Code Girls - Book Review

Code Girls: The Untold Story of the American Women Code Breakers of World War II by Liza Mundy
Publication: October 10, 2017
Pages: 448 pages
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars ☆☆☆☆
Sweet Spark: Truly inspirational - these are the women I hope I would have been smart enough to join forces with if I'd been around during this time.

The women who helped so much in World War II were 'accepted' to help because they enjoyed crossword puzzles and didn't have plans to marry soon. What a world, eh? 

Code breaking wouldn't have been considered to be 'women's work' if so many men hadn't already left to fight in the war. But when the powers that be had to work with the talent that was left, they hoped women would be good at this monotonous, detailed work. Boy, were they pleasantly surprised!

The story of the women joining up or being hired to crack the codes was great, but my favorite part was following a few of the same women through their careers and beyond. I especially liked the follow-up, where the author talked about hearing from the women or their descendants after publication of the hardcover book, in time to mention in the paperback afterword. 

Overall, I'd give this book 4 out of 5 stars and recommend it for those who like women's stories, US history, and non-fiction. I was also pleased to find that it's a choice in my daughter's high school English class when they study non-fiction. These inspirational women deserve to have their stories told and heard by as many as possible.

Upgrade - Book Review

Upgrade by Blake Crouch
Publication: July 7, 2022
Pages: 352 pages
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars ☆☆☆☆☆
Sweet Spark: Logan Ramsay feels like the perfect human, but not just because of his upgrade.

Wow! Just finished this one, and headed straight to write the review - not a usual occurrence. But how to describe what I loved without spoiling it?

Logan Ramsay's mother was the most brilliant mind of her generation. But her misstep cost Logan his freedom for a few years, and cost a lot of the world's population their lives. Logan begins working at the GPA (Gene Protection Agency) to atone for his perceived sins against humanity.

I don't think there are many authors who could break down genetic modification as clearly as this author did. I felt science-y and smart just reading it, while knowing this is a subject wayyyy over my head. But Logan would make some gene observation, and I'd be like, "Of COURSE!" Definitely one of the best sci-fi books I've ever read, which leads to my 5 out of 5 star rating.

I could barely put this book down, and even the ending was satisfying. With that said, I hope to get back to his previous works at some point and see if I love them as much as I loved Upgrade.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for my electronic copy of this book. Receiving the book for free did not influence my review.

Just Like Magic - Book Review

Just Like Magic by Sarah Hogle
Publication: October 24, 2022
Pages: 368 pages
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars ☆☆☆☆
Sweet Spark: Be warned - I love cheezy holiday stories and predictable holiday rom-coms, and this was a nearly perfect book for me :)

Bettie Watson-Hughes has been squatting in a dead old woman's house since she had the good luck to take a house sitting job for someone who never returned. While she could probably go on like this until someone caught her and called her out, her family's annual holiday celebration is likely to rock the whole boat a lot sooner.

While drinking wine and lamenting the whole tragic situation, she accidentally performs ancient magic and summons a holiday spirit. Could Hall be the answer to her getting revenge on all those who have wronged her, or something even more?

I admittedly picked this one up with the 'Magic' in the title expecting a good Halloween book. LOL Luckily I'm one of those crazy souls who appreciates the cheeriness of the winter holidays starting November 1, and this was an excellent book to start it all off for me. I'd give this book a solid 4 out of 5 stars and recommend it to those who enjoy cheezy holiday movies, or twists on classic holiday tales.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for my electronic copy of this book. Receiving the book for free did not influence my review.

A Season with the Witch - Book Review

A Season with the Witch: The Magic and Mayhem of Halloween in Salem, Massachusetts by J. W. Ocker
Publication: October 4, 2016
Pages: 338 pages
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars ☆☆☆
Sweet Spark: How long do you need to live somewhere to count as more than a visitor? This author got a better rounded view of Salem by spending all of October in Witch City with his family.

The author's charming and conversational style was great for giving a convincing blend of seeing Salem as a visitor, while peeking behind the curtain at what it may be like to live there during something other than Halloween month. 

