tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-78473659274977042832024-03-18T05:27:52.441-04:00My Girlish WhimsHealthy Living, Food, Jewelry Making, and All of My Girlish WhimsRebecca @ My Girlish Whimshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17825981722220301082noreply@blogger.comBlogger1301125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7847365927497704283.post-89067068007344574972023-10-12T16:10:00.005-04:002023-10-12T16:10:53.442-04:00My Girlish Whims Book Club #55<div style="text-align: center;">Well it's been about 3 weeks since summer ended and I'm finally piecing together the rest of my book reviews I read over the summer since I posted my <a href="http://www.mygirlishwhims.com/2023/07/my-girlish-whims-book-club-54.html" target="_blank">last set of reviews!</a> Life with twin toddlers and one more on the way (surprise!!!) sure is busy so I focused a bit more on relaxing with my reading instead of rushing to get these review posts up every time I finished four novels and so now I have THIRTEEN books to round up for you! There's a mix of some summer reads, debuts, thrillers, and backlist reads all tied up in here with lots of good ones in the mix! I'll throw a few pictures of what we were up to during the second half of summer in-between the reviews :)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWT1Fbe-3SjQQHvgY4hu7naD2Y-p82dGmRtRj75YqP5eTs9AL0vYrmjkjSr28UVU6dxGO2HVaNHz_UFySogej5IUw0sH9Sa2iiIcC8H-gLiKSJOERjEo6jC1v-f3XpsnXWDsLhHjF6jOP74zK69ncpDaoFtO5k3BtTIZ-0oUpIPfgQN9q5615OAk4SlpuN/s5265/IMG_4692.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3510" data-original-width="5265" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWT1Fbe-3SjQQHvgY4hu7naD2Y-p82dGmRtRj75YqP5eTs9AL0vYrmjkjSr28UVU6dxGO2HVaNHz_UFySogej5IUw0sH9Sa2iiIcC8H-gLiKSJOERjEo6jC1v-f3XpsnXWDsLhHjF6jOP74zK69ncpDaoFtO5k3BtTIZ-0oUpIPfgQN9q5615OAk4SlpuN/w640-h426/IMG_4692.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje71Ky4v-4OgUPSuEB6v4sX8Ko1pU1mBFqzGL3_idBavuF2LLDouwaJ0Dt2I8nAJLLt17noQgJ-TksPblLGswqjauGmJm0OPtbdpEkhY9FEXfYTkFdFAv0d0cuE3X8Czr5Mb3IlzbZn6CJuaRGwuwLbMqK36GM-CPmeO-j1duXkkBB0Nz0qtHHyVGgDjgl/s4892/IMG_4757.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3306" data-original-width="4892" height="432" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje71Ky4v-4OgUPSuEB6v4sX8Ko1pU1mBFqzGL3_idBavuF2LLDouwaJ0Dt2I8nAJLLt17noQgJ-TksPblLGswqjauGmJm0OPtbdpEkhY9FEXfYTkFdFAv0d0cuE3X8Czr5Mb3IlzbZn6CJuaRGwuwLbMqK36GM-CPmeO-j1duXkkBB0Nz0qtHHyVGgDjgl/w640-h432/IMG_4757.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bardwell Baby Boy due March 5th!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>This post contains affiliate links</i></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Onto the books! Let's start with one of my favorites:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQgzAVGJp60VEgvGrRZIl9ZDImRGzTmqdswQwUp98TN2qx9feGA_NsHc6Cxt-I9W5ir_UlQvX2mflyGDQHI-IPwaSQEM01woVW1WI8uDX8KswEyFxZjqEA1ZQq2Drb6chC8aA2UYmj44E9ZTV86q8dq7IqdT7g5RaxSudhz6H2uIynB4qpy2WjWkEishId/s4032/A%20Man%20Called%20Ove%20Book%20Review.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQgzAVGJp60VEgvGrRZIl9ZDImRGzTmqdswQwUp98TN2qx9feGA_NsHc6Cxt-I9W5ir_UlQvX2mflyGDQHI-IPwaSQEM01woVW1WI8uDX8KswEyFxZjqEA1ZQq2Drb6chC8aA2UYmj44E9ZTV86q8dq7IqdT7g5RaxSudhz6H2uIynB4qpy2WjWkEishId/w480-h640/A%20Man%20Called%20Ove%20Book%20Review.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div></div></div><div><div><h1 class="a-size-large a-spacing-none" id="title" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3pUE0g7" target="_blank">A Man Called Ove</a></h1>
<div><div><div style="text-align: center;">By Fredrik Backman. Synopsis from Amazon:</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Meet Ove. He’s a curmudgeon—the kind of man who points at people he dislikes as if they were burglars caught outside his bedroom window. He has staunch principles, strict routines, and a short fuse. People call him “the bitter neighbor from hell.” But must Ove be bitter just because he doesn’t walk around with a smile plastered to his face all the time?</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Behind the cranky exterior there is a story and a sadness. So when one November morning a chatty young couple with two chatty young daughters move in next door and accidentally flatten Ove’s mailbox, it is the lead-in to a comical and heartwarming tale of unkempt cats, unexpected friendship, and the ancient art of backing up a U-Haul. All of which will change one cranky old man and a local residents’ association to their very foundations.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Fredrik Backman’s beloved first novel about the angry old man next door is a thoughtful exploration of the profound impact one life has on countless others. “If there was an award for ‘Most Charming Book of the Year,’ this first novel by a Swedish blogger-turned-overnight-sensation would win hands down” (<u>Booklist</u>, starred review).</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">This book was SO good! I've loved every book I've read by Backman so I'm surprised it took me so long to read his original novel. It was worth the wait though because I just absolutely loved it. The main character Ove is obviously a cranky old man, but he is a cranky old man with a surprisingly large heart (😉) and a group of neighbors who just won't leave him alone to die in peace. One of my favorite characters was probably the mangled cat he gets stuck with who will not go to the bathroom in other people's homes (Ove turning on the radio for the cat so it wouldn't be scared by a specific loud noise in the one scene? Even facing death Ove was considerate of his feline). This book had humor, charm, and so much depth. The back stories sharing the hardships Ove had endured throughout his life were heart wrenching and maddening, but through it all Over had his Sonja who was always such a positive, shining light in the worst of situation, until of course he didn't. I think my favorite chapter in the book was where the backstory of Ove and Rune's feud and grudges and ultimately their personal tragedies were explained fully through the types of cars they drove over the span of a few years. It sounds strange but it was an utterly moving and emotional way to share the history and pain of two men who would rather talk or tinker around with their vehicles than be vulnerable with their own emotions. It takes a lot for me to cry while reading a book, but the ending of this one had me full on ugly crying over breakfast when I finished it. When a book can bring you to tears, you know it's a good one. 10/10 would recommend! </div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoeA0qDNmr-1yPG-5lfOrt0qIGHVDDAjtUQd00Mwhp4ymyFm_rqmfFzLnoXy4tzxQYktEMFAsX_7Alk-PWf5-LRBHj_S4P5q0CqARw3XJNW45blh5PRAn6hWu71nC05ezp6ab2DJJtfOp9V_5UZfFXpQny6BoRTtbDnURgf18q79FZLY1fcr_gnIRSFiuE/s4000/the%20five%20start%20weekend%20book%20review.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2667" data-original-width="4000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoeA0qDNmr-1yPG-5lfOrt0qIGHVDDAjtUQd00Mwhp4ymyFm_rqmfFzLnoXy4tzxQYktEMFAsX_7Alk-PWf5-LRBHj_S4P5q0CqARw3XJNW45blh5PRAn6hWu71nC05ezp6ab2DJJtfOp9V_5UZfFXpQny6BoRTtbDnURgf18q79FZLY1fcr_gnIRSFiuE/w640-h426/the%20five%20start%20weekend%20book%20review.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We took full advantage of our gym pool this summer with the boys! I rarely got any reading done while they were at the pool with us, hah, but we still all enjoyed going often as a family :)</td></tr></tbody></table><h2 style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3QLxTWa" target="_blank">The Five Star Weekend</a></h2></div></div><div><div><div><div style="text-align: center;">By Elin Hilderbrand. Synopsis from Amazon: </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Hollis Shaw’s life seems picture-perfect. She’s the creator of the popular food blog Hungry with Hollis and is married to Matthew, a dreamy heart surgeon. But after she and Matthew get into a heated argument one snowy morning, he leaves for the airport and is killed in a car accident. The cracks in Hollis’s perfect life—her strained marriage and her complicated relationship with her daughter, Caroline—grow deeper.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>So when Hollis hears about something called a “Five-Star Weekend”—one woman organizes a trip for her best friend from each phase of her life: her teenage years, her twenties, her thirties, and midlife—she decides to host her own Five-Star Weekend on Nantucket. But the weekend doesn’t turn out to be a joyful Hallmark movie.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>The husband of Hollis’s childhood friend Tatum arranges for Hollis’s first love, Jack Finigan, to spend time with them, stirring up old feelings. Meanwhile, Tatum is forced to play nice with abrasive and elitist Dru-Ann, Hollis’s best friend from UNC Chapel Hill. Dru-Ann’s career as a prominent Chicago sports agent is on the line after her comments about a client’s mental health issues are misconstrued online. Brooke, Hollis’s friend from their thirties, has just discovered that her husband is having an inappropriate relationship with a woman at work. Again! And then there’s Gigi, a stranger to everyone (including Hollis) who reached out to Hollis through her blog. Gigi embodies an unusual grace and, as it happens, has many secrets.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><u>The Five-Star Weekend</u> is a surprising and captivating story about friendship, love, and self-discovery set on Nantucket. It will be a weekend like no other.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">The one thing I always appreciate about Elin Hilderbrand books is that she doesn't shy away from "dirty" drama - it can be salacious, juicy, but also very much this-could-happen-in-real-life drama and not something all the way out of left field drama. While any "beach read" may capitalize on some juicy drama to give it some "je ne sais quoi" to captivate and pull a reader in, I think Elin has a realistic grasp on some of the very real human faults. I appreciate how she weaves them into her stories and one of the big juicy secrets that came out in this novel did not disappoint! Of course I enjoyed her 2023 summer novel release, I can't read an Elin and not like it! My only fault with this one was a personal fault - I just felt like I couldn't connect very well with any of the characters for some reason. Hollis was too much older and in a different mindset than me, and her daughter was too much younger and immature for me to "click" with either of them, but not being able to click/relate to a character is not a reason to not read a book obviously. I could still emote with the challenges everyone went through, enjoyed all the delicious food description in the book, the Nantucket backdrop, and even the funny & petty friend drama all of Hollis' friends endured during the Five Star Weekend. If you enjoy Elin you will enjoy this one, but also if you are a little closer in age to the majority of the characters I think you will enjoy it even more!</div></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOq4T8FGtBZY-00arl5f9e2I8kHh9mCaoDZwcXR9iCYsM0AmQXjmxxRo3zgv1s9ASNyF5MjSfZDTK-a24fs-ShPc5CC1IfDxG59iWAeWJZBhYnr0zUDoJjOuflUQk9Ax7QUNI2F4BVBrAA4a5ywV3p79XET5V1FnJqWUY1D78ppiUtkKck8_jMpkTwoEaA/s4032/the%20perfect%20marriage%20book%20review.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOq4T8FGtBZY-00arl5f9e2I8kHh9mCaoDZwcXR9iCYsM0AmQXjmxxRo3zgv1s9ASNyF5MjSfZDTK-a24fs-ShPc5CC1IfDxG59iWAeWJZBhYnr0zUDoJjOuflUQk9Ax7QUNI2F4BVBrAA4a5ywV3p79XET5V1FnJqWUY1D78ppiUtkKck8_jMpkTwoEaA/w480-h640/the%20perfect%20marriage%20book%20review.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><h2 style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://amzn.to/46dWFn3" target="_blank">The Perfect Marriage</a></h2></div><div><div><div style="text-align: center;">By Jeneva Rose. Synopsis from Amazon:</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Sarah Morgan is a successful and powerful defense attorney in Washington D.C. As a named partner at her firm, life is going exactly how she planned. The same cannot be said for her husband, Adam. He’s a struggling writer who has had little success in his career and he tires of his and Sarah’s relationship as she is constantly working. </i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Out in the secluded woods, at the couple’s lake house, Adam engages in a passionate affair with Kelly Summers. But one morning everything changes. Kelly is found brutally stabbed to death and now, Sarah must take on her hardest case yet, defending her own husband, a man accused of murdering his mistress. </i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>The Perfect Marriage is a juicy, twisty, and utterly addictive thriller that will keep you turning pages. You won’t see the ending coming . . . guaranteed!</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">This was my book club pick for July and I really liked it! It has tons of great reviews on Amazon and is offered as a free ebook if you are a prime member so this was a no brainer to read. I really enjoyed all of the characters and overall story - I mean there is so much room for drama when a man has an affair, is accused of killing his mistress, and then his wife decides to step up and defend him still as his lawyer. I thought there was a good pace to the story, the details/mystery pieces fell into place at the right time to keep you guessing but not bored. I will say that overall I had so many people message me saying “omg the ending!!” So I really wasn’t shocked or that surprised when I got to the ending, but it still didn’t detract from how much I enjoyed the book. There was still a bit of evidence revealed at the end I wouldn’t have guessed at all! Some of the writing style I thought was a tad cringy at times (Adam”s internal dialogue about becoming an ant so he has purpose in life??) and I don’t know why but all of constant mention of labels “Range Rover,” “Channel” etc felt a little like it was trying to force pushing Sarah into this bad and boujee realm that overall read a little odd to me, but these are minor nitpicking things. I thought this was an entertaining and enjoying thriller - easy to pick up and read and keep you engaged!</div></div></div></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWpPvz0c3sSl3whjuFyvY3bQ6eXwD_stO0_hs0KTsgzcPERMoS4SJpejivk6uaUOVoRsirgVTh_mRvEBYSqOpyUhE6NNQOSP3mXipjjmgajcBOnwux4oIcyZDx0PZisihDgPyZ-X5Cdnkx2-D2L3VvitRxDk57qsorTavI57YkS0Uu-f8B8KyOxtxKOzGc/s4000/summer%20reading%20book%20reviews.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2591" data-original-width="4000" height="414" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWpPvz0c3sSl3whjuFyvY3bQ6eXwD_stO0_hs0KTsgzcPERMoS4SJpejivk6uaUOVoRsirgVTh_mRvEBYSqOpyUhE6NNQOSP3mXipjjmgajcBOnwux4oIcyZDx0PZisihDgPyZ-X5Cdnkx2-D2L3VvitRxDk57qsorTavI57YkS0Uu-f8B8KyOxtxKOzGc/w640-h414/summer%20reading%20book%20reviews.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Posting lots of mocktail pictures during my girls trip to Florida before I announced to the rest of the world I was pregnant again!!</td></tr></tbody></table><h2 style="text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://amzn.to/462sIGs" target="_blank">Local Woman Missing</a></b></h2><div><div style="text-align: center;">by Mary Kubica. Synopsis from Amazon:</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>People don't just disappear without a trace…</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Shelby Tebow is the first to go missing. Not long after, Meredith Dickey and her six-year-old daughter, Delilah, vanish just blocks away from where Shelby was last seen, striking fear into their once-peaceful community. Are these incidents connected? After an elusive search that yields more questions than answers, the case eventually goes cold.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Now, eleven years later, Delilah shockingly returns. Everyone wants to know what happened to her, but no one is prepared for what they'll find…</i></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i> </i></div><div style="text-align: center;">This is one of the books I read awhile ago, didn't review right after the fact, and now can't quite remember anything notable/not notable about it excepts that I liked it, hah! I do know for sure that I started it on my flight down to Florida for VERY RARE girls trip and it started with a pretty harsh first scene with a young child in held in captivity in a basement so even though it got tons of recommendations for me to read I had to say "nah, not what I'm going for right now" and stopped after a chapter or two and picked up <u>Bad Summer People</u> (review below) for a easy summer read. I did pick it back up after the my trip though, and I'm so glad that I did! This book had a lot of moving parts, and I do remember very surprised by the ending. So...yeah. Can't remember much else anymore except I liked following the mystery a lot, and it's worth pushing through the first few chapters for!!!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWA5TbVqh7LsFxESJTKLfBOsodjwSP27a1ZH1maN03GK591HttYQ3c5hyYZ6DHmCj57dpV2623s2Go0c3mL1r8NFbVvNmTMoVRsoMYSxG04iQo4NGDwaFWQXagxp5C91kvOVtyJ1ZEglgwQ78PJkpZKkLfjqUQ92_tZ0hamaYYdC1ohhYyxiQrxIZ6M6-d/s4000/bad%20summer%20people%20book%20review.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2591" data-original-width="4000" height="414" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWA5TbVqh7LsFxESJTKLfBOsodjwSP27a1ZH1maN03GK591HttYQ3c5hyYZ6DHmCj57dpV2623s2Go0c3mL1r8NFbVvNmTMoVRsoMYSxG04iQo4NGDwaFWQXagxp5C91kvOVtyJ1ZEglgwQ78PJkpZKkLfjqUQ92_tZ0hamaYYdC1ohhYyxiQrxIZ6M6-d/w640-h414/bad%20summer%20people%20book%20review.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The amount of reading I got done on this girls trip was HEAVENLY haha. I was just gone for a long weekend but had so much fun catching up with a group of my gal pals, floating around our Air BnB pool, reading on the beach, and getting dressed up to go out each night!</td></tr></tbody></table><h2 style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://amzn.to/46CSeC3" target="_blank">Bad Summer People</a></h2><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;">by Emma Rosenblum. Synopsis from Amazon:</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>None of them would claim to be a particularly good person. But who among them is actually capable of murder?</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Jen Weinstein and Lauren Parker rule the town of Salcombe, Fire Island every summer. They hold sway on the beach and the tennis court, and are adept at manipulating people to get what they want. Their husbands, Sam and Jason, have summered together on the island since childhood, despite lifelong grudges and numerous secrets. Their one single friend, Rachel Woolf, is looking to meet her match, whether he’s the tennis pro—or someone else’s husband. But even with plenty to gossip about, this season starts out as quietly as any other.</i></div></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i>Until a body is discovered, face down, off the side of the boardwalk.</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i>Stylish, subversive, and darkly comedic, this is a story of what's lurking under the surface of picture-perfect lives in a place where everyone has something to hide.</i></div><div><br /></div><div>I started this book after abandoning another book that wasn't cutting it on flight to a girls trip to Florida when I wanted something beachy and drama filled and this book was exactly what I was looking for. I shouldn't read reviews of books I've read before I review them but (alas) I read one from a popular blogger saying this one was terrible and to skip it and it made me so mad for some reason! In my defense, in that same blog post she could not stop singing the praises for <u>The Senator's Wife </u>which I reviewed earlier this year and thought was one of the <a href="http://www.mygirlishwhims.com/2023/04/my-girlish-whims-book-club-52.html" target="_blank">worst books I've read this year</a>, so obviously we have different tastes in reading, hah. Toe-mate-toe, toe-mat-tao as they say - but I really did love this one. It's a quick read set in a small beach town with a small group of main characters but with small and close knit community who loves to gossip. I loved the drama. I loved finding out who was sleeping with who and who wanted to sleep with who. The novel spans a summer and gives you a beach town, scandal, murder, wealth and sex (hah). I think this was just what I needed for a quick beach read that yes, wasn't earth shattering but still kept me interested in the story and wrapped everything up tightly at the end. I think it's a mood read book for sure so seeing as we are now going into fall, maybe add this to your TBR for next summer, but I still loved it!</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk9CpBSpSx_yGPY13CKkOw0l_gRTeJWV_ZURPihBR9a-sw0esS9Pf48bSHkQd-43qYHOX9vx-g-qXkfndQGm4wzKmPjPQ97wWVlw89hcG77zTyMZlrfbIrCiTe79lSas99d-G0nuHf3mjLmUUE3ek232ssO8OXedStjhmnYbO_t7wvTKrZ517DXATu-P5T/s5648/the%20mother%20in%20law%20book%20review.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5648" data-original-width="4000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk9CpBSpSx_yGPY13CKkOw0l_gRTeJWV_ZURPihBR9a-sw0esS9Pf48bSHkQd-43qYHOX9vx-g-qXkfndQGm4wzKmPjPQ97wWVlw89hcG77zTyMZlrfbIrCiTe79lSas99d-G0nuHf3mjLmUUE3ek232ssO8OXedStjhmnYbO_t7wvTKrZ517DXATu-P5T/w454-h640/the%20mother%20in%20law%20book%20review.JPG" width="454" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We took our first day trip to the beach with the boys in July to Ocean City! I was craving beach time so this hit the spot for a quick trip to walk the boardwalk and play on the beach...and load back into the car by about 12:30 because the boys were exhausted and needed a nap, hah! Short and sweet but a fun day for sure! </td></tr></tbody></table></div><div style="text-align: center;"><h1 class="a-size-large a-spacing-none" id="title"><a href="https://amzn.to/459R4gg" target="_blank">The Mother-in-Law</a></h1><div style="text-align: left;"><div><div style="text-align: center;">By Sally Hepworth. Synopsis from Amazon:</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>From the moment Lucy met her husband’s mother, she knew she wasn’t the wife Diana had envisioned for her perfect son. Exquisitely polite, friendly, and always generous, Diana nonetheless kept Lucy at arm’s length despite her desperate attempts to win her over. And as a pillar in the community, an advocate for female refugees, and a woman happily married for decades, no one had a bad word to say about Diana…except Lucy.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>That was five years ago. </i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Now, Diana is dead, a suicide note found near her body claiming that she longer wanted to live because of the cancer wreaking havoc inside her body. </i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>But the autopsy finds no cancer. </i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>It does find traces of poison, and evidence of suffocation. </i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Who could possibly want Diana dead? Why was her will changed at the eleventh hour to disinherit both of her children, and their spouses? And what does it mean that Lucy isn’t exactly sad she’s gone?</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Fractured relationships and deep family secrets grow more compelling with every page in this twisty, captivating new novel from Sally Hepworth. </i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">This was my third Sally Hepworth book I've read and was another one I enjoyed! I think I'm just super biased now though because <u>The Good Sister</u> was the first one that I read from Hepworth and I absolutely ADORED it and none that I've read since then have just quite been as good. For this book though I still enjoyed the story and really liked Lucy's character. I think the desire to connect, get along with and even bond & become close with your mother-in-law is extremely relatable and I found Lucy's struggle to get to know and get along with Diana very realistic. There were no earth shattering twists but a few fun surprises along the way that added to the story and I ultimately think the motive behind the real reason for Diana's death (while extremely sad and unfortunate) was driven from a lot of raw and all consuming grief & and pain from a hardship that is impossible to understand unless you have walked through it before - but I think Hepworth was spot on that it could lead drastic consequences. Ambiguous, I know, hah! But I'm really trying to avoid spoilers here. The cast of characters is pretty small in this book so there are not a ton of options for where this story could go. I will still read more from Hepworth, but if you want to start with one I still prefer <u>The Good Sister</u> better!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD-JRRoVuS3xHfaI9H9wkNre_UFuz6XBneEaD0SmAF1sX4HYU7UX_QxN7RG_xHy4fzlpvPePBD9tBCPKXnIcXr9Ja09BCMaYI_Fg2A9VD7OZsKxtDpaOVG5Cy6178rLR_GoPt25bM0VybARpbS5DDGivhR-VUm5_arzD3Vro78FugF9Sc44tOAJYMNhoF2/s4032/the%20marriage%20pact%20book%20review.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD-JRRoVuS3xHfaI9H9wkNre_UFuz6XBneEaD0SmAF1sX4HYU7UX_QxN7RG_xHy4fzlpvPePBD9tBCPKXnIcXr9Ja09BCMaYI_Fg2A9VD7OZsKxtDpaOVG5Cy6178rLR_GoPt25bM0VybARpbS5DDGivhR-VUm5_arzD3Vro78FugF9Sc44tOAJYMNhoF2/w480-h640/the%20marriage%20pact%20book%20review.HEIC" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pretty views of the water channel behind our house in Chincoteague where we vacation every August - we would normally spend mornings at the beach with the boys and come back to the house for nap time where I continued to enjoy some sunshine and reading & relaxing out here!</td></tr></tbody></table><h2 style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://amzn.to/48spBJh" target="_blank">The Marriage Pact</a></h2><div><div style="text-align: center;">by John Marrs. Synopsis from Amazon: </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Britain. The near-future. A right-wing government believes it has the answer to society’s ills—the Sanctity of Marriage Act, which actively encourages marriage as the norm, punishing those who choose to remain single.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>But four couples are about to discover just how impossible relationships can be when the government is monitoring every aspect of our personal lives—monitoring every word, every minor disagreement…and will use every tool in its arsenal to ensure everyone will love, honor and obey.</i></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">I enjoyed this book! I know it got some buzz on bookstagram but doesn't look like the craze followed over to the rest of the Internet, but I think it was a good story and worth the hype. I loved the idea/concept behind it: I really liked the slightly dystopian-feeling society that was still not too far off the realm of being realistic. I love how the book focused on marriage and all the reasons behind why married couples were supposed to be better (aka cheaper) for society. It was very interesting to learn about all the extra incentives and bonuses couples who upgraded to a "smart marriage" would receive and I loved all the included flyers/pamphlets/basically propaganda pieces included in the book trying to sell society on why smart marriages were the way to go. I loved the story of the old man with the long term marriage at the beginning the story (ugh, oh my heart), I had fun watching Roxi obsess over her social media and climb the ranks as an influencer (with no regard to the detriments it caused to her family along the way) and I really liked the evolution of Anthony's character as a "cog" in the machine workaholic for the government who eventually decides he needs to stand up to start making changes. The only part of this book I didn't enjoy is that it's not an all the way around happy book, and certain events/things that happened to some of the characters were hard and unfair to watch! Obviously, not every character of every book is going to get a happy ending but I mean, maybe just maybe I could wish that they would, LOL. I still would recommend!</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqoqj3tTo79H8gwzEeFVJSvAKGAsvvLHGEPJ3MvEPXNwJOMWYC149eTIFoCO5qSou3_aIekdUNOdQbbu7KjfqcFXMN2Q2Gow5pPClwMc35yRxlkDrBx7yjTHSuIQpRfY4fQRf6of9mrxafqjbtYdc41aUCW5bluxhvKaPrMzfq5m0v6V4udKLslYigwxjq/s5648/chinc%20fam%20vacay.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5648" data-original-width="4000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqoqj3tTo79H8gwzEeFVJSvAKGAsvvLHGEPJ3MvEPXNwJOMWYC149eTIFoCO5qSou3_aIekdUNOdQbbu7KjfqcFXMN2Q2Gow5pPClwMc35yRxlkDrBx7yjTHSuIQpRfY4fQRf6of9mrxafqjbtYdc41aUCW5bluxhvKaPrMzfq5m0v6V4udKLslYigwxjq/w454-h640/chinc%20fam%20vacay.JPG" width="454" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Took the boys on their first boat ride on our Chincoteague trip this summer! Grandpa Bob was a great captain. I loved getting to see the wild ponies again and catching up on some reading on our balcony at night after the boys were asleep!</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><h2><a href="https://amzn.to/4637CaV" target="_blank">Mad Honey</a></h2><div><div><div>By Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan. Synopsis from Amazon:</div><div><br /></div><div><i>Olivia McAfee knows what it feels like to start over. Her picture-perfect life—living in Boston, married to a brilliant cardiothoracic surgeon, raising their beautiful son, Asher—was upended when her husband revealed a darker side. She never imagined that she would end up back in her sleepy New Hampshire hometown, living in the house she grew up in and taking over her father’s beekeeping business.</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i>Lily Campanello is familiar with do-overs, too. When she and her mom relocate to Adams, New Hampshire, for her final year of high school, they both hope it will be a fresh start. </i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i>And for just a short while, these new beginnings are exactly what Olivia and Lily need. Their paths cross when Asher falls for the new girl in school, and Lily can’t help but fall for him, too. With Ash, she feels happy for the first time. Yet she wonders if she can trust him completely. . . .</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i>Then one day, Olivia receives a phone call: Lily is dead, and Asher is being questioned by the police. Olivia is adamant that her son is innocent. But she would be lying if she didn’t acknowledge the flashes of his father’s temper in Ash, and as the case against him unfolds, she realizes he’s hidden more than he’s shared with her.</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i><u>Mad Honey </u>is a riveting novel of suspense, an unforgettable love story, and a moving and powerful exploration of the secrets we keep and the risks we take in order to become ourselves.</i></div></div><div> </div><div>I think this was a good book, I just read it at the wrong time. I picked this one up from a little free library and thought I'd give it a go since it has been agessss since I've read anything from Jodi Picoult. I know she's an amazing author though so I figured I would jump back in with this new book from her. I surprisingly loved the information and parallels made from the bee keeping business/knowledge that Olivia has and shares throughout the book. It was interesting and oddly not boring at all and fit certain sections of the book extremely well. I enjoyed the characters, I enjoyed the love and fierce protection they had over each other, and I loved that there was a major plot point dropped around 1/3 or 1/2 way through the book that I didn't see coming and wasn't advertised and added a lot more depth and drama to the book. Overall though this book is a bit heavy - covering murder accusations and the death of a young girl and biases and hate and suicide attempts. I read this at the end of summer when it still very much felt like summer outside and I really was just feeling like something a bit more light hearted. I am very much a mood reader, and just don't think I started this one at the right time/in the mood for something heavy. I think if you enjoy literary fiction and have read Picoult before you will still enjoy this one, I think it's much better suited for the fall/heading into winter reading season coming up anyway!</div></div><div><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBJOVprsQTQBo33GAd71t1psxZXK72TPgV-dDA98W-bMwWgPiQ5NcuRWgheu11lWLLDoxbMzbWCDoLhVieJV92Yy3xRxaCLtnOT1s_1R7FirKU4RkG-XpIy0XGbuyuRm5fWAHUwlYDZoZCpP13q2TMl5erVsQwlh9vY5xZdpzTLLri00-fjZkd-5QyA-zd/s4032/the%20castaways%20book%20review.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBJOVprsQTQBo33GAd71t1psxZXK72TPgV-dDA98W-bMwWgPiQ5NcuRWgheu11lWLLDoxbMzbWCDoLhVieJV92Yy3xRxaCLtnOT1s_1R7FirKU4RkG-XpIy0XGbuyuRm5fWAHUwlYDZoZCpP13q2TMl5erVsQwlh9vY5xZdpzTLLri00-fjZkd-5QyA-zd/w480-h640/the%20castaways%20book%20review.HEIC" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I spent lots of this summer trying to sneak in a few pages on our deck while the boys played with their water table or kiddy pool!</td></tr></tbody></table><h2><a href="https://amzn.to/3PJIaBt" target="_blank">The Castaways</a></h2></div><div><div>By Elin Hilderbrand. Synopsis from Amazon:</div><div><br /></div><div><i>With rumors of infidelity straining Greg and Tess MacAvoy's marriage, the couple head out on their sailboat one early summer day to celebrate their wedding anniversary, hoping the roughest waters are behind them. But in an accident off Nantucket, they mysteriously drown, leaving behind two small children as well as three couples who have long been their closest friends. Tragedy brings to the surface long-simmering conflicts and emotions, and the MacAvoys' six grieving friends find themselves unprepared for the revelation of secret upon secret as they struggle to answer the question: What happened to Greg and Tess?</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i><u>The Castaways</u> probes the boundaries of friendship and forgiveness as it tells a page-turning story of passion, betrayal, and suspense, filled with the perfect details of summer island life that have made Elin Hilderbrand's novels beloved bestsellers.</i></div><div><br /></div><div>I love any book from Elin, this is of course no big revelation over here! I decided to read this backlist read of hers after I read a pretty heavy book (<u>Mad Honey</u> reviewed above) while I was still craving summer reading because I know Elin's books won't disappoint at least! Supposedly some of the characters in this book make a reappearance in Elin's next and final summer Nantucket novel so I grabbed it from the library to read leading up to our last summer beach trip of the summer. This book starts with some heavy subject matter - a younger couple dies in a boating accident leaving two kids behind and their close friends who go through waves of grief in the aftermath, but despite the death & grieving I still enjoyed this one! It's an older one from Elin (it was published while I was a freshman at college, hah) and by far from one of my top 3 favorites for her but I still liked it! I liked learning about all the surprising (and juicy!) dynamics going on behind the scenes with the four couples, and I appreciated the raw and crazy grief that Andrea goes through losing Tess and that Phoebe went through from losing another family member during 9/11 and the impact and long lasting fallout it had on her life. With plenty of drama and the ideal Nantucket backdrop and character stories we all love from Elin, I'm glad I picked this backlist read up from her.</div></div><div><br /></div><div><div></div></div></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT6R1PjG3nqT6a0kHhbMiz2K7xj3CkJm-I1ZpPfTufY9wxJQYAYrpjMqV_EaPBmepltmZZdkc-LN8J4i2vKGZNbqkmJA5EJ4MtYQsGJGa2T2iz_Yw0jGl5lC-1SQhPVaary5UuxY9fDpsQgdjnHitqaykQSeUFRxieBUwgDRxS7d1weBbGkKVmin-XNhnj/s4032/cape%20charles%20family%20pic.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT6R1PjG3nqT6a0kHhbMiz2K7xj3CkJm-I1ZpPfTufY9wxJQYAYrpjMqV_EaPBmepltmZZdkc-LN8J4i2vKGZNbqkmJA5EJ4MtYQsGJGa2T2iz_Yw0jGl5lC-1SQhPVaary5UuxY9fDpsQgdjnHitqaykQSeUFRxieBUwgDRxS7d1weBbGkKVmin-XNhnj/w480-h640/cape%20charles%20family%20pic.HEIC" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Family trip to Cape Charles for a long weekend - our first visit and the BEST beach to visit with toddlers. We had the best time!!!</td></tr></tbody></table><h2 style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3PtMJi2" target="_blank">Drunk on Love</a></h2><div><div style="text-align: center;">by Jasmine Guillory. Synopsis from Amazon:</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Margot Noble needs some relief from the stress of running the family winery with her brother. Enter Luke: sexy, charming, and best of all in the too-small world of Napa, a stranger. The chemistry between them is undeniable, and Margot is delighted that she lucked into the perfect one-night stand she’ll never have to see again. That is, until the winery’s newest hire, Luke, walks in the next morning. Margot is determined to keep things purely professional, but when their every interaction reminds her of the attraction still bubbling between them, it proves to be much more challenging than she expects.</i></div> <div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Luke Williams had it all, but when he quits his high-salary tech job in Silicon Valley in a blaze of burnout and moves back to Napa to help a friend, he realizes he doesn’t want to tell the world—or his mom—why he’s now working at a winery. His mom loves bragging about her successful son—how can he admit that the job she’s so proud of broke him? Luke has no idea what is next for him, but one thing is certain: he wants more from the incredibly smart and sexy woman he hooked up with—even after he learns she’s his new boss. But even if they can find a way to be together that wouldn’t be an ethical nightmare, would such a successful woman really want a tech-world dropout? </i></div> <div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Set against a lush backdrop of Napa Valley wine country, nothing goes to your head as fast as a taste of love—even if it means changing all your plans.</i></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">I grabbed this book at an adorable little bookstore/coffee shop in Cape Charles on our last family vacation (along with a slew of kiddo themed Halloween books) when I was close to finishing <u>The Castaways</u> and knew I would need another book to start at the beach which called for something light hearted and fun. It's been ages since I've read anything from Jasmine Guillory and even though romance isn't my favorite genre (she may be a mix of romance and chick-lit - but this one read more romance to me) I remember liking <u>The Wedding Date</u> from her ages ago so when I picked this one up to see a synopsis about a steamy love story with the backdrop of a winery in Napa, I figured it was worth a shot :) I really enjoyed the first part of this book - there was a lot of chemistry between the main characters which I loved and I enjoyed the set-up of the story. The longer the book went on though the more it dragged on me. There was not a lot of action/plot points and I thought Margot's work stress was mostly in her head and the "drama" between Luke, Avery, his mom and his old job was very inflated and not that drama worthy. I still liked the book overall, and it definitely fit for a beachy, light-hearted steam read and I still loved the winery setting, but I think the original ones I liked best by Guillory - <u>The Proposal</u> and <u>The Wedding Date</u> (at least if my memory serves me well) were still ones I enjoyed a little more. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnzHgzabNOHsJ045YPJZTkKGvzK0YXshi4kVa0jykpiCoVEmJXBx7gClR7i9aBcJpxW1GszmYk6DZvjBN504Dn7XxRHgmW7bRdmqUAlJRiSAQAOPTuAbmRtDUWgkHPPz6YTIRe6Y33rz5TjnflF1JfiS0zTem_GsdN6vRKr4KBm69raTA_AP7RUhiCRheZ/s5648/cape%20charles%20trip.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5648" data-original-width="4000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnzHgzabNOHsJ045YPJZTkKGvzK0YXshi4kVa0jykpiCoVEmJXBx7gClR7i9aBcJpxW1GszmYk6DZvjBN504Dn7XxRHgmW7bRdmqUAlJRiSAQAOPTuAbmRtDUWgkHPPz6YTIRe6Y33rz5TjnflF1JfiS0zTem_GsdN6vRKr4KBm69raTA_AP7RUhiCRheZ/w454-h640/cape%20charles%20trip.JPG" width="454" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Seriously - Cape Charles was the cutest beach town ever. I hope we get back again!</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><h2 style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://amzn.to/45fvXZQ" target="_blank">She Started It</a></h2></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;">By Sian Gilbert. Synopsis from Amazon:</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Annabel, Esther, Tanya, and Chloe are best friends—or were, as children. Despite drifting apart in adulthood, shared secrets have kept them bonded for better or worse, even as their childhood dreams haven’t quite turned out as they’d hoped. Then one day they receive a wholly unexpected—but not entirely unwelcome—invitation from another old friend. Poppy Greer has invited them all to her extravagant bachelorette party: a first-class plane ticket to three days of white sand, cocktails, and relaxation on a luxe private island in the Bahamas.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>None of them has spoken to Poppy in years. But Poppy’s Instagram pics shows that the girl they used to consider the weakest link in their group has definitely made good—and made money. Curiosity gets the better of them. Besides, who can turn down a posh all-expenses-paid vacation on a Caribbean island?</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>The first-class flight and the island’s accommodations are just as opulent as expected...even if the scenic island proves more remote than they’d anticipated. Quite remote, in fact, with no cell service, and no other guests. The women quickly discover they’ve underestimated Poppy, and each other. As their darkest secrets are revealed, the tropical adventure morphs into a terrifying nightmare.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Endlessly twisty, sharply observant, and deliciously catty, <u>She Started It </u>is sure to shock readers until the very end. </i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">This was a <a href="https://www.mybotm.com/0dciuik6ejxh?show_box=true" target="_blank">book of the month</a> pick for me a few months back and the synopsis had me pretty excited: a lush tropical island location, an extravagantly planned bachelorette party, and past girl drama for sure to ensure...and yet I just don't think the book lived up to the location/set-up hype. A lot of the characters read very similar so it was hard to keep track of who-was-who for awhile, and for some reason no one was extremely likable. There were plenty of reasons why we shouldn't like the four friends who bullied Poppy, but despite that I still didn't find Poppy to be a protagonist that I felt my heart bend over backwards to go out to either. Part of the twist did catch me by surprise, so props to that, but overall the book still fell short to me. I wish there was more tropical island excitement and less long segments of recounting the past to build the suspense of the novel that just overall felt...not entirely suspenseful. There were only five people on the island, things can only work out so many ways. Wouldn't recommend!! </div></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS_V0UVvq6cHz7m9rYWEJ_QR9XDbE6iBRVuKE4GnOnEhblLiMGftUj5vgFPMrL5lDQc-KHfy-gSZE5xu8xXC6Id1OYTIDkD-Cn7Ku2c-dCkfwryPPtnTN2tAIpm_jTuow1BOsjaoZJx1eqDiCQuinWu3z4i9IOba-VBl5zsKkFDgwn59GE-K-h3oCsti-o/s4000/Pineapple%20Street%20Book%20Review.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="4000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS_V0UVvq6cHz7m9rYWEJ_QR9XDbE6iBRVuKE4GnOnEhblLiMGftUj5vgFPMrL5lDQc-KHfy-gSZE5xu8xXC6Id1OYTIDkD-Cn7Ku2c-dCkfwryPPtnTN2tAIpm_jTuow1BOsjaoZJx1eqDiCQuinWu3z4i9IOba-VBl5zsKkFDgwn59GE-K-h3oCsti-o/w640-h640/Pineapple%20Street%20Book%20Review.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We paid for our first non-family baby-sitter over the summer! Our first time was really just to meet the sitter before we used her for when I went away on my girl's trip so we really didn't have any plans for the day we needed a sitter for...so we went to the gym pool and enjoyed actually sitting and relaxing for once instead of chasing toddlers, hah! Before we cleaned up to grab an early dinner together too :)</td></tr></tbody></table><h2 style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3tmL32v" target="_blank">Pineapple Street</a></h2><div><div style="text-align: center;">By Jenny Jackson. Synopsis from Amazon: </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Darley, the eldest daughter in the well-connected old money Stockton family, followed her heart, trading her job and her inheritance for motherhood but giving up far too much in the process; Sasha, a middle-class New England girl, has married into the Brooklyn Heights family, and finds herself cast as the arriviste outsider; and Georgiana, the baby of the family, has fallen in love with someone she can’t have, and must decide what kind of person she wants to be. </i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Rife with the indulgent pleasures of life among New York’s one-percenters, Pineapple Street is a smart, escapist novel that sparkles with wit. Full of recognizable, loveable—if fallible—characters, it’s about the peculiar unknowability of someone else’s family, the miles between the haves and have-nots, and the insanity of first love—all wrapped in a story that is a sheer delight.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">It's been ages since I read this book (I should have reviewed it right after the fact!) so this review will be brief. Overall - I remember liking this book a lot without a lot of specific reasons for liking it, hah! I found myself just very interested in the lives of this family and those that married into it. I liked the wealth, the family drama, the family dynamics, and of course all the scandal along the way. The book was easy to read and didn't have a ton of plot/moving parts but was very focused on the lives of the characters and I enjoyed following along with them. Maybe an unpopular opinion...but my least favorite part of the book was the ending where the author tried to "make everything right." Maybe what I liked best about the book is that the characters were rich and a bit stuck up?? I just thought the whole "lets all try to be good people and sing "kumbaya" deal was a little flat and I liked the flawed character parts better, lol.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2wGA6aZUTc7-QQyFB0-vTvnpenAvL_sLvGA0xSy6BApbIUacvMv2Ur2kAJJ-b6jkSWJioHMzhFKo49qHXUgasg0Ap0fgqJ2WP1ku92mfdxjuZmzePGchM6AUNxYsv2Apb5YS41uM5W-AE6bsIMSeGtCaPQhKroUFzkYTRPXogb6xlFNdMdKm2F_P3Iogj/s4000/never%20lie%20book%20review.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2591" data-original-width="4000" height="414" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2wGA6aZUTc7-QQyFB0-vTvnpenAvL_sLvGA0xSy6BApbIUacvMv2Ur2kAJJ-b6jkSWJioHMzhFKo49qHXUgasg0Ap0fgqJ2WP1ku92mfdxjuZmzePGchM6AUNxYsv2Apb5YS41uM5W-AE6bsIMSeGtCaPQhKroUFzkYTRPXogb6xlFNdMdKm2F_P3Iogj/w640-h414/never%20lie%20book%20review.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Despite these sunny pictures I read part of this book after kiddo bedtime on our Chincoteague family vacation on our screened in balcony during a thunderstorm - it was the perfect spooky setting for a book with an equally spooky location!</td></tr></tbody></table><h2 style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://amzn.to/48Cdnhk" target="_blank">Never Lie</a></h2><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: center;">By Freida McFadden. Synopsis from Amazon:</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Newlyweds Tricia and Ethan are searching for the house of their dreams.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>But when they visit the remote manor that once belonged to Dr. Adrienne Hale, a renowned psychiatrist who vanished without a trace four years earlier, a violent winter storm traps them at the estate… with no chance of escape until the blizzard comes to an end.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>In search of a book to keep her entertained until the snow abates, Tricia happens upon a secret room. One that contains audio transcripts from every single patient Dr. Hale has ever interviewed. As Tricia listens to the cassette tapes, she learns about the terrifying chain of events leading up to Dr. Hale’s mysterious disappearance. </i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Tricia plays the tapes one by one, late into the night. With each one, another shocking piece of the puzzle falls into place, and Dr. Adrienne Hale’s web of lies slowly unravels.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>And then Tricia reaches the final cassette. </i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>The one that reveals the entire horrifying truth.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Well confession: I completely forgot I read this book until I was scrolling through my phone looking for pictures of all of the above books/memories from this summer and then a picture of this book popped up and I was like oh! Yes I did read that one too, hah! But don't let that be a detriment for you from wanting to read this one - I remember loving it! I've read 4 Freida McFadden books now and my latest one (that I am actually going to save for my next review post, whenever that may be) I didn't love, but all of the others I have, this one included. I think Freida is great for a quick, interesting and surprising thriller read. I loved the setting of this one - kind of gave me <u>Rock Paper Scissor </u>vibes with a house out in the country in a snow storm and there was a lot of depth to this mystery and I was very invested in the story. My details on this review again will be weak since its been awhile since I've read it 😂 but I definetly was sucked into this mystery and through all the twisted and messed up places it went, felt like the ending fit the book perfectly. I read this in summertime since I knew Freida would be good for an entertaining read but would for SURE recommend this one for the colder months coming! </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Well looks like I am FINALLY caught up with my reviews! For now :) Just in time for me to head to my October in person book club tonight to review our spooky pic for this month - I'll be back *hopefully* much sooner to share my Octobers reads with you! </div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div>
