100!!

OH MY GOODNESS!!! THIS IS MY 100TH POST ON MY BLOG!!!!!

I never thought after starting this blog in December that I would reach this point where I would be consistent, have a small following, and continue to be growing my blog. This is my huge big THANK YOU post for YOU! For sticking around! For reading my blog! For commenting on my blog! THANK YOU!!!!

I wouldn’t be here with YOU reading right now so thank you so much for hanging around! I look forward to the next 100 posts and the next milestones we’ll hit together! Cheers!

June Wrap Up!

The good news is I am all caught up with writing my reviews, YES! They are published/scheduled to be published, woo hoo! Let’s see how many books I read in June…

9!

5 physical books

4 ebooks

3,297 pages

1 book less than May…only 18 fewer pages read than May…I guess I had a few books that were a little bit bigger than my May reads!

I was hoping to hit 10 last month, but I fell just a few pages shy of making it. Now I have a jump start on this month! What did you read in June? Have you read any of these or are any on your TBR??? Drop me a line and let me know!

Sunday Funday: Blind Date With A Book #blinddate #books #surprise #bibliophile

So…I’m in a reading group on Facebook with around 400 members in it. There is a lot of selling and buying of books and someone decided to go ahead and try Blind Date with a book! I FINALLY was able to snatch books up I wanted (they go QUICK when they’re listed) and they just came in the mail!! Aren’t you dying to know what they are…I am!! So real quick, here’s my featured image…the one with the 2 books I got…

Ok…now, think about what they could be. Don’t worry, the next two pictures will show them being revealed. Ready? Ok…

Ready now?

Hw about now?

Ok! That’s enjoy delay from me! Here you go!

Now the hard part is to decide which book to read first! Have you read either of these? What do you think about blind date with a book???

Book Review: The Husband’s Secret #LianeMoriarty @flatironbooks @BerkleyPub #5stars #BookWorm #Read

This is my first Liane Moriarty novel! A co-worker lent me this novel…I have come to the conclusion I just work with the BEST people!

Let’s get one thing straight…secrets are all around us. The story follows 3 families; Cecilia and John-Paul, Tess and Will, and Rachel. They all end up being intertwined, with two of them more so than a third. Cecilia discovers a letter written by her husband while he is away on a business trip that says to open if he has passed away.

Would you open it? If I came across a letter in an envelope like that I think I would rip it open. If I didn’t, it would eat me alive. To play devil’s advocate with myself, maybe what was written in the letter would eat me alive more.

Back to our characters. Tess finds out that her husband is now in love with her cousin. Rachel is still mourning the loss of her daughter that occurred decades earlier. The lives of each family is intricately woven through each other. The secrets they all keep are jaw dropping and keep you salivating for more.

I did find it slightly difficult to keep up with all the characters at first. Once I got into the book it became easier to differentiate and remember who was who. I do want to leave you with a quote that I believe sums up this book.

None of us ever know all the possible courses our lives could have and maybe should have taken. It’s probably just as well. Some secrets are meant to stay secret forever. Just ask Pandora.

I got chills when I read that in this book. Chills. Each set of families go through their own challenge and are able to get through it. There is some character growth, mostly with Tess, and I love her for it. I think Tess may be my favorite from the book…you go girl! How much these families kept secret and how much they tell, well, I’ll let you read this one to find out for yourself.

5 star read. I feel so lucky with all the books and recommendations I get from friends and colleagues. I have not wasted my time on eh books in awhile! I love it!! The Husband’s Secret should be on the top of your to be read pile if you haven’t read it already! Any other Liane Moriarty fans out there???

Title: The Husband’s Secret

Author: Liane Moriarty

Genre(s): Literary Fiction, Mystery, Chick Lit

Publisher: Berkley Publishing

Release Date: July 30, 2013

Find it here on Goodreads and Amazon

First Line Fridays: June 28th #TheHusbandsSecret #LianeMoriarty

As always First Line Friday comes courtesy of Hoarding Books Blog. I discovered this magic thanks to Crystal at Must Love Reviews. This week I am featuring a book FROM MY SUMMER BOOK STACK! I am so proud of myself, one book down! Here’s the line…

It was all because of the Berlin Wall.

Here’s the book…

The funny part about The Husband’s Secret by Liane Moriarty is that a colleague lent me this book to read. I was super excited she lent it to me! I was looking through pictures from my blog and then I realized…I BOUGHT THIS BOOK! *smacks self in the face* I put it away in a place I NEVER put books. I totally read the one she gave me…only me! Have you ever done that? Well…my full review will be up for this one tomorrow so come back and check it out!

