Tag: #bookblogger

One of the Worst Books I’ve Ever Read

Today feels like FALL here and it’s making me so happy.  It’s cold, rainy, dreary, and…perfect.  I love fall so much.

(I’m totally one of those people who have a porch goose and I change her outfit every few weeks based upon holidays, seasons, etc. This is her current “fall look”).

My husband has a (ridiculously) strong aversion to anything cinnamon.  Hates the taste, hates the smell, hates everything about it.  Who on Earth hates cinnamon?!?  Insane.  I could eat it by the spoonful, lol. He can’t even be around the smell which makes this time of year a bit tricky for me as I’m obsessed with anything cinnamon!  If you have been following me for any length of time, you know that I light candles pretty much daily and I looooove a good seasonal candle.  I’m DYING to light a pumpkin spiced candle over here!  I’ve been hunting for the perfect fall candle for months in anticipation for a day just like today.  I have a few apple scented ones (eh), some campfire scented ones (eh), but nothing truly FALL because fall means cinnamon.  I came across this one at Homegoods last week all mixed in with their other fall candles and although it’s a bit “citrusy” for this time of year, I’m pretending that it’s fall enough because apparently Homegoods does.

Anyone have any fall (non cinnamon) candle recommendations for me?

From Instagram:

Happy Fall, Happy Rosh Hashanah to those who celebrate, and Happy Belated National Coffee Day!  A true season of happiness 🙂

After I published my last post discussing one of the best books I’ve ever read, I thought it would be fun to write a post about one of the WORST books I’ve ever read.  I have read A LOT of books…like, a lot.  Some I loved, some I hated, some fell somewhere in between.

Today I give you an example of a book that I absolutely hated.

Landline By: Rainbow Rowell

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Georgie McCool knows her marriage is in trouble; it has been in trouble for a long time. She still loves her husband, Neal, and Neal still loves her, deeply — but that almost seems beside the point now.

Maybe that was always beside the point.

Two days before they’re supposed to visit Neal’s family in Omaha for Christmas, Georgie tells Neal that she can’t go. She’s a TV writer, and something’s come up on her show; she has to stay in Los Angeles. She knows that Neal will be upset with her — Neal is always a little upset with Georgie — but she doesn’t expect him to pack up the kids and go home without her.

When her husband and the kids leave for the airport, Georgie wonders if she’s finally done it. If she’s ruined everything.

That night, Georgie discovers a way to communicate with Neal in the past. It’s not time travel, not exactly, but she feels like she’s been given an opportunity to fix her marriage before it starts…

Is that what she’s supposed to do?

Or would Georgie and Neal be better off if their marriage never happened?

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)

This book won the 2014 Goodreads Choice Award for Best Fiction.  As soon as the results were posted, I immediately went to the library to check this one out.

Ummm….HOW did this win???

I literally hated every single second of this book.  The synopsis promises that there’s no time travel…and yet the entire book is about time travel?  If I’m being very honest, the details of this book escape me (not the sign of a remarkable piece of literature) but the feeling of complete confusion over the time travel is exactly what I remember about this book.  I couldn’t wait for it to end, I hated every second.  The one and only reason that I didn’t abandon it midway through reading was the fact that it won such a prestigious award.

The good news is that although I HATED this book, it’s actually not my MOST hated book of all time!  You can read this post to see which book I hated most of all.

Bottom Line:

I now take the Goodreads Choice Awards with a grain of salt. As should you.

Xo,

Jenny

Did you read this book?  What did you think?  What is one of your most hated books of all time? I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!

I hated this book…but you might not! 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

This blog is my favorite hobby and I would so love your support!  Here are ways you can help my blog to GROW:

*Please share this page with your book and blog loving friends!*

*Subscribe with your email address to my blog (scroll all the way to the bottom of this page on mobile devices OR check the top right of this screen to enter your email address)*

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One of the Best Books I’ve Ever Read

I knew just from reading the synopsis that I would love this book but I had no idea that it would gain a coveted spot as one of the best books I’ve ever read (quite possibly THE best book I’ve ever read).

