Thursday #BCSM Post: Notes on taking Lynparza

 On Thursdays for the next year (ideally), I will be posting about how things are going for me as I take a drug called Lynparza to reduce my risk of a cancer recurrence. This drug is called a PARP inhibitor here is  very short blog post that give you the gist of what they do.  

Recently a study was done on people like me who have a BRCA 1 or 2 mutation and who had early stage breast cancer that was aggressive and more likely to come back than other breast cancers.  This study found that if people took Lynparza for one year after completing other cancer treatments (surgery, chemo and radiation) they had a lower risk of cancer coming back or a new cancer.  

I read the research and I read articles about the research and in June the American Society of Clinical Oncologists determined that this drug was impactful enough to warrant recommending it for people like me. You see this drug has been around for a while in use for people who have BRCA 1/2 mutation in the Stage IV setting--so it is not new, new. I talked about it with the Hubs and we decided that if I could get it covered by insurance, I would go ahead and take it for the year.  

Then I had my regular appointment with my oncologist and we talked about it. She put in the order for the drug and much to my surprise my insurance is covering it. (surprise because it is new for early stage patients).

Sunday I started taking the drug.  Like I said, I will only be taking it for one year and it is the newest possible way to reduce my risk of recurrence. I thought long and hard about whether or not I wanted to do this. This drug is considered chemo, but it isn't nearly as brutal as IV Chemo.  

Frankly if this drug made my hair fall out, I don't know that I'd be taking it. I take 2 pills in the morning and 2 pills at night. Day one I felt queasy.  Like you would if you were experiencing low grade morning sickness or a little hangover.

Monday Day 2- (364 days to go)  I had trouble sleeping, not a typical side effect.  I felt like I was on the brink of stomach upset all day, but didn't have any stomach problems so that was good. I did my Monday run w/hills. Suprisingly my heart rate was really good during my run.

Tuesday Day 3 (363 days to go) Better sleep. I feel like I am at the start or the end of a cold.  A little queasy, a little tired, about 20% off my game.  Drank coffee and didn't eat too close to taking morning pill and almost wound up w/serious nausea.

Wednesday Day 4 (362 days to go) Slept more than usual. I can tell I have fatigue from the drug, I have to make the effort to stay active or I can feel it will creep up. I am glad this is only for one year and I hope it ensures I don't have to ever take a cancer drug again. 

*****

After next week I will have bloodwork.  I need to make sure to get lots of protein.   

Audio Challenge Update! Halfway to December- #AudiobookChallenge

This is a little belated, so I'm glad I've remembered to get this post up!  It's time for my midyear Audiobook Challenge check in!  The 2021 Audiobook Challenge is being run by Caffeinated Reviewer, you can check it out here and join us! 

My goal for this challenge is Marthoner level (no surprise there) and that means 50 audiobooks over 2021. Where am I at?  Great question... I went back through my posts from this year and so far I've listened to 22 audiobooks. So I'm only about 4 books behind where I should be at this point of the year. 

Lucky for me it's easier to catch up on a listening challenge than it is actual marathon training.  Lately I have not found myself absorbed by an audiobook. I have three books currently in progress.  Nothing has been catching my ear lately!  On the plus side, in a couple days I'll have 2 credits added to my Audible account and I'll be able to pick up a new release or two with those credits. 

The garden is starting to really produce zuchinni and I'm trying to get creative in ways I can shred zuchinni and add it to meals. Tonight I put a cup of shredded zucchini with a pound of ground turkey and 1/4 cup of Bacon Pepper Jam mixed that together to make burgers.  They turned out very well and now I have a new way to use up my produce.  Next up, zuchinni shredded and added to pasta sauce. 

The Subtitle of This Book Could Have Been Men Who Suck and Women Who Deal With Them

The 

Taylor Jenkins Reid has written several other well-known books.  Her work includes Daisy Jones & The Six and The Seven Husbands of  Evelyn Hugo.  Malibu Rising is the first book by Taylor Jenkins Reid that I have read.  When I began reading the book, I had to check to see if the book was based on a true story or if it was fiction. Turns out the book is fiction, it does reference some actual people, but all of the action and pertinent characters are not real people. 

