Sunday, June 30, 2019

Book Trailer For the Upcoming Release of The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern


I finally read The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern earlier this month and enjoyed it. 

I soon discovered that Erin Morgenstern has a new book, The Starless Sea, coming out later this year on November 5th... And it sounds amazing! I would like to read it.

Are you as excited about the upcoming release of The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern as I am? If not, which other upcoming 2019 book releases are you excited about reading later this year?

Saturday, June 29, 2019

Knead to Know by Liz Schulte



Knead to Know by Liz Schulte is the first book in 'The Knead to Know Series'. Knead to Know by Liz Schulte is a paranormal read approximately 60 pages in length.

I was able to download Knead to Know by Liz Schulte to my Kindle for FREE. 

Below is my honest, unbiased review of Knead to Know by Liz Schulte.

I enjoyed reading Knead to Know by Liz Schulte quite a bit. The storyline, characters, and writing were well done. 

My only complaint is that Knead to Know by Liz Schulte seemed like it could potentially be a spin off from another series by the author. I say this only because it seems like there was a backstory as to why the main character, Maggie, was half vampire and other details that the reader might know more about that wasn't discussed in detail in Knead to Know.

Knead to Know by Liz Schulte is a standalone book, but it would have been nice to know more of Maggie's backstory... Like how she was turned into a half vampire, etc.

The following is a plot summary for Knead to Know by Liz Schulte, which I found on Amazon's website:
Maggie Edwards can’t sleep, eat, or die—but, she can bake. However, just before the Halloween grand opening of her bakery, a pesky reporter witnesses an accident in her kitchen and gets a little too close to the truth. If she can’t convince him to keep quiet, not only will she lose her chance at happiness, but they both could lose their lives.
I am giving Knead to Know by Liz Schulte a rating of 3 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!!

Friday, June 28, 2019

50/50 Friday - Favorite/Least Favorite Book with a Pink Cover

50/50 Friday is a meme hosted by Carrie @ The Butterfly Reads and Laura @ Blue Eye Books. This book meme focuses on the opposite sides of books (best/worst, differing opinions, etc). Every week will have a new topic and several advance topics will be listed in the tab labeled 50/50 Friday!

This week's topic is to share your most/least favorite book cover. This will be a difficult choice for me to make as there are way too many favorites and I tend to forget about my least favorite book covers. 

I haven't done a 50/50 Friday in a while, so here goes my answers for this week's theme: Favorite/Least Favorite Book with a Pink Cover!


Favorite Book with a Pink Cover goes to:



Least Favorite Book with a Pink Cover goes to:



Tell me your Favorite/Least Favorite Book with a Pink Cover
in the comment section below.

Thursday, June 27, 2019

Knitting My Other Hobby - Some of My Knitted Items @ the Alameda County Fair!!


Some of my blog readers may know that I am a knitter as well as an avid reader. I've been knitting for a little over 5 years now. This year, I decided to do something different and entered three of my knitted items to be displayed at the 2019 Alameda County Fair this year. I entered a hat, poncho, and a scarf with fringe.

I didn't win any ribbons for any of my handmade items I entered at the Alameda County Fair this year... And I'm fine with that! It was all about the experience of doing something new to me. 

I had a fabulous time viewing all of the crocheted, knitted, and other handmade items on display at the Alameda County Fair this past Friday with my husband.

Above is a photograph of me standing next to my blue knitted scarf with fringe. 

I am not posting photographs of the poncho or the matching hat I made as it was difficult to take a good shot of each item due to the way they were displayed.

Wednesday, June 26, 2019

How To Deal: Tarot For Everyday Life by Sami Main


After recently listening to the unabridged audio version of The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern earlier this month, I decided to read a tarot book as The Night Circus features tarot/fortune telling throughout the novel.

As a side note, I should add that I've been curious about tarot cards and tarot readings off and on throughout my adult life. Finding the appropriate first tarot book to read for the beginner has been been one issue to contend with for me personally. There are a plethora of tarot books (and tarot decks too!!) on the market and many of them are packed with what seems to be an overwhelming amount of information for those new to tarot. In fact, I was often put off by many of the tarot books I came across as many of them didn't resonate with me even though they were supposed to be books for tarot newbies (too woo woo, too new age, too hokey, too academic, too boring, too confusing, etc,). 

