Books

Book Review: Melissa Explains It All

This is a book that took me a bit to read. In fact, I think I got it about the time it hit shelves… oh… around 2013 maybe 2014. So why did it take me so long to read… Well, if you remember, there was this thing called Grad School. If, and that is a strong if, I had free time, I had a lot of books to read for comps… so reading for pleasure was only a distant memory. Then… I moved. When I moved, I tried to put it in a place I could keep track of it, but it got misplaced a lot. I finally found it this spring, I was maybe 40 pages in if that. I found it just after I finished My Life in France about Julia Child.

Earlier this year hubby got me a Kindle and I love my Kindle. It makes it easier to read at night, that’s for sure. So when I finished Julia Child’s book, I planned on just taking my kindle to the ride we were going to. That way I didn’t have to drag any books with me, I had multiple books on my kindle… but as you know, that didn’t happen. Nope. I took this book with me. Hubby laughed at me.

While we were at the ride, one morning Jared took it from me and started reading it. That was fine, I had my Kindle and was planning on reading Royal Date by Sariah Wilson. If there’s one thing I can tell you about myself, I’m usually reading more than one book at a time. They are usually different genre’s so if I get tired of say, a memoir, I have a love story to read, or whatever. It’s the 7 Ps. Proper Prior Planning Prevents Pretty Poor Performance.

Oh and that was April and I’m just now blogging about it… That’s because I set it down at about 80% through and misplaced it again. Oy! I misplaced my Kindle this summer to. Who knows. I found it in my daughter’s ballet bag about 2 weeks after I couldn’t find it. I even looked in there once. (more…)

From a Paris Balcony Book Cover by Ella Carey

From a Paris Balcony {Book Review}

From a Paris Balcony Book Cover by Ella Carey

I didn’t realize it but I’m on book 11 of my 12 challenge. That’s nuts! Seriously, last I knew I was on book 6 or something. It’s crazy. I’ve read…

  1. Just One Year – Gale Forman
  2. Just One Day – Gale Forman
  3. Just One Night – Gale Forman
  4. Fearless Fourteen – Janet Evanovich
  5. Finger Lickin’ Fifteen – Janet Evanovich
  6. The Time of My Life – Patrick Swayze and Lisa Niemi
  7. My Life in France – Julia Child
  8. Royal Date – Sariah Wilson
  9. Royal Chase – Sariah Wilson
  10. Royal Games – Sariah Wilson
  11. From a Paris Balcony – Ella Carey

Now… Just One Night was a Novella so maybe I should do another one that makes 13 to make 12. Just a thought. Earlier this year I got a Kindle Fire. I’ve mentioned before I love love love real books, but I kind of love love love my Kindle Fire too. Can you have it both ways? (more…)

Royal Games {Book Review}

Here it is, midnight. My family is sleeping and I’m sitting here typing away. Why? I just finished book number 10 for my 12 book challenge this year.

Ok first off… let’s address the 12 book challenge. My sister in law challenged me to 52 books. I knew I couldn’t do that. Truthfully I wasn’t sure I could do 12. Most of them have been on the Kindle that I’ve finished so far. I can read in the dark while my husband snores and keeps me awake. #truth. And yes, I still love the feel of real books, but the Kindle is nice when it comes to nighttime reading. Plus you can carry multiple books around with you at once. Win-Win!

Okay, now… when I went into reading tonight, I was at 74% of the book read. I couldn’t put the friggin thing down. I got to the point, even though I knew what was going to happen, I couldn’t wait to see how it played out.

Finally, this was another one of those Hallmark movies… although it would have been on Hallmark Movies and Mysteries while the other two would have been on regular Hallmark. Royal Date would have been a Christmas movie. Royal Chase would have been a spring fling movie. This one would possibly be a Christmas movie or else maybe a fall movie or a January, just after all the Christmas movies go back into the vault for the year. I’ll have to get back to you on that thought… (more…)

Royal Chase {Book Review}

I’m a sucker for a good romance novel. There are those that have sex scenes and then there are those that don’t but you don’t miss them. It’s true. That might be my infatuation with Hallmark movies. They are good for all ages. Just a thought.

I recently read Royal Date by Sariah Wilson. While some of the writing and description felt redundant and made me want to scream, it was a good book. I know that when you’re writing a book, you have to describe things so that people can use their imagination. That way they can see the story as they are reading it. So I knew I wanted to read the next book in the series.

The next book in the series is Royal Chase. There were two main female characters in Royal Date, Kat and Lemon. Lemon, right? Who names their kid Lemon. Well obviously this gal’s parents, that’s who. haha. Royal Date followed Kat’s story. Her story was a little hard for me to relate to even though like I said, I really liked the book. So much so that I couldn’t put it down. Royal Chase though, it followed Lemon’s story. Much more relatable for me.  In fact, I stayed up past midnight last night reading it. I just couldn’t put it down and finally had to make myself. I knew I needed my sleep. (more…)

Royal Date

Royal Date

Royal Date

Recently I was reading a blog post on the Top books to read in Spring 2018. Of course here lately it seems like I’ve really gotten into reading so I needed to check out what her suggestions were. One was Royal Date. I thought, okay, I’ll bite. I have a 30 day free trial on my Kindle for Kindle Unlimited and this book was on there so I thought, why not… Although it’s only $1.99 to buy I think so it’d totally been worth it buying it either way.

Royal Date

This Cinderella didn’t plan on a prince…

Kat MacTaggart is a girl who has a plan for everything—including her holiday ski trip to Monterra with her best friend. Everything is going according to plan until she finds herself careening out of control down a mountainside and being rescued by a guy who looks like Superman’s hotter Italian cousin. (more…)

My Life in France {Book Review}

My Life in France - Julia Child

Oh, Julia Child. I sooooo would have loved to have been your friend in real life! Dang.