The book is engaging, I kept reading because I wanted to see what becomes of Mick Riva and what causes the fire.  The book starts with the promise of a fire and so I was waiting and waiting to see if it came to be. Much of the book is about women who have selfish men in their lives. There are many POVs and short scenes involving people who aren't a core part of the story. I might have struggled to keep everyone straight if I had listened to it.

I appreciated the depiction of an alcoholic parent in this story; it felt realistic and not over-the-top. This book is a good read, not too long, I don't think any of the four children is written as well as Nina she is the most fleshed-out character in the book, aside from her mother June.  

My star rating is 3.0. 

Nice line in the book. 

 

#TheSundayPost Boy Are My Dogs Tired!

 

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted here @ Caffeinated Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things we have received. Share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead.  See rules here: Sunday Post Meme

I thought I was prepared to run a 10-mile long run this week for marathon training, and boy was it hard! The last two miles were rough!  Thankfully next week is a cut-back week and I only have to run 7 miles next Saturdays. I tell you it is the cut-back weeks that give one the strength to continue on with the training.

This week was a busy week, but it was a good week. On the personal front, I had a visit with my oncologist and after a discussion with her, she put in an order for me to take a drug that has been shown in clinical trials to reduce the rate of cancer recurrence for people with BRCA1/2 mutations. This drug has been approved for some kinds of advanced cancer patients, but now the American Society of Clinical Oncologists has recommended this drug for 1 year for early stage people like me that have a high rate of recurrence.  It's considered a chemo drug.

 I was surprised and happy that my insurance is covering it. It's a serious drug and I am hoping that based on my overall health that I will be able to take it w/low side effects. The whole point of doing this is it's an added level of protection. I am planning to track my experience with the drug--since it's just now being used for people like me. I plan to blog about it on Thursdays. 

*******

Book talk!  There are just a few more weeks left of the summer reading program at my library! I need to keep earning points so I can win a gift card! What I'll be reading this week:

How are you doing How was your week?  Watch anything good? Read anything good? 

Psy-Changeling Play of Passion - #COYER #BooksOfMyHeart #ReadAlong

I'm so glad we are reading this series for the 2021 read-along!  This series just does not disappoint!  We are now well into the second third of this series so we know the rhythm of these books.  Sometimes the couple gets together right off the bat and then they get in their own way and sometimes outside forces keep them apart.  Mostly they don't believe that they can have the love they need, want, and crave; and isn't that how we all feel at some point? 

As I say in probably every review for a book in this series, I am in awe of Nalini's Singh world building, she must be incredibly organized to have put this all together, so many plot & character plates spinning in the air at one time! 

This book features Andrew who is Riley's brother from Branded by Fire  and Indigo who we have heard about here and there. They are both important members of the Snow Dancer wolf pack. I find the couples who are lead by a dominant female the most enjoyable to read. I know that the Psy women find their voices and that is great, but I do love the changeling women who aren't afraid to be who they are and say what they need. 

4 stars for Play of Passion 

I am really excited for the next book which is featuring Hawke, the Snow Dancer's Alpha! 

 

Looking To Start Reading Cozy Mystery? Here's A Great Place To Start!

 

This book was published in the early 00s, so you may have heard of it.  The book is actually written by a husband and wife team and I think that enhanced my reading of the book. This book is a lot of fun, it's a little more racy than a typical cozy, so that might be a little off putting for those who don't like any discussion of anything remotely sexual, that being said this is PG. 

The Ghost in this tale is a hard-boiled detective named Jack Shepard.  I loved his voice and all the 1930/1940s noir lingo. Fun stuff!  Being a reader who prefers my cozy sleuths to be assertive, I was very glad that as this story progressed Penelope found her voice.  I look forward to seeing what happens next in this small Rhode Island town. 

This book was a hit for me based on the back and forth with the noir era and present day as well as the overarching cold case which I am hoping will be solved in books further along in the series. The Ghost and Mrs. McClure has a nice base of small town characters who are quirky and have secrets of their own. I will be continuing on in this series to find out:

1. Who killed Jack Shepard?

2. Will Pen continue to have trouble with her In-Laws?

3. Will Fiona's Gossiping get her in trouble? 

Lastly, I do want to know will Mrs. McClure find a second chance at love, and will she be awake when that happens? 

4.5 stars for this delightful read! 