I simply wanted a starter tarot book that would help me understand the very basics of tarot with out being overwhelmed by a ton of information... From there I could expand my knowledge with other tarot books, YouTube videos, and so on.

I feel like I've discovered a really good tarot book for the beginner. I finished reading How To Deal: Tarot For Everyday Life by Sami Main and illustrated Marisa de la Pena this past Saturday.

What did I like about How To Deal: Tarot For Everyday Life by Sami Main?

* It's a very quick, easy and straight forward book to read!!
* It includes a table of contents and short introduction.
* It contains a positive message contained throughout the entire book.
* I loved the layout of this book and how it is divided up so that each section focuses on each of the four suits in tarot and then followed by a section covering the major arcana.
* I also enjoyed learning about the meaning  of each of the 78 cards in a tarot deck in an easy to digest single paragraph. Each paragraph gave me the overall meaning of each card's meaning distilled down to its essence.
* At the end of each section covered in the book there is a short section of questions to test your knowledge and help you better understand what you've read.
* The last section of the book covers how to do tarot readings, plus explains 8 different types of tarot layouts, and when to do each of the layouts for specific types of readings. 
* The entire books was straight forward and I can't emphasize this point enough.

What were the cons for How To Deal: Tarot For Everyday Life by Sami Main?

* It's not for the experienced tarot enthusiast.
* It isn't for the person who wants an in depth book about tarot.
* It doesn't cover reversals.
* It probably doesn't dig down deep into the entire meaning of each tarot card. But it does seem to distill the basic meaning of each card, which is essentially what I was and still am looking for at this time. I figure that I can always purchase and read another more detailed tarot book in the future once I have mastered the basics of tarot.

Another side note, How To Deal: Tarot For Everyday Life by Sami Main was published in 2018. I didn't realize at the time I purchased this book that it fell into the teen/young adult genre! I had pretty much assumed that all tarot books were written for adults and solely found in the tarot/divination/occult genre category - not the teen/young adult section.

Below is the publisher's summary I found on Amazon's website:
If you want to channel the power of the cosmos through tarot, this accessible and practical guide is for you. Written for novices and seasoned readers alike, How to Deal is packed with artwork and includes prompts, exercises, and layouts to give you the answers you're looking for.
Sometimes you just need the universe to tell you whether your crush likes you or how to handle that awkward family situation or which life path is the best one for you. Sami Main breaks down how the cards relate to one another, explaining spreads for future readings and questions to ask the cards. And she takes you through all the Major and Minor Arcana, with colorful illustrations of the cards and detailed descriptions of what they mean.

As Sami will teach you: The cards are here to guide you through life’s ups and downs—you just have to understand what they’re trying to say.
I am giving How To Deal: Tarot For Everyday Life by Sami Main a rating of 5 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!!

Tuesday, June 25, 2019

Snowfall by McKenna Dean



I enjoy reading paranormal romances off and on as the mood strikes me. I recently enjoyed reading a paranormal romance short story titled, Snowfall by McKenna Dean, which I downloaded to my Kindle for FREE from Amazon. Snowfall by McKenna Dean is approximately 38 pages in length.

Below is my honest, unbiased review of Snowfall by McKenna Dean.

McKenna Dean is a new to me author. I enjoy reading short stories by new to me authors as this gives me a way to discover new authors without taking a big risk in reading full length novels. 

As far as short stories go, I thought Snowfall by McKenna Dean was a good one. I frequently find short stories to be hit or miss for me. However, with that said, I thought the characters were well developed for Snowfall by McKenna Dean. I also enjoyed the dialogue and interaction between the two main characters as well. There wasn't a bad case of insta-love and no cliffhanger ending for this short story. These are all good signs of a well written short story to me.

The following is a plot summary for Snowfall by McKenna Dean from Amazon:
The storm of the century. That's what the forecasters called it. No problem. Peyton Grant was ready: books, food, wine, and a wood stove. The only thing she could have wished for was a little company. With heavy snow on the way, that was unlikely.
The last thing she expected was to run into celebrity, Nicholas Lang, stuck in a ditch near her house. What could a small-town veterinarian and a movie star have in common? The answer just might make all Peyton's fantasies come true.
I am giving Snowfall by McKenna Dean a rating of 3 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!!

