Furiously Happy - Review

Furiously Happy: A Funny Book About Horrible Things by Jenny Lawson
Rating: 4 Stars
Source: Library
Description:  In Let's Pretend This Never Happened, Jenny Lawson baffled readers with stories about growing up the daughter of a taxidermist.  In her new book, Furiously Happy, Jenny explores her lifelong battle with mental illness.  A hysterical ridiculous book about crippling depression and anxiety?  That sounds like a terrible idea and terrible ideas are what Jenny does best.  According to Jenny: "Some people might think that being 'furiously happy' is just an excuse to be stupid and irresponsible and invite a herd of kangaroos over to your house without telling your husband first because you suspect he would say no since he's never particularly liked kangaroos.  And that would be ridiculous because no one would invite a herd of kangaroos into their house.  Two is the limit.  I speak from personal experience.  My husband says that none is the new limit.  I say he should have been clearer about that before I rented all those kangaroos."
Jenny's first book, Let's Pretend This Never Happened, was ostensibly about family, but deep down it was about celebrating your own weirdness.  Furiously Happy is a book about mental illness, but under the surface it's about embracing joy in fantastic and outrageous ways - and who doesn't need more of that? (from Goodreads)

Genre: Nonfiction/Humor

Why I Picked This Book:  I've been a follower of Lawson's blog - The Bloggess - for years and I enjoyed her previous book.

My Impression:  I'm never quite sure what to expect with Lawson.  Sometimes you get total hilarity with rented kangaroos, taxidermied animals with pun-tastic names,or metal chickens.  Sometimes you get a brutally honest and poignantly real tale of struggle with mental illness.  Sometimes you get a bit of both.  Whatever it is I always find it entertaining and interesting and Furiously Happy was no different.  For starters I love the whole concept of Furiously Happy which she talks about in this book.  Furiously Happy is kind of being aggressively happy.  It's figuring out what makes you happy and seizing it and celebrating it.  My version of Furiously Happy will probably involve less taxidermy than Lawson's but it's definitely something I think we could use more of.

While I enjoyed this read it lacked the loose structure of Let's Pretend This Never Happened, and at times could feel a little repetitive.  This book focuses more on Lawson's struggle with mental illness particularly after her blog and first book have become successful.  Lawson does a really wonderful job of speaking about her struggles particularly with depression and anxiety in ways that make it easier for those that don't suffer from those particular demons to understand.  Not only that, but she manages to pull all that into discussions of how to fix problems with jerks in airports (I'm definitely for the pinata stick), running after actual kangaroos in Australia while wearing a kangaroo suit, and a visiting bobcat.
 
Would I Read More of this Series/Author?: Absolutely!  In fact I'd love to get a copy of this book in audio format.

Would I Recommend this Book?: Definitely!  Go check out her blog - The Bloggess - to see what you think.  These books work great in print but I think would be fantastic in audio.

This Week in Reading - December 6

It's Sunday Post time!  This is hosted by the awesome Caffeinated Book Reviewer and gives us all a chance to recap our week.

What I Got:

The Rain Sparrow by Linda Goodnight - There's a thriller writer with lots of secrets and an inn keeper who is afraid of everything.  This is a new author for me but the blurb is promising.  (NetGalley)

Picked to Die by Sheila Connolly - This is one of my favorite series for reasons I can't exactly explain.  There are generally some holes in the story but I love the characters and all the talk of apples so much I'm happy to overlook it.  (Paperbackswap)

Home for the Haunting by Juliet Blackwell - This is the 4th book in the series about Mel Turner who renovates old homes and fights off ghosts.  (Paperbackswap)

The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Dinner by Ree Drummond - I always enjoy Ree's cookbooks but I was holding strong on not getting this one.  At least I thought I was.  Turns out when faced with it at a decent price I have no willpower!  (Purchased)

Currently:

Reading: ABC Murders by Agatha Christie and A Knight's Bridge Christmas by Carla Neggers

Listening: Northern Lights by Nora Roberts.  This is an abridged copy which usually makes me worry about what they're leaving out but because I've already read the book though it was years ago it works.  I have the Lifetime movie recorded but I wanted to listen to the book before I watched it.

Watching: I've been catching up on Sleepy Hollow lately.  I'm not in love with it but I do enjoy it and I love when Ichabod has to deal with the modern world's interpretation of what it was like during the Revolutionary War

Off the Blog:

After taking a day off to rest I'm feeling much better though I still have that lingering hacking cough which makes me sound horrible.  The good thing is that if I need space in a crowded room all I have to do is start coughing and people back way up!