So, prior to reading/watching Julie and Julia I knew the name Julia Child, but truthfully I didn’t really know who she was other than a chef. I knew nothing about her. Then I read the book and watched the movie and kind of became intrigued in learning more about her. In fact, here recently I rattled on about the Nicole/Julia project. haha. Truthfully though, after reading this book, I’m even more intrigued in cooking my way through her book. My question is… what will I ever do on the foods I don’t like. Maybe I don’t like them because I haven’t eaten them properly… one may never know…

My Life in France

The bestselling story of Julia’s years in France–and the basis for Julie & Julia, starring Meryl Streep and Amy Adams–in her own words.

Although she would later singlehandedly create a new approach to American cuisine with her cookbook Mastering the Art of French Cooking and her television show The French Chef, Julia Child was not always a master chef. Indeed, when she first arrived in France in 1948 with her husband, Paul, who was to work for the USIS, she spoke no French and knew nothing about the country itself. But as she dove into French culture, buying food at local markets and taking classes at the Cordon Bleu, her life changed forever with her newfound passion for cooking and teaching. Julia’s unforgettable story–struggles with the head of the Cordon Bleu, rejections from publishers to whom she sent her now-famous cookbook, a wonderful, nearly fifty-year-long marriage that took the Childs across the globe–unfolds with the spirit so key to Julia’s success as a chef and a writer, brilliantly capturing one of America’s most endearing personalities. (more…)

The Time of My Life

Over Easter weekend I was able to listen to The Time of My Life by Patrick Swayze and his wife Lisa Niemi. When this book came out in 2009, I remember I just had to have it and wanted to read it. I started reading the intro pages and immediately I put it down because I was in tears. I had a feeling this book was going to be so sad that I guess I never picked it back up. In fact, I gave it to my mom to read, she had the same reaction and neither of us read it.

Jump forward 9 years to the year 2018. Hubby drives a lot for work so he gets books on audio so he can “read” while he’s driving. Me, I’d be jamming to music, but he’s listening to audio books. Smart guy he is! Anyway, he decided he was going to get The Time of My Life. Bingo, that means I can listen to it too! I can’t read in a car. I can barely sit in a car for long drives. So I listened to this book.

Now here’s the thing… if you listen to this book, Patrick Swayze and his wife Lisa are actually the narrators. How cool is that?

The thing I’ve been trying to figure out is… I remember when they did the interview with him as this book was released. I also remember he said he was going to be the narrator. But what I can’t remember is how long it was between the time this book was released and when he passed away. I really want to say just a couple months. (more…)

Finger Lickin’ Fifteen

So truth… I like real books. Point blank. I like the feel of the pages and the smell and the weight and the ability to turn pages. But… I also like my Kindle. Mainly at night when everyone else goes to sleep, but I’m wide awake, I can read in the dark. So I’m torn on which I prefer. Currently, I’m reading a book book and a book on my Kindle. I just started the one on my Kindle last night. And boy was that a shocker. I was updating my Good Reads App and realized I read one more book than I thought. I started to read Finger LIckin’ Fifteen last night and what do you know, I read it last month. Apparently, I just forgot.

I mentioned before that these books are all kind of the same but different. You just have to remember if Stephanie and Joe Morelli are on or off in that particular book. The rest is similar but different. LOL. But I like them because they are quick reads. And after I realized I had already read this book, which by the way I thought was fourteen… I remembered how much I laughed because of Lula farting. Read it. That part will make sense. (more…)

Fearless Fourteen

Janet Evanovich Fearless Fourteen Book Cover

Guys, I’m back at it. This time let’s discuss one of the Stephanie Plum Novels, Fearless Fourteen. Now here is where I should say that I started reading this prior to grad school and then BAM! Grad School hit and I had no time for personal books. I know I’ve been out of Grad School since May 2016, that’s almost 2 years, but I finally got around to reading this… again.

Fearless Fourteen

Personal vendettas, hidden treasure, and a monkey named Carl will send bounty hunter Stephanie Plum on her most explosive adventure yet.
The Crime: Armed robbery to the tune of nine million dollars
Dom Rizzi robbed a bank, stashed the money, and did the time. His family couldn’t be more proud. He always was the smart one.
The Cousin: Joe Morelli
Joe Morelli, Dom Rizzi, and Dom’s sister, Loretta, are cousins. Morelli is a cop, Rizzi robs banks, and Loretta is a single mother waiting tables at the firehouse. The all-American family.
(more…)

Just One Day, Just One Year, Just One Night

Just One Trilogy Book Cover

Just before Christmas, I was wandering through Sam’s with my mom, aunt, and Abug. Now if there is one thing I can tell you, Abug LOVES Books. I love that about her. By the way, Tbug loves books too! Score!

Anyway… we were wandering around Sam’s Club and Abug took us over by the books. Since Grad School, I haven’t read a whole lot of books, to be honest. And truthfully I felt like something was missing in my life. At the same time, I read such intense, thinker type books in grad school I wasn’t sure what to read now.

When I was in Grad school one of the classes I had made us think about how we read literature. So you could read a book in your 20’s, 30’s, and 40’s and have a different opinion on it every time. I wish I could remember which professor told us that. It was either Dr. Carlson or Dr. McCallum and I can’t remember. Either way, they taught us that your life experiences help mold your impression on things. So a book you read in high school that you absolutely adored could have a different impression on you once you got into your 40’s. I had a lot of thought-provoking classes like that.

So back to Christmas time. I keep picking up books not knowing if I really want to read them or not. But there was a book that caught my attention. It was a 3 part trilogy all in one book. Score! (more…)