Let's talk books



Hi there! Did you miss me? Probably not lol that's ok. I haven't been in a blogging, working out kind of mood lately. I think once I get into our house things will change. For the next ten days I am staying with my grandpa while my grandma goes out of town. It will be good for me because there will be no eating out and I will be bored out of my mind. Lots of workouts in my future for sure, oh and westerns....millions of those! Plus it will be a routine and I can eat healthy! Not only that but I get to spend some quality time with my grandpa....can't forget that. Anyway I have been finding time to read lately so I thought I would share a few of them and what I thought

I LOVE Janet Evanovich....usually.  This book is just Ok.  Her usual humor hasn't been in her last couple of books and it's so sad. 

If you have ever read any of her Lucy Kincaid books, this is another one in the collection.  It took me a little while to get into it but when I did it was hard to put down.

Everyone kept telling my Jennifer Weiner was this great author but this book wasn't great.  It was a cute story, kind of a Thelma and Louise type story.  I am not sure I would read any of her other books though.



I LOVED this book.  Everyone kept saying how great it was and it truly was.  The ending was a shocker but this book will definitely go on my favorites list!



One of these days I am going to add a books tab to my blog, I am kind of blog retarded though.  Maybe I need some hubby jack magic!

In these ten days I plan on reading a whole lot!  Working on Reconstructing Amelia right now...stay tuned.

Hope everyone is having a great Tuesday!!!



The Pioneer Woman: Black Heels and Tractor Wheels

What's that you say? A book review?  Holy moly!!  It doesn't happen often but when I find a book worth sharing it has to be done!

Terrible Picture I know!

A little background about my love for Ree Drummond.  When I was 6 months pregnant or so I came upon her first cook book.  I started looking through the recipes and reading some of her stories and knew I had to have it!  It was 24 dollars, if I hadn't been pregnant my cheap frugal self would have passed.  It was worth it!

I made a ton of stuff from it and started reading her blog.  She was hilarious! Then came her food network show....Kind of a bore.  I still watch it for the food, even if it would make me 300 pounds eating it all the time.  The problem is that personality and humor you get from her cook books and blog don't come across in the show.  Disappointing! 

I was cruising through Barnes and Noble the other day and came across this book.  It came out a couple years ago but I thought how the hell did I miss this??  I had read tiny bits of her love story with Marlboro Man but this is the whole thing!

I don't normally like straight romance novels but this one had me laughing, crying, mad, sad, and happy. (Man I'm great with those adjectives).  It wasn't like woman porn that we all know (rom com's, and harlequin romance novels) this was a REAL love story.

It goes from the time they met till they had their first daughter.  It is nice to know that they had their ups and downs like any other relationship.  It was honest and left me feeling like there could be some hope.

The crazy part is the beginning of their love story reminded me of my own, except the end of course.

 It gave me a new respect for the two of them and made me want to go eat some comfort food:)

21 Days to a More Disciplined Life-On Hold

Well I have been slacking on my 21 Days adventure and it hasn't had anything to do with actually slacking!  I am preparing my house to sell and it is going to be taking up a lot of time so the adventure is going to be on hold for awhile, not forever just for a little while.

I have bought houses but never actually had to sell one and as I look around my house I feel like I have six months of work to do but I'm exaggerating!  One of the hardest parts about my not yet diagnosed fibromyalgia is that on the days when I overwork myself the next day and days after are hard.  I can't get myself to do much of anything so this will be a learning experience on how to keep on track without hurting myself.  I have been searching on the internet for checklists to get my house in order and have found many but not what I am looking for so I am going to be making my own as I go and sharing it!

If you have tips for selling a house please share them!  Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Zoo-James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge

 When I think James Patterson novels Zoo is definitely not my definition.  I read it pretty fast but only because once I started it, I wanted to find out what happened at the end.

It was about a guy named Oz that suspects something is happening all over the world to animals to turn them against humans. Think 2012 but without the weather. Cats and Dogs are turning on their owners and killing them. I won't go into more detail because if you decide to read it I don't want to ruin it for you.

 I can't say I liked it and I can't say I hated it. It was just....there. Definitely not one of his/their better ones! I have read every other James Patterson books, working on the Alex Cross series right now (Yes I'm slow)and I could have done without this one!!

21 Days to a More Disciplined Life: Day 5,6,7,8 and 9

Hello!  Thankfully I am just now feeling better and getting to all the things that haven't been done in the last couple days!  The stomach flu is not fun and takes everything out of you I swear.  Good thing I have 5 days off to play catch up. 

I did Days 5, 6,7,8 and 9 today to try and catch up.

Day 5: 5 Steps to Developing discipline-  I will admit that I have discipline in certain areas of my life but only if they involve fun haha!  Since my big goal is to run a mile in 21 days I have to make sure I stick with it. 