I have actually gotten some Christmas shopping done!  Normally I spend all of October and November talking about how I want to get ahead on my shopping but then it ends up in a scramble at the last minute.  But this year I made a list of the non-immediate family members we exchange gifts with and kind of thought up a theme for each person.  I'm so excited to have some people off my list!  The rest of the people aren't as difficult so I'm so excited to have some of this out of the way.

Saturday was Breakfast with Santa at the Tornado's school.  They didn't do this last year and we really missed it and were thrilled when we saw the announcement for it this year.  The breakfast was amazing and the Tornado got some time with Santa.  He had his list prepared and also had a ton of reindeer related questions.  High up on his list is a stuffed animal Dromeosaurus which is going to be a challenge.  Apparently it's not one of the more popular dinosaurs.

On the Blog:

What Happened:

Monday: Secret Lives of Tsars + The Romanov Sisters - Nonfiction Reviews (I was in a Russian history kind of mood.
Tuesday: Dead to the Last Drop - Cozy Mystery Blog Tour Review + Giveaway
Wednesday: A Cold Creek Christmas Story - Contemporary Romance Review
Thursday: Beyond the Books: My Bucket List
Friday: Friday Linkups featuring Furiously Happy
Saturday: Gooey Honey Blondies Recipe

What's Coming Up:

Monday: Furiously Happy - Nonfiction/Humor Review

Tuesday: Top Ten New to Me Authors

Wednesday: Body in the Landscape - Blog Tour Cozy Mystery Review

Thursday: Knights Bridge Christmas - Contemporary Romance Review

Friday: Linkups with Current Book

Saturday: TBD

Gooey Honey Blondies and Holiday Baking

One of the things I love about this time of year is getting to try all kinds of new recipes and pretend it's because I'm giving them as gifts.  This year I'm actually trying to get on top of everything a little sooner and get my list of things to go in the goody bags early so I'm not scrambling with the baking AND planning the day of.  The first thing I do is reach for my copy of Ovenly by Agatha Kulaga and Erin Patinkin.  This is probably my absolute favorite bakery-type cookbooks.  The recipes are unique and interesting and the results are unbelievably amazing.  One thing that I know will be going in the bags this year is one of my favorites -  Gooey Honey Blondies.  I may be making an extra batch just for me!

Gooey Honey Blondies

1 stick plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 c (packed) brown sugar
1/2 cup (packed) dark brown sugar
1/4 cup honey
1 large egg, at room temperature
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/3 cup chopped raw pecans

Preheat the oven to 350.  Grease an 8x8 inch baking pan with softened butter and dust the pan with flour

In a small saucepan over low heat (or in a small microwave safe bowl in a microwave oven), melt the butter and set aside to cool.

In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter, sugars, honey, egg, salt and vanilla extract until smooth.  Add the flour and chocolate chops and mix together with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula.

Spread the batter in the prepared baking pan.  Smooth out the top and edges, and then top with the pecans.

Bake for 25 minutes, or until the center is just set and the edges are barely golden.  The blondies will be fully set when cool.

Cool completely before cutting the blondies into 16 2 x 2 inch squares.

I'm also hoping to try a few new recipes off Pinterest including:
Biscoff Chocolate Chip Cookies from Chef in Training - mostly just to see if I can actually do something with Biscoff other than eating it directly out of the jar
Cranberry Orange Almond Shortbread from Craving Something Healthy
Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge from Favorite Family Recipes
Chocolate Covered Mint Patties from Mom on Timeout

I'm linking up with Weekend Cooking hosted by Beth Fish Reads

Friday Linkups: Furiously Happy

It's Friday linkup time!  I'm linking up with the Book Blogger Hop hosted by Coffee Addicted Writer, Book Beginnings of Fridays hosted by Rose City Reader, and the Friday 56 hosted by Freda's Voice.

This Week's Book Blogger Hop Question:
Which character in a book do you most likely see yourself?  If none, who would you think would be your bff in real life?

My Answer:
This has definitely changed over the years.  These days I definitely find myself identifying more with mother type characters.  I really identified with Ellison Russell in Guaranteed to Bleed by Julie Mulhern and Stella Rothchild from Nora Roberts' Blue Dahilia most recently.  They're both tough get it done mothers with a sense of humor.  So I'm not sure if I'm actually like them but I do know I'd definitely like to be like them.

