April Book Review

I can't believe it - but I am really keeping up the reading streak so far this year! I am staying well ahead of my goal of 45 books; here we are at the end of April and I have already read 22 of 45! Something tells me I might just meet my goal! My books in April were a hodge-podge of memoirs, romantasy (that's what people call the romantic fantasy genre), rom-com style and a Christian author. Variety is the spice of life!

If I Don't Laugh, I'll Cry by Molly Stillman: Molly Stillman has lived the type of life that when shared, people stop in their tracks and ask, "Wait, what happened?" Molly's mother, Lynda Van Devanter Buckley served as an Army nurse during the Vietnam War and wrote the bestselling memoir, Home Before Morning. When Molly was seventeen, Lynda passed away after an eight-year battle with an autoimmune disorder due to her exposure to Agent Orange. Four years later, Molly turned twenty-one and unexpectedly inherited a quarter of a million dollars form her mother's estranged family's estate. Through "retail therapy" and a long series of grossly irresponsible financial decisions, Molly found herself broke with over $36,000 in credit card debt less than two years later. Shame, guilt and embarrassment set in. 

With aspirations of a career in comedy, Molly used humor to mask the pain and brokenness she felt, believing that if she looked joyful and put together on the outside, it would eventually be true on the inside. Instead, she spent the next few years depressed, lonely and feeling alienated from those closest to her. But an unlikely call with a compassionate credit counselor, meeting the spreadsheet-loving man who eventually became her husband and a surprising visit to a church started her on a path that changed everything. 

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐of five: I really enjoyed this book! I was a reader of Molly's blog for almost ten years (I don't think it even exists anymore) and so excited to read more about her story. The book reads like a conversation with Molly and it's funny, full of joy and of course - some heartbreak - but overall, a really inspiring and easy read! 

House of Sky and Breath by Sarah J. Maas: Bryce Quinlan and Hunt Athalar are trying to get back to normal - they may have saved Crescent City, but with so much upheaval in their lives lately, they mostly want a chance to relax. Slow down. Figure out what the future holds. The Asteri have kept their word so far, leaving Bryce and Hunt alone.

But with rebels chipping away at the Asteri's power, the threat the rulers pose is growing. As Bryce, Hunt, and their friends get pulled into the rebels' plans, the choice becomes clear: stay silent while others are oppressed, or fight for what's right. And they've never been very good at staying silent. 

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐of five: The second installment of three books in the Crescent City series; this book was really enjoyable and expanded the world of Crescent City with numerous new characters/the fleshing out of a ton of the characters. The storyline was engaging and of course; it ended on a cliff hanger! Luckily, I have the third book on hand to start soon!

Ready or Not by Cara Bastone: Eve Hatch is pretty content with her life. Her apartment in Brooklyn is cozy and close to her childhood best friend, Willa, but far from her midwestern, traditional family who never really understood her. While her job is only dream-adjacent, she's hoping her passion and hard work will soon land her a more glamorous role. And sure, her most recent romantic history has consisted of not one but two disappointing men named Derek. At least she always knows what to expect... until she finds herself expecting after an uncharacteristic one-night stand. 

The unplanned pregnancy cracks open all the relationships in her life. Eve's loyal friendship with Willa is feeling off, right when she needs her most. And it's Willa's steadfast older brother, Shep, who steps up to help. He has always been friendly, but now he's checking in, ordering her surprise lunches, listening to all her complaints, and is... suddenly kind of hot? Then there's the baby's father, who is supportive but conflicted. Before long, Eve is rethinking everything she thought she knew about herself and her world.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐of five: I absolutely loved this book! It was a perfect rom-com and I wouldn't be surprised to see it turned into a rom-com one of these days (I wish). It was such a fun and easy read; I was through it in two days and had a bit of a book hangover when it was done because I loved the characters so much! 

Just for the Summer by Abby Jimenez: Justin has a curse, and thanks to a Reddit thread, it's now all over the internet. Every woman he dates goes on to find their soul mate the second they break up. When a woman slides into his DMs with the same problem, they come up with a plan: They'll date each other and break up. Their curses will cancel each other's out, and they'll both go on to find the love of their lives. It's a bonkers idea... and it just might work. 

Emma hadn't planned that her next assignment as a traveling nurse would be in Minnesota, but she and her best friend agree that dating Justin is too good of an opportunity to pass up, especially when they get to rent an adorable cottage on a private island on Lake Minnetonka. It's supposed to be a quick fling, just for the summer. But when Emma's toxic mother shows up and Justin has to assume guardianship of his three siblings, they're suddenly navigating a lot more than expected - including catching real feelings for each other. What if this time Fate has actually brought the perfect pair together?

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐of five: Oh my goodness I loved this book! I think I have become hooked on all things Abby Jiménez; her books are just so real! She writes romantic comedies that play out in very real situations and include the hardships of day to day life! Her books are like a true fairy tale - if such a thing exists - and I am a huge fan! 

