Meet George and Banana

I can't remember if I mentioned that we had to put one of our cats, Lola, down in October/November? Long story short, we thought she was sick and it turns out she was literally full of cancer. Like FULL. We had no idea because she was such a fluffy cat so we couldn't feel any lumps or anything, but that's what it was. We put her down and we've all been sad without her here. Our last remaining cat, Batman, was clearly sad and he was quickly losing weight, and he would make the most pitiful moaning/meowing sound, clearly looking for Lola. He would go to each of her spaces all day, and we were starting to think maybe he was depressed.  

Fast forward until December and I saw a Facebook post about two kittens that were abandoned/found in a barn and in really rough shape. Of course I wanted one, plus they looked like Batman so I thought we'll go and pick one. 

Matt and I got to the place and I was immediately connected with George (he's fluffier, long hair) and Matt was loving on Banana (short hair) and the kitties were reaching for each other. You guys. 

I had to have both. I can't separate baby kitty brothers who are the only surviving of the litter since everyone else starved or froze to death. I could not separate them. They had different names that were lame, and I decided my cat would be George (left) so Jackson said the other kitten would be Banana (right). 

I was worried how Batman would adjust and it was an iffy first day, but from then on? He's a good dad. He holds them down when they get too rowdy around him or when he aggressively cleans them. He is CLEARLY happier and he's putting on weight again and he's wanting love from us again, so I know we made the right decision. 

See? We bought a new cat tree and he's out and about, willing to pose for photos. Yes, I know he's a large cat. He's large and in charge. 

Yes, Twinky loves them, too! They cuddle with him a lot, he lets them eat his food, he kind of just sits there with a "please help me" face and you have to move a kitty to the other bowl. 

The best part? George and Banana are always looking for each other. They meow for each other in the dark, which is annoying because I thought cats could see really well at night but these two are apparently blind and/or dumb. They also prefer to sleep together. They really don't care where they sleep, but they like to be together. They are LOUD when they purr and they purr all of the time and I love it. George is more cuddly and he's definitely lazier, likes to eat more. Banana is thinner, definitely more wild, and he likes to be in the toilet. We don't know why but it is alarming to just... see a cat in the toilet. 

Matt is an absolute sucker for kittens, and I forgot about that. They totally love Matt, probably because he's like a squishy cat tree, I guess. The only thing that isn't great? They have gas. George, especially. They have the strongest, grossest gas I have ever encountered, let alone in an animal. It's not awesome when they get snuggly with you and then just fart. It reminds me of the Walter, the Farting Dog books because for real. 

See? They snuggle together and honestly, how can you not want to squish them?? 

The kids really love her, Penelope especially. Penelope really likes to pick them up and love them. A lot. We have to tell her to put them down quite a bit, but this is her and Lucy's first experience with kittens, so I can totally understand their excitement. 

Overall, I am so glad that we adopted two kittens on a whim. I am glad that we took both home because I can't imagine either one of them being without their brother, they are definitely a dynamic duo. 

Book Review: Unchosen

One of my goals for 2021 is to read more Young Adult (YA) books because I feel like I haven't really read very many and it is one of my favorite genre to read. I'm pretty open to all kinds of YA books but every once in awhile one jumps out at me, and that's what this book was for me. 

Unchosen - Katharyn Blair

Katharyn Blair crafts a fiercely feminist fantasy with a horrifying curse, swoon-worthy sea captains, and the power of one girl to choose her own fate in this contemporary standalone adventure that's perfect for fans of The Fifth Wave and Seafire, and for anyone who has ever felt unchosen.

For Charlotte Holloway, the world ended twice.

The first was when her childhood crush, Dean, fell in love—with her older sister.

The second was when the Crimson, a curse spread through eye contact, turned the majority of humanity into flesh-eating monsters.

Neither end of the world changed Charlotte. She’s still in the shadows of her siblings. Her popular older sister, Harlow, now commands forces of survivors. And her talented younger sister, Vanessa, is the Chosen One—who, legend has it, can end the curse.

When their settlement is raided by those seeking the Chosen One, Charlotte makes a reckless decision to save Vanessa: she takes her place as prisoner.

