Tag: books

Weekly Wrap Up | 4/28/24

Aloha friends!

What a week and I didn’t realize mercury was in retrograde until I checked and yup total makes sense! I had ants in the house this week but I found where they were coming in from and plugged the hole up. Then my neighbor had something to show me – apparently the dryer vent cover on the outside of my house was damaged, knocked off? Not sure it happened or when – over time? But my neighbor said he saw a bird come out of my dryer vent! Sure enough I saw it happen with my own eyes – I had to remove all the twigs and leaves they stuffed in there but they kept coming back so I tried to put some chicken fence wire over the hole flap until I could get the right covering at the hardware store. But these mynah birds weren’t hindered and I kept finding twigs hanging out of the hole and having to climb a ladder to remove them. Definitely wish my husband was here to take care of it BUT he’s not 🤷🏻‍♀️…anyway I got so tired of cleaning the hole, I put a piece of duct tape on the flap and they haven’t been able to remove it – HA! They kept me busy for 2 days until I put that tape – dunno why I didn’t just do that in the first place.

Then I called a vent cleaning service to clean my dryer vent. God knows what those birds shoved into my vent! I even saw a bird on the fence with a small plastic bag in it’s mouth before I shooed it away. It was time to get a vent cleaning anyway, we’ve been at this house for 10 years. And sure enough there was a lot of lint in the vent and strings and other random things the birds have stuffed it with to make a nest. So glad I got it cleaned out!

So after figuring out the ant hole, and tape was the answer for the vent and booking the vent cleaning service, feeling like I accomplished a lot this week fighting animals lol…Wednesday night my son is brushing his teeth in his bathroom at 9pm and then starts yelling “there’s a centipede in the sink!!”. I hate roaches and centipedes but Hawaii has lots of them because of our tropical weather…I’ve done good blocking up cracks at the bottom doors so they don’t come in over the years. And I usually have my hubby deal with the bugs – of course with him not there I had to get brave LOL. UGHHHHH I hate centipedes. The ones in Hawaii sting too – and they are ugly UGH. Usually I find them in my backyard after heavy rains. Guess this one was looking for water or something, I have no clue but it was climbing out of his sink drain. I sprayed blindly at it with a can of Raid and that took care of it. But let me tell you I had a hard time going to sleep after that. Last time one got into the house was 10 years ago 😅. I guess this was our 10 year anniversary centipede. 😫 Let’s just say my son doesn’t want to use his sink and we’ve now kept the sinks plugged up when not in use. Then the next day I had him take our recyclables to our recycle bin outside and he came back with all the items still in his hand and he said “mom there is a centipede by the bin”. And it was a BIG one ughhhhhh – sprayed it and watched it wiggle as I jumped out of it’s way. I said maybe he will have good luck this week LOL. 😅 And he kinda did – he got to 100 subs on his youtube channel this week!

Mercury retrograde and Passover? I was visited by plagues this week – so on brand. 🤦🏻‍♀️ So not cool! 😅 But it can only get good from now on right?! Right!

Anyway I hope everyone has a good week!

Blog Posts:

Books I Read:

King of Greed by. Ana Huang

Some Mistakes Were Made by. Kristin Dwyer

Currently Reading:

Shows/Movies/Music I Watched/Listened To:

How was your week? Did you get a lot done? Watch anything good? Read any amazing books or books you didn’t finish? What are you reading?…Leave me a comment below!

Some Mistakes Were Made by. Kristin Dwyer | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: Some Mistakes Were Made

Author: Kristin Dwyer

Format: ebook (borrowed)

Pages: 384

Publication Date: 5/10/22

Categories: Young Adult, New Adult, Romance, Second Chance Romance



You can’t always go home again.

Ellis and Easton have been inseparable since childhood. But when a rash decision throws Ellis’s life—and her relationship with Easton— into chaos she’s forced to move halfway across the country, far from everything she’s ever known. 

Now Ellis hasn’t spoken to Easton in a year, and maybe it’s better that way; maybe eventually the Easton shaped hole in her heart will heal. But when Easton’s mother invites her home for a celebration, Ellis finds herself tangled up in the web of heartache, betrayal, and anger she left behind… and with the boy she never stopped loving.

Content Warning: drugs, prison, neglectful parents

Having read this after listening to The Tortured Poets Department was such an experience! I didn’t mean for that to happen by the way but that’s what happened. And so many songs were resonating with what was happening in this book and Easton is a tortured poet for sure! What a coincidence right?