You've Got Mail--but with lovable Teens!

His family's small bookstore chain is flourishing, Her family's bookstore is closing at the end of August. Both stores are on the same block. I don't recall how this book ended up on my library hold list, but since I was notified that my hold was available, it's clear at some point I heard about this book and added it to my holds!

I started reading it and for the first few pages, I was not particularly intrigued.  I gave it a few more pages and I found myself getting more and more drawn into Madeline's world.  This YA romance is an enemies-to-lovers tale and is a retelling of the movie You've Got Mail (starring Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks). The main characters are just out of high school and so this book is about endings and beginnings, worries and hopes for what the future will bring. 

Madeline has body-esteem issues, and in other books I would have been turned off. However in this book, she is only 17 so it's more understandable.  Plus and most importantly, you see her working on reframing her negative thoughts, and this to me seemed very authentic.  The writing style and Madeline's interior dialogue were just the right amounts of funny, self-deprecating, and sweet. 

 4 stars for a delightful summer before college tale! 

 

#TheSundayPost -- It's Sunday Already?

 

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted here @ Caffeinated Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things we have received. Share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead.  See rules here: Sunday Post Meme

Hello!  How was your week?  For me, this was a week that flew by, except for the part when I was doing my 9-mile long run, that part of my Saturday went by very slowly. But I finished the whole 9 miles, hooray for me!  Next week double digits! I also made the decision to start selling Tastefully Simple again, I really loved my days talking about and selling food and I'm excited to do it again!  

I didn't get as much reading done as I was planning on reading, but that was due to watching a couple of very entertaining TV shows on Netflix. The first show we watched has two seasons but we accidentally watched season two before season one. It's called The Mire  97 it's a Polish show and it's about a murder in a small town.  Super entertaining.  And then I wanted to watch something without subtitles, but nothing caught my eye until I saw a preview of Biohackers  This is a German show, it's a thriller about shady scientific research and illegal gene manipulation, the main characters are compelling and I feel like I know enough German to occasionally follow a line or two of dialogue.  I recommend both shows. 

Reading for this week, my hold on Last Chance Books was available, so I'm reading that this week as well as Floor Time by Liz Crowe and The Ghost and Mrs. McClure by Cleo Coyle.

When It Comes to Thrillers,

 Today I have a review of a physical book that was published 20 years ago.  Sometimes it's hard to believe 2001 was two full decades ago.  The book is called The Third Victim and it is by Lisa Gardner who has been writing for almost 30 years.  If you click on her name, that will take you to her website.  The Third Victim is part of a series, but you don't need to read the first book to enjoy this thriller. 

Major CW- The book is about a school shooting. 

When it comes to thrillers, I have reached the conclusion that I don't need the main character to be likeable or even realistic, I'll still read the book because I am invested in the ticking time clock of disaster looming.  In this book, the main female character, Raine, honestly didn't feel like a real person, she was more like an amalgam of 'strong' female cop tropes. And the villain was pretty ridiculous.  But the book was easy to pick up and put down, not a lot of characters to remember or get invested in, so it's a book you can keep in your car and read when you are waiting at an appointment, picking someone up, on lunch break, etc. 

My star rating of this book is 3 stars.  If I had to describe it in one word, I would say, it's fine. 

**********************************************************************

This weekend is our city's fest.  As part of the fest, they have bingo.  I have never bingo'd at the fest,but I'm planning to drag the husband there for bingo under the tent. This is a great year to do things I've never done before--maybe I'll win big!  I'll be sure to let you know how it goes! 

Have a great weekend! 

An All Around Solidly Good Read! #TheConductors By Nicole Glover

 

I don't know exactly how this book is categorized, but to me, it was a magical, historical cozy. This book takes place in a post-Civil War era where Black people are finally free to live and to use their magic. During the Civil War Hetty and Benjy were conductors on the underground railroad.  These days they live in Philadelphia where Hetty is a seamstress and Benjy is a blacksmith. 

They also solve crimes the white establishment can't be bothered to try and solve. That's where the murder mystery comes in--plus they practice sigil magic.  Hetty is still searching for her sister who was captured during their escape from a plantation. Benjy and Hetty are married by it's a marriage of convenience, not love. 

