Always amazing!

Since today is my husband's birthday, I want to talk about some things he has done to amaze me (since I already shared what I love about him a few years ago).

*The way he proposed on our cruise in 2003. He had everything so orchestrated and I didn't even see it coming. (I thought he was waiting until our birthday.) He even strung me along right before he popped the question.

*The anniversary surprise outing he planned when we were in Chicago the week of my cousin's Bat Mitzvah. He had all sorts of activities up his sleeve, from painting a plate together, to a romantic dinner, to improv at Second City.

*The gourmet catering business he started over the summer. Even though he's too busy to do it right now, he still is being asked about it all the time. And I get to taste test everything. :)

*How involved he is in our kids' lives. We have an equal partnership when it comes to parenting. I love seeing the connection he has with them.

*How well he plays piano, and that's just composing music as he goes along. It all sounds so natural and beautiful.

*He won our shul's cholent cook-off this past spring.

*Not only is he an amazing photographer, but he also does cool things with Photoshop, sometimes making me laugh so hard I can't see straight.

*When he coordinated my 30th birthday party and managed to surprise me, especially with the cake!

*How great he is at his job. He really knows his stuff and it shows. He showed me a Power Point presentation he was doing for work and I was just blown away.

I could go on and on, but I think everything listed above gives you a good idea of what my husband is like.

Books + Broadway = Best time ever!

Blog Project 3.0 has been going on for about two years, even though one of the group members changed after a few months. I love blogging with this group and I hope we can continue to inspire each other.

This week, I chose the topic: Idealize what would be the ultimate "best time ever" for you. (Time and money are not an issue.)

First, read what everyone else had to share on this topic. I will be only posting links to posts on this same topic from my group. So check back if you were hoping to read their blogs and don't see a link yet.

Darwin Shrugged
Froggie
Moma Rock

I got this topic idea from the show Best Time Ever with Neil Patrick Harris. I saw a clip from it and was thinking how I didn't see what he was doing as my opinion of the "best time ever." Oddly enough, Neil was part of one of my best times ever....Book Expo America. This made me think of what would be my ideal "best time ever."

I know a book expo would have to be involved in some way or another. However, it would be a chick lit and women's fiction book expo and all my favorite authors would be there. Some would be flown in from other parts of the world, as well (such as Sophie Kinsella). Also, all my favorite book bloggers would be there so we could connect in person. It would be like Book Buzz, but even better!

With some lovely chick lit authors and bloggers at Book Buzz 2014.

The book expo would take place in New York so that afterward, I could catch a performance of Hamilton, which I really, really, REALLY want to see. All my favorite Broadway stars (and a few other favorite celebrities) would be in the audience. Lin-Manuel Miranda would be performing, of course, and then he'd throw a party afterward, inviting the audience to attend.



Next, I'd take a trip over to Marie's Crisis Cafe because I had an amazing time when I was there this past summer and I'd be in my element standing around a piano with a bunch of gay men singing showtunes. Of course, some of the celebrities who were at the Hamilton performance would show up at Marie's to sing with everyone, as well. Lin-Manuel would make a special appearance at some point in the night.

This is what it's like at Marie's. And they're even singing one of my favorite Les Miz songs in this video.


Finally, I'd crash at the posh hotel I was staying at in an extremely comfortable bed and dream about the amazing day I just had.

I wouldn't specifically invite any friends, but whomever was up for any part of this amazing day would be welcome to join me.

Book Review: Hello?

I don't normally read young adult novels, but when I do, I make sure that they're captivating and well-written. Thankfully, Hello? by Liza Wiemer fits both adjectives.

Tricia: A girl struggling to find her way after her beloved grandma's death.

Emerson: A guy who lives his life to fulfill promises, real and hypothetical.

Angie: A girl with secrets she can only express through poetry.

Brenda: An actress and screenplay writer afraid to confront her past.

Brian: A potter who sets aside his life for Tricia, to the detriment of both.

Linked and transformed by one phone call, Hello? weaves together these five Wisconsin teens' stories into a compelling narrative of friendship and family, loss and love, heartbreak and healing, serendipity, and ultimately hope. (Synopsis courtesy of Amazon.)

