The Fault in Our Stars

 I'd heard that John Green was a great young adult fiction writer,
so I'd planned on picking up one of his books.

It made sense to start with the most recent one that came out.
However, when I read the summary... I wasn't so sure this was a good idea.

The Fault in Our Stars

I wasn't sure I wanted to read about terminally ill teenagers.
I tend to avoid heartbreaking stories, so that, well, I don't have my heart broken.

But, I read this, and I'm glad I did.
It was a great story.
I laughed.
I cried.
I enjoyed.

The main character, Hazel, has cancer and no real hope of much of a future...
and then she meets a new boy in the cancer support group who changes her life.

There's a quest.
There's humor.
There's young love.

It was a wonderful read.


This is a paid review for BlogHer Book Club but the opinions expressed are my own.

Force of Nature

We've just returned from California.

Where my boys met the Pacific Ocean for the first time.

And in this very moment, my younger son, 

a Force of Nature, 

encountered a true Force of Nature, 

the ocean in Big Sur.

They collided.

And came to a mutual resolution.

But, we're lucky he didn't cause an earthquake. 

Cairn; It's More than a Pile of Rocks

This is a Cairn.

A pile of rocks someone placed there as a landmark 

or, frankly, just for fun.

While driving through the Monterey Bay area of California, 

we saw a beach covered in rocks...

and hundreds of cairns.

We pulled over.

And made our own.

Because I think it's human nature to want to leave a mark.

To show we've been there.

A monument to our appreciation of the  

natural beauty of the area.

Have you ever made a cairn?

The Diary of a Mad Fat Girl

 

I recently read Diary of a Fat Mad Girl by Stephanie McAfee for BlogHer Book Club. 

It's set in a charmingly adorable town named Bugtussle,Mississippi.

The main character, Ace Jones, is about 30 years old 

and finds herself tangled up in crazy antics involving her best friends.

There are lots of great southern colloquialisms.  

And I'll admit, there were some situations that were pretty funny.

It read easily and quickly, 

it was funny and light, 

but for some reason, 

I was dissatisfied. 

I felt like perhaps the writer was trying too hard. 

It didn't feel real.

The characters didn't feel real.

But, it's a book you should read and judge for yourself.

And join in on our discussion over at BlogHer Book Club. 

This is a paid book review for BlogHer Book Club but the opinions expressed are my own.

 

Big Sur

Big Sur has to be one of my most favorite places in the whole world.

It's the western edge of North America...

and it really feels like the edge of a continent.

Have you ever been to Big Sur?

A Little Piece of Childhood Died Last Night

A little piece of childhood died last night in our household.

My 10-year-old lost a tooth.

(more like he wiggled and waggled and pulled it out)

Wiggling teeth bother me.

I once had a dream where all my teeth wiggled and then crumbled out of my mouth.

So, I don't like dealing with loose teeth.

And, then he held it out in his hand to show me,

and said, "Here's my tooth, where's my money?"

I guess the tooth fairy has officially retired in our household.

 

The Rules of Inheritance

I had a hard time getting into this book,

The Rules of Inheritance.

It's raw.

Claire Bidwell Smith's memoir does not read chronologically 

but instead is laid out through the five stages of grief,

A deep, intense grief stemming from

losing both her parents to cancer at a young age:

Denial

Anger

Bargaining

Depression

Acceptance

It's not an easy read. 

It's raw emotions slashing across the page, 

creeping around corners 

and draping across your shoulders. 

Yet, it was interesting. 

It made me want to gather up my loved ones and spend more quality time.

And Claire Bidwell Smith writes well. Very descriptive, evoking emotions.

Despite the rock bottom, she manages to come out of this...

and turn her life into something that matters. 

It was inspiring, despite my doubts and depression reading it. 

Join us over on BlogHer Book Club to discuss The Rules of Inheritance.

This is a paid book review for BlogHer Book Club but the opinions expressed are my own.