Top Ten Tuesday: Books For Personal Library

Today I'm joining Jana/The Artsy Reader Girl for Top Ten Tuesday (on a Thursday): Books I would like in my personal library. I don't normally buy books and the only book I've re-read was Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli. However if I found any of these at a library sale or a small business bookstore (or Strand Bookstore, I've still never been!), I would definitely buy it. I also included 5 books I do own that I'll never part with!

Eleanor and Park- Rainbow Rowell
This was the second Rainbow Rowell book I read, and I fell in love with the characters and the author's tone throughout. This is one I could see myself re-reading, so I would love to own a copy in my personal library! 

The Alchemist- Paulo Coelho
A classic that was recommended to me by a dear friend. Though the friendship didn't last, this book had me thinking about it many years after I read it. This first time I read it was 10 years ago, so I think it's high time for a re-read. I wonder if it would affect me the same way and invoke the same emotions in me as it did back then. 

Sharp Objects- Gillian Flynn
I've read all of Gillian Flynn's work, and this was by far my favorite. It's so dark and twisty! Of course the book was better than the show, even though I thought Amy Adams did a great job as Camille. I hear it might return for a Season 2, so I would definitely want to read it again before that. 

The Book Thief- Markus Zusak
I read this after it gained massive acclaim, so I was a bit wary. It was also the first book I read that was not told from the point of view of an actual person. It was heartbreaking, beautifully written, and an easy one to understand due to this outside and unusual perspective. An important read that I recommend to any and every one. 

The Little Book of Hygge: The Danish Way to Live Well- Meik Wiking
Probably the most recent one that I've decided I need to own. I was smart in obtaining the library hardback of it when I did read it, so I could flip around the pages easily. I loved all the tips, recipes, and crafts for the total-hygge effect, and though I took screenshots of the pages I wanted to remember at the time, I would love to own a copy so I could actually utilize them all in the colder months. 

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Interpreter of Maladies- Jhumpa Lahiri
I think I picked this up randomly solely because of the cover- it just felt so warm and inviting. It was also the first collection of short stories I read and it was the perfect length. I generally stay away from books including Indian culture because I don't like the usual stereotypes included, but I found this to be realistic and culturally insightful. I also love how the author was able to switch between male and female narration seamlessly. A great collection that I'm happy to have in mine! 

Firefly Lane- Kristin Hannah
I read this when I was going through a lot of changes with friendships in my personal life. It hit home in a lot of ways, as I tumbled through the ups and downs in Tully and Kate's evolving friendship. I still want to read the follow-up, Fly Away, but I'd need to re-familiarize myself with the characters again since I read this so long ago! 

The Kite Runner- Khaled Hosseini
Another extremely important read. Though some passages were truly graphic and disturbing, it was written in a way that was necessary, not gratuitous. It also was a great example of how our choices influence our futures, and how no one is really all good or all bad. it's easy to read in the sense that the author uses relatively simple language and you can get through it quickly, but the story and the emotions will stay with you for a long time afterwards. 

Budget Bytes- Beth Moncel
I requested this collection of easy, inexpensive recipes for Christmas one year after realizing I actually had to learn how to cook when I moved out on my own. I found myself printing out a lot of her recipes off of Pinterest, so I should probably just own the cookbook. I'm sad to say I've yet to actually make anything from this cookbook, but I do still save and cook a bunch of her stuff off of Pinterest and her website! 

Maniac Magee- Jerry Spinelli
This was a childhood favorite. I have a very vivid memory of my mom reading this with me on the couch for a book report, and I can still hear her voice through certain passages. I was thrilled to find this one in a library sale and re-read it immediately, and will probably continue to do so when I'm feeling a bit nostalgic. 

Honorable Mention(s): Attachments was the first book I read by Rainbow Rowell
and I fell in love with her writing style immediately. Then I saw her speak at a book signing event and just adored her as a person, and since this was my intro into her writing, I'd add it to my book collection. Angie Thomas' The Hate U Give hit me with in the feels, so I'd add that one too. And Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi, because I didn't really understand the ending and I really want to read the follow up, Children of Virtue and Vengeance due out this December!

Do we have any in common? 

What would you like to add to your personal library? 

