Book Review: Almanac 2020

Anything National Geographic does, I want to be a part of it. I've been lucky enough to be on a few of their review tours before (and I have a few more coming up!!) but when I saw Almanac 2020 up, I had to get on it because one of my favorite things to mindlessly page through is an almanac.

Almanac 2020 - National Geographic

The latest dynamic annual for the 21st century, featuring high-energy pages packed with facts, photos, infographics, time lines, and maps that capture today's world. Perfect for ages 12 to 112.

An almanac like no other, this book offers everything you need to know about the world in 2020--from science and nature to history, world cultures, and the environment. Filled with exquisite National Geographic photography, informative infographics, illustrated time lines, and authoritative maps, this striking new edition will celebrate the 50th anniversary of Earth Day with practical tips for improving your own sustainability habits.

The book begins with trending topics in science, technology, and culture, then moves into fascinating chapters on travel, exploration, earth and space, biology, culture, and history. Recurring features include inspiring quotes, revealing facts, photos from National Geographic's Instagram, and a Quizmaster trivia feature. With new discoveries on every page, this cutting-edge book brings you the world, no matter what your age.

I should tell you that if you want to encourage even a reluctant reader to pick up a book, have a National Geographic book on your table. If you've never perused the NatGeo online store you are missing out because you could probably get all of your Christmas shopping done right there. In Almanac 2020 there is a flamingo picture on page 195 that my daughter is obsessed with (flamingos are her favorite animal of all time) and she wants it as a poster or something for her room.

Anyways.

Almanac 2020 will make you feel equal parts dumb (because there is so much we don't know) and smart (because you will finish this knowing so much more information about a huge variety of things), and that's the best part about the book. The book is sectioned out as follows:

• Trending 2020
• Exploration & Adventure
• This Planet & Beyond
• Life on Earth
• The Science of Us
• Yesterday to Tomorrow
• Our World

Throughout the book they have a "quizmaster" page and it's a list of questions you think you know the answer to (spoiler, you most likely won't) and tells you which page you will find the answer on. My favorite section was Exploration & Adventure because our family is trying to make a state by state bucket list so we have a starting point for future road trip planning. (Bonus? I found a road trip playlist in the book!)

Fun Fact: Lake Superior stretches across 31,700 sq miles of the US and Canada making it the largest lake by surface area. (I already knew this because Lake Superior is only five blocks away from my house!)

My son really liked the section on fossils because the idea of something forever preserved in a rock is bizarre to him. My oldest daughter liked the page with animal tracks on it, she goes on "woods walks" with Grandpa (who worked with the DNR so he already knows this stuff), but she has been trying to identify what she sees out there. Same with the caterpillar and butterfly pages, our backyard becomes a caterpillar nursery for a good chunk of the summer and it's a serious enterprise they have going out there.

Also, there is a really FASCINATING section on understanding gender.There is actual science to that and I had no idea and didn't really understand it before but it was very cool to learn about. 

Not counting the index, it's 381 pages of JAM PACKED information. If you are a school librarian or even a classroom teacher, pick this one up and have it for that reluctant reader. The short sections and facts might be enough to keep them turning the pages. Also, if you home school your child(ren) this might be a great resource to have on hand. Every year these are so full of information and I wonder what they will include the next year and it continually blows me away. Not to mention the photographs are stunning, as usual, but I'm telling you, I made it through this book in just a few hours. My kids have been picking it up every time they sit on the couch. People who have come over automatically pick it up and learn something. It's a very cool book to have out.

Also, on page 316-317 it shows all of the variations of the American flag. Did you know the United States has had 29 versions of the flag? Each image shown lists the dates in which that flag was used and some are incredibly... interesting. All but one is the stars and stripes theme, but the design of the stars area has changed pretty radically over the years and that was pretty interesting.

I could go on and on with information in this book but I'll end this with telling you this is absolutely a 5 star read, no question. It's well organized, the information throughout the book is relevant to topics we see on the news but also just incredibly interesting. I think you'll really enjoy it!