If you haven’t yet read this book, you MUST.  Today.  It’s such a beautiful book in every way and I absolutely loved reading it.

I laughed, I sobbed, and I felt everything in between while reading this beautiful story. This book took me on such an emotional roller coaster…I absolutely loved it.

Synopsis from Goodreads:

A dazzling, multigenerational novel in which the four adult daughters of a Chicago couple–still madly in love after forty years–recklessly ignite old rivalries until a long-buried secret threatens to shatter the lives they’ve built.

When Marilyn Connolly and David Sorenson fall in love in the 1970s, they are blithely ignorant of all that’s to come. By 2016, their four radically different daughters are each in a state of unrest: Wendy, widowed young, soothes herself with booze and younger men; Violet, a litigator-turned-stay-at-home-mom, battles anxiety and self-doubt when the darkest part of her past resurfaces; Liza, a neurotic and newly tenured professor, finds herself pregnant with a baby she’s not sure she wants by a man she’s not sure she loves; and Grace, the dawdling youngest daughter, begins living a lie that no one in her family even suspects. Above it all, the daughters share the lingering fear that they will never find a love quite like their parents’.

As the novel moves through the tumultuous year following the arrival of Jonah Bendt–given up by one of the daughters in a closed adoption fifteen years before–we are shown the rich and varied tapestry of the Sorensons’ past: years marred by adolescence, infidelity, and resentment, but also the transcendent moments of joy that make everything else worthwhile.

Spanning nearly half a century, and set against the quintessential American backdrop of Chicago and its prospering suburbs, Lombardo’s debut explores the triumphs and burdens of love, the fraught tethers of parenthood and sisterhood, and the baffling mixture of affection, abhorrence, resistance, and submission we feel for those closest to us. In painting this luminous portrait of a family’s becoming, Lombardo joins the ranks of writers such as Celeste Ng, Elizabeth Strout, and Jonathan Franzen as visionary chroniclers of our modern lives.

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)

5 Stars

If you follow me on Instagram, you know that I spent all summer not so patiently waiting for my turn to read this book. It had been on my radar since last spring and I couldn’t wait for it to be released! However, I ultimately made the classic booknerd mistake and the release date (6.25.19) somehow slipped right through my fingers! Ugh! I was innocently shopping at Costco when I made the unfortunate discovery that this had been released. I took out my phone on the spot and immediately went straight to my library’s website to gain my place on the waitlist. #43. Awful. As you know, I’m a proud minimalist and reaaaaally didn’t want to buy a copy…so #43 on the list for me it was.

Ugh.

I checked that website allllllll summer for updates and slowly, slowly, slowly my name moved up on the list.

**If I would have known how much I was going to love it, I would have just bought the book :)**

It was a happy day indeed when the library called to tell me that my copy was waiting! I wasted no time and started reading that very night.

This review is tough for me to write. How can I put into words how much I absolutely LOVED this book? Hands down one of the best books I’ve ever read. In my entire life. And I’ve read A LOT of books 😉

Warning: This book is LONG. Almost 540 pages. Don’t let that intimidate you! I would have happily read 600 more pages once I finished. How can some 200 page books draaaaag on and yet this 540 page book was completely effortless to read?

The writing in this book was simply beautiful. She was able to tell stories from so many different points of view throughout so many timeframes and continuously connected all of the stories, characters, and timelines together. That takes some major literary talent. Everything about this book absolutely blew me away.

Fans of the television shows “This is Us” and “Parenthood” will LOVE this book. I often think that certain books would make excellent movies but this one would be an AMAZING television series! Or…a book series. There are so many rich storylines and so many colorful characters. I firmly feel as though I’m not ready to say good-bye to the Sorenson Family quite yet.

There were numerous nights when I stayed up way too late reading this book and numerous mornings when I woke up early just to read.  I finished reading last night and have not stopped thinking about these characters (the sign of an amazing book).

Side note: I absolutely loved all of the Chicago references! Street names, places, etc. All of them just added to the wonderful experience of reading this beautiful story.  I currently live in a suburb of Chicago but did live in the city for 8 years.  Best city in the world.