</div>Rebecca @ My Girlish Whimshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17825981722220301082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7847365927497704283.post-86484900400325449602023-07-28T13:24:00.005-04:002023-07-28T13:26:28.852-04:00My Girlish Whims Book Club #54<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Summertime is the best time :) We've only been away on one mini trip as a family so far this summer to the Jersey shore but even a few days at the beach is enough to make my heart happy! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_hMObjpfRzi7Vas1eC3J-tOzzqlrbSOulBz73sx_hsANVB9Or_Uo21xIfel9LziROeDEy2mmO1nTFGCJBe19LLPs4rwJ_yr4vmDm6hM_0MRXJ1ahwNGVDAkFFoRJpobB0VVFVRhRi_O-7MDKpeJDS-YOhVqlJKKUW9lqlsOf5UPkVzWm6_T7MBDuIZ9T6/s5648/my%20girlish%20whims%20summer.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5648" data-original-width="4000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_hMObjpfRzi7Vas1eC3J-tOzzqlrbSOulBz73sx_hsANVB9Or_Uo21xIfel9LziROeDEy2mmO1nTFGCJBe19LLPs4rwJ_yr4vmDm6hM_0MRXJ1ahwNGVDAkFFoRJpobB0VVFVRhRi_O-7MDKpeJDS-YOhVqlJKKUW9lqlsOf5UPkVzWm6_T7MBDuIZ9T6/w454-h640/my%20girlish%20whims%20summer.JPG" width="454" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Summer is still my favorite season back at home: we've been enjoying taking the boys to our gym pool a few evenings and afternoons on the weekend when the weather cooperates and of course when the sun is shining you don't have to drag me very far to get out and enjoy it! I'll fill up our kiddy pool and water table on the deck and let the boys splash around so I can sneak in 5 minutes of reading before someone tries to climb up and join me ;) </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWskSQyuUukuVSUcRBcR-AwAk_GPFAMEsA-aBk6GQUMMjbHZbt-S5lvjO-WHuzDwcSkS5o1WaTnhnBfq0xkp2SGx9ULR2TGqpqjT1sNnq_-XK8irh87qhUtz0zNZSHBYKJOiUEviI6z0lKkRj3WBw-1XNRZACBVccZilI6yZ2AFTMFgYwi2NufWnN07d4n/s2293/summer%20reading.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2293" data-original-width="1290" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWskSQyuUukuVSUcRBcR-AwAk_GPFAMEsA-aBk6GQUMMjbHZbt-S5lvjO-WHuzDwcSkS5o1WaTnhnBfq0xkp2SGx9ULR2TGqpqjT1sNnq_-XK8irh87qhUtz0zNZSHBYKJOiUEviI6z0lKkRj3WBw-1XNRZACBVccZilI6yZ2AFTMFgYwi2NufWnN07d4n/w360-h640/summer%20reading.JPG" width="360" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Despite the five minute chunks, I'm chugging right along with my summertime reading! Here's what I've read and my thought on each since my <a href="http://www.mygirlishwhims.com/2023/06/my-girlish-whims-book-club-53.html" target="_blank">last set of reviews</a>. </div><br /><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>This post contains affiliate links</i></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKEP1vNHvbQoafnurofSHfUWXjw2peXhBr4BV18Q_wNitecxkoEILU3_o1hvK0k0LFztrOPu_OYhn78dBQ4ePtndenb5CglDeutxm9poMqnEJtXIzAUBiDkAfsuQnVXHHQrniu-Ct1ojwKCTJbk7kpcWi6gDpaM4AEwLQUcL3MZAT12AluMGjklxvO59I4/s2400/the%20good%20sister%20book%20review.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="924" data-original-width="2400" height="246" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKEP1vNHvbQoafnurofSHfUWXjw2peXhBr4BV18Q_wNitecxkoEILU3_o1hvK0k0LFztrOPu_OYhn78dBQ4ePtndenb5CglDeutxm9poMqnEJtXIzAUBiDkAfsuQnVXHHQrniu-Ct1ojwKCTJbk7kpcWi6gDpaM4AEwLQUcL3MZAT12AluMGjklxvO59I4/w640-h246/the%20good%20sister%20book%20review.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div></div><div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmFaAPOUkJCxQK_cG_z3djqosFlLYldGZoAQg1yL1chvc8Tb2VyOn4jLXy9XEJdHcVV6JOb3RRs1K4I_0dBtlrK7ZNIC0sY2HjQyE-NyC0r7KpknmS2B5I5veO6peKoJ7tAaNuPdSIIb_BC4Ft_Pl0Hg5dqkEfCZsBUPRwLTRw24HIkoobqUGm2SCY5oHy/s4032/happy%20place%20book%20review.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmFaAPOUkJCxQK_cG_z3djqosFlLYldGZoAQg1yL1chvc8Tb2VyOn4jLXy9XEJdHcVV6JOb3RRs1K4I_0dBtlrK7ZNIC0sY2HjQyE-NyC0r7KpknmS2B5I5veO6peKoJ7tAaNuPdSIIb_BC4Ft_Pl0Hg5dqkEfCZsBUPRwLTRw24HIkoobqUGm2SCY5oHy/w480-h640/happy%20place%20book%20review.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><h1 class="a-size-large a-spacing-none" id="title" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3pTmGrJ" target="_blank">Happy Place</a></h1>
<div><div style="text-align: center;">By Emily Henry. Synopsis from Amazon:</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Harriet and Wyn have been the perfect couple since they met in college—they go together like salt and pepper, honey and tea, lobster and rolls. Except, now—for reasons they’re still not discussing—they don’t.</i></div> <div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>They broke up five months ago. And still haven’t told their best friends.</i></div> <div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Which is how they find themselves sharing a bedroom at the Maine cottage that has been their friend group’s yearly getaway for the last decade. Their annual respite from the world, where for one vibrant, blissful week they leave behind their daily lives; have copious amounts of cheese, wine, and seafood; and soak up the salty coastal air with the people who understand them most.</i></div> <div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Only this year, Harriet and Wyn are lying through their teeth while trying not to notice how desperately they still want each other. Because the cottage is for sale and this is the last week they’ll all have together in this place. They can’t stand to break their friends’ hearts, and so they’ll play their parts. Harriet will be the driven surgical resident who never starts a fight, and Wyn will be the laid-back charmer who never lets the cracks show. It’s a flawless plan (if you look at it from a great distance and through a pair of sunscreen-smeared sunglasses). After years of being in love, how hard can it be to fake it for one week…in front of those who know you best?</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">This book was SUCH a letdown for me!!! I loved Henry's debut novel "Beach Read" (<a href="http://www.mygirlishwhims.com/2021/04/my-girlish-whims-book-club-33.html" target="_blank">reviewed here</a>) and also really enjoyed "Book Lovers" (<a href="http://www.mygirlishwhims.com/2022/06/my-girlish-whims-book-club-44.html" target="_blank">reviewed here</a>) but this one was just a BAD read for me. I thought the story was slow, the characters were nothing noteworthy/not super likable, and the drama between the main characters was essentially a misunderstanding blown out of proportion and not worth writing an entire novel about. Despite the "crazy chemistry and sex life" Harriet and Wyn supposedly had while dating it didn't translate well into their present day relationship that you SHOULD be rooting for. I just kind of felt overall indifferent towards them and really didn't care one way or the other if they ended up back together. One of my my favorite parts of Henry's writing is her fast paced dialogue and witty banter between characters, and even that couldn't help salvage this book for me. I still love this author but would not recommend this one. Iwish I would have skipped it!</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXSycY5ZfPHAexABZErvB-IEszZ4qN1cdPV4tEi32RImY7DLCfLIy2dSz0Um_1n9VrBN7C3DGgU-kg8bAwLn-VtAPmNS4SZQfNyOpQOffWP3O1x08XLfsrA2ev6K329Cc8uWZkPQIP--bkIvDqwzui8ugpXItSMBWrubVoaPp4CsYyCvhnF9uksDlmWFop/s4032/the%20good%20sister.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXSycY5ZfPHAexABZErvB-IEszZ4qN1cdPV4tEi32RImY7DLCfLIy2dSz0Um_1n9VrBN7C3DGgU-kg8bAwLn-VtAPmNS4SZQfNyOpQOffWP3O1x08XLfsrA2ev6K329Cc8uWZkPQIP--bkIvDqwzui8ugpXItSMBWrubVoaPp4CsYyCvhnF9uksDlmWFop/w480-h640/the%20good%20sister.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><h2 style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3XQ5eB6" target="_blank">The Good Sister</a></h2></div></div><div><div><div><div style="text-align: center;">By Sally Hepworth. Synopsis from Amazon: </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>"There's only been one time that Rose couldn't stop me from doing the wrong thing and that was a mistake that will haunt me for the rest of my life."</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Fern Castle works in her local library. She has dinner with her twin sister Rose three nights a week. And she avoids crowds, bright lights and loud noises as much as possible. Fern has a carefully structured life and disrupting her routine can be...dangerous.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>When Rose discovers that she cannot get pregnant, Fern sees her chance to pay her sister back for everything Rose has done for her. Fern can have a baby for Rose. She just needs to find a father. Simple.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Fern's mission will shake the foundations of the life she has carefully built for herself and stir up dark secrets from the past, in this quirky, rich and shocking story of what families keep hidden.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">This was the very first book from Sally Hepworth I have read and it IMMEDIATELY became a favorite! I absolutely adored this book. Fern was such a great character: she has sensory issues and operates a little differently than most adults, but she is also the most loyal and kind, smart but straightforward, and entertaining and eclectic main character you fully support and cheer for. I loved the fact that she was a librarian, I loved her crazy outfits, I loved the journey of her relationships with her co-workers, and I loved every part of her budding relationship with Wally (the date with the headphones and goggles? Sweetest thing ever). I also really enjoyed the underlying mystery/sister drama/twists that went on in the book - down to the very last lingering chapter. I would recommend this to anyone to read - 10/10!</div></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisJFYDFNAtFv0NW5f2Dn2rQTlZPtnDUae8WTmHooUQYo_5t9Zv03-FFkYpB3E969IyOTXNQcXONw0uebpNnDImVpz_f6vzXdSy0k34R1IocPKXRefx7RgbITj0i2X7sxmOKw7SiNc4QgzJyw3OYACm-RA0ZYfPaCqJGmv48N6ZOF6qOQ1eWkv1ifzUW1ac/s2293/the%20soulmate%20book%20review.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2293" data-original-width="1290" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisJFYDFNAtFv0NW5f2Dn2rQTlZPtnDUae8WTmHooUQYo_5t9Zv03-FFkYpB3E969IyOTXNQcXONw0uebpNnDImVpz_f6vzXdSy0k34R1IocPKXRefx7RgbITj0i2X7sxmOKw7SiNc4QgzJyw3OYACm-RA0ZYfPaCqJGmv48N6ZOF6qOQ1eWkv1ifzUW1ac/w360-h640/the%20soulmate%20book%20review.JPG" width="360" /></a></div><h2 style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3O5aiht" target="_blank">The Soulmate</a></h2><div class="MsoNormal"><div><div style="text-align: center;">By Sally Hepworth. Synopsis from Amazon:</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Picture a lovely cottage on a cliff, with sloping lawns, walking paths, and beautiful flowers. It’s Gabe and Pippa Gerard’s dream home in a sleepy coastal town. But their perfect house hides something sinister. The tall cliffs have become a popular spot for people to end their lives. Over the past several months, Gabe comes to their rescue, literally talking them off the ledge.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Until one day, he doesn’t. When Pippa discovers Gabe knew the victim, the questions spiral. . . .Did the victim jump? Was she pushed? And would Gabe, the love of Pippa’s life, her soulmate . . . lie? As the perfect façade of their marriage begins to crack, the deepest and darkest secrets begin to unravel. Because sometimes, the most convincing lies are the ones we tell ourselves.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Since I loved <u>The Good Sister </u>so much I decided to keep the Sally Hepworth trend going by reading her newest release that I got in one of my <a href="https://www.mybotm.com/0dciuik6ejxh?show_box=true" target="_blank">book of the month</a> deliveries this summer. I still enjoyed reading this one, I just didn't love it quite as much as I loved <u>The Good Sister </u> which seems to go along with the consensus of other reviews I've read. Since this was only my second Hepworth novel though I still really enjoyed a twisty plot that had a lot of surprises thrown in along the way. To be honest I am writing this review very belatedly (I think I've read about 6/7 novels since this one, whoops!) so I don't have anything knit-picking bad I remember to point out, it just wasn't quite as memorable of a read for me. I would still recommend it - the location of this novel by the cliff, relationship dynamics between Pippa and Gabe, and all of the surprises built into the story all really worked for me and kept me entertained for sure!</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDyYh4Oj7ME4HQXYQmPDPXni-D_5wP7hln_o6Lkgd4H7p5pSUEDdGk84v7XKiK4A-QHLpAnq5_Xqo7oFGpe2LeJRVrka6uKutuGIsQ7iILiwHxYM4HEceH4TeZvkCi-tCN8_dU5lIa5j5TVA3NxMsY4yqNw494holXjkhPYfBwgbVnescorwvcYRKGVnWm/s4032/remarkably%20bright%20creatures%20book%20review.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDyYh4Oj7ME4HQXYQmPDPXni-D_5wP7hln_o6Lkgd4H7p5pSUEDdGk84v7XKiK4A-QHLpAnq5_Xqo7oFGpe2LeJRVrka6uKutuGIsQ7iILiwHxYM4HEceH4TeZvkCi-tCN8_dU5lIa5j5TVA3NxMsY4yqNw494holXjkhPYfBwgbVnescorwvcYRKGVnWm/w480-h640/remarkably%20bright%20creatures%20book%20review.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><br /><h2 class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3JygE6j" target="_blank">Remarkably Bright Creatures</a></h2><div><div style="text-align: center;">By Shelby Van Pelt. Synopsis from Amazon:</div><div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><i>After Tova Sullivan’s husband died, she began working the night shift at the Sowell Bay Aquarium, mopping floors and tidying up. Keeping busy has always helped her cope, which she’s been doing since her eighteen-year-old son, Erik, mysteriously vanished on a boat in Puget Sound over thirty years ago.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Tova becomes acquainted with curmudgeonly Marcellus, a giant Pacific octopus living at the aquarium. Marcellus knows more than anyone can imagine but wouldn’t dream of lifting one of his eight arms for his human captors—until he forms a remarkable friendship with Tova.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Ever the detective, Marcellus deduces what happened the night Tova’s son disappeared. And now Marcellus must use every trick his old invertebrate body can muster to unearth the truth for her before it’s too late. </i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Shelby Van Pelt’s debut novel is a gentle reminder that sometimes taking a hard look at the past can help uncover a future that once felt impossible.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">This was our book club selection in June and oh my heart! I just loved this one so much. The premise of the story seems kind of silly by just reading the description of the book - like how is an octopus going to be a main character in fictional novel without it coming off as corny or even fantasy like??? It seems silly but somehow it just worked SO well and the short chapters written from Marcellus the Octopus' viewpoint were seriously my favorite. There's a little bit of mystery in this book but one that the reader can catch onto pretty quick and then you just have to wait in anticipation for the characters of the book to figure it out as well. The characters in this book were amazing - I wanted to give Tova a big hug, chat with Ethan at grocery store checkout, and have a cup of coffee while catching up with the Knit Wit ladies. This book is a bit heartbreaking but mostly astoundingly heartwarming and it will be one of my favorites that I have read this year!</div></div></div></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Four more reviews checked off ☑️ and now to catch up on reviewing the five books I've read since this before I head off on a girls trip to Florida next week! Since I will actually be childless for a few days (gasp!!!) I should be able to sneak in some beach and pool reading in longer chunks than 5 minutes and I'm excited for some more summer novels to tackle!</div>
</div>Rebecca @ My Girlish Whimshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17825981722220301082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7847365927497704283.post-86469169960883544162023-06-16T15:55:00.000-04:002023-06-16T15:55:01.861-04:00My Girlish Whims Book Club #53<div style="text-align: center;">Alright friends: it's just about here - can you smell it? Can you feel it? Can you taste it? SUMMER READING SEASON is right around the corner!!! Even though the season's don't make much of a difference in my schedule these days except lots more time playing, walking, and hanging out outside as a SAHM of toddlers, I still love summer time and the promise of at least a few of beach trips to plop my butt on the beach and read a few pages of a good book. I think there will be considerably less plopping this year (toddlers), but I'm excited none-the-less! Per normal, I am extremely far behind on updating you on my most recent books I've read since my <a href="http://www.mygirlishwhims.com/2023/04/my-girlish-whims-book-club-52.html" target="_blank">last set of reviews </a>so let's get down to it so I can start working on writing the reviews for the four books I've read since these five! </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgurW_v85tZZF5mnXN_Ea7K56UkDLL_aRv-lwMlminn1vPNUiyE_ZXh7bkQ8DHpkNissS3qFwBL6o0zJWhjcAstr0dB1WI45Cbu6mzmvijrmfsjc9xhzKnknCqOIjGj8knq0-08d6N-aAhFLKdE4RfGNxe_9pwa9f5dByGMkWTbcKWRsrSuCStJQp1QLw/s3228/summer%20reading%20book%20reviews.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3228" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgurW_v85tZZF5mnXN_Ea7K56UkDLL_aRv-lwMlminn1vPNUiyE_ZXh7bkQ8DHpkNissS3qFwBL6o0zJWhjcAstr0dB1WI45Cbu6mzmvijrmfsjc9xhzKnknCqOIjGj8knq0-08d6N-aAhFLKdE4RfGNxe_9pwa9f5dByGMkWTbcKWRsrSuCStJQp1QLw/w600-h640/summer%20reading%20book%20reviews.JPG" width="600" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>This post contains affiliate links</i></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwcHXKm6h4s6VK7idVBokguim_QKC7OTaSB5RGb-ZVioGZ6IC3jICsGJ8lnqyf4_SmkojhAmIgJi2Tg1K5_vY4uqT-khLXLju1jQHRUi9cjLrywJIDaASWcfDVNplDMJ5xbflQVOpZQL4ajuhD0dPduCCgd7vQCfRl_8MV5gUVmCvPSSOaXD-ZY9Yh-g/s1400/summer%20reading%20books.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="1400" height="274" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwcHXKm6h4s6VK7idVBokguim_QKC7OTaSB5RGb-ZVioGZ6IC3jICsGJ8lnqyf4_SmkojhAmIgJi2Tg1K5_vY4uqT-khLXLju1jQHRUi9cjLrywJIDaASWcfDVNplDMJ5xbflQVOpZQL4ajuhD0dPduCCgd7vQCfRl_8MV5gUVmCvPSSOaXD-ZY9Yh-g/w640-h274/summer%20reading%20books.png" width="640" /></a></div><span><a name='more'></a></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div></div><div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglkzDG9KrQlkiRZpVJo_4ErqvhpP0-NR4Z0Zjykd0xP89wKlsVsq3nlWSS6or1I4I8nN6q-z4SAz0HCQA2i0fBx4AAt4AiEvHAxfzc8EnQyosuuJ-PTgvM4H_5RH_WL4kAo2fYQ7TKlaxDLbkB_HubAe2QXCWGrUDyUl_q7oaaYC7P5x2njQtqnWCPLA/s4032/romantic%20comedy%20book%20review.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglkzDG9KrQlkiRZpVJo_4ErqvhpP0-NR4Z0Zjykd0xP89wKlsVsq3nlWSS6or1I4I8nN6q-z4SAz0HCQA2i0fBx4AAt4AiEvHAxfzc8EnQyosuuJ-PTgvM4H_5RH_WL4kAo2fYQ7TKlaxDLbkB_HubAe2QXCWGrUDyUl_q7oaaYC7P5x2njQtqnWCPLA/w480-h640/romantic%20comedy%20book%20review.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><h1 class="a-size-large a-spacing-none" id="title" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3oRwaTT" target="_blank">Romantic Comedy</a></h1>
<div><div><div style="text-align: center;">By Curtis Sittenfeld. Synopsis from Amazon:</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Sally Milz is a sketch writer for "The Night Owls", a late-night live comedy show that airs every Saturday. With a couple of heartbreaks under her belt, she’s long abandoned the search for love, settling instead for the occasional hook-up, career success, and a close relationship with her stepfather to round out a satisfying life.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>But when Sally’s friend and fellow writer Danny Horst begins dating Annabel, a glamorous actress who guest-hosted the show, he joins the not-so-exclusive group of talented but average-looking and even dorky men at the show—and in society at large—who’ve gotten romantically involved with incredibly beautiful and accomplished women. Sally channels her annoyance into a sketch called the Danny Horst Rule, poking fun at this phenomenon while underscoring how unlikely it is that the reverse would ever happen for a woman.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Enter Noah Brewster, a pop music sensation with a reputation for dating models, who signed on as both host and musical guest for this week’s show. Dazzled by his charms, Sally hits it off with Noah instantly, and as they collaborate on one sketch after another, she begins to wonder if there might actually be sparks flying. But this isn’t a romantic comedy—it’s real life. And in real life, someone like him would never date someone like her . . . right?</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>With her keen observations and trademark ability to bring complex women to life on the page, Curtis Sittenfeld explores the neurosis-inducing and heart-fluttering wonder of love, while slyly dissecting the social rituals of romance and gender relations in the modern age.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">I overall enjoyed this book! I love watching Saturday Night Live and so I really liked the behind-the-scenes look that this book provides into how a show like that is made from the perspective of Sally the writer. I loved Sally's humor and the first section of the book was by far my favorite watching Sally and Noah interact during the show and get to know each other. I didn't really care for the second section of the book, the format was a little dull I thought and it was a big transition from the first part of the book that I liked so much. The format changed again in the third section of the book and I found myself getting constantly angry at Sally for being so self-depricating and trying to sabotage her relationship. I think the "woe is me I'm not good enough for this boy" thing is a bit overdone in romantic comedys (perhaps this was intentional as a nod to the title of this book?) regardless, it got old. I did appreciate Noah picking up on Sally's anxiety and being gentle with her about it in that regard. Overall this was a pretty sweet book and a fun concept and I liked it!</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZfjqY2VbznTaTh6HPxP2ruFaOhYBbilP4Plr1739MYeXrYZYeaJfBYZYkQ0sE6RPmMyM81pXMBxriSgnTCltN-vpmIQ007kPKjmS_qO45lkKgykGzqWSdY4Jn2MJ6QoLoAYTBWKR7a9g7gCFGez6z25IFRhBvohYEZo9OOkfE47TDl3mQf6HW2WmHKA/s4032/stone%20cold%20fox%20book%20review.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZfjqY2VbznTaTh6HPxP2ruFaOhYBbilP4Plr1739MYeXrYZYeaJfBYZYkQ0sE6RPmMyM81pXMBxriSgnTCltN-vpmIQ007kPKjmS_qO45lkKgykGzqWSdY4Jn2MJ6QoLoAYTBWKR7a9g7gCFGez6z25IFRhBvohYEZo9OOkfE47TDl3mQf6HW2WmHKA/w480-h640/stone%20cold%20fox%20book%20review.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><h2 style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://amzn.to/41Gm86h" target="_blank">Stone Cold Fox</a></h2></div></div><div><div><div style="text-align: center;">By Rachel Koller Croft. Synopsis from Amazon: </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Like any enterprising woman, Bea knows what she’s worth and is determined to get all she deserves—it just so happens that what she deserves is to marry rich. Filthy rich. After years of forced instruction by her mother in the art of swindling men, a now-solo Bea wants nothing more than to close and lock the door on their sordid partnership so she can disappear safely into old-money domesticity, sealing the final phase of her escape.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>When Bea chooses her ultimate target in the fully loaded, thoroughly dull and blue-blooded Collin Case, she’s ready to deploy all of her tricks one last time. The challenge isn’t getting the ring, but rather the approval of Collin’s family and everyone else in their 1 percent tax bracket, particularly his childhood best friend, Gale Wallace-Leicester.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Going toe-to-toe with Gale isn’t a threat to an expert like Bea, but what begins as an amusing cat-and-mouse game quickly develops into a dangerous pursuit of the grisly truth. Finding herself at a literal life-and-death crossroads with everything on the line, Bea must finally decide who she really wants to be.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Oh this was such a fun read for me! I rushed through it and enjoyed every minute of reading it. Even though Bea is essentially conning her way into a new life and family, you really find yourself routing for her and wanting her con to work! The story alternates between present day and back to when Bea was growing up with a mother that constantly used Bea to aid in her own con schemes. She was just a little girl seeking her own mother's approval and love but in return was really just treated awfully. These flashback showing how she was raised really make you feel for Bea even though she's (as the book title suggests) really just a stone cold fox and not a very nice person. I loved her personality though: full of herself to a fault but it was almost comical hearing the insides of her brain work as she touted her own beauty and self-righteousness. I appreciated some of the growth Bea went through in her quest to fully become "Mrs. Collin Chase" and even if she denied loving her husband, I feel like ultimately she really does by the end of the book in her own twisted way. There was a lot of catty girl drama that turned ugly and dark that really drove the storyline and fanned the drama flames. I ate this one up!</div></div><div><h2 style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3MPMFZI" target="_blank">The Housemaid</a> & <a href="https://amzn.to/3OAVDeB" target="_blank">The Housemaid's Secret</a></h2><div class="MsoNormal"><div><div style="text-align: center;">By Freida McFadden. Synopsis from Amazon:</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">THE HOUSEMAID: <i>Every day I clean the Winchesters’ beautiful house top to bottom. I collect their daughter from school. And I cook a delicious meal for the whole family before heading up to eat alone in my tiny room on the top floor.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>I try to ignore how Nina makes a mess just to watch me clean it up. How she tells strange lies about her own daughter. And how her husband Andrew seems more broken every day. But as I look into Andrew’s handsome brown eyes, so full of pain, it’s hard not to imagine what it would be like to live Nina’s life. The walk-in closet, the fancy car, the perfect husband.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>I only try on one of Nina’s pristine white dresses once. Just to see what it’s like. But she soon finds out… and by the time I realize my attic bedroom door only locks from the outside, it’s far too late.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>But I reassure myself: the Winchesters don’t know who I really am.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>They don’t know what I’m capable of…</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">THE HOUSEMAID'S SECRET: <i>It’s hard to find an employer who doesn’t ask too many questions about my past. So I thank my lucky stars that the Garricks miraculously give me a job, cleaning their stunning penthouse with views across the city and preparing fancy meals in their shiny kitchen. I can work here for a while, stay quiet until I get what I want.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>It’s almost perfect. But I still haven’t met Mrs Garrick, or seen inside the guest bedroom. I’m sure I hear her crying. I notice spots of blood around the neck of her white nightgowns when I’m doing laundry. And one day I can’t help but knock on the door. When it gently swings open, what I see inside changes everything…</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>That’s when I make a promise. After all, I’ve done this before. I can protect Mrs Garrick while keeping my own secrets locked up safe.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Douglas Garrick has done wrong. He is going to pay. It’s simply a question of how far I’m willing to go…</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">I've never reviewed two books at once before on my blog, but I am going to for this series! My reason is two-fold: I read them back-to-back and I read them slightly out of order (whoops!) and I think if you like the first book, you will also enjoy the second in the series so I'm just lumping these both into one! My book club read "The Housemaid" for our monthly pick a few months back, and I made it 25% of the way through the book before one of my friends texted me about the character Nina and I was like - wait, what?? There is no Nina in the book I am reading! Annnnd that's when I realized I started the second book first. Whoops! I swapped back to the first one but anyway, now both of the books just always get lumped together for me, haha. REGARDLESS - I really enjoyed both of these books!! They were extremely quick reads that kept you guessing and the twists were unexpected and added so much to the story. Millie was an ok lead character - she had a lot of personality traits that annoyed me actually but I enjoyed the story in each book so much that it wasn't the end of the world that Millie was just kind of ho-hum to me. I'm not going to over-analyze or over-review these two: they are very fun, quick books that keep you entertained, keep you guessing, and are perfect little thrillers that I'm so glad I picked up!</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH7cIk20k-GzzayrxR9-bm6IMQzCxx4ngxp0DH2Z4YhT808c5prhwmU2rErsgon_PWIONa2dkmqHKtGogeLzbQweTJnXKtaOGiYgXZtsQENztgE4h7j3tmMzoDogKAaQ4ITLVQs6SpuRWZwtAfks154FcnIZPfpBcUYwEB0lk_K-E4XMaAFHQb-onAJg/s4032/all%20the%20dangerous%20things%20book%20review.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH7cIk20k-GzzayrxR9-bm6IMQzCxx4ngxp0DH2Z4YhT808c5prhwmU2rErsgon_PWIONa2dkmqHKtGogeLzbQweTJnXKtaOGiYgXZtsQENztgE4h7j3tmMzoDogKAaQ4ITLVQs6SpuRWZwtAfks154FcnIZPfpBcUYwEB0lk_K-E4XMaAFHQb-onAJg/w480-h640/all%20the%20dangerous%20things%20book%20review.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div></div></div><div><h2 class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3W37F29" target="_blank">All the Dangerous Things</a></h2><div><div><div style="text-align: center;">By Stacy Willington. Synopsis from Amazon:</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>One year ago, Isabelle Drake's life changed forever: her toddler son, Mason, was taken out of his crib in the middle of the night while she and her husband were asleep in the next room. With little evidence and few leads for the police to chase, the case quickly went cold. However, Isabelle cannot rest until Mason is returned to her—literally.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Except for the occasional catnap or small blackout where she loses track of time, she hasn’t slept in a year.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Isabelle's entire existence now revolves around finding him, but she knows she can’t go on this way forever. In hopes of jarring loose a new witness or buried clue, she agrees to be interviewed by a true-crime podcaster—but his interest in Isabelle's past makes her nervous. His incessant questioning paired with her severe insomnia has brought up uncomfortable memories from her own childhood, making Isabelle start to doubt her recollection of the night of Mason’s disappearance, as well as second-guess who she can trust... including herself. But she is determined to figure out the truth no matter where it leads.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">This was a pretty decent read for me! I tried to guess the ending when I was only about 24 pages into the book (totally was wrong) but I was very pleased with the twists and was kept entertained during the book. I think the author did a great job describing the raw and emotional grief Isabelle was going through when her son was taken. I also liked how the story alternated from current day to the past - the stories and background of how she grew up and her sleepwalking and dynamics with her family was equally as interesting as the present day story. The only negative thing I have to say is for some reason - both books I've read by Willington have been enjoyable to me but just not super...memorable? I like the twists and mystery and I always have felt satisfied after reading them, but I feel like neither of her books would be ones that would come to mind when making book suggestions to friends. Good books, just nothing memorably "great" to me if that makes sense!</div></div></div></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">We leave for our first beach trip of the season tomorrow, and I am so excited! We are meeting up with my parent's in New Jersey at their RV. "Nana and Pops" are actually going to watch the boys overnight for us on Saturday (gasp!!! This will be our only second night away together since the boys were born!) and we are going to meet up with friends in Atlantic City! We'll come back Sunday and I'll stay into next week at the campground with the boys :) I know I won't get much reading done on the beach, but I will for sure at the campground after the boys are asleep. Onto my next books!</div>
</div>Rebecca @ My Girlish Whimshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17825981722220301082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7847365927497704283.post-26702926009784506642023-04-11T14:15:00.001-04:002023-04-11T14:15:20.677-04:00My Girlish Whims Book Club #52<div style="text-align: center;">It's book review time! This time I just HAVE to share some pictures of where I got my reading done for a few of these books. I recently went on a trip to the Bahamas on a Bachelorette party for a wedding I am in next month. This was my first big trip since having kids and of course came with a huge mix of emotions. I was very excited for a tropical vacation, but obviously very worried about leaving Jack and Tyler (especially because they both got sick right before I left, OF COURSE) and how my husband would handle me being away from Thursday - Monday. Luckily we are blessed with great support from our families so my husband had help everyday which made leaving easier. I was worried all the way up until I walked out the door Thursday morning...but then I had to realize that my husband is extremely competent, he encouraged me to go on this trip, and after I was gone worrying would do nothing for me...so I truly embraced vacation mode!!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlHKOqEIVtEI91zPB1SFzYSOG5AaUl-E9Nk6-gRZNZXPK-5itij6n1gAOPg5FNgIFarqU3d--ksYDTRIUQ9LJ51rRa1_EJYlSRAkKaSbk5TVq8L0BxKsX4GpsaqU1e7s69-4RBvxRV1wKM-aJfip0Y77mw6hDmsqbWlVx6R3Z9t39MSP_THbHy5V1IGg/s2208/first%20vacation%20after%20having%20kids.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2208" data-original-width="1242" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlHKOqEIVtEI91zPB1SFzYSOG5AaUl-E9Nk6-gRZNZXPK-5itij6n1gAOPg5FNgIFarqU3d--ksYDTRIUQ9LJ51rRa1_EJYlSRAkKaSbk5TVq8L0BxKsX4GpsaqU1e7s69-4RBvxRV1wKM-aJfip0Y77mw6hDmsqbWlVx6R3Z9t39MSP_THbHy5V1IGg/w360-h640/first%20vacation%20after%20having%20kids.JPG" width="360" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Thursday was a travel day but we still had time to hit up the beach, explore our resort, and go to a nice steakhouse dinner. Friday morning was quite possibly one of the most blissful moments I've experienced in the last 15 months though. I woke up early (as is normal for me - even on vacation, sigh) and went and found some coffee and breakfast while my roommates were still sleeping. I contemplated hitting up the gym at the resort but as I enjoyed the sunshine looking out over the beautiful water from the balcony in our room and saw that there was literally NO ONE on the beach yet, I cancelled any plans for the gym and immediately changed into my suit, packed a book and a mimosa to go, and went to the beach!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7BJNQIe9ZiJ5aJwDORqzwI9DeDIynrv9UZ485G94nbkxPf4piaEvXFbkB1Qc1cXbWhRTP5AlZC8k3ky4l4vla8PNGDYMGHX-Jkwj7zX2NR1SOG6hP9WoHvP60az21J7CSGj2Vn9Ac-nLWQjGgvaUB9UKLOlNGRY-AKqauzdWglPzHbCVMBaABw8c1qw/s4000/reading%20at%20the%20beach.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2591" data-original-width="4000" height="414" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7BJNQIe9ZiJ5aJwDORqzwI9DeDIynrv9UZ485G94nbkxPf4piaEvXFbkB1Qc1cXbWhRTP5AlZC8k3ky4l4vla8PNGDYMGHX-Jkwj7zX2NR1SOG6hP9WoHvP60az21J7CSGj2Vn9Ac-nLWQjGgvaUB9UKLOlNGRY-AKqauzdWglPzHbCVMBaABw8c1qw/w640-h414/reading%20at%20the%20beach.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;">We stayed at "One Particular Harbor" which is part of the Margaritaville resort in Nassau. There was a private beach just for our resort and I had the whole place to myself for a solid hour. I had the most peaceful and relaxing time reading, enjoying the sunshine and views, and the very large mimosa in my tumbler pictured below, lol.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl8qsQ4NLI1OGwDTwFmx8IP59u6LPqTK0a_2xrFflQn3WLFsiaIJb7pFFlRCY6udbcAVujyrAw21VzWuwPa2fYQ69qh0EQm2YrAA10kXIQiw5OTGz20PnJRaQSxGw8aXJKEiIMhWTuNPM7YsQADdEBY_psYJa2t5SIk0Tca4oZzY1-PDjt1poyIm3-xA/s4032/beach%20reading.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl8qsQ4NLI1OGwDTwFmx8IP59u6LPqTK0a_2xrFflQn3WLFsiaIJb7pFFlRCY6udbcAVujyrAw21VzWuwPa2fYQ69qh0EQm2YrAA10kXIQiw5OTGz20PnJRaQSxGw8aXJKEiIMhWTuNPM7YsQADdEBY_psYJa2t5SIk0Tca4oZzY1-PDjt1poyIm3-xA/w480-h640/beach%20reading.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;">We had lots of other activities as a group during the afternoons and evenings: having fun at the water park at Margaritaville, fancy dinners out, visiting some of the local casino resorts, boating and fishing adventures, and time spent spoiling and celebrating the bride-to-be! I enjoyed all of our activities and celebrations but this morning right here was my picture perfect idea for my ideal morning away on vacation and I am SO glad I was able to enjoy it with a good book :)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvcFkJYIlqIJfEcbZltwMGk5GX0_Uzyltqbs-Z8vAwoYxlkTWXBbIHK3SGdHd5SbJa-FC2MwQmCoKFrFzaxvKqgvlIAMNs14gYPmiKyjBglRNcMUN0bOz8DeWUAoLwNfswY_cL0jUai-5H-zV2VsEhYUDzzn60weciKX8FVXUedGzVtKIjYyVKkwmdAQ/s4000/book%20review%20someone%20elses%20shoes.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2591" data-original-width="4000" height="414" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvcFkJYIlqIJfEcbZltwMGk5GX0_Uzyltqbs-Z8vAwoYxlkTWXBbIHK3SGdHd5SbJa-FC2MwQmCoKFrFzaxvKqgvlIAMNs14gYPmiKyjBglRNcMUN0bOz8DeWUAoLwNfswY_cL0jUai-5H-zV2VsEhYUDzzn60weciKX8FVXUedGzVtKIjYyVKkwmdAQ/w640-h414/book%20review%20someone%20elses%20shoes.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">If only I could have these kind of views for the books I'm reading now back home!!! Since I've already finished two more books since these four, it is due time to round up my current books since my <a href="http://www.mygirlishwhims.com/2023/02/my-girlish-whims-book-club-51.html" target="_blank">last set of reviews</a>!</div><br /><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>This post contains affiliate links</i></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvRhFtIrZge14dTaLtlsvG-PaMpbOzykHPFVrE5XGBjoGGpgetWIlbsB87pYycQUI0It48ch91EQlZB_rGotX4p44bUKE72ON9SXNqhpdpIUjMwYKtAUkK_v1VAtsUvc4_WdLKBnR4sxDuUE1G4xJrWeFSfhOsKxUtVsUmsKMdqO4_CSXBEu6e6EzIZw/s1400/someone%20else's%20shoes%20book%20review.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="1400" height="274" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvRhFtIrZge14dTaLtlsvG-PaMpbOzykHPFVrE5XGBjoGGpgetWIlbsB87pYycQUI0It48ch91EQlZB_rGotX4p44bUKE72ON9SXNqhpdpIUjMwYKtAUkK_v1VAtsUvc4_WdLKBnR4sxDuUE1G4xJrWeFSfhOsKxUtVsUmsKMdqO4_CSXBEu6e6EzIZw/w640-h274/someone%20else's%20shoes%20book%20review.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div></div><div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg246_ePkpFudLSCSnOOaBA9kffMqTCa0_VqlIFecH7gtKS4drrfg_67jErPPAiqdrknT32KxVibsKltaIHeZn9jf0bZ3_Fy7iozBzP2IolJJ2dbQSoIqFRUwRgSwbbUU21gdzLMc265Aqw2zdkGyeLr4pwY-zq1-RerKagOa91MTy9oQ_bkYyf_0bINQ/s3597/The%20Writing%20Retreat%20Book%20Review.heic" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3597" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg246_ePkpFudLSCSnOOaBA9kffMqTCa0_VqlIFecH7gtKS4drrfg_67jErPPAiqdrknT32KxVibsKltaIHeZn9jf0bZ3_Fy7iozBzP2IolJJ2dbQSoIqFRUwRgSwbbUU21gdzLMc265Aqw2zdkGyeLr4pwY-zq1-RerKagOa91MTy9oQ_bkYyf_0bINQ/w538-h640/The%20Writing%20Retreat%20Book%20Review.heic" width="538" /></a></div><h1 class="a-size-large a-spacing-none" id="title" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3kN7wSo" target="_blank">The Writing Retreat</a></h1>
<div><div><div><div style="text-align: center;">By Julia Bartz. Synopsis from Amazon:</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Alex has all but given up on her dreams of becoming a published author when she receives a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity: attend an exclusive, month-long writing retreat at the estate of feminist horror writer Roza Vallo. Even the knowledge that Wren, her former best friend and current rival, is attending doesn’t dampen her excitement.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>But when the attendees arrive, Roza drops a bombshell—they must all complete an entire novel from scratch during the next month, and the author of the best one will receive a life-changing seven-figure publishing deal. Determined to win this seemingly impossible contest, Alex buckles down and tries to ignore the strange happenings at the estate, including Roza’s erratic behavior, Wren’s cruel mind games, and the alleged haunting of the mansion itself. But when one of the writers vanishes during a snowstorm, Alex realizes that something very sinister is afoot. With the clock running out, she must discover the truth—or suffer the same fate. </i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>A claustrophobic and propulsive thriller exploring the dark side of female relationships and fame, <u>The Writing Retreat</u> is the unputdownable debut novel from a compelling new talent.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">I was pretty excited for this book, but unfortunately it really did not live up to my expectations. I liked the beginning of the book, but just enjoyed it less and less as it went on. I didn't get the hype and obsession with crazy author Roza, I didn't expect all the love triangles or a sex scene with a demon while tripping on LSD (yeah....) and when things spiraled out of control as the retreat went on it and the drama increased it still became less and less enjoyable to read for me. There is also a bit of a "book within a book" here with the novel Alex (who couldn't write a word for a year before this retreat, but now somehow manages to crank out 3,000 words everyday??) is writing for the retreat, and I found that entire novel super cringey and the writing style just super forced - trying to be overly descriptive and in no way some up-and-coming best selling novel like Roza is coaching Alex to believe it could be. I've read oodles of books that involve getting trapped in a big house during a snow storm where people end up dead/missing and much drama ensues and this was probably the worst one I've read with that set up. If that's a setting you enjoy - pick up <i>Rock Paper Scissors</i> by Alice Feeny or <u>One by One</u> by Ruth Ware. So much better than this one in my opinion! </div></div></div></div><h2 class="MsoNormal"> </h2></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQfUjUi7d15dMI-iRbTu9K0DN0kVOQOsbyfJ5HVzOvxsbT2es7bVD4ugHjE2meaJ7_D0jx4pae1sDUaoSSBZWerlE-A691YDlu6AKnNlnb9pxFWpQAbJ-5j6xTGnpcEGIF4vrLOBhDQ0GomM7W_wEJ7F9YSlMxhMt6KtyWTF90FqBg9QiL5vzV4eVPiw/s4032/Someone%20Elses%20Shoes.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQfUjUi7d15dMI-iRbTu9K0DN0kVOQOsbyfJ5HVzOvxsbT2es7bVD4ugHjE2meaJ7_D0jx4pae1sDUaoSSBZWerlE-A691YDlu6AKnNlnb9pxFWpQAbJ-5j6xTGnpcEGIF4vrLOBhDQ0GomM7W_wEJ7F9YSlMxhMt6KtyWTF90FqBg9QiL5vzV4eVPiw/w480-h640/Someone%20Elses%20Shoes.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><h2><a href="https://amzn.to/3K94fWj" target="_blank">Someone Else's Shoes</a></h2></div><div><div><div style="text-align: center;">By JoJo Moyes. Synopsis from Amazon: </div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Nisha Cantor lives the globetrotting life of the seriously wealthy, until her husband announces a divorce and cuts her off. Nisha is determined to hang onto her glamorous life. But in the meantime, she must scramble to cope--she doesn’t even have the shoes she was, until a moment ago, standing in.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>That’s because Sam Kemp – in the bleakest point of her life – has accidentally taken Nisha’s gym bag. But Sam hardly has time to worry about a lost gym bag--she’s struggling to keep herself and her family afloat. When she tries on Nisha’s six-inch high Christian Louboutin red crocodile shoes, the resulting jolt of confidence that makes her realize something must change—and that thing is herself.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Full of Jojo Moyes’ signature humor, brilliant storytelling, and warmth, <u>Someone Else’s Shoes</u> is a story about how just one little thing can suddenly change everything.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">I really enjoyed reading this book! The synopsis almost had me thinking this was going to be a "freaky Friday" situation where the two protagonists magically switch lives when they switch gym bags, but luckily the shoe swap really just is a swap of shoes (not bodies!) and it bode very well for this cute storyline. Female friendships and empowerment were at the forefront of this novel and I loved cheering for each of the characters. Even though Nisha comes off as rude, cold and stuck up at the start of the novel, you truly get to watch her reach her lowest of lows and see her fight to reclaim what she deserves and find out what real happiness and friendship looks like. I wanted to pound my head against the wall in frustration right along with Sam watching her deal with her depressed husband and despicable boss and thought her struggles were very relatable. The supporting characters of Andrea and Jasmine gave great humor and really made this book shine. I absolutely loved "You Before Me" by JoJo Moyes and while that one left a bigger impact on me, this was still an enjoyable feel good read by a great author!</div></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgha-93zt6YORp0AbJLd7WixGzYm9nmgr6-TyJbZXdoGqLKDeqbu5ftRtYbJ-iED_acU-RdfOc3uv_GimSQdKn7v7fiOJ6mYnuL54nJ5GFPx0Lt7NJkiHbGGWTb-jkr_JE8vsCVjfcAsZilebYCJ2feB9lWfd__bsAf11E_tHEtkOHmLdt1OGMtrG9UDA/s4032/the%20it%20girl%20book%20review.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgha-93zt6YORp0AbJLd7WixGzYm9nmgr6-TyJbZXdoGqLKDeqbu5ftRtYbJ-iED_acU-RdfOc3uv_GimSQdKn7v7fiOJ6mYnuL54nJ5GFPx0Lt7NJkiHbGGWTb-jkr_JE8vsCVjfcAsZilebYCJ2feB9lWfd__bsAf11E_tHEtkOHmLdt1OGMtrG9UDA/w480-h640/the%20it%20girl%20book%20review.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><h2 style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3MbZ3n7" target="_blank">The IT Girl</a></h2><div class="MsoNormal"><div><div style="text-align: center;">By Ruth Ware. Synopsis from Amazon:</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>April Clarke-Cliveden was the first person Hannah Jones met at Oxford.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Vivacious, bright, occasionally vicious, and the ultimate It girl, she quickly pulled Hannah into her dazzling orbit. Together, they developed a group of devoted and inseparable friends—Will, Hugh, Ryan, and Emily—during their first term. By the end of the year, April was dead.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Now, a decade later, Hannah and Will are expecting their first child, and the man convicted of killing April, former Oxford porter John Neville, has died in prison. Relieved to have finally put the past behind her, Hannah’s world is rocked when a young journalist comes knocking and presents new evidence that Neville may have been innocent. As Hannah reconnects with old friends and delves deeper into the mystery of April’s death, she realizes that the friends she thought she knew all have something to hide…including a murder.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">I liked reading this book, just did not love it quite as much as some of Ruth Ware's other novels. I really enjoyed the friendship between April and Hannah and how April came off as such a happy-go-lucky party girl, but also had a lot more depth to her even when she was not always the nicest person. I liked seeing the plot explained by alternating from the past and present and how determined Hannah was to find out the truth about April's murder. Parts of her relationship with Will really irked me, but I still really overall enjoyed the mystery and was very invested in finding out the truth, and enjoyed all the drama and build up to the end and was surprised and satisfied by the ending!</div></div></div></div><div><h2 class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3LZj9ke" target="_blank">The Senator's Wife</a></h2><div><div><div style="text-align: center;">By Liv Constantine. Synopsis from Amazon:</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>After a tragic chain of events led to the deaths of their spouses two years ago, D.C. philanthropist Sloane Chase and Senator Whit Montgomery are finally starting to move on. The horrifying ordeal drew them together, and now they’re ready to settle down again—with each other.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>As Sloane returns to the world of White House dinners and political small talk, this time with her new husband, she’s also preparing for an upcoming hip replacement—the latest reminder of the lupus she’s managed since her twenties. With their hectic schedules, they decide that hiring a home health aide will give Sloane the support and independence she needs postsurgery. And they find the perfect fit in Athena Karras.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Seemingly a godsend, Athena tends to Sloane and even helps her run her charitable foundation. But Sloane slowly begins to deteriorate—a complication, Athena explains, of Sloane’s lupus. As weeks go by, Sloane becomes sicker, and her uncertainty quickly turns to paranoia as she begins to suspect the worst. Why is Athena asking her so many probing questions about her foundation—as well as about her past? And could Sloane be imagining the sultry looks between Athena and her new husband?</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Riveting, fast-paced, and full of unbelievable twists, The Senator’s Wife is a psychological thriller that upends the private lives of those who walk the halls of power. Because when you have it all, you have everything to lose.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">I was very excited to read this book because I read and LOVED "The Last Mrs. Parrish" by this same author back in 2018 (<a href="http://www.mygirlishwhims.com/2018/05/my-girlish-whims-book-club-8.html" target="_blank">book review here</a>!) so I was pumped to read something new by this author duo. I received an ARC of this book which will be released in May of this year courtesy of Net Galley. Unfortunately I was NOT impressed with this one and did not enjoy it at all! The dialogue was the WORST: it was so drab and forced and almost flat out embarrassing. Parts of the book were a bit predictable, but I did get duped by one major plot point. Even with the twist, it was still a miserable read because all of the conversations were just so downright awkward and the characters seemed pretty one dimensional. What a waste of time! </div></div></div></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Two of these books were misses for me, but I know I already have three great reviews coming up in my next review post so stay tuned for some more positives soon :)</div>
</div>Rebecca @ My Girlish Whimshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17825981722220301082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7847365927497704283.post-72232686723125174422023-02-26T11:38:00.000-05:002023-02-26T11:38:21.118-05:00My Girlish Whims Book Club #51<div style="text-align: center;">Well it's almost March but I am finally here to review the first four books I finished reading in 2023. It's been a fun year so far! We got to celebrate our twins turning one in January and have been enjoying lots of family time together with them. It's been a bit unseasonably warm around here lately with no snow at all and I personally have not minded one bit! It's been so nice getting outside for some fresh air and to let the boys crawl around and explore.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRZ8y-Oti0OfMFiW_8Ez0GUY-xuMRLIfAkYnQ2FujiFGKj7_dDwVbESNtYNkL7f4UtpWJtXaBdGXTgmKFLcNSG-7j1o_Ss3g0KGvyu4AQmLmt_NYR4Lwws_BfBYKY7_vIHozElR6Yjs-uQToRcLAVWEvHGglhmbLKf8CnMumYsvVV81o-734GX3PcbnQ/s1640/Bardwell%20Boys%20Febuspring%20Outing.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="856" data-original-width="1640" height="334" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRZ8y-Oti0OfMFiW_8Ez0GUY-xuMRLIfAkYnQ2FujiFGKj7_dDwVbESNtYNkL7f4UtpWJtXaBdGXTgmKFLcNSG-7j1o_Ss3g0KGvyu4AQmLmt_NYR4Lwws_BfBYKY7_vIHozElR6Yjs-uQToRcLAVWEvHGglhmbLKf8CnMumYsvVV81o-734GX3PcbnQ/w640-h334/Bardwell%20Boys%20Febuspring%20Outing.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Life has been pretty normal with our steady routine these days. I've been prioritizing getting my workouts in daily, getting out for stroller walks with the boys when it's not freezing, and we've even started taking swimming lessons as a family! I've enjoyed hosting some playdates with other moms with kiddos in the area, getting together with my in person book club, going out with my hubby for a Valentine's Day date, and getting to spend some time at my craft room desk creating some new jewelry pieces during the boy's afternoon nap.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrasZqGzZMK3DlVvkwVbM9YfXpA281IL9iaJorxdfpxFPzhbggVdIWxDC7huY2Gb48JjZJaBnm9m7ROgR6mg1dlwUAe6kN0NwzgGSZv-iEUuUtgsLKpncktn1KEjoxr3Oc_gN5Fdb_1MGBO674cwFLTO8Dj7kISA2ElxzawsfXjeqgWRxF_6Am4wN31A/s1640/my%20girlish%20whims%20family%20things.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="856" data-original-width="1640" height="334" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrasZqGzZMK3DlVvkwVbM9YfXpA281IL9iaJorxdfpxFPzhbggVdIWxDC7huY2Gb48JjZJaBnm9m7ROgR6mg1dlwUAe6kN0NwzgGSZv-iEUuUtgsLKpncktn1KEjoxr3Oc_gN5Fdb_1MGBO674cwFLTO8Dj7kISA2ElxzawsfXjeqgWRxF_6Am4wN31A/w640-h334/my%20girlish%20whims%20family%20things.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Of course I am still reading during any extra down time I have (which is still limited, hah, and hence why my book review posts are coming a little slower these days!) Here's what I've read since my last <a href="http://www.mygirlishwhims.com/2023/01/my-girlish-whims-book-club-50-favorite.html" target="_blank">set of reviews</a> from last year!!</div><br /><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>This post contains affiliate links</i></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4Iqbgc5x8l645W9fTO3za8fv60dy9qMIufpNmyCHGMegzDb8o-gCV8DZdJpqYEyKWcj_8MPv4JHRI2qJ2X_x5eOE6Ag5GKt2kPd_i3DNOdQNg5tXlUMQV468R4LzbRF9x9_I7Xh5LUbbXKP4GxKga1xm7Xu7N0UQyVKeHn7h_KMfUefpYy7NZ7Q88yw/s4000/the%20last%20housewife%20book%20review.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1482" data-original-width="4000" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4Iqbgc5x8l645W9fTO3za8fv60dy9qMIufpNmyCHGMegzDb8o-gCV8DZdJpqYEyKWcj_8MPv4JHRI2qJ2X_x5eOE6Ag5GKt2kPd_i3DNOdQNg5tXlUMQV468R4LzbRF9x9_I7Xh5LUbbXKP4GxKga1xm7Xu7N0UQyVKeHn7h_KMfUefpYy7NZ7Q88yw/w640-h238/the%20last%20housewife%20book%20review.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div></div><div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2yCKnHlo5At1kTLqICK6hyUN1V-uKjvWaHaoKbd4iAR3CVWCfxfoPaE445SuS0eb4BNugFGBdlJT_e0G4d7cLz4LMoJxZZBCWV08qyVQcGMyzWbzXChO1DJ_aThsSUecsNarjd9V9wKwpIs1B9BAUO5fpbcIb1OH2g4a1YmdJgun4yrwDIQFXATzQ3A/s4032/VLADIMIR%20BOOK%20REVIEW.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2yCKnHlo5At1kTLqICK6hyUN1V-uKjvWaHaoKbd4iAR3CVWCfxfoPaE445SuS0eb4BNugFGBdlJT_e0G4d7cLz4LMoJxZZBCWV08qyVQcGMyzWbzXChO1DJ_aThsSUecsNarjd9V9wKwpIs1B9BAUO5fpbcIb1OH2g4a1YmdJgun4yrwDIQFXATzQ3A/w480-h640/VLADIMIR%20BOOK%20REVIEW.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><h1 class="a-size-large a-spacing-none" id="title" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3xSWg9N" target="_blank">Vladimir</a></h1>