Little Free Library in Pleasanton, California

Little Free Library @ 4583 Second Street, Pleasanton, CA 94566
Last Friday, my husband and I attended the Alameda County Fair in Pleasanton, California. After our visit to the Alameda County Fair, we found a nearby Little Free Library in Pleasanton. 

At first we didn't see this brightly colored Little Free Library, because the house is situated on a corner lot. Generally, one would expect to find a Little Free Library at the front of the house, not around the corner next to the side entrance to the house in question!! Thank goodness, I saw the bright orange color of this Little Free Library as we began to drive away. I was very pleased to be able to leave a book and take one in return.

Has anyone else had trouble initially spotting a Little Free Library before?

Monday, June 24, 2019

The Merman's Kiss by Tamsin Ley


I was in the mood for a paranormal romance novella, so I downloaded The Merman's Kiss by Tamsin Ley to my Kindle for FREE from Amazon. Below is my honest, unbiased review of The Merman's Kiss by Tamsin Ley.

Okay, I'm a sucker for mermaids (and mermen too!!) and the idea of a human woman having a romance with a merman sounded like it could be a fun romance story to read about. I have to give the author, Tamsin Ley, credit for her underwater world building as it was well done.... Otherwise, I wasn't overly impressed with The Merman's Kiss by Tamsin Ley. The main characters, Briana and Zantu, have a bad case of insta-love early on, which was an unrealistic way to begin a romance. The storyline was predictable with the usual drama that pulls the main characters apart and some major events that create tension in the storyline... But the typical happy ending happens... So no surprise there!!

Below is the plot summary for The Merman's Kiss by Tamsin Ley from Amazon:
A sexy, sleek-tailed monster.

Zantu has evaded the mate-bond for thirty-five years, dodging promiscuous mermaids with vile intents. Unlike mermaids, mermen bond for life, and Zantu refuses to accept the heartbreak most mermen die of. That is, until the glint of gold catches his eye, and a simple salvage mission turns to passion. Now he’s bonded to a human. 
A woman looking for a reason to live.

Briana thinks her life is over after the loss of her child. Instead, she falls into the arms of a merman who is anything but cold-blooded. He’s wild, seductive, and sets her blood on fire every time he touches her, and soon she begins to need him for more than his magic to breathe underwater. He might just give her a new purpose.
But as dangers encroach from every side, Zantu must choose; keep his new mate at his side or keep her safe.

Either way, he’s sure he’ll end up with a broken heart.
I thought The Merman's Kiss by Tamsin Ley was just okay. I am giving it a rating of 2 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!!

Sunday, June 23, 2019

Bookish Quote of the Day!!

"The First Book: Go ahead, it won't bite. Well... maybe a little. More a nip, like. A tingle. It's pleasurable, really. You see, it keeps on opening. You may fall in. Sure, it's hard to get started; remember learning to use knife and fork? Dig in: you'll never reach bottom. It's not like it's the end of the world -- just the world as you think you know it."

- Rita Dove

Saturday, June 22, 2019

A Library Thrives in One of Pakistan’s Gun Markets

I came across an article I discovered on the New York Times website titled, A Library Thrives, Quietly, in One of Pakistan’s Gun Markets by Haroon Janjua. In the article, Haroon Janjua wrote the following:
DARRA ADAM KHEL, Pakistan — This tribal district, located about 85 miles west of Islamabad, is best known for its sprawling weapons bazaar. Walking through it, the sounds of workshop machinery and craftsmen striking hammers become a nearly musical backdrop.
A local book lover, Raj Muhammad, hopes it becomes known as the home of the Darra Adam Khel Library. Located near a gun shop that his father built 12 years ago, the library opened in August, and Muhammad considers it a labor of love as well as a message to the area and the wider world.
“I put books on the top of the gun market, making them superior to guns,” he said. “It’s a step for peace.”
Muhammad, 32, earned a master’s in Urdu literature from the University of Peshawar and worked for a Dubai tourism firm before returning to Pakistan to teach. Uninterested in his father’s firearms business, he opened the library to give people in the area better access to books and education.
I also found it interesting to learn through reading the above mentioned article that the literacy rate is 58% among adults in Pakistan. Additionally, libraries are not widespread in Pakistan like they are here in the United States. 

