Book Review: A Man Called Ove

I'll confess and tell you that the only reason I got this one, well two reasons, is because it is talked about a LOT and this kind of reminds me of my dad. So I had to get it.

A Man Called Ove - Fredrik Backman

A grumpy yet loveable man finds his solitary world turned on its head when a boisterous young family moves in next door.

Meet Ove. He's a curmudgeon, the kind of man who points at people he dislikes as if they were burglars caught outside his bedroom window. He has staunch principles, strict routines, and a short fuse. People call him the bitter neighbor from hell, but must Ove be bitter just because he doesn't walk around with a smile plastered to his face all the time?

Behind the cranky exterior there is a story and a sadness. So when one November morning a chatty young couple with two chatty young daughters move in next door and accidentally flatten Ove's mailbox, it is the lead-in to a comical and heartwarming tale of unkempt cats, unexpected friendship, and the ancient art of backing up a U-Haul. All of which will change one cranky old man and a local residents' association to their very foundations.

I won't write out the entire synopsis of the book but instead I'm going to just tell you what I liked, and didn't like, about it.

First off, I kind of loved Ove.  He's not an immediately likable character but after awhile you recognize him as your grouchy neighbor. The guy who is very specific about his order at the restaurant. He's the guy who doesn't understands the gadgets he buys and you wonder why he even bought them in the first place. He's the guy who is insufferably slow on the road who will follow the law of the road to the precise letter, no deviation. He can't stand the younger generation and their lazy ways and he's not afraid to tell them that. He's basically every awful, mean, old guy you have ever encountered. That's Ove. But even still, as you read the story and you find out why he is that way, what his life was like, you start to see his point of view and you think maybe the world ought to respect him more. Be a little more grateful for a guy like Ove. Of course in the fast paced world we're in, that won't happen.

It's safe to say the character development throughout this book is spot on. If you need to have an example on how you development a character from a faint idea and just build all of these layers onto it to turn a reader's thoughts completely around by the end? This is the book to use as the example. It's really fantastic.

But.

My number one complaint is this isn't a fast read. I put this book down so many times because it just didn't hold my interest and I often wondered when the heck it was going to get interesting. A couple of times it would seem like we're really getting towards a pivotal moment, you've got this build up and you're already having feelings about it, and then poof. It fizzles out faster than it began and you are left feeling frustrated. Needless to say, this book took me forever to read. I started this in October and it's what? February. That's how long it took me to get through this. But once I finished it, oddly enough, I was pretty glad I stuck with it and I'm left feeling charmed by this book.

   

Weight loss challenge, week 14 (my thighs hurt)

I'm kind of sucking at doing the videos for you but I really will try for next week, I promise!

My goals for last week were:

• Stick with intermittent fasting: I did this pretty well. I had a couple of days that I got a little mixed up because I had sick kiddos but for the most part, I stuck with it! 
• Limit soda to 8 ounces: I did well except for one day I was DRAGGING and honestly, I needed it. But, I made up for it on another day because I had none so there's that. 
• Workout 3-4 times: I did this! I actually worked out FOUR times last week! I did my bike thing three times, 20 minutes each ride and I did Day 1 of the 21 Day Fix. 

I tried starting the 21 Day Fix workouts kind of awhile ago but a 30 minute workout was just too much for me. I didn't have the stamina, my lungs were screaming, and I felt awful for days (more run down and flu-ish than normal) so I decided to go down to doing the 10 minute workouts for awhile. That actually was a good plan because I was able to do all 30 minutes of the workout on Friday and I was so impressed with myself. It doesn't sound like a big deal but for me it really was. I'm pretty hopeful about next week. 

I did realize that me doing this workout every day likely won't happen. I was pretty sore on Saturday, which I expected. My core hurt, and my thighs were a little sore. But Sunday? 

You guys. 

My thighs hurt so bad. Like couldn't squat on the toilet fast enough hurt. I may or may not have peed on the bathroom rug and then laughed like a hyena about it around 4 a.m. Whoa boy. It was pretty funny. So the plan right now is to do it every other day and just hope the hurt kind of gets better. I'm hoping to do day 2 during nap time today so cross your fingers! 

