Book Review: August & September

Posted on by JC Rizk

Happy reading months: August and September were full of terrific books, including some four 4-star reads! With my mama vacation during September, I was able to sit and read during my meals, including this ‘grown up’ mac and cheese, pictured below, with avocado, arugula, asparagus, smoked salmon and beets, pictured with an equally delectable book — yum! Here are the books I am reviewing from these past two months:

  • Normal People by Sally Rooney {3 stars}
  • Something Missing by Matthew Dicks {2 stars}
  • Girls Like Us by Cristina Alger {4 stars}
  • My Cousin Rachel by Daphne DuMaurier {3 stars}
  • The Shortest Way Home by Miriam Parker {4 stars}
  • Still Life by Louise Penny {4 stars}
  • The Only Woman in the Room by Marie Benedict {4 stars}
  • Educated by Tara Westover {4 stars}

Let’s start with the lower star books to save the best for last — Something Missing was a neat concept of a man who is a career thief and most of the book follows how he scopes out his “clients” and believes he has relationships with these individuals as he steals from them regularly. I rated this as a 2-star book because although the concept was interesting, I found it relatively mundane to read until the very end, where the climax and resolution happened very quickly and left me unimpressed. I will chalk it up to not being the right book for me!

Normal People was an interesting path along the relationship of two young people and their families, but I have to say that it made me sad. Not a bad thing, because I think that was the author’s intention — to show how some familial relationships and experiences can shape our actions. In books like this, I become frustrated as I want the characters to work on their issues, rather than accepting that this is the way they are, but that frustrates me in everyday life as well, so again, pretty sure it was the intention. Sally Rooney portrayed this well, but I wasn’t in the mood for it — will definitely try another book by her in the future!

My Cousin Rachel was lovely, because Daphne DuMaurier is brilliant and left me impressed and yet uncertain of everything at the end of this novel. I wasn’t as enraptured as I was when reading Rebecca in the past, so I found I couldn’t give more stars, even though it was an entertaining novel.

Moving on to some of the 4-star book reviews! I am so grateful to have so many these past couple months. I enjoyed The Only Woman in the Room, as I found this historical fiction captivating. The history behind it, I was completely unaware of, which I think is what I really enjoy about historical fiction. On a different spectrum, the fiction The Shortest Way Home was a sweet, fast read, and a refreshing story about a young woman finding her own way despite societal expectations. Educated was horrifying memoir that made me want to stop reading continually, but the author’s determination and perseverance in her life encouraged me to continue reading, and wow, what a journey. Reading about her life is definitely hard at times, but it’s also awe-inspiring to hear how she overcame her experiences. Sidenote: this was an audio book, and I really enjoyed the voice over; she did an amazing job!

Now to discuss my favorites for the past two months; both by new authors for me and obviously authors that I plan to read more of soon! Girls Like Us was an interesting mystery about an FBI agent who delves into the life of her father, as well as his unexpected death. Still Life by Louise Penny was amazing and I especially love the main character, Inspector Armand Gamache; I read a lot of mysteries and love series that keep me guessing, but I’ve never come across an inspector quite like Gamache. He is thoughtful, full of perspective and understanding, and just a really refreshing take on this type of role. I cannot wait to read more Louise Penny books! I already have one on hold for me at the local library — I can’t wait!

Exciting news is that with these last books, I met my Goodreads reading challenge: I wanted to read 25 books this year and I already have, with three months to spare! Interested to see how many more amazing reads I can find before 2020 and I plan to keep you in the loop, so stay tuned!

First Cruise: Bermuda

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Attention all! My babies are back! The house seems complete, although I have to admit that when I heard talking at 5:15 yesterday morning, my first thought was, ‘there’s someone in the house’. You know, because burglars would be having a high pitch conversation with themselves while pilfering through our items… 🤦🏽‍♀️

Other than that brief moment of confusion, we are back in full swing and the kids and I enjoyed the first day of autumn together — Bird and I enjoyed some art time while Lulu took his morning nap. We then all walked to the local park for some play time, which included playing in the dirt and with the crispy leaves {our only current taste of autumn — still feels like summer to me}, and then ended the day with some water play! Dinner tonight was delicious risotto with butternut squash and sausage; the kids loved the “hot dogs” and even though they usually love rice, were not a fan of the risotto. Hmm… one benefit of my alone time this last week was that I rebooted my ‘mama skills’ and I started meal prepping again, which helps me feel so much more on top of things. The babes did love my bacon, leek, and cheese frittata, so you win some, you lose some, I guess!

