Feminist Lessons From Roald Dahl's 'The Witches'

I have never read The Witches by Roald Dahl, but it is on my ever growing reading wishlist! I am thinking of actually listening to the audio version of The Witches as I've become an audiobook junkie.

I came across an article on the Bustle website titled 7 Feminist Lessons From Roald Dahl's 'The Witches' by Caroline Kepnes.

Reading Caroline Kepnes's article makes me want to read The Witches even more. Click on the above link to read the full story.

Bookish Quote of the Day!!!

Stoned: Jewelry, Obsession, and How Desire Shapes the World by Aja Raden

Unabridged Audiobook

This month, I listened to the unabridged audio version of Stoned: Jewelry, Obsession, and How Desire Shapes the World by Aja Raden and narrated by Justine Eyre.

I downloaded this audiobook from Audible. Listening time for Stoned: Jewelry, Obsession, and How Desire Shapes the World by Aja Raden is 10 hours, 56 minutes.

First, let me start out by stating that I am a HUGE jewelry fan, so  I couldn't resist listening to this work of nonfiction! Secondly, let me tell how wonderfully surprised and delighted I am to have found such a wonderful read in Stoned: Jewelry, Obsession, and How Desire Shapes the World by Aja Raden! 

Stoned: Jewelry, Obsession, and How Desire Shapes the World by Aja Raden is a well written and engaging to listen to. I learned so much world history through listening to this book... It was truly amazing all the stuff I learned from listening to this audiobook. It covers early American history, English history, Spanish history, Russian history, Japanese history and so much more! 

The only thing I didn't enjoy about this book was the narrator, Justine Eyre. I wish a different narrator had been chosen as I didn't like the way in which Justine Eyre read Stoned: Jewelry, Obsession, and How Desire Shapes the World by Aja Raden.

The following is the publisher's summary of Stoned: Jewelry, Obsession, and How Desire Shapes the World by Aja Raden from Audible:

What makes a stone a jewel? What makes a jewel priceless? And why do we covet beautiful things? In this brilliant account of how eight jewels shaped the course of history, jeweler and scientist Aja Raden tells an original and often startling story about our unshakeable addiction to beauty and the darker side of human desire.

What moves the world is what moves each of us: desire. Jewelry - which has long served as a stand-in for wealth and power, glamour and success - has birthed cultural movements, launched political dynasties, and started wars. Masterfully weaving together pop science and history, Stoned breaks history into three categories - want, take, and have - and explains what the diamond on your finger has to do with the GI Bill, why green-tinted jewelry has been exalted by so many cultures, why the glass beads that bought Manhattan for the Dutch were initially considered a fair trade, and how the French Revolution started over a coveted necklace. Studded with lively personalities and fascinating details, Stoned tells the remarkable story of our abiding desire for the rare and extraordinary.

I am giving Stoned: Jewelry, Obsession, and How Desire Shapes the World by Aja Raden a rating of 4.5 stars out of 5 stars!

Until my next post, happy reading!

Bookish Quote of the Day!!

Bookish Quote of the Day!!

Help Me Pick My Next Audiobook From Audible!

Last Christmas, I received a one year Audible membership from my husband as a gift. This means I am able to download one audiobook for free each month with my year long Audible membership. 

I have so many books that I would love to listen to that it is often difficult to narrow down which one I want to download each month and listen to.

So, I decided to make a post of my five top audiobook titles for the month of June. I'm hoping that you, my blog readers, will help me select which book to listen to next month.

1. Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

I have yet to read or listen to a book written by Rainbow Rowell! I've had Fangirl on my reading wishlist for the past year and a half. Is this the novel I should listen to next month?

2. Out of the Easy by Ruta Sepetys

I've heard wonderful thinks about this novel. So, it has once again been sitting in my ever growing reading wishlist for a long time.

3. The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson

I've never read anything by Shirley Jackson before. The Haunting of Hill House is a classic horror novel that sounds like a good read.

4. Leaving Time by Jody Picoult

I read the novella, Larger Than Life by Jody Picoult, which is the prequel to Leaving Time... I really enjoyed reading Larger Than Life and look forward to the continuation of the story in Leaving Time.

5. The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen

This novel won the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. The story/plot sounds like a good one. I've never read anything written by Viet Thanh Nguyen, so look forward to discovering a new to me author.

Leave me a comment below, letting me know which of the above five audiobooks I should download and listen to next month.

Until my next post, happy reading!

UPDATE June 9, 2016: I completely went rogue and selected a completely different book from my reading wishlist this month. For some reason none of the above audiobooks sounded good to me this month... So, I went ahead and chose Nikolai (Her Russian Protector, Book 4) by Roxie Rivera. I've been reading this series and decided to go with the next book in the series.

Warwick's of La Jolla Bookstore at the San Diego International Airport

Bookstore at The San Diego International Airport ~ Terminal 2

Being a book lover and avid reader, I truly enjoy visiting independent bookstores!! 

