justem: little bits of this and that

2016 Reading Review!

I have always been a reader, but when I had kids and was working full-time, reading fell to the bottom of my priorities.  I literally read ONE book in the years 2011 and 2013 and TWO books in both 2010 and 2012. You may note that I also had babies in those odd years, ha! In 2014 (aka: the first year in my adult life that I didn't have a full-time job) I joined a book club and read seven books, and I was so incredibly proud of myself. In 2015, I read 18 books. My GoodReads reading goal for 2016 was 25 books, which I didn't think I would achieve - that's more than two a month! In the end, I read 28 books - though admittedly a few of these were YA books that I read in a single evening.  I have been having so fun much reading and recording my thoughts. I read so many books in my twenties that I can't even remember now. I wish I would have kept better track back then like I do now!  I set a reading goal of 20 books in 2017, which is less than last year's goal only because in addition to going back to work, I also need to take six credits in the next six months to retain my teaching license, which is sadly going to take away from my personal reading time!  

I don't have time share my feelings on all 28 books, but I will share the titles with their GoodReads ratings, as well as a few thoughts about some of the better (or worse) ones!  If you have any books that you loved last year or have any thoughts on my reads and ratings, please let me know in the comments!! 

 

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• Britt Marie was Here by Fredrick Backman - I was pretty stingy on the five-star ratings this year. I had to be wowed...and this book was just such a perfect read for me. This is a follow-up to one of Backman's other books (listed below), but it could easily be read as a stand alone novel. Backman is has officially bumped John Irving off the favorite author pedestal after decades on top! ;) I love his writing style and will read anything and everything he writes!
• Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng - This book gutted me. It made me question every move I've ever made as a mother. I loved reading it and the subsequent discussion with my book club. 

 

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• My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry by Fredrick Backman - I loved this story just slightly less that A Man Called Ove (new favorite book) and Britt-Marie. It was still a beautiful, well-told story, but there were some fairy tale bits that got a little drawn out.
• And Every Morning the Way Home Gets Longer and Longer by Fredrick Backman - This is a novella that took me 20 minutes to read and had me practically sobbing at the end. It's beautiful and so, so sad.
• Holding Up the Universe by Jennifer Niven
• It's Kind of a Funny Story by Ned Vizzini
• Dumplin' by Julie Murphy - While trying to explain the premise of this book to my husband, I realized it sounds really, really silly and juvenile, but it's not. It's so well-done and I truly loved this YA book!
• George by Alex Geno - Book for late elementary/middle grade students about a transgender child. 
• The Giver by Lois Lowry
• Every Last Word by Tamara Ireland Stone
• The Girl with All the Gifts by M.R. Carey
• Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon
• The Good Girl by Mary Kubica - good read, but I figured out some of the "twists" pretty easily
• Counting by 7s by Holly Goldberg Sloan
• The Interestings by Meg Wolitzer
• When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi
• Fates and Furies by Lauren Groff

 

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• Shotgun Lovesongs by Nickolas Butler - I wanted to love this book, because it's basically about people my age who grew up in a town just like mine in Northern WI. I saw the author speak and even and he was charming. But, I just didn't love it... :(
• The Rosie Project by Graeme Simison
• Mrs. Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
• Patron Saint of Liars by Ann Patchett - this was actually the second time I have read this. The first time I was much younger without children. My perspective has changed a LOT since then...
• All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven
• The Coincidence of Coconut Cake by Amy E. Reichert - this was my choice for book club one month because the author is the sister-in-law of someone I went to college with. I enjoyed the descriptions of Milwaukee, but the overall storyline was just lacking.
• Orbiting Jupiter by Gary D. Schmidt - middle grade book recommended by a friend. I wanted it to be twice as long...
• The Nest by Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeny
• Mischling by Affinity Konar
• Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult - Both this book and the one right above it have some pretty intense subject-matter. However, I felt like both of them could have been done a lot better.

 

⭐️⭐️

• Life and Other Near Death Experiences by Camille Pagán - I was being generous when I gave this book two stars. It was horrible. So incredibly predictable and just dumb. I bought it for 2.99 during an Amazon sale...and I wish I had that 2.99 back to buy a chai latte instead.

