What's New Lately :)

Happy December!! I haven't really felt a strong desire to blog lately, partially because life is flying by at a rapid pace and I just don't feel like I have the time or energy to sit down and write about it, and partially because I have a few new projects on the go and I don't know exactly how to transition from this space online to a potential new one in 2020. That being said, I couldn't miss two months in a row linking up with my favourite Kristen for her what's new link up so even though it's a few days late, here is a bit of what's been going on lately!!!

November was a grey and yucky month in Halifax and the weather took a chillier turn than usual for this time of year. We also had a few snows and we don't typically have a bad snow storm until December. Things have been pretty busy at work AND with children's activities in the evenings but we still had some fun. The girls are loving Sparks and Brownies and they are both taking step dancing now together too. In Sparks and Brownies, both girls had their "enrollment" which is a special ceremony. The sparks one involved a rainbow slide that I made and Molly's involved a fair amount of singing which I had to miss for Sparks :)

I documented one whole day on Instagram which made me realize that my days are REALLY boring hour by hour. LOL. This was one of the highlights:

We finished Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire in November (sob) and Molly has decided this is her favourite of the books so far (I couldn't agree more). We remembered those who fought and still fight to protect our country on Remembrance Day. We saw friends from near and far. As always, we spent a lot of time with our family including celebrating one of my wonderful aunts on her retirement. We also had a little surprise party for one of Brian's friends and that was nice to see a big group of people we've been friends with for years and years and don't see nearly as often as we used to. Lucy also lost her first tooth in November! She swallowed it while we were eating popcorn and watching a movie. OOOPS! Lol. It was humorous. :) I read a lot of books including audiobooks, watched some of The Office with Brian and Miss Fisher's on my own, and did a bit of writing and Christmas crafting etc.

In the past few weeks, I've gotten really caught up in all of the busyness associated with this season and I am really trying to remind myself to slow down and focus on what really matters the most. I am finding it so easy to get caught up in what everyone else is doing thanks to social media and I really want to just sit down and focus on quality time with my beloved family. We did a lot of that this weekend and it was precious. We have also loved following along with Everyday Reading's Rad Reader Advent Calendar for this reason. We are all a little bit overtired but these next two weeks will have some moments of joy amidst all the hustle and bustle too. This time of year makes me feel SO nostalgic and I also feel quite acutely that these moments are fleeting so I want to soak them all up.

That's really about it!!! I'm sure more has been going on but it isn't coming to me at the moment ;) Check out Kristen's post to see everyone else's posts there!!

Recent Reads and Reviews

Happy Show us Your Books day for November!!! I haven't been reading quite as much as I'd like lately - I still read some really great books in October, but it was SUCH a busy month. We somehow have all of our weeknights stacked with children's activities and I find once I get them to bed at 7 or 7:30ish, all I really want to do is stare at the wall. LOL. That being said...we have had some lower-key weekends and more to come heading into winter, I think, and I just want to be cozy and relax as a family and get some work done inside our home.

Here are a few of the books I read in the last month or so! Linking up today with Steph and Jana, as always. Check out the link up to see some other great, quick book reviews!!!

I Am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book has been on my TBR for a super long time. It was quite long, and strange in the sense that it was a thriller but a LONG one. It was captivating though, and the audiobook held my interest the entire time. This is quite a saga that goes back and forth in time a little bit and it is easy to forget that it is fiction. At times, I really wanted it to go just a bit faster to find out how it all worked out but the journey to that final destination was definitely interesting. Some of the characters were very easy to follow along with even though I wouldn't call it a character-driven novel.
This definitely wouldn't fall in the category of a quick thriller/mystery but if you have the time and want to commit to the story, I found it absolutely worth it and wish I had picked it up sooner. HIGHLY recommend the audiobook - the narrator was fantastic.