<div><div><div style="text-align: center;">By Julia May Jonas. Synopsis from Amazon:</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>“When I was a child, I loved old men, and I could tell that they also loved me.”</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>And so we are introduced to our deliciously incisive narrator: a popular English professor whose charismatic husband at the same small liberal arts college is under investigation for his inappropriate relationships with his former students. The couple have long had a mutual understanding when it comes to their extra-marital pursuits, but with these new allegations, life has become far less comfortable for them both. And when our narrator becomes increasingly infatuated with Vladimir, a celebrated, married young novelist who’s just arrived on campus, their tinder box world comes dangerously close to exploding.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>With this bold, edgy, and uncommonly assured debut, author Julia May Jonas takes us into charged territory, where the boundaries of morality bump up against the impulses of the human heart. Propulsive, darkly funny, and wildly entertaining, Vladimir perfectly captures the personal and political minefield of our current moment, exposing the nuances and the grey area between power and desire.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div><div style="text-align: center;">I thoroughly enjoyed this book! It really surprised me as well - based on the cover art you'd think it was going to be a steamy romance novel, but it was so much deeper and complex than I was expecting. I thought the main character was great - very intellectual, confident in some ways and yet overly conscious in other ways (namely getting older, her waning metabolism, cellulite, etc. etc. which I thought gave her a very likable human crutch.) There are some polarizing topics in the book - open marriages, sexual assault and the "me too" movement, and while those moved the plot along it still wasn't the full focus of the novel. In fact, most of the novel takes place in our protagonist's head - her obsession with Vladimir, her disdain at her lack of a writing career, her persistent insecurity over how old does she actually look? My favorite part was the writing - deeply descriptive, intellectual and blunt. (I still cackle at a passage that described John stretching and farting before he left the bathroom). But also loved: </div><blockquote><div style="text-align: center;">"I wanted to take substances into my body like an immoral and immoderate businessman traveling on a company credit card. I wanted everything that passed my lips to be decadent, full of sulfites or iron, with mouth-screwing flavor, to taste rich and deep"<br /></div></blockquote><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;">This book was not what I was expecting, but found that I was very pleasantly surprised by it. I would recommend picking this one up this winter season still - while I enjoyed it immensely I would say it is better suited for cold, dark nights at home vs. sunny beach day reading!<span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAwYLtTCxHftG-NUHhExC6PaZ9JTn0ygQBGhVZJRyTFp1M0esSJ7vpRrJo0vqVFqz9JPVMd6z8J97Mbz8aXVbhvT8cEoy4e-UO0NcNLd4eWXrGHRxwKA7nJKZApexrQMYeYneaLjxfww3XCTzFYUWupl1f6PR-Hx5PHx1LbDgvXm8kQlSucYc9EO_Tnw/s3745/age%20of%20vice%20book%20review.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3745" data-original-width="3016" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAwYLtTCxHftG-NUHhExC6PaZ9JTn0ygQBGhVZJRyTFp1M0esSJ7vpRrJo0vqVFqz9JPVMd6z8J97Mbz8aXVbhvT8cEoy4e-UO0NcNLd4eWXrGHRxwKA7nJKZApexrQMYeYneaLjxfww3XCTzFYUWupl1f6PR-Hx5PHx1LbDgvXm8kQlSucYc9EO_Tnw/w516-h640/age%20of%20vice%20book%20review.jpg" width="516" /></a></div></div></div><h2 class="MsoNormal"> </h2></div><div style="text-align: center;"><h2><a href="https://amzn.to/3Y2IZ9t" target="_blank">Age of Vice</a></h2></div><div><div><div style="text-align: center;">By Deepti Kapoor. Synopsis from Amazon: </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>New Delhi, 3 a.m. A speeding Mercedes jumps the curb and in the blink of an eye, five people are dead. It’s a rich man’s car, but when the dust settles there is no rich man at all, just a shell-shocked servant who cannot explain the strange series of events that led to this crime. Nor can he foresee the dark drama that is about to unfold.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Deftly shifting through time and perspective in contemporary India, Age of Vice is an epic, action-packed story propelled by the seductive wealth, startling corruption, and bloodthirsty violence of the Wadia family -- loved by some, loathed by others, feared by all.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>In the shadow of lavish estates, extravagant parties, predatory business deals and calculated political influence, three lives become dangerously intertwined: Ajay is the watchful servant, born into poverty, who rises through the family’s ranks. Sunny is the playboy heir who dreams of outshining his father, whatever the cost. And Neda is the curious journalist caught between morality and desire. Against a sweeping plot fueled by loss, pleasure, greed, yearning, violence and revenge, will these characters’ connections become a path to escape, or a trigger of further destruction? </i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Equal parts crime thriller and family saga, transporting readers from the dusty villages of Uttar Pradesh to the urban energy of New Delhi, <u>Age of Vice</u> is an intoxicating novel of gangsters and lovers, false friendships, forbidden romance, and the consequences of corruption.It is binge-worthy entertainment at its literary best.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">I really enjoyed this book! I picked it for my first book club meeting of 2023 and while it was loooong at 546 pages, it was a good long. I was very unsure of what it would really be about even after reading the description, but suffice it to say I enjoyed diving into India from the richest of rich to the poorest of poor. There are a multitude of characters in the book but the three main are Ajay: a humble and hardworking servant, Neda: beautiful, messy heroine, and Sunny: rich, entitled and sloppy dreamer. Three extremely different characters but somehow you find yourself emoting with everyone along the way and caring fiercely for each one of them. I enjoyed how the story got told at times in "circles" - you saw part of the story play out through the eyes of one character but then had to wait until the POV changed and another character took over to get the real details of what happened. The storytelling was simply wonderful in this story and I was completely drawn into the world of corruption, greed, excess, and those struggling to find their way through it. A great read for 2023!</div></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguccvJVFfCUr__jwI6Pha4XDhZkwHcz3UDSgQxwN1Lk1K1VH4UVIknAJFp8p_T00v3HUiIbao29XuoiB_I6uAOZChmuFo9cuNXjOP-SqIWRF-PldJmFzDMml2FBrRCaZN9-C-WCQqHP0jrM-TT_MWZgivqeQHgLkhOekAL8DJHfEL9VPukEA4NBhJyOg/s4032/book%20review%20the%20last%20housewife.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguccvJVFfCUr__jwI6Pha4XDhZkwHcz3UDSgQxwN1Lk1K1VH4UVIknAJFp8p_T00v3HUiIbao29XuoiB_I6uAOZChmuFo9cuNXjOP-SqIWRF-PldJmFzDMml2FBrRCaZN9-C-WCQqHP0jrM-TT_MWZgivqeQHgLkhOekAL8DJHfEL9VPukEA4NBhJyOg/w480-h640/book%20review%20the%20last%20housewife.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><div><h2 style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://amzn.to/40OZloJ" target="_blank">The Last Housewife</a></h2><div class="MsoNormal"><div><div style="text-align: center;">By Ashley Winstead. Synopsis from Amazon:</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>While in college in upstate New York, Shay Evans and her best friends met a captivating man who seduced them with a web of lies about the way the world works, bringing them under his thrall. By senior year, Shay and her friend Laurel were the only ones who managed to escape. Now, eight years later, Shay's built a new life in a tony Texas suburb. But when she hears the horrifying news of Laurel's death—delivered, of all ways, by her favorite true-crime podcast crusader—she begins to suspect that the past she thought she buried is still very much alive, and the predators more dangerous than ever.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Recruiting the help of the podcast host, Shay goes back to the place she vowed never to return to in search of answers. As she follows the threads of her friend's life, she's pulled into a dark, seductive world, where wealth and privilege shield brutal philosophies that feel all too familiar. When Shay's obsession with uncovering the truth becomes so consuming she can no longer separate her desire for justice from darker desires newly reawakened, she must confront the depths of her own complicity and conditioning. But in a world built for men to rule it—both inside the cult and outside of it—is justice even possible, and if so, how far will Shay go to get it?</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">I was super disappointed in this book. I heard a lot of buzz about it from some big Bookstagram accounts online so I was extremely excited to start reading it. I even offered it as a selection for my in person book club and it was voted the winner for our February meet up, but after I got a heads up from another member that it had a lot of sensitive topics in it (the book actually literally starts with a content warning - something I've never seen before!) I decided to skip it for my book club and BOY am I glad I did. The only reason I finished it was because...well...I always finish books no matter how terrible they are. Hah! Why was this so terrible? For me it was a mix of a crappy main character, crappy weird sex cult, and a crappy story structure that I couldn't get into. I'm not huge on true crime/podcasts in general which this book is definitely in the genre of. What bugged me is that so much of the story is told through Shay being "interviewed" for a podcast which went through pages of storytelling with pharagraphs full of dialogue, description, etc. This may be a minor point for some, but I was like - no way would Shay be able to recount word-for-word verbatim all those scenes that happened in the past. I'm not a prude and am never opposed to sex in novels, but the "adult" content in the book was just WEIRD. The sex cult was weird, and even though she had a tough past I hated Shay and just couldn't feel bad for her. Also hated the ending of this one. Overall, by the amount of times I am throwing around the word HATE in this review, suffice it to say this was not a good read for me and I would NOT recommend! </div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAvKWLCJiACpuy97fSq6pyftjAZ5uXEbKbvOl4LP4gsn2JnvZCFaXBoDU-dKnmMsGM29pP3jo_cvwnMHy6FxM2x3aficKKb7HciX4QxhHyNwNfzAqZOigfsjwdlJTz9RUV7HDRlUrjfu6LQhWcdJCMdvL9Qzdjd2cm2ofp0QEWV8j15bwQuYJhwmuXww/s3774/the%20guncle%20book%20review.heic" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3774" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAvKWLCJiACpuy97fSq6pyftjAZ5uXEbKbvOl4LP4gsn2JnvZCFaXBoDU-dKnmMsGM29pP3jo_cvwnMHy6FxM2x3aficKKb7HciX4QxhHyNwNfzAqZOigfsjwdlJTz9RUV7HDRlUrjfu6LQhWcdJCMdvL9Qzdjd2cm2ofp0QEWV8j15bwQuYJhwmuXww/w512-h640/the%20guncle%20book%20review.heic" width="512" /></a></div><h2 class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3Ij9ph8" target="_blank">The Guncle</a></h2><div><div style="text-align: center;">By Steven Rowley. Synopsis from Amazon:</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Patrick, or Gay Uncle Patrick (GUP, for short), has always loved his niece, Maisie, and nephew, Grant. That is, he loves spending time with them when they come out to Palm Springs for weeklong visits, or when he heads home to Connecticut for the holidays. But in terms of caretaking and relating to two children, no matter how adorable, Patrick is, honestly, overwhelmed.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>So when tragedy strikes and Maisie and Grant lose their mother and Patrick's brother has a health crisis of his own, Patrick finds himself suddenly taking on the role of primary guardian. Despite having a set of "Guncle Rules" ready to go, Patrick has no idea what to expect, having spent years barely holding on after the loss of his great love, a somewhat-stalled acting career, and a lifestyle not-so-suited to a six- and a nine-year-old. Quickly realizing that parenting--even if temporary--isn't solved with treats and jokes, Patrick's eyes are opened to a new sense of responsibility, and the realization that, sometimes, even being larger than life means you're unfailingly human.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>With the humor and heart we've come to expect from bestselling author Steven Rowley, <u>The Guncle</u> is a moving tribute to the power of love, patience, and family in even the most trying of times.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">This book has been on may TBR list for AWHILE and I found it on a random outing at my library with the boys so I finally nabbed it to give it a read! It won the vote for my in person book club in March (still forthcoming) but this was a pretty quick and easy read for me so it's going in this post for my first books read in 2023! This book is EXACTLY what I needed after reading (and hating) <u>The Last Housewife</u> reviewed above. It was funny, heartwarming, quirky and relatable all in one! I loved how Patrick was broken by his own past tradgedies but strong when needed and willing to step up to the plate to take care of Maisie and Grant. Grant's little lisp spelled out with varying words in the story always made me smile and I totally wanted to accompany GUP on a brunch or linner outing and listen to him recount quotes from plays and rattle off Guncle rules. In true heartwarming fashion, even though Maisie and Grant are originally the ones in "distress" and needing caretaking, it soon becomes clear how much healing Patrick himself needs and how two little wards, one shelter dog, and a few words of wisdom from his family and the "throuple" neighbors living next door (yes, seriously) can help him find the closure he needs. Loved this one and would recommend!</div></div></div></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">I am currently dealing with a little cold so I think I will have a bit more downtime this week to hopefully fit some more reading in! I'm actually reading two books at once (one on my kindle, and one physical book) which I NEVER do but it's surprisingly working out well this time around! Looking forward to sharing more with you all soon :)</div>
</div>Rebecca @ My Girlish Whimshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17825981722220301082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7847365927497704283.post-63012947212578325482023-01-01T11:17:00.000-05:002023-01-01T11:17:05.670-05:00My Girlish Whims Book Club #50 & Favorite Reads of 2022<div style="text-align: center;">How fitting that my 50th book review post (!!!) will include a round up of my favorite books I read in 2022! I read 35 books this past year and considering the year started with welcoming preemie twin boys into the world, I think that is quite an accomplishment! 2022 was certainly an amazing year - dare I say my best one yet :)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4PhaveruavZ4p-4KHH5gRFFJyZNQ92xiqPo2ye_FEm0wkhi3KWYjurplFedyf_git8EnG7cdloY7YXfQpxD_5ql1NISLrZV3s_DIObl_2F4DLOnYlRUOJZVo3_ZBagl9Mnv0CEmSxYcOsX7tG6FD4B7cKSaISzYuv3n1Cx4H7N0a-1Ov7BRTIKuf5zQ/s3496/Family%20Pic%202022.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3496" data-original-width="2334" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4PhaveruavZ4p-4KHH5gRFFJyZNQ92xiqPo2ye_FEm0wkhi3KWYjurplFedyf_git8EnG7cdloY7YXfQpxD_5ql1NISLrZV3s_DIObl_2F4DLOnYlRUOJZVo3_ZBagl9Mnv0CEmSxYcOsX7tG6FD4B7cKSaISzYuv3n1Cx4H7N0a-1Ov7BRTIKuf5zQ/w428-h640/Family%20Pic%202022.JPG" width="428" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">I have three final books that I read in December to review in this post first, but keep scrolling after these are done for my top books I read this year. Here's what I finished up the year reading:</div><br /><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>This post contains affiliate links</i></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVj5zeKwoqfcBAKFoMPU-amJBdz4MSASonkl2vks4J7Fb24ncfjz4RD8CbQD7ZFD3uTNaC8wSfsOMiwnzbxoNvt2rphl8LoD7Pk4NebAwoK2EsYGkW9Wi9blVyeVnk4Wwvi5UtE-v7wYC3WXes462n7K_HwsuSB1F10BeWQG_UccHpBwbGjDKr3E_sPQ/s2200/best%20books%20i%20read%20in%202022.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1050" data-original-width="2200" height="306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVj5zeKwoqfcBAKFoMPU-amJBdz4MSASonkl2vks4J7Fb24ncfjz4RD8CbQD7ZFD3uTNaC8wSfsOMiwnzbxoNvt2rphl8LoD7Pk4NebAwoK2EsYGkW9Wi9blVyeVnk4Wwvi5UtE-v7wYC3WXes462n7K_HwsuSB1F10BeWQG_UccHpBwbGjDKr3E_sPQ/w640-h306/best%20books%20i%20read%20in%202022.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik4HMaJmLEHG4yGVR6uUznLD0SfBpsDTrc-mLPT7BB_pGuiX9bH6jvMRz2p0PadCEYRuosbYV0xSYJcZJqyP0sdOg2KKXPRsefMYNrDMy4XleKAF125xhmKtg6qZ13tiHp3FyMhkIbS1BPuMIGJbykegwNmobQmDQf0F5vE-YoNBsIvdQZYGqh0dOXFQ/s4032/A%20Merry%20Little%20Meet%20Cute%20Book%20Review.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik4HMaJmLEHG4yGVR6uUznLD0SfBpsDTrc-mLPT7BB_pGuiX9bH6jvMRz2p0PadCEYRuosbYV0xSYJcZJqyP0sdOg2KKXPRsefMYNrDMy4XleKAF125xhmKtg6qZ13tiHp3FyMhkIbS1BPuMIGJbykegwNmobQmDQf0F5vE-YoNBsIvdQZYGqh0dOXFQ/w480-h640/A%20Merry%20Little%20Meet%20Cute%20Book%20Review.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div></div></div><div><div><h1 class="a-size-large a-spacing-none" id="title" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3GdnYDv" target="_blank">A Merry Little Meet Cute</a></h1>
<div><div><div style="text-align: center;">By Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone. Synopsis from Amazon:</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Bee Hobbes (aka Bianca Von Honey) has a successful career as a plus-size adult film star. With a huge following and two supportive moms, Bee couldn’t ask for more. But when Bee’s favorite producer casts her to star in a Christmas movie he’s making for the squeaky-clean Hope Channel, Bee’s career is about to take a more family-friendly direction.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Forced to keep her work as Bianca under wraps, Bee quickly learns this is a task a lot easier said than done. Though it all becomes worthwhilewhen she discovers her co-star is none other than childhood crush Nolan Shaw, an ex-boy band member in desperate need of career rehab. Nolan’s promised his bulldog manager to keep it zipped up on set, and he will if it means he’ll be able to provide a more stable living situation for his sister and mom.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>But things heat up quickly in Christmas Notch, Vermont, when Nolan recognizes his new co-star from her ClosedDoors account (oh yeah, he’s a member). Now Bee and Nolan are sneaking off for quickies on set, keeping their new relationship a secret from the Hope Channel’s execs. Things only get trickier when the reporter who torpedoed Nolan’s singing career comes snooping around—and takes an instant interest in mysterious newcomer Bee.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>And if Bee and Nolan can’t keep their off-camera romance behind the scenes, then this merry little meet cute might end up on the cutting room floor.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Well this was a cutesy holiday Rom-Com like no other I have read before! If you are looking for a Hallmark style Christmas novel with (there is really no other way to put this) a side of porn - this is the book for you. Whew! I picked four different Christmas themed Rom-Com to put up for a vote for my December book club holiday party and this steamy novel was the winner. You have to know going into the book that there will be some heat involved since the main character is literally an adult film star, but just beware that it really doesn't shy away from any of the details. Steam/sex/etc aside, I did think this was a pretty cute and funny book. The original conflict in the story begins with a last minute accident at a festival which takes out most of the "regular" movie production team and the producer of the film (who is also an adult film star producer, unbeknownst to the squeaky clean Hope Channel team) has to fill in the cast with Bee as the lead star and some of the crew with his adult film crew. Since no one is supposed to know about the X rated side gig most of the team is involved with, it leads to a lot of amusing interactions between the wardrobe manager who is used to dressing a cast in much less clothing, a lighting tech crew used to lighting a lot more flesh and a lot less horseback riding scenes, etc. I enjoyed the female empowerment portion of this book and that the lead character was unashamedly plus size and how that was celebrated in the novel. Plot wise it delivered on a typical Rom-Com storyline - nothing earth shattering but enough to give you some fuzzy feel good vibes and some laughs along the way. </div></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span><a name='more'></a></span></div></div></div><h2 class="MsoNormal"> </h2></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje3GZHuH9TxCD3KLEFI8tiKeJpIEq0VmR1IAJjxOQTzH6cP6B0beJyJaNpK-Cx1wgl5QyulAa96E3anrq3IbcuL2vRXYV-W8-zwNjBHnfovJo0_hPuNg7q3toINj6fjH6eDnxrN0blLmgSrlsxEHuaJy0uAs9Gb3DEw7a3UJ3_tai9bM9xiphNH3vFtA/s4032/the%20husbands%20book%20review.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje3GZHuH9TxCD3KLEFI8tiKeJpIEq0VmR1IAJjxOQTzH6cP6B0beJyJaNpK-Cx1wgl5QyulAa96E3anrq3IbcuL2vRXYV-W8-zwNjBHnfovJo0_hPuNg7q3toINj6fjH6eDnxrN0blLmgSrlsxEHuaJy0uAs9Gb3DEw7a3UJ3_tai9bM9xiphNH3vFtA/w480-h640/the%20husbands%20book%20review.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><h2><a href="https://amzn.to/3hIwgcN" target="_blank">The Husbands</a></h2></div><div><div><div><div style="text-align: center;">By Chandler Baker. Synopsis from Amazon: </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Nora Spangler is a successful attorney but when it comes to domestic life, she packs the lunches, schedules the doctor appointments, knows where the extra paper towel rolls are, and designs and orders the holiday cards. Her husband works hard, too… but why does it seem like she is always working so much harder?</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>When the Spanglers go house hunting in Dynasty Ranch, an exclusive suburban neighborhood, Nora meets a group of high-powered women―a tech CEO, a neurosurgeon, an award-winning therapist, a bestselling author―with enviably supportive husbands. When she agrees to help with a resident’s wrongful death case, she is pulled into the lives of the women there. She finds the air is different in Dynasty Ranch. The women aren’t hanging on by a thread.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>But as the case unravels, Nora uncovers a plot that may explain the secret to having-it-all. One that’s worth killing for. Calling to mind a Stepford Wives gender-swap, New York Times bestselling author of Whisper Network Chandler Baker's The Husbands imagines a world where the burden of the “second shift” is equally shared―and what it may take to get there.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">I ADORED this book! I feel like I should clarify that I adored it not because I am frustrated with lack of help around the house from my husband, though, lol. I am very very blessed to have a partner who goes above and beyond to help with the kids and housework and I rarely have to ask him for assistance, he takes it upon himself to get things done. With that personal caveat aside (hah) I do think that mothers these days are under immense pressure to get everything done with often very unrealistic expectations and support and I loved the subject matter this book explored. I thought it was extremely relevant and relatable and loved Nora as a main character. She was hardworking at her job, a loving mom, and even when frustrated with her husband she admitted he really was the love of her life. I think Chandler Baker did a great job giving a voice, albeit through fictional form, of the real struggles working moms go through. Dynasty Ranch was a great plot point in this book and took the novel into a realm I was not expecting. A certain part of the "twist" I should say took the book into a much more fictional genre than something that strictly parallels real life, but I actually really enjoyed it as a "what-if" scenario. I would totally recommend this, it was a pleasure to read.</div></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8a5AqJkpKwD_gFNS-vgvdtSPpz5g1LPs6SlqCdkgt009kB-utqs0qs7xSRrIOiAf5Exw8CqHOq6JSBDA7iOntsxBsDrVVh6Q-kJlFDUj38y2iRyw9UWGxeAFsCujy1ijffsxLDs6Z5VsKJNqnq-0DOnOIgaaPZpgrq1uDn2NMGlexyq9K1yozdt6oNw/s3564/hamnet%20book%20review.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3564" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8a5AqJkpKwD_gFNS-vgvdtSPpz5g1LPs6SlqCdkgt009kB-utqs0qs7xSRrIOiAf5Exw8CqHOq6JSBDA7iOntsxBsDrVVh6Q-kJlFDUj38y2iRyw9UWGxeAFsCujy1ijffsxLDs6Z5VsKJNqnq-0DOnOIgaaPZpgrq1uDn2NMGlexyq9K1yozdt6oNw/w544-h640/hamnet%20book%20review.HEIC" width="544" /></a></div><div><h2 style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3G2PIJF" target="_blank">Hamnet</a></h2><div class="MsoNormal"><div><div style="text-align: center;">By Maggie O'Farrell. Synopsis from Amazon:</div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>England, 1580: The Black Death creeps across the land, an ever-present threat, infecting the healthy, the sick, the old and the young alike. The end of days is near, but life always goes on. </i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>A young Latin tutor—penniless and bullied by a violent father—falls in love with an extraordinary, eccentric young woman. Agnes is a wild creature who walks her family’s land with a falcon on her glove and is known throughout the countryside for her unusual gifts as a healer, understanding plants and potions better than she does people. Once she settles with her husband on Henley Street in Stratford-upon-Avon, she becomes a fiercely protective mother and a steadfast, centrifugal force in the life of her young husband, whose career on the London stage is just taking off when his beloved young son succumbs to sudden fever. </i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">I heard a lot of buzz this year over O'Farrell's newest novel, <u>The Marriage Portrait</u>, that was released in 2022 but decided I should start with <u>Hamnet</u> for my first book from this author. The very basic premise of this story is a fictional account of William Shakespeare and his son, Hamnet, who passes away as a boy. In reality the book focuses much more on William's wife Agnes and the love and grief she endures. The characters are extremely heartfelt and you can empathize with nearly all of them. The writing is simply beautiful - descriptive and heartfelt throughout. I must confess I am not well studied or all that interested in the works of William Shakespeare, but that is not at all needed to enjoy this book. While I did really like the book, I tend to enjoy historical fiction books with a bit more of a moving plot. This novel focused much more on the inner thoughts of the characters and their relationships than moving plot points which, while not a negative, just didn't draw me into the book quite as much as I would have expected based on the amazing reviews it received. I still enjoyed the writing and overall subject matter though - so I do officially have <u>The Marriage Portrait</u> on my TBR list as well!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><h2 style="text-align: center;">2022 Reading Round-Up</h2></div></div><div style="text-align: center;">If you missed any of my book review posts from this year, here are some quick links that list everything I read this year:</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.mygirlishwhims.com/2022/03/my-girlish-whims-book-club-42.html" target="_blank">Book Club #42</a>: <span style="text-align: center;"><u>The Golden Couple</u>, <u>Reckless Girls</u>, <u>The Maid</u>, <u>The Lost Apothecary </u></span></div></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.mygirlishwhims.com/2022/05/my-girlish-whims-book-club-43.html" target="_blank">Book Club #43:</a> <u>The Club</u>, <u>Death on The Nile</u>, <u>The Paris Apartment</u>, <u>The Arc</u></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.mygirlishwhims.com/2022/06/my-girlish-whims-book-club-44.html" target="_blank">Book Club #44: </a><u>One Italian Summer</u>, <u>The Latecomer</u>, <u>People Like Her</u>, <u>Book Lovers</u></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.mygirlishwhims.com/2022/07/my-girlish-whims-book-club-45.html" target="_blank">Book Club #45:</a> <u>The Hotel Nantucket,</u> <u>The Lifestyle</u>, <u>The Christie Affair,</u> <u>The Perfect Mother</u></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.mygirlishwhims.com/2022/08/my-girlish-whims-book-club-46.html" target="_blank">Book Club #46:</a> <u>Lessons in Chemistry,</u> <u>Barefoot</u>, <u>Upgrade</u>, <u>This Time Tomorrow</u></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.mygirlishwhims.com/2022/09/my-girlish-whims-book-club-47.html" target="_blank">Book Club #47</a>: <u>A Hundred Summers</u>, <u>A Flicker in the Dark</u>, <u>Carrie Soto is Back</u>, <u>The Vacationers</u></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.mygirlishwhims.com/2022/10/my-girlish-whims-book-club-48.html" target="_blank">Book Club #48:</a> <u>Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow</u>, <u>Every Summer After</u>, <u>The Lioness</u>, <u>The Lion's Den</u></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.mygirlishwhims.com/2022/11/my-girlish-whims-book-club-49.html" target="_blank">Book Club #49</a>: <u>The House Across the Lake</u>, <u>Pieces of Her</u>, <u>Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six</u>, <u>Killers of a Certain Age</u></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: center;">Book Club #50 (This Post!): <u>A Merry Little Met Cute</u>, <u>The Husbands</u>, <u>Hamnet</u></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><h2 style="text-align: center;">Honorable Mentions:</h2><h3 style="text-align: center;"><u><a href="http://www.mygirlishwhims.com/2022/09/my-girlish-whims-book-club-47.html" target="_blank">Carrie Soto is Back</a> </u>by Taylor Jenkins Reid</h3><div style="text-align: center;">Even though this was not my favorite TJR book to date, her writing is just <i>so</i> good and she writes damn good stories! The characters, the details of the sport, the way you become so invested in Carrie's life and will for her so hard to succeed in her sport, find love and have it all is just captivating. This was fabulous!</div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.mygirlishwhims.com/2022/07/my-girlish-whims-book-club-45.html" style="text-decoration-line: underline;" target="_blank">The Christie Affair</a> by Nina De Gramont</h3><div style="text-align: center;">I didn't hear a ton of buzz about this book when it was released, but when I look back on everything I read this year this story still sticks with me. I really enjoy books by Agatha Christie so that intrigued me enough to read this book, but really the story wasn't about Agatha at all, but rather about her husband's mistress Nan. This book had so much more depth and heartache/back story behind it than I was expecting, so for the surprise romance and story that drew me into it I think it's worth an honorable mention for sure!</div><h2 style="text-align: center;">2022 Number Three Favorite:</h2><h3 style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.mygirlishwhims.com/2022/09/my-girlish-whims-book-club-47.html" style="text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">A Hundred Summers</a> by Beatriz Williams</h3><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhylc7J42oeFpAzjXhXUeKYyNnVhtfwukwk5vUbH_xSjI8ofR7mFyUy_U_dv3ItSTWXfwa5IFhWWuwyGOIIdBUG6w0Qdf5Ht3Ebs7NRekaDAx699Fmcsto3Km1u2ZjnVYiM_b1hxoVPVwfesb9JpsIjZISSgnXGfb9KxykoKeYu6ta14RrmzPAJLkzDog" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img data-original-height="640" data-original-width="488" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhylc7J42oeFpAzjXhXUeKYyNnVhtfwukwk5vUbH_xSjI8ofR7mFyUy_U_dv3ItSTWXfwa5IFhWWuwyGOIIdBUG6w0Qdf5Ht3Ebs7NRekaDAx699Fmcsto3Km1u2ZjnVYiM_b1hxoVPVwfesb9JpsIjZISSgnXGfb9KxykoKeYu6ta14RrmzPAJLkzDog=w488-h640" width="488" /></a></div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">This was not a new release for 2022 but a backlist read from a fave author of mine and it solidified the fact that I just want to read every book that Beatriz Williams has ever/will ever write. I loved everything about this book. The seaside town backdrop, how the story alternated being told in present vs. past day and how they met and collided to explain everything, the love affairs, the heartache, how much I emoted for and with the characters and the crazy storm that climaxed with the plot of the novel. I missed reading this book when it was over and just adored every part of it!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><h2 style="text-align: center;">2022 Number Two Favorite:</h2><h3 style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.mygirlishwhims.com/2022/03/my-girlish-whims-book-club-42.html" target="_blank"><u>The Maid</u> </a>by Nita Prose</h3><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhY-romdGxkZFO1ZKxAzcEVB_odwTResKJ_1ModgsBznucZeuqLyfxMXeiSjitiiD0MxCT4kSBt0lUGKaf5S8JT65vi1FQNWETqW1YM4Emakhpz0xNSxjiv_RUSdlNHNGQl9ZkYJwy_EO2KlJ1zqapUx_aB9GUY47_J_F1aAScQATNVtNII7oiR-RrAYA" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhY-romdGxkZFO1ZKxAzcEVB_odwTResKJ_1ModgsBznucZeuqLyfxMXeiSjitiiD0MxCT4kSBt0lUGKaf5S8JT65vi1FQNWETqW1YM4Emakhpz0xNSxjiv_RUSdlNHNGQl9ZkYJwy_EO2KlJ1zqapUx_aB9GUY47_J_F1aAScQATNVtNII7oiR-RrAYA=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">This was one of the first books I read in 2022 and I still remember how much I enjoyed reading it. Molly the Maid made this book so fabulous because of how genuine and likable she was. She was very quirky and was constantly getting a bad hand dealt to her - you truly became enraged as the book goes on over how unfair she is treated when a murder is blamed on her. I loved Molly's obsessive love of cleaning and the orderly details included in the book of her cleaning techniques, etiquette intricacies, the mystery that needed to be solved and the characters that show up to help her when needed most. This was a heartwarming novel that I truly enjoyed.</div><h2 style="text-align: center;">2022 Number One Favorite:</h2><h3 style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.mygirlishwhims.com/2022/08/my-girlish-whims-book-club-46.html" style="text-decoration-line: underline;" target="_blank">Lessons in Chemistry</a> by Bonnie Garmus</h3><div><u><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEinB7_5vQDUGVpy4b2sCX7hldqH3Vqn8l6-ssC8tsObA0QYqYdf3S6BNjI3CemWlWl-xxwZOX6tLyPNKt2NiKyyctLC7qOrrDtWNzqQpIDowwtkG6egwsBxxr4MweZQtx9JQ1hQQUvGVKghas4FsQJ6BwxBZr5-kao35ZEQFtijwk8kJ9NHQypHkauneQ" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEinB7_5vQDUGVpy4b2sCX7hldqH3Vqn8l6-ssC8tsObA0QYqYdf3S6BNjI3CemWlWl-xxwZOX6tLyPNKt2NiKyyctLC7qOrrDtWNzqQpIDowwtkG6egwsBxxr4MweZQtx9JQ1hQQUvGVKghas4FsQJ6BwxBZr5-kao35ZEQFtijwk8kJ9NHQypHkauneQ=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></div><br /></u></div><div style="text-align: center;">What a book this was! It was a very simple decision to pick this as my favorite book from 2022 because I just adored every part of it. It was so easy to become wrapped up in the story: you were so frustrated right along with Elizabeth Zott over how poorly she was treated as a woman in the 60s, but also so empowered to watch her overcome and take charge of her life. The characters were absolutely the best part of this book and I still attest that six thirty the dog was one of the best written characters out there (yes, even as a dog!). This book had immense humor and heart, a love story, and lots of surprises along the way. I don't ever re-read books but I know I will keep my copy of this one handy to pick up again in the future because that's how amazing it was. A well deserved number one best book of the year!</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">That's a wrap on reading in 2022 - here's to all the amazing novels just waiting to be read in 2023 :)</div>
</div>Rebecca @ My Girlish Whimshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17825981722220301082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7847365927497704283.post-47636289698857531702022-11-30T15:52:00.000-05:002022-11-30T15:52:05.773-05:00My Girlish Whims Book Club #49<div style="text-align: center;">Last week we got to celebrate our first Thanksgiving as a family of four and it truly was our best Thanksgiving yet! Experiencing the holidays after you have kids truly changes everything for the better - even though my boys are still young it was so fun to dress them up, watch them interact with family and gobble up some turkey, stuffing and veggies at both Thanksgiving feasts we shared with each of our families. We've been doing baby-led weaning with them for over four months now where they eat real food instead of baby food and so both kids were fully prepared to share in the large meal with us (Jack especially did not disappoint and loved the extra servings he got, hah!)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM2QI91hxejgF9x__6je4Ci1c3cbrdWJMLsS22Nt8MDx0UEDeTkwRfkANGPwuHgHittXa56UGwtFIo1OoTKNd1BUm8EUvLza9P4GjP4oXFlvwtS4halh8nLc3kk0JJqGMz57ysqAMUulSdmlwfmFA5I3x9deOBrzXSiDm54lf5Tc36FDl8Efr2u293Xw/s1440/fall%20book%20reviews%20my%20girlish%20whims.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM2QI91hxejgF9x__6je4Ci1c3cbrdWJMLsS22Nt8MDx0UEDeTkwRfkANGPwuHgHittXa56UGwtFIo1OoTKNd1BUm8EUvLza9P4GjP4oXFlvwtS4halh8nLc3kk0JJqGMz57ysqAMUulSdmlwfmFA5I3x9deOBrzXSiDm54lf5Tc36FDl8Efr2u293Xw/w640-h640/fall%20book%20reviews%20my%20girlish%20whims.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;">I'm definitely looking forward to experiencing the entire Christmas season with them. Before I get into full on holiday mode, however, I need to finish rounding up the last books I read this fall since I popped in with my <a href="http://www.mygirlishwhims.com/2022/10/my-girlish-whims-book-club-48.html" target="_blank">last set of reviews</a>. Here is what I have been reading lately!</div><br /><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>This post contains affiliate links</i></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsscZqnoob2NWEXfSp1bQudeVCHDXo3iQjYlEr_IDi_zyTAfxsRyCAwKk5Vv4tygxWrj53Zphp7eI0PbL4TSyeMUpR1W556Jixf_HoKB3isGwVK8eKi-7pB7muttR6NovbgUVJaFAmCezJDqKD_3haELzbzHeJ62fjKJS1NZUQURLvdA9QyViBUaWCgg/s2538/piece%20of%20her%20book%20review.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="988" data-original-width="2538" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsscZqnoob2NWEXfSp1bQudeVCHDXo3iQjYlEr_IDi_zyTAfxsRyCAwKk5Vv4tygxWrj53Zphp7eI0PbL4TSyeMUpR1W556Jixf_HoKB3isGwVK8eKi-7pB7muttR6NovbgUVJaFAmCezJDqKD_3haELzbzHeJ62fjKJS1NZUQURLvdA9QyViBUaWCgg/w640-h250/piece%20of%20her%20book%20review.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div></div><div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOXe7gmPSd6l8LnOTkN5XsVTSLxcBnc-sF5EJIUoG3jIBojIbZ9xnk3zFXgG3mVfPzjzSuSRpAob2tohApKqusT1cxvQQ8liqwfMkvvishM6bJwCyih5zn5bvk_gIOYcj4z63Ph6RBVlgaU8zv0wCEUA8BlE45VS0g03L1jP1TN_aZ_Id2W9vkCrKkqA/s4032/the%20house%20across%20the%20lake%20book%20review.heic" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOXe7gmPSd6l8LnOTkN5XsVTSLxcBnc-sF5EJIUoG3jIBojIbZ9xnk3zFXgG3mVfPzjzSuSRpAob2tohApKqusT1cxvQQ8liqwfMkvvishM6bJwCyih5zn5bvk_gIOYcj4z63Ph6RBVlgaU8zv0wCEUA8BlE45VS0g03L1jP1TN_aZ_Id2W9vkCrKkqA/w480-h640/the%20house%20across%20the%20lake%20book%20review.heic" width="480" /></a></div><h1 class="a-size-large a-spacing-none" id="title" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3zem55k" target="_blank">The House Across the Lake</a></h1>
<div><div style="text-align: center;">By Riley Sager. Synopsis from Amazon:</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Casey Fletcher, a recently widowed actress trying to escape a streak of bad press, has retreated to the peace and quiet of her family’s lake house in Vermont. Armed with a pair of binoculars and several bottles of bourbon, she passes the time watching Tom and Katherine Royce, the glamorous couple living in the house across the lake. They make for good viewing—a tech innovator, Tom is powerful; and a former model, Katherine is gorgeous.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>One day on the lake, Casey saves Katherine from drowning, and the two strike up a budding friendship. But the more they get to know each other—and the longer Casey watches—it becomes clear that Katherine and Tom’s marriage isn’t as perfect as it appears. When Katherine suddenly vanishes, Casey immediately suspects Tom of foul play. What she doesn’t realize is that there’s more to the story than meets the eye—and that shocking secrets can lurk beneath the most placid of surfaces. </i></div> <div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Packed with sharp characters, psychological suspense, and gasp-worthy plot twists, Riley Sager’s T<u>he House Across the Lake </u>is the ultimate escapist read . . . no lake house required.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">This is my first Riley Sager book I have read and actually enjoyed! I read it during October and it gave me just the perfect amount of chilly/freaky reading vibes without being overly scary (not my jam!) I enjoyed/was surprised by most of the twists, however I will admit one towards the end of the book made me a little mad and I wish it was left out. I still thoroughly enjoyed this book - even though it had potential to be a bit similar to <u>The Woman in the Window</u> with the voyager/watcher theme, I still thought this story was fresh and different. I liked Casey as the main character - she was a bit of a mess and her drinking added to the potential unreliable narrator situation, but somehow despite that she was still very likable and you wanted to watch her see the mystery through. For a contemporary, mildly scary book, this book really fit the bill for me and I loved reading it.<span><a name='more'></a></span></div></div></div><h2 class="MsoNormal"> </h2></div><div style="text-align: center;"><h2><a href="https://amzn.to/3GAB12r" target="_blank">Killers of a Certain Age</a></h2></div><div><div><div><div style="text-align: center;">By Deanna Raybourn. Synopsis from Amazon: </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Billie, Mary Alice, Helen, and Natalie have worked for the Museum, an elite network of assassins, for forty years. Now their talents are considered old-school and no one appreciates what they have to offer in an age that relies more on technology than people skills.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>When the foursome is sent on an all-expenses paid vacation to mark their retirement, they are targeted by one of their own. Only the Board, the top-level members of the Museum, can order the termination of field agents, and the women realize they’ve been marked for death.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Now to get out alive they have to turn against their own organization, relying on experience and each other to get the job done, knowing that working together is the secret to their survival. They’re about to teach the Board what it really means to be a woman—and a killer—of a certain age.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">I had very high hopes for this book and even picked it for our in person book club back in October! Unfortunately I felt like it was trying too hard to be a super spy thriller and super funny comedy all at once and it just didn't quite meet the mark on either for me. The action and spy thriller plots all seemed a bit excessive/unrealistic and while parts of the book did make me chuckle a bit, overall I thought some of the humor was a bit tacky/overdone. Seeing as I am not "of a certain age" maybe I just couldn't quite resonate with this one as much??? I will say that the plot certainly was unique and nothing like I've ever read before! If you are closer to menopause than I am (lol) you may enjoy this one a bit more than I did!</div></div></div><div><h2 style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3EyNYbf" target="_blank">Pieces of Her</a></h2><div class="MsoNormal"><div><div style="text-align: center;">By Karin Slaughter. Synopsis from Amazon:</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Andrea knows everything about her mother, Laura. She knows she’s spent her whole life in the small beachside town of Belle Isle; she knows she’s never wanted anything more than to live a quiet life as a pillar of the community; she knows she’s never kept a secret in her life. Because we all know our mothers, don’t we?</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>But all that changes when a trip to the mall explodes into violence and Andrea suddenly sees a completely different side to Laura. Because it turns out that before Laura was Laura, she was someone completely different. For nearly thirty years she’s been hiding from her previous identity, lying low in the hope that no one would ever find her. But now she’s been exposed, and nothing will ever be the same again.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>The police want answers and Laura’s innocence is on the line, but she won’t speak to anyone, including her own daughter. Andrea is on a desperate journey following the breadcrumb trail of her mother’s past. And if she can’t uncover the secrets hidden there, there may be no future for either one of them.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">I picked this as an add on from <a href="https://www.mybotm.com/0dciuik6ejxh?show_box=true" target="_blank">Book of the Month</a> club because I saw the mini series out on Netflix but obviously knew I needed to read the novel before I could watch the show! It really was a good pick because I really enjoyed this book. It's the first that I've read by Karin Slaughter and I had never actually heard of her as an author but I would definitely try other books by her. I loved the mystery Andy went through learning the secrets from her mother's past, I loved the flashbacks that told Laura's side of the story, I loved watching Andy go from a character stuck in the mundane motions of a life with a backtracking trajectory to a character forced to take charge and be brave so she can survive and see her family again. I thought this book, although on the longer side, had good pace, action, intrigue, and overall it was a win for me!</div></div></div></div><div><h2 class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3imlDwc" target="_blank">Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six</a></h2><div><div><div style="text-align: center;">By Lisa Unger. Synopsis from Amazon:</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Belle likes to think herself immune to the dizzying effects of fabulous wealth. But when her best friend, Summer, invites her on a glamorous getaway to the Mediterranean aboard her billionaire boyfriend's yacht, the only sensible answer is yes. Belle hopes </i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;">This was an average read for me. The name, setting and premise of the book made me pretty excited since it reminded me a bit of <u>One by One</u> from Ruth Ware, <u>The Hunting Party</u> by Lucy Foley, or <u>Rock Paper Scissors</u> by Alice Feeney (mysteries that take place in an exotic, secluded location where bad weather hits) and I loved all of those books a lot! Unfortunately I don't think that this location really lived up to the hype and wasn't described as vividly as possible to really make the setting as much of a spooky/interesting part of the story as it could have been. What I loved about this book through was the two different storylines that alternated being told throughout the book and you had no clue (or at least I had no clue!) how they were related until the reveal at the climax of the novel. Almost all of the characters in this book had secrets, the DNA testing kit drama was a unique plot point, and there were a few red herrings thrown in to add to the intrigue of this book. The ending seemed a bit too long for me but overall I found the book as a whole enjoyable, just nothing entirely new and notable.</div></div></div></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">I can't believe that 2022 is almost over! I'll be back soon to round up any final books I get to read in December as well as my top favorite books I read of the year :)</div>
