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Special Feature: You Grow, Gurl: A Lush Guide to Plant Parenthood by Christopher Griffin
Growing up, my parents owned a feed and seed store along with a nursery. Both of my parents and grandparents loved yard work and gardening. As a result, naturally I grew up hating gardening. I love how pretty flowers are and in the last few years I have grown a veggie garden from seed with my son. I have grown to enjoy gardening to some degree or another but I have yet to master the art of house plants. I literally murder every single house plant I have ever owned including cactus! However I am envious of those that are successful at house plants. In recent years there have been…
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Review: Tough: Building True Mental, Physical and Emotional Toughness for Success and Fulfillment by Greg Everett
If you have been following my blog for any length of time you will know one thing—I do not review and/or read self improvement books. I have nothing against self improvement or motivational books I just simply don’t read them. They aren’t really my thing…..if they are yours, that’s awesome. They just aren’t typically for me. I like reading for escape and distraction not necessarily for self betterment if that makes sense. So why this book and why start now? Many of you know that I also do competitive weightlifting. The last couple of years I have invested a lot more time, resources, and intension into the sport. It is…
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Special Feature: Ghostland: An American History in Haunted Places by Colin Dickey
It’s the bewitching time of year and it is also my favorite time of year! I absolutely love Halloween and all the spooky reads, especially this time of year. But to be perfectly honest, I can read a good ghost story any time of year. While I normally don’t read a lot of non fiction, sometimes truth IS stranger than fiction and I for one couldn’t pass on sharing a bit about this spooky non fiction read this Halloween season! Last year for Christmas I actually bought this book for my sister and she absolutely loved it! Her an I both love ghost stories and when I saw this one…
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Special Feature: Agatha Christie: First Lady of Crime by H.R.F. Keating
Is there really any argument when it comes to who the first lady of crime is? No, no there is not. Agatha Christie is the queen of crime and mystery novels. She has written many a beloved series and I think you would be hard pressed to find anyone who hasn’t read at least one Christie novel or at least seen a film or two based on one of her books. I know that I have enjoyed her books as well as some of the films and tv series based on her books, and while I have enjoyed the films and such, nothing beats her actual books. I think one…
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Special Feature: The Ride of Her Life by Elizabeth Letts
I have had a life long love affair with horses. I absolutely love horses and grew up riding (hunters and western reigning). As I grew into an adult I continued riding and purchased my own horse when I was in my 30s. Horses are such magnificent animals and to be honest there is no friend like a horse. I cried for days when I sold mine. I entered a new phase in my life (parenthood) and had to pause my riding. I do know that I will return to riding one day—-that is a guarantee. When I was a child I must have read Black Beauty and The Saddle Club…
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Special Feature: The Age of Decadence: A History of Britain: 1880-1914 by Simon Heffer
I don’t read a ton of non fiction or history books anymore. I mean I kind of got my fill when I was doing my masters in history. It’s not that I don’t love history or reading non fiction history books, but I have to been in the mood for one. I do love history books, but for the most part, I lean toward novels and fiction or mysteries. But ever once in a while a great history book catches my eye. One of my favorite periods in history is that odd few years between the Victorian era and WWI. It was a time of elegance and riches the likes…
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Special Feature: The Last Queen: Elizabeth II’s Seventy Year Battle to Save the House of Windsor by Clive Irving
There has been a bright spot in the pandemic, I have finally had an excuse to get caught up on some of my favorite Netflix shows, one of which is The Crown. I absolutely love anything related to the monarchy and I was so excited to finally have some time to catch up on one of my favorite shows! I have read a lot of fiction based on the Windsor monarchy, but I hadn’t read too many non fiction novels though. In general I am not a big non fiction reader but I have enjoyed some memoirs and other non fiction works, I mean I am a historian after all,…
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Review: Love Poems for the Office by John Kenney
John Kenney’s quick little ‘Love Poems’ books have been a bright spot in my reading calendar over the last few years. While not quite a ‘poet’ Kenney never ceases to connect with his audience in an unexpected way. I laughed out loud at a number of this poems over the years and have enjoyed giving these little books to friends and family throughout the years, especially for stocking stuffers. He has a wonderful comedic voice. When this one came up for review, I was excited to read it because I know that he has rarely written a poem that I don’t find humor in, in at least one way or…
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Review: Lust Killer by Ann Rule
For ‘Non Fiction November’ my book club really wanted to read a true crime novel. And seriously, is there anyone better than Ann Rule?! The answer is no….no there is not. I absolutely love all of her novels and have read so so so many of them. However, it’s been years since I have read one of her novels. Like at least 15+ years. I went through a big true crime phase back in the early 2000s and a devoured many of her books but for some reason I didn’t read this one and I am shocked because I have an intimate connection with this book. My uncle was one…
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First Impression: Playing with Fire: A Modern Investigation into Demons, Exorcism, and Ghosts by Billy Hallowell
For hundreds of years, humans have been fascinated with the dead. Whether it’s been contacting loved ones in seances, haunted houses, or searching for a spiritual connection that will be with them in the afterlife. This non fiction book explores the occult world of demons and ghosts but through the perspective of faith. Right away this is what attracted me to this book. I thought it would be an interesting study about what you believe and how the occult factors into that. When I picked this one up I was interested to see how the author explored these topics and was eager to check out his writing style since he…