Mailbox Monday (80)

Sadly another weekend comes to its close. But at least a small highlight to that is sharing the books we've picked up recently with Mailbox Monday.
From Goodreads
Flappers: Six Women of a Dangerous Generation by Judith Mackrell
This is a non-fiction book that highlights the life of Josephine Baker, Tallulah Bankhead, Diana Cooper, Nancy Cunard, Zelda Fitzgerald, and Tamara De Lempicka. While I have heard of a few of these women, most are new to me. I don't read a ton about the 1920s, but just from the description I can't wait to get into this one.

Redeeming the Dream: The Case for Marriage Equality by David Boies and Theodore B. Olson
I definitely pick up some interesting books from goodreads. Of course a lot of that is because I enter a ton of giveaways, but I think I'm also just really lucky. Although I really try to only enter books that I think I'd enjoy. And while this may not be the type of book I normally gravitate to, I can't help but be intrigued by the topic.

Being Audrey Hepburn by Mitchell Kriegman
This is a New Adult book (at least I think) written by the creator of Clarissa Explains it All (which I used to love). In this book a 19-year-old girl tries on Audrey Hepburn's dress from Breakfast in Tiffany's and is transported into a world of socialites. I think it looks pretty adorable, and I have high hopes for it.

For Review From the Author
Beautiful Addictions by Season Vining
The author of this is cousins with a friend of mine, which is how I picked this up. It is a New Adult book (I'm sure this time), and one I keep hearing good thing about. So hopefully I'll enjoy it as well.

Borrowed from a Friend
Unhinged by A.G. Howard
After reading Splintered a few months ago, this is our current book club book. I did enjoy the first one, although didn't love it. But I'm hoping that this one is even better.

What did you find in your mailbox this week?

Let's Talk About Love Baby {Giveaway}

Love Will Make You Drink and Gamble, Stay Out at Night by Shelly Lowenkopf
Published: June 6, 2014 by White Whisker Books
I tend not to read a ton of short story collections. I wouldn't really consider myself a huge fan of them, yet overall when I do read them I tend to enjoy them. I think my biggest issue with them is a want a book I can sit down and continue to read chapter after chapter, and with these collections you really want to sit back and reflect after each story.

Why then was I so eager to read these stories? I was intrigued by the fact that each story took place in Santa Barbara. For most of high school I wanted to go to UCSB, and it wasn't till my senior year I changed my mind and set my eye on the east coast. But I still have a soft spot for Santa Barbara and was excited to get there in these stories. Except I was a bit disappointed in these stories, but Santa Barbara wasn't really a factor. Most of these stories could easily take place in any other city and it wouldn't change a think. In fact most times Santa Barbara was never even mentioned in a story, so it could have been anywhere.

Instead the unifying theme for all these was really love or relationships, from the start of a friendship to the end of the love affair to the love for a future child to even the feelings between man and dog. The title for the collection is actually the name of one of the short stories inside. But even so I think it's perfect to encapsulate all the stories within it's pages.

With any collection like this it makes sense that you have highs and lows, and there definitely were here. I especially enjoyed Between the Acts, and found The Ability to be my favorite. All of these stories do feel very smart, and with some I think details went over my head. But even so I found the ride to be overall enjoyable.

3.5/5

If you're ready for love, I have a copy waiting for you to read it! Winners with have the choice of print (US & Canada Only) or ebook. Please use the rafflecopter form below to enter.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Disclosure: I was provided this book through Virtual Author Book Tours. All opinions expressed are my own.

Today I'm linking up with Blonde Undercover Blonde for Book Club Friday!

As Long As There'll Music We'll Be Coming Back Again

Remember last year how I drove to Houston on our first anniversary weekend to see the Backstreet Boys in concert? Well they're on another leg of their tour in the back in the US, and last Thursday I drove out to Houston to see them yet again.
Unfortunately, I've come to realize that my iphone takes the worst concert pictures ever so I don't have many to share, and the ones that I have all look pretty miserable.
But I do have videos! And while the picture may not be clearest, there's nothing wrong with the sound. Starting off with the first opening act Baylee Littrell, who you might know better as Brian Littrell's son, singing I Want You Back.
Next was Avril Lavigne who was new to this leg of the tour, and a lot of fun. I was never a huge Avril fan, but did buy her first two cds back in high school. Although everything she played was a single which I would have known regardless, including the above video of So Complicated.
Of course the main reason we were there was for the boys, so I'll start you off with an old favorite, Don't Want You Back from the Millennium cd.
As for a newer song, this is my current favorite of their newest cd, Love Somebody.
And I know I said I wasn't really going to share photos because they were so awful, which clearly this one is, but I couldn't not share it. I know you can't tell at all, but this is AJ and his baby daughter Ava who he brought on stage. Overall then, it was a family affair with Brian and his son, AJ and his daughter, and me and my bay at their first Backstreet concert!

Do you have any "firsts" that occurred when you were in utero?
I know I attended in 1984 L.A. Summer Olympics in the months before I was born.

14 Weeks Bumpdate

Welcome to the first of a planned many pregnancy updates! I know at times these updates can feel a little repetitive and overdone, but I couldn't help but join in. Although I have done my best to go through and get rid of the ones that won't change. So you won't see belly button in or out, because once it's out that response won't change the rest of the time, or gender because I don't plan on finding out the gender so it seems a little silly to say each week, we still don't know. But this is definitely done for fun, and for me most of all, so if you're tired of reading bumpdate posts feel free to skip it!
How Far Along: 14 weeks

Size of the Baby: A lemon

Maternity Clothes: I actually wore my first official maternity clothes this week! There was a belly band which I'm not sure I'm quite ready for and a t-shirt dress, both from Gap.