In the first book in this new series we are introduced to an interesting and quirky cast of characters, we learn what motivates Hetty and Benjy and what they are up against. The book is told from Hetty's point of view, I liked her voice and her opinions. She is a quintessential amateur sleuth and she has a little magic so I don't get too upset when she puts herself in a tight spot. 

If you like magical cozies, or historical cozies, I really think you should check this book out, it's longer than a standard cozy and it's described as fantasy fiction---but I know a new kind of cozy when I read one and this is a wonderful one! 

4 Stars for The Conductors by Nicole Glover.  Add it to your TBR!  

#COYER SEASONS SUMMER POST! And Tango Trouble Review!!

 

The latest installment of the Magical Mane Mystery Series is out tomorrow! I love visiting Cliff Haven, Iowa.  Stella Bixby's has really hit the magical cozy sweet spot, She has Ellie who is still learning the extent of her magical abilities, but and this is key, it is her own sleuthing that solves the mystery. Ellie also has one of the best cozy companions out there, her potbellied pig named Penelope. I mean how cute is that! 

This series is a wonderful fun escape. You the reader get to enjoy the flight of fancy that the magic brings to the mystery, Ellie being like a young, yogi Jessica Fletcher, plus the mysteries are good puzzles to solve.  Stella Bixby gives character depth to the town's people and we have the ongoing mystery of Ellie's family. 

These days when someone mentions Iowa, I think of the Magical Mane Mystery series.  That just shows how this series will stick with you!  

What this story is about...

"In the dead of winter, when the town of Cliff Haven seems practically frozen . . . 

. . . Tango classes may be the key to heating things up. 

It's been months since the mishap at the theater, and Ellie is still reeling. 

Between exercising her magic and coming to terms with another family member disappearing from her life, Ellie wants nothing more than things to get back to normal. 

Whatever that is. 

When she comes across a body and a man standing over it holding a knife, the case looks pretty open and shut. 

Until it doesn't. 

With so many suspects, will Ellie be able to solve the crime? Or will a murderer go free? 

Join Ellie, Penelope, Xander, and the whole Cliff Haven gang in the fourth book of the Magical Mane Mystery series."

4 bright stars to Tango Trouble by Stella Bixby! 

You can click here to check out this book as well as the series- 

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.  All opinions are mine.

It’s time to celebrate Summer!

"Reminder on how it works….

COYER – Clean Out Your E-Reads – was initially about reading free (or nearly free) e-books and writing reviews for them. We’re going back to that as the basis, with some seasonal twists.

At the end of each season, reviews entered in the review linky will be eligible for a $5 gift card to Amazon or Barnes & Noble. On the last Thursday of each season (except December, where we’ll finish out the year), Michelle will randomly select and announce the winner for the season and share the sign-up for the next season (including a reminder of the rules). This means that all reviews for the season must be in the linky by 12 noon EST on the last Wednesday of the month. Any reviews entered after 12 noon EST will go towards the next season. But keep following the current rules for the remainder of the month.

Each season brings a new challenge so if you didn’t participate in Winter but want to Join Spring you are welcome to do that. You do not have to participate in all seasons, you can pick and choose which seasons you want to join."

CLICK HERE TO JOIN US! 

 

 

#TheSundayPost Fireworks and Books and Lots of Walking The Dog

 

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted here @ Caffeinated Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things we have received. Share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead.  See rules here: Sunday Post Meme

Today is the 4th of July, we are just going to be hanging around the house.  Well, when I say we, I actually just mean me, and the dog. For all, I know each of the kids as well as the husband have their own plans.  My plan is to read and write and walk the dog. Bowie has too much energy so I've been tasked with making sure he gets a good solid two hours of walking a day. So I've been walking him in the morning, and in the afternoon and after dinner.  Let me tell you Bowie, is a big fan of stopping to smell the roses. I'm trying to learn from him to savor the moment. 

Grapevine as seen on one of our walks. 

I'm listening to this audiobook, it has magic and mystery! 

This one was published in 2004!  

The latest installment of the Magical Mane Mystery Series is out on Tuesday!

How was your week?  Did you celebrate the 4th of July in your neck of the woods? In any case, did you do anything fun or interesting? 