Everyone he spoke to was willing to treat October as an event in Salem, and the night of Halloween as an even more intense event than the rest of the month. While it sounded like a split between those who loved Salem except for October, and those who loved Salem in spite of October, their reasoning was usually similar - lots of crazy crowds there for a good time, and not necessarily out of respect for the tragic witchcraft trials that made Salem stand out.

While I would love to visit Salem anytime, it is admittedly mostly for the Witch City history and events. I enjoyed learning more about the historical significance of Salem as a maritime power and early manufacturing hub. I gave this book 3 out of 5 stars and would recommend it to those who are intrigued by Salem for any reason, or who would like to learn more about east coast U.S. history.

Run, Rose, Run - Book Review

Run, Rose, Run by Dolly Parton & James Patterson
Publication: March 7, 2022
Pages: 448 pages
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars ☆☆☆☆
Sweet Spark: I did not realize til I searched for the book cover image that there's an album to go with this!

I was so excited when I was approved to read this one. See, I don't get to read many books that aren't already on my review list from Netgalley or the other blog I review for. So I definitely wanted to read Run, Rose, Run, but getting approved to review it gave me the excuse I needed.

AnnieLee Keyes showed up in Nashville out of nowhere, with the voice of an angel, and a sassy personality that could have been said to be just the opposite. Her defenses were always up, and she seldom reacted the way anyone expected. She never trusted anyone who said they just wanted to help her out. Life had taught her that everything has a price.

But Ruthanna Ryder - the 'Queen of Country' who has recently retired, and Ethan Blake (with his own dark history), recognize something in AnnieLee, and they are determined to see her star rise as it should. By the time they realize how little they know of AnnieLee's past, it has already potentially gotten the best of her. 

While I've ready several James Patterson books over the years, I really wanted to read this one for the fact that Dolly Parton was in on it. I admittedly tried to read the two female country musicians in her voice, obvs. 

Overall, I enjoyed the story. It moved smoothly and entertainingly, and I continually wanted to know what would happen next. I would recommend this book for those who like music stories (not even necessarily country), independent female characters, and those with tragic backstories. I gave this 4 out of 5 stars and would keep reading anything else Dolly Parton works on.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for my electronic copy of this book. Receiving it for free did not influence my review. 

The Sunday Post 9/18/22

 Wow! Welcome to my contribution to the Sunday Post 💛 and The Sunday Salon 💜

It's been a bit since I've joined with one of these - hope everyone's been doing well!

Since I've hardly kept up on doing anything regularly since I've been back in-office full time in early May, this may jump around a bit.

Most of my blogging is still book-ish, so feel free to check out my last three reviews: The Flight Attendant (3 out of 5 stars), The Witches of Moonshyne Manor (5 out of 5 stars), and Devil's Chew Toy (4 out of 5 stars). 

I'm currently reading Her Majesty's Royal Coven (hoping to finish later today), The Fortunes of Jaded Women, and casually browsing a pdf of Luminary: A Magical Guide to Self Care while waiting for my paper copy (the pdf keeps losing my place!). 

But I don't live by books alone, right? Oh, wait. Maybe I do.

The rest of my, well, day:

Working full-time is severely messing up my ability to manage the rest of my life. Like, for real. Today I still need to do more of my theatre booster treasurer responsibilities (I HATE QUICKBOOKS!!!), get together a renewal lease for the tenants of the house we never sold, and finish disbursing my paycheck from Friday to various medical bills and other things I want to go away.

Ending on a happy note, three great things:

A beautiful day with my kids at the Michigan Renaissance Festival yesterday! If you're local and waiting to go, check out the ticket giveaway at Yes/No Detroit. After a cool-ish beginning to the week (and I think it's cool again by the end of this week), yesterday was mid-80s and mostly sunny! I got a cute huntress costume off of Amazon, but had no need for a cape yesterday! 

While 'great' may be overstating it, I'm going in for my first annual physical in seven years this week. LOL I did the advance testing and am ready to hear that I still feel pretty darn healthy for breaching the second half of my first century (why yes, I am an optimist frequently).

And I'm starting planning for my baby's 11th birthday next month! He's opted to have a super fun day and sleepover with one friend instead of a party, and I admit I'm a bit relieved. My biggest planning will be a family party with his grandparents, aunts & uncles, and cousins over for dinner. Now to help him pick a dinner....