The word spreads across the seven seas—the Chosen One has been found.

But when Dean’s life is threatened and a resistance looms on the horizon, the lie keeping Charlotte alive begins to unravel. She’ll have to break free, forge new bonds, and choose her own destiny if she has any hope of saving her sisters, her love, and maybe even the world.

Because sometimes the end is just a new beginning. 

If ever there was a time that we could use a hardcore, feminist book for teens about a crazy ass plague, now is that moment. There is no better time. 

In this book we are in a time during the Crimson, think The Walking Dead but with blood red eyes, and instead of it being spread through bites, it is spread through looking at one of the infected's red eyes. It happens rather quickly once it comes ashore and we find ourselves with three sisters: Harlow, Charlotte, and Vanessa. 

Harlow is the oldest and pretty badass, and she basically becomes a leader of sorts of this little group of people. Vanessa is the youngest and everyone realizes she is the Chosen One, which is (seemingly) what the Infected are looking for to bring to their leader. Nobody knows what will happen then but it surely can't be good and Harlow and Charlotte know they must protect their sister at all costs. 

Then we have Charlotte. Charlotte is the middle kid, she never gets what she wants and nobody asks how she is doing. She is in love with Dean since childhood (never mind these are teenagers so basically still children as it is), but Dean and her sister Harlow are together and in love. Charlotte remains heartbroken but she does her duty to protect Vanessa. Charlotte is the only one who seems to be thinking of a way to stop the Crimson or something, but she feels unimportant because she isn't a leader and she isn't the Chosen One, so she doesn't know what her place is in this strange world. Vanessa randomly speaks in riddles and Charlotte is trying to decode them, and during an attempt to find a priceless headdress, she basically leaves a blinking trail for the Crimson and Runners (kind of like human traffickers but instead of selling sex they are selling uninfected to the infected to... eat/consume) and all hell breaks loose. 

I'll be the first to say that all of the information about the Crimson and laying out the different groups of people (depending on how infected they are), and I was getting worried this would all go over my head. It was all for nothing because once the action starts happening, I could NOT put this one down! 

I love that the Crimson starts because the world believe an angry woman cursed it. I can't tell you how it ends but I will tell you that I love the bigger story of this book. I love that we are telling girls that only they can pick their fate, that despite what history says and what people assume of  you, that only you get to write your story. 

You will not choose my end. 

For this heart is mine. 

If you are looking for a positive, but adventurous, story to read for you or your daughter, I highly suggest this one. It was such a homerun for me and I say that as someone that doesn't consider fantasy one of my top genres. I loved this. I think you will too. 

Thank you to HarperCollins for sending me an ARC for review. The cover is stunningly beautiful, it is even prettier in person, but this book feels like it can be compared to current world health issues. 

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Book Review: Wrecked Palace

I am such a fan of Catherine Cowles and I think I have been on the last three or four tours of hers and I don't even look to see what the book is about before I sign up, I just know I'm going to love it. 

Wrecked Palace - Catherine Cowles

One night was all it took for everything to change.

From college student to guardian in a single breath.

My siblings became my world.

No time for date nights or romantic dreams.

I traded quiet weekends for sleepless nights.

Giving my all to make sure they were cared for.

But Griffin had a brokenness that called to me—one that mirrored my own.

Gruff and just a little bit reckless.

He was the last thing I needed. But everything I wanted.

Only someone isn’t happy about this new life I’m building.

Deciding to set fire to everything I hold close.

And when the smoke clears, there might be only ashes left behind…

Have you ever started a book and knew instantly that it was going to wreck you and make you cry? Yeah well, that happens almost every time I read something from Catherine Cowles and that's what happened here. It turns out I am a sucker for books where a main character suddenly becomes a parent to siblings. I am also a sucker for broken guys and LUCKY US, this book has it all in spades. 

WRECKED PALACE features Caelyn, who we met in RECKLESS MEMORIES, and Griffin, who is the moodiest grump in all the land and I love it. I love a moody grump because you know under all of it there is someone who would absolutely love and cherish you to the death, it just takes a long time to get it out. While this is definitely a slow burn romance, it is worth the journey because the end is everything. 

