Happy Love of Reading Month!!

 

What A Cool Idea For A Book Club!

 

The Redondo Beach walking club turns audiobooks into group activity!! I love audiobooks. I also love walking for fitness and book clubs. What a great way to combine one's love for reading, fitness, and book clubs! It would be wonderful if they had something like this in our area.

How You Ruined My Life by Jeff Strand

 

I found a used paperback copy of How You Ruined My Life by Jeff Strand inside a Little Free Library. I've read four other novels written by Jeff Strand and enjoyed them, so snagged this one when I saw it. Little did I realize at the time that How You Ruined My Life by Jeff Strand is a book for young adults!

I have enjoyed many young adult novels in the past. However, How You Ruined My Life by Jeff Strand flopped big time for me, which is disappointing for me as I've enjoyed the previous novels I've read by Jeff Strand. How You Ruined My Life came off as immature to me.... Yes, I realize How You Ruined My Life is a book for young adults, but it felt like he was trying to hard to be humorous and write a book that teens will love. 

The ending was decent... I was kind of concerned that it was going to be unsatisfactory, but the ending was better than expected. There were also a few plot devices used by Jeff Strand that were redeeming, but overall How You Ruined My Life wasn't very enjoyable for me. I'll stick with his books written for adults in the future.

Below is the publisher's summary for How You Ruined My Life by Jeff Strand I discovered on Goodreads:

Rod's life doesn't suck. If you ask him, it's pretty awesome. He may not be popular, but he and his best friends play in a band that has a standing gig. Yeah, it's Monday night and they don't get paid, but they can crank the volume as loud as they want. And Rod's girlfriend is hot, smart, and believes in their band-believes in Rod. Aside from a winning lottery ticket, what more could he ask for? Answer: A different cousin. When Rod's scheming, two-faced cousin Blake moves in for the semester, Rod tries to keep calm. Blake seems to have everyone else fooled with his good manners and suave smile, except Rod knows better. Blake is taking over his room, taking over his band, taking over his life! But Rod's not about to give up without a fight. Game on. May the best prankster win . . .

I am giving How You Ruined My Life by Jeff Strand a rating of 2 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!

Top Ten Tuesday - Romance Reads I'd Happily Reread Again!

 

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme hosted by Jana @ That Artsy Reader Girl. Top 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.

Generally, I am not a huge fan of the romance genre. However, there are a few romance novels I'd definitely reread again as they were that good! 

Below are ten romance books I've read and reviewed here on my blog over the years. I would reread them again.

1. Hearts in Darkness (Hearts in Darkness Duet Book 1) by Laura Kaye

2. Love in the Light (Hearts in Darkness #2) by Laura Kaye

3. Bone Deep by Bonnie Dee

4. A Hearing Heart by Bonnie Dee

5. Kentucky on the Rocks by Gwendolyn Grace

6. Quintessentially the One by Aleatha Romig

7. All By My Selfie by Jo Nelle

8. The Ghost and The Graveyard by Genevieve Jack

9. Ivan (Her Russian Protector #1) by Roxie Rivera

10. A Christmas Valentine by Jamie Carie

Are there any romance novels you would reread?

Kiss and Tell by Shannon Tweed

I've had Kiss and Tell by Shannon Tweed on my reading wishlist for a number of years now. I had watched the reality television series, 'Family Jewels', featuring Gene Simmons, Shannon Tweed and their children back in the day. I liked this show to some degree, so decided to add Shannon Tweed's memoir to my reading wishlist.

I decided to listen to Kiss and Tell as my next read as I needed a lighter read after reading Daddy Love by Joyce Carol Oates as it had been such a heavy read due to the subject matter. 

Kiss and Tell by Shannon Tweed seemed like just the fit in terms of being on the lighter side. The unabridged audio version oof Kiss and Tell is narrated by Shannon Tweed herself. I usually prefer to hear the author narrate their own book. Ms. Tweed did a decent job narrating her memoir, but nothing great... And, yes, this memoir is a lighter read.

Kiss and Tell is my 7th read for 2026 and is a short listen at 3 hours, 47 minutes. I was able to finish listening to it in a single, weekend afternoon.

As far as reading material goes, Kiss and Tell was likable. It was published 20 years ago in 2006. I knew some of the information about Shannon Tweed already, but I learned more about her upbringing, relationships, career, and children from reading this book. I wish it contained more recent information like how she and Gene decided to make a reality television series, more about what prompted them to finally get married, and how their children are doing now as adults. 

