Here are my goodreads reviews. If you’re on goodreads, add me as a friend so I can see your books too! I also have an instagram account where I join my love of reading with my love of art.
How Lulu Lost Her Mind (2.5 stars): I started and stopped this book several times. It might be more to do with the audiobook, which I thought wasn’t great. This is the story of a successful woman whose mom is sick and she decides to take her back to her hometown (in the south) to follow her wishes. Not much happens, it’s sweet but not super sweet. I think books like this require you to get invested in the characters and I just couldn’t get there.
The Night Swim (4 stars): I don’t usually write trigger warnings for books but I think this book requires Trigger warning for rape and sexual assault. There is quite a bit of graphic detail and the whole plot revolves around the rape of a young girl (two in fact.)
The book alternates between the main character and a podcast she does. It’s an interesting take on the alternating chapters idea.
There are several twists, some I could tell, some not. The book kept me engaged the whole time though I will say that by the end the subject matter was really getting to me.
The Idea of You (3 stars): Mixed feelings on this book. It is about an older woman dating a younger man (39 vs 20), the younger man is also a part of a famous boy band. There’s a lot of sex in this book and a lot of infatuation. It’s trying to also cover some more serious issues but I still didn’t see the depth I would have expected from a book like that so I felt like it wasn’t as fun as it could have been if it weren’t trying to be serious.
The Complete Urban Sketching Companion (5 stars): I consider the Urban Sketching books to be the best combination of eye candy and fantastically valuable information and this very comprehensive guide is no exception. In fact, if you’ve never read any of them and aren’t sure where to start, I’d say this is the best one to start with.
It’s comprehensive and covers buildings, cityscapes and people. It has color concepts, perspective, motion, depth, and so many other fundamentals of sketching in urban settings. It breaks down the sketch step by step so you know where to start, how to build, and how to put the finishing touches.
It also has all the delicious eye-candy I’ve come to expect from these books. Fantastic sketches, wonderful variety, and it’s sure to make you itch to go out and sketch. If only one could master sketching just by reading books!
with gratitude to netgalley and Quarto Publishing Group for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
Self-Knowledge (4 stars): Self-Knowledge is a super-quick read with concepts and exercises to help you think about and be aware of your behavior, choices, and self-regard. These are very simple exercises but of course the simplest exercises are often the most powerful.
Fiona Buckland’s narration was very even, not with a lot of emotion or inflection. I found it distanced me from some of the emotional and personal topics she was discussing. But it was clear and easy to follow.
If you like to work on yourself, increase your self-awareness and have not spent a lot of time asking questions around self-discovery, this short, simple book will be a great way to get started and be introduced to some of these questions to help guide you.
with gratitude to NetGalley and Publisher Spotlight Audio/The School of Life for an advance copy of Self-Knowledge.
Watercolor Techniques for Artists and Illustrators (5 stars): If you’ve ever wanted to get into watercolor painting, this is the book for you. It is the most comprehensive and complete book I’ve seen on the subject.
It starts with the basics: the tools, color theory&mixing and how to apply the paint. How to observe your subject. Basics of drawing and perspective and planning.
And then it gets into techniques which have a beginner, intermediate and advanced section. Tons and tons of techniques in this book. You can practice one daily or weekly and won’t run out for a long, long time.
And my favorite section is all the subjects. From people to pets to cityscapes to abstract to everything in between, this book doesn’t spare anything. It has examples, tips, advice and techniques for any subject. It has absolutely beautiful paintings and it makes you want to drop all you’re doing and pull out your watercolors.
I cannot recommend it enough.
With gratitude to netgalley and DK for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
And there we go, grateful to be reading.
Books I Read this Week 2020 is a year-long project for 2019. You can read more about my projects for 2020 here. I am also tracking my books in real time on Good Reads here. If you’re on Good Reads add me so I can follow you, too! I’ve also started an instagram account where I join my love of reading with my love of art.