I recently flew down to San Diego to visit my parents for two weeks to celebrate Mother's Day, my mom's birthday, and my birthday with my parents. While waiting around to board the airplane for my return flight home, I had time to visit Warwick's of La Jolla Bookstore at the San Diego International Airport in Terminal Two before my return flight home. Warwick's has had a bookstore located in downtown La Jolla for ages, so was surprised to discover that they now have a location at the San Diego International Airport.

Warwick's of La Jolla Bookstore at the San Diego International Airport is a typical bookstore filled with the latest book releases for avid readers to enjoy reading while waiting to board their flights... And of course, read while on their flight to their desired destination.

I also enjoyed seeing the buy two books, get one book free special at Warwick's of La Jolla Bookstore. Being an avid reader, it was difficult to pass up this deal even if this book special was only a select group of book titles!

Next time you fly to or from San Diego, I hope you'll visit Warwick's of La Jolla Bookstore at the San Diego International Airport in Terminal Two.

Until my next post, happy reading!!

Instant Temptation by Jill Shalvis

I finished reading Instant Temptation by Jill Shalvis, which is the third novel in The Wilders Series. 

A few years ago, I read the second novel in The Wilders Series by Jill Shalvis titled, Instant Gratification, which I really enjoyed reading at the time. So, I thought it would be wonderful to read the other two novels in The Wilders Series as well. 

Although, I liked the characters overall in Instant Temptation... Prolonging the 'hook up' between TJ & Harley grew old after about half way through the novel. Each of them had hang ups, which were understandable. But at some point, they need to come together and hook up. It was only inevitable that they would get together (like duh!!) in the novel... So, I wish the author allowed them to get together, so that readers could see the relationship develop instead of the novel ending after both TJ & Harley finally decide to hook up.

After reading Instant Temptation by Jill Shalvis, I have no desire to read the last novel of The Wilders Series. 

I am giving Instant Temptation by Jill Shalvis a rating of 2 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!!

The Thirteen Problems by Agatha Christie

I've been an Agatha Christie fan for years and have been reading her novels and short stories off and on since I was in high school. 

I recently finished reading The Thirteen Problems by Agatha Christie, which is a collection of thirteen short stories featuring Miss Marple. I liked the theme for this short story collection, which revolves around a group of family and friends gathered together. Each person presents a story in which the other guests try to solve. Miss Marple is the only person who is able to solve each mystery when no ones else can solve the mystery.

I admit that I am not a huge Miss Marple fan... I like her character, but I tend to like Hercule Poirot's character much more. Additionally, I found that some of the thirteen stories were better than others. But for the most part, I thought many of them were kind of on the slow side... It took me almost a year to read this book. Plus, the last story in this book, didn't contain the original group of people that were presented in the first story of the book, which broke up the continuity/flow.

I am giving The Thirteen Problems by Agatha Christie a rating of 2 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!!

Stephanie Pearl-McPhee Casts Off: The Yarn Harlot's Guide to the Land of Knitting by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee

Paperback Edition

I'm a knitter... I'm a relatively new knitter as I started knitting two years ago in April 2014, but have only spent about 18 months of the last 25 months focused on knitting. 

I love knitting for various reasons. I am also surprised that I have actually become addicted to knitting and yarn as I thought I just learn enough about knitting to make a couple of simple projects and that would that. But I couldn't have been more wrong about my desire to learn more about knitting. I've since gone on to take several knitting classes and have seen my knitting improve with each project I've completed.

But I digress! I'm really here to review a book about knitting titled Stephanie Pearl-McPhee Casts Off: The Yarn Harlot's Guide to the Land of Knitting by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee that I recently read. This was the first book I've read written by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee and I enjoyed reading it.

What did I like about Stephanie Pearl-McPhee's book?? Well, first off, I love her humor!! Ms. Pearl-McPhee is a very witty and engaging writer that keeps you laughing and wanting to read more about the wonderful world of knitting. I can relate quite a bit to what she has to say about being an avid knitter... And of course, being a newer knitter, I also learned a lot of new things as well. I also enjoyed all the graphics that filled Stephanie Pearl-McPhee Casts Off: The Yarn Harlot's Guide to the Land of Knitting.

Here's blurb about Stephanie Pearl-McPhee Casts Off: The Yarn Harlot's Guide to the Land of Knitting by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee from Amazon's website:

Cast off with Stephanie Pearl-McPhee on the ultimate journey through the knitter’s world. Pack your crafting bag, chart a course to the nearest yarn shop, and pick your traveling companion by looking for the telltale needle holes in her purse. With wry humor and a contagiously obsessive love for everything knitted, Pearl-McPhee takes you on a hilarious tour of the Land of Knitting and introduces you to the wacky, wonderful people that choose to inhabit it.

I am giving Stephanie Pearl-McPhee Casts Off: The Yarn Harlot's Guide to the Land of Knitting by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee a rating of 4 stars out of 5 stars. If you are a knitter, then I highly recommend reading this book!

Until my next post, happy reading!