A huge, huge thank you to National Geographic and TLC Book Tours for sending me a beautiful copy of this book for review! This post also contains affiliate links. 

Book Review: 1001 Dark Nights: Envy (An Eagle Elite Novella)

You know when you just want to read something really quick but don't have the time to invest in a whole novel? That's when I grab a novella. It's shorter (this one was only like 164 pages or something) and I flew through this in one night. The other great thing about the 1001 Dark Nights series is that it gives you a taste of an author. You can see if you like their writing style, the feel of the series, etc without having to go through a bunch of books. Rachel Van Dyken was a new to me author and HOLY COW I loved this book.

1001 Dark Nights: Envy An Eagle Elite Novella - Rachel Van Dyken

Every family has rules, the mafia just has more....

Do not speak to the bosses unless spoken to. 

Do not make eye contact unless you want to die. 

And above all else, do not fall in love. 

Renee Cassani's future is set.

Her betrothal is set. 

Her life, after nannying for the five families for the summer, is set

Somebody should have told Vic Colezan that. 

He's a man who doesn't take no for an answer. 

And he only wants one thing. 

Her. 

Somebody should have told Renee that her bodyguard needed as much discipline as the kids she was nannying. 

Good thing Vic has a firm hand.

How many novellas can you name that is 5 stars? Seriously. I can't think of any... until now. I have to say this has been on my shelf a couple of months now and I wasn't sure if this would be my thing but I was in between books and just needed to read something quick so I usually go for the smallest book I could find, so this was it. 

I have to tell you right up front that this book is around the mafia/mob scene, there is some violence, and it's thrown in there rather casually so if that kind of thing makes you squeamish... might want to steer clear OR try this novella to see if you could handle the rest of the series. I say that because even I'm like.... I'm not sure, man. I don't know if I could handle the series myself and you know I'm pretty open to anything. Even with that, this was 5 stars for me.

The story centers around Renee who is a nanny for the summer for a major mob boss, and she's there because her dad is in the mob and she's known this lifestyle since she was little. Enter Vic, who everyone knows is the guy who kills people for the mob, that's his sole job and rightfully so, Renee is terrified of him and avoids him at all costs. It's not hard to do because anytime he's around the hair on the back of her neck goes up, goosebumps, the whole bit. Well... stuff happens (how's that for vague?)... and suddenly Renee finds herself quarantined with Vic basically as her 24/7 bodyguard. And then.... stuff happens.... and they get cozy because they both realize they kind of have had the hots for each other for awhile.

BUT.

It's not that simple in the mob because it turns our Renee is an important person and there's a reason she's a "nanny" and at the end of the summer she finds out that she has no say in what happens to her.

You guys. I flew through this book. I cannot say that enough. A couple of hours this took me because I kept getting interrupted and I absolutely loved Vic (sure, he kills people for a job but you know.... he's still a good guy!), I loved how this all came around, and now I kind of want to read everything but I'm also completely terrified because I don't know if I can handle it. I mean, I've watched Mob Wives, it's not a fun lifestyle.

I'll keep you updated. In the meantime, you should absolutely pick this up and tell me if I should keep reading. I also need to know I'm not the only one who loves Vic. (I should and kind of feel like those women who fall in love with a serial killer in prison.)

   

I actually won this in an Instagram giveaway from author K.K. Allen, so that was really fun. Also this post contains affiliate links and I'm supposed to tell you that. 

Book Review: Chaser (Dive Bar #3)

I have to check but I think I only have one other book from this series and that is Twist, and I gave that one 4/5 stars. I got this one as a Christmas gift and I'm trying hard to work on my back list of books and let's just say it's kind of extensive but I'm making a real effort.

Chaser (Dive Bar #3) - Kylie Scott

Given his well-earned bad boy reputation, Eric is having a tough time scoring.. When single Jean moves to town, she seems heaven sent by the sex gods. Only problem is, she not only wants nothing to do with him, but it turns out that she's pregnant.