Ellis has made it – she graduated from high school in San Diego, a town that isn’t home. Now she is invited back home to Indiana, for a 50th birthday party for the woman who practically raised her and the three boys she was close to when she lived with them. Dixon, and Tucker are like brothers to her but Easton, is something more. There are events that happen in the book leading up to the moment Ellis and Easton are separated which sets off a hard journey for them to get back together.

There is angst, mutual pining, and so many feelings that aren’t communicated between Ellis and Easton. Their love story is so sweet but heart wrenching because she’s the girl from the wrong side of the tracks and Easton is the boy with loving parents and an easy upbringing. They are together, then torn apart, then thank you for the happy-ending, brought back together. I almost thought it wasn’t going to happen though, it got frustrating, but eventually they broke through to one another. A lot of things had to happen, like Ellis really facing her demons and Easton being patient through it all and telling her how he feels. I was sort of rooting for them, but also rooting for them not to be a toxic kind of love.

I loved how Sandry (Easton’s mom) took Ellis in. I love how Tucker became her best friend. But I also love that people in her dysfunctional family loved her too and showed it, like Tenny, her cousin and her grandma. This story showed that families are complicated but there can be love there too. I appreciated the layers of this story.

My Final Thoughts:

I loved this book and I think this author is becoming a must-read author for me. I can’t wait to read more of her books!

Quotes From the Book:

“I’m so sick of waiting to be saved or waiting for find myself because I’m too afraid the person I find will disappoint someone else.”

Some Mistakes Were Made by. Kristin Dwyer

“I stand here and feel other. Not quite one of them, but not quite something else. It’s how I feel everywhere.”

Some Mistakes Were Made by. Kristin Dwyer

“Because all the people who love me don’t want to keep me, but I can’t stop feeling like I need to please them.”

Some Mistakes Were Made by. Kristin Dwyer

“I forgot about this. People who can laugh at shitty things. People who don’t think the sky is falling when something small goes wrong. They call it perspective. Or being jaded. Or worse, a grateful attitude. Really, it’s just survival. A word I hate as much as I own.”

Some Mistakes Were Made by. Kristin Dwyer

“We keep having the same argument with words that circle the same hurt over and over again.”

Some Mistakes Were Made by. Kristin Dwyer

Find me here: Instagram (bookstagram📚) | Instagram (crafts🎨) | Twitter (X) | Etsy (shop)

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

The Atlas of Us by. Kristin Dwyer | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

WWW Wednesday | 4/24/24

WWW Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Sam over on Taking on a World of Words.

The idea is pretty simple, every week you dedicate a post to the three W’s:

What are you currently reading?

What have you just finished reading?

What are you going to read next?

I haven’t picked up a book all weekend because I’ve been streaming Taylor Swift’s new album and trying to decode the lyrics – it’s been a grower for me but so good! I can’t believe we are almost at the end of April. My daughter is going to be busy with her tap recital being next week so we have stage rehearsals this week. Not sure if I’ll finish any books this week but I do have an audiobook I can listen to.

What are you currently reading?

The Mirror of Beasts by. Alexandra Bracken – 2% in

Not Another Love Song by. Julie Soto – 2% in

King of Greed by. Ana Huang – 21% in and it’s taking me awhile reading this because I’m in a slump.

What have you just finished reading?

Verity by. Colleen Hoover – ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Six of Sorrow by. Amanda Linsmeier – ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 💫

What are you going to read next?

What are you reading right now?

#5OnMyTBR: Romance

#5OnMyTBR is a bookish meme hosted by E. @ Local Bee Hunter’s Nook and you can learn more about it here or in the post announcing it. It occurs every Monday when we post about 5 books on our TBR.

This week’s theme is: Romance

Title: The Rule Book

Author: Sarah Adams

College sweethearts meet again years later, in this highly anticipated romance and companion story to the viral TikTok sensation The Cheat Sheet.

Nora Mackenzie’s entire career lies in the hands of famous NFL tight end Derek Pender who also happens to be her extremely hot college ex-boyfriend. Nora didn’t end things as gracefully as she could have back then, and now it’s come back to haunt her. Derek is her first client as an official full-time sports agent and he’s holding a grudge.

Derek has set his sights on a little friendly revenge. If Nora Mackenzie, the first girl to ever break his heart, wants to be his agent, oh he’ll let her be his agent. The plan is make Nora’s life absolutely miserable. But if Derek knows anything about the woman he once loved—she won’t quit easily.

Instead of giving in, Nora starts a scheme of her own. But then a wild night in Vegas leads to Nora and Derek in bed the next morning married. With their rule book out the window, could this new relationship be the thing to save their careers?