Five for Friday

1. Monday evening, my friend Barb and I went out to dinner for Madison Restaurant Week. We ate The Wise. My three courses included a roasted carrot salad, beet and goat cheese ravioli, and a lemon tart.  My favorite part was the salad, which is very unlike me. I am not a salad lover but it was so pretty and tasted just as good!

2. I finished three books already this month!  That's like half of what I read all last year!!  Two were for my book club, and one was just for me. Promise Not to Tell was a murder/ghost story mystery type book. It was scary. I was not a fan. The Midwife is written by an author who lives in Wisconsin and was raised in the Mennonite community. I wasn't expecting to love it, but it was very, very good. The author is a great storyteller, the characters were compelling, and there were some nice unexpected twists at the end!  Finally, Looking for Alaska is a book that pretty much everyone I know has read.  I read it in a few days, and it kept my attention. I thought there were some pretty predictable parts, but it was still very enjoyable.  The characters were interesting and I love reading young adult books as a grown-up...it really makes me think a lot more about my kids when they grow up. ;)

3. My mom is coming to visit this weekend and into next week! I am very excited! I am going to take her to my favorite bakery and try to convince her to help me with some sewing projects. ;)

4. Um...only ONE more episode of Parenthood left!! Who watches?  This is really the only show that I watch on a regular basis.  I love it so much, and I'm prepared to cry for 60 solid minutes next week!!!

5. I haven't gone thrifting in months.  I'm not always too keen on the idea of bringing the kiddos with me when I go searching through piles of crap hoping to find one good item. ;) ;)  I did take a little trip to Goodwill yesterday while my middlest was at pre-school. I got two picture frames to paint and a lidless blue mason jar. It gave me the itch...now I want to get back out and find MORE treasures! The best part about yesterday - when my husband send me a frantic text saying, "That flower picture is not going in our house, is it?????" Ha.  No, honey. Just the frame. ;)

 

Five for Friday:

Happy almost Saturday!  :)  This has been a loooong week. I'm sitting back, watching some Parenthood, and enjoying some pizza and beer!  Here is my belated Five for Friday!

1. This has been the most beautiful fall I've ever experienced.  I like to think that it's because fall in Wisconsin is just a million times better than fall in Illinois, but I've been told by many people that this is the most vivid fall they can remember in years...so maybe it's not like this every year. (Or...obviously Wisconsin did this just for me...)  I admit, I have almost driven off the road numerous times staring at the trees and the colors in the bluffs that I pass every time I go anywhere. They are insanely beautiful. Many of the trees lost their leaves this week...which makes me think of my least favorite season...WINTER. ;)

2. I had my monthly book club last night. This month's book was The Boys in the Boat. Honestly, I wasn't excited to read this book, nor was I really expecting to enjoy it. However, it was probably the best book I have read this year (other than Eleanor & Park, which, as I mentioned before, is amazing but on a totally different scale). It's basically the story of the the 1936 Olympic Crew team. It's riveting...seriously.  I loved it soooo much. It's not something I would have ever chosen myself, but I'm so happy I read it.  You should, too. ;)

3. My newest favorite Instagram account is The Midwestival. They feature photos and stories from the upper Midwest...and anybody that knows me knows that I am fiercely loyal when it comes to my home state and I love that Wisconsin and Minnesota are so prominently featured!  I've been lucky to have a couple of photos featured on their Instagram account and I'm loving everything else I see!

4.  Have you listened to Serial? After I read a review of this podcast last month I knew I HAD to listen, however I don't really have place or a time to listen to podcasts.  My vehicle is old and doesn't have Bluetooth, not to mention that I usually have kids in the car, so that's out. But last weekend on my way to and from St. Louis, I had my husband's car all to myself!!  I listened to all of the episodes and I am hooked!  Today I actually was so excited to listen to the latest episode that I was outside in my yard raking with one hand and holding my phone listening with the other.  Yes, I know I could have found some headphones, but I like to live on the wild side. ;)

5. My buddy Ginny Hughes has been teasing me about my love for everything pumpkin...and she's right...I cannot get enough pumpkin. Yes, I drank the {pumpkin flavored} kool-aid.  This week alone we ate pumpkin pancakes, pumpkin strussel bread, pumpkin bread, mini pumpkin pies (again!), pumpkin noosa, pumpkin spice chai, and today my friend brought me some pumpkin beer...the one I was drinking tonight, in fact. Oh, heck yes. ;)

Have a great weekend!

