Week-in-Review--November 13, 2017

This last week G and I were a bit under the weather. I didn't get as much posted or looked at or done as I would have liked. I managed to cook a few more meals at home and we even headed out to go bowling over the weekend!

Books Finished:

The Jumbies by Tracey Baptiste and Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie.

Currently Reading:

Harry Potter and the Sorceror's Stone by J.K. Rowling (reading with G), We Were Eight Years in Power: An American Tragedy by Ta-Nehisi Coates, From Here to Eternity: Traveling the World to Find the Good Death by Caitlin Doughty. I've got a couple of classics that I'm starting and want to see which one catches my fancy before I commit!

Listening To:

Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders on Audible. I'm almost done!

Watching:

Movies about death and grief.

The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby: Them was a beautiful and poignant look at how we each experience grief differently and how it affects everyone around us. Quite a surprise for me.

Alias Grace was a great mini-series. Beautiful sets and the acting was flawless.

Making:

I made two different soups this week that went over well. Also spiced up my spaghetti with some meat. It's the little things. I'll be making some different cocktails and sides for Friendsgiving next week. And probably a pie for Thanksgiving with the family!

Looking forward to:

I'll tell you what I'm not looking forward to. DH is heading out of country to Taiwan for a few weeks. It'll be lonely having him gone, especially with Thanksgiving and our anniversary around the corner. But we'll make do. My plans are to come up with some fine ideas to do with the little one and hopefully make the time away seem a bit faster.


Pics from the week:

Nala basking in the warm sun! So pretty!

We got to help a friend out by babysitting their kitten Kimchi while they moved last weekend! Adorable!

Bowling night!!!

Happy Carl Sagan Day!

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Carl Sagan was born November 9, 1934 and would be 83 years old if he were alive today. He was a great science popularlizer during the 70s, 80s, and early 90s. He created the Cosmos series and wrote Contact and The Demon-haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark.

I grew up on Sagan. My mom loved him and instilled in me a love too. His life was taken too early. I enjoy paying a little homage to him every year on his birthday. I try to rewatch the original Comsos series at least once a year. He was a beautiful writer and eloquent speaker.

The History of Love by Nicole Krauss

Goodreads Summary:

Fourteen-year-old Alma Singer is trying to find a cure for her mother's loneliness. Believing she might discover it in an old book her mother is lovingly translating, she sets out in search of its author. Across New York an old man called Leo Gursky is trying to survive a little bit longer. He spends his days dreaming of the lost love who, sixty years ago in Poland, inspired him to write a book. And although he doesn't know it yet, that book also survived: crossing oceans and generations, and changing lives... 

What I liked:

• The characters were all very interesting and different.
• The overall story was a beautiful concept.
• I enjoyed Alma's search for the author of this amazing book.

Didn't like:

• The story was hard to follow. There are various characters and there are various times in history as well. I'm still a bit confused.
• I wanted the story to have more impact for these characters at the end. It felt a little lackluster. But maybe that's the point. Life is life and sometimes--well, most of the time life doesn't turn out how we expect.

Overall, it's a pretty story but a little harsher than I was expecting.

Nonfiction November Week 2-- Nonfiction/fiction Pairings

This week is hosted by Sarah's Book Shelves. Pick a fiction book you'd pair up with your favorite non-fiction book.

My pick would be Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates and The Hate U Give by Angie Thompson. Coates' book gives you a perspective of being Black in America and what it's been like for him and what he hopes for his own son. The Hate U Give brings a lot of these experiences into a story for young adults. It's gripping and emotional; they complement each other.

Week-in-Review-- Halloween!

We had a great Halloween! The weather was a little chilly but nothing we couldn't handle. G looked adorable in his cat costume and he loaded up on all the candy. I told him he could trade in his candy for money but he hasn't taken me up yet on that offer....

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Books Finished:

The History of Love by Nicole Krauss. I haven't read a book like this in a long time. Smoke Get In Your Eyes & Other Lessons from the Crematory by Caitlin Doughty. This was so good. So many thoughts....