Keeping It Together: Supplies

Last Christmas I gave Blue an (empty) photo album and a bunch of printed pictures. My original intention was to have it filled before I gave it to her, but that didn't happen, so instead I presented it as a fun bonding project we could do together! 8 months later it still sat empty, and she admitted that though she liked the idea, she had no interest in "scrapbooking." (Honestly I should have known after our misadventures in trying to put a puzzle together... she'd always get frustrated and walk away.)

Personally, I've always wanted to create a scrapbook. So after her confession, I bought a bunch of decorative supplies on Amazon to create what I thought would make an awesome scrapbook. I only realized once I started that I had seriously overestimated how much I would need! So today I'm sharing what supplies I purchased so maybe you won't make the same mistake.

Photo Book
I believe I got mine at Michael's, and I can't find it online but this one is similar. I also bought scrapbook refill pages, which was smart because I printed at least double the amount of pics that fit in the album even if I put them all next to each other without any decoration.

Colorful Paper Inserts
There were plain white paper inserts in the photo album, but that seemed pretty boring. I bought 3 different styles of  "designer paper" to jazz up the backgrounds up a bit, and each pad has 50 sheets of paper. That was  way too much for the space I have, but what can I say? I gotta a little trigger happy. Plus, they were only $5.00! Once I actually started putting photo to paper, I realized that it was just too... busy. The background paper was swallowing up my pictures- you could barely see them! So even though they were inexpensive, I'm getting rid of the Spray Paint and Mixed Media ones. I like the Wild and Free one because the colors and designs are much more subtle and complementary. 

Stickers and Washi Tape and Markers, Oh My!
How could I mention scrap-booking without these three?! Let's start with the most basic- double sided tape. I used to wrap regular tape in a circle, but it just doesn't lay as flat. I've had a love affair with stickers since the beginning of my planner days, about 7 years ago. I've always been a fan of the Happy Planner collections, and the bigger ones in this seasonal version work perfectly for my photo album since they don't fit in my planner. And I thought I would be writing on the pages with colored pencils, but they don't show up well on the graphic inserts, so I'll be donating them to a local school. I just bought this metallic pen set though, and I'm excited to try them out! 

But the washi tape-- well. I'll be honest. Although I've heard a lot about washi tape before and how "awesome" it is for decorating your planner (and just about everything), I'd never tried it before. I was kind of nervous about it, because I didn't want it ruining my pictures or ripping my paper if I stuck it and then needed to straighten it or something. But then I saw this set and it was so pretty, I bought it. For the record, no matter what you're doing, 60 rolls is a shit ton of washi tape and I'm fairly positive I will never run out. Secondly, it's just as awesome as everyone says it is. It easily pulls up from paper and pictures without leaving even a sticky residue behind. I will probably never use it in my planner (I like a fairly plain planner with small accent stickers as opposed to anything shiny/gaudy), but I started using it to frame my pics and plan on looking into other ways to style it as well. I'm kind of excited about the creative possibilities! 

I mentioned in the beginning that Blue isn't really into this little hobby of mine, so I mostly do it while she's busy doing something else, like working or napping. Which means I keep all of this at her place. I keep all the smaller stuff (like the pics, pencils, washi tape, scissors, tape, and a bunch of ticket stubs) in this awesome little see-through storage box. I love it because it keeps everything together perfectly and it's small enough to keep right on the bottom of the coffee table so it's easy to access as soon as I hear her snoring heavy breathing! 

How do you keep your favorite memories?

Linking up with Lauren and Alexandra! 

Show Us Your Books: July Reads

I'm so happy it's finally book day! After a mediocre reading month in June, I had a truly stellar reading month in July. I mean I had a 5 star one, and that hardly ever happens! And since I started remembering to write my reviews right after I read the books (and pushing through my Netgalley backlist), I feel like these posts basically write themselves. I can schedule them way in advance, which is particularly helpful this month since work has been crazy lately!  I can't wait to get home so I can take a mental break and see what all of you have been reading lately too! Here's what I read last month. 

The Farm- Joanne Ramos: 4.5 Stars*

Netgalley

Somewhat twisted story about the lies we tell and the lengths we will go to protect the ones we love. Kept me intrigued from the very start, and I loved how it unfolded, especially finding out how the characters were connected in one way or another. The epilogue was a bit long though; it could have been another chapter or two. 

Ghost- Jason Reynolds: 4.5 Stars

library e-book

I read this in one sitting. I love Jason Reynolds’ conversational tone and his ability to tackle difficult topics with care and heart. I really don't know what else to say about this one other than that for a middle-grade/YA novel, this one hit me in the feels. 