Below is the summary for Kiss and Tell by Shannon Tweed found on Goodreads:

Two decades and two children after their first meeting at the Playboy Mansion, Shannon Tweed and Gene Simmons are still happily together--with never a fight or even cross words. Kiss and Tell is the surprising other side of the story from one of the world's most beautiful women.

I am giving Kiss and Tell by Shannon Tweed a rating of 3 stars out of 5 stars. It was a decent celebrity memoir.

Until my next post, happy reading!!

Bookish Quote of the Day!!!

 

Daddy Love by Joyce Carol Oates

This month, I did a buddy read with another avid book reader. Together we read and discussed the novel, Daddy Love by Joyce Carol Oates. I've been wanting to read Daddy Love for two or three years now. I am glad to have finally read this novel and crossed it off of my 'to be read' pile this month.

Daddy Love is one of Joyce Carol Oates's shorter novels at 240 pages. It's a quick read, but also a difficult novel to read due to the subject matter. Let's just say that Daddy Love is perhaps the darkest novel I've read by Joyce Carol Oates to date and it is not for the faint of heart. If child abduction and physical, emotional, and sexual abuse of very young minors is a trigger for you... Then stay far, far away from Daddy Love as this novel touches upon these topics and it isn't pretty! As far as the writing goes, I felt like Daddy Love is really well written overall. This is Joyce Carol Oates after all!

Daddy Love is divided into three parts. I am impressed with how well Joyce Carol Oates writes her prose and can take the reader deep inside dark and disturbing topics with ease. How does she do this so well? JCO also has a knack for writing about men with certain dark and disturbing predilections very well. Chet Cash (aka Daddy Love) is a true monster and JCO writes him in such a chilling, yet believable manner.

The ending for Daddy Love is ambiguous! I am not a fan of ambiguous endings. I like solid endings to novels where things are wrapped up nicely... But perhaps this is difficult to achieve with this sort of novel. I'm not sure if it could have ended any other way than "ambiguous".

JCO really does a great job deep diving into the mother's (Dinah) grief over the kidnapping of Robbie and for the father's (Whit) grief as well. She does a good job with how the kidnapping impacted their marriage, and so on... And, of course, we read about how Robbie/Gideon is treated during his time with Chet/Daddy Love and it is horrific.

By the way, I listened to the unabridged audio version of Daddy Love, which was well narrated by Christine Williams.

Below is the publisher's summary for Daddy Love by Joyce Carol Oates, which I discovered on Goodreads:

Dinah Whitcomb seemingly has everything—a loving and successful husband, and a smart, precocious young son named Robbie—until one day, their worlds are shattered when Dinah is attacked and Robbie is abducted from a mall parking lot. As Dinah recovers from her wounds, she struggles to come to terms with her new reality and to keep her marriage afloat. Though it seems hopeless, she retains a flicker of hope that her son is still alive.

The kidnapper, a part-time preacher named Chester Cash, calls himself Daddy Love: he has abducted, tortured, and raped several young boys, indoctrinating them into becoming both his lover and his “son.” He renames Robbie “Gideon,” slowly brainwashing him into believing that he is Daddy Love’s real son. Any time the boy resists or rebels, he faces punishment beyond his wildest nightmares.

As Robbie grows older, he begins to realize that the longer he stays in the home of this demon, the greater the chance that he’ll end up like Daddy Love’s other “sons” who were never heard from again. Somewhere within this tortured young boy lies a spark of rebellion, and soon he sees just what lengths he must go to in order to have any chance at survival.

I am giving Daddy Love by Joyce Carol Oates a rating of 4 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!

February 2026 Reading/Bookish Goals!!

1. This month, I am participating in a buddy read with another avid book reader living in the UK. We are currently reading Daddy Love by Joyce Carol Oates. 

Daddy Love is one of Joyce Carol Oates's shorter reads at roughly 240 pages and has 25 chapters. The goal is to read 5 chapters at a time and then discuss them before moving onto the next five chapters. So far, we've read and discussed the first five chapters of Daddy Love. It's a great read so far. Joyce Carol Oates is such a good writer, but Daddy Love is going to be a heavy read. I'm glad to have someone to read this book with... 