My reasons why I want to stick with it:

*To show myself that I don't hate running!
*So my body will feel better
*To show myself that I CAN!
*To feel strong
*To have more energy

Likely Obstacles:
*Cold Weather
*Pain
*Busy life

How to develop new behaviors so that these obstacles won't get in my way:

*Run 3-4 times a week, even if it half a mile and inside
*If I am in pain I will stretch and do some jumping jacks and walking
*I can get very busy but I always have time for TV (one of my bad habits), take 15 minutes from something I am watching and run up and down the stairs or run in place in front of the TV.

Day 6: Be Realistic- I have been being realistic from the start, running a mile in 21 days is pretty realistic for me.  If I had said 2 that would be a far reach for me!

Day 7: Resist Negative Thought Patterns-Instead of saying I can't I will just get up and Do It!

Day 8: Put Your Goals on Paper- I admit it, I am a post it freak!  I like everything written down so this is perfect!

Day 9: Break Your Goals Into Bite Sized Pieces-I am going to write down on the calendar the days I will work out and where I want to be.  That doesn't mean I will meet those exactly but I am ok with that and know that it will at least be a step in the right direction!

I plan on running this afternoon when it is a little warmer!  I am also trying to get back on a flylady schedule to get my house clean and ready to put on the market in a couple months.  Does anyone have any advice??

21 days to a more disciplined life: Day 4

I know this has taken a long time but we were busy having fun! The last week we had Halloween parties, Dinner with Grandparents, time with my niece, went to the art museum, and I even got to watch a friend try on Wedding dresses.  Here are some pictures:

 Marcus as a lego!

The kids playing at the Halloween party!

Saturday all museums were free from 5pm to 10pm so a friend and I took her three boys, Marcus and my niece.  It wasn't all that impressive but the boys enjoyed painting! Then we had dinner at the park.  It is getting chilly at night!

Day 4 is writing down habits that you want to break and some that you want to develop.  I picked my top three and although they don't sound like much they are baby steps to much bigger things.

1. Stop biting my nails!  It is such a nervous habit for me, when I'm waiting for something, watching sporting events (ahhh), or even when I'm bored.  It would be nice to grow them out and paint them, that hasn't happened since I was 16!

2. Keeping our kitchen table clean.  This needs to be a habit for both Marcus and I.  It is constantly covered with junk!

3.Keeping my car clean.  This is also a habit for both of us to fix.  A dirty car makes me crazy but yet I never do anything about it!

I am slowly getting there.  It didn't help that I woke up not feeling well today, of course it always happens on my day off when I have a list of things to do.  I guess this teaches me to wait!

Happy Election Day!  Hope everyone voted!!

21 Days to a More Disciplined Life: Day 1, 2 and 3

Yes I am slacking on posting progress from my 21 day adventure to a More Disciplined Life but here it is!

Day One-Discipline is a choice.  I had to pick one small project that was nagging me and do it!  I picked a pile in my living room that collects things and put it all away.
Before:

 Talk about procrastination!  This literally took me ten minutes and I even dusted woohoo!

After:

I also had to pick a major project to complete the next 21 days and I decided I want to run a mile without stopping by then.  21 days is plenty of time for me to build up my endurance. 

Day 2: Discipline is a process, that is for sure.  As I was completing day 1 I kept finding several closets and cupboards to clean out...oh boy.

Today I had to pick one simple thing to change and follow through with.  I picked making sure all the dishes are done and put away before bed.  It really does make the mornings easier when the kitchen is clean!

Ooooh Shiny!

Day 3: Start With The Small Things.  It is almost like the Dave Ramsey's Snowball effect.  Start with the small things and the big things aren't as overwhelming!

I had to pick one bad habit I want to reverse and I chose Laundry.  I am terrible with leaving it in the basket without folding it or folding it but taking a week to put it away.  Anyone else have this problem??  So here was my couch today

Not too much but enough.  It took two minutes to put it away and now I have a clean couch!

So what did I learn from the last 3 days? It took me less than fifteen minutes a day to do these simple things, why is my house not perfect?? lol Oh wait there is no such thing:)

Day 4 will be delayed due to Halloween fun but then I will be back and ready to roll!

21 Days to a More Disciplined Life

 Crystal Paine from Money Saving Mom has been an inspiration for many women. Her blog along with her books have made her a household name.  The best part of her blog is that she is real.  She tells it like it is and shows all sides of herself, including her struggles.  She lets us know that we don't have to be perfect and that things aren't always going to come easily, especially a disciplined life.

When we are younger discipline means we are in trouble, as we grow older it means an activity or regimen that develops or improves a skill. I don't know about you but I can always use some improving in different parts of my life.

This book came at the perfect time.  A friend and I have made each other accountability partners for eating better and working out.  Both for health reasons.  After reading the book, I was excited to get started.  It's almost as if she has given us 21 days of homework.  Not the boring kind of  homework from school but homework to improve ourselves.



She helps you along with encouragement and gives you alternatives if something doesn't go the way you had planned, a back up plan.  We all know life gets in the way of our plans and we can either get hung up on that or trust ourselves to get through it.  In the process we might actually discover things about ourselves we never knew was possible. She is that friend that is there everyday pushing you and offering advice.