This was Claire Lombardo’s debut book…I can’t WAIT to see what she will write in the future. What she was able to accomplish in 1 book is something many authors never achieve in their entire careers.

Brilliant.

Bottom Line:

Truly one of the best books I’ve ever read.

Xo,

Jenny

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

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

This blog is my favorite hobby and I would so love your support!  Here are ways you can help my blog to GROW:

*Please share this page with your book and blog loving friends!*

*Subscribe with your email address to my blog (scroll all the way to the bottom of this page on mobile devices OR check the top right of this screen to enter your email address)*

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*”Like” my Facebook page (and please comment on, “like”, and share my posts)*

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5 Awesome Psychological Thrillers

I LOVE a good psychological thriller.  It is hands down one of my all time favorite genres.  There is nothing better than a twisty plot that takes you on such a ride that your heart starts beating at triple speed and you never even saw any of it coming!  The BEST.

From Wikipedia:

Psychological thriller is a thriller narrative which emphasizes the unstable or delusional psychological states of its characters. In terms of context and convention, it is a subgenre of the broader ranging thriller narrative structure,[1] with similarities to Gothic and detective fiction in the sense of sometimes having a “dissolving sense of reality”. It is often told through the viewpoint of psychologically stressed characters, revealing their distorted mental perceptions and focusing on the complex and often tortured relationships between obsessive and pathological characters.[2] Psychological thrillers often incorporate elements of mystery, drama, action, and paranoia. Not to be confused with psychological horror, which involves more terror than psychosomatic themes.

HELL.  YES.

The latest psychological thriller that I read and LOVED was this one.  Omg that book was so amazing.  If you can somehow manage to get your hands on a copy (it was just released last month), I highly recommend it!  Stop whatever you are reading and read this one STAT.  You’re welcome.

However…if your library waitlist is long or your local bookstore is sold out of this incredible new release, I’ve got you covered 🙂

While you are waiting to get your hands on a copy, here are 5 (older) psychological thrillers that I also loved which should be a bit easier to get your hands on:

The Good Girl

I just love Mary Kubica so much.

The Couple Next Door

Read it in 2 days.  Literally couldn’t put it down.

Gone Girl

One of the very few times where the movie was just as good as the book!  I LOVED the book, I LOVED the movie.  I think they did such a good job bringing this one to the big screen (and I RARELY say that)!  Awesome story.

The Woman in Cabin 10

I suspect that this one may be a bit hard to find right now as everyone is scrambling to read anything by Ruth Ware!  This one was great.

Behind Closed Doors

Another one that I finished in 2 days.  AWESOME book.

Have you read any of these books?  Did you love them like I did?  If you haven’t read any of these…do any of them sound interesting to you?  What are other psychological thrillers that you recommend?  I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments!

Xo,

Jenny

This blog is my favorite hobby and I would so love your support!  Here are ways you can help my blog to GROW:

*Please share this page with your book and blog loving friends!*

*Subscribe with your email address to my blog (scroll all the way to the bottom of this page on mobile devices OR check the top right of this screen to enter your email address)*

*If you already have a blog, please “follow” mine*

*”Like” my Facebook page (and please comment on, “like”, and share my posts)*

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A Smile for You

My husband took my daughter to a farmer’s market and she picked out flowers to give to me 🙂 I’m obsessed with the color pink and they are the most gorgeous flowers I have ever owned in my home!  They were HUGE, I cut them down to fit in my favorite Kate Spade vase.  My dining room table now resembles a table at a wedding reception. Every time I walk into the room, these beautiful flowers make me smile….

….so I wanted to share them with you.  Hope this makes you smile today, too 🙂

I’ll be back later this week to discuss books!

Anyone know what type of flowers these are???  LOVE.

Xo,

Jenny

This blog is my favorite hobby and I would so love your support!  Here are ways you can help my blog to GROW:

*Please share this page with your book and blog loving friends!*

*Subscribe with your email address to my blog (scroll all the way to the bottom of this page on mobile devices OR check the top right of this screen to enter your email address)*

*If you already have a blog, please “follow” mine*

*”Like” my Facebook page (and please comment on, “like”, and share my posts)*

*Follow me on Instagram*

*Follow me on Twitter*

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*Clicking and buying products through my Amazon Affiliate links.  The cost to you is exactly the same and I receive a tiny commission off of your purchases.*

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Happy 1st Birthday to Book Coffee Happy!

