tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34501068215473459552024-03-05T19:28:40.783-06:00My Favorite ThingsSimply Alexandra // My Favorite Thingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10005714012822874818noreply@blogger.comBlogger890125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3450106821547345955.post-1094218045903352932021-02-18T05:00:00.001-06:002021-02-18T05:00:05.585-06:00Keep It Together // February 2021<p><b>This year is already flying. Help!</b></p>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1IGJh4zhRiiBi2oMKydHzz8fZgZT8C1c8ZTrhkWTg0OR0VW-O49KZwQSBsTpUwV1Ub8V6b8GXI0xckgOE3oROkCUr9bo_HfL54sIrzFNJtdwjq_zOwa-cxFqe411e5ejc7ulBEWsryy80/s2048/IMG_8632.JPG" style="clear: left; display: inline; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1IGJh4zhRiiBi2oMKydHzz8fZgZT8C1c8ZTrhkWTg0OR0VW-O49KZwQSBsTpUwV1Ub8V6b8GXI0xckgOE3oROkCUr9bo_HfL54sIrzFNJtdwjq_zOwa-cxFqe411e5ejc7ulBEWsryy80/s16000/IMG_8632.JPG" width="640" /></a>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;">Hello All! It's time for Keep It Together! :) Woohoo!</span>
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<div style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I am excited to post today with <a href="https://shootingstarsmag.net/" style="color: #cc0066; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Lauren at Shooting Stars Mag</a> and <a href="http://www.knitbygodshand.com/" style="color: #cc0066; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Rebecca Jo from Knit by God's Hand</a> for our Keep It Together linkup!</span>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">If you're new here, this is our linkup for all things planners, memory
keeping, and journalling. Please feel free to join us on the third Thursday
of the month with any posts that fall into those categories! :)</span>
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<b style="font-family: inherit;">Planning & Goals:</b>
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DIY Planner - RIP to my beautiful DIY planner. Scalawag (our pirate cat)
knocked over an entire 24 oz glass of water onto many of my items I keep
around.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGwaRUglapP7_oXFOY-GES-yRAk8BY2fuFgYTs6vt-jTxpUBlY5pVrGf6xcxPPYBhqh3e-0gEz6fCcLW3LVbvyAwN6eT6bUv-C2TPVsxH1_0fcz1mRQzUuWl9s4o7gbGVSkh5tM4RFv-1h/s2048/IMG_0705.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGwaRUglapP7_oXFOY-GES-yRAk8BY2fuFgYTs6vt-jTxpUBlY5pVrGf6xcxPPYBhqh3e-0gEz6fCcLW3LVbvyAwN6eT6bUv-C2TPVsxH1_0fcz1mRQzUuWl9s4o7gbGVSkh5tM4RFv-1h/s16000/IMG_0705.JPG" width="640" /></a>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1R_1YfPNPLvbjU6QILBF4d-7Fs23UI-q9cZDSIeMZF50rZLih_WfQfxyI1kEjdL8xJtVA9K2FNKVpK-eWV-Ut0WgkSyglVWDPZR2CbOFPsjfOtXgJnpU_aqk7_tQFZRgBan9l1cj47gsp/s2048/IMG_0706.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1R_1YfPNPLvbjU6QILBF4d-7Fs23UI-q9cZDSIeMZF50rZLih_WfQfxyI1kEjdL8xJtVA9K2FNKVpK-eWV-Ut0WgkSyglVWDPZR2CbOFPsjfOtXgJnpU_aqk7_tQFZRgBan9l1cj47gsp/s16000/IMG_0706.JPG" width="640" /></a>
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And the planner was a sad casualty. I will likely do something with it... but
for now... I am defaulting to the moon phase planner that I purchased, but
arrived a little bit late to start the year with.
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<b>Moon Planner </b>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiun86jxJlVuUS-u6ofqg9Gx2ibnE91QtJxyVDAGj_yzcf_MeFV_nOLTEJSGhBo0jG7rSCQ_CkKdQ9hdkJRknsmWi2Y1NlBI8xpNrGOtkJW9mYXL_ryv2GOePrR3AOjth9c-1IfO4Uz0y0T/s2048/IMG_0708.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiun86jxJlVuUS-u6ofqg9Gx2ibnE91QtJxyVDAGj_yzcf_MeFV_nOLTEJSGhBo0jG7rSCQ_CkKdQ9hdkJRknsmWi2Y1NlBI8xpNrGOtkJW9mYXL_ryv2GOePrR3AOjth9c-1IfO4Uz0y0T/s16000/IMG_0708.JPG" width="640" /></a>
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Here are some glimpses into my moon planner. I got it from Nikki Strange in
the UK. I always love her designs, so I was super excited to see that she made
a planner as well. I also bought her cosmic flow book... which I have not dove
into yet.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz8Q9AucnsWtjFJ6qS1RZId8Q2lOVVygfA6Xpd5jy47UE-KHXIBL8Pd0FbC9ty1FLmFKNqNpPI8CedbyGFlvZiBe-UUPm9SmslokjlD33S-9D7NC0joh0gAV3XXkrR0TIDBvCtOn5S4tCe/s2048/IMG_0713.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz8Q9AucnsWtjFJ6qS1RZId8Q2lOVVygfA6Xpd5jy47UE-KHXIBL8Pd0FbC9ty1FLmFKNqNpPI8CedbyGFlvZiBe-UUPm9SmslokjlD33S-9D7NC0joh0gAV3XXkrR0TIDBvCtOn5S4tCe/s16000/IMG_0713.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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<div style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;">
The planner has all of the normal planner basics that you would expect, but also has information about moon phases in general and some planning information to start your year. It also includes dates of the full moons and new moons.
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Each month you will get a new moon intention setting page, and a full moon
reflection page, as well as other prompts to reflect on as the moon phases go
along. I like that this also focuses on which house the moon is in each month.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRqNXBlZJhefKZIDk1is0kaE2HOQSM5j-sRX7l08oYQSB1H6Q4O-YkGnhg4Gc3UUr34f3aZCm8EjAi5ookGXIL9Qu_BTi_NA5mTvyXUFpZjV-SQ2tvCxFQEoVB9qaYRzeF3ua8uJJB-Rm6/s2048/IMG_0711.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRqNXBlZJhefKZIDk1is0kaE2HOQSM5j-sRX7l08oYQSB1H6Q4O-YkGnhg4Gc3UUr34f3aZCm8EjAi5ookGXIL9Qu_BTi_NA5mTvyXUFpZjV-SQ2tvCxFQEoVB9qaYRzeF3ua8uJJB-Rm6/s16000/IMG_0711.jpg" width="640" /></a> <br />
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So far, it's been interesting and works for my "new normal" planning. I'd like to get more into it as we go. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCHcSKLK9ii-UD44EKy5F_ah_5xZMi5J08GGncTpeNt70VnoIyMFzbSR51ipvUPFmvKDV31HtdUrey-Gzb2fPOLk_jioo3qbYRg8IpFini2Oy6T0TRhho7PekftSHn-wDLRB3RGu5-dhXW/s2048/IMG_0717.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCHcSKLK9ii-UD44EKy5F_ah_5xZMi5J08GGncTpeNt70VnoIyMFzbSR51ipvUPFmvKDV31HtdUrey-Gzb2fPOLk_jioo3qbYRg8IpFini2Oy6T0TRhho7PekftSHn-wDLRB3RGu5-dhXW/s16000/IMG_0717.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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Will keep away from the cat. *sigh*
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
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<b>Memory Keeping:</b>
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I am not doing a ton of scrapbooking yet this year, but I did make two gift
albums for my MIL and SIL for Christmas, and I can't wait to share them with
you here next month! :)
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I am having issues with my phone storage and uploading photos and videos to
youtube and my computer, so hopefully I can get this all up in March! :)
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span>
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<b>Up Next:</b>
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More work in my planner, more research on planning by the moon, and hopefully
some scrapbooking in there! I really need to take some time to re-organize my
supplies!! So that probably comes first!
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<br />
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<div style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;">
<b>What are you guys up to?</b>
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<b><br /></b>
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<div style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;">
<b>HOPE THAT YOU ARE ALL STAYING WARM AND WELL! </b>
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<b><br /></b>
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<b>XO,</b>
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<b><br /></b>
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<div style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;">
<b>Alexandra</b>
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Simply Alexandra // My Favorite Thingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10005714012822874818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3450106821547345955.post-40780347595492056042021-01-21T05:00:00.001-06:002021-01-21T05:00:05.398-06:00Keep It Together // January 2021<p><span style="background-color: white;"><b>WOW! It has been a long time. Happy 2021, Friends!</b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1IGJh4zhRiiBi2oMKydHzz8fZgZT8C1c8ZTrhkWTg0OR0VW-O49KZwQSBsTpUwV1Ub8V6b8GXI0xckgOE3oROkCUr9bo_HfL54sIrzFNJtdwjq_zOwa-cxFqe411e5ejc7ulBEWsryy80/s2048/IMG_8632.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1IGJh4zhRiiBi2oMKydHzz8fZgZT8C1c8ZTrhkWTg0OR0VW-O49KZwQSBsTpUwV1Ub8V6b8GXI0xckgOE3oROkCUr9bo_HfL54sIrzFNJtdwjq_zOwa-cxFqe411e5ejc7ulBEWsryy80/s16000/IMG_8632.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><span style="background-color: white;"><b>December I spent a lot of time thinking about what I wanted for this space, and blogging. I haven't been much of a blogger in a while, but I think I am going to try to bring it back, both reading and posting. And see how it goes. So, hello! I missed you all! (thank goodness for Instagram in-between!)</b></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white;"><b>---</b></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;">Hello All! It's time for Keep It Together! :) Woohoo!</span></p><div style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I am excited to post today with <a href="https://shootingstarsmag.net/" style="color: #cc0066; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Lauren at Shooting Stars Mag</a> and <a href="http://www.knitbygodshand.com/" style="color: #cc0066; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Rebecca Jo from Knit by God's Hand</a> for our Keep It Together linkup!</span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">If you're new here, this is our linkup for all things planners, memory keeping, and journalling. Please feel free to join us on the third Thursday of the month with any posts that fall into those categories! :)</span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQlGBIHMmYdsPIYVOsqjtb9YHONCurEYM4hKPLdIu1Jctpsy94OZknnuKkb8adiDA5s_J0PsoWk4rFkvZfcp_pnDdUGiUp-pqUid5EUiVNyjzZDViB-cQQtPDjVBqOXVIJASuT2MlA6_lX/s2048/IMG_8257.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQlGBIHMmYdsPIYVOsqjtb9YHONCurEYM4hKPLdIu1Jctpsy94OZknnuKkb8adiDA5s_J0PsoWk4rFkvZfcp_pnDdUGiUp-pqUid5EUiVNyjzZDViB-cQQtPDjVBqOXVIJASuT2MlA6_lX/s16000/IMG_8257.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;"><b style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></b></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;"><b style="font-family: inherit;">Planning & Goals:</b></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Setting Goals & Wonder Manifesto</b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;">This year I did the "wonder manifesto" reflection that I did last year, again. I found it so helpful in determining what I wanted the year to be and feel like, and it legitimately helped me make decisions all year long last year. I'm excited to keep up with that again this year, and will share some photos of it soon!</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;"><b>Planning by the Moon:</b></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;">You might remember that I recently started planning by the moon.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">(the general idea): I have also been trying setting intentions with the new moon. You basically decide what you'd like to accomplish and focus on within the next month, and set those things as your intentions. The goal would be to revisit them on the full moon, and see which ones are in progress, and which need to be re-shaped or let go of. Then on the next new moon you review the process and reflect, choosing new (or the same) intentions. I have only been doing it for a few months, but I think it has been generally interesting and useful. I'm excited to dive into it a bit more.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYuWabL005Eyi-O7CS-7YN4HLA0ZCp4Iy0BvKxZCb7VoZHiR07P3RvRwET3GpjJ4JK9-Rtc4-9dUR7hEhHXagKqipRPzRFCRkkPJwDcDR2i64y6CikkptDJLuQpPBg3vekpHnGwf5Wu9PX/s2048/IMG_8789.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYuWabL005Eyi-O7CS-7YN4HLA0ZCp4Iy0BvKxZCb7VoZHiR07P3RvRwET3GpjJ4JK9-Rtc4-9dUR7hEhHXagKqipRPzRFCRkkPJwDcDR2i64y6CikkptDJLuQpPBg3vekpHnGwf5Wu9PX/s16000/IMG_8789.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-family: inherit;">I am continuing to do that this year and have purchased a few books to learn more about it, and also a journal and "planner" which I am just using to plan moon-wise.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6JsQrJHaCBwR0SSCF3T9zkl_xUp1Iy-jp375GnUnKQYiUF3h7q2Cx41TmvmZV5YvdClSSQnid6h-NFCnzpRfKT_AycmGzuyo2mX3D5sx41cfWOVeFKZANoKErFC82lUrolwf8xt4Xi5op/s2048/IMG_8782.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6JsQrJHaCBwR0SSCF3T9zkl_xUp1Iy-jp375GnUnKQYiUF3h7q2Cx41TmvmZV5YvdClSSQnid6h-NFCnzpRfKT_AycmGzuyo2mX3D5sx41cfWOVeFKZANoKErFC82lUrolwf8xt4Xi5op/s16000/IMG_8782.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>DIY Planner:</b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-grCo9w5HQVBGSUOcm4rC1O0FkdbIbTF5XbZeTNHknyyRt9y32bHkIaKqgPPMj8xE-Y-MGwcct0hff_MuLLajsJ-w2rKOu2KP8BOuoLMinXKjknuxljc4dyvOwE8PJ4HBye0RZzoeoH9R/s2048/IMG_8348.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-grCo9w5HQVBGSUOcm4rC1O0FkdbIbTF5XbZeTNHknyyRt9y32bHkIaKqgPPMj8xE-Y-MGwcct0hff_MuLLajsJ-w2rKOu2KP8BOuoLMinXKjknuxljc4dyvOwE8PJ4HBye0RZzoeoH9R/s16000/IMG_8348.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Lastly, I decided that I had SO many old planners, and scrapbooking supplies, that I could not justify buying a new planner... and I couldn't pick one that I liked. SO, I am making my own this year. I am using a notebook that I picked up at Target last year and a bunch of scraps and scrapbooking supplies to make a planner/bullet journal situation. So far it's been pretty easy and fun. I am enjoying the creative outlet!</span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiul1I-7vX1oCJd9eJULBqwS_F3XkOFq6mL_UPRsdgzmfFKRNLXDU1M4CNgsBwORyS7a3qlyUFOM_PsCdtD50K87qMVJoDZD8E5XGyjy_Vz4vbEJvFCabjsb90wJQM8ihWrrJ-7PoSgCD93/s2048/IMG_9050.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiul1I-7vX1oCJd9eJULBqwS_F3XkOFq6mL_UPRsdgzmfFKRNLXDU1M4CNgsBwORyS7a3qlyUFOM_PsCdtD50K87qMVJoDZD8E5XGyjy_Vz4vbEJvFCabjsb90wJQM8ihWrrJ-7PoSgCD93/s16000/IMG_9050.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;"><b>Memory Keeping:</b></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;">I am not doing a ton of scrapbooking yet this year, but I did make two gift albums for my MIL and SIL for Christmas, and I can't wait to share them with you here next month! :) </div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;"><b>Up Next:</b></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;">More work in my planner, more research on planning by the moon, and hopefully some scrapbooking in there! I really need to take some time to re-organize my supplies!! So that probably comes first! </div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;"><b>What are you guys up to?</b></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;"><b>XO,</b></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;"><b>Alexandra</b></div>
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<!--end InLinkz code-->Simply Alexandra // My Favorite Thingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10005714012822874818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3450106821547345955.post-27525901736160524432020-10-15T05:00:00.001-05:002020-10-15T05:00:00.233-05:00Keep It Together // October 2020<p>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;">Hello All! It's time for Keep It Together! :) Woohoo!</span>
</p>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I am excited to post today with <a href="https://shootingstarsmag.net/" style="color: #cc0066; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Lauren at Shooting Stars Mag</a> and <a href="http://www.knitbygodshand.com/" style="color: #cc0066; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Rebecca Jo from Knit by God's Hand</a> for our Keep It Together linkup!</span>
</div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">If you're new here, this is our linkup for all things planners, memory
keeping, and journalling. Please feel free to join us on the third Thursday
of the month with any posts that fall into those categories! :)</span>
</div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX38CzgxVf-xRjk389IrdnwvgqHT1ZSVtGcn6aID9g4jaVZ0UspMCm6xZr3gMcXJGZSse_oNga1_Yp_2DQfLMXWfnz5LvLZvt1aq1zRNqZs6Bhh33McZUmcHF05uH895IC8jvPDKyKX4AG/s1200/keepittogether_3.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="800" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX38CzgxVf-xRjk389IrdnwvgqHT1ZSVtGcn6aID9g4jaVZ0UspMCm6xZr3gMcXJGZSse_oNga1_Yp_2DQfLMXWfnz5LvLZvt1aq1zRNqZs6Bhh33McZUmcHF05uH895IC8jvPDKyKX4AG/s16000/keepittogether_3.png" width="640" /></a>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Planning & Goals:</b></span>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><br /></b></span>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">To be honest, lately I haven't felt much like documenting, and of course,
with COVID have not had much to plan! :P </span>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">My main goals right now are to do a lot of thinking and introspection to
figure out what I'd like to do with my time and for work, etc. So I have
been making a lot of monthly goals - they are pretty lax lists, that give me
ideas, more-so than things I very much want to accomplish.</span>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I have also been trying setting intentions with the new moon. You basically
decide what you'd like to accomplish and focus on within the next month, and
set those things as your intentions. The goal would be to revisit them on
the full moon, and see which ones are in progress, and which need to be
re-shaped or let go of. Then on the next new moon you review the process and
reflect, choosing new (or the same) intentions. I have only been doing it
for a few months, but I think it has been generally interesting and useful.
I'm excited to dive into it a bit more.</span>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzOXIVjGGMVHNCkb2k-0Nz1zSImWPCqBMta2Ij7ZGgJn8og2lCyEzE0b2OaN4EF17_BewzEzRaxilDawdhsOq0GtT26awmxQOISTaX36CJQH4dMqrV2xTg91SkS_9BiYYrOxOUsP1h2SSO/s2048/IMG_9453.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzOXIVjGGMVHNCkb2k-0Nz1zSImWPCqBMta2Ij7ZGgJn8og2lCyEzE0b2OaN4EF17_BewzEzRaxilDawdhsOq0GtT26awmxQOISTaX36CJQH4dMqrV2xTg91SkS_9BiYYrOxOUsP1h2SSO/s16000/IMG_9453.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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<b>My Process for New Moon Planning:</b>
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Grab my traveler's notebook with my 2020 Manifesto and New Moon insert and my
various card decks (Goddess, Animal Totem, Wonder Walking, and The Universe
Has Your Back).
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Go to a quiet space where I can focus a little better.
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Review my new moon intentions and reflect on how they went. I write down some
reflections in my new moon insert.
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Next I take out my decks, and shuffle to randomly draw a card from each deck.
For the Wonder Walking deck I have been picking one card from each ??. I
reflect on the cards and read the guidebooks to determine my thoughts around
each card and write them down briefly in my New Moon insert.