Here are my goodreads reviews. If you’re on goodreads, add me as a friend so I can see your books too! I also have an instagram account where I join my love of reading with my love of art.
The Bright Side Sanctuary for Animals (4.5 stars): I am not sure why this book didn’t get more coverage. I absolutely loved it from the very beginning. It’s the story of Ariel who goes back home to her mom Mona’s animal sanctuary when she finds out that it is about to be sold.
It’s a coming-back-home story but has the animal sanctuary twist. There are also some political commentary so fair warning.
But what I loved about this book was the characters. There are several really interesting characters and they are so much joy to be around. I could definitely feel the small town feeling and I loved spending time with everyone in this book.
I really wish more people read this one.
with gratitude to edeweiss and the publisher for an advanced copy
In a Holidaze (4 stars): I’m just such a fan of Christina Lauren books. I know what to expect, and they never disappoint me.
Reading a book about Christmas in August was my favorite way to spend a few hours. This is the story of Maelyn who is at a Utah cabin with her family and another few families who’ve spent Christmas together for ever. The book starts off as a Groundhog’s Day trope which really worried me because I’ve read several books this year where the main character gets to re-live the same day and none of them were executed well so I got really worried.
But as it turns out she only gets to re-live a small number of times here and there’s something new and fun in each instance. So it’s not the main focus of the book, which for me, was a good thing.
This is a story about how it pays off to be yourself, to go after the things that make you happy and to take chances each and every time. Life is short and don’t compromise your joy because you’re too scared.
It’s fun, funny, inspiring and sweet. Everything I’ve come to expect from Christina Lauren and they deliver again in this wonderful holiday novel.
With gratitude to netgalley and Gallery Books for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
The Silent Wife (3 stars): Ok so this was book #10 in a series where I have read none of the book. But it had high ratings and I was craving a mystery so I read it anyway. It was about a serial killer (not the most uplifting topic but mysteries rarely have that.) It was the kind of mystery I like, where you get to know the characters and there’s a lot of room for not just the plot but character development. It’s about 2x longer than the recent usual twisty mystery books and the author uses all that space for her characters. Enjoyed this one.
The Worst Best Man (3.5 stars): Loved this super fast read. It was fun and funny. The hate to love trope isn’t usually my favorite but I just liked these characters and had fun with the story.
Stranger in the Lake (2 stars): Meh, this story was mostly boring. About a woman who marries a man whose ex-wife drowned in their lake and then now they find another body in the same lake and she had seen her husband talk to that woman the day before. Is he the bad guy? I mean if he were, wouldn’t it just be too obvious for a plot?
The Comeback (4 stars): “I’d like to say I didn’t understand what I was agreeing to, but I think it would be a lie– even back then I knew I was giving a part of myself away.”
This is a really well-written story about an actress who achieves early success thanks to a director who takes her under his wing. It’s the story of how he also sexually abused her and used her and took advantage of her.
It’s not as dark as it might sound and it’s really well written. What I liked the most about this book was the tone (which I don’t think I’ve ever written in a review before.) It had this perfect tone the whole way through where you felt the low level discomfort and unease the character had the whole time. Sometimes it escalated and I was on the edge of my seat and other times I could breathe more easily with her.
I was rooting for her 100% of the time. Really well-done.
And there we go, grateful to be reading.
Books I Read this Week 2020 is a year-long project for 2019. You can read more about my projects for 2020 here. I am also tracking my books in real time on Good Reads here. If you’re on Good Reads add me so I can follow you, too! I’ve also started an instagram account where I join my love of reading with my love of art.
Weekly Intention: This is a quiet week since we have a no-meeting day and a global day off. This means a lot is squished into 3 days and it means I have a whole day of perf. My plan this week is to be slow and steady, let’s see if I can make it happen.
