What I Read: Summer 2017 Edition

Since I have missed the linkup these past few times I thought I would just go ahead and group my summer reads into one big post. Also I didn't get much reading done in June so I had to do some catching up in July and it just made sense to put them together instead of trying to separate them. 

So here's what I've been reading! 


Confessions by Kanae Minato- This book was strange. I liked it but at the same time it was really strange. I was never sure how I felt about any of the characters until the end and by then I pretty much disliked them all. But at the same time I really enjoyed the book itself. I liked getting to see the story from all the perspectives and I liked how they all tied together in the end but I'm still not sure how I feel about this book other than it kind of still creeps me out and makes me low key stressed out at the same time. But the fact that I am still thinking about it makes me sure that I actually did enjoy it. If you are into weird ones you might like this. 

Into the Water by Paula Hawkins- Now this one I know I liked. I actually liked this one so much more than Girl on the Train. I loved this story and getting to know the characters and their dark secrets. I wanted to know more about the pool and why the women were drawn there. Or why they ended up there at any rate. I thought this novel was so well written and it had me on edge the entire time and I finished it in less than 24 hours. It may not please those who really loved Girl on the Train (which I greatly enjoyed but this one was better.) but it is a great read for anyone who loves that genre. 

The Twelve Lives of Samuel Hawley by Hanna Tinti- I know several people have raved about this one already and I can add my own praises to that list. I loved the writing and the characters however I will be honest and tell you it took me a bit to get this one read as I kept getting distracted. It had a slow burn for me and that wasn't really what I was looking for. It was still a brilliant book and I feel like I will reread it in the future to give it a real shot but for now I can say that it was good. 

A Court Of Thorns and Roses Full Trilogy by Sarah J Maas- Okay I am just grouping these three into one to save on space and time because I could honestly go all in and rave about these for hours. I know some might be inclined to judge because these are YA but I will tell you right now that I am hook line and sinker for these books. I read them all within a few days only delayed by the fact that I had to wait for the third to come in at the library. I already have the full set of hardbacks on pre order from Amazon because I must own them all. They are SO GOOD. The stories are well written the characters are amazing and I cannot sing the praises of this series enough. I could go on and on and honestly I want to fangirl out so badly here but I don't want to spoil anything. I have never read the Throne of Glass series by this author but I will having read these. However I guess Throne of Glass is still going while this trilogy ended. There are supposed to be more in the world but following different main characters and that is actually really awesome because I like when things have a full ending and I'm not waiting around forever. If you are a fan of Throne of Glass or of fairy tales in general I think you will love these. Word of warning however the audio book narrator sucks on these so just read the actual books instead. I wanted so badly to pick up the entire series on audio book to listen to whenever I wanted but was sorely disappointed by the choice of voice actor. (She takes weird pauses and tends to gasp a lot and that irritates me) Seriously these are bomb. New fandom acquired. 

So that's what I read this summer! What have you been reading? Be sure to join the linkup and share!

What's New With You...

Kyra is starting preschool in a few weeks. I'm so excited for her but also a little heartsick over it. I mean she has been my buddy for the past 4 years and we have never spent more than 12 hours apart since the day she was born. Not that we will be spending that much time apart I mean it is only a few hours a week but still....my baby girl is growing up and it's happening to fast! 

Kyra also started gymnastics this summer. She has loved it since day one and I am so proud of how much she has learned these past few weeks! She can now do a bridge and climbs the ladder all the way to the top! She was so scared she would cry when it was time for the ladder in the first weeks but then about 2 weeks ago she just did it and reached the top and hit that big red button. Seriously I am just so proud of her I could burst into little fluffy bits of pride. She's growing and learning and I just cannot handle the cute of it all! 

I know it is fuzzy but she did it and I am just so proud!

I'm also planning on taking a whirlwind trip in just a few weeks. I don't have a lot to say about it yet because it is kind of a surprise/crazy thing and I don't want to jinx it but man I am excited and I cannot wait to see how it all turns out! It's going to be an adventure! 

Working from home has been amazing this summer. Though it is not without its challenges. Sometimes I find myself utterly annoyed at taking on an assignment when I know that I've got a million other things going on at home. But I want those dolla dolla bills yall. It's been nice to contribute after so long of not having any income at all. I love knowing that I'm helping in any way that I can to keep our family going. 

I'm also on the hunt for a new planner. I have loved bullet journaling but I have found that since my schedule is picking up I need something with a lot more structure that I can just grab and not worry about making a layout for it because the week is already there set up and I just need to fill it out. That isn't to say that I don't want something pretty and full of adorable stickers and cool markers but I need something that has some of the work done for me. It's going to get crazy around here once school starts and with gymnastics and with work.....yeah. So if you have any planners that you are legit happy with please let me know because I am overwhelmed with options. Also if it isn't too expensive that would be awesome because I want to get the absolute best bang for my buck! 

Well that about sums up the current situation. I'm back into reading again and writing again and that is making me happy. I've also been focusing on taking an hour out of each day for my own personal use and that is helping me feel like a human again and thus everyone in the house seems happier. Who knew? 

Happy Thursday.

It's been a while....

It's been a long while since I posted on this blog.

That doesn't mean I haven't thought about it. In fact I think about coming here almost daily.

I think about the posts that I would write to you all. Things I would share. Things I would say. Cute little gifs that I find funny or little stories about my life that you might find entertaining.

But I never wrote them.

I haven't written in my journal since May.

I haven't written for pleasure for longer than that.

I hadn't been reading either.

Then suddenly a few weeks ago it was like the fog lifted. I tore through five books in just a week. I suddenly had my journal out and while I have yet to write in it ideas have been forming and thoughts have been culminating and at this point it is just a matter of time.

And then there was this blog. This blog that I loved so dearly but was avoiding. I had no idea what I was avoiding just that I couldn't come here and post the things that I wanted and I couldn't stop worrying about the fact that I hadn't even read a blog post in weeks and honestly what kind of blogger am I if I don't post or read blogs? Answer: a crappy one.

So since today is the first of August and since things around here are going to be changing a lot I am back here in this space again. I'm making sure that I am reading things that spark my interest and make me happy. I am going to start writing again even if it is all just nonsense on a page. I am back to trying to find myself again after spending the summer lost and somewhere else.

So I don't know if anyone is still out there listening but I'm sending this message into the void. Hopefully many more will follow.