Book Review: The Roanoke Girls

Book: The Roanoke Girls
Author: Amy Engel
Publisher/Publish Date: Crown / March 7, 2017

"Beautiful.  Rich.  Mysterious.
Everyone wants to be a Roanoke girl.
But you won't when you know the truth." 
(Goodreads)

I am a huge fan of stories with a twist and this had a few of them. The novel follows the life of Lane Roanoke, who goes to live with her grandparents after the suicide of her mother. Told in flashbacks and side stories, we learn the history of the women who have lived in the Roanoke household. That along with the wealth and beauty, so far all the girls have either run or died. 

Through Lane we discover the hidden secrets of the family. I have to say that there were parts that  I did not care for, but other parts I enjoyed. The writing style is personal and emotional, and allows you connect easily with the main character. So beware, the book is dark and a bit disturbing, so read only if you like those types of books.

I received a free copy of this book from Blogging for Books for this review.

Book Review : You Are the Beloved

Book: You Are the Beloved: Daily Meditations for Spiritual Living
Author: Henri J.M. Nouwen
Publisher/Publish Date: Convergent Books / October 31, 2017

"This is a book of daily meditations, selected from the writings, talks, and letters of Henri Nouwen... Taking time for daily meditation was crucial for Henri. It was his time to be present to God, to hear God speak to him." (introduction)

Henri Nouwen is an author I have enjoyed for awhile. I read his book The Return of the Prodigal Son a few years ago and loved his ability to shine a new light on a bible story, forcing me to look at it from different points of view, while identifying how I am like the characters in the story.

This latest devotional book, combines some of his writing, talks and letters, in a year long devotional, each entry being a page or less. Nouwen snuggled with loneliness and anxiety, and found strength and wisdom by spending devoted time with God each day. And in that same way, this book is a great tool to draw us closer to God each day.

I look forward to reading this through the year. I highly recommend checking out his many other books on spiritual life.


I received a free copy of this book from Blogging for Books for this review.
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Nothing to Prove - Book Review

Book: Nothing to Prove: Why We Can Stop Trying So Hard 
Author: Jennie Allen
Publisher/Publish Date: Waterbook Press / January 31, 2017

This was the first book I read from Jennie Allen and it won't be the last. If you are not familiar with Allen, here's a little back ground. She started in college leading bible studies and has written a couple Bible Studies. In 2013 she established the IF:Gathering, an annual conference to "gather, equip, and unleash women to live out God's calling on their lives. While the main event takes places in Austin, TX, it's simulcast all over the world and I recommend everyone attending, it's inspiring, encouraging and a lot of fun.

Onto the book. I had heard about the book from Allen through Facebook as she was starting to write it. I think this topic is timely and something that all women can relate to. We try to prove we are good enough, smart enough, pretty enough, friendly enough, helpful enough. But what if God is enough? He've proven it all, and what if we don't have to work as hard as we do.

Allen presents us with 7 stories from the Bible of where God was enough, showing how his disciples, and others in the Bible found rest and freedom in Christ. How abiding in Christ fills us up, makes us enough for everything he wants to do through us.

Read this book to be encouraged, refreshed, and inspired to allow God to do amazing things through you. To sit back, take a deep breath, and stop trying to prove yourself, since we have Nothing to Prove.


I received a free copy of this book from Blogging for Books for this review.

Braving It - Book Review

Book: Braving It: A Father, a Daughter, and an Unforgettable Journey into the Alaskan Wild 
Author: James Campbell
Publisher/Publish Date: Crown / May 10, 2016

It's not a secret, I really enjoy reading wilderness adventure books. Often I read books about the hiking the Appalachian Trail, traveling a crossed Australia on camelback, solo trips across the ocean, and lots of books like that. Definitely an armchair traveler. As exciting as it sounds, I know that I enjoy reading about it much more that I would enjoy being on any of these trips.

This book was no exception. Loved reading it, and following along on their adventure, but don't think I would be up for braving the Alaskan wild like they do.

This book, Braving It, follows a father and his daughter as they head to Alaska on three different trips. The father had fallen in love with Alaska when he was younger, and wanted to share his experiences with his daughter. Lucky for him his daughter loved the adventure just as much, falling in love with the northern wilderness, the icy isolation, and the beauty unique to that area of our world.