Starting over in a small town, Jean is determined to turn her wild lifestyle around and be the kind of mother she always wished she'd had. Since local bar owner and all round hottie, Eric Collins, is now determined to steer clear of her pregnant self, it should be easy. When she goes into labour during a snow storm and her car slides on some ice, it's Eric who comes to the rescue.

There seems to be a bond between them now, but is it enough? And can Eric give up his manwhore ways to be the man Jean needs? 

Full disclosure, I feel like Brittainy C. Cherry has ruined me for all other others because her books are amazing and blow my mind, so I'm not sure anything is going to live up to her and so you need to know that going into my review.

In this book we are following Eric, basically the man whore of the group from the Dive Bar. He's made some not great decisions and part of those play out in book one (which I haven't read but having read book two and three now, I don't really need to read book one since I've gotten the run down). Part of those bad decisions is Nell, who used to be pregnant with his baby and miscarried, and they are still friends but it's a little rocky. In walks Jean, she's fresh from Florida looking to make a new start and of course Eric is instantly attracted and tries to hit on her but is instantly rebuffed once he learns that Jean is Nell's friend AND Jean is really very pregnant. Like seven months pregnant.

Despite that, he's pretty attracted to Jean and even though Nell has made it very clear he is to steer his penis away from Jean, Eric finds himself spending time with her. Through a series of events, Eric unexpectedly finds himself as Jean's birth partner and the sparks are flowing though both of them are adamant that they are only friends. Can they be friends with benefits? How can this play out long term now that Eric forms attachments he's not at all accustomed to?

Overall, I kind of really loved Eric. He admittedly has no idea what he's doing and he is genuinely trying to do the right thing with Jean. What drove me nuts through the entire book is how terribly people treated Eric. He was probably a little immature but they act as if he's wholly incapable of being a good guy. Nell is the absolute worst but they all really shoot him down every time he tries to step up and I felt really bad for him and I got to thinking, if everyone put you down with every attempt, what would be the motivation to get better? So that was irritating for me throughout.

I would have to give this one a 3 1/2 star but I'll round it up to 4 for Goodreads. It was good, I'm not going to tell you to drop everything and buy this, but if you're looking for a solid romance with some steamy scenes and a good story line, this is a good option. It was also a really quick read and sometimes that's just what we need.

   

Just so you know, this post does have affiliate links which means when you purchase something from them, I get a couple of cents (literally) and it comes at no cost to you, and those cents add up (eventually) and it helps me keep this blog going. 

Book Review: Legacy and the Queen

A couple of months ago this book came in the mail and I'm like.... Kobe Bryant? What the hell is this? Then I got to paging through it and realizing it's focused around tennis (and magic) and I can't think of any other fiction book around tennis, so that's pretty cool. It's a neat book, and as we're going back to school, you might want to pick it up.

Legacy and the Queen - Kobe Bryant & Annie Matthew 

Game – Tennis means life and death for the residents of the magical kingdom of Nova, and for twelve-year-old Legacy, it’s the only thing getting her through the long days taking care of the other kids at the orphanage. That’s all about to change when she hears about Silla’s tournament.

Set – Silla, the ruler of Nova, hosts an annual tournament for the less fortunate of her citizens to come and prove themselves and win entrance to the Academy, where they can train to compete at nationals. The prize is Silla’s favor and enough cash to keep open the orphanage, and Legacy has her heart set on both. 

Magic – What Legacy has yet to know is that the other players have something besides better skills and more money than she does. In Nova, tennis can unlock magic. Magic that Silla used to save the kingdom long ago and magic that her competitors have been training in for months already. 

Now, with the world turned against her and the orphanage at stake, Legacy has to learn to use her passion for the game to rise above those around her and shine.

What an incredibly interesting book. I wasn't sure if this was going to be my cup of tea since magical realism and all of that isn't my go to trope or genre but I was immediately interested because my son is learning to play tennis and tennis as a major theme throughout a book isn't something I'm familiar with.

