Tag: #bookblog

Let’s Chat: Spoilers. Love Knowing or Better Blind?

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You’re in the middle of an amazing book.  You tell someone what you’re reading.  Without thinking, they give away the ending.

Or…

You’re in the middle of an amazing book.  You close it without bookmarking.  When you open again to find your place, you open the cover a wee bit too far and mistakenly read ahead.

Or…

You’re in the middle of an amazing (uplifting) book.  You tell someone what you’re reading.  They tell you how tragically sad the ending is and how it will make you sob.  You spend the rest of the book trying to figure out the sad twist that you never knew existed.

Or…

Someone posts something on Facebook and while innocently scrolling through your newsfeed, you now have books (AND REALITY TV) ruined for you.

THE.  WORST.

All of these situations have happened to me and I’m quite certain they have also happened for a number of you.  Admittingly, I am more sensitive to this than most people.  I absolutely HATE knowing anything ahead of time.

When I’m reading a book and the plot is getting GOOD, it’s not uncommon for me to physically put my hand over the rest of the page so I cannot mistakenly read ahead.

When I am watching reality tv (my favorite), I mute the sound and look away when Chris Harrison announces, “Tonight on the Bachelor” or “Coming up after the break”.  Scenes from next week?????? FORGET ABOUT IT.  Hell no.

I saw Hamilton without listening to a single song first although everyone told me I needed to.  I did zero historical research.  I walked into that theater completely blind and I truly think I had a better experience because of it!

Have you ever noticed the following disclaimer that I include with every book review that I  publish on my blog?

(Disclaimer: I will never post spoilers in my reviews HOWEVER the comment section is completely fair game to discuss any and all specifics including spoilers)

I have heard that there are people who when they receive a book, the very first thing that they do is to read the last page of the book.  Do people like this really exist?!?

I never Google a television show for any reason unless I am 100 percent caught up in the current season.  I have blocked people on Facebook when they post status updates about current television shows so nothing will be ruined for me if I’m an episode or 2 behind.  I turn away from the magazines in the grocery store checkout aisle when they post photos of current reality tv stars.

I once told a friend how excited I was to watch the Bachelor finale that night and she responded with “Oh!  ____won!  I just read an article!”  This was roughly 3 hours before the finale aired.  And of course my friend was right.  And of course it was the girl who I NEVER thought was going to win.  It would have been such an amazing finale.

When I’m reading or watching television, I NEVER try to predict the ending.  I just enjoy the present and not give too much thought into trying to figure out what will happen next (on a side note, this is also a fantastic way to go about life…but that’s a different post for a different day).

To me, nothing beats an amazing twist that I never saw coming.  Nothing is better than a surprise ending.  When an author has the ability to make this happen, it’s brilliant.  So many specific books come to mind…but I don’t want to spoil any of them for you!

What are your thoughts on all of this?  How do you feel about spoilers?  Tell me a story about a time when someone ruined something for you!  

It would really help me if you could follow/subscribe to my blog.  Also, please “like” my Facebook page ,  follow me on Twitter, and follow me on Instagram!

Local friends, I run a storytime every Tuesday and Friday at Whimsy Cafe in Buffalo Grove, Illinois from 10:00-10:45! Bring your kids (6 months-5 years) for stories, songs, and lots of fun. Price is included in your child’s admission, no need to sign up. If you are a blog reader, please be sure to introduce yourself!  I can’t wait to meet you and your little ones. 🙂

 

 

 

 

 

Book Review: Thirteen Reasons Why {Jay Asher}

Our kitchen is leaking, our family room is leaking, our garbage disposal is thankfully back to normal although our dishwasher still isn’t working and hasn’t worked in 3 days all because of a frozen pipeline.

Polar Vortex 2019, I loathe you.

BUT the 4 of us went to the grocery store last night and it felt great just to be out of the house!  This has been such an insane week and our poor house just couldn’t handle it.  I’m driving my daughter to and from school again today because the thought of putting her on a bus in this weather doesn’t sit well with me.  It’s better out there….but still freezing!

You know it’s been a bit chilly when you check your weather app, it says it’s currently 3 degrees, and you immediately think it’s warming up!  Omg.

Today I have a review of a book I read a while back and still think about.  It’s message was well written, powerful, and important.

thirteenreasonswhy

Synopsis from Goodreads:

You can’t stop the future.
You can’t rewind the past.
The only way to learn the secret . . . is to press play.