I have been faithfully reading other people’s blogs every single day since 2007. I absolutely love them and have always wanted one my own…a place to create, share, and have fun. Exactly 1 year ago on September 10, 2018, I decided to take the plunge and officially introduce my blog that I had previously quietly been working on to the world. Its scary to put yourself out there like that and I’m so thankful that I did.

Happy 1st Birthday, Book Coffee Happy!

When I first started blogging, I had a grand total of 6 readers. My husband, my parents, and my 3 best friends. 1 year later and I have 644 blog followers, 1,228 Instagram followers, 663 Facebook followers, and 472 Twitter followers. I also have a YouTube channel with a handful of subscribers 🙂 I’m thankful to each and every person who is following me on all platforms in this blogging journey.

1 year ago today…

It’s the best hobby I’ve ever had. I’ve learned so much…I created a website and actively keep it running for an entire year which is something I never thought I could do! I’m incredibly proud of that and this 1 year anniversary truly feels like a celebration to me.  I’m a big believer in always trying to learn new things and this blog has most definitely been a learning experience for me.

It hasn’t been easy (thank God for Google searches, YouTube how to videos, and WordPress tech supporters) but it’s been so worth it. This space is something I’m so proud of. It’s good for me and has given me such a fun and the creative outlet to share my love of reading alongside bits of my personal life.

One of the hardest parts of blogging is the fact that I’m such a perfectionist and this is all so new to me.  I’m learning while publicly publishing posts which aren’t always 100 percent perfect.  But that’s life, right?  This blog is a reflection of me…and I am most definitely NOT 100 percent perfect 🙂  I’ve given myself the grace to make mistakes over this past year which is definitely NOT something that has been easy for me.  I’ve also learned that presenting something with mistakes is better than not presenting anything at all. And this applies to so much more than just blogging 🙂

Over the past year, this blog has opened up so many doors for me and has given me some truly amazing experiences:

I have been sent a total of 19 Books to read, review, and host giveaways for on my blog:

(Full blog review and giveaway of The Unbreakables By Lisa Barr coming soon!)

I attended Lit Fest 2019

I attended the Midwest Writers Association Meeting

I was offered a job leading storytime at Whimsy Play Cafe in Buffalo Grove twice a week (the cafe owner was a blog reader!) Here’s a (very blurry) link to see what I do there:

I loved the interaction from other bloggers/vloggers on THIS POST  and on THIS POST. I found so many new blogs/vlogs to love!  If you are a blogger or a vlogger, feel free to add your link to each of those posts.

I enjoyed rounding up some favorite books to include on my Spring Break 2019 Book Recommendation List and also on my Pregnancy/New Parents/Baby Shower Gifts Recommendation List.

You can read my very post blog post HERE!  It’s super impersonal, lol.

At this time last year I had no idea how to use Instagram or Twitter. 1 year later and I’m LOVING Instagram! I post a new Instagram story at least once a day (usually multiple times throughout the day) and it’s FUN. It’s a fun place for me to actually talk about day to day life in videos as opposed to written words.  Love it!  As for Twitter, I’m still over here trying to figure it all out, lol…work in progress 🙂

Aaaaaaand along with the amazing experiences this year also came some not so amazing experiences.  My broken elbow, my food poisioning which turned out to be a horrific stomach flu, and my car accident all top that unfortunate list.  Ugh.

For every person who has commented on a blog post, clicked the “like” button, commented, or shared on a Facebook post, mentioned me in an Instagram story, retweeted my tweets on Twitter, or interacted with me in any other way on social media…thank you. All of these things will help my hobby to GROW and I’m incredibly thankful to you.

For every author who has reached out and has so graciously offered to send me a copy of their book to review and share with my readers…thank you!

For every person who has purchased something through my Amazon affiliate links…thank you.

And most importantly, for every person who has recommended my blog to a fellow book lover…thank you.