Five for Friday:

1. My daughter and I have tickets to see James and the Giant Peach this weekend, put on by the Children's Theater of Madison.  We started reading the book, and it's been so fun for me to revisit it.  I'm looking forward to rereading some of my childhood favorites with my kids when they get a little older!

2. Can we talk about black pants for a minute?  I have been going to our local YMCA and have checked out some classes.  I really haven't been to a gym in like five years. And now...EVERYONE wears those damn black pants. Everyone.  Big. Small. Old. Young. Everyone. And let's be real...my body is so not black pants friendly. UGH.  To any of my more comfortable in their black pants friends - can you suggest any good ones for me to buy?? I would love ones that are like capri length...and maybe that are a tiny bit flared vs. totally suctioned to my body. And go!

3. My mom emailed me a link to this video yesterday. I LOVE it.  The music. The video. It's perfect. :)

4. Last year when I had a newborn, a good friend of mine made me some pumpkin pie cupcakes (along with like five other awesome goodies) to enjoy.  I've been wanting to make them ever since, but now that's it's finally fall, it felt appropriate! ;) We made them last weekend and they were soooo amazing.  They aren't cupcakes exactly...more like tiny little pumpkin pies.  They are also crazy easy to make. You should try them!

5. Have you seen the sneaks of the Gossamer Blue December Memories kit?  I have never done a "December Daily" but this makes me want to... ;)  Be sure to check out their Instagram account for all the goodness! Here's my favorite sneak so far:

Have a great weeeknd!!

Five for Friday:

1. I must say, this week flew by.  Wednesday was a little dicey, but other than that, it's been a fast, fun week! This weekend we are tailgating with friends, attending our first Badger home football game of the season, and having a grill-out with friends on Sunday.  Next week is also my birthday...yikes.  How did I get so old? 

2. I realize I am probably the last person on earth to read the book Eleanor & Park, but I finally read it last week...and I read it in less than 24 hours.  I loved it. LOVED it.  It was the first book I've read this year that just made me feel good. I realize it's a young adult book, but honestly, the writing was better than the Orphan Train book I talked about last week.  That book was mediocre in comparison.  The author, Rainbow Rowell, was basically spot-on in her descriptions of young love. There were so many perfect parts that I highlighted (thank you, Kindle app!) just because they made me smile or made my heart go pitter-patter nostalgically.  I seriously might buy a physical copy of the book to keep it for Mirielle when she's old enough to read it...with all the best parts highlighted in good old fashioned yellow highlighter of course. ;)

3. Do you like meatballs?  I don't.  I don't like meatballs, because I don't eat meatballs or any meat, for that matter.  However, I did make a meatball recipe at the first birthday party last weekend that was, according to those in the meatball-know, supposedly far superior to other more common meatball recipes out there.  I felt that perhaps it was my duty to share this exceptional meatball recipe with my meat-eating, meatball-making readers. ;) And honestly, wasn't it kind of fun seeing how many times I could say meatballs in a single paragraph.  Meatballs.

4. Guess what happens next week? Parenthood - Final Season.  YES. (And by yes, I really mean noooooo. I only watch two shows.  Whatever will I do without the Bravermans??)

5. I shared this photo on Instagram, but I've been doing a little bit of painting.  I bought an older "step table" a couple months ago that I intended on painting, but I never got around to it. When another similar table popped up on Craigslist, I picked it up, and I finally painted them both!  I'm not exactly the world's greatest chalk painter, and there is definitely a learning curve when it comes to the waxing process...but honestly...I LOVE how they turned out.  I also just bought a 10 dollar Craigslist coffee table that I want to paint, too! ;) Once I get it finished, I will share some updated photos of the living room, which already looks quite different from this post from earlier this year! And, as I mentioned on Instagram - someday that ugly loveseat will be replaced with a fantastic sofa. Maybe this one.  A girl can dream, right?