Title: Can’t Help Falling in Love

Author: Sophie Sullivan

A struggling waitress and the heir to a major Seattle company stumble into a high-profile fake engagement while simultaneously trying to keep up with their own love lives in this flirty fall rom-com!

Lexi Danby is looking for some no-strings, fall fun. Once a college track star, she was forced to drop out when her father passed away. Now she’s trying to make ends meet while putting herself through school and caring for her grieving mother. When her comically bad waitressing lands her directly in the path of a handsome, charming stranger named Will, Lexi may just have found the distraction she’s been looking for. Their first date looks promising until a misunderstanding at a party thrusts Lexi and Will into a fake engagement they can’t talk themselves out of. And Will turns out to be a member of Seattle royalty.

Will Grand is heir to a major company, and Seattle’s most eligible bachelor. But he’s been placed in charge of an important merger with a company that values family above all else, and needs to show them that he’s settled down. While a fake engagement is advantageous from a business standpoint, it’s not so great for a budding relationship with a woman who’s wary of commitment. With a woman who Will is beginning to care about much more than he could have anticipated.

As Lexi gets a taste of Will’s glamorous world and the pair keeps up the pretense of their fake engagement for the press, they decide to see where a more casual relationship takes them out of the spotlight. And amid apple picking in comfy flannels, outdoor breweries in the crisp air, and fun Halloween preparations, Lexi starts to realize the scariest part of the season might just be taking a chance on love.

“Sophie Sullivan consistently crafts romances to root for.” -Courtney Kae, author of In the Event of Love and In the Case of Heartbreak

Title: Not Another Love Song

Author: Julie Soto

Two string players fight their attraction for each other as they compete for center stage in this spicy and emotional romance.

Gwen Jackson and Xander Thorne are both musical prodigies, but each has had very different paths to success. Xander was born into classical music royalty, while Gwen had a natural ear for music that was nurtured by a kind shop owner.

After Gwen performs at his friend’s wedding, she’s mortified when she realizes Xander has no clue who she is—despite having worked together for a year at the Pops Orchestra. But she’s more furious that he arrogantly critiques her performance.

When Gwen is offered the role of First Chair of the orchestra, something Xander had secretly coveted for years, their existing hostility goes up a notch. But their respect for each other’s music is undeniable, and their onstage chemistry off the scale. As they begin to explore their feelings for one another, suddenly they’re box office dynamite and the fragile romance that’s growing between them is in danger of being crushed beneath a publicity stunt…

Title: Just for the Summer

Authors: Abby Jimenez

Justin has a curse, and thanks to a Reddit thread, it’s now all over the internet. Every woman he dates goes on to find their soul mate the second they break up. When a woman slides into his DMs with the same problem, they come up with a plan: They’ll date each other and break up. Their curses will cancel each other’s out, and they’ll both go on to find the love of their lives. It’s a bonkers idea… and it just might work.

Emma hadn’t planned that her next assignment as a traveling nurse would be in Minnesota, but she and her best friend agree that dating Justin is too good of an opportunity to pass up, especially when they get to rent an adorable cottage on a private island on Lake Minnetonka.

It’s supposed to be a quick fling, just for the summer. But when Emma’s toxic mother shows up and Justin has to assume guardianship of his three siblings, they’re suddenly navigating a lot more than they expected–including catching real feelings for each other. What if this time Fate has actually brought the perfect pair together?

Title: Happily Never After

Author: Lynn Painter

Two love sceptics agree to work together as professional wedding disruptors. But fate has more romantic plans in mind for them . . .

When Sophie finds out right before getting married that she’s been cheated on (again!) it’s time for drastic action. Instead of calling the wedding off, she hires a gorgeous stranger – Max – to interrupt the ceremony and confront her fiancé. It’s hardly the wedding she’d planned. But Sophie enjoys taking revenge. So, when Max asks if she’ll work with him to help others expose their cheating partners, Sophie agrees. When they’re hired by a man who’s marrying the girl that once broke Max’s heart, Sophie expects Max to revel in the job. But instead, he seems to be wrestling with his feelings for his ex. And worse than that, Sophie is jealous . . .Tropes/ Friends to lovers2. Slow burn romance3. Spicy books4. Love triangle

Have you read any of these? Or plan to read any of these?

April

  • 01/04/2024 — Humour
  • 08/04/2024 — Recced by a Friend
  • 15/04/2024 — Title Starting with an ‘A’
  • 22/04/2024 — Romance
  • 29/04/2024 — Adventurous

Weekly Wrap Up | 4/21/24

Aloha friends!