In this book we have Legacy, a 12 year old girl finds herself in a tennis tournament that could gain her a spot in the Academy. (It's like.. the Divergent series in a way, if you are one of the chosen and can prove your ability, your rank in this society increases and you are afforded better opportunities... just without all of the crazy violence in Divergent.) As it turns out, she's pretty good and even though her father is dead set against this, she goes anyways to the infamous Academy. She quickly realizes that tennis is the key to unlocking/becoming more magical and she learns that everything is basically riding on her ability to do that (and quickly).

I have to give this book an A for effort because the basic premise isn't new (disadvantaged kid in a new society they don't belong and are an underdog, but they save the day), the concept of excelling at a non-violent sport/craft to unlock magic and be more powerful is, at least to me. At the end of the book you realize this is very much a girl power inspired book, a stand-up-to-the-man if you will, book and I think that's a really inspiring message to send to kids (especially in the middle grade reading group, though I think kids as young as fourth grade would enjoy this). I really liked that as a mom of three daughters (and one son, who is actually reading this now and enjoying it), I'd like to see that message in more books.

A few missteps along the way, it felt a little hokey with the magic aspect of it, but like I mentioned above, that isn't really my go-to trope or genre and so just because I think it's a little cheesy, doesn't mean it would be to readers who do enjoy that. I hate to say it didn't feel real enough for me because it's a book about a magical land, but that's kind of how I felt.

Overall though? I'm giving this a solid 3 stars. I liked the book, I thought it was cute, it would probably be a fun read aloud/bedtime story, one-chapter-at-a-time book, but also one to have on hand in a classroom or library for that reader still trying to find their favorite genre of book, this just might peak their interest, it did mine.

   

Thank you to Granity Studios for providing an ARC of Legacy and the Queen for review! This post contains affiliate links. 

Weight Loss Journey: Bring on the professionals!

Admittedly, I didn't do a damn thing last week. I am really struggling with the season change and I always forget how tough the fall is for me until I'm in it. I feel my depression getting worse, my stress level going up, my anxiety going up, and everything on my body hurts. You know that feeling when you feel the flu coming on? You're achy, it's like your insides start to feel warm but you're actually cold, and you get that dull headache?

That's my every day.

It just progressively gets worse and worse until summer. So... that's a long haul. But it's true, I feel like I have the worst flu of my life for nine months of the year so that's really exciting and super fun to work through.

I have kept my diet pretty good and I haven't been overeating, or over snacking. I actually eat much smaller portions at meal time (I'm becoming notorious for eating half a sandwich and people are making fun of me but truly, even a half is just... too much.)

I do need to do more exercise but this week the kids go back to school and I will have about two and half hours of kid free time (not as much as I was hoping for, but I will absolutely take it!) and the plan is to absolutely do some kind of exercise. Whether it's a walk, a BeachBody workout, something.

Since having Lucy and losing huge chunks of memory, the first thing that I do every morning is check my Facebook memories. I know some people roll their eyes and think that's dumb but it's actually been so helpful because I get to see stuff I know I've forgotten. (Which only reminds me that everything I share, good and bad, on Facebook will be helpful for me later. Every time I post a status that worries people- oh well, because I know in a year from now, I'll be able to know where I was at the previous year.)

The other day, this picture showed up.

It blew me away. It's from a trip to Chicago in 2012 with a blogger friend at the time and our families. I don't remember the trip at all, but Olivia and Jackson do and they said we had the best time. But I look at this and think, holy hell- I look amazing. It's weird to think at the time I was running two to five miles every day and I was so unhappy with how I looked. I felt like I had so much further to go.

I'll tell you what- I wish I was that fat now. Honestly.

It also is startling to see me so happy and glowing and know this person would be dead in a few years. It's stuff like that that always freaks me out.

Anyways.

So when I was at my rheumatology appointment last week we're going over my lab work and she tells me my inflammation markers are much higher than they have been even though my methotrexate should be bringing them waaaaaaay down. She's increasing my methotrexate to the max level and I'll need tons of lab work for awhile and if this doesn't work I'll be on injectables and that's a whole other thing I'm upset about but that's another day.

