When the Lion King gives you awkward book feels...

So I was watching The Lion King yesterday, and it gets to the part where Simba and Nala reunite as adults and they are all " Omg, I love you". And it made me miss something. And it took me a long time to figure out just exactly what I was missing.

I was missing a book I haven't read yet( or at least I haven't read that type of book in a while). I had this strange craving for a coming-of-age, lost- love type of story. My first thought was of Jennifer Donnelleys book The Tea Rose, for which I will always have a soft spot. And while I love rereading that book, I'm needing something new in my reading life. So I'm on a search. When I find it, I'll let you know. 

Happy Reading, 

HLP

Princess in Pink by Meg Cabot

Princess in Pink by Meg Cabot

Okay, so I did something I don't normally do and read the reviews on Goodreads for this book. I was going through and adding the series to my TBR and the reviews for this one caught my eye. It was basically the same thing over and over again. MIA IS SO WHINEY! I tried not to let it put me off. But as I began reading I saw that everyone was completely right.

And I loved it. I thought it was absolutely hilarious. She was completely melodramatic and over-the-top. And it was hysterical. Honestly, I was having flashbacks of the things that I use to write in my diaries when I was fourteen. And that's the whole point, really. Mia is fourteen. Have any conversations with any fourteen year olds recently? Completely whacko. And what else can you do but laugh at them? (with love, of course)

From time to time, when I'm cleaning out my library I will come across my old diaries, and become completely enthralled in reliving my younger years. And let me tell you, it's some heavy stuff. The crush I had at that time? Loved him so much! And it was the same with each one after. And while I was reading this book, I really felt that Mia and I could have been kindred spirits.

Well, on to the next one. I am really enjoying reading my way through this series. They are light and fun, and never fail to make me giggle.

Happy Reading,
HLP

Days of Blood and Starlight by Laini Taylor

Days of Blood and Starlight by Laini Taylor

It's 3:07am and I just could not sleep without getting this out of my brain. This is the second book in the Daughter of Smoke and Bone series, and I cannot get enough. This book was so well-written. The story is so elaborate, the worlds so stunning. Sometimes I am simply awed by what other people's brains create. If not slightly terrified.
This whole book was quite terrific in fact, in a very true since of the word. There is so much pain. So much sacrifice and atonement. And almost none of it was stupid. There is only a tiny, minuscule particle of YA-type angst seeping through, making you want to shout at the characters that they MUST know how this will play out. But, alas.
The surprises in the book come one after another. I use to really try and guess while I was reading about possible plot twists, but lately I've given up the habit, and this book swept me away so fast that I really could not keep up at times. I even had to reread a few passages to make sure that I hadn't dreamt what I had read.
I am a huge fan of sarcasm, being a connoisseur myself, and this whole series is dripping with it. Although most of this book is of a darker variety, I found Mik and Zuzana incredibly refreshing. And hilarious. I was a bit worried that they would drop out of the story line, but I absolutely love the roles that they have begun to play, and am excited, and concerned, to see where it leads.
There are so many elements to the story when this portion ends that I am so curious about.
Can Karou and Akiva's dream still live?
Is there enough Hope for it all?
We are alive and in the same world

Crossing this one off!
10 A book set somewhere you've always wanted to visit.- Although is book is mainly set in the desert, it's also partially set in Prague. I have always been attracted to Prague, and Taylor's descriptions are nothing short of poetic.

Happy Reading,
HLP

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

Not even going to lie.The cover of this book completely drew me in. I honestly wasn't sure what to expect. I seem to remember a lot of hype on Goodreads a while back, but it was still under my radar. I have actually had this book, and the second in the series, sitting on my shelf for over a year now. I was looking for something to read as a reprieve from The Princess Diaries series( or in other words, I read all the PD books I own and needed something to fill in). My gaze wandered to this book that had been sitting on my shelf for some time now, and I thought, 'why not?'.

Now I'm thinking, 'what was I waiting for?'.

From Goodreads: Around the world, black handprints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky.

In a dark and dusty shop, a devil’s supply of human teeth grows dangerously low.

And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherwordly war.

Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real, she’s prone to disappearing on mysterious "errands", she speaks many languages - not all of them human - and her bright blue hair actually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she’s about to find out.

When beautiful, haunted Akiva fixes fiery eyes on her in an alley in Marrakesh, the result is blood and starlight, secrets unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose roots drink deep of a violent past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truth about herself?