Nursery: The plan is to eventually turn the "big closest" into a nursery. Which means all the random boxes and furniture needs to go somewhere else. But I was in Houston this past weekend (more on this to come) and made it to Ikea and picked up most of the big furniture items.

Stretch Marks: No new ones yet, although I'm sure I'll get them since I already have some. Although I did buy a tub of Burt Bee's Belly Butter, so hopefully that helps to keep them away.

Sleep: I'm starting to feel less tired than I was through most of my first trimester. I've even had a few nights where I've made it to my normal "bedtime" lately which is definitely a plus from a few weeks ago when I was getting in bed almost 2 hours early.

Movement: None yet, although the boy claims he can hear the baby movin.

Cravings: I haven't really had any major ones. Although I have been to Panera twice in the two weeks since it's opened, so maybe that counts?

Symptoms: Brushing my teeth is still pretty miserable, but it slowly getting better. Plus I think at this point a lot of it is in my head.

What I Miss: Bagels and lox, which I realize is a funny thing to miss especially since I don't have it very often. But I've had two instances in the past week where I probably would have had some, but stayed away instead.

Looking Forward To: Actually looking like I'm pregnant. I have a few clothing items where you can kind of tell what's going on, but most time it really just looks like a food baby.

6 Weeks ~ 7 Weeks ~ 8 Weeks

9 Weeks ~ 10 Weeks ~ 11 Weeks

12 Weeks ~ 13 Weeks

Another Novel of the Great War

The Care and Management of Lies by Jacqueline Winspear
Published: July 1, 2014 by Harper
I've never read a book by Jacqueline Winspear, but I've heard great things about her Maisie Dobbs series. I even own the first one, I just haven't found the time to read it yet.

I'd probably say this book is a mix of Betsy's Wedding (of the Betsy-Tacy series) and Somewhere in France (also subtitled A Novel of the Great War) two books I'd list on my all-time favorites list. I wouldn't necessarily say this book would be on that list as well, but I still really enjoyed it.

There's basically three main characters in this, Kezia, her best friend Thea, and Thea's brother Tom, who Kezia marries on the eve of WWI. And while the story is told partly from the point of view each one of the three, it's really Tom and Kezia we get to know the best. In some ways I wish Thea's character had been a little more fleshed out, but then we would have had less time with Tom and Kezia who were my favorites.

The sustenance of novel is really the letters between Kezia and Tom who's fighting over in France. Kezia spends most of her letters describing elaborate meals she'd cook for Tom and while they all sound delicious it's really the love inside of each the speaks the loudest.

I have read a number of books about WWI, but this is the first I can remember where life in the trenches was so detailed. You feel awful for Tom and his fellow soldiers and can't wait till the war if over and their able to be reunited with their loved ones.

Then of course, there's the ending. I'm not going to give anything away (although I wish you all had already read this so we could yell about it together), but I couldn't belief that was it. I actually went onto the author's website immediately after finishing it to see if there was a final note or something that didn't make it into the ARC. But sadly I think the ending is exactly that, the end.

With this year being 100 years since WWI started, I know there's likely to be even more period books coming out soon. And knowing how much I've enjoyed the ones I've already read, I can't wait to read through them all!

5/5

Disclosure: I was provided this book through TLC Book Tours. All opinions expressed are my own.

A Million Ways to Die in Maleficent

A Million Ways to Die in the West
I rather enjoyed Ted, and I've been amused by the previews for this, so I was rather looking forward to it. Unfortunately I didn't really seem to live up to my expectations.

This was definitely a case where a movie suffered by having the funniest moments in the trailers. Maybe not the biggest deal for some, but when you go to the movies every week and you've already seen a scene 4 or 5 times, it just isn't funny anymore. I may have even dozed off and taken a nap halfway through, but I think that's more about my pregnancy tiredness than an actual critique of the movie.

Maleficent
This movie was the opposite scenario in which I loved it more than I expected. I absolutely loved the beginning when we saw Maleficent as a young girl. I do think the actual movie wasn't nearly as scary as the preview made it out to be. In that way I do think it surprised me.

There was a bit of a twist at the end, although it's a similar twist you'll find in Frozen so it wasn't that hard to figure out.

I think it's pretty clear which one of these I'd recommend, but in case you want it spelled out, I'd go with Maleficent, and actually I can't wait till I'm able to watch it again.

Mailbox Monday (79)

You may have noticed that earlier this week I shared my secret that the boy and I are expecting a baby in December. So it shouldn't come as too much of a surprise to hear that I've had a few books in the wings waiting for the big announcement to make their Mailbox Monday debut. I'm happy to say that day has arrived!
Purchased
Ina May's Guide to Childbirth by Ina May Gaskin
I've heard such, such great things about this book and knew it was one I wanted to read before giving birth. It's the first and so far only pregnancy book I've bought so far, but I'm really hoping to get a lot out of it.

Let's Nosh by Amy Wilson Sanger
There's a whole line of these cultural food books, but I figured the Jewish version seemed the most appropriate. I love how it hits all the major Jewish holidays and their traditional foods and also how the illustrations were done too.

Alice in Wonderland A Colors Primer by Jennifer Adams
Sherlock Holmes in The Hound of the Baskervilles A Sounds Primer by Jennifer Adams
I'm absolutely in love with this BabyLit line of books and would eventually love to own them all. I did have a hard time only picking two, but these seemed like the safest gender neutral books since we don't know the gender currently, nor are we planning on finding out.

What did you find in your mailbox this week? And do you have any pregnancy or parent books you'd recommend? Or instead a favorite from your childhood?

While you're hear you may want to check out my giveaway to win a copy of When Camels Fly by NLB Horton!