Tag: covid

Disney, Covid, and The Book I’m Not Reading

Disney, Covid, and The Book I’m Not Reading

HAPPY NEW YEAR! I hope you all had a lovely end to your holiday season and a wonderful start to 2024! 

When I last left you, it was the final day of Blogmas! I absolutely loved participating in Blogmas again and I’ve already started working on Blogmas 2024 🙂

Disney

Disney World was amazing!! We saw it all, we did it all, we ate it all. All 4 parks, all the best rides, fireworks, parade, Disney Springs…all of it. So much fun! I learned a RIDICULOUS amount on this trip and at some point I want to make another video of all of my tips and tricks. Hopefully I can film that soon before Disney goes and makes changes as they always seem to be doing!

Disney was awesome and then Daytona Beach was beautiful. We took a dinner boat cruise, played in the ocean, took an airboat tour through the swamp, held an alligator (!), swam in the pool, relaxed in the hot tub, and so much more.

And then the night before our flight back home…

I got Covid.

Fucking Covid

Well shit.

I found this random blurry picture on my camera roll as I was looking through finding pictures for this post! Longest drive home ever.

I spent New Year’s Eve quarantined in our bedroom while my family celebrated together downstairs. It was lonely and I fell asleep somewhere around 10:00…but when the fireworks woke me at midnight, I was able to yell Happy New Year to my family from my bed. No midnight kisses for me!

Thankfully I’m now feeling 100 percent back to normal and can finally find some time to sit down to work on my little blog. I have some fun things planned for Book Coffee Happy in 2024 and I’m ready to GOOOOO!

What I’m Reading

I started listening to this audiobook last week! Aaaaaaand about an hour and a half in, I stopped listening to it. Just not for me. No real thoughts other than the story just didn’t grab me and I HATED the audiobook narrators voices so much. Combine those reasons aaaaaand….moving on. I had actually checked out the book from the library but then started listening to the audiobook version of it before I sat down to read it!

Goodreads Synopsis of The List {Yomi Adegoke}:

Ola Olajide, a celebrated journalist at Womxxxn magazine, is set to marry the love of her life in one month’s time. Young, beautiful, and successful—she and her fiancé Michael are considered the “couple goals” of their social network and seem to have it all. That is, until one morning when they both wake up to the same message: “Oh my god, have you seen The List?”

It began as a crowdsourced collection of names and somehow morphed into an anonymous account posting allegations on social media. Ola would usually be the first to support such a list—she’d retweet it, call for the men to be fired, write article after article. Except this time, Michael’s name is on it.

Compulsively readable, wildly entertaining, and filled with sharp social insight, The List is a piercing and dazzlingly clear-sighted debut about secrets, lies, and the internet. Perfect for fans of Such a Fun Age, Luster, and My Dark Vanessa, this is a searing portrait of these modern times and our morally complicated online culture.

***SIDE NOTE: This synopsis compares this book to My Dark Vanessa…ummmm no. My Dark Vanessa is AWESOME. Read my review (including the book synopsis HERE).***

Have you read this book? What did you think? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!

Xo,

Jenny

**Click HERE 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**

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4 Books I’m NOT Reading and a Covid Update

4 Books I’m NOT Reading and a Covid Update

Our dear friends sent us a get well soon Sugarwish Box last week! We let our son choose the candy types 🙂 CUTEST GIFT!

You can check out the Sugarwish website and how it all works HERE. I have no affiliation with this company but this is one of the most adorable gifts I’ve ever received so I wanted to share!

Greetings from Day #16 of Covid! So in ways I am feeling much better but there are definitely ways in which I am far from feeling normal. I’m still congested, my ears are closed, I’m lightheaded, I’m exhausted, and the fact that my taste or smell is all messed up is DRIVING. ME. CRAZY. But…I have been trying to move on and do normal things because clearly this recovery isn’t going to happen overnight. My doctor now has me on a steroid and an antibiotic so fingers crossed they knock they help me to feel more like myself ASAP! Thank you to all of you who reached out after my LAST POST!

I went to Target 3 days ago and it felt so weird and wonderful to be out in public! A few hours of walking (sauntering?) slowly and aimlessly down the aisles was so amazing and so blissfully needed.

How FUN are these candles?! I have no clue how they smell (stupid Covid) but they are SO, SO CUTE!
I really wanted to buy this t shirt but they didn’t have my size. Absolutely love!

Last night, we went to the most amazing fireworks show that my town put on. They didn’t have fireworks on July 4th out of respect to our neighboring community of Highland Park so they did them last night instead. They were AMAZING!

From Instagram:

So that’s the Covid update! Symptoms still there but trying my hardest to get my life back. I miss my life!

