Progress Updates – May 10, 2024

Parabellum by Greg Hickey

Pages: 197 out of 354

Check this book out at: Goodreads

Thoughts so far:

I am about halfway through this book now and I am entranced by it. Greg Hickey uses words quite intentionally. All the words he writes have meaning and importance, there isn’t a millimeter of page that is wasted. I admire an author that can do that. Being quite verbose, I appreciate someone who can be so tightly succinct but also so beautiful. We are delving ever deeper into the psyche of these characters and I care about them in different ways. We are exploring the ex-athlete’s attempts at a relationship even though she fears good things happening to her because she might forget them due to her head injuries, but she also fears that she might end up doing bad things too. The veteran who is struggling with feeling purposeless, he finds no meaning in life since he left the war. The student who is deeply depressed but wants to be memorable to the world, he just isn’t sure how. The programmer who is thoroughly disgusted with humanity and wants no part of it, but finds observing it much like observing an ant farm. So far we have traveled with these characters through their personal struggles, as they each made their first socially unacceptable display of anger and/or violence. Any one of them could be the shooter, but personally I have my bets on one in particular.

Camp Zero by Michelle Min Sterling

Published: March 30, 2023 by Atria Books

Check this book out at: Goodreads

Synopsis: In the far north of Canada sits Camp Zero, an American building project hiding many secrets.

Desperate to help her climate-displaced Korean immigrant mother, Rose agrees to travel to Camp Zero and spy on its architect in exchange for housing. She arrives at the same time as another newcomer, a college professor named Grant who is determined to flee his wealthy family’s dark legacy. Gradually, they realize that there is more to the architect than previously thought, and a disturbing mystery lurks beneath the surface of the camp. At the same time, rumors abound of an elite group of women soldiers living and working at a nearby Cold War-era climate research station. What are they doing there? And who is leading them?

Thoughts so far: This book follows the story of three people. Rose is a woman who was hired to go to the settlement as a prostitute for the men in charge of the project. But she’s also been hired as a spy to find out what the man in charge is really up to. We also follow Grant who was hired as a teacher for a school the doesn’t seem to exist, and when he arrives finds that things aren’t what they were portrayed. But since he’s running from his family’s wealth and trying to forge his own path, he stays. The last character doesn’t seem to have a name, but it’s following the settlement of White Alice. White Alice is a climate research outpost led by all women.

So far Rose is absolutely fascinating. I enjoy her narrative the most. She is thoughtful and intense. I can’t wait to get to know her more. Grant seems a bit naive but I’ll be interested to see how he develops. I’m not sure about White Alice. The information is interesting but not sure how it relates to the rest of the story thus far

I’m listening to this on audiobook and find the narrators very good. Each perspective has its own narrator but it feels cohesive.

Library Haul – May 9, 2024

Mal Goes to War by Edward Ashton

Published: April 9, 2024 by St. Martin’s Press

Check this book out at: Goodreads

Synopsis:

The humans are fighting again. Go figure.

As a free A.I., Mal finds the war between the modded and augmented Federals and the puritanical Humanists about as interesting as a battle between rival anthills. He’s not above scouting the battlefield for salvage, though, and when the Humanists abruptly cut off access to infospace he finds himself trapped in the body of a cyborg mercenary, and responsible for the safety of the modded girl she died protecting.

A dark comedy wrapped in a techno thriller’s skin, Mal Goes to War provides a satirical take on war, artificial intelligence, and what it really means to be human.

What caught my attention: The cover of this one drew my eye from across the library. When I read the cover summary I was hooked. An artificial intelligence who ends up embroiled in a conflict that he takes no interest in, protecting someone that he has no allegiance to. That’s an interesting idea. And I am interested to see what kind of commentary this book gives on war.

Snowglobe by Soyoung Park

Published: February 27, 2024 by Delacourte Press

Check this book out at: Goodreads

Synopsis:

In a world of constant winter, only the citizens of the climate-controlled city of Snowglobe can escape the bitter cold—but this perfect society is hiding dark and dangerous secrets within its frozen heart.