</div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;">
Lastly, I look through my 2020 Manifesto to re-center myself to goals for the
year. Taking the cards, my goals for the year, and my reflection from the last
new moon period, I choose a handful of intentions for the next moon cycle. I
keep the cards that I drew in the pockets of my traveler's notebook, so I can
have them on hand.
</div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;">
I try to re-visit my intentions a few times during the moon cycle just to keep
them in my mind.
</div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;"><b><i>
Would you like to try it? The New Moon is tomorrow!
</i></b></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span>
</div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;">
<b>Up Next:</b>
</div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;">
I am interested in learning more about planning by the moon. I only know a
little right now, but am having fun seeing how it goes. I would like to expand
my process some, and incorporate more journalling throughout the month.
</div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;">
Particularly, I am trying to keep an eye open for signs and opportunity, and
listen to my intuition more.
</div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;">
<b>What are you guys up to?</b>
</div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;">
<b><br /></b>
</div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;">
<b>Does anyone have a random feeling as to what job I should take, or what I
should do with my time? :P :P </b>
</div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;">
<b><br /></b>
</div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;">
<b>XO,</b>
</div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;">
<b><br /></b>
</div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;">
<b>Alexandra</b>
</div>
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<!--end InLinkz code-->Simply Alexandra // My Favorite Thingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10005714012822874818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3450106821547345955.post-49195367895789330882020-09-17T05:00:00.001-05:002020-09-17T05:00:15.497-05:00Keep It Together // September 2020<p>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;">Hello All! It's time for Keep It Together! :) Woohoo!</span>
</p>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I am excited to post today with <a href="https://shootingstarsmag.net/" style="color: #cc0066; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Lauren at Shooting Stars Mag</a> and <a href="http://www.knitbygodshand.com/" style="color: #cc0066; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Rebecca Jo from Knit by God's Hand</a> for our Keep It Together linkup!</span>
</div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">If you're new here, this is our linkup for all things planners, memory
keeping, and journalling. Please feel free to join us on the third Thursday
of the month with any posts that fall into those categories! :)</span>
</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX38CzgxVf-xRjk389IrdnwvgqHT1ZSVtGcn6aID9g4jaVZ0UspMCm6xZr3gMcXJGZSse_oNga1_Yp_2DQfLMXWfnz5LvLZvt1aq1zRNqZs6Bhh33McZUmcHF05uH895IC8jvPDKyKX4AG/s1200/keepittogether_3.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="800" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX38CzgxVf-xRjk389IrdnwvgqHT1ZSVtGcn6aID9g4jaVZ0UspMCm6xZr3gMcXJGZSse_oNga1_Yp_2DQfLMXWfnz5LvLZvt1aq1zRNqZs6Bhh33McZUmcHF05uH895IC8jvPDKyKX4AG/s16000/keepittogether_3.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
</div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Planning:</b></span>
</div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
</div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I am not up to much planning-wise. We'll see how it's going next
month.</span>
</div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
</div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Water Color Technique:</b></span>
</div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
</div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Today I am sharing a water color technique called the packaging technique.
All you need is paper, water color, and some plastic packaging.</span>
</div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
</div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQkXE-67RGa-AnTv480JGniUjjfLlHt11olCMopp9TFNcbHEFy8EfC-_bvzgaYRDdPWlkJ8JwJhQRB1612qulUhTRyxEpfUNLqx1dHYONDpl64g1DEBimAorAlpOp4iiYujWD5vMu_torz/s2048/IMG_9237.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQkXE-67RGa-AnTv480JGniUjjfLlHt11olCMopp9TFNcbHEFy8EfC-_bvzgaYRDdPWlkJ8JwJhQRB1612qulUhTRyxEpfUNLqx1dHYONDpl64g1DEBimAorAlpOp4iiYujWD5vMu_torz/s16000/IMG_9237.JPG" width="640" /></a>
</div>
<br /><br /></span>
</div>
<br />
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">1) Start by painting water color(s) onto a piece of plastic
packaging.</span>
</div>
<br />
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxp0ePJSZ9qQx0TyaCCjaVm-txj62r4BKcAaUDoBqAZfht7kS32w8VWt8LJDj2Ly41H8KoNhoYYAXc3t6XsS_9fXcwE3_cOP0quG2L2PvxPE9r_yhEQlZfot2QAVGvgWwE_-rcdx1EuTFU/s2048/IMG_9240.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxp0ePJSZ9qQx0TyaCCjaVm-txj62r4BKcAaUDoBqAZfht7kS32w8VWt8LJDj2Ly41H8KoNhoYYAXc3t6XsS_9fXcwE3_cOP0quG2L2PvxPE9r_yhEQlZfot2QAVGvgWwE_-rcdx1EuTFU/s16000/IMG_9240.JPG" width="640" /></a>
</div>
<br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
</div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">2) Flip the packaging over onto the piece of paper and smush around with
your finger. Yes, smush is the technical term. :P</span>
</div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWSMO_-gRgheLPncU-aroLcJ6YLek8_wHL1izy-FkiuiWznTjAMJZpUlsHsqU0sTQtQwYVqt3GrV83JDrRiC9VGzJf6uSf-Tf64K6V4v5MKmbfUvsgmQY9CV4itWcvodv7kJUWsCtZxehI/s2048/IMG_9242.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWSMO_-gRgheLPncU-aroLcJ6YLek8_wHL1izy-FkiuiWznTjAMJZpUlsHsqU0sTQtQwYVqt3GrV83JDrRiC9VGzJf6uSf-Tf64K6V4v5MKmbfUvsgmQY9CV4itWcvodv7kJUWsCtZxehI/s16000/IMG_9242.JPG" width="640" /></a>
</div>
<br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
</div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">3) Remove the packaging and you've got a pretty water color background! You
can add more colors on top of it, or play around with how much water vs.
paint you use.</span>
</div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
</div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Finished Result - inner title page for garden journal</b></span>
</div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
</div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7bk5MYtPRvw525GLEJWPcxBHFFmSuodbeZCzT33EeXQBwRFCrHo56xedABKE5-gbfz6cxa2iAUy5LI0MCpiCjR5Tl1WqO_DAt27xBL1yivGaS50xWn9x1Gniv0JHo1sebK8w2QR_b8mFm/s2048/IMG_9257.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7bk5MYtPRvw525GLEJWPcxBHFFmSuodbeZCzT33EeXQBwRFCrHo56xedABKE5-gbfz6cxa2iAUy5LI0MCpiCjR5Tl1WqO_DAt27xBL1yivGaS50xWn9x1Gniv0JHo1sebK8w2QR_b8mFm/s16000/IMG_9257.JPG" width="640" /></a>
</div>
<br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
</div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
</div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Documenting:</b></span>
</div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
</div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I'm still not sure how I want to document this year, or catch up on last
year... if I want to at all... but I do know that I want to continue to
document our garden. I started my garden journal when we planned out our
space, and since then I have drawn, painted, journalled, listed, and
decorated it.</span>
</div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
</div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYMDcXpgxGenzo7tHLizwDHMSIKf1U6kq5V1v4mZJwCP54Xp3yBHeWks_3Bq8wCvGAghPW9EsOMoyFfk_HKAQTeSttp4DDWfAhC2ND15J-nKGNvcimZ8OLM5hvUElkk0JYWOX0SbzZdeLa/s2048/IMG_9252.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYMDcXpgxGenzo7tHLizwDHMSIKf1U6kq5V1v4mZJwCP54Xp3yBHeWks_3Bq8wCvGAghPW9EsOMoyFfk_HKAQTeSttp4DDWfAhC2ND15J-nKGNvcimZ8OLM5hvUElkk0JYWOX0SbzZdeLa/w640-h480/IMG_9252.jpg" title="Added a few lists from my planner into the journal." width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="font-size: 16.5px; text-align: center;">Added a few lists from my planner to the journal. </div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRHCS1oSxpzIgBskvrmQBdUWl8vTnHmFYKNVeYdYDRpRMMdEzxRYgrd_B2M20rG4l88Mplivajljseuff0CjrG0fTk3yI3UOYznG6qgnQF8Mxx_dSbFGIreihulJ9tO-DaK5o4L-1WLPWl/s2048/IMG_9249.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRHCS1oSxpzIgBskvrmQBdUWl8vTnHmFYKNVeYdYDRpRMMdEzxRYgrd_B2M20rG4l88Mplivajljseuff0CjrG0fTk3yI3UOYznG6qgnQF8Mxx_dSbFGIreihulJ9tO-DaK5o4L-1WLPWl/s16000/IMG_9249.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;">Going to add some photos to the blank sides of my garden bed drawings.</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9h1u7fn8k1ftOfiTFJrWObp2BaNNhz45BUhQ3Bh_cj0DywW3vDYL8rJfEwGRxzHTTh_rpkL1x4UbjKx2cZbOxvXZsQsywqKtlGtMHMFAOJmyaXrNwo5CVuvkc80Y34K3cMwd3FPNh8LjM/s2048/IMG_9247.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9h1u7fn8k1ftOfiTFJrWObp2BaNNhz45BUhQ3Bh_cj0DywW3vDYL8rJfEwGRxzHTTh_rpkL1x4UbjKx2cZbOxvXZsQsywqKtlGtMHMFAOJmyaXrNwo5CVuvkc80Y34K3cMwd3FPNh8LjM/s16000/IMG_9247.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;">Added lists and vision to pollinator garden drawing from months ago.</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFK7OrFkYLQo1pqrL4lxoanIg2-MyId0uAtJ5U3UTqDq7MLTKJdfVkJUPVD5_nlgRlLVUbb50270pMAVQ-wSnlDvjdRiKFmyG2Scr_GdeugdOMgqWWCZgZ7ihyzMoDhYVHaKIAyFJVarnw/s2048/IMG_9258.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFK7OrFkYLQo1pqrL4lxoanIg2-MyId0uAtJ5U3UTqDq7MLTKJdfVkJUPVD5_nlgRlLVUbb50270pMAVQ-wSnlDvjdRiKFmyG2Scr_GdeugdOMgqWWCZgZ7ihyzMoDhYVHaKIAyFJVarnw/s16000/IMG_9258.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;">Printed some photos on my instax printer to test out how it will look. Can't wait to decorate it.</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAKFeV8YvIHJsSbwvgprNT1uFTvY1_NTYWvNrcmoBxlptd8GVsnorekEz51lp590USJA3YhbNmfImNYTyaYkatOlP6yA64ipL_awJfkPavskVmWRbHBVzRky4Vip_4oph3nq1epEyaX9Yn/s2048/IMG_9260.JPG" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAKFeV8YvIHJsSbwvgprNT1uFTvY1_NTYWvNrcmoBxlptd8GVsnorekEz51lp590USJA3YhbNmfImNYTyaYkatOlP6yA64ipL_awJfkPavskVmWRbHBVzRky4Vip_4oph3nq1epEyaX9Yn/s16000/IMG_9260.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A list of ideas as I go forward.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: 16.5px; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I am still working, but I like what I have so far! :) </span>
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<b>Up Next:</b>
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I am hoping to make some cards for my pen pal group, and to get back into
documenting more. I am hankering to work on it! Which is the exact time to
make it happen. :)
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<b>What are you guys up to?</b>
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<b>XO,</b>
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<b><br /></b>
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<div style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;">
<b>Alexandra</b></div>
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Simply Alexandra // My Favorite Thingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10005714012822874818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3450106821547345955.post-72117207499579646402020-06-18T05:00:00.000-05:002020-06-18T07:46:36.554-05:00Keep It Together // June 2020<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;">
Hello All! It's time for Keep It Together! :) Woohoo!<br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I am excited to post today with <a href="https://shootingstarsmag.net/" style="color: #cc0066;" target="_blank">Lauren at Shooting Stars Mag</a> and <a href="http://www.knitbygodshand.com/" style="color: #cc0066;" target="_blank">Rebecca Jo from Knit by God's Hand</a> for our Keep It Together linkup!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">If you're new here, this is our linkup for all things planners, memory keeping, and journalling. Please feel free to join us on the third Thursday of the month with any posts that fall into those categories! :)</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX38CzgxVf-xRjk389IrdnwvgqHT1ZSVtGcn6aID9g4jaVZ0UspMCm6xZr3gMcXJGZSse_oNga1_Yp_2DQfLMXWfnz5LvLZvt1aq1zRNqZs6Bhh33McZUmcHF05uH895IC8jvPDKyKX4AG/s1600/keepittogether_3.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; color: #cc0066; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="800" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX38CzgxVf-xRjk389IrdnwvgqHT1ZSVtGcn6aID9g4jaVZ0UspMCm6xZr3gMcXJGZSse_oNga1_Yp_2DQfLMXWfnz5LvLZvt1aq1zRNqZs6Bhh33McZUmcHF05uH895IC8jvPDKyKX4AG/s1600/keepittogether_3.png" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 1px solid rgb(255, 255, 255); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 1px 1px 5px; padding: 5px; position: relative;" width="640" /></span></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
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<b>Planning:</b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgygD0nTDJ3yrlATzhSufTGQvNXyIyIQ2GkeuwS2o50EwknsqnehiKYZE1nFh3zBXb2J692DHnAfqUhhQfT1vpVQrq2dZdE-HQAPn7dYsBjZk_rIMJ2udr6vtjLJJ9aTnMx7bjBq4UGWfPW/s1600/IMG_4903.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgygD0nTDJ3yrlATzhSufTGQvNXyIyIQ2GkeuwS2o50EwknsqnehiKYZE1nFh3zBXb2J692DHnAfqUhhQfT1vpVQrq2dZdE-HQAPn7dYsBjZk_rIMJ2udr6vtjLJJ9aTnMx7bjBq4UGWfPW/s1600/IMG_4903.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Right now my planning is just little sketches of fairy houses, and lists of projects I want to start soon. I've been learning about planning by phases of the moon, so I've been making notes on those topics, and my intentions, etc. </div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Documenting:</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7O5x0vVmFG_kEvdBzZyindDGls4gKRMTh-hp9bIAkeMC4_UlcNYKkgcQLq5Gy_HJyCq0eoDhQFsvQ6-FoEOG8EPejiBNBo_OP2lLjp0vKYFLD4GHcrHdz4Kxrx62h5niPmbUCRIExmKYq/s1600/IMG_4897.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7O5x0vVmFG_kEvdBzZyindDGls4gKRMTh-hp9bIAkeMC4_UlcNYKkgcQLq5Gy_HJyCq0eoDhQFsvQ6-FoEOG8EPejiBNBo_OP2lLjp0vKYFLD4GHcrHdz4Kxrx62h5niPmbUCRIExmKYq/s1600/IMG_4897.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYbqtCKh78hHcCAiZVwBxQ4cD5Gvyi_W-VETzyigds7eTfZIhEyToc3CKTNuG03WqlwhMnZtAUJp15MHV_N09OiqAd_nZ4c-ghdg8rU_pbbF5YQMmB67lldoV_P_VTyNOjT2g0DEjqDKvo/s1600/IMG_4889.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYbqtCKh78hHcCAiZVwBxQ4cD5Gvyi_W-VETzyigds7eTfZIhEyToc3CKTNuG03WqlwhMnZtAUJp15MHV_N09OiqAd_nZ4c-ghdg8rU_pbbF5YQMmB67lldoV_P_VTyNOjT2g0DEjqDKvo/s1600/IMG_4889.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzX0gJvcaGkqZnuzU6lsbLzXBuVq8Ryk1A93N9VGoVjEDMCOmWwis1sANFdNIVWqb7iaeEDjWAkhx7U2wYwJAHRxYxObvTolFctdpeSk7ALEBqJXLBa83RPNGMoMyl2Up-r_AtWkfViteN/s1600/IMG_4891.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzX0gJvcaGkqZnuzU6lsbLzXBuVq8Ryk1A93N9VGoVjEDMCOmWwis1sANFdNIVWqb7iaeEDjWAkhx7U2wYwJAHRxYxObvTolFctdpeSk7ALEBqJXLBa83RPNGMoMyl2Up-r_AtWkfViteN/s1600/IMG_4891.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSMiXQE9s_y2A9a_GMxpQ42bBEzHxIOtIXOAgCC2xefMvA7UkUNpj2ZeG3XuNAINTOYJOL_Q8gdmKSxArBRIN8rgDsQ_vjB3EXu26MMo3gpGKBL7TFUuTiCljtziF3yPfTlyDqCmHG_a7N/s1600/IMG_4893.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSMiXQE9s_y2A9a_GMxpQ42bBEzHxIOtIXOAgCC2xefMvA7UkUNpj2ZeG3XuNAINTOYJOL_Q8gdmKSxArBRIN8rgDsQ_vjB3EXu26MMo3gpGKBL7TFUuTiCljtziF3yPfTlyDqCmHG_a7N/s1600/IMG_4893.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwgxcx_bgZfnVpUQZ9elFzbIYNeZMqE1qryScLrfN_loznFEZZ4oi7yxknVCXOxAQIF8ATtaC_eQz8o6tFQS6mI0cUtX4ZyeVS71PL-IqBOgCHOgEvL3FLBaJHW4XLwSFLRtRLux97fbdp/s1600/IMG_4895.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwgxcx_bgZfnVpUQZ9elFzbIYNeZMqE1qryScLrfN_loznFEZZ4oi7yxknVCXOxAQIF8ATtaC_eQz8o6tFQS6mI0cUtX4ZyeVS71PL-IqBOgCHOgEvL3FLBaJHW4XLwSFLRtRLux97fbdp/s1600/IMG_4895.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I started working more in our garden journal, so we can keep track of what we plant, how it goes, etc. I decided it would be fun to do little sketches and paint them in the book so I have a visual to go with the notes. I like how it turned out, just a bit of fun to add to all of the facts that will eventually go there. :) I just used water color and black felt tipped pen!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">That's pretty much it! </span><br />
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<b style="font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif;">What's Next?!</b><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I've been trying out some new crafts, and the last few months reading a ton. I'm excited to dig a bit more into my goals and add more to my wonder manifesto later this month and as the summer goes on! :) Right now, going with the flow is really important for my self care!</span></div>
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Do you garden? If so, do you keep a garden journal?<br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Please feel free to linkup with us below! We'd love to see what you are up to!</b></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><br /></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><br /></b></span>
<b>XO,</b><br />
<b><br /></b><b>Alexandra</b></div>
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Simply Alexandra // My Favorite Thingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10005714012822874818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3450106821547345955.post-50353014423386866772020-06-09T12:51:00.002-05:002020-06-09T12:54:53.362-05:00May Reads 2020 // Quarantine Reading... ii YAY! It's BOOK DAY!<br />
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<b>Quick note:</b> I don't post a lot here anymore. Mostly books and planning linkups once a month. On Instagram I am posting quite a lot, and there is where you will find most of my commentary on all of the civil rights work going on right now. I am working out all of my thoughts, all of my goals, and what I am learning, and how I can be a better ally. :) I believe that Black lives matter. I believe that systematic changes need to be made in our country. So now, I'll talk about books. But I didn't want to let this post go on without this info. :)<br />
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I have been reading a lot.. but have been very behind on writing my reviews... I got some of them written, so I can link up for SUYB today! :)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl2dyy3im7GrM7IQf2sCL8x9rIb9cK1tpOYTkgfsnNTOUW1q5iPg308nfRvwU0LW1j8T9Nut2JTiHANaiqQmNzCiOKpxvnKVltoq5oByG7jLmkkcQxmQ9039pwr3FiDZ4hRUVsJg4X51yd/s1600/December+2017+Reads.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="800" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl2dyy3im7GrM7IQf2sCL8x9rIb9cK1tpOYTkgfsnNTOUW1q5iPg308nfRvwU0LW1j8T9Nut2JTiHANaiqQmNzCiOKpxvnKVltoq5oByG7jLmkkcQxmQ9039pwr3FiDZ4hRUVsJg4X51yd/s1600/December+2017+Reads.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/50705058-mum-s-the-word" target="_blank">Mum's the Word by Staci Hart (Bennet Brothers #3) </a> - </b><b style="background-color: white;"><i>own, ebook</i></b><br />
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5 Stars - I recommend if you enjoy contemporary romance. Read <i>Coming Up Roses</i> First.<br />
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When Maisie Bower is called home to work for her family, her controlling mother and her desire to sink small business Longbourne Flower Shop will quickly become too much. Maisie's goal has always been to work on her outreach program, but now she must take her place as the heiress of Bower. When a chance encounter puts her in the path of Marcus Bennet, the eldest of the Longbourne Flower Shop family, she knows he's off limits, but she can't keep her distance. Can the two have love without risking the fate of their family businesses?<br />
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Would call this a modern day re-imagining of the Bennet family from <i>Pride and Prejudice</i>. This is a re-imagining of Mary's story. Which is to say... not much of a story originally.<br />
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I should have written my full review ASAP after reading this, and I didn't. But what I can tell you is... I really really loved this book. I thought that Marcus and Maisie were so sweet, and their story was adorable. I loved the beginning, such a meet cute. It all felt very dramatic, and their "forbidden" romance was super fun to read. I loved Maisie's work creating a community outreach program, what an amazing idea. The romance was swoony, there was so much intensity and certainty. I loved that. It wasn't one of those romances that is just mis-communication start to finish. Which is always a breath of fresh air! As usual, I loved the meddling Bennet brood and all of the good natured ribbing and shenanigans. Though I loved the romance, I think the Bennet family as a whole is always my favorite part of these books.<br />
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<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25880375-hold-your-breath" target="_blank">Hold Your Breath by Katie Ruggle</a> (Search and Rescue #1) </b><b style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;">- </b><b style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;"><i>library, ebook</i></b><br />
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4.5-5 Stars - I highly recommend if you enjoy action/suspense with some romance. This ends on a cliff hanger, and is part of a 4 part series.<br />
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Lou has escaped her controlling ex-boyfriend and moved to a remote part of the Rockies to join a volunteer dive rescue team. She's determined to make it on her own, and learn mountain life. When a dive team ice training unearths a body, a mystery unfolds to identify the victim, and find the killer. As things get more dangerous, Lou's dive team captain, Callum, has her questioning her need to "go it alone". Will they find the killer, before the killer kills them?<br />
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I haven't really read a lot of romantic suspense, it read mostly like suspense, but with a little bit of romance. I didn't quite know what to expect but I loved this book! It was so action-packed and fun to read. The dive team in the mountains of Colorado was a great start for this series, and it made for really interesting plot points. I was compelled by the mystery and the suspense, and I was excited to see what would happen. I kept thinking things would calm down, and then there was just SO MUCH ACTION. So many more things kept happening. I often get bored when I read mysteries, but that didn't happen with this one for me! If you like to read action/suspense, I'd recommend this one!<br />
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<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26149944-fan-the-flames" target="_blank">Fan the Flames by Katie Ruggle</a></b> <b>(Search and Rescue #2) </b><b style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;">- </b><b style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;"><i>library, ebook</i></b><br />
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4 Stars - I recommend if you enjoy action/suspense with a little bit of romance. You need to read <i>Hold Your Breath</i> first. This ends on a cliff hanger, and is part of a 4 part series.<br />
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Rory Sorensen owns a gun shop in town and is known for her no-nonsense attitude and peacefully staying in the middle of the good guys and the bad ones. The latter being the ones who buy her not-so-legal stock of guns. When she defends her shop from a robbery, killing a gang member, she'll find herself on the wrong side of the battle for the first time. Ian Walsh, a fire fighter and a gang member is used to being in the middle, but he'll find himself choosing sides to protect Rory.<br />
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I really enjoyed this book, though not quite as much as the first one. It took me a little bit of time, but I ended up really liking Rory and appreciating her character and what she had to go through with an extreme childhood. I liked Ian, and I thought that their relationship was tentative and sweet. I enjoyed the action and how it tied into the first book, though it wasn't quite as compelling as the first book for me. I'm excited to see where the series goes!<br />