She asks me how I'm doing with exercise and I tell her what I've been doing and how I'm really upset that I'm not losing weight. She is putting in a referral for a doctor locally who is a bariatric doctor that doesn't deal in surgery, but is also a family practice doctor. He essentially looks at ALL of your diagnosed issues, looks at all of your medications, and helps come up with a plan to lose weight.

A requirement for this is to read his book (and yes, this feels weird to me too but whatever- I want to see this doctor:

   

It was only like 76 pages or something so you know I flew through this in a day and there was some interesting information in it and I have a better idea where this doctor is coming from and kind of what to expect when I meet with him. 

So I'm just waiting to hear back and make an appointment. But I'm kind of nervous. The information I got says you meet with him monthly until you hit your goal weight and then every one to three months for maintenance. He sounds really in depth and thorough and I'm really, really hoping this helps. 

Cross your fingers they call this week to set this up! 

Book Review: Mackenzie's Mission (Mackenzie Family #2)

I think I only have two more Linda Howard books unread in the stack I currently own and just a few more to find. I should probably make that list and figure it out soon! Earlier this week I reviewed Mackenzie's Mountain, which was about Wolf but this one is about his son Joe. Joe is all grown up now and thank god because I'm here for it. I actually liked this book even more than the other one just because I really liked Joe and I knew his back story.

Mackenzie's Mission - Linda Howard

Night Wing — the revolutionary test plane with a top secret weapons system — was Colonel Joe "Breed" Mackenzie's number-one priority. And weapons expert Caroline Evans was his number-one distraction. True, the stubborn blonde was giving him the cold shoulder, but Joe hadn't become the best of the best by giving up. Then he discovered someone on the inside was sabotaging Night Wing, and with her late hours and specialized expertise, Caroline seemed the obvious choice. Now Joe had to choose between allegiance to his country and love for his prime suspect...

If you're familiar with Linda Howard books, specifically in this time period (late 80's, early 90's) you know that her go-to trope was domineering/over the top dominant male with an incredibly smart/independent/virgin female. Even still in some of her more recent (mid 2000's) that's something we still see but I can tell she's trying to shy away from it and I'm glad because sometimes that trope makes me feel a little uncomfortable. Of course, plenty of authors use this trope (look at E.L. James with Fifty Shades, she's a millionaire because of it) so I know people like it, but I don't. It's not always one I enjoy.

With that being said, that's the trope used here but I actually really liked this book. Is it cheesy? Of course it is. Could I figure out the who-done-it angle? You bet I did, as soon as the character was introduced, I knew. I saw the entire story set up a million miles away. Did I care at all? NOPE, because that's what I expect out of a Linda Howard book. Knowing that over time her writing would get more sophisticated makes it all the more fun to read these and watch her try to figure out how to do a romance with a small thriller element. For me, that's the best part of reading a favorite author's back catalog, you can see how far they've come and how they're writing style has developed over time, and that's what this book is for me.

In this book we meet the adult version of Joe Mackenzie. In Mackenzie's Mountain we meet him at a hard working, incredibly smart, but also sixteen year old gentleman. He's calm, cool, and collected. As an adult he is still all of those things but he's older and wiser, he's bigger, and he's *ahem* more experienced. As soon as he meets Caroline, who is assisting in the Night Wing project (which is essentially his baby and his entire military career has come to the development of this aircraft and his ability to fly and master it), while she's beautiful, her brains tops her beauty. He sees other men in the workplace circling her and he decides to get the best of both worlds (keep her safe but also spend time with her) he comes up with a plan in which they pretend to be a couple.

(Stop right there, I know you're like, "this would never fly in the #metoo movement!" and you're right, it wouldn't. Everything about this screams "workplace sexual harassment" and I'm with you. When I think about the late 80's/early 90's, I don't think of a workplace that actually gives a damn about any of that so yeah, I could see this happening.)

