Best of 2015- So Far

Well, boys and girls- it has been a while. I have been rather absent from the blogging world this year, and I think that's okay. However, in recent weeks I have felt the desire to return to this little delight of mine and try my hand at sharing about the things that bring me such great joy- reading and books.

I wanted to share with your today a little bit about what I have been reading and what some of the true gems have been. Cause, there have been a couple.

I haven't read much this year- if you're wanting an update on my life check out this post- cause not a lot has changed since then. as of right now I have read a grand total of 36 books this year, if I make it to 50 I will call that a success! But of those 36, there are four that really stuck with me.

When I initially read I'll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson, I wasn't really feeling it. It took me a LONG time to read (which I think was mostly due to my CRAZY busy schedule), which really influenced how I felt about it. It also took me a bit to get into. However, after a few months, I continue to think about this story and how crazy beautiful it was. This was one of the few books I actually reviewed this year, you can read more of my thoughts here.

Me Before You has been making it's way around readers since it's release back in 2012. And I hadn't heard a bad thing about this story (I did hear it was an ugly cry kind of story though). I wasn't sure about reading this one though, as I had tried one other novel by Jojo Moyes and wasn't terribly thrilled (I am going to give it another go). This year I decided to take the plunge and jump in with both feet. And what an incredible story. It is SO much more than what it presents itself at being. And I loved it so much. It really makes you think about what life is and what living really means. It's not an easy read, but it's so worth it.

I don't generally do mystery novels. They're not my thing. JK Rowling is. So, again, I took the plunge and read The Cuckoo's Calling and it was brilliant! I loved it! I loved Strike, and how flawed he was. I thought all his hangups made him so charming. I loved how he was with Robin, and how she snuck her way into Strike's life. It was great. The mystery? Take it or leave it, it wasn't that incredible, but the characters were fun and I have plans to continue with the series. 

Mindy Kaling! She is my love! If you didn't know, last fall I discovered The Mindy Project! What an amazing little show that is. Like seriously. A friend and myself devoured that show in such a short amount of time, I was caught up before season three even made it to cable (come on, they are only 22 minutes long). In saying that, I knew I needed to experience Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns), first hand. I actually listened to the audiobook- narrated by Mindy herself, and absolutely loved it. If you are a fan of The Mindy Project and/or love Mindy Kaling, you need this in your life. Who else is excited for Why Not Me? on September 15?





There you have it, a sample of what I've been reading and enjoying the last little while. I hope that catches you up a little bit.

~Happy Reading everyone!

My Thoughts: What You Left Behind by Jessica Verdi

It’s all Ryden’s fault. If he hadn’t gotten Meg pregnant, she would have never stopped her chemo treatments and would still be alive. Instead, he’s failing fatherhood one dirty diaper at a time. And it’s not like he’s had time to grieve while struggling to care for their infant daughter, start his senior year, and earn the soccer scholarship he needs to go to college.

The one person who makes Ryden feel like his old self is Joni. She’s fun and energetic—and doesn’t know he has a baby. But the more time they spend together, the harder it becomes to keep his two worlds separate. Finding one of Meg’s journals only stirs up old emotions, and Ryden’s convinced Meg left other notebooks for him to find, some message to help his new life make sense. But how is he going to have a future if he can’t let go of the past?

**Review copy received from publisher**

Let me tell you a story: It had been a long time since I sat down to read a book. I just didn't have the time. I was either studying, cooking, exercising or staring at my ceiling to tired to do anything. But I had an urge one weekend. I was giving up on real life and responsibilities and I was going to dive in and read a book. Knowing I only had two "free" days I knew I needed a book that would suck me in from the beginning and that I could get through quickly. Jessica Verdi provided me with this once,  when I read her novel My Life After Now-  and I thought, why not? What You Left Behind was my story of choice.

What You Left Behind walks us through Ryden's life after his girlfriend Meg, dies of cancer. BUT- Meg didn't just die. She died after giving birth to the couple's daughter. leaving Ryden to not only grieve her death, but also navigate his new role as dad. Ryden now has to change diapers and work a part time job right alongside high school and maintaining what remains of his current friendships.