Also prominently featured in the book are the siblings: Mia, Ava, and Will, who were so great and I really loved them. The story line of Caelyn basically giving up all of her life plans to take care of them is so great and the author does a fabulous job making you sympathetic towards Caelyn but also glad that she was willing and able because these kids are so great and you hate to think of the what if. Also? There are SO MANY one liners in this book that made me swoon, tear up, and want to squeeze Griffin. Both Caelyn and Griffin are dealing with different kinds of grief that brings them closer, but you guys, this book will break you. I mean, it gets better, but just know going in it will wreck you.   

I very highly recommend this one, and if you haven't read anything else by Catherine Cowles, get on it. For real. She is one of my go-to authors and I have never been disappointed. While this is book three in the Wrecked Series, it is a stand alone so you are totally OK to read out of order. Thank you to Social Butterfly PR for once again having me on her tour, I am so grateful. 

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Book Review: Hadley and Grace

You may not remember this but I called Suzanne Redfearn's last book, In An Instant, my book of 2020 before 2020 even started, and I was not wrong. That book rocked my world and I still think about it often and that is one that will stick with me for a long time, and if you haven't read it yet- you need to.  

Here we are, the beginning of 2021 and Suzanne Redfearn has done it again, this might be my book of the year, certainly the top five. 

Hadley and Grace - Suzanne Redfearn

Needing to escape her abusive marriage, Hadley flees with her two kids, knowing it might be her only chance. A woman who can’t even kill a spider, Hadley soon finds herself pushed to the limits as she fights to protect her family.

Grace, new mother of baby Miles, desperately wants to put her rough past behind her for good, but she finds it impossible when her path crosses with Hadley’s, and her quest for a new start quickly spirals out of control and turns into a terrifying flight for survival.

Stronger together than apart, the two find their fates inextricably entwined, and as the danger closes in, each must decide how much she is willing to risk for the other.

A powerful story of self-discovery, Hadley and Grace is the heart-racing tale of two women facing insurmountable odds, racing to stay one step ahead of the trouble that is chasing them, and discovering new kinds of love and family along the way.

Raise your hand if you loved Thelma and Louise, for all of their faults and terrible choices? That is exactly how I felt about Hadley and Grace. Both of them have their own faults, and they certainly made questionable choices along the way, but their individual back stories are complex and tragic in their own way and dammit, you just root for them. You literally find yourself cheering on both of them through danger, federal crimes, crossing state lines, all with children with them. They were both at really dire crossroads in their lives so what do they have to lose? 

It turns out they had quite a bit, but freedom is always worth the price, isn't it? 

I started this book as an evening, before bed read, which turned out to be terrible because it kept me awake. The book starts outlining the current situation Hadley and Grace are living in, then they realize how they are linked, and we learn that coincidences don't exist for no reason. Immediately they are on the run, both untrusting but they also know they are better off together than apart. Each woman has strengths the other one needs and it works perfectly in this story. 

I loved the character development in this book, I loved them separately but their bond together is perfect, too. I loved the drama and danger in the book, I loved that you feel like you are on this journey with them so when police circle in, your anxiety is as high as theirs is. I loved the secondary characters and how they come in and out, I loved how the book alternates between Hadley and Grace- they are such compliments of each other. By the end of this book I was crying and I just felt like I was emotionally spent in the best way. I feel like there aren't as many books that come across my path that just gut me, but in a good way, that connect with real human emotions and experiences, but all of this is a strong skillset Suzanne Redfearn has and we all benefit from it. 

I know we are all kind of burned out from the news and Covid, but if you are looking for a book to sink totally into and really get an escape? You need to pick this one up. I think this would be a fun book club read but honestly, this might be one just for you. Get cozy in bed, line up your snacks and drinks, and start reading. You will love it. 

A huge thank you to Lake Union Publishing and Suzanne Redfearn for sending me an ARC for review. I feel like I can't possibly start a new year without a new one from this author, who is quickly becoming one of my go-to favorites. 

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Medical update, weight loss, and cat butts.