This month’s intention is: September: Embrace the Wild: Time to root and surrender. This is a hard month for you. Transitions are rough. But you also turn 46. It’s magical to get to have another year. Remember the growth mindset. Let go of your preconceived ideas and embrace the wild. Love this little reminder. Let’s see what I can do. Be kind with myself.
One way I will show up this week: productive.
I will go into the wild: maybe a little trip to the water would be nice.
This week, I will pay attention to: putting things together.
One new thing I will begin this week: a little present i am making
One magic I will create: some birthday fun for my love.
One thing I hope to release: perf
One thing I will join in on: back to school night this week.
One area I will practice being open: to whatever may come
I am looking forward to: being totally done with perf.
This week’s challenges: finishing off perf and the short week.
Top Goals:
Work: finish perf, continue creating space, make a plan, keep email clean.
Personal: continue with daily core + biking! + running, meditation and stretching, do better on eating the wild. draw. journal. sleep earlier. continue 100 days of mantras. pick more friends to connect with. cold showers.
Family: help nathaniel more. support nathaniel and david and jake. cook. walk. climb together. friday adventures. back to school night.
I will focus on my values (love, learn, peace, service, gratitude): I am working on grounding myself. Let’s see if I can keep going.
This week, I want to remember: that this year is flying by.
Living Wild is a year-long project for 2019. You can read more about my projects for 2020 here.
The Wildest Part of this Week was: This week was quiet. I stayed up until 2am on Saturday which was definitely wild for me.
Top Goals Review: Didn’t blog last week, so no goals. Here’s the update from the week before.
Work: finished and submitted packet, tried to continue creating space, did not make a plan, kept email somewhat clean.
Personal: did not continue with daily core + did the biking! + and the running, did not do meditation and stretching, did so so on eating the wild. drew very little. journaled a bit. did not sleep earlier. continued 100 days of mantras. did not pick more friends to connect with. did not do cold showers.
Family: supported nathaniel and david and jake. cooked a bit. walked once. climbed together. did not do friday adventures. did school trips to get materials. did the dentist.
I celebrate: our little getaway in Tahoe.
I am grateful for: the kids being back to school
This week, I exercised: i ran 3 times for 20 minutes, I did the peloton bike every day.
This week, I answered the Call of the Wild: we went to Tahoe and climbed and hiked.
This week’s Wildcard was: some crazy times this week.
I said yes to: getting away, giving space.
I said no to: getting caught up in things.
Core Desired Feelings (leap, soft, release, join, delight) Check-in: i am releasing the pressure of spending too much energy on perf still, and being kinder with myself. i am delighting in animal crossing still and leaping into exercising more and more.
My mood this week was: quiet
I am proud of: showing up.
I release: the stress, the hardtime i am giving myself.
Here’s what I learned this week: space is important
What I love right now: sitting outside again thankfully.
Weekly Review 2020 is a year-long project for 2020. You can read more about my projects for 2020 here.
Here are my goodreads reviews. If you’re on goodreads, add me as a friend so I can see your books too! I also have an instagram account where I join my love of reading with my love of art.
Bear Necessity (4 stars): Love love loved this quirky book. I am now a bit apprehensive when a blurb says a book is quirky or is compared to Nick Hornby whom I love and adore, but this book mostly lived up to its promise. It’s sweet, touching, and undeniably quirky. I loved the characters and really loved all the layers of emotion without any of the melodrama of losing a mom/wife. It was a really enjoyable read.
with gratitude to edelweiss and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
She’s Faking It (3 stars): I wanted something light and fun and this book definitely fit the bill. I felt like it started strong and sort of fizzled a bit toward the end but I enjoyed it all the way through and loved the author’s voice and the fun characters.
