Book Club Day Trip!

Last Saturday I invited 10 girls from my Book Club to meet in Georgetown for a little day trip and they were so excited! I loved showing off the house and all the girls loved it so much! We did a lot that day.... we had lunch, did a little shopping, shopped the Georgetown library book sale (so fun) and then while some of us relaxed at the house a few of us went on a little hike!

It was awesome because it was kinda cool and all the Aspens were turning gold on our hike!

 It was literally like we FOUND FALL! Oh ya know.... just being basic white girls excited about Fall!

 It was so fun and honestly seeing the Fall colors on the walk was stunning, perfect way to spend an hour!

So funny so we all brought rain gear but when we left to walk to lunch it was pretty hot so we left it at the house. What do ya know..... it poured and we laughed and walked in the rain the whole way back thinking about our rain jackets being all dry at the house! LOL

 During the afternoon rain we settled into the living room and had bookclub!

 You know when I have people at the Georgetown house I am more relaxed then if I had people to my home in Castle Rock. It does feel like a vacation and everyone can help themselves, we all chip in to clean up.... so it's really nice being able to enjoy the day as well as play hostess.

OMG! I got the new game What Do You Meme and it did NOT disappoint!!! LOL! We had a ball and this is a good example of the craziness of the game!

Thank you girls for making the trek up to Georgetown and enjoying the day with me!!!!

Books GALORE

A few months back this Spring I was in a bad place and I wasn't enjoying reading, that alone is heartbreaking. Thank goodness this Summer I have gotten my grove back and I have the pool to thank. I only go for an hour here and there but that time away from my phone, reading in between swimming... those are some of my favorites! I have read a ton this Summer (a ton is relative for readers) but I wanted to share a couple of my favorites with you today!

Aging and reclusive Hollywood movie icon Evelyn Hugo is finally ready to tell the truth about her glamorous and scandalous life. But when she chooses unknown magazine reporter Monique Grant for the job, no one is more astounded than Monique herself. Why her? Why now?
Monique is not exactly on top of the world. Her husband has left her, and her professional life is going nowhere. Regardless of why Evelyn has selected her to write her biography, Monique is determined to use this opportunity to jumpstart her career.
Summoned to Evelyn’s luxurious apartment, Monique listens in fascination as the actress tells her story. From making her way to Los Angeles in the 1950s to her decision to leave show business in the ‘80s, and, of course, the seven husbands along the way

So of all people my Mom the NON-reader gave me this book and I could NOT have loved it more. This is equal parts old Hollywood glamour, scandal and love. I didn't know what to expect and I love love loved this book. I read this in 3 days and I can't wait to share it with my Book Club!

Clara Lawson is torn from her life in an instant. Without warning, her home is invaded by armed men, and she finds herself separated from her beloved husband and daughters. The last thing her husband yells to her is to say nothing.
In chapters that alternate between past and present, the novel slowly unpeels the layers of Clara’s fractured life. We see her growing up, raised with her sisters by the stern Mama and Papa G, becoming a poised and educated young woman, falling desperately in love with the forbidden son of her adoptive parents. We see her now, sequestered in an institution, questioned by men and women who call her a different name—Diana—and who accuse her husband of unspeakable crimes. As recollections of her past collide with new revelations, Clara must question everything she thought she knew, to come to terms with the truth of her history and to summon the strength to navigate her future.

A friend of mine in Book Club recommended The Girl Before and we generally enjoy the same books! This is a story of Stockholm syndrome or is it more? I read this SO SO fast because I had to know what was going on. You get 2 different timelines the now and the before and I love that it switches back and forth so quick. My only negative is that I wish it was a tad more grit, a bit more R than PG... I know, I am weird!

Ten years ago, college student Quincy Carpenter went on vacation with five friends and came back alone, the only survivor of a horror movie–scale massacre. In an instant, she became a member of a club no one wants to belong to—a group of similar survivors known in the press as the Final Girls. Lisa, who lost nine sorority sisters to a college dropout's knife; Sam, who went up against the Sack Man during her shift at the Nightlight Inn; and now Quincy, who ran bleeding through the woods to escape Pine Cottage and the man she refers to only as Him. The three girls are all attempting to put their nightmares behind them, and, with that, one another. Despite the media's attempts, they never meet.
 