Watching You- Lisa Jewell: 4 stars*

Netgalley

The first half of this dragged and I had a bit of trouble getting into it because there were so many characters. However around the midway point it steadily picked up, and even though I figured out “who dun it” pretty early on, I needed to know how all the pieces (and people) fit together.

After Nightfall- A.J. Banner: 4.5 Stars*

Netgalley

Marissa and Nathan have a dinner party to announce their engagement. In attendance is Marissa's former bff Lauren, her husband, Nathan's brother and his wife, and Nathan's 9 year old daughter. Lauren flirts with Marissa's new fiance, then leaves early, telling Marissa that she needs to tell her something. The next morning, Lauren is found dead. Whodunit?!

This pulled me in from the very beginning and I didn’t want it to end! So many unreliable characters, all flawed in their own ways, but I didn’t truly dislike any of them. I had pegged just about everyone at one point or another, except the narrator (that just seemed too obvious, especially with the detective visibly tailing her). The steps that lead Marissa to discovering the outcome seemed realistic as well; nothing that didn't make perfect sense when put all together. A bit of friend drama, jealousy, revenge, and obsession kept me intrigued until the very last page! 

The Silent Patient- Alex Michaelides: 5 stars

library e-book 

Well shit. This one took a little while to get in to, but once I did, I had to know why Alicia would kill her husband (that she seemed to love more than life itself) and then wouldn't talk. The short chapters definitely helped the pace, and I found myself staying up past my bedtime to get through "just one more chapter," which hasn't happened in a while. And that ending completely blindsided me, which makes it a winner in my book! 

The Art of Racing in the Rain- Garth Stein: 4 Stars

borrowed from Blue

I’ve never read a book told from an animal’s POV and for the most part, I liked that. I didn’t love that he kept talking about “when he was reincarnated as a man,” but I guess that made sense. I didn’t *like* the Annika arc but I felt it moved the story along faster and further built anticipation. And I didn’t like the ending- especially since I feel like I was supposed to be in tears yet wasn’t... at all. The desperation in the middle and the relationship between Denny and Enzo was heartwarming though, so 4 stars.

Road to Eugenica- A.M. Rose: 4 Stars*

Netgalley

Let me preface my review by saying that I'm not normally into sci-fi/fantasy. However this one boasted a normal teen finding out she has supernatural powers all of a sudden and there was also a love triangle. I like YA, but the speech in this one was almost so juvenile at times that I wasn't sure I could continue. I also had to keep reminding myself to read this, which is never a good sign. It took nearly half the book for me to get into it but once I did I couldn't stop turning the pages. I couldn't figure Maddox out- was he a good guy or a bad guy? Where did he come from? How did he always show up where Drea was, and why did he never answer her questions? Who's voice is it that's familiar and always entering her dreams? And who is this Green-Eyed Man?! I have to say, after a very rocky start, I'm  looking forward to the sequel. 

Currently reading: My Sister, The Serial Killer- Oyinkan Braithwaite and Love At First Like- Hannah Orenstein

What are you reading lately? 

Linking up with Steph and Jana! 

* ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, NetGalley!

Let's Look At... Favorite TV Shows

(watching one of "my" shows while Blue and Keebler napped)

"BH 90210 starts tonight. I was going to watch but wanted to check if I was allowed without you..."

That is a text I received from Blue last night. I had absolutely no interest in this one though, so it will be one of "her" shows, along with the multitude of Chicago dramas, Archer (is that still on?), superhero shows (Supergirl, anyone?) and Netflix documentaries. 

There are quite a few shows that we have to watch together though (mostly because I don't have cable... kidding! I can get most of them with my antennae). You know what I mean though, right? The ones you wait to watch with the other person or else they'll get upset. I think I read somewhere that watching TV together is not "spending time together," but I disagree. If it's something you both like, do together, and bond over, how does that not count? Literally all I want to do on Friday nights is come home, change, throw a pizza in the oven (our preferred one is Tree Tavern fixed up with extra oregano and olive oil), and watch one of our shows, and I see nothing wrong with that! 

I broke this up by what's coming up first since a lot of "our" shows start back up in September, followed up by our binges, and then "my" shows. So without further ado, here's what in the queue! 

