Page 18 of 29

‘Bachelor Nation’ – yes I’m part of it

March 29, 2018 /

I have watched literally every season of The Bachelor and The Bachlorette. And Bachelor in Paradise, which is my favorite of them all!!

These shows are my Monday night pleasure, and I am not going to call it a “guilty pleasure” because I no longer – somewhat thanks to this new book, Bachelor Nation: Inside the World of America’s Favorite Guilty Pleasure, feel guilty about it!

Why do I – someone who obviously reads and watches more intellectual works – watch this show? I think it’s a curiosity about human nature. Even with the understanding of producer manipulation and editing (both which are highlighted in this book I’m going to review today) I love watching how people act and relate to each other. Thanks to DVR I can turn a 2-hour show into a manageable 1+ hours. (Or the 3 hour episodes – which my husband complains about – into a manageable and fabulously enjoyable 2 hours.)

So when I heard about the newest book about this popular TV franchise, Bachelor Nation: Inside the World of America’s Favorite Guilty Pleasure, I knew I had to read it.

‘Behind Her Eyes’ – you shouldn’t read this book, but…please do

March 23, 2018 /

I just finished a book that kept my attention for sure Behind Her Eyes: A Suspenseful Psychological Thriller– by Sarah Pinborough.

In fact, I have been hiding from my family and my responsibilities here at home to finish it, and I just finished it…

But now I’m annoyed. The ending is just too much for me to take. I did appreciate the suspense and most of the narrative techniques used, but I just hated how the ending left me feeling. Ugh.

So now I’m telling you not to read this…except I want you to read it so we can discuss this horrible ending. Ha!!!

Five reasons why book signings are better than concerts

March 20, 2018 /

The last time I left a book signing, I felt invigorated, inspired, and more excited about the artist’s work. It was like how I feel after a concert!!

This got me thinking about how book signings and concerts are similar…and in some ways, book signings are even better!

Most books signings – at least the ones I have been to — follow a simple format: The author gives a short talk, takes questions from the audience, then he or she goes to a table and waits for a line of people to come through with their books.

I went to two book events last year — Viet Thanh Nguyen and Jamie Ford – and they were both awesome.I ended up liking the authors (in person) even more than I expected. They were both funny and truly entertaining.

Here are some reasons I think book signings/events may be even better than concerts:

The Glass Castle movie – I changed my mind about watching it

March 19, 2018 /

A couple of weeks ago I was telling someone (now I can’t remember who this was) how I watched all the films nominated for best picture. This person (maybe the woman I was speaking to at the alignment shop?) said, well did you see The Glass Castle?

I said no, I hadn’t.

I had just recently read the book last year. And I liked it so much I decided that I just couldn’t see the movie after all, even though I finally read the book so I could see the movie…

But with a few months separating myself from that reading experience, I decided to – based on her recommendation – give the movie a try after all.

Now I wish I could remember who this was and thank this woman! Because yes, this is a great movie and IT DOES do the book justice.

“The Immortalists” is fantastic!

March 17, 2018 /

The Immortalists by Chloe Benjamin might be my favorite book of the year thus far.

This book is based on a creepy concept: In 1969 New York City, four siblings (ages 7-13) visit a traveling psychic who tells them the date they will die.

The book follows this family for the next five decades – to see how these propechies play out.

What is destiny and what is choice?

Drawdown and what the normal person can do to reverse global warming

March 10, 2018 /

A couple of months ago I almost pushed “share” on – yet another – cataclysmic warning about the future of our planet due to global warming.

But instead, I decided to (attempt to) help with the solution rather than spreading more fear (even though the fear is valid).

So I researched books about global warming and found this one: Drawdown: The Most Comprehensive Plan Ever Proposed to Reverse Global Warming, which is both critically and scientifically acclaimed.

This is a very long and intensely detailed book. Although it reads mostly in layman terms it is just not something the normal person would read, and honestly I have been “reading” it for several months. (I am soooo sick of seeing it on my goodreads “reading now” list.) I now owe $40+ to the library for a “lost book fine” which they will waive when I return it after I finally write this post.

So here on my blog I wanted to talk about this (super long and detailed) book and recommend some more read-able books to help with what surprised me as the most highly rated way to “drawdown” carbon. HINT: It involves food!!

Goodnight Moon (spotted on This is Us)

March 8, 2018 /

This week’s “This is Us” featured the children’s book Goodnight Moon.

I, like many parents, read this book hundreds of times over several years. Seeing it on this show made me happy and sad (like everything on this show, right??) – sad because it has been years since I read Goodnight Moon but happy that I shared this experience with all the parents on this show (and real people around the world) across generations who have also read this book to their children at night. My copy of this book says 60th anniversary, and we’ve had it for about 10 years now!!

This post will take much less investigation than my previous book sighting on this show because I actually have this book in my bookcase though it hasn’t been off the shelf in years.

My thoughts on all 9 best picture nominations!

March 3, 2018 /

I am usually reading, but at the beginning of each year I set a goal to see all of the Academy-nominated “best pictures.”

I REALLY enjoy this challenge. I see such a diverse selection of movies (and get to have opinions on them). It makes Oscar Night much more fun for me!

In this post I’m going to name my favorites (there are two!!) and talk a little about all the nine nominated films. I include no spoilers (I want you to enjoy these movies for yourself) only some inside jokes or quotes from the movies.

I also added some “thoughts from Jeremy” which are tidbits from my husband (when applicable); we rarely watch & enjoy the same types of movies, but his reflections are often amusing to me (and admittedly accurate).

Disclaimer: I am not a movie critic; I am just a normal person who watched all of these films!!!

The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah

February 19, 2018 /

I was personally drawn to Kristin Hannah’s new book The Great Alone because it is set in the most beautiful place I have ever seen, Alaska. It is a novel of beauty and fear, love and heartbreak. The beautiful setting is also the source of some of the fear but not the worst of it.

Leni Albright is 13 when her dad decides to move their family to Alaska in 1974. He is a VietNam vet and POW and feels he needs the space and a new start. The family dynamic – they have moved around a lot inspired by the father’s big plans – reminded me some of the one portrayed in The Glass Castle.

Two kinds of folks move to Alaska, the book suggests, “People running to something and people running away from something.” This place can be “a Sleeping Beauty one minute and a bitch with a sawed-off shotgun the next” to quote a character called Large Marge. But the epigraph (I love a good epigraph!) foreshadows there are more challenges to come for the Albrights beyond the long winters and hungry bears:

Rules of Civility

January 20, 2018 /

I finally picked up Rules of Civility, which has been sitting in my bookcase since last year after I read (and loved!!!) the author’s newer work A Gentleman in Moscow. This older book was published in 2011 as the debut work of Amor Towles.

I found this book to be a really good read and a really smart read. As the strong woman character (Kate Kontent) – climbs the social and professional ladders, we get a thorough picture of New York (Manhattan) in the 1940s which is fascinating. This is post-depression but pre-war so although people are happy and doing well (especially the upper echelons Kate works to put herself among) I couldn’t help but think about what was to come.

Also I took notice of the many literary references in this book.

Leslie's Bookcase

Page 18 of 29

‘Bachelor Nation’ – yes I’m part of it

‘Behind Her Eyes’ – you shouldn’t read this book, but…please do

Five reasons why book signings are better than concerts

The Glass Castle movie – I changed my mind about watching it

“The Immortalists” is fantastic!

Drawdown and what the normal person can do to reverse global warming

Goodnight Moon (spotted on This is Us)

My thoughts on all 9 best picture nominations!

The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah

Rules of Civility

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