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Reading this aloud to my daughter was so wonderful. I love the illustrated books. This has usually been my favourite in the series though I go back and forth a little bit. I just love the whole Triwizard Tournament aspect and the growth in everyone's relationships and transition to maturing etc. I was a bit concerned about my 8 year old's reaction to the ending and the darkness to come, but I think we will be able to talk about it for years to come and we'll hold off on Order of the Phoenix for a couple more years. (Not me though - I am going to re-read that one myself asap).

Red at the Bone by Jacqueline Woodson

Jacqueline Woodson is such a phenomenal writer and this story was so well told. It wasn't long, nor was it easy to read. It was a beautiful story of family and it stayed with me long after I finished it.







Not the Girl You Marry by Andie J. Christopher
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This wasn't quite as good as I was expecting. It definitely had some cute moments and also definitely did remind me a bit of How to Lose A Guy in 10 days but the writing just wasn't my favourite ever. The cover and description sucked me in but it just didn't deliver for me personally.





The Winston Brothers series by Penny Reid

Did a re-read with Kristen of the first 4 Winston Brother books in less than a week - this is such a loveable family and these books were exactly what my tired and grumpy brain needed in the week after daylight savings time. LOL. Now I'll re-read the 5th one ASAP and get to the two NEW BOOKS including the conclusion to the series. Penny Reid writes complex and smart characters in a contemporary romance genre and I love her books. My favourites so far are Truth or Beard and Beard in Mind but I'm sure I will love the final book.




Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Wow, this book completely held my attention and I was super absorbed in all of the events unfolding at Ellingham. I'd say this reads like a slightly creepier and older The Mysterious Benedict Society, kind of?! It jumps from past to present and I didn't mind that. I loved the present-day characters and the mystery component was SO good. I knew this one ended on a cliffhanger so I knew I had to start the second book right away but I was NOT expecting the cliffhanger to feel like the author actually just stopped writing mid-sentence (the sentence was complete but UGH!!!). So just be warned, you will need to have the next book right next to you to start right away. I alternated between audio & ebook and enjoyed the audio narration very much. FANTASTICALLY creepy but not too scary fall read. (YA)

The Vanishing Stair by Maureen Johnson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The only thing I didn't like about this book is that its sequel IS NOT OUT YET.

Seriously though, I loved all the extra information we got here and even though many of the relationships had more tension here than in the first book, I still enjoyed the plot and characters immensely. Ellingham continues to be a creepy setting and you still don't QUITE know who you can trust. The ending of this one was yet another cliffhanger that left me dying to read the third and final book in this series, so if you can wait until all 3 books are out, you might be a happier reader. LOL. (the third book comes out January 2020).

A Heart So Fierce and Broken by Brigid Kemmerer
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

In some ways, this book was completely different in tone (and definitely setting) than A Curse so Dark and Lonely. I think I loved it equally as much once I adjusted to that though. Grey is one of my favourite characters maybe ever. He is complex but he is so kind, he is strong but he is also human. I really, really enjoyed the whole journey-adventure-being on the road plotline in this book. I definitely felt extreme tension near the end and was utterly shocked at the conclusion of the story. Yet another series with a cliffhanger and a third installment that doesn't come out for months (in this case, years, ahhhhhh). Thank you to Edelweiss and the publisher for an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review.

I think that's about all I've read lately!!! Currently reading: Still Life (Three Pines Re-read) but slowly!!!, Would Like to Meet, and hoping to plow through some more ARCs before the end of 2019!!! What have you read lately?! Anything I really need to check out asap?! 

Recent Reads (October show us your books!!)

Happy 5th Anniversary to Steph and Jana and Show us Your Books!! Wow!! Thank you for the time and effort you both put into this link up. Show us Your Books day is always one of my favourites in the month and I love reading everyone's reviews of the books they've been reading lately. Long live SUYB!!  :)

Fall reading is in full swing over here (I LOVE reading in the fall, lol, well, actually any season, but my attention span gets longer in the fall as opposed to the summer). I've read some great books lately and cannot wait to chat about them today!!