Clay Jensen returns home from school to find a strange package with his name on it lying on his porch. Inside he discovers several cassette tapes recorded by Hannah Baker–his classmate and crush–who committed suicide two weeks earlier. Hannah’s voice tells him that there are thirteen reasons why she decided to end her life. Clay is one of them. If he listens, he’ll find out why.

Clay spends the night crisscrossing his town with Hannah as his guide. He becomes a firsthand witness to Hannah’s pain, and as he follows Hannah’s recorded words throughout his town, what he discovers changes his life forever.

My Thoughts:

(Disclaimer: I will never post spoilers in my reviews HOWEVER the comment section is completely fair game to discuss any and all specifics including spoilers)

4 Stars

Couldn’t.  Put.  It.  Down.

This book was interesting, heartbreaking, fascinating, and memorable.  I read it over the course of just a few days and would sneak in pages whenever I had a free moment.  I had to know what was going to happen next!

The entire premise of this book is piecing together the pieces of the puzzle to create the entire picture.  As more and more details begin to unfold, the reader is introduced to new characters, new situations, and new revelations.  I loved the writing style and how the author told the entire story in such a unique way and through so many different perspectives.

If you enjoy YA (young adult fiction), this is absolutely a book that you should read.

There is a Netflix series based upon this book.  I haven’t seen any of the episodes…Have you?

Bottom Line:

Loved it.  Disturbing topic but so well written.

Stay warm, everyone!

Xo,

Jenny

Did you read this book?  Have you seen the Netflix series? What did you think?  I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!

It would really help me if you could follow/subscribe to my blog.  Also, please “like” my Facebook page ,  follow me on Twitter, and follow me on Instagram!

Local friends, I run a storytime every Tuesday and Friday at Whimsy Play Cafe in Buffalo Grove, Illinois from 10:00-10:45! Bring your kids (6 months-5 years) for stories, songs, and lots of fun. Price is included in your child’s admission, no need to sign up. If you are a blog reader, please be sure to introduce yourself!  I can’t wait to meet you and your little ones. 🙂

*I’ll be running a special weekend storytime this Sunday at 4:00!  It’s Whimsy Play Cafe’s 1 month anniversary and I will be doing a “whimsical” Dr. Seuss themed storytime!  I would love to see you and your little book lovers there!*

Click the image below to order the book through my Amazon affiliate link.  When you order through this link, I receive a tiny commission. Thank you for your support, Xo

Random Thoughts {SNOW, Movie Night, Best Friends, Michelle Obama, Children’s Book}

This is seriously the current weather forecast where I live:

INSANE.  It’s so cold.  I accidentally left a peach in my husband’s car and when I went to retrieve it, it had completely frozen.  As in, icicles were dangling from it.  Ridiculous.

Needless to say, both of my children are home with me today.  Both of their schools are closed and I have a feeling there may be more snow days in their future throughout this week!

How was your weekend?  Mine was lovely.

Friday night was family movie night which included pizza, pajamas, robes, and Harry and the Hendersons (my daughter’s pick.  The 4 of us rotate who gets to choose the movie each time).  It was perfection.  Movie nights will become one of my cherished memories of my kids’ childhoods when they are older, I already know it. 🙂

Saturday night my 4 best friends (we call ourselves the Goats…it’s been our nickname since college) and I celebrated a double Goat birthday!  Amy and Beth have birthdays 10 days apart so we always celebrate them together.  We had reservations at a delicious restaurant downtown but once we started driving, the snow started coming.  We quickly realized that the same restaurant recently opened a location much closer to us!  Same restaurant, same delicious food, much better snowy commute.

The birthday girls!

As always, our dinner was spent laughing, telling stories, and allowing new inside jokes  to make their way into our friendship.  I just love these girls so much!

My beautiful best friends and I:

Yesterday Jon, the kids, and I went out for a lovely Sunday morning breakfast and then did the usual pre snow preparations along with everyone else in this town:  Costco and the grocery store.  The grocery store was so crowded…there were no carts!  Trying to get turkey at the deli counter was truly every man for himself.  We got everything needed for a snowy week at home.