This story has so many elements that I loved. Taylor's descriptive writing style was surprisingly enjoyable for me. I don't normally like description for description's sake, and that's not even what this was, really. It was more like well-balanced description, just enough interspersed throughout to paint a poignant picture without being overdone.

Another is the world that Taylor has created. First, her description of Prague had me looking up plane ticket prices and wondering how my 1 year old would fare on a plane ride. But also, there is the alternate world that she creates. The worlds of the seraphim and the chamaera. With it's many species and customs, wars and histories.

Which brings me to the characters. I have a serious soft spot for Brimstone. Big, gruff, hulking. It was so hard to understand in the beginning, but you could tell that he deeply cared for Karou, and so there had to be a reason that he behaved the way he did. And then when you find out his line of work, it's impossible  to not feel some sort of empathy for him. Plus, even though his description is a little grotesque, the image of him cradling a baby Karou in his arms is still heart-warming, if for nothing else than it's incongruousness. 

And so, all of this brings me to Karou and Akiva.

As I was reading, I had just begun to read actually, there was a very descriptive passage of Karou. And it really struck me. So much so that I had to put the book down for a moment and type my reaction into the Notes app on my phone. Please allow me to quote myself.

"I love that Karou is beautiful. There seems to be a trend now that the heroines in teen novels have to be plain, not all that pretty. And usually through some revelation, be it make over or empowerment, she becomes beautiful. But this is different. Karou is exotic and stunning. From the get go. I think the reason that as authors it may be tempting to dull their characters down is that they don't want to make the female reader feel inferior. I mean, we don't have azure blue hair that grows naturally, but the point of reading is to immerse ourselves in the story. We become Karou. And you know what? It's fun."

There is a lot to be said about the outer beauty of feminine characters in literature, lacking or not. But it was extremely refreshing to me to read a character who was so strikingly beautiful, but it was not shallow or cheap. Or typical. She has blue hair, for crying out loud. 

Akiva. Ok, so let me say that when I realized that this book was going to be about angels and demons I got extremely excited. I'll just say a big ol thank you to my good friend H. Crook, Netflix, and my newfound obsession with Supernatural for this one. 

So, H. Crook, if you are reading this, I HIGHLY recommend these books to you! I digress.

I could't get enough description of his wings. I just kept hoping that he would drop his glamour and unfurl them already!!! Ahem, anyway.

The ending hurt me unexpectedly; I really didn't see the fullness of the situation until the end. Honestly I wasn't looking for it. I've made it my habit to not try so hard to sniff out the plot line, although some authors make it glaringly obvious(looking at you, Nicholas Sparks...) Thankfully, the second title, Days of Blood and Starlight is sitting on my bed as I type, waiting to be lovingly removed from it's slip cover. Here goes nothing!

Crossing this one off!
1 A book you own but haven't read.

Happy Reading!
HLP

The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot

The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot 

So I have a confession to make. I use to own nearly all of these. And they sat on my shelf for such a long time, begging to be read. And like a total idiot, I ignored them, even though I was, and remain, a HUGE Meg Cabot fan! Why did I do this? Because, I had completely fallen in love with the Disney adaptation starring Anne Hathaway and Julie Andrews. I mean, as a preteen, did I even stand a chance? Especially considering I broke the rule and watched the movie before I read the book? And if you have ever read any of this series, you will wonder how in the world these two stories have the same origin(okay, well not entirely, but I digress). 

So far I have read the first three installments in the Princess Diaries series. 

Once I began reading, I was surprised to find that these books all take place over the time frame of a few months. While this isn't the most conventional time progression, I got use to the idea pretty quickly.

So Mia. Amelia. If I ever have a girl, that is what I shall name her. I wish I was half as passionate about anything as Mia is about everything. She may not begin well with asserting herself, but she definitely knows how she feels about things. And man, I forgot what I was like to be in the mind of a 14 year old, and the requisite obsession with breasts! The only difference in Mia and I is that while she is a "giantess", I'm a little more hobbit sized.