The big thing that really stuck out for me in this book was how imperfect Ryden was. What I mean by this is that he was so completely human and his reactions to his current situation were realistic. There were times where he would be selfish and stubborn. He would often appear confused about his life and he would make bad decision that had no logical rational. This all made sense when you really looked at what he was living with. I really enjoyed that about the book. At the same time, Ryden was sometimes really annoying. There were a couple times where I would find myself rolling my eyes, thinking, "dude? What are you doing?" But what's important to remember, Ryden was a kid, a teenager, and he was dealing with some very adult things. Verdi did a great job of not glamorizing Ryden's reality. Being a teen parent wasn't cool, you lose your friends and it's harder to connect with people. You have a ton of new responsibilities. overall it's pretty isolating. Ryden's new life was hard.

Something else I want to mention briefly was how Ryden related to Hope- his daughter. For a good part of the book, he didn't. He cared for her and provided for her in the way that he could. But it was more out of a sense of responsibility and obligation. He loved her, yes. But again, because he was supposed to. Ryden struggled to connect and bond with her. It was heartbreaking. It was also a completely authentic view of real life. The grieving teenager, wanting to care for and love the little baby, but not knowing how. He was experiencing so much guilt, shame, anger, sorrow, that it was difficult to look at Hope and find joy in her. 

Overall, What You Left Behind was a novel I really enjoyed. I really loved how it didn't sugar coat anything. It showed a hard situation for what it was. And Ryden didn't get everything he wanted. Jessica Verdi's novels really resonate with me. Maybe it's because I can see the reality of her stories. That's pretty cool to me. For that reason, I look forward to her books and will continue to read them.

~Happy Reading Everyone! 

Reading in Real Life

Well, this isn't something I have done recently. Blogging. But sitting here right now, trying to quickly get my thoughts down feels good, really good. I don't think I could ever give this little hobby of mine up. No matter how crazy my life gets. This feels right.


So, a little update on life. For just over a year now, I have working a full time -grown up- job in social services, a job that takes up a lot of my emotional energy. From January-April of this year, I was taking one class to try and finish this degree of mine. Presently, I am taking two condensed spring courses that are taking over my life. I will be done one of those classes on July 9th, and the other July 31st. On top of all that, I have decided to pay a little more attention on my health and fitness. Exercising and eating healthy takes up a lot of time! A LOT.

!hat I am trying to say is...  My life is busy and I haven't been reading very much. According to Goodreads, I have read 26 books this year- that is 11 books behind my reading goal of 80. And to be perfectly honest, I would say 80% of those books were audio books. That's the cool thing about my job, there are good chunks of the day that I can do my work listening to an audio book, that has been my saving grace this past year. But I miss reading! I miss it terribly. I miss holding a book in my hands, I miss seeing the words on the page, I miss getting lost in the story and investing in the lives of the characters. I also miss this. Blogging.

I miss sitting down and thinking about how I felt about a book, I miss writing those thoughts down sharing them with all of you (let's hope you're all still with me). I miss you, my blogging buddies, I am sorry, but I haven't been visiting other blogs as much as I used to, I will head over immediately feel guilty because I feel like I should be doing something else. I am so far out of bookish loop that I don't even know what new and hot these days (for shame Sara Walker, for shame).




I was kind of inspired today by this article that showed up on my Facebook feed: 11 Ways Busy People Make Time to Read. It is by no means an aha article. It's pretty basic, common practice for us avid readers. However, it's something I have lost sight of these past few months. And it has made me see the light.

I need to start reading again. I need to do this for my peace of mind. Reading is my stress reliever, it's my hideaway, I need to get back to it.  Never in my life have I ever been a non-reader. I used to never leave the house without my book, these days, I never leave the house with a book. This is not right. Something needs to change. Even if that something is committing to reading for 30 minutes before I go to bed, maybe it's reading for an hour before dinner (on the days when I am not running to school). I am taking baby steps. Because, really, I'm still busy!  But I will be a reader again!



I may still be a little MIA from this platform for the next month or so, but I will be back. I am going to try and post daily over on  my Facebook page, so if you're interested in seeing if I am following through on my promises, head over and like that page- I am almost at 1000 likes, if I get there, I am gonna do something huge.

Thank you all for sticking with me, and for reading this essay! I totally appreciate it. Now, I am off to go read a book!

~Happy Reading Everyone!

My Thoughts: The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion

Narrator Don Tillman 39, Melbourne genetics prof and Gregory Peck lookalike, sets a 16-page questionnaire The Wife Project to find a non-smoker, non-drinker ideal match. But Rosie and her Father Project supersede. The spontaneous always-late smoker-drinker wants to find her biological father. She resets his clock, throws off his schedule, and turns his life topsy-turvy.