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<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43263331-the-beast-of-beswick" target="_blank">The Beast of Beswick by Amalie Howard</a> - </b><b style="background-color: white;"><i>own, physical book</i></b><br />
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4.5-5 Stars - I recommend if you enjoy historical romance, especially the grumpy one falls for the sunshine one trope.<br />
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Lord Nathaniel Hart has been wounded in battle, and left by those he loves. He's grumpy, angry, and disagreeable. Thus his new name, The Beast of Beswick. When Lady Astrid Everleigh finds herself in desperation to keep her younger sister out of the clutches of an evil man, she'll offer herself to Beswick in exchange for protection. He's incredibly tempted, but also very reluctant. Can they save each other?<br />
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I should have written my full review ASAP after reading this, and I didn't. THIS WAS SO CUTE! I looooove a wounded hero who is super bristly. I love a marriage of convenience plot. I'm very unused to men refusing that offer in these books, so that was a fun change. I can't remember all the details of this right now. But I know I loved it. It was really swoony, really steamy, and really feminist. If you love those things in a historical, I think you'll love this. I can't wait to read more books by Amalie Howard!<br />
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<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/52654547-floral-embroidery?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=AhebdOYJaW&rank=1" target="_blank">Floral Embroidery: Create 10 Beautiful Modern Embroidery Projects Inspired by Nature by Teagan Olivia Sturmer</a>* </b><b style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;">- </b><b style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;"><i>ARC, ebook</i></b><br />
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5 Stars - I really enjoyed this how-to book for beautiful floral embroidery.<br />
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I love this gorgeous embroidery book. The author's introduction and dedication to her craft at the inspiration of her grandmothers is so heartening. It gives the reader inspiration that we can learn from our elders, and take their advice into our own lives as we grow. I appreciate the simple guide to needed supplies, and basic stitches provided by the author. I've never done proper embroidery, and found her directions very easy to follow. I appreciate that she also provides exact floss colors to use for each pattern, as well as the patterns themselves. I think that the gorgeous photos of the embroidery projects make the craft even more enticing to learn. The only thing I would have loved to see was a photo or two of the author with her grandmothers either in the introduction or at the end of the book. I can't wait to try out these embroidery patterns using this book!<br />
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<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/49091311-a-secret-for-a-secret" target="_blank">A Secret for a Secret by Helena Hunting</a> (All In #3) </b><b style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;">- </b><b style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;"><i>ARC, ebook</i></b><br />
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3.5-4 Stars - I recommend if you have read the rest of the series.<br />
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When "Boy Scout" Ryan Kingston gets some life-changing news, he decides to do what he never does, get drunk. When a beautiful woman sits next to him at the bar, also wallowing, they decide to get drunk, and consequently spend an amazing night together. Weeks later, at the starting meeting for the NHL season, King recognizes the manager's new assistant, it's the woman he had a one night stand with... and the manager's daughter. Queenie is running away from one bad decision after another, but spending the night with King wasn't one of them. When her father gives her the rule not to date men on the team, her and King try to keep it platonic.<br />
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I love this series so much, it was super fun to see the characters from the other books again! I love the bromance between King, Rook, and Bishop. (woah I just caught that... chess pieces...!). I thought that the differences between King and Queenie were adorable and made them a great couple. There was a lot of chemistry and tension to swoon over. They balanced each other out really well, and it was so fun to read about their relationship. I liked her aspiring career as an art therapist and a look at Alex and Violet's kids. I felt like there were a few too many conflicts in this story for me, but that overall I enjoyed the book. Looking forward to seeing what comes next... and I hope it's what I think it is!<br />
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<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22351155-beltane" target="_blank">Beltane: Rituals, Recipes & Lore for May Day by Melanie Marquis</a> - </b><b style="background-color: white;"><i>own, physical book</i></b><br />
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4 Stars - I recommend if you are interested in learning about the sabbats of the year, specifically May Day.<br />
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One of my goals this year was to learn more and to read more non-fiction. I found myself learning about the wheel of the year, and interested to learn more about each sabbat. This book focuses on Beltane or May Day. I love mythology, symbology, and holidays, so it was really fun and informative to read about this ancient festival and how it evolved over the years. I also enjoyed learning about symbols for this part of the year, and activities to do, recipes to make, etc. I wasn't personally interested in the ritual/spell portion, but I found this book really useful all the same. I'm excited to learn more about the sabbats as the wheel of the year goes on. :)<br />
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<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17305016-dreamer-s-pool" target="_blank">Dreamer's Pool by Juliet Marillier</a> (Blackthorn & Grim #1) - </b><b style="background-color: white;"><i>own, physical book</i></b><br />
<b><br />CW - mentions of sexual assault. Not vividly described on the page.</b><br />
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4 Stars - I recommend if you enjoy historical fantasy with a bit of mystery.<br />
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When Blackthorn makes a deal with a mysterious other folk, she is sprung from her prison, along with her silent prison mate, Grim, but has to set aside her goal of vengeance for seven years, agreeing to assist anyone who asks for her help. The two travel to Dalraida and begin helping the people of the city. When the prince, Oran, comes to them with a curious issue, they must solve the mystery of his changed fiancee, before he must wed her.<br />
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I made it a goal to read more of Juliet Marillier's work this year, and so far that has been really enjoyable. I read Harp of Kings last year and fell in love with her writing. Earlier this year I read her unfinished Wildwood series and thought it was very fun. I started this series next, because it was shorter than some of her others. :) I was a little bit surprised to find that this novel contained very few fantasy elements, but did have a mystery. I enjoyed the quick start to the novel and the intrigue related to Blackthorn's new purpose in Dalraida. I liked that both Blackthorn and Grim were both very complicated characters. They both have a lot of hurt and baggage, and that plays a big part in their stories. I liked them as a team, and that they balance each other out. Oran was also an interesting character, but I admit I found him a little bit helpless, and thought that his disagreement with his friend was pretty silly. However, I overall liked all of the characters and the setting, and am excited to continue with the next two books in the series. I am interested to see if they will be situational mysteries? We shall see. Still out of Marillier's books nothing has topped Harp of Kings, but that's ok. I am enjoying the ride. Her writing is always great, and her worlds are always very interesting. This is definitely a very "Me Too" era book, written back in 2013.<br />
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<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/42201962-the-deep" target="_blank">The Deep by Rivers Solomon</a></b>* <b style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;">- </b><b style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;"><i>ARC, ebook</i></b><br />
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<b>CW - self harm, attempted suicide. Alluded to.</b><br />
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3-3.5 Stars - I recommend if you enjoy unique fantasy, with vivid world building. This is a novella, but it felt more like a short full length novel to me.<br />
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Yetu is the historian of the underwater people descended from slaves thrown overboard from their captor's ships. She bears the weight of their entire history, and it is taking it's toll on her. She is emaciated and has forgotten about the yearly remembering ceremony, where she gives the people of her world the history, and is free of its burden for a short time. She makes the incomprehensible choice to flee to freedom, but can she leave her people to her former suffering? What will happen if they cannot contain the history and end their society as the world knows it?<br />
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Wow, first of all, what a unique concept for a fantasy novel. It pulled me in immediately, and the history gives a second meaning to the story that follows. I was very interested in the world that was created and the magic of their history as well. I connected to Yetu's anxiety and overwhelm, but did have a hard time relating to her journey within the novel. While it was very interesting, and short, I didn't find myself having trouble putting it down. It had sort of a slow pace, that I was having trouble connecting with at this time. The way everything came together in the end was very satisfying and and felt relatively powerful. I will say, even with as much as a romance lover as I am... I don't think this story needed the romance. The connections that were made could have been achieved in other ways. I'm not against it, but it felt like a little bit of an afterthought, or an extra. Overall this this book is a really interesting new piece of fantasy. I recommend it if you are looking for something different and engaging.<br />
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<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/50894027-marshmallow" target="_blank">Marshmallow by Megan Wade</a> (Sweet Curves #1) </b><b style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;">- </b><b style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;"><i>borrowed KU, ebook</i></b><br />
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1 Star - I can't really recommend this one.<br />
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I don't know how to rate this one. I was so excited to find this adorable looking set of romance novellas featuring plus sized women! The beginning of this book was so cute: a plus sized instagrammer gets asked to do a cover shoot with a male model that she's had a crush on for a long time. She was very body positive and fun, and I was so excited for the rest of the story. However, the love story was so questionable. :( HIGHLIGHT FOR SPOILERS: <span style="color: white;">There is an 11 year age gap, she's nearly a virgin, and never had a boyfriend. He knows she's his soulmate, and decides (WITHOUT ANY CONVO) not to use birth control, and to intentionally get her pregnant because they are meant to be. WHAT?! Then she immediately starts feeling not good enough for him, because he's hot and she's plus sized... and I know that everyone has insecurities, and that's fine to share and be realistic about... but she was only body positive in this story when he was appreciating her body. That's not really body positivity. I know these novellas are labelled as instalove, over the top, alpha male, etc. etc. but there is a difference between those things and how I felt reading this.</span> Because I WANT to like this series a lot, and there were redeeming parts to it.... and they only take an hour to read, I WANT to at least read the next one... but I don't think it is going to get better. So I guess I'll stop here. :(<br />
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<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39735911-a-delicate-deception" target="_blank">The Delicate Deception by Cat Sebastian</a></b>*** <b style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;">- </b><b style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;"><i>ARC, ebook</i></b><br />
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4 Stars - I recommend if you enjoy historical romance. This one has LGBTQ+ characters.<br />
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Amelia Allenby has embarrassed herself and her family in the ballroom, and has removed herself to the country for some solitude. She can't stand pretending to be something she's not, small talk, etc. She avoids everyone at all costs, taking very early walks to make it so. One day, she finds her walks interrupted by an intriguing, but infuriating stranger. Sydney Goddard is back in the country at the estate he inherited due to his brother's death. This is the last place that he wants to be, until he interrupts Amelia's morning walks. He doesn't tell her that she is technically a tenant on his estate, and she doesn't tell him her history either. They quickly become more than friends, but can their unnamed relationship survive so much deception?<br />
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This was a fun and quick historical romance. I liked the writing style and the characters quite a bit. I thought that Amelia was refreshingly herself, and Sydney's grumpiness and dislike of the upper classes made them an interesting pair to read about. Amelia tended to get so up in arms with Sydney that there were just some very funny sections of the book. Amelia suffers from some kind of social or generalized anxiety, and as a fellow anxiety sufferer I felt it was portrayed in a realistic and thoughtful way. I loved that Sydney was so understanding and helpful related to her anxiety. That was very sweet and something you don't find in historical romance to this extent. It was also nice to see some representation for bisexual characters in historical romance. It wasn't a huge element of the story, but approached in a matter of fact way, which I rather liked. I really enjoyed Amelia's relationship with her friend Georgiana, and Sydney's friendship with Lex. They were all very off the wall, and really funny as a group. There were some very hilarious conversations and bromances happening. It makes me want to read more of the series just to laugh at conversations between more fun characters. I appreciate the Cat Sebastian is diversifying the romance genre!<br />
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<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/48732871-pumpkin" target="_blank">Pumpkin by Megan Wade</a></b> <b>(Sweet Curves #2) </b><b style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;">- </b><b style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;"><i>borrowed KU, ebook</i></b><br />
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2 Stars - I can't really recommend this one. :(<br />
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Yet again, I don't know how to rate this one. On the plus side (har), this book was better and less problematic than Marshmallow (I think). Because the characters already know each other, it seems less strange when they get together and everything is so intense. I thought that the Thanksgiving plot was cute, and that there was a lot less in the way of body issues in this one. (they were not non-existent, but it was better). There wasn't a ton of insecurity, she wasn't only thinking about herself in terms of what he thought, etc. HOWEVER, HIGHLIGHT FOR SPOILERS: <span style="color: white;">there were still some problems here for me. There is a thirteen year age gap between them and she is NINETEEN. He noticed he had feelings for her when she was SEVENTEEN, and moved away to keep his distance. He tried to never be around when she was to avoid what he felt was inappropriate feelings. Is this good or bad? He tried not to act on it, and didn't until she was 19... but it still feels a little creepy. It does feel a lot less creepy than the other book though. Like with Marshmallow, she doesn't have any sexual or dating experience, which makes it a little bit creepier. But I do understand that she liked him the whole time... which is something that wasn't surprising to me. Preteen girls often have crushes on friends' older brothers. Again, the "I must get you pregnant immediately" thing is so confusing and weird to me. Why? Is this a kink? At least they had a tiny convo about it this time. The epilogue was cute, and overall this one was less problematic than the last. I don't have issues with age gaps, more just the combo of all of these things made it feel kinda weird.</span> Yet again, I am thinking I might read the next book because they are so short and I want them to be good... I don't know.<br />
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<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/45677157-mermaid-inn" target="_blank">Mermaid Inn by Jenny Holiday</a></b>* <b style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;">- </b><b style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;"><i>ARC, ebook</i></b><br />
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4 Stars - I recommend if you enjoy contemporary romance, this is a bit Hallmark-y but steamier.<br />
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When Eve Abbott's great aunt passes away and leaves her her famous "Mermaid Inn", Eve must go back to Moonflower Bay and try to sell it. She's avoided the town, and its inhabitants for the last ten years, and has no desire to go back. Her first act of laying low? Getting stuck on the roof of the inn, and having the sheriff (her ex and high school sweetheart), Sawyer called to rescue her. When she finds out that she is not allowed to sell the inn for a year, she wrestles with her past and where her future will take her.<br />
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You know that Taylor Swift song <i>It's Nice to Have a Friend</i>? I love it, it's just so cute. Evie and Sawyer remind me of the people in the song. They grew up together, they did everything together, and they grew into more. The second chance romance isn't usually my favorite, but the familiar trope of a woman moving back to a small town she doesn't want to be in, and getting sucked in is one that I really enjoy. So the pairing of the two worked well for me. I loved the town of Moonflower Bay. I loved the quirkiness, the characters, the traditions, the lake, etc. I liked that the older residents of the town were conspiring to match make the younger folks. That was really cute, and honestly it would have been fun to see a little bit more of it! I thought that this book had a nice mix of serious and funny, and was overall pretty darn fun. I would have liked some more flashbacks to when they were kids, just to round out more of their history. I loved the family aspect with Sawyer's sister Clara and their found family with their friends. It will be fun to read more books in this series and see what happens with Jake, Law, Maya and the matchmakers. I loved the bromance between the guys so much. So many little things about this book appeal to me as well, I LOVE mermaids and moon flowers, so all of the symbolism and traditions related to those were so much fun to me. If you enjoy Hallmark-y small town plots with a bit more steam, and some quirkiness along the way I think you'll enjoy this fun summer read.<br />
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<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/44774415-mooncakes" target="_blank">Mooncakes by Suzanne Walker, Illustrated by Wendy Xu</a> </b><b style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;">- </b><b style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;"><i>library, ebook</i></b><br />
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3 Stars - I recommend if you enjoy ya graphic novels.<br />
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Nova works in her grandmother's bookshop, and is a witch. When she sees a white wolf in the woods one night she realizes it is her childhood crush Tam. Tam is battling a horse demon, and soon Nova, Tam, and the nanas will find themselves trying to save the town from the horse demon.<br />
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I had seen people reading this and decided to give this a shot in between books. The illustrations were so cute (especially the cats and forest creatures), and I enjoyed the story, though it ultimately felt a bit too teenagery for me. It was a cute, witchy graphic novel with lots of representation from ability to sexuality. I loved the nanas and the family dynamic. The family dynamic with her parents, etc. wasn't explained at all which was kind of confusing... I wish there would have been more there. I loved the holiday aspect, the whole story was very cozy. There was not a lot of back story on their Nova and Tam's relationship, I wish that there would have been more flashbacks. Without them it felt a bit instant. I enjoyed the puns thrown in. The magic system wasn't particularly explained and I don't think I really "got" the spell that they did for connection or why it continued the way it did as the story went on. Lastly, as a foodie and someone who loves food in books, I wish that we would have heard more about the actual mooncakes. They are mentioned in passing once, and that was all we got. Overall this was cute, with great representation, but ultimately too teenagery I think, for me.<br />
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<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27015400-gone-too-deep" target="_blank">Gone Too Deep by Katie Ruggle </a>(Search and Rescue #3)</b><b> </b><b style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;">- </b><b style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;"><i>library, ebook</i></b><br />
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5 Stars - I highly recommend if you enjoy action/suspense with a bit of romance. You need to read <i>Hold Your Breath</i> first. This ends on a cliff hanger, and is part of a 4 part series.<br />
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When Ellie's mentally ill father calls her and tells her he's being followed and he is going to their family cabin in the remote Rockies she is terrified. She flies to Colorado and aims to hire a guide to take her to the cabin, hoping that her father hasn't perished in the snow, or at the hands of possible killers before they find him. George Holloway, is search and rescue's best nature guide, and reluctantly agrees to help Ellie find her father. Along the way it becomes clear that Ellie has no wilderness experience, and George is in way over his head. When the journey becomes dangerous, he'll find himself protecting Ellie with everything he has.<br />
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THIS BOOK WAS SO GOOD. I enjoyed this one just as much as the first book, and enjoyed the survival and outdoor elements of the story. I loved George, he's just the sweetest hulking man ever. I loved Ellie too, and their contrasts were super endearing. I liked that this one was just as action packed as the others. The natural elements mixed with being stalked by a killer made for a very compelling read. A few spoilers (highlight to read): <span style="color: white;">I wish this was Dual POV so bad. Oh it is, but very rarely! BECAUSE HE'S QUIET! His first kiss. GASP. Him missing her and holding her hat.</span> I totally saw the ending coming. BUT I DIDN'T CARE BECAUSE I AM SO COMPELLED. I CAN'T WAIT TO READ THE LAST BOOK!<br />
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<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40881956-sweatpants-season" target="_blank">Sweatpants Season by Danielle Allen</a> - </b><b style="background-color: white;"><i>own, physical book</i></b><br />
