Goodreads Reading Challenge ’23

Good afternoon, bloggers! I’m back from my little writing break. I can’t believe it’s already summer, and, so far, my reading goal is to read 50 books, which is usually my annual reading goal. I haven’t reached it in previous challenges, but let’s give it a try. In the meantime, I’m trying to decide on my next read, now that I just finished 17 out of 50 books. Here’s my list from the beginning to the latest:

1. An Elderly Lady is Up to No Good, by Helene Tursten.
2. Women Talking, by Miriam Toews.
3. The Sweet Spot, by Amy Poeppel
4. The Guest House, by Robin Morgan-Bentley.
5. Let It Rain Coffee, by Angie Cruz.
6. The Life and Loves of a She-Devil, by Fay Weldon.
7. Dancing With Butterflies, by Reyna Grande.
8. Big Chicas Don’t Cry, by Annette Chavez Macias.
9. Schooled by a Senior, by K. Webster.
10. The Holiday, by T.M. Logan.
11. VIP (#1), by M. Robinson.
12. Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six, by Lisa Unger.
13. One Lavender Ribbon, by Heather Burch.
14. In the Light of the Garden, by Heather Burch.
15. Lawn Boys, by K. Webster.
16. The Finishing School, by Joanna Goodman.
17. Dead Eleven, by Jimmy Juliano.

Have you read any of these titles? Or would you like to? If you’d like to check out my reading challenge, here’s the link. Feel free to follow me, as well. Happy reading!

Reading passages to consider

Good afternoon, bloggers!  I don’t know about you, but, every now and then, I like to jot down some reading passages for safekeeping.  They’re just nice to think about, once in a while.  In the meantime, I thought I’d share a few.  I may add more in a later post.  There are even a few I need to practice.  Enjoy.

• “Habit is a vain and treacherous goddess. She lets nothing disrupt her rule.  She smothers one desire after another: the desire to travel, the desire for a better job or a new love.  She stops us from asking ourselves whether we continue to enjoy doing what we do.”–The Little Paris Bookshop, by Nina George.
• “Opportunities will present themselves.  Recognize them, act on them.”–The Bourne Supremacy, by Robert Ludlum.
• “Know where you’re going, give yourself a direction so you’re not floundering, but don’t restrict the natural inclination to wander.”–The Chancellor Manuscript, by Robert Ludlum.
• “…Wipe the slate clean and start writing a new history.  But the chances were that wasn’t going to happen.  People hold onto things, especially bad things, much too long.  They let the past shape their future.  Big mistake.”–Swann Dives In, by Charles Salzberg.
• “My nightmares are me.  I have to live with the things I’ve done on this earth.  I don’t have to like them.  I’ve done good and I’ve done bad.  You tell me I can take that pain away?  That pain is how I know who I am and who I’m not.”–The Janson Directive, by Robert Ludlum.
• “If any object, achievement, or relationship was a true cause of happiness, then whoever had such a thing should be happy.  But no such thing has ever been found.  What’s saddest of all is that if we believe that our happiness depends on something we don’t currently have, then we can’t be happy here and now.  Yet here and now is the only time we can be happy.  We can’t be happy in the future; it doesn’t yet exist.”–The Dalai Lama’s Cat and the Art of Purring, by David Michie.
• “The things you fear are all inside your own heads.  And I sometimes think such fears make life not worth living.  Is it a life to be in terror every day?  To start whenever anyone knocks at the door?  To recoil in shock from every thoughtless insult?  If those are the conditions on which we hold our own freedom to be ourselves, marry, bring up children, worship, then it is no freedom at all.  You cannot live a life forever waiting for it to end.  And it is such a waste when we could be so happy.”–J, by Howard Jacobson.
• “The trouble is that so many people, most of them women, think they have to have a perfect body to be loved.  But all it has to do is be capable of loving—and being loved.”–The Little Paris Bookshop, by Nina George.
• “I think I know what’s going through your mind.  A sense of helplessness, of drifting without a rudder to put you on a course…But believe me when I tell you, you are not helpless.  You will find your way.”–The Bourne Identity, by Robert Ludlum.

Happy Independence Day!

Happy 4th of July, bloggers!  I hope your weekend is filled with fun, relaxation, and great literature.  I know I’ll be reading and enjoying the neighborhood fireworks.  Be safe out there.

Infographic: Reading Can be Good for Your Health

Infographic: Reading Can be Good for Your Health.

A couple months back, while browsing around a local bookstore, I happened to stumble upon a book, entitled “Desirable Daughters,” by Bharati Mukherjee.  The storyline caught my attention, so I finally got around to reading the entire book.  It is a fictional story of the main character–and narrator–Tara Chatterjee.  Tara is in her mid-thirties, divorced from her husband from an arranged marriage, and residing in San Francisco with her only son.  Although she is adjusted to her current life in California, Tara continues to struggle with moving on from past traditions of her life in India that she’d left behind.

Tara fears that she and her son are in danger when a young man, named Christopher Dey, comes into her life, claiming to be the estranged son of one of her sisters.  Because there is no relevant evidence to prove it, Tara considers different sources, but comes up empty-handed.  Her sisters are of no help, leaving Tara in fear for her and her son’s life.  Eventually, she turns to her ex-husband for comfort, all the while trying to get answers from her sisters.

Although this book is very well-written, in my opinion, the story was a little too detailed.  Tara’s narration was decent, with a bit of humor, as well.  However, the character development could have been better.  Unfortunately, I couldn’t really grasp the ending of the story, either.

I’m not suggesting that you not read it.  In fact, I recommend that you read it because of the storyline.  As I’ve mentioned, it is well-written.  However, the story should have focused more on the plot.

“Becoming Indigo”

“Once you open up your heart, you are going to figure out what you are supposed to do.”

“Becoming Indigo”–by Tara Taylor and Laura Schultz Nicholson–is the story of Indigo Russell, who is fresh out of high school and living an independent life in her new apartment in downtown Ottawa with her two close friends.  The story takes place during the summertime, filled with partying, music, and boys.

While her friends and classmates are preparing to head off to college, Indie is undecided with any plans for her life as she continues to hold down her job to pay the rent.  Meanwhile, she becomes distracted on a daily basis when she starts to hear voices in the apartment.  She begins to wonder if the apartment, itself, is haunted or if there is more to it.

While she attempts to control her psychic abilities, she develops a close bond with a guy named Paul.  Not long after that, Indie’s first boyfriend, John, comes back into her life and makes a mess of everything.

Eventually, Indie meets Annabelle, a woman who shares the same, psychic abilities and teaches Indie to use tarot and oracle cards.  While getting in touch with her supernatural abilities, and facing heartache and danger, Indie is taught to follow her intuition and discover who she should trust.

As I started reading toward the middle of the story, I couldn’t really put it down.  I kept telling myself that I have to know what else happens.  This book, I believe, is a great, recommended read for the Young Adult audience.  Whether you believe in the truth behind tarot and oracle cards or not, I believe that this book is worth reading.  What I also liked is that the story wasn’t predictable.  The ending, in fact, made me smile a little.  The authors did a great job.

FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from Hay House Publishing for this review.  The opinion in the review is unbiased and reflects my honest judgment of the product.