pickIt was a slow start with this one, but it picked up towards the middle and then I couldn‘t put it down. I really loved these characters from the first book until now, and they all had wonderful arcs across both books in the series. There‘s heartache, beautiful dreams and amazing world building, romance, and plenty of magic. It ended beautifully and I‘m glad to have read this series.
1. I got a professional mani/pedi for the first time in a long time! Love the color 💙
2. I got to spend time with my sister earlier this week and my niece-dog (pictured with my dog, mine is the one further back)
3. I got several new books I‘m really looking forward to.
4. My kids are all done with school and they got some awards this week!
5. We‘re getting ready to go on our summer trip this weekend!
#5JoysFriday @DebinHawaii
bailedGot about halfway and had to bail. The writing style was annoying me; it‘s as if the author thinks his readers are stupid and he has to dumb everything down. Not to mention, the “ancient wisdom” the monk learns is pretty much common sense and nothing I haven‘t heard before, so I was pretty bored. Just didn‘t wanna waste anymore time on this one…
The latest added to the TBR pile 😁
My sister offered to buy me a book at B & N today since she won‘t get to come visit for my birthday next month. I also took the liberty of taking tons of pictures of books to add to my TBR pile… I‘m gonna see if I can find some of these at the library or on my Kindle, once I make a dent in the pile I already have lol
Finally got to use the gift card I got for Mother‘s Day 😊
New Calcifer pop socket and sticker collage for my Kindle 😊
1. Testing is all done for my kiddos!
2. Lifting the heaviest I‘ve been able to thus far at CrossFit.
3. Family outing planned for this weekend.
4. First thunderstorms we‘ve had in a long while.
5. Got myself a cute backpack for our summer trip coming up.
#5JoysFriday @DebinHawaii
1. My favorite library memories would have to be taking my kids to story time and to get their first library cards. They‘re more into screens nowadays but the wonder that filled their little faces will forever be ingrained in my mind.
2. Mostly Amazon 😬, Barnes & Noble, and indie shops.
3. Currently reading Muse of Nightmares, The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari, and listening to The Wandering Inn, Vol. 1.
@Eggs #WondrousWednesday
My next Kindle read 😊
pickAs the cover suggests, this books focuses on the “common sense” for a healthy, happy life and how it‘s all connected. And while it all does seem like common sense, Dr. Wells reiterates that each category affects the other, and that we need to work on each thing little by little, with small steps. I appreciated the science behind how it all affects our brains and overall health. I found the ideas and techniques insightful… (continued ⬇️)
To all the book loving mamas here in the states (and all the rest of the world for that matter)!
“Many factors contribute to depression and anxiety, and several of them are uncontrollable, including life stressors, genes, and one‘s environment. But your diet is an important factor that, for the most part, can be controlled…”
I never thought about it in this way, and I rather like that I have control over some things.
1. My daughter got one of the highest scores possible for her end of year Biology exam, which is a graduation requirement! So proud of her!
2. The scale finally budged for me after plateauing for quite a while on my weight loss journey. Down 21 lbs so far!
3. Tried new things at CrossFit this week.
4. Got a Kindle for an early Mother‘s Day gift 😁
5. Got back on track with drawing practice after missing it for a bit.
@DebinHawaii #5JoysFriday
Got myself a clear case for my Kindle, specifically so I can make as many sticker collages as I want to decorate it with lol
1. It‘s a weird one, I can do the wave with my tongue 😜
2. Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor, several characters have very unique talents: one can bind ghosts to herself and control them, and one can create/control fire, for example.
#Two4Tuesday @TheSpineView
“Being just 1% better every day is like compound interest for your body and mind.”
“Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won‘t feel insecure around you.” - Marianne Williamson
The first book I‘m reading on my new Kindle is some nonfiction that‘s been waiting in my Kindle Library forever… Happy Monday! ☕️😁
The hubs couldn‘t wait til Mother‘s Day to hand me my gift, and I‘m so excited! I still prefer actual books but this will be so convenient and will save us some space lol (plus I hate the glare I get from reading on the Kindle app on other devices). He got me this just in time for our summer travel plans too 😁
Wasting no time in starting the sequel for this duology!
pickI really loved these characters. The imaginative descriptions were awe-inspiring. The plot was intriguing and the answers to all the questions about the MC were answered in such a way, that it felt like unwrapping a gift little by little. It ended on a heartbreaking cliffhanger, so I‘m glad I wasted no time in ordering the sequel. I‘m not ready to say bye to these characters just yet…
I‘ve spent all weekend, nonstop, surrounded by people. While I enjoyed myself for the most part, my introverted self is so grateful for some peace and quiet this morning.
My treat to myself when I took my mother in law and kids to the mall today… I was able to sneak away and peruse B&N 😊
“And that‘s how you go on. You lay laughter over the dark parts. The more dark parts, the more you have to laugh. With defiance, with abandon, with hysteria, any way you can.”