I got over my illness – YAY! And right as my coughing was coming to an end, my daughter’s allergies/coughing started again and she got pink eye. 😅 Spring has not been kind to us!

My best friend since kindergarten so yes…that is 40 years of friendship 🥲🥰, had neck fusion surgery this past Tuesday. So my thoughts have been on her too – she was diagnosed with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis when we were in the second grade, I still remember our teacher explaining why she was going to miss so much class time. Anyway, it’s been a battle these past 40 years for her, with a knee replacement and hip replacement all before the age of 21, daily pain, joints fusing but she’s been a fighter. Her brother is giving me updates as he gets them – but the surgery went well, she’s just dealing with the pain now. 😔 So I have been worried about her but I am SO glad the surgery went well.

My daughter’s dance recital is coming up so we are busy with that. I didn’t get much reading done at all. Still in my slump I think and maybe it’s needed?

Anyway I hope everyone has a good week!

Blog Posts:

Seems like I didn’t post much this week…

Books I Read:

Verity by. Colleen Hoover

Six of Sorrow by. Amanda Linsmeier

Currently Reading:

Shows/Movies/Music I Watched/Listened To:

  • The Tortured Poets Department (Taylor Swift) – The Tortured Poets Department: Anthology – My Thoughts – first initial reaction I thought the whole thing was too slow but after a few listens, I think it’s perfect to listen to for when I’m doing certain tasks like blogging ☺️

How was your week? Did you get a lot done? Watch anything good? Read any amazing books or books you didn’t finish? What are you reading?…Leave me a comment below!

WWW Wednesday | 4/17/24

WWW Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Sam over on Taking on a World of Words.

The idea is pretty simple, every week you dedicate a post to the three W’s:

What are you currently reading?

What have you just finished reading?

What are you going to read next?

Finally I am feeling much better! Still some congestion but most of the yuckiness and the coughing is gone thank goodness. But now my daughter has pink eye so yay…fun! Now I’m trying to avoid that lol. I haven’t posted much, I haven’t read much and if I did it was one or two pages and then I’d put the book down. Not sure why I’m in such a slump but have you read any amazing books lately? If you have drop some recs in the comments, please!

What are you currently reading?

Six of Sorrow by. Amanda Linsmeier

The Mirror of Beasts by. Alexandra Bracken

Not Another Love Song by. Julie Soto

What have you just finished reading?

The Summer Swap by. Sarah Morgan – ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 💫

Castle of the Cursed by. Romina Garber – ⭐️⭐️⭐️

What are you going to read next?

    What are you reading right now?

    Weekly Wrap Up | 4/14/24

    Aloha friends!

    I got sick the day of the solar eclipse – we only got a 20% eclipse here in Hawaii, but yeah was feeling yucky at the end of the day and then the next few days I was struggling to get through my days with congestion, joint aching, chills, coughing, vertigo – it sucked and I FINALLY feel someone better though I’m still coughing. So I had no motivation to blog at all. I was sleeping, a LOT this week – but it’s just me so I had to at least get my kids to school and fed this week.😅 My sweet dog was my cuddle buddy the whole time I was napping two times a day. He knew I was feeling poorly. I just really hate all the coughing that happens at night, ugh it hurts my whole upper body, so I feel like I need a massage after this week.

    I did manage to read two books because I would wake up in the middle of the night coughing and couldn’t go back to sleep. So at least I accomplished that!

    I hope you all have a good week!

    Blog Posts:

    Books I Read:

    Castle of the Cursed by. Romina Garber

    The Summer Swap by. Sarah Morgan

    Currently Reading:

    I haven’t picked up anything to read and I won’t until maybe tomorrow because I just needed to get through this weekend. 😫

    Shows/Movies/Music I Watched/Listened To:

    • Bring it On (movie) – I needed a feel good movie and this was perfect.
    • Coachella (youtube) – Chappell Roan, Lana Del Rey

    How was your week? Did you get a lot done? Watch anything good? Read any amazing books or books you didn’t finish? What are you reading?…Leave me a comment below!

    WWW Wednesday | 4/10/24

    WWW Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Sam over on Taking on a World of Words.

    The idea is pretty simple, every week you dedicate a post to the three W’s:

    What are you currently reading?

    What have you just finished reading?

    What are you going to read next?

    I am a little off this week – my daughter caught her monthly cold last week, and then I think I have a bit of it or allergies. I can’t tell, but I feel funky – even woke up with vertigo yesterday, which SUCKS bad. I had to drain my sinuses which helped a lot. So I have a cough, post-nasal drip and just low energy. I feel like I’m in a reading slump, or I can’t seem to find the kind of book I want to read. Anyway, I’m pushing through some arcs, not a lot but I’d rather stay on top of them.