I have met some lovely people and have made some lovely new friends as a result of this blog!  I’ve even had people come up to me in public and introduce themselves as blog readers!  I LOVE THAT!  Just 3 days ago, a lady came up to me at a local park and introduced herself because she recognized me from my Disney video 🙂

To my very first blog readers: Jon, Mom, Dad, Amy, Barbara, and Beth…I love you all so much!

Jon, you were the very first person I told that I wanted to do this and I said, “Want to hear a crazy idea?  I think I want to start writing a blog!” and you said, “I don’t think that’s crazy at all, I think you should and I think you’d be great!” Thank you for believing in me and for supporting me. Thank you for working so hard and providing for our family which in turn then allows me the opportunity to write this blog.  I love you so much 🙂

And lastly…my children. I have never shown their faces or said their names on here which has been HARD. I am literally obsessed with my kids and I’m a Stay at Home Mom so writing this blog without including them feels like I’m sharing myself but without sharing my heart. Maybe one day I will introduce you to them but for now, thank you for respecting their privacy. Spoiler: They are the 2 most gorgeous kids on Earth.

 

 

 

My favorite posts are hands down the ones about my personal life:

My (Now Ruined) Favorite Library

My Birthday

Walt Disney World Vacation

My 3 Best Friends and My Amazing College Experience

Reading at the Ronald McDonald House

Michigan Getaway with Jon

I’ve blogged about some amazing books over the past year, made some lovely new friends over the past year, and have successfully accomplished something that has always been such a dream for me.

I have so many ideas, plans, and goals for this space moving forward. I can’t wait to make them happen.

Happy 1st Birthday, Book Coffee Happy!

And because…well, life…

I was so excited to eat my perfect looking blog birthday cupcake but was struggling with how to eat it with my son sound asleep on me. I took this selfie and literally 1 second later…

The blog birthday cupcake toppled off the plate and landed frosting side down directly on top of both of us. My husband (who was sitting next to us) immediately jumped up, saved the cupcake, cleaned everything up, got me a fork, and told me that maybe this should tell me to stop taking so many selfies.

Side Note: I’ll never stop taking selfies.

The deconstructed version of the perfect blog birthday cupcake was delicious and my son stayed asleep throughout the whole ordeal.

Next year’s newest blog goal: to eat Book Coffee Happy’s 2nd birthday cupcake whole and without having to use a fork 🙂

Happy 1st Birthday, Book Coffee Happy!

Birthdays include gifts. The gift I would love would be to hear the title of a book you have read and loved which you discovered because of my blog! Please comment here on this blog post, Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter…wherever!  I can’t wait to see which books I have introduced you to! My heart will be so happy to know that I’ve done that for you 🙂

Xo,

Jenny

This blog is my favorite hobby and I would so love your support!  Here are ways you can help my blog to GROW:

*Please share this page with your book and blog loving friends!*

*Subscribe with your email address to my blog (scroll all the way to the bottom of this page on mobile devices OR check the top right of this screen to enter your email address)*

*If you already have a blog, please “follow” mine*

*”Like” my Facebook page (and please comment on, “like”, and share my posts)*

*Follow me on Instagram*

*Follow me on Twitter*

*Subscribe to my YouTube channel*

*Clicking and buying products through my Amazon Affiliate links.  The cost to you is exactly the same and I receive a tiny commission off of your purchases.*

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Don’t Ever Judge a Book By It’s Cover…Except for This One.

Being in a book rut is the worst.  Although I didn’t love this book, at least I enjoyed it enough to finish and review it!  Overall, it was just eh…not great, not horrible.

Before I get into my feelings on this book, I just want to thank all of you SO MUCH for your responses to my last post.  That day truly was such a beautiful experience and it ended in such an awful way.  I still don’t have my SUV back…apparently the damages to it were quite involved.  Ugh.  I’ve said it a million times since this happened and I’ll say it once more:  This could have all been SO MUCH worse!  I’m extraordinarily thankful that it wasn’t.  Your comments and messages were absolutely lovely and I am thankful for each and every one of them, thank you all so much!