</div>Rebecca @ My Girlish Whimshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17825981722220301082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7847365927497704283.post-48475154433191233072022-10-20T18:23:00.002-04:002022-10-20T18:23:21.282-04:00My Girlish Whims Book Club #48<div style="text-align: center;">It has really started to feel like fall this week and it is giving me all the cozy reading vibes! Since this is our first fall as parents we are of course enjoying getting out to enjoy some festive fall activities like our annual apple picking trip.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigYnuaqdVrJEdvYEuf0p6MwMqhFQnCzhA35K9Vys-4ZCcsiBdLl_8jxHH96TB23_TgD44sPLFLJuZUCXXQtLjat4c4Ebs53hpJ9tGUbCLPXcT7j_bqQyA_SERE-06QRSFh7s3PpQ7ZZSGdJZ6Z_LqA4nyt2T7N95T5nc_0VohBVB3RZu7xCf3_ZVsNfg/s2016/apple%20picking.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2016" data-original-width="1512" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigYnuaqdVrJEdvYEuf0p6MwMqhFQnCzhA35K9Vys-4ZCcsiBdLl_8jxHH96TB23_TgD44sPLFLJuZUCXXQtLjat4c4Ebs53hpJ9tGUbCLPXcT7j_bqQyA_SERE-06QRSFh7s3PpQ7ZZSGdJZ6Z_LqA4nyt2T7N95T5nc_0VohBVB3RZu7xCf3_ZVsNfg/w480-h640/apple%20picking.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">The boys may not have been much help with the actual picking, but they sure were cute companions! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGr1jvYCgrSam5v1Q7yny3vkGLZaZypeSbgoTIC9RSq-c26yeRLDDZ-BTolUyIhwCPM1zncldUAzELYdBNlHt7-YqIrneTz3Cb4P9dWbuGFaAGN9Ez74hZEu7FsKvwNnUKi7esfCWHaRSNg6xrkyGmnaHwWmIL0PIlJoKtZdWLkDKc2Qy4yL_M9GxdcQ/s2016/apple%20picking%20with%20twins.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2016" data-original-width="1512" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGr1jvYCgrSam5v1Q7yny3vkGLZaZypeSbgoTIC9RSq-c26yeRLDDZ-BTolUyIhwCPM1zncldUAzELYdBNlHt7-YqIrneTz3Cb4P9dWbuGFaAGN9Ez74hZEu7FsKvwNnUKi7esfCWHaRSNg6xrkyGmnaHwWmIL0PIlJoKtZdWLkDKc2Qy4yL_M9GxdcQ/w480-h640/apple%20picking%20with%20twins.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">They have also fully enjoyed eating all the apples we gathered - especially little Jack here. He is my smaller twin (two pounds lighter than Tyler!) but has a ferocious appetite for solids these days and has LOVED chowing down on these cooked apple slices :)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisbDqNhailbOgj5ZOLK1UzJELyeSPE1xNc46WCh1p9DY_NOkH1pCrNFGgXQwq_sQRqxYL0GhrQRLXSgd6nHXrQSQ9vxj_RUF4Fb5gcmFis1UIIl03f6R0TNudHaSeN1fslOoFm9RLZ-UUqiIIOzl9QAAuPf8Wcs0k4bKyMnPiKhnwSzF7OoXFONh6T_w/s2016/baby%20style.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2016" data-original-width="1512" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisbDqNhailbOgj5ZOLK1UzJELyeSPE1xNc46WCh1p9DY_NOkH1pCrNFGgXQwq_sQRqxYL0GhrQRLXSgd6nHXrQSQ9vxj_RUF4Fb5gcmFis1UIIl03f6R0TNudHaSeN1fslOoFm9RLZ-UUqiIIOzl9QAAuPf8Wcs0k4bKyMnPiKhnwSzF7OoXFONh6T_w/w480-h640/baby%20style.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">When we are not out and about though I'm always in the middle of a good book so I'm back to review the most recent four books I read since my <a href="http://www.mygirlishwhims.com/2022/09/my-girlish-whims-book-club-47.html" target="_blank">last set of reviews</a>. A few of these are leftover "summery reads" so it's about time I get to it!</div><br /><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>This post contains affiliate links</i></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFteUkPUWDmVwwOn-JwFEZ3JNXTZBWHl-_C4w6cLfzQXLo9EETGsyxg-7hPGNZKSXDxvq6M9HR9iH78LN_1DMtP9lkVL_BZqHbw5lumtuuzjaUL2La3wuX17fh5_8vC2_vb9H8j46V3KouPQMvSbfUFVhY9ynbCwLrhn8O86C1E3x7HB2my7UUyUySEQ/s2538/Tomorrow%20and%20tomorrow%20and%20tomorrow%20book%20review.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="988" data-original-width="2538" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFteUkPUWDmVwwOn-JwFEZ3JNXTZBWHl-_C4w6cLfzQXLo9EETGsyxg-7hPGNZKSXDxvq6M9HR9iH78LN_1DMtP9lkVL_BZqHbw5lumtuuzjaUL2La3wuX17fh5_8vC2_vb9H8j46V3KouPQMvSbfUFVhY9ynbCwLrhn8O86C1E3x7HB2my7UUyUySEQ/w640-h250/Tomorrow%20and%20tomorrow%20and%20tomorrow%20book%20review.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOM6b7En7Im7Pnk8Z-INzqWJMxJ7xtBLftJOOyRjWU_0YDfywRJ_CnNZPD8lU48Q2-O3v0vJE4mSoxtkEz1T0MiL6NmY9eBE4jwQhiU3C07IaWlCUoOB-gutuwoVPejxc6-g5b7ItfGJnOqrTiILEZ2iGV0U66Oze4V0xU6WLspdTvbl0iXMcprAd8sg/s4032/Every%20Summer%20After%20Book%20Review.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOM6b7En7Im7Pnk8Z-INzqWJMxJ7xtBLftJOOyRjWU_0YDfywRJ_CnNZPD8lU48Q2-O3v0vJE4mSoxtkEz1T0MiL6NmY9eBE4jwQhiU3C07IaWlCUoOB-gutuwoVPejxc6-g5b7ItfGJnOqrTiILEZ2iGV0U66Oze4V0xU6WLspdTvbl0iXMcprAd8sg/w480-h640/Every%20Summer%20After%20Book%20Review.jpg" width="480" /></a></div></div></div><div><div><h1 class="a-size-large a-spacing-none" id="title" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3CJiHR5" target="_blank">Every Summer After</a></h1>
<div><div style="text-align: center;">By Carley Fortune. Synopsis from Amazon:</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>They say you can never go home again, and for Persephone Fraser, ever since she made the biggest mistake of her life a decade ago, that has felt too true. Instead of glittering summers on the lakeshore of her childhood, she spends them in a stylish apartment in the city, going out with friends, and keeping everyone a safe distance from her heart.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Until she receives the call that sends her racing back to Barry’s Bay and into the orbit of Sam Florek—the man she never thought she’d have to live without.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>For six summers, through hazy afternoons on the water and warm summer nights working in his family’s restaurant and curling up together with books—medical textbooks for him and work-in-progress horror short stories for her—Percy and Sam had been inseparable. Eventually that friendship turned into something breathtakingly more, before it fell spectacularly apart.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>When Percy returns to the lake for Sam’s mother’s funeral, their connection is as undeniable as it had always been. But until Percy can confront the decisions she made and the years she’s spent punishing herself for them, they’ll never know whether their love might be bigger than the biggest mistakes of their past.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Told over the course of six years and one weekend, <u>Every Summer After</u> is a big, sweeping nostalgic story of love and the people and choices that mark us forever.<br /></i><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">This book was a very popular new release this summer, and unfortunately it just didn't live up to the hype for me for as much buzz as it got. There was nothing inherently wrong with the book, but I just got a bit bored with it. It's a very familiar friends-to-lovers story with a second chance romance involved, but it read a bit more like a young adult book versus a modern and moving love story because the bulk of the story takes place when Percy and Sam are young teenagers. The story does flip flop back and forth between present day and teenage years, but the present day story was pretty predictable and the meat of the story is about two 13-year-olds who fall in love at a lake house. If that's your jam, give it a read - it was a quick and easy read for me - but personally I wasn't overly moved or impressed with it.</div></div></div><h2 class="MsoNormal"> </h2></div><div style="text-align: center;"><h2><a href="https://amzn.to/3UHnYkc" target="_blank">Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow</a></h2></div><div><div><div style="text-align: center;">By Gabrielle Zevin. Synopsis from Amazon: </div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>On a bitter-cold day, in the December of his junior year at Harvard, Sam Masur exits a subway car and sees, amid the hordes of people waiting on the platform, Sadie Green. He calls her name. For a moment, she pretends she hasn’t heard him, but then, she turns, and a game begins: a legendary collaboration that will launch them to stardom. These friends, intimates since childhood, borrow money, beg favors, and, before even graduating college, they have created their first blockbuster, Ichigo. Overnight, the world is theirs. Not even twenty-five years old, Sam and Sadie are brilliant, successful, and rich, but these qualities won’t protect them from their own creative ambitions or the betrayals of their hearts.</i></div> <div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Spanning thirty years, from Cambridge, Massachusetts, to Venice Beach, California, and lands in between and far beyond, Gabrielle Zevin’s Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow is a dazzling and intricately imagined novel that examines the multifarious nature of identity, disability, failure, the redemptive possibilities in play, and above all, our need to connect: to be loved and to love. Yes, it is a love story, but it is not one you have read before.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">I enjoyed this book, but my biggest qualm with it was that I think it was too long! I know it takes place over 30 years but unfortunately the last 1/3ish of the book just got old and pretty tiring to me and this would have been a much more positive review if it would have been wrapped up a bit earlier. The characters in this book are extremely well written - Sam and Sadie were each damaged and quirky but extremely likable in their own individual ways. I also really enjoyed Marx's character and Dov (even though he was a dick he was still pretty funny). The cast of characters was just wonderfully done and you really come to care about their lives. This book is very much about video games - playing them, creating them, marketing them, etc. - but I still found it very enjoyable and easy to follow as someone who's gaming experience was just a few rounds of Mario Cart back in the day. There were very moving moments in this book - powerful and sad and even empowering, but I still hold the same thought that the book would have been a lot better wrapped up sooner. I kind of grew tired of the back-and-forth in Sam and Sadie's relationship over dumb misunderstandings, and the entire "Pioneers" chapter felt completely out of place, long and drawn out. Still a good book, lots of memorable moments and one I will remember positively (I'm just glad that I'm done it now...lol!)</div></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9xfYlbkbdYqTSXfjOM5MkS_IlccfzZHIzQUihKYfqcZvXnxxO3H2CAoJJ_jUZpbb74iMQc549xcHMxvorPiTvZv7NUi0zzKH0Bjqnuhq7ocIlQKBWRB_bNDodZZZe04VF5oLMafc-i3eY72ope66m_QMo9LvkHRlM2NtKLdvDex6-2z48rIhliGycTA/s1778/The%20Lioness%20Book%20Review.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1778" data-original-width="1406" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9xfYlbkbdYqTSXfjOM5MkS_IlccfzZHIzQUihKYfqcZvXnxxO3H2CAoJJ_jUZpbb74iMQc549xcHMxvorPiTvZv7NUi0zzKH0Bjqnuhq7ocIlQKBWRB_bNDodZZZe04VF5oLMafc-i3eY72ope66m_QMo9LvkHRlM2NtKLdvDex6-2z48rIhliGycTA/w506-h640/The%20Lioness%20Book%20Review.jpg" width="506" /></a></div><h2 style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3TeVtt5" target="_blank">The Lioness</a></h2><div class="MsoNormal"><div><div style="text-align: center;">By Chris Bohjalian. Synopsis from Amazon:</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Tanzania, 1964. When Katie Barstow, A-list actress, and her new husband, David Hill, decide to bring their Hollywood friends to the Serengeti for their honeymoon, they envision giraffes gently eating leaves from the tall acacia trees, great swarms of wildebeests crossing the Mara River, and herds of zebras storming the sandy plains. Their glamorous guests—including Katie’s best friend, Carmen Tedesco, and Terrance Dutton, the celebrated Black actor who stars alongside Katie in the highly controversial film Tender Madness—will spend their days taking photos, and their evenings drinking chilled gin and tonics back at camp, as the local Tanzanian guides warm water for their baths. The wealthy Americans expect civilized adventure: fresh ice from the kerosene-powered ice maker, dinners of cooked gazelle meat, and plenty of stories to tell over lunch back on Rodeo Drive.</i></div> <div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>What Katie and her glittering entourage do not expect is this: a kidnapping gone wrong, their guides bleeding out in the dirt, and a team of Russian mercenaries herding their hostages into Land Rovers, guns to their heads. As the powerful sun gives way to night, the gunmen shove them into abandoned huts and Katie Barstow, Hollywood royalty, prays for a simple thing: to see the sun rise one more time. A blistering story of fame, race, love, and death set in a world on the cusp of great change, <u>The Lioness</u> is a vibrant masterpiece from one of our finest storytellers.</i></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">I'd like to call this a "fun read" because the setting in the savannah of Africa and action was so very different than any other book I've ever read before, but it's hard to label it as "fun" when there was so much death and a bit of horror involved! I did really enjoy this book but just a heads up - don't go into it expecting anything lighthearted and some parts are a tad gruesome. Despite that, I thought the characters in this book were just excellent. I liked learning about each of their backgrounds in the flashbacks each chapter alternated with current events, how there were some cathartic moments in many of their stories, and how you grew to love some and hate some as well. I thought the story did a great job weaving in bits of African culture/history, safari and wild animal facts, racism and privilege issues, and old Hollywood stardom. If you are up for reading about all of those things with some action and death on an African safari - this is a book for you!</div></div></div><div><h2 class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3D7bQmf" target="_blank">The Lion's Den</a></h2><div><div><div style="text-align: center;">By Katherine St. John. Synopsis from Amazon:</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Belle likes to think herself immune to the dizzying effects of fabulous wealth. But when her best friend, Summer, invites her on a glamorous getaway to the Mediterranean aboard her billionaire boyfriend's yacht, the only sensible answer is yes. Belle hopes the trip will be a much-needed break from her stalled acting career and uniquely humiliating waitressing job, but once she's aboard the luxurious Lion's Den, it soon becomes clear this jet-setting holiday is not as advertised.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Belle's dream vacation quickly devolves into a nightmare as she and the handful of other girls Summer invited are treated more like prisoners than guests by their controlling host—and in one terrifying moment, Belle comes to see Summer for who she truly is: a vicious gold digger who will stop at nothing to get what she wants.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Belle realizes she's going to have to keep her wits about her—and her own big secret closely hidden—if she wants to make it off the yacht alive.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">I was very prepared to write a very mediocre review about this book until I finished it. I don't want to give too much away, but this book ended up having a lot more depth to it than I expected and it ended up surprising me! Granted, there is a good amount of fluff in this book - petty girl drama, over-the-top lavish gifts and settings, boyfriend stealing & pining after, friends stabbing other friends in the back...ok, ok, maybe this isn't all just fluff after all...but parts of the book did seem a bit superficial. How many times can Belle let Summer walk all over her? How original is a young, beautiful girl going after an old sugar daddy who is likely going to turn out to be an evil, cheating business man?? All that withstanding, I liked this one. Some parts were unrealistic, you wanted to knock Summer over the head with her Louis Vuitton bag a zillion times during it, but you still were always routing for Belle to succeed and it was a quick, easy and enjoyable read for me.</div></div></div></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">I'm currently finishing my next in person book club novel, but after that I am ready for some spooky reading in preparation for Halloween! I like books that are a little creepy but not downright frightening - let me know if you have any favorites for this season I should give a read!</div>
</div>Rebecca @ My Girlish Whimshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17825981722220301082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7847365927497704283.post-18642108600677535002022-09-13T15:49:00.002-04:002022-09-13T15:49:18.800-04:00My Girlish Whims Book Club #47<div style="text-align: center;">I'm back to wrap up some of the most recent books I read, many over our summer vacation last month! We went back down to Chincoteague Virginia for a week with our family and it was such a perfect little getaway.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUJuS1ct7WZ6i1Y2NzrzebexpLIS7m3r0rYqFKjW4956PjkFx2YG_K6Zxa4KF5mCos5KbRxqszgAhAM8_UozPx7ZRCT6w4tteWlRbj7gzDT66OFhNZrZi46F-kkmdXfGhkDnqh3JS8sVLWTIMscL1M6zZDgIpKPAtN-cZgc3fiUN1AmfDqAKSOQZljzQ/s4032/family%20vacation%20to%20chincoteague.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUJuS1ct7WZ6i1Y2NzrzebexpLIS7m3r0rYqFKjW4956PjkFx2YG_K6Zxa4KF5mCos5KbRxqszgAhAM8_UozPx7ZRCT6w4tteWlRbj7gzDT66OFhNZrZi46F-kkmdXfGhkDnqh3JS8sVLWTIMscL1M6zZDgIpKPAtN-cZgc3fiUN1AmfDqAKSOQZljzQ/w480-h640/family%20vacation%20to%20chincoteague.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">As always, traveling with twin babies is a LOT of work but it's still so much fun to get a change of scenery and enjoy a few relaxing moments when they pop up. The boy's morning nap was my favorite time to sit out on our balcony enjoying the breeze, views, and a good book!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNhKQznn_g0FYbJ1S_LWF1NrZFGEX9__IaW98XdPtGkBf8xnzPJnOeBYo4P1m4N1JnteHxu426za38UI2LcIXEV7NFu0oeptRodsEe9pcuiobADn7ExFCi9UePmN87iV0Ztm6dmLU1B67ExwaJQWrQOjtO0bskZ_4iW3QzW9OskwZzt3adIe_CkCNDHw/s2043/Carrie%20Soto%20is%20Back%20Review.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2043" data-original-width="1242" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNhKQznn_g0FYbJ1S_LWF1NrZFGEX9__IaW98XdPtGkBf8xnzPJnOeBYo4P1m4N1JnteHxu426za38UI2LcIXEV7NFu0oeptRodsEe9pcuiobADn7ExFCi9UePmN87iV0Ztm6dmLU1B67ExwaJQWrQOjtO0bskZ_4iW3QzW9OskwZzt3adIe_CkCNDHw/w390-h640/Carrie%20Soto%20is%20Back%20Review.jpg" width="390" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">And of course, when the sun was shining an afternoon beach trip was my favorite place to crack open a beverage and a book while the boys were busy exploring and playing in the sand (I don't even want to think about the amount of sand they consumed on this trip...so much sand everywhere!!!)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgotHEWr2rJgWb5agbHi98egOWH6j24H6lK-cR5SBi2x4Fb5PgjW4QMv-kV9TwTMdLqhn22qxa9d-Q8KBMZeD0djX2jzFog-ur3uh8XM1OZJNWyexcLpxT9lA-ck9DlJKAFFvVNpbQAYM5AOVuaDgK-Q6wSfub5h_6p5pexMQ-RzqUMEgfwpxqYknPMYA/s4032/A%20Flicker%20in%20the%20Dark%20Book%20Review.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgotHEWr2rJgWb5agbHi98egOWH6j24H6lK-cR5SBi2x4Fb5PgjW4QMv-kV9TwTMdLqhn22qxa9d-Q8KBMZeD0djX2jzFog-ur3uh8XM1OZJNWyexcLpxT9lA-ck9DlJKAFFvVNpbQAYM5AOVuaDgK-Q6wSfub5h_6p5pexMQ-RzqUMEgfwpxqYknPMYA/w480-h640/A%20Flicker%20in%20the%20Dark%20Book%20Review.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I managed to finish two books the week we were away, so here is the round up of the books I have finished recently! (Previous round up found<a href="http://www.mygirlishwhims.com/2022/08/my-girlish-whims-book-club-46.html" target="_blank"> here</a>)</div><br /><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>This post contains affiliate links</i></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9YYhs5GY_gmjCb9BWkVafZQGwMae9YLmWk7m2gsC9CWz5UYs14rkFow_UppE7hA93VhflQRmF4CEQqt5agKq5_sCGqtC0ASCHY4ElJHthCW555Cp5WqaCLcGgfZSJhhIPo4rxujluDff-QLRcZvq03fzcIOfDgqzNnGe-NEHhNE8zWUNbFWaR-fF1zg/s2538/carrie%20soto%20is%20back%20book%20review.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="988" data-original-width="2538" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9YYhs5GY_gmjCb9BWkVafZQGwMae9YLmWk7m2gsC9CWz5UYs14rkFow_UppE7hA93VhflQRmF4CEQqt5agKq5_sCGqtC0ASCHY4ElJHthCW555Cp5WqaCLcGgfZSJhhIPo4rxujluDff-QLRcZvq03fzcIOfDgqzNnGe-NEHhNE8zWUNbFWaR-fF1zg/w640-h250/carrie%20soto%20is%20back%20book%20review.png" width="640" /></a></div><span><a name='more'></a></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div><h2><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQZ1J30MKTN0leTBqPvI0lXnEoB00WItgaUcKeVsdLpcGwsHeZwyioNCmjDnFmyIEWPDqKFJrV3sywhpbXuzYW0xdYkvpGwnbjczU72UcJP8A0JgkT5NPOw2gpWXiH4bzo_Ce6mNJdXodScrfMqw06GJXS_hLAbUpda576GG20n9U2P9KPJSmfvvbYwQ/s4032/the%20vacationers%20book%20review.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQZ1J30MKTN0leTBqPvI0lXnEoB00WItgaUcKeVsdLpcGwsHeZwyioNCmjDnFmyIEWPDqKFJrV3sywhpbXuzYW0xdYkvpGwnbjczU72UcJP8A0JgkT5NPOw2gpWXiH4bzo_Ce6mNJdXodScrfMqw06GJXS_hLAbUpda576GG20n9U2P9KPJSmfvvbYwQ/w480-h640/the%20vacationers%20book%20review.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="480" /></a></div></div></h2><h2><a href="https://amzn.to/3AiKV3B" target="_blank">The Vacationers</a></h2><h2><div style="font-size: medium; font-weight: 400;"></div><div style="font-size: medium; font-weight: 400; text-align: left;"><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="text-align: center;">By Emma Straub. Synopsis from Amazon:</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>An irresistible, deftly observed novel from the New York Times-bestselling author of <u>Modern Lovers</u>, about the secrets, joys, and jealousies that rise to the surface over the course of an American family’s two-week stay in Mallorca.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>For the Posts, a two-week trip to the Balearic island of Mallorca with their extended family and friends is a celebration: Franny and Jim are observing their thirty-fifth wedding anniversary, and their daughter, Sylvia, has graduated from high school. The sunlit island, its mountains and beaches, its tapas and tennis courts, also promise an escape from the tensions simmering at home in Manhattan. But all does not go according to plan: over the course of the vacation, secrets come to light, old and new humiliations are experienced, childhood rivalries resurface, and ancient wounds are exacerbated.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>This is a story of the sides of ourselves that we choose to show and those we try to conceal, of the ways we tear each other down and build each other up again, and the bonds that ultimately hold us together. With wry humor and tremendous heart, Emma Straub delivers a richly satisfying story of a family in the midst of a maelstrom of change, emerging irrevocably altered yet whole.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">I grabbed this from the library to take on our beach trip from a recommendation from Elin Hilderbrand (one of my fave authors) and it was an enjoyable read for me, just not a <i>love</i> read. I'm a big fan of Straub's writing style but I just couldn't get very absorbed into any of these particular character's lives. I couldn't connect with any of them and thought that none of them were exceedingly likable either. Additionally, even though the book title is about the "Vacationers" and features a playful and relaxing appearing cover, it's really not a light "beachy" read at all - the Post family is working through a lot of issues and change and there is more drama and downhearted characters than easy breezy reading. Not necessarily always a bad thing but something good to know ahead of time if you prefer something a little lighter for your own vacation! I still enjoyed the book and seeing the family work through their issues but it wasn't that memorable for me unfortunately.</div></div></div></h2><h2><a href="https://amzn.to/3CffKcn" target="_blank">A Flicker in the Dark</a><br /></h2></div><div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;">By Stacy Willingham. Synopsis from Amazon: </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>When Chloe Davis was twelve, six teenage girls went missing in her small Louisiana town. By the end of the summer, her own father had confessed to the crimes and was put away for life, leaving Chloe and the rest of her family to grapple with the truth and try to move forward while dealing with the aftermath.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Now twenty years later, Chloe is a psychologist in Baton Rouge and getting ready for her wedding. While she finally has a fragile grasp on the happiness she’s worked so hard to achieve, she sometimes feels as out of control of her own life as the troubled teens who are her patients. So when a local teenage girl goes missing, and then another, that terrifying summer comes crashing back. Is she paranoid, seeing parallels from her past that aren't actually there, or for the second time in her life, is Chloe about to unmask a killer?</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">I enjoyed this suspense book! I did hear about some twists/unexpected "<i>who done it"</i>s in the book from some book club friends before reading it though so I was a little extra skeptical about every character. I wish I would have gone into it a little more open minded and less skeptical about every situation, but even so I still was kept guessing while I read it. I thought that reading about a serial killer from the viewpoint of the daughter (Chloe) was an interesting take on this specific scenario. Chloe was a bit of a mess - hyped up on prescription drugs and alcohol and completely paranoid about everything. While some don't enjoy the unreliable narrator scenario for phycological thrillers, I actually enjoyed this one due to the fact that Chloe was the psychologist actually self-medicating herself - she knew exactly what she was doing and just didn't seem quite as helpless and dumb as some unreliable narrators come off. Not a bad book overall, I was kept guessing and enjoyed reading it...well as much as you can enjoy reading a book about young girls getting killed over and over (it was NOT a happy book, but there were some cathartic moments in it at least!)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOihePFg0hRtBljVKBAQ4IqLrY4ROjtkj-cXkNL0ZEIpfXCphhjBIdAmR1NtCOFAWFsPvMKDrLayJNkhkshwzicJwqaTU0LW9YqVoZWjbFPP_j9m2zMnn711eXCtCvArxxs6j4cl8PeGztrh5s5-WuOT9ocYwPHf4BsGwXH95t2O7j5T1BPPmbCxVJ4g/s1627/a%20hundred%20summers%20book%20review.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1627" data-original-width="1242" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOihePFg0hRtBljVKBAQ4IqLrY4ROjtkj-cXkNL0ZEIpfXCphhjBIdAmR1NtCOFAWFsPvMKDrLayJNkhkshwzicJwqaTU0LW9YqVoZWjbFPP_j9m2zMnn711eXCtCvArxxs6j4cl8PeGztrh5s5-WuOT9ocYwPHf4BsGwXH95t2O7j5T1BPPmbCxVJ4g/w488-h640/a%20hundred%20summers%20book%20review.jpg" width="488" /></a></div><h2 class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://amzn.to/3xblO1U" target="_blank">A Hundred Summers</a></h2><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;">By Beatriz Williams. Synopsis from Amazon:</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Lily Dane has returned to Seaview, Rhode Island, where her family has summered for generations. It’s an escape not only from New York’s social scene but from a heartbreak that still haunts her. Here, among the seaside community that has embraced her since childhood, she finds comfort in the familiar rituals of summer.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>But this summer is different. Budgie and Nick Greenwald—Lily’s former best friend and former fiancé—have arrived, too, and Seaview’s elite are abuzz. Under Budgie’s glamorous influence, Lily is seduced into a complicated web of renewed friendship and dangerous longing.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>As a cataclysmic hurricane churns north through the Atlantic, and uneasy secrets slowly reveal themselves, Lily and Nick must confront an emotional storm that will change their worlds forever.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">I adored this book! I was so sad when it ended and actually missed reading it - a true sign of a good novel. This was my second book I've read from Beatriz Williams, my first being <u>The Summer Wives</u> (<a href="http://www.mygirlishwhims.com/2019/05/my-girlish-whims-book-club-17.html" target="_blank">reviewed here</a>) which I also really enjoyed, so I know I will need to pick up some more by this author. These two books definitely had summertime reading vibes, but the characters and stories are so timeless you could really read them any time of year. I did, however, finish this one in less than a week over Labor Day weekend and it really was the perfect summery novel to close out summer with. I loved the setting from the 1930s, the family drama, the steam and scandal, and how the story played out in alternating timelines. Lily was so likable: innocent yet jaded, Nick was always the perfect gentleman, and it drives you nuts that they are not together in the current timeframe and leaves you hanging for so long to see why not in the flashback portions. Aunt Julie was salacious and hilarious, Kiki was adorable and added so much extra surprise and mystery to the plot, all and all I just loved all of the characters and loved this book. It will be one of my favorites I've read so far this year for sure!</div></div></div></div></div><div><div><h1 class="a-size-large a-spacing-none" id="title" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3Rsap61" target="_blank">Carrie Soto is Back</a> </h1>
<div><div style="text-align: center;">By Taylor Jenkins Reid. Synopsis from Amazon:</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Carrie Soto is fierce, and her determination to win at any cost has not made her popular. But by the time she retires from tennis, she is the best player the world has ever seen. She has shattered every record and claimed twenty Grand Slam titles. And if you ask Carrie, she is entitled to every one. She sacrificed nearly everything to become the best, with her father, Javier, as her coach. A former champion himself, Javier has trained her since the age of two.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>But six years after her retirement, Carrie finds herself sitting in the stands of the 1994 US Open, watching her record be taken from her by a brutal, stunning player named Nicki Chan.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>At thirty-seven years old, Carrie makes the monumental decision to come out of retirement and be coached by her father for one last year in an attempt to reclaim her record. Even if the sports media says that they never liked “the Battle-Axe” anyway. Even if her body doesn’t move as fast as it did. And even if it means swallowing her pride to train with a man she once almost opened her heart to: Bowe Huntley. Like her, he has something to prove before he gives up the game forever.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>In spite of it all, Carrie Soto is back, for one epic final season. In this riveting and unforgettable novel, Taylor Jenkins Reid tells her most vulnerable, emotional story yet.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Taylor Jenkins Reid is pretty much an auto-read author for me ever since I read <u>The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo</u> (<a href="http://www.mygirlishwhims.com/2018/01/my-girlish-whims-book-club-6.html" target="_blank">reviewed here</a>) which is one of my favorite books published in the last five years!! I didn't love this one as much as Evelyn Hugo or even <u>Daisy Jones and the Six</u> but I definitely still enjoyed it. This book gets pretty technical with tennis terminology and game strategy which is not really in my very non-athletic wheelhouse, but you don't have to be a tennis pro by any means to enjoy this book. All of the strategy and game descriptions really just helps to immerse you into Carrie's life even further, as she truly really eats, sleeps and breathes tennis and all of the tennis talk helps pull you into her world. While Carrie was not always fully a likable character you really do grow to admire her dedication to her sport, ambition, and love for her father Javier. There are a few moments you want to whack her in the head with a tennis racket when it comes to her romantic pursuits, but I always think that's a sign of a good book - where the story and characters draw you in so much that you really care about what will happen next and who will make it in the end. Jenkins Reid is great at writing strong female leads, and this book did not disappoint with any of the characters and plot points along the way!</div></div><h2 class="MsoNormal"> </h2></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">That's a wrap for now! I leave tomorrow for another beach trip with the boys back to Sea Isle City, New Jersey to meet up with my parents at their RV. Most of the week it will just be my mom and me with the boys - let's see if I can squeeze one more good book in before summer and beach weather is officially over!</div></div>
</div>Rebecca @ My Girlish Whimshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17825981722220301082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7847365927497704283.post-86845593279665339552022-08-28T19:11:00.002-04:002022-08-28T19:11:37.451-04:00My Girlish Whims Book Club #46<div style="text-align: center;">It seems I'm much better at reading books these days than getting my reviews up in a timely matter, go figure, lol. Instead of a bunch of fluff about my life before getting into the reviews, here's a quick picture collage of our recent trip to the Finger Lakes - our first trip up there bringing the boys! If any one is interested in a full recap of our trip, let me know (maybe I'll get that posted quicker than these reviews??? Probably not!) But suffice it to say it was such a fun getaway! A lot of work with twin babies for sure, but looking at these pictures again already makes me ready to plan our next trip away.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ-HNzg98wa_rRhGTDwfTe_aYAVE5D1t3sR0Ns4EMDINspmRGHP0NiVFBBpoFRNb6Jcag0jgGqmchfiDE_CF9mPuMyp7CLWgJjb64gkd3VNrthScyxS81cT5-aKSJCUAff2ts3au3_uRRCzeQrwCSda8Bq_YEQpe4QjuVE0bSRVvv3rpAggkMp3DObiA/s4000/Finger%20Lakes%20visit%20with%20twins.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="4000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ-HNzg98wa_rRhGTDwfTe_aYAVE5D1t3sR0Ns4EMDINspmRGHP0NiVFBBpoFRNb6Jcag0jgGqmchfiDE_CF9mPuMyp7CLWgJjb64gkd3VNrthScyxS81cT5-aKSJCUAff2ts3au3_uRRCzeQrwCSda8Bq_YEQpe4QjuVE0bSRVvv3rpAggkMp3DObiA/w640-h640/Finger%20Lakes%20visit%20with%20twins.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;">I brought "Lessons in Chemistry" along on this trip (spoiler alert - I LOVED THIS BOOK!!!) and got some reading done after the boys were in bed each night. Here are the other books I read since <a href="http://www.mygirlishwhims.com/2022/07/my-girlish-whims-book-club-45.html" target="_blank">my last round up</a> and we can get right into my thoughts on all of them!</div><br /><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>This post contains affiliate links</i></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihMu6ygstjM_GAKgrCvSd70E4OKKaJCpLSbr7F7WEGmUpzaQUiGJJtbYQ1yfqNHOISH2wqZt-S3w_rN8xzzoEVkp42PwV7KhXOtT_IvRiXTytQ6GtKJx4f0r2UwllzhDGYIkrbW11GwgbItIAR4Q9M7MBCdioOeMcQa6ByGwH6mes23OypzrAzXrcFQw/s2538/lessons%20in%20chemistry%20book%20review.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="988" data-original-width="2538" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihMu6ygstjM_GAKgrCvSd70E4OKKaJCpLSbr7F7WEGmUpzaQUiGJJtbYQ1yfqNHOISH2wqZt-S3w_rN8xzzoEVkp42PwV7KhXOtT_IvRiXTytQ6GtKJx4f0r2UwllzhDGYIkrbW11GwgbItIAR4Q9M7MBCdioOeMcQa6ByGwH6mes23OypzrAzXrcFQw/w640-h250/lessons%20in%20chemistry%20book%20review.png" width="640" /></a></div></div></div><div><div><h1 class="a-size-large a-spacing-none" id="title" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3nRwjTl" target="_blank">Upgrade</a></h1>
<div style="text-align: center;">By Blake Crouch. Synopsis from Amazon:</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>At first, Logan Ramsay isn’t sure if anything’s different. He just feels a little . . . sharper. Better able to concentrate. Better at multitasking. Reading a bit faster, memorizing better, needing less sleep.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>But before long, he can’t deny it: Something’s happening to his brain. To his body. He’s starting to see the world, and those around him—even those he loves most—in whole new ways.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>The truth is, Logan’s genome has been hacked. And there’s a reason he’s been targeted for this upgrade. A reason that goes back decades to the darkest part of his past, and a horrific family legacy.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Worse still, what’s happening to him is just the first step in a much larger plan, one that will inflict the same changes on humanity at large—at a terrifying cost.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Because of his new abilities, Logan’s the one person in the world capable of stopping what’s been set in motion. But to have a chance at winning this war, he’ll have to become something other than himself. Maybe even something other than human.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>And even as he’s fighting, he can’t help wondering: what if humanity’s only hope for a future really does lie in engineering our own evolution?</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Intimate in scale yet epic in scope, <u>Upgrade </u>is an intricately plotted, lightning-fast tale that charts one man’s thrilling transformation, even as it asks us to ponder the limits of our humanity—and our boundless potential.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">I absolutely loved <u>Dark Matter</u> and <u>Recursion</u> by Blake Crouch so I was super excited to get a copy of this book from Net Galley to read before it was released. My favorite thing about Crouch's books is that they definitely fall in the Sci-Fi category but they are not SO heavy laden with scientific terminology that they are difficult or confusing to read for me (someone who's worst subject in school was probably science!) The science in them is extremely believable as well: this book focuses on the fact humans have developed a way to tweak genes and DNA to change species for better or for worse which I thought was very interesting. The book itself read very much like a thriller and had a lot of action in it, but also still had a lot of focus on family and relationships - Logan's troubled past with his mother, his new battle with his estranged sister, and his struggle to watch his relationship with his beloved wife and daughter slip away from him due to his upgrade. There is an overarching theme in the book about the world being doomed because us humans are killing ourselves and the earth (ho-hum, blah blah, lol) and the major action scene at the end of the book got a little excessive to me, but this was still an enjoyable read for me. I liked his first two books a bit more than this one, but at this point I would say Crouch is an auto-read author for me because I really enjoy the change up to a sci-fi genre with the interesting stories he comes up with!</div></div><h2 class="MsoNormal"> </h2></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0oTN3-ccafqyVut4FFRRuMyMhPHmfauQpG2XHUuHQyerYiwbKt9fijSwQariSY7KnSTTiZPz5z2GuBbHjhorLMZankufhW_wry2s5a-If-VmmSLaS5ZcZt_WnG1645wI1I05xrOxaBU_9JEzL2scq2hCOyzDvcke4bIkmTLBDIn_qmonUPVMyzH-Hvw/s3088/Lessons%20in%20Chemistry%20book%20review.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0oTN3-ccafqyVut4FFRRuMyMhPHmfauQpG2XHUuHQyerYiwbKt9fijSwQariSY7KnSTTiZPz5z2GuBbHjhorLMZankufhW_wry2s5a-If-VmmSLaS5ZcZt_WnG1645wI1I05xrOxaBU_9JEzL2scq2hCOyzDvcke4bIkmTLBDIn_qmonUPVMyzH-Hvw/w480-h640/Lessons%20in%20Chemistry%20book%20review.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><h2><a href="https://amzn.to/3ziYBfY" target="_blank">Lessons in Chemistry</a></h2></div><div><div><div style="text-align: center;">By Bonnie Garmus. Synopsis from Amazon: </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Chemist Elizabeth Zott is not your average woman. In fact, Elizabeth Zott would be the first to point out that there is no such thing as an average woman. But it’s the early 1960s and her all-male team at Hastings Research Institute takes a very unscientific view of equality. Except for one: Calvin Evans; the lonely, brilliant, Nobel–prize nominated grudge-holder who falls in love with—of all things—her mind. True chemistry results. </i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>But like science, life is unpredictable. Which is why a few years later Elizabeth Zott finds herself not only a single mother, but the reluctant star of America’s most beloved cooking show Supper at Six. Elizabeth’s unusual approach to cooking (“combine one tablespoon acetic acid with a pinch of sodium chloride”) proves revolutionary. But as her following grows, not everyone is happy. Because as it turns out, Elizabeth Zott isn’t just teaching women to cook. She’s daring them to change the status quo. </i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Laugh-out-loud funny, shrewdly observant, and studded with a dazzling cast of supporting characters, Lessons in Chemistry is as original and vibrant as its protagonist.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: center;">This will for sure top my list of favorite books I read in 2022: I just adored this book! The title and the book cover really did not appeal to me - it looked like a cooky modern romance novel with a chemistry trope by the cover to me and I just have never been a fan of modern romance books these days, so it was completely off my radar until an instagram follower touted its praises to me and said she thought I would love it too. Bingo - she was so right! It is not a romance book at all but a frustrating and heartwarming tale of one female chemist Elizabeth Zott. So many of the scenarios in the book make you extremely mad and frustrated at how poorly Elizabeth is treated as a woman in the 1960s. The cooky but lovable protagonist fighting her way in the world reminded me a bit of <u>The Maid</u> which I read and loved earlier this year (<a href="http://www.mygirlishwhims.com/2022/03/my-girlish-whims-book-club-42.html" target="_blank">posted about here</a>) which also had a female lead, Molly, who was a bit odd but still very endearing and others took advantage of her. The book was heartwarming with such a cute cast of supporting characters - sweet Mad, busy body Helen, and the best character of all: six-thirty the dog. Yes, there is a dog as a character in the book and it was hilarious! I loved every inch of this book and emoted so hard with Elizabeth throughout all the chapters - do yourself a favor and pick it up to see for yourself why!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">{Edited to add after my book club meeting for any of the publishing powers out there: we think this book would have been much better off titled "Supper at Six" with a less modern cover, but just our two cents! The writing and story speaks for itself though, and I would recommend this book to anyone!)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><h2 style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3Ozn8BF" target="_blank">This Time Tomorrow</a></h2><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="text-align: center;">By Emma Straub. Synopsis from Amazon:</div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>On the eve of her 40th birthday, Alice’s life isn’t terrible. She likes her job, even if it isn’t exactly the one she expected. She’s happy with her apartment, her romantic status, her independence, and she adores her lifelong best friend. But her father is ailing, and it feels to her as if something is missing. When she wakes up the next morning she finds herself back in 1996, reliving her 16th birthday. But it isn’t just her adolescent body that shocks her, or seeing her high school crush, it’s her dad: the vital, charming, 40-something version of her father with whom she is reunited. Now armed with a new perspective on her own life and his, some past events take on new meaning. Is there anything that she would change if she could?</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">I checked this new release out from my local library that I FINALLY went to visit and signed up for a library card! It's a pretty small library but I was impressed by their new releases section and availability. I had seen this one mentioned a few times by authors I like/bookstagram accounts so I grabbed it from the library with one issue - I could only check it out for 7 days since it was a new release with no extensions! I was a little worried about finishing in time but turns out I was worried for naught - I finished with two days to spare! I enjoyed this book so I read it pretty fast, my only qualm with it is that this same scenario I feel like is just overdone: protagonist travels back in time to try and fix her life before figuring out the alternate lives you thought you may have wanted may not be better after all (it gave me lots of <u>The Midnight Library</u> vibes). While the story structure was not unique, I don't want to critique too harshly because I enjoyed Straub's writing a lot. This was my first book from her and I liked her modern style and I enjoyed the characters a lot. I thought the book would be a bit depressing since so much of it focuses on her ill father and his pending demise...but even with that at the forefront it wasn't overwhelmingly sad. My favorite quote from the book was "Happy endings were too much for some people, false and cheap, but hope - hope was honest. Hope was good." This is a story about self-discovery and learning to appreciate the things you have in life at every moment along the way and I enjoyed it! </div></div></div></div><div><h2 class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3bwMoew" target="_blank">Barefoot</a></h2><div><div style="text-align: center;">By Elin Hilderbrand. Synopsis from Amazon:</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>From marriage, infidelity, and the mayhem of motherhood to scandal, tragedy, and illness—three women seek peace and comfort in Nantucket as they cope with life's challenges.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Three women—burdened with small children, unwieldy straw hats, and some obvious emotional issues—tumble onto the Nantucket airport tarmac one hot June day. Vicki is trying to sort through the news that she has a serious illness. Her sister, Brenda, has just left her job after being caught in an affair with a student. And their friend Melanie, after seven failed in vitro attempts, is pregnant at last—but only after learning that her husband is having an affair. They have come to escape, enjoy the sun, and relax in Nantucket's calming air. But into the house, into their world, steps twenty-two-year-old Josh Flynn.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><u>Barefoot</u> weaves these four lives together in a story with enthralling sweep and scope—a novel that is as fun and memorable and bittersweet as that one perfect day of summer.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">I saw this older book from Elin Hilderbrand sitting on an end cap at my local library I just joined and took it as a sign that I needed to grab it. I am a hardcore Elin fan but have not read a few of her older novels so it was perfect timing to grab this one as a free rental from the library. It was published in 2007 and some of the differences from just 15 years ago cracked me up (I laughed out loud when there was a reference to the computer game Snood which I used to play all the time!) Even if it's 15 years old, I still enjoyed reading this one - the Nantucket magic Elin depicts is always timely to read and escape to in the summertime. The book was not entirely light hearted though: I actually had to google when Elin herself was diagnosed with breast cancer because the way she wrote about Vicki fighting through lung cancer with the chemo treatments and the impact it had on her family was so heartfelt, I really thought Elin was speaking from experience (she was not diagnosed with cancer until 2014 though!) One thing I appreciate about Elin's stories is how sometimes they end how I believe things really happen in real life, verses how we want things to always end in a magical fairy tale. The characters she paints and their struggles and drama may be fictional, but I think they parallel real life people and situations extremely well without a lot of extra BS thrown in. This was an enjoyable back-list read from Elin for me, and I plan to continue with the rest!</div></div></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">I'm almost done my fourth book for my next set of books - so I will be back again soon{ish} to update you all on my next reads! Hope you are all clinging to the last bits of summer and reading time like I am :)<br /></div>
</div>Rebecca @ My Girlish Whimshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17825981722220301082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7847365927497704283.post-58074409415307468632022-07-27T10:30:00.002-04:002022-07-27T10:34:00.643-04:00My Girlish Whims Book Club #45<div style="text-align: center;">We are in the dog days of summer over here - not that I would really know because most days are pretty much the same cycle of feeding, changing, and playing with babies on a three hour cycle, hah. Occasionally we get to do the cycle in other places: I took the boys to Sea Isle City in New Jersey in June for a few days to enjoy some time with my mom at the beach and camp out in my parent's RV! </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRNSORUI9qqGBsjSQvnTG54r2XO1Vi_G7jSCAqK_ZzQZThP4y-JzwwgK8uXyddArttcfXFCrBVOWJYny1b0Q4qnULqVHjGzAeLnxWGYva-Y9RAu3eo0H4Seh7dZXlJ20rIQEXY5SU8Qqt4egUoSAH_qQ3_9n1y7oOc17bU-Xe9hur80KfxpwOe42DhrA/s4032/reading%20with%20babies%20at%20the%20beach.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRNSORUI9qqGBsjSQvnTG54r2XO1Vi_G7jSCAqK_ZzQZThP4y-JzwwgK8uXyddArttcfXFCrBVOWJYny1b0Q4qnULqVHjGzAeLnxWGYva-Y9RAu3eo0H4Seh7dZXlJ20rIQEXY5SU8Qqt4egUoSAH_qQ3_9n1y7oOc17bU-Xe9hur80KfxpwOe42DhrA/w640-h480/reading%20with%20babies%20at%20the%20beach.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;">It was a bit of an adventure taking the boys to the beach: each baby had their own meltdown at different times but somehow I still managed to read my kindle for a few hot minutes while feeding Jack and Tyler napped on me. This is one of the main reasons why I still love reading off of a kindle at times instead of a real book because it is much easier to hold when your hands are full!!!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSSfAXGLEW8l99TgEwc0f8BwSZHl2_foSF0e3dCERNLlh-NiJhdMn6KWOE2ff30tj16DAGkiivnDlvNq2KBvOYrl8_3MjiJ73Avt2N-QRfRRthCc5Zztm6rJLU4LxqT2UQ-TlQcoZ84WySRVVtXJePZ6ZhgrAvMsB2ZC8hVxEBbXFF0Ls9ht1u9RYrlQ/s1799/Traveling%20with%20Twins.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1799" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSSfAXGLEW8l99TgEwc0f8BwSZHl2_foSF0e3dCERNLlh-NiJhdMn6KWOE2ff30tj16DAGkiivnDlvNq2KBvOYrl8_3MjiJ73Avt2N-QRfRRthCc5Zztm6rJLU4LxqT2UQ-TlQcoZ84WySRVVtXJePZ6ZhgrAvMsB2ZC8hVxEBbXFF0Ls9ht1u9RYrlQ/w512-h640/Traveling%20with%20Twins.JPG" width="512" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">The best day of the trip was when we went and explored Cape May for the day. We shopped, ate seafood outside for lunch, and even visited a winery! God bless Nana for giving a helping hand throughout it all, because that kind of day trip is definitely not something I could handle alone with two babies but we had such a fun time exploring. For night time sleep we set their travel cribs up in the main living area of the RV, put their sound machine on, and drew down the blackout curtains the RV already had installed and luckily they went to bed pretty easily every night. After they were settled my mom and I would gather up our wine, books and cross-stitching (my mom's favorite hobby) and hang out in the screened in gazebo at our campsite and read and relax until we were ready for bed when we would sneak back into the RV to go bed without waking any babies up (surprisingly it worked!!!)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYO1Qo2j38BFiWgsXTZdb2QJ0IkEgaGV1BTLJ2K2n-9JpJfLDAkohh5-vWygP0gpsXF8bBJjqn9U47AfPQPI9z4-shUEQwx3K6UXlhA15mp-kBmttNNlf-EZstx-z6QNz39EcsDuBlw3LuEyYxUr3nuPmPDq-R4E61OJ9gup5uJfKzZft5EEepaXx8Xg/s2208/here%20to%20beach%20and%20wine.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2208" data-original-width="1242" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYO1Qo2j38BFiWgsXTZdb2QJ0IkEgaGV1BTLJ2K2n-9JpJfLDAkohh5-vWygP0gpsXF8bBJjqn9U47AfPQPI9z4-shUEQwx3K6UXlhA15mp-kBmttNNlf-EZstx-z6QNz39EcsDuBlw3LuEyYxUr3nuPmPDq-R4E61OJ9gup5uJfKzZft5EEepaXx8Xg/w360-h640/here%20to%20beach%20and%20wine.JPG" width="360" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;">I finished up <u>The Perfect Mother </u>while I was on this trip, and here is my review of that and the other three books I read since my <a href="http://www.mygirlishwhims.com/2022/06/my-girlish-whims-book-club-44.html" target="_blank">last set of reviews</a>!</div><br /><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>This post contains affiliate links</i></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAkvkXf1osCSGbR2MfcOT8XoYT83kzSofDfwUZkRvYAcs_6r5YxkLvVe_evPJPThe3p5E5DQ33S3154cNPO8v-2K5mc6FmVBHLRrbrSTH3WwNR5yg6cwv2tVsMuELWzeYdTchLO9BvU860xtf82B5JXGNRltfNQCsljdiNGJsWmllo3yKtn8pKZ9AZSA/s2538/The%20Hotel%20Nantucket%20Book%20Review.jpg.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="988" data-original-width="2538" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAkvkXf1osCSGbR2MfcOT8XoYT83kzSofDfwUZkRvYAcs_6r5YxkLvVe_evPJPThe3p5E5DQ33S3154cNPO8v-2K5mc6FmVBHLRrbrSTH3WwNR5yg6cwv2tVsMuELWzeYdTchLO9BvU860xtf82B5JXGNRltfNQCsljdiNGJsWmllo3yKtn8pKZ9AZSA/w640-h250/The%20Hotel%20Nantucket%20Book%20Review.jpg.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgScwkkHnlaeccTS99b2nXleDMwKNub0bt_khWOH8nh8ohHeVDBeYCAJfkVnTd-KPxnq8KPvb-Ozpc_u-wLC1k_8lz5mgJEa-fzPWciP7iHdRQBEbyVrq6ZTYvPXToKw7YeoB0-QKijx3Nti3NqkNJ02h1z8_iG-7r3-sKZKeo8-JXkayGYtoALDMzuyA/s4032/the%20hotel%20nantucket%20book%20review.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgScwkkHnlaeccTS99b2nXleDMwKNub0bt_khWOH8nh8ohHeVDBeYCAJfkVnTd-KPxnq8KPvb-Ozpc_u-wLC1k_8lz5mgJEa-fzPWciP7iHdRQBEbyVrq6ZTYvPXToKw7YeoB0-QKijx3Nti3NqkNJ02h1z8_iG-7r3-sKZKeo8-JXkayGYtoALDMzuyA/w480-h640/the%20hotel%20nantucket%20book%20review.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div></div></div><div><div><h1 class="a-size-large a-spacing-none" id="title" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3OsZNBR" target="_blank">The Hotel Nantucket</a></h1>