When I first heard the premise for this novel, I thought it was going to be a surreal story similar to Landline by Rainbow Rowell. However, I was pleasantly surprised that the only thing surreal was a character receiving what seemed like messages from a deceased relative. Liza gets real with her readers in all other ways, taking us into the thoughts and feelings of her five characters and not holding back on some grim situations or intense dialogue. I even ended up liking characters I wasn't supposed to like at first, since Liza conveyed their sides of the story as sympathetic. I could relate well to Angie's feelings and actions, as I probably would have done (or actually did) some of the same things in my first serious relationship. Her creative use of screenplay or poetry for some of the characters added another interesting layer to the story. She even put some artwork in there, although I had my own ideas of how certain places should look. I found myself breezing through this novel and getting to a certain page number not realizing I've moved through it so fast, and wanting to savor it at the same time.

I've been recommending this novel by comparing it to Wally Lamb's writing, should he ever foray into the YA genre. There are several reasons for this. The first is that the writing is very polished. I kept forgetting it was just a book. It's also gripping, not letting go even after the last page is turned. The same way I forgot She's Come Undone was written by a man, when I read the male voices of Hello?, I kept forgetting they were written by a woman. Finally, seeing that I've met both Wally and Liza in person, I can attest that their subject matter is so different from their personalities that I would never have pegged them to write what they did.

I finished Hello? over the weekend and still can't stop thinking about it. Sometimes I think of the characters, other times the situations. I also love that it took place in Door County, Wisconsin. I've been to that area in the past and Liza captures the mood perfectly. If I lived closer, I'd go on another road trip there, as it's beautiful and quaint.

My only criticism is the amount of foreshadowing that made some aspects predictable. The outcome was what I wanted, but I was hoping for a twist or two. However, I was able to predict certain things in the musical Wicked for similar reasons, so maybe I'm just good at picking up on certain hints. In both cases, I still enjoyed the story overall. I liked the concept of "besherte" (meant to be) that ran through this novel, even if it wasn't directly implied.

Finally, I like that after the novel concludes, Liza shares a story from her own life that most teenagers these days will be able to identify with. She also includes contact information for suicide hotlines and organizations that can help with various crises.

BEA 2015

Thanks to Liza for the book in exchange for an honest review. Even though we're both book bloggers, I never knew that we'd find each other in the blogosphere. However, I am thankful that I entered (and won!!) a book giveaway that she was hosting back in 2014 and that we stayed in touch afterward, including meeting up at BEA. I appreciate having the opportunity to read such an amazing novel and I hope she'll produce more in the future. In the meantime, visit her blog.







Disclosure of Material Connection:
Some of the links in this post are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

The ugly truth about running a book blog

Blog Project 3.0 has been going on for about two years, even though one of the group members changed after a few months. I love blogging with this group and I hope we can continue to inspire each other.

This week, Moma Rock chose the topic: We often used the term, "unconditional," as in, "my love for you is unconditional." On the flip side: Is there anything in your life you'd consider to be conditional?

First, read what everyone else had to share on this topic. I will be only posting links to posts on this same topic from my group. So check back if you were hoping to read their blogs and don't see a link yet.

Darwin Shrugged
Froggie
Moma Rock

You may recall a post I wrote called "The not-so-ugly truth about running a book blog." Well, when Moma Rock gave us this week's topic, I was thinking about the "conditions" that go along with book blogging. It's not always sunshine and roses like some people might lead you to believe. I'm not abandoning the blog anytime soon, but there have been some things I've learned about human nature while running a book blog. And yes, things do sometimes get ugly.

*Knowing *too* much about the publishing industry: While I'd love to write my own book, having connections to authors who share the trials and tribulations of finding agents and publishing houses vs. self-publishing, I feel less likely to write a novel and less motivated to do so, as a result. It's not that I'm afraid of rejection, but the process of querying and multiple edits keeps me from wanting to do much with a novel that may never see the light at the end of the tunnel to begin with.