The Flight Attendant - Book Review

The Flight Attendant by Chris Bohjalian
Publication: March 13, 2018
Pages: 345 pages
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars ☆☆☆
Sweet Spark: At least when I count my bad choices when I've been drinking, I don't have to include leaving a dead body in a hotel room...

I picked up this one as the book-turned-to-movie/show option for my Yelp book club. While I still haven't seen the show, I might now to see that interpretation of the book.

Cassie is a flight attendant, and quite a good one, for years and years. She's had her share of adventures (and mis-adventures) over the years and around the world, but she's definitely in a full panic when she wakes up in a hotel room in Dubai next to the dead body of the man she'd spent the night with. 

Since she's not only a drunk, but also known to black-out on a regular basis, she isn't really sure what happened and remembers nothing of an attack or murder. So instead of calling authorities in a country where she isn't a citizen and wouldn't have much help, she trashes everything she can think of that would tie her to that hotel room on her way back to her own hotel shuttle, which will promptly take her to 'work,' and back to the U.S.

I personally really enjoy books with unreliable narrators, so Cassie's story - that even she wasn't sure of - was right up my alley. While I could almost imagine this moving on to a series of books, the first one would be totally different from the others based on the twist it ends with, but there could definitely be spin-off stories. I gave this 3 out of 5 stars, and have heard this may be one of those odd exceptions where the show could be better than the book.

Five Things for Friday 8/26/22

1. Am  I the only one who vividly remembers this scene from the 1987 Overboard movie? They're making her work like a, well, a not rich woman. She comes in the house and sits in the chair going ba-ba-ba-ba-ba while the kids throw grapes at her. (Hope that video works!) My mind felt almost that numb by the time I got home from work yesterday. LOL
2. Summer is rapidly coming to an end. We had school stuff for the high schooler this week, and our elementary school meet and greet is next week. Our public schools here don't go back til the Tuesday after Labor Day, so just one more full week off.
3. Maggie and I are so excited to go see Heathers the Musical this weekend! She'll probably already know all the songs, but I've been trying to review them via Spotify before the show. Maybe we should watch the movie again to prep?
4. I found another fun playlist on Spotify as well - Sirius had some classical pop covers for a bit, and it finally occurred to me to search Bridgerton on Spotify. So fun!!
5. My real motivation for finally posting a Five Things post was to catch up on my book reviews before another whole month has passed! Obviously I finished The Seamstress of New Orleans (4 out of 5 stars) by Diane C. McPhail, and The Witches of Moonshyne Manor (5 out of 5 stars) by Bianca Marais and reviewed them here at my blog, but also Finding Edward (4 out of 5 stars) by Sheila Murray, and Devil's Chew Toy (4 out of 5 stars, with a signed copy giveaway ending 8/30/22) by Rob Osler.

The Witches of Moonshyne Manor - Book Review

The Witches of Moonshyne Manor by Bianca Marais
Publication: August 23, 2022
Pages: 400 pages
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars ☆☆☆☆☆
Sweet Spark: If you never know the real story of a relationship between two people, let's assume you know even less if there's also magic involved...

First of all, I obviously loved this book! It's a hard
story to summarize, without giving too much away. The author does a marvelous job of building the story, so by the time the reader has finished the book, they realize they really knew nothing about it at the beginning.

Moonshyne Manor is the home and nearly another coven member with a found family of mature witches who live there and run the attached distillery. While it's made clear pretty early on that their home and their way of life are at stake, the true cause of all the trouble is unclear, besides being the 'evil townsmen.' 

In the first awful confrontation with the evil townsmen, we're also lucky enough to meet young Persephone, and her dog, Ruth Bader Ginsburg. What is not to love about a young feminist ready to defend a houseful of witches in their 80s? This early scene gives more life to several of the characters, and had me calling my daughter in to read parts to her time and time again.

The story continues to give us more background info on all of the characters, and what brought them and the manor to their current dire situation. This is one of the best contemporary stories I've read in a long time, which is why I had to give it 5 out of 5 stars. I would recommend this story to open-minded readers, willing to believe in the true power of magic, family, and love.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for my advance electronic copy of this fabulous book. Receiving the book for free did not influence my review. 