This week's book is one I'm super excited about!  I adored Let's Pretend This Never Happened by Jenny Lawson and I absolutely love her blog so I was thrilled when I was able to get a copy of her newest book Furiously Happy from the library.  I'm about halfway through and so far I'm really enjoying it though maybe not quite as much as the last book.  Hopefully the review will be up Monday!

The Beginning:
This is where I was going to put a simple Mary Oliver quote but instead I decided to replace it with the idea I had for the cover of this book because I'm pretty sure it'll never get accepted and I don't want it to go to waste.  The great thing about this cover is that when you're holding the book up to read it, it will look like the bottom of your face has been replaced with an ecstatic raccoon smile.  That way you look friendly and also terrifying to anyone passing by, which is nice because then people won't bother you while you're reading.

My Thoughts:
So if you can't tell this is a memoir-y type book and this one so far has been written in essay type chapters some of which are really moving discussions of her struggles with mental illness and others are off the wall zaniness about renting kangaroos and ethically taxidermied animals and sometimes it's a bit of both.

The 56:
He sent back a single line that has never left me:
"Pretend you're good at it"

My Thoughts:
I love this little bit of advice and it's one I've put into play though I've never phrased it quite so simply yet so thoroughly.

So what do you think?  Keep reading?  Who do you identify with in books?

Beyond the Books: Bucket List

This week I'm linking up with KissinBlueKaren for Beyond the Books.  This is a meme where we all answer a non-bookish question.  It's always so fun to see everyone's answers and get a peak at the blogger beyond the books.  This week's question is - What's on your bucket list?

I love a good list so it's kind of surprising that I don't actually have a bucket list already written out!  Luckily once I started thinking about it I had no shortage of ideas.

1.  Visit all 50 states - J and I already have a few cross country road trips planned out for when the older kids are out of college and the Tornado is a bit older.  There's so many places I want to see that I think it will keep me pretty busy for awhile!

2. Visit Agatha Christie's home and other important places in her life - Greenway is of course at the top of my list but I'd love to visit Torquay and other places that were so important in her life and inspired her books.

3.  Visit Prince Edward Island - I've wanted to visit Prince Edward Island since I fell in love with the Anne books as a child and one day it will happen!

4.  Visit Ireland - There are lots of places that I want to visit but Ireland is probably first on the list

5.  Read all the books I want to read - This will totally happen right?

6.  Try all the Pins I've pinned on Pinterest - Another thing that will totally happen right?

7.   Learn how to knit - I love the idea of knitting and I love the things you can knit.  Now all I have to do is actually learn how to do it!

That's all I can think of for my bucket list.  I'm not a particularly adventurous person which I think is pretty obvious but one thing that became clear to me as I was coming up with this list is there's just not that much that I want to do that I'm not already doing.  I'm not sure if that makes me incredibly boring or just self-contained or lucky or what.  Even the things on my bucket list aren't out of reach.  We're already starting to make tentative plans on the travel and the rest of the stuff depends on me.  Plus I don't like to fall which removes skydiving and bungee jumping and I'm a big fan of creature comforts like soft beds and hot water which cuts down the list a bit more.

What's on your bucket list?

A Cold Creek Christmas Story - Review

A Cold Creek Christmas Story by RaeAnne Thayne
Rating: 4 Stars
Source: NetGalley
Description:  Celeste Nichols has always preferred to keep to herself in her hometown of Pine Gulch, Idaho...until she becomes an instant celebrity!  When one of her children's stories becomes a major success she's suddenly the talk of the town.  Celeste should be gloriously happy but something, someone special is still missing from her life.  Could the return of her childhood crush be the answer?  Flynn Delaney has moved back home for his daughter's sake.  Yet all the millionare's resources can't help the little girl heal from the tragic loss of her mother.  Shy librarian Celeste and her stories do hold some indefinable magic, though.  Flynn came home looking for support - can he find that, and true love, in the one who got away? (from Goodreads)

Genre: Romance - Contemporary

Why I Picked This Book:  Because I have loved every book by RaeAnne Thayne that I've read so far and can't wait to read more!