And now…on to my review of a very mediocre book, lol:

(Above book image is an affiliate link)

Synopsis from Goodreads:

THE WIFE: For Alice, life has never been better. With her second husband, she has a successful business, two children, and a beautiful house.

HER HUSBAND: Alice knows that life could have been different if her first husband had lived, but Nathan’s arrival into her life gave her back the happiness she craved.

HER BEST FRIEND: Through the ups and downs of life, from celebratory nights out to comforting each other through loss, Alice knows that with her best friend Beth by her side, they can survive anything together. So when Nathan starts acting strangely, Alice turns to Beth for help. But soon, Alice begins to wonder whether her trust has been misplaced . . .

The first mistake could be her last.

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)

3 Stars

Eh.

I like going into a book with at least a BIT of understanding of what the book will be about.  The above synopsis is exactly what is written on the back of the book…and it’s so vague!  Even before I started reading, I was confused about what this book was going to be about.  Turns out, my feelings were valid.

Even the cover of this book is confusing, lol.  I have an ARC (advanced reader copy) so the final version doesn’t look like this…but this version?  Super weird.  I get that they are trying to market this is a creative way but unfortunately it’s just so random.  The front is all creepy with this random removable 2 sided card. Check this out:

So then you take out the card, flip it over, and you are able to learn the title and the author of the book you’re holding.

So then you open the cover and…Ta Da!  The actual book cover…???

Weird.  My daughter was all, “Are you reading a book all about roses?”  I wasn’t even sure how to answer her because I’M not even sure what this book was truly about, lol.

This book had WAY too many characters, storylines (especially insignificant ones), and timelines.  It was confusing at times!  A few of the twists I figured out before I was supposed to, a few I didn’t.  None of them were completely shocking.  Not nearly as much character development for certain characters as there were for others.  Overall just kind of eh.

The ending was abrupt, unrealistic, and unsatisfying.  Kind of like the rest of the book 🙂  Also, there were parts of the ending which absolutely INFURIATED me.

HOWEVER, this random covered book held my interest enough for me to keep reading until the very end.  This is more than I can say for the last 2 books I’ve read so at least there’s that!

I posted this on Facebook 2 days ago:

I will say this: I didn’t love this book but I DID love the kind gesture of my friend Melissa (from Chick Lit Central) sharing it with me!  If you haven’t yet visited Chick Lit Central, you are in for such a treat, it’s wonderful 🙂  XO Melissa!!!  Thank you for your kindness and for your friendship:)

Bottom Line:

If you are looking to read a Sandie Jones book, I would definitely recommend reading this one instead.

Xo,

Jenny

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

This blog is my favorite hobby and I would so love your support!  Here are ways you can help my blog to GROW:

*Please share this page with your book and blog loving friends!*

*Subscribe with your email address to my blog (scroll all the way to the bottom of this page on mobile devices OR check the top right of this screen to enter your email address)*

*If you already have a blog, please “follow” mine*

*”Like” my Facebook page (and please comment on, “like”, and share my posts)*

*Follow me on Instagram*

*Follow me on Twitter*

*Subscribe to my YouTube channel*

*Clicking and buying products through my Amazon Affiliate links.  The cost to you is exactly the same and I receive a tiny commission off of your purchases.*

*Leaving a positive review on my Facebook page*

Obviously I didn’t love it…but you might!  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 Rut, Bachelorette, Laundry Basket Reading, New Food Find, I’m Terrified

Well.  Being in a book rut has allowed me the special opportunity to do something I truly didn’t think was ever going to happen. Over the past few weeks, I have watched TEN episodes of The Bachelorette and officially finished the finale this morning!  I had pretty much written it off thinking there was no way I could catch up…and then I started reading books that I hated and…BAM…I suddenly had tons of free time to spend watching Hannah B.!

Side note: I am usually WEEKS (sometimes months) behind on all shows because any free time I have is usually devoted to books!

I promise not to give anything away but I WILL say that I think Hannah might be my least favorite bachelorette of all time and she continuously sent home all of the wrong people throughout the season.  I’m now on pins and needles waiting to see who the next Bachelor will be!  Come on, ABC!  Announce it already!  I’ll write who I’m hoping for in the comments below.  There are 2 men I would so LOVE to see as the Bachelor!