 

5 {more} Favorite Books of Summer

We accomplished our goal of reading 100 books this summer! I kept track on a Pinterest board that I will make public soon! (Still need to add a few!).  But, in honor of summer officially being over (um, can you say 37 degrees this morning?!) I thought I'd share five more books that we loved reading! Have a great Thursday!

Fishing in the Air
I love the melodic prose of this book. It is a beautiful story of a boy and his grandfather who go on a fishing adventure. The art work is also very eye-catching (obviously...). ;)

 

The Dark
I'm too old to have read Lemony Snicket, and I don't really know what he's all about, but I do love this particular book!  (Jon Klassen as the illustrator helps!) It's clever and very kid-friendly. We had a nice long talk about "the dark" after we read it!

Another Brother
My kids LOVED this book, especially the 5 year old!  She loved reading the names of all the brothers as fast as she could. It had silly illustrations and was perfect for the child who sometimes gets sick of her siblings bugging her! ;)

Pluto Visits Earth!
This was a surprise favorite at our house! We chose it because certain members of our family are OBSESSED with the planets and space. It's a super cute story about Pluto coming to Earth to find out why he wasn't a planet anymore. It's both fun and informative!

Mr. Tiger Goes Wild
This is one of my (if not my MOST) favorite books from the summer. I love everything about it. The story is perfect and the illustrations are delightful.  We might even buy this one to add to our permanent collection!

Five for Friday:

1. Thank you to the Internet for thinking of great ideas for me so I don't have to!  Ideas like our first ever Back to School Feast we held in the backyard on Tuesday night. While I'm sure my paper chains and hand cut crowns do not hold a candle to those of the many other crafty mom bloggers, we had fun, and that's really all that matters. ;)

2. Tomorrow marks two really important things...first the Badger Football home opener!!  We have season tickets and I cannot WAIT.  Football season is my favorite!  However, we are actually missing tomorrow's game for something even more important...the baby turns ONE?!?!  I'm not entirely how this is possible since he was only born about a month ago! 

3. I'm all over the internet this weekend...and thankfully not in a "embarrassing celebrity slip" kind of way. ;)  Today I have projects up on the Gossamer Blue Blog and the October Afternoon Blog. Tomorrow I have two projects up as part of the Fancy Pants Social Media Team!  I will share these layouts here in the next few days, but in case you just can't wait...click the links above. ;)

4. In the short time since my last Five for Friday post, I've actually read another book: Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline.  I've officially read more in the past couple of months than I did the last two years combine. No lie.  So yeah...I dont know if I have really high standards, but this is another book I just didn't love.  I think the premis of the book is a good one, but I feel it could have been told better.  Her writing style wasnt my favorite, and I felt like the story was predictable and rushed in places. I'm still waiting for a book to WOW me. Any suggestions??

5. Last week we made "Cloud Dough" (thanks again, Internet, old buddy, old pal!).  It's the world's most simple recipe: 8 cups of flour + 1 cup of baby oil.  That's it.  My kids loved it.  Of course, it ended up all over the concrete patio, so make sure if you try this at home you do it outside!!! ;)  

 

 

Five for Friday:

1. Next week is the last official week of summer. I'm trying to fill the week up with all sorts of fun activities.  A trip to the Circus World Museum with friends, maybe a visit to the zoo and my favorite lunch spot, the splash pad, and Badger Band practice.  I also am planning a Back to School Feast,  an idea that I blatantly stole from the internet.  Any other thoughts or ideas on how to make my daughter's first day of school ever special?

2. In all of my nearly 35 years, I have never been a nail polish girl. Ever.  But my daughter is, so I've slowly been accumulating some different nail polishes for her.  On a whim a few weeks ago I decided to pain my nails...and it was really fun.  I chose a trendy mint color, and my husband looked at me like I was nuts. ;) Since then, I've tried two or three more colors. My latest is Essie Mojito Madness. It's another green...super awesome.  I love it.  My "manicures" look like they were done by a toddler...maybe I should enlist my kids to help, it couldn't be much worse than it already is. ;) But it's fun...and something new and different for me!