There are some very important points I got from this book and hopefully you do too.

-Recognizing the problem and wanting to change it.  We can all make goals but if we don't recognize the ways we are avoiding getting those things done then we never will.

-Patience.  In weight loss they say it didn't take a person a day to gain weight and it won't take a day to lose it.  It takes time and hard work to reach your goals but when you do the feeling is amazing!.

-Be realistic. We all set higher goals for ourselves than we can accomplish and then feel beat down when we can't meet them. It is all about baby steps.  Even 15 minutes at a time does something.

-The final one is Just Do It! If you don't it won't ever get done!

I will be posting all 21 days on here and I hope you will follow me in my journey!

If you are interested in the book it is 4.99 but only 21 days away from a more disciplined life!

So today I start my 21 days!  The first step is a pile of stuff I need to take to my basement! And I'm off.....

21 Days to a More Disciplined Life-Ebook

My computer has been broken but I have a blog post coming about this ebook!  I didn't want anyone to miss out on the deal they are having right now.  It is .99 right now and then goes up to 4.99 tomorrow so get it while it is HOT!!!
 Go here to buy it:
http://www.jvzoo.com/c/41421/18792

And if you want to know more about the author please go to moneysavingmom.com

The Homecoming of Samuel Lake

The Homecoming of Samuel Lake by Jenny Wingfield

Sorry I haven't been keeping up with the books part of this blog!  If I'm being honest I haven't been reading much.  I have about four books started and haven't been able to get into any of them.  I don't know what is up with books these days and music but they just aren't any great ones anymore.  Anyone that knows me, knows that I practically eat books (not literally that would be weird).  I have been known to read six books in one week, Janet Evanovich for example.  If you have never read her DO IT!  She is incredibly funny! I am mostly a murder mystery book kind of girl and if I shared those with you, you would be bored.  Anyone that reads those knows that they are all basically the same but yet I can't get enough of them.  I have been really trying to read other genres of books.

 I saw The Homecoming of Samuel Lake at the grocery store and got it from the library. It took me awhile to get through it but once I did it was great.  It has some wonderful lessons about family and how sometimes bad things happen for good reasons to bring people together.  I can't give you too much about this book because it will ruin the story but it was definitely a good time for me to read it.  I needed that lesson!!

Next on the list are Afraid To Die by Lisa Jackson and You Don't Want To Know by Lisa Jackson.

The Homecoming of Samuel Lake

The Homecoming of Samuel Lake by Jenny Wingfield

Sorry I haven't been keeping up with the books part of this blog!  If I'm being honest I haven't been reading much.  I have about four books started and haven't been able to get into any of them.  I don't know what is up with books these days and music but they just aren't any great ones anymore.  Anyone that knows me, knows that I practically eat books (not literally that would be weird).  I have been known to read six books in one week, Janet Evanovich for example.  If you have never read her DO IT!  She is incredibly funny! I am mostly a murder mystery book kind of girl and if I shared those with you, you would be bored.  Anyone that reads those knows that they are all basically the same but yet I can't get enough of them.  I have been really trying to read other genres of books.

 I saw The Homecoming of Samuel Lake at the grocery store and got it from the library. It took me awhile to get through it but once I did it was great.  It has some wonderful lessons about family and how sometimes bad things happen for good reasons to bring people together.  I can't give you too much about this book because it will ruin the story but it was definitely a good time for me to read it.  I needed that lesson!!

Next on the list are Afraid To Die by Lisa Jackson and You Don't Want To Know by Lisa Jackson.

Fifty Shades Freed/ The Lost Years

Well I took a break from Fifty Shades Freed to read one of my favorite authors Mary Higgins Clark.
Fifty Shades Freed hasn't been as good as the first two. I think if you are going to write more than one book they should all be just as good. The sex is definitely interesting but by the third book it gets old.
The Lost Years- I always fly through her books but this one has taken a little longer....2 days instead of one lol its a very different plot than her normal books. It has some religion in it but since its the famous Mary Higgins I am giving it a chance!

Fifty Shades Darker

Well I finished the second one and have started the 3rd. Let's just say its not disappointing! The second one reels you in just as easily as the first!

Fifty Shades Of Grey

There has been some controversy about this book and its perfectly understandable. It is X Rated for sure. But it is also as good as they say it is. It had me enthralled for less than 24 hours. I am a fast reader normally but this one was extremely hard to put down. It isn't just a book about sex it is also a love story. It is HOT! This is definitely not a cheesy romance novel. Very Highly Recommended! I'm buying the 2nd one tomorrow!

Catching Fire

Well after weeks of trying to read it I have given up. It just isn't a good book. The writing isn't good and the story just didn't keep my attention. I don't understand all of the fuss over these books!

Off to better books (hopefully)

Catching Fire

I thought since the beginning of my name is Books that maybe I should include some in here:)

I read The Hunger Games and have now moved onto the second book.  I have to say that although the first book kept my attention and I thought it was a good story, it didn't stand up to it's hype. Well to me anyway, let's see if the second one does!