Currently Reading:

The Jumbies by Tracey Baptiste (reading aloud with my son), We Were Eight Years in Power: An American Tragedy by Ta-Nehisi Coates, From Here to Eternity: Traveling the World to Find the Good Death by Caitlin Doughty.

Listening To:

Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders on Audible.

Watching:

Movies about death and grief. Obit-- a documentary of the obituary writers at the New York Times. What is their process and how do they make a good story?

The Big Chill--A group of old college friends get together after their friend dies by suicide. An interesting look on how an early death forces us to look our life choices and where should we from here.

The Descendants--This is one of my favorites. A look at how we face the death of a loved one, all the good and bad that comes out of our relationships.

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My Life--Michael Keaton and Nicole Kidman are fantastic in this. What do we do when we know death is right around the corner? How do we make sure we leave a legacy and patch up relationships before we die? All the feels in this one.

Making:

Lots of soups and breads and warm drinks! This week I'll be making some hearty meals of chicken and potatoes and creamy chicken noodle soup. They are new recipes so we shall see how the fam-fam likes them.

Looking forward to:

This whole month and season. I'm loving my readings and watchings on death and grief. I'm feeling the feels and it's been good for me. I'm reflecting more on my life and wanting to make sure my eventual death is a good one.

Also the weekend! Date night on Friday and fabulous soup on the weekend!

Pics from the week:

Nala enjoyed her time by Death!

Haunted Hustle 5K

Cute black cat!

Chilling with friends!

This was a fun shot!

DH and me

Non-fiction November 2017

I love non-fiction. I love learning about new things, ideas, places, people, you name it. I was happy to hear about a whole month dedicated to non-fiction. I'll still read a few fiction books in there but this month I'll be focusing on books about death and grief. This time of the year puts me in that mood. It's a way to focus on life and what I'm grateful for.

A big thanks to JulzReads, Sarah's Book Shelves, Doing Dewey, Emerald City Book Review, and Sophisticated Dorkiness for putting on this fantastic non-fiction November!

My Nonfiction Year at-a-glance:

• How to Read Literature Like a Professor by Thomas C. Foster
• Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis by J.D. Vance
• H Is For Hawk by Helen MacDonald
• Shrill: Notes From a Loud Woman by Lindy West
• Good Without God: What a Billion Nonreligious People Do Believe by Greg M. Epstein
• Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race by Margot Lee Shetterly
• The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
• March: Book One by John Robert Lewis
• Hyperbole and a Half by Allie Brosh
• Hunger: A Memoir of (My) Body by Roxane Gay
• Astrophysics for People in a Hurry by Neil deGrasse Tyson
• The World Without Us by Alan Weisman
• The Girl With the Lower Back Tattoo by Amy Schumer
• Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage County Murders and the Birth of the FBI by David Grann
• Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic by Alison Bechdel
• Al Franken, Giant of the Senate by Al Franken
• Anything We Love Can Be Saved by Alice Walker
• Are You My Mother? by Alison Bechdel
• Shattered: Inside Hillary Clinton's Doomed Campaign by Jonathon Allen

Week One's questions:

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What has been your favorite non-fiction read this year?

Easy. Hunger: A Memoir of (My) Body by Roxane Gay.

What one have you recommended the most?

Once again Hunger: A Memoir of (My) Body and close second is Shattered: Inside Hillary Clinton's Doomed Campaign by Jonathon Allen.

What is the one topic or type of non-fiction you haven't read enough of yet? 

History. I have so many of them I want to get to but they are very big and it would take a lot of time to truly get through them.

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What are you hoping to get out of participating in non-fiction November?

I love mini-challenges. I love seeing what other people are reading. It'll be a way for me to reflect on what I'm reading this month and engage with other nonfiction lovers.

Cat Thursday-- November 2, 2017

Welcome to the weekly meme (hosted by True Book Addict) that celebrates the wonders and sometime hilarity of cats! Join us by posting a favorite LOL cat pic you may have come across, famous cat art or even share with us pics of your own beloved cat(s)

I hope everyone had a Happy Halloween!