People here always go nuts right before a big storm and with good reason:

I’m currently reading this book (affiliate) and the jury is still out on my feelings about it.  I posted a few stories on Instagram asking if I was the only one not absolutely LOVING this book and I was overwhelmed by the responses of people who agree with me???  I thought for sure that I would be the only one who feels this way but it turns out that I am not alone.  Have you read it???  I’ll do a full review once I finish reading.

And lastly…a cute story about my daughter.

When my husband and I confirmed that we were pregnant with our daughter, she was the size of a poppy seed.  We called her Poppy throughout my entire pregnancy!  I saw this picture in a store a few years ago and had to buy it, it now hangs in our kitchen:

For my birthday this year, one of the gifts that she gave me was this book because it had the word Poppy in the title (she loves when we talk about when she was Poppy)!

She bought it and gave it to me with the intention of her and I reading it together 🙂  How sweet is that?!  We read chapter 1 last night, it’s cute so far!  Excited to read chapter 2 with her tonight.

I loved writing this post and sharing little bits of my life with you today…I hope you enjoyed reading it! 🙂

Stay warm, local friends….Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr….

Xo,

Jenny

It would really help me if you could follow/subscribe to my blog.  Also, please “like” my Facebook page ,  follow me on Twitter, and follow me on Instagram!

Local friends, I run a storytime every Tuesday and Friday at Whimsy Cafe in Buffalo Grove, Illinois from 10:00-10:45! Bring your kids (6 months-5 years) for stories, songs, and lots of fun. Price is included in your child’s admission, no need to sign up. If you are a blog reader, please be sure to introduce yourself!  I can’t wait to meet you and your little ones. 🙂

A Book Blogger’s Instagram in an Instant {Part 2} and a Fun Book Coffee Happy Announcement

Hi Friends!

How was your weekend?  Ours was a perfect mix of relaxation, errands, and lots of fun.

Friday night the 4 of us went to my kids’ favorite pizza restaurant for dinner.  The restaurant has been around for a million years, is filled with taxidermy animals, peanut shells on the floor, and the most delicious pizza ever.  It’s crowded, small, loud, and perfect.  Our kids beg us to take them to the restaurant with the “animals”, lol.

Do you follow Book Coffee Happy on Instagram?  If not, head over there and join the fun!

Last month, I posted A Book Blogger’s Instagram in an Instant and it was such a hit, I decided to make it a regular addition to my blog!  Welcome to part 2 🙂

Here are a small sample of photos and videos that I’ve recently taken and posted to my Instagram account (see my account for photo explanations, lol).  Just like my blog, it has lots of posts about books with bits of my personal life sprinkled in. 🙂

If you don’t already follow me on Instagram, this is a perfect time to start because I will be hosting my very first Instagram Giveaway on Wednesday!  The winner will be able to choose 1 book from 3 amazing book selections.  I can’t wait!

A Fun Book Coffee Happy Announcement:

Local friends, I’m so excited to announce that I’ll be running storytime at the brand new and beautiful Whimsy Play in Buffalo Grove on Tuesday and Friday mornings from 10:00-10:45 starting this Tuesday! Local friends, bring your kids (6 months-5 years) for stories, songs, and lots of fun. Price will be included in your child’s admission, no need to sign up! If you are a blog reader and we don’t know each other in real life, please come and introduce yourself. 😍 I can’t wait to meet all of you and your little ones! ❤️

I hope you are all having a great Monday!

Xo,

Jenny

 

**GIVEAWAY (Open to US and International Readers)** Sympathetic People {Donna Baier Stein}

Full disclosure: I was sent a copy of this book to read and review for my blog.  All opinions are my own. This post contains Amazon affiliate links.

Giveaway details will be given at the bottom of this post!

One of the wonderfully unexpected perks to starting this blog has been the opportunities I have been granted to read books I otherwise wouldn’t have chosen on my own.

To be clear, there have been many books that authors have offered to send to me which I have denied.  I deny books that I genuinely don’t have a desire to read based on topic, genre, etc.  However, if a book sounds interesting to me AND one that I genuinely would want to read and review for all of you, I gladly accept!