SERIOUSLY wonderful books

Ask Again, Yes by Mary Beth Keane

I absolutely devoured this book. I can't even explain what it is that I liked about it so much, but the characters and the plot were so compelling and the writing was incredible. The audiobook was especially well done. I cannot rave about this book enough and I highly recommend it. I don't want to say too much about the plot here because I really think this is best gone into without much idea of what happens, but there are a few content warnings to heed if there are themes that you're sensitive about. This is one of those books that I'd recommend to (almost) everyone though - it's just so well done and so much to think about/discuss.

View all my reviews The Widow of Rose House by Diana Biller

I had heard a lot of positive praise for this book, so I had high expectations when I started it despite not being very clear on the genre or plot. I am pleased to report that I absolutely LOVED this book. It took me a chapter or two to get into, but then I was completely engrossed. This book actually crosses genres a little bit, but at its heart, it is a historical mystery/historical romance, in my opinion. There is a slight supernatural element as well. I adored these characters and the main male character, Sam, reminded me a little bit of Newt Scamander from Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (the movie). He definitely had that mad scientist thing going on and it was soooo fun to read about. His family, on the other hand, reminded me of my beloved Bridgertons though there are fewer of them here. They were absolutely heartwarming and just the kind of beloved family that you want to read about. There were humorous moments, suspenseful moments, steamy moments, swoon-worthy lines, and moments of relief and joy in this book. The writing was superb and I cannot wait to follow this wonderful author's career in the future. Thank you to Edelweiss, Netgalley, and St. Martin's Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. This book is a perfect fall read if any of this sounds wonderful to you too.

The Art of Theft by Sherry Thomas

I am completely hooked on this series about Charlotte Holmes and this addition to the series was wonderful and enticing to read. These characters are lovely and the introduction of several new characters including the Maharani of India and Lord Ingram's friend
Lieutenant Atwood. I loved the touch of romance in the third book and that tension was still present in this book though I am dying for things to move forward a bit in that regard ;) It was interesting to have Livia and Stephen Marbleton play a more critical role as characters in this book and for the development of the series' plot with Moriarty too. All in all, I adore this series and I now intend to seek out all of Sherry Thomas' other works although I don't expect them to be similar to this. Highly recommend starting this series at the beginning and savouring it all. Thank you to Edelweiss and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. I highly recommend reading this series in order!!!

The Enchanted Hour: The Miraculous Power of Reading Aloud in the Age of Distraction by Meghan Cox Gurdon
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was so thought-provoking and inspiring. This book definitely makes an extremely strong case for the power of reading aloud to children AND to adults and highlights the human connection we are able to embrace when reading together. I loved it.

BOOKS I LIKED

We Met in December by Rosie Curtis
3.5 stars - I really liked this and read it quickly and loved the characters. The plot felt a bit off and on at times. This is definitely not a Christmassy book in any way - and it reminded me a lot of One Day in December which I had similar feelings for last year :) Thank you to Edelweiss and William Morrow paperbacks for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. 




Bossypants by Tina Fey

This was hilarious, read by the author. I liked it a lot. I'm probably one of the last people around to read this so not much more I can say about it but if you are a fan of hers at all, you will like this!





Leave the Grave Green by Deborah Crombie

These books definitely pass the time nicely and are interesting enough for the mystery aspects but not ground-breakingly incredible for me either. I do really like the characters but I didn't enjoy some of the interpersonal issues in this book - although I'm sure it moves forward in a better way than this book.




Twenty-one Truths About Love by Matthew Dicks

The format of this book was a bit difficult because I tend to (unfortunately) be a bit of a skim reader and I found it difficult to focus my attention on the lists. I also found it difficult that we rarely got other character's perspectives. However, the lists were heartwarming and the way the story was told was pretty funny at times. It was also a bit "out there" in my opinion, but the ending was cute. It reminded me a little bit of The Rosie Project. Thank you to Netgalley and St Martin's Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Currently reading: A Heart so Fierce and Broken, Mourn Not Your Dead, Bringing Down the Duke, and Finnikin of the Rock. About to start a re-read of Louise Penny's series and anxiously anticipating our arrival of the new Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire illustrated edition to read to Molly this fall!! (It comes out today!!!)