I haven't done a medical update in kind of awhile, not because I have nothing to report, but because I'm trying to figure out what's next. Let's go by department, shall we? 

Psychiatry: I see my new guy in March. I am grateful I even have a new guy considering the ridiculous lack of mental health resources anywhere, let alone quality ones. I'm a little bit nervous for this because my last psychiatrist was amazing and if I could still see him (even though he's in a state far away and a totally different health system), I would because he was the one I trusted with all of my medications. Part of my psychiatry visits is to monitor all of my medication use because I am considered "high risk medication use", so I have to be monitored. Yay. He would always tell me what would happen with a med, how I would feel, when to call, and he believed me when I would report weird side effects. Having a doctor believe what you're saying is huge and I am already missing that a lot. So send all of your Care Bear vibes my way that this is a good fit for me because my other option is less good, we'll put it that way.  

Neurology: This guy. If there has ever been a department that blatantly says, "I don't care" and can walk out and nothing is done about it, it's neurology. My really great neurologist has left, and I hear rumor that she's setting up shop somewhere else so I have to do some sleuthing on that because this guy is THE. WORST. I went for migraines, and he was mildly helpful with that but I ask about the nausea, and flat out say that Zofran doesn't work, he prescribes me Zofran. It's like, are you deaf or dumb? Which one? I ask about my memory issues, and he says, "that's too bad", and GOT UP AND LEFT THE ROOM. That's it. That was the end of my appointment. In the notes he says I'm depressed and that's my problem. And you know, I 100% acknowledge that I am depressed, absolutely no question. 

BUT. 

I am actively seeking treatment and I am 100% compliant with my treatment, so he can jack off. And I say that as nicely as possible. I've had two doctors mention this note and to them I say, perhaps I wouldn't be so depressed if any one of my health issues could be fixed, or maybe if I could remember my address and how to get home, or I could remember where my kids are during the school day or when to get them? It's pretty bad that I rely on my 15 and 12 year old to tell me where I need to be. 

But you know, that's too bad. 

Rheumatology: Honestly, I don't know why I even go anymore. Well, that's not true, I go because I have to in order to get medication refills each month, and they monitor my lab work. My lab work looks great, by the way. My inflammation is down with a slightly higher dose of Methotrexate, but if this starts to not work I will need to go to an injectable version and that does not please me. I'm afraid of needles so the idea of me doing it myself is ridiculous. I could have Matt do it but he isn't always gentle, and I know this because he helps me after any medical procedure and yeah, the level of gentleness is not something we agree on. So I'm not excited for that. I think honestly though, I'm going to just not say if I hurt any more and wait on that until I get really bad, if I ever do. I asked about my fatigue, the extreme fatigue, and she had no idea. She suggests maybe I do mindful and deep cleansing techniques. 

Weight loss: Admittedly, I've dropped the ball here. I haven't been exercising and I haven't see that doctor in almost a year. I know, it's bad. At this point I'm almost afraid to make an appointment knowing full well I'm going to get yelled at. The bright side? I'm still losing weight, but I'm certain that's because I'm sick to my stomach and nauseous all of the time but hey- no big deal, right? Sigh. 

I am currently 169 pounds depending on the day and when I started this, I think I was 212, so if those numbers are right, I've lost a little over 40 pounds. The goal was for me to get to 160, check all of my lab work, and see if I moved myself out of the pre-diabetic group, and then talk about long term maintenance. I am so close, and I need to just make the damn appointment already. That orange shirt, though? I bought that in 2015 when we were in South Dakota and it was a little snug. It is currently a little loose and I don't hate it. 

Gastroenterology: I still tear up when I think about my last two GI appointments, mostly out of anger. If you've been following along, you'll know I've had a ridiculous amount of lab work, endoscopies, colonoscopies, scrambled egg test thing, the CT scan thing, ultrasounds, MRI's, and x-rays. I feel like I have done it all aside from a barium test and I had already decided I would refuse that. HARD pass. Anyways. 

