Top Ten Tuesday: 10 Books I Had a Hard Time With

I'm happy to get back into The Broke & The Bookish' TTT and this week's topic should be pretty easy...or hard? Hmm...

1. 1Q84 by Haruki Murakami -this book was so incredibly intriguing and definitely kept my interest but at times it was also very confusing. But my biggest problem with it? This book is huge and heavy! If you decide to buy it, go for the 3 volume set instead of the single. It'll save your wrists lol.

2. House of Leaves by Mark Z Danielewski -when this book came out in 2000, I felt so smart and sophisticated reading it. A year later, when I still hadn't finished it, I felt like the village idiot. I struggled off and on with it for another year or two, until I finally admitted defeat and realized I wasn't the only one who couldn't finish this confusing mystical tome.

3. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak -difficult in a different way, due to its subject matter. A book about books and words and the power they can wield. (Review)

4. In Dubious Battle by John Steinbeck -the only Steinbeck book I didn't immediately get sucked into and actually didn't finish. I started it this summer and maybe just wasn't in the mood for serious what with all the moving stress so I decided to set it aside and maybe pick it up again later.

5. The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood -from my review: "I can't really say I enjoyed reading it, but I'm glad I did. This book depressed the heck out of me. There are no positive aspects to it, at all." I haven't watched the Netflix series yet and after hearing friends talk about it, don't know if I ever will. (Review)

6. Odd Thomas by Dean Koontz -this is one that I absolutely loved the first time I read it as a young adult but when I tried to reread it last year could just not get into it. It seems I've outgrown Koontz books, alas.

7. 1984 by George Orwell -like The Handmaid's Tale, this is a difficult theme, especially with what's going on in the real world now around us. (Review)

8. Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee -the standards were just too high for this one. I liked parts of it and even had a list of favorite quotes, but when it was time to write a review for it, I couldn't do it. Some authors are only meant to have one book and I think Harper Lee might be one.

9. The Cursed Child by JK Rowling -nothing would have been good enough for us rabid Harry Potter fans and unfortunately Rowling's story about young Albus Potter fell short. After reading it, I just felt like it was a fanfic story that I had already read. Speaking of fanfic, After the End by The Sugar Quill, is a truly outstanding story of the trio after the end (duh) of the war and features many of our favorite characters that JKR had previously killed off. Highly recommend.

10.American Gods by Neil Gaiman -another that I reread recently from my youth, because I had heard about the new show. Which I still haven't watched but heard is excellent. This book will hold your interest but it's a dense, detail heavy story. And you will want to research more about ancient gods and folklore.

Book Haul: 2017

Do y'all like book haul posts? It doesn't seem like bragging, does it? I always enjoy seeing other people's hauls, it gives me new books to look for and I just like seeing the pictures. So since I haven't done any posts all year, I've got quite a few hauls to share. Although not nearly as many as you would think. It's been a pretty quiet year, book-wise, for me. Mostly due to lack of money lol. So let's get to the pics and if you have any questions on a specific book, please ask!!

I've been really into collecting the classic books lately and getting multiple editions. They're just so pretty!!

I know I've gotten way more graphic novels than this, but I haven't been keeping up with my haul pics that well either. :( I have been getting the monthly single issues of Terry Moore's Motor Girl and Cecil Castellucci's Shade, the Changing Girl and definitely recommend both of those!

On my Kindle (actually my phone app, I hardly use my Kindle anymore), I binge purchased and read twin sisters Krista & Becca Ritchie's Calloway Sisters/Addicted series this spring. I won't say much here, because I do plan on reviewing it later in the month, but I will say it is definitely worth it!

My first haul pic at my new apartment! :) I've got some interesting backgrounds to work with, so excited to use them in future pictures. And that's my hauls for the year so far! See anything you like or have read? Want to share your most recent haul pic? Comment below!

Review: "A Week of Mondays"

A Week of Mondays by Jessica Brody
4 out of 5 stars

Have you ever had one of those weeks where every day feels like Monday and you don't think Friday will ever get there? Well, Ellison is having one of those weeks. But it doesn't just feel like a Monday, she's actually reliving that same day over and over again. We're talking the red light ticket, looking like a drowned rat in school pictures, the horrible speech, the allergic reaction, and worst of all, the boyfriend breaking up with her. Every terrible, horrible, no good, very bad thing. And when she wakes up the next day, she is horrified at first that she has to relive all that. But then she realizes she's been given an amazing opportunity. She can fix everything! Most importantly, she can stop her boyfriend from breaking up with her, because that's the big lesson here right? Right.

He grabs my hand and interlaces his fingers with mine. The warmth of his flesh does more to calm me than any song in any of my stupid playlists. I want to live inside those beautiful strong hands of his.