Back to happy thoughts though, when I didn’t have to stress about what my kids will and will not eat. I cannot believe that we were just getting back from our cruise about a week ago. This was the first cruise for Hubby and myself, but we went with another couple who have been on several, so it was nice to be there with people who knew the ropes!

The food was delicious, from the full meals, to the tacos, to the sweet, plentiful soft-serve ice cream — my guilty pleasure! There are a ton of activities for those who dislike sitting still {talking about you, Hubby} and also space for those who want a little more leisure. We went to one musical show, one comedy show, participated in Bingo and also the “hole-in-one” challenge {Hubby won a medal!}. Mostly, on our days at sea, I preferred to sit on the top deck in a lawn chair and read. I found that my motion sickness follows me to cruise ships and the Seabands and Dramamine didn’t quite hold it at bay; that being said, I really only suffered one night and we luckily had one really smooth day at sea, of which I was appreciative!

We spent one day in Bermuda, and it was absolutely stunning. The water was impeccable, the local art was beautiful, and the culture was fascinating! I wish we had more time in Bermuda, but we visited Hamilton, ate some local cuisine, and even saw a Gombey dance {dancers pictured to the right}! I love the vibrant colors on the island, from the Gombey costumes, to the houses, to the water. Hubby and I already agreed we would love to spend more time in Bermuda. In fact, that was my major qualm about the cruise; I am willing to try another one, but overall, I think I prefer arriving in the location of interest quicker and having a longer time to explore and enjoy rather than being cooped up on a cruise ship.

However, I really did love the views: it is extremely impressive to see only ocean surrounding you. I saw my first flying fish , and sights like the one on the left, leaving Bermuda, were stunning and will stay with me for a long time. I also was able to get a lot of reading done and it’s inspired a reading frenzy this past week, which I am loving! Now that I am refreshed from the self care this past week, I am feeling more prepared as a human, wife, and mama. Everyone needs time to take care of themselves and I am so grateful to my family for giving me this opportunity.

What are you going to do take care of yourself this week?! Stay tuned next week for my book review post for August and September.

Book Review: May, June, & July

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Sunrise in the Harbor

This past week I returned to the early morning routine and it’s unbelievable how quickly it improved my mood! Jogged several mornings with my awesome neighbor — it’s always nice to have someone to motivate you. If I didn’t have a jogging partner, I’m pretty sure I would continue to sleep in and thus continue with my previous funk. Also, I kept the ball rolling with journaling, practicing yoga and reading! In fact, these past three months were extremely productive with reading for fun:

  • Hunting Prince Dracula by Kerri Maniscalco {3 stars}
  • Save Me the Plums by Ruth Reichl {4 stars}
  • Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen {5 stars}
  • Carnegie’s Maid by Marie Benedict {4 stars}
  • Becoming by Michelle Obama {3 stars}
  • Recursion by Blake Crouch {4 stars}
  • Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens {4 stars}

Let’s start with the 3 star reads: Hunting Prince Dracula was a fun, mysterious read, which I recommend to any who like supernatural mysteries, and I plan to read the first book in the series {you do not have to read the first to enjoy the second}. It may not be the first book I run to, but it was good and had a unique plot. Becoming was extremely interesting and I wanted to love it, but I was disappointed overall. It was the second audiobook that I listened to and I expected it to be phenomenal because Michelle Obama is such a dynamic speaker. However, part of me thought the writing was too descriptive and her reading was not as dynamic I expected. That being said, her history is fascinating and I wonder if this book would improve upon physical reading. I can only imagine me trying to read what I wrote off a page; I doubt it would sound as fluid as me speaking with others, and in my mind, I honestly think that was the issue. I plan to read it in the future and see if it improves upon actual reading rather than listening.

