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.