Enclosed under a vast dome, Snowglobe is the last place on Earth that’s warm. Outside Snowglobe is a frozen wasteland, and every day, citizens face the icy world to get to their jobs at the power plant, where they produce the energy Snowglobe needs. Their only solace comes in the form of twenty-four-hour television programming streamed directly from the domed city.

The residents of Snowglobe have fame, fortune, and above all, safety from the desolation outside their walls. In exchange, their lives are broadcast to the less fortunate outside, who watch eagerly, hoping for the chance to one day become actors themselves.

Chobahm lives for the time she spends watching the shows produced inside Snowglobe. Her favorite? Goh Around, starring Goh Haeri, Snowglobe’s biggest star—and, it turns out, the key to getting Chobahm her dream life.

Because Haeri is dead, and Chobahm has been chosen to take her place. Only, life inside Snowglobe is nothing like what you see on television. Reality is a lie, and truth seems to be forever out of reach.

What drew my attention: The first thing that I noticed about this book was the cover. It is breathtakingly beautiful. I have also been hearing about this book quite often over the past few months. I have heard it compared to the Korean Hunger Games. So that piqued my interest. I was very excited to see it at my library. Honestly, if the world was this desolate, wouldn’t you trade your privacy for warmth and safety? I probably would.

How Far the Light Reaches: A Life in Ten Sea Creatures by Sabrina Imbler

Published: December 6, 2022 by Little, Brown and Company

Check this book out at: Goodreads

Synopsis:

A queer, mixed race writer working in a largely white, male field, science and conservation journalist Sabrina Imbler has always been drawn to the mystery of life in the sea, and particularly to creatures living in hostile or remote environments. Each essay in their debut collection profiles one such creature: the mother octopus who starves herself while watching over her eggs, the Chinese sturgeon whose migration route has been decimated by pollution and dams, the bizarre Bobbitt worm (named after Lorena), and other uncanny creatures lurking in the deep ocean, far below where the light reaches. Imbler discovers that some of the most radical models of family, community, and care can be found in the sea, from gelatinous chains that are both individual organisms and colonies of clones to deep-sea crabs that have no need for the sun, nourished instead by the chemicals and heat throbbing from the core of the Earth. Exploring themes of adaptation, survival, sexuality, and care, and weaving the wonders of marine biology with stories of their own family, relationships, and coming of age, How Far the Light Reaches is a book that invites us to envision wilder, grander, and more abundant possibilities for the way we live.

What drew my attention: My local library has a shelf titled “Great nonfiction that you may have missed”. I always give it a look to see if something catches my eye. The first thing that caught my eye with this book was the sturgeon on the front cover. I love the ocean. I love the creatures who live in the ocean. So, to find a book with a particular theme on 10 sea creatures that can teach us valuable lessons in life, is a fascinating idea. I hope it turns out as fascinating as it sounds.

New Releases Wednesday – May 8, 2024

Shock the Monkey by Neal Shusterman and Eric Elfman

Published: May 7, 2024 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Check this book out: Goodreads

Synopsis:

Noah Prime must set out to save his friends and the universe once again in this jaw-dropping sequel to the New York Times bestselling novel, I Am the Walrus . 

Noah Prime thought he was no more running, no more murderous aliens, and absolutely no more saving the world. The day he went into hiding should have put an end to it. But staying away is no longer an option when he winds up embroiled in yet another intergalactic calamity. This time, it’s courtesy of his usually level-headed friend Ogden, whose crush on the most popular girl in school, Claire, leads him to buy her a star for her birthday.

However, this heart-warming gesture ends up having disastrous consequences when it turns out the star is real—as in home to a gazillion aliens real. And it’s not long before these creatures have swooped down to Earth to abduct Claire and take her back to their planet—or rather her planet—as its new owner.

Now it’s up to Noah and his quick-changing animal abilities to help his friends find her. But with dangerous forces still out there and a perilous journey ahead, will Noah be able to find Claire before she meets her untimely doom? Even if it means putting his friends in more danger than ever before?

This action-packed, laugh-out-loud sci-fi adventure is perfect for fans of Eoin Colfer and Rick Riordan.