FAVORITES: The other audiobook, the first one I listened to EVER, Save Me the Plums, was absolutely incredible. Ruth Reichl writes and speaks about food in such a delectable way, that I become instantly hungry and satiated at the same time! Her history as the editor-in-chief of Gourmet magazine was fascinating and complex. I highly recommend this book for any foodie out there! My other favorite book of these past three months was Pride and Prejudice, by the one and only, Jane Austen. This was a re-read, as it was an instant favorite back when I read it in high school. It’s slightly terrifying to think, but it’s probably been about 15 years since I last read it {insert shocked face here}! It took me a bit to get back into it, because I kept thinking about the 6 hour BBC special, starring the lovely Colin Firth, but once I got over the comparisons, I loved it as much as my teenage years.

My other three reads were impressive as well: Carnegie Maid was a quick, light read, with a nice balance of history and fiction. Where the Crawdads Sing was an emotional, heartbreaking story with several twists along the way. Out of these last reads, I especially enjoyed Recursion by Blake Crouch — this was the first book I ever read by him, and it was full of surprises and was especially thought provoking. I will definitely be reading more of his work in the future.

These books help to keep me motivated and I am currently borrowing Normal People by Sally Rooney from the library. It was highly recommended on Instagram from several bookstagrammers and it’s interesting so far; definitely a different writing style than I’m used to and I’m curious to see what I think at the end. Will let you know in the next book review post!

Enough about me, though — I am not the only one reading and receiving library books! Our public library has a summer reading program, where if kids read 20 minutes a day {or for my toddlers, if someone reads to them for twenty minutes} you mark it on the calendar and for every six days of reading for twenty minutes, you get a sticker, until you reach 36 days. We completed our summer reading challenge this week and Bird was super stoked to receive all her stickers — and the prize?! A new book from the library! Bird was thrilled to pick out a book from their selection and chose Jamberry, which is cute. Lulu, was less excited; he also loves books, but really didn’t understand the summer reading program {gosh, grow up already}, so Mama picked Barnyard Dance for him! Haha, I love that my kids are ‘readers’; we really do enjoy it as a family and often throughout the day, I see Bird and Lulu walk over to the stack of library books or to our bookshelves and just delve into stories, which makes this bibliophile mama’s heart burst! Oh, and talk about proud mama — Bird also acquired her first library card! This is probably my favorite milestone by far and she was so proud of it, walking around with it for the remainder of the day. It’s currently in our library bag {the one that looks like an old school library card… sigh, nostalgia} so that it doesn’t disappear, but I know she’ll be excited to check out our next books on her personal card next week!

What about you? What are you reading? Do you have a library close to you and do you utilize it? What are your favorite recent books?

A month later…

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Well, clearly still working on that balance component, but not apologizing, because that’s life! Today, while listening to the radio — which I do every morning — the DJs were discussing new year resolutions and asking how people were doing with theirs, since it’s about halfway through the year. This year, I didn’t make an actual resolution list, but every year my list is pretty consistent, generally relating to finding a better balance and feeling healthier: cook/eat healthier food, exercise more frequently, practice yoga, practice meditation, read more often, and recently, to be more present with the babes.

When 2019 started, I was practicing yoga in Utah {which was amazing}, meditating regularly, was cooking more regularly/healthier meals, and was definitely focused on Bird and Lulu. I definitely hit some patches since then where I wasn’t as steadfast with meeting these goals, but I am in the process of revamping my intentions for the remainder of the year. Last post, I just started a new morning routine, which helped me feel more focused and calm at the start of the day — critical for me. Last week was more of a struggle since I was on vacation, visiting my family in New England, which was amazing, but I paused on my morning routine. Plus, I ate like I was a teenager — overeating, snacking on potato chips and waaaaay too much chocolate — my body is currently punishing me by producing a major zit; I guess if I am going to act like a teenager, I get to look like one too. Haha — just being real over here!