Where to even begin. I read The Rosie Project at the recommendation of a non-blogger friend. She read it and really enjoyed it, and thought I would as well. I wasn't opposed to the idea of reading this novel, but as you all will know: There are SO many books and so little time. In saying that, I have gotten into the habit of listening to audiobooks more and more lately. Mostly at work. And I felt like this one fit the bill. SO, voila, there I was, listening to The Rosie Project. All I have to say is- Hannah, you were right.

I don't know why I didn't want to read this book. Graeme Simsion is an Australian author, and I love Australian author. I have not read a single book by an Aussie author that I did not like. So, that's that. Also, The Rosie Project is just so darn cute! There is so much going for this book.

Don Tillman, what a character. He's a genetics professor and he is incredibly logical and by the book, It's hard for him to think outside his box. It's alluded that Don has undiagnosed Asperger's Syndrome, which affects the way he interacts with life. When Don decides it's time to find a spouse, he does so in his own way. He develops a questionnaire outlining characteristics for a suitable wife. And for Don there is no deviating from this list of qualities. Then walks in Rosie, and Rosie is anything but suitable wife material (according to Don). But still, Don is drawn to Rosie.

Don Tillman, what a gem! I absolutely adored this man. He was so incredibly charming. We've all met someone like Don, but I don't think many of us have recognized their charm. He was very much like Sheldon Cooper of Big Bang Theory- but maybe less self absorbed and rude. I think Don will be a character that stays with me for a very long time. He was just special. Than there is Rosie, and she changes everything for Don. He doesn't know what to do with himself when it comes to her. His very logical, clean cut existence is now all messed up.

I absolutely love what Simsion has done with this story and what he has done for Don. He took Asperger's Syndrome and was able to help people relate to it. He was able to showcase how the mind of someone with this syndrome works. What a unique concept. This book and this character, I tell you.

One quick note on the audiobook- it was brilliant. Narrator Dan O'Grady is fantastic. He was Don. Exactly. It was so easy to be swept up in this one. I was very productive the three days it took me to listen to this 7 1/2 hour novel. This listener experience is up there with Will Grayson, Will Grayson.

Overall, The Rosie Project is a book worth reading! It will make you laugh out loud (a lot, I have so many favourite parts), it will make you weepy and it will make you go awwww! What more could you want?

~Happy Reading Everyone!

From Book to Movie: Fifty Shades of Grey

When literature student Anastasia Steele goes to interview young entrepreneur Christian Grey, she encounters a man who is beautiful, brilliant, and intimidating. The unworldly, innocent Ana is startled to realize she wants this man and, despite his enigmatic reserve, finds she is desperate to get close to him. Unable to resist Ana’s quiet beauty, wit, and independent spirit, Grey admits he wants her, too—but on his own terms.

Shocked yet thrilled by Grey’s singular erotic tastes, Ana hesitates. For all the trappings of success—his multinational businesses, his vast wealth, his loving family—Grey is a man tormented by demons and consumed by the need to control. When the couple embarks on a daring, passionately physical affair, Ana discovers Christian Grey’s secrets and explores her own dark desires.

Let's just say, I was not going to write this post. I wasn't. However, I have been a little curious about people's thoughts on the film. So I figured, might as well share mine.


The Book

What a piece of crap. I first read Fifty Shades of Grey, by EL James back in 2012 at the peak of it's hype. Everyone woman in the office I was working at was reading it, and I wanted in on the craze. I don't think I have read such a terrible book in my life. If you've read the book, than you know. The writing is embarrassingly bad: From the dialogue all the way to the sentence structures and descriptions. I don't know what publishers were thinking printing this book- but, they must have been onto something, because Fifty Shades of Grey has gone on to sell something like 100 million copies or something stupid like that. Why though? I am certain there was and has been better erotic fiction written.

I guess I can sort of see the appeal. Regular boring girl, wins the attention of young billionaire bachelor. He's rich, he's hot, and he wants her so badly he can't seem to stay away. It's every girls fantasy, (have I mentioned yet,  James initially wrote this as a Twilight fan fiction... *le sigh*). What's funny about this book though, readers everywhere knew it was bad, gross bad. But like any disturbing thing, you can't help but stare, an share it with your friends (I know I certainly encouraged a couple ladies to read it- "guys, you have to read this, it's so bad, just read it.")