Why I want to read it: You might remember Neal Shusterman from the Unwind series. I read the first book of that series back in 2022, it was honestly one of the most disturbing books I’ve ever read. It left me thinking about it for days after I closed the cover. Remembering it still leaves me with the creepy crawlies. You can check out that review here. So, when I saw a new book from Neal Shusterman it went immediately on my Want To Read list. And a mental note that I need to get back to the Unwind series, I was interested to see where it went.

The Family Experiment by John Marrs

Published: May 9, 2024 by Macmillan

Check this book out at: Goodreads

Synopsis:

The world’s population is soaring, creating overcrowded cities and an economic crisis. And in the UK, breaking point has arrived. A growing number of people can no longer afford to start families let alone raise them.

But for those desperate to experience parenthood, there is an alternative. For a monthly subscription fee, clients can create a virtual child from scratch who they can access via the metaverse and a VR headset. To launch this new initiative, the company behind Virtual Children has created a reality tv show. It will follow ten couples as they raise a Virtual Child from birth to the age of eighteen but in a condensed nine-month time period. The prize: the right to keep their virtual child or risk it all for the chance of a real baby . . .

Set in the same universe as John Marrs’s bestselling novel The One and The Marriage Act, The Family Experiment is a dark and twisted thriller about the ultimate ‘tamagotchi’ – a virtual baby.

Why I Want to Read It: I love a good dystopian novel. Because it may seem like everything is rosy at first, but it’s going to go wrong. We all know it is going to go wrong, because that’s what dystopian fiction means. The question is always, how will it go wrong? When will it go wrong? What will be the collateral damage? This one looks like a perfect example of this kind of fiction. It takes real world issues and the extrapolates them to an extreme to examine what could happen. I love it. I want it.

Upcoming Releases Sunday – May 5, 2024

Reckless by Lauren Roberts

Expected release date: July 2, 2024 by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

Check this book out: Goodreads

Synopsis:

The second heart-racing instalment in this bestselling and sizzling fantasy romance trilogy. Perfect for fans of Red Queen and The Hunger Games.

The kingdom of Ilya is in turmoil…

After surviving the Purging Trials, Ordinary-born Paedyn Gray has killed the King, and kickstarted a Resistance throughout the land. Now she’s running from the one person she had wanted to run to.

Kai Azer is now Ilya’s Enforcer, loyal to his brother Kitt, the new King. He has vowed to find Paedyn and bring her to justice.

Across the deadly Scorches, and deep into the hostile city of Dor, Kai pursues the one person he wishes he didn’t have to. But in a city without Elites, the balance between the hunter and hunted shifts – and the battle between duty and desire is deadly.

Be swept away by this bestselling, kiss-or-kill romantasy trilogy taking the world by storm.

Why I’m Excited:

This is the second installment of a series, and full disclosure I have not read the first installment. But this caught my eye on the upcoming books lists. I enjoyed Red Queen and The Hunger Games, which are compared to this series. And, anyone who follows this blog knows that I am a sucker for dystopian young adult fiction. The best news of all, with a July release date there is plenty of time to read the first book to get up to speed.

Five Broken Blades by Mai Corland

Expected publication date: May 7, 2024 by Entangled Publishing LLC

Check this book out: Goodreads

Synopsis:

It’s the season
for treason…

The king of Yusan must die.

The five most dangerous liars in the land have been mysteriously summoned to work together for a single objective: to kill the God King Joon.

He has it coming. Under his merciless immortal hand, the nobles flourish, while the poor and innocent are imprisoned, ruined…or sold.

And now each of the five blades will come for him. Each has tasted bitterness―from the hired hitman seeking atonement, a lovely assassin who seeks freedom, or even the prince banished for his cruel crimes. None can resist the sweet, icy lure of vengeance.

They can agree on murder.

They can agree on treachery.

But for these five killers―each versed in deception, lies, and betrayal―it’s not enough to forge an alliance. To survive, they’ll have to find a way to trust each other…but only one can take the crown.

Let the best liar win.

Why I’m Excited:

I love books that have untrustworthy main characters. They are often quite compelling and tell us a great story. This is the beginning of a series and sounds really interesting. A bunch of ruffians brought together by a single purpose. I like it, I want it.