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4 Stars - I recommend if you enjoy contemporary romance. Also a good diversity pick! Written by a Black author with POC characters.<br />
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When Akila meets Carlos in a photography workshop there is immediate chemistry. She is drawn to the quiet, passionate man and his work ethic. When she finds out he's a part of a despicable podcast, she's torn between her feelings for him, and her strong beliefs. When their relationship progresses, she'll have to have hard conversations, and decide what is most important to her.<br />
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This isn’t normally a book I’d pick up on my own. BUT The Ripped Bodice sent it to me in a care package, so I obviously had to read it. I’m so glad that they did send it because I really liked this book! I liked both Akila and Carlos, they were both driven and passionate. I enjoyed their enemies to lovers romance. It was very slow burn, and there was a lot of tension. I found this book super sexy, but also very feminist. That's a really good combo in my book. I also appreciated that there were tons of positive female friendships. Yas! This won’t be my last Danielle Allen book!!<br />
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<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39073445-just-one-of-the-groomsmen" target="_blank">Just One of the Groomsmen by Cindi Madsen</a> - </b><b style="background-color: white;"><i>own, physical book</i></b><br />
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3 Stars - I recommend if you enjoy contemporary romance.<br />
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Addie has always been "one of the guys". She plays football, joins eating contests, and plays poker every week. When one of her best friends, Tucker, moves back to town, things have shifted to something less platonic. With their buddy's wedding coming up, they can't risk causing drama or heartbreak within the group. But they also can't seem to keep their hands off each other. When Addie gets a job offer in another city, everything changes once again. -- work on this...<br />
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I don't know that I've read a "one of the guys" or "tom boy" romance before. It was a fun change of pace. I loved the group of guys and Addie. They were so funny and wiley. I liked the small town Southern setting, and with all of the quirky characters too. Especially because Tucker was a lawyer that moved back home, and also a bit of a "Golden Boy" this story often reminded me of <i>Hart of Dixie</i>. No complaints here. I thought that their relationship was really swoony, and the chemistry was great. The conflict fell a bit flat for me. I thought that Tucker was being pretty idiotic... but that happens. LOL Friends to lovers isn't my favorite romance trope, but I did enjoy this book. I think if the series goes on, I might enjoy the other books even more for that reason. Overall I enjoyed this one!<br />
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<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/44148565-girl-gone-viral" target="_blank">Girl Gone Viral by Alisha Rai</a>*/*** </b><b style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;">- </b><b style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;"><i>ARC, ebook</i></b><br />
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4 Stars - I recommend if you enjoy contemporary romance.<br />
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Katrina King, is a shy ex-model dealing with panic, living in seclusion. When she unexpectedly meets a man at a coffee shop, and bystanders take it upon themselves to create a fake relationship for them, she'll worry about her anonymity and what this means for her life. The man that she really wants is her long-time bodyguard Jas Singh. He's never made any interest in her known, but she wishes he would. When things get out of control with the viral tweet about her meet cute, Jas will drive her to his family farm to give her the seclusion she needs.<br />
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I love a good bodyguard romance. Especially a grumpy sort of silent body guard in a romance. I loved Jas and his calm desire to take care of Katrina. I love that he pined for her for so long. I loved Katrina and her sunny outlook and desire to be happy and care for others. The first book in this series was a little too "modern" (modern love series, I know...) for my personal tastes, but this one was just right. I loved the plot, and how they got away to his family's cabin together. As someone who personally deals with anxiety and panic attacks, I thought that Rai's representation of that in Katrina's character was really accurate and sensitively done. I hope that it helps get some awareness out there to readers. It actually choked me up a few times, because I've been there, and was lucky to have someone by my side to help me too. I really enjoyed all of the animals, and also Jas's family. I thought that they were all so colorful and funny. I loved the history of his family and the diversity in that area of California. The "I Love You" stole my heart. Swoon, this was such a cute book. Can't wait, as always, for more of Rai's books!<br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>Monthly totals:</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><br /></b>Read - 18<br />Owned - 6<br />Ebook - 13<br />Physical book - 4</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Audiobook - 1<br />ARC - 6<br />Library/Borrowed - 6</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Re-read - 0<br />Bought - 87 (13 physical books, 74 ebooks) - 57 books were freeee!++ :) -- also please note that the bulk were free because/I've bought so much because there so many free/discounted ebooks during quarantine!<br />To Let Go - 2</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /><b>Yearly Totals:</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><br /></b>Read - 52<br />Owned - 28<br />Ebook - 25<br />Physical book - 24</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Audiobook - 3<br />ARC - 12<br />Library/Borrowed - 13</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Re-read - 2<br />Bought - 480 (93 physical books, 387 ebooks) - 328 books were freeee! :)<br />To Let Go - 15</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /><span style="color: #181818;"><b style="color: black;">Linking up with <a href="http://janasays.com/" style="color: #cc0066;">Jana</a> and <a href="http://www.lifeaccordingtosteph.com/" style="color: #cc0066;">Steph</a> for <a href="http://www.lifeaccordingtosteph.com/p/reading.html" style="color: #cc0066;">Show Us Your Books</a> today. :) </b></span><span style="color: #181818;"><b style="color: black;"><br /></b></span><br /><b>What have you been reading? What do you hope to read this month?!</b> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /><b><b><span style="line-height: 23.1px;">Let's be friends on <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/43902239-alexandra-consolver" style="color: #cc0066;">Goodreads</a>!</span></b></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><b><span style="line-height: 23.1px;"><br /></span></b></b><b style="line-height: 23.1px;">XO,</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="line-height: 23.1px;"><br /></b><b style="line-height: 23.1px;">Alexandra</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="line-height: 23.1px;"><br /></b><span style="line-height: 23.1px;">* Asterisks denote titles that I was given advance access to by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. These reviews are my own opinion, and based on the edition of the book I was given at the time. Thank you Netgalley</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /><b style="line-height: 23.1px;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">**Double asterisks denote books won via a goodreads giveaway! </span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /><b style="line-height: 23.1px;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">***Triple a</span></b><b style="line-height: 23.1px;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">sterisks denote titles that I was given advance access to by </span><b style="line-height: 23.1px;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Edelweiss</span></b><span style="font-weight: normal;"> in exchange for an honest review. These reviews are my own opinion, and based on the edition of the book I was given at the time. Thank you </span><b style="line-height: 23.1px;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Edelweiss</span></b><span style="font-weight: normal;">!</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="line-height: 23.1px;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></b>****Quadruple asterisks denote titles that I was given advance access to by the author of the book in exchange for an honest review. These reviews are my own opinion and based on the edition of the book I was given at the time!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">++ pro-tip: use your Amazon shipping at a slower rate to get e-book credits. I do it whenever I don't need something ASAP and it's resulted in a lot of free ebooks. I usually get them when they are $1.99, etc. Just make sure to use them before they expire!</span></div>
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<br />Simply Alexandra // My Favorite Thingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10005714012822874818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3450106821547345955.post-55108380336177550432020-05-21T05:00:00.000-05:002020-05-21T05:00:01.361-05:00Keep It Together // May 2020<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;">
Hello All! It's time for Keep It Together! :) Woohoo!<br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I am excited to post today with <a href="https://shootingstarsmag.net/" style="color: #cc0066;" target="_blank">Lauren at Shooting Stars Mag</a> and <a href="http://www.knitbygodshand.com/" style="color: #cc0066;" target="_blank">Rebecca Jo from Knit by God's Hand</a> for our Keep It Together linkup!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">If you're new here, this is our linkup for all things planners, memory keeping, and journalling. Please feel free to join us on the third Thursday of the month with any posts that fall into those categories! :)</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX38CzgxVf-xRjk389IrdnwvgqHT1ZSVtGcn6aID9g4jaVZ0UspMCm6xZr3gMcXJGZSse_oNga1_Yp_2DQfLMXWfnz5LvLZvt1aq1zRNqZs6Bhh33McZUmcHF05uH895IC8jvPDKyKX4AG/s1600/keepittogether_3.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; color: #cc0066; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="800" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX38CzgxVf-xRjk389IrdnwvgqHT1ZSVtGcn6aID9g4jaVZ0UspMCm6xZr3gMcXJGZSse_oNga1_Yp_2DQfLMXWfnz5LvLZvt1aq1zRNqZs6Bhh33McZUmcHF05uH895IC8jvPDKyKX4AG/s1600/keepittogether_3.png" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 1px solid rgb(255, 255, 255); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 1px 1px 5px; padding: 5px; position: relative;" width="640" /></span></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Planning & Goals:</b></span></div>
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I'm starting on a garden planner/journal. I'll share that next month! This month I wanted to show a cool art journalling technique with you guys!</div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Documenting:</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBhzFjl4QqB1j8UvGJWa5F7DVI2fj610wXkxXP5CZo5sR3qe7jimEefCaKC1qWVe7zZf74GSBnnWpL777U8i_Z73sDqC9LPQA0f8PTIUxv2L_aIoR6EO5f8pxf3TNPy1PeAlNSWXntDnzl/s1600/IMG_1007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBhzFjl4QqB1j8UvGJWa5F7DVI2fj610wXkxXP5CZo5sR3qe7jimEefCaKC1qWVe7zZf74GSBnnWpL777U8i_Z73sDqC9LPQA0f8PTIUxv2L_aIoR6EO5f8pxf3TNPy1PeAlNSWXntDnzl/s1600/IMG_1007.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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I haven't felt much like documenting or journalling. Back in February, I think, I decided to learn a bit about the wheel of the year, and some of the traditions behind each section, or sabbat. I wanted to live this year very seasonally, so I sketched and watercolored the wheel of the year into my "wonder manifesto" / goal / journal / scrapbook for the year. It's not perfect. One or two sections are oriented the wrong way, and I figured out too late that my pen smudges... BUT I like it! :)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm_-vTgFLUbPALkT0CQi11qqIH_lqJU9vwF4V5ni-fmZ790jKtz-dXM2W38hjiJaqzCHPZR328j8nynQU_5xbhGAyF589sxRY8S7nzhKZBdcoKAoRQWw4vZwN14hqwcSGV6CbMng2BrEfL/s1600/IMG_0995.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm_-vTgFLUbPALkT0CQi11qqIH_lqJU9vwF4V5ni-fmZ790jKtz-dXM2W38hjiJaqzCHPZR328j8nynQU_5xbhGAyF589sxRY8S7nzhKZBdcoKAoRQWw4vZwN14hqwcSGV6CbMng2BrEfL/s1600/IMG_0995.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKY2AN9BrWFKmatUEiJozf9ystsuRv6sXlZiWeiq3C1YNIC-UIE9qvJx8O6Ts-pzvO39kpBpNXjPX3k5sqbO7lBf4G9rpLqZB881-IPFtKvDklEsBvfzVptVHf1LXvPk4Tl2Phzlzvl5O0/s1600/IMG_0998.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKY2AN9BrWFKmatUEiJozf9ystsuRv6sXlZiWeiq3C1YNIC-UIE9qvJx8O6Ts-pzvO39kpBpNXjPX3k5sqbO7lBf4G9rpLqZB881-IPFtKvDklEsBvfzVptVHf1LXvPk4Tl2Phzlzvl5O0/s1600/IMG_0998.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I GOT NEW BRUSHES! I HAVE BEEN USING THE SAME ONES SINCE HIGH SCHOOL (I WILL KEEP USING THEM!) BUT I BOUGHT MYSELF A BIG SET FROM TARGET AND I AM VERY EXCITED IF YOU COULD NOT TELL! - <a href="https://www.target.com/p/24ct-ultimate-paint-brush-library-hand-made-modern-174/-/A-16748274" target="_blank">these were $20 from Target</a>. This is not an affiliate link.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz7WCGpmx2ds5wdc4d_IRiP7Ec08AtnNZS9Oq0J__m0mtiM684ZbRfSq3OQrtwtAER8ALrp7z7q92W05TEsHJIJRo59UkK-iXpmglhudO7xjIUqBYnc48PoCEDbZ-TOTIJfAjk_bi1q_Ek/s1600/IMG_1015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz7WCGpmx2ds5wdc4d_IRiP7Ec08AtnNZS9Oq0J__m0mtiM684ZbRfSq3OQrtwtAER8ALrp7z7q92W05TEsHJIJRo59UkK-iXpmglhudO7xjIUqBYnc48PoCEDbZ-TOTIJfAjk_bi1q_Ek/s1600/IMG_1015.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Scalawag is impressed. He also tried to eat one... so... take that with a grain of salt.</td></tr>
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<b>Watercolor Technique</b><br />
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Last night I played around with some more watercolor techniques that I want to carry into this book at some point. It's super super simple, I had not done it since HIGH SCHOOL.... So I wanted to test it out with good water colors. You can do it!<br />
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<b>Water Color Salt Technique</b><br />
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<b>Materials Needed: </b><br />
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paper<br />
water colors<br />
brushes<br />
salt<br />
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1) water color something - A dark sky is an easy one!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh757VRnxa1Pa1URzyELjCUEGbMh8WkznGRNJUC7bLSppK8LiGkAb8ICSu6xP3elQkKcxA9Pm3BvjYh8VzwCDDm_b1pleBZkCDVGU04-hhIY1f5p-gUaMuixN7ZaoL4-XhVcXaR8XnuJ-R8/s1600/IMG_1024.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh757VRnxa1Pa1URzyELjCUEGbMh8WkznGRNJUC7bLSppK8LiGkAb8ICSu6xP3elQkKcxA9Pm3BvjYh8VzwCDDm_b1pleBZkCDVGU04-hhIY1f5p-gUaMuixN7ZaoL4-XhVcXaR8XnuJ-R8/s1600/IMG_1024.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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2) sprinkle salt on your water color painting before it dries - you can play around with different sizes of salt if you want. Table salt, kosher salt, etc. etc. TIP - more or bigger salt works better for darker colors.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRXvY_8qx8s5imEg1jcK6rKql24czkdHTJ3dEtNY8hbx_uV0sVuw4Ix2yDB5DsIrvi5-7_-F7-76qu1jp0fw_F9L96TkPBjFBY9gDzSusPeI02d3Dm6wWGM9GouIXrTcHCiYcwaFxgqxaz/s1600/IMG_1025.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRXvY_8qx8s5imEg1jcK6rKql24czkdHTJ3dEtNY8hbx_uV0sVuw4Ix2yDB5DsIrvi5-7_-F7-76qu1jp0fw_F9L96TkPBjFBY9gDzSusPeI02d3Dm6wWGM9GouIXrTcHCiYcwaFxgqxaz/s1600/IMG_1025.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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3) let dry - it will look like this before it dries!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCLyXp8C5Liff_gOuqDWzEX9FvQhdhrPvKNuoKuZjbOxfJ_nWwDu_1ITZ8Oec1mZZLVwQ6ubHQhCdYR0hn20UjVHXqlXjsHZdpIPzNkL7NYx-cojQfl0SYZMBHXdM1te1eznXu8g4oZauq/s1600/IMG_1032.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCLyXp8C5Liff_gOuqDWzEX9FvQhdhrPvKNuoKuZjbOxfJ_nWwDu_1ITZ8Oec1mZZLVwQ6ubHQhCdYR0hn20UjVHXqlXjsHZdpIPzNkL7NYx-cojQfl0SYZMBHXdM1te1eznXu8g4oZauq/s1600/IMG_1032.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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4) gently scrape off the salt granules<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPJ3SrTAYMfo7CQgOexOoLkW50OPIPXdyhVEIWOCGqa6MfM5ruI522Yo5GnClYDvVA7dkj5M2wYQLjorx0pyvRYgFCmMNk16dOuMwzbVp_JNaEOruZ5AoR6tM9fmtFSz3CZ5vxXj3D_yJX/s1600/IMG_1070.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPJ3SrTAYMfo7CQgOexOoLkW50OPIPXdyhVEIWOCGqa6MfM5ruI522Yo5GnClYDvVA7dkj5M2wYQLjorx0pyvRYgFCmMNk16dOuMwzbVp_JNaEOruZ5AoR6tM9fmtFSz3CZ5vxXj3D_yJX/s1600/IMG_1070.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">this is obviously a different painting, but it was the best example of how it looks!</td></tr>
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5) admire<br />
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Here are some finished products.<br />
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I'm excited to use chunkier salts and brainstorm what I want to put in my journal!<br />
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<b style="font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif;">What's Next?!</b><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Just trying to figure out my "new normal" like everyone else. </span></div>
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Have you ever tried watercolors? If so, have you tried the salt technique?<br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Please feel free to linkup with us below! We'd love to see what you are up to!</b></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><br /></b></span><br />
<b>XO,</b><br />
<b><br /></b><b>Alexandra</b></div>
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Simply Alexandra // My Favorite Thingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10005714012822874818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3450106821547345955.post-40101278841350037262020-05-12T05:00:00.000-05:002020-06-09T12:40:59.821-05:00March & April 2020 Reads // Quarantine Reading (aka LONG POST)YAY! It's BOOK DAY!<br />
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I have been reading a lot.. but have been very behind on writing my reviews... I got some of them written, so I can link up for SUYB today! :)<br />
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Here we go!<br />
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<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43884209-get-a-life-chloe-brown" target="_blank">Get A Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert</a> </b><b style="background-color: white;">- <i>own, physical book</i></b><br />
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3 Stars - I recommend if you enjoy contemporary romance.<br />
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Chloe Brown is chronically ill, living with her family, and doesn't feel like she has "a life". She decides to make a list to do all of the things she thinks she should have done by now. She starts by getting her own apartment, and then finds herself a bit stuck accomplishing the rest of the list. Luckily, her building maintenance guy, Red, seems like just the right person to teach her.<br />
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Everyone has raved about this book, but it just wasn't my favorite. I very very much loved the representation in this book. How often do you find a chronically ill MC? Not very often, I also appreciate how realistically that part of her life was portrayed. Beyond that, I had trouble connecting with the characters. I had a hard time with their instalove, and their chemistry. I also felt like since it was dual POV, Red's issues he was working through should have come out sooner. I think waiting kept me from feeling like I "got" his character. Overall, it was cute and fun with really good representation... I just didn't love it.<br />
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<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36531070-jane-doe" target="_blank">Jane Doe by Victoria Helen Stone</a> </b><b style="background-color: white;">- <i>own, ebook</i></b><br />
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4 Stars - I recommend if you enjoy thrillers.<br />
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Jane is new to working for an insurance company. She has a low-level job, and pretty dresses. She's pretty, but not remarkable. Just perfect for manager Steven Hepsworth to prey on. And that's her plan. To wiggle into his life, and ruin it.<br />
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I had a sneer on my face reading nearly this entire book. I don't read a lot of thrillers, but lately I've been wanting to read quickly paced and thrilling books more often than usual. I was a bit surprised by the simplistic writing style, but soon enough I acclimated and it was a very quick read. I'm not sure if thrillers and revenge novels are different genres... but if so, I'd classify this as the latter. I was intrigued by the story line, and was rooting for Jane start to finish. Steven was absolutely awful, and everything about him made me cringe. I do feel, as I often do with thrillers, that nothing particularly shocked me. It was face paced, entertaining, and satisfying.. but there weren't any "oh wow" moments for me. People I know that really like thrillers seemed to enjoy this one, so I would think it's a pretty solid read. :)<br />
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<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/38619.Magic_Bites" target="_blank">Magic Bites by Ilona Andrews</a> (Kate Daniels #1) </b><b style="background-color: white;">- <i>own, physical book</i></b><br />
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4 Stars - I recommend if you enjoy urban fantasy.<br />
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In post-apocalypse Atlanta magic comes in waves. One minute the magic is up, and technology doesn't work, and the next, the tech is up and magic doesn't work. This can make living in a dangerous world, even more dangerous. Kate Daniels has a target on her back because of the magic in her blood. She has spent her life in plain sight, trying to remain relatively out of sight. She is an investigator of magical crimes, and she's always got plenty to do. When she's approached by the Beast Lord, Curran, she'll work with the shifters to solve a common mystery.<br />
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Whew. First, I will say that it took me a while to get into this book. The world building is explained slowly, and I honestly don't felt like I understood the world until the second book. Note: there is an edition of this book with supporting materials in the back... which help you understand the world, I would recommend reading those first. You don't have to, but I bet it helps. Anyhow, once I got the world and magic a little more under my belt I started to enjoy the book more. I like Kate, she's surly and badass. I also liked all of the various other characters and her many connections in magical post-apocalyptic Atlanta. I am interested to learn more about world and the pack as I go. I also liked Curran, also a grump, so that's sure to be interesting, as I assume they will get together.<br />
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<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/50883357-the-perfect-escape" target="_blank">The Perfect Escape by Suzanne Park</a>* </b><b style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;">- </b><b style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;"><i>ARC, ebook</i></b><br />
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3 Stars - I might recommend if you enjoy quirky YA.<br />
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Nate is a super smart, super active, very quirky teenager who wishes he could be as affluent as his school mates. Kate lives in a smart house, with a tech giant dad, who is never home. When the two meet working at a zombie escape room, Kate suggests they team up for a weekend survivalist competition (complete with zombies) and split the cash prize.<br />