With Blue:
The Handmaid's Tale- live, season finale 8/14 12am (Hulu)
Married At First Sight- live, next episode 8/14 8pm (Lifetime)
The Good Doctor- 9/23, 10pm (ABC)

This Is Us- 9/24, 9pm (NBC)
Grey's Anatomy-  9/26, 8pM (ABC)
A Million Little Things-  9/26, 9pm (ABC)
Station 19- early 2020 (ABC)

Binge-Able (all available now on Netflix):
Orange Is The New Black S7 (last season, praise be)
Queer Eye S4 (only 8 episodes- watch slowly!)
Stranger Things S3 (second best season, behind Season 1- love all the 80's references!)
Dead to Me S1 (so many twist! So many turns!)

On My Own: 
Catfish
Ellen's Game of Games
Private Practice

We were watching a few others but they either fell to the side (Travelers), series ended (Big Little Lies, Big Bang Theory, Game of Thrones, The Walking Dead), or got cancelled/no renewal scheduled (Whiskey Cavalier, The OA, Food Network Star). Did you watch any of these? 

What are some of your favorite shows?

Linking up with Shay (live next Wednesday)!

Currently August and Amazon Purchases

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Reading: Just finished The Yellow Envelope by Kim Dinan last night and recently started The Accidental by Ali Smith. Not loving the second one though, as she doesn't use quotation marks when people speak and the sentences and phrasing are a bit clunky.

Watching: Finished Orange is the New Black S7. I normally would've given up on it after like, episode 2, but I've already invested 6 years so I had to see it through! It dragged this season and I'm so happy it's over. I also finished Queer Eye S3, and 8 episodes is not enough! I was surprised to see it back so soon, but I'd rather wait and have more episodes to binge instead of these mini-seasons. 

Looking forward to/Anticipating: a half day WFH followed by Chris Stapleton on Friday! 

Listening To: BLOW- Ed Sheeran with Chris Stapleton and Bruno Mars. 
Funny story- I'm not really a Stapleton fan, but we were at a party early this year and someone said "Hey we should all go see Chris Stapleton this summer!" and so here we are! Also, I love anything with Ed Sheeran :) 

Wondering: How my appointments will go today. I noticed a new mole on my leg, so I'm going to get that checked out, followed by a trip to the dentist because about 2 weeks ago I woke up in the middle of the night with the worst tooth pain I've ever felt. The pain spread into my jaw, to the point where I couldn't open my mouth all the way. I thought maybe I had ben grinding my teeth and clenching my jaw in the middle of the night (even though I've never done either of those things before), so I mentally told myself to loosen it and went back to sleep. The pain persisted the entire next day, so I made an appointment, but the earliest they could get me in for a "non-emergency" was now. Even though it completely stopped hurting 2 days later (and not once since), I figured I should probably go check it out. I think my wisdom are coming in, because that's how far back in my mouth it started hurting, but we shall see. 

Savoring: Can one "savor" books? Is that a thing? It should be. Or maybe savoring the peace that comes with being able to just sit back at night and read a book, without anyone or anything nagging at you. 

Cooking: Ugh, I didn't go grocery shopping or meal plan this week, so I have no idea! I could make this 5-ingredient creamy Southwest Chicken Alfredo with some pantry staples tonight...

Ordering: ALLTHETHINGS! 

Blue celebrated a birthday last month, and though I give "events" or fun things to do as gifts, I always like to make sure there is something the person can physically open on their birthday. So here are a few little things I got her:

Funko POP! Edna Jack-Jack pop- Blue has an ever-growing Funko collection (over 200 at last count) and she's currently only interested in specialty ones like "Chases" and Exclusives. I finally gave her this one that I've been holding on to for over a year from the 2018 Summer Convention. 

Blue-light blocking glasses since she stares at a screen all day and reads e-books

Cooling towels because she's always hot and it's small enough to carry during her commute

Memory foam travel pillow to support her neck while watching TV in bed. I know, I'm an enabler, but it's better than her suffering from neck pain! 

These were just a few random things I purchased:

Buggables Bug-Repellent Bands and Uno for our camping trip. I was surprised how "into" Uno everyone got! Also, can you help settle a debate? When you play, can you "stack" Skips or WILD +4's like you do regular numbers? 

Paper-Mate Profile Pens because these are my favorite and work is being stingy ordering office supplies lately. (Also because they were an add-on item.) 


Bourbon Biscuits because I saw a recipe for "bourbon biscuit brownies" somewhere online and that sounded delicious so I found the biscuits on Amazon (apparently they're British) and bought a bunch only to find that um... there's not actually bourbon in them, they're just chocolate crackers. Bummer. 