A Song to Drown Rivers by Ann Liang

Expected publication date: October 1, 2024 by St. Martin’s Press

Check this book out: Goodreads

Synopsis:

Inspired by the legend of Xishi, one of the famous Four Beauties of Ancient China, A Song to Drown Rivers is an epic historical fantasy about womanhood, war, sacrifice, and love against all odds.
Her beauty hides a deadly purpose.

Xishi’s beauty is seen as a blessing to the villagers of Yue—convinced that the best fate for a girl is to marry well and support her family. When Xishi draws the attention of the famous young military advisor, Fanli, he presents her with a rare opportunity: to use her beauty as a weapon. One that could topple the rival neighboring kingdom of Wu, improve the lives of her people, and avenge her sister’s murder. All she has to do is infiltrate the enemy palace as a spy, seduce their immoral king, and weaken them from within.

Trained by Fanli in everything from classical instruments to concealing emotion, Xishi hones her beauty into the perfect blade. But she knows Fanli can see through every deception she masters, the attraction between them burning away any falsehoods.

Once inside the enemy palace, Xishi finds herself under the hungry gaze of the king’s advisors while the king himself shows her great affection. Despite his gentleness, a brutality lurks and Xishi knows she can never let her guard down. But the higher Xishi climbs in the Wu court, the farther she and Fanli have to fall—and if she is unmasked as a traitor, she will bring both kingdoms down.

Why I’m Excited:

Historical fiction has a special place in my heart. It can be done so beautifully and this book sounds beautiful. The cover is beautiful, the synopsis is beautiful, the story is beautiful. Hopefully it lives up to the expectations I have in my head.

Progress Update Friday – May 3, 2024

Parabellum by Greg Hickey

Progress: Page 80 of 354

Learn more about this book at Goodreads

Synopsis:

A shooting at a Chicago beach leaves several dead and dozens injured. In the year before the attack, four individuals emerge as possible suspects.

An apathetic computer programmer.
An ex-college athlete with a history of head injuries.
An Army veteran turned Chicago cop.
A despondent high school student.

One of them is the shooter. Discover who and why.

Thoughts so far:

The characters are becoming increasingly distinct through the narrative at this point. I no longer need the author to tell me which character we are following, I can tell by their voice and the circumstances who it is. Each chapter opens with a short piece on morality, or crime or the morality of crime. I am not entirely sure yet if this piece is supposed to be a part of a “manifesto” that the killer is writing, and therefore offering clues as to who it is, or if it is just a part of the narrative. We’ll see how that turns out, I am interested to see the purpose of those fascinating pieces. I still have the same suspicion on which character the shooter is, but the author is carefully laying the pieces to where it could logically be any of them. So far I am really enjoying this book.

For this week, that is all I have. It was a crazy busy week with school coming to an end, so I didn’t get a chance to start anything else and made only marginal progress on this one. Hopefully a longer update next week.

New Releases Wednesday

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Archangel’s Lineage by Nalini Singh

Published: April 23, 2024 by Berkeley

Buy this book: Amazon / Barnes & Noble / AbeBooks

Synopsis:

New York Times bestselling author Nalini Singh’s dangerous and beautiful world of archangels, vampires, and mortals has never faced a threat this cataclysmic…

Raphael and Elena are experiencing their first ever year of true peace. No war. No horrors of archangelic power. No nightmares given flesh. Until…the earth beneath the Refuge begins to tremble, endangering not only angelkind’s precious and fragile young, but the very place that has held their most innocent safe for eons.

Amid the chaos, Elena’s father suffers a violent heart attack that threatens to extinguish their last chance to heal the bonds between them and make sense of the ruins of their agonizing shared history.

Even as Elena battles grief, Raphael is torn from her side by the sudden disappearance of an archangel. But worse yet is to come. An Ancestor, an angel unlike any other, stirs from his Sleep to warn the Cadre of a darkness so terrible that it causes empires to fall and civilizations to vanish.