When Donna Baier Stein contacted me and offered to send me a copy of her book, Sympathetic People, I admittingly was a bit hesitant.  I had never read a book of short stories before and wasn’t sure if I would enjoy it.

sympatheticpeople

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Both the beauty and frailty of human connections are seen in the thirteen stories collected in Sympathetic People. Here are women and men struggling to find love, meaning, happiness in marriage, adulterous affairs, art, meditation, and even the passage from life to death. Longing generated by loss is everywhere–in the death of a son, the end of a marriage, the slide from hope ignited by Neil Armstrong’s moon walk to hopelessness after President Kennedy’s death. In “Hindsight,” Jessie, a hippie in Lawrence, Kansas, opts for what she assumes is stability in a world of change, only to be brought up short years later when her life veers off its predicted path. “The Secrets of Snakes” reveals the early ruptures in a marriage and a wife’s futile attempts to stop them even as she tries to care for her son’s pet racer. In “The Jewel Box,” a grandmother promises to let her granddaughter know what Heaven is like after she passes and if, in fact, it looks like the Art Deco greenhouse built in St. Louis during the 1904 World’s Fair. And in “Versions,” a newlywed in Plano, Texas, entertains her sometimes angry husband’s first wife and realizes too late what she has given up in choosing him. “The Second Time the Bird Escapes” brings the collection full circle as a woman vies for attention with her husband’s new girlfriend and watches a peacock race across the yard to freedom, its dazzling tail open like an invitation. (less)

My Thoughts

I will be very honest…this turned out to be one of my favorite books that I read in 2018. I can’t believe that I was ever hesitant to read it!

This book has opened up a whole new world to me in terms of reading short stories!  My absolute least favorite aspect of any book is the amount of background the author needs to provide in order to “catch the reader up” to the present day story.  It is rare that I truly love a book before I am well into it.

Short stories aren’t like that!  Each one is just a few pages long and somehow (how???) Donna Baier Stein was able to tell the complete story within just a few pages.  I laughed, I cried, and I found myself completely wrapped up in the characters and stories from just the short amount of time I had with each one.

I read “The Jewel Box” (one of the short stories) while sitting in my car in Target’s parking lot and was sobbing so hard that mascara was EVERYWHERE when I was finally able to go inside.  Of course I ran into my daughter’s former preschool teacher and of course I had to explain my appearance.  That story was so incredibly beautifully written.  I cried all over again just telling her about it. 🙂

I read the entire book (13 short stories total) over the course of a few days.  Being that each story is so short, it was easy to to read an entire story in one sitting.

If you love short stories, you will love this book.  If you are like me and have never read short stories before, this is a perfect introduction.  Either way you will devour this book.

I had posted this on Instagram:

On a side note…the cover is stunning!  Clearly I just love everything about this book.  I’m so excited to be able to share it with you today!

I also had posted this on Instagram:

Beautiful book + Bath and Body Works holiday scented candle = perfection.

A Conversation with Donna Baier Stein, in Her Own Words:

How did you create the idea for your book?

Each of the stories was written individually, from various seed ideas. For instance, “The Yogi and the Peacock” was prompted by an ad I saw in a local newspaper; “The Second TIme the Bird Escaped” was prompted by the fact that a former neighbor did keep a peacock on his farm; and “Versions” (which was the first story I ever published in a literary journal) was prompted by a visit from my former husband’s ex-wife. Sounds complicated, I know 🙂 A few of the stories, though by no means all, started brewing in my head based on something that happened in my life. But then I fictionalized those events. Mostly, the seeds for the stories were emotions or thoughts I had that I wanted to further explore. That’s the great gift of writing, in my opinion – we get to figure out what we really think about things and see how complex our lives in this world are.

What audience would be most interested in your book?

I suppose the stories appeal primarily to women. Only one of the stories has a male protagonist. The issues touched upon – love, marriage, children, infidelity – may be universal but they certainly provide great fodder for book club discussions!

Where can your book be purchased?

The book is available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, IndieBound, and at many local indie bookstores. If your local store doesn’t carry it, please request it. It is distributed by Ingram. Readers may also email me directly at donna@donnabaierstein.com to request a signed copy.

Use 3 adjectives to describe your book:

Words used in blurbs for the book include “brilliant,” “edgy,” “graceful” – it’s easier for me to let others describe the book, in a way. If you want my own description, I’d say “realistic,” “thoughtful,” “candid.”

Any additional information that you would like to provide about you or your book:

Readers can see more about the book on my website here: https://donnabaierstein.com/books/sympathetic-people/. They are also invited to sign up for my free newsletter which announces upcoming readings, etc. I do have a new book coming out in Spring 2019, Scenes from the Heartland. And my historical novel, The Silver Baron’s Wife is continuing to garner good attention for which I’m grateful.