Speaking of my life…how NOT ME is it to have (gasp) overdue library books?!? I’m so ashamed…this is NOT how a Library Hero should act! I must return these 4 books ASAP although I haven’t even cracked open any of the covers. This KILLS me because I was really excited to read all 4 of these…but I just haven’t felt good enough lately to even try. And now they must be returned. SIGH.

**Note: I always at least TRY to make my photos look beautiful…but with how I’m feeling lately, carpet photos at weird angles is literally the very best I can do right now, lol ;)**

Book I’m Not Reading #1:

The Club {Ellery Lloyd}

9 times out of 10, Reese Witherspoon and I do NOT agree on books (THIS book, THIS book, and THIS book are the major exceptions). However, The Club sounds so good that I have high hopes that Reese and I might be able to agree! This book was the 1 of the 4 that I was the most excited to read…hopefully I will soon 🙂

Goodreads Synopsis of The Club {Ellery Lloyd}:

The Home Group is a glamorous collection of celebrity members’ clubs dotted across the globe, where the rich and famous can party hard and then crash out in its five-star suites, far from the prying eyes of fans and the media.

The most spectacular of all is Island Home—a closely-guarded, ultraluxurious resort, just off the English coast—and its three-day launch party is easily the most coveted A-list invite of the decade.

But behind the scenes, tensions are at breaking point: the ambitious and expensive project has pushed the Home Group’s CEO and his long-suffering team to their absolute limits. All of them have something to hide—and that’s before the beautiful people with their own ugly secrets even set foot on the island.

As tempers fray and behavior worsens, as things get more sinister by the hour and the body count piles up, some of Island Home’s members will begin to wish they’d never made the guest list.

Because at this club, if your name’s on the list, you’re not getting out.

Book I’m Not Reading #2:

Greenwich Park {Katherine Faulkner}

I know nothing about this book or this author but it caught my eye on the library shelf weeks ago. It sounds so amazing!

Goodreads Synopsis of Greenwich Park {Katherine Faulkner}:

Helen’s idyllic life—handsome architect husband, gorgeous Victorian house, and cherished baby on the way (after years of trying)—begins to change the day she attends her first prenatal class and meets Rachel, an unpredictable single mother-to-be. Rachel doesn’t seem very maternal: she smokes, drinks, and professes little interest in parenthood. Still, Helen is drawn to her. Maybe Rachel just needs a friend. And to be honest, Helen’s a bit lonely herself. At least Rachel is fun to be with. She makes Helen laugh, invites her confidences, and distracts her from her fears.

But her increasingly erratic behavior is unsettling. And Helen’s not the only one who’s noticed. Her friends and family begin to suspect that her strange new friend may be linked to their shared history in unexpected ways. When Rachel threatens to expose a past crime that could destroy all of their lives, it becomes clear that there are more than a few secrets laying beneath the broad-leaved trees and warm lamplight of Greenwich Park. 

Book I’m Not Reading #3:

An Honest Lie {Tarryn Fisher}

I HATED The Wives (read my review HERE) but I DIDN’T hate Tarryn’s writing style so I was willing to give her newest book a chance…???

Goodreads Synopsis of An Honest Lie {Tarryn Fisher}:

Lorraine—“Rainy”—lives at the top of Tiger Mountain. Remote, moody, cloistered in pine trees and fog, it’s a sanctuary, a new life. She can hide from the disturbing past she wants to forget.

If she’s allowed to.

When Rainy reluctantly agrees to a girls’ weekend in Vegas, she’s prepared for an exhausting parade of shots and slot machines. But after a wild night, her friend Braithe doesn’t come back to the hotel room.

And then Rainy gets the text message, sent from Braithe’s phone: someone has her. But Rainy is who they really want, and Rainy knows why.

What follows is a twisted, shocking journey on the knife-edge of life and death. If she wants to save Braithe—and herself—the only way is to step back into the past.

Book I’m Not Reading #4:

Super Host {Kate Russo}

I’ve seen this book recently reviewed on many book blogs and I think it sounds so wonderful. If you have been reading my blog for awhile, you know that my family LOVES to rent Airbnbs! Over the past 2 years, we have rented them in Michigan, Galena, and of course…the ill fated Google homepage worthy trip to Tennessee, lol.

Goodreads Synopsis of Super Host {Kate Russo}:

Bennett Driscoll is a Turner Prize-nominated artist who was once a rising star. Now, at age fifty-five, his wife has left him, he hasn’t sold a painting in two years, and his gallery wants to stop selling his work, claiming they’ll have more value retrospectively…when he’s dead. So, left with a large West London home and no income, he’s forced to move into his artist’s studio in the back garden and list his house on the popular vacation rental site, AirBed.