Happy reading, everyone!! If you've read any of these books or you want to, please tell me what you think!!!

Currently (Aug-Sept 2019)

Long time no blog, but no energy to do a full recap of August and September 2019. Let's just say that the months absolutely flew by - both of them, and some days were more relaxing than others!! We had an amazing summer and I love this phase of life immensely but I can also see how the pace is going to be picking up over the next few years with two girls in school and extra-curricular activities. Busy times, but beautiful times too. I decided to change my format for my usual "What's New" post with Kristen and do a currently update :) While you're at it, go say hi to her and give her a little virtual hug.

Currently, I'm...

Enjoying fall in Nova Scotia. It really is the best season. This one has been a bit chillier, potentially due to Hurricane Dorian, but not as chilly as other parts of the country. The air is so fresh after the summer's humidity and the trees and leaves are so gorgeous.

Thankful for an incredible night away at White Point with my husband last weekend. We don't do this often, and this night away was a Christmas 2018 gift from my parents. We also rarely spend time in that part of the province and it is breathtakingly beautiful!!!

Thinking ahead to Christmas this year and changing the way I show my love to others at that time of the year.

Inspired by an Instagram discussion on Janssen's page this week about hosting people and not worrying about how perfect your food is or how clean your house is but just seeking out those in-person connections. I can relate to this so much, especially heading into the winter months, and I really want to embrace just having people over to our home to visit even if it isn't perfect.

Reading all the books! Show us Your Books' 5th anniversary is next Tuesday and I can't wait to chat about some of the excellent (and less excellent) books I've read lately.

Anticipating reading Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (illustrated version!) with Molly in October. It comes out next week! She is a bit more excited than I am, but the 4th book is one of my favourites and I'm dying to see the illustrations.

Also anticipating the new Frozen movie in November. Am I a mom or what? lol. But hello - have you seen the previews? I cried. Haha.

Eating delicious pumpkin soup with sausage in it this week. It is SO good. I will try to share the recipe soon because it was simple and provided us with 3 lunches this week (6 actually, 3 for both of us).

Wearing sweaters as often as possible, but also trying to squeeze in a few more days with my Birkenstocks too. Lucy wore a toque and a t-shirt to school one day this week. haha.

Watching not much - I don't really watch TV anymore, but we had cable at the resort we stayed at last weekend and I watched a bunch of Friends re-runs, Jeopardy, and Cash Cab and I was delighted. :)

Thinking of a few friends going through some tough times right now. I really wish I could be closer to two of them in proximity.

In disbelief that it will be a new decade in less than 90 days. 2020. Wow. 2019 hasn't been perfect for a lot of people, but I'm not opposed to saying that it has been one of the most pleasant and fulfilling years for me as a mother. Maybe not so much at work and in other areas of life, but it has still been a year of tremendous growth.

Missing those carefree summer days but I'm trying to find new ways to embrace those quiet family moments in the other seasons.

What's new with you lately?!

Show us Your Books September Book Reviews

Phew! I finished this post just in the nick of time after losing power for 48 hours after Hurricane Dorian swept through the Maritimes. Fortunately, there were no major injuries in this area and we personally did not have any major damage done to our home or neighbourhood. Others were less lucky and I am keeping them in my thoughts this week.

Anyway, time for another book review link-up for Show us Your Books with Steph & Jana!! I felt like I barely read at all in August - I had no energy to do so after chasing the girls around for 18 days straight. Haha. I definitely get more reading done when we are more in our "fall/winter/spring" routine aka the kids are in school :) That being said, I did read a few books!! I'm back on my reading game the last week or so too and looking forward to some great fall reading.