Over the time frame of these three books, Mia goes through quite a lot. First, there is the premise for the whole series. She finds out that she is the sole, albeit illegitimate heir, to the small country of Genovia. And then she flails. But hey, who wouldn't? During the first book, while all of this princess stuff is unraveling around her, Mia's mom, Helen, becomes involved with her Algebra teacher, which is her worst subject in school( another thing we have in common!). Her best friend, Lily, can only add to the drama because she cannot grapple with her type- A personality long enough to consider Mia's feelings. I know I'm suppose to like Lily, and I do really, she just makes it hard sometimes. And then there is Lily's brother Michael, who Mia, in the first book, sort of likes. This is my only real discrepancy so far. Because as we transition to the second book, Mia is suddenly IN LOVE with Michael. And who can blame her, I'm half in love with him too. It just seemed to be rushed a little. 

Either way, I have really enjoyed reading these books thus far. They have been quick reads, and I find that once I pick one up I am unable to put it down until I am finished. I currently only own only these three, and my stupid library doesn't have them (who do they think they are, anyway?), so I see a trip to the bookstore ASAP!

Crossing this one off the list!
25 A book that is more than 10 years old.

Happy Reading,
HLP

Classic Summer 2015-Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling

Alright, so I'm probably not going to actually review this one. If you don't know this plot line by now, go pick it up.

I had forgotten so many things about this book. I always forget that this is where Dobby comes in! And how could I, he is one of my favorite characters!

I will blame this on the movies. They have made the whole thing run together in my head. Thanks ABC Family. (just kidding, please never stop having Harry Potter weekends.)



One thing I noticed is that this book is slightly darker than the first one. That seems like an obvious statement, really they are all progressively darker. But I didn't know it as I was first reading it. This really is the beginning of the slow descent from quirky children's novels about a plucky young boy into the true depth of not only the world of Harry Potter, but into the darkness of that world.

I can't seem to remember any major differences in the book and movie. I know there were some, but at this point it was trivial. The later books are really where I will step on my soap box about that.



Well this gets me one step closer to my trip to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter in August. I've been thinking about doing a series of blogposts about my trip on here when I get back, or maybe just one long one, depending.  I am so excited!!!!

*** I read this blog post today and wanted to share it here because it is so amazing. J.K. Rowling is aweseomsauce. http://moviepilot.com/posts/3293705-jk-rowling-says-we-all-got-our-hogwarts-letters?lt_source=external,manual


Happy Reading,
HLP

Classic Summer 2015

Classic Summer 2015

I have decided to begin again on something that I started two summers ago. In the summer of 2013 I vowed to reread the Harry Potter series straight through (something I realized with embarrassment that I had never done.) Shortly after that, I found out that I was pregnant, and quickly lost all motivation for doing anything but keeping what little food I was eating down.

So, this summer I determined to complete this! Not only because I feel I need to. But, if everything pans out and the good Lord willing, my husband and I will be taking a weekend vacation to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter in August! I am beyond excited. This is something I have dreamed of doing ever since I heard that the theme park was a concept, and I cannot believe that it is finally happening. ( Although, I feel that it needs to be stated that my husband and I are both working through some guilt about not taking our precious boy with us. We know that it is better this way, and that we deserve it, but good Lord it makes me feel awful when I think about it too hard. :( Praying for peace over this.)

During that summer in 2013 I did manage to reread the first in the series, and I actually wrote a review then. I'm not sure why I didn't publish it then, but last month I found it in my drafts and published it. I will be starting with the first one again because I am a classicist at heart and I just want to! But I will not write another review. Although I may update the one I already have if it strikes my fancy.

I am so ready for this!

The Mara Dyer Trilogy, Books 2 &3

The Mara Dyer Trilogy, Books 2&3

Well, I sort of did a bad thing and instead of stoping to write between books I kept reading. I just couldn't stop myself. I had to know what happened! So hopefully I will be able to separate the two and write two coherent reviews.

The Evolution of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

We open with a very damaged Mara. The more she tries to control herself, and her abilities, the more she loses control.

This book gave me bad dreams. And I am not normally affected by things that way. ( I am also blaming it on the combo of this book right after watching a particularly disturbing episode of Game of Thrones. Valar Morghulis.) 

Mara tries her best to act her way through  everything and pretend that she is recovering. The meds are helping, the stupid treatments are helping. But they are not. She is more convinced than ever that not only is her EX- boyfriend Jude alive, but that he is stalking her. She knows he has something planned for her, but she could never imagine what.

And Noah. Oh Noah. Amazingly enough, I still haven't wanted to slap the teeth out of his head. He has actually remained a pretty decent bad boy. I can dig it. 

And now, my memory keeps bleeding these two together so I am going to move on to the next one!