I also read and was touched by the following passage written in the above mentioned article:
Muhammad considers the Pakistani activist Malala Yousafzai “our pride,” for her efforts to champion education for girls and becoming the youngest Nobel Prize laureate.
“I was born here,” Muhammad said. “I want the world to remember Darra Adam Khel with a good reputation, not for guns but for the books.”
Click on the top link to read the full article. 

Friday, June 21, 2019

Want to read more books???

Then check out the following article titled, 10 Tips To Help You Read A Book A Week by Vincent Carlos. In the article, Vincent Carlos wrote the following:
The average CEO in America reads one book a week. That’s 50+ books a year!
Ever since I read this stat, I’ve made it a goal in my life to read at least one new book a week as well.
And since I started doing this, one question I get a lot from people is how do I manage to read a book a week?
It’s actually quite simple once you learn how. So here are 10 tips I personally use that will help you read a book a week. I hope at least one of them helps you.

Click on the top link to read the ten tips on how to read more books!! 

Thursday, June 20, 2019

Joy Harjo Just Became The First Native American U.S. Poet Laureate

Yesterday, I came across an exciting article on Bustle's website titled, Joy Harjo Just Became The First Native American U.S. Poet Laureate Since The Position Was Created In 1937 by Kerri Jarema. In the article, Kerri Jarema wrote the following information:
Writer, musician and poet Joy Harjo has been named the very first Native American U.S. Poet Laureate since the position was created in 1937.
The Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress —more commonly referred to as the United States Poet Laureate — serves as the official poet of the United States. During their term, the Poet Laureate celebrates the reading and writing of poetry and works to share their love of the literary form with the nation.
Harjo, who was born in Oklahoma and is a member of the Muskogee Creek Nation, is known for centering Native American stories, lives, and legends in her work, which includes eight poetry collections, her 2012 memoir Crazy Horse, two children's books, and four music albums. Her 1990 collection, In Mad Love and War, won the American Book Award, and her work has garnered various other prestigious awards, including the PEN Open Book Award, the American Indian Distinguished Achievement in the Arts Award, and a National Endowment for the Arts Creative Writing fellowship. She has also taught at UCLA and the University of Tennessee.
Click on the top link to read the full story. 

Wednesday, June 19, 2019

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern


I've had the paperback version of The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern in my 'to be read' pile for years. I've been wanting to read this novel ever since I obtained it from the FOL Used Bookstore in Carpinteria, California for a $1. 

So in an effort to read older books in my 'to be read' pile, I chose to listen to the unabridged audio version of The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern and narrated by Jim Dale from Audible instead of reading the physical book as I am having better success listening to books verses reading them these days. I chose to leave the paperback edition of The Night Circus at a Little Free Library not to long ago.. 

Listening time for The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern is 13 hours, 40 minutes.

I have heard nothing but rave reviews about The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern from other readers and reviewers, which could be both a blessing and a curse. A blessing in a sense that it meant this fantasy novel is an excellent one not to be missed... Or a curse as it may not live up to the hype. 

Fortunately for me, I truly enjoyed listening to The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern more than I thought I would. Jim Dale is also an excellent narrator and he really made this novel truly stand out. I thought that storyline, characters, and writing were good. I also enjoyed the tarot/fortune telling aspect featured throughout this novel as I have been somewhat intrigued by tarot and divination in general. I now want to read a few tarot books and learn more about it. And, of course, the entire theme of magic and the circus within The Night Circus are quite captivating as well.

Although, I really liked The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern, I didn't love it. There were a few minor plot details that I had questions about once I finished listening to this novel. Additionally, I felt a few areas of the novel were a tad slow. Lastly, I wished the novel's timeline was completely linear instead of going back and forth in time.