PetaPixel featured Japanese photographer, Hisakata Hiroyuki, who specializes in taking action shots of cats to make them look they're doing martial arts. Here are a few of my favorites:

Go check out the original article for more information on Hiroyuki's work!

R.I.P. Challenge and FrightFall Read-a-thon Wrap-up

I had a lot of fun reading horror and thrillers these last two months. I'm sad Halloween is over but I am also ready to read differently this next month. I finished half of my original to-read list and added a few others along the way.

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I finished:

1. White Crow by Marcus Sedgwick
2. Black-eyed Susans by Julia Heaberlin
3. It by Stephen King
4. The Troop by Nick Cutter
5. I Remember You: A Ghost Story by Yrsa Sigurdardottir
6. The Last Days of Jack Sparks by Jason Arnopp
7. Certain Dark Things by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

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Watched:

1. It
2. Clown Town
3. Jeepers Creepers
4. Raw
5. Friday the 13th
6. Watcher in the Woods
7. Stranger Things
8. Dead Awake
9. Gerald's Game
10. Tremors

There were probably more shows and movies but those are the ones on my brain.

My favorite reads were I Remember You and The Last Days of Jack Sparks. My favorite movie was Gerald's Game and It, both Stephen King stories...

I can't wait til next year!

Top Ten Tuesday-- Favorite Horror Books

hosted by The Broke and The Bookish

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Happy Halloween! This week is a Halloween freebie so I'm going to list my favorite horror books. I'm also including children's books. In no particular order.

1. The Night Gardener by Jonathon Auxier

2. Scariest Stories You've Ever Heard (various authors) (I, II, and III).

3. Let the Right One In by John Ajvide Lindqvist

4. The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova

5. The Ritual by Adam Nevill

6. Hell House by Richard Matheson

7. Dracula by Bram Stoker

8. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

9. Last Days of Jack Sparks by Jason Arnopp

10. Horrorstor by Grady Hendrix

Week-in-Review-- Fall Break Vacay!

I'm finally recovering from our Fall Break vacation to northern California! We had so much fun visiting the Redwoods, Great Cats Wild Life Preserve, Oregon National Caves, and even the beach! This week was a lot of catch up and recovery. And yay to Halloween on Tuesday!

Books Finished:

Certain Dark Things by Silvia Moreno-Garcia. I was hoping to get through one more but I didn't quite make it with how the week turned out.

Currently Reading:

The History of Love by Nicole Krauss,  The Jumbies by Tracey Baptiste (reading aloud with my son), and We Were Eight Years in Power: An American Tragedy by Ta-Nehisi Coates.

Listening To:

Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders on Audible and Spooked.

Watching:

The Mindhunter and Stranger Things.

Making:

Lots of Halloween-themed cocktails this month for my movie nights! They've all been a success! I will also be cooking like crazy Monday and Tuesday for Halloween!

Looking forward to:

Halloween! I'll be making chili and chicken tortellini, corn bread, apple cider, and Halloween-themed jelly shots! Devoted son is going as a black kitty cat and I'll be a witch and he will be my familiar.

Vacay Pics!

Burney Falls

Pebble beach, Oregon Vortex, Oregon National Caves

Trees of Mystery

Virginia City, NV (Old Saloon Town)

Certain Dark Things by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Goodreads Summary

Certain Dark Things combines elements of Latin American mythology with a literary voice that leads readers on an exhilarating and fast-paced journey.

Welcome to Mexico City, an oasis in a sea of vampires. Here in the city, heavily policed to keep the creatures of the night at bay, Domingo is another trash-picking street kid, just hoping to make enough to survive. Then he meets Atl, the descendant of Aztec blood drinkers. Domingo is smitten. He clings to her like a barnacle until Atl relents and decides to let him stick around.

But Atl's problems, Nick and Rodrigo, have come to find her. When they start to raise the body count in the city, it attracts the attention of police officers, local crime bosses, and the vampire community. Atl has to get out before Mexico City is upended, and her with it.