All of it says I'm normal. All of it. All of my lab work is within normal ranges and I keep saying to my doctors that what is normal for you, or the general population is not my normal. My body doesn't process anything normally, I don't absorb things normally, nothing, and that's some my old psychiatrist was firm about, he totally believed me and was absolutely fascinated by it. Anyways. 

The GI doctor in a very nice, but matter of fact way, said he has no idea and he can't help me. He said he's ruled out pretty much everything. 

Apparently, being constipated and then having the worst diarrhea of your life, both of which make leaving the house an absolute nightmare, is normal. Abdominal pain almost every day, sometimes so bad that you have to lay down and do breathing techniques like you would if you were in labor, is normal. Being so nauseous out of no where, throwing up for no reason, having no appetite and being unable to it, is all normal. 

Primary Care: I had my physical, I went over literally ever issue and of course, she has no idea either. We did learn that when Endocrinology took me off all of my vitamin D supplements, I was right, and my numbers are in the single digits. *sigh* So now I'm taking my own supplements and he can go ahead and yell at me when I see him in March, too. But I had my mammogram, the boobs are good, I was referred to pelvic floor therapy, which I see this week, and then I was referred to the University of Minnesota for GI. 

Oh, but don't get excited. I cannot go there physically, it is virtual only, but because I live in Wisconsin and they are not licensed outside of Minnesota, that's too bad. 

I also got referred to the other hospital in town here for Neurology, and they have changed my appointment 6 times in the last week, so who knows when I'll actually see them. 

Endocrinology: It all comes down to the doctor who always insists I pee in jugs for no actual reason. There is nothing wrong with my urine output but that and my vitamin D levels are basically all he cares about. Every doctor has told me to take my list of complaints to him because they are all likely from my adrenal insufficiency and hypopituitarism not being managed correctly. I have zero faith in this doctor and honestly, I don't know what to do about it. I'm just over it. 

But you know what I do have? Kitten butts. This is George, he likes to climb around my head anytime I'm on the computer. 

He's pretty great. George and his brother, Banana, are pretty great. I don't know if you know this, but having a kitten cuddle up on you and purr very loudly is great when you aren't feeling so hot. It's been a mood lifter for sure. 

Book Review: A Curse of Ash & Embers

TGIF, baby. TGIF. Although this week went by rather quick, it was a complete change in my daily pace and change is hard. The kids went back to regular (well, hybrid) school and that was great but it was also a huge change and now I feel like I have to get used to an entirely new schedule. Once I get used to a schedule and make myself new patterns, something changes and I have to start all over again.  

It's really hard and sucky. 

I also didn't get as much reading in as I had hoped, but I was able to start/finish this one and I am happy about that. 

A Curse of Ash & Embers - Jo Spurrier

A dead witch. A bitter curse. A battle of magic.

Some people knit socks by the fire at night. Gyssha Blackbone made monsters.

But the old witch is dead now, and somehow it's Elodie's job to clean up the mess.

When she was hired at Black Oak Cottage, Elodie had no idea she'd find herself working for a witch; and her acid-tongued new mistress, Aleida, was not expecting a housemaid to turn up on her doorstep.

Gyssha's final curse left Aleida practically dead on her feet, and now, with huge monsters roaming the woods, a demonic tree lurking in the orchard and an angry warlock demanding repayment of a debt, Aleida needs Elodie's help, whether she likes it or not.

And no matter what the old witch throws at her, to Elodie it's still better than going back home.

I always forget how much I like witch books until I'm elbow deep into a witch book, and then I wonder why I'm not looking for these more often. Also, I don't even know what my last witch book was, and that's just sad. The great thing is that this is the first book in The Blackbone Witches series, which makes me excited because I cannot wait for book two. 

In this one, we begin with Elodie, the oldest child of her family, who is being unceremoniously sent away for no reason. She's sure that her step-father has done this and she can't understand why her mother is OK with it, but it's clear that it isn't a happy household. While she's partly excited to leave home and be away from her step-father, she's concerned about her siblings and it's abundantly clear that she won't be welcomed back. She has a new job, essentially, for a mistress she knows nothing about in a place she has never been. On her strange trip, she realizes her mistress is a witch who is in dire straits. Elodie doesn't know quite is wrong with her, though it's fairly obvious she's not able to care for herself, and this totally wrecked home. 