The Retribution of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

 

So at this point I am just going to have to write my feelings because I still can't separate the two books enough for a normal review. I gave this book five stars. I use to be very generous with my five star reviews, but now I make myself find a reason for giving them, and my reason is this. The ending of this book is not exactly cut and dry. There are still several questions that are left unresolved. And honestly until you read the last page you are still not convinced of anything. And even so, its not perfect. I liked that there were still consequences. They were told what would happen if they stayed together, and they are excepting that the best they can. They are not sure what that means for their future. I wrote this in my review on Goodreads: " I think the reason I am choosing to give this one five stars instead of four is because of how complicated the ending was. There was no magic wand waved (technically). Everything didn't just click into place to give the reader a cathartic happy ending. No, there are still some issues when the book ends, but its something we can live with. It was realistic to me, sometimes you can learn to live with something that you never thought you could. That you never knew you wanted."

So there. 

I also have to commend Michelle Hodkin on her use of vocabulary and for not repeating phrases over and over. Some of her imagery combined with her description of color were really brilliant. 

And, am I the only one who felt like the ending of this book could set up for another set of books? 

Sigh, hopefully we don't have another Mortal Instruments on our hands ( sorry Clare, but it's true.) But who knows, I might not mind visiting this world again. :)

Until next time,

Happy Reading,

HLP

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling

** Scrolling through my posts, found this draft. NO IDEA why it never got posted So, here.

Classic Summer 2013- Harry Potter Series

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling


"Harry, yer a wizard"

Well I have finished the first one, and as I had hoped, I am totally in love with it. I can definitely see what drew me in as a young reader, but reading as an adult really takes it to another level. My vocabulary is much improved, (and I must say, Rowling's writing vocabulary is very impressive. Something I am very picky about) so I am better able to understand the full meaning of certain things, much more so than when I was reading this for the first time at about twelve years old. I will admit, I was not a very experienced reader. I read quite a lot, but the books I read were certainly not on par with Harry.



Okay, if this post contains spoilers for you, then I don't know where you've been for the past sixteen or so years but, get with the program already!





One of my favorite things about this book is the way it made me laugh out loud at times. There are some very serious themes going on, such as child abuse, homicide, as well as race and class issues, and Rowling can still make me giggle with a stunt that the Weasley twins pull, or something cleverly funny from Dumbledore.

I really loved getting lost in this world that Rowling has created. Everything is so specific and detailed. There's an explanation for everything, and a good one, too. It is truly a world that I would want to live in.

I have always questioned whether or not Dumbledore had suspicions from the get-go about what it would take to finally destroy Voldemort. This has always been a sore spot for me, because of course I love Dumbledore, and Harry really never has a clear answer. It's really hard to think that Dumbledore could have been "using" Harry in a way. But after reading I think that Dumbledore could never have predicted what happened in the end. He says something to that effect when they leave Harry at 4 Privet Drive.

All in all, I really enjoyed rereading this one, and my rating of five stars stayed the same. On to the next one!

And now for some lovely visual images to brighten your day!

Happy Reading,
HLP

Poetry Wednesday- Love Is Not All by Edna St. Vincent Millay

Love Is Not All by Edna St. Vincent Millay

Love is not all: it is not meat nor drink
Nor slumber nor a roof against the rain; 
Nor yet a floating spar to men that sink 
And rise and sink and rise and sink again; 
Love can not fill the thickened lung with breath, 
Nor clean the blood, nor set the fractured bone; 
Yet many a man is making friends with death 
Even as I speak, for lack of love alone. 
It well may be that in a difficult hour, 
Pinned down by pain and moaning for release, 
Or nagged by want past resolution's power, 
I might be driven to sell your love for peace, 
Or trade the memory of this night for food. 
It well may be. I do not think I would.

Reading Resolutions- Workable List

On the first of January I posted a book challenge that I intend to complete this year. Now that I have read a few titles, I am realizing that it is hard to keep up with which categories I have left to choose from without opening every other one of my posts. So I am going to copy the list here so that I can come back and cross them off as I go. Again, I did not create this book challenge myself. You can find the original here.

