I need to preface this post by pointing out that I'm normally not negative about books. I have a hard time giving three stars or less to a book on Goodreads/Amazon and would rather not review it at all if that's the case. I don't like hurting the sales of a book. However, some are pretty well known and did fine without my review, either way. I wanted to share about those here. I am not posting this on social media, as to not make authors feel bad. If you're a follower of my blog, then you'll probably see this post. Also keep in mind that no two readers are alike. I may not like a book, but it doesn't mean you won't. There are times I love a book that other people (usually in my book club) hate.
Here goes!
The Almost Moon by Alice Sebold: This was such a disappointment to me after reading The Lovely Bones. I didn't like anything about Helen.
The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski: This one just dragged for me and felt so unsettling. I disliked it so much that I forgot the author's name until now, when I had to look it up.
Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout: One of those books that was so depressing, I wanted to put it in the freezer afterward, like they did on Friends.
The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender: It had the potential to be interesting, but the lack of quotation marks was annoying. And it just went off the edge after a while and I felt like my time had been taken advantage of.
The Tenth Circle by Jodi Picoult: One of her weakest books. The ending was so disappointing too. Thankfully she made up for it in the following years. There was a movie and I don't even know why I bothered watching because it wasn't much better.
The Best of Me by Nicholas Sparks: I love Nicholas Sparks, but I was so mad at him for writing this book. I wanted to throw it against a wall when I was finished. And I refuse to see the movie.
The Girls' Guide to Hunting and Fishing by Melissa Bank: I got this one, thinking it would be some edgy chick lit novel. However, it was slow and felt like everything was all over the place.
The Love Song of Miss Queenie Hennessy by Rachel Joyce: It's rare that I get halfway through a book and just quit, but this was dragging so much that I kept zoning out. I listened to it as an audio book, but the story just wasn't doing anything for me.
Standing in the Rainbow by Fannie Flagg: I enjoy Fannie's writing, but this one just seemed like a portrayal of people in a small town and lacked substance.
I'm sure there are others, but they may have just been that forgettable. I am not including books I only read a few pages or chapters from before calling it quits.
As a bonus, these are the types of books that don't interest me:
*Books that take place on a beach or at a beach home
*Spy novels
*Cozy mysteries
*Jane Austen or anything related to her books
*Vampire novels
*Trending series: Hunger Games, Game of Thrones, Fifty Shades, etc.
*Political thrillers
*Sci fi and/or fantasy
*Stories about wealthy families
*New adult romances (usually featuring topless men on the cover)
*Horror (although I loved that in high school and college). This is different from suspense thriller.
*Fictional novels about historical figures
Thankfully, there are more books that I love than that I dislike. I'm never at a shortage for what to read, either!
Thursday, June 15, 2017
Thursday, June 8, 2017
You can't take the country out of the girl
I am so bad about posting about my vacations. Remember how it took me four months to post about my cruise last year? This time, I’m going to try not to let a month go by before posting about my trip to Nashville. Instead of sharing my entire itinerary, I’ll just point out the highlights and post some pictures.
To preface everything, I met up with Froggie, my BFF of 30 years, to celebrate our friendship and see another New Kids on the Block concert, since we did that in 1989. We picked Nashville as it was a new town for both of us to visit and a good in-between spot where we could catch the concert together.
Highlights:
*Our Airbnb: I’ve never stayed at an Airbnb before, so this was a different experience than staying at a hotel. Our host, Jennie, was very nice and accommodating. She did her own thing, so we only saw her every so often, but when we did, we had fun chatting with her. She has the cutest little dog who shares a name with my favorite dog from my youth. If you are ever looking for an Airbnb in Nashville, check out the ones in Donelson and perhaps you’ll find her. The price was great and the space was comfortable and large enough that we weren’t breathing down each other’s necks. We could come and go as we pleased, as she had a keypad with a code for us to let ourselves in. (That worked well, since we stayed out pretty late!) Funny story….when we first arrived, GPS changed the address on me, so we almost went to the wrong house. Oops!
*Broadway Street: There’s really nothing like it. Every bar has loud, live country music coming out of the doors and windows. There are tons of people all over the place. Everyone has their own way of dressing, so it doesn’t matter if you wear a dress or a T-shirt and jeans. You just fit in anyway. I love the idea that people are performing in the bars for a chance to get discovered and potentially become famous. There’s so much energy and enthusiasm all around.
*Grand Ole Opry: This was my favorite part of the trip. I loved learning about the history of the GOO and all the love that surrounds it. Country singers seem like one big family. There’s no pretense…they show up in their cars and walk up to a side door to access the building. There are dressing rooms for every type of performer and they all have different themes. Everyone just seems to get along and support one another. They showed a video where people were told they were invited to be members of the GOO. I was getting teary-eyed seeing their reactions. They were all so genuine and appreciative. The tour guide was a lot of fun and got so excited over the smallest details at the venue.
