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April 2020 - Best Of

5/13/2020

I'm coming to you late today because I took the day to do some much needed mundane chores such as dusting, laundry, etc., #Goodtimes

Actually it felt good to be physically active and see concrete results, so much of what I do online is less "physical" and requires longer timeframes to see results. (Unlike instantly seeing the laundry basket go down, lol)

The sun came out for a bit but it is still cooler, with more rain on the way! I have hope though as the weather is supposed to become warmer starting Sunday.

I posted a bit more in April and thought I would give you the rundown, if you missed anything...

Quick Book Reviews:

Isolation Diary:

Have a great evening and speak soon~

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Quick Book Review - Tuesday Edition

5/12/2020

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Happy Tuesday!
It’s kind of a grey day here in central New Mexico this morning, but I’m not complaining. I am grateful that we are having a bit of rain and the temps are dropping.

It’s been a busy week already and it’s only Tuesday! Lol, I have a couple of baby showers to attend this month and a wedding (well NOT attend in person, but on Zoom), and I’m wrapping gifts for those, reading, painting, and there’s always work…
But I also found time to write up two quick book reviews for you today, both by Neil Gaiman.

Quick Book Review - Tuesday Edition:
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

Was it a page turner? Yes
Do I like this genre? Yes - Occult and Supernatural (its actually listed as a child’s book)
Setting: The Graveyard in Old Town; Somewhere in England; Present Day
How's the story telling? Amazing.
Was it well written? Yes
Would you recommend this book? Yes
Page Count: 325 pages

My Last Minute Tuesday Thoughts:

I'm at the point in my life where I just read anything Neil Gaiman writes. I saw this listed as a children's book and thought, "Oh well, he tells a good story let's have some lite reading.." Umm, well…I'm sure I would have loved this as a teen, too.
So while the book was very entertaining, I was amazed at how dark this book was. It felt very much like an old world fairy tale; full of wonder, evil and magic. I highly recommend it for anyone that loves a creepy tale.

This review contains affiliate links, but I never post about anything I don't love.

Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman

Was it a page turner? Yes
Do I like this genre? Yes - Myth and folklore
Setting: Collected stories set in several realms
How's the story telling? Amazing.
Was it well written? Yes
Would you recommend this book? Yes
Page Count: 304 pages

My Last Minute Tuesday Thoughts:

This book has been on my list to read for a while, now I find I have time to tackle it. Before reading I wondered if this would be a "retelling" with added characters, plot twists and lessons or if the book would stay true to the actual literature. Then I read the reviews and noticed some people were complaining and this book was not liked as much as some other of Gaiman's books. Hmmmm....
I was happy to see this wasn't a collection of overly embellished stories, but more a fond retelling of the old, classic stories. I really enjoyed the book overall, but if you are expecting this book to be like American Gods you will be disappointed.
Read another reviews of a Neil Gaiman book here: Good Omens

Okay now I'm off to put on a pot of tea and finish wrapping those gifts.
Speak soon~

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Quarantine Shopping

5/6/2020

Happy Wednesday!
We woke up to a cooler morning today, a cold front had blown through in the middle of the night. It was a pleasant surprise except for all the wind playing havoc with my new seedings. I used to watch the weather (on several apps) when I was actually leaving the house, but nowadays I enjoy the surprise, lol.

And speaking of surprises I was happily surprised with Pacifica having a 50% off sale. #score

What I bought:

This isn't a sponsored post, I just really like this brand and thought I would show you my mini haul.

Why I love this brand:

Vegan and Cruelty Free
Wide selection of items
Good Quality of items
Good Value for the price

The products I have used in the past have worked well and been a good value for the money.
I have been using/buying Pacifica items from Amazon for a couple of years now and just recently started shopping from their website.