While the tactic works, it also becomes an excellent opportunity to set Caroline up to look like she's committing treason once some of the key systems fail, someone gets seriously hurt, and the program is almost scraped. In between all of this, Caroline and Joe actually start falling for each other and I'm kind of completely here for Joe. All in.

Overall? I flew through this in a day and I really enjoyed it. The book comes in a 250 pages, it's a light/fun read, and if you like the dominant male genre, also the military romance genre, this might be your jam. Just go into it knowing you'll hit some eye roll moments and just enjoy it for what it is. I'm going to give this a 4.5 start, rounded up to 5 for Goodreads.

   

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Book Review: Mackenzie's Mountain

You probably don't know, but one of my *guilty pleasures* is anything by Linda Howard. I don't remember which book of hers hooked me for life, but I remember her book Open Season was featured in the back of Cosmopolitan magazine or something and there was an excerpt. I wasn't really a reading fanatic like I am now, maybe only read 5 books a year, and the excerpt was good enough for me to run to Target and buy the trade paperback. I loved the book so much I had to read everything. Over the years I've picked them up at yard sales, library sales, second hand bookstores, online if I could find them, and these aren't easy to find when you're looking for a specific one.

Anyways. So I came across this and one other in the Mackenzie Family series so I picked them up. I love how completely cheesy this cover is.

Mackenzie's Mountain (Mackenzie Family #1) - Linda Howard

A small Wyoming town is about to learn a few lessons -- from a new schoolteacher with the courage to win the heart of a man who swore he had nothing to give....

Mary Elizabeth Potter is a self-appointed spinster with no illusions about love. But she IS a good teacher -- and she wants Wolf Mackenzie's son back in school. And after one heated confrontation with the boy's father, she knows father and son have changed her life forever.

Still paying for a crime he didn't commit, Wolf Mackenzie has a chip on his shoulder the size of Wyoming. But prim-and-proper Mary Elizabeth Potter doesn't see Wolf as the dangerous half-breed the town has branded him. Somehow she sees him as a good, decent, honest man. A man who could love....

Wolf's not sure he -- or the town of Ruth, Wyoming -- is ready for the taming of Wolf Mackenzie.

Before I start my review I have to remind you that my copy says it was published in 1989 so the cover is cheesy as hell (LOVE) but also this one did not age well. If this was written today not a damn chance would it get published because of some of the derogatory descriptors used by characters, like the main character Wolf repeatedly refers to himself as Indian, half-breed, and white people as Anglo. One character is referred to as "maybe retarded", so just go into this as if this is your grandma with dementia reading it. (But as an aside, it was just really interesting to think of the progress we've made when we talk about people because in my mind, 1989 isn't forever ago, I was only 7, so... 30 years ago. OK, that sounds a lot longer, but really- it's not forever.)

You should also know going into this that I kind of adore cheesy romance novels, so while this one is a four for me, you might think I'm completely crazy. 

I don't care because I love it.

In this book we have Mary, a new to Wyoming teacher, who comes with basically no prejudices. While preparing her class she realizes one of her star students has seemingly quit school, determined to find out she attempts going to his home. Of course, having never driven in snow, she gets stuck and needs to be rescued by Wolf, who is the student's dad. Things get a little fired up between the two of them because he isn't really sociable and nice (for good reason) but before she leaves she manages to talk the student into beginning private tutoring in an effort to get him into the Air Force Academy.

Nobody in town can believe that a white woman would date socialize with the Mackenzies, who are Native American, and Mary sees absolutely nothing wrong with it. Soon enough, she begins to fall for Wolf and that's when all heck breaks out. We have a serial rapist on the loose, prejudices running amok, and Mary trying to get everyone to screw their heads back on to figure out what is really going on in this sleepy town in Wyoming.

It couldn't be anymore cheesy if it tried and I loved every second of it. I have another one in the series so I'm going to talk about that one another day, but I really enjoyed this. Sometimes I need to get away from the books that make me feel like I've been on an emotional tilt-a-whirl, and just read something steady. This was perfect.

   

This post contains affiliate links so use these to purchase so I can buy more books. #thecircleoflife