Now, Quincy is doing well—maybe even great, thanks to her Xanax prescription. She has a caring almost-fiancé, Jeff; a popular baking blog; a beautiful apartment; and a therapeutic presence in Coop, the police officer who saved her life all those years ago. Her memory won’t even allow her to recall the events of that night; the past is in the past.

Ok hold the phone... WHILE You order FINAL GIRLS!!! DO IT! This was not what I expected but it hooked me and it reads just like a movie! I hope this will be a movie one day for sure! I don't want to give anything away but a Final Girl is like at a mass tragedy or horror movie death, it's the final girl left standing. What do they have in common? What is their life like after? Read and find out!!!!

Identical twin sisters who couldn't look more alike...or live more differently.Harper Frost is laid-back, easygoing. She doesn't care what anyone thinks of her. She likes a beer and a shot and wouldn't be caught dead wearing anything fashionable. She's inherited her father's rundown house on Martha's Vineyard, but she can't hold down a job, and her latest romantic disaster has the entire island talking. 
Two beautiful islands only eleven miles apart.Tabitha Frost is dignified, refined. She prefers a fine wine and has inherited the impeccable taste of her mother, the iconic fashion designer Eleanor Roxie-Frost. She's also inherited her mother's questionable parenting skills--Tabitha's teenage daughter, Ainsley, is in full rebellion mode--and a flailing fashion boutique on Nantucket in desperate need of a cash infusion. 
One unforgettable summer that will change their lives forever.

Let me first say that I LOVE everything Elin writes, they are all so much more than a chick lit. They have heart, some have tragedy and they are far more complex than the covers would imply. This is a story of identical twins who could not be more different but can they mend the past to help each other now? That is a lame review by me but I sure did enjoy this book!

GOOD Reads!

 Winifred Allen needs a vacation.

Stifled by a soul-crushing job, devastated by the death of her beloved brother, and lonely after the end of a fifteen-year marriage, Wini is feeling vulnerable. So when her three best friends insist on a high-octane getaway for their annual girls’ trip, she signs on, despite her misgivings.

What starts out as an invigorating hiking and rafting excursion in the remote Allagash Wilderness soon becomes an all-too-real nightmare: A freak accident leaves the women stranded, separating them from their raft and everything they need to survive. When night descends, a fire on the mountainside lures them to a ramshackle camp that appears to be their lifeline. But as Wini and her friends grasp the true intent of their supposed saviors, long buried secrets emerge and lifelong allegiances are put to the test. To survive, Wini must reach beyond the world she knows to harness an inner strength she never knew she possessed.

With intimately observed characters, visceral prose, and pacing as ruthless as the river itself, The River at Night is a dark exploration of creatures—both friend and foe—that you won’t soon forget.

I finished The River at Night last night and I really loved this book! It was a quick thriller of a book which was just what I needed! It was The River Wild meets Misery! Each character has their own baggage and reason to need this trip and I loved how the friendships was the basis for this book! I could super easy see this as a movie starring like Blake Lively! If your looking for a FUN February book then this is the ONE!

 In a ruined and toxic landscape, a community exists in a giant silo underground, hundreds of stories deep. There, men and women live in a society full of regulations they believe are meant to protect them. Sheriff Holston, who has unwaveringly upheld the silo’s rules for years, unexpectedly breaks the greatest taboo of all: He asks to go outside. His fateful decision unleashes a drastic series of events. An unlikely candidate is appointed to replace him: Juliette, a mechanic with no training in law, whose special knack is fixing machines. Now Juliette is about to be entrusted with fixing her silo, and she will soon learn just how badly her world is broken. The silo is about to confront what its history has only hinted about and its inhabitants have never dared to whisper.
 Uprising.