It was exciting to follow along on their final trip, which included backpacking as well as a canoe trip down a river in northern Alaska. In the middle of no where they could view nature in her rawest form, both the best and the worst she could throw at them. 

I recommend this book to anyone who loves stories about adventures and the close knit bond between a father and his daughter. And an amazing way to view the beauty of Alaska in the warmth of my home and on the comfort of my couch. 

I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.

The Invoice by Jonas Karlsson - Book Review

Book: The Invoice
Author: Jonas Karlsson
Publisher/Publish Date: Hogarth / July 12, 2016

I got this cute little book to review, and was pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed it. The author, Jonas Karlsson, who also wrote The Room, does an amazing job of crafting an intriguing story from a small plot point.

The main character one day receives a mysterious invoice in the mail, and a call to the help center leads him down a rabbit hole into the mysterious question of what is the cost of a pleasant life.

Though not a super deep book, it does make you think about the big and small things in life that make life good, make it worth living. And if just sailing along pleasantly is really the best path to take, or take a harder, more difficult and exiting path in life. It's a fairly quick read, and I'd recommend it to anyone that likes slightly quirky and unusual novels. Looking forward to reading more in the future from this author.

I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.

Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City - Book Review

Book: Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City
Author: Matthew Desmond
Publisher/Publish Date: Crown / March 1, 2016

"From Harvard sociologist and MacArthur "Genius" Matthew Desmond, a landmark work of scholarship and reportage that will forever change the way we look at poverty in America" (From Goodreads.com)

This is a brilliant book I highly recommend everyone to read. Matthew Desmond tells the story of single moms spending 70% of their income on housing that has no hot water. Stories of families getting evicted over and over again as they try to keep a steady job and make enough to cover rent as well as feed their kids. He includes stories of the landlords who have the power to let the rent slide or evict the tenants, and the challenges they face trying to make a living off of property in poor neighborhoods. You can't read these stories and not come away unchanged.

I'm so impressed that Desmond committed to living in these neighborhoods where evictions are common and immerse in the lives of the people in his book. He put himself in a situation to truly learn, from the inside, what the lives of the landlords and tenants look like.

While I enjoy learning more about subjects like this, this book was hard to read. As I got further into the book, it was really depressing the situation many people in the US are in. I actually stopped reading it for about a week, with just the last chapter to read. But, in the end, it was worth it. I value the information I learned from the book, and Desmond does a great job of telling the stories in an engaging, thought provoking way.

I truly hope this book, and other writing on this topic, will lead to change in the US on how to deal with the housing costs and shortage, and I appreciated the suggestions that Desmond had at the end of the book. This is a tragic issue that needs to be dealt with so people can have a roof over their head, and have a boost in trying to overcome poverty.

Disclosure: I was provided a complimentary copy of this book from Blogging for Books with no expectation that I would provide a positive review. The thoughts, opinions, and reactions are entirely my own.

Better Than Before - Book review

Book: Better Than Before: Mastering the Habits of Our Everyday Lives
Author: Gretchen Rubin
Publisher/Publish Date: Broadway Books / December, 2015

I am so excited to get my hands on this book. While I haven't read Gretchen Rubin's previous book, The Happiness Project, I have been extremely enjoying the podcast that she does every week with her sister. A lot of the podcast talks about topics that are in this book, and I was excited to dive into them a little deeper.

If you're unfamiliar about what the books about, I will let the tagline on the cover explain things for you: "What I learned about making and breaking habits-to sleep more, quit sugar, procrastinate last, and generally build a happier life." That all sounds great, right? Well maybe not the quitting sugar part.

A self proclaimed "Street scientist," Ruben can explain a big idea in a very tangible, easy to understand way. And in doing so she makes it easier for us to understand ourselves and work to change the habits that form our daily lives. She takes science, and research and blends them together with their own observations of people to find new insight on habits: why some are hard to form and others we seem to acquire overnight, why some people adopt habits easily while others resist, and why the consequences of our habits (for example: poor health) don't always convince us to change our habits.

What I would call the thesis of the of the book is that to change our lives, research has shown that people that have good self-control simply spend less time resisting desires, and by creating good habits we can spend less time decision-making therefor needing less self-control to make positive decisions.