<div style="text-align: center;">By Elin Hilderbrand . Synopsis from Amazon:<span><a name='more'></a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Fresh off a bad breakup with a longtime boyfriend, Nantucket sweetheart Lizbet Keaton is desperately seeking a second act. When she’s named the new general manager of the Hotel Nantucket, a once Gilded Age gem turned abandoned eyesore, she hopes that her local expertise and charismatic staff can win the favor of their new London billionaire owner, Xavier Darling, as well as that of Shelly Carpenter, the wildly popular Instagram tastemaker who can help put them back on the map. And while the Hotel Nantucket appears to be a blissful paradise, complete with a celebrity chef-run restaurant and an idyllic wellness center, there’s a lot of drama behind closed doors. The staff (and guests) have complicated pasts, and the hotel can’t seem to overcome the bad reputation it earned in 1922 when a tragic fire killed nineteen-year-old chambermaid Grace Hadley. With Grace gleefully haunting the halls, a staff harboring all kinds of secrets, and Lizbet’s own romantic uncertainty, is the Hotel Nantucket destined for success or doom?</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Filled with the emotional depth and multiple points of view that characterize Hilderbrand’s novels (<u>The Blue Bistro</u>, <u>Golden Girl</u>) as well as an added dash of Roaring Twenties history, <u>The Hotel Nantucket </u>offers something for everyone in this compelling summer drama. </i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;">We all know that I am an Elin Hilderbrand lover, and man oh man did reading this book just make me want to pack my bags and the kids and pickup and move to Nantucket. I finished this one the week it was released and then immediately got sad thinking about how I would have to wait all the way until NEXT summer until I had another new Elin book to read! The best part of Elin's books are the myriad of characters and challenges they face and I loved following along all of the character's stories, even the story of Grace the ghost, hah! I think this book focused a little less on Nantucket overall actually (specifically the outdoors), and a bit more on the Hotel Nantucket itself (hence the name of the book...) and it was heavy on the room design descriptions and cuisine descriptions. I missed some of the typical Nantucket magic, but definitely was not disappointed in any way - the book just focused more on the inner workings and service end of the hotel than what was going on outside of it's doors. I definitely noticed Elin making a point to be socially conscience in this book bringing up themes of privilege, female empowerment, consent, and LGBQT themes, almost like she was trying to check off the boxes of including some heavier topics in a light summer read which I'm not sure if I should applaud or if overall they felt a bit out of place. Regardless, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and would recommend any of her novels to pick up for summer for sure!</div></div><h2 class="MsoNormal"> </h2></div><div style="text-align: center;"><h2><a href="https://amzn.to/3a1LNAD" target="_blank"> The Perfect Mother</a><br /></h2></div><div><div style="text-align: center;">By Aimee Molloy. Synopsis from Amazon: </div>
<div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>A night out. A few hours of fun.That’s all it was meant to be.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>They call themselves the May Mothers—a group of new moms whose babies were born in the same month. Twice a week, they get together in Brooklyn’s Prospect Park for some much-needed adult time.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>When the women go out for drinks at the hip neighborhood bar, they want a fun break from their daily routine. But on this hot Fourth of July night, something goes terrifyingly wrong: one of the babies is taken from his crib. Winnie, a single mom, was reluctant to leave six-week-old Midas with a babysitter, but her fellow May Mothers insisted everything would be fine. Now he is missing. What follows is a heart-pounding race to find Midas, during which secrets are exposed, marriages are tested, and friendships are destroyed.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">This was just a so-so read for me. It should have been a perfect fit since it's all about a group of new mothers and their experiences and challenges with their newborns which I have just gone through as well, but I actually thought the story was a bit over the top. It brought up almost every single baby/postpartum issue like it was trying to connect with every single issue a new mom may face to be relatable which in turn I thought made it NOT relatable. I did enjoy the mystery but found it hard to keep some of the characters and their stories straight since the book flip-flopped between different perspectives a lot. The book tried to weave in a thriller plot and a scandal that becomes a media sensation with the overarching theme of moms trying to do it all and what it takes to be a "perfect mother" these days and overall just wasn't my favorite thriller OR mom book. </div><div><h2 style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3ugasbt" target="_blank">The Lifestyle</a></h2><div class="MsoNormal"><div><div style="text-align: center;">By Taylor Hahn. Synopsis from Amazon:</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Georgina Wagman has it all—a great marriage, a great job at a prestigious law firm, and great friends. She’s living the life she always wanted, and everything is perfect. Until, that is, she walks in on her husband Nathan in a compromising position with a junior associate. Georgina has a moment of crisis. But divorce is not a part of the five-year plan, so she comes up with an idea to save her marriage and recapture the spark. She and Nathan are going to become swingers.</i></div> <div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Georgina isn’t going to embark on this adventure alone, though. Her friends Felix and Norah and their respective partners decide to tag along for the ride. They’ve got relationship woes of their own that swinging just might fix. Georgina, convinced Felix and Norah belong together, is thrilled. What better place to reignite romance between two people destined to be together than a swingers’ party? Her plan is foolproof, until she runs into a college ex at the first party. When they reconnect, Georgina will find herself torn between her head and her heart, with her very happiness hanging in the balance. Perfect for fans of Jennifer Weiner and Sophie Kinsella, <u>The Lifestyle </u>is a playful homage to Jane Austen's Emma Woodhouse and an outrageously fun summer read.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div></div><div style="text-align: center;">I wouldn't just randomly pick up a book about swingers, hah, but I had a bunch of expiring book credits from <a href="https://www.mybotm.com/0dciuik6ejxh?show_box=true" target="_blank">Book of the Month</a>, so I thought I would give this one a go. It was cute, kind of a mix of rom com/romance/with a self discovery trope thrown in that I read through very quickly. I'd classify it more as a unique rom com than romance though: there are a few descriptive scenes in the book that definitely would get more than a PG-13 rating but for being a book about swingers, this book wasn't really all about sex at all, lol. Georgina's best friend Norah was my favorite character in the entire book - every scene with her always had me smiling. I don't want to give too much away here so I'll say the romance story in this book seemed a bit random and out of place for me and not completely developed so while it was an ok read, it's not one I would have gone out of my way to read I think if I hadn't had a freebie credit for it!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNCG7dCTPAa8n8RJfzkaEBuUOnOkEGVwaVbn77I4f_otaIz-Fu973qiaadkWBIZS8N6ktSrObU34f77rjhHk_3JDVitvW5ihPV8Egg7CwqRKfD0NMg3CqTLbehBukzmTVhlklfAEbJgCEWrVd5ywE3yTtEsvk9ujETN8ZFyZgjhMBeG3CWjQgrPEb2xQ/s4032/the%20christie%20affair%20book%20review.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNCG7dCTPAa8n8RJfzkaEBuUOnOkEGVwaVbn77I4f_otaIz-Fu973qiaadkWBIZS8N6ktSrObU34f77rjhHk_3JDVitvW5ihPV8Egg7CwqRKfD0NMg3CqTLbehBukzmTVhlklfAEbJgCEWrVd5ywE3yTtEsvk9ujETN8ZFyZgjhMBeG3CWjQgrPEb2xQ/w480-h640/the%20christie%20affair%20book%20review.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><h2 class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3NyEL4j" target="_blank">The Christie Affair</a></h2><div style="text-align: center;">By Nina de Gramont. Synopsis from Amazon:</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>In 1925, Miss Nan O’Dea infiltrated the wealthy, rarefied world of author Agatha Christie and her husband, Archie. In every way, she became a part of their life––first, both Christies. Then, just Archie. Soon, Nan became Archie’s mistress, luring him away from his devoted wife, desperate to marry him. Nan’s plot didn’t begin the day she met Archie and Agatha. </i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>It began decades before, in Ireland, when Nan was a young girl. She and the man she loved were a star-crossed couple who were destined to be together––until the Great War, a pandemic, and shameful secrets tore them apart. Then acts of unspeakable cruelty kept them separated. </i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>What drives someone to murder? What will someone do in the name of love? What kind of crime can someone never forgive? Nina de Gramont’s brilliant, unforgettable novel explores these questions and more.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">I just adored this book! At its premise, this is a historical fiction book that gives a potential reason for the time that Agatha Christie disappeared for 11 days in 1925. I had no idea this had even happened and since I love Agatha Christie novels, it was a fun treat getting to read a fiction story based around her. Although the book is called “The Christie Affair” - Agatha was NOT the main character in the story but I really enjoyed Nan who was. The story/plot of this book went in a direction I really was not expecting and without giving away any spoilers - it was such a surprise that gave the book so much more depth and intrigue to me. I loved the mystery and all parts of this book and would recommend it for sure!</div></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Hope you are all enjoying your summertime reading and making the most of the rest of this summer season! I'll be back to recap my next reads soon :)</div>
</div>Rebecca @ My Girlish Whimshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17825981722220301082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7847365927497704283.post-24163007508443829352022-06-18T10:14:00.000-04:002022-06-18T10:14:28.755-04:00My Girlish Whims Book Club #44<div style="text-align: center;">It's basically summer and I am in full on summer reading mode! I am flying through my books lately and even got to do some reading on the beach when we took the boys down to Chincoteague Island on our first trip away with them last month.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipFDSSi3vrZc2Ej6evfVq0SIeu70g5XZZDA91hjWFMFg0NXCF2fQCJ45bXAZBTvXLGLEiRHxHO5DyIaXDgrXXyhSLvgNf0CKgQI5YAXIY42RaLMFL95wEZxweSgoqs_2_6ROA3a6Rk6tu1rxHHE5XrGVG5JBg1B87vJ5oQ3GTHFzHVsL4YjxkvFHv-KQ/s4032/Summer%20reading%202022%20reviews.heic" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipFDSSi3vrZc2Ej6evfVq0SIeu70g5XZZDA91hjWFMFg0NXCF2fQCJ45bXAZBTvXLGLEiRHxHO5DyIaXDgrXXyhSLvgNf0CKgQI5YAXIY42RaLMFL95wEZxweSgoqs_2_6ROA3a6Rk6tu1rxHHE5XrGVG5JBg1B87vJ5oQ3GTHFzHVsL4YjxkvFHv-KQ/w480-h640/Summer%20reading%202022%20reviews.heic" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Our first trip away as a family definitely was a lot more work and prep than our trips down to Chincoteague in the past, but I fully expected that bringing twin infants along, hah. It was still nice to have a change of scenery and to get out around the town with the boys!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyljaJVKH0uwCVe-GQTDIfIGZZHLZ_dBu9Na7OlhfkBRWjZ3C2d3midtuQesiYY-6nM3iMGCLnDBuVFhOiSdmExSleZm9jg0Z9H0kuDtWWEAflY6IXsU8Xozfwn8rbCG2zZaJUKplSHqs2R_enTKL105rHDO1R7B3NRehlueDdILfAz3WLIShHBxwSlw/s1800/visiting%20chincoteague%20with%20babies.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1800" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyljaJVKH0uwCVe-GQTDIfIGZZHLZ_dBu9Na7OlhfkBRWjZ3C2d3midtuQesiYY-6nM3iMGCLnDBuVFhOiSdmExSleZm9jg0Z9H0kuDtWWEAflY6IXsU8Xozfwn8rbCG2zZaJUKplSHqs2R_enTKL105rHDO1R7B3NRehlueDdILfAz3WLIShHBxwSlw/w512-h640/visiting%20chincoteague%20with%20babies.JPG" width="512" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Main Street on Chincoteague has a bunch of little shops and pretty water views so the first morning we were there while my hubby was working (perks of working from home - you can do it anywhere!) I drove into town, put the boys in their stroller and walked around to take it all in. I hit up a coffee shop/wine shop, book store, and even the grocery store! I felt very accomplished doing that all with a double stroller and two babies in tow. The book store had to get a ladder out to unlock their other front door so we could fit through the entryway (I am a wide load with the stroller these days, hah.) I always enjoy visiting local small book shops while traveling and I perused all the new releases on their shelves (looking back on it, I wish I would have bought <u>The Lioness</u>, that's on my to-read list for sure!) but ultimately walked away with just two cute little pony themed books for the boys.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEbAB51zg364ucOm7Fgk2yc2Fi8Sup-Xo06Lf7V0qwMyMqAoRPZ3yTX28NNNVZzxe3cWtITB7bPhLyTytxkKwy8f7PwHYgyPwNPt5QOudPSQTPOdtTyzlIvS67maGfAg1morpUciZX5RR3_YXIlOmrAgf9dD1Iah7ISOTO7N8oQS4wwSYy1Ia_FgH3yg/s4000/new%20summer%202022%20book%20releases.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2667" data-original-width="4000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEbAB51zg364ucOm7Fgk2yc2Fi8Sup-Xo06Lf7V0qwMyMqAoRPZ3yTX28NNNVZzxe3cWtITB7bPhLyTytxkKwy8f7PwHYgyPwNPt5QOudPSQTPOdtTyzlIvS67maGfAg1morpUciZX5RR3_YXIlOmrAgf9dD1Iah7ISOTO7N8oQS4wwSYy1Ia_FgH3yg/w640-h426/new%20summer%202022%20book%20releases.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">It rained a bit on our trip but we still had a nice time hanging around the family beach house and dock behind it, visiting our favorite outdoor beach bar and drinking fresh grapefruit crushes, and the sun came out on our last full day so we could hit up the beach as well! We will be back down for a full week in August with my in-laws and we are definitely looking forward to it.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrDuBDIBgAXb7371zUKkGRgBbcjpoSlplnj-OWQCWLDGluiS9fgvQESaxTtYJuLS99IHFuElOA32q3lVQFQOmgebFqxD_7LupPw65_1wEtB9BiBIsCZjJHd3ifuDgvIwCYkGX81V1encfqqf74ya3w_C9JnQG9hvdVQ3sX19hP9F7TqEgR4a9AH7Tj-Q/s1800/A26F226D-11FA-4B7F-BFE0-B462B0AA95D3.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1800" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrDuBDIBgAXb7371zUKkGRgBbcjpoSlplnj-OWQCWLDGluiS9fgvQESaxTtYJuLS99IHFuElOA32q3lVQFQOmgebFqxD_7LupPw65_1wEtB9BiBIsCZjJHd3ifuDgvIwCYkGX81V1encfqqf74ya3w_C9JnQG9hvdVQ3sX19hP9F7TqEgR4a9AH7Tj-Q/w512-h640/A26F226D-11FA-4B7F-BFE0-B462B0AA95D3.JPG" width="512" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;">I got one book finished while away in Chincoteague and started another so it's due time for my round up: here are the reviews of my most recent books since my <a href="http://www.mygirlishwhims.com/2022/05/my-girlish-whims-book-club-43.html" target="_blank">last set of book reviews</a>!</div><br /><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>This post contains affiliate links</i></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAqiR7J4p3KXd3Q91_PokIad1pcJwLV9cph8gsUXG7fw52O0QVshTInJhWrqGtNIz0-krO0qpUqnY5ITp7Qbm9rTGtioA-Uuob4bfiJfviBrpEKM8rkWbvHeAgwAGZASo2cjt77J4rQl74qlYV93ZIPgnp8wDyl16U3AZBC-iSRzDLbUtSaUjyvtRWig/s2538/One%20Italian%20Summer%20Book%20Review.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="988" data-original-width="2538" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAqiR7J4p3KXd3Q91_PokIad1pcJwLV9cph8gsUXG7fw52O0QVshTInJhWrqGtNIz0-krO0qpUqnY5ITp7Qbm9rTGtioA-Uuob4bfiJfviBrpEKM8rkWbvHeAgwAGZASo2cjt77J4rQl74qlYV93ZIPgnp8wDyl16U3AZBC-iSRzDLbUtSaUjyvtRWig/w640-h250/One%20Italian%20Summer%20Book%20Review.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div></div><div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqABiR7EtYvZZvRGSjHePq4vyseP8oDxR026pOxk8ln-ZtJA7Hl5x51aI3-drafjZfPYqYBZ-YTLs3YbPC3rPz4PJR70CY2ngPDn-MLeq3TpqMYNqb80TUPmE67o8MD4t_jvYeKOEw1LMGQ6XZBb6qSv7d2QLRitHEUeNm8stQvbciCO6uroN9BV4y9A/s3652/book%20lovers%20emily%20henry%20review.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3652" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqABiR7EtYvZZvRGSjHePq4vyseP8oDxR026pOxk8ln-ZtJA7Hl5x51aI3-drafjZfPYqYBZ-YTLs3YbPC3rPz4PJR70CY2ngPDn-MLeq3TpqMYNqb80TUPmE67o8MD4t_jvYeKOEw1LMGQ6XZBb6qSv7d2QLRitHEUeNm8stQvbciCO6uroN9BV4y9A/w530-h640/book%20lovers%20emily%20henry%20review.jpg" width="530" /></a></div><h1 class="a-size-large a-spacing-none" id="title" style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3QoPJvP" target="_blank">Book Lovers</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium; font-weight: normal;">By Emily Henry. Synopsis from Amazon:</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal;">One summer. Two rivals. A plot twist they didn't see coming...Nora Stephens' life is books—she’s read them all—and she is not that type of heroine. Not the plucky one, not the laidback dream girl, and especially not the sweetheart. In fact, the only people Nora is a heroine for are her clients, for whom she lands enormous deals as a cutthroat literary agent, and her beloved little sister Libby.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i> </i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Which is why she agrees to go to Sunshine Falls, North Carolina for the month of August when Libby begs her for a sisters’ trip away—with visions of a small town transformation for Nora, who she’s convinced needs to become the heroine in her own story. But instead of picnics in meadows, or run-ins with a handsome country doctor or bulging-forearmed bartender, Nora keeps bumping into Charlie Lastra, a bookish brooding editor from back in the city. It would be a meet-cute if not for the fact that they’ve met many times and it’s never been cute.</i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i> </i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>If Nora knows she’s not an ideal heroine, Charlie knows he’s nobody’s hero, but as they are thrown together again and again—in a series of coincidences no editor worth their salt would allow—what they discover might just unravel the carefully crafted stories they’ve written about themselves.</i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">My favorite thing about Emily Henry is her dialogue between the main characters in her books - there is always such dry comic banter that always makes me smile. Even if I cringed just a bit at some of the over-the-top small town charm vibes depicted for Sunshine Falls, I still definitely enjoyed reading this book. I liked how Nora was a bit brash but a bit broken, how Libby was so loving and her exaggerated, over-the-top personality, and the love story struggle with Charlie. Henry is a writer who writes about writers or those in the literary world who always poke fun at the typical tropes in fiction stories, all the meanwhile Henry goes ahead and sticks to those typical tropes as well. This was an enjoyable rom-com and a quick and easy chick-lit read for me!</span></p></div></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small; font-weight: normal;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnidbNf18HXOSIvVQuaTs-f83H25Eyc5GqyN_cWY5xG5HqGNKlSDA5erwh9SrJrQCTTnNJjB8kuigt8hB97_5ai0eC55ogaxWEIxISfTQuS9E7teDPgAIM6RExMJP9VNhNsfL4hJi5sAiVx9gAtYRABWdrYmDlqrOhphe8r5okH5IeF5MM8uUXSspUYw/s2016/the%20latecomer.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2016" data-original-width="1512" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnidbNf18HXOSIvVQuaTs-f83H25Eyc5GqyN_cWY5xG5HqGNKlSDA5erwh9SrJrQCTTnNJjB8kuigt8hB97_5ai0eC55ogaxWEIxISfTQuS9E7teDPgAIM6RExMJP9VNhNsfL4hJi5sAiVx9gAtYRABWdrYmDlqrOhphe8r5okH5IeF5MM8uUXSspUYw/w480-h640/the%20latecomer.jpg" width="480" /></a></div></span></div></h1><h1 class="a-size-large a-spacing-none" id="title" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3seiP6z" target="_blank">The Latecomer</a></h1>
<div style="text-align: center;">By Jean Hanff Korelitz . Synopsis from Amazon:</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><u>The Latecomer</u> follows the story of the wealthy, New York City-based Oppenheimer family, from the first meeting of parents Salo and Johanna, under tragic circumstances, to their triplets born during the early days of IVF. As children, the three siblings – Harrison, Lewyn, and Sally – feel no strong familial bond and cannot wait to go their separate ways, even as their father becomes more distanced and their mother more desperate. When the triplets leave for college, Johanna, faced with being truly alone, makes the decision to have a fourth child. What role will the “latecomer” play in this fractured family?</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>A complex novel that builds slowly and deliberately, The Latecomer touches on the topics of grief and guilt, generational trauma, privilege and race, traditions and religion, and family dynamics. It is a profound and witty family story from an accomplished author, known for the depth of her character studies, expertly woven storylines, and plot twists.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;">This was my first book by Jean Hanff Korelitz and I am officially obsessed. I just loved her writing style! It was descriptive, deadpan funny at times, and oh so enjoyable. <u>The Plot</u> has been on my TBR list forever ever since Elin Hilderbrand (my fave) recommended it, but I just never got around to reading it so <u>The Latecomer </u>(which I got to read before it was released thanks to NetGalley) was my first from her and definitely won’t be my last! The book essentially is split into 3 different sections that follow three different parts of the Oppenheimer family and I loved each and every one. You really get to know six different characters throughout the novel and each one of them draws you into their story and you become extremely invested in their lives, struggles and ambitions. The book is decently long and covers some heavy topics on grief, race, religion, sexuality and privilege but even with some heavy subject matter I still enjoyed it and looked forward to picking it up every time. I look forward to reading more of her writing!</div><h2 class="MsoNormal"></h2></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXF22ygL0uQqj_JuIvLo7CenFmLbMUo8nIRcbiKgahva_SPgR-bhEs4HKnB9TZ_R_K4hTBxPvKjbWU1_IFU2htU98BqXgrEoy5tD8gYG9wUp6wxy3imAZSnJCiuBz4BsvO7lI8YHTPOcsX7moWOpXICk9bpjc0q-wGbAiwTCfEzxAfNLLMSN8KSC-hcQ/s4032/people%20like%20her%20book%20review.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXF22ygL0uQqj_JuIvLo7CenFmLbMUo8nIRcbiKgahva_SPgR-bhEs4HKnB9TZ_R_K4hTBxPvKjbWU1_IFU2htU98BqXgrEoy5tD8gYG9wUp6wxy3imAZSnJCiuBz4BsvO7lI8YHTPOcsX7moWOpXICk9bpjc0q-wGbAiwTCfEzxAfNLLMSN8KSC-hcQ/w480-h640/people%20like%20her%20book%20review.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><h2> <a href="https://amzn.to/3mxHFLj" target="_blank">People Like Her</a><br /></h2></div><div>
<div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">By Ellery Lloyd</span></span>. Synopsis from Amazon: </div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>To her adoring fans, Emmy Jackson, aka @the_mamabare, is the honest “Instamum” who always tells it like it is. </i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>To her skeptical husband, a washed-up novelist who knows just how creative Emmy can be with the truth, she is a breadwinning powerhouse chillingly brilliant at monetizing the intimate details of their family life.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>To one of Emmy’s dangerously obsessive followers, she’s the woman that has everything—but deserves none of it. </i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>As Emmy’s marriage begins to crack under the strain of her growing success and her moral compass veers wildly off course, the more vulnerable she becomes to a very real danger circling ever closer to her family.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>In this deeply addictive tale of psychological suspense, Ellery Lloyd raises important questions about technology, social media celebrity, and the way we live today. Probing the dark side of influencer culture and the perils of parenting online, People Like Her explores our desperate need to be seen and the lengths we’ll go to be liked by strangers. It asks what—and who—we sacrifice when make our private lives public, and ultimately lose control of who we let in. . . .</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div> </div><div style="text-align: center;">I decided to read this book after reading <u>The Club</u> in my <a href="http://www.mygirlishwhims.com/2022/05/my-girlish-whims-book-club-43.html" target="_blank">last set of reviews</a> and enjoying it. This book was written prior to <u>The Club</u> being released and gaining popularity and I realized I already owned it from grabbing it on <a href="https://www.mybotm.com/0dciuik6ejxh?show_box=true" target="_blank">Book of the Month </a>awhile ago. This book was pretty interesting to me because of the subject matter - it's mostly based on an instagram "influencer" which is somehow a title that I have fallen into as well, so I enjoyed seeing the author portray Emmy in that role and how they perceived influencing to work. I found a few things amusing - the fact that if Emmy truly had a million followers she NEVER would have had time to reply to every single comment and DM. I only have 133,000 followers and I can't keep up! The fact that everything was so fake for instagram irked me because I keep everything very real on my page...but it obviously made for a good fiction novel. I didn't realize until after I read <u>The Club</u> that Ellery Lloyd is actually a husband/wife writing team, and I think the pair of them worked well in this book as the story alternated viewpoints from the husband Dan and wife Emmy's point of view which I enjoyed. The book hits on some potentially triggering subject matter around infant loss which I read while literally breastfeeding one of my twins - talk about sucker punch to the gut there, man! Despite that, I read this one pretty quickly and enjoyed it overall.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWIWuMUtcmTnEAMdzJJ0aXIqrnARRU4D43Kl7FJA3N87d8Fk6U3eyYmLm4pZnmjGIvJaMVh31ndxo3CmjALsJa0DFjxtx-Pu4sGkc6Pvm4qGY2VNfzZv4AieGhTVJT3UXtD2GDNsj1sHo-DYTpd3_fgMtzZrpSHcU0rX6fY3w0yqtBrPPlb6fayJp1WQ/s4032/One%20Italian%20Summer%20Book%20Review.heic" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWIWuMUtcmTnEAMdzJJ0aXIqrnARRU4D43Kl7FJA3N87d8Fk6U3eyYmLm4pZnmjGIvJaMVh31ndxo3CmjALsJa0DFjxtx-Pu4sGkc6Pvm4qGY2VNfzZv4AieGhTVJT3UXtD2GDNsj1sHo-DYTpd3_fgMtzZrpSHcU0rX6fY3w0yqtBrPPlb6fayJp1WQ/w480-h640/One%20Italian%20Summer%20Book%20Review.heic" width="480" /></a></div><h2 style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3xzPu9F" target="_blank">One Italian Summer</a></h2></div><div><div style="text-align: center;">By Rebecca Serle. Synopsis from Amazon:</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>When Katy’s mother dies, she is left reeling. Carol wasn’t just Katy’s mom, but her best friend and first phone call. She had all the answers and now, when Katy needs her the most, she is gone. To make matters worse, their planned mother-daughter trip of a lifetime looms: to Positano, the magical town where Carol spent the summer right before she met Katy’s father. Katy has been waiting years for Carol to take her, and now she is faced with embarking on the adventure alone.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>But as soon as she steps foot on the Amalfi Coast, Katy begins to feel her mother’s spirit. Buoyed by the stunning waters, beautiful cliffsides, delightful residents, and, of course, delectable food, Katy feels herself coming back to life.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>And then Carol appears—in the flesh, healthy, sun-tanned, and thirty years old. Katy doesn’t understand what is happening, or how—all she can focus on is that she has somehow, impossibly, gotten her mother back. Over the course of one Italian summer, Katy gets to know Carol, not as her mother, but as the young woman before her. She is not exactly who Katy imagined she might be, however, and soon Katy must reconcile the mother who knew everything with the young woman who does not yet have a clue.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Rebecca Serle’s next great love story is here, and this time it’s between a mother and a daughter. With her signature “heartbreaking, redemptive, and authentic” (Jamie Ford, New York Times bestselling author) prose, Serle has crafted a transcendent novel about how we move on after loss, and how the people we love never truly leave us.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;">I really enjoyed this book for a quick summer read! Although the book focuses heavily on grief from the death of Katy's mom, it's not a sad book overall but more of a coming of age with a little romance thrown in all in a beautiful setting. It only took me around 5 days to finish this one through Memorial Day weekend (which is saying a lot while I still take care of twin infants!) so it's a quick read but an enjoyable one. The premise of the book: Katy's dead mother shows up on Katy's Italy trip back in her youth is obviously not realistic - but isn't that was fiction books are for - to take some liberty with what is possible and what is not for the sake of a good story? I enjoyed watching Katy get to learn about her mother and her own past through becoming friends with young Carol. The setting of the book was gorgeous as well - I totally wanted to dive into the warm salty water in Italy right along with Katy, eat the heavy Italian pasta, drink the wine, wear the breezy swimsuit cover ups, and dance at the night club right along with her. This won't top my favorite reading list this year but it was a perfectly enjoyable read for summer for me!</div></div></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">That's a wrap for now - I'm off on Monday to take the boys on an RV camping trip with my mom for a few days in New Jersey. I have a few books thrown in my bag for our trip - lets see how many pages I can cover while away this time!</div>
</div>Rebecca @ My Girlish Whimshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17825981722220301082noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7847365927497704283.post-60221976062862286802022-05-04T09:56:00.000-04:002022-05-04T09:56:41.161-04:00My Girlish Whims Book Club #43<div style="text-align: center;">Time for another book review round up!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUpDwPQTB-9qVeZ1uzlnl0SDz-RmFvsXtpn3_QLanX8cD3g3FUfks0A0DACKqF8yzWYXFVKKC9uTUcRz4-SUVuVliKZjzQehxN-dC3ocpnLzx1lyQWn70Y4PfiRdFztHKzbdwLJFxxtGL-yw3WC9BiSeQCMgNBiELHLwh6pMGysecbTwL_nkngTMEHRA/s1544/The%20Paris%20Apartment%20Book%20Review.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1544" data-original-width="1158" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUpDwPQTB-9qVeZ1uzlnl0SDz-RmFvsXtpn3_QLanX8cD3g3FUfks0A0DACKqF8yzWYXFVKKC9uTUcRz4-SUVuVliKZjzQehxN-dC3ocpnLzx1lyQWn70Y4PfiRdFztHKzbdwLJFxxtGL-yw3WC9BiSeQCMgNBiELHLwh6pMGysecbTwL_nkngTMEHRA/w480-h640/The%20Paris%20Apartment%20Book%20Review.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">I had a woman on instagram ask me recently how I have time to read lately with two infants, as she felt like she was always cleaning and doing laundry. I snagged a pic of two of my recent reads here with my laundry waiting-to-be-folded (albeit in jest) to show that I too have laundry and cleaning I have to tend to, lol!! Gone are my days of lounging around and reading to relax for extended periods of time, that's for sure. I read in short spurts here and there - I still read when I eat, I read while I pump before bed, and I read when I get nap trapped by a little one now and again too :) </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip4CVUXxW68v6HJihiSyNsCzvRsr6RMW5H6hXifUCXkbTUEGqIHCy8Wcy9VvaYLb23pKtjrOtXtmb9jU_9f6J9CSWduosYv1J6WuCo74rrdxdOCpxkKB-ciCxgbimeRQbFfN1Zc5WR839p2mRk-j34h_qrAutX2I3xGJbI6keJYwpnpu-2affdm8nYPQ/s1544/The%20Club%20Book%20Review.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1544" data-original-width="1158" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip4CVUXxW68v6HJihiSyNsCzvRsr6RMW5H6hXifUCXkbTUEGqIHCy8Wcy9VvaYLb23pKtjrOtXtmb9jU_9f6J9CSWduosYv1J6WuCo74rrdxdOCpxkKB-ciCxgbimeRQbFfN1Zc5WR839p2mRk-j34h_qrAutX2I3xGJbI6keJYwpnpu-2affdm8nYPQ/w480-h640/The%20Club%20Book%20Review.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">I'm a big supporter of showing anyone can fit reading in if they would like to - you don't need hours of free time to devote to it. A few minutes here and there of reading can be such an enjoyable and quick escape! It definitely takes me longer to get through books these days (my last 4 book reviews <a href="http://www.mygirlishwhims.com/2022/03/my-girlish-whims-book-club-42.html" target="_blank">can be found here</a>) but the company I have while reading them sure is a lot cuter!!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Here's what I've been reading lately and my thoughts on each!</div><br /><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>This post contains affiliate links</i></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJkr6S1w1YW6SdYj80BLgvIteeLf3BlbsrJj3jaNQkGSydbPKOsC7jYDoyvE53c-B3-W1XvwbriIr1PgPatzKHmUlq43uzX_XusgXXXb_VzgaSzsdzAiKvkgt-hjGqq3rkTuMTJW47qooTv858moq0luV5NyZ9QaYgjDXkNEhp5RtFU4IRRb8PfzW5yQ/s2538/The%20Paris%20Apartment%20Book%20Review.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="988" data-original-width="2538" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJkr6S1w1YW6SdYj80BLgvIteeLf3BlbsrJj3jaNQkGSydbPKOsC7jYDoyvE53c-B3-W1XvwbriIr1PgPatzKHmUlq43uzX_XusgXXXb_VzgaSzsdzAiKvkgt-hjGqq3rkTuMTJW47qooTv858moq0luV5NyZ9QaYgjDXkNEhp5RtFU4IRRb8PfzW5yQ/w640-h250/The%20Paris%20Apartment%20Book%20Review.png" width="640" /></a></div></div></div><div><div><h1 class="a-size-large a-spacing-none" id="title" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3ODUq3P" target="_blank">The Paris Apartment</a></h1>
<div style="text-align: center;">By Lucy Foley. Synopsis from Amazon:</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Jess needs a fresh start. She’s broke and alone, and she’s just left her job under less than ideal circumstances. Her half-brother Ben didn’t sound thrilled when she asked if she could crash with him for a bit, but he didn’t say no, and surely everything will look better from Paris. Only when she shows up – to find a very nice apartment, could Ben really have afforded this? – he’s not there.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>The longer Ben stays missing, the more Jess starts to dig into her brother’s situation, and the more questions she has. Ben’s neighbors are an eclectic bunch, and not particularly friendly. Jess may have come to Paris to escape her past, but it’s starting to look like it’s Ben’s future that’s in question.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>The socialite – The nice guy – The alcoholic – The girl on the verge – The concierge</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Everyone's a neighbor. Everyone's a suspect. And everyone knows something they’re not telling.</i></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">I was sooo excited for this newest release from Lucy Foley. Overall I thought it was only OK and unfortunately I didn’t love it as much as I’ve loved her other books. The main character Jess just wasn’t doing much for me - I feel like the author tried to set us up to like her and feel bad for her from her rough foster home childhood and pervy boss past she was running from, but I still didn’t find her entirely likable and overall a bit vanilla of a main character. My favorite character was Ben who was either supposedly dead or missing for most of the novel and you only got bits of his story through flashback chapters. All of the weird love triangles in the book got to be a bit weird and excessive to me as well. I did enjoy following Ben’s investigation piece he was working on and seeing that mystery come to fruition, however the twist in the story (which I did not guess) felt like it was more of a twist for the sake of having one to fit this type of novel verse anything new and novel (hah, play on words intentional there). The past two novels from this author had very eerie and descriptive settings which I think she was trying to continue in this book, but the old building in France, no matter how much history she tried to give it, still just felt like an apartment complex and not another part of the story. I’m still a huge Lucy Foley fan but am hoping to be wowed just a little more with whatever she writes next!</div></div><h2 class="MsoNormal"><span><a name='more'></a></span> </h2></div><div style="text-align: center;"><h2> <a href="https://amzn.to/3OL4tEa" target="_blank">The Arc</a><br /></h2></div><div>
<div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">By Tory</span></span> Henwood Hoen. Synopsis from Amazon: </div>
<div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Can you curate your soulmate? Thirty-five-year-old Ursula Byrne, VP of Strategic Audacity at a branding agency in Manhattan, is successful, witty, whip-smart, and single. She’s tried all the dating apps, and let’s just say: she’s underwhelmed by her options. You’d think that by now someone would have come up with something more bespoke; a way for users to be more tailored about who and what they want in a life partner––how hard could that be?</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Enter The Arc: a highly secretive, super-sophisticated matchmaking service that uses a complex series of emotional, psychological and physiological assessments to architect partnerships that will go the distance. The price tag is high, the promise ambitious––a level of lifelong compatibility that would otherwise be unattainable. In other words, The Arc will find your ideal mate.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Ursula is paired with forty-two-year-old lawyer Rafael Banks. From moment one, this feels like the electric, lasting love they’ve each been seeking their whole adult lives. But as their relationship unfolds in unanticipated ways, the two begin to realize that true love is never a sure thing. And the arc of a relationship is never predictable...even when it's fully optimized</i>.</div></div><div><i> </i></div><div style="text-align: center;">This was a meh book for me. I considered not finishing it actually at one point in the middle when it was really getting drawn out, but I can't actually remember the last book I didn't finish reading so I powered through and got it done. Surprisingly I really liked the ending and how things got wrapped up, but there was a LOT to get through to get to that point! The general concept of the book was interesting - a kind of "higher powered" match making service but with a ridiculous price tag attached to it. Ursula was both cute with her rambunctious and spunky personality but also annoying to me...I alternating enjoying her and getting a little tired of some of the overly feminist themes from her and overall in the book (an elite club named "the stake" as a play on when women were burned as witches on the stake? Seemed a bit much to me) SLIGHT SPOILER: as is always my complaint with romance themes - the reason for her and Rafael's break up just seemed so dumb to me and a forced way to make conflict and drama in the book. Overall the book was a lot longer than I was expecting or felt like the story needed to be and I was happy to be done and moved on!</div><div><h2 style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3kpk9zf" target="_blank">The Club</a></h2><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="text-align: center;">By Ellery Lloyd. Synopsis from Amazon:</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Everyone's Dying to Join . . .</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>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.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>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.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>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.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>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.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Because at this club, if your name’s on the list, you’re not getting out.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">I ended up really enjoying this book, but it took until at least halfway through the book for me to really start to like it! The first half of the book just seemed pretty slow to me: it did a lot of set up and background for events that would happen later on in the story, and unfortunately it really didn't hook me in all that much. I am glad I stuck it out though because seeing the culmination of everything was enjoyable and I enjoyed the drama at the end and watching everything play out. It was kind of hard for me to keep some of the different celebrities and staff straight, there was a decent amount of characters in the book and it took awhile for me to catch on to who was who for sure. Overall if you can make it through the first half I enjoyed watching the murders and mystery play out with the swanky island home and celebrity clientele background - there were a few twists I didn't see coming and although the book was a bit dark overall and focused on revenge and black mail I was intrigued by it and enjoyed it!</div></div></div><div><h2 class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3Krmswd" target="_blank">Death on the Nile</a></h2><div style="text-align: center;">By Agatha Christie. Synopsis from Amazon:</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>The tranquility of a luxury cruise along the Nile was shattered by the discovery that Linnet Ridgeway had been shot through the head. She was young, stylish, and beautiful. A girl who had everything . . . until she lost her life.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Hercule Poirot recalled an earlier outburst by a fellow passenger: “I’d like to put my dear little pistol against her head and just press the trigger.” Yet under the searing heat of the Egyptian sun, nothing is ever quite what it seems.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>A sweeping mystery of love, jealousy, and betrayal, <u>Death on the Nile</u> is one of Christie’s most legendary and timeless works.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">I got this classic from Agatha Christie as an add on from Book of the Month club. I am guessing they brought it out again since it was recently remade into another movie version released in March. Christie novels will always provide a large cast of characters (and I confess, I had a hard time keeping track of who was who this time around. I also was reading this one shortly after giving birth to twins though, so my brain was not the sharpest I will admit, lol) and a good mystery. I definitely enjoyed the mystery, and who would I be if I attempted to critic the great Agatha Christie ;) so I will just say this: as always I recommend reading the book before watching the movie - if for no other reason than it’s fun pointing out the differences between the two after the fact! There were a good amount of differences between the latest movie remake - nothing plot changing but still I enjoyed picking them out. I didn’t guess “who dun it” from the very start but this was definitely one that I caught onto during Hercule Poirot’s investigation and had it figured out (generally at least, not with all the specific details!) before his great reveal at the end. That helped my sleep deprived new mom brain feel a little better about myself, lol and it was a fun read overall!</div></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Next week we leave on our first beach trip of the season down to Chincoteague, VA which will also be our first overnight trip with the boys. Beach trips used to mean packing lots of books to read on the beach, this year there will be lots of bottles and baby gear packed instead, lol! Hopefully I will get a few pages read while we are away - I'll share more about our first trip in my next round up! </div>
</div>Rebecca @ My Girlish Whimshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17825981722220301082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7847365927497704283.post-80983777430468805902022-04-06T10:09:00.003-04:002022-04-06T10:09:15.582-04:00Banana Oat Protein Lactation Cookies<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKUhqm5pfFplyl4AgL1HyrJGrbZ_BGUlnaiu4DTDNnNToB2HDKkrMor7K_6p5i8qZoN1JZHgadCBzhEkRURbj65DSTGnY-NJQCOw5GYVc5wuMydBq_wG5QqccZ06G5EOgo6Km11jhk6acvvVRtj7755O_clPxXhSE6JDwt7Exo_ruJ9_N2GoW-yt8o0Q/s3728/banana%20oat%20lactation%20cookie%20recipe.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3728" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKUhqm5pfFplyl4AgL1HyrJGrbZ_BGUlnaiu4DTDNnNToB2HDKkrMor7K_6p5i8qZoN1JZHgadCBzhEkRURbj65DSTGnY-NJQCOw5GYVc5wuMydBq_wG5QqccZ06G5EOgo6Km11jhk6acvvVRtj7755O_clPxXhSE6JDwt7Exo_ruJ9_N2GoW-yt8o0Q/w520-h640/banana%20oat%20lactation%20cookie%20recipe.HEIC" width="520" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Before I had the twins, my goal was to feed them by breastfeeding. After they were delivered prematurely though and spent about 2 weeks in the NICU being fed by bottles and feeding tubes, we didn't start off great with breastfeeding directly so I switched to pumping for them with a goal of being able to provide as much of the milk they needed as possible myself. That's a tall order with two babies so as I was building my supply I tried to incorporate snacks into my diet that could help my production. This recipe for banana oat protein cookies was the easiest recipe I found by far, and it was easy to modify to add in an extra ingredient known for boosting milk supply. Rest assured - if you are not pumping or breastfeeding you can easily remove that ingredient and these are very normal cookies to bake and enjoy! They only need a few ingredients and are a great way to use up two ripe bananas on your counter. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4Ppb2lg0rhCgO136uFboKRdKq4oinl4JgfVhp11gtDWZym-XYcNvsFPFzkDpOA07tp0rATag6WHRPA3x9jcJTP-CFD_10Mp0uiZgfz8GDQHkM6aUx5PP3k6zwZpa1iyNGbkuSRnrZshDSFZp17-uCEAvXtXLYrUWSq4otIupDgdMq7Gp1NrTcbw_p5A/s3311/banana%20oat%20cookie%20ingredients.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3311" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4Ppb2lg0rhCgO136uFboKRdKq4oinl4JgfVhp11gtDWZym-XYcNvsFPFzkDpOA07tp0rATag6WHRPA3x9jcJTP-CFD_10Mp0uiZgfz8GDQHkM6aUx5PP3k6zwZpa1iyNGbkuSRnrZshDSFZp17-uCEAvXtXLYrUWSq4otIupDgdMq7Gp1NrTcbw_p5A/w584-h640/banana%20oat%20cookie%20ingredients.HEIC" width="584" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;">The main ingredients needed are two medium to large ripe bananas, oats, protein powder, and chocolate chips. Any type of chocolate chips will do (I have had a discount for HU chocolate - <a href="https://hukitchen.com/collections/best-sellers?sort_by=manual&compactview=true&filtering=false&sort_by=manual&utm_medium=social&utm_source=instagram&utm_campaign=influencer&utm_content=whims" target="_blank">code "WHIMS" may still work for a discount!</a>) Any type of protein powder will work as well - I like a <a href="https://amzn.to/35Q0dSw" target="_blank">snickerdoodle flavor from PEScience</a> or I used the Clean Simple Eats brand as well). Oats are known for helping with milk supply production, so leaving the ingredients as is will still make these a useful lactation snack but I do add in a tablespoon of <a href="https://amzn.to/3ugaErY" target="_blank">Brewer's Yeast </a>which has been known to help boost milk production as well. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0qxwU7rO_7LK8o2s9BEu4SZWNYIlDIvzieQiPpDHH2R9zs23vZqBibGPP8jF_m-SCNzsRdQpT01P4m9GRrkYnFnbTvRtmtCRY84M_q2U8lQkpluklAZB3IIgTF3teDl7kivJaUdBKDyXd4PXSPRYkR58nYPnPNGCiQevIC6SizoXGHi_Q0dyhcPYDPw/s3763/banana%20oat%20protein%20cookies%20ingredients.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3763" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0qxwU7rO_7LK8o2s9BEu4SZWNYIlDIvzieQiPpDHH2R9zs23vZqBibGPP8jF_m-SCNzsRdQpT01P4m9GRrkYnFnbTvRtmtCRY84M_q2U8lQkpluklAZB3IIgTF3teDl7kivJaUdBKDyXd4PXSPRYkR58nYPnPNGCiQevIC6SizoXGHi_Q0dyhcPYDPw/w514-h640/banana%20oat%20protein%20cookies%20ingredients.HEIC" width="514" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;">This recipe is pretty hard to mess up - the batter is very forgiving! If you leave out the Brewer's Yeast you may not need to add a tablespoon of almond milk if you have no issues combining the ingredients together. If your bananas are smaller and the batter seems dry when mixing though you can add a tablespoon or two of unsweetened almond milk to help combine.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHHPiD7UUkFBCb6kwt7XgOdvuHIkzZVfAE6WVde8dlbv1f-49-3Af-eYUi3Jh98ep9b9eLz8nRe0MQvMRK-lUfHnFw8mQ9saM5PXjJBibfSRASNWCyYM0sOF1jGEEWkz03pJdjKErW-TaK1zSuu34o6P1OIfwwlY99Ae2n7hLy88aTcEOLE1fGwGUFDw/s3236/lactation%20banana%20oat%20cookies.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3236" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHHPiD7UUkFBCb6kwt7XgOdvuHIkzZVfAE6WVde8dlbv1f-49-3Af-eYUi3Jh98ep9b9eLz8nRe0MQvMRK-lUfHnFw8mQ9saM5PXjJBibfSRASNWCyYM0sOF1jGEEWkz03pJdjKErW-TaK1zSuu34o6P1OIfwwlY99Ae2n7hLy88aTcEOLE1fGwGUFDw/w598-h640/lactation%20banana%20oat%20cookies.HEIC" width="598" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;">The batter will be very wet when it's scooped onto the baking sheet which is why I recommend using a <a href="https://amzn.to/3uYZBlN" target="_blank">silicone liner</a> for baking. I wouldn't worry about forming a perfect cookie shape either - the batter just blobs on the tray but will come together after it's baked!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4ryY5mZIEmjVx2HInplf7EiIHfvWqVZtkG8dL9_fZFJqJ2qsB4F-2EsZCsucnyxifUUKLK5JXV0WgizBTHUsu5mH_LzssXDQsVApJpTJcLGCW3VB42bksv8Q0FIkF7T_T-k6cSdHwXY3KvZ1vAM106_r8cBaEMVQ11IHHeZcYqPuvd2C_s9QJAnqmOQ/s2993/banana%20lactation%20cookies.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2993" data-original-width="2905" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4ryY5mZIEmjVx2HInplf7EiIHfvWqVZtkG8dL9_fZFJqJ2qsB4F-2EsZCsucnyxifUUKLK5JXV0WgizBTHUsu5mH_LzssXDQsVApJpTJcLGCW3VB42bksv8Q0FIkF7T_T-k6cSdHwXY3KvZ1vAM106_r8cBaEMVQ11IHHeZcYqPuvd2C_s9QJAnqmOQ/w622-h640/banana%20lactation%20cookies.HEIC" width="622" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Any leftovers should be stored in the fridge, but it's pretty easy to work through this small batch pretty quickly since it just makes a dozen cookies! Adding the Brewer's Yeast does not effect the flavor at all either, so these are safe to be shared with any of your non-lactating friends as well (my husband eats a handful of these every time I make them!!)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixBH1nLjS1Km-vwL05DQx5EICCLo6ZmtzJR2uRRfvuVQm6111bgdpOXPqBmwe6amGfLTZHtBCKZhHWCKQiPPEEc-IXo74ZYOsKGQHIPGrMMNGkSERd8YhAD_B1-Lcae-aL3RVnsZqM09pEuC6LwsCtwbS5YILe-l8TgktWqCDOdV-VMLVnvYlQtaWE5Q/s3740/lactation%20cookies.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3740" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixBH1nLjS1Km-vwL05DQx5EICCLo6ZmtzJR2uRRfvuVQm6111bgdpOXPqBmwe6amGfLTZHtBCKZhHWCKQiPPEEc-IXo74ZYOsKGQHIPGrMMNGkSERd8YhAD_B1-Lcae-aL3RVnsZqM09pEuC6LwsCtwbS5YILe-l8TgktWqCDOdV-VMLVnvYlQtaWE5Q/w518-h640/lactation%20cookies.HEIC" width="518" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;">I'm happy to report that I've boosted my milk supply to the point where I am pumping between 57-60 ounces a day for my boys! Occasionally when they are having a ravenous day I need to add in one bottle of formula for them, but I am pretty proud that I am able to supply most of what they need. Pumping is a LOT of work - I'm hooked up to my pump every three hours pretty much around the clock, but these boys sure make it worth while (and the extra snacks are not a bad perk either, hah!)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuVZkTIfyxnaoaiZanGQMkM143VwG4c8q-Vlo9XN4zh5RUjZdfxb89G1IaN4yjSHYlV_RsJ5zf4C6JEQsRj3BT89foECkSW8yse9TefqHAyX2zVW4ZR_-QOB-50U75wVOHumdq6gE0ij03xZ8Vsd1tgcx47rlEB0H4uMb1zXL8sH3k3fJUJg4RgOnV6Q/s3779/exclusively%20pumping%20for%20twins.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3779" data-original-width="2963" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuVZkTIfyxnaoaiZanGQMkM143VwG4c8q-Vlo9XN4zh5RUjZdfxb89G1IaN4yjSHYlV_RsJ5zf4C6JEQsRj3BT89foECkSW8yse9TefqHAyX2zVW4ZR_-QOB-50U75wVOHumdq6gE0ij03xZ8Vsd1tgcx47rlEB0H4uMb1zXL8sH3k3fJUJg4RgOnV6Q/w502-h640/exclusively%20pumping%20for%20twins.HEIC" width="502" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>