The House of Deep Water (4 stars): I am not sure why this novel doesn’t get higher ratings. I really enjoyed this multi-generational saga that shows the complexities of being in a family, going back to your hometown and trying to grow up despite challenges. This is a novel about strong, complex women and the hardships they endure. It has themes around family, racism, abuse, teen pregnancy, poverty, and isolationism. It’s a slow, well-written book that grows on you. I loved the time I spent with it.
with gratitude to edelweiss and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
The End of Her (3 stars): I have been looking for a good, strong mystery novel to get lost in and I hadn’t heard of this one but it got high ratings so I wanted to try it. It was fast-paced and kept me reading but in the end I didn’t love it. I felt like the character development was weak and the twist wasn’t that twisty and I was like meh.
And there we go, grateful to be reading.
Books I Read this Week 2020 is a year-long project for 2019. You can read more about my projects for 2020 here. I am also tracking my books in real time on Good Reads here. If you’re on Good Reads add me so I can follow you, too! I’ve also started an instagram account where I join my love of reading with my love of art.
Here are my goodreads reviews. If you’re on goodreads, add me as a friend so I can see your books too! I also have an instagram account where I join my love of reading with my love of art.
Pull of the Stars (3 stars): So I don’t want to rate this low as it wasn’t in any way a bad book and it has a lot of interesting bits, especially as I read it during a pandemic. However, unlike Donoghue’s other books, i did not get attached to any of the characters while reading this and just didn’t feel any connection to the book as a result.
The End of Everything (4 stars): “At some point, in a cosmic sense, it will not have mattered that we ever lived. The universe will, more likely than not, fade into a cold, dark, empty cosmos, and all that we’ve done will be utterly forgotten.”
It took me forever to get through this book. To be fair, I am not good at physics and even though I’ve read a few Brian Greene books, I am far far away from the amount of knowledge it would help to have before reading this book.
That didn’t stop me from working hard to make my way through it. It’s written in common, easy language and tries to add both some perspective and levity but at the end of the day, this is a book about astrophysics and there’s no way that’s not going to be dense (unless you simplify it so much that it’s pointless.
Katie Mack manages to make it both readable and keeps the physics serious, real, and interesting.
If physics is your thing or you’re just fascinated like I am, this is the book for you.
with gratitude to netgalley and Scribner for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
One to Watch (2 stars): Meh. I know everyone loved this book but I just didn’t connect with it at all. Maybe because I don’t ever watch those shows on TV. I loved the idea of the book much more than the reality of it.
Once Again (3.5 stars): This was a fast-paced story that I couldn’t put down once I started. There are several interesting elements to the story:
Zac – the dad and scientist, who is working in an astrophysics lab and making a huge discovery which results in some sort of time shifting in the universe. His chapters were mostly about science and it was dense/hard to understand what was going on. I didn’t worry too much, just read what I could understand and didn’t stress too much about the details. I did feel like we didn’t get to know Zac as much as I wish I could have but he’s not the focal point. He’s just an instrument that makes the plot possible.
Erin – the mom whose daughter is abducted 500 days ago and she’s really the main character of the story as time shifts she gets another chance at rescuing her daughter and goes to heroic ends to make that possible. As a mom, I could relate the most to her, of course. And she’s the reason I kept reading and reading.
there are a few minor characters: a police officer (whose chapters didn’t really feel like they served a major purpose,) the abductor (did not enjoy reading these of course,) and then a few other scientists, some characters at school etc. but none of them got their own chapter.
The story is go-go-go the whole time (except during the science chapters) and it just didn’t seem possible for me to put it down. I don’t know that I will remember the book forever and I did think it has a lot of flaws. I tend to love character stories and this was decidedly a plot story but i still couldn’t put it down.
with gratitude to netgalley and Alcove Press for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
Pretty Things (4 stars): I always find myself putting off reading the longer books in case they are not good and I am now stuck reading them for a while (yes I know i could put them down but i rarely do) and yet the longer books tend to be my favorites. Maybe it’s because the characters take time and grow and do unexpected things.
I put off reading this book for many, many weeks and when I finally read it, I enjoyed it a lot. The characters in this book grow and end up doing unexpected things. I enjoyed it.