“‘A man should have squint lines from looking at the horizon… not just from reading in dim light.‘”
Bailed on the last book I was reading, mostly because it was taking way too long for me to finish and it‘s due back at the library. It‘s a huge book with way too many slow parts, although I was intrigued by Elinor Glyn‘s life and work. Maybe I‘ll read it another time. But I was yearning to get lost in some fiction anyway, so here we are 😁
I saw the writer and writing coach, Paulette Perchach post about this book in her IG stories. She said if she recommended one book that everyone should read, it would be this one.
I just had to get this set of vintage children‘s classics when I saw them. I had a set like these when I was a kid in the 90‘s but never knew what happened to them.
1. My current read is tagged, and takes place in different settings throughout the protagonist‘s life (it‘s nonfiction). Currently, the book has us back close to London for Elinor Glyn‘s long-awaited wedding after a trip to Paris failed to find her a match among the Frenchmen.
2. I really want to visit “Hobbiton” in New Zealand one day.
#WondrousWednesday @Eggs
pickMy Sunny Boy kept me company while I finished this one 😻. This is the 2nd novel by St. James that I‘ve read and loved, I definitely need to read more of her work. I was hooked from start to finish. It has a little bit of everything: ghostly figures, mysteries to solve, likable/sympathetic characters, action, drama, vivid descriptions, and romance sprinkled in. The MC and supporting characters all had wonderful arcs. I‘m happy with how it ended.
1. Work on my portfolio and handle some chores.
2. At the moment, I‘m most looking forward to a new series that‘s being released later this year: The Witch‘s Compendium of Monsters by Genoveva Dimova.
3. Definitely fantasy!
#MotivationalMonday @Cupcake12
Library haul! I wasn‘t really in the mood for anything in my TBR pile at home, so to the library I happily went…
pickI hold this one in the same esteem as The Creative Act by Rick Rubin. Profound, insightful, and incredibly motivating. It helped me see creativity from a new perspective and lit a fire in me. It reminded me that I‘ve been doing too much waiting, I need to make moves and to be more intentional with said moves. This book is tough love and no nonsense while at the same time gentle and uplifting. I‘m coming back to this one for sure.
“Creativity doesn‘t repeat itself, but it rhymes.”
(In reference to being inspired by those who came before, but not copying them).
“Don‘t talk about your dreams with people who want to protect you from heartache.”
“The act of creation isn‘t about finding scarcity that belongs to you and to no one else. The act of creation involves touching something abundant and being eager to share it with other creators.”
“…the real competition is with your own potential…”
Doing more research on intermittent fasting and discovered this book in a subreddit… I was just talking about this culture revolving around food with my sister the other day. Almost every occasion, happy or sad, personal or professional, seems to revolve around food and drink. Reforming this mindset is going to take some work…
1. Yup, to my husband.
2. Not really. I do believe in having deep connections with people, which can be platonic too. But do I believe there‘s only one person out there for everyone? No. Love is hard work and ultimately revolves around the daily choices we make to stick it out with someone.
3. Someone making me dinner for a change lol and spending time with my husband.
#WondrousWednesday @Eggs
This one has been on my shelf for a very long time. It‘s a beautiful edition. I read a bit slower in Spanish, but I‘m trying to read more in my mother tongue so I‘m learning to be patient with myself. I grew up bilingual, but after years living in cities where no one spoke Spanish, I‘m very rusty. I‘ve been getting better since my mother moved in with us and we have more Spanish speaking friends/neighbors where we live now. Excited for this one!
1. Just the usual routine, hopefully something fun with the family this weekend.
2. As it lands on a Wednesday, not really. I got my husband and kids some goodies though, so I‘m excited to hand them over.
3. I‘d be an innkeeper from the tagged book.
#MotivationalMonday @Cupcake12
“The trick isn‘t a trick at all. It‘s a practice that begins with trusting yourself to show up and do the work.”
“…if you need a guarantee you‘re going to win before you begin, you‘ll never start.”
1. I‘m easy to please so no big deal for me, just feeling thought of is nice… even just a nice card will do. But I also love giving gifts to my hubby and our kids.
2. Tagged. The point of the book isn‘t about love, but the MC and his friends love each other dearly and connect on a deep level throughout all the chaos.
#Two4Tuesday @TheSpineView
“At the heart of the creative‘s practice is trust: the difficult journey to trust in your self, the often hidden self, the unique human each of us lives with.”
“…while you‘re engaging in the practice, you‘ll honor your potential and the support and kindness of everyone who came before you.”
“The practice is not the means to the output, the practice is the output, because the practice is all we can control.”
1. Same old - plenty of exercise, studying for a certification, a couple of appointments, working on my creative projects, spending time with the fam, etc.
2. I do my monthly and weekly planning in my journal, and then we have a communal family calendar in the kitchen.
3. I‘d be inside a video game, specifically residing in The Wandering Inn (tagged)
#MotivationalMonday @Cupcake12