It was fun to discover if I was a lark or an owl, a marathoner, a sprinter, or a procrastinator, and under buyer or an over buyer. Well some of these things I sort of knew before, it was good to look at them from the point of view of how these traits can shape my daily habits. For example, I am a lark, I prefer for waking up early and getting to work right away. It reminds me that I should do a better job of getting to bed early so I can get up when I brain is most active.

This is book is great for anyone who's inquisitive about human habits, why we do the things we do, and how to change those things. So many great tidbits that anyone can apply to improve their quality of life.

I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.

Things I've Said to My Children - Book Review

Book: Things I've Said to My Children

Author: Nathan Ripperger

Publisher/Publish Date: Ten Speed Press / September 15, 2015

Yep, sometimes as adults we say some pretty ridiculous things to kids. As an aunt, though not a parent, I can totally relate. Ripperger does a fun job of compiling and illustrating what I am sure are conversations he's heard in his own house (he has 5 boys!). For example: "Don't kiss your brother while he is on the toilet."

The title of the book pretty much tells you all you need to know about this humorous book. The books 96 pages of illustrations and quotes kept me entertained and giggling as I looked through it. And I am sure it would be fun to read with kids.

My favorite, which is something I'm pretty sure I've said to my nephew before: "I am not talking to you... until you are wearing underwear."

This book would make a great birthday or christmas gift for any parent, or as a book to have on your coffee table for conversation starters.

Disclosure: I was provided a complimentary copy of this book from Blogging for Books with no expectation that I would provide a positive review. The thoughts, opinions, and reactions are entirely my own.

Apartment Therapy Complete and Happy Home - Book review

Book: Apartment Therapy Complete and Happy Home

Author: Maxwell Ryan (Author), Janel Laban (Author), Melanie Acevedo (Photographer)

Publisher/Publish Date: International Marine Publishing / September 15, 2015

Having recently moved into a new apartment, and on my own for the first time, I started visiting the Apartment Therapy site multiple times a day. For advice on storage, living in a small space, how to fit all my stuff into my small kitchen, and how to make it MY home. I was excited to get a copy of their new book to review, "Apartment Therapy Complete and Happy Home," so I could lay on my new couch and stare at photos of beautiful homes for hours, and what enjoyable hours they were.

While this isn't Apartment Therapy's first book, I like that this one focuses on what can be really hard to achieve when decorating, "how it makes you feel." The book walks you through how to move in and decorate from scratch, shares photos of some gorgeous bedroom, and ends with a section on how to maintain it.

For me, the most helpful section was on hanging art. I usually just guess where it should go, so it was nice to get some advice on how to hang it so it feels right in the space. And the section on plants has me seriously considering a "no-lawn garden" when I move into a place with more outdoor space.

A great book to give anyone inspiration on redecorating, or setting up their first place. Only downside, I couldn't click "pin it" on the lovely photos;)

Disclosure: I was provided a complimentary copy of this book from Blogging for Books with no expectation that I would provide a positive review. The thoughts, opinions, and reactions are entirely my own.

I'm Happy For You (Sort of... Not Really) - Book review

Book: I'm Happy For You (Sort of... Not Really)

Author: Kay Wills Wyma

Rating: 4.5/5

GoodReads  •  Amazon

While I wasn't sure what to expect from this book, I was intrigued by the cover art and tagline on the cover "Finding contentment in a culture of comparison." 

Most, if not all people, yearn for contentment and peace in their life, though it is so hard to find and hold on to. Kay Wills Wyma does a great job of taking a step back and looking at what steals that peace and contentment, and how that effects our lives, and those of our friends and family.

The title comes from advice she gave her teenage daughter, and which I think is advice I need to take myself. What do you say when you are talking with a friend and they are telling you how they did better at a test, or got a promotion or a bonus, or they just bought a beautiful new house? When your brain wants to start comparing what they have to what you have, and it starts the downward spiral that comparison brings? Tell them: "I'm happy for you," and try to mean it.

This book goes on to give real life advice, as well as shares stories from some of the author's friends. In the end, it was an easy read, that hopefully has a lasting impact on the way I look at and treat those around me.