There are several versions of this book, this started as a short story so make sure you get THIS cover!!! And this is a pretty thick book and it took me a little bit but I LOVED it! Once again this is a different take on the apocalypse and I digged it (no pun intended)! This book was very vivid I could picture the silos they live in and the world around them perfectly! And whats great is the twist has a twist, it's a reverse twist and I liked it! There are 2 more in this series and I will be starting book 2 very soon!

Eva Kor

Eva Mozes Kor was just ten years old when she arrived in Auschwitz. While her parents and two older sisters were taken to the gas chambers, she and her twin, Miriam, were herded into the care of the man known as the Angel of Death, Dr. Josef Mengele. Subjected to sadistic medical experiments, she was forced to fight daily for her and her twin's survival. In this incredible true story written for young adults, readers learn of a child's endurance and survival in the face of truly extraordinary evil.

The book also includes an epilogue on Eva's recovery from this experience and her remarkable decision to publicly forgive the Nazis. Through her museum and her lectures, she has dedicated her life to giving testimony on the Holocaust, providing a message of hope for people who have suffered, and working for causes of human rights and peace.

Hear me out.... I am not sure what word fits what I am trying to say but I have always been "intrigued" or "interested" or felt a "tug" towards the Holocaust. And what I mean is it blows my mind that something like this happened, like "how could this be true" and I need to find out all that I can. I like educating myself, I have read countless memoirs and historical fictions based on the Holocaust. Something about it touches my soul and I constantly look for more to read. And when you are talking about the death of 6 million humans none of what I am saying can truly express this in the correct fashion. I realize that. 

Last week I received the greatest gift, the memoir of Eva Korr pictured below back in Auschwitz.

 This picture below is a very famous picture from the day the death camp was liberated and those 2 little girls are Eva and Miriam. What they went thru and what they witnessed was beyond what one could comprehend especially for 10 year old little girls. Her story is told with love, truth, perseverance and forgiveness. And the rippled effect this had on their lives is something not all books cover and what I loved about hers.

Today Eva runs CANDLES a Holocuast museum and gives speeches on the atrocities that happened at Auschwitz. How I found about Eva is that she is a supporter and member of Because I Said I Would and gives speeches on behalf of this wonderful organization. You see she made a promise all those years ago to survive, because if she didn't survive her twin would also be killed. A 10 year old little girl having to make promises like that is mind blowing. 

 At our December monthly meeting Alex Sheen the founder of Because I Said I Would brought an autographed copy of her book to give away after telling her story and her promise... And I GOT IT. It was more than meant to be,  I read this in one sitting and I can't get this story, this life out of my head. I have spent much time staring at this autograph thinking about where the hand that wrote this came from, what it has been thru and I can barely comprehend it. It's.... well, there are no words.

 I would highly recommend this book to educate yourself or further educate yourself and read up on Eva Kor. You can visit her foundations site by clicking HERE
She gives tours of Auschwitz, which I would so love to do. Could you imagine walking the camp with a survivor? Hearing the stories in the place it happened by someone who witnessed it and experienced it? One day maybe.

Best of the Year

Ranking books is like ranking my dogs, for real..... I can't do it! But what I can do is show you my TOP 7 books of the year and they are all so very different! I didn't review all of them on my blog but that doesn't mean I loved them any less, I will link up my blog reviews for those that I have!

In NO particular order................

Best Books of 2016

* Lily and the Octopus touched me deeply for obvious reasons and you can read all about it HERE

 * Pretty Girls is a thriller that does contain a twist I did NOT see coming. And ya, this contains some pretty dark stuff but sometimes those make for the best books!

 * Last year Book 1 from Sarah J Mass made my best books of the year and this year book #2 did not disappoint and in fact it was much much better! I can't tell you how much I LOVE this book!!!!!

 * Bird Box is a book like nothing I have ever read, You MUST read this book! To see my review click HERE

 * A Few years ago I fell in love with the Kitchen House and much to my surprise a sequel came out this year and I loved it just as much! These books are tales of slaves, their masters and how life was back then. Please pick these books up and read!