 

 

A Lovely Book for Summertime: Aristotle and Dante Discover The Secrets of the Universe

The first two-thirds of June were hot and dry. Then the rain came down, and down and down.  My garden is going to eclipse our scarecrow! 

I listened to the audio version of this book which is read by Lin-Manuel Miranda, he does a wonderful job.  He has amazing source material to work with; this book is so lovely. It's beautifully written. Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe is a rare book that I enjoyed so much that after having listened to it, I'm going to go by a physical copy so I can read it and keep it and read it again. 

If you haven't read it already, go get it. It's a story of boys and summer and life and families.  It's clear early on why it has won many awards. Even if you don't usually read YA, if you love books, give it a read. 

“Summer was here again. Summer, summer, summer. I loved and hated summers. Summers had a logic all their own and they always brought something out in me. Summer was supposed to be about freedom and youth and no school and possibilities and adventure and exploration. Summer was a book of hope. That's why I loved and hated summers. Because they made me want to believe.”
― Benjamin Alire Sáenz, Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe

 

Toast! Sans Avocado and The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue

Willams- Sonoma sends emails with amazing recipes. Sometimes I just drool over them and sometimes I give their recipe a go.  Recently, they send this recipe- Tomato, Feta, and Herb Toast.  Making this recipe I learned that feta is kinda pricey and that after you defrost the puff pastry, you roll it some. This is why I tell myself, don't just look at the ingredients and start chopping, read the whole recipe first. I didn't have fresh oregano on hand, so I used more thyme. Thyme is my favorite herb. We have lemon thyme in our garden this year and this recipe was extra good with that hint of lemon. 

Next go round with this recipe I am going to let it cook for a couple of minutes longer, use tomatoes from my garden, and maybe switch out the feta for another cheese. You need one sheet of puff pastry for this recipe and puff pastry comes in a two-pack, once the tomatoes in my garden ripen, I'll be ready for a take two of this easy light meal. 

Late Monday night, or really Tuesday morning, I finished blazing through the book The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue.  I raced through it because I received a 'jump the line' digital copy from the Libby library app, I only got to borrow the book for seven days and I forgot that I had the copy for the first few days of the seven days.  Life on a deadline is an integral part of the book, so having to read it in less than three days was very fitting. 

This is an award-winning fantasy book. If you don't normally read much fantasy, you might want to give this book a try because the story spans 300 years and includes the historical events of those times. Because I was crunched for time, I skimmed some of the pages.  The writing and the descriptions are lovely and the story is compelling. I needed to know things and I was prepared to be heartbroken at the end.

However, I was not heartbroken, I think the ending was satisfying and not tragic. My key takeaway is how no matter how long you live or what your life looks like, every day, every single day is an opportunity to be delighted.  And I think that is exactly right. 

Four and 1/2 stars to this book! I am going to make it a point to read some of V.E. Schwab's past books, I've heard good things! 

This Never Happens!

 Recently The Husband suggested we get Apple+ TV. My response was lukewarm. I didn't want to pay for another streaming service, but it turns out Apple+TV is only $4.99 a month, we decided to give it a try. One of the first things we watched, also The Husband's pick, was Greyhound. 

Greyhound stars Tom Hanks who is an untested navy captain who is tasked with being the commander of a destroyer who is leading and protecting a convoy of ships over a stretch of the Atlantic in early 1942.  He's a devout Lutheran who is shepherding the ships, many of which are slow cargo ships, and as the commander he has to try and keep the convoy (the sheep) together and safe from U-boats (the wolves).

The story takes place during 50 nail-biting hours where the convoy is most at risk because they were without air cover. The book is fiction, but is based on the realities of actual convoys. The film does an excellent job of showing how communications were done from ship to ship, the constant fear of u-boats, and how important each shipmate was to the overall ability of the destroyer to stay afloat. 

Because I enjoyed the movie, I wanted to read the book so that I could better understand some of the intricacies of why Commander Krause (Tom Hanks' character) made the decisions that he did.  Since I don't know much at all about boating and even less about naval troop movements during World War 2, having seen the movie before listening to the audiobook helped me to better grasp the story. 

Usually, I like books better than the films based on books; but in this case, I liked both equally!

Over the last week or so, we have had a ton, I mean a ton, of rain, so I may need to learn more about boating ASAP! 