At night, we saw a concert at the GOO. While our seats were up high, it was cool to be there and see the performers standing on the famous circle where we all got to stand and take pictures on earlier that day. The performers were The Whites, Smithfield, Jamie Lynn Spears (yes, Britney’s sister, who has an incredible voice and country vibe), Maddie and Tae (Tae looked like Tatiana Maslany when I saw her and Maddie’s super thin high heels made me trip just looking at them!), Lee Brice (whose wife just had a baby girl recently), Montgomery Gentry (whom I thought was just one person’s name and not a band), and Ricky Skaggs (classic country). They each sang three songs. This was all playing on air, as it was being broadcasted to an XM station. They even had commercial breaks. Before the show, the emcee was asking where everyone was from and it was cool to see representation from all around the US. The emcee was kind of annoying, but she kept things entertaining.
A few of the dressing rooms:
*The NKOTB concert: The main reason we were there, of course! Not only was it NKOTB, but also Paula Abdul and Boyz II Men. B2M kicked off the concert. I almost forgot all the songs they did back in the 80s and 90s, but then they came back to me as soon as I heard the opening notes. The guys looked like they had a lot of fun performing. They even put lyrics up on the screen behind them so we could sing along. Paula’s performance was more artsy with a lot of dancing and interactive videos. There was even a video with the cat from “Opposites Attract.” She did all her classics, but her show was shorter than B2M. Then, finally, the New Kids took the stage! They performed for over two hours, playing their classics and tossing in some new ones. I like the “Dirty Dancing” song, which was new to me at the time. It was fun to sing along with the songs I listened to all the time in the 80s, especially “The Right Stuff.” Of course, Froggie and I were screaming for our favorite New Kids the whole time (hers is Donnie, mine is Joey). As an extra only-in-Nashville treat, they had Big and Rich perform. Then later, they brought Carrie Underwood onto the stage. That was so cool! They even performed songs from their earlier albums. If you were a die-hard NKOTB fan, you would know them. And, of course, they ended the concert with “Hangin’ Tough.”
*Meeting Darwin Shrugged: While Froggie and DS had previously met in person, this was my first time meeting her. Honestly, it was like we had known each other our whole lives and were just friends reuniting after a long period of time. While I’ve only known her online up until now, she is the same in person. I was instantly comfortable around her. We all had a great time chatting and hung out for about two hours. I hope we’ll get to meet again one of these days.
*Manis and pedis: After we arrived in Nashville, we had to do something we always do together…get manicures and pedicures! We found this place called Sation Nails. They were really nice and the pedicure was fantastic. My nail tech had her three year-old daughter there at the time. So cute!
*Going to Target: It became a joke after a while, since Froggie had to go there a couple of times prior to us meeting up and then twice when we were together. The layout was the same as one I go to a lot. We also went to Kroger a couple of times.
Overall, it was a wonderful and unforgettable trip. I had such a fun time hanging out with Froggie and we got even more inside jokes, as well. Next time, we’re doing Vegas!
To preface everything, I met up with Froggie, my BFF of 30 years, to celebrate our friendship and see another New Kids on the Block concert, since we did that in 1989. We picked Nashville as it was a new town for both of us to visit and a good in-between spot where we could catch the concert together.
 |
| Reunited at the airport! |
Highlights:
*Our Airbnb: I’ve never stayed at an Airbnb before, so this was a different experience than staying at a hotel. Our host, Jennie, was very nice and accommodating. She did her own thing, so we only saw her every so often, but when we did, we had fun chatting with her. She has the cutest little dog who shares a name with my favorite dog from my youth. If you are ever looking for an Airbnb in Nashville, check out the ones in Donelson and perhaps you’ll find her. The price was great and the space was comfortable and large enough that we weren’t breathing down each other’s necks. We could come and go as we pleased, as she had a keypad with a code for us to let ourselves in. (That worked well, since we stayed out pretty late!) Funny story….when we first arrived, GPS changed the address on me, so we almost went to the wrong house. Oops!
*Broadway Street: There’s really nothing like it. Every bar has loud, live country music coming out of the doors and windows. There are tons of people all over the place. Everyone has their own way of dressing, so it doesn’t matter if you wear a dress or a T-shirt and jeans. You just fit in anyway. I love the idea that people are performing in the bars for a chance to get discovered and potentially become famous. There’s so much energy and enthusiasm all around.
*Grand Ole Opry: This was my favorite part of the trip. I loved learning about the history of the GOO and all the love that surrounds it. Country singers seem like one big family. There’s no pretense…they show up in their cars and walk up to a side door to access the building. There are dressing rooms for every type of performer and they all have different themes. Everyone just seems to get along and support one another. They showed a video where people were told they were invited to be members of the GOO. I was getting teary-eyed seeing their reactions. They were all so genuine and appreciative. The tour guide was a lot of fun and got so excited over the smallest details at the venue.
