy kindergarten teacher, and an impossible-to-please Real Housewife-wannabe, causing problems at every turn, and the job really becomes much more than she signed up for.

Relatable, irreverent, and hilarious in the spirit of Maria Semple this is a fresh, welcome voice in fiction--the kind of novel that real moms clamor for, and a vicarious thrill-read for all mothers, who will be laughing as they are liberated by Gelman's acerbic truths. 

How great does that sound?! It sounds hilarious. Who doesn't need a hilarious start to the year? And it's a new release so they likely won't have it yet so it makes it even better. 

Now, depending on how well you know the teacher, you can also get this book. I usually save this one for Teacher Appreciation Week and get it ONLY if I know the teacher is fun and OK with a few swears. If they aren't, steer clear. 

Teacher Misery perfectly encapsulates the comical misery that has become the teaching profession. Morris’ strange, funny, and sometimes unbelievable teaching experiences are told through a collection of short stories, essays and artifacts including real emails from parents, students and administrators. From the parents who blame their son’s act of arson on the teacher for causing him low self-esteem, to the student who offers to teach the teacher how to sell drugs so she can pay her bills, to the administrator whose best advice is to “treat kids like sacks of shit,” one story is more shocking than the next. An important read for teachers and non-teachers alike-- Teacher Misery paints an amusing and thoroughly entertaining picture of what has become of our education system, without detracting from the overall point that what teachers have to put up with today is complete, utter, unacceptable insanity.

You see how maybe this one isn't for everyone? It's pretty funny and it's one I always forget to order for myself. 

So you can get the teacher a book, pair it with a gift card to a place to get coffee and a breakfast to-go, and/or a gift card to a place that will deliver lunch to the school. Not every place does (especially where I live, we have limited places that deliver) and you know there are some days that you forget your lunch at home but don't have the time to run out to get lunch AND eat it. They can save the gift card in their desk for those days. 

The next idea I will do is start with a cute container or basket and shove it full of useful items. My favorite bins to use are from Thirty One and they are really super handy and versatile: 

 Oh Snap Bin: only $10!

 Carry All Caddy: only $14!

Of course if you get any kind of personalization on them the cost goes up a little, and I've never done that. But these little containers can hold quite a bit, can be used again and who doesn't love Thirty One? But if you are on a small budget or can't wait for something to be shipped, the Target dollar section will always have your back. This year I found a cute little blue tin with a lid that has a little chalkboard label on it I can write on. That's what I'll be putting things in for Jackson's teacher. 

* Travel sized Tylenol or Advil because you know damn well your kid will give them a headache. 
* Travel sized Tums or something because you know damn well eating cupcakes for every birthday is too much and sometimes the staff potluck is questionable. 
* Sticky notes like these because they go through a LOT and it's handy to get more without having to pay for them. 
* A coffee mug that will keep their drinks warm. I really like these ones because they are cute and you can use it as a container for gift cards, pens, etc. 

* A water bottle! I'll be honest, I usually go for a water bottle over a coffee cup because I figure everyone does the coffee mug thing, and everyone at some point strives to drink more water in the day. This one is great because it's double insulated (won't sweat all over their desk) but it also has the nifty thingie to infuse their water with fruit. Kind of a cool option. 

* Either way, include some drink packets! Walmart sells a huge selection of different water enhancers, some that include caffeine even, and they make a good filler for a basket, too. 

* Thinking Putty. Have your kids asked for this yet? It's WAY BETTER than that homemade slime crap. Ugh. This comes in so many sizes, colors, variety. It's a cross between Play Doh and Silly Putty. It's pliable like Play Doh but strong like Silly Putty. You can buy magnetic putty, hyper color that changes color the more you play with it, stuff with glitter, glow in the dark, etc. It's very cool. My kids each have a small tin that fits in their pocket but in my therapist's office she has a large tin and it is really a cool stress reliever. 