3. I'm sure you've all seen this back-to-school video of the What's Up Moms at Target, but if you haven't, it's well worth the two minutes.  This is so me any time I have a free moment to myself!  And, on a side note, I read some of the comments like "this is why working moms hate stay at home moms," and can I just say - I loved back to school as a working mom because it meant my kids were in daycare. I would go shopping, get a pedicure, even meet friends for Starbucks after work while my kids were in the fine care of their child care center. Now it's all me, all the time. I'm not complaining - just saying that I think this video is funny and true for ALL moms.

4. Has anyone read the book Wonder? It was mentioned in an article I read, and I noticed that quite a few friends on GoodReads had given it excellent reviews. I downloaded it on my Kindle and read it in less than 24 hours. Let's not talk about how much I probably neglected my kids during those 24 hours. KIDDING!!  ;)  It is a book for kids, so obviously it's a very fast and easy read, but it was excellent.  I loved hearing the story from all the different points of view, and it really made me think about how I want to raise my children to be kind, compassionate kids.

5. If you've been a reader of my blog for awhile, you know that I have a bit of a thing for cheese curds. I mean, what's not to love? Hot, melty cheese covered with crispy, deep fried goodness??  Well, this weekend (only in Wisconsin, ha!) we are going to a Cheese Curd Festival. Yes. There is such a thing. It is sure to be incredible, and I will report back with my favorite curds next week!  I hope you all have a wonderful weekend, even if it doesn't include man's greatest food invention. ;)

Top 5 Summer Reading Books...so far! ;)

Our local library is holding a 50 book challenge this summer! My kids and I have been reading like mad. I think we are at 37 books so far (with a lot of re-reads), so we are very easily going to make it to 50...I think we are going to try for a personal goal of 100.  When we go to the library, I let the kids pick out the books they want...which are usually not the books I would pick! ;) But, they've gotten a few really great ones so far! I will share all 100 books at the end of the summer, but for now, here are our current top 5!

Sleep Like a Tiger
The artwork in this book is breathtaking and the story is sweet. It makes the perfect bedtime book!  It was a Caldecott Honor book!

I Want My Hat Back
I know, I know...we are like the last family on earth to read this book. We own This Is Not My Hat, and I've been wanting them to read this one. It took a little convincing to get them to choose this one, but now it's one of their favorites! 

 Little Rabbit and the Meanest Mother on Earth
I love this book. I'm sure you can guess why. Miri said, "Hey! You're the Meanest Mother on Earth!" Yes...I wear my badge with pride. ;) ;)

Lion vs Rabbit
The illustrations in this book are adorable!!  While I'm not sure that I *love* the message of this book (two wrongs make a right?), it is still a cute story with a nice twist for the kids - and did I mention the illustrations? ;)

Extra Yarn
This is, without a doubt, MY favorite book we have read this summer. Simple. Understated. Perfect. ;)

 

and a bonus book...

Chloe and the Lion
This story is cute - with the author and illustrators actually playing a part in the story. I think the concept was a tad bit over the kids' heads, but they still loved it and thought it was hilarious! ;)

Five for Friday:

1. Right after I posted my question about books to read, I was invited to join a book club!  The June book was Sea Creatures, which was written by local author Susanna Daniel.  I didn't love it...there were some things I liked and some that really bugged me. Have any of you read it??  I am now trucking away at The Goldfinch. Holy long book, Batman!!

 

2. I have some seriously creative friends. My friend Katie Licht is doing this amazing summer project with her kids in which each week they "visit" another country.  It's genius!  I cant wait to see all of the places they go!  Check it out!!

3. Last weekend we went to the Dane County Farmer's Market (my favorite!!!) and picked up some fresh asparagus and some really fantastic bread from Madison Sourdough. I made roasted asparagus with eggs and parmesan and paired the bread with some super tasty cream Havarti. It was really, really good.

4. After all the hype over Orange is the New Black, I started watching it last week...and I'm HOOKED.  I have lost a lot of hours the last week binge watching (14 to be exact yikes!). I just finished the first episode of Season 2 and I can't wait to watch more!!  

5. I can't believe the first week of summer is over already. I still didn't make a summer to-do list - it's been so dreary and stormy this week that we didn't do much of anything!!  Next week I vow to start the fun. ;) Have a great weekend!