The following is a plot summary for The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern from Audible:
The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Within the black-and-white striped canvas tents is an utterly unique experience full of breathtaking amazements. It is called Le Cirque des Rêves, and it is only open at night.
But behind the scenes, a fierce competition is underway: a duel between two young magicians, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood expressly for this purpose by their mercurial instructors. Unbeknownst to them, this is a game in which only one can be left standing, and the circus is but the stage for a remarkable battle of imagination and will. Despite themselves, however, Celia and Marco tumble headfirst into love—a deep, magical love that makes the lights flicker and the room grow warm whenever they so much as brush hands.
True love or not, the game must play out, and the fates of everyone involved, from the cast of extraordinary circus per­formers to the patrons, hang in the balance, suspended as precariously as the daring acrobats overhead.
Written in rich, seductive prose, this spell-casting novel is a feast for the senses and the heart.
I enjoy hearing authors talk about the books they write. Below is an author interview of Erin Morgenstern talking about her novel, The Night Circus in an interview.




I am giving The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern a rating of 4 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!!

Thursday, June 13, 2019

The Dead Drink First by Dale Maharidge


As an Audible member, I was able to download the following Audible Original, The Dead Drink First by Dale Maharidge and narrated by Dale Maharidge. 

Listening time for The Dead Drink First by Dale Maharidge is 3 hours, 31 minutes.

Below is my honest, unbiased review of The Dead Drink First by Dale Maharidge.

I like learning about history, especially US history. I also like reading or listening to nonfiction books with good back stories and a bit of a mystery that needs to be solved through some sleuthing... And The Dead Drink First by Dale Maharidge fits the bill on all fronts for me. The Dead Drink First is well narrated and put together in a way that is engaging and interesting.

Below is an audio excerpt of The Dead Drink First by Dale Maharidge from YouTube that gives you a rough idea what it is about! 



I am giving The Dead Drink First by Dale Maharidge a rating of 3 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next, post happy reading!!

Wednesday, June 12, 2019

Even Tree Nymphs Get The Blues by Molly Harper



As an Audible member, I was able to download the Audible Original, Even Tree Nymphs Get The Blues by Molly Harper, to my Kindle for FREE! 

Listening time for Even Tree Nymphs Get The Blues by Molly Harper is 3 hours, 3 minutes.

Below is my honest, unbiased review of Even Tree Nymphs Get The Blues by Molly Harper.

Even Tree Nymphs Get The Blues is a paranormal romance novella and is part of the Mystic Bayou series. In fact, it is listed as the 2.5th read in this series. I have listened to another audiobook by Molly Harper, but it wasn't part of the Mystic Bayou series... It was titled, I'm Dreaming of an Undead Christmas and is part of the Half-Moon Hollows series.

I thought the narrators, Amanda Ronconi and Jonathan Davis, for Even Tree Nymphs Get The Blues by Molly Harper were good... However, that's the best think I enjoyed about this novella. The storyline, plot development, and characters were just so-so in my opinion. I will not continue with the Mystic Bayou series.

The following is the plot summary for Even Tree Nymphs Get The Blues by Molly Harper found on Audible:
A hilarious new standalone novella brimming with otherworldly charm from the reigning queen of paranormal romantic comedy Molly Harper!
Ingrid Asher is the newest resident of Mystic Bayou, a tiny town hidden in the swamp where shapeshifters, vampires, witches and dragons live alongside humans.
Ingrid doesn’t ask for much. The solitary tree nymph just wants to live a quiet life running her ice-cream shop in peace. Unfortunately, she can’t seem to shake her new neighbor, Rob Aspern, head of the League’s data science department and so good looking it just isn’t fair.
If there’s one thing Ingrid doesn’t need, it’s someone poking around in her business. But the more she gets to know the hunky mathematician, the more she finds herself letting her guard down. Can she trust him with her secrets, or will her past destroy everything?
I am giving Even Tree Nymphs Get The Blues by Molly Harper a rating of 2 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!!

Sunday, June 9, 2019

Suggestible You: A Remarkable Journey Into the Brain's Ability to Deceive, Transform, and Heal by Erik Vance


I recently listened to Suggestible You: A Remarkable Journey Into the Brain's Ability to Deceive, Transform, and Heal by Erik Vance and narrated by Paul Michael Garcia. 