 

#TheSundayPost Wrapping Up June & Kicking Off July!

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted here @ Caffeinated Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things we have received. Share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead.  See rules here: Sunday Post Meme

This past week I did some things.  First of all, I virtually attended the National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship Virtual Cancer Policy & Advocacy Team Symposium.  It was a ton of information and great ideas for how I can advocate. Secondly, I signed up to use follow.me so people can subscribe to my blog via email. This was a whole thing because the service that I had been using for years, Feedburner, was ending at the end of June, so I waited as long as I could before I tried to figure out how to change to a different service. I also did a writing workshop with Gilda's Club  and Youngest Child had a birthday party so there was cleaning, dog rangling, and lots of teens singing along to Hary Styles. A busy, boisterous time this week--got to love that! 

Marathon training is continuing and with that, I have three audiobooks I'm currently listening to and will be reviewing over the next couple of weeks:

How was your week?  Did you do anything fun or interesting? 

 

 

"Coffee is Serious Business!" A New Cozy Series from Emmeline Duncan!

 This cozy was so fun! A fresh new entry into cozy mystery land, Fresh Brewed Murder by Emmeline Duncan takes place in Portland, Oregon which right off the bat is a fresh location for a cozy series.

What I loved about this book:

*Coffee Talk! I enjoyed the detailed descriptions of how various popular coffee drinks are made.  Good coffee is a science and an art.

* Emmeline Duncan did a great job writing dialogue that sounded like people actually talk.

* Our amateur slueth Sage acted and sounded like an actual 27-year-old.

I also enjoyed that Sage because of her unusual upbringing, is good at reading people, it's like a little superpower that will help her solve murders in all the Ground Rules Mystery books to come.  In cozy mysteries, you have to suspend a little disbelief because often the potential suspects the sleuth speaks with share more information than would likely happen in real life.  In Fresh Brewed Murder,  Emmeline Duncan addresses this dilemma by having an amateur slueth who was taught from an early age how to act and she uses those skills to get people to confide in her early and often. So Clever! It puts me in mind of one of my favorite P.I's Veronica Mars. 

All in all this book is a solid 4, very enjoyable and I'm looking forward to the next book in the series.  I would like to know Sage's thoughts on PSL's so I'm hoping the next book takes place in the fall. 

The Tourist Is Toast! Low Cost, Quick Paranormal Cozy!

 

I enjoyed The Tourist is Toast by Carly Winter. Bernie is a new BnB owner in  Sedona, Arizona. She has inherited the house from her grandmother Ruby.  Actually, it would be more accurate to say that Bernie has inherited the house and her grandma Ruby as Ruby is now a ghost! I enjoy the setting of this series as Sedona is a great place to have a BnB, we get to read about the natural beauty and solve murder mysteries! 

It's fun to spend time with Bernie and her colorful grandma, I like how Ruby and Bernie are now helping solve crimes with Adam, a local police officer.  Bernie and Ruby are like a twist on The Odd Couple (or Laverne & Shirley) and their natures really compliment each other. I thought this was a good mystery, In this installment, I quite liked that there were a small number of suspects and each of them had a motive. The pace of the book keeps the story moving, making for an engaging fun read. I would recommend this to anyone who loves reading cozies, especially if you like paranormal cozies. 

  I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and have posted honest reviews in exchange. 

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This week in marathon training it's a cut-back week so my long run only needs to be 5 miles, wahoo! Also, we are enjoying some cooler temps, which is wonderful because running when the feel like the temperature is in the 90s is TOUGH! 

I've been busy trying to write run this month and I have not been trying any new recipes lately. Next week I am getting a Blue Apron box and it will have some fancy craft burgers we can make for the fourth of July. I could eat burgers every day, well more burgers one day, tacos the next day, and pizza the day after that and repeat! 

Happy Wednesday! 

 

Summer Solstice 2021! A 90s esque Chick Lit Rom Com May Be Just What You Need!

 This past week I listened to the audiobook version of People We Meet On Vacation.  If you are familiar with romance shorthand this could be described as a long-time friends-to-lovers tale. If you're fan of movies, this could be described as When Harry Met Sally on vacation. This book was a book club selection, if it hadn't been I probably would not have read it, just because I have so many other books I want to read on my TBR pile and I've been really loving diverse romance reads lately.