The Seamstree of New Orleans - Book Review

The Seamstress of New Orleans by Diane C. McPhail
Publication date: May 31, 2022
Pages: 304 pages
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars ☆☆☆☆
Sweet Spark: The beauty of women helping women is truly timeless.

In 1900, the world is not an easy place for women. When Alice Butterworth's husband suddenly doesn't return to their home in Chicago, she starts struggling to make it on her own, while the rent is initially prepaid on their apartment. As winter hits, she knows Chicago is no place for a single pregnant woman to try and make it on her own. She leaves, at first in search of the mother-in-law she's never met.

Fate instead takes her clear down to New Orleans, where her sewing skills are in demand, and she's connected with another young assumed widow. But while Alice has only what she carries, Constance Halstead is relatively secure with her two young children, a trusted housekeeper, and trust money from her grandfather. 

The women's connection, along with the housekeeper and a society matron with power and money to spare, was wonderful. Their relationships are beneficial to them all, and strengthen daily alongside the backdrop of a leap-year mardi gras ball exerting the growing power of women.

I enjoyed this historical fiction, set mostly in my favorite city, very much! The ending was especially charming and inspiring, and I'd love to see a follow-up. I gave this 4 out of 5 stars and would recommend it to those who like women's stories and historical fiction.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for my electronic copy of this book. Receiving the book for free did not influence my review, of course.

Five Things for Friday 8/5/22

1. Wow. What a couple of weeks. My last Five Things Friday didn't end so well, as I took a tumble in the street and earned myself an overnight in the ICU and five stitches. I'll count the fact that I made it to 50-years-old before getting any unscheduled stitches lucky, right?
2. 
   All's well that ends well, right? I didn't miss any work, and I'm back to doing my best at juggling work for 40 hours a week while struggling desperately to meet the kids needs, at least most of the time. My sanity is definitely still questionable. 
3. The job is still peachy. My whole department got job band and title promotions this week - woo-hoo! And our pay adjustments hit last month. Reviews are in the next couple weeks, but I don't think mid-year reviews really 'do' anything. Looking forward to the newly calculated bonuses that came along with the pay adjustments, but that windfall isn't until next spring.
4. All work and no play makes me...well, me, I suppose! Hahahaha... I am taking a couple days off later this month for family trips to Kings Island and Cedar Point. We do Cedar Point just about every year, but this will be the first trip to Kings Island for the kids, and my first trip since I was little. Any tips?
5. And the whole reason I was so determined to get this post up was to give my book summary for July :) Since my last post, reviews have been published for The Hemlock Cure (4 out of 5 stars, with a giveaway ending 8/8/22) by Joanne Burn, and Our Little World (4 out of 5 stars, with a giveaway ending 8/11/22) by Karen Winn. For the month of July, I finished four books total. I think I'm a bit behind for my Goodreads goal of 80 books for the year, but I just keep reading when I have a chance :)

Five Things for Friday 7/22/22

1. 

   Yes, I know the logo is upside down....

    We're home again, home again, jiggity jog. It was amazing to see that many baton twirlers in one place. The AYOP (America's Youth on Parade) competition takes up the Arena, the Fieldhouse, the auxiliary gyms, and the pit at Notre Dame for the week. The competition is actually still going on, with events we aren't participating in taking place through the rest of today! We learned a lot, and Maggie gave some of the best performances her coach and I have ever seen her do. She earned a medal for her model competition (one third of the pageant she qualified for).
2. Unfortunately, the woman who helps by cleaning our house every couple weeks was exposed to COVID, so the kids and I are using our extra time at home to work on making the house presentable before we have company this weekend. Ugh! And because it's me running this show instead of the nice cleaning lady, we're getting all the clutter out of the way too. If you were thinking of dropping by today, don't, unless you want to be put to work. LOL
3. This seven-days-in-a-row off of work is pretty cool. I worked on Monday, since we never planned on leaving town before Tuesday. Next Monday is my regular day off, so I won't be back to work until Tuesday! Yay! I am planning to attend the company picnic this afternoon though. It's at a pretty cool bar that's actually really close to where I live. So I can stop by, get some free appetizers and drinks, hopefully win an awesome raffle prize, and enjoy a break from getting ready for the rest of my weekend.
4. Tomorrow is my baby girl's 15th birthday! I keep accidentally saying she's turning 14. Whoops! She is so inspirational. Her confidence and poise are already at a level I could only dream of, even in the midst of teenage BS. We're having family over for a taco bar, and leaving her evening free for whatever she wants to do :) 
5. In bookland, I did not take nearly as much time to read at competition as I thought I would. It was very crowded, so we didn't bring our changing tent or chairs. I spent most of my time counting down to her next event, and trying to just keep track of both kids. I'm still mid-way through both of the books I mentioned last week. Hahahaha.. I did have a few earlier reviews post though - check out my thoughts on One Day in June (3 stars out of 5, with an amazing story, and a giveaway open through 7/24/22) by Sam Martin, and Assassin's Lullaby (3 out of 5 stars, with a giveaway open through 7/25/22) by Mark Rubinstein.