I have zero pictures of me reading since I clearly haven’t been…but I DO have a picture of my children reading together in a laundry basket so here you go, lol.  At least some people in this house have been reading!

As for what I’m going to read next, I’m still deciding.  Thank you all so much for sending me your book suggestions!  As much as I would love to take a trip to the library, I really should read the books I have here so I can get them out of my house!

And since I really have nothing to say about books and this post is so completely random…here is my newest food obsession from Trader Joe’s:

Have you tried this?!?  Boil for 6 minutes, toss with a little bit of olive oil, and dinner is  served.  DELICIOUS.  My husband hates the smell, my daughter hates the taste, and my son won’t even look at it.  I’m OBSESSED.  It’s so good (and beautiful)!

And finally (again nothing to do with books), I posted this on my personal Facebook account a few days ago and it’s too amazing not to share.  My sweet, beautiful, loving  2nd grade daughter brought this home from school…

What.  The.  HELL?!?

I’m going to find something around here to read and crack it open tonight…send prayers that my book rut will officially end asap!!!

This is truly the most random post I’ve written since I started blogging 🙂  Thanks for sticking around…fingers crossed I’ll have some literary reflections for you soon!

Did you watch The Bachelorette?  What were your thoughts?  Who do you want to be the next Bachelor?

Xo,

Jenny

This blog is my favorite hobby and I would so love your support!  Here are ways you can help my blog to GROW:

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What Are YOU Currently Reading?

Hi Friends!

Over the past 9 months I have shared alllllll of my feelings on books.  I have updated you on what I’ve been currently reading, books I have read in the past, and books that I can’t wait to read in the future.

Today it’s your turn 🙂

I want to hear from YOU!  In the comments below, tell me what YOU are currently reading!  I love posts like these because people feed off each other and learn about some great books.  I will often host discussions like this on my Facebook page but I’ve never done one on my blog…today is the day!

Please comment down below with the book title that you are currently reading.  Feel free to share your thoughts on it but absolutely NO SPOILERS!  Don’t be that person who ruins books for other people (aka my enemies)…

Have fun with this!  The more people who comment the more book ideas we can all get.  Absolutely feel free to reply to other comments as well!

I’ll leave the first comment…although the jury is still out on whether or not I will end up recommending this book once I finish.  IF I finish…Ugh.

Xo,

Jenny

What I Read, What I’m Reading, The Book I Can’t WAIT to Read, and 3 Giveaway Winners!

Happy Friday!

If you follow my Instagram Stories, you already know that yesterday morning I finished reading this book:

LOVED. IT. One of the best books I’ve read in 2019! There will be a full review and giveaway coming soon…stay tuned 🙂

I started reading this one which has been on my list for months:

Have you read either of these? I would love to hear your (spoiler free) thoughts in the comments!

As for the book that I can’t WAIT to read…I’m still waiting.  And I’m annoyed.  I’ve been waiting for this book to finally be released and now that it has…I’m still waiting.  I WANT TO READ THIS ONE SO BADLY!  Ugh.  From my Instagram stories:

Hidden Treasure Giveaway Winners:

Thank you to everyone who entered the Hidden Treasure Giveaway! Congratulations to:

Jackie (I have found lots of goodies to use in my classroom at garage sales.)

Sheri (I found a great glittery silver shirt in college that became my “going out” shirt.)

Valerie (Thanks for helping me learn about this book series – it sounds wonderful! I’ve found so many beautiful books at thrift stores, but one of my favorite recent finds was a 14-DVD set of a treasured British tv show (Larkrise to Candleford). It retails on Amazon for $70 and I paid $2.99!!)

Ladies, email me your mailing address if you are located in the US or your email address if you are located internationally (bookcoffeehappy@gmail.com) and you will receive your signed copies asap!  Enjoy 🙂

I hope you have a wonderful weekend filled with lots of laughter, love…and books!