At night, we saw a concert at the GOO. While our seats were up high, it was cool to be there and see the performers standing on the famous circle where we all got to stand and take pictures on earlier that day. The performers were The Whites, Smithfield, Jamie Lynn Spears (yes, Britney’s sister, who has an incredible voice and country vibe), Maddie and Tae (Tae looked like Tatiana Maslany when I saw her and Maddie’s super thin high heels made me trip just looking at them!), Lee Brice (whose wife just had a baby girl recently), Montgomery Gentry (whom I thought was just one person’s name and not a band), and Ricky Skaggs (classic country). They each sang three songs. This was all playing on air, as it was being broadcasted to an XM station. They even had commercial breaks. Before the show, the emcee was asking where everyone was from and it was cool to see representation from all around the US. The emcee was kind of annoying, but she kept things entertaining.
 |
| The circle where all singers stand when they perform |
A few of the dressing rooms:
*The NKOTB concert: The main reason we were there, of course! Not only was it NKOTB, but also Paula Abdul and Boyz II Men. B2M kicked off the concert. I almost forgot all the songs they did back in the 80s and 90s, but then they came back to me as soon as I heard the opening notes. The guys looked like they had a lot of fun performing. They even put lyrics up on the screen behind them so we could sing along. Paula’s performance was more artsy with a lot of dancing and interactive videos. There was even a video with the cat from “Opposites Attract.” She did all her classics, but her show was shorter than B2M. Then, finally, the New Kids took the stage! They performed for over two hours, playing their classics and tossing in some new ones. I like the “Dirty Dancing” song, which was new to me at the time. It was fun to sing along with the songs I listened to all the time in the 80s, especially “The Right Stuff.” Of course, Froggie and I were screaming for our favorite New Kids the whole time (hers is Donnie, mine is Joey). As an extra only-in-Nashville treat, they had Big and Rich perform. Then later, they brought Carrie Underwood onto the stage. That was so cool! They even performed songs from their earlier albums. If you were a die-hard NKOTB fan, you would know them. And, of course, they ended the concert with “Hangin’ Tough.”
 |
| Carrie joined them on stage! |
 |
| My New Kid crush! |
*Meeting Darwin Shrugged: While Froggie and DS had previously met in person, this was my first time meeting her. Honestly, it was like we had known each other our whole lives and were just friends reuniting after a long period of time. While I’ve only known her online up until now, she is the same in person. I was instantly comfortable around her. We all had a great time chatting and hung out for about two hours. I hope we’ll get to meet again one of these days.
*Manis and pedis: After we arrived in Nashville, we had to do something we always do together…get manicures and pedicures! We found this place called Sation Nails. They were really nice and the pedicure was fantastic. My nail tech had her three year-old daughter there at the time. So cute!
*Going to Target: It became a joke after a while, since Froggie had to go there a couple of times prior to us meeting up and then twice when we were together. The layout was the same as one I go to a lot. We also went to Kroger a couple of times.
Overall, it was a wonderful and unforgettable trip. I had such a fun time hanging out with Froggie and we got even more inside jokes, as well. Next time, we’re doing Vegas!
Tuesday, June 6, 2017
Favorite Disney Movies
Since I love so many Disney movies (I'm a Disney Dork, after all), I am just going to list my top 10 favorites here. What films are on your list?
1. Beauty and the Beast (original animated version, even though the live action one is amazing too): I fell in love with it from the opening number. And Belle is my Disney soul sister!
2. Aladdin: I love how the story was re-imagined by Disney. Robin Williams stole the show as the iconic Genie.
3. Wreck-It Ralph: Incredibly creative, funny, and even emotional. I love the rapport between Ralph and Vanellope. It's one of those movies I can never tire of.
4. Monsters Inc. (Pixar): So clever and imaginative. I love the way the monsters turn scaring kids into a business and way to power the town. And Boo is just adorable! I also enjoyed the prequel, Monsters University.
5. The Parent Trap (original version with Hayley Mills): I watched this for the first time in forever (pardon the Disney song reference) and found myself crying during "Let's Get Together." I watched this countless times as a kid and acted it out with my sister. (I was Sharon.)
6. The Lion King: This says it all!
7. Enchanted: I love the way they turn an animated princess into human form and put her into the modern world. So much fun, while also being sweet and creative.
8. Tangled: Definitely tissue-worthy. It had a similar feel to Beauty and the Beast. Mandy Moore was great as Rapunzel's voice. I also love how Mother Gothel was so easy to hate.
9. The Little Mermaid: Such a classic Disney flick. You can't not smile when Sebastian sings "Under the Sea." And "Part of Your World" is such a great princess ballad.
10. Hercules: It has a similar feel to The Little Mermaid. I love Megara and how she won't say she's in love. There are some great songs and a lot of fun energy. And, of course, I cry at the end.
Runner up:
Cinderella (live action): This was so beautifully done. I enjoyed the animated version as a kid, but the live action version took it to a whole new level. Lily James was such a sweet Cinderella. There were some funny moments, as well as really heartbreaking emotional ones.
Warning: I will be posting a list of my least favorites soon. If you've been keeping up with my blog for the past few years, you will know at least one of the movies going on the list!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