Five Things for Friday 7/15/22

1.  What. A. Week. I was able to work my regular four 10-hour-day schedule this week, which makes my weekend before fabulous, but a pretty intense work week. And then I even had a few activities after work this week. I'm definitely planning on a good night's sleep tonight!
2. Tuesday we got to go to the Hub with Yelp to learn about curling! Curling was neat, and I learned that I am definitely still not an athlete. LOL It did get me even more excited for my work picnic next week, which is at a different Hub location. They've got a pretty fun venue going.
3. So I was 'volun-told' to present to our leadership team yesterday. They'd traveled in from all over the country, and I got to give them a quick overview of what our team does (complaint response). It was interesting. I don't know a lot about who is who, since I've worked at home for most of my time with the company. And while I haven't done much speaking to crowds in a while, talking to these seven dressed-up people about something I know how to do pretty well (my job) brought back the same sense of accomplishment as doing my presentations from my 20+ years of doing direct sales. As bad as people talk about direct sales, I really learned how to present myself and read a crowd. Other people were more nervous about the whole situation, but I don't really get to nervous to talk about something I am confident about.
4. The crazy part of the month is kicking off for me and the kids. Next week we go to Maggie's national baton twirling competition - AYOP at Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana. And then we get home in time to host her birthday party and then start hosting our two guests who are camp counselors for Young Americans! So much fun in so little time!
5. In book-land, my review for We Lie Here (3 stars) by Rachel Howzell Hall went live yesterday at Books I Think You Should Read. I'm partway done with two more (one kindle, one print book, as usual) and hoping to finish at least three or four books this month. Hopefully sitting and waiting for competitions should give me a lil time to read.

Five Things for Friday 7/1/22

1. I can hardly believe it's JULY! I literally just tried to convince someone we've been back in office for six weeks...since coming back the first of May. Yeah. I really thought it was mid-June yesterday. It isn't.
2. Ya'll got big plans for the 4th? My daughter picked up some odd jobs in the neighborhood, so I think she and I will stay home, while hubs and our son head up north for a day or two. I'm definitely a homebody, so no complaints here :) My biggest holiday bonus is the fact that I get paid for Monday (obvs) when I usually don't work. So I only have to work 8-hour days next Tues - Fri (I usually do 10 hour days). Yay for getting home extra early in the summertime!
3. Work is SO busy, but we finally have a whole team hired! The last person starts the middle of July, so we'll actually be full-force in a few months. And in the meantime, the newbies share a bit more of the load all the time :)
4. I think I may use some of my alone-ish time this weekend to pick up a few of the random piles that have accumulated in the home office. Who knows what treasures I may find?!?
5. In book-land, this week saw my review for Mud Lilies (5 out of 5 stars, with a giveaway through 7/5/22) by Indra Ramayan, and Scout's Honor (a high 3 out of 5 stars) by Lily Anderson. Here are all five of the books I finished in June:

Scout's Honor - Book Review

Scout's Honor by Lily Anderson
Publication date: April 5, 2022
Pages: 416 pages
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars ☆☆☆
Sweet Spark: "Okay, babe, I get why you have to kill them." "Headquarters prefers the term banish. It's friendlier."

This fun read was a YA book for my local book club. I have to admit I put off starting it way longer than I should have. I saw 'scout' and thought it was like another WW2 story or something. Boy, was I off base!