1 A book you own but haven't read. Daughter of Smoke and Bone
2 A book that was made into a movie.
3 A book you pick solely because of the cover.
4 A book your friend loves.
5 A book published this year.
6 A book by an author you have never read before. Soy Sauce for Beginners
7 A book by an author you love.  Big Little Lies
8 A book at the bottom of your TBR pile.
9 A book with a color in the title.
10 A book set somewhere you've always wanted to visit.Days of Blood and Starlight
11 A book you started but never finished.
12 A book with a lion, a witch, or a wardrobe.
13 A book with a female heroine. The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer
14 A book set in the summer.
15 A book of poems.
16 A book you learned about because of this challenge.
17 A book that will make you smarter.
18 A book with a blue cover.
19 A book you were supposed to read in school, but never did.
20 A book "everyone" but you has read.
21 A book with a great first line.
22 A book with pictures.
23 A book from the library.
24 A book you loved...read it again!
25 A book that is more than 10 years old. The Princess Diaries
26 A book based on a true story.

I will be updating this as I go along. I look forward to crossing them off and reading some great books this year!

Happy Reading,
HLP

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer

We open with a mystery. Who is Mara Dyer? Who is she really? 

This question is honestly forgotten rather quickly as we are pulled into her story. She is the sole survivor of a terrible accident that claimed the life of her childhood best friend, her boyfriend, and his sister. But that's not the worst part. She is beginning to see things, terrible things. 

Along with all of that, her family has relocated to Florida. They all want it to be a new start, but horrible things keep happening. 

When Mara meets the infamous Noah Shaw, things only get even more twisted. 

They both come to realizations about themselves that could change everything. Now they are faced with a question; can they handle what lies ahead for them? 

I was really drawn in my Mara's "voice". I sort of have a thing for snarky teenage dialogue in my YA. It was also very refreshing to read a character like Noah Shaw. He's your typical YA boyfriend, only he doesn't SEEM to be as big of a pretentious jerk with obsessive tendencies that we are use to. And, he British, so, yeah.

This is no 'intellectual' read,  but I was really very drawn in by the story and I am excited to read the next two installments. I read this on my Kindle, so I went out and bought the second and third books in paper for my library. The next time I visit the used bookstore I will be picking the first one up in paper too.I'll be crossing this one off my list at #13- A book with a female heroine.

For now, I am reading the fifth book in Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series, which I am completely in love with. Due to the length of said book, it might be a while before I get to write again!


Happy Reading!
HLP

Soy Sauce for Beginners by Kirsten Chen

Soy Sauce for Beginners by Kirsten Chen

From Goodreads:
Gretchen Lin, adrift at the age of thirty, leaves her floundering marriage in San Francisco to move back to her childhood home in Singapore and immediately finds herself face-to-face with the twin headaches she’s avoided her entire adult life: her mother’s drinking problem and the machinations of her father’s artisanal soy sauce business.

Soy Sauce for Beginners reveals the triumphs and sacrifices that shape one woman’s search for a place to call home, and the unexpected art and tradition behind the brewing of a much-used but unsung condiment. The result is a foodie love story that will give readers a hearty appreciation for family loyalty and fresh starts.

I was initially drawn in by the soy sauce. Not even going to lie. And let me just tell you, the descriptions of the artesian soy sauce had my mouth watering. The soy sauce almost becomes a character itself. Anyway, I'm salivating.

Gretchen is hiding. From her cheating husband, from her colleagues, from her own parents, and even from herself. Reeling from the scathing revelation that not only was her husband unfaithful, but with a twenty-one year old, no less, she returns home to Singapore and attempts to blend in a much as possible.

But she surprises no one more than herself with the unwilling changes that she is about to face.

My favorite thing about this story is how, in the end, Gretchen needs no one but herself. She makes her own choices, and faces the consequences.

My only complaint about this story is that there is sort of a lack of one. This comes off like more of an anecdote from a friend than a novel. I appreciated the familiarity in the writing. The characters felt real to me. I just kept waiting for something more to happen, and it never really came.

So, I'm giving this one three stars. Enjoyable read. I'm counting it as #6, A book by an author you have never read before.

Now I am just itching, yearning to get home to my library and find something else to read. I have been craving a really good book  for some time now. I'm talking life changing. Here's to hoping!

Happy Reading,

HLP

Time's Echo by Rysa Walker

Time's Echo by Risa Walker

This novella takes places between the first book in the CHRONOS Files series, Timebound, and the second, Time's Edge. I read the first last year and was captivated, and for a while I scoured Amazon every time I thought about it to search for more. I had to wait a while for this novella as well as the second title in the series, but so far it has been worth the wait!