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Nutritional Information</h2>
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This recipe makes 12 cookies for 88 calories each with 14 grams of carbs, 2 grams of fat, and 4 grams of protein.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXb1l4ek82hfkBmLApccL5XcYmuNo9CwoX3bUrkG3hZmW8B-n-CYPbafF4qzvWm2uiNgwossLHoByKJ4FbzhJRTupLBPQQR0_mOBw39Vl_Azlb6wPnVJ0Ut-pRGoYaFILNQlxwx3doU8N9hpJ1xQJACwgjxul5xGvYKwNwSi91Jo-Zhr_sxBFGcO-1XQ/s878/banana%20oat%20nutrition%20stats.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="878" data-original-width="378" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXb1l4ek82hfkBmLApccL5XcYmuNo9CwoX3bUrkG3hZmW8B-n-CYPbafF4qzvWm2uiNgwossLHoByKJ4FbzhJRTupLBPQQR0_mOBw39Vl_Azlb6wPnVJ0Ut-pRGoYaFILNQlxwx3doU8N9hpJ1xQJACwgjxul5xGvYKwNwSi91Jo-Zhr_sxBFGcO-1XQ/w276-h640/banana%20oat%20nutrition%20stats.png" width="276" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>
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Banana Oat Protein Lactation Cookies</div>
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by <span class="author" itemprop="author">Rebecca Bardwell from My Girlish Whims April-6</span><span class="published" datetime="2016-09-05" itemprop="published">-2022</span></div>
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A twist on 3 ingredient cookies with optional lactation helpful ingredient. </div></div></div><div id="recbody"><ul>
<li><br /></li><li>2 Bananas</li><li>1 Scoop of Protein Powder</li><li>1 Cup of Old Fashion Oats</li>
<li>1 Tbs Brewer's Yeast (Optional)</li>
<li>1-2 Tbs Unsweetened Almond Milk</li><li>1/3 Cup Chocolate Chips</li>
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Instructions</div>
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Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit</span><span class="instruction">Mash bananas with a fork in a medium sized mixing bowl</span><span class="instruction">Add in oats, protein powder, and optional brewer's yeast and mix to combine. Batter may be a bit dry, add 1-2 Tbs of almond milk to help combine</span><span class="instruction">Fold in the chocolate chips</span><span class="instruction">Add a silicone liner to a baking sheet, spray with cooking spray, then dish batter onto the silicone liner with a tablespoon in 12 equal servings (batter will be wet)</span><span class="instruction">Bake at 375 for approximately 13 minutes or until the cookies are slightly brown around the edges</span><span class="instruction">Let cool on the pan for about 10 minutes and store any extras in the fridge</span></div>
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Details</div>
<span class="time preptime">Prep time: <time datetime="PT40M" itemprop="prepTime">10 mins</time></span><span class="time cooktime"><time datetime="PT5M" itemprop="cookTime"> Cook Time: 13 Minutes </time></span><span class="time duration">Total time: 23 Minutes <time datetime="PT1H15M" itemprop="totalTime"></time></span><span class="yield">Yield: 12<span itemprop="yield"> Servings</span></span><br />
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Rebecca @ My Girlish Whimshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17825981722220301082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7847365927497704283.post-49576875199793626852022-03-05T08:01:00.002-05:002022-03-05T08:01:38.910-05:00My Girlish Whims Book Club #42<div style="text-align: center;">I've had some pretty big life changes since my my <a href="http://www.mygirlishwhims.com/2021/12/my-girlish-whims-book-club-41-and.html" target="_blank">last set of book reviews</a> in the form of two small and snuggly little bundles:</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi_gb7FpjbvpTysqrpKnZGwHzARM2E1gKFx_4Y0GOnUanKGUg2kCzHIqJb6VM77VcMZ6PipqWEFMJWLn0D9ihHQMGEdOQLCeA9SK1pY91HfONVY6acKmumw17jgq5kvRBYICPUiX1x-9SCvqe3spU4Kbc1T5c06Xj0YiE94HFSzLdMDe7E9hqfCq6uBbg=s5730" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3820" data-original-width="5730" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi_gb7FpjbvpTysqrpKnZGwHzARM2E1gKFx_4Y0GOnUanKGUg2kCzHIqJb6VM77VcMZ6PipqWEFMJWLn0D9ihHQMGEdOQLCeA9SK1pY91HfONVY6acKmumw17jgq5kvRBYICPUiX1x-9SCvqe3spU4Kbc1T5c06Xj0YiE94HFSzLdMDe7E9hqfCq6uBbg=w640-h426" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Tyler William, and Jack Owen Bardwell made their almost 6 week early arrival on 1/8/2022! After a little over two weeks in the NICU to help them feed and grow, our sons have been chilling back at home with us and doing great! Our world has quickly been turned upside down in the best way. Two newborns are obviously a lot of work, but my heart has never been more full and I am just completely loving this new role as mom!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">While my time is largely filled with baby care these days, I still am making time to read! Often times I'm reading while pumping or jiggling a baby in my lap and shoving lunch in my mouth at the same time, but yes - I'm still reading :)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhau6ng0paOeNFGexixqmxpJENcvBqqhGG6ZjPLqmanUTPakItGtRfuxx4yKOv9Nk1S3d3Q1641_iTTZa8MZh4WDmlgH2ARXBGkOtiZpGPXrIr-XMyDfTnoE7gZKTTKnfqwdVe1ZlTB_NVGdXWOGXxV-L6JIh8h71ZLZFFA17kTGtwbP1wZ5fLgKg_nDQ=s4032" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhau6ng0paOeNFGexixqmxpJENcvBqqhGG6ZjPLqmanUTPakItGtRfuxx4yKOv9Nk1S3d3Q1641_iTTZa8MZh4WDmlgH2ARXBGkOtiZpGPXrIr-XMyDfTnoE7gZKTTKnfqwdVe1ZlTB_NVGdXWOGXxV-L6JIh8h71ZLZFFA17kTGtwbP1wZ5fLgKg_nDQ=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Here's what I've been multi-task reading lately and my thoughts on each!</div><br /><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>This post contains affiliate links</i></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://amzn.to/3rsH2WE" target="_blank">The Maid</a><br /></h1>
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By Nita Prose. Synopsis from Amazon:</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Molly Gray is not like everyone else. She struggles with social skills and misreads the intentions of others. Her gran used to interpret the world for her, codifying it into simple rules that Molly could live by.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Since Gran died a few months ago, twenty-five-year-old Molly has been navigating life’s complexities all by herself. No matter—she throws herself with gusto into her work as a hotel maid. Her unique character, along with her obsessive love of cleaning and proper etiquette, make her an ideal fit for the job. She delights in donning her crisp uniform each morning, stocking her cart with miniature soaps and bottles, and returning guest rooms at the Regency Grand Hotel to a state of perfection.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>But Molly’s orderly life is upended the day she enters the suite of the infamous and wealthy Charles Black, only to find it in a state of disarray and Mr. Black himself dead in his bed. Before she knows what’s happening, Molly’s unusual demeanor has the police targeting her as their lead suspect. She quickly finds herself caught in a web of deception, one she has no idea how to untangle. Fortunately for Molly, friends she never knew she had unite with her in a search for clues to what really happened to Mr. Black—but will they be able to find the real killer before it’s too late?</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>A Clue-like, locked-room mystery and a heartwarming journey of the spirit, <u>The Maid</u> explores what it means to be the same as everyone else and yet entirely different—and reveals that all mysteries can be solved through connection to the human heart.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span face=""Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(15, 17, 17); color: #0f1111; font-size: 14px; text-align: start;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"> I just adored this book! The main character Molly truly made the story. She was quirky and kind and just the most likable type of protagonist out there. Of course, the sweetest and most likable characters are all too often taken advantage of, which we saw time and time again in this book. It made you angry as the reader and gave you extra motivation to keep reading to hope that everything turned out ok for her. Even though this book technically did have a mystery in it, the story was more about the characters than the mystery but I did appreciate that there was a neat and tidy wrap up to the mystery at the end and we were able to walk away from the book with all loose ends tied up. While this book may be based "only on a simple maid" it has a heartwarming story wrapped up in it that extends far beyond the job title of the help the book was based on and is worth reading for sure.</div><h2 class="MsoNormal"><span><a name='more'></a></span> </h2></div><div style="text-align: center;"><h2> <a href="https://amzn.to/3LnzhJM" target="_blank">The Lost Apothecary</a><br /></h2></div><div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">By Sarah Penner</span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">. Synopsis from Amazon: </span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Hidden in the depths of eighteenth-century London, a secret apothecary shop caters to an unusual kind of clientele. Women across the city whisper of a mysterious figure named Nella who sells well-disguised poisons to use against the oppressive men in their lives. But the apothecary’s fate is jeopardized when her newest patron, a precocious twelve-year-old, makes a fatal mistake, sparking a string of consequences that echo through the centuries.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Meanwhile in present-day London, aspiring historian Caroline Parcewell spends her tenth wedding anniversary alone, running from her own demons. When she stumbles upon a clue to the unsolved apothecary murders that haunted London two hundred years ago, her life collides with the apothecary’s in a stunning twist of fate—and not everyone will survive.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>With crackling suspense, unforgettable characters and searing insight, <u>The Lost Apothecary</u> is a subversive and intoxicating debut novel of secrets, vengeance and the remarkable ways women can save each other despite the barrier of time.</i></div><div><i> </i></div><div style="text-align: center;">I know this book was very popular in 2021 but it took me a little while to get around to reading it. It was the second book of 2022 I read and I am so glad that I finally did get to it, as I really enjoyed this book! The storyline alternates between present day London following Caroline who's wants, marriage and purpose in life she has just all began to question after finding out her husband of 10 years has cheated on her, and a "killer apothecary" from the 18th century and her 12 year old assistant mixing potions and vials for good...or maybe evil??? The two storylines seem wholly unrelated, but the author intertwined them so very well in this book that I was very invested in seeing both through. I appreciated the overarching themes and lessons that Caroline went through in her story and the "coming of age" she endured during her trip in London, and also found little Eliza such a breath of fresh air and appreciated how she helped Nella through her personal battles. With a dash of magic, a heavy dose of murder and some mystery thrown in this was an interesting read about revenge and powerful women - including those growing into themselves still. I enjoyed it!</div><div><h2 style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3gwzOuD" target="_blank">Reckless Girls</a></h2><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">By </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Rachel Hawkins. Synopsis from Amazon: </span></span></div> <div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>ONE ISLAND</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Beautiful, wild, and strange—Meroe Island is a desolate spot in the middle of the Pacific Ocean with a mysterious history of shipwrecks, cannibalism, and even rumors of murder. It’s the perfect destination for the most adventurous traveler to escape everything... except the truth.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>SIX VISITORS</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Six stunning twentysomethings are about to embark on a blissful, free-spirited journey—one filled with sun-drenched days and intoxicating nights. But as it becomes clear that the group is even more cut off from civilization than they initially thought, it starts to feel like the island itself is closing in, sending them on a dangerous spiral of discovery.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>COUNTLESS SECRETS</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>When one person goes missing and another turns up dead, the remaining friends wonder what dark currents lie beneath this impenetrable paradise—and who else will be swept under its secluded chaos. With its island gothic sensibility, sexy suspense, and spine-tingling reimagining of an Agatha Christie classic, </i><u><i>Reckless Girls </i></u><i>will wreck you. </i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;">I was really excited to read this new release by Rachel Hawkins since I really enjoyed her book <u>The Wife Upstairs </u>(<a href="http://www.mygirlishwhims.com/2021/07/my-girlish-whims-book-club-35.html" target="_blank">reviewed here</a>) and the description of this book seemed interesting! While I enjoyed the setting of the book with the remote paradise island vibe, the rest of the book fell flat for me. The main character Lux bugged me - it felt like she had no backbone and had just settled way too easily to randomly follow her boyfriend Nico around the world. The set-up of the book seemed weird - it seemed super excessive that Brittany and Amma were willing to pay $50k for basic stranger Nico and his girlfriend to sail them to the deserted island and once they arrived and the other characters are introduced who become part of the six visitors of the island, none of them stood out as one we wanted to root for. It also bugged me how the author described the elaborate food they prepared and ate and how much good wine and beer they drank - like they literally would have needed cases and cases of booze in storage on the boat and multiple refrigerators stuffed with food on their boats for that to play out properly! I wouldn't spend the new release price on this book again, but would borrow it from the library to read if you want a little paradise island mystery - just don't expect it to "wreck you" like the synopsis suggests!</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><h2 class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://amzn.to/34M4ZQb" target="_blank">The Golden Couple</a></h2>
By Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen. Synopsis from Amazon:</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Wealthy Washington suburbanites Marissa and Matthew Bishop seem to have it all—until Marissa is unfaithful. Beneath their veneer of perfection is a relationship riven by work and a lack of intimacy. She wants to repair things for the sake of their eight-year-old son and because she loves her husband. Enter Avery Chambers.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Avery is a therapist who lost her professional license. Still, it doesn’t stop her from counseling those in crisis, though they have to adhere to her unorthodox methods. And the Bishops are desperate.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>When they glide through Avery’s door and Marissa reveals her infidelity, all three are set on a collision course. Because the biggest secrets in the room are still hidden, and it’s no longer simply a marriage that’s in danger.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">I was able to read this book ahead of its release through Net Galley. I've been a fan of this writing duo ever since reading <u>The Wife Between Us</u> so I was excited to get to read this one ahead of it's release! Overall I enjoyed the book: I liked Avery as one of the main characters and enjoyed her strong female presence and therapist-gone-rogue profession. Marissa and Matthew were only kind of ho-hum to me, and didn't really exude "perfect couple" vibes throughout any part of the novel (even without Marissa's infidelity present) so the title of the novel seemed a bit off base to me. I was interested to keep reading to find out what would happen next, however the main thing that bugged me was that there were so many scenes in the novel that were supposed to be suspenseful with either Marissa or Avery holding their breath waiting to see if something would happen that never really did. It seemed like the author was trying to do a lot of slow burn/build up suspense which only really culminated at the very end of the book in one quickly wrapped up action scene. I wasn't able to connect all the pieces ahead of the ending but the conclusion also didn't blow me away. Not bad, but not a great read but still an enjoyable one.</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">That's a wrap for these reads! I just got a new shipment of books in from <a href="https://www.mybotm.com/0dciuik6ejxh?show_box=true" target="_blank">book of the month </a>with three new books I can't wait to read...let's see how much multi-tasking time I can find to get started with them!</div>
</div>Rebecca @ My Girlish Whimshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17825981722220301082noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7847365927497704283.post-87017314813850759712021-12-28T17:46:00.000-05:002021-12-28T17:46:33.183-05:00My Girlish Whims Book Club #41 and Favorite Reads of 2021<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj5i-hcQcjcmgyqFZTkq4Y3K4aBBXHFzVJFztoS40VDgQLiTpZ1o2Verz6m_DI_PYqUHv5zqQlj3Tp_5m-clqRus5mqR3iR4CtusXPhtmdiovBu_w3owCQFrdb74BJA0RonwoPaT4qwajJQ6LpJXb2cmlsYrvyfA7-ptwJs-QskQ2_5PSQx4V6zbpU_Bw=s2725" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2725" data-original-width="2640" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj5i-hcQcjcmgyqFZTkq4Y3K4aBBXHFzVJFztoS40VDgQLiTpZ1o2Verz6m_DI_PYqUHv5zqQlj3Tp_5m-clqRus5mqR3iR4CtusXPhtmdiovBu_w3owCQFrdb74BJA0RonwoPaT4qwajJQ6LpJXb2cmlsYrvyfA7-ptwJs-QskQ2_5PSQx4V6zbpU_Bw=w620-h640" width="620" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">As 2021 comes to a close it's time to wrap up the last set of books I've read and my favorite books from this year as well! I read 45 fiction books this year which I am quite proud of! That's up from the 34 books I read in 2020 but that included 3 books from the <i>Outlander</i> series which are all extremely long, hah. I actually took a break from <i>Outlander</i> entirely in 2021, but since I finished these reads up a little early on 12/21 I decided to start the fourth <i>Outlander</i> book to finish this year off instead of trying to squeeze one more book into 2021. I have 5 total book reviews in this post - two holiday themed books and three regular ones. None of these book made it to my top books of 2021 though so I figured I would round those up for you here first! Last year I picked my top 5 favorite books of the year and while this year I have a pretty solid Top 4, I couldn't dwindle down my other favorites to narrow it down to only 5 choices this year - so you get four honorable mentions and four favorites because this is my blog and I can do what I want, LOL! So, without further ado....my honorable mentions from this year!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><h1 style="text-align: center;">2021 Honorable Mention Reads</h1><h2 style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3FytEoG" target="_blank">The Hunting Party </a></h2><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhoStF6GZoaWFToylH99QcxCjU_jiRIAU-q9hYnb-EmY8UbsZYgxJ8O1K4z30xV9mdj5p7rs9wZsDfDBrM8fx2BPFp5iKkgOD-gs8W3LpvRb8PnNGaRlvqn1hoYHNqMidTEhdhfhJK7aF2qyW5PYaqpK5F2LKDL7LQjCT54f9wiPmYF9Ag9uOGeUxAKtw=s3375" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3375" data-original-width="2942" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhoStF6GZoaWFToylH99QcxCjU_jiRIAU-q9hYnb-EmY8UbsZYgxJ8O1K4z30xV9mdj5p7rs9wZsDfDBrM8fx2BPFp5iKkgOD-gs8W3LpvRb8PnNGaRlvqn1hoYHNqMidTEhdhfhJK7aF2qyW5PYaqpK5F2LKDL7LQjCT54f9wiPmYF9Ag9uOGeUxAKtw=w558-h640" width="558" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Original review <a href="http://www.mygirlishwhims.com/2021/01/my-girlish-whims-book-club-31.html" target="_blank">here</a>! Going back to read my review of this book made me laugh because I said in the review: "<span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(112, 112, 112); font-family: "PT Serif", serif; font-size: 15px;">This will not be the best piece of literary fiction you will read in 2021 </span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: PT Serif, serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">but it will be enjoyable and keep you guessing and I would totally recommend it!" Hah, I would say that still rings true - not </span><b style="caret-color: rgb(112, 112, 112); font-size: 15px;">THE </b><span style="font-size: 15px;">best work of literary fiction but when I look back at all of the books I've read this year, I remember really enjoying the setting, mystery, and different characters in this book. It kept me entertained and guessing for the entire story and I really liked it! I became a big fan of Lucy Foley after </span><i style="caret-color: rgb(112, 112, 112); font-size: 15px;">The Guest List</i><span style="font-size: 15px;"> was <a href="http://www.mygirlishwhims.com/2020/12/my-girlish-whims-book-club-30.html" target="_blank">my second favorite read of 2020</a> and I'm happy to report that this next book was a hit as well. I will be auto-buying everything she writes from now on for sure!</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><h2 style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3mBkD6C" target="_blank">The Last Flight </a></h2><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgSt5xd6yhKI9Y7MJUU87YK76XjTfZBm22XUQyeJQ57hK6BRJd7IF-Ds0_uig-V19JYOiWK6WydhaiwD_4qI5oETZHNY8A6rzlyQOZgyskHi8oJVIbH3PiqZmYOWnic3RY2_WVY2DJc4rn7a3UA6KcbmE3FWg-yFXU_eEeAgADE_1yPas61yiFyeSMetQ=s4032" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgSt5xd6yhKI9Y7MJUU87YK76XjTfZBm22XUQyeJQ57hK6BRJd7IF-Ds0_uig-V19JYOiWK6WydhaiwD_4qI5oETZHNY8A6rzlyQOZgyskHi8oJVIbH3PiqZmYOWnic3RY2_WVY2DJc4rn7a3UA6KcbmE3FWg-yFXU_eEeAgADE_1yPas61yiFyeSMetQ=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Original review <a href="http://www.mygirlishwhims.com/2021/01/my-girlish-whims-book-club-31.html" target="_blank">here</a>! This book is about two women at the end of their rope who end up switching places and identities before a flight to escape their life. I liked following the twists of the story and getting to learn the background on each character as the story developed and gave details in an alternating timeline. Both Claire and Eva were likable and I still remember how even though the ending gave you closure, it also leaves you wondering a bit. The story and wondering have stuck with me since reading it early this year and it's one I would re-read again in the future for sure!</div><h2 style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3pv8mm8" target="_blank">Rock Paper Scissors</a></h2><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiWbu5WEczjzycbiafmKeuyk5-zlatm74ZN_uKdC_i_fiVre9P3y1IKbKR9pMM_o7LI8vc45nE3HL2-vwxix6_Qp8pWHbaf2Uz2UvbWHTzAPJpoF0mdwR-nFrlyhs0N1FA_MRZqC0LkCBzryK_KAqyEiLxwSozF5N05teZaGfaucyCFd9u7yYP4Hn7FBQ=s3279" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3279" data-original-width="2685" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiWbu5WEczjzycbiafmKeuyk5-zlatm74ZN_uKdC_i_fiVre9P3y1IKbKR9pMM_o7LI8vc45nE3HL2-vwxix6_Qp8pWHbaf2Uz2UvbWHTzAPJpoF0mdwR-nFrlyhs0N1FA_MRZqC0LkCBzryK_KAqyEiLxwSozF5N05teZaGfaucyCFd9u7yYP4Hn7FBQ=w524-h640" width="524" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Original review <a href="http://www.mygirlishwhims.com/2021/11/my-girlish-whims-book-club-40.html" target="_blank">here</a>. This book stuck with me mostly for the eerie setting (a creepy old church in the middle of nowhere Scotland during a big snow storm) and a twist that I didn't see coming at all. There is nothing better than being surprised by a plot twist by a good book and this one 100% delivered for me!</div><h2 style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3ErkgC1" target="_blank">The Paper Palace </a></h2><div style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi2SHr8vs53k5l2-IdmkYXAPl7TbOJ39TjbOpTECp2p28O4cKgfVgHN6l7b6n4EqQeaEVnHzv6gCyCvQgygJYlS5Q85K_iA1ou4XfRRooroXOw3jOtny5maPEU9SUMyb1d126sZ9V5OAXn/w480-h640/The+Paper+Palace+Book+Review.HEIC" style="text-align: start;" width="480" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Original review <a href="http://www.mygirlishwhims.com/2021/10/my-girlish-whims-book-club-39.html" target="_blank">here</a>. This one ranks as an honorable mention for me due to the writing: I think it was a really beautiful piece of literary fiction. There was a lot more depth and background to the story than I was expecting and even though it covered some hard topics I was super eager to keep reading it and see the story through. I appreciated the imagery and descriptions of the "the paper palace," pond and scenery around the camp, the fun banter and quick dialogue between the characters, and the use of symbolism in the book. Even if the ending made me mad I was very invested in the story and thought it was beautifully written.</div><h1 style="text-align: center;">2021 Top Reads</h1><h2 style="text-align: center;">Number 4: <a href="https://amzn.to/3sKEMem" target="_blank">Firefly Lane</a></h2><div style="text-align: center;">Original review <a href="http://www.mygirlishwhims.com/2021/03/my-girlish-whims-book-club-32.html">here.</a> Of all the books I read this year, I think I remember and look fondly back on the characters of Tully and Kate the most. I loved and hated their friendship all at the same time, but their constant love, friction, and drama filled relationship is what kept me so interested in a book that spanned so many years without getting boring. I also vividly remember finishing this book while on vacation in Florida in February and just like, being HEARTBROKEN by the ending, ugh. There was plenty of highs and fun parts to this book and plenty of lows as well, but overall I thought it was an awesome book!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjwxeY-nOk7vJNHTCtTGt0QrjSCvdPdRhOX-6fWYU9myYKp2iLgZO9qUwSKO_matQEWjJaRfoLl95kN7KEf0tSoLI0IoiRHx9xf8UAsUfqUIPXpVNvyyCc5xiQf6EGP74ElKv-MkSQbDXfvcOR36mIwdbW2AtHeD7bEqeq7TpJflV7bxASjYw1bpFL5gA=s2206" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2206" data-original-width="1242" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjwxeY-nOk7vJNHTCtTGt0QrjSCvdPdRhOX-6fWYU9myYKp2iLgZO9qUwSKO_matQEWjJaRfoLl95kN7KEf0tSoLI0IoiRHx9xf8UAsUfqUIPXpVNvyyCc5xiQf6EGP74ElKv-MkSQbDXfvcOR36mIwdbW2AtHeD7bEqeq7TpJflV7bxASjYw1bpFL5gA=w360-h640" width="360" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><h2 style="text-align: center;">Number 3: <a href="https://amzn.to/3JmCVm1" target="_blank">Beartown</a></h2><div style="text-align: center;"> Original review<a href="http://www.mygirlishwhims.com/2021/06/my-girlish-whims-book-club-34.html" target="_blank"> here</a>. I was a little late to the <span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(112, 112, 112); font-family: "PT Serif", serif; font-size: 15px;">Fredrik Backman reading</span><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(112, 112, 112); font-family: "PT Serif", serif; font-size: 15px;"> game, but now that I'm in, I'm really in! It took me awhile to pick up this book since it seems like from the synopsis it's about an ice hockey team (and sports and I have little interest in each other) but do not let that deter you from reading this book! As I mentioned in my original review: "</span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: PT Serif, serif;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(112, 112, 112); font-size: 15px;">It's a book about a "hockey team" but really that's not the focus of the book at all. It's more about the difference between right and wrong, the struggles that we all carry and how far some people will go to "win" and sweep everything else that doesn't matter or gets in the way under the rug." The characters in this book were beautifully written and developed and I just love Fredrik's writing style. If you haven't read anything by him yet - make 2022 your year to change that!!!</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><h2 style="text-align: center;">Number 2: <a href="https://amzn.to/3FDowzt" target="_blank">The Four Winds </a></h2><div style="text-align: center;">Original review <a href="http://www.mygirlishwhims.com/2021/03/my-girlish-whims-book-club-32.html" target="_blank">here</a>. Kristen Hannah, man. What an author. Two of her books are topping my list for this year with her 2021 release - <i>The Four Winds</i> - being my second favorite book of the year. I think a good book can do a lot of things for you but I think a GREAT book can physically make you emotional and question your own beliefs. For the most part - this was NOT a happy book and one scene caused me to actually start crying while reading it which is very rare for me. I also learned a lot about the depression of the 1930s and dust bowl era that I didn't know before. Following all of the hardships Elsa went through and the struggles of the "poor working class" really made me question some overarching political/economical beliefs I've held as well. Though the story was mostly depressing, it was also really beautiful and a true testament to the human will to survive and Elsa's tenacity and drive to keep her family together. Grab a box of tissues and pick this one up if you haven't already!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg44ndMD5cGEFXA9m2-PvGV8lmtjwb3LcCrKbb9B4OIr7KysMUdFNBf_qbl2ttlyVYCGUgpjtxGWb1rE0QRzdpEMRQ0RWtwqBMu0Yf3vzNVqfEsRUvvdmz74xOF2iXWAd38WFJzTTJrtpUll8Q9C4tYvDxLhvsbSllT-GsMt_8j6nONVuhJONL-x-m65Q=s3600" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3600" data-original-width="2930" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg44ndMD5cGEFXA9m2-PvGV8lmtjwb3LcCrKbb9B4OIr7KysMUdFNBf_qbl2ttlyVYCGUgpjtxGWb1rE0QRzdpEMRQ0RWtwqBMu0Yf3vzNVqfEsRUvvdmz74xOF2iXWAd38WFJzTTJrtpUll8Q9C4tYvDxLhvsbSllT-GsMt_8j6nONVuhJONL-x-m65Q=w520-h640" width="520" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><h2 style="text-align: center;">Number 1: <a href="https://amzn.to/3mFMoLp" target="_blank">The Things They Carried </a></h2><div style="text-align: center;">Original review<a href="http://www.mygirlishwhims.com/2021/01/my-girlish-whims-book-club-31.html" target="_blank"> here</a>. I know this is not a new release, but this year I finally picked this literary classic by Tim O'Brien up which I never had to read in school and am so glad I did. While I love chick-lit and thriller books as much as anyone else, books that tend to rank highest for me are the ones that make the biggest impact on me as a reader and boy - the stories in this book about the war on Vietnam will really move and change you. Part of my original review I think sums it up the best way I can still: "<span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(112, 112, 112); font-family: "PT Serif", serif; font-size: 15px;">In short: it was beautiful and it was horrible, and you can't understand how those two can be correlated when discussing war and death and misery until you actually read the book. The most amazing thing about this book was how artful the author crafted the stories to both share real life horror stories of the war, but still have them structured within tight, neat, cathartic stories with super moving prose. I will never forget Kiowa and the field. I will never forget the medic who went crazy. I will never forget the vet who committed suicide because it was too much. The Things They Carried were physical, they were metaphorical, and this book will remain as one I carry heavy on my heart for many years to come."</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiJEMyFqc3P3nAq96hedssDbGzlgYdHSb8VP-RtHpCY51TSpQx2DKmvezotILC4uyC64vVF0FH8hnDQutDhxgXN-qux6I36Sm995PgCCvRhr41kIX7AHK3Oj2ic8DfKvPucRAYViuEJnn4Rbh7odGPd_JueVtgs8YCXrSb_4PfH5sldpZPcOlkZefHK6Q=s4032" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiJEMyFqc3P3nAq96hedssDbGzlgYdHSb8VP-RtHpCY51TSpQx2DKmvezotILC4uyC64vVF0FH8hnDQutDhxgXN-qux6I36Sm995PgCCvRhr41kIX7AHK3Oj2ic8DfKvPucRAYViuEJnn4Rbh7odGPd_JueVtgs8YCXrSb_4PfH5sldpZPcOlkZefHK6Q=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Whew! If nothing else, I hope you can takeaway from these book reviews at least 8 solid options to add to your reading list going into 2022. If you are still looking for more, then read on for my final round of reviews of books read since my <a href="http://www.mygirlishwhims.com/2021/11/my-girlish-whims-book-club-40.html" target="_blank">last set of reviews</a>!</div><br /><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>This post contains affiliate links</i></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;">
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</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjfFzKJNJlDxvLjdpo3qoBcLFVi9hlJmmIATf3zi6b7IHQwaK5Sqkvx9RvtcyOEYMHVpTwmT983WF_vzvge2ZVXMnN0h2jcUVH_NQcHp2jjKcLkGi7HHdSYjtW98Z513u4DjesOu26BNrf9gorQUYciBAly5XHeacLl_kvvQXw0IZgs6EQ62Hf-4t3qdg=s2538" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="988" data-original-width="2538" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjfFzKJNJlDxvLjdpo3qoBcLFVi9hlJmmIATf3zi6b7IHQwaK5Sqkvx9RvtcyOEYMHVpTwmT983WF_vzvge2ZVXMnN0h2jcUVH_NQcHp2jjKcLkGi7HHdSYjtW98Z513u4DjesOu26BNrf9gorQUYciBAly5XHeacLl_kvvQXw0IZgs6EQ62Hf-4t3qdg=w640-h250" width="640" /></a></div></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><div><br /></div><h2 class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://amzn.to/3mo6YzL" target="_blank">The Holiday Swap</a></h2><h2 class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">By Maggie Knox. Synopsis from Amazon:</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><span face=""Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111; font-size: 14px; font-weight: 400; text-align: start;"><br /></span></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><span face=""Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111; font-size: 14px; font-weight: 400; text-align: start;">When chef Charlie Goodwin gets hit on the head on the L.A. set of her reality baking show, she loses a lot more than consciousness; she also loses her ability to taste and smell—both critical to her success as show judge. Meanwhile, Charlie's identical twin, Cass, is frantically trying to hold her own life together back in their quaint mountain hometown while running the family's bustling bakery and dealing with her ex, who won't get the memo that they're over.</span></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><span face=""Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111; font-size: 14px; font-weight: 400; text-align: start;">With only days until Christmas, a desperate Charlie asks Cass to do something they haven't done since they were kids: switch places. Looking for her own escape from reality, Cass agrees. But temporarily trading lives proves more complicated than they imagined, especially when rugged firefighter Jake Greenman and gorgeous physician assistant Miguel Rodriguez are thrown into the mix. Will the twins' identity swap be a recipe for disaster, or does it have all the right ingredients for getting their lives back on track?</span></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><span face=""Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111; font-size: 14px; font-weight: 400; text-align: start;"><br /></span></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111; font-size: 14px; font-weight: 400; text-align: start;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Let's get this straight: this book is full of some cheesy Hallmark holiday vibes, but I was A OK with it for a quick and easy Christmas book this season! This book gave you a quaint town setting, a cast of likable supporting characters (sweet grandma Faye!), a small amount of drama to keep us interested, and two different romances developing at once. Were the problems trivial and a bit blown out of proportion? Yes. Was the one week storyline for these love stories to develop a little unbelievable? Yes. Did the story wrap up with some totally expected, over the top happy ending for everyone? Also yes. But sometimes, that's all you want for a Christmas read, and this one delivered. I know I can be a bit harsh with my reviews and judgmental of predictable storylines...but it must be the Christmas spirit getting to me or something (lol) because I really liked this cute little twin swap book. Only thing that would have made this one better for me is if it came with a loaf of starlight bread or some of the other holiday treats baked in the book to eat while reading along with the story :)</div></span></div><br /><a href="https://www.blogger.com/#">The Seven and a Half Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle</a></h2><div><span style="font-weight: normal;">By Stuart Turton. Synopsis from Amazon:</span></div><div><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></div><div><i style="font-family: inherit;">Aiden Bishop knows the rules. Evelyn Hardcastle will die every day until he can identify her killer and break the cycle. But every time the day begins again, Aiden wakes up in the body of a different guest at Blackheath Manor. And some of his hosts are more helpful than others. With a locked-room mystery that Agatha Christie would envy, Stuart Turton unfurls a breakneck novel of intrigue and suspense.</i><br /><i><br /></i><i style="font-family: inherit;">The 7½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle is a breathlessly addictive mystery that follows one man's race against time to find a killer, with an astonishing time-turning twist that means nothing and no one are quite what they seem.</i><br /><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;">I enjoyed reading this book and wish I could recommend/rate it higher than I will. While I liked the story and the mystery, I found it a bit hard to follow at times and the overarching reason/cause for the story was so anti-climactic/odd to me! I liked the book a lot at the beginning while you got the hang of the setting and story: an eerie estate with many socialites coming to visit and party with a hefty dose of family drama and murder thrown in was a great setting and story premise to me! The more characters that were introduced however the harder the story became to follow, the mystery timeline was not entirely linear, and the ending left me feeling unfulfilled. I'm still a bit confused about parts of the story wrap up and think the reason for the "Ground Hog Day" setting where the day is repeated over and over again for the main character to figure the murder was so random and didn't help me connect with either of the main characters at all. I got this on sale for pretty cheap on Amazon and I since I still enjoyed reading it I do think it was worth paying for to read, but its wasn't a murder mystery like Agatha Christie that I walked away from thinking "Wow! What a great story!" and was more of a "Huh. That was something" reaction - so take that as you will!</span></div><h2></h2><h1><a href="https://amzn.to/3cXrwtP" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">The Love Hypothesis</span></a></h1><div style="text-align: center;"> By Ali Hazelwood. Synopsis from Amazon:</div><div><i> <br /></i></div><div><i>As a third-year Ph.D. candidate, Olive Smith doesn't believe in lasting romantic relationships--but her best friend does, and that's what got her into this situation. Convincing Anh that Olive is dating and well on her way to a happily ever after was always going to take more than hand-wavy Jedi mind tricks: Scientists require proof. So, like any self-respecting biologist, Olive panics and kisses the first man she sees.<br /><br />That man is none other than Adam Carlsen, a young hotshot professor--and well-known ass. Which is why Olive is positively floored when Stanford's reigning lab tyrant agrees to keep her charade a secret and be her fake boyfriend. But when a big science conference goes haywire, putting Olive's career on the Bunsen burner, Adam surprises her again with his unyielding support and even more unyielding...six-pack abs.<br /><br />Suddenly their little experiment feels dangerously close to combustion. And Olive discovers that the only thing more complicated than a hypothesis on love is putting her own heart under the microscope.</i><br /> <br /> This was an ok read for me. Granted, I am notoriously hard on "romance" books - but I don't know if this book should really be classified as romance anyway. The main focus of the book is on the fake relationship between Olive and Adam, yes, but if you are looking for overall steam this is not the romance pick for you. There was really only one extended scene where things got R (or more) rated, but besides that the closest you got to steam was sunscreen lotion rubbing on each other at a picnic. Oh my! My favorite part of the book was probably the supporting characters: I thought Malcom was really fun and Anh was a great friend. I appreciated Olive's hard work ethic but as many lead romance heroines are she was completely self-deprecating which just gets so old so quick. Even though the author tried to poke fun at the "fake dating" trope that the book theme focused on, the most cringe worthy part of the predictable plot was not the "fake dating" but the fact that there would inevitably be some big misunderstanding between the main couple for why they were not meant for each other and just when things are getting good and going great there will be a big scene where everything falls to pieces and the couple just thinks it's "for the best" if they are not together. I'm not giving anything away because it's just SUCH a predictable part of any rom-com plot!!! I literally threw the book down in disgust after reading that section because I was mad at how predictable it was. Regardless, my harsh critic aside, this still is a fun book and mostly light read. The academia setting was new for me and even though I'm not into science at all I actually enjoyed it. Not a bad book, and it is pretty cute overall but I'm a bit surprised over the buzz it got and the amount of recommendations I got for it - I personally don't think it lived up to the hype. </div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><h2><a href="https://amzn.to/3ogTcQW" target="_blank">The Jetsetters<br /></a></h2></div><div>
<div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">By Amanda Eyre Ward</span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">. Synopsis from</span></span> Amazon: </div>
<div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>When seventy-year-old Charlotte Perkins submits a sexy essay to the Become a Jetsetter contest, she dreams of reuniting her estranged children: Lee, an almost-famous actress; Cord, a handsome Manhattan venture capitalist who can’t seem to find a partner; and Regan, a harried mother who took it all wrong when Charlotte bought her a Weight Watchers gift certificate for her birthday. Charlotte yearns for the years when her children were young, when she was a single mother who meant everything to them.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>When she wins the contest, the family packs their baggage—both literal and figurative—and spends ten days traveling from sun-drenched Athens through glorious Rome to tapas-laden Barcelona on an over-the-top cruise ship, the Splendido Marveloso. As lovers new and old join the adventure, long-buried secrets are revealed and old wounds are reopened, forcing the Perkins family to confront the forces that drove them apart and the defining choices of their lives.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Can four lost adults find the peace they’ve been seeking by reconciling their childhood aches and coming back together? In the vein of The Nest and The Vacationers, The Jetsetters is a delicious and intelligent novel about the courage it takes to reveal our true selves, the pleasures and perils of family, and how we navigate the seas of adulthood.</i></div> <div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">I picked this up to read when I saw another member of my book club reading it and she posted this beginning chapter expert on instagram: <i>"Lee woke on a deck chair. She wasn't sure which deck. Her last clear memory was ordering a double Chardonnay (oh, God) at the Red Rum Bar, and then there was a flash - could have been a dream - of holding a florescent drink in a plastic cup toward a starry sky, For about thirty seconds, her brain tried to convince her that coming to on a deck chair was somehow glamorous - a sign of her wild and freewheeling nature -but when she sat up and saw a man in uniform carefully sweep around her with his broom, she was disabused of the notion." </i>Hah! I needed something quick and easy to read after finishing <u>The Love Hypothesis </u>since I didn't want to read my December book before it was actually December, and this was a good interim pick. There were parts I enjoyed about this book, and also parts that I don't think were fully flushed out in the story, but I still enjoyed reading it. Even though there was a lot of humor and funny moments it was actually not a light read - the book touched heavily on depression, loneliness, suicide, infidelity and LGBT shame. Each of the characters came with a LOT of baggage and problems - far more than a fancy cruise ship and some tours around Europe could ever hope to fix. The thing that bugged me the most about this book was that the author was prone to ending chapters with some symbolic phrase or situation that didn't solve anything. I'm fine with symbolism but this book could have used more tangible action instead of elusive chapter endings where nothing gets resolved. I don't feel like any of the major problems the characters had really gets truly addressed or treated in the book, but even so I still did enjoy the characters. Charlotte was my favorite and even with her loneliness and denial mentality she was still a hoot and you really felt for her throughout the book. You wanted her to find love, you wanted her to face the problems her children were hiding, and you still wanted to see her safely back home to her cat, triscuits, and cheap Barefoot wine chardonnay routine. It was a quick read for me that I overall enjoyed, just wished the story would have been a bit more wrapped up.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><h2 style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3yrDjKT" target="_blank">Always in December</a></h2></div><div><div style="text-align: center;">By Emily Stone. Synopsis from Amazon:</div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111; font-size: 14px; text-align: start;">Every December, Josie posts a letter from her home in London to the parents she lost on Christmas night many years ago. Each year, she writes the same three words: </span><span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-size: 14px; text-align: start;">Missing you, always.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111; font-size: 14px; text-align: start;"> But this year, her annual trip to the postbox is knocked off course by a bicycle collision with a handsome stranger--a stranger who will change the course of Josie's life.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-size: 14px; text-align: start;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111; font-size: 14px; text-align: start;"> </span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-size: 14px; text-align: start;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111; font-size: 14px; text-align: start;">Josie always thought she was the only one who avoided the Christmas season, but this year, Max has his own reasons for doing the same—and coincidence leads them to spending the holiday together. Aglow with new love, Josie thinks this might be the start of something special. </span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-size: 14px; text-align: start;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111; font-size: 14px; text-align: start;"> </span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-size: 14px; text-align: start;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111; font-size: 14px; text-align: start;">Only for Max to disappear without saying goodbye. </span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-size: 14px; text-align: start;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111; font-size: 14px; text-align: start;"> </span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-size: 14px; text-align: start;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111; font-size: 14px; text-align: start;">Over the course of the next year, Max and Josie will find that fate continues to bring them together in places they'd never expect. New York City. Edinburgh. The quiet English countryside. And it turns out, Max had every reason to leave and every reason to stay. But what does fate hold for Josie and Max as Christmas approaches again?</span></span></i></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">This book really pissed me off. Hah! I was hoping for a cute, holiday read which it definitely wasn't - and even without a good holiday theme I don't think it was a good story either so it just wins on zero fronts. I feel like it was a story about almost nothing. The beginning was good - I will admit I enjoyed the brash start to the book with the breakup "here's the box of your stuff since I cheated on you" delivery, the quirky roommate and the wine filled - apartment sharing banter, and then following the quick romance and love story of Josie and Max. After Max leaves though (not a a spoiler - it's listed on the book description!) I think the rest of the story just tanks! There's no real meat to the story, it's just a lot of back and forth between the (boring) daily lives of Josie and Max and when "fate" allows them to run into each other again. You know that Max is hiding "something" and it just gets really old not knowing what it is and that it's causing this big drama in their could-be relationship. And then when you finally do find out what it is...BAM I mean - come on?? Really? I literally said out loud "you gotta be shitting me" at what you might call the climax of this book because I thought it was such a cringe worthy plot. I don't think Josie had much character growth - I think she relied too heavily on male figures to propel her in life and her career and there was hardly any real story in this entire book. Sigh. Pass on this one, I'd rather have a lump of coal for Christmas to throw in my fireplace than waste $12 on this again!</div></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">And that's a wrap on my reviews for this year! Drop a comment if you find these helpful - looking forward to finding many more good books in 2022!!!<br /></div></div>