It doesn't take long for Elodie to notice things aren't quite normal. We have warlocks on weird horses, a demon tree that was grown too large, strange monsters running amuck, and some other strange characters you don't quite know what to think about. It also becomes obvious that her mistress, Aleida, is a bit outmatched and she needs Elodie's help even though Elodie knows next to nothing about magic or witches, but she's going to learn because she has no other real option. 

I really liked this story, and the pace is fantastic. Sometimes with fantasy is gets a little sluggish, but I felt like this one had things happening right away and every time I got to a spot that was a good place to pause... I kept going "just to make sure" and sure enough, something else would happen. Needless to say, this was hard to put down for me. I also really enjoyed trying to figure out what happened with Gyssha, who some of these other characters were and what their part was, and trying to figure out just what the heck was going on and why. Both Aleida and Elodie are similar, having had really awful people manipulate and treat them badly, in different ways, and they come together to form an unlikely duo, two very different young women from very different backgrounds. 

Overall? I really liked this one and I'm anxious to see what the next adventure for Aleida and Elodie are. You find yourself rooting for them both, and for a young adult paranormal book, it has strong female characters with a "you can't always trust what people say" kind of theme to it. Highly recommend. 

Thank you to HarperCollins for my copy for review! Next up? Book two, Daughter of Lies and Ruin. 

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Book Review: Crush

Before you do anything, you absolutely have to go back and read CRAVE because this cannot be a stand alone. You can read my review for that one here and that book was so good. SO GOOD.  

Crush - Tracy Wolff

Everything feels off—especially me. I’ve returned to Katmere Academy, but I’m haunted by fragments of days I have no recollection of living and struggling to understand who, or what, I really am.

Just when I start to feel safe again, Hudson is back with a vengeance. He insists there are secrets I don’t know about, threatening to drive a wedge between Jaxon and me forever. But far worse enemies are at our doorstep.

The Circle is caught in a power play and the Vampire Court is trying to drag me out of my world and into theirs. The only thing Hudson and Jaxon agree on is that leaving Katmere would mean my certain death.

And not only am I fighting for my life, but now everyone else’s is at stake—unless we can defeat an unspeakable evil. All I know is that saving the people I love is going to require sacrifice.

Maybe more than I’m able to give.

I want to tell you about this book and tell you all of the things but I'm trying to control myself. *I am really squealing on the inside and bouncing in my seat.*

Deep breath. 

In this book we begin back in Katmere Academy and learn that Grace has actually been technically gone for months. While people are happy she's back, the discovery of what Grace is is startling. She really is special but special isn't always what you want to be. 

Not only is Grace back but so is Hudson. Well, only kind of. He's seemingly connected to Grace, to both of their detriment, and the entire book is centered on the quest to get rid of Hudson for good. Unfortunately for everyone, Grace begins to form an unlikely friendship with Hudson, and it is hard not to because he is always with her. All of this is also putting on a strain on her relationship with Jaxon, her mate. 

I have to stop telling you anything more because it gives away some major plot points. I'm dying to tell you all of it. I loved this one. I loved that the author continues to write Grace as a bad ass and self sufficient character. This series is heavily compared to TWILIGHT and I can absolutely see the similarities, but one of the things that set this apart is Grace is no Bella, and thank god. Bella was the absolute worst and I am so glad Grace wants to be in charge of her own future and she's going to be the one making her own decisions and I am here for it. 

I loved we have creatures we don't hear of much at all (there's your hint) in the paranormal genre (at least I haven't), we have new plot twists coming at all angles, we also end with a bang (literally) and I finished this book completely blown away, I switched teams but I don't think it's a bad thing and it makes me feel better about another little tidbit mentioned in the book. 

Of course none of that makes sense to you because you haven't read it, but you need to because I need to talk to someone about it. I have so many things to say about this book but I can't. I'm so sorry. I know this is a cliffhanger of a review but it is the best I can do. Book three, COVET, is coming in March and book four, COURT, is hopefully not too far after. I'm crossing my fingers, lambs. 

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