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This was such a fun debut novel with a quirky premise. I loved how Nate and Kate meet working in a zombie escape room and how they bond over their love of zombies. I would have liked to see more of the actual escape room throughout the book! I enjoyed the peek into their home and school lives too, though I admit that the middle portion of the book was a little bit long for me. The competition was fun and different to read. I enjoyed the action and survival elements. The ending was really really sweet and left me feeling fuzzy. My biggest let down was the girl on girl hate. It happens so often in many genres, but I’m over it. I want to see more women supporting each other. Fewer women fighting against each other for men. All that aside this was a very sweet and quirky debut novel and I’d recommend it if it sounds like your thing. Excited to read more from Suzanne Park in the future!<br />
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<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1811543.Magic_Burns" target="_blank">Magic Burns by Illona Andrews</a> (Katie Daniels #2) </b><b style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;">- </b><b style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;"><i>library, ebook</i></b><br />
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4 Stars - I recommend if you enjoy urban fantasy, or fantasy in general. Start with book one <i>Magic Bites</i>.<br />
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The biggest magic wave in seven years is hitting Atlanta, and it's causing a battle between some ancient gods. Kate Daniels will be once again investigating magical crimes, and trying to keep the peace.<br />
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The first book in this series was intriguing and quickly paced, but I wasn't sure if I'd love the series. After reading the second installment I can tell you that I'm fully invested. I enjoyed this one much more. The pace was quicker, there was more action and mystery, and you get to know the characters better. I enjoyed the imaginative takes on mythology from various cultures, and the interesting settings and creatures. I'm also loving the developments to Kate and Curran's relationship. That ending really hit me with the warm fuzzies. I stayed up really late finishing this one, and am excited to see where the series and the characters go from here!<br />
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<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4345498-magic-strikes" target="_blank">Magic Strikes by Ilona Andrews</a> </b><b>(Katie Daniels #3) </b><b style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;">- </b><b style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;"><i>library, ebook</i></b><br />
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5 Stars - I recommend if you enjoy urban fantasy, or fantasy in general. Start with book one <i>Magic Bites</i>.<br />
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When Kate's shifter friend, Derek is found nearly dead, she'll investigate with the pack what happened. Her information will lead her to the infamous and dangerous Midnight Games undercover. When they find out about a very serious plot they will end up in the fighting arena.<br />
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I REALLY ENJOYED THIS BOOK! The further I get into this series, the more I enjoy it. The world is better explained and really interesting, and the relationships deepen. I really enjoyed the Midnight Games and the intrigue along with that. I liked the group teaming up to compete and learning more about the various characters. I really love Andrea, and her friendship with Kate. I hope she continues to be in the series more. I particularly appreciated a very meta section of this book where they talk about alpha males in romance novels. It definitely gave me a chuckle. I loved all of the banter in this book, and am glad that the SUPER SLOW BURN romance is continuing. :)<br />
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<b><i><u>QUARANTINE READING STARTS HERE:</u></i></b><br />
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<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34379276-hello-stranger" target="_blank">Hello Stranger by Lisa Kleypas</a> (Ravenels #4) </b><b style="background-color: white;">- <i>own, physical book</i></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">4.5 Stars - <span style="background-color: white;">I recommend if you enjoy historical romance. Since characters in this book start in the other books, I would recommend starting with <i>Cold Hearted Rake</i>.</span></span><br />
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Dr. Garret Gibson, the first and only female doctor in England has never found herself wanting a romantic relationship. She is satisfied with her career and her life that accompanies it. However, when she continually runs into Ethan Ransom, a mysterious former detective (and possible assassin), she'll want more. Ethan is involved in some dangerous political plots, and knows it is best to keep Garret at bay, but he has trouble resisting. Will one night be enough?<br />
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This book was so much fun! I loved it so much, and it has now taken the second spot in the series for me. I loved Garret, she's so independent and tough. I also loved Ethan, he's very gruff but charming. I really loved how he helped her to learn self defense, and their sort of "forbidden" attraction and relationship. I thought that it was all very sweet and swoony. I enjoyed that this book was fast paced, and the particularly emotional ending. I also like that West's character gets featured more toward the end. I'm excited to continue with the series.<br />
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<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/45437704-the-most-eligible-lord-in-london" target="_blank">The Most Eligible Lord in London by Ella Quinn</a></b>* <b style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;">- </b><b style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;"><i>ARC, ebook</i></b><br />
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2 Stars - I wouldn't particularly recommend this one. :(<br />
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Lord Littleton is back in London for another try at The Season. Last Season he made a fool of himself and caused a scandal with a woman, and then ran away. This year, he's unfortunately interested in one of her friends Lady Adeline. How can he convince her that he's not going to hurt her? Adeline is spending her first Season in London, and doesn't know a rake from a shovel. When the handsome Lord Littleton is called out by her friend, she believes him to be a rake. The more time she spends with him, the more she questions that assessment, but also feels guilty for betraying her friend. Can she make heads or tales of the Marriage Mart?<br />
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I was ultimately drawn to this book because of it's gorgeous cover, so pretty! This was my first book by Ella Quinn, and the first book in a new series. It had the common first book in a series set up for the rest of the books, which is ultimately helpful, but always a bit jarring at first. You're learning a lot of characters without specific information related to them. I thought that the chemistry between Adeline and Frits was good, and I definitely wanted them to become more invested in each other. I liked that Frits wanted to be at his estates and out in the country rather than in Town, and that Adeline also wanted that. I struggled with Adeline's naivete, she just didn't seem to know anything. I think that is a product of her parents and siblings leaving her to her own devices... but it made her a bit annoying to read. I also found this book to be repetitive. Adeline goes driving with one man, then with another. She waltzes with one man, then with another. I realize drives and balls were common activity during The Season, but it just felt a bit cyclical when I was reading it. I also felt like Eugenie's anti slavery plot, while very interesting, was both too much and too little to add to this story. Overall this just didn't work for me. I enjoyed the ending more than the beginning, but it just wasn't my favorite.<br />
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<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43263486-the-widow-of-rose-house" target="_blank">The Widow of Rose House by Diana Biller</a>* </b><b style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;">- </b><b style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;"><i>ARC, ebook</i></b><br />
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4.5 Stars - I highly recommend if you enjoy historical fiction, historical romance, and anything with a bit of a spooky feel to it.<br />
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When the infamous Mrs. Webster buys a dilapidated mansion in New York, a eccentric scientist asks to study it's ghosts. Alva Webster isn't interested in people who want to hear about her supposed scandals, or really anyone who will get in her way of starting her new life. She turns down Professor Samuel Moore's persistent attempts to study her home. When her contractor and working crews up and leave her home, with their tools inside, saying they will not finish the work, she decides to work with Sam to remove the ghost, and hopefully resume work on the renovation. Despite her tumultuous romantic past, Alva finds herself drawn to the professor, despite her best attempts. Will they discover who or what is haunting her home? Or will the ghost drive them to their ruin?<br />
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Wow! This was such a fun book to read. I didn't really know what to expect with this one, and I found it to be a fun mix of historical fiction, horror, mystery, and romance. It had a very Gothic feel to it overall, much like du Maurier novels, or <i>Jane Eyre</i>. I enjoyed the Gilded Age setting in New York and the moves from the city to the country. It was nice to be out of regency England for a bit... I also enjoyed that while the character were wealthy, they had fairly normal professions and that made it feel different from all of the Dukes and Lairds common in historical novels. I really loved the spooky atmosphere that a lot of the book has, but also the contrast of the funny characters and clever dialogue. I enjoyed the "grumpy + sunshine" trope with the unusual slant that the male MC is the sunshine one. I thought Sam was really adorable and quirky, and he brought a lot of light to the story. I also like Alva and how she had overcome so many of her demons, and tried to change her life. Sam's relationship with his family and Henry were so wholesome and charming. I hope I get to read more books set in this world. While I'm not 100% sure I would classify this as solely a romance... it did have some really good chemistry, a fairly large romantic plot, and some steamy scenes. Le Swoon, I loved it! Overall I liked where the story went, and found the conclusion to be really satisfying. I think this was an incredible debut novel, and I cannot wait to read what else Diana Biller writes.<br />
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<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40404706-devil-s-daughter" target="_blank">Devil's Daughter by Lisa Kleypas</a></b> <b>(Ravenels #5) </b><b style="background-color: white;">- <i>own, physical book</i></b><br />
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<b>3.5 - 4 Stars - </b><span style="background-color: white;">I recommend if you enjoy historical romance. Since characters in this book start in the other books, I would recommend starting with <i>Cold Hearted Rake</i>.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;">Lady Phoebe is a young widow with two young sons, after the early death of her husband she believes she will never love again. She had heard from her husband what a bully West Ravenel was to him while he was in school, and Phoebe hates him for it. When she attends a family wedding, and meets the man of the estate, she is shocked to find that he is the one and only West Ravenel. However, Phoebe finds it hard to continue hating him. West has lived a regrettable life, but can only move forward. Since working on his brother's inherited estate, he has found his purpose, and his fulfillment. When he meets Lady Phoebe, he knows she is much too good for him, but he struggles to stay away. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;">I thought that this book was really cute. I loved Phoebe and have long loved West's character. I especially loved all of the sweet family scenes with her children spending time with her and West. Because I loved West's character so much I was really looking forward to this book, but I did find this one a little bit disappointing. I was hoping for more. Maybe it's because he is older and she is a widow with children, but it all felt a little bit business like. I don't know. It definitely was harder to enjoy for me because there was so much about Phoebe's parents, which feature in a book in another Kleypas series. I haven't read it, but enough of it was about them that it felt hard to enjoy those parts. I still enjoyed the book overall, but felt I didn't have all the connections I needed from the other series to love it as much as some of the others. Excited for the next book!</span><br />
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<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31357982-outlander" target="_blank">Outlander by Diana Gabladon</a></b> (Outlander #1) <b style="background-color: white;">- <i>own, audiobook</i></b> <b><i>- re-read</i></b><br />
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5 Stars - I highly recommend if you enjoy historical fiction and romance.<br />
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When WWII nurse Claire is on a second honeymoon with her husband Frank, she is sent back into the past by some standing stones. She reappears in the 1700s, is assaulted by a British officer, and taken captive by some Scottish cattle rustlers. How can she escape and get back home?<br />
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Ahh I love this book. Listening to it was such a different experience, but a good way to get myself back up to speed so I can continue reading the rest of the series. I absolutely love Gabaldon's writing style and and the entire world that she created. Everything is so descriptive and vivid whether reading or listening. I of course, adore Jamie and Claire's story. It is so swoony, romantic, and action packed. I forgot how combative they can both be, but it feels natural during such a weird situation. I can't imagine being hurled back in time 200 years. I caught more things on the second pass through and really enjoyed the characters and scenes even more. I found myself more and less emotional at different times during this listen, but I will say that it made my menial work tasks go much faster, and it felt some comfortable and compelling to listen to. I don't have a lot of experience with audiobooks, but it seems worth the money because it is 32 hours long! Also, I liked the narration, but don't have a lot of experience with that yet either.<br />
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<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/45288506-matzah-ball-surprise" target="_blank">Matzah Ball Surprise by Laura Brown</a></b>* <b style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;">- </b><b style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;"><i>ARC, ebook</i></b><br />
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3 Stars - I recommend if you enjoy contemporary romance.<br />
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When Gaby's family won't get off her back about her ex and her dating life, she desperately asks the cute guy at the gym to be her Passover date. Levi doesn't know what the cute woman talking to him wants, but he's curious and eager to avoid his ex-fiance. Gaby is surprised to find out that her long time gym crush is deaf, but more surprised to find out that he is willing to be her Passover date. Will they be able to fool her meddling family, even when they can't communicate in the same language?<br />
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Ah, this book was so cute! I've been wondering for the longest time where all of the holiday books about non-Christian holidays are. Here we go. I love love love the diversity in religion as well as in ability. I also love, that this is an own voices novel for both categories. Overall I thought this book was super cute, and I loved the story, Gaby's family, and her chemistry with Levi. I thought it was great to learn more about Passover and daily issues facing Deaf or Hard of Hearing people. I thought that the holiday plot was very fun, the family aspects were delightful, and the tension between the MCs was fantastic. I wasn't crazy about the conflict and how it played out, there were a lot of people involved, and it seemed a bit unlikely, but it didn't diminish my enjoyment of the characters. I'm so excited that this book exists, and am excited to read more books by Laura Brown soon!<br />
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<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/45367879-beautiful" target="_blank">Beautiful by Juliet Marillier</a> </b><b style="background-color: white;">- <i>own, audiobook</i></b><br />
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3.5 Stars - I might recommend if you enjoy audiobooks and YA fantasy novels.<br />
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This re-imagining of East of the Sun, West of the Moon makes the troll queen the main character of the tale. This is the story of a young girl who grew up with a controlling mother, sheltered and locked away from the world. A young girl who wants to be brave, learn, and have adventures. When her story ends as we know it to in the original tale, she must go out into the world to learn what she needs to know for her future.<br />
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This is an interesting book, as it is only available on audio in it's full form. You can access the short story version in an anthology. I am a big fan of Juliet Marillier, her writing style is still gorgeous in audio. Her love of learning and exploring is so evident in her writing, which I love. This would be a great book for younger readers and YA audiences as well. Hulde was a great character from the beginning, she was so sweet and wanted to learn. She was brave despite living in a bad environment, and followed after her dreams. Even when the inevitable happens (if you know <i>East of the Sun, West of the Moon</i>), she doesn't let it break her. I loved how she grew up on the page, and how Roon taught her so many things especially with her life so limited. While the story itself was a bit predictable, I enjoyed the change to read a fantasy novel about trolls, and commentary on what it means to be "beautiful". I was interested in the troll clans, and would have liked to know more about their world. The narration wasn't my favorite on this book, and I admit I found it distracting from time to time. However, I still enjoyed the story overall. While parts of it were simple and a little bit cheesy, it still had the signature Marillier depth. One quote that really stuck out to me was: "take hold of your story, shape it the way that you want, don't be afraid." I loved that Hulde made this her mantra. I also enjoyed the particular truth of, "Stories help folk make sense of things, don't you think?"<br />
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<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/48753068-coming-up-roses" target="_blank">Coming Up Roses by Staci Hart</a> (Bennet Brothers #1) </b><b style="background-color: white;">- <i>own, ebook</i></b><br />
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5 Stars - I highly recommend if you enjoy contemporary romance.<br />
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Would call this a modern day re-imagining of the Bennet family from Pride and Prejudice. This is a re-imagining of Lydia's story, post Wickham.<br />
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All readers have an author or two that they've been meaning to read for ages, but you just *know* that you will love their books. Maybe you follow them on social media, and just think "yes, this person has the best vibe." etc. And maybe you wait wayyyyy too long to actually tuck into one of their books... and you start to get anxious. "OH GOD WHAT IF I DON'T LIKE IT?!" Staci Hart has been that author for me, for YEARS. While I was so nervous to start this (or any of her) book(s), I very happily was *in love* with it. I would start by saying that this is a modern day re-imagining of the Bennet family from Pride and Prejudice. It re-imagines Lydia's story post Wickham. It doesn't really follow the story of Pride and Prejudice. I adored the flower shop setting, the premise of a family banding together to save it, the dreamy descriptions, and all of the sweet characters. I am not always the biggest fan of second chance romances, but this one really worked for me. This story was just the right amount of humor, fluff, angst, and quirk. Like a the comfort of a Hallmark movie, but so much deeper, and definitely sexier. And everything-ier. Random things I adored: Tess's dad calls her Pigeon! I die. Luke's LONG rant on Poldark. YAS! We were all thinking it! WE WERE ALL THINKING IT!!! Though this isn't a direct P&P re-telling, the Mrs. Bennet was spot. on. I really enjoyed this book so so so much, and cannot wait to continue the series and then read every other Staci Hart book. EVER.<br />
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<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/46432066-gather-at-home?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=HSZALNH732&rank=1" target="_blank">Gather At Home by Monika Hibbs</a></b>* <b style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;">- </b><b style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;"><i>ARC, ebook</i></b><br />
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5 Stars - I recommend if you enjoy lifestyle books that follow the seasons and include recipes, DIY projects, and floral arrangement inspiration.<br />
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This lifestyle book is filled to the brim with recipes, DIY projects, and inspiration for every season. Lifestyle blogger Monika Hobbs shares her tips and tricks for making every season and occasion special in an approachable and simple way.<br />
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This book was a delight to read. Everything from the gorgeous pictures, to strong element of tradition was so beautifully put on each page. I love the focus on family and tradition, and that Hobbs talks about passing down her mother's traditions to her own children. I also loved that she broke her book up by seasons, that is my favorite way to read a lifestyle book, and had me looking forward to the rest of 2020. I found myself so excited to reach each new season and soak up the recipes, photos, and projects. I love that she includes florals and greens that are in season as well! Her approaches are simple and accessible, and she includes patterns for the reader to use along the way. There was not a project in this collection that I wouldn't try making. Some of the recipes are not up my alley, as I'm not much for starting the year with "clean eating" (ex. clean cupcakes - I'll just go for normal ones.) but the bulk of them I would love to try. Some particular recipes I cannot wait to test are: Turkey Quinoa Burgers with Pineapple, On-the-Go Breakfast Muffins, Polish Chicken Noodle Soup, Light Cherry and Heirloom Tomato Pasta, White Wine Sangria, Individual Strawberry and Cream Pavlovas, Maple, Lemon, and Garlic Glazed Salmon, and Crunchy Honey, Cinnamon, and Almond Granola. Some particular projects I cannot wait to try are: Peony Bloom Place Cards, Kissing Felt Mistletoe, Wooden Hoop Winter Wreaths, Country Floral Arrangement, Pressed Floral and Citrus Bottle Chiller, and Potted Spring Bulbs.<br />
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<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40404706-devil-s-daughter" target="_blank">Uprooted by Naomi Novik</a> </b><b style="background-color: white;">- <i>own, physical book</i></b><br />
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3 Stars - I might recommend if you enjoy fantasy novels.<br />