"It isn't what you have or who you are or where you are or what you are doing that makes you happy or unhappy. It is what you think about it." - Dale Carnegie

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.  Thank you, bloggingforbooks.com!

Finding Me - Book Review

Book: Finding Me: A Decade of Darkness, a Life Reclaimed: A Memoir of the Cleveland Kidnappings

Author: Michelle Knight, Michelle Burford

Genre: Memoir 

Publisher/Publish Date: Weinstein Books / May 6, 2014

Source: Public Library

Pages: 252

Rating: 3/5

GoodReads  •  Amazon

Wow, this is a hard book to read.

Michelle Knight was one of the three woman who were kidnapped by Ariel Castro in Cleveland, and escaped in May, 2013. Their story made headlines, and though we were all fascinated by it, I'm sure it was shocking for them to escape and then be center of national news.

She bravely retells her horrific story of daily abuse, imprisonment.  Kidnapped in 2002, at the age of 21, she was the first of the three to be abducted and imprisoned. Coming from a tough childhood, she had her first child in high school, who was later put in to foster care. As she was walking miles to downtown Cleveland for a custody hearing, she stopped to ask for directions and was offered a ride by Castro. He tricked her into coming into his house, where he then chained her in the basement.

She shares what happened to her during the early years, including infrequent showers, filthy conditions, starvation, beatings, and multiple forced miscarriages. He went on to kidnap and imprison two more girls, Amanda Berry at age 16, and Gina DeJesus at age 14. Amanda was blond and Castro's preferred girl, and he treated her better and eventually had a daughter with her. Michelle and Gina were chained together, forced to stay together on the same filthy mattress, but found strength in each other to make it through this awful ordeal.

Shockingly he had people over to his house, even introduced people to his and Amanda's daughter, and though his other children found his secrecy and locks on the doors strange, no one ever was concerned enough to contact police. This man was insane, and luckily eventually convicted and imprisoned. One day Amanda's daughter went downstairs, as she often did since she was free to move around the house, and found that Castro hadn't locked the inner front door as he normally did. Along with her mom Amanda, they were able to call for help through a slit in the door and were rescued by neighbors. The house where this all took place was demolished in August 2013.

A challenging and sad book to read, especially knowing that there are more people that are out there in situations like this that we don't know about. Hopefully by sharing her story, Michelle can help bring awareness to the situation, and we can all do a better job of looking out for our neighbors and those less fortunate. 

The Rosie Project - Book Review

Book: The Rosie Project

Author: Graeme Simsion

Genre: Fiction 

Publisher/Publish Date: Simon & Schuster / May, 2013

Source: Public Library

Pages: 295

Rating: 4/5

GoodReads  •  Amazon

A fun read and smartly written book. I had heard a bit about this book before I picked it up at the library, but didn't really know what is was about and was pleasantly surprised.

Don Tillman is a smart man, but not very smart about life and love. At 40 he has few friends, a structured life he's comfortable with, but is looking for love. Since dating doesn't work too well for him, he's ever been on a second date, he sets out to write the perfect survey to help him find the perfect woman for him, embarking on The Wife Project.

His search isn't working too well, but into his life stumbles Rosie, with a project of her own, finding her biological father. Tillman puts his project on hold to help with The Father Project, learning a lot about life and how sometimes the unexpected can lead to great things.

When I look at his author page on GoodReads, I found it humorous, and not surprising, that before writing fiction he was a information systems and wrote two books on data-modelling. Seems like his real life was inspiration for this novel.

Excited to see that Simsion is working on a sequel that will be out in September of 2014, The Rosie Effect.

Love Does - Book Review

Book: Love Does: Discover a Secretly Incredible Life in an Ordinary World

Author: Bob Goff

Genre: Christian, Non-Fiction 

Publisher/Publish Date: Thomas Nelson / January, 2012

Source: Public Library

Pages: 240

Rating: 4.5/5

GoodReads  •  Amazon

I've put this book on the back burner for awhile, and I'm glad I finally got around to reading it. It's inspiring and full of stories that made me smile.

It's a quick read, with lots of good content and I think most people would really enjoy this book. I liked that the chapters are short, most with a personal story and then what Bob learned from his experience.

While Bob is a Christian, and he does speak about spirituality, I think there is inspiration in this book for all people. He reminds us invest in other people, tell a good story with your life, and fight hard for things that are important to you.