You're supposed to celebrate your accomplishments, so we shall. Ignore my jacked up photo but these pants? Are size XL skinny jeans from Maurices. I forgot that these are kind of too short for my liking and they aren't really comfortable at all so I don't know why I saved them BUT I was able to get them on. Zipped up and buttoned with no issues. Little snug in the thigh but I was able to get them on easily and that's what matters. My size 16 pants are getting a little too big for me. Not quite enough that I can go down to a 14, but enough that I might need to get a belt soon because hiking them up constantly is kind of annoying. So that happened. 

Goal for this coming week: 

• Workout 4 times

Hopefully you're "killing it" and "smashing your goals" (I hate when people say that so this is a joke, I'm not turning into a moron). I'm realizing that my goal to lose 3 pounds this month was kind of lofty considering the month is already half over!!

Marie Kondo scares me.

I don't know if you remember but a couple of weeks ago I talked about watching Marie Kondo's show and then starting on my office/scrapbook area. I got rid of a lot of stuff and I'm still in the processing of getting rid of things. I have a stack of books yet to go to their new home, one to mail, some school supplies I need to organize into their new home so I can better see what I have before I buy like crazy in August. For the most part though, my room is done. I really cut back on craft supplies and books, I changed up my work area so it's more efficient and I can pull things out when I need them. I'll admit, it was nice to get rid of so much stuff.

So naturally, this made me think we should move the purge upstairs. I mean, why not? I know my makeup was a hot mess, the cabinet in our bathroom was a mess, the linen closet was a mess, things were out of hand. And our clothes? Hot mess. It was bad. So I thought I'd just start.

It's kind of hard to work on stuff like this because none of it brings me joy. I need it though, so I don't look like an ogre when I leave the house, so you know.. its a need. I did downsize it a lot because I haven't used lip liner in YEARS and frankly, I don't care enough about any of you enough to wear lip liner.  Glitter eye liner? Let's be honest... there comes a time where you need to put the glitter and the shimmer away. That goes away and your various anti aging creams and aging specific makeup comes in and you need to make the transition. If you think I'm parting with my Unicorn bronzer/highlighter you are WRONG, ma'am. I refuse to get rid of that. Refuse.

Then I moved to my closet. This is literally just my closet. I decided I was going to do my closet and then do my dresser because that is two very different sections. Closet is clothes that I wear every day. Dresser is weird things like tanks, pajamas, socks and underwear, long underwear, bathing suits, etc. None of that seems like stuff I would sort with regular clothes so I made it two different jobs.

You know what doesn't bring me joy? Making the decision to get rid of all of the clothes that don't fit. I can't hang onto these for "someday" because it's making me depressed every time I go to wear it and realize yet again... it doesn't fit.  I allowed myself one small stack of jeans that are the next size down from where I am now and a couple of t-shirts that are amazing and hilarious and I just can't get rid of. Those ended up being folded on a shelf in my closet.

I did work on my dresser that same night because I was kind of on a roll. I did her fancy folding thing. As much as I didn't like it when I was doing it, when I pull stuff out I kind of love it. 

I did my t-shirts and ended up getting rid of a LOT of them. I only have a drawer of them versus two now. 

I have my solid colored tanks rolled (lower left), my printed tanks folded (top left), extra t-shirts that didn't fit in the drawer (middle), and my pajamas folded (top right). 

I had a hard time with this drawer because this is all weird random stuff I use rarely. I have two bathing suits (two different sizes), my long underwear, sports bra, lacy tank/bra thing that goes under a shirt I have, and a petticoat and belt. 

I missed her episode on pants so when I looked it up I didn't like that method at all. So I have my workout pants folded (lower left), leggings rolled (top left), maxi skirts folded (middle), capri leggings (top right), and other pants folded (lower right). This is actually working really well for me so I'm going to stick with it. 

I did finish the bathroom. This cupboard was chuck full of stuff. So I've got my towels folded (I cannot handle them folded any other way. Sorry, not sorry.), my makeup was transferred to the blue drawer thing, and face lotions/cleansers/face masks, etc in the tray. Underneath is the toilet paper, spare diaper and pull up, and then basket of lotions. 

It's dark in here but this is my linen closet that is right outside of the bathroom. We have the laundry hamper in here and we store beach towels, extra blanket (for sleepovers), and my CPAP machine bag in here. This bottom shelf was a catch all for junk. So now we have boxes organized with stuff: one for first aid supplies, one for shaving razors/cream, one for dental care, and this box for nail polish stuff. That box was full of CD's that I got rid of (after making sure I had them in my iTunes because I still listen to them.)