Two O'clock on a Tuesday at Trevi Fountain by Helene Sula: Like many young professionals, Helene settled into a steady 9-5, watching the clock tick by and dreaming of seeing the world one day. But after a climbing incident leaves her bedbound for months, she finds a new voice connecting with others online and starts a blog to write about her true passion: travel. When her blog takes off and a sponsored trip overseas opens her eyes, she wonders: could she lead a stable life while traveling the world?

From skinny dipping in the icy Baltic and hiking Germany's storied Black Forest, to wrestling with visa applications and apartment hunting in medieval Heidelberg, Helene shares the realities - both the magical and the mundane - that come with chasing bold dreams and learning that home is where you make it. For those who fear change, the secret lies in taking calculated risks. 

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐of five: This book was such an easy and fun read! I am inspired by the way Helene and her husband have worked so hard to create a life that allows them to see the world; talk about a dream come true! I certainly love to travel myself, so I found all her adventures so exciting! 

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That's all I've got for the month of April! It was a great book month and I'm looking forward to continuing my reading into the month of May... I already have a couple books lined up! 

Photo Dump - April

It's just a big ol' photo dump here at the almost end of April - can you believe it?!? This month feels like it has flown by in a blaze and now we are about to be in the last weekend of April - it's truly hard to wrap my head around! Granted, the older I get (bleh) the faster time passes & I think I've said that on this blog about a million times - I'm a broken record.

Given that April has just passed by so quickly, I figured I'd do yet another dump of pictures; that for the most part, don't have a whole lot in common with one another except for that they were all on my phone! 

In what's obviously very important - I got a new, very Springy/Summery purse to carry around! I love the cane/wicker look and this bag from Target was just perfect! Is it huge? Yes! Do I care? Not really! I also made some banana bread for Ryan's co-workers; they are big fans (so they have told me) of my banana bread, so I whipped up a few loaves for them mid-April! I like to put chocolate chips in my bread - it adds a little something. 

Have you ever tried a Hot Pot restaurant? Ryan and I hadn't but we made it a first time adventure this month and went to one located in our local mall! If you weren't aware - your table includes individual cooking pots where you cook your broth of choice (we both got chicken) and all the ingredients you choose! 

I tossed chicken, rice noodles and broccoli into mine, while Ryan went with chicken and mushrooms - but there was so much more than just the Hot Pot items! We were able to order hibachi items, Korean BBQ items and delicious little snacks like BBQ Pork Bao Buns - and Ryan got a delicious snack of crab legs, ha-ha! I was also able to enjoy some divine watermelon bubble tea! 

Our Saturdays this month have been filled with things - the last Saturday of the month was also supposed to be filled but I was feeling under the weather & it was raining out, so we ended up doing a whole lot of nothing and it was really nice! However; a few Saturday back in the month - I went and got my nails done for the first time in a long time and then we spent the afternoon in West Virginia to celebrate the daughter of Ryan's co-worker - she is cancer free after a long battle - and she's only five!

The funniest part of the afternoon was watching Ryan and his co-workers going down the slide set up for all the kids! Proof that men are truly still little boys on the inside! 

The weather has been - for the most part - gorgeous. April started out really rainy but it has bloomed into a gorgeous month and everything is green and in bloom! Granted, the Sunday I participated in worship team, I dressed for the Spring weather and then the high didn't creep above 50! Eek! I suppose that's just a part of Spring - you never quite know what you're going to get from the weather! 

I have joked that I am going to start an Instagram account with my little Jesus; a gift Ryan brought me from his most recent visit to his barber. The barber gives them away because he believes everyone needs a little Jesus - and I couldn't agree more! I have been posing him all around my office and that's what has me tempted to start an account... Oh yeah - how delicious does my chicken look? April has been the month of Chinese food! 

Last Friday I was privileged enough to be able to attend an Administrative Professionals Day event at the nearby community college and I had a really great time! Breakfast and lunch were provided, they had some awesome speakers and vendors... and they even gave away door prizes! We basically got paid to attend the event - and my office paid for us to be there, so it was a win/win situation! I am so enjoying every aspect of my new job! 

I have shared that I've been going to a Homesteading event for the past few months with my Mom and our final event was on the last Sunday of April. We learned all about clean eating and making our own cleaning products from healthier/less toxic items - I admit I wasn't aware how toxic certain things we use around the house really are. I also snuggled the barn cats some... although I couldn't get too cuddly since - as barn cats - they made my allergies want to act crazy. 

Have you ever seen such beautiful views? We ate our homemade quiches with the view of the sun setting over the mountains and it was certainly a wonderful experience. 

Here in our neck of the woods - the Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival is kicking off. I have been spotting the colors of green, pink and white everywhere I look in the past few weeks but the week of the festival is finally here! I couldn't resist snapping some pictures of the decor that has popped up all over town today as I took a walk to City Hall. It looks like April is going to go out like a lamb... but then again, it did come in like a lion! 