What zero motivation looks like

*People who are just out to get a free book: I'm not talking about the giveaways, as that is something I enjoy...being able to get books into readers hands. (Although I sometimes feel like posts without giveaways only get a quarter of the attention.) It's more about offering to review books, getting the books from publishers, and then never putting forth the review. What's worse is being ignored while asking where said reviews are. Reviewing for my blog is a commitment I don't take so lightly. If you don't like the book enough to review, that's one thing. It's another to offer to review books and never deliver. This is unrelated to any friendship we have outside of the blog. As one woman I used to work with once said "It's not show-friends, it's show-business." Although the blog isn't a business, per se, there's still a level of honor and trust that I hold people to. Having said that, if someone previously offered to review books and never delivered, I don't include them in any more offers until they have something consistent to show for it.
I will admit that it will take me ages to review all the books I own, which is why I have a "one feature per book" rule now. (That's not the only reason...but more on that later in this post.) I also don't make promises about books I receive unsolicited. Especially if they have nothing to do with my blog.

*It can ruin authors for you: Running a book blog leads to forming connections with authors. More often than not, these are positive and amazing. Most authors do respect bloggers. However, there are some who forget that bloggers don't work specifically for them or that their book is not the only book in the universe. Yes, there are authors who behave poorly. I won't give examples or names as to not call people out, but I can just say that one author crossed me the wrong way earlier this year, even if that wasn't their intention. Unfortunately, it is an author whose books I enjoy reading. See where the conflict of interest comes in? This situation led me to form the "one feature per book" rule mentioned above, as I realized that I need to set certain expectations as to not be stepped upon again. There was another time that an author was being completely nasty to one of the bloggers on my team. That author has been blacklisted from the blog and I refuse to do any features for them. Yes, it was THAT bad. Overall, if you're an author and we have a good connection already, I'm hoping that it will stay that way and that we can continue to be respectful of one another. I will continue to give you fair and honest reviews OR feature your book in a different way (interview, spotlight, etc.) and I'm hoping that this will be sufficient enough, as I am clearly not the only book blogger out there. #bloggerfeelingsmatter

*Abundance of books: I know this is SUCH a #firstworldproblem, but the amount of books out there can be so overwhelming. Especially when most of them take up my shelves. I wish I had the speed reading skills of one of my friends so I could just breeze through books even quicker than before. It would come in handy with being a mom of three with a full-time job. However, I do enjoy a leisurely read and sometimes like to savor a really good story. I'm trying not to schedule as many reviews for myself with blog tours or whatever else. I've also put aside five books on my nightstand to prioritize as TBRs. After each book is started, a new book is added to the bottom of the pile. That way, I only have to focus ahead five books. I also make it a point to read what I want instead of when the books came out. If I'm in the mood for something light, that's what I lean toward next. Sometimes I want a book from a different genre, like the young adult novel I just started (and am loving already). It will probably be ages before I get to read every book I own. I tend to hoard books even though I've had some for years and have yet to crack them open. So this is probably just my eyes being bigger than my mind and really a problem I've created for myself and would still have even if I weren't a book blogger. I'd probably just have less books to focus on as I wouldn't be able to obtain them so easily.

My new method. The YA book I'm reading now is on top.

*There's a lot of work involved: I try to limit the main social media sites for my blog to Facebook and Twitter. I have a Pinterest account for it, but I don't really give that much thought anymore. It slipped between the cracks. I'm also thankful that someone else handles Twitter most of the time. Still, I feel like there's always a lot to post about and wish there were a way to condense things instead of thinking of all the things to post. I know I like to wish authors "Happy Birthday" each week, but I don't know if I'll continue that in 2016. I do it once a week, but it takes a lot of time to put the list together. Bookshelf and What's in the Mail are updated bi-weekly, so that's a little easier. Still, both are also time consuming, but I don't like the idea of letting go of either. Starting in 2016, the Go-to-Gay and Chick Lit Cheerleader columns will be alternating every month, so I won't have to focus on two columns a month. I've moved a lot of reviews from the queue over to our Amazon page so that they can go up right away and it's less maintenance on the blog to get them posted. I'm not trying to be lazy, but I don't want to get burnt out either. I know I have help available, but I'm not the delegating type. I do let other people handle interviews from time to time though. I also feel bad if I miss announcing a publication day. I can't always stay on top of those and there's no easy way to do it.

*The amount of communication involved: I manage a lot of requests, even though most are for the wrong genre altogether. I am also bad at keeping track of who signed up for which reviews. I try to keep a list, but then I end up forgetting about it. I have three separate e-mail accounts just for this blog, but am considering condensing some, as it's getting to be too much. I am terrible with managing e-mail, and it shows. Again, this is something I'm bringing upon myself.