Listening time for Suggestible You: A Remarkable Journey Into the Brain's Ability to Deceive, Transform, and Heal by Erik Vance is 9 hours, 39 minutes.

Suggestible You: A Remarkable Journey Into the Brain's Ability to Deceive, Transform, and Heal by Erik Vance is a work of nonfiction. I really enjoyed this book a lot. It discusses the placebo effect, nocebo effect, hypnosis, meditation, and false memories in great detail as well as addiction, depression, sexual dysfunction, TCM, acupuncture, and so much more.

I'm finding it difficult to articulate the fascinating information that I learned on just how the body and mind works when it comes to placebos, nocebos, and both traditional and alternative medicines. It's all more complicated than I once suspected and Erik Vance describes it all in fascinating detail. The last chapter even has a hypnosis session to listen to, which was cool, I thought.

I think Paul Michael Garcia was a mediocre narrator. I wish another narrator had been selected instead for this book.

Below is the publisher's summary for Suggestible You: A Remarkable Journey Into the Brain's Ability to Deceive, Transform, and Heal by Erik Vance from Audible:
This riveting narrative explores the world of placebos, hypnosis, false memories, and neurology to reveal the groundbreaking science of our suggestible minds. Could the secrets to personal health lie within our own brains? Journalist Erik Vance explores the surprising ways our expectations and beliefs influence our bodily responses to pain, disease, and everyday events. Drawing on centuries of research and interviews with leading experts in the field, Vance takes us on a fascinating adventure from Harvard's research labs to a witch doctor's office in Catemaco, Mexico, to an alternative medicine school near Beijing (often called "China's Hogwarts"). Vance's firsthand dispatches will change the way you think - and feel.

Continuing the success of National Geographic's brain books and rounding out our pop science category, this book shows how expectations, beliefs, and self-deception can actively change our bodies and minds. Vance builds a case for our "internal pharmacy" - the very real chemical reactions our brains produce when we think we are experiencing pain or healing, actual or perceived. Supporting this idea is centuries of placebo research in a range of forms, from sugar pills to shock waves; studies of alternative medicine techniques heralded and condemned in different parts of the world (think crystals and chakras); and, most recently, major advances in brain mapping technology. Thanks to this technology, we're learning how we might leverage our suggestibility (or lack thereof) for personalized medicine, and Vance brings us to the front lines of such study.
I can see myself giving copies of this book to others!! Suffice it to say, I really enjoyed Suggestible You

I am giving Suggestible You: A Remarkable Journey Into the Brain's Ability to Deceive, Transform, and Heal by Erik Vance a rating of 5 stars out of 5 stars!!

Until my next post, happy reading!

Saturday, June 8, 2019

Hank Green Shares 8 Things He Wished He's Known When Writing His First Novel!


It's always fascinating to hear writers talk about their writing, so I found it enlightening to hear Hank Green discuss 8 things he wished he'd known when writing his first novel.

Friday, June 7, 2019

A Public Library Kind of Morning For Me!!



I haven't spent much time at our public library lately.
So, this morning I found myself at our local branch.
I arrived at 10:30am and found the San Ramon Public Library
already bustling with activity. 
Mainly, I found moms with young kids or kids and teens
by themselves making use of the public library.

It's lovely to see that our public library is being used
by the community and so soon after it opened on a week day morning.

I had a brief look around the library and also purchased a
couple of used books at the FOL Used Bookstore section
of the library before I finally found the perfect spot to read
on the second floor near the young adult section.
 
My view of the library from one of the comfy lime green and navy blue sofas
I spent my time reading more of The Italian Teacher by Tom Rachman while at the public library today. I've only
recently begun reading this novel and I am looking 
forward to seeing where it leads me.

As far as my used book purchases go... I grabbed a
copy of Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson (which has
been on my reading wishlist for awhile) and

The Princess Diarist by Carrie Fisher.


I spent approximately 60 to 75 minutes at the public
library today. I would have gladly spent more time reading there,
unfortunately the library had the air conditioner blasting
on high due to the hot weather we've been experiencing. 
I felt like I was sitting in an arctic zone, so I ended up leaving.

Do you spend time at your public library?