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Every ten years the Dragon, a wizard, takes a young girl from the village to live with him as payment for his protection from the invasive wood bordering the valley. No one knows what happens to the girls, but once they leave his tower they rarely stay in their home village. When Agniezka is unexpectly chosen, she finds that the tower, and the dragon are not what she expected. As the threat of the wood grows stronger, Agniezka will discover there is more to herself, and the world than she imagined.<br />
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This is the type of book I was hoping for when I picked up <i>The Hazel Wood</i> at the beginning of the year. I started out feeling very compelled by the world and the story, I liked the classic fantasy setting, and somewhat familiar story formula. I thought that the magic system was interesting, if not vague, and that the dual magic had a subtle sexiness to it. The first part of the book was compelling, but once Agniezka went to see the king it wasn't very interesting for me. Overall, that part dragged, and in the end the book felt much longer than it needed to. Once things synced back up it was more intriguing, and the ending was satisfying as well. I like where it ended up, and how it all came together. It does feel a bit like other stories in the end, but I'm not sure which ones... I didn't love it as much as I expected to, but that's ok.<br />
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<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/52510287-gilded-lily" target="_blank">Gilded Lily by Staci Hart (Bennet Brothers #2) </a> </b><b style="background-color: white;">- <i>own, ebook</i></b><br />
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3.5 Stars - I recommend if you enjoy contemporary romance. Read <i>Coming Up Roses</i> First.<br />
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Lila Parker has the perfect life: perfect job, perfect boyfriend, perfect apartment, and in line for more everywhere she turns. When she finds her boyfriend cheating on her with her client's sister, she moves out, and her world turns upside down. Kash Bennet, the gardener at Loungbourne cannot stand Lila. She's mean, moody, prissy, and grumpy. But he also can't stop thinking about her. When Lila needs his help, he'll find she's a much different woman than he thinks she is. Opposites attract, but can the relationship last?<br />
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Would call this a modern day re-imagining of the Bennet family from <i>Pride and Prejudice</i>. This is a re-imagining of Kitty's story. Which is to say... not much of a story.<br />
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I once again loved the writing, vivid descriptions, characters, and Bennet family so much. I really liked Kash, a bit more than Luke, and so it was fun to read his book. I do however, think that <i>Sliding Doors</i> is one of the worst movies ever. LOL so I have to say that Luke has better opinions on TV/movies with his hatred of Ross Poldark. LOL I didn't love the Felix Femmes or the plot related to them... which took up a lot of the book. I'm not one for reality tv, or drama, or rich and famous plots (for the most part) so I just struggled with that. And I struggled with how mean they were, and how mean her co-workers were. I think also because Lila wore such a guarded front with a lot of the characters and so much of the book it did take a while to get the feel for who she really was. Once we got there, I really liked her. In the end that made the rest of the book more satisfying and the ending so charming, but getting there wasn't as enjoyable as <i>Coming Up Roses</i>. I'm really excited for <i>Mum's The Word</i>, though! Highlight for Spoiler: <span style="color: white;">I did think that Kash's actions toward the end were disappointing. That he let himself get caught up in the drama seemed out of character for him... but then Ivy got to tell him off...so I guess that's fine.</span><br />
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<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34895950-the-tea-dragon-society" target="_blank">The Tea Dragon Society by Katie O'Neill</a> </b><b style="background-color: white;">- <i>own, physical book</i></b><br />
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5 Stars - I recommend if you enjoy cute graphic novels.<br />
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A girl named Greta finds a lost tea dragon, and returns it to the tea shop. While there she meets the owners and learns about the mysterious world of tea dragons.<br />
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This book is just very cute. The art is adorable. The dragons are adorable. The characters are diverse and interesting. If you just want to read something happy and cute, I recommend this one. Perfectly appropriate for all ages.<br />
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<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1662201.Miss_Pinkerton" target="_blank">Miss Pinkerton by Mary Roberts Rinehart</a> </b><b style="background-color: white;">- <i>own, physical book</i></b><br />
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4 Stars - I recommend if you enjoy classic mysteries.<br />
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Night nurse Hilda Adams is often called to help observe crime scenes and help solve mysteries. When someone is found dead at the Mitchell Manor, she is called to look after Miss Juliet, matron of the house. The death looks like a suicide, but is it that cut and dry?<br />
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I have only read one classic mystery, but the cover and background of this book drew me in. I immediately liked the writing style, it's very accessible, and fairly quick to read. The short chapters and endings of each chapter really keep you reading as well, even though older mysteries tend to be slower in nature. I often find myself bored with mysteries, or working it all out too quickly. Neither was the case with this one. I am excited to read more of the series now, and maybe even watch the movie version. If you like classic mysteries, I think you'll like this one.<br />
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<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36694774-eagle-crane" target="_blank">Eagle and Crane by Suzanne Rindell</a>** </b><b style="background-color: white;">- <i>own, physical book</i></b><br />
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4 Stars - I recommend if you enjoy historical fiction.<br />
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The Thorn family and the Yamada family have always had a feud. When their sons Louis and Haruto (Harry) find themselves swept up in the splendor of Earl Shaw's Flying Circus, they will find themselves becoming friends, and questioning the generations' long family feud. As the barnstormer travels around California Earl's step daughter Ava will make friends with the two daredevils, as the group comes into their fame. When the Japanese bomb Pearl Harbor, Harry and his family are sent to an Internment camp. When the Yamadas escape from their camp, and one of the planes from the flying circus crashes with two bodies inside, the FBI comes to investigate the crime and deaths.<br />
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It's been a while since I've read historical fiction, but I really enjoyed this book. The back and forth between the post-war mystery, and the Depression barnstorming act wove a really interesting story. I really enjoyed the complicated friendship between Louis, Harry, and Ava. I like how all of the details unfolded slowly, and intensified the emotions and kept you guessing about the mystery. There are so many WWII novels in the world, but I feel like there aren't that many that I've heard about focusing more specifically on Internment. What a horrible period in America's history, unfortunately much like the current period, and this made for a very thought provoking and moving book.<br />
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<b><i>I did read a few more books in April, but this post was so long... I'll add them to May, and make extra posts if necessary.</i></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>Monthly totals:</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><br /></b>Read - 20<br />Owned - 13<br />Ebook - 10<br />Physical book - 8</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Audiobook - 2<br />ARC - 4<br />Library/Borrowed - 3</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Re-read - 1<br />Bought - 318 (34 physical books, 284 ebooks) - 245 books were freeee!++ :) -- also please note that the bulk were free because/I've bought so much because 1) so many free/discounted ebooks during quarantine and 2) supporting local/small bookstores. :)<br />To Let Go - 3 (at least)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /><b>Yearly Totals:</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><br /></b>Read - 34<br />Owned - 22<br />Ebook - 12<br />Physical book - 20</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Audiobook - 2<br />ARC - 6<br />Library/Borrowed - 7</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Re-read - 2<br />Bought - 393 (80 physical books, 313 ebooks) - 271 books were freeee! :)<br />To Let Go - 13</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /><span style="color: #181818;"><b style="color: black;">Linking up with <a href="http://janasays.com/" style="color: #cc0066;">Jana</a> and <a href="http://www.lifeaccordingtosteph.com/" style="color: #cc0066;">Steph</a> for <a href="http://www.lifeaccordingtosteph.com/p/reading.html" style="color: #cc0066;">Show Us Your Books</a> today. :) </b></span><span style="color: #181818;"><b style="color: black;"><br /></b></span><br /><b>What have you been reading? What do you hope to read this month?!</b> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /><b><b><span style="line-height: 23.1px;">Let's be friends on <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/43902239-alexandra-consolver" style="color: #cc0066;">Goodreads</a>!</span></b></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><b><span style="line-height: 23.1px;"><br /></span></b></b><b style="line-height: 23.1px;">XO,</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="line-height: 23.1px;"><br /></b><b style="line-height: 23.1px;">Alexandra</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="line-height: 23.1px;"><br /></b><span style="line-height: 23.1px;">* Asterisks denote titles that I was given advance access to by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. These reviews are my own opinion, and based on the edition of the book I was given at the time. Thank you Netgalley</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /><b style="line-height: 23.1px;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">**Double asterisks denote books won via a goodreads giveaway! </span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /><b style="line-height: 23.1px;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">***Triple a</span></b><b style="line-height: 23.1px;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">sterisks denote titles that I was given advance access to by </span><b style="line-height: 23.1px;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Edelweiss</span></b><span style="font-weight: normal;"> in exchange for an honest review. These reviews are my own opinion, and based on the edition of the book I was given at the time. Thank you </span><b style="line-height: 23.1px;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Edelweiss</span></b><span style="font-weight: normal;">!</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="line-height: 23.1px;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></b>****Quadruple asterisks denote titles that I was given advance access to by the author of the book in exchange for an honest review. These reviews are my own opinion and based on the edition of the book I was given at the time!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">++ pro-tip: use your Amazon shipping at a slower rate to get e-book credits. I do it whenever I don't need something ASAP and it's resulted in a lot of free ebooks. I usually get them when they are $1.99, etc. Just make sure to use them before they expire!</span></div>
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Simply Alexandra // My Favorite Thingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10005714012822874818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3450106821547345955.post-15990068522942068882020-04-17T11:07:00.003-05:002020-04-17T11:07:24.357-05:00Keep It Together // April 2020<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;">
Hello All! It's time for Keep It Together! :) Woohoo!<br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I am excited to post today with <a href="https://shootingstarsmag.net/" style="color: #cc0066;" target="_blank">Lauren at Shooting Stars Mag</a> and <a href="http://www.knitbygodshand.com/" style="color: #cc0066;" target="_blank">Rebecca Jo from Knit by God's Hand</a> for our Keep It Together linkup!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">If you're new here, this is our linkup for all things planners, memory keeping, and journalling. Please feel free to join us on the third Thursday of the month with any posts that fall into those categories! :)</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX38CzgxVf-xRjk389IrdnwvgqHT1ZSVtGcn6aID9g4jaVZ0UspMCm6xZr3gMcXJGZSse_oNga1_Yp_2DQfLMXWfnz5LvLZvt1aq1zRNqZs6Bhh33McZUmcHF05uH895IC8jvPDKyKX4AG/s1600/keepittogether_3.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; color: #cc0066; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="800" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX38CzgxVf-xRjk389IrdnwvgqHT1ZSVtGcn6aID9g4jaVZ0UspMCm6xZr3gMcXJGZSse_oNga1_Yp_2DQfLMXWfnz5LvLZvt1aq1zRNqZs6Bhh33McZUmcHF05uH895IC8jvPDKyKX4AG/s1600/keepittogether_3.png" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 1px solid rgb(255, 255, 255); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 1px 1px 5px; padding: 5px; position: relative;" width="640" /></span></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Crazy Times:</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Things are crazy right now. No one knows what's happening and we're all just doing our best. I'm wrapping my head around the world every day, and trying my best to go with the flow. Taking it one day at a time, as my therapist says... easier said than done!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Planning & Goals:</b></span></div>
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As we are at home now, and planning to stay home unless necessary until further notice... now is a GREAT time to work on a lot of our goals. LOL!<br />
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There are so many things that we wanted to do at home this year, and now we've got so much time to do it!<br />
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I wrote down some goals for spring at the beginning of the year... some of these cannot happen now.. like attending events, or planning vacations, BUT the other things can certainly be focused on!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLKlFGgdKkeHXFPBQxbAU3BHGWIO6n2FhohGmDpZamBJOzlFA6knrnD0Zd-8BkNENdFO2_VwtElAAlSdArprGv8XhUNpNe0bdRWifBxsamw2t5GdaimhrPKUcnD5TDXgkkGcYq9ly_geG7/s1600/IMG_6661.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLKlFGgdKkeHXFPBQxbAU3BHGWIO6n2FhohGmDpZamBJOzlFA6knrnD0Zd-8BkNENdFO2_VwtElAAlSdArprGv8XhUNpNe0bdRWifBxsamw2t5GdaimhrPKUcnD5TDXgkkGcYq9ly_geG7/s1600/IMG_6661.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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In the back of the planner there are a lot of spots for writing goals and breaking them down into chunks. I've started using these sections for my gardening plans and tracking. Putting little leaves by the seeds that I've planted and chunking out tasks to keep on top of the garden prep. So far it's going well, and I'm having a blast with my little seedlings! It makes me feel like I have a little control over something, including our food! :)<br />
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So far I'm also using the planner to write down inspiring ideas or quotes that I see. I draw a little flower or heart next to them so that I can see them easily when I flip through my planner. I'm also finding myself adding lists of movies to watch, recipes to make, and random project ideas that pop into my head. I don't know about you guys but my brain is spinning with ideas and thoughts at ALL HOURS right now. Trying to get as many on paper as possible!<br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Documenting:</b></span><br />
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Well, now is the time to scrapbook, isn't it? I haven't felt drawn to it, but with being at home so much I might try to get some paper together and see what happens. Now seems like a good time for art journalling... so many thoughts and feelings to get on a page.</div>
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Honestly, I haven't been feeling very moved to scrapbook. I have been thinking of re-organizing what is messy... and maybe making some gifts for people. But I can't share them here just yet because someone might see it! I am also very overdue on my last YouTube giveaway album. :/<br />
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<b style="font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif;">What's Next?!</b><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Just trying to figure out my "new normal" like everyone else. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">What would you like to see here, on youtube, or on Instagram?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">What are you planning to do during your "new normal"?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Please feel free to linkup with us below! We'd love to see what you are up to!</b></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><br /></b></span><br />
<b>XO,</b><br />
<b><br /></b><b>Alexandra</b></div>
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Simply Alexandra // My Favorite Thingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10005714012822874818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3450106821547345955.post-34513035777055792392020-03-19T07:59:00.001-05:002020-03-19T07:59:09.755-05:00Keep It Together // March 2020<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;">
Hello All! It's time for Keep It Together! :) Woohoo!<br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I am excited to post today with <a href="https://shootingstarsmag.net/" style="color: #cc0066; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Lauren at Shooting Stars Mag</a> and <a href="http://www.knitbygodshand.com/" style="color: #cc0066; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Rebecca Jo from Knit by God's Hand</a> for our Keep It Together linkup!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">If you're new here, this is our linkup for all things planners, memory keeping, and journalling. Please feel free to join us on the third Thursday of the month with any posts that fall into those categories! :)</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX38CzgxVf-xRjk389IrdnwvgqHT1ZSVtGcn6aID9g4jaVZ0UspMCm6xZr3gMcXJGZSse_oNga1_Yp_2DQfLMXWfnz5LvLZvt1aq1zRNqZs6Bhh33McZUmcHF05uH895IC8jvPDKyKX4AG/s1600/keepittogether_3.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; color: #cc0066; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="800" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX38CzgxVf-xRjk389IrdnwvgqHT1ZSVtGcn6aID9g4jaVZ0UspMCm6xZr3gMcXJGZSse_oNga1_Yp_2DQfLMXWfnz5LvLZvt1aq1zRNqZs6Bhh33McZUmcHF05uH895IC8jvPDKyKX4AG/s1600/keepittogether_3.png" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 1px solid rgb(255, 255, 255); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 1px 1px 5px; padding: 5px; position: relative;" width="640" /></span></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Crazy Times:</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Things are crazy right now. No one knows what's happening and we're all just doing our best. I'm wrapping my head around the world every day, and trying my best to go with the flow. </span></div>
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As we are at home now, and planning to stay home unless necessary until further notice... now is a GREAT time to work on a lot of our goals. LOL! There are so many things that we wanted to do at home this year, and now we've got so much time to do it!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNGtxhsDYjoCMbDT8xE_HgS6m3UtArY0CeGXCnjdfIo-PGdHqlOpT1mOqHZBTi_AdydQZJSAz4xs5VjDk6lPRXuxBvwYkFhm6Eve4faa0JlwDOuRh2m1CGMXBdpcgvDWXtk5dL3MmSZmqH/s1600/IMG_2332.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; color: #cc0066; display: inline !important; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: none;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNGtxhsDYjoCMbDT8xE_HgS6m3UtArY0CeGXCnjdfIo-PGdHqlOpT1mOqHZBTi_AdydQZJSAz4xs5VjDk6lPRXuxBvwYkFhm6Eve4faa0JlwDOuRh2m1CGMXBdpcgvDWXtk5dL3MmSZmqH/s1600/IMG_2332.JPG" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 1px solid rgb(255, 255, 255); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 1px 1px 5px; padding: 5px; position: relative;" width="640" /></a></div>
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In the back of the planner there are a lot of spots for writing goals and breaking them down into chunks. I've started using these sections for a few of my 2020 goals. :) </div>
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So far I'm also using the planner to write down inspiring ideas or quotes that I see. I draw a little flower or heart next to them so that I can see them easily when I flip through my planner.</div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Documenting:</b></span><br />
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Well, now is the time to scrapbook, isn't it? I haven't felt drawn to it, but with being at home so much I might try to get some paper together and see what happens. Now seems like a good time for art journalling... so many thoughts and feelings to get on a page.</div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Just trying to figure out my "new normal" like everyone else. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">What would you like to see here, on youtube, or on Instagram?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">What are you planning to do during your "new normal"?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Please feel free to linkup with us below! We'd love to see what you are up to!</b></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><br /></b></span><br />