This time, even the Cadre itself may not be able to stop a ticking clock that is counting down at frightening speed…

Why I’m going to read it:

I have been absolutely obsessed with the Guild Hunter series by Nalini Singh. I have read at least 7 of the books so far and have adored every single one. Raphael and Elena was one of my favorite stories and to see Singh touching on them again is fantastic. I have missed Raphael and Elena. I am so excited to jump back into their story. If you haven’t read this series, it comes highly recommended.

The Familiar by Leah Bardugo

Published: April 9, 2024 by Flatiron Books

Buy this book: Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Abebooks

Synopsis:

From the New York Times bestselling author of Ninth House, Hell Bent, and creator of the Grishaverse series comes a highly anticipated historical fantasy set during the Spanish Golden Age

In a shabby house, on a shabby street, in the new capital of Madrid, Luzia Cotado uses scraps of magic to get through her days of endless toil as a scullion. But when her scheming mistress discovers the lump of a servant cowering in the kitchen is actually hiding a talent for little miracles, she demands Luzia use those gifts to better the family’s social position.

What begins as simple amusement for the bored nobility takes a perilous turn when Luzia garners the notice of Antonio Pérez, the disgraced secretary to Spain’s king. Still reeling from the defeat of his armada, the king is desperate for any advantage in the war against England’s heretic queen—and Pérez will stop at nothing to regain the king’s favor.

Determined to seize this one chance to better her fortunes, Luzia plunges into a world of seers and alchemists, holy men and hucksters, where the line between magic, science, and fraud is never certain. But as her notoriety grows, so does the danger that her Jewish blood will doom her to the Inquisition’s wrath. She will have to use every bit of her wit and will to survive—even if that means enlisting the help of Guillén Santangel, an embittered immortal familiar whose own secrets could prove deadly for them both.

Why I’m going to read it:

If you were reading the site when I discovered Leah Bardugo, then this needs no explanation. I ran through the Shadow and Bone series in record time and I couldn’t get enough of that world. It cemented Bardugo in my list of “Will Read Anything They Ever Publish” authors. I also love historical fiction. Historical fiction plus magic plus Leah Bardugo = yes please!

The Reappearance of Rachel Price by Holly Jackson

Published: April 2, 2024 by Delacorte Press

Buy this book: Amazon / Barnes & Noble / AbeBooks

Synopsis:

A new true-crime fueled mystery thriller about a girl determined to uncover the shocking truth about her missing mother while filming a documentary on the unsolved case.

Lights. Camera. Lies.

18-year-old Bel has lived her whole life in the shadow of her mom’s mysterious disappearance. Sixteen years ago, Rachel Price vanished and young Bel was the only witness, but she has no memory of it. Rachel is gone, long presumed dead, and Bel wishes everyone would just move on.

But the case is dragged up from the past when the Price family agree to a true crime documentary. Bel can’t wait for filming to end, for life to go back to normal. And then the impossible happens. Rachel Price reappears, and life will never be normal again.

Rachel has an unbelievable story about what happened to her. Unbelievable, because Bel isn’t sure it’s real. If Rachel is lying, then where has she been all this time? And – could she be dangerous? With the cameras still rolling, Bel must uncover the truth about her mother, and find out why Rachel Price really came back from the dead . . .

From world-renowned author Holly Jackson comes a mind-blowing masterpiece about one girl’s search for the truth, and the terror in finding out who your family really is.

Why I’m going to read it:

I’m a big fan of true crime. I love watching true crime documentaries, listening to true crime podcasts. This idea intrigues me. I like the idea of a girl who agrees to participate in a documentary about her missing mother and the suddenly her mother reappears with an outrageous story. I look forward to following that journey and finding out what really happened.

Progress Update Fridays

Synopsis:

A shooting at a Chicago beach leaves several dead and dozens injured. In the year before the attack, four individuals emerge as possible suspects.

An apathetic computer programmer.
An ex-college athlete with a history of head injuries.
An Army veteran turned Chicago cop.
A despondent high school student.

One of them is the shooter. Discover who and why.

