Show Us Your Books

I'm not gonna lie... my love of reading has certainly taken a nosedive in the last few months. We all have highs and lows even when it comes to hobbies, right? I just couldn't find my groove until recently, but better late than never! Here's what I read since the last time I linked-up: 

In Her Boots - K.J. Dell'Antonia: 3 Stars
Netgalley

I liked that the focus in this one was female friendship and mother-daughter issues versus romance, but Rhett was very immature and naïve for being nearly 40 years old. A lot of the drama could have been avoided easily by just talking. I think the best part was the Emily twist. I was really looking forward to this one, but it was a little too predictable and I found it dragging.

Almost Romance: A Memoir - Nancy Balbirer: 2.5 Stars

Kindle Unlimited

I liked this story- after 30+ years, these once lovers reunite. Yay. (That is not a spoiler, it's in the description.) I just didn't like the author's writing style. Too many Yiddish words that made following difficult without having to look them up, and other words that made it seem like she was trying too hard (ex: soupcon, just say a small amount! or heretoupon, etc). For a book less than 200 pages, there was a lot of "fluff" and it took me a lot of willpower to get push through this one. 

We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves - Karen Joy Fowler: 3 Stars

library e-book

What a weird little book. I was completely enthralled until about 24%, when we learn a fun fact about the MC's sister, Fern. And then the whole story changed course and I no longer loved it. I did enjoy the the dry humor and side characters, and support what the author clearly wants me to support, but can't say too much else about the story without giving away spoilers. If you want to know what I'm talking about, highlight below!

[spoiler]: There’s something you don’t know yet about Mary. The imaginary friend of my childhood was not a little girl. She was a little chimpanzee. So, of course, was my sister Fern. Some of you will have figured that out already. Others may feel it was irritatingly coy of me to have withheld Fern’s essential simian-ness for so long.

 

DNF: Exciting Times - Naoise Dolan

I did NOT have an "exciting time" reading this one. I usually try to give a book at least 20% before giving up but honestly, I don't even think I made it that far before marking this "nope, not for me, maybe for you." 

"I wasn’t good at most things but I was good at men, and Julian was the richest man I’d ever been good at."

Currently reading: The Smash-Up - Ali Benjamin

Book Stats 
Total number read: 16
Owned: 3 (same)

Library: 7 

E-book: 8

Physical book: 5 (same)
Non-Fiction: 1 (same)
BIPOC Author: 3 (same)

Given Away/Paperback Swap: 10

What are you reading?

Linking up with Steph and Jana! 

Prime Purchases

It's that time of month again... time to see where I spent all my money at Amazon with Prime Purchases!

I did a LOT of organizing last month! These seems to happen every time I switch over my wardrobe for the season. I got two shoe organizers, one for 4 pairs of boots and one for the 12 others! I normally only wear sandals and maybe one pair of sneakers in the warmer months, so I put all the others away. I like that this one has compartments and a clear plastic cover (so I can see them all easily if I need to)... and both fit perfectly right under my bed! 

I purchased this 3-piece sweater storage organizer to replace the broken luggage and the giant plastic bin that I usually put them, both of which were taking up way too much space in my closet. I like that it they have clear panels so I can see what's inside, they stack easily, and of course you don't have to use them for just sweaters! 

Did you know you could purchase JUST the Pyrex replacement lids? I had a few that got lost or melted in the microwave or dishwasher. Love that I can just buy the lids.

Speaking of lids, I bought this lid organizer for my cabinet (you know, so they don't get lost and/or fall all over the place). 

Instagram knows me well... this 7-pocket accordion document organizer looks perfect for the recipes I want to put somewhere, and for only $8 the price was right!

 Rebecca Jo shared this neoprene iced coffee insulated sleeve and I thought it was so smart! I hate it when my iced coffee drips all over the place!

Blue requested these as house slippers after she saw them on The Today Show, but they could be great for the pool too!

I got this for my mom since often she only needs to cook one (or two) eggs for herself, so this seemed quick and easy. 