A stranger now in his own home, with his daughter, Mia, off at art school, and any new relationships fizzling out at best, Bennett struggles to find purpose in his day-to-day. That all changes when three different guests–lonely American Alicia; tortured artist Emma; and cautiously optimistic divorcée Kirstie–unwittingly unlock the pieces of himself that have been lost to him for too long.

Warm, witty, and utterly humane, Super Host offers a captivating portrait of middle age, relationships, and what it truly means to take a new chance at life.

So there you go…4 books I am NOT reading although fingers crossed I will read them all soon!

I hope you are having a lovely day!

Have you read any of these books? What did you think? I’d love to hear your (ZERO SPOILERS) thoughts in the comments below!

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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The 13 best books I read in 2021 can be found HERE

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I Have Covid.

Fuck.

It took 2.5 years but it finally got me. And man have I been SICK. Throwing up, 102.2 fever, worst headaches, body aches, chills from head to toe, dizzy/lightheaded, so congested, insane cough, complete loss of taste/smell, and probably a million more symptoms that I can’t even think about right now. FREAKING. COVID.

My view. Still have drinking coffee everyday even if I can’t taste it!

Covid. Sucks.

Today is officially Day 11 for me and while so many of my symptoms are better, some most definitely remain (lightheaded, congested, exhausted, ears still closed although not as bad, taste/smell GONE). I have zero energy and everything is exhausting. I think this will just take time! I miss feeling like myself!

Only I would crave a spinach smoothie when I’m sick, lol.

This virus is an absolute BEAST. I am fully vaccinated (and boosted) and I still got this sick! I can’t even begin to imagine how much worst this could have been had I not been vaccinated.

The only coffee I’ve ever had without Splenda. I figured there was no reason for Splenda if I couldn’t taste it! But my sight wasn’t affected… there’s no way in the world I could visually drink black coffee so cream was still added, lol.
I’ve been trying to sit in my backyard to get some fresh air. This was a few days ago…even my creepy mug of coffee couldn’t get me to smile!

You know I’ve been sick when I have literally spend the past 11 days laying in bed and have read exactly 0 pages of any book! The only thing my brain has been able to handle is 90 Day Fiance (I’ve watched almost 2 entire seasons over these past 11 days)! The only actual reading I have done has been in the form of these 2 magazines:

So that’s where I’ve been for the past 11 days. In my bed. Watching 90 Day Fiance. Eating bagels and macaroni and cheese and crying because all of this SUCKS.

Oh and did I mention that the day after I tested positive my husband ALSO tested positive? And then the day after THAT my son also tested positive? The 2 of them were also pretty sick, but I definitely had the worst case. Trying to parent a sick child while both Jon and I are sick ourselves has been interesting.

Gooooood times over here. Holy hell.

They are both feeling better! I am slowly getting there, too :).

The last time I posted a blog post was June 18th (whaaaaaat?)! Let’s do a giant rewind to where I was BEFORE Covid…

June 18: I posted THIS blog post.

I took a 2 week blogging break for no reason other than I was just enjoying summer and keeping very busy 🙂

July 4th: Tragedy in Highland Park. I live about 15 minutes from Highland Park and everything about this is horrific and terrifying. I was not at the parade but I so easily could have been. My family and I were in the neighboring town of Deerfield just the night prior watching fireworks. I still cannot believe this happened. Here is a selfie with a Little Free Library that I took on Central Avenue (where the parade was) just 2 weeks before the shooting. I’ve spent lots of time shopping and eating on that very street this summer. My thoughts, my love, and my prayers are with you, Highland Park.

Highland Park 💗

After July 4th, I understandably felt weird blogging when so much sadness was happening around me. So many of my friends were at the parade with their families! Thankfully all are ok (physically) but I can’t imagine what they are going through having been right there.

So I took a few days off of blogging and then…

My daughter left for overnight camp for 1 month. Camp Moms, YOU. GET. IT. Holy hell packing was a full time job and it kept me BUSY. Runs to various stores, lots of Googling and texting my way more experienced camp mom friends, and daily Amazon Prime deliveries were all so overwhelming. My guest bedroom was officially packing central and the amount of stuff she brought with her is insane. Being as organized and as type A as I am, this was my TIME TO SHINE but man it was a lot…even for me!

Snuck these into her duffle before she left 💗

She left for camp on a Sunday. I tested positive on that Tuesday. My husband tested positive on the Wednesday. My son tested positive on that Thursday. I can’t believe the timing of all of this and that she left JUST at the perfect time to avoid this house of germs! And yes, I was in contact with the camp IMMEDIATELY after I tested positive to tell them to test and monitor her for any symptoms because I literally COVERED her in kisses less than 48 hours before I tested positive. She’s ok! She’s happy and healthy and the pictures that the camp has posted have been beautiful. I’m incredibly thankful that she’s having such a wonderful time while the rest of her family…well…I wouldn’t say we are having a “wonderful time” 😉

So that pretty sums up where I’ve been and why I’ve taken such a long and completely unintentional blogging break! Thank you to those who have reached out…I’m still here, just taking a bit of time to heal. As always, I’m so touched that so many of you have been wondering where I’ve been, especially since I don’t know the majority of you in real life. XO!