 * Ruta can do no wrong and her books will entertain you and educate you on issues from History! Click HERE to read my review!

* LOVE best describes how I feel about this book, Thank you Target for picking this for your Book Club! Click HERE to read my review!

Do you have a book you just LOVED this year??? I look forward to all the books I want to read next year in 2017!!!!!!!!!

Christmas in Paris

Isabel Lawson is standing on the balcony of her suite at the Hotel de Crillon as she gazes at the twinkling lights of the Champs-Élysées and wonders if she’s made a terrible mistake. She was supposed to be visiting the Christmas tree in the Place de la Concorde, and eating escargots and macaroons with her new husband on their honeymoon. But a week before the wedding, she called it off. Isabel is an ambitious Philadelphia finance woman, and Neil suddenly decided to take over his grandparents' farm. Isabel wasn't ready to trade her briefcase for a pair of rubber boots and a saddle.

When Neil suggested she use their honeymoon tickets for herself, she thought it would give her a chance to clear her head. That is until she locks herself out on the balcony in the middle of winter. Thankfully her neighbor Alec, a French children’s illustrator, comes to her rescue. He too is nursing a broken heart at the Crillon for the holidays. With a new friend by her side, Isabel is determined to use her time in the "city of lights" wisely. After a chance encounter with a fortune teller, and a close call with a taxi, she starts to question everything she thought was important

So I wanted to read Christmas themed books this December to get me into the Holiday Spirit and the first book was a success! I picked it because it had some great reviews on GoodReads and I loved the idea of being transported to Paris. And that was my favorite part of the book, the author did such a wonderful job at describing Paris that I felt like I was there.... or at least I would like to be there. Sure, this book is a little predictable and moves fast but the Christmas season isn't that long and the magic must happen fast. I loved this book and after reading it you will want a trust fund and a suite in Paris for Christmas. Trust me. 

Lily and the Octopus (CONTAINS spoilers)

Combining the emotional depth of The Art of Racing in the Rainwith the magical spirit of The Life of Pi, Lily and the Octopus is an epic adventure of the heart.
When you sit down with Lily and the Octopus, you will be taken on an unforgettable ride.
The magic of this novel is in the read, and we don’t want to spoil it by giving away too many details.
We can tell you that this is a story about that special someone: the one you trust, the one you can’t live without.
For Ted Flask, that someone special is his aging companion Lily, who happens to be a dog.
Lily and the Octopus reminds us how it feels to love fiercely, how difficult it can be to let go, and how the fight for those we love is the greatest fight of all.

Where do I start with this one?? How about how I purchased this book many months back and solely because of the weenie on the cover. Then Oscar passed away and this book was buried very deep into a pile. Now, fast forward to last week and one day I got this weird feeling all day that I "needed" to read this book. All of a sudden I got this overwhelming interest in reading this book, like I HAD to start it THAT night. And So I did......

NOW< saying that this "review" contains spoilers is maybe too much.... if you read the back of this book you realize this is about a journey, it eludes to the end and if you read the first 5 pages everything is laid out. So with that being said I CAN NOT explain what this was to me without saying what happened to Lily. 

Like I said the first 5 pages BLEW me away, I literally had no IDEA that this book was literally about a tan weenie who had EYE SOCKET CANCER. DO you know how rare that is? And in this book this dog had a tumor above/in her eye JUST like my boy Oscar. And hence the tumor is named The Octopus.... and that description is mind blowing. Because that is what it was. ( I will let the book do the rest) And I cried and I cried all 4 nights I read this book. Lily also had spinal surgery EXACTLY like my Oscar, Lily also lost her eye site almost just like my Oscar.... I mean is this real?

Now onto the review..... This book is imaginative. About 1/4 of the book is the lead gentleman actually talking to the Octopus on Lily's head and it talking back, and Lily also talks. The middle of the book is a tad strange with this imaginative excursion to find and kill an Octopus but it is really just him working thru the fact that his one true love is leaving him. And when that happens it is almost exactly what happened to Oscar and his emotions mimic mine so much it broke my heart. Again.