I made Matt do his dresser and part of the closet too because I said I would do it if he didn't. He did it one night I took Olivia to dance. 

 He got rid of a TON of his gross t-shirts. He has nice clothes, he dresses like he owns nothing.

Oh! So here's our closet all done. My dresses are hanging on a hook but I did get rid of half. Matt's clothes are on top (honestly, I feel like he could have/should have gotten rid of more but I'm lucky he did it at all so I'm not going to push it). My clothes are on bottom. They are all pushed to the middle, there is nothing in that black hole to the left or the little to the right. For perspective, my section was SO full, I could hardly squeeze things in there. It's really weird to not have much to choose from (some of this is summer only so my winter selection is... like 5 tops at best) but I guess it's nice to not be depressed every day when I get dressed.

Are you doing any purging? Is Marie Kondo bullying you into feeling joy? Honestly, I realize how very little brings me joy in my house and it's mostly all because I need it, not because I like or want it. I'm curious if others are feeling the same way or are totally into the feeling joy thing.

Book Review: Heartless

I honestly can't remember WHEN I got this book but I know it came in a book subscription box and I'm pretty sure it came in an OwlCrate box because I have a special edition cover and a letter from the author. I do know it's been on my shelf a really long time waiting to be read but I never grabbed it because it just didn't jump out at me.

Then my friend Shirley read it and told me I had to so I listen to my friends when they tell me to do something. Mostly. Don't you dare ask me to read Jodi Picoult.

Heartless - Marissa Meyer

Catherine may be one of the most desired girls in Wonderland and a favorite of the unmarried King, but her interests lie elsewhere. A talented baker, she wants to open a shop and create delectable pastries. But for her mother, such a goal is unthinkable for a woman who could be a queen.

At a royal ball where Cath is expected to receive the King's marriage proposal, she meets handsome and mysterious Jest. For the first time, she feels the pull of true attraction. At the risk of offending the King and infuriating her parents, she and Jest enter into a secret courtship.

Cath is determined to choose her own destiny. But in a land thriving with magic, madness, and monsters, fate has other plans.

I have seen a wide ranging mixed bag of reviews on this book and that's one of the reasons it's sat on my shelf so long waiting to be read. Had this gotten a ton of amazing reviews, I would have picked this up sooner. To be honest, I didn't love it. It was only meh for me, I'm teetering between a 2 or a 3 rating. I know, I'm taking the unpopular path here. 

First off, I really liked Jest. I really wanted a LOT more Jest in this book and I think if there were the end of the book for him would have left me feeling... more. I mean, it's not the ending I wanted but I also didn't care much at that point either because.... Cath is the worst. I have another friend (hi, T! You made the blog!) who read it and messaged me asking me what I thought and when I said Cath was the worst she was fairly angry at me. I'm sorry! But Cath is the worst. She's selfish and spineless. Well, she kind of grows a spine at the end but being an angry, heartless (see what I did there), vengeful person doesn't really equate a spine, so I don't know. I think she starts off alright what with her baking and her friendship with Mary Ann, she wants to do whats right but that doesn't mean she's going to be happy. So she starts having dreams of someone (who turns out to be Jest) and there honestly was no point of the dreams, was there? It feels like that was going to have more oomph in the book but the author didn't know where to go so she quietly forgot about them and was hoping you would too.

The book does bring a lot of the charm and quirkiness you would expect from a Lewis Carroll inspired but there just wasn't enough of it. It kind of perked up more at the end but still, I wanted more.

Let's go back to talking about Cath and how dumb she is. She continually makes terrible choices and people around her die or get hurt and literally nobody calls her out on it, except Hatter but only kind of and only to her face and not in front of others. Even after being confronted with her terrible choices you'd THINK she'd listen after repeatedly told NOT to go through the damn door. You know what she does- she goes through a door. Why she thinks she's above fate, I'll never know, but honestly, everything is her fault as far as I'm concerned so I don't even feel bad for her "I feel sorry for myself" sad sack self in the end. Meh. Everyone could do better than her, to be honest.

I do like Jest. I know I've said this but I really loved his character. I liked his arc of development, I liked the story he takes us on, I liked him a lot. We didn't get enough time with him and again, it ultimately made the ending of the book seem stupid and pointless. It felt rushed, like the author had an end game in mind and was maybe on some kind of deadline so we have one major event and boom- book is basically done but we throw in a few things to say we had a decent plot line and here we go.