***GIVEAWAY DETAILS***

I have 1 copy of Sympathetic People to give away! 
Winner will receive an autographed copy of Sympathetic People (if located internationally, you will receive an e book). 

To be entered, please complete these 3 simple steps:

1. Follow and/or subscribe to my blog

2. Leave a comment below telling me if you already enjoy reading short stories or if this would be your first short story experience!

3. Be sure to also tell me in your comment if you are located internationally or in the US!

**You must complete all 3 of these steps to be eligible for the giveaway and you must complete them here on my blog (not on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram)**

Giveaway will end Friday morning at 6:00 CDT and the winner will be randomly chosen and announced in Friday morning’s blog post.

Make sure you check back on Friday to see if you’ve won (you will have 48 hours from the time I post the winner to email me your mailing address.  If I don’t hear from you within 48 hours, I will pick a new winner).

If you already follow and/or subscribe to my blog, you are still eligible…just leave a comment below to be entered 🙂

Good luck!  Can’t wait to read your comments!

It would really help me if you could follow/subscribe to my blog.  Also, please “like” my Facebook page ,  follow me on Twitter, and follow me on Instagram!

Click the image below to order the book through my Amazon affiliate link.  When you order through this link, I receive a tiny commission. Thank you for your support, Xo

Book Review: Nine Perfect Strangers {Liane Moriarty}

Hi!

I am writing this from the peace and quiet of my living room. Husband at work, both kids back at school after winter break. Candle burning, Pandora playing. It’s so peaceful here on this rainy Monday morning.

I’m missing my family today. I haven’t been home alone like this in weeks! As nice and peaceful as this is….I would so much rather have everyone here with me. This morning it’s just me and the hamster.  And she’s sleeping.  Perfect time to work on my blog!

And now as previously promised…the book review of Liane Moriarty’s newest release:

**If you haven’t yet, I would suggest reading my previous post before reading the following review**

I heard such negative things about this book. In fact, I truly hadn’t heard any positive! So when I began reading, needless to say my expectations weren’t very high. Not high at all.

nineperfectstrangers

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Nine people gather at a remote health resort. Some are here to lose weight, some are here to get a reboot on life, some are here for reasons they can’t even admit to themselves. Amidst all of the luxury and pampering, the mindfulness and meditation, they know these ten days might involve some real work. But none of them could imagine just how challenging the next ten days are going to be.

Frances Welty, the formerly best-selling romantic novelist, arrives at Tranquillum House nursing a bad back, a broken heart, and an exquisitely painful paper cut. She’s immediately intrigued by her fellow guests. Most of them don’t look to be in need of a health resort at all. But the person that intrigues her most is the strange and charismatic owner/director of Tranquillum House. Could this person really have the answers Frances didn’t even know she was seeking? Should Frances put aside her doubts and immerse herself in everything Tranquillum House has to offer – or should she run while she still can?

It’s not long before every guest at Tranquillum House is asking exactly the same question.

My Thoughts

4 Stars

I loved it.

Yes it was weird. Yes it was dark. Yes it was twisted.  Yes it made me uncomfortable.  But…It was so brilliantly written, so very interesting, and extremely captivating! The short chapters, the different perspectives, and the colorful characters came together to create a fascinating story.  I high recommend this one!  I know I’m in the minority here but I truly thought it was GREAT.  One of the best books she’s written.  Bravo, Liane!

The ONLY real criticism (and hence my 4 star review) I have is that there are just so many characters and as a result, certain characters were much more developed than others. It was hard to keep everyone straight, especially with their backstories. I found that I had to keep looking back at previous chapters for refreshers. I HATE when books make me do that. I think this book would have been better with say 5 or 6 perfect strangers rather than 9.

Bottom Line

After reading, I now never want to go to a health resort. Like…Ever. You shouldn’t, either. Nope. Not for me. Or you. Ever again. Hard pass.

Have you read this book?  Are you planning to?  I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments!

I will have FANTASTIC book giveaway for you on Wednesday morning!  Make sure you stop by, you won’t want to miss this one!

Xo,

Jenny

It would really help me if you could follow/subscribe to my blog.  Also, please “like” my Facebook page ,  follow me on Twitter, and follow me on Instagram!