What does this mean? I honestly think it was my Oscar letting me know he is there, showing me his reach from the other side and oddly him saying Hi Mom. This book was so unusual but honest and of course I recommend it. Here is a neat story, I found the author on Instagram and found the picture of his Lily.. who was real and I commented. And he replied back to me about my Oscar and his Lily, it was touching.

If anything this book taught me what I already knew.... that my love for Oscar is soo deep, absolutely a part of me died with him. And that heart ache that actually hurts has not and will not go away. I literally cannot put it into words how much I miss my boy, as does Matt. Sometimes I think, is this real life.... where is Oscar, it's literally like my head will not believe he is gone. Not ONE DAY goes by without me thinking about him and luckily lately it is all full of fond memories. Every night before bed I pray that God will let Oscar come visit me in my dreams and that I can remember them. But maybe this pressing urge to read this book was Oscar visiting me for real and I didn't only remember it, I read about his life on paper. xo

Grisha Series

Surrounded by enemies, the once-great nation of Ravka has been torn in two by the Shadow Fold, a swath of near impenetrable darkness crawling with monsters who feast on human flesh. Now its fate may rest on the shoulders of one lonely refugee.

Alina Starkov has never been good at anything. But when her regiment is attacked on the Fold and her best friend is brutally injured, Alina reveals a dormant power that saves his life—a power that could be the key to setting her war-ravaged country free. Wrenched from everything she knows, Alina is whisked away to the royal court to be trained as a member of the Grisha, the magical elite led by the mysterious Darkling.

Yet nothing in this lavish world is what it seems. With darkness looming and an entire kingdom depending on her untamed power, Alina will have to confront the secrets of the Grisha . . . and the secrets of her heart.

My friends in Oklahoma have talked about this series for quite some time, so finally over the past month I dove in! I Loved the fictional world this series was set in, it was very different from all the other books out there! I loved the strong girl heroine and the story line was good BUT for me it drug on and on over the course of these 3 books! Each book was exactly the same as the other, same story line.... defeat the Darkling, etc.... so by the time I was at the end of the 3rd I was ready to get this show on the road so I could move on! Did I enjoy them... YES BUT.... were they the BEST? Nah! If your gonna read a series then start with A Court of Thorns and Roses, now that I LOVED!!!!
Happy Monday I mean.... Tuesday everyone!!!

Bird Box

Hi guys, I decided I didn't want to step away from my blog while I am in Okc on a "downer" of a note. (AKA Last post) A friend of mine had to remind me of something yesterday that was helpful.... Remember how happy I was when Marissa got engaged? Remember how much you love cheering on your Thunder? And her point was that due to my state of mind this weekend I need to make a real conscious effort to enjoy the trip home IN THE MOMENT. Live in Marissa's happiness at her Bridal Shower and feel the love of the crowd at the Thunder game. It was honestly wonderful advice, and it won't be easy but I am gonna try.  Anyways back to todays post..... I wanted to leave you all on a post of something I love... BOOKS! And this is a good one....

Something is out there . . .

Something terrifying that must not be seen. One glimpse and a person is driven to deadly violence. No one knows what it is or where it came from.

Five years after it began, a handful of scattered survivors remain, including Malorie and her two young children. Living in an abandoned house near the river, she has dreamed of fleeing to a place where they might be safe. Now, that the boy and girl are four, it is time to go. But the journey ahead will be terrifying: twenty miles downriver in a rowboat—blindfolded—with nothing to rely on but her wits and the children’s trained ears. One wrong choice and they will die. And something is following them. But is it man, animal, or monster?

Engulfed in darkness, surrounded by sounds both familiar and frightening, Malorie embarks on a harrowing odyssey—a trip that takes her into an unseen world and back into the past, to the companions who once saved her. Under the guidance of the stalwart Tom, a motely group of strangers banded together against the unseen terror, creating order from the chaos. But when supplies ran low, they were forced to venture outside—and confront the ultimate question: in a world gone mad, who can really be trusted?