Since we were going to visit a llama alpaca farm on our family vacation, I got this cute little stressball llama for the little one!

 

What are you buying this month?

Linking up with Tanya!

Currently: June

Reading: In Her Boots - KJ Dell'Antonia

Watching: Well all of my favorite prime time shows' season finales! Also just started Stranger Things S5 (Netflix) and Hacks S2 (HBO Max)

Listening to: Hello June - Mars

Celebrating: my niece's 30th birthday! We just got back from a few days at the beach  celebrating her birthday and just relaxing. More on that in a sec!

Giving: away books on Paperback Swap- I just recently mailed Exciting Times by Naoise Dolan, Flowers in the Attic by V.C. Andrews, Jonny Appleseed by Joshua Appleseed, The Perfect Wife by JP Delaney and Emma in the Night by Wendy Walker.

Taking: Too many pics?! And a much-needed week long vacation! Blue booked the whole family a private tour at an alpaca farm, complete with meeting, greeting, petting, and feeding them! We made our way to a brewery (or two!), had a feast at MudHen Brewing where we basically got one of everything off the menu, and visited the Cape May Lighthouse before Blue and I took an extra solo night at the Hard Rock in Atlantic City. I also found my new favorite used bookstore where I may have totally bought too many books, but I couldn't help myself! Though it sounds like a lot it was spread over a few days, so it was quite relaxing. 

Trying: Some new recipes! I made this chili cheese hot dog bake, taco stuffed shells, and this creamy ground beef, spinach, and pasta dish that was really good but I can't find the recipe - oops! 

Wearing: my new rain coat! I've been wanting a short khaki raincoat for a really long time, and I finally found this one on Poshmark. I didn't realize it had a yellow trim when I purchased it, but I kinda dig it! 

What's currently going on with you?

Linking up with Anne! 

TTT: Books I Was SUPER Excited About But Haven't Read Yet!

Oops, a few days late this time! Anyway, sometimes getting a book is more thrilling than actually reading it, as told by my physical bookshelf which has close to 40 books on it that I haven't gotten around to reading yet! Here is a short list of ones that I was so anxious to read, the reason/how it was acquired, and recalled the date/year I got it.

Surprise Me - Sophie Kinsella: Nov 28, 2017 (arc)

The Family Upstairs - Lisa Jewell: Sept 24, 2019 (arc)

The Dry - Jane Harper: June 2020 (book to movie)

Luckiest Girl Alive - Jessica Knoll: May 2017 (book to movie)

Sometimes I Lie - Alice Feeney: June 2020 (friend's copy- luckily she didn't want it back!)

Everything I Never Told You - Celeste Ng: June 2020 (classic!)

Malibu Rising - Taylor Jenkins Reid: May 27, 2021 (BOTM)

The Therapist - B.A. Paris: March 17, 2021 (arc)

Any Way The Wind Blows - Rainbow Rowell: July 6, 2021 (last in series)

The Day The World Came To Town: 9/11 in Gander, Newfoundland - Jim DeFede: Dec 2021 (became available on Paperback Swap!)

What's on your list?

Linking up with Jenna!

Currently: May

First of all, Happy Star Wars Day!

Reading: We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves by Karen Joy Fowler. It's such a weird book, but I'm glad I'm finally reading again. 

Listening to: my coworker shared this with me and I gotta admit that it's so catchy (even if I'm not particularly that into my nails)! Netta - I Love My Nails

Watching: I just watched the latest Spiderman: No Way Home in preparation for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (coming out tomorrow!). Also watching the second season of The Flight Attendant on Hulu which is just as crazy (but a lot less drunk, thankfully) as last season. 

Consuming: currently I'm consuming my morning coffee! I usually only have one (large) cup a day :)

Feeling: a little bit sore. I had a dentist appointment last night and had a scaling done where they had to numb the area so it's still a little ouchy now that the numbness wore off.

Finding: a Mother's Day present. I think I'm going to get her a Tile Tracker since she's always losing either her keys, her phone, or both! I like these pretty and functional cases for it too. 