Picture on the right: Senior Chief Petty Officer Shannon Kent

However, the weeks before vacation, I continued the morning routine and also ran a 10k — in memory of my friend who was killed back in January. What an honor it was to run and the medal has her name on it; never have I felt more proud to receive a race medal. It currently hangs front and center on my display. She was a badass, thoughtful, and hilarious mama, neighbor, and friend — always pushing her limits and motivating others to do the same. Before I became pregnant with Lulu, we talked about completing a sprint triathlon {I may have mentioned the sprint option because I’m sure she would have completed a full triathlon without fail}; my goal is to get in shape to complete one in her honor by the end of 2020.

This morning I woke up early and finished a short one mile jog in the neighborhood to get myself back on track. I was greeted with this beautiful sunrise and an almost full moon {was two days ago} peeking out from behind the clouds. I was still lethargic when I arrived back at the house, but I didn’t meditate or practice yoga, which I desperately needed. Tomorrow is a new day and I will do better!

As for my other yearly intentions, I’ve certainly kept up reading, feel better about the focus I have when with the babies, and go through spurts with cooking healthier for the family. I am getting back on track with the latter and am seriously considering starting the Whole 30 again. Hubby and I did it several years ago and absolutely loved it! Tonight, I cooked up a beautiful salmon salad inspired by a Pinterest post: shout out to Cafe Delights‘ blog and marinade!

I really enjoyed that the marinade for the salmon was the dressing as well {you split it in half for the two purposes, you don’t use the marinade as the dressing} because it made my life simpler! Such a quick and easy meal and so healthy. For future posts, you can look forward to my book reviews from May, June, and July next week, then a post about our home organization in the next two weeks! It feels like it’s been forever, but we are so close now!

Stay tuned and let me know: how are you doing on your resolutions and/or intentions for 2019?!

Book Review: March & April

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  • The Mommy Group by Elizabeth Isadora Gold {3 stars}
  • The Whole Brain Child by Daniel J. Siegel {4 stars}
  • The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman {4 stars}
  • The Winter Sea by Susanna Kearsley {*5 stars}

Well, we reached a milestone — the first 5 star book of 2019! It was the most recent book I read and it was un-be-lievable! The more I read of the genre, the more I enjoy historical fiction, and this novel in particular was captivating. I will admit that I was hesitant to start it, because it is lengthy and I worried it would not catch my attention and would be a long struggle to the finish line. However, thankfully, it was a breeze and one that I am still reluctant to leave {by starting another book}. It is apparently the first in a series and now I added Slains #2: The Firebird to my TBR list. You can read more on my Goodreads, but The Winter Sea ebbs and flows between the 1700s and present day at Slains Castle in Scotland. The protagonist is an author creating a new character based off of her family tree, but as the story progresses, details that she ‘creates’ for her novel seem to be more fact than fiction. If this sounds interesting at all to you – pick up this book, today! You will not regret it!

It feels a little lack luster to discuss the other three books, now that I’ve gushed about The Winter Sea, but they were all good reads as well. I started off March with The Mommy Group, by Elizabeth Isadora Gold for a book club with my mama tribe. I was a little put-off by most of the mamas being seemingly forced into c-sections; not sure if this was due to location and population {takes place in NYC and my guess is the amount of people they work with in the hospitals there may translate to less time to honor birth plans to wait for the babies to come in their own time}. If you’re about to be a new mom and you read this, do not think that all labors are like theirs! That being said, it was a cute story and fun reading the anecdotes of new mamas, especially since my mama tribe and I then reminisced about our experiences during our book club.

Thankfully, I also finally finished The Whole Brain Child, which was a terrific read and science-based. This was one of the reasons it took the time it did; I wanted to be sure that I absorbed the information because it really resonated with me as a mother. Hubby and I use the techniques found in this book and it has been helping with Bird’s tantrums — yay, we reached the age of two! We found the information within this book help us to understand where the kids are coming from and understanding that while our frustration is understandable, it will not help in diffusing the situation. I especially love that they have a cheat-sheet in the back of the book for the refrigerator; thank you for the quick reference page! Excellent read, which I suggest to any new or veteran parent!