Thursday Quotables: June 27th @GailHoneyman #EleanorOliphant

Welcome to Thursday Quotables. Books Kat Likes has joined in on the weekly fun and came up with this great description of what this is…

This feature is the place to highlight a great quote, line, or passage discovered during your reading each week. Whether it’s something funny, startling, gut-wrenching, or just really beautifully written, Thursday Quotables is where my favorite lines will be, and you’re invited to join in! Created by Lisa, over at Bookshelf Fantasies.

You should join in too! Leave the link to your Thursday Quotable post below and I will make sure to check it out!! Or just leave a comment with a quote from a book that has struck you!

Today is a line that pulled me in…

There are scars on my heart, just as thick, as disfiguring as those on my face. I know they’re there. I hope some undamaged tissue remains, a patch through which love can come in and flow out. I hope.

My heart breaks for her…

Have you read this one? What was your favorite line from it??

Book Review: Montauk @NicolaHAuthor #Montauk @macmillanbooks @StMartinsPress @Netgalley #HistoricalFiction

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for my advanced reader’s copy of Montauk. I managed to buckle down and read this (unfortunately after the release date) and HELLO HEAD TURNER! Oooooo Nicola Harrison you sly, sly writer!

I am usually not a fan of historical fiction books, but I could not resist a book set in Montauk before it was “cool.” This book takes place in 1938 when the development of Montauk first started. It became a summer town for the New York City elite.

I loved the historically accurate characters and relationships. Essentially Montauk was filled with wives and children (though they were hardly around because, nannies) living the leisure life while their husbands worked in the city and visited on the weekends. They drank and smoke and planned events to keep them busy during the day. People turned their backs when they saw people doing things they shouldn’t, and everyone in their circles knew because they all gossiped! Our main character, Beatrice, happens to be childless and is struggling with her inner happiness.

She is trapped in a marriage. Her husband, Harry, made it a point to note that they could never get divorced. It would destroy their reputations and embarrass their families (even though she did not come from New York elite). She struggled with the death of her older brother and it was Harry who lifted her out of that funk. Now it was harry who was bringing her down once again.

I wanted to murder Harry with my own two hands. Beatrice was different from the typical housewife and I am glad she found a true friend in Dolly. Their conversations made me happy and I am glad that Bea could have someone like Dolly. Beatrice also friended some locals, but had to be careful about her friendships with them because they could be fired for fraternizing with guests of Montauk! Crazy!! We follow Beatrice on her journey to making herself happy…I can’t give away too many details or I’ll ruin the read for you!

This is a must read, solid 4 star read. The ending culminated into a shocking surprise. I could not stop. When I finished I realized it was 1:00am and I was wide awake. That ending just came out of nowhere and WOW. This was a picturesque read that I envisioned in my head; I could almost smell the salty sea air, that’s how vivid it was. This book will make you smile, angry, bring tears to your eyes, and then leave you a little heartbroken, yet whole. You’ll have to read this one this summer!

Title: Montauk

Author: Nicola Harrison

Genre(s): Historical Fiction, Women’s Domestic Literature, Family Life Fiction

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press

Release Date: June 4, 2019

Find it here on Goodreads and Amazon

Top Ten Tuesday: June 25th #SummerReading #SummerStack #BookStack #HighHopes @hannahpittard @jenniferweiner @shelleyfreydont @jennycolgan @sarahdessen @HeatherSkyler @hughesanita @kristywharvey @DeliaOwens @elinhilderbrand

It’s Tuesday which means it’s time for another TTT courtesy of That Artsy Reader Girl! This week’s topic is…

Books On My Summer 2019 TBR

I decided just to take a picture of my stack that I would like to get through…

*looks at you* *looks at me* *looks at you* Did I mention my summer break was essentially over and I’m back at work for a month before a quick 2 week break and then back to work full time? *sigh* I know this is Top TEN Tuesday and there are 13 books in this stack…not counting the ones on my Kindle I want to read…but I’m also a big seasonal reader so if I don’t finish these by September, they’ll be back on the shelf for next summer, haha.

What book should I read first?

Sunday Funday: Writing A Book

It is time to announce to the blogging world a dream of mine…to write a book!

I have 3 ideas for a book…2 I pretty much have outlined (in my head) and 1 is just the setting and places I’d like it to take place, ha. Now…I actually need to put the ideas from my head onto paper. I’m just stuck. Then there’s the daunting task of publishing a book. I know I wouldn’t be the next big touring author, I just think it would be a cool thing to do.

If I truly want to write a book do I need to format my Word program in a certain way? Is there certain protocol I must follow? I don’t know and I have NO idea on where to start. Any advice anyone could leave would be ever so greatly appreciated!! Help!