Tuesday, June 4, 2019

Top Ten Tuesday - Books From My Favorite Genre


Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme hosted by Jana @ That Artsy Reader GirlTop Ten Tuesday was originally created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.

I'm not sure I have a favorite genre. I like paranormal romances... But I wouldn't say that paranormal romance novels are my favorite genre. Below is a list of ten paranormal romances I've enjoyed!!

1. Luca's Mate by Kristina King
2. Protected Mate by J. H. Croix
3. Taming The Alpha by Savannah Stuart
4. The Ghost and the Graveyard by Genevieve Jack
6. All By My Selfie by Jo Noelle
7. Scent of a Mate by Milly Taiden
8. Forgotten Monsters: The Lost and Found Collection by Kelly Apple
9. Vampire For Christmas by Felicity Heaton
10. Haunted on Bourbon Street by Deanna Chase

Saturday, June 1, 2019

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot


I've had the physical paperback of The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot for years now. I have been meaning to read this nonfiction book since I obtained it as I've heard nothing but good things about The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot

Since I've procrastinated on reading the physical version of this book, I finally downloaded and listened to the Audible edition of The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot on my Kindle as I'm an audiobook junkie these days! 

I still love reading books, but sometimes listening to a well narrated book can be so much more fun. Plus, I can do other things (like knit) while listening to audiobooks.

Back to reviewing The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot. I found The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks to be both a fascinating and a bit overwhelming read at the same time. The various subjects discussed were fascinating and well organized... But the amount of diverse information packed into this book was a bit overwhelming at times as there was so much great information presented throughout the entire book itself. 

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot covers not only the life of Henrietta Lacks, her family's history, and the lives of her descendants... But it also covers many other subjects like the fact that Henrietta Lacks's cells were the first immortal human cells grown in culture and how her cells have played a vital role in medicine. 

I also found parts of the book to be difficult to take in as I listened to the audio version of The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks... The way in which Henrietta Lacks was treated as a patient and how much she suffered during her cancer treatment was difficult to stomach. Also, the history of how African Americans have been mistreated in US history is highlighted (the medical experimentation on African Americans for example), and the fact that "scientists investigating HeLa began using her husband and children in research without informed consent" had me shaking my head. 

Bioethics becomes a big topic in The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot. I learned a lot of eye opening stuff about bioethics that I didn't know about before through listening to The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks.

Listening time for The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot is 12 hours, 30 minutes. It's well narrated by Cassandra Campbell and Bahni Turpin. So if you're a fan of audiobooks, then I recommend listening to The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot.

Below is the publisher's summary for The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot from Audible:
Her name was Henrietta Lacks, but scientists know her as HeLa. She was a poor Southern tobacco farmer who worked the same land as her slave ancestors, yet her cells, taken without her knowledge, became one of the most important tools in medicine. The first immortal human cells grown in culture, they are still alive today, though she has been dead for more than 60 years.
If you could pile all HeLa cells ever grown onto a scale, they'd weigh more than 50 million metric tons - as much as a hundred Empire State Buildings. 
HeLa cells were vital for developing the polio vaccine; uncovered secrets of cancer, viruses, and the atom bombs effects; helped lead to important advances like in vitro fertilization, cloning, and gene mapping; and have been bought and sold by the billions. Yet Henrietta Lacks remains virtually unknown, buried in an unmarked grave.
Now, Rebecca Skloot takes us on an extraordinary journey, from the colored ward of Johns Hopkins Hospital in the 1950s to stark white laboratories with freezers full of HeLa cells; from Henriettas small, dying hometown of Clover, Virginia, a land of wooden slave quarters, faith healings, and voodoo, to East Baltimore today, where her children and grandchildren live and struggle with the legacy of her cells.
Henrietta's family did not learn of her immortality until more than 20 years after her death, when scientists investigating HeLa began using her husband and children in research without informed consent. And though the cells had launched a multimillion-dollar industry that sells human biological materials, her family never saw any of the profits. As Rebecca Skloot so brilliantly shows, the story of the Lacks family, past and present, is inextricably connected to the dark history of experimentation on African Americans, the birth of bioethics, and the legal battles over whether we control the stuff we are made of.
I'm giving The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot a rating of 5 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!!