Xo,

Jenny

8 Ways You Can Help Support Book Coffee Happy:

1. Subscribe with your email address to my blog (scroll all the way to the bottom of this page on mobile devices OR check the top right of this screen to enter your email address)

2. If you already have a blog, please “follow” mine

3. “Like” my Facebook page (and please comment on, “like”, and share my posts)

4. Follow me on Instagram

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7. Clicking and buying products through my Amazon Affiliate links.  The cost to you is exactly the same and I receive a tiny commission off of your purchases.

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Click each image 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


Book Series Review: Slightly Series {Wendy Markham}

Wendy Markham’s Slightly Series is an adorable book series.  I have my review below but first…

Happy Monday!  How was your weekend?

Ours was filled with family time, pool time, and friends time.  AKA: perfection!  As I posted on Instagram, I baked these cupcakes for my besties and their families over the weekend and they were a hit!

I love baking 🙂

As I was thinking of a book to review for you today, I remembered this adorable book series that I LOVED reading many years ago.  Have you heard of this series?

There are 5 total books in Wendy Markham’s Slightly Series:

Book 1: Slightly Single

Book 2: Slightly Settled

Book 3: Slightly Engaged

Book 4: Slightly Married

Book 5: Slightly Suburban

Synopsis from Goodreads:

(This is the synopsis from Book #1: Slightly Single)

A heat wave in Manhattan is enough to drive a girl crazy, and for Tracey Spadolini, a 24-year old New York transplant who’s been “left behind” for the summer, there’s even more to sweat about. Her Slightly Significant Other, Will, will be returning from summer stock in September, to pick up where they left off. (Or will he?)

But, in the days after Will’s departure, Tracey decides it’s time for a reality check. Her un-air-conditioned East Village apartment is a dump, her entry-level ad job sucks, her thighs don’t seem to be getting any thinner, and Will seems to have dropped off the face of the earth. So, Tracey, with the help of her friends and one very attentive guy, decides to spend her summer reinventing herself . . . and taking a chance on liking the new woman she becomes.

A refreshingly honest account of universal female dilemmas, Slightly Single is an engaging story of one young woman’s search for happiness.

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)

I read this entire series over the course of a few weeks riiiiiiiight around the time I got engaged, planning my wedding, and was house hunting in suburbia while trying to sell my “single girl” condo in the city.  It was the PERFECT time to read these books and I loved going through all of the major life milestones right alongside the main character (not a spoiler…see book titles above).

My personal life was an amazing whirlwind between 2009 and 2010.  I got engaged, planned my wedding, sold my condo in Chicago, moved back home with my parents in the suburbs for 3 months, got married, went on our honeymoon, closed on our house 3 days after we returned, moved in with Jon in his apartment in Chicago, and finally…we left the city together and moved into our suburban home.  All while working full time.  It was such a crazy, stressful, exhausting, and AMAZING chapter in my life!

I LOVED reading this book series throughout that time!  I bought the first 3 books all at once knowing I was going to love them…and I so did.  The bookstore didn’t have the other 2 books in stock and so I immediately ordered them online (Fun Fact: I believe this to be my very first ever online purchase (it was 2009), lol).

Much like with this series, I do have to wonder if I would love these books as much today now that I’m in my (very early) 40’s as much as I did when I was in my (very early) 30’s???  I don’t remember specific details of these books but I believe a major part of the appeal was that the characters were experiencing all of life’s major milestones right along side me.

Bottom Line:

Light, cute, easy reads…especially if you are in the middle of these major life milestones.

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

Check back here on Wednesday….I have an INTERNATIONAL GIVEAWAY that I’ll be hosting for an adorable book!  Can’t wait!

Xo,

Jenny

8 Ways You Can Help Support Book Coffee Happy:

1. Subscribe with your email address to my blog (scroll all the way to the bottom of this page on mobile devices OR check the top right of this screen to enter your email address)

2. If you already have a blog, please “follow” mine

3. “Like” my Facebook page (and please comment on, “like”, and share my posts)

4. Follow me on Instagram

5. Follow me on Twitter

6. Subscribe to my YouTube channel

7. Clicking and buying products through my Amazon Affiliate links.  The cost to you is exactly the same and I receive a tiny commission off of your purchases.

8. Leaving a positive review on my Facebook page

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