I discovered this book from a Buzzed list of most suspenseful books and that sure does nail this one on the head! This is a completely new take on an apocalyptic world and this is one that includes some sort of creatures. I read this book in 3 nights because well sure, it was an easy fast read but I couldn't put it down!!! It was just the right amount of scary to make me question a sound in my room while reading but not to give me nightmares! You guys need to read this book...... it is such a unique book, I cannot compare it to anything out there! DO IT!

Sequel Scmequel

So I have always said I can't just pick up any ol book to read and love it... I have to be in the "mood". Another quirk I have is if I finish a book I loved it makes it harder for me to love the next one as much.... I know I know, I'm weird. But I think I might have added to my weird list...... Sequels. Both of the books below I LOVED the original and in fact so much that I counted down the days to these books release date. But.then.I.read.them................ and nothing. I couldn't get into either of these books AT ALL. I do think it has a ton to do with the fact that is has been well over a year since I read the originals. And I am not one to re-read a book, I am a been there-done that kinda girl. Maybe I have to wait until a series is done and I can read them all at once?? Wah Wah.... what gives?

 The reviews online for these books are amazing, my friends like them... why can't I, I SCREAM! Maybe I am just over series books right now? I dunno but I don't like it. hpmf......

Does anyone else feel this way? Have a hard time lately with certain books? Series?
I did just finish this book up and I LOVED it.....

Six-year-old Gretl Schmidt is on a train bound for Aushwitz. Jakób Kowalski is planting a bomb on the tracks.
As World War II draws to a close, Jakób fights with the Polish resistance against the crushing forces of Germany and Russia. They intend to destroy a German troop transport, but Gretl’s unscheduled train reaches the bomb first.
Gretl is the only survivor. Though spared from the concentration camp, the orphaned German Jew finds herself lost in a country hostile to her people. When Jakób discovers her, guilt and fatherly compassion prompt him to take her in. For three years, the young man and little girl form a bond over the secrets they must hide from his Catholic family.
But she can’t stay with him forever. Jakób sends Gretl to South Africa, where German war orphans are promised bright futures with adoptive Protestant families—so long as Gretl’s Jewish roots, Catholic education, and connections to communist Poland are never discovered.
Separated by continents, politics, religion, language, and years, Jakób and Gretl will likely never see each other again. But the events they have both survived and their belief that the human spirit can triumph over the ravages of war have formed a bond of love that no circumstances can overcome.
This book was so good I hugged the book when I was done with it. I picked this book up at Target under their BookClub section, so thank you Target. This book shows you how resilient a 6 year old can be and you will follow her for the next 20 years as her life unfolds. I highly recommend this book. DO IT!!!!!!!

Ruta Sepetys

World War II is drawing to a close in East Prussia and thousands of refugees are on a desperate trek toward freedom, many with something to hide. Among them are Joana, Emilia, and Florian, whose paths converge en route to the ship that promises salvation, the Wilhelm Gustloff. Forced by circumstance to unite, the three find their strength, courage, and trust in each other tested with each step closer to safety.
Just when it seems freedom is within their grasp, tragedy strikes. Not country, nor culture, nor status matter as all ten thousand people aboard must fight for the same thing: survival.
Told in alternating points of view and perfect for fans of Anthony Doerr's Pulitzer Prize-winning All the Light We Cannot See, Erik Larson's Dead Wake, and Elizabeth Wein's Printz Honor Book Code Name Verity, this masterful work of historical fiction is inspired by the real-life tragedy that was the sinking of the Wilhelm Gustloff—the greatest maritime disaster in history. As she did in Between Shades of Gray, Ruta Sepetys unearths a shockingly little-known casualty of a gruesome war, and proves that humanity can prevail, even in the darkest of hours

I have said it many times, I love Historical Fiction and I swear I would have learned so much more in school if we read books like these two. Salt to the Sea is based on historical truth and the largest maritime disaster in our history that I knew nothing about. Rita's book below is about how far the Holocaust reached.... to Siberia? I also did not know that and thru these two books set in the same time frame I not only was enthralled into the stories but I learned so much! These are books for you and your teens, read them!! DO IT!!!!!!!!!