* The best pens in the entire world. I love these pens SO MUCH. Truly. I won a pack of them on Facebook and I have thrown out all of my other pens, that's how much I love these. I've got them in my purse, in every pen cup, in my van, in pretty much every drawer in my house next to a pack of sticky notes because I'm always writing myself notes. (Sure, I don't know what they mean later but I'm making the effort!)

And of course, throw in candy. Throw in some planner stickers. A little lotion and some hand sanitizer (Bath & Body Works has those mini ones that are often $1 or at least on sale and you can get yourself some!). Lastly? Include a card wishing them well. Let them know you're able to help in the classroom, on a field trip, and if your kid is being a turd, they are welcome to contact you immediately. Let them know you are a partner in your child's education. 

These are my confessions.

I have no snazzy way to introduce my latest confession. And honestly? This is really the first time that I'm admitting it to myself because guess what? It's really hard to deal with on your own.

I? Am a shop-a-holic.

And by that I don't mean that I buy super expensive things and own a bunch of fabulous stuff. That's actually not the case at all. Pretty much the only difference between normal shopping sprees and a real shopping addiction is the fact that finances be damned- you are still out there shopping. And that is definitely me. If I feel bummed out or sad, I shop. If I'm ever bored (which really isn't often), I shop.

Let's say I'm making my weekly trip to Target for house stuff. I'm loaded with coupons and I'm doing really well. If I see something I want (a book, a cd, a shirt, a necklace, a purse, or some other random thing I don't need in my house) I put it in my cart. Then I roll around for awhile, take it out. I should know better- I don't have the extra money. Then I have the ability to talk myself into it and leave the store before I change my mind. I will literally hold something in my hands and pace until I no longer feel guilty about the purchase. If I have an extra $100 in my paycheck? It is gone within hours of my paycheck being deposited. It's like I can't help it.

But usually when I get home and start looking at the things I've bought- I get sick. I'm seriously sick knowing that all the money I just spent I could have used on house stuff. My savings. Whatever.

I can spread $50 over two weeks for necessities like you wouldn't believe. But give me $50 for two weeks of fun stuff? And I feel like Lindsay Lohan being taunted with a crack bowl.

So after watching a show about shopping addiction about two months ago I decided that I had to be done. While I'm not able to completely cut myself off I've given myself an allowance. The rest of what I would have spent needs to go back into the savings. I won't lie- it is AWFUL. I have to avoid some stores because I just can't do it. My next problem is that almost all of my clothes are too big for me. Which is a really nice problem except that I know that I have to gradually buy new pieces. One at a time and for as cheaply as possible.

The one thing I have had a REALLY hard time cutting back on is my scrapbooking stuff. Especially now that my only scrapbook store (we have a Michaels, but it's not as awesome) is closing at the end of this month so that will make that problem a bit easier. But until then? The clearance sales??? Is killing me knowing I could be buying that stuff.

I will admit- seeing my savings account having a positive balance that is steadily climbing DOES help. It is nice having the extra $20 to take the kids for happy meal dates on Fridays. It is really nice to be able to buy a movie and not freak out if I'll have enough gas money for the next week.

But it's hard. It's probably the hardest thing I have ever had to do.

Fortunately, one of my super awesome and wonderful and fabulous blog readers, Amber, surprised me with an entire box of goodies. I almost cried when I opened the box up. She had no idea of what a struggle I've been having since I'm running out of stuff for the kids' scrapbooks so the fact she literally loaded me down with awesome stuff is amazing. I won't lie- my panties were totally wet going through it all.

I mean, seriously. It took me forever to put it all away because I just don't have a huge space to begin with!

So Amber- you rock my world in more ways than one. You are one of my favorite blog readers (and commenter!), I love our back and forth emails AND I think we'd be kick ass real life friends. I'm way cooler than the churchy ladies you hang out with. ;)

But with that- do you struggle with a shopping addiction? How do you manage it?