Paddle Your Own Canoe - Book Review

Book: Paddle Your Own Canoe: One Man's Fundamentals for Delicious Living

Author: Nick Offerman

Genre: Non-Fiction 

Publisher/Publish Date: Dutton Adult / October 1, 2013

Source: Public Library

Pages: 337

Rating: 3.5/5

GoodReads  •  Amazon

I'm a huge fan of Nick Offerman's character on Parks & Rec, Ron Swanson, and knew enough about his personal life and woodworking background that I was pretty sure I was going to enjoy this books. I was right, though also pleasantly surprised by the depth and variety of this book.

A mix a narrative chapters about his life and instructional/topical essays, Offerman not only gives you a look into his life, and everything that lead him to his success in Hollywood, but also give great advice for aspiring actors and people in general.

The book is a bit racy in sections, just to warn you in case you plan to listen to this in audiobook form with your parents. Overall one of my favorite memoirs I've read in awhile.

Loved: the fun illustrations
Enjoyed: his tales of auditioning and working in Hollywood

what I've been reading....

Hi. It's nice to be back from my little break. Life got in the way of blogging and reading. It was all good stuff, but I have missed sharing here what I've been up to.

I was over on GoodReads.com the other day, listing some books I'd finished reading, and decided to check out how I was doing on my goal of reading 75 books this year. Well, the news was bad. While I've read 13 books, I'm 17 books behind... yikes! Not sure if I can catch up, or if I even care to try, but I want to get back on the horse and read more the second half of the year. I also have piles of books in my room to read:)

Books I've read since I last posted...

Still: Notes on a Mid-Faith Crisis, by Lauren F. Winner
I picked this up since I loved her first book Girl Meets God and this didn't disappoint. Winner honestly shares her struggles with God and Christianity, and where she sees her self in the Christian story.

Here I Go Again, by Jen Lancaster
A hard book to explain without giving too much away, Lissy Ryder returns to her high school for her 20th reunion to discover that her memories were a little rose-tinted, and she may not be as successful and beloved as she once thought.

The Bling Ring: How a Gang of Fame-Obsessed Teens Ripped Off Hollywood and Shocked the World, by Nancy Jo Sales
While not the most well written book, it's an interesting look at the headline catching story of six LA teens who burglarized celebrity homes including Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan and Orlando Bloom. This book attempts to discover the motivation behind the break-ins and what lead to their obsession with celebrity.

One More Thing: Stories and Other Stories, by B.J. Novak
Random, odd, funny, heart-touching. A mix of short stories, Novak does an amazing job of fabricating unique stories, characters and places.

Eleanor & Park, by Rainbow Rowell
I've heard about how great this book is, and I'm glad I finally got around to reading it. It is definitely a young adult book, but is a beautiful story of two high school misfits finding love and seeing if they have what it takes to make it last.

Help Thanks Wow: Three Essential Prayers, by Anne Lamott
One of my favorite authors, Lamott shares the three prayers that get her through tough times, and shares personal stories that lead her to these three prayers.

The Knowledge of the Holy, by A.W. Tozer
I read this book with my church's small group. Tozer does an amazing job at identifying and expounding on God's attributes, such as wisdom, grace, mercy and justice. There was a lot of content that was new to me, and it's a dense book, elegantly written, and I probably re-read in a year or two.

Allegiant - Book Review

Book: Allegiant (Divergent #3)

Author: Veronica Roth

Genre: YA 

Publisher/Publish Date: Harper Collins / October, 2013

Source: Public Library

Pages: 526

Rating: 3/5

GoodReads  •  Amazon

For me, this book did not hold up to the first two books in the series, but it did an ok of wrapping up the story.

Allegiant picks up with Tris having the opportunity to venture beyond the fence, and discover what is beyond the walls of their city. What she finds is shocking and alarming, altering how she views her whole life up to that point.

This creates an exciting book, filled with a lot of new fascinating information, but also changes how I view Tris' story up to this point. I think I would have preferred reading all three books of the Divergent series back to back, as opposed to a year or so apart, and I think they would have read better that way.

This was not a super strong story to wrap up the series, and while it did tie up some loose ends, I wasn't satisfied with all the conclusions.