This time I purchased:
The Glow Work Energy Skin Love kit
Mini Body Butter
Coconut Power Shampoo
Pollution fighting facials masks
Coconut facial Wipes
Coconut Pro Hair Masks

Love the crystal packaging ~

As slow as the mail has become in USA over the last few months, I really didn't except to receive my order before May, but it arrived very quickly. I have been using the products and love each and every one!

All of this came to only $31.20 (including shipping in the USA)
If you are looking for a healthy and ethical beauty brand, I would highly recommend Pacifica.

Speak soon~

Bloom, Baby, Bloom!

5/1/2020

Happy May!

What Are You Reading? Thursday Edition

4/30/2020

Happy Thursday!
It’s a chilly, rainy morning here in Central New Mexico. I thought we were going to beat the rain on our morning walk, but it started just as we got to about the halfway point! But all this rain equals amazing Spring flowers so I'm not complaining.

There's lots to talk about this morning, so I'm just going to dive right in with another book review.

Thursday Short Review:
Deception Point by Dan Brown

Was it a page turner? Yes
Do I like this genre? Yes - Political Thriller and Suspense
Setting: Washington DC, Antartica + More
How's the story telling? Amazing.
Was it well written? Yes and Dan Brown focuses on government conspiracies, scientific misinformation, and not religion in this book, so I really enjoyed it.
Would you recommend this book? Yes
Page Count: Coming in at 464 pages this isn't a Saturday afternoon read. BUT well worth the time spent reading it. I actually stayed up too late reading it on more than one night, as the story pulled me in.

My Last Minute Thursday Thoughts:

I always forget what a good storyteller Dan Brown is...
You know I am usually put off by NYT bestsellers, so many are rubbish, but some are actual jewels, guess which one this is?
I did stay up too late reading this one and bet you will get pulled in, too.
If you are looking for a very compelling read, full of intrigue and adventure dive in.
If you want to read more of my book reviews hit this link

This review contains affiliate links, but I never post about anything I don't love.

Okay now I'm off to tackle the laundry and put on a pot of coffee.
Have a great day!

What Are You Reading? Sunday Edition

4/26/2020

Happy Sunday!
I'm getting a late start this morning because I slept in. It was after 9:00 before I had my first coffee. Of course, the fact that I stayed up till 2:30 chatting on WhatsApp had nothing to do with it, lol.

But regardless, it's a gorgeous day here and I'm going for a lovely, long walk this morning. But before I go run off, I thought I would knock out a few more book reviews, lol. I'm so far behind, that I really should be writing 10 at a time, lol - but we both know thats not going to happen. Today we will have to make do with two, instead.

Yesterday, while I was trolling for books on Amazon I noticed there was an Expanse novella that I hadn't read yet, so I scooped it up. Auberon came out in November 2019 and I have no idea how I missed it then? Oh yeah - I remember now, I was busy writing my book, lol.

Sunday Short Review:
Auberon (An Expanse Novella) By James S.A. Corey

Was it a page turner? Yes
Do I like this genre? Yes! It is very well written science fiction
Setting: The planet Auberon
How's the story telling? Very good. This short story answers the question of where did Erich land after the "churn", as described in the novella The Churn.
Was it well written? Yes.
Would you recommend this book? Yes, I stumbled on the television series and loved it. I have read all the books and the novellas.
Spoiler: Addictive!
Page Count: 66 Pages. I read on my Kindle while eating cookies and drinking tea on a rainy afternoon.
How many books in the series? There are currently 8 books in the series with additional novellas along the way. Book 9 is supposed to be the last book, (but hopefully not), it is scheduled for late 2020-early 2021 release.

If you read the The Churn novella, you were given insight into Amos Burton and the Baltimore criminals. Erich from this novella is a main character in Auberon and his story is worth catching up on. Also read my review of Book One in this series here.