Progress: Page 49 of 354

Update: This book started off a tad confusing. The premise is that a shooting happens, that’s the opening scene of the book. Then we are introduced to several characters, and the book description tells us that one of these people is our shooter. We will discover who it is along the way. But since we haven’t named these people, just descriptions (like the student, the veteran, the ex-athlete) it was a little hard to track them at first. Now that I’m learning more of their personalities I think I have it figured it out now. They have images in my head that accompany them now, so that stumbling block should be tackled. I also have a suspect in mind, but at the same time it feels like the easy answer so I suspect it is not that person. Stay tuned, we’ll find out together.

Synopsis:

It is the most famous military installation in the world. And it doesn’t exist. Located a mere seventy-five miles outside of Las Vegas in Nevada’s desert, the base has never been acknowledged by the U.S. government-but Area 51 has captivated imaginations for decades.

Myths and hypotheses about Area 51 have long abounded, thanks to the intense secrecy enveloping it. Some claim it is home to aliens, underground tunnel systems, and nuclear facilities. Others believe that the lunar landing itself was filmed there. The prevalence of these rumors stems from the fact that no credible insider has ever divulged the truth about his time inside the base. Until now.

Annie Jacobsen had exclusive access to nineteen men who served the base proudly and secretly for decades and are now aged 75-92, and unprecedented access to fifty-five additional military and intelligence personnel, scientists, pilots, and engineers linked to the secret base, thirty-two of whom lived and worked there for extended periods. In Area 51, Jacobsen shows us what has really gone on in the Nevada desert, from testing nuclear weapons to building super-secret, supersonic jets to pursuing the War on Terror.

This is the first book based on interviews with eye witnesses to Area 51 history, which makes it the seminal work on the subject. Filled with formerly classified information that has never been accurately decoded for the public, Area 51 weaves the mysterious activities of the top-secret base into a gripping narrative, showing that facts are often more fantastic than fiction, especially when the distinction is almost impossible to make.

Progress: This is a bit of a cheat, I apologize, since I haven’t actually started this book yet. But I heard a very intriguing interview with Annie Jacobsen on the Lex Friedman podcast. She was there talking about her new book, Nuclear War. Nuclear War is about what the process looks like for a nuclear bomb to be unleashed. Who makes the call? What happens then? How long does it take? What if they’re wrong? Well, I want to read Nuclear War desperately, but I don’t have a copy of it yet. So, while I wait, I am reading another of her books. Also, if you haven’t checked out the Lex Friedman podcast, I highly recommend it. He has a ton of interesting conversations with fascinating people.

Review: Pride’s Children by Alicia Butcher Ehrhardt

Pride’s Children: Purgatory by Alicia Butcher Ehrhardt

Published: March 31, 2015 by Trilka Press

Buy this book: Amazon / Thriftbooks

Rating:

Synopsis:

WHAT YOU DO WITH AN OBSESSION COUNTS

“I, KARENNA ELIZABETH Ashe, being of sound mind, do… But that’s it, isn’t it? Being here proves I am not of sound mind…”

So begins Book 1 of the Pride’s Children trilogy: Kary immediately regrets the misplaced sense of noblesse oblige which compels her to appear, live on national television—at exorbitant personal cost.

What she cannot anticipate is an entanglement with Hollywood that may destroy her carefully-constructed solitudinarian life.

A contemporary mainstream love story, in the epic tradition of Jane Eyre, and Dorothy L. Sayers’ four-novel bond between Lord Peter Wimsey and Harriet Vane, Pride’s Children starts with a very public chance encounter, and will eventually stretch over three separate continents.

Review:

***Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for a review. Thank you Alicia and I’m sorry it took me so long. ***

This book and I had an interesting journey. At first I struggled with the writing style. It’s a combination of literary fiction and stream of consciousness writing. I found myself putting the book down and wondering if, perhaps, it just wasn’t my style. And then I would pick it up again. And again. And again. It became my comfort book.

The characters are what make this a great book. Andrew is delightfully witty and smarmy. He’s very likeable, I instantly knew why Kary was so drawn to him. I was drawn to him! Kary was a thoughtful character. I understood her reluctance to engage with Andrew but was frustrated by it at the same time. More than once, I announced, “Kary, let the man do something nice for you! He likes you, I know you haven’t noticed!” Bianca was probably my least favorite character. I found her one dimensional. She is there to provide a stumbling block to the romance, but since no one paid attention to her, she was rather inconsequential. Perhaps she will play a more active role in the next book.