A Conspiracy in Belgravia by Sherry Thomas

This series is so excellent. I love Charlotte Holmes' character and the parallels to the deductive mind of Sherlock Holmes. SO fun. It is excellent feminist fiction for the time period and so well written and interesting. Definitely reminds me a lot of Deanna Raybourn's Veronica Speedwell series, which is one of my favourites ever. Definitely start with the first book.

The Hollow of Fear by Sherry Thomas

This third book in the series completely blew me away. I could NOT stop listening to it. Not only is the audiobook narration absolutely fantastic, but the plot was also thick in this novel and the character development was spot-on. I loved it. 4.5 stars but rounding up to 5 because it was just so highly readable (listenable?!). Cannot wait to continue the series ASAP and see what the future holds for this wonderful cast of interesting characters. There is plenty of feminism, friendship, a hint of love, intrigue, mystery, and humor in this series and I am here for it 100%.

The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes

Oh, wow. This book. I loved (most of) the characters in this book. I loved the setting. I loved the characters' resilience and determination to better their lives. I loved the tension created near the ending. This book was so wonderfully written with such an interesting plot and storyline that was well-paced and so enticing to read. I can't recommend this historical fiction about traveling librarians enough.

Thank you to Edelweiss and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Twice in a Blue Moon by Christina Lauren

As far as Christina Lauren books go, this one was more along the lines of Love and Other Words than similar to Josh & Hazel or My Favorite Half-Night Stand. It's not a funny book, but it was well-written and I gobbled it all up in one sitting and loved the characters so it was still wonderful in that sense. I could have easily read another 50 pages ish about the whole plot and especially towards the end, I felt like it wrapped up a bit earlier than I wanted it to - but that's life!! I definitely liked it a lot and I will probably eventually read everything they've ever written.

Thank you to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Aussie Next Door by Stefanie London

This book was super cute and absorbing, but it wasn't my favourite in this genre. I did love the characters, especially Jace and his career, but I found parts of it a little bit too disjointed. Overall, still a cute little book about an American in Australia with some fun side characters and a HEA ending.

Thank you to Edelweiss and the publisher for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Best Thing by Mariana Zapata

I tried to hold off on reading this one for a little bit, but I couldn't, and I'm glad I didn't. This book is definitely maybe one of my favourites from Mariana Zapata and it was so good. It was EXTREMELY readable and even though her books are always quite long, I had no trouble at all finishing this in a day. I loved Lenny and Grandpa Gus, and Jonah and everyone. It was cute, it made me laugh, and it brought a tear to my eye as well. Highly recommend if you like contemporary romance or her other books.

The Love Solution by Ashley Croft

This book made me laugh out loud at times. I really enjoyed the dynamic between the sisters and certain moments definitely pulled at the heartstrings. I much preferred one of the love stories to the other, which is often the case. Overall, it wasn't a hit-out-of-the park romance for me but it was cute at times and easy to read. The Britishness always bumps it up just a touch for me, too.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Side Hustle: From Idea to Income in 27 Days by Chris Guillebeau

This book was good, and I liked the audio version. It was motivating and there were some great ideas. It wasn't EXACTLY what I was expecting/hoping for, but it is certainly a worthwhile read if you are trying to figure out some plans to grow your income on the side.

READ ALOUD RECOMMENDATION:

The Secret World of Og by Pierre Berton

It was a total delight to read this book aloud to my children this summer. My grade 3 teacher read it aloud to us and it has stayed with me for years. The illustrations in this edition are wonderful and the story kept both my girls quite captivated.


Currently reading: The Dreamers (but I'm getting closed to DNFing it) and The Art of Theft, which is the 4th in the Sherry Thomas series I am hooked on. Also started A Heart So Fierce and Broken!!

What have you read lately? Any good recommendations for me? It's been a while since I've read a good contemporary-ish mystery/thriller....