The remaining book on the list, The Graveyard Book, by Neil Gaiman, was enthralling. This is the book I read on my four hour flight to Colorado and all I can say is — what an imagination by Neil Gaiman — absolutely original and fun supernatural story.

What is on my upcoming TBR list? As I recently mentioned in a post, I would like to read Pride and Prejudice at some point this month; I cannot remember the last time I re-read it, which means it is time! I have one last book from my bestie, Chris, and that is Hunting Prince Dracula by Karrie Maniscalco. I started it yesterday during the kids’ nap time and quickly closed my own eyes after several chapters, but what I read was interesting. I’ll keep you posted!

Also, for my next book club, I need to read Save Me the Plums: My Gourmet Memoir by Ruth Reichl. I am excited for this book, but I am way down on the waiting list to borrow it from the library, so I am considering listening to an audio book instead. Now, I am very traditional when reading, meaning I really just read physical books; I believe I’ve only read several virtual books and I have never listened to an audio book. However, I have friends and other bibliophile friends who rave about audio books. Any suggestions? What audio book apps do you recommend? Are there any other books you recommend I listen to rather than physically read?

Travel: Red Rocks

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Colorado. Our visit there was short, but it was beautiful and absolutely peaceful. I realized this was my first major trip since Lulu was born last year and my first flight away from both him and Bird. As a mama, this was a bit nerve-racking, but I was able to be present in my journey with the hubby and our friends and enjoy the experience.

To travel is to live.

– Hans Christian Anderson

Let me start off by saying that I was able to finish an entire book on the flight to Denver, which was quite the accomplishment. That level of self-care really gave a terrific start to the weekend. Hubby and I landed in Denver on a Thursday evening and went for dinner at the Brutal Poodle, which is a ‘hard rock inspired tavern that pays homage to man’s best friend’. The food and drinks at this bar were unbelievable and we taste-tested appetizers, split two entrees, and sampled the cocktails, plus dessert. The dessert we had was Eskimo Bros Nitro Ice Cream — the bananas foster flavor — and it was the most amazing ice cream eaten to date! Hubby and I researched and it’s only available in Denver currently, so if you’re ever in the area, look them up to try it, too!

Red Rocks Amphitheater (from a distance)

The rest of our friends arrived late night, so we had a lackadaisical morning on Friday. We stayed at this amazing VRBO cabin in Morrison, Colorado, which was located on a ranch, only about twenty minutes from Red Rocks Amphitheater. Around mid morning, we all geared up and went for a small hike at Mount Falcon, which we quickly realized was adjacent to Red Rocks itself! This is a view from our trail; we hiked part of the Mount Falcon Castle Trail Loop and enjoyed the fresh air, the beautiful wilderness and the exercise!

That night, we enjoyed a gorgeous meal at the Buckhorn Exchange, which is the oldest restaurant in Denver, established in 1893! This is a steak house, with plenty to look at {taxidermy}, gads of history, and a plethora of exotic meats. Come hungry, because the portion sizes definitely do not disappoint! I enjoyed the quail, and no one left hungry; this was a neat place to come for the experience and the food.

Ms. Pickles (left) and Tito (right)

The next morning, we slept in — that’s right, folks, I slept in until 8:30 am and it was glorious! We lounged about the cabin, dipped into the hot tub, sat in front of the fire, and Hubby and I took a walk around the VRBO property. The binder the owners left advised that there were horses on the ranch and you could meet them up close and personal; these sweet horses, Ms. Pickles and Tito, were kind to let us bother their grazing.