This is a really cute, but predictable book. I'm a sucker for time travel-type books and this one has the bonus of having lots of fun music included in it. Ellie is a big fan of sixties pop and fun playlists like "Psych me up, buttercup!" I heartily approve of this. Want to listen too? I've recreated it on Spotify just for you! Go here to listen. (I've also added it to 8Tracks but unfortunately, with their changes, could not find all the songs.)

So as the book and the Mondays go on, Ellie learns small lessons here and there but obviously not the big one, because her rockstar boyfriend is still breaking up with her at the end of each day. She confides in her best friend Owen each day and he always gives her the same advice: be yourself. Does she listen? No, of course not. Each Monday brings a new Ellie: the sweet girl, the angry girl, the vixen. (Guess which one rockstar liked best?) None of them work.

We all know Ellie will learn the right lesson in the end and everything will work out. But it's the little things in the background that make this book special: her friendship with Owen, helping her little sister fix her own very bad day, finally kicking butt on her VP speech with a little help from The Breakfast Club. 

Have you ever noticed how many worlds there are out there? Infinite. An infinite number of worlds. And they all function separately from each other. Like unrelated specks of dirt floating in the air. Sometimes two specks will collide, momentarily affecting each other, but most of the time they just keep on floating, completely unaware that any other specks exist.

New Year? New Year!

It's September 1st y'all and you know what that means: yep, another year gone by where you missed the Hogwarts train. I know, I'm as devastated as you.

(source)

You may have noticed that I've been a little absent for the last few 10 months. All I can say is that I lost my blogging (and creativity in general) mojo for awhile, but I can feel it returning and I'm excited to blog again. So today felt like a good time to start back up. Am I the only one who feels like September 1st is the beginning of a new year? I've been out of school for many (many) years but I still get excited when the back to school commercials start running and the school supplies start showing up in stores.

With only 4 months left for the year, I think I can confidently say 2017 has been an amazing year and is shaping up to be even better than 2016. (Personally...we won't get into the political aspect.) In February, I was introduced (by a mutual online friend that neither of us has met...ah, technology!) to the most wonderful person and we've been together ever since. We have the same twisted sense of humor, he makes me laugh with a single look or word, and best of all: he's a Reader too. He read Harry Potter with me this summer (his first time) and what more could I ask for? Oh, how about a first date at Half Price Books? Yeah. :)

In July, I moved to a new apartment and am living by myself for the first time (formerly lived with my sister). I am actually really loving it, except for the "cooking for myself" part. I'm still figuring that out. (If you have a favorite super easy, healthy recipe share it below!) I know what you're thinking though: "how's the bookshelf situation??" Well, you'll just have to wait til next Sunday, when I'll be showing them off in detail!

I've got lots to look forward to still this year: 3 separate weeks of vacation still, more fun new things with boyfriend, Christmas, Lady Gaga concert! And blog-wise, I've got all of September planned out and about half written. I've got some fun new features planned, including a Show-Me Sunday link-up (if I can figure it out) and lots of Baby-Sitters Club reviews and posts. I'm very excited to return to Stoneybrook so I hope you are too!

And just a reminder: I'm on Facebook and Instagram (not so much Twitter anymore) so feel free to connect with me on one of those and see lots more bookish fun. Happy reading!!

(from a few weeks ago & sneak peek at the madness of my shelves!)

Review: "Keep Out, Claudia!: The Baby-Sitters Club #56"

Keep Out, Claudia!: The Baby-Sitters Club #56 by Ann M Martin
3 out of 5 stars

In this book we finally see some of the racism in Stoneybrook that Jessi has apparently been experiencing all along. But it's not even Jessi (at first) who deals with it, it's Claudia. Why is that? Did they feel it would be too difficult to show an African American dealing with misguided bigots? I don't know. This book was okay. The little blonde kids are super creepy but hey, Claudia's cover outfit actually matches the description for once!

The story starts out with Claudia baby-sitting the Rodowsky boys. Shea is practicing the piano (his "a doggie-o's") and Jackie and Archie are down because they don't play an instrument or anything. Archie wants people to clap for him and to be a star. Jackie just wants to not knock anything over for once. Poor Jackie, he's gonna have some serious issues later on. This sets Claudia's little brain a-thinking, while she heads home to clean up her room for the BSC meeting. (Snacks hidden around her room at this moment: Snickers bar and M&M's and Neccos and Fritos and ranch-style potato chips and crackers and popcorn...) Oh! And genius Janine locked herself out of the house!