Ladybird Scouts are able to see - and banish - interdimensional creatures who feed on human emotions. While their feeding is usually just disruptive, once they consume enough emotion, they get bigger and eventually able to feed on real humans! Obviously, a problem. 

Prudence Perry knows the real risk of hunting the creatures (called mulligrubs), and lost one of her best friends to a carnivorous grub. Even though she's a third generation Ladybird, she wants nothing to do with her ability to See them, or responsibility to banish them, anymore. Until she ends up forced back into the sisterhood by her mother.

Prudence learns that being a Ladybird Scout may not be just a burden, and maybe she is still strong enough to protect her friends.

I really enjoyed this book and gave it every bit of 3 out of 5 stars. Depending on your reader, it may even be acceptable for a high middle-grade read. The characters were fun and unique, and their mission was one I never imagined.

Five Things for Friday 6/24/22

1. 
   Welcome to another Friday! While part of me feels like summer is speeding by, another part of me is wondering why it has been this week  f o r e v e r. Enjoy one of my favorite comics/memes/why-do-we-need-labels as a tribute to one of my books finished this month :D
2. Super excited to have Monday off. I was originally going to be taking Jack to his fabulous ninja camp, but they might not have enough kids to run it next week. So I'd have to sleep in. Hmm.... And I definitely get lunch in-person with my book club that is usually zoom - so a solid YAY there!
3. My kids are so excited for the new Minions movie coming out next week! I think it sounds cool too, but they're more likely to find a ride and go see it while I'm working. Which is fine. I'm so tired after long days at work, I'd probably doze anyway. LOL
4. Who else has big plans still left for summer? Maggie and I have a mega-baton competition, and both kids have one of our favorite summer camps - that's half of my July! Mostly I think I like summer for not having to worry about cold and bad roads...
5. I did finish two book reviews up on the blog this week - check out what I thought of Keanu Reeves: Most Triumphant (2 out of 5 stars) by Alex Pappademas, and The Stranger Beside Me: The Ted Bundy Story (5 out of 5 stars) by Ann Rule.
   
   

The Stranger Beside Me - Book Review

The Stranger Beside Me: Ted Bundy: The Shocking Inside Story by Ann Rule
Publication date: May 10, 2022
Pages: 640 pages
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars ☆☆☆☆☆
Sweet Spark: Bad guys can be anywhere!

This was the true-crime book picked for my Yelp! book club. While it was first published in 1980, several additions have been made, and I was happy to read the newest edition. 

The original publication was the chilling and graphic story of serial killer Ted Bundy. The now-famous true-crime author Ann Rule worked with him prior to his arrest at a crisis line in Seattle, WA. So what I found particularly chilling is that Ted Bundy likely saved some lives... odd.

There is no definite answer of how many women Ted Bundy killed. While authorities had it at 36, Bundy responded that they were missing a digit. 136? 360? Terrifying! It was fascinating to be able to read Rule's perception of him as an average co-worker, and following through to her realization that he was in fact a murderer. 

I really appreciated the follow-ups added in the years since the original 1980 publication. Especially curious for me was the stories Rule had heard from women who told their stories of their near-misses with Bundy. Women who were picked up, but then he let go. Or women who were approached in public and felt the need to leave the situation ASAP. 

Overall, the book and the anecdotal stories were a great read for me and I give it 5 out of 5 stars. While I seem to remember reading other Ann Rule stories in the past, I think this was my first time reading this, as it will be hard to forget.

Keanu Reeves: Most Triumphant - Book Review

Keanu Reeves: Most Triumphant: The Movies and Meaning of an Irrepressible Icon by Alex Pappademas
Publication date: May 3, 2022
Pages: 336 pages
Rating: 2 out of 5 stars ☆☆
Sweet Spark: Keanu Reeves has made a lot of movies!

Keanu Reeves is one of those celebrities who has kept his nose clean, ya know? But part of that is keeping his private business more-or-less private. We know what's public record, which are some pretty deep personal tragedies, but there really isn't public record of his personal responses.

With that said, this author tried to build a more personal journey into the movies that Keanu Reeves has been in, and the order that he worked on them. There were some insightful observations, but nothing really 'personal' from Keanu Reeves. Maybe this is the coverage a star gets when he prefers to remain private?