I attempted to reread Fifty Shades of Grey in November in anticipation of the film, but I couldn't do it. The writing was bad, the relationship was messed up, the dialogue was EYE ROLL inducing. I just could not. I have since skimmed it. I also have only read the first two books in the trilogy, I couldn't force myself to read the third. I don't think I ever will.

Anywho, let's get onto what we're really here for...


The Movie

When I first heard that Fifty Shades of Grey was going to be a movie, my first reaction was: Whaaaaa?!?! How on earth was this even a possibility. Fifty Shades of Grey, and erotic novel, how?Even now,  I find myself shaking my head thinking, I can't believe they made a movie, I can't believe it.

I went into this movie with low expectations. Very low expectations. The trailers hadn't blown me away. Nor has the cast really (even though, I am a HUGE Jamie Dornan fan, I thought Christian Grey was beneath him).  But I knew I was going to see the film- what can I say, I love the movies.  So, I went. On a Monday afternoon, with a girlfriend.

Really, the movie is kind of dumb. But I loved it. It was the perfect combo of corny and eye rolling. It was a grown up Twilight (and I loved Twilight).  Much like Twilight, the movie took away most of what made the book unbearable. Such as, The ridiculous dialogue (although there was still plenty of it), and the millions of ridiculous emails the two send to one another were also missing. In it's place, there was spunk and humour. Where somethings in the book were down right pathetic, the movie kind of made a joke out of them. I really appreciated that. I felt like I was part of one big inside joke.

I am not saying that the whole film was one big satire. It was not. The movie gets pretty nitty gritty. So, yeah, let's talk about the sexy times. They were sexy. I'd even go as far to say they were tasteful. This movie is not a pornography, I wouldn't even go as far as to say it's soft core porn, it's not graphic or smutty. There are less then five sex scenes in the movie, Dakota Johnson goes fully nude in the film, but not in a exhibitionist kind of way. She's just naked. I was initially a little shocked by what I was seeing, but then I thought, Sara, you've seen both True Blood and Game of Thrones, both Television shows are more sexually explicit than this. And it's the truth.

And finally, our Christian and Ana.

 Let's just say, Dakota Johnson completely stole the show! She was absolutely brilliant. She was so charming, and really brought Ana to life. And made her likeable. I don't know about you, but book Ana was awful. Whiny and annoying. Not movie Ana.  Dakota says something in the March issue of Glamour magazine, she says she doesn't see Ana as being weak, she believes her to be stronger than Christian is. I don't believe that to be true about book Ana, Movie Ana-Dakota's Ana, I would agree. I am completely smitten by Dakota Johnson. Jamie Dornan, I love him. I think he's so handsome, and a brilliant actor- if you haven't seen him in The Fall, you need to, he will creep you right out. I wasn't thrilled with him being cast as Christian Grey- like I mentioned earlier, he could do so much better. I couldn't picture it- I couldn't picture anyone being Christian Grey. I don't know if he did a spectacular job, but I thought it was believable. And he was hot.

I am sure there are 10 million other things I could talk about, in regards to this film. The chemistry between Dakota and Jamie (I thought it was fine), does it promote/support rape culture (absolutely not), is it an abusive relationship (perhaps, it's definitely unbalanced and dysfunctional). But I don't think that I need to. It was a fun film to watch with a friend, where we could giggle like we were back in high school. I certainly hope the sequels get the green light- that ending.

Ps- The soundtrack is spectacular! I am obsessed with the song Earned It by The Weekend. So good.

What about you guys? Have you seen the movie? What were your thoughts? I'm curious, so let me know.

~Happy Reading Everyone!

My Thoughts: I'll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson

Jude and her twin brother, Noah, are incredibly close. At thirteen, isolated Noah draws constantly and is falling in love with the charismatic boy next door, while daredevil Jude cliff-dives and wears red-red lipstick and does the talking for both of them. But three years later, Jude and Noah are barely speaking. Something has happened to wreck the twins in different and dramatic ways . . . until Jude meets a cocky, broken, beautiful boy, as well as someone else—an even more unpredictable new force in her life. The early years are Noah's story to tell. The later years are Jude's. What the twins don't realize is that they each have only half the story, and if they could just find their way back to one another, they’d have a chance to remake their world.

I have so many different feelings when it comes to Jandy Nelson's, I'll Give You the Sun. I had heard so many good things about this one, I don't think I'd seen a single negative review. So, I was pretty excited to get to it. However,  I'll Give You the Sun, took me FOREVER to read. I want to say the whole month of January. This is a long time for me. Why though? Why did it take me so long to get through? Let's see...