At the meeting, Claud tells the girls her idea: help the kids plan a musical performance or something. Seriously, the amount of time these girls spend with these kids, they should get a raise! Are the parents giving them any extra money for these rehearsals and costumes and art supplies? I don't think so! A new client calls, the Lowells, and Mary Anne gets the job. When she gets there, the mom gives her a quick up-and-down look but apparently approves of what she sees. The 3 kids are little blonde clones who line up for Mary Anne to check out. The job goes well, although there a few weird moments with the kids asking her what religion she is and giggling at someones eyes on tv.

Then it's Claudia's turn to baby-sit for the clones. Mrs Lowell looks less than thrilled to see Claudia, but Claud just assumes it's because of her wild clothes: ...black leggings and high-topped sneakers, my fringed blue-jean vest and beaded Indian belt, my six silver rings and... (Spoiler: it's not her outfit.) Claudia has a rough time with the kids; they don't listen to her and sneak snacks and such. And at the next BSC meeting, she calls and asks Kristy for any sitter but Claudia. So Jessi gets the job hah. Stupid racist cow. (Sorry, getting worked up over my BSC book here.)

Jessi over-prepares for the job, arriving right on time and putting together a sweet office play set for the kids. But when Mrs Bigot opens the door, she looks shocked and just stares at Jessi for a second. Then she tells Jessi she doesn't need a sitter after all and shuts the door in her face. Jessi doesn't know what to think or do so she just leaves and cries as she walks home. She has a familiar feeling about what happened but doesn't really know. You'd think she would know exactly what happened since she apparently dealt with it all the time after moving to Stoneybrook. The girls are all upset at the meeting, trying to figure things out.

Kristy takes the next job to see what's up and even wears a skirt to see if it was just Claud's wild clothes. (Again, it wasn't.) The kids are fine for her but she has a gross taste in her mouth when she gets home, so she talks to her mom, Watson, and Nannie. She tells them she thinks Mrs Lowell is a racist and Nanny says "With each generation I think it's going to be over. But it isn't even getting better. Maybe I'm just an old fool." I feel ya Nannie, I feel ya. Kristy tells the girls at the next meeting what she thinks and Claudia is understandably upset. But she gets mad at her friends because Mrs Lowell isn't there. "Will you guys at least look at me?" I shouted. "I am not dirt you know. Nothing is wrong with me." 

It'd be interesting to see this book get updated to current times. Claudia would have to prove she's not an illegal immigrant and Jessi would be protesting the police after her dad and Squirt get killed in a routine traffic stop. :( Wow, this review is getting really dark isn't it? Okay, here's a lighter moment and then moving on quickly.

Dawn asks for wheat germ biscuits (gross) and Claud has a bit of humor: "Oh, yeah. Right. Wheat germ biscuits. I have them hidden here under the bed along with my endless supply of tofu."

Mrs Lowell calls for the blonde-haired blue-eyed baby-sitter and the girls realize she's just a general racist against everyone and agree to never sit for her again. They continue on with the band rehearsals and the kids decide to perform songs from Fiddler on the Roof. The concert is a success, Claire Pike doesn't throw a tantrum, Jackie doesn't knock anyone over, and the Lowell kids watch the concert in secret. Claud & Jessi wonder if the kids will grow out of their bigotry eventually.

"It's okay to hate some of the things people do, but it's not okay to hate the people who do them."

Review: "The Sweet Life"

The Sweet Life: The Serial by Francine Pascal
3 out of 5 stars

I actually got this book last year but it took me a while to get around to it and in the right mood for it. But I finally did back in August (so far behind reviewing again ugh) and I enjoyed it, for the most part. I was really excited when the first one came out and it's what got me back into reading all the original books again. This book has the 6 novellas Pascall published online after Confidential took off better than expected. This review will obviously have spoilers from that 1st book but I'll try to keep it minimal for the rest. And I'll intersperse it with highlights just like my regular reviews. :)

"They're ready for you," Katy Johnson, Jessica Wakefield's assistant/savior, said as she peeked into Jessica's double-windowed corner office, iPad in hand.

The first novella starts 3 years after the last ended. Jessica & Todd have a sweet little boy, Jake, who is 2 years old. But they aren't together anymore. Jessica has gotten even more successful at her job and Todd has gone back to the fifties. Were they really back to where the woman had to stay home with the children or have some kind of unimportant job that was totally second to her husband's and could be dropped whenever he needed it to be? So yeah, things are tense there. They still love each other but can't get over past fights. Also, there's some new people brought in who don't help matters.

Jessica's office clothes were Elizabeth's party clothes. Today it was a hot little dark pink DVF minidress with a deep V back. Off the hook the whole dress couldn't have weighed more than two ounces. Her hair was parted in the center with cascades of blond flowing on either side of her face, just the way she'd worn it for her wedding. Her Jimmy Choo heels, which she had kicked over into the corner, were woven with the thinnest pink and silver threads, which if she were wearing them, would make her about five inches taller than her sister.