Vanessa Yu’s Magical Paris Tea Shop (3.5 stars): When I saw the blurb for this book, I loved it and really couldn’t wait to read it. Once I started it, I loved that it takes place right in my neighborhood and really enjoyed the familiar places it mentioned. But, alas, maybe because I had such high expectations, this book was fun but not great. I enjoyed the time I spent with it but I felt like the blurb had so much more potential.
And there we go, grateful to be reading.
Books I Read this Week 2020 is a year-long project for 2019. You can read more about my projects for 2020 here. I am also tracking my books in real time on Good Reads here. If you’re on Good Reads add me so I can follow you, too! I’ve also started an instagram account where I join my love of reading with my love of art.
Weekly Intention: Ok this week’s intention is twofold: do what i need to do with perf and then ground myself with the here and now as much as i can.
This month’s intention is:August: Wildest Dreams: Time to get organized again, transitions are coming, big ones this time. Get organized, plan, prepare and do what you need to do. Write down all your dreams. Make plans. Not sure what I meant by big transitions. But school starts next week so this is our last week of summer together.
One way I will show up this week: organized.
I will go into the wild: maybe we can go climbing this week
This week, I will pay attention to: getting organized at work.
One new thing I will begin this week: some sort of releasing exercise
One magic I will create: maybe some goodbye to summer fun.
One thing I hope to release: perf
One thing I will join in on: book club this week.
One area I will practice being open: to whatever comes i guess and that it might not be all bad.
I am looking forward to: being done with perf.
This week’s challenges: just the energy it takes to get through the week. dentist appointments, two school trips. a lot going on this week.
Top Goals:
Work: finish and submit packet, continue creating space, make a plan, keep email clean.
Personal: continue with daily core + biking! + running, meditation and stretching, do better on eating the wild. draw. journal. sleep earlier. continue 100 days of mantras. pick more friends to connect with. cold showers.
Family: support nathaniel and david and jake. cook. walk. climb together. friday adventures. school trips to get materials. dentist.
I will focus on my values (love, learn, peace, service, gratitude): I am learning to be peaceful and to love what is. I am feeling grateful that we are safe and healthy.
This week, I want to remember: that what matters to me is actually just loving my people.
Living Wild is a year-long project for 2019. You can read more about my projects for 2020 here.
The Wildest Part of this Week was: Most of the effort this week was taking care of my people, ignoring my email and then sitting and doing all the email at once. It was a short/long week.
Top Goals Review:
Work: wrote packet, didn’t do awesome in creating space, did not make a plan, didn’t keep email clean but cleaned it.
Personal: continued with daily core + biking! + running, added meditation and stretching, did so so on eating the wild. drew. journaled. slept soso. continued 100 days of mantras. did not pick more friends to connect with. took cold showers.
Family: supported nathaniel and david and jake. did not cook. did not walk. did not hike together. did no friday adventures. not the best week for family. but i tried.
I celebrate: working out so hard.
I am grateful for: the little health scare from this week likely being nothing.
This week, I exercised: i ran 3 times for 20 minutes, I did the peloton bike every day and i also did several core, arms, meditation and stretching classes.
This week, I answered the Call of the Wild: we didn’t do an outdoor adventure this week.
This week’s Wildcard was: just so much stress this week but all will be ok.
I said yes to: writing my packet.
I said no to: reading my mail at night.
Core Desired Feelings (leap, soft, release, join, delight) Check-in: i am releasing the pressure of spending too much energy on perf, and being kinder with myself. i am delighting in animal crossing still and leaping into exercising more and more.
My mood this week was: tired
I am proud of: all the exercise I am doing.
I release: the anxiety from all the mail
Here’s what I learned this week: the way i move through things matters
What I love right now: the peace animal crossing is bringing me.
Weekly Review 2020 is a year-long project for 2020. You can read more about my projects for 2020 here.