</div>Rebecca @ My Girlish Whimshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17825981722220301082noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7847365927497704283.post-25173176576786500752021-11-30T20:56:00.004-05:002021-11-30T20:56:33.541-05:00My Girlish Whims Book Club #40<div style="text-align: center;">Happy December! Before I get full on festive, I need to round up my last set of book reviews (that I'm a bit behind on!) as my next post will be my last full set of reviews before the end of the year and I will round up my favorite books I've read in 2021 (hint: I think one of the books I read in this post will make the list!)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPps3NLV0ABHgqKD2z6pOtKOUd4ZarfcLBbyB4eOSeHrvwJ3jX-HK1QTv40sNvZcVs5AuX713J63R23tKzguq9boH7sxiCkXZ31RnofRJtsc5lsUwPMBAVIEe9wdMeWda3zbbqQh5jjHAy/s2048/Babymoon+My+Girlish+Whims.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1393" data-original-width="2048" height="436" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPps3NLV0ABHgqKD2z6pOtKOUd4ZarfcLBbyB4eOSeHrvwJ3jX-HK1QTv40sNvZcVs5AuX713J63R23tKzguq9boH7sxiCkXZ31RnofRJtsc5lsUwPMBAVIEe9wdMeWda3zbbqQh5jjHAy/w640-h436/Babymoon+My+Girlish+Whims.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span><i>Dress linked <a href="https://rstyle.me/+HZjaITW_0vVWAoakwgscAA" target="_blank">here</a>, maternity one piece linked <a href="https://rstyle.me/+ep2zmGXqZOkHoTwmBWBusA" target="_blank">here</a>. </i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">I got a good amount of reading done last month when we flew down to Florida for a long weekend on our babymoon! We weren't hanging out at any bars sipping wine late into the evening, that's for sure - lol. On our first night down there we were in bed by 8PM - ah...living it up :) It was a nice and relaxing vacation where we enjoyed lots of time together by the beach and with our nose in our books at times too!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjZqn9h1abukgkYEmzLeTiAPL0V4ryyEl209KLchRVIRUi8SCrUzFOqJH43myjDEKHdp26nh30EhfU0wcz0mf8uZYuzGaJtUPeKFuTDEwktpQSb9PVQyoIwTmlDCEbK3ud9oGX6suCR_VU/s2048/Beach+Babymoon.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1782" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjZqn9h1abukgkYEmzLeTiAPL0V4ryyEl209KLchRVIRUi8SCrUzFOqJH43myjDEKHdp26nh30EhfU0wcz0mf8uZYuzGaJtUPeKFuTDEwktpQSb9PVQyoIwTmlDCEbK3ud9oGX6suCR_VU/w556-h640/Beach+Babymoon.HEIC" width="556" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span>Maternity bikini linked <a href="https://rstyle.me/+YtX9jF2S9W4M-PxrF7LeXQ" target="_blank">here</a></span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">It's crazy to me to think that in only two months, we will be legit parents and have TWO babies here!!! I'm mostly excited, but definitely have my fair share of worries as well. I try not to dwell on them too much though, and reading is a good distraction ;) </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirh9pnn3M5-4Giog8OIGnTOG92OJCArHTA6JssfpxftPasBo-ytIvhHZj-Y7xqmMjNp0JhzuyCt8YebrTtp7qeB6p2Z30U0go138gLpDhUVMm4H83o1kP3LF5ZFrSn564Tt0lXbuAOtYW9/s2048/Babymoon.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirh9pnn3M5-4Giog8OIGnTOG92OJCArHTA6JssfpxftPasBo-ytIvhHZj-Y7xqmMjNp0JhzuyCt8YebrTtp7qeB6p2Z30U0go138gLpDhUVMm4H83o1kP3LF5ZFrSn564Tt0lXbuAOtYW9/w480-h640/Babymoon.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span>Maxi dress linked <a href="https://rstyle.me/+h_OgPVNfra6KAm4UOKBaeQ" target="_blank">here</a></span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Here are the books I've finished since my<a href="http://www.mygirlishwhims.com/2021/10/my-girlish-whims-book-club-39.html" target="_blank"> last set of reviews</a>!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>This post contains affiliate links</i></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;">
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<div style="text-align: center;"><h2 class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://amzn.to/3lMqAh8" target="_blank">Rock Paper Scissor</a></h2><div style="text-align: center;"> By Alice Feeney. Synopsis from Amazon:</div><div><i> <br />Things have been wrong with Mr and Mrs Wright for a long time. When Adam and Amelia win a weekend away to Scotland, it might be just what their marriage needs. Self-confessed workaholic and screenwriter Adam Wright has lived with face blindness his whole life. He can’t recognize friends or family, or even his own wife.<br /><br />Every anniversary the couple exchange traditional gifts--paper, cotton, pottery, tin--and each year Adam’s wife writes him a letter that she never lets him read. Until now. They both know this weekend will make or break their marriage, but they didn’t randomly win this trip. One of them is lying, and someone doesn’t want them to live happily ever after.<br /><br />Ten years of marriage. Ten years of secrets. And an anniversary they will never forget.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i> </i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i> </i>This was a fun read for me. I read it really quickly and like the set-up and pace of the book - the story alternated being told between present tense and past tense from letters written from Adam's wife which worked really well with the story. This book came off a bit more mystery/spooky than true thriller for me but I still really liked it. I'm enjoying stories where there is a twist/part of the story that the reader easily gets led astray by and I for sure did not guess the twist in this book (it reminds me a bit of the twist from <u>56 Days</u> which I read earlier this year - not the twist itself but type of twist/how it was revealed to us.) I didn't find any of the characters extremely likable (I think my favorite character was Bob the dog, lol) but for once that didn't really impact my reading experience, if anything it might have added to the book. All of the characters are unhappy in their marriage for one reason or another and you learn through hints in the story that no one is really blameless....but to what extent and what secrets are they each hiding? I would reccomend picking this one up - it's the perfect book to cozy up with while the weather turns colder to get immersed in!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFM_bloLPi9sTKhFkDor_gyQxAa2qxwBorJbHWx5DY7xzfD9aXBxs4hUTOLTLnt2qhucMPLidQvdJ21FOV5eOxVJrHV4Q9D1dfY2Fj_yfogae-85S5F5pC2MuEMxT9ujQ-nt2iaJ8r4zCs/s2048/Rock+Paper+Scissors+Book+Review.heic" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1677" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFM_bloLPi9sTKhFkDor_gyQxAa2qxwBorJbHWx5DY7xzfD9aXBxs4hUTOLTLnt2qhucMPLidQvdJ21FOV5eOxVJrHV4Q9D1dfY2Fj_yfogae-85S5F5pC2MuEMxT9ujQ-nt2iaJ8r4zCs/w524-h640/Rock+Paper+Scissors+Book+Review.heic" width="524" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><span><a name='more'></a></span><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><h2><a href="https://amzn.to/2Y6TcJ7" target="_blank"> Apples Never Fall<br /></a></h2></div><div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">By Liane Moriarty</span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">. Synopsis from Amazon: </span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>The Delaneys are fixtures in their community. The parents, Stan and Joy, are the envy of all of their friends. They’re killers on the tennis court, and off it their chemistry is palpable. But after fifty years of marriage, they’ve finally sold their famed tennis academy and are ready to start what should be the golden years of their lives. So why are Stan and Joy so miserable?</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>The four Delaney children—Amy, Logan, Troy, and Brooke—were tennis stars in their own right, yet as their father will tell you, none of them had what it took to go all the way. But that’s okay, now that they’re all successful grown-ups and there is the wonderful possibility of grandchildren on the horizon.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>One night a stranger named Savannah knocks on Stan and Joy’s door, bleeding after a fight with her boyfriend. The Delaneys are more than happy to give her the small kindness she sorely needs. If only that was all she wanted.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Later, when Joy goes missing, and Savannah is nowhere to be found, the police question the one person who remains: Stan. But for someone who claims to be innocent, he, like many spouses, seems to have a lot to hide. Two of the Delaney children think their father is innocent, two are not so sure—but as the two sides square off against each other in perhaps their biggest match ever, all of the Delaneys will start to reexamine their shared family history in a very new light.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i> </i></div><div style="text-align: center;">I have mixed feelings on this book. I will say this: Liane Moriarty knows how to cultivate and write a good, thought out story. While I was reading the book I thought the storyline was slow and drawn out - especially in the beginning. There was so much detail about the Delaney's prior tennis career and business and being unhappy in retirement that it wasn't sparking a ton of interest for me. Then Savannah the stranger shows up out of no where, they figure out she is an actual stranger and no one they know, and then let her live in their house anyway?? It just felt weird to me. The book picked up in the last 1/4th for me which made it worth reading - but FYI at over 450 pages long it's a lot of book to get through before I really started appreciating it. I did really enjoy how things got wrapped up though - I liked the character growth in all of the Delaney children and really felt akin to them all by the end. There were so many little details planted throughout the novel that came to fruition at the ending that just gave me a lot of smirks and smiles as I finished. Even the title - <i>Apples Never Fall</i> - was a very fitting innuendo/symbolism for a potential outcome of the mystery. Neither of these two last novels by Moriarty have been my favorites but I still appreciate her work as a writer and as an avid reader, I still am glad I read this one as well. If you are looking for something a bit more gripping to keep you entertained I would pass this by, but if you read a lot and can appreciate a good story and have read and enjoyed Moriarty in the past I would still give this one a read.</div><div><h2 class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3Fj1Hkk" target="_blank">The Dinner List</a></h2><div style="text-align: center;">By Rebecca Serle. Synopsis from Amazon:</div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>"We’ve been waiting for an hour." That’s what Audrey says. She states it with a little bit of an edge, her words just bordering on cursive. That’s the thing I think first. Not: Audrey Hepburn is at my birthday dinner, but Audrey Hepburn is annoyed.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>At one point or another, we’ve all been asked to name five people, living or dead, with whom we’d like to have dinner. Why do we choose the people we do? And what if that dinner was to actually happen? These are the questions Rebecca Serle contends with in her utterly captivating novel, <u>The Dinner List,</u> a story imbued with the same delightful magical realism as <u>One Day,</u> and the life-changing romance of <u>Me Before You.</u></i></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>When Sabrina arrives at her thirtieth birthday dinner she finds at the table not just her best friend, but also three significant people from her past, and well, Audrey Hepburn. As the appetizers are served, wine poured, and dinner table conversation begins, it becomes clear that there’s a reason these six people have been gathered together.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">This book has been on my TBR list for awhile and I finally snagged it when it was on sale on Amazon for the digital version. Besides the basic premise of the book being set around a dinner party of the five people, living or dead, Sabrina would want to have dinner with, I didn't know going into the book what the story was really about and I was pleasantly surprised by the love story and cast of characters. I enjoyed following Sabrina and Tobias's love story and all the highs and lows that came with it. There's was NOT a picture perfect romance and I think some of their struggles and frustrations around careers, worth, and cohabitating woes are real and valid issues that couples face. I liked the structure of the book - always having the present tense of the dinner party to keep things moving and flashing back into the past to tell the meat of the story. We know that the dinner party can only last until midnight though and so the time to tell the story and the time for Sabrina to set things right with her loved ones is finite. This one definitely was a bit of a heart wrencher for me at the end - I can't normally cry from just reading a book but if I was watching this as a movie I totally would have had tears streaming, sigh. Despite that, I still enjoyed the book and thought it was a good length and story and would recommend picking it up!</div></div></div><div><h2 class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://amzn.to/317CieD" target="_blank">Layla</a></h2><div style="text-align: center;">By Colleen Hoover. Synopsis from Amazon:</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>When Leeds meets Layla, he’s convinced he’ll spend the rest of his life with her—until an unexpected attack leaves Layla fighting for her life. After weeks in the hospital, Layla recovers physically, but the emotional and mental scarring has altered the woman Leeds fell in love with. In order to put their relationship back on track, Leeds whisks Layla away to the bed-and-breakfast where they first met. Once they arrive, Layla’s behavior takes a bizarre turn. And that’s just one of many inexplicable occurrences.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Feeling distant from Layla, Leeds soon finds solace in Willow—another guest of the B&B with whom he forms a connection through their shared concerns. As his curiosity for Willow grows, his decision to help her find answers puts him in direct conflict with Layla’s well-being. Leeds soon realizes he has to make a choice because he can’t help both of them. But if he makes the wrong choice, it could be detrimental for all of them.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">I got excited for this book from the Amazon reviews when looking for a "spooky" read for our October book club meeting. Colleen Hoover hasn't had many hits for me besides <u>Verity</u> but she's a very well known author and this book promised paranormal activity and some romance so I figured - sex and ghosts, why not give it a try?!? Hah! I put off writing this review for awhile because I'm still mixed on my feelings for the book - I didn't love it and I didn't hate it. There wasn't that much actual romance/steam to the book actually and the paranormal activity wasn't overly creepy. Eventually the messed up storyline takes over and a weird freaky love triangle emerges and dominates the story. I was very interested to keep reading to figure out how it would end and enjoyed some of the twists along the way but did find the main character a bit of a d*ck based on his actions which made it hard to love the story. For a $3 digital read on Amazon, it wasn't a bad story, just not topping any charts for me.</div></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">I've got one "holiday" themed book planned to read next but I know i've got time before Christmas to fit at least one other festive book in. If you have any good reccs for any holiday reads I should add in, drop them in the comments before for me. Let the 25 days of Christmas countdown begin now!</div>
</div>Rebecca @ My Girlish Whimshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17825981722220301082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7847365927497704283.post-86706189907631927182021-11-01T08:26:00.003-04:002021-11-01T08:31:29.616-04:00A Day in the Life of My Girlish Whims: Work from Home, No Kids Edition<p style="text-align: center;"> I've always enjoyed reading "A Day in the Life Posts" by other bloggers because I think they are a fun peak into someone else's life and schedule. I've never posted one myself though because honestly, I think my routine and schedule most days is pretty mundane and boring and not very blog post worthy. I still feel the same way, but with two babies coming next year I know my day to day schedule is going to change a LOT so I thought it would be fun to document what a normal day looks like these days so next year when I'm trying to keep two 9/10 month old babies alive daily I can see how vastly different my days have changed.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPoE6Y1qpaj4hSruVQv-Q1ejnaYbhRnt-FBgVzVY1fYBLEiIipcIK0j8Y1UlON4-vPTPFopVO-Q4LQy1cAyjTNxhttG0QqRstOAEsY2omYM6bZ_KckPkdKhoF_PBZHSapy3F7F1TMm3Xta/s2048/A+Day+in+the+Life+of+My+Girlish+Whims.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPoE6Y1qpaj4hSruVQv-Q1ejnaYbhRnt-FBgVzVY1fYBLEiIipcIK0j8Y1UlON4-vPTPFopVO-Q4LQy1cAyjTNxhttG0QqRstOAEsY2omYM6bZ_KckPkdKhoF_PBZHSapy3F7F1TMm3Xta/w480-h640/A+Day+in+the+Life+of+My+Girlish+Whims.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: center;">So...without further ado...my very un-blog worthy daily routing working from home married with no kids from Monday October 25!<span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbPuN3bcmvo1L-1F7z5iGt43kgHai-Oib20Sm7rG0NBoH388jaAT3Ls3g6-YtZsXEX6mToSZrOmNA7rSi0tYCqFbOEgOum2UF8e95zLGeZbxtzB8L8SEmX3Ylcn1_KdQLD2OPM4HEu9Tft/s2048/Cutest+Cat+Ever.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbPuN3bcmvo1L-1F7z5iGt43kgHai-Oib20Sm7rG0NBoH388jaAT3Ls3g6-YtZsXEX6mToSZrOmNA7rSi0tYCqFbOEgOum2UF8e95zLGeZbxtzB8L8SEmX3Ylcn1_KdQLD2OPM4HEu9Tft/w480-h640/Cutest+Cat+Ever.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Sunday night my hubby and I went to bed pretty early (we are not night owls these days at all!) and I hardly ever set an alarm anymore since I know my body/bladder/husband/cat will wake me up well before I need to be ready for work. This morning it was the smallest member of the family, Nala, who nudged me awake a little after 6:30am (always looking for her breakfast) so I slowly got up, went downstairs to feed her and grab some coffee.</div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO9ny7qHAqbA0-NAI03AAZB0MR6MRKY-teBF0slTeAVOItov_qwypTUSzhubkQGXmvTvQab9bIAYWvOVGBitapPfpTpZ8aSgkf0hCRw0Z3uhWvo8GGNXVjyijKTIDwCZGKom91RF2vAz_v/s2048/Working+From+Home.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO9ny7qHAqbA0-NAI03AAZB0MR6MRKY-teBF0slTeAVOItov_qwypTUSzhubkQGXmvTvQab9bIAYWvOVGBitapPfpTpZ8aSgkf0hCRw0Z3uhWvo8GGNXVjyijKTIDwCZGKom91RF2vAz_v/w480-h640/Working+From+Home.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">When I was working in my office in person pre-covid times my regular hours were 8:30AM-5PM. I take a little flexibility with my schedule at times working from home though - sometimes I like to login a little early to get some quotes done I really need to get to before the regular working hours kick in when my phone starts ringing and emails come in that need to be responded to from clients. If I wake up and am not starving immediately in the morning (the morning hunger was REAL during my first trimester of being pregnant but it has evened out a bit in my second trimester) I'll often login early and do about an hour worth of work while drinking my coffee before breaking to make breakfast from about 8-8:30AM.</div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNJZhAKDSlilRTQC4QHZhbSzJl5aCSjJGa-NP_VfCXRkX9Cuo_KUD7e-pr2tj4ihZ49K23vlkc2cWC5lqf5mkD7Q_HGKpmvqFiUIWiI4h-2TeaRZFQ3CQ2BjIcAOsEVkeoCWToW3za462e/s2048/Healthy+Breakfast.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNJZhAKDSlilRTQC4QHZhbSzJl5aCSjJGa-NP_VfCXRkX9Cuo_KUD7e-pr2tj4ihZ49K23vlkc2cWC5lqf5mkD7Q_HGKpmvqFiUIWiI4h-2TeaRZFQ3CQ2BjIcAOsEVkeoCWToW3za462e/w480-h640/Healthy+Breakfast.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;">I cook the same thing for breakfast almost every day during the week. I sauté a big handful of shredded Brussels sprouts in a pan until soft, add in a bunch of spinach and let it wilt, then add in about a cup of egg whites and cook/scramble it all together until cooked and top it with low fat American cheese. I'll also have greek yogurt with some frozen fruit and a handful of high protein cereal on top. I love this breakfast for having something salty and sweet first thing, plus it's a good way to get some veggies in the morning and lots of protein as well. I always read during my meals - currently I'm reading the latest book from Liane Moriarty (undecided on this one so far) that I got from my <a href="https://www.mybotm.com/0dciuik6ejxh?show_box=true" target="_blank">Book of the Month </a>Subscription. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsItOhVs6mF_sJlTobKUnZvUna3Hhh6uvTRgV88_8yzCDEm-tLKJ2mM4HKu703dGf2Dd6jXKF0pNQzjf9k5f5RmsK6fMRPaz0IwCEsCU5KKgZ25bqsQ4Q2nHiEcvt0aK9St6dxro3C8P2d/s2048/Work+From+Home+in+PJs.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsItOhVs6mF_sJlTobKUnZvUna3Hhh6uvTRgV88_8yzCDEm-tLKJ2mM4HKu703dGf2Dd6jXKF0pNQzjf9k5f5RmsK6fMRPaz0IwCEsCU5KKgZ25bqsQ4Q2nHiEcvt0aK9St6dxro3C8P2d/w480-h640/Work+From+Home+in+PJs.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;">After breakfast I head back upstairs to my craft room/office and get back to work. I take full advantage of the work-from-home benefits of having no dress code. I do pretty much all of my work over the phone and email and only very rarely have meetings that I have to turn a camera on for so it's pretty much comfy PJs, glasses, and mismatched slipper socks for my morning shift. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZloy-eQJROWYJTIdqJBc_DkwlEOX71q730MQEG_GwdFPvJkDhEFFNhJYlz2x9bgkSZQ95ctzmAOa7XxST3rDTU7JMdgfo9wzPHwfgbyqv7a7T5QoUpJN0SgfZF9OkERRHF65rzk0ut1CI/s2590/Pregnancy+Athleisure.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2590" data-original-width="1214" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZloy-eQJROWYJTIdqJBc_DkwlEOX71q730MQEG_GwdFPvJkDhEFFNhJYlz2x9bgkSZQ95ctzmAOa7XxST3rDTU7JMdgfo9wzPHwfgbyqv7a7T5QoUpJN0SgfZF9OkERRHF65rzk0ut1CI/w300-h640/Pregnancy+Athleisure.HEIC" width="300" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: center;">Around 10AM I typically decide it's finally time to put myself together a bit so I'll wash my face, brush my teeth, put my contacts in and put on some exercise clothes. I hardly ever wear rear clothes these days or put makeup on...if I'm feeling motivated I might pencil in some eyebrows, lol, but I keep things pretty basic when I'm not going out much. Side note: check out that almost 24 week baby bump! Things are starting to look real!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRBp5w3dcj1Nat-GJUBI61QlqdmCf_Bw9I7MOXu_vy4vLW3sA2SDhtWmtNZ5mHOgq__Xuk__7a7PGZ7t5hAE2lpZ3EX3vawHTlj8MAMQI4Wy_t211CmMAQDdMpfI6cAtRZ09eQTZiprmRC/s2048/Morning+Walk+Break.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRBp5w3dcj1Nat-GJUBI61QlqdmCf_Bw9I7MOXu_vy4vLW3sA2SDhtWmtNZ5mHOgq__Xuk__7a7PGZ7t5hAE2lpZ3EX3vawHTlj8MAMQI4Wy_t211CmMAQDdMpfI6cAtRZ09eQTZiprmRC/w480-h640/Morning+Walk+Break.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;">Since I logged in early, after getting ready I'll typically take a little break to go for a walk. We've lived in our new home together for just over a year now and one of my favorite parts about where we live is that we live in a neighborhood with a cut-de-sac and a nice little walking loop. I love being able to just walk out my front door and go for two laps around the neighborhood while I get some steps in and catch up on social media. Even though I'm pretty active on instagram I definitely set some boundaries so it doesn't take over my day. If I open the app first thing in the morning I know I will get sucked into scrolling so I typically avoid opening the app until I break for these walks and will catch up on my feed and respond to comments and DMs. I don't go super fast or super far but since I sit basically all day long for my job I try to make a point to get out and make a few laps once or twice a day to get some movement in!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnfmZ6S07vNWBZGKrLWH0vibIlro1Vf86nfAAM8uE_XMdmF73Qodt1LVE5auxc75PRVmRdA-102A8nB0vG2CbIhz8w3YIgyim6f_s045GudYtHuGnMlBLGW9iRPF3vqGGws9_SNdaCLEln/s2048/Morning+Snack.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1690" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnfmZ6S07vNWBZGKrLWH0vibIlro1Vf86nfAAM8uE_XMdmF73Qodt1LVE5auxc75PRVmRdA-102A8nB0vG2CbIhz8w3YIgyim6f_s045GudYtHuGnMlBLGW9iRPF3vqGGws9_SNdaCLEln/w528-h640/Morning+Snack.HEIC" width="528" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;">I used to be able to make it from breakfast until lunch without any snack in between but since getting pregnant these babies just love carbs and keeping me hungry so sometime around 10:30 after my walk I typically get a little hungry again and will have a snack of a 100 calorie English muffin with some greek yogurt cream cheese on top.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1XeJlKEo9wyXhqz-epqG4DdbkmeUvWqSUkJkmLzajyH5pJFZMZn9kItGQHFVVuIPKSuHya26rRmTp4YSOMhflC7808OrhCBnNaQVM1_GTwc58piOnITqr-jcQSAX6Du1KtNMNwxuHro4Z/s2048/Dog+Walk+at+Lunch.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1746" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1XeJlKEo9wyXhqz-epqG4DdbkmeUvWqSUkJkmLzajyH5pJFZMZn9kItGQHFVVuIPKSuHya26rRmTp4YSOMhflC7808OrhCBnNaQVM1_GTwc58piOnITqr-jcQSAX6Du1KtNMNwxuHro4Z/w546-h640/Dog+Walk+at+Lunch.HEIC" width="546" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;">I work through the rest of the morning and then break again at about 12:30 for lunch. I recently started dog walking for a family in my neighborhood during the weekdays which is a nice way to make a few extra bucks each week and make sure I get up and move my body and get some extra steps in! Little Ginger is a good little walking buddy and I will pop over to walk her around the neighborhood once before coming back home to eat lunch.</p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaKRufB-n9Rj4cvVz6hzB3WScfgoGkQ9b3lkPcUb0X_I_z6fXTt7px0EEwNxjFyj5EzQzOtP7zyKTpVS1QOZEYpo7HJxDCSrb9ExOrOJ8NH6_VjdiWUxZJOESZcze89QpBVRglliHeVuGP/s2048/Meal+Prep+Lunches.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaKRufB-n9Rj4cvVz6hzB3WScfgoGkQ9b3lkPcUb0X_I_z6fXTt7px0EEwNxjFyj5EzQzOtP7zyKTpVS1QOZEYpo7HJxDCSrb9ExOrOJ8NH6_VjdiWUxZJOESZcze89QpBVRglliHeVuGP/w480-h640/Meal+Prep+Lunches.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"> For lunches during the week I order meal prep from <a href="https://www.cleaneatsmealprep.com" target="_blank">Clean Eats Meal Prep</a> so I always have healthy options on hand to just quick pop in the microwave for 2 minutes to heat up and then they are ready to eat! The meals are delivered fresh each week and they have a lot of different options to picks from for breakfasts, lunches or dinners. Today I had their Chipotle Apricot Glazed Chicken which came with a chicken breast, sweet potato wedges and asparagus.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7vvez-OoMJkXwxTiarf5610XbUhD2I77thRorI0KX_rg7BtErcCCq3BZ8HCv6yOTVJQDsbXKA4zF0KyJyf9vEnNiuBUcTkeGYbzJe4XWzJWk5hKzaroN4iubaJf-f5DguPp9tWvxQ2pXu/s2048/work+from+home+insurance+agent.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7vvez-OoMJkXwxTiarf5610XbUhD2I77thRorI0KX_rg7BtErcCCq3BZ8HCv6yOTVJQDsbXKA4zF0KyJyf9vEnNiuBUcTkeGYbzJe4XWzJWk5hKzaroN4iubaJf-f5DguPp9tWvxQ2pXu/w480-h640/work+from+home+insurance+agent.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;">After lunch it was back up to my "office" to work for the afternoon. I work in insurance as a Senior Personal Lines Sales Advisor for a large brokerage in the area. I've been at my job for over seven years now and when the COVID Pandemic started in March of 2020 I was able to transition to working fully remote from home and it has been the BEST thing ever! I no longer have to commute 45-55 minutes each way to the office and waste time doing my hair/makeup/getting professionally dressed each day. I also have so many less distractions working from home! My husband works from home as well but he has an office in our finished basement and my office set up is on the second story so we really each have our own space to get our work done.</div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJmxjzgxq4iJe8HXaR1GYUc6Q5ilS25zrTbpigIfPiFihhyik_6B9qmrWiYXJk8pi1tsciBrvWhA_yoyuMe-afaVflzpR0g7jq9_KpPvoqf4QeKDAQeO_tGHfhtsKhVMrzQejahUNMZxQw/s2048/Healthy+Afternoon+Snack.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJmxjzgxq4iJe8HXaR1GYUc6Q5ilS25zrTbpigIfPiFihhyik_6B9qmrWiYXJk8pi1tsciBrvWhA_yoyuMe-afaVflzpR0g7jq9_KpPvoqf4QeKDAQeO_tGHfhtsKhVMrzQejahUNMZxQw/w480-h640/Healthy+Afternoon+Snack.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;">Around 3/3:30 I'll typically run downstairs to grab a snack and a Coke Zero (today I had a banana topped with some locally roasted peanut butter and an apple from our recent apple picking excursion this fall!) but besides that the afternoon is filled with just regular work. I sell all types of personal insurance (home, atuo, renters, etc.) and work as an independent agent meaning I represent about 10 different insurance carriers that I can sell policies for. I have sales goals each month I need to met for bringing in new business (which I have always far exceeded each month since working from home!) but I also have a large book of business of current clients that I'm available for during the day to help with billing questions, car changes, general policy servicing, and also remarketing (shopping policies with a new carrier for existing clients to try and find a better rate). Some days/weeks are busier than others but normally I keep very busy and always have something I can be working on. I have various referral sources from within the larger company I work for (mostly mortgage brokers and bank tellers) and also get referrals from current clients and my own sphere. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin4OOMJ4em-CF6_UIQ7ZmBS5IfVmtSK8byYv8sCv3sokWe2eOxz1d8XYRKQkt3vmlA8j9zmk7BdBZj7VnDZ5G81y1X2W8y31HNAjRFnPcnNdGQ-7hnjPDIFpi3SKZNgR9_c0Ee7qbthzcD/s2048/Lifetime+Fitness+Gym.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2006" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin4OOMJ4em-CF6_UIQ7ZmBS5IfVmtSK8byYv8sCv3sokWe2eOxz1d8XYRKQkt3vmlA8j9zmk7BdBZj7VnDZ5G81y1X2W8y31HNAjRFnPcnNdGQ-7hnjPDIFpi3SKZNgR9_c0Ee7qbthzcD/w626-h640/Lifetime+Fitness+Gym.HEIC" width="626" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: center;">Today I worked until 5:15 and then made myself step away from my laptop to get ready and head to the gym! My husband and I belong to <a href="https://www.lifetime.life" target="_blank">Lifetime Fitness</a> and go to their King of Prussia location. It's about a 20 minute drive from our house so I also have a workout area set up in my basement with a treadmill, Bowflex, weight bench, and dumbbells but I like to get to the actual gym at least 3-4 times a week and almost always go on Monday to set the tone for the week. Working out at home is convenient but working out in a gym environment is much more motivating when there are others sweating right there along with you!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz5-oUN0WNXm5gAk-yyI3_9ba_D8vadtMg263D41L6hWaHmNNvUyAjs4u_lg26JTkckbFu4baypK-T4IB5nt1KIhdW9sv-A66eTw771O_AF4HLK3UXuEtF9domwI3nSlyZYpYlHbcjjKMt/s2048/Alexia+Clark+Workout+Program.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1065" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz5-oUN0WNXm5gAk-yyI3_9ba_D8vadtMg263D41L6hWaHmNNvUyAjs4u_lg26JTkckbFu4baypK-T4IB5nt1KIhdW9sv-A66eTw771O_AF4HLK3UXuEtF9domwI3nSlyZYpYlHbcjjKMt/w332-h640/Alexia+Clark+Workout+Program.jpg" width="332" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: center;">My regular gym routine starts with warming up on the stair master for cardio: I'll typically do about 20-30 minutes as I scroll and catch up on social media on my phone, and then for the rest of the time I'll do weight based circuits. I've been using the <a href="http://app.alexia-clark.com/referred/vISeJCrE9k" target="_blank">Alexia Clark</a> workout program for 2-3 years now and really enjoy it for giving me a basic plan to follow for my workouts. It's $30 a month (if you want to try it you can get $5 off every month <a href="http://app.alexia-clark.com/referred/vISeJCrE9k" target="_blank">with my referral link</a>!) and you get 5 new workouts each week that have gym options or home workout options. There is an app on your phone I keep up during my workout that includes a video to demonstrate each move and outlines the different circuits. The workouts include one upper body day, one lower body day, two full body days, and one challenge each week. A lot of the moves/lifts get repeated but no two workout are ever the same so it doesn't get old! I like not having to spend much time planning my workout out before the gym - I can just open the app, scroll through to get a general overview, and then jump right in to do as many circuits as I have time/motivation for.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpYDcjzbPixSn634vHXswA07ZkYUdvyd-zWWsalgbt19fv6xVVzBfOySx8lMzV4ZtMeNTMvDdAKkg86ekMdIyW4ndzo7USEKIyZsuW1N0FE9GZxlpTGl96Ql_ZMSQ5RsiQJns5USp8wMnT/s2048/working+out+while+pregnant.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpYDcjzbPixSn634vHXswA07ZkYUdvyd-zWWsalgbt19fv6xVVzBfOySx8lMzV4ZtMeNTMvDdAKkg86ekMdIyW4ndzo7USEKIyZsuW1N0FE9GZxlpTGl96Ql_ZMSQ5RsiQJns5USp8wMnT/w480-h640/working+out+while+pregnant.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: center;">I typically workout for at least an hour around 6 days a week. I am starting to slow down a bit being six months pregnant so I'm modifying my workouts accordingly. On this particular night I definitely started lacking motivation halfway through - lol - so I kept it on the lighter side but pushed through to get my hour done then headed back home. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjL42GVqSW79Xz_Auz-FozOZ3bdhjWcfHhYPLe8TIjzDYWLUvM4lVaibakh4br8vXzxkFaks_aQr1ZdiqRlOR0EQd24gx4mU2uBc0s9yxEs_naq-37OUAF18Bgnl6TMkc97SASyYOQCuFk/s2048/back+in+PJs.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjL42GVqSW79Xz_Auz-FozOZ3bdhjWcfHhYPLe8TIjzDYWLUvM4lVaibakh4br8vXzxkFaks_aQr1ZdiqRlOR0EQd24gx4mU2uBc0s9yxEs_naq-37OUAF18Bgnl6TMkc97SASyYOQCuFk/w480-h640/back+in+PJs.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: center;">After a quick shower it was pack in to PJs and my hubby's oversized shirt. When I say I don't wear real clothes a lot I mean it! If I don't have any plans during the week I essentially live in workout clothes and PJs and I am a-ok with that ;)</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9XHWAr4DvQv5vhZlXsQEMLUBHsC7j_WYSwxt45pVmgexOSaiXfVcaSqANXO5QnHbfYyUhB14obKbRhE6EODZ7_tRu5nNkBS72vyE1CIwNde_VwVrVVQUvaWMd89bW7kDgOVGD-hxMxo-i/s2048/fast+week+night+dinner.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9XHWAr4DvQv5vhZlXsQEMLUBHsC7j_WYSwxt45pVmgexOSaiXfVcaSqANXO5QnHbfYyUhB14obKbRhE6EODZ7_tRu5nNkBS72vyE1CIwNde_VwVrVVQUvaWMd89bW7kDgOVGD-hxMxo-i/w480-h640/fast+week+night+dinner.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: center;">By the time I'm home and showered from the gym it's normally around 7:30/7:45PM so I'm not in the mood to do any fancy cooking or elaborate dinners. I typically have some veggie options already prepared in the fridge and some quick protein options as well. Tonight I had butternut squash and Brussels sprouts that I had roasted over the weekend and some pre-cooked chicken sausage from Trader Joes. I threw it all in a skillet to heat it up with a little cheese and called it dinner :)</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheVHvDtF_7p5207RCidfYGRbrFHWkqwSs90jW5sK9wdM8oKqaVXmYAmjWXjGnLEcxxWs3xEKdSwlynk5xIwcsPPk1pmlNwcNW3BNoHfliBr8cHVN9HupcHLynR2fC2bqnUKBKYKfhufS1w/s2048/Quick+Veggie+Protein+Dinner.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheVHvDtF_7p5207RCidfYGRbrFHWkqwSs90jW5sK9wdM8oKqaVXmYAmjWXjGnLEcxxWs3xEKdSwlynk5xIwcsPPk1pmlNwcNW3BNoHfliBr8cHVN9HupcHLynR2fC2bqnUKBKYKfhufS1w/w480-h640/Quick+Veggie+Protein+Dinner.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;">And yes - I was raised in a family that read books at the dinner table instead of chatting so I still love to read during my meals, including dinner. I typically try and make pretty healthy food choices during the day but I definitely have a sweet tooth and have to end every day with some kind of small dessert. Over the weekend I had friends over for dinner - the momma just had a second baby so I wanted too cook a nice meal for them that they didn't have to worry about prepping or cleaning for! I also made a big dish of apple crisp for dessert and had some leftovers sitting in the fridge still (definitely not something you will normally find in my fridge!!) so I had a small serving as my night cap for the day!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRjEeR_Taq08W5njqNyXdPzR8g_7Q0bpBgHqYBXgaWoQD35dzs-GU9WSVcJg-95UIFbsG5Dl06-CfGU6KmAR1UXKms2vZ40OXuWdAFqgspPc6yzN6uSEflcJyHSqGpzWuBrH_yLLbkWvcb/s2048/homemade+apple+crisp.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRjEeR_Taq08W5njqNyXdPzR8g_7Q0bpBgHqYBXgaWoQD35dzs-GU9WSVcJg-95UIFbsG5Dl06-CfGU6KmAR1UXKms2vZ40OXuWdAFqgspPc6yzN6uSEflcJyHSqGpzWuBrH_yLLbkWvcb/w480-h640/homemade+apple+crisp.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;">By the time I'm done eating and cleaning up it's normally around 8:15PM and it feels too late and I'm too tired to start any major projects. I'm still working on getting things set-up and organized in the baby nursery so some nights I will organize some things in there, some nights I will go up to bed pretty early, on this particular night I decided to sit at my beading desk for about half hour and work on some stretchy bracelets while watching some Modern Love on Amazon. My beading desk is on the other side of the room as my "work" desk in our spare bedroom upstairs so this is a total "ME" craft room/office. My beading desk always looks like creative chaos but it's still a super peaceful spot for me to unwind and get a little creative at whenever I get some free time!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgphdnK5qKo1LZ9VpYzF6fOMxpYfk6HUhdDu4b-gCmKAEvzZWG8zW14QmtpMvf_Ny3Iz0cc06Ja8IIc0enDzdryTLeE8S1nPPpBlcPDuHF9fov53zGyzc2DqYmfBcRWOYEzPcPF-d9WiDya/s2048/messy+craft+room+beading+desk.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgphdnK5qKo1LZ9VpYzF6fOMxpYfk6HUhdDu4b-gCmKAEvzZWG8zW14QmtpMvf_Ny3Iz0cc06Ja8IIc0enDzdryTLeE8S1nPPpBlcPDuHF9fov53zGyzc2DqYmfBcRWOYEzPcPF-d9WiDya/w480-h640/messy+craft+room+beading+desk.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Finally at about 9PM I'll head to the bedroom to start my nighttime skincare routine (I use the <a href=" https://www.freskincare.com/GIRLISH" target="_blank">fré skincare 123 set </a>every night) and then will read a bit more before bed. I'm mostly a fiction reader but have been reading some pregnancy and baby related books in preparation for our twins arrival next year and my hubby has been reading some to. We read together for maybe another half hour then it's typically lights out by around 9:30 and a wrap on the day!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHo2jo-S4EkrMhwB0-AKjkUdufWMcMxyO8bfCFHu_xIMpN2I9BvagSeEhSkPh10bprJkPSvN_KF008r9s-Xq3sd77MJ2VcTMP1fKFd2if_6LsyxY46CZ3MDe71vEwlmnr-1VPurdKMZ_E6/s2048/reading+before+bed.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHo2jo-S4EkrMhwB0-AKjkUdufWMcMxyO8bfCFHu_xIMpN2I9BvagSeEhSkPh10bprJkPSvN_KF008r9s-Xq3sd77MJ2VcTMP1fKFd2if_6LsyxY46CZ3MDe71vEwlmnr-1VPurdKMZ_E6/w480-h640/reading+before+bed.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;">The next morning - I get up and do it all over again! There will be some major changes to my work life next year (I'll share more about my plans in another post) and two little ones to care of. I've enjoyed this season of life but really am so excited for the changes to come and can't wait to share my next day-in-the-life which will likely look a little more chaotic :)</div>Rebecca @ My Girlish Whimshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17825981722220301082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7847365927497704283.post-91413577360304723992021-10-24T09:49:00.001-04:002021-10-24T09:49:33.772-04:00My Girlish Whims Book Club #39<div style="text-align: center;">One week left until Halloween! Are you ready?? My prep for the holiday this year has included decorating our front porch for the season (I'm much more into general fall decor verses spooky/scary Halloween specific items) and buying a bulk size bag of Halloween candy that I may or may not have already opened and slowly have been picking all of the Hershey's Cookies and Cream mini chocolate bars out of for myself. Hey, what the trick or treaters don't know won't hurt them ;)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirVsH1rcsEE5j8ub5ounkFsrMoB2XD9T61EQbj_qKcY3j0ckHwI8HcsVhhJsqKTk7WxVE7alIzW8uR0DDw86hlKN2PAEuLpZIqD7jEqUEeDTjDDXulGyXuNMzKWW48WgPEG2Y1cn2HilDL/s2048/The+Ex+Hex+Book+Review.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1769" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirVsH1rcsEE5j8ub5ounkFsrMoB2XD9T61EQbj_qKcY3j0ckHwI8HcsVhhJsqKTk7WxVE7alIzW8uR0DDw86hlKN2PAEuLpZIqD7jEqUEeDTjDDXulGyXuNMzKWW48WgPEG2Y1cn2HilDL/w552-h640/The+Ex+Hex+Book+Review.HEIC" width="552" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;">We've enjoyed doing some general fall activities in between nesting projects this year like going apple picking and I just baked my first apple crisp of the season last night using our harvest. I follow a super simple recipe from my great grand-mom that lacks many words or instructions but somehow turns out insanely delicious each time my family makes it. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihHNZPdNZ1fASkx8yj7jMd_-uzluc_ToB4QNugzggcDcsvKgw_FI3nTiCFIsyXr_yKjZNWIBm_XFMGdMB_YgyVnHiAz_27Pg4ubOw1Xp2YuwH88wif0FaWHzjyxWiF_DnfQYlCZlAYbpHc/s2048/Fall+Apple+Picking+Pregnant.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1637" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihHNZPdNZ1fASkx8yj7jMd_-uzluc_ToB4QNugzggcDcsvKgw_FI3nTiCFIsyXr_yKjZNWIBm_XFMGdMB_YgyVnHiAz_27Pg4ubOw1Xp2YuwH88wif0FaWHzjyxWiF_DnfQYlCZlAYbpHc/w512-h640/Fall+Apple+Picking+Pregnant.HEIC" width="512" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Besides that, my only real Halloween prep has been picking a Halloween themed read as one of my recent books which ended up being pretty cute and very seasonal so I'm glad I did! Here's what I've been reading since my <a href="http://www.mygirlishwhims.com/2021/09/my-girlish-wims-book-club-38.html" target="_blank">last set of reviews</a>!</div><br /><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>This post contains affiliate links</i></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;">
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</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3b7_rczWVrUVbTmSscpU8CALTqqdk97zq922hwMBK0pmsRyvGnsV0BIvksWyg052lTMJaI8s2sf-F9je9rs-vKegxiyXmLtJlptnTOaSfCeUl7MLEMNwOHRzhDHd7FEwUN44tFoW-9Hcl/s2538/The+Paper+Palace+Book+Review.jpg.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="988" data-original-width="2538" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3b7_rczWVrUVbTmSscpU8CALTqqdk97zq922hwMBK0pmsRyvGnsV0BIvksWyg052lTMJaI8s2sf-F9je9rs-vKegxiyXmLtJlptnTOaSfCeUl7MLEMNwOHRzhDHd7FEwUN44tFoW-9Hcl/w640-h250/The+Paper+Palace+Book+Review.jpg.png" width="640" /></a></div><div><div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><h2><a href="https://amzn.to/3mExSmg" target="_blank"> The Ex Hex</a><br /></h2></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">By Erin Sterling</span><span style="font-family: inherit;">. Synopsis from Amazon: </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Nine years ago, Vivienne Jones nursed her broken heart like any young witch would: vodka, weepy music, bubble baths…and a curse on the horrible boyfriend. Sure, Vivi knows she shouldn’t use her magic this way, but with only an “orchard hayride” scented candle on hand, she isn’t worried it will cause him anything more than a bad hair day or two.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>That is until Rhys Penhallow, descendent of the town’s ancestors, breaker of hearts, and annoyingly just as gorgeous as he always was, returns to Graves Glen, Georgia. What should be a quick trip to recharge the town’s ley lines and make an appearance at the annual fall festival turns disastrously wrong. With one calamity after another striking Rhys, Vivi realizes her silly little Ex Hex may not have been so harmless after all.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Suddenly, Graves Glen is under attack from murderous wind-up toys, a pissed off ghost, and a talking cat with some interesting things to say. Vivi and Rhys have to ignore their off the charts chemistry to work together to save the town and find a way to break the break-up curse before it’s too late.</i></div><div><i> </i></div><div style="text-align: center;">I liked this book, but it's hard to say exactly why. The book was very fluffy, but being in the romance category that is to be expected. I will say for a romance book - a genre that typically makes me want to claw my eyeballs out - I had very few eye clawing urges during this book. There is the over arching story of the spell Vivi cast on Rhys which causes problems for fixing the magic in their town when he comes back to visit 9 years later and Vivi and Rhys have to fight together to save the town and one of their lives. While it sounds robust, the storyline really wasn't a huge focus and things get tidied up almost too quickly when it's time to wrap things up. Most of the book focuses on Vivi and Rhys and their super hot love affair they had 9 years ago, and how it could never happen again now that they are older and wiser but yet they both still obviously have feelings for each other...so of course you know it's going to happen again. The book had a bit of steam, but definitely not nearly as much as most romance novels. I think the use of phrases that included "tits," "dickbag," and the F bomb trying to be funny/hip was excessive and came off as gaudy and forced rather than how it was intended, but the family camaraderie between Vivi, Elaine and Gwyn was heart warming. the magic concept was done tastefully, and it was a fun, quick and easy little seasonally appropriate novel if you are in the mood for something light to get you ready for Halloween.</div></div><span><a name='more'></a></span><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2zju5bW7pDG6RfkRN_m47QBj0UUIpQ1RIG0r0XYWsQzirBCZH287VK8hKWjuwayPcrRaOqavv0cMy20D2d2fOXBG3oPS9rSD-by_lPUO6fbeReQ9oV0Zt5tze-5IlzV4CZ4sidGdY4iCE/s2048/The+Neighbors+Secret+Book+Review.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2zju5bW7pDG6RfkRN_m47QBj0UUIpQ1RIG0r0XYWsQzirBCZH287VK8hKWjuwayPcrRaOqavv0cMy20D2d2fOXBG3oPS9rSD-by_lPUO6fbeReQ9oV0Zt5tze-5IlzV4CZ4sidGdY4iCE/w480-h640/The+Neighbors+Secret+Book+Review.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><h1 class="a-size-large a-spacing-none" id="title" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3CNvAI2" target="_blank">The Neighbor's Secret</a></h1><div style="text-align: center;"> By L. Alison Heller. Synopsis from Amazon:</div><div style="text-align: center;"><i> <br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>With its sprawling yards and excellent schools, Cottonwood Estates is the perfect place to raise children. The Cottonwood Book Club serves as the subdivision’s eyes and ears, meeting once a month for discussion, gossip, and cocktails. If their selections trend toward twisty thrillers and salacious murder mysteries, it’s only because the members feel secure that such evil has no place in their own cul-de-sacs.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Or does it?</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>What happened to Lena’s family fifteen years ago was a tragic accident, and she will never admit otherwise. Devoted wife and mother Annie refuses to acknowledge—even to herself—the weight of a past shame. And new resident Jen wants friends, but as always, worry about her troubled son gets in the way.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>When late-night acts of vandalism target the women of the book club in increasingly violent and personal ways, they will be forced to decide how far to go to keep their secrets. At least they all agree on what’s most important: protecting their children at any cost—even if it means someone has to die.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i> </i>This book was only ok for me. I picked it up because it was about a group of suburban mom's and their book club - obviously very fitting for a book lover and book club host like me! It took a bit for me to get into the story - the cast of characters and all their daughters threw a bunch of female character names at you all at once which took me a bit to catch onto. I enjoyed the book club meeting portions of the book but some of the character's storylines just really dragged on. We know with pretty much certainty that the story will culminate with a murder from the narrative at the start of the book and continuous updates sprinkled throughout from this unnamed narrator, but that was the majority of the excitement this book held besides a bit of a vague mystery around Lena & Annie's past. The neighborhood vandal was a minimal part of the plot and most of the book revolved around the characters wrapped up in their own lives and regular worries around parenting and childrearing...just nothing all the earth shattering. The book finally picked up in the last few chapters (which of course I got sucked into reading past bedtime to finally see what happened) but even when the action picked up I was still frustrated with some of the lack of clarity on what actual events transpired and the thought that so many of these characters could be above the law for other moral reasons. I finished the book but would not jump at picking it up again!</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi2SHr8vs53k5l2-IdmkYXAPl7TbOJ39TjbOpTECp2p28O4cKgfVgHN6l7b6n4EqQeaEVnHzv6gCyCvQgygJYlS5Q85K_iA1ou4XfRRooroXOw3jOtny5maPEU9SUMyb1d126sZ9V5OAXn/s2048/The+Paper+Palace+Book+Review.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi2SHr8vs53k5l2-IdmkYXAPl7TbOJ39TjbOpTECp2p28O4cKgfVgHN6l7b6n4EqQeaEVnHzv6gCyCvQgygJYlS5Q85K_iA1ou4XfRRooroXOw3jOtny5maPEU9SUMyb1d126sZ9V5OAXn/w480-h640/The+Paper+Palace+Book+Review.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><div><h2><a href="https://amzn.to/3lL88oa" target="_blank">The Paper Palace</a></h2><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">By Miranda Cowley Heller</span><span style="font-family: inherit;">. Synopsis from Amazon:</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></div><div><i>It is a perfect July morning, and Elle, a fifty-year-old happily married mother of three, awakens at “The Paper Palace”—the family summer place which she has visited every summer of her life. But this morning is different: last night Elle and her oldest friend Jonas crept out the back door into the darkness and had sex with each other for the first time, all while their spouses chatted away inside. Now, over the next twenty-four hours, Elle will have to decide between the life she has made with her genuinely beloved husband, Peter, and the life she always imagined she would have had with her childhood love, Jonas, if a tragic event hadn’t forever changed the course of their lives. As Heller colors in the experiences that have led Elle to this day, we arrive at her ultimate decision with all its complexity. Tender yet devastating, The Paper Palace considers the tensions between desire and dignity, the legacies of abuse, and the crimes and misdemeanors of families.</i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><i> </i></div><div style="text-align: center;">I had heard about this book from Reese Witherspoon's book club and a few instagram followers recommended it to me as well. The title never stuck out to me and I had no real interest in reading it or idea what it was about until I actually sat down and finally read the synopsis and was very intrigued. The book hit on some heavy topics and was a lot to digest, but I actually really enjoyed reading it. There is some sensitive subject matter around sexual abuse which I didn't know going into it, FYI. Even with a story that touched on some tragedies, the story had a lot of depth to it. I really enjoyed following the back story of Elle's childhood - how complicated her grandmother's and mother's relationships impacted her life and family relations, the wit and banter of Peter and Wallace, and the literary description and imagery of the Paper Palace and all of life's lessons that were taught there. I like how the book lead with such a shocking and huge part of the plot: Elle and Jonas finally consummating an ages old love obsession with each other...AFTER they are both married to others - and how the story backtracks up to that moment. I wasn't quite ready for the ending and while I really didn't empathize with Elle or her predicament at all (I personally felt that the youthful Jonas love affair story wasn't fully fleshed out, and Peter was continually portrayed as nothing but a doting, loving husband and family man and I could only be upset with Elle for wanting to rock that dynamic) but I was still very invested in her family, her story and her decision for her future. I really enjoyed reading this one and it has stuck with me even after finishing a few books since.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div></div></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuUnj7Odtn_SLQdW7dOXQSCOeUjnebB_xhc6KmLCFVI2yqBXoaJf2ztW75GWdYZ2vhk4tDacjD3GKUYOiE5Wwy2E9sc76P5dLuCtVG46SFCVIfi5ibCrewFePvTdiADalnDSsu8G3O9piY/s2048/56+Days+Book+Review.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuUnj7Odtn_SLQdW7dOXQSCOeUjnebB_xhc6KmLCFVI2yqBXoaJf2ztW75GWdYZ2vhk4tDacjD3GKUYOiE5Wwy2E9sc76P5dLuCtVG46SFCVIfi5ibCrewFePvTdiADalnDSsu8G3O9piY/w480-h640/56+Days+Book+Review.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><h2 class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://amzn.to/3llXR2J" target="_blank">56 Days</a></h2>
By Catherine Ryan Howard<span class="a-size-medium">.