Click the image below to order the book through my Amazon affiliate link.  When you order through this link, I receive a tiny commission. Thank you for your support, Xo

My Love/Hate Relationship with Liane Moriarty

Oh Liane. You and I have such a complicated relationship. At times I absolutely love you, at times I absolutely loathe you.

*This post contains affiliate links. Click each image and link below to read the synopsis and order the book through my Amazon affiliate link.  When you order through this link, I receive a tiny commission. Thank you for your support, Xo*

2014 was when I read The Husband’s Secret .  Like most people, I absolutely loved it!  Truly couldn’t put it down.  I have a very vivid memory of my daughter napping in her car seat while I was devouring this book for hours in the front seat…all while parked in our driveway.  Such a good book!  I was so sad when it ended.

The next book that I read was Big Little Lies.  I read it in 3 days, it was so amazing.   I remember eating meals while reading, reading long after I should have been asleep, and so many other times throughout the day.

(On a side note, I still haven’t seen the HBO miniseries!  Have you?  I’ve heard it’s fantastic!)

At was at this point that I declared Liane Moriarty to be my favorite author and my mission began to read every single book she had written.

Next up for me was The Last Anniversary. I really liked it. Not nearly as amazing as the previous 2, but it was very good.

And then…

I read Three Wishes.

Hated it. So much. It was just so BORING, painfully dull, and long.  I faithfully read until the last sentence because I had already declared Liane Moriarty to be my favorite author and how could I not read every word written by my favorite author??

My faith in Liane was 100 percent restored when I read What Alice Forgot. What a beautiful book that was! It gave me so much to think about and I truly loved everything about it.  Have you read this book?  I highly, highly recommend it!  I still think about that book’s message years after I finished reading.  Absolutely loved that book. Beautiful.

I read The Hypnotist’s Love Story during the summer of 2015. I was bored. Read half. Never finished.

HOWEVER, this was also the time when I was pregnant with my son and unless it was something about babies, breastfeeding, or nursery furniture, I wasn’t able to focus on reading anything else.  Looking back, I’m not sure if my review of this book is entirely valid. I probably should re read it at some point now that I can give it the full attention that it deserves….but I just remember being so bored with the first half that I don’t have the desire to try again.  Have you read this book all the way until the end?  What did you think?

When Liane announced that she was releasing her newest book (Truly Madly Guilty) in 2016, I immediately preordered my copy on Amazon. It arrived exactly on its release day and I literally tore the box as I ripped it open! I even wrote a Facebook status asking if anyone could get over here STAT to watch my children and dog so I could sit and read (nobody did. Apparently I need some new friends).

I hated that book. It was heartbreaking, depressing, and awful. Her attempts to lighten the story fell flat. I was so sad…I had been REALLY excited about reading this one for months. How could she do this to me???

And here we are, today. January 2019. Liane released her newest book Nine Perfect Strangers in October. The whole world seems to be reading this book right now! Have you read it?  I have. I have many thoughts. I’ll share them with you on Monday!

How do you feel about Liane Moriarty?

Do you agree or disagree with my thoughts on her books?

Xo,

Jenny

It would really help me if you could follow/subscribe to my blog.  Also, please “like” my Facebook page ,  follow me on Twitter, and follow me on Instagram!

11 Books I Want to Read in 2019

Thank you all SO MUCH for your kind and encouraging words from this post.

I’m doing ok!  Each day my elbow seems to be feeling a little bit better.  It’s still very sore but nothing compared to last week.

My sling is now officially stained with ice cream, teriyaki sauce, and smells like a mixture of Japanese steakhouse and Clinique Happy (which is the perfume I doused it in hoping to eliminate the Japanese steakhouse smell).  I’m scared to witness what this poor sling will look and smell like by the end of our time together, lol.

Happy 2019!  New month, new year, new goals.  I have personal goals that I’ve set for myself in the new year, blog goals, and of course…reading goals 🙂

There are SO MANY amazing books out there to read and I can’t wait to tackle many of them in this new year!

*This post contains affiliate links. Click each image and link below to read the synopsis and order the book through my Amazon affiliate link.  When you order through this link, I receive a tiny commission. Thank you for your support, Xo*

I finished this book 2 days ago (LOVED IT) and started reading this book last night!