I know she has the Lunar Chronicles series and that was huge for awhile but this doesn't really make me want to go out and read those. And actually, as I read what I wrote, I'm going to give this a 2, it really was just OK for me and it's not one I'd re-read. I think people who absolute love retellings of classic stories or people are fans of the Lunar Chronicles are going to completely love this. I get excited about retellings but this one just didn't hit the mark for me.

   

Book Review: The Expedition

I'm not going to put the review for the first book, The Initiation, up on my blog simply for time sake but I really think this series isn't getting enough attention. I know there are a lot of dystopian authors trying to capture the success that The Hunger Games or even Divergent got and I'm not sure this series is at that level but they aren't something to ignore, either.

The Expedition (The Initiation #2) - Chris Babu

Drayden and his friends thought nothing could be harder than the Initiation. Little did they know it had only been a warmup for the challenge that lay ahead.

With New America’s situation dire, Drayden and the pledges venture out into the unexplored world outside the walls, escorted by a team of elite Guardians. The group seeks to contact another civilization in what remains of Boston, but Drayden has secret goals of his own.

Dangers abound in the real world, including Aeru, the deadly superbug that wiped out humanity. While they battle the elements of a desolate landscape, a power struggle emerges within their ranks. The Guardians seem to be carrying out a covert mission themselves, and the quest turns everything they thought they knew about New America upside down. 

I will echo what a lot of readers had to say, it's hard to put down. You absolutely have to read the first book for anything in this one to make sense and certainly to understand the characters. I also have to say, the author really started a BIG story here and I was kind of worried that it would prove to maybe be too big and some pieces would get lost in trying to explain different elements but so far, that isn't the case. It feels like there are almost two stories moving here, New America is struggling and that's fine but then you have the Guardians kind of doing their own thing and you know it's all going to come together but at what end?

Given the relatively dark nature of this book, I really appreciate the author's efforts to break through that with humor sprinkled in. I love how realistic it feels, like any and all of this could burst into our reality at any time, I love how once again- it's teenagers saving the day. It always makes me laugh when adults shake their fist at the millennials and younger because I want to ask, haven't you ever read a dystopian novel? The old people go first, man. It's the kids who make it in the end. Every time. Ha!

My favorite parts of a book is dialogue, I want to feel like I'm eavesdropping on a conversation. Unfortunately, I didn't get my fix on that so much here and what we do have is kind of... teenagerish? I know it's teenagers so we aren't going to get sophisticated monologues or plans but it kind of feels immature and cheesy? I can't even say it's terrible but just some parts kind of annoyed me and made it hard to believe.

Overall though? I'm giving this a good 4 stars. It's a pretty quick read and if you're a fan of YA Dystopia books you are going to really enjoy these. I feel like these are the movies that are fun to watch at theaters because we always go in with at "what if" and "that would never happen" mindset simultaneously. Bottom line, this would make for a pretty cool movie.

   

   

Big thanks to TLC Book Tours for the books in exchange for an honest review! If you want to see what others are saying about the book, check out their website read more about it. 

Book Review: Ultimate Sacrifice (Men of Courage #1)

I am SO behind in my Goodreads Challenge. I'm not kidding. I'm like 9 or 10 books behind and frankly, I feel like getting to my goal of 110 books is kind of not realistic anymore and I have no idea how I'm going to do it. Let's not worry about that. INSTEAD, let's talk about this one.

Ultimate Sacrifice (Men of Courage #1) - K.C. Lynn

Hard work and dedication brought Austin Hawke up the ranks at his department, eventually earning him Lieutenant position. He was more than ready to lead his fellow brothers but one fatal call leads to tragedy and a danger they never saw coming.

Meanwhile, his personal life is just as destructive. All thanks to the gorgeous sports bar owner he shared an unforgettable night with only to have her slip out on him before the morning sun. Zoey thought she could escape him without a fight but what she fails to realize is Austin doesn’t give up when he wants something, and he wants Zoey.

Zoey Anderson had dreams of exploring the world, capturing its beauty behind a lens, but all that changed the moment her disabled sister was born. Due to their loveless home, Zoey dropped her dreams and took on the role of caring for her younger sister. A decision she could never regret. 

Taking her life by storm, Austin Hawke crashes through all the barriers she placed around her carefully guarded heart. When passion burns and devastation strikes, Zoey quickly learns that love doesn't come without sacrifice.