Here are 3 books I DID read before all of this:

I have a review of Lease on Love and Every Summer After coming soon and a review (and giveaway!) of The Mommy Clique coming soon as well! Stay tuned!

I received this beauty in the mail a few weeks ago…I can’t wait to read it ASAP! A review (and giveaway) of this one coming soon as well 🙂

And then this book, the book I was 100 pages into when Covid struck. It’s ok, I’m not really itching to get back into it which isn’t a great sign :). If you have read it, should I continue reading?

Here are some random photos from the past few weeks before the Vid struck:

Obsessed with these beautiful flowers and vase that my husband and son bought for me the day my daughter left for camp to cheer me up! You can see them in the picture of my nightstand above…I immediately brought them upstairs once I realized I would be quarantining in my bedroom so I could stare at them. How BEAUTIFUL are these???
Gorgeous cupcake that I ate a few weeks ago. I wish I could taste it now!
My daughter did this to my hair before she left!

Soooooo there you go. That’s where I’ve been. I’m REALLY hoping things start to look up and I can get back to my normal life soon! I am currently sitting outside in my backyard listening to birds chiping as I’m typing this blog post and it feels GREAT to be out here and doing something normal.

Current situation 💗

I hope you are doing well, staying Covid free, and enjoying your summer! I promise I’ll be back soon, I’ve really missed working on my favorite hobby! I just can’t really write a book blog when I’m not currently reading any books, lol.

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!*

*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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The 13 best books I read in 2021 can be found HERE

Book Coffee Happy’s 12 most viewed posts of 2021 can be found HERE

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First Lines Friday…On A Monday :)

First Lines Fridays is a weekly feature for book lovers hosted by Wandering Words. What if instead of judging a book by its cover, its author or its prestige, we judged it by its opening lines?

So this is a big feature that many book bloggers do each Friday. I’ve never participated but when I started reading a new book this week, the first lines JUMPED out at me and I thought this would be such a fun way to share what I’m currently reading…and the ridiculously NOT 2020 vibe those first lines gave off to me, lol.

First Line Friday Rules:

  • Pick a book off your shelf (it could be your current read or on your TBR) and open to the first page
  • Copy the first few lines, but don’t give anything else about the book away just yet – you need to hook the reader first
  • Finally… reveal the book!

Ok so as I mentioned above, I started reading this book over the weekend. Honestly, I never really notice first lines but these particular first lines literally JUMPED out at me. The beginning of this book takes place in 2008 and so clearly NOT in 2020, lol.

“It’s a wonder everyone who uses public ransport in winter doesn’t kneel over and die of germ overload. In the last ten minutes I’ve been coughed on and sneezed at, and if the woman in front of me shakes her dandruff my way again, I might just douse her with the dregs of the lukewarm coffee that I’m no longer able to drink because it’s full of her scalp.”

Is that the most UN 2020 paragraph you have ever read?!?

Using public transport during a pandemic…ugh.

Dying of germ overload? Yup.

Being coughed on and sneezed at? HELL NO.

Woman standing so close to you that her dandruff falls on you? Back up 6 feet!

Holding coffee in public? Not when you are wearing mask!

So now you can see why these particular first lines caught my attention, lol. Last year at this time, I wouldn’t even have thought twice about these first lines but this year I actually had to stop and reread them because they JUMPED out at me, lol.

So what book am I curently reading?

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Two people. Ten chances. One unforgettable love story.

Laurie is pretty sure love at first sight doesn’t exist anywhere but the movies. But then, through a misted-up bus window one snowy December day, she sees a man who she knows instantly is the one. Their eyes meet, there’s a moment of pure magic… and then her bus drives away.

Certain they’re fated to find each other again, Laurie spends a year scanning every bus stop and cafe in London for him. But she doesn’t find him, not when it matters anyway. Instead they “reunite” at a Christmas party, when her best friend Sarah giddily introduces her new boyfriend to Laurie. It’s Jack, the man from the bus. It would be.

What follows for Laurie, Sarah and Jack is ten years of friendship, heartbreak, missed opportunities, roads not taken, and destinies reconsidered. One Day in December is a joyous, heartwarming and immensely moving love story to escape into and a reminder that fate takes inexplicable turns along the route to happiness. 

I’ll post a full review once I finish reading!

Have you read One Day in December? I’d 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!*

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

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The ultimate list of my top book suggestions can be found HERE

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