Here is a very small sample of the books that I’m excited to read in 2019 (in no particular order):










Have you read any of these?  If so, NO SPOILERS PLEASE!

What’s on your 2019 To Read List?

Xo,

Jenny

It would really help me if you could follow/subscribe to my blog.  Also, please “like” my Facebook page ,  follow me on Twitter, and follow me on Instagram!

I Broke My Elbow.

Do you know what a roof rake is?  It’s basically a gigantic contraption designed to scrape ice off of roofs.  Also apparently designed to break elbows when tripped over.

The fall itself on the concrete floor was dramatic.  Everything hurt at the same time.  Scraped elbows, scraped knees, top teeth clamped against bottom teeth causing jaw pain, sore ribs, and sore back.

It was Christmas Day.  We had just returned from a fantastic getaway to The Great Wolf Lodge and were on our way to fulfill our Jewish responsibilities of eating Chinese food for dinner 🙂 My husband and children were in the car waiting for me.  As soon as I fell in the garage, my husband immediately came running.

It was so bad. Jon asked if I wanted to stay home but I really thought I was ok! It would take more than a fall to keep this Jewish girl away from her Christmas Chinese food.

I truly thought it was just bruised but somewhere between the crab rangoon and the pan fried noodles, the pain started to intensify. We came home.

I iced it.  I elevated it.  I was up all night in pain.

By morning, it was apparent that this was so much more than just a bruised elbow.  Jon called my parents and for about the millionth time since we bought our house almost 9 years ago, I thanked God that we bought a house only 1 mile away from theirs.  Exactly 7 minutes later, my father was hugging me in my kitchen and feeding my children breakfast so Jon could take me to the emergency room.

The emergency room staff were lovely to me as I sobbed.  A nurse hugged me.  The X ray technician was wonderful to me as I tried not to scream out in pain while she twisted and contorted my elbow in unnatural ways to get the pictures.  They offered me pain meds but I declined…I’m always very much against taking any kind of medication. I agreed to Advil but refused anything stronger. My poor elbow was so swollen and filled with fluid that they couldn’t even read the X rays but sent me home in a cast and a sling until I could see an orthopedic surgeon.

I was a mess.

We came home and I spent the entire day in bed.

I watched Fuller House with my daughter, laid next to my napping son, and ate the lox on a bagel which my girl had so beautifully presented to me all from our bed.  I lit my favorite Bath and Body Works candle on the nightstand next to me…and I cried.  A lot.  From the pain. From the frustration of how hard everything had suddenly become. From the fact that I had so been looking forward to having this glorious time with my husband home from work and my kids home from school and I was spending it like this. So many tears.

Thank goodness my very favorite hobby involves just sitting still 🙂 Recovering with a good book is exactly my kind of medicine! And the act of holding up a book only requires 1 working arm so there’s that.

Jon surprised me with my all time favorite treat after dinner. It was so delicious. It helped.

By the next day, my cast had shifted and was digging into my wrist.  Back to the emergency room I went but this time, my daughter insisted that she be the one to come with me for moral support. They put us into a room and I asked if I should remove my shirt.  They told me yes and at this point, my little girl tugged on my (good) arm and whispered, “Mom!  Are you wearing anything under your shirt?!?”  I explained that after you’ve given birth, a nurse seeing you in your bra is absolutely nothing to be embarrassed about. 🙂

The nurse loosened the cast and my poor wrist got some relief.

Another night of sleeping with my arm straight up. Awful.

As it turns out, my husband’s old fraternity brother is a wonderful orthopedic surgeon and I was given an immediate appointment the following day. He was kind, knowledgeable, and wonderful. More X rays and then he concluded that my poor elbow was indeed broken. The best news of the day (silver lining) was that he removed my cast! Now I just need to wear a sling. This alone makes everything better. I was honestly going crazy with that cast! I couldn’t do anything. Although I’m now still much more limited in what I can do, I already feel so much more like myself. My next appointment for more X rays is in 2 weeks. Until then, I need to wear the sling, ice it twice a day, and continue to remind my son that he needs to be careful around my entire left arm 🙂

Last night I changed his diaper for the first time since all of this happened and it made me cry because it hurt so much. How on earth does one change a diaper completely one handed?!? Just one of the many things I will need to figure out when Jon goes back to work in a few days…

Speaking of, here I need to give a major shout out to Jon. He has literally done EVERYTHING around here and I couldn’t be more thankful. “In sickness and in health” has definitely been the theme in our house this week and I’m incredibly fortunate to have him by my side. I would be so lost without him.