My Impression:  RaeAnne Thayne is pretty much the queen of Christmas themed romances and A Cold Creek Christmas Story confirms that!  Thayne creates characters that are so wonderfully nice yet so wonderfully different that it's always a joy to read.  Celeste loves books, her family, children, and her job as a librarian yet is uncomfortable with her new found celebrity and new people.  In romances it frequently drives me crazy when characters beat themselves up about doing something stupid or not feeling good enough or taking something too seriously but with Celeste it felt real.  This was a shy person who really read like an actual shy person.  The bond she formed with Olivia was so sweet and natural and it was really lovely to see Olivia start to come out of her shell a little bit.  Flynn too has his damage and his hangups and they come off as authentic and not just plot devices.  Seriously, I could go on and on about how much I loved these characters!
The story itself is sweet without being too sappy.  As is usually the case with Thayne's stories, the focus is on the emotional connection between the characters and there is very low heat.  The character development as well as the development in the relationship between the characters was unusual for a shorter book (at 240 pages it's kind of between a novella and a full length romance).  These were characters I really wanted to find happiness, not just with each other but within themselves as well.  The ending did come together a little quicker than I would've liked but sacrifices have to be made for the length and it did work.  I just wanted more!
This was a lovely Christmas-y read about love, healing, forgiveness and family.  It was the book equivalent of sitting in front of the tree in front of a fire after a long day in the cold.

Would I Read More of this Series/Author?: Yes definitely!  I see lots of Pine Gulch books in my future!

Would I Recommend this Book?: Absolutely!  If you're looking for a Christmas-y read this is a fantastic choice!

Dead to the Last Drop - Blog Tour Review + Giveaway

Rating: 4 Stars
Source: Blog Tour Click Here for more info
Description:  After the White House asks coffeehouse manager and master roaster Clare Cosi to consult on the coffee service for a Rose Garden Wedding, she discovers a historic pot was used as a CIA "dead drop" decades before.  Now long-simmering secrets boil over, scalding Clare and the people around her.  Clare's visit to the nation's capital is off to a graceful start.  Her octogenarian employer is bunking with her in a charming Georgetown mansion, and she's invited to work with a respected curator on the Smithsonian's culinary salute to coffee in America.  Unfortunately, Clare's new Village Blend DC is struggling to earn a profit - until its second floor jazz club attracts a high-profile fan, the college-age daughter of the U.S. President.  Clare's stock rises as the First Lady befriends her, but she soon learns a stark lesson: Washington can be murder.  First a stylish State Department employee suspiciously collapses in her coffeehouse.  Then the President's daughter goes missing.  Is she a runaway bride or is something more sinister in play?  After another deadly twist, Clare is on the run with her NYPD detective boyfriend.  Branded an enemy of the state, she must piece together clues and uncover the truth before her life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness come to a bitter end.  (from Goodreads)

Genre: Mystery

Why I Picked This Book:  I read the first book in this series soon after it came out, really enjoyed it and then for some reason never kept up with it.   I jumped at the chance to find out what was going on with Clare in this newest book.

My Impression:  I was a little worried jumping into the series with this one.  I had read the first one but not any since then and this book is #15!  Luckily, there were no problems with figuring out what was going on and who everyone is.  Part of this may be because this seems to be a new city for the series and so there's a lot of new people and politics but a lot of it because Coyle's writing style instantly pulls you in and takes off!  Literally in this case as the book opens with a man speeding through DC traffic to reach a woman who is in danger.
I really enjoyed how the story was told.  We start off as Clare and her boyfriend, Mike Quinn, are fugitives from an unnamed threat and the story spins out in extended flashbacks.  This is a style that doesn't always work but in this case I really enjoyed it.  The flashbacks were long enough that I was able to get caught up in the story but was also able to jump back to present time with Quinn and Clare as they make their escape.  The pacing was super fast and anytime I picked up the book just to squeeze in a chapter I found myself having to pry the book out of my hands ten chapters later!   I really enjoyed the inner workings of the coffee shop as well as the glimpse into the inner workings of the White House. The pacing and all the characters sometimes worked against me as there were a few times it took me a minute to remember who a character was or what exactly had happened at a specific time.
This was such a fun read with great characters and an interesting mystery.  This wasn't one I figured out early on but instead was kept guessing until the reveal.   Make yourself a big mug of your best coffee and settle down for an entertaining and intriguing read.  My one piece of advice - don't go into this one hungry.  Between Clare's bakery offerings and Luther's menu selections your mouth will be watering!  I'll be trying a recipe or two (or ten) from the back of this one!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Would I Read More of this Series/Author?: Most definitely!  I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the series!

Would I Recommend this Book?: Definitely!  If you're a cozy lover I think you'd enjoy this and bonus points if you're a coffee lover too!