*The social pressure: Mostly the expectation involved, such as attending BEA (Book Expo America) every year. I love BEA, but sometimes my attendance might not be feasible, even if I really REALLY want to go and it might be the only time to see my author friends. That ends up stressing me out in different ways. I also feel bad if I don't share or comment on everyone else's reviews all the time, not that I'm expecting them to share mine. I try to reciprocate whenever I can, but there's a lot to keep track of.

So even with all the joys and perks, there's also the stress. I still love my book blog and plan on keeping it around a while longer. I just need to find a more efficient way to keep my sanity intact!

Have tissues handy...

Blog Project 3.0 has been going on for about two years, even though one of the group members changed after a few months. I love blogging with this group and I hope we can continue to inspire each other.

This week, Darwin Shrugged chose the topic: Talk about a time music touched you at your very core.

First, read what everyone else had to share on this topic. I will be only posting links to posts on this same topic from my group. So check back if you were hoping to read their blogs and don't see a link yet.

Darwin Shrugged
Froggie
Moma Rock

After receiving this topic, I was watching an episode of Parenthood from season five, where this girl talks about a Joni Mitchell song that resonates a lot with her. Funny timing, huh? (But that's how it usually is for Darwin and myself.)

In any case, a lot of music touches me to my core in different ways and for different reasons. I'm just going to give some examples today.

"One More Time" from Sing.
This is the final song from one of my favorite movies. It's an incredible performance. I wanted to share the version from the movie vs. the one Michael Bolton does on the soundtrack. The version in the movie still gives me chills as I listen to it now. Not sure if watching this video is a spoiler for you, but it's impossible to find the movie anywhere, so it's not like you'll get the joy of seeing it as many times as I did growing up. And it's worth watching this just for Peter Dobson's knee slide. :) I can't even watch the video without getting teary-eyed.



"Here's Where I Stand" from Camp
This scene is also a movie spoiler, so if you don't want to watch the scene below, you can just listen here. The message behind the song is so poignant. She's singing it to people who want her to look different than she does. I don't want to say anymore about this in case you're planning to see the movie.



"She Didn't Have Time" by Terri Clark
This is a great song and the video enhances it perfectly. I can't listen without getting emotional and I cry every time I see the video. It reminds me of Where the Heart is in some ways.



Beethoven Symphony 7, Allegretto, movement 2
I heard this in both Knowing and The King's Speech and it's pretty incredible. It always haunts me.


I also tend to get emotional when I hear someone singing beautifully. I remember the first time I saw Sister Act and didn't expect the quiet nun to be able to sing much, but then she when lifts her voice in "Hail, Holy Queen," I started crying. If you don't feel like watching the whole thing, forward to the 2:00 point.



When I was in high school, my chorus class did this song. It was so much fun!

Any time I hear Karen Olivo singing in In the Heights, I end up crying. Her voice is so amazing. I know I shared this video in past, but I just love this song. :)



When I saw The Little Mermaid at a local professional theater last year, as soon as the girl playing Ariel started singing, the tears started flowing. Her voice was so beautiful. Here's her audition video:



Finally, most Broadway musicals manage to touch me to my core. A few on the list are The Last Five Years, Rent, In the Heights, Les Miserables, Miss Saigon, Wicked, Into the Woods, and Aida, just to name a few. I've cried from all of these musicals at least one point during the show. I love the cathartic feeling from seeing these shows.

What music has touched you to your core? Please comment below.

Hey, It's Okay Tuesday

One of my favorite blogs, Airing My Laundry, does a post every week that was inspired by a section of Glamour magazine. She invites her followers to do their own posts like this. I enjoy doing this a every so often, so I thought it's time for another list. Since I don't do this weekly, my list will be long.

It's okay...

*To be supportive of Israel.
I've been invited to some private online parties to show support for Israel in a safe environment. I've invited lots of people to attend and some people, for an unknown reason, declined the invitation. It's an online party so you can participate in your pajamas! What is really perplexing is that the people who declined are Jewish! I hope it was just a misunderstanding on their end. I do appreciate the support of my non-Jewish friends who are taking the time to read the articles I post and understand Israel's side of things.
Tomorrow: wear blue and white and post photos of yourself on Facebook and Twitter with the hashtag #isupportisrael.