My best friends were (are) so worried about me! They bought me lunch, took me shopping, and made me smile. As usual, laughter really is the best medicine. We missed you, Beth!

Happy New Year 🙂 My plans tonight have definitely changed but still spending them with the same people is truly all that matters. It’s my dear friend Bari’s birthday today! We were supposed to go to a nice restaurant for dinner, ice skating, and then a super fun dessert all in a crowded and awesome area with our families tonight. Now our plans have shifted to something much more low key but still super fun…a Japanese steakhouse. Perfect and safer for one armed me!

2018 was an absolutely fantastic year in so many ways. I had planned on doing a yearly blog recap post today but I had also planned on having 2 working arms today so there you go 🙂

As we are heading into the new year, I am definitely taking time to reflect on all of the positive things and people in my life. Although clearly this is not how I was planning on ending the year, I do truly realize how much worse this could be. I’m thankful for so many things in my life…this will hopefully just be a minor setback and I’ll be able to move on from all of this soon.

Bring it on, 2019! I’m ready for you. Sling and all.

Xo,

Jenny

 

 

 

4 Books I Started but Didn’t Care to Finish {Part 1}

Hi Friends!

How was your weekend?  Remember on Friday when I was excited that we had 3 Hanukkah parties to attend this past weekend???  2 words: sick toddler.  1 party got rescheduled for next week (it was supposed to be at our house), 1 party was attended by my daughter and I, and the last party was attended by my husband and my daughter.  Not at all how I envisioned our fun family weekend to be but sometimes that’s life, right?  My little boy seems to be feeling much better today!  I hated seeing him like that.  Poor thing.

I posted a photo on Instagram from the 1 party I actually went to:

My best friend’s mom has this beautiful tradition where everyone who attends her party brings their own menorah and we all light them together.  There’s something so magical about watching the menorah candles glow and seeing so many at once is absolutely one of my favorite holiday traditions every year.  This year was extra interesting because one of the menorahs next to me fell over with all of it’s lit candles and I grabbed it just in time before anything or anyone got burned!  #hanukkahherojenny

After I wrote this post Let’s Chat: How Long Until You Officially Abandon A Book? I received so many responses and it got me thinking…There are SO many books that I have abandoned before finishing.  I hate doing that but sometimes it’s just necessary.  As I’ve said before, there are way too many amazing books out there to be stuck reading something you don’t love!

Welcome to the first installment of a new series I will be doing from time to time called “4 Books I Started but Didn’t Care to Finish”!

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This post contains affiliate links. I receive a small commission if you purchase through these links. I obviously wouldn’t recommend buying ANY of these books but if you do…I would be thankful if you could do it through my links, lol 😉

Let’s dive right in…

Where’d You Go, Bernadette: A Novel

People RAVE about this book.  All the time.  I was so excited to read it!  I made it about 50 pages in before I called it quits.  Why do people love this one so much?  I absolutely hated the writing style.

One Day (Vintage Contemporaries)

I LOVE the synopsis of this book. I tried…so hard…hated it.  Everything about it.  From page 1.  Broke my heart because I so wanted to love it.  I even went back and tried again!  Still couldn’t get into it. Ugh.

Twilight (The Twilight Saga, Book 1)

I liked it.  It was fine.  I didn’t LOVE it…and about a quarter of the way through, I called it quits.  Would it have gotten better?  I’m sure it would have!  I just was a bit too bored to stick around to find out.  Eh.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (Millennium Series)

Oh dear lord did I DESPISE this book from the very first sentence on the very first page.  Again, see this post for details: Let’s Chat: How Long Until You Officially Abandon A Book?  I’m going to go ahead and call this my LEAST favorite book I’ve ever read.  Of all time. In my entire life. And I have read A LOT of books.  I was so sure I would love it that I bought all 3 books in the series before I even opened the cover of the first one. I sold all 3 the following summer for $1 each at my garage sale. I will gladly take $3.00 over owning these 3 books any day!

I would love to hear your thoughts.  What books have you started but didn’t care to finish?  Have you read any of the above books?  Did you like them?  Let’s discuss in the comments!

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