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Simply Alexandra // My Favorite Thingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10005714012822874818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3450106821547345955.post-68992088735942998962020-03-10T11:22:00.000-05:002020-03-10T11:22:20.502-05:00February 2020 Reads // Sequels, Lame Non-Fiction, and Romance Series<span style="font-family: inherit;">HAPPY BOOK DAY! :) My quest to read more non-fiction is off to an annoying start... LOL oh well!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35488858-the-year-of-less" target="_blank">The Year of Less by Cait Flanders</a> - <i>borrowed</i></b><b style="background-color: white;"><i>, physical book</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">DNF @ 39% - I would not recommend this book.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">A memoir about a year of decluttering and living with less. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I am interested in the general idea behind the project, but a lot of the mentality behind it just doesn’t work for me or my life. I know everyone is different, and goes about their days in ways that they need to to get through their life situations... but this book was written in a perspective where everything is black and white. I find that damaging as people, places, and things can fall into the grey. We live our lives in the grey areas, and we need to be comfortable with that. We need to give ourselves and our friends grace. I think people either love or dislike this one quite a bit. For me, it wasn't what I was expecting.. and the perspective just made it not my kind of book.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21853633-first-frost" target="_blank">First Frost by Sarah Addison Allen</a> (Waverly Family #2) </b><b style="background-color: white;">- <i>own, physical book</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">3.5 Stars - I would recommend if you enjoyed <i>Garden Spells</i>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">About 10 years has passed since <i>Garden Spells</i>, and everyone is discontented in Bascom. Claire has begun making candies and selling them en masse, she's worn out and has no time for creativity. Sydney is struggling to conceive and taking care of a young teenager and her baby. Bay is a teenager, and has embarrassed herself with her magic, and driven her crush away from her. As the women wait for the first frost they will do their best to address their restlessness.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I deleted my original review of this book and it's killing me. :( </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I started this book and I just wanted <i>Garden Spells</i> back. I know that is a lot of the intention as the women want the frost to come and their restlessness to go away. I felt for all of the characters during their struggles. A lot of the story focused on Bay, which was sweet, but did change the feel of the novel since she is a teen. I loved being back with my favorite characters even if they were very discontented. I love how everything pulled together in the end. It wrapped up and you felt like all was right.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/963508.Cybele_s_Secret" target="_blank">Cybele's Secret by Juliet Marillier</a> (Wildwood #2) </b><b style="background-color: white;">- <i>own, physical book</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">4 Stars - I recommend if you enjoyed <i>Wildwood Dancing</i>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Paula, the scholar of the family wants to learn the trading business from her father. He has trained her in negotiation, languages, math, and logistics. When she travels with him to Istanbul it will be her first opportunity to practice her skills, and to visit another part of the world. When her father's business partner is murdered, Paula and her father must hire a guard, and be careful in their dealings. They are in Istanbul to buy an extremely rare and valuable artifact of a long-ago religion, and are not the only ones who want to purchase it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I was surprised by how radically the setting changed from <i>Wildwood Dancing</i> to <i>Cybele's Secret</i>, and I was a bit skeptical... however, I really ended up enjoying this book. As always the writing and setting was magical, and vividly drawn. I loved Paula as the studious one, and it was really fun to read her story. I loved that she wanted to strike out on her own and her father gave her a chance to do so. A book trader... that's a character I can relate to! :) I loved all of the side characters and the quests. I thought Stoyan was so swoony and I enjoyed their low key romance. I'm bummed that the series isn't going to continue, but it was still fun to read this one. I wasn't so sure about the ending at first, but I really ended up liking it.</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/48123163-the-winter-companion" target="_blank">A Winter Companion by Mimi Matthews</a>* (Parish Orphans of Devon #4) </span></b><b style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;">- </b><b style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;"><i>ARC, ebook</i></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">3.5 Stars - I recommend if you enjoy proper romance, and have read the rest of the <i>Parish Orphans of Devon</i> series.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Neville Cross was in an accident as a boy, and suffered a blow to the head that resulted in a stutter. His three best friends have cared for and provided for him, and he is left to care for the horses as his friend Justin Thornhill's estate. He is content with his life until he meets Miss Clara Hartwright, and comes to find that maybe his life is missing something after all. Clara has taken a position as a companion in order to help finance her brother's college tuition and living expenses. As she caused her family much grief, she is paying her debt to them until he graduates and takes her up as his secretary on his naturalist exhibitions. As Clara spends Christmas at the Thornhill residence, she quickly falls for Neville, only to wonder if she is about to make a fool of herself once again.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Overall, I enjoyed this book. Neville and Clara were both loveable and sweet. I thought that Neville's inner dialogue and his stutter really painted a picture of a character that we previously knew little about. I loved his profession and love of animals, and the sweet moments with the dogs and horses. While I enjoyed the romance in this book, it wasn't my favorite of the series. It had it's fair share of swoony moments though. While this book takes place at Christmas it isn't too Christmassy to read at another time of year. I loved the resolution of this book quite a lot, maybe the most in the series, and am sad that this is the last book. Overall a sweet conclusion to a great series.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24431358-cold-hearted-rake" target="_blank">Cold Hearted Rake by Lisa Kleypas</a> </b><b>(Ravenels #1) </b><b style="background-color: white;">- <i>own, physical book</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">4 Stars - I recommend if you enjoy historical romance.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">When Devon Ravenel's cousin dies, he is the last male heir to the family name. He has no desire to be an Earl and plans on selling the crumbling estate and it's poorly kept lands and not worrying about the women currently living there. However, when he meets his cousin's widow, Kathleen challenges his responsibilities, he begins to question his desires for his life and his role within the Ravenel family.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I enjoyed the immediate chemistry between Devon and Kathleen and the story of a reluctant Earl taking over a crumbling estate and family. I love how this story set up the whole family and their roles in the rest of the series. I enjoyed all of the side characters a lot, and appreciated that there was time to get to know them as a group before the series continued. I also appreciated that there was a bit of a start on the romance for the next book in this one. I wasn't expecting the action element of this story, but really enjoyed that part and thought it added to the depth and intensity of the story. I thought that Devon's transformation was rather devastating and emotional. I'm excited to continue on with the series. <b>Highlight for spoiler</b> <span style="color: white;">I can't get past the thought that one particular love scene seemed a bit rape-y. Anyone else? I was really surprised by that.</span></span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43245559-the-art-of-making-memories" target="_blank">The Art of Making Memories by Meik Wiking</a>*** </span></b><b style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;">- </b><b style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;"><i>ARC, ebook</i></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">DNF @ 31% - I wouldn't particularly recommend this one.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">A book about making and keeping memories.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I really enjoyed The Little Book of Hygge a few years ago, and was excited to get a chance to read his newest book. While The Little Book of Hygge felt cohesively focused on hygge and how to achieve it, with a splash of Danish history, this particular book felt very scattered. While the focus is on memory, both making memories and keeping them, it felt like it bounced back and forth between different methods of memorization, ways that memories are vivid, and generally any study based on memory or memorization. Sometimes a method would be brought up without much to back it up, or without much of a tie to applying it to your everyday life. Other times you get caught up in a very interesting study or anecdote, for example Andy Warhol's changing of perfumes every three months to give memories a distinct scent, only to think that while it was interesting, it also wasn't very applicable. I appreciated most the inclusion of memories from the thousand people that they used in their study, as well as Wiking's own memories. It did, however, make it feel like a bit of a memoir. Overall, I sadly didn't feel compelled to finish this book. It just wasn't consistently focused enough and applicable enough to my every day life for me.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43245559-the-art-of-making-memories" target="_blank">Marrying Mr. Winterborne by Lisa Kleypas</a> </b><b>(Ravenels #2) </b><b style="background-color: white;">- <i>own, physical book</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">5 Stars - I highly recommend if you enjoy historical romance. Since the main relationship in this book starts in book one, I would recommend starting there.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Rhys Winterborne is a commoner who rose to the top of London commerce with is store Winterborne's he has wealth and power, but after a heated moment with her family, he no longer has his intended fiance Lady Helen Ravenel. Helen is quiet and reserved, and has been sheltered for her entire life. When she goes to Rhys and offers her virtue to seal the engagement, she'll learn about herself and the life she wants to posess.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Ugh. This was swoony. So swoony. Rhys was a great character and I really liked that he was a commoner and rough around the edges. (have I mentioned how tired I am of Dukes??) I especially liked him because he has everything, but Helen. All he wants is Helen and so he's incredibly desperate to have her and very intense. All of his Welsh terms of endearment turned me to jelly. Swoon! Anytime he'd talk about Wales or Welsh traditions or places, it was so vivid and lovely. <b>Highlight for Spoilers</b> <span style="color: white;">That blacony scene. Wow. I did not in any way expect Lady Helen to have a half sister and go to find her in the slums of London. I thought that was really brave and sweet, I loved how she sacrificed her feelings for Rhys to save the little girl. I thought his reaction was endearing and amazing. He was so willing to help Helen and the little girl, and so desperate to care for them and keep them safe.</span> More swooning to all of this book. I'm excited to see what happens with Dr. Gibson and Rhys's private eye guy. What fun characters! Definitely a new favorite historical romance.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30179647-devil-in-spring" target="_blank">Devil in Spring by Lisa Kleypas</a></b> <b>(Ravenels #3) </b><b style="background-color: white;">- <i>own, physical book</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">4 Stars - I recommend if you enjoy historical romance. Since characters in this book start in the other books, I would recommend starting with Cold Hearted Rake.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Lord Gabriel St. Vincent has spent years avoiding the fortune hunting women of the 'ton and their mothers. One night at a ball, by helping a distressed female, he finds himself caught... by a women who really doesn't want him. The less she wants him, the more interested he is in her. Lady Pandora wants nothing more than to publish her first board game, she would rather die than relinquish her business to a husband. The more time Pandora spends with Gabriel, the more she realizes she might want marriage more than she thought she did as well. Can she have it all?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I thought that the beginning of this book was so cute and funny. I loved that by trying to avoid society, Pandora gets herself into a sticky spot with a very eligible bachelor. The whole scene in the clubhouse was really funny, and I liked both of them so much... but felt badly for them that the last thing they wanted to do was to have to marry. I loved that Pandora was such an independent character with her own career ambitions. I thought that it was fun that Gabriel had been avoiding being caught by fortune hunters for so many years only to be accidentally caught by Pandora, who isn't particularly interested in him. I loved that they spent part of the time by the beach, and the small touches to the characters... like his disdain of carrots. I thought that he was so sweetly tender with her related to her equilibrium issues, and that their chemistry was so sweet. I loved continuing to see the Ravenel family, and how they grow together. Devon is such a good guardian to all of these women. I didn't love the middle of this book, but the ending was so action-packed and filled with drama. <b>Highlight for spoiler</b> <span style="color: white;">I was so invested in the danger she got herself into and was very emotional when she was injured and fighting for her life in the hospital. I definitely cried.</span> The ending sealed this one for me.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>Monthly totals:</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><br /></b>Read - 8<br />Owned - 5<br />Ebook - 2<br />Physical book - 6<br />ARC - 2<br />Library/Borrowed - 2<br />Bought - 51 (36 physical books, 15 ebooks) - 18 books were freeee!++ :)<br />To Let Go - 9 (already sold!!)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /><b>Yearly Totals:</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><br /></b>Read - 14<br />Owned - 9<br />Ebook - 2<br />Physical book - 12<br />ARC - 2<br />Library/Borrowed - 4<br />Bought - 75 (46 physical books, 29 ebooks) - 26 books were freeee! :)<br />To Let Go - 10</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /><span style="color: #181818;"><b style="color: black;">Linking up with <a href="http://janasays.com/" style="color: #cc0066; text-decoration-line: none;">Jana</a> and <a href="http://www.lifeaccordingtosteph.com/" style="color: #cc0066; text-decoration-line: none;">Steph</a> for <a href="http://www.lifeaccordingtosteph.com/p/reading.html" style="color: #cc0066; text-decoration-line: none;">Show Us Your Books</a> today. :) </b></span><span style="color: #181818;"><b style="color: black;"><br /></b></span><br /><b>What have you been reading? What do you hope to read this month?!</b> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /><b><b><span style="line-height: 23.1px;">Let's be friends on <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/43902239-alexandra-consolver" style="color: #cc0066; text-decoration-line: none;">Goodreads</a>!</span></b></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><b><span style="line-height: 23.1px;"><br /></span></b></b><b style="line-height: 23.1px;">XO,</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="line-height: 23.1px;"><br /></b><b style="line-height: 23.1px;">Alexandra</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="line-height: 23.1px;"><br /></b><span style="line-height: 23.1px;">* Asterisks denote titles that I was given advance access to by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. These reviews are my own opinion, and based on the edition of the book I was given at the time. Thank you Netgalley</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /><b style="line-height: 23.1px;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">**Double asterisks denote books won via a goodreads giveaway! </span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /><b style="line-height: 23.1px;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">***Triple a</span></b><b style="line-height: 23.1px;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">sterisks denote titles that I was given advance access to by </span><b style="line-height: 23.1px;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Edelweiss</span></b><span style="font-weight: normal;"> in exchange for an honest review. These reviews are my own opinion, and based on the edition of the book I was given at the time. Thank you </span><b style="line-height: 23.1px;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Edelweiss</span></b><span style="font-weight: normal;">!</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="line-height: 23.1px;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></b>****Quadruple asterisks denote titles that I was given advance access to by the author of the book in exchange for an honest review. These reviews are my own opinion and based on the edition of the book I was given at the time!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">++ pro-tip: use your Amazon shipping at a slower rate to get e-book credits. I do it whenever I don't need something ASAP and it's resulted in a lot of free ebooks. I usually get them when they are $1.99, etc. Just make sure to use them before they expire!</span></div>
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Simply Alexandra // My Favorite Thingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10005714012822874818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3450106821547345955.post-57865488459000802112020-02-20T08:04:00.004-06:002020-02-20T08:04:56.435-06:00Keep It Together // February 2020<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;">
Hello All! It's time for Keep It Together! :) Woohoo!<br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I am excited to post today with <a href="https://shootingstarsmag.net/" style="color: #cc0066; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Lauren at Shooting Stars Mag</a> and <a href="http://www.knitbygodshand.com/" style="color: #cc0066; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Rebecca Jo from Knit by God's Hand</a> for our Keep It Together linkup!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">If you're new here, this is our linkup for all things planners, memory keeping, and journalling. Please feel free to join us on the third Thursday of the month with any posts that fall into those categories! :)</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX38CzgxVf-xRjk389IrdnwvgqHT1ZSVtGcn6aID9g4jaVZ0UspMCm6xZr3gMcXJGZSse_oNga1_Yp_2DQfLMXWfnz5LvLZvt1aq1zRNqZs6Bhh33McZUmcHF05uH895IC8jvPDKyKX4AG/s1600/keepittogether_3.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; color: #cc0066; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="800" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX38CzgxVf-xRjk389IrdnwvgqHT1ZSVtGcn6aID9g4jaVZ0UspMCm6xZr3gMcXJGZSse_oNga1_Yp_2DQfLMXWfnz5LvLZvt1aq1zRNqZs6Bhh33McZUmcHF05uH895IC8jvPDKyKX4AG/s1600/keepittogether_3.png" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 1px solid rgb(255, 255, 255); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 1px 1px 5px; padding: 5px; position: relative;" width="640" /></span></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Planning:</b></span></div>
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This year I've been thinking about goals and planning differently than in the past. On a whim during Black Friday I picked up this planner from <a href="https://www.amazon.com/52-Lists-Planner-Moorea-Seal/dp/1632172348" style="color: #cc0066; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Moorea Seal's 52 Lists</a> line at Target. I wasn't sure if I wanted to use it, but I love that it has more intention setting and reflection built in to the planner and the weekly spreads. So far I am really enjoying it!<br />
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It allows you to set intentions for the week and ideas on how you'll make the next day 1% better than the day before. You have a grateful thought for each week day and reflections at the end of the week. </div>
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In the back of the planner there are a lot of spots for writing goals and breaking them down into chunks. I've started using these sections for a few of my 2020 goals. :) </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhyphenhyphenwfNEITLz-I4s2Qfu7Kzp7LkRh1vWTcRzPvlNgo8inj1Lb2r8sMwXKZI-MyO_z3lx8S5-dkAtqK9JUKXmFk6BSFfgU6nZ2SvZjaZuzCycSrFkabxJ3zUqF2I8Wy32j6JknLhm1KAtoaL/s1600/IMG_2336.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhyphenhyphenwfNEITLz-I4s2Qfu7Kzp7LkRh1vWTcRzPvlNgo8inj1Lb2r8sMwXKZI-MyO_z3lx8S5-dkAtqK9JUKXmFk6BSFfgU6nZ2SvZjaZuzCycSrFkabxJ3zUqF2I8Wy32j6JknLhm1KAtoaL/s1600/IMG_2336.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4-qUrkA0iFCy456CQsfOu2747iYV_1Jg9tFNwkYStLPfw_xuycKBvSVL4TffK5NktnZm5PS8ew8LlmM5fJD9tESxS8xJSB1mVv0syKoZhiTxw_JWK4WCTynVyCVv5o6Zp5eHBczFA3F0Q/s1600/IMG_2338.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4-qUrkA0iFCy456CQsfOu2747iYV_1Jg9tFNwkYStLPfw_xuycKBvSVL4TffK5NktnZm5PS8ew8LlmM5fJD9tESxS8xJSB1mVv0syKoZhiTxw_JWK4WCTynVyCVv5o6Zp5eHBczFA3F0Q/s1600/IMG_2338.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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I realized that a few of my images were REALLY hard to see last time, sorry about that... so I'm putting in a clearer copy of the full-year goal section.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgneXbHhpiTyCwhPWMMst0IY6h0tcLvOX8zXs5gGtNcAl0KVYqb6HmF3HTZUvpIYIt1HuWGDahlmBI9PrH54eSA0-rroGwzJ0x_vSIc7uG88YLxGGsPb7MBje8rTgY7Jx2qNRD2tS5s-LHT/s1600/IMG_2368.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgneXbHhpiTyCwhPWMMst0IY6h0tcLvOX8zXs5gGtNcAl0KVYqb6HmF3HTZUvpIYIt1HuWGDahlmBI9PrH54eSA0-rroGwzJ0x_vSIc7uG88YLxGGsPb7MBje8rTgY7Jx2qNRD2tS5s-LHT/s1600/IMG_2368.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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So far I'm enjoying this planner, mostly for reflection purposes. It's been helpful to think about my days and little ways to make the next one better as I go, rather than after a whole month has passed.<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Documenting:</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Refresher: This year I have done a different method of goal setting. I purchased a PDF from <a href="https://www.themojolab.com/wonder-manifesto-invitation/" style="color: #cc0066; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Victoria Smith's Mojo Lab</a> to reflect on 2019 and set intentions for 2020. It is called creating a "wonder manifesto". It's new agey, which I love. I really enjoyed the questions and the different approach to setting goals and intentions. It focuses more on what you want the year to be like, and your life to be like, and THEN setting the goals, rather than setting goals just to set them, or in areas you think you should set them. Ex: I always feel like I need a relationship goal for me and KC. But at this point, I just want to focus on other things, because we're doing well and setting a "1 date per month goal" is basically what I end up with each year, and it makes us kind of tired. LOL So I'm skipping that this year. I also realized along the way that I don't really WANT a life that some of my old goals would be associated with. And continuing to make goals of that nature would be counter to the daily life I'd like to live. So, it's really been helpful and a great relief to complete the process. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Once you do the reflection, you make a physical version of your wonder manifesto, values, and goals. I chose to do mine in a Traveler's notebook because I have a little stash that needed used, and because I would like to add journaling related to the manifesto and goals as the year goes on. This allows me to keep working in the same insert, and to add more inserts as needed.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">If you are interested in doing one as well the PDF is $18 and available, <a href="https://www.themojolab.com/wonder-manifesto-invitation/" style="color: #cc0066; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">here</a>. This isn't a plug, I just really found it helpful and wanted to share. :) </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Here are a few more peeks at physical manifesto that I created. </span><br />
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<b style="font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif;">What's Next?!</b><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I'm hoping to journal as the year goes in my wonder manifesto album, and decide what else to do from there. I have kept some notes for January and February, but not done any journalling yet. I still need to do a giveaway album from my YouTube channel, so I will probably start there. :) </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Please feel free to linkup with us below! We'd love to see what you are up to!</b></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><br /></b></span><br />
<b>XO,</b><br />
<b><br /></b><b>Alexandra</b></div>