Following: through on my goals and commitments. I made 10 goals for April and completed 6/10 so I'm calling it a win! 

Spending: lots on medical appointments and a tax adjustment from a few years ago, but not much else! As I purge my closet and get my spring wear out though I'm noticing I'll need to refresh a few items, so looking forward to that! 

What's currently going on with you?

Linking up with Anne! 

Monthly Musings: Vacation and Trip Planning

 It has been quite a while since I've joined Patty and Holly for Monthly Musings. But I've been missing "real" vacations and trips, so what better way to cure that then to plan a few, share, and reminisce about past ones?! 

1. What trips/vacations do you have planned for the rest of the year? We have a few long weekends away planned - one to the beach later next month for my niece's birthday, the return of our annual "glamping" trip in July, and another long weekend away (probably to a casino) in July for Blue's birthday. 

2. Best packing tips? ROLL YOUR CLOTHES! You save soo much space this way! I also personally like to plan out a few outfits in advance, and usually things I can mix and match if I'm not feeling that "exact" outfit on any given day. 

3. Packing cubes- yes or no? No thank you!

4. Favorite travel outfit? Jeans or yoga pants and a hoodie- just like my normal favorite outfit! I just like to be comfy. 

5. Favorite vacation destination and why? Ohh, this is a hard one. More recently I really enjoyed Key West, FL. I've been there a few times in the last couple of years because it's a quick and relatively inexpensive trip. But my absolute favorite was Maui, Hawaii over 10 years ago. I'd love to go back there! I think I was there for a full 7 days, and I got an opportunity to do lots of exploring in bamboo forests and waterfalls, experienced an authentic luau (and delicious meal!), and even went to the top of a volcano for a sunrise that didn't quite make it out of the clouds, and bike down the side of that volcano!

6. Have you flown since March 2020? Nope. 

7. Beach or mountains for vacation? BEACH! 

8. Do you prefer to sightsee or relax on vacation? Depends on where we are going (and if I've been there before), but usually I like to do a bit of both. 

9. Hotel, camping or Airbnb? Hotel. The last few Airbnb experiences weren't up to expectations, unfortunately. 

10. Overpacker or underpacker? Definitely overpacker, but I've gotten much better when I started planning outfits! I just hate to not have what I want/need when away. 

Have you done any air travel since 2020?

What's your favorite destination?

What's Up Wednesday

Today I'm joining Shay and Sheaffer for What's Up Wednesday to share what I've been up to since last month! 

What I'm Eating: I made this Andouille and Rice Skillet and it turned out AH-MAZING! Will definitely be adding to the rotation for the future! I also tried this Southwest Tortilla Baked Egg dish and while it didn't turn out as pretty, it was still very tasty! This week I'm going to be using up some extra pasta that I already made with this Dragon Noodles recipe and this twist on Taco Tuesday with these Taco Stuffed Shells. 

What I've Been Up To: 
Celebrating my niece's first birthday, a delicious dinner date at one of our favorite restaurants, and a big celebration for our favorite brewery's 3rd Anniversary with lots of friends and family! 

Elle's 1st Birthday

short rib pasta, scallops and banana cream pie

What I'm Dreading: We are looking to switch to a new ticketing system at work at the end of next month and we are nowhere near ready. Instead of giving more time to prepare they are just pushing full-steam ahead which will surely end in disaster. 

What I'm Working On: Spring cleaning! I took a random day off last week and since the weather was pretty gross I spent the day cleaning and purging - it felt great to be able to see my closet floors again! 

What I'm Watching/Reading: I recently watched Nightmare Alley- what a strange and DARK movie! I also started Season 2 of Getting Organized with The Home Edit on Netflix (getting some inspo for that cleaning and purging!). 

What I'm Doing This Weekend: Checking out a new-to-me restaurant/brew house with Michael

What I'm Looking Forward to Next Month: A loong vacation (a full week!) with my family down the shore (the beach for those of you not from NJ!). 

And that's it! 

What's up with you this month?