I also have another blogger friend who has expressed an interest in reading Daddy Love with me! I am interested in hearing her thoughts regarding Daddy Love.

2. This month, I also have plans to read Culpability by Bruce Holsinger and to discuss it with another friend who is reading this novel now. 

3. I also plan to read Kiss Me, Maybe by Gabriella Gamez for this month's book club selection for the Online Rainbow Book Club.

4. I also plan to attend and participate in this month's Online Rainbow Book Club. I enjoyed attending last month's meet-up.

5. Hopefully, fingers crossed, read a couple of other books beyond the above mentioned books. We'll see how it goes.

6. Find more new to me Little Free Libraries later on this month during an out of town mini trip with my husband. If I find any new to me LFLs, I'll be sure to write a blog post about my experience.

I think this pretty much sums up what I have planned this month bookish wise.

What are your bookish goals this month?

January 2026 in Review!

Here's a quick recap of my bookish activity for January 2026:

1. I've started posting as a Social Media Ambassador on Facebook for the public library in January. I've made 3-4 posts promoting services or events occurring at our local public library.

2. I read five books last month. All five books were either from the public library or from BookSirens. In other words, all free reads last month for me.

3. I made use of Hoopla for the first time last month. I borrowed and read four books from my public library - Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn, I Love Led Zeppelin by Ellen Forney, Lugosi: The Rise and Fall of Hollywood's Dracula by Koren Shadmi, and The Twilight Man: Rod Serling and the Birth of Television by Koren Shadmi. I'm enjoy Hoopla's services.

4. I participated in The Online Rainbow Book Club last month, which is an online book club hosted and moderated by our public library. We'd read and discussed Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir, which I enjoyed. I am looking forward to reading and participating in future meet-ups of The Online Rainbow Book Club.

5. I visited The Quirky Crow Bookshop for the first time, which is a new indie bookstore in my city.

6. I made three Top Ten Tuesday posts last month. I enjoy participating in this weekly bookish event when time and interest allows.

7. I found 12 new to me Little Free Libraries in Livermore, California with my husband last month, which I blogged about as well.

8. Plus, posted a few newsy related items on my blog as well.

Tell me about your bookish achievements during January 2026!

The Twilight Man: Rod Serling and the Birth of Television by Koren Shadmi

 

I've enjoyed watching The Twilight Zone television series featuring Rod Serling off and on over the years. They are fabulous episodes that have appeal to audiences today!

I've always wanted to learn more about Rod Serling's life. So, when I discovered The Twilight Man: Rod Serling and the Birth of Television by Koren Shadmi, a nonfiction, graphic biography, I added it to my reading wishlist.

It just so happens that I was able to obtain the ebook edition of The Twilight Man: Rod Serling and the Birth of Television by Koren Shadmi last month via Hoopla by having a public library card.

Side note, I'm thoroughly enjoying Hoopla! I was able to checkout four library books using Hoopla last month. I listened to one audiobook and read three ebook via Hoopla. I love making use of my public library card! Now back to my book review.

I enjoyed the artwork for The Twilight Man: Rod Serling and the Birth of Television as well as the flow of information about the life of Rod Serling. There is just the right amount of information about Rod Serlong's life without being overkill. The ending of The Twilight Man: Rod Serling and the Birth of Television is very Twilightesque, which I appreciated! I think most readers will appreciate the ending and its nod to 'The Twilight Zone' television series!

Below is the publisher's summary for The Twilight Man: Rod Serling and the Birth of Television by Koren Shadmi:

A biographical tale that follows Hollywood revolutionary Rod Serling's rise to fame in the Golden Age of Television, and his descent into his own personal Twilight Zone.

We recognize him as our sharply dressed, cigarette-smoking tour guide of The Twilight Zone, but the entertainment business once regarded him as the “Angry Young Man” of Television. Before he became the revered master of science fiction, Rod Serling was just a writer who had to fight to make his voice heard. He vehemently challenged the networks and viewership alike to expand their minds and standards—rejecting notions of censorship, racism and war. But it wasn’t until he began to write about real world enemies in the guise of aliens and monsters that people lent their ears. In doing so, he pushed the television industry to the edge of glory, and himself to the edge of sanity. Rod operated in a dimension beyond that of contemporary society, making him both a revolutionary and an outsider.

I am giving The Twilight Man: Rod Serling and the Birth of Television by Koren Shadmi a rating of 4 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!!