</span> Synopsis from Amazon:</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>No one even knew they were together. Now one of them is dead.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>56 DAYS AGO</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Ciara and Oliver meet in a supermarket queue in Dublin and start dating the same week COVID-19 reaches Irish shores.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>35 DAYS AGO</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>When lockdown threatens to keep them apart, Oliver suggests they move in together. Ciara sees a unique opportunity for a relationship to flourish without the scrutiny of family and friends. Oliver sees a chance to hide who—and what—he really is.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>TODAY</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Detectives arrive at Oliver’s apartment to discover a decomposing body inside.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Can they determine what really happened, or has lockdown created an opportunity for someone to commit the perfect crime?</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">This was first book I've read that was set during COVID times. While we are out of the major shutdown phase, we are still living daily with this pandemic so I actually enjoyed reading a book that was prevalent for the times. This was a pretty quick read for me and I really did enjoy it! I didn't know quite what to expect going into it - besides the dead body you aren't given much background into what the actual story was about but it actually worked out well that way. I liked getting to know each of the characters, and then getting to know their secrets and motives as well. There were parts I did not see coming which I appreciated as I can always enjoy getting tricked as a reader. I don't think this was a mind blowing thriller, but it kept me very entertained and curious to find out what happened next - for a quickie read I would recommend picking it up! </div></div>
</div>Rebecca @ My Girlish Whimshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17825981722220301082noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7847365927497704283.post-85595613508612450862021-09-26T09:00:00.001-04:002021-09-26T09:00:17.656-04:00My Girlish Wims Book Club #38<div style="text-align: center;">As of this week it is officially fall, and while the changing of the season has brought on a new swell of seasonal allergies for me (boo) it has also brought some cooler, crisp mornings and cozy days perfect for snuggling up with a good stack of books (yay!)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqBEGJLi1i9Zx_bO-3HG6zf1K6OFx48JS13PRbWQKJfgffd1WLbh8vnKt1BGf6DxuEvhMnafRVd_26x2L73ljLvqYePVcje2pSPWhPzCNc1q_YFBlkYtJasqelOndpk-MiLCEgXGONM866/s2048/Not+a+Happy+Family+Book+Review.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1724" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqBEGJLi1i9Zx_bO-3HG6zf1K6OFx48JS13PRbWQKJfgffd1WLbh8vnKt1BGf6DxuEvhMnafRVd_26x2L73ljLvqYePVcje2pSPWhPzCNc1q_YFBlkYtJasqelOndpk-MiLCEgXGONM866/w538-h640/Not+a+Happy+Family+Book+Review.HEIC" width="538" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;">We were gone most of last week taking one last trip down to Chincoteague to ride out the last few days of summer at the beach and to celebrate my birthday on Tuesday! </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpjhIakimcNLDLAgbtOVJ9nOLTOv3b7vp6Qxl3-F4Xd1hTEbtgrHpD37tjIhl0TfcSDmSxaIPFbqRTFzxR-b_QtnJbiB9emJzWrLq3YNu4px4jdAhJnV177SJxEynLLfhG6vdrZdY4t20E/s2048/Birthday+Trip+to+Chincoteague.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1450" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpjhIakimcNLDLAgbtOVJ9nOLTOv3b7vp6Qxl3-F4Xd1hTEbtgrHpD37tjIhl0TfcSDmSxaIPFbqRTFzxR-b_QtnJbiB9emJzWrLq3YNu4px4jdAhJnV177SJxEynLLfhG6vdrZdY4t20E/w454-h640/Birthday+Trip+to+Chincoteague.JPG" width="454" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;">The babies and I were grateful to enjoy a few last sunny days at the beach and it was a relaxing and peaceful trip as always, but I'm happy to be back home doing some nesting, decorating for fall, and getting cozy reading some good books! Here's a round of the last four books I've read since my <a href="http://www.mygirlishwhims.com/2021/09/my-girlish-whims-book-club-37.html" target="_blank">last set of reviews</a>.</div><br /><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>This post contains affiliate links</i></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;">
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<div style="text-align: center;"><h2 class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://amzn.to/3zKfk8G" target="_blank">Behind Her Eyes</a></h2><h2><div style="font-size: medium; font-weight: 400;">By Sarah Pinborough. Synopsis from Amazon:<br /><br /><i>Louise is a single mom, a secretary, stuck in a modern-day rut. On a rare night out, she meets a man in a bar and sparks fly. Though he leaves after they kiss, she’s thrilled she finally connected with someone.<br /><br />When Louise arrives at work on Monday, she meets her new boss, David. The man from the bar. The very married man from the bar…who says the kiss was a terrible mistake, but who still can’t keep his eyes off Louise.<br /><br />And then Louise bumps into Adele, who’s new to town and in need of a friend. But she also just happens to be married to David. And if you think you know where this story is going, think again, because Behind Her Eyes is like no other book you’ve read before.<br /><br />David and Adele look like the picture-perfect husband and wife. But then why is David so controlling? And why is Adele so scared of him?<br /><br />As Louise is drawn into David and Adele’s orbit, she uncovers more puzzling questions than answers. The only thing that is crystal clear is that something in this marriage is very, very wrong. But Louise can’t guess how wrong—and how far a person might go to protect their marriage’s secrets.<br /><br /><u>In Behind Her Eyes</u>, Sarah Pinborough has written a novel that takes the modern day love triangle and not only turns it on its head, but completely reinvents it in a way that will leave readers reeling.</i></div><div style="font-size: medium; font-weight: 400;"><i> </i></div><div style="font-size: medium; font-weight: 400;">I really enjoyed this book!!! This was another book I got sucked into reading because I saw a Netflix preview for the new series they made based on this book that I thought looked good so I wanted to watch. When I saw it was based on this book I had to double check to make sure I hadn't already purchased it on Amazon and read it already because it definitely sounded like something I would have picked out and read before. Turns out I missed it originally but I'm glad I picked it up now before watching the show and thought it was a great read. It was easy to connect with Louise and get sucked into this weird relationship she was having with both her boss and friendship with his wife without his knowledge. This book kept me guessing about some details and had some twists I did not see coming. The book delves a bit into some...interesting concepts regarding dreams and sleepwalking that I can't discuss much without spoilers, but suffice it to say even if certain parts of the novel/concept were a bit more "out there" I thought it was tastefully done for the story and would recommend picking this one up! </div></h2><h2 class="MsoNormal"><span><a name='more'></a></span> </h2><h1 class="a-size-large a-spacing-none" id="title" style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://amzn.to/3gXCKkD" target="_blank">No</a><a href="https://amzn.to/3gXCKkD" target="_blank">t a Happy Family</a> <br /></h1><div style="text-align: center;"> By Shari Lapena. Synopsis from Amazon:</div><div style="text-align: center;"><i> <br />Brecken Hill in upstate New York is an expensive place to live. You have
to be rich to have a house there, and Fred and Sheila Merton certainly are
rich. But even all their money can't protect them when a killer comes
to call. The Mertons are brutally murdered after a fraught Easter dinner
with their three adult kids. Who, of course, are devastated.<br /> <br />Or
are they? They each stand to inherit millions. They were never a happy
family, thanks to their vindictive father and neglectful mother, but
perhaps one of the siblings is more disturbed than anyone knew. Did
someone snap after that dreadful evening? Or did another person appear
later that night with the worst of intentions? That must be what
happened. After all, if one of the family were capable of something as
gruesome as this, you'd know.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i> </i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i> </i>This was my third book from Shari Lapena and unfortunately my least favorite I've read so far. The bulk of the book centers around the murder of Fred and Sheila Merton and the mystery of who killed them. The story is told from alternating points of view of all of the suspects: each of their three children, their spouses, a nanny/house cleaner, an estranged aunt, and two friends. I think my main issue with the book was everyone was a suspect and no one was a real protagonist or very likeable. The book states it very plainly in the book that Fred especially was not a very likeable character and his wife never stood up to him, so you couldn't even get hung up on their death too much since Fred was such a bad father. Nonetheless, their kids each had their own faults: Catherine was cold, Dan was agitated, nervous, and had a constant "woe is me attitude," while Jenna seemed young, flighty and irresponsible. They all had secrets to hide and lies that were told during the story making it feasible that any of them could have killed their parents. I finished the book because I obviously wanted to find out <i>who done it </i>but it was really just a mediocre read for me unfortunately.<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY5Nw83oaHL8R4bwsG9H6tc7dmEt1G7_HUNEX6JeDwBrdN55CPImXXGvcokgwsZGAZMI94WGFRkD_XjnHb3C1UuIuauufNgXz9Ys51Wya1h2i368HqMdjvOHhEegSTHEKsFfz5sW9HGP6M/s2048/The+Midnight+Library+Book+Review.heic" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1518" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY5Nw83oaHL8R4bwsG9H6tc7dmEt1G7_HUNEX6JeDwBrdN55CPImXXGvcokgwsZGAZMI94WGFRkD_XjnHb3C1UuIuauufNgXz9Ys51Wya1h2i368HqMdjvOHhEegSTHEKsFfz5sW9HGP6M/w474-h640/The+Midnight+Library+Book+Review.heic" width="474" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><h2><a href="https://amzn.to/3y8Kfed" target="_blank"> The Midnight Library<br /></a></h2></div><div style="text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">By Matt Haig</span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">. Synopsis from Amazon: </span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span></div><div><i>Somewhere out beyond the edge of the universe there is a library that
contains an infinite number of books, each one the story of another
reality. One tells the story of your life as it is, along with another
book for the other life you could have lived if you had made a different
choice at any point in your life. While we all wonder how our lives
might have been, what if you had the chance to go to the library and see
for yourself? Would any of these other lives truly be better?<br /><br />In <u>The Midnight Library</u>,
Matt Haig's enchanting blockbuster novel, Nora Seed finds herself faced
with this decision. Faced with the possibility of changing her life for
a new one, following a different career, undoing old breakups,
realizing her dreams of becoming a glaciologist; she must search within
herself as she travels through the Midnight Library to decide what is
truly fulfilling in life, and what makes it worth living in the first
place.</i></div><div><i> </i></div>I saw this book on the Amazon charts for multiple months in a row, and finally bit the bullet and bought it at a local book shop down in Chincoteague to give it a read. I really enjoyed this book! It's a unique concept - getting to try out a multitude of different lives by pulling a book out at a "library" between heaven and hell during a major impasse in your life to see if any of your other potential paths in life would have been more fulfilling/a better life to live. Nora was a down-on-her luck character who was very easy to empathize with and I enjoyed watching her try out different versions of what she thought she "should" have done with her life, and if it lived up to her expectations or not. Overall this book gave me a huge take away to appreciate what matters most in life, and to never take for granted the impact you can make on someones life. It was a cute coming of age/<i>It's a Wonderful Life </i>style modern fiction book with a cathartic ending that left me grateful and appreciative for the simple joys of mundane life.<div><h2 class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://amzn.to/3AJ43aj" target="_blank">The Last Time I Lied</a></h2>By Riley Sager. Synopsis from Amazon:<br /><i><br />Two Truths and a Lie. Vivian, Natalie, Allison, and Emma played it all the time in their cabin at Camp Nightingale. But the games ended the night Emma sleepily watched the others sneak out into the darkness. The last she—or anyone—saw of the teenagers was Vivian closing the cabin door behind her, hushing Emma with a finger pressed to her lips....<br /><br />Fifteen years later, Emma is a rising star in the New York art scene, turning her past into paintings—massive canvases filled with dark leaves and gnarled branches over ghostly shapes in white dresses. When the paintings catch the attention of the wealthy owner of Camp Nightingale, she implores Emma to come back to the newly reopened camp as a painting instructor.<br /><br />Despite her guilt and anxiety—or maybe because of them—Emma agrees to revisit her past. Nightingale looks the same as it did all those years ago, haunted by a midnight-dark lake and familiar faces. Emma is even assigned to the same cabin she slept in as a teenager, although the security camera pointed at her door is a disturbing new addition.<br /> <br />As cryptic clues about the camp's origins begin to surface, Emma attempts to find out what really happened to her friends. But her closure could come at a deadly price.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i> </i></div><div style="text-align: center;">This book was just ok for me. I was interested in reading it through to find out what happened, but just wasn't all that enthralled with it. I know a lot of readers are big fans of Riley Sager, but for some reason the books I've read from her have only been mediocre for me - just may not be my prime genre. The first half of the book was pretty slow to get through, and part of the biggest secret kept from the reader was why Emma had so much guilt about what happened during her stay at camp as a kid. When we finally found out why she was "guilty" and about "the last time she lied" (per the book title) it was extremely anti-climactic. I was kept a bit interested by the different conspiracy theories and cast of characters that could have been responsible for the wrong doings in this book, but still felt overall a bit letdown after all the chase and almost 400 pages of the book about the final result. If you've enjoyed other books by Sager you will probably enjoy this one as well, but I wouldn't go out of your way to pick it up if you haven't tried any of her others before. <br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">My next in-person book club is meeting in two weeks and I've already read and LOVED the book we are reading for that meet up (Spoiler - it was <u>The Paper Palace</u> which I will review on my next post!) but since then I haven't loved anything I've read. If you've read anything good recently, drop me a comment to share! I'm thinking it may be finally time for me to pick up the fourth Outlander book...(tried and true - never disappoints, just quite a time commitment!!!). Happy reading all!<br /></div></div>
</div>Rebecca @ My Girlish Whimshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17825981722220301082noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7847365927497704283.post-29500905037594200732021-09-06T09:38:00.001-04:002021-09-06T09:38:32.037-04:00My Girlish Whims Book Club #37<div style="text-align: center;">I'm typing this review up on Labor Day - what often feels like the last official day of summer even if fall doesn't technically start until later this month. While summer is undoubtedly one of my favorite seasons, I'm not sad to see it go this year for two reasons. Firstly, I had a lovely summer! Two of the books I'm reviewing in this round up I finished during our annual week long beach trip to Chincoteague in August. During our trip I got to enjoy lots of time at the beach and on the boat...</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-mBmZjhR-bpU0qTwQd8xoLMT3BWoxtMF6YtKxb8b8BwHuBtoxuot84IMot4lo8saucUSsfCwGr8ujXsBZHJhtu0KGM2Q9Yi9DBXO7kEeCsc84AV0dFrqREoNIkJ7iwiG2OVt5LWVcD3rc/s2016/Summer+Boat+Day.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2016" data-original-width="1512" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-mBmZjhR-bpU0qTwQd8xoLMT3BWoxtMF6YtKxb8b8BwHuBtoxuot84IMot4lo8saucUSsfCwGr8ujXsBZHJhtu0KGM2Q9Yi9DBXO7kEeCsc84AV0dFrqREoNIkJ7iwiG2OVt5LWVcD3rc/w480-h640/Summer+Boat+Day.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Got to spend time with family and my hubby while enjoying the pretty views and scenery...</div><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMzanmvMVzhHSYTNXRq_Vi0PwSqT9Ge661htngtBLjYX3ayfrMJslrffulymgVpgF-CTyJhaR-XhksSEsU6osu7yKuJr5jCmkNF8NhVFr2LgAlheBgcEarizR8u7LQ9plggl97WPTZ-gsm/s2000/Wild+Pony+Views+Chincoteague.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="2000" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMzanmvMVzhHSYTNXRq_Vi0PwSqT9Ge661htngtBLjYX3ayfrMJslrffulymgVpgF-CTyJhaR-XhksSEsU6osu7yKuJr5jCmkNF8NhVFr2LgAlheBgcEarizR8u7LQ9plggl97WPTZ-gsm/w640-h384/Wild+Pony+Views+Chincoteague.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;">And secondly, I'm not sad to see summer leaving because I am so excited to keep growing these little babies that we will get to meet next year! Another season passing means we are one season closer to their arrival :)<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6i6iNlg3Y06D_RQzi7EfR9t5nDJVgTRk8LdyqW2Q6s7lgM_fStpUGcNepOzMKbxGpehEg8VN7VhbFsrTNVH_7tVs6hqJ8NmYhyphenhyphen_ET6UyAa9Ug_pDi9B-BnIcbA-5wj7sXHX8AI6BeXDlw/s1280/Bardwell+Babies+Twin+Pregnancy+Beach.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1280" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6i6iNlg3Y06D_RQzi7EfR9t5nDJVgTRk8LdyqW2Q6s7lgM_fStpUGcNepOzMKbxGpehEg8VN7VhbFsrTNVH_7tVs6hqJ8NmYhyphenhyphen_ET6UyAa9Ug_pDi9B-BnIcbA-5wj7sXHX8AI6BeXDlw/w640-h640/Bardwell+Babies+Twin+Pregnancy+Beach.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><div style="text-align: center;">Until then I'll keep plugging along with my reading list - here's my most recent reads since my <a href="http://www.mygirlishwhims.com/2021/08/my-girlish-whims-book-club-36.html" target="_blank">last set of reviews </a>and my thoughts on each!<br /></div><br /><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>This post contains affiliate links</i></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;">
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<div style="text-align: center;"><h2><a href="https://amzn.to/3xvHJhV" target="_blank">The Last Letter from Your Lover </a></h2><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">By </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">JoJo Moyes. Synopsis from Amazon:</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span><i>It is 1960. When Jennifer Stirling wakes up in the hospital, she can
remember nothing-not the tragic car accident that put her there, not her
husband, not even who she is. She feels like a stranger in her own life
until she stumbles upon an impassioned letter, signed simply "B",
asking her to leave her husband. <br /><br />Years later, in 2003, a
journalist named Ellie discovers the same enigmatic letter in a
forgotten file in her newspaper's archives. She becomes obsessed by the
story and hopeful that it can resurrect her faltering career. Perhaps if
these lovers had a happy ending she will find one to her own
complicated love life, too. Ellie's search will rewrite history and help
her see the truth about her own modern romance. <br /><br />A spellbinding, intoxicating love story with a knockout ending,<u> The Last Letter from Your Lover</u> will appeal to the readers who have made <u>One Day </u>and <u>The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society</u> bestsellers.</i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i> <br /></i>Even though I've read a few books from JoJo Moyes, the first time I saw this book mentioned was during a preview for a new Netflix movie that popped up and automatically started playing when I opened Netflix recently. I thought the movie looked good so I added it to my watch list but when it flashed across the screen that it was based on a book by Moyes I knew I had to hold off on watching until I read the book, and I am so glad that I did! I loved this book. It kept me so interested in the story. Halfway through you are ripped away from the story of Jennifer in the 60s at a rather cliffhanger & frustrating ending, and I was kind of grumpy at the switch to a new modern day story line at first, but eventually modern day Ellie grew on me and I enjoyed following her part of the story as well. You get almost two stories in one in this book that of course end up intertwining and coming full circle. I adored Jennifer's character and even though this book navigates some tough subjects about marriage, infidelity and our choices in life I think it was done well. I already know the movie won't be able to compete since I enjoyed this one so much - definitely pick it up and give it a try!<br /></div><h2 class="MsoNormal"><span><a name='more'></a></span> </h2><h1 class="a-size-large a-spacing-none" id="title" style="text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgzjDJcilvzfwbgNYQjX7JYzuy-WCJBQr7Ov2reDmf6EsZ-RydbsviMTW9Tf0Mb1qtOMocUPuaTiX_yWj1mAncqa1XKDwlRv4JWrGaLViHOlqdrLqgBvw1M4g9rKNutMuPclbqKTRzyf9x/s2016/The+Push+Book+Review.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2016" data-original-width="1512" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgzjDJcilvzfwbgNYQjX7JYzuy-WCJBQr7Ov2reDmf6EsZ-RydbsviMTW9Tf0Mb1qtOMocUPuaTiX_yWj1mAncqa1XKDwlRv4JWrGaLViHOlqdrLqgBvw1M4g9rKNutMuPclbqKTRzyf9x/w480-h640/The+Push+Book+Review.jpg" width="480" /></a></div></h1><h1 class="a-size-large a-spacing-none" id="title" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3mhDQLv" target="_blank">The Push</a> <br /></h1><div style="text-align: center;"> By Ashley Audrain. Synopsis from Amazon:</div><div style="text-align: center;"><i> <br />Blythe Connor is determined that she will be the warm, comforting mother to her new baby Violet that she herself never had.<br /><br />But
in the thick of motherhood's exhausting early days, Blythe becomes
convinced that something is wrong with her daughter—she doesn't behave
like most children do.<br /><br />Or is it all in Blythe's head? Her
husband, Fox, says she's imagining things. The more Fox dismisses her
fears, the more Blythe begins to question her own sanity, and the more
we begin to question what Blythe is telling us about her life as well.<br /><br />Then
their son Sam is born—and with him, Blythe has the blissful connection
she'd always imagined with her child. Even Violet seems to love her
little brother. But when life as they know it is changed in an instant,
the devastating fall-out forces Blythe to face the truth.<br /><br /><u>The Push</u> is
a tour de force you will read in a sitting, an utterly immersive novel
that will challenge everything you think you know about motherhood,
about what we owe our children, and what it feels like when women are
not believed.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i> </i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i> </i>I really enjoyed the writing in this book and the story. I think more than anything, this book
makes you think. About the validity of nature verses nurture, if a
person/child can be inherently bad, about the all consuming throws of motherhood,
and about HOW to be a better mother. I read this book while pregnant and was
warned against it by a few people for some child violence and while there was
some, and one scene in particular that was quite heartbreaking, I’m still
glad I read it and don’t think it was too much. Maybe I've just read way more graphic/disturbed books, but I did not classify this as one that would fit in that realm at all. It makes me want to
have a better marriage, a better connection with my children, but still
really made me think and emote a lot with the characters and I think
that is always the sign of a good book. This is not a fairytale happy ending book with butterflies and rainbows but it was an emotional and gripping story that left you thinking about it after the book was done, and I would definitely read it again.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh68vh64z_U_ifXYmDUZjpZjl9GiLqEZrqvzky0XoG9x6TwSvaKSto54w59y_Rs2YfIpqUhxRkG8qp_XE31AuuSQcfpJNS1u3OMnN77GnERYHcMEcR78A6vZOh7AHaVLEQ6jLIZPE7ZGeDp/s1762/The+Alice+Network+Book+Review.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1762" data-original-width="1512" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh68vh64z_U_ifXYmDUZjpZjl9GiLqEZrqvzky0XoG9x6TwSvaKSto54w59y_Rs2YfIpqUhxRkG8qp_XE31AuuSQcfpJNS1u3OMnN77GnERYHcMEcR78A6vZOh7AHaVLEQ6jLIZPE7ZGeDp/w550-h640/The+Alice+Network+Book+Review.jpg" width="550" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><h2><a href="https://amzn.to/3y8Kfed" target="_blank"> The Alice Network</a></h2></div><div style="text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">By Kate Quinn</span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">. Synopsis from Amazon: </span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span></div><div><p><i>1947. In the chaotic aftermath of World War II, American
college girl Charlie St. Clair is pregnant, unmarried, and on the verge
of being thrown out of her very proper family. She's also nursing a
desperate hope that her beloved cousin Rose, who disappeared in
Nazi-occupied France during the war, might still be alive. So when
Charlie's parents banish her to Europe to have her "little problem"
taken care of, Charlie breaks free and heads to London, determined to
find out what happened to the cousin she loves like a sister.</i></p><p><i>1915.
A year into the Great War, Eve Gardiner burns to join the fight against
the Germans and unexpectedly gets her chance when she's recruited to
work as a spy. Sent into enemy-occupied France, she's trained by the
mesmerizing Lili, the "Queen of Spies", who manages a vast network of
secret agents right under the enemy's nose. </i></p><p><i>Thirty years later,
haunted by the betrayal that ultimately tore apart the Alice Network,
Eve spends her days drunk and secluded in her crumbling London house.
Until a young American barges in uttering a name Eve hasn't heard in
decades, and launches them both on a mission to find the truth...no
matter where it leads.</i></p><p><i> </i></p></div> What a wonderful book this was! I am so glad I read it. I haven't read anything by Kate Quinn before and I really enjoyed this story. I didn't realize going into the book that the story was loosely based on real spies during WWI which made the story all that much more impactful after I finished as well. I enjoyed the dual story line: following both present day Charlie St. Clair and her trio of misfits trekking across France to find answers on her lost cousin, and the interspersed background and story of Eve Gardiner training, fighting and navigating her way as a woman spy during the war. I appreciated the character growth in Charlie and Eve, how even during a story heavy with danger and hardship there were still sections that made me smile and laugh a bit, and there was plenty of story to follow that kept me entertained throughout the entire book. This was a great mix of history and fiction done very well, and I would recommend giving it a read.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><h2 class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://amzn.to/3kbMMPU" target="_blank">Where the Grass is Green and the Girls are Pretty <br /></a></h2>
By <span class="a-size-medium">Lauren </span><span class="a-size-medium"><span class="a-size-medium">Weisberger</span>.
</span> Synopsis from Amazon:</div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /><br />A seat at the anchor desk of the most-watched morning show.
Recognized by millions across the country, thanks in part to her
flawless blond highlights and Botox-smoothed skin. An adoring husband
and a Princeton-bound daughter. Peyton is that woman. She has it all.<br /> Until . . .<br />
Skye, her sister, is a stay-at-home mom living in a glitzy suburb of
New York. She has degrees from all the right schools and can
helicopter-parent with the best of them. But Skye is different from the
rest. She’s looking for something real and dreams of a life beyond the
PTA and pickup.<br /> Until . . .<br /> Max, Peyton’s bright and
quirky seventeen-year-old daughter, is poised to kiss her fancy private
school goodbye and head off to pursue her dreams in film. She’s waited
her entire life for this opportunity.<br /> Until . . .<br /> One
little lie. That’s all it takes. For the illusions to crack. For
resentments to surface. Suddenly the grass doesn’t look so green. And
they’re left wondering: will they have what it takes to survive the
truth?</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i> </i></div><div style="text-align: center;">I did not like this book AT ALL. I'm mad that I spent $15 bucks on it as a new release! I bought it since I loved <u>The Devil Wears Prada </u>by Weisberger and I was hoping for a good summer chick lit book, but this was just an utter disappointment. I think the biggest problem was that I had no empathy and could not connect or relate to any of the characters. Peyton was not likeable, she deserved what she got! I have no sympathy for a rich and not exceedingly kind/real character breaking the law trying to "keep up with the Joneses." The author tried to make you feel bad for Skye as well living in this glitzy suburb when she was "so much better" than these other moms because she volunteered and adopted and was working on a charity project, but really she was living the same exact life as they were and had a spending problem! This book was a dud, I wish I could get back my $15 and my time spent reading it. The characters were flat and the story annoyed me - nothing was likeable about it. Stay away!<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Even though today is Labor Day I still have a bit of work to catch up on so now that these reviews are done I'm off to see how quickly I can finish that up so I can hopefully still make it to my gym in time to workout and lay by the pool and read a bit in the sunshine on the last day the pool is open. Enjoy your holiday, and happy reading!<br /></div></div>
</div>Rebecca @ My Girlish Whimshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17825981722220301082noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7847365927497704283.post-90399640114731563662021-08-13T08:30:00.001-04:002021-08-13T08:30:00.241-04:00My Girlish Whims Book Club #36<div style="text-align: center;">Since I announced from<a href="http://www.mygirlishwhims.com/2021/07/my-pregnancy-story-after-struggling-to.html" target="_blank"> pretty big news on here</a> last, my reading selection has gotten a bit more diverse! I've started to read a lot more nonfiction books in preparation of welcoming TWINS next year and I'm proud to say I'm sticking with it because I normally <i>really</i> truly suck at reading nonfiction books, lol. Luckily I know I have lots to learn about becoming a mom though so I have extra motivation to keep reading my baby books, but fiction books still will always be a true passion and hobby of mine that I use to relax so I'm still reading plenty of those as well! Here is a round up of all the fiction books I have been reading lately since my <a href="http://www.mygirlishwhims.com/2021/07/my-girlish-whims-book-club-35.html" target="_blank">last set of reviews</a>!</div><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLNa5qtz6-Nbjnbg_iA4_S-NCvq1e6QZ_93u9fYWskbwWSiKqerUiZJ8HPcqZoj3qTU9bbFb6Lv-a88X3Ng_HqMJwyu-_Rxp5Tc24nJr_0g51DV3hpTC5AvEb8DnFilHGD0PNr8zHvOxFf/s2048/the+seven+day+switch+book+review.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLNa5qtz6-Nbjnbg_iA4_S-NCvq1e6QZ_93u9fYWskbwWSiKqerUiZJ8HPcqZoj3qTU9bbFb6Lv-a88X3Ng_HqMJwyu-_Rxp5Tc24nJr_0g51DV3hpTC5AvEb8DnFilHGD0PNr8zHvOxFf/w462-h640/the+seven+day+switch+book+review.JPG" width="462" /></a></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>This post contains affiliate links</i></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;">
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<div style="text-align: center;"><h2><a href="https://amzn.to/3xn2ywG" target="_blank">Wher</a><a href="https://amzn.to/3xn2ywG" target="_blank">e'd You Go Bernadette</a><br /></h2><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">By </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Maria Semple. Synopsis from Amazon: </span></span><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><i>Bernadette Fox is notorious. To her Microsoft-guru husband, she's a
fearlessly opinionated partner; to fellow private-school mothers in
Seattle, she's a disgrace; to design mavens, she's a revolutionary
architect; and to 15-year-old Bee, she is her best friend and, simply,
Mom. <br /><br /> Then Bernadette vanishes. It all began when Bee aced her
report card and claimed her promised reward: a family trip to
Antarctica. But Bernadette's intensifying allergy to Seattle -- and
people in general -- has made her so agoraphobic that a virtual
assistant in India now runs her most basic errands. A trip to the end of
the earth is problematic. <br /><br /> To find her mother, Bee compiles
email messages, official documents, and secret correspondence --
creating a compulsively readable and surprisingly touching novel about
misplaced genius and a mother and daughter's role in an absurd world.</i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i> <br /></i>This was a light and enjoyable book to read. Bernadette was definitely kooky but still oh so lovable, sincere, passionate and funny. The set-up of the book took me a bit to adjust to at first as it alternated between having the story told mostly between emails amongst the different characters with some interjecting of story telling by daughter Bee, but it actually really added to pace of the book and humor at times as well. I loved seeing the petty battles going on between Bernadette and those school mom "gnats," how much she overthought and worried about the most basic tasks such as packing for a family vacation, and learning more about her past history as an architect, artist, and someone who struggled so hard to become a mother. I thought this book was funny and an easy read all while interjecting values on the importance of family, staying true to yourself, second chances, and to never take yourself too seriously.<br /></div><h2 class="MsoNormal"><span><a name='more'></a></span> </h2><h1 class="a-size-large a-spacing-none" id="title" style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://amzn.to/3eEnkjW" target="_blank">The Seven Day Switch</a> <br /></h1><div style="text-align: center;"> By Kelly Harms. Synopsis from Amazon:</div><div style="text-align: center;"><i> <br /></i><p><i>Celeste Mason is the Pinterest stay-at-home supermom of other
mothers’ nightmares. Despite her all-organic, SunButter-loving,
free-range kids, her immaculate home, and her volunteering awards, she
still has time to relax with a nice glass of pinot at the end of the
day. The only thing that ruins it all is her workaholic, career-obsessed
neighbor, who makes no secret of what she thinks of Celeste’s life
choices every chance she gets.</i></p><p><i>Wendy Charles is a celebrated
productivity consultant, columnist, and speaker. On a minute-by-minute
schedule, she makes the working-mom hustle look easy. She even spends at
least one waking hour a day with her kids. She’s not apologizing for a
thing. Especially to Celeste, who plays her superior parenting against
Wendy whenever she can.</i></p><p><i>Who do Celeste and Wendy think they are?
They’re about to find out thanks to one freaky week. After a
neighborhood potluck and too much sangria, they wake up—um, what?—in
each other’s bodies. Everything Celeste and Wendy thought they knew
about the “other kind of mom” is flipped upside down—along with their
messy, complicated, maybe not so different lives.</i></p><p><i> </i></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i> </i>I loved this book! It was an easy read that still hit on some really valuable points and lessons that I think all moms or moms-to-be can benefit from. The "Freaky Friday" nod of body swapping was a fun way to tell the story and while obviously not realistic, it worked well for this story. I liked how the story & swap gave each character enlightenment to appreciate what they have, fight for what they are worth, and simplify and get rid of the mom guilt whenever possible. I thought this was an extremely relatable book in a fun chick-lit format. I only wish that the story would have expanded a bit more on the frenemy factor between Wendy and Celeste and showed a bit more of their lives BEFORE the swap took place, but overall I still loved the read and would recommend picking it up! </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><h2> <a href="https://amzn.to/3kI8OeS" target="_blank">The Invisible Life</a><a href="https://amzn.to/3kI8OeS" target="_blank"> of Addie LaRue</a><br /></h2></div><div style="text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">By V. E. Schwab</span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">. Synopsis from Amazon: </span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span><br />
</div><div><i>France, 1714: in a moment of desperation, a young woman makes a Faustian
bargain to live forever―and is cursed to be forgotten by everyone she
meets.<br /><br />Thus begins the extraordinary life of Addie LaRue, and a
dazzling adventure that will play out across centuries and continents,
across history and art, as a young woman learns how far she will go to
leave her mark on the world.<br /><br /> But everything changes when, after
nearly 300 years, Addie stumbles across a young man in a hidden
bookstore and he remembers her name.</i></div><div><i> </i></div><div style="text-align: center;">After a few chick-lit, light style books I needed a change of pace so I picked this book up, and am so glad that I did. This book was so different from other stories I've read, but definitely in a good way! The book covers such a long time span - literally starting in the 1700s and then alternating between present day 2000s and going back in time up until the present, but the book never felt long or dull. I really enjoyed following Addie's life through different centuries and countries and sharing the hardship of her life where no one could remember her, she could not hold onto anything, even her true name couldn't be uttered from her lips. This book brings up such an interesting idea of what you would be willing to sacrifice, what type of "deal with the devil" you would make to get your own way and the consequences of that choice. Addie's relationship with the devil himself was very unique and odd but added a lot to the story. Addie was a strong female character and I enjoyed watching her cope with life, enjoy her sexuality and make the best of her situation until she finally meets someone who remembers her. This is a unique love story and concept for a book and I am glad that I gave it a read!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><h2 class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://amzn.to/3A5rvyq" target="_blank">The Last Summer of the Golden Hotel<br /></a></h2>
By <span class="a-size-medium">Elyssa Friedland.
</span> Synopsis from Amazon:</div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />In its heyday, The Golden Hotel was the crown jewel of the
hotter-than-hot Catskills vacation scene. For more than sixty years, the
Goldman and Weingold families – best friends and business partners –
have presided over this glamorous resort which served as a second home
for well-heeled guests and celebrities. But the Catskills are not what
they used to be – and neither is the relationship between the Goldmans
and the Weingolds. As the facilities and management begin to fall apart,
a tempting offer to sell forces the two families together again to make
a heart-wrenching decision. Can they save their beloved Golden or is it
too late?<br /><br /> Long-buried secrets emerge, new dramas and financial
scandal erupt, and everyone from the traditional grandparents to the
millennial grandchildren wants a say in the hotel’s future. Business and
pleasure clash in this fast-paced, hilarious, nostalgia-filled story,
where the hotel owners rediscover the magic of a bygone era of nonstop
fun even as they grapple with what may be their last resort.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i> </i></div><div style="text-align: center;">This was a summertime vibin' book filled with nostalgic vibes. If you've watched <u>The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel</u> and enjoyed the season where Midge and her family spent the summer at a resort in the Catskills, that's basically the setting of The Golden Hotel back in it's prime. I enjoyed following the multi-generations of the owners of the hotels and the scandals and secrets that everyone was hiding. There are a few different characters to keep track of and I read one review from a bookstagrammer that listed that as a negative, but it really wasn't hard for me to keep the stories/character straight. The younger kids annoyed me a bit (Phoebe made be cringe and Zach and Maddie just seemed like they had no real spine/direction and their character growth just was a little too cliche at the end of the book for me). There were some fun laughs along the way though and this was overall a cute and endearing book about family, overcoming obstacles and how things change with time. I enjoyed the read, but thought the overall story was just ok and it definitely not one my favorite summertime books of the season. <br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><div style="text-align: center;">This weekend I'm heading back down to Chincoteague, Virginia with my husband's family for our annual summer week vacation and I am very much looking forward to making some more progress on my reading list while plopped on the beach and watching the ocean! I've only got one book packed for the trip so far so I will definitely need to hit up the local book shop while I'm down there, or I would love to hear any recommendations of what you are currently reading and enjoying that I could pick up ahead of time!<br /></div></div>
</div>Rebecca @ My Girlish Whimshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17825981722220301082noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7847365927497704283.post-47102666111811365182021-08-10T21:00:00.002-04:002021-08-10T21:00:00.306-04:00Your Girlish Whims #524 & Party Retirement Announcement<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Time for another Your Whims Wednesday Party...and time for me to announce my retirement of this link party. Gasp!!</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I started hosting these link parties when I first started this blog back in college circa 2011. This was when craft blogs were all the rage and Pinterest was something that was just starting to take off! I loved posting tutorials on this blog weekly, linking them up to other parties, finding other crafters and bloggers and admiring the features and then hosting my own party to do the same. Over the last 10 years though obviously the crafting/blogging world has changed a lot. I use this blog to post things every now and again but obviously am not posting nearly as many tutorials & recipes as I used to. With two babies on the way next year (!!!) I hope to still continue sharing bits of my life on here and my creative endeavors, but I think the time has come for me to stop hosting these parties. I have LOVED reviewing your links each week and getting to know you all! Thank you for coming to my corner of the internet each week to share your projects with me. If you don't already, I would love for you to give me a follow on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/mygirlishwhims/" target="_blank">instagram </a>and say hi! My Girlish Whims isn't going anywhere - and I hope that as I start a new phase of life next year as a first time, full time momma I can still make & find time for all of my girlish whims and sharing them here with you all outside of these link parties.<br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span><br />
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Thus, with that being said...here are my favorites from last week's party!</div><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><div style="text-align: center;">Antique Dresser Chalk Paint Makeover by <a href="https://www.myfrenchtwist.com/antique-dresser-chalk-paint-makeover/" target="_blank">My French Twist</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img class="attachment-post-thumbnail size-post-thumbnail wp-post-image jetpack-lazy-image jetpack-lazy-image--handled" data-lazy-loaded="1" height="640" src="https://www.myfrenchtwist.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/IMG_5238-1.jpg" width="536" /> <br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><div style="text-align: center;">Baby Blanket with Pom Poms by <a href="https://howling-liz.blogspot.com/2021/07/baby-blanket-with-pompoms.html" target="_blank">Howling at the Moon </a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1033" data-original-width="750" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggG9lRYwePMBNMJ_IHPQ5biwUP6VAyDJ9dGIEgJGayivRcEKPybZ_nHMTjf6WGSZEm0Ofztjq-SPddgYPM7JhcIN07yDWNmBI9Nbe97vYQG4x6042eTpb1fM9fCk5zMwZn7bBrokDmypc/w464-h640/222674626_908851053041616_8826156332080030031_n.jpg" width="464" /></div><div><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Limoncello Sunrise Cocktail by <a href="https://www.thekitchenismyplayground.com/2021/07/limoncello-sunrise-cocktail.html" target="_blank">The Kitchen is my Playground</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Limoncello Sunrise Cocktail Image" border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="553" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCGu0AGROMOFVdKRYErwbqDG1mFIlOuec3Lbz1GZN8Ftyxit6184jVdKGEhA5O3mDH_IAaOak6nZnoLc6YYB3JXCghfRyGsnu4M3nnW4JO9K7qa3UlPVXnlF4laFWKdxfWUI6bT6L9U_g/w442-h640/Limoncello-Sunrise-Image+1.JPG" title="Limoncello Sunrise Cocktail Image" width="442" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">How to Look Classy at the Beach or Pool by <a href="https://www.lamoumous.com/2021/07/how-to-look-classy-elegant-at-beach-or.html" target="_blank">La Moumous</a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="427" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgveGRZ-aqhyzvnSkXD-AWQdQ3a4BkQu0_suX5ARlDDB320gvKonNZx-Jwclt12iOyZRZp4v0PuGVJKqRgSMG_kpMFPqRLq1DdiAt5KWUFG2HvOLh91D2wTaMePa7xoB2dUbEAiVrx7UQ5F/w640-h427/IMG_0274.jpg" width="640" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: center;">Thanks to all who linked up! Grab a button if you were featured :)<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">I show off <u style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">my</u> girlish whims weekly on my blog, and now I want to see <u style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">yours </u><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">with </span></span><br />
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<!--end InLinkz code--></div></div>Rebecca @ My Girlish Whimshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17825981722220301082noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7847365927497704283.post-26589088502860194152021-08-03T21:00:00.001-04:002021-08-03T21:00:00.308-04:00Your Whims Wednesday #523 {And Features}<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Time for another Your Whims Wednesday Party!</span></span></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
Here are some of my favorites from last week's party:</div><br /><div><div style="text-align: center;">IKEA Hemnes Hack by <a href="https://www.pillarboxblue.com/ikea-hemnes-hack-upcycled-drawers-with-wallpaper/" target="_blank">Pillar Box Blue</a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Tropical IKEA Hemnes Hack" class="lazyload" data-pin-description="An easy and affordable transformation of an IKEA Hemnes chest of drawers with wallpaper and chalk paint. Blue paint and Amazon wallpaper" data-pin-media="https://www.pillarboxblue.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/IKEA-hemnes-hack-wallpered-dresser-s.jpg" data-pin-title="IKEA Hemnes Hack- Upcycled Drawers with Wallpaper" data-src="https://www.pillarboxblue.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/IKEA-hemnes-hack-wallpered-dresser-s.jpg.webp" data-srcset="https://www.pillarboxblue.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/IKEA-hemnes-hack-wallpered-dresser-s.jpg.webp 800w, https://www.pillarboxblue.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/IKEA-hemnes-hack-wallpered-dresser-s-200x300.jpg.webp 200w, https://www.pillarboxblue.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/IKEA-hemnes-hack-wallpered-dresser-s-735x1103.jpg.webp 735w, https://www.pillarboxblue.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/IKEA-hemnes-hack-wallpered-dresser-s-223x335.jpg.webp 223w, https://www.pillarboxblue.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/IKEA-hemnes-hack-wallpered-dresser-s-231x347.jpg.webp 231w, https://www.pillarboxblue.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/IKEA-hemnes-hack-wallpered-dresser-s-347x520.jpg.webp 347w, https://www.pillarboxblue.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/IKEA-hemnes-hack-wallpered-dresser-s-427x640.jpg.webp 427w, https://www.pillarboxblue.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/IKEA-hemnes-hack-wallpered-dresser-s-512x768.jpg.webp 512w, https://www.pillarboxblue.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/IKEA-hemnes-hack-wallpered-dresser-s-640x960.jpg.webp 640w, https://www.pillarboxblue.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/IKEA-hemnes-hack-wallpered-dresser-s-720x1080.jpg.webp 720w" data-webp="true" height="640" id="mv-trellis-img-17" src="https://www.pillarboxblue.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/IKEA-hemnes-hack-wallpered-dresser-s.jpg.webp" width="427" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Crop Top Outfit by <a href="https://www.curatedbyjennifer.com/2021/07/crop-top/" target="_blank">Curated by Jennifer</a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-20728 lazyloaded" data-attachment-id="20728" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-caption="" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"2","credit":"","camera":"iPhone 11 Pro","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1624894866","copyright":"","focal_length":"6","iso":"20","shutter_speed":"0.0066666666666667","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="linen top burgundy skirt (25 of 27)" data-jpibfi-indexer="6" data-jpibfi-post-excerpt="" data-jpibfi-post-title="Crop Top and Health Update" data-jpibfi-post-url="https://www.curatedbyjennifer.com/2021/07/crop-top/" data-jpibfi-src="https://www.curatedbyjennifer.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/linen-top-burgundy-skirt-25-of-27.jpg" data-large-file="https://www.curatedbyjennifer.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/linen-top-burgundy-skirt-25-of-27-768x1024.jpg" data-lazy-src-webp="https://www.curatedbyjennifer.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/linen-top-burgundy-skirt-25-of-27.jpg.webp" data-lazy-srcset-webp="https://www.curatedbyjennifer.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/linen-top-burgundy-skirt-25-of-27.jpg.webp 1244w, https://www.curatedbyjennifer.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/linen-top-burgundy-skirt-25-of-27-225x300.jpg.webp 225w, https://www.curatedbyjennifer.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/linen-top-burgundy-skirt-25-of-27-768x1024.jpg.webp 768w, https://www.curatedbyjennifer.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/linen-top-burgundy-skirt-25-of-27-1152x1536.jpg.webp 1152w" data-ll-status="loaded" data-medium-file="https://www.curatedbyjennifer.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/linen-top-burgundy-skirt-25-of-27-225x300.jpg" data-orig-file="https://www.curatedbyjennifer.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/linen-top-burgundy-skirt-25-of-27.jpg" data-orig-size="1244,1659" data-permalink="https://www.curatedbyjennifer.com/2021/07/crop-top/linen-top-burgundy-skirt-25-of-27/" height="640" src="https://www.curatedbyjennifer.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/linen-top-burgundy-skirt-25-of-27.jpg.webp" width="480" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Sparkling Limoncello Cooler by <a href="https://www.thekitchenismyplayground.com/2015/06/sparkling-limoncello-cooler.html" target="_blank">The Kitchen is my Playground</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Sparkling Limoncello Cooler Cocktail Image" border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="552" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTXQgT70PzGoXzwV9VVSri7BEZ9IewF-L5LsY95cRu_iAw_BsbMS9bHszhIH7aN747C63z8ZDAXF_EDK-0_xX7zpZbl_jSP_ouZFBwgOl_lOLZwPuq5-eCS9Dj2ZOA3wDwSECphNJMIw4/w442-h640/Sparkling-Limoncello-Cooler-Image+4.JPG" title="Sparkling Limoncello Cooler Cocktail Image" width="442" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Cucumber Tomato Salad by <a href="https://www.thededicatedhouse.com/cucumber-tomato-salad-with-creamy-herb-dressing/" target="_blank">The Dedicated House</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Cucumber Tomato Salad" class="aligncenter wp-image-35281 size-large" data-attachment-id="35281" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-caption="" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"1"}" data-image-title="" data-large-file="https://i1.wp.com/www.thededicatedhouse.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Cuccumber-and-Tomato-Salad-1-e1626823518184.jpeg?fit=562%2C650&ssl=1" data-medium-file="https://i1.wp.com/www.thededicatedhouse.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Cuccumber-and-Tomato-Salad-1-e1626823518184.jpeg?fit=259%2C300&ssl=1" data-orig-file="https://i1.wp.com/www.thededicatedhouse.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Cuccumber-and-Tomato-Salad-1-e1626823518184.jpeg?fit=699%2C809&ssl=1" data-orig-size="699,809" data-permalink="https://www.thededicatedhouse.com/cucumber-tomato-salad-with-creamy-herb-dressing/cuccumber-and-tomato-salad-1/" data-recalc-dims="1" height="640" src="https://i2.wp.com/www.thededicatedhouse.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Cuccumber-and-Tomato-Salad-1-e1626823518184-562x650.jpeg?resize=562%2C650&ssl=1" width="553" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: center;">Thanks to all who linked up! Grab a button if you were featured :)<br />
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1.
Link up as many projects as you would like: as long as it is one of
your girly ways, you can link it! I'd love to see crafts, recipes, style
posts, etc. Anything and everything feminine :)</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">2.Please add my button to either your blog post or somewhere on your blog. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">3. Take a quick moment to comment on at least one other entry. We we all love comments!! </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">4.I'd love if you would follow me as well :)</span><br />
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<!-- end InLinkz code --></div></div>Rebecca @ My Girlish Whimshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17825981722220301082noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7847365927497704283.post-6902902739934083682021-07-27T21:00:00.001-04:002021-07-27T21:00:00.262-04:00Your Whims Wednesday #522 {And Features}<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Time for another Your Whims Wednesday Party!</span></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.mygirlishwhims.com/"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZgj0Dm7AsPZUR78eSXfyFzMIMpL-_n4gUDfmulCkvrGMO89L-lTUIOIfbw1zuo5DvxST7Zb8bG2zGyHm5FfvhhyphenhyphenmWmJRISCU2a0na3nlsyBDVvAxDNVzBAFqHTReAq-c-oHwJ5HL664iI/s1600/YWW+Button.jpg"/></a></center>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
Here are some of my favorites from last week's party:</div><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><div style="text-align: center;">Free Pineapple Gift Bag Crochet Pattern by <a href="https://eyeloveknots.com/2021/07/pineapple-soap-cozy-or-small-gift-bag-free-crochet-pattern.html" target="_blank">Eye Love Knots</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img class="wp-image-13028" height="640" src="https://eyeloveknots.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/ET_PineappleSoap_06.jpg" width="486" /> <br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><div style="text-align: center;">DIY Faux Brick Accent Wall by <a href="https://simplybeautifulbyangela.com/2021/07/diy-faux-brick-accent-wall.html" target="_blank">Simply Beautiful by Angela</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img class="wp-image-16988" data-jpibfi-indexer="9" data-jpibfi-post-excerpt="" data-jpibfi-post-title="DIY Faux Brick Accent Wall" data-jpibfi-post-url="https://simplybeautifulbyangela.com/2021/07/diy-faux-brick-accent-wall.html" data-jpibfi-src="https://i2.wp.com/simplybeautifulbyangela.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Faux-Brick-Wall-Tutorial-Reveal-2.jpg?resize=682%2C1024&ssl=1" data-recalc-dims="1" height="640" src="https://i2.wp.com/simplybeautifulbyangela.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Faux-Brick-Wall-Tutorial-Reveal-2.jpg?resize=682%2C1024&ssl=1" width="426" /></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Hemingway Daiquiri Recipe by <a href="https://satsumadesigns.com/blogs/satsuma-designs/hemingway-daiquiri-recipe" target="_blank">Satsuma Designs</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Click through for to make my Hemingway Daiquiri cocktail recipe for a festive cocktail party | Hemingway daiquiri | daiquiri recipes | Rum cocktail recipes | SatsumaDesigns.com #cocktails #entertaining" height="640" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0791/9807/files/hemingway_daiquiri_recipe_4.jpg?v=1529273044" style="float: none;" width="429" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">DIY Key Chain Lip Gloss Holder by <a href="https://www.shescraftycrafty.com/2021/07/diy-key-chain-lip-balm-holder.html" target="_blank">She's Crafty</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Keychain Lip balm Holder Pinterest Pin" border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="600" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDyGZtslLKWo43z0iyW0Nzq5lyDajHxBoVkcshPo8TZB1Gae_f0Rk104723XLfXUv1KFW_ceAni5cMzupWR3jWq6y9Aspfq95_NxADlJzvFp1OUn3d6JTqibeyA-yv-PzE4GJJoQkt2QO6/w427-h640/Key+Chain+Lip+Balm+Holder.jpg" title="Keychain Lip balm Holder Pinterest Pin" width="427" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: center;">Thanks to all who linked up! Grab a button if you were featured :)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix56CpzpV1-bcFjl9wup1lSqnN0ALzHRlJl2WpSauiKtH9qrlVIXs09crAPXopUCO-x2H6K0VC7XY_v-6O9ShIu1T3YwybPwnDuc8rDYL_xpnjDQ8SebHcKQjkRA61XjHmeeYN3skJr574/s1600/Featured+on+MGW.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="206" data-original-width="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix56CpzpV1-bcFjl9wup1lSqnN0ALzHRlJl2WpSauiKtH9qrlVIXs09crAPXopUCO-x2H6K0VC7XY_v-6O9ShIu1T3YwybPwnDuc8rDYL_xpnjDQ8SebHcKQjkRA61XjHmeeYN3skJr574/s1600/Featured+on+MGW.jpg" /></a> </div><div style="text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://www.mygirlishwhims.com/"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix56CpzpV1-bcFjl9wup1lSqnN0ALzHRlJl2WpSauiKtH9qrlVIXs09crAPXopUCO-x2H6K0VC7XY_v-6O9ShIu1T3YwybPwnDuc8rDYL_xpnjDQ8SebHcKQjkRA61XjHmeeYN3skJr574/s1600/Featured+on+MGW.jpg"/></a></center>
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Now... onto this weeks party!</center>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">I show off <u style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">my</u> girlish whims weekly on my blog, and now I want to see <u style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">yours </u><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">with </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Your Whims Wednesday!</span></b></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><u style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><br /></u></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center;">
<u>Guidlines:</u></div>
<div style="line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center;">
1.
Link up as many projects as you would like: as long as it is one of
your girly ways, you can link it! I'd love to see crafts, recipes, style
posts, etc. Anything and everything feminine :)</div>
<div style="line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">2.Please add my button to either your blog post or somewhere on your blog. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">3. Take a quick moment to comment on at least one other entry. We we all love comments!! </span></div>
<div style="line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">4.I'd love if you would follow me as well :)</span><br />
<br /></div>
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