What I liked:

Moreno-Garcia sets up a fascinating world where vampires exist as other evolved hominids. It's truly fascinating.

What I didn't like:

I felt like this was a very short introduction into her vampire-filled world. The first half of the book was really slow. And it's a very short book.

Terrible things happen to our characters without a lot of time to process it. We care but she won't let us care too much.

Her two protagonists had zero chemistry. That's weird, right? She made them both up. But I didn't feel it; it felt very forced.

I liked it but I wanted to love it. I hope she delves back into this strange world with a better plot and character development.

Cat Thursday-- October 26, 2017

Welcome to the weekly meme (hosted by True Book Addict) that celebrates the wonders and sometime hilarity of cats! Join us by posting a favorite LOL cat pic you may have come across, famous cat art or even share with us pics of your own beloved cat(s)

Here we have Timmy the cat who likes to steal tiger plush toys! It's adorable. He even has his own Facebook page.



Next up is Maru, the famous Japanese cat that can get almost into any box or container and sit there!

The Last Days of Jack Sparks by Jason Arnopp

Goodreads Summary:

Jack Sparks died while writing this book. This is the account of his final days.

In 2014, Jack Sparks - the controversial pop culture journalist - died in mysterious circumstances.

To his fans, Jack was a fearless rebel; to his detractors, he was a talentless hack. Either way, his death came as a shock to everyone.

It was no secret that Jack had been researching the occult for his new book. He'd already triggered a furious Twitter storm by mocking an exorcism he witnessed in rural Italy.

Then there was that video: thirty-six seconds of chilling footage that Jack repeatedly claimed was not of his making, yet was posted from his own YouTube account.

Nobody knew what happened to Jack in the days that followed - until now. This book, compiled from the files found after his death, reveals the chilling details of Jack's final hours. 

What I liked:

• This was very creepy and I had at least one bad dream. Once again I read this mostly at night in a hotel room with only a headlamp...so that could have something to do with it!
• I liked the take on demon possession. It was way creepier than the Exorcist.
• Also funny. Jack was a horrible person but he made me laugh.
• I enjoyed the style of the book. The book is put together after his death by his brother and he adds in emails and transcripts and letter from other characters so we get two different takes--Jack Sparks' and what really happened.
• He's an unreliable narrator. Is he telling the truth? Has he gone mad

What I didn't like:

• The skeptical part of Jack's character was highly cliched. He wasn't believable.
• But once again he's an unreliable narrator so maybe that's the point?

Overall this was a fun book to read. It's different from anything I've read before and it was super creepy. I look forward to more from him.

I Remember You by Yrsa Sigurdardottir

Goodreads Summary:

In this terrifying tale, three friends set to work renovating a rundown house in a remote, totally isolated location. But they soon realize they are not as alone as they thought. Something wants them to leave. Meanwhile, in a nearby town, a young doctor investigating the suicide of an elderly woman discovers that she was obsessed with his vanished son. When the two stories collide, the shocking truth becomes horribly clear.

In the vein of Stephen King and John Ajvide Lindqvist, this horrifying thriller, partly based on a true story, is the scariest novel yet from Yrsa Sigurdardóttir, who has captivated the attention of readers around the world with her mystery series featuring attorney Thora Gudmundsdottir. Now, Yrsa will stun readers once again with this out-of-this-world ghost story that will leave you shivering.

What I liked:

• It was scary. I read most of the book at night in a hotel room with only a small headlamp while my son and my hubby slept. I was creeped out.
• I loved how the two stories come together in the end.
• It's also a really sad tale of two lost boys.
• The scene was superb. Everything was cold and icy and lonely. It set the perfect mood for the whole story.

What I didn't like:

• The ending was rushed.
• The two different stories were a bit distracting at first.
• There were some editing errors.
• I think some ideas were lost in translation.

Overall it was a fantastic ghost story and I did enjoy the contemplation on grief and loss.