*To not do much for Halloween...other than get your kids costumes so they can participate at school.
We haven't gone trick-or-treating in ages. One year, we did it at the mall, which was fun but got kind of chaotic after a while. That was the last year we did it and was when I was still pregnant with my youngest. I offered my oldest an opportunity to trick-or-treat the following year, and he decided he wasn't comfortable doing so. No one in our neighborhood does it anyway. We get all our treats (and give them in return) on Purim. And we dress up then too!

*To not want to cook much.
It takes an extra effort for me to cook anything these days. I was spoiled this past year when my husband was job searching and home to have dinner ready every day. (Plus, he made lots of extras from his catering side-business that I got to enjoy later on.) I also am letting my older son cook more, and he's getting good at it!

*To be almost caught up on Parenthood. Started season five recently and then have one more to go.

*To be totally behind on The Big Bang Theory. I will catch up. I promise!

*To be fully caught up on Modern Family. Finally! Still loving it!

*To be a book hoarder. My husband keeps telling me to donate books. I've given a lot away already, but my collection still manages to grow. I hang on to books I have yet to read thinking that I will eventually read them.

*To rarely ever argue with your spouse or significant other.
My husband and I were recently talking about this. It's nice to know that we don't argue all that much and when we do, we're able to talk things out and resolve them. (Sharing a sense of humor helps too.)

*To not know much about whip and nae nae and not really care either.

*To be pleased when the lady at the restaurant praises my older son just for being the nice kid he is.

*To not feel bad about working from home on a day when school is closed last minute. 
I spent some time with my kids too.

*To be annoyed when people who are friendly in person can't seem to accept your friend request on Facebook. 

*To still not have a handle on my abundance of e-mail.

*To finally get a haircut after waiting a month past when I would usually go.
I get haircuts every three months, but this time I went four months since my last visit to the stylist. She told me she missed me. :)

A peek into my diary?

Blog Project 3.0 has been going on for about two years, even though one of the group members changed after a few months. I love blogging with this group and I hope we can continue to inspire each other.

This week, Froggie chose the topic: How does your blogging differ from when you first started blogging?

First, read what everyone else had to share on this topic. I will be only posting links to posts on this same topic from my group. So check back if you were hoping to read their blogs and don't see a link yet.

Darwin Shrugged
Froggie
Moma Rock

I never really gave this question much thought until Froggie brought it up. I've technically been blogging for a long time. It really started with Free Open Diary, which is no longer around. That was where I got the idea that a blog was like a diary that other people could have access to. However, it was more anonymous in nature, so random people who didn't actually know me could read my thoughts.

A few years later, Free Open Diary closed down, taking all my entries with it. Probably better that way, come to think of it. I then started using Blogger, but let a few people I know read my posts. I was still treating it as a diary in some ways and also sharing my thoughts on Desperate Housewives, as I had become addicted to that show.

I later decided to stop using Blogger for a while and switched to LiveJournal, where I could keep certain things as "friends-only" or "private" and others as open. I haven't used LJ in a long time and don't even know if it's still around. I shared some posts from there in my Time Warp Tuesday series back in 2010 (if you click on the link, some of the posts with this label are just focusing on memories). I also used the blog feature on MySpace, but that was slightly less personal.

Then, in late 2009, I started up in Blogger again with this blog. I moved away from the diary format and mostly started sharing memories, anecdotes, thoughts on pop culture, etc. Just stuff that makes me who I am. I even did some weekly features, such as the aforementioned Time Warp Tuesday, Friendship Friday, Funny Friday, etc. I even spent a year sharing information about random people, in an interview format, and called it "52 Stories." There's also the Thursday blog project that has been going on for quite some time now. Aside from that, I tend to write lists or participate in fun blog activities. While some of my posts may get personal at times, they don't feel like a diary as much. I'm thinking of rolling out something new for 2016 that goes along with a recent post about missing my calling.

As far as my book blog goes, it doesn't feel like a blog to me as much as a forum to talk about books and connect readers with authors. I don't know why I even call it a blog, if that makes any sense. It obviously is, but it seems like so much more than that. Maybe because there are multiple contributors, even though I handle the administration? I definitely think it has evolved a lot from when I first started it and I'm sure it will continue to go through more changes and growth as I keep it going.