Saturday Short Review II:
The Churn: An Expanse Novella (The Expanse) By James S.A. Corey

Was it a page turner? Yes
Do I like this genre? Yes! It is very well written science fiction
Setting: Baltimore
How's the story telling? Very good. The plot is easy to follow and the stories are not (thankfully) predictable.
Was it well written? Yes, this is the backstory of Amos.
Would you recommend this book? Yes
Spoiler: Addictive!
Page Count: 60, I read this on my Kindle in one sitting.
How many books in the series? This novella was released April 2014, and is considered a prequel to the books.

I have paid links in this post, but trust me, I only make a small fee off them and never write about anything I don't personally love.

Okay I'm off for that walk now.
Have a great Sunday!

What Are You Reading? Saturday Edition

4/25/2020

Hi, friends! Spring is in full swing over here in our part of the world, and I'm doing a bit of Spring cleaning. I admit that I forgot/lost my password to Goodreads and am a bit late in updating my book reviews. (So be prepared for weekly reviews until I am caught up.)

I read Leviathan Wakes (The Expanse Book 1) way back in February 2019 and was hooked on the series. So before I review the entire 8 books in this series, and overload you, let's begin with book #1.

Saturday Short Review:
Leviathan Wakes (The Expanse Book 1) By James S.A. Corey

Was it a page turner? Yes
Do I like this genre? Yes! It is very well written science fiction
Setting: Space
How's the story telling? Very good. The plot is easy to follow and the stories are not (thankfully) predictable.
Was it well written? Yes, just enough intrigue to keep you engrossed in the story, but not overkill with the space politic. The tech was believable and set the stage, not overpowering the story as is often the case in badly written science fiction novels.
Would you recommend this book? Yes, I stumbled on the television series and loved it. Recently a good friend told me how amazing the books were and I’m so thankful he did! This was a good, solid read. The characters are richly detailed and flawed in brilliant ways. Space, tech and the politics all add further dimensions to the story without dragging it down. I look forward to reading every book in the series.
Spoiler: Addictive!
How close does the television series follow the book? It's not a verbatim story of what you see on the television series, BUT it's close enough that you are not lost or distracted by odd plot twists or crazy storylines. I still love watching the series which has now been picked up by Amazon.
Page Count: Coming in at 562 pages this isn't a Saturday afternoon read. BUT well worth the time spent reading it. I actually didn't want the first book to end, even though I had already ordered the second and third books after only a few chapters.
How many books in the series? There are currently 8 books in the series with additional novellas along the way. Book 9 is supposed to be the last book, (but hopefully not), it is scheduled for late 2020-early 2021 release.

James S. A. Corey is the pen name of fantasy author Daniel Abraham, author of the critically acclaimed Long Price Quartet, and writer Ty Franck. They both live down the street from me in Albuquerque, New Mexico. I think I have seem them buying tacos, but I kept my cool and didn't fan girl out. lol.

More reviews shortly!

It's A Real Condition...

4/22/2020

lol

Dreaming of the Next Destination

4/20/2020

(The Vatican City at the Heart of Rome)

You are still allowed to dream about your next magical destination...

Isolation Diary Day ??

4/17/2020

Hallgrimskirkja, Reykjavík, Iceland (not my picture...it was too gray while I was in Iceland for any good photos of the city.)

Do you miss traveling? I do!
When you get stuck at home, you start appreciating everything that you can’t have. I am dreaming of being able to get out and explore the outdoors again; it’s spring after all!

Everything is blooming!

The bunnies are enjoying the warm weather too!

These are difficult times for a lot of people, but try to make the best out of the situation you are in. Enjoy the peace and the quiet; breathe, slow down, and reflect. Read those books you added to your stack, and take it slow. We don't have to be productive every moment.
REST

Have a snack and read...

Have a snack and read... and know that soon we will be back out having adventures...
Speak soon~

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April 2020 - Best Of

Quick Book Review - Tuesday Edition

Quarantine Shopping

Bloom, Baby, Bloom!

What Are You Reading? Thursday Edition

What Are You Reading? Sunday Edition

What Are You Reading? Saturday Edition

It's A Real Condition...

Dreaming of the Next Destination

Isolation Diary Day ??

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