Time's Echo is told through Kiernan's point of view, which is awesome because, of what I can remember from Timebound, we don't get much of him at all. We can assume by what he says during their interaction that they have some sort of past(future?) that is involved, we just don't know what. This novella answers a few of those questions and sets up Time's Echo, which is waiting for me on my Kindle.

Reading this reminded me how much I love Walker's writing, I get sucked right in. And now I'm super psyched to finish up some other titles that I am reading so I can get to Time's Echo!

Happy Reading!

HLP

Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty

Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty

From Goodreads: Sometimes it’s the little lies that turn out to be the most lethal. . . .
  
A murder… . . . a tragic accident… . . . or just parents behaving badly?  

What’s indisputable is that someone is dead.   But who did what?

Big Little Lies is a brilliant take on ex-husbands and second wives, mothers and daughters, schoolyard scandal, and the dangerous little lies we tell ourselves just to survive.

Once again, Moriarty has completely blown me away with her characters and her story-telling.  When the story begins it is clear that a tragic accident has occurred at the Pirriwee Public School's Trivia Night, but we do not know what has happened or to whom. Normally, I find it hard to enjoy plots like this one because if it isn't done well then it can be a put off. But the lives of the residents of Pirriwee are so twisted and, let's just admit it, interesting, I didn't have time to be bored. 

This book felt very real to me in some ways, and in others like a caricature of real life. I know that the majority of people do not act the way these characters do, but I also know that there are people out there who DO behave this way. And to be clear, I'm talking about all of the helicopter moms at the school. There are other behaviors that I will address momentarily. 

But, these mothers. Oh my wow. It is true what someone says in the book( can't remember who, it was an obscure comment from a minor character) about how involved parents are these days in the minutiae of their children's day to day lives. I am somewhere on the line with this though. Things are different from when I grew up, and I'm only 24. There are so many different kinds of danger out there, and we are the test dummies on how to go about preventing it. But truly, these moms are a different breed. And I have seen their type. Drama mamas. Meddlesome. But the first person anyone calls to head a fundraiser. At their core, they have the best intentions. It's the execution that is a little off.

While it was wildly entertaining to read about these crazy women, kicking each other in the sandbox and sneering at canteen duty, there were some truly dark topics being brought to light. Perry and Celeste's relationship is one just like hundreds of thousands of others across the entire world. And they have more in common than a vicious abuser. They also all have victims who think that it is okay. That they deserve it. That what they are going through really isn't that bad. That it doesn't affect anyone else around them. That it will get better. Each time I read a scene with Perry and Celeste, I could feel myself physically flinching, preparing myself for the blow. It really was hard to read sometimes.

I felt the same way about Jane's story with Saxon. The build up around the story was really good, and when she finally told it I was a little shocked. No where near as shocked as I was when I read the ending though.....

I gave this one five stars. This is my second read by Moriarty. I read The Husband's Secret last year and was also very pleased. I am crossing this one off my resolution list for #7-  A book by an author you love.

I will be looking for more titles by Liane Moriarty in the future, and if you are reading this, I hope you do too!

Happy Reading!

HLP 

Reading Resolutions

Ohhkay. So I'm not really the resolution type, but I am striving toward a goal when it comes to reading this year. I barely read 20 books in 2014. I mean, I schlepped my way through it. I feel like I picked up so many books that were "wrong for me at the time". I don't like giving up completely on books. There have been very few that I have actually put down for good and said, 'nope, not doing it'.

Another problem for me this year was my serious lack of time. Since giving birth to my beautiful baby boy in March, I haven't exactly had an abundance of time just sitting around demanding to be used. So I set a very unrealistic goal of 50 books for 2014, and was of course disappointed with myself whenever it totally flopped.

So for 2015, I am setting a goal that is more realistic, yet improving on last year. My goal is to read 26 books in 2015. I found this really cute reading challenge earlier this evening and I am going to try it out! I will post it here for posterity, as well as to give credit to the original link.

Again, I did not create this challenge and I encourage everyone to go to

 http://burns-familyblog.blogspot.com/2014/12/26-books-in-2015.html

and check them out. It's a really cute blog!

Well, I am off to begin my reading journey for 2015. I just finished reading This is Where I Leave You by Johnathan Tropper. I gave it four stars. And as something different, my husband and I read it together! We finished it yesterday and watched the new movie based on the book this evening. I would recommend both!

Happy Reading!

HLP