4 ft. Folding Table- Necessary for my upcoming garage sale. We'll also use it for our annual Halloween party so we don't have to keep borrowing one from Blue's sister. 


Travel Umbrella- I realized my old one had holes in it last time it rained. It was also kinda heavy, so I opted for this windproof, light weight one.

So what had happened was... I was cleaning out my inbox and not-so-accidentally clicked on a Brad's Deals email since I hadn't in a long time. The first thing I saw was this Charcoal Gray Cowl Neck Sweatshirt & Black Star Leggings from Zulily marked down to $20. The leggings are fine but I was really interested in the funnel neck drawstring top. 

And then I saw this Fossil Scarlette Mini Stainless Steel and Leather Strap Watch from Lord and Taylor marked down from $115 to $65. I love Fossil, and I hardly ever wear watches not because I don't like them, but because my wrist are tiny and they always look too big. I took a chance on this one knowing there are free returns in-store, but I'm so glad I did. I love it! 

My friend/neighbor Raven had a birthday recently, so this set includes her gifts:

Cat grooming gloves since her long-haired cat had some FIERCE mats in her fur. These were recommended by Kristen. Unfortunately her mats were so bad that they had to be cut out, but hopefully this will help for the future so they don't get that bad! 

Sage Home-Cleaning Kit because she's into crystals and moon phases and all that and had mentioned that she didn't have a full set. Also she'll be moving soon so can use this in her new apartment. 

CND Vinylux nail polish in Pink Leggings because I found it for 75% off at my Rite-Aid and it's pretty (I may have purchased one for myself too!). 

"R" inital wine stopper, because wine. I mean, I don't usually have a use for a stopper, but it's cute nonetheless! 

What are you buying lately? 

Linking up with Anne and Tanya! 

What's Up Weekend - Summer Bucket List Update

We have a quiet weekend coming up... which I'm thrilled about after a busy 3-day weekend last week! I need time to re-charge! While I'm doing so though, I'll be reminiscing about all the fun activities I was able to check off my summer bucket list last month. Here is the full list. I completed half of the list, so I'm feeling pretty good! 

Go "glamping" and rafting down the Delaware River: We had the BEST weather we've ever had- it didn't rain once! It was a beautiful weekend on the river! 

Get "sand flu" at least once: Yes! Just on Monday actually! 

Plan birthday vacation: Check! Every year Blue and I take a vacation for my birthday and while hanging out at the beach on Monday, our friend mentioned that she and a bunch of other couples are heading to Jamaica in December, so we're joining them! The timing couldn't be more perfect and the deal is way too good to pass up. Seriously, two ladies from a few towels overheard us talking and came over for more info lol! 

See a double feature: Yup! Spider-Man: Far From Home, and Moana. I heard mixed reviews about Spider-Man, but I really enjoyed it, especially Zendaya playing the MJ character (not a fan of Kirsten Dunst). Moana was really cute. 

Check out a new town/weekend getaway: Not sure if we're going to get another one by the end of the season, but we did go to stay in Asbury Park last weekend!

Go to 2 concerts: We saw John Mayer last Friday, and going to see Chris Stapleton next week!

Celebrate Blue's Birthday: I got Blue the John Mayer tickets for Friday night, and then Sunday we headed down to Asbury Park. We stayed at the Berkeley Oceanfront Hotel, enjoyed drinks and live music at the pool, went out to dinner at The Robinson Alehouse, and then met with friends for a beach day on Monday. 

Read 5 books: I actually read 8 so far! I posted my review of Husband Material earlier this month, and the rest will be included in Steph and Jana's Show Us Your Books linkup on August 13th. (All links lead to Goodreads.) 

Husband Material- Emily Belden
The Silent Patient- Alex Michaelides
The Farm- Joanne Reyes
Watching You- Lisa Jewell
Ghost- Jason Reynolds
After Nightfall- A.J. Banner
The Art of Racing in the Rain- Garth Stein
Road to Eugenica- A.M. Rose

Watch fireworks: Watched them from my friend's porch after a BBQ on July 4th!

Binge 2 shows: I binged Stranger Things Season 3 , and about halfway through Queer Eye Season 3 and Orange is the New Black Season 7!

Did you make a Summer Bucket List?
What are you up to this weekend?

Linking up with Leslie and The Peaceful Posse!