Bruce & Liz are still together, but things get rocky when Bruce is accused of assaulting an intern at work. We're made to feel very back & forth on whether Bruce really did attack the girl and honestly, I hated that story line. Liz is a reporter on the local newspaper and they expect her to research the story which she does, to the extreme. So extreme, she befriends the girl.

The baby [Jake] looked up with that flash of confusion, just long enough for the penny to drop and register "Not Mommy." The flash was down to a nanosecond and its way to a picosecond, and soon it wouldn't be there at all. Instantly, she'd be Zizzie. Even if it was only for a moment, she had to admit she liked being mistaken for Mommy.

Lila Fowler married Ken Matthews, who is a hot NFL quarterback, and she is desperate to get cast on "True Housewives of Sweet Valley". Lila decides her niche for the show will be spoiled rotten and proud of it. Yeah. Of course, she gets on the show and does some truly despicable things, even for Lila.

Lila might have been deficient in certain disciplines, but when it came to knowing what appealed to people, sexually or otherwise, she overflowed with skill.

Caroline Pearce causes lots of trouble and scandals with everyone, on her gossip blog. They deal with it because Caroline'd had cancer and it might come back. Wow. Caroline never found it easy growing up two doors down from the beautiful Wakefield twins, always being compared to them and coming up short. I don't recall this at ALL in the original books. Her living on their street OR people comparing them.

Steven Wakefield and Aaron Dallas have a baby with a surrogate and the little girl is so completely spoiled, she screams bloody murder whenever they try to put her in her crib or stroller. Steven hates it and is afraid little Emma will turn into Jessica but Aaron doesn't care. The nanny claims (privately) that she is the most high-maintenance baby she's ever seen. And her new friend in the park, the one who has just lost her own baby, agrees but still loves Emma. A little too much...

The Jessica gene had saved Emma's life.

Annie Whitman ("Easy Annie" as she was known in high school) shows up to defend and befriend Bruce, Liz can't defend or even live with Bruce, Jessica goes out with Liam the movie star and regrets it, Todd dates the plagiarizing reporter and regrets it, everything blows up in Lila's face, typical Sweet Valley weekend really.

All the suffering, all the pain--it would all go away in this next moment. She felt like the luckiest girl in the world.

(Those of you that have read this will realize that I didn't put the real last lines of the book, because it was a big spoiler and also, it made me mad lol.)

Book Haul: Summer/Fall Edition

There's a lot of pics, so let's just get right to it, shall we? Comment below if you want details on any specific books, I'm going to breeze through them pretty quickly. In July, I hit up the Half Price Books sale, Amazon for a few must-buys, and the local comic book store for some funsies (that I just read this past week on my vacation oops).

In August, I had some more luck at Half Price and of course, had to pick up Harry Potter & The Cursed Child. I'm not sure if I'm going to be able to review that one or not. It's kind of unreviewable, if you know what I mean.

 

September was fairly quiet, with a couple of good finds at HPB, some new comics from Amazon (Jem!!), and a small library haul, in which I accidentally got a book I'd already read and pretty sure I own oops.

October has been big for books so far and it's only the middle of the month! I blame the Half Price Books clearance sale of course and a week of vacation time. :) This is the most I've ever gotten at a HPB sale (also got 3 movies); I found some really great things. Some graphic novels, classics, holiday reads, a few random finds, and a TON of 80/90s children's books. I say this every time, but my sister is so good at helping me find these! She goes thru and looks for Sweet Valley High (only one this time boo) and any with the apple (publisher) on them lol. Then I go thru and look at everything else. There was a LOT of young adult books this time, I think we were there close to two hours. (Did I mention she's semi-patient too?)

My sister also found me these gorgeous vintage children's books, 5 of them total. The covers were falling apart (I don't know how they still had them on even) but it was okay, because the naked books were just as pretty. I am going to use the covers for bookmarks probably and I would love to make a cute little display on my shelf with the books.

I was on vacation last week (hated coming back to work!!) and got out of the house one day (yep, just one lol) to enjoy the sunshine at a botanical garden (and read) and then hole up in bookstores. :D I hit every bookstore that day, but I only bought at my local comic book store. I didn't realize the 6th Saga book was out, so of course I had to pick that up. I had a stack of single issue comics at first, but put a few back since I did find Saga. Excited about the ones I did get though.

I'm going to wrap things up with my Kindle cloud because I realized I haven't been including it regularly in my haul posts. I've gotten 30+ books since my last update in July 2015 oops. I find it really hard to pay for eBooks, so most of these were free or less than $3.00.