Overall, this book made me want to watch the movies - re-watch the ones I've already seen, but maybe even start from the beginning and watch all these movies. The author is obviously a very true fan, as he was able to comment extensively about most of the moves, and even the movies that were not crowd favorites got some positive observations.

Overall, I'm only able to give this book 2 out of 5 stars. I just wasn't the audience. As I said, the book made me think of watching the movies, but I really don't have time for that. I'm a reader, and this was really a book written for movie fans. It felt like a personal discussion, but I didn't walk away with much more knowledge of Keanu Reeves than I started with - I felt unable to hold up my end of the discussion without quite a few extra hours to watch the movies.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my chance to read the electronic copy of the book and offer my unbiased opinion.

Five Things for Friday 6/3/22

1.  So I'd like to say that going in to the office Monday - Friday is getting easier as I get used to it (we've now been going a whole month! This will be our fifth week finishing.). But maybe I'm just lowering my standards as fast as possible. Luckily I like my job, because I spend my time at home realizing what I'm messing up and missing out on.
2. Thank goodness the school year is almost over. It's been a real roller-coaster lately. Each day seems to have more than its share of good news...and bad news.. Another school shooting last week has really tried the nerves of a lot of our local kids. See, we're in the community that is very near a community with a previous school shooting. And apparently proximity does make a difference. I think we all hold our breath for a minute when we hear any sirens, like we did that day as three counties worth of emergency vehicles rushed to the scene. Every drill, false alarm, or baseless threat starts the trauma experience all over. I wish I could say it will be easier after a summer off, but I know it won't.
3. Did I say this week has been a roller-coaster? Last Saturday Maggie earned her spot to compete in America's Youth on Parade - the NATIONAL baton twirling competition! We've booked our accommodations and she's working hard to schedule extra practices around theatre commitments, driver's education, and wanting to take some hard-earned down time now that high school classes are wrapping up.
4. I also finally got the last of my flowers last weekend (just kidding, I'm sure I'll get more!). Last weekend I planted some pretties in the pots on our back deck. Now every day's to-do list includes watering the flowers in the front garden area and the back deck. But I love it. I'm also so excited to see and smell our healthy lilac hedgerow that was so carefully watered last year to make sure it grew in strong as brand new plants. Success!
5. My other priorities also haven't left as much time for reading! See the three books below that I finished for May, and their reviews posted within the last couple of weeks too: Strangers We Know  (4 out of 5 stars) by Elle Marr, Breach (4 out of 5 stars, with a giveaway ending 6/8/22) by Kelly Sokol, and The Bangalore Detectives Club (4 out of 5 stars, with a giveaway ending 6/9/22) by Harini Nagendra. At least the little time I've had to spend has been enjoying good books!

Five Things for Friday - 5/20/22

 

1. Finally! Some [more] summer-ish weather! I received a few hanging baskets for mothers' day, and then went and grabbed a couple to fill my last couple of hooks. Sitting out on my front porch, with my flowers, and birds, and warmth, while reading a book and enjoying a refreshing drink - my version of heaven!
2. Tomorrow Maggie and I have our last scheduled baton competition for a bit. It's the closest one to us (less than an hour drive!), so we don't have to get up as early, and some family may stop by to watch her perform. Should be a fun day.
3. Work is still...work. Luckily I like my commuter car (our new Mustang Mach-e), and I do enjoy what I do (researching and writing). Our team is still down four people (scheduled to start June 6, but not fully trained for a couple months, at least), so there's plenty of work. But now that we're not working-from-home, I don't do nearly as much overtime. I go in a half hour or so earlier than required, but I'm out the second we're allowed to punch out so I can get home to the kids and the rest of my daily tasks. 
4. I'm still so torn on a summer vacation.  I really, really want to go somewhere cool-ish and have a great time with my family, but I footed most of the bill last time and don't want to spend that much again right now. Also, I'm really, really worried about driving in the snow, or having sick kids next fall/winter and want to save my paid time off. Ugh. I sure did like working from home...
5. On the book front, I've got a few reviews published that haven't been shared here yet. Check out what I thought of: Scarlet Carnation (4 out of 5 stars) by Laila Ibrahim, and Mallory's Manly Methods (4 out of 5 stars) by Thomas Keech.