Hubby, our friends, and me at Red Rocks Amphitheater

Before we knew it, we were off to the big event: a concert at Red Rocks! We enjoyed all the music, although Hubby was especially excited to see Stick Figure and Pepper. Stick Figure was the headliner, and I especially love that they bring their dog, Cocoa with them and she joins the band on stage! She’s an Australian Shepherd, and beautiful; she reminded me of our Aussie, Kayah, because she kept laying down with her toy directly behind the lead singer, and he would nudge into her when he backed up from the mic. Kayah loves to do that as well and often trips us as she keeps tabs on the family. The venue itself was stunning; it is neat to see from the outside, but when you’re within the massive rocks, it feels like you’re in your own fortress. Well, you, and about 9,000 of your closest friends. The concert went into the early morning, where we crashed for several hours before heading back to the airport.

Although our stay was brief, the scenery, food, and activities were exciting, and delicious; definitely a place to check out further in the future! Also, my friend was right — this short trip with just Hubby and I was a nice reprieve, although I am grateful to be back home with the babies now. Feeling lucky and appreciative for the travel opportunities, as well as the amazing family and friends who support us and watch our babies {thank you, Abuela}!

See you next week for a book review post!

Bibliophile Book Review: January and February

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I love to read. My favorite sweatshirt says “Bibliophile” and that is, seriously, no joke. I am the type of reader who takes hours in the bookstore {well, I used to before babies} trying to find the perfect read. I am the type of reader who loves to smell the books — yes, I am that person and I do not apologize! I am the type of reader who loves becoming absorbed into a plot and finding books I connect with, whether I adore or dislike them.

I try to read often, although some days I only get a few minutes during the kids’ naptime and maybe at the end of the night. Sometimes I get stuck on a book, especially parenting ones, where I feel too exhausted from actually parenting to read about it more, but I am also the type of reader who has to finish a book once started. Every year I make a goal for the number of books I will read and this year my goal is 25 books. I am hoping that by writing book reviews, I will continue this self care plan of reading regularly! You can read my individual reviews of these books on my Goodreads — you can find the link to in the sidebar — but I wanted to give an overview of the six books I read so far this year.

In January and February, I read the following books:

  • Farm from Home by Amanda Brooks {4 stars}
  • Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman {4 stars{
  • The Wildling Sisters by Eve Chase {3 stars}
  • The Immortalists by Chloe Benjamin {4 stars}
  • The Lying Game by Ruth Ware {3 stars}
  • The Bookshop on the Corner by Jenny Colgan {4 stars}

Only one nonfiction this go-around, and I really loved it; Christmas gift {thank you, Mom!} and the perfect way to start the year. A life dream of mine is to pick up and move somewhere new, where life has a better work/life balance, and there is a new adventure. Since I am getting a taste of that with this trip to Utah, this book was very apropos! I also love the beautiful photography and the recipes included with the writing, so this book is one of my favorites so far this year!

The next three books on the list were all a bit on the darker side, but excellent stories about family, relationships, and all included some mystery, which usually keeps me heavily entertained. Excellent reads! I think my least favorite of the group is The Lying Game by Ruth Ware, only because I loved In a Dark, Dark Wood and this was not as compelling. That being said, it was still a great book and kept me intrigued throughout.

Last, and certainly not least, is The Bookshop on the Corner by Jenny Colgan, which was my favorite of the six. The writing style was such an ease to read; I felt as though I was conversing with an old friend. Plus, the plot was idyllic! Overall, a terrific selection of books; I find that I give three stars to many book selections and in the past couple months, four different novels earned four stars. What an amazing start to this year’s reading goal! Keep tuned in for more reviews — I am hoping to do an overview of my books each month from here on out, so come back next month for more!

Want to know what is in the pipeline?

This month, I switched gears from fiction to a parenting book called The Whole-Brain Child by Daniel J. Siegel. I was struggling to stay connected with the book these past weeks, but I think that is due to toddler tantrums wearing me down. All the more reason to read the book, am I right? So far, I really appreciate the information and the science behind how children’s brains work, as it reminds me of the information I learned in college and beyond, as my background is in education, specifically elementary education and school counseling. I think I am finally ready to commit to reading this with my full attention. The other three books in this picture are books I borrowed from my bestie — thanks Chris! — and I look forward to hopping into these for a reprieve from more serious material once I am finished.

What are you reading lately? What are your favorite reads? All suggestions welcome!