This book is told all from Poppy's POV.  Poppy is a fun-loving extrovert and Alex is a teacher who is much more reserved.  It seems very obvious that they are crazy about each other for years and years, and yet, they aren't a couple. Each year the pair go on vacation and this book is told in two timelines.  There is "this summer" and there is twelve summers ago, eleven summers ago, etc, etc. 

Overall it is a good read.  Poppy and Alex are very quippy and seem like nice people. I didn't think there was too much drama and the main reason I kept reading was that I wanted to know why Poppy and Alex had a falling out. I found the reason for the falling out was a little bit of a letdown for me. 

If you are looking for a book to read that is easygoing, something you can pick up and put back down as you need because you are on a summer vacation, this could be the read for you!

3.0 stars to People We Meet on Vacation! 

My library is having its summer reading program and for every book, I'm reading I get an entry to win a variety of prizes.  One prize is a $50 gift card for a local taco and tequila joint.  I'm thinking all the adult patrons will be trying to win this prize along with me!  I better get some more books read! 

#TheSundayPost - Father's Day 2021

 

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted here @ Caffeinated Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things we have received. Share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead.  See rules here: Sunday Post Meme

If you celebrate Father's Day, I hope you have a wonderful time with the Fathers/Uncles/Grandpas in your lives.  My husband wants to do a backyard BBQ for the day so we'll be doing that and giving him a hammock (with a stand) for the backyard.  I'll be hanging out in my pool and I think at least 2 of the three kids will be working. 

This past week I returned to the DMV with Youngest Child to make attempt number two at passing the road test.  This time we arrived over an hour before the office opened.  This time instead of there being about 200 people ahead of us in line, there were about 100.  We were in line outside for four hours after they opened before it was our turn to enter the building.  Then there was a hold on-road tests for about 45 minutes. So more waiting, but at least at that point we were waiting inside in air conditioning. Then we had to wait in the car in line with about 20 other cars for her turn to finally get that second chance at the test.  

Would you believe me if I told you, of all the driver examiners at the local DMV, of which there were over 10, she got the same examiner that flunked her the week before?  Well, that's what happened!  Talk about stress. We recognized the examiner, but I don't think she recognized Youngest Child.  

Thank goodness, Youngest Child passed the test!  She is now a licensed driver!  For what it's worth, and I think it is worth something; she has a great story to tell about her trials and tribulations on the road to a driver's license.  Maybe not as heartbreaking as Olivia Rodrigo's song, but still quite emotional! 

This week I'll be sharing a book with an excellent title: 

And a book about my favorite beverage (Fresh Brewed Coffee) 

And a new Cozy that takes place in Sedona!

How was your week?  Read anything fun?  Oh, I almost forgot, we started watching Loki, I love it.  Time travel and multiple timelines--that's my jam! 

Latest Book in our #COYER #readalong!

I'm excited to talk about the latest book in our Psy-Changeling Read-Along Series! This time I had a physical book which means it's a little harder to highlight my favorite lines because I don't like to write in my books. On the plus side, it's easier to read a physical book while I'm lounging in a pool float. 

From the moment Max was introduced in Talin/Clay's book I have been hoping he would get his own book, and here it is!  I was excited to read this book and learn more about the human police detective Max.  We also meet our first J designation, Sophia.  J-Psy are able to literally look into the minds of criminals and see their memories.  Not surprisingly J-Psy burn out very fast, even though they are Psy, even the Silence protocol can keep them from breaking down after years of being inside the minds of the most heinous of criminals. 

It makes perfect sense that Sophia and Max would become a couple as only they can really understand what they have lived through as part of the flawed justice system in this world. This book is written as a police procedural and I enjoyed that change up in the storytelling for this growing series. 

As in previous books, Nalini Singh share more knowledge about the Psy-Changeling-Human world. This reasoning for why the Psy keep humans around was on page 87: 

"Humans, often came up with ideas and concepts that were staggering unique"  

That of course, makes complete sense since the Psy under silence live without and need or want of creativity. 

 I enjoyed crime solving parts of this book probably more than the romance. I was very glad that Max was able to find love and as always I enjoy scenes with past couples in the current instalments.

4 stars for Bonds of Justice!