Fifteen-year-old Lina is a Lithuanian girl living an ordinary life--until Soviet officers invade her home and tear her family apart. Separated from her father and forced onto a crowded train, Lina, her mother, and her young brother make their way to a Siberian work camp, where they are forced to fight for their lives. Lina finds solace in her art, documenting these events by drawing. Risking everything, she imbeds clues in her drawings of their location and secretly passes them along, hoping her drawings will make their way to her father's prison camp. But will strength, love, and hope be enough for Lina and her family to survive?

Chapter Chat

The small town of Paradise, Pennsylvania, is a jewel in Lancaster County -- known for its picture-postcard landscapes and bucolic lifestyle. But that peace is shattered by the discovery of a dead infant in the barn of an Amish farmer. A police investigation quickly leads to two startling disclosures: the newborn's mother is an unmarried Amish woman, eighteen-year-old Katie Fisher. And the infant did not die of natural causes. Although Katie denies the medical proof that she gave birth to the child, circumstantial evidence leads to her arrest for the murder of her baby. 
One hundred miles away, Philadelphia defense attorney Ellie Hathaway has achieved an enviable, high-profile career. But her latest court "victory" has set the sands shifting beneath her. Single at thirty-nine and unsatisfied with her relationship, Ellie doesn't look back when she turns down her chance to make partner and takes off for an open-ended stay at her great-aunt's home in Paradise. 
Fate brings her to Katie Fisher. Suddenly, Ellie sees the chance to defend a client who truly needs her, not just one who can afford her. But taking on this case challenges Ellie in more ways than one. She finds herself not only in a clash of wills with a client who does not want to be defended but also in a clash of cultures with a people whose channels of justice are markedly different from her own. 
Immersing herself in Katie Fisher's life -- and in a world founded on faith, humility, duty, and honesty -- Ellie begins to understand the pressures and sacrifices of those who to live "plain." As she peels away the layers of fact and fantasy, Ellie calls on an old friend for guidance. Now, just as this man from Ellie's past reenters her life, she must uncover the truth about a complex case, a tragic loss, the bonds of love -- and her own deepest fears and desires. 

 Plain Truth was written in the 90s, one of the first Jodi Picoult books and it fell into my lap by chance.  My neighborhood did a book exchange and it was so crazy that I didn't have time to look at the books, I just grabbed any author I knew or a cover that looked exciting.... hence how this book came into my life! It was kinda neat because when I lived in Ohio, twice I went to Amish country for a day trip.... it is very neat to see this entirely different world just in your backyard. So I was able to picture the settings in this books much more vividly because of this. This book is a "Who did it" and the whole time I could not put it down because I had to know. In the end, was it satisfying? Maybe not but the journey to get there was worth it! This was a quick fun Winter read!

Do you know this App?? Meet up? It is a place for strangers to come together and meet up over common interests! I have been a member for a long time but never gone to anything then out of the blue I created one! As a New Year goal I wanted to get out of the house more, be more social so I created Chapter Chat a book club. And in a few weeks I have 44 members and last week I hosted our first meeting! We all met up at this awesome dessert bar called The Inventing Room which is all done with science! It's the coolest!

I had 7 people show up which is great for a meet up, I was pleased! I modeled this exactly like my book club in Oklahoma! We all got dessert, made introductions then I had everyone share their favorite 3 books as of late. 

 The group was very diverse and everyone was so kind. I left feeling just as I wanted to... Excited about reading and with a possibility of new friends. Our next Meetup is at the end of Feb at this cool place called BookBar!

 I am really proud of myself for stepping out of my comfort zone and it was a success! It wasn't a equal replacement for my Oklahoma book club, but it is a start.