I have become a real fan of romance books under 200 pages because it is entirely possible to get a full story arc in that amount of time. The difference with this book is if you want a full conclusion, you aren't going to get it here, this was written for you to be invested in the series and dammit if it didn't work because I am all in for book two and three which haven't been released yet (as of February 2019).

In this book we have Austin, super hunky firefighter with his eyes only for Zoey, pretty cute bar owner with issues. They all have issues, don't they? While predictable, hers are pretty honorable and understandable, she's the sole care giver and provider for her sister Chrissy who has a complicated and delicate health condition so she's living in full time nursing care. Throughout the book Zoey wrestles with her responsibilities and commitment to her sister but also to her need for companionship, specifically with Austin. Austin is maybe one of the best male characters I've read in awhile because while he's hot and wonderful there, he's a firefighter and is all about saving people and kind of cocky and assured about it, but then he's really sweet and amazing when it comes to Zoey and Chrissy. He goes above and beyond and when things take a turn for the worst, he's got the best reaction to it and takes it in stride. At times Zoey is kind of infuriating because she's really stuck on what she hopes the end will be while not really thinking about the reality of the situation, she's almost tunnel vision, basically.

Then in between all of that drama, there is an arsonist on the loose, targeting Austin and his unit and of course it hits close to home eventually but can they figure out the who and the why before one of them gets hurt? Time will tell, friends.

Overall I'm giving this one a solid 4 stars. I really liked it, I got through it in one day, and it's a pretty good story. If only Zoey wasn't so tunnel vision and kind of an idiot about it, this could have been a 5 star.

   

Weight loss challenge, week 13 (weigh in time)

Last week was kind of a ROUGH week because we had that lovely polar vortex garbage so my kids had three days off from school. Let's just say I am glad to have made it out alive from that week. That doesn't mean I didn't do anything, so let's talk about what I did:

• Stuck with intermittent fasting. Oh man. I slipped up a couple of times which made the days I did stick to it HARD. Also this last weekend I threw caution to the wind and ate close to bedtime which made me feel awful, in more ways than one, so I've got to knock it off. 
• Limit soda to 8 ounces a day. Again, I did well on this except for two days. I had more soda than I should and again, I felt terrible. The biggest help was switching to those mini cans of Pepsi you can get now. I thought those were going to be a joke but honestly, I always seem to feel like one can is enough caffeine for me so that's been more helpful than I thought they would. 
• Workout 3-4 times a week. I did this! I actually got four works out in if you're being technical. Monday was 20 minutes on my bike (3 miles), Wednesday was a 10 minute Beachbody Workout and then later on I did 20 minutes on my bike (3 miles), and Friday I did 25 minutes on my bike (3 miles). A little slower on Friday because I hurt my foot on Wednesday. I landed on it wrong and it's been hurting. It's the whole side of my foot, like a tendon or something? I'm not sure but it's completely annoying and I'm over it. But I'm hoping to just do a workout today during nap time and have it be fine. 

Dun dun dun.... the weigh in: 

Week one I was at 211.4. My last weigh in was way back on December 31 and that was 210.6. So in all, I've lost 3 pounds. I know that doesn't sound amazing, but my goal last YEAR was to lose 5 pounds. I know being sick and not eating for an entire week contributed to this, but hey- I'll take a win when I can get it.

My goals for this week are going to be pretty similar, but I want to get 4 workouts in at least.

At my weigh in on March 4, I want to have lost 3 more pounds. 

The other cool thing is last week I found out I was selected to start in first ever local Body Image Boot Camp. Dealing with the psychological side of why you feel crappy about your body when really, there isn't a damn thing wrong with it. I'm completely terrified because I honestly have no idea what I'm going into, but I'm also kind of excited. I know that one of my biggest obstacles is myself. I remember when I lost a lot of weight before I never felt like it was enough, I couldn't appreciate what I looked like even when I looked really great. I was constantly looking to make it better. This time around, I want to be able to celebrate my milestones and successes and not think about the next milestone. I'm hoping this ends up being the key to keeping it off but also being happy with where I am all along the way.

I hope you're kicking ass on your weight loss goals!

For the rest of the week I have posts for you, all book reviews! I know it's been quiet on the book review front but I've been busy reading and I have some really good ones coming, and hopefully next week too!