The plot was delightful. It was clear, concise, and the perfect vehicle to take our characters from one place to another. I found the level of detail about film sets and the writing process quite refreshing. It felt authentic. The only place that the plot lagged was in the middle. I got the sense that I was waiting for the “big moment” to happen. That moment eventually happened, but it took a while to get there.

Overall, this book was a fun and emotional journey. I recommend it if you’re a fan of literary fiction and character driven plots.

A Mea Culpa and a path forward

Well, it’s been a lot longer than I expected it to be. I knew that I’d be taking a small break from the site in order to have my second baby. I had a rough pregnancy and just couldn’t manage a day job, my older child, and the site. But, life happened and all of a sudden it’s 2024. Although just saying that “life happened” feels a bit too simplistic to explain everything.

Adjusting to having two kids was hard. A lot harder than I ever expected it would be. While I had that going on, I had other struggles going on in my personal life that made it a whole lot harder. Then I was betrayed. By the only person in my entire life that I have ever trusted completely. A deep betrayal. One that shook me to my core and ripped my soul from my body. So, I survived. One day at a time. One incremental decision at a time. Unfortunately, this process revealed to me a lot of “friends” and “family” that could only seem to support me if I was doing what they wanted, not what I felt was best.

Without getting into too many personal details, I had to rebuild my entire life. One tiny step at a time. While trying to make everything normal for my children so that they didn’t see that I was barely a human anymore. Before I knew it, my head was above water. Slowly. Tediously. Painfully. But above water all the same. Then suddenly I could find my feet again. Right about that time, another riptide of betrayal. I didn’t have to start completely over again, I was still above water this time.

Before I even knew it, it was 2024. I survived. I finally have my life back. I finally feel like myself again. I finally feel like I can enjoy the things that I used to enjoy. Which includes, this site.

For those who thought “wow, TLDR”, here is THE PLAN:

1. Catch up on all the books that I was graciously given to review before my unexpected hiatus.
2. Start bringing all of you great content again, on a regular basis.
3. The plan starts tomorrow. With a review of a great book that I think you’ll love.

This ended up being a lot longer than I planned. And a lot more personal. Which is okay, this is my space after all.

I’m here. I’m healing. And I’m ready to be myself again.

Love,

Stefani

Audiobook review: Cursed Objects by J.W. Ocker

Cursed Objects: Strange but True Stories of the World’s Most Infamous Items by J.W. Ocker

Published: September 20, 2020 by Quirk Books

Buy this book: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository

Rating:

Synopsis: An illustrated compendium that reveals the true stories behind the most infamous, creepy, and bizarre real-life cursed objects throughout history. Spanning decades and continents, subjects range from the opulent Hope Diamond to the humble Busy Stoop chair.

They’re lurking in museums, graveyards, and private homes around the world. Their stories have inspired countless horror movies, reality TV shows, campfire tales, books, and even chain emails. They’re cursed objects, and in order to unleash a wave of misfortune, all they need…is you. As a culture, we can’t seem to get enough of cursed objects. But never before have the true stories of these infamous real-life items been compiled into a fascinating and chilling volume.

Review: ***Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review. Thank you NetGalley and Quirk Books!***

This audiobook was quite a quick journey, I think I got it finished in about a day and a half. The narrator was pretty good. Since the stories are a bit short and full of facts it could have ended up dry and boring but the narrator managed to bring a lot of life and wit to the story. I really like that in a narrator.

The stories of the items were interesting. Some of them I had read about in other volumes and frankly I found those ones run of the mill. There weren’t any details that I hadn’t heard before nor any fresh take on the item’s legend. The rest of them were quite fascinating though. I had never heard of a lot of these items and that was refreshing.

Ultimately I am not sure if this is well suited to an audiobook though since a lot of those book is visual. I found myself having to Google some of the items because I just couldn’t picture what we were talking about and I didn’t have the pictures in front of me. It’s a very good book but just not well suited for audio.