Did you read it? What did you think?

Helter Skelter - Book Review

Book: Helter Skelter: The True Story of the Manson Murders

Author: Vincent Bugliosi, Curt Gentry

Genre: True Crime 

Publisher/Publish Date: W. W. Norton & Company / 1974

Source: Public Library

Pages: 689

Rating: 4/5

GoodReads  •  Amazon

This might possibly be some of the craziest 689 pages I've ever read. The story of the Manson Family and the Tate-Labianca murders is so twisted and outlandish that at times it's hard to believe the people who were part of The Family went along with all of Manson's requests.

I decided to pick this book up since while I had a rough idea of who Charles Manson was, I wasn't really sure what really happened, and what lead to his noteriety. Here's a little background care of Wikipedia...

"Charles Milles Manson is an American criminal and musician who led what became known as the Manson Family, a quasi-commune that arose in California in the late 1960s. He was found guilty of conspiracy to commit the murders of seven people, actress Sharon Tate and four other people at Tate's home, and the next day, a married couple, Leno and Rosemary LaBianca, all carried out by members of the group at his instruction."

The story though goes beyond that, with multiple other murders linked to The Family, and details the culture and life that Manson created in the desert. Written by the prosecutor, Vincent Bugliosi, he's able to give us in in-depth view of the whole story, starting with Manson's early childhood, and how his years in the correctional system lead to him not being able to function properly in society. Though the discovery of the Tate murders and how to police were lead to question and finally arrest Manson and others from his Family.

While the Wikipedia article gives a good overview of what happened, this book is a great look at the smaller details of the case and the life of Charles Manson.

Forever, Interrupted by Taylor Jenkins Reid - Book Review

Book: Forever, Interrupted

Author: Taylor Jenkins Reid

Genre: Fiction, Chick-Lit 

Publisher/Publish Date: Washington Square Press / July 9, 2013

Source: ARC courtesy of publisher

Pages: 352

Rating: 4/5

GoodReads  •  Amazon

“Have you ever heard of supernovas? They shine brighter than anything else in the sky and then fade out really quickly, a short burst of extraordinary energy. I like to think you and Ben were like that . . . in that short time, you had more passion than some people have in a lifetime.”

On a rainy New Year's Day, Elsie Porter heads out to pick up a pizza, and meets the charming Ben Ross. Their instant chemistry leads to a date that week, and an elopement by May. Nine days later, when Ben heads out to get cereal for Elsie, he is hit by a truck and killed on impact. At the hospital she has an unfortunate first introduction with her new mother-in-law Susan, who had never heard of Elsie.

As Taylor Jenkins Reid's first novel, this is very impressive. She interweaves Ben and Elsie's relationship with Elsie and Susan's grieving and healing. It's a beautiful story of love and loss, and learning to open yourself up to what the world has brought you.

This book had been on my shelf for a few months and I am glad I finally decided to read it. It's emotional, heart touching, book, dealing with romanic and friend relationships. The main character, Elsie Porter is wonderfully writer and relatable. I took this book on a trip, and it was the perfect one to pass a few hours on a plane and on layover. I'm a fan of light-hearted, silly chick-lit, but enjoyed that this had more depth to it, but wasn't overly sad or depressing.

If you have reviewed this book, please leave a link to the review in the comments and I will add your review to the main post. All I ask is for you to do the same to mine — thanks! 

wow I read a lot of books this year

Discovering GoodReads at the end of 2012 changed my life! Well, maybe that's an over statement, but I love keeping track of books I want to read, what I've read, and that I can easily track how many books I read a year.

I made myself a goal to read 50 books this year. I've never counted before, and nearly a book a week seemed challenging but do able. I've always been a pretty active reader, and read every night before bed, but with this blog, and getting advanced reader copies to review, I've made it more of a priority.

With that being said, I was very happy to achieve and blow through my goal, reading 66 books in 2013!

2014 goal: 
   - read 75 books
   - read one or more Steven King books

Since there was a month or two this year in which I didn't read much, I'm upping my goal this next year, and fairly confident I can do it. Also, I've never read a Steven King book, and I've been wanting to lately, so why not make it a goal also. Anyone have a recommendation for a good book to start off with?

Wishing everyone a fabulous holiday season and a great 2014!

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