I'll Give You the Sun is the story of twins,  Jude and Noah, a brother and a sister, with little in common, but still, are bound to one another by some magical unseen force. Both Jude and Noah narrate this story. It is their story to tell- no more Jude's than Noah's.  While Jude tells the present day story, Noah reveals it's past. This aspect of the novel, ended up working in it's favour, The two different narrators really took me a bit to get comfortable with. I normally really enjoy the back and forth of a story- I really like flashbacks (If I Stay, Jellicoe Road), I like when there are two stories being told at the same time, and seeing where they connect.

In the case of I'll Give You the Sun. The back and forth drove me crazy. I think because I was getting bits and pieces of the same story. And I was never certain what was going on. When I finally got a handle on the way the story was being told, I found myself enjoying what Nelson was offering way more. I was maybe half way through the story, when I finally found the rhythm. It really was the first half of the novel that took me the longest to read. Because after that first hurtle I flew.

I'll Give You the Sun, was a beautifully written novel, about misunderstandings and missed opportunities. Jandy Nelson is an author that everyone needs to experience. I felt so much while reading this book. It was nothing less than magical. I don't know how else to say it. The way Noah experienced life was beautiful, and completely inspiring. His relationship with art is like nothing I have ever read about. I am in wonder now just thinking about it.  Jude was a harder character to unravel, but you do, and she's amazing in her own way. Jude has done some pretty hurtful things, and in her story she's punishing herself for it all, or searching for redemption?  One of my favourite things about I'll Give You the Sun is Jude's relationship with her mentor, sculptor Guillermo. It's so special and perfect.

Both protagonists have their little romances, and they are wonderful in the same way that this whole book is wonderful. But really, I'll Give You The Sun, is about how people relate to one another. How Jude and Noah relate to each other and both stages of their life. They've lost one another and are trying to figure out where to go from there.

Overall, I absolutely loved this book. It's beautifully written and is nothing short of magical. It does have a slower start, and it does take some perseverance. But it's completely worth it. This book is a must read.

~Happy Reading Everyone

Monthly Recap- January

These post may be more for me than any of you. But here I go anyways. I really enjoy(ed) keeping track of what I'd read in a month this way. So I bring back to you the Monthly Recap.

I read only six books in January. Which actually, is pretty standard for me. I'd like to push that to seven for February, we'll see. Anywho, here they are.

1) The Promise of Stardust by Priscille Sibley- Had to read this one for Book Club. I didn't like it. I found it incredibly boring and poorly written. The theme of the novel would suggest that it would be an incredibly moving novel, with a ton of emotion and would be the cause of a number of tears. That is not what I got. I felt nothing. Oh well.

While I was reading The Promise of Stardust, I was also listening to....

2) Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me (And Other Concerns) by Mindy Kaling- This book was brilliant! I started watching The Mindy Project last summer (maybe even later) and I fell in love. SO naturally, I wanted to read her book. But seeing as Mindy herself narrates it, I thought it'd be pretty fantastic to experience it that way. I was right. I loved the way Mindy told her stories. She had me cracking up all over the place. It was a lot of fun to listen to.

After weeks and weeks I finally finished...

3) I'll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson- I don't want to say to much about how I felt reading this book. Because - wait for it - I think I'm going to write a review. But I have mixed feelings on this one. Stay tuned.

Then I moved onto....

4) Take Me On by Katie McGarry- I don't think I have every been so disappointed in a book ever. I am a huge fan of McGarry. But Take Me On was weak. I found that there was absolutely no depth to the story and I couldn't connect with the characters or their situation at all. I was sad. I am hoping this one was a fluke bust on my part, and her future books will be better for me.

After, I quickly read...

5) The Girl Who Chased the Moon by Sarah Addison Allen- What an absolutely lovely little novel. I loved this book. It was so endearing and just a feel good book. I loved it. I am eager to read more by this author. (This is another Carrie recommends, and she never steers me wrong).

I ended the month with...

Fixed On You by Laureline Paige- Why did I read this?!? I don't know. It was so STOOPID! I have thoughts on these types of books and the way the female protagonists are portrayed. Maybe, someday, I'll get around to writing about them.










Overall, it wasn't a bad month. I have a plan for February's reading. I have three series I am hoping to finish. I just have the last books to read. SO keep your fingers crossed that I get to them.

Here's to hoping you'll be seeing more of me, but I make no promises.


~Happy Reading Everyone!