Last but absolutely not least - I am in a new office - which has two huge windows! I am so glad that I get to see the sunshine (and the rain) now! I have plants and pictures and I am really just loving the new space I'm in! I cannot believe tomorrow is the last day of April, but for the most part - it's been a a great month! Here's hoping May has plenty of goodness in store too! 

Potato Weekend

What; you may ask, is a potato weekend? Well a potato weekend is when you spend your weekend acting like a potato... not doing very much. Akin to; I guess, being like a couch potato. But you can do your potato-ing wherever you please...however you please. 

I suppose I did a little of potato-ing on Friday night: I had pizza for dinner and after a bubble bath and some reading, I curled up on the couch and started the show Palm Royale on Apple TV - which is hilarious and delightful! When I was a youngster - I would have probably stayed up to watch multiple episodes, but I am veering dangerously close to 39 and holding - - - so I went to bed around 10 PM. My husband was out of town for a work trip, so for the first time in a hot minute I slept in the very center of the bed but I didn't relish it quite as much as I thought I would. *sigh*

Saturday was a beyond stunning day - weather wise - brilliant blue skies, fluffy white clouds and everywhere you turn, Spring is absolutely bursting into life! Flowers were in bloom and I spent the earlier part of the day being shown around Page County, Virginia by my dear friend Jayne! Page County is where Ryan and I were married in November of 2022 and is absolutely; to me at least, akin to heaven on Earth! It's situated in the valley between two mountain ranges, so everywhere you look - the views are of stunning mountain peaks and I am a sucker for mountain views!  

We did a little boutique shopping and goodness y'all - we went to the cutest place in Elkton, VA called With My Soul Boutique! The boutique is named for the wonderful Christian hymn "It is Well with My Soul" and it is filled with the most gorgeous clothes, at really excellent prices - I couldn't get over all the adorable things they had! Even more than that - I couldn't get over the prayer wall they had! I filled out a prayer request and hung it on the wall; when they host Bible studies in their space, they pray over the prayer wall! Y'all - that is incredible! Yes and amen! 

I just couldn't get over how gorgeous the countryside was - hence all the pictures, ha-ha! I snapped them constantly from Jayne's car! I cannot believe that we live in a world that is just so stunningly gorgeous! I think we are often distracted from the beauty of the world by all the crazy going on - and that's part of the reason why I love living in a small town (that's just close enough to the big city) - it's much more peaceful and you can see the stars at night!

We had a delicious lunch at Gathering Grounds and then Jayne dropped me back at my house around 2:30... and the rest of the afternoon unfolded like some kind of slapstick comedy! I realized very quickly that I had managed to lock myself out of the house... and after multiple YouTube videos and instructions from my husband and my parents - I began attempting to break into my own house. Shockingly - it didn't go so well. *insert laughter here*

My amazing friend Meridith showed up around 3:30 - expecting to sit inside and do Bible study, but instead, she joined the B&E Crew & we were still.... unsuccessful! Finally, a nice neighbor came along and used his considerable building skills to determine that 1) we would have never gotten in with the credit card method and 2) he was going to have to full on bust the lock off the door! We finally got into the house around 4:45, spent a little more time together and then I passed the rest of my evening watching Palm Royale and relaxing... you know, being a potato! 

I couldn't resist sharing the cute finds from my shopping on Saturday - this didn't all come from With My Soul Boutique! I got the jeans and tees from the Coffee Shop Boutique and I got the blue dress from the Virginia Gift Shop in Luray! I want to go back to all three places in the future! 

I barricaded the garage door shut on Saturday night - slept like a log and woke up on Sunday to another gorgeous Spring day! It was absolutely sun roof weather, so after a lazy morning drinking coffee, I got ready for church and took the Lexus - letting the delightful Spring breezes ruffle my hair as I cruised towards the church! Seriously - not a cloud in the sky! However, I can tell that not wearing my retainers has definitely caused my front teeth to shift - oops! 

The church celebrated twenty years of service from our Pastors - it is such a blessing to be a member of Abundant Life Church and I can't wait to see what the future holds for the church. After a quick stop at the store, I headed back home where I spent a LOT of time sitting on the deck: I sat on the deck to eat lunch, I sat on the deck to read, and I sat on the deck to paint my toenails. The weather was so completely stunning and so I had to take advantage of the gorgeous day while I had it! 

 After an early dinner and a lovely bubble bath - I watched the Disney animated movie Wish - and I don't understand why it did so poorly at the movies! It was such a cute little film and I loved all the winks and Easter Eggs for other Disney movies! It was a great potato weekend and I learned that I won't be quitting my day job to take on a life of crime anytime soon, ha-ha! 

Have you ever had a Potato Weekend?