    I feel like I’ve been a little sloppy with my posts too or scheduling them. I posted two Top Ten Tuesdays yesterday lol. 😅 Sorry about that.

    What are you currently reading?

    The Summer Swap by. Sarah Morgan

    Castle of the Cursed by. Romina Garber

    What have you just finished reading?

    The Dangerous Ones by. Lauren Blackwood – ⭐️⭐️⭐️

    The Calculation of You and Me by. Serena Kaylor – ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

    Bridesmaid for Hire by. Meghan Quinn – ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 💫

    What are you going to read next?

    Six of Sorrow by. Amanda Linsmeier

    Mirror of Beasts by. Alexandra Bracken

    Not Another Love Song by. Julie Soto

    What are you reading right now?

    Weekly Wrap Up | 4/7/24

    Aloha friends!

    The first week of April is crossed off – can you believe it? We are marching towards mid-year huh? My April schedule is – busy. My daughter has her dance recital for the first weekend of May so that means a lot of dance stuff to do this month (pictures, classes, rehearsals). I still feel like I’m in a reading slump and I don’t know if that just means I need a break from reading? Not sure…but we’ll see how April goes!

    I hope you all have a good week!

    Blog Posts:

    Books I Read:

    The Calculation of You and Me by. Serena Kaylor

    Bride by. Ali Hazelwood

    Bridesmaid for Hire by. Meghan Quinn

    Currently Reading:

    The Dangerous Ones by. Lauren Blackwood

    Shows/Movies/Music I Watched/Listened To:

    • Grease 2 (movie) – I was really craving and oldie but goodie and saw that this was on Pluto TV, an app I have NEVER used but it’s on my amazon fire stick so I downloaded it and it’s free because it has ads. It was the perfect movie to watch! I remember being obsessed with Michelle Pfiffer as a young girl, I wanted to be a Pink Lady so bad and have a gorgeous Michael Carrington trying to be a “cool rider” for me. 😂 How do I still know all the lyrics to the songs in this movie?! That’s how many times I watched it in my younger years.
    • I am being FED with music this year! Listening to Olivia Rodrigo, Chappell Roan, Ariana Grande, Beyonce…what a year for music, and Taylor’s album coming out soon? I can’t wait for what else comes out this year! Now if only I can get myself to a concert 😆 – in this economy?! 💁🏻‍♀️

    How was your week? Did you get a lot done? Watch anything good? Read any amazing books or books you didn’t finish? What are you reading?…Leave me a comment below!

    WWW Wednesday | 4/3/24

    WWW Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Sam over on Taking on a World of Words.

    The idea is pretty simple, every week you dedicate a post to the three W’s:

    What are you currently reading?

    What have you just finished reading?

    What are you going to read next?

    I was a but out of it at the start of this week because the weekend, which I thought wasn’t going to be so busy…got busy. Took my kids to the pool on Friday which tired me out, had my parents at my house Saturday as usual and my son had a piano lesson, then Sunday for Easter I brought my kids to an indoor playground for an hour then went home and we had lunch with my mom and sister, dyed eggs, decorated a cake, had a mini egg hunt for my 2 kids, then they opened the eggs and their Easter baskets. I was DONE. 😅 Why are weekends never relaxing?! So I started off this week – tired. I only got to finish 2 books since it was an unexpectedly busy weekend.

    What are you currently reading?

    The Dangerous Ones by. Lauren Blackwood – 10% in, this one is so interesting. American Civil War and vampires?

    The Calculation of You and Me by. Serena Kaylor – 10% in!

    What have you just finished reading?

    Beautiful Villain by. Rebecca Kenny – ⭐️⭐️⭐️ – I was so out of it when I made this review Sunday night that I accidentally posted it way too early. It’s out in July and I wanted to post my review in July but…🤷🏻‍♀️ my brain cells were not working lol.

    Bride by. Ali Hazelwood – ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

    What are you going to read next?

    Six of Sorrow by. Amanda Linsmeier

    Castle of the Cursed by. Romina Garber

    I am actually amazed at how few titles I have requested on NetGalley this year! I cut down a lot…like 50% less requests I think, and now I don’t have many arcs to review for the summer. I don’t know if I’m happy about that or not. 😅 I think I’m happy about it because I don’t have a NetGalley list glaring at me and pressuring me to finish reading all these arcs.

    What are you reading right now?