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Simply Alexandra // My Favorite Thingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10005714012822874818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3450106821547345955.post-2972449946851885762020-02-17T16:44:00.002-06:002020-02-17T16:44:54.367-06:00January 2020 Reads // Taking it Slowly!It's book day! I didn't read much of anything in December... so here we go! I lowered my reading goal a lot this year in order to savor books more and read more non-fiction... so you'll probably notice fewer reviews in this space. I'm ok with it! :)<br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/45303582-snow-glass-apples" target="_blank">Snow, Glass, Apples by Neil Gaiman, illustrated by Colleen Doran</a> </b></span><b style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;">- </b><b style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;"><i>library, physical book</i></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">2 Stars - I might recommend if you enjoy very very dark graphic novels and re-tellings, with a lot of nudity.</span><br />
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A re-telling of Snow White from the step mother's perspective.<br />
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I was so disappointed in this one. I adored <i>The Sleeper in the Spindle</i> and always love Gaiman's world building, so I was really excited for this one. Sadly, the written bits were rather short and broken up into chunks, and the story itself while a different take on <i>Snow White</i>... was just perverse from start to finish. I don't mind sex or nudity in writing or graphic novels... but the nudity felt never-ending here. We just finished watching <i>Good Omens</i> and the part where Anathema talks about how the assumption that witches do their spells naked is based on men writing the books... well I loved that. I thought, woohoo Neil Gaiman! Only to be disappointed by the two main female characters in this book constantly being nude (while doing witchcraft and otherwise). I guess I feel that there weren't long enough stretches of writing and world building to marvel at (my favorite part of Gaiman's books) and not much happened aside from nudity, some sex, and some gore. If you like very very dark stories with a lot of nudity, you may enjoy this. The illustrations on the other hand were beautiful.<br />
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<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34275232-the-hazel-wood?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=EgcE80Chvs&rank=1" target="_blank">The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert</a> (Hazel Wood #1) </b><b style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;">- <i>own, physical book</i></b><br />
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2.5 Stars - I might recommend if you enjoy urban fantasy.<br />
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Alice grew up with her mother moving them from place to place, always trying to get away from something. Something that she attributed to bad luck. When her mother gets a message that Alice's grandmother has passed away, they move to New York City and think that their bad luck is over. When Alice's mother is kidnapped, Alice must figure out what happened, and the real story behind their bad luck.<br />
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This book was not at all what I was expecting. I was looking for a high fantasy/YA book that would satisfy my desire for something magical and forest-y... and this was not that book. This felt so much like urban fantasy, and honestly a mystery more so than a fantasy novel. It reminded me quite a lot of Night Film, an artist with a cult following and trying to peel back the layers of their story and world. The writing was lovely and vivid, which I appreciated, and the world that Albert created was complex and interesting. But I just didn't really enjoy the story or characters. It wasn't my thing. By the time I thought about DNFing I was already more than 60% through. I perhaps should have abandoned it anyway, but I wanted to stick it out. I felt like there was a lot of build up to the action part of the plot, which resolved fairly quickly, and only took up a small portion of the book. The writing was good, but again, it just wasn't what I had expected, and not really my thing. Though I have a copy of the second book from Netgalley, I don't plan to read it at this time.<br />
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<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36551306-it-takes-two" target="_blank">It Takes Two by Jenny Holiday</a> (Bridesmaids Behaving Badly #2) </b><b style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;">- <i>own, physical book</i></b><br />
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4 Stars - I recommend if you enjoy contemporary romance.<br />
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Wendy grew up loving her best friend's brother Noah, who was always her biggest competition. When he stands her up at the prom, she never wants to see him again. Anytime he comes home to visit, Wendy is conveniently out of town, on vacation, etc. Up until her best friend and his sister's wedding festivities. Suddenly Wendy and Noah are in the same space again, and Wendy is no longer his little sister's best friend. She's her own woman, and still his biggest competition. The two instantly fall back into their old ways of trying to one up each other. The ultimate test? Who can plan the best bachelor/bachelorette party? On weekend in Vegas could change everything between them.<br />
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I LOVED the first book in this series and was super excited to check out book #2. I am not a huge fan of books that take place around weddings, but these work for me! I really liked both Wendy and Noah and I thought that their second chance romance was sweet and believable. There was enough angst to make the trope work, without it being too angsty or annoying. I really loved their banter and the competitions that they would get into to prove who was a better member of the wedding party. There were some pretty swoony moments in this one, and it was fun that bits of it took place in NYC and Las Vegas. I didn't love the ending of this one, it felt just a bit anticlimactic. I'm excited to see where book #3 goes!<br />
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<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/42872108-my-fake-rake" target="_blank">My Fake Rake by Eva Leigh</a> </b><b style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;">- </b><b style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;"><i>library, physical book</i></b><br />
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4 Stars - I recommend if you enjoy historical romance.<br />
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When Lady Grace Wyatt, a scholar and scientist finds out that she must get married, she aims her sights on her long-time colleague and crush returning home from an expedition. One problem: he's never noticed her as a woman. She enlists the help of her good friend Sebastian, to pose as a rake and her fake love interest. For Sebastian, he would do anything for Grace.... but the more rakish he becomes and the more time he spends with her, the harder he finds it to fight his true feelings for him. As the scheme goes on, Grace finds herself questioning her feelings for her friend. Is it all fake? Or does she really love Sebastian?<br />
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I don't always love the "friends to lovers" trope, but I think this is one of my top picks I've read so far. I loved the plot, a woman trying to snag her long time crush by having her friend pretend to court her. It was the right mix of "friends to lovers" and "fake to real dating". It really made beta character Sebastian get in touch with his alpha side. This book had quite a lot of tension, which was even better shown by the dual perspective writing. I loved that the characters were so smart and interesting! I always love a bluestocking in a historical romance and Sebastian was a fun mix of confident and shy. There is a particularly steamy barn scene, that is definitely memorable. I thought that the ending was satisfying and a little over the top. This was my first Eva Leigh book, but it won't be my last!<br />
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<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13929.Wildwood_Dancing" target="_blank">Wildwood Dancing by Juliet Marillier (Wildwood #1)</a> </b><b style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;">- <i>own, physical book</i></b><br />
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3.5-4 Stars - I recommend if you enjoy YA fantasy, and fairytale retellings.<br />
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Jena and her sisters have found a secret passage into another realm, that they have been visiting at the full moon for years. They cross through the portal and dance all night with creatures and people from another world. When their father goes away to heal from an illness, their imposing cousin Cezar little by little begins to take over their estate. Cezar's hatred of the forest and the other folk comes from the loss of his brother in the lake. He will kill the creatures and chop down every tree if he has to, to make Transylvania safe. In his blind rage and single-mindedness he goes too far and Jena and her sisters must work with the other folk to fight a common enemy: the night people. Can Jena save her family, estate, and the other realm?<br />
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I absolutely loved Marillier's book <i>The Harp of Swans</i> in 2019 and am now trying to grab any book of hers that I can. I already had a copy of this one and decided to continue reading Marillier with this book even though it is an <b><u>unfinished series</u></b>. The writing is just as I expected: excellent and atmospheric. It doesn't feel quite as "high fantasy" as <i>The Harp of Swans</i>, but I still enjoyed it. This story is sort of a <i>Twelve Dancing Princesses</i> re-telling, with Romanian Folkloric influences. That of course, means vampires... which is not something I was expecting when I picked up the novel. I adored the sisters and their trips to the other world. I liked that they each had their own defined personalities and interests. I loved Jena and her pet frog Goku as they were the main characters and Jena was the POV of the story. I did wish from time to time that the POV of the chapters switched from one sister to another, even if that meant some chapters were quite short. I felt that I was missing what was going on with the other girls, and Jena didn't seem to know either. Cezar was the worst worst worst type of mansplainer and I really hated him. Marillier did a good job with her characters. The second half of this novel I enjoyed much more than the first as it follows up on some pieces of their childhood and contains some interesting folklore related to Draguta (the witch of the forest). In the end I guessed things that were revealed, but was overall happy with the book. I'm excited to see what happens in book two, and to try not to be too sad that it is an unfinished series.<br />
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<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1158967.Garden_Spells" target="_blank">Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen</a></b> (re-read) <b style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;">- <i>own, physical book</i></b><br />
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4.5 Stars - I highly recommend if you enjoy magical realism and women's fiction. Also a good fiction pick for foodies.<br />
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Claire Waverly is part of a line of Waverly women with extraordinary gifts. She uses the flowers from their garden to influence the emotions and lives of people in their town. This makes her a popular caterer, but very misunderstood, as much of her family has been. When her sister, Sydney, returns to town with her young daughter they must reconcile their differences to make a new home together. Sydney is running from her dangerous ex, and has always denied her Waverly blood, but stability and a home for her daughter is what she needs now. Can she make a home for herself in a place she's always felt strange?<br />
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Before I got back into reading consistently, there were spurts of time where I would binge-read a few books and then read nothing for months. One winter with a lot of snow days I read a lot of Sarah Addison Allen books and they became some of my favorites. I finally got a chance to re-read this and it was just as fun to read the second time. Many of my favorite books have a close-knit multi-generational group of women looking out for each other and they often have special gifts of abilities. I love love love the Waverly women. I love the folklore around their family and all of their special abilities. I love how different Claire and Sydney are, one reserved and embracing her family legacy, the other on the run and only putting down roots for her daughter's sake. Bay and Evanelle are my favorites, a little girl who knows exactly where items and people belong, and an elderly woman who gets the urge to give random items to people just when they'll need them. There is so much quirk, but also so much heart in their stories. I love how they come together, support each other, and use their gifts to make their town and lives better. I love their home, and as a foodie I especially love Claire's affinity for cooking and baking with flowers from their garden. The whole house and garden also sound just dreamy as can be. I enjoy the love stories and the bits of folklore around other people and families in the town, but my favorite part of this book is the Waverly women as a whole. I am excited to finally get around to the sequel, <i>First Frost</i>.<br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="background-color: white;">Monthly totals:</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Read - 6</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Owned - 4</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Ebook - 0</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Physical book - 6</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">ARC - 0</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Library/Borrowed - 2</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Bought - 24 (10 physical books, 14 ebooks) - 8 books were freeee!++ :)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">To Let Go - 1</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Yearly Totals:</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Read - 6</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Owned - 4</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Ebook - 0</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Physical book - 6</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">ARC - 0</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Library/Borrowed - 2</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Bought - 24 (10 physical books, 14 ebooks) - 8 books were freeee! :)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">To Let Go - 1</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #181818;"><b style="color: black;">Linking up with <a href="http://janasays.com/" style="color: #cc0066; text-decoration-line: none;">Jana</a> and <a href="http://www.lifeaccordingtosteph.com/" style="color: #cc0066; text-decoration-line: none;">Steph</a> for <a href="http://www.lifeaccordingtosteph.com/p/reading.html" style="color: #cc0066; text-decoration-line: none;">Show Us Your Books</a> today. :) </b></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #181818;"><b style="color: black;"><br /></b></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>What have you been reading? What do you hope to read this month?!</b> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><b><span style="line-height: 23.1px;">Let's be friends on <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/43902239-alexandra-consolver" style="color: #cc0066; text-decoration-line: none;">Goodreads</a>!</span></b></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><b><span style="line-height: 23.1px;"><br /></span></b></b></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="line-height: 23.1px;">XO,</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="line-height: 23.1px;"><br /></b></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="line-height: 23.1px;">Alexandra</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="line-height: 23.1px;"><br /></b></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 23.1px;">* Asterisks denote titles that I was given advance access to by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. These reviews are my own opinion, and based on the edition of the book I was given at the time. Thank you Netgalley</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="line-height: 23.1px;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">**Double asterisks denote books won via a goodreads giveaway! </span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="line-height: 23.1px;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">***Triple a</span></b><b style="line-height: 23.1px;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">sterisks denote titles that I was given advance access to by </span><b style="line-height: 23.1px;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Edelweiss</span></b><span style="font-weight: normal;"> in exchange for an honest review. These reviews are my own opinion, and based on the edition of the book I was given at the time. Thank you </span><b style="line-height: 23.1px;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Edelweiss</span></b><span style="font-weight: normal;">!</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="line-height: 23.1px;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></b></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">****Quadruple asterisks denote titles that I was given advance access to by the author of the book in exchange for an honest review. These reviews are my own opinion and based on the edition of the book I was given at the time!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">++ pro-tip: use your Amazon shipping at a slower rate to get e-book credits. I do it whenever I don't need something ASAP and it's resulted in a lot of free ebooks. I usually get them when they are $1.99, etc. Just make sure to use them before they expire!</span></div>
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Simply Alexandra // My Favorite Thingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10005714012822874818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3450106821547345955.post-11877245282227306932020-01-16T05:00:00.000-06:002020-01-16T05:00:11.467-06:00Keep It Together // January 2020<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;">
Hello All! It's the first Keep It Together of 2020! :) Woohoo! We're so excited that <a href="http://www.knitbygodshand.com/" style="color: #cc0066; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Rebecca Jo</a> is joining us as a co-host from now on!<br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I am excited to post today with <a href="https://shootingstarsmag.net/" style="color: #cc0066; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Lauren at Shooting Stars Mag</a> and <a href="http://www.knitbygodshand.com/" style="color: #cc0066; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Rebecca Jo from Knit by God's Hand</a> for our Keep It Together linkup!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">If you're new here, this is our linkup for all things planners, memory keeping, and journalling. Please feel free to join us on the third Thursday of the month with any posts that fall into those categories! :)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX38CzgxVf-xRjk389IrdnwvgqHT1ZSVtGcn6aID9g4jaVZ0UspMCm6xZr3gMcXJGZSse_oNga1_Yp_2DQfLMXWfnz5LvLZvt1aq1zRNqZs6Bhh33McZUmcHF05uH895IC8jvPDKyKX4AG/s1600/keepittogether_3.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; color: #cc0066; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="800" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX38CzgxVf-xRjk389IrdnwvgqHT1ZSVtGcn6aID9g4jaVZ0UspMCm6xZr3gMcXJGZSse_oNga1_Yp_2DQfLMXWfnz5LvLZvt1aq1zRNqZs6Bhh33McZUmcHF05uH895IC8jvPDKyKX4AG/s1600/keepittogether_3.png" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 1px solid rgb(255, 255, 255); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 1px 1px 5px; padding: 5px; position: relative;" width="640" /></span></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Planning:</b></span></div>
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This year I've been thinking about goals and planning differently than in the past. On a whim during Black Friday I picked up this planner from <a href="https://www.amazon.com/52-Lists-Planner-Moorea-Seal/dp/1632172348" target="_blank">Moorea Seal's 52 Lists</a> line at Target. I wasn't sure if I wanted to use it, but I love that it has more intention setting and reflection built in to the planner and the weekly spreads.<br />
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It allows you to set intentions for the week and ideas on how you'll make the next day 1% better than the day before. You have a grateful thought for each week day and reflections at the end of the week. In the back of the planner there are a lot of spots for writing goals and breaking them down into chunks. So far I'm enjoying this planner, mostly for record keeping and reflection purposes. One of my goals this year is to keep our schedule light! :) <span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Documenting:</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">With everything that December brought I am even more behind on my 2019 documenting. I plan to finish my October Daily, but am unsure if I'll do retroactive November and December Dailies or not. December was kind of a blur or sadness and fear so I'm not sure how much I want to document it, to be honest. We shall see.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKkoAUjvAKW0SKKcpkRsMRjG911ocH3brVOEScbpzzmBcRbpPLiI19_khtw7mAssBkCtGliDDw1ZV8c8c9Lhj7NHxDQt7TliNrZwJus05fIzAIZdnmT2vrGeqBF2DlwLzJs4_Az76US6qi/s1600/IMG_0712.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKkoAUjvAKW0SKKcpkRsMRjG911ocH3brVOEScbpzzmBcRbpPLiI19_khtw7mAssBkCtGliDDw1ZV8c8c9Lhj7NHxDQt7TliNrZwJus05fIzAIZdnmT2vrGeqBF2DlwLzJs4_Az76US6qi/s1600/IMG_0712.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">ANYHOW, this year I have done a different method of goal setting. I purchased a PDF from <a href="https://www.themojolab.com/wonder-manifesto-invitation/" target="_blank">Victoria Smith's Mojo Lab</a> to reflect on 2019 and set intentions for 2020. It is called creating a "wonder manifesto". It's new agey, which I love. I really enjoyed the questions and the different approach to setting goals and intentions. It focuses more on what you want the year to be like, and your life to be like, and THEN setting the goals, rather than setting goals just to set them, or in areas you think you should set them. Ex: I always feel like I need a relationship goal for me and KC. But at this point, I just want to focus on other things, because we're doing well and setting a "1 date per month goal" is basically what I end up with each year, and it makes us kind of tired. LOL So I'm skipping that this year. I also realized along the way that I don't really WANT a life that some of my old goals would be associated with. And continuing to make goals of that nature would be counter to the daily life I'd like to live. So, it's really been helpful and a great relief to complete the process. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Once you do the reflection, you make a physical version of your wonder manifesto, values, and goals. I chose to do mine in a Traveler's notebook because I have a little stash that needed used, and because I would like to add journaling related to the manifesto and goals as the year goes on. This allows me to keep working in the same insert, and to add more inserts as needed.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">If you are interested in doing one as well the PDF is $18 and available, <a href="https://www.themojolab.com/wonder-manifesto-invitation/" target="_blank">here</a>. This isn't a plug, I just really found it helpful and wanted to share. :) </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Here are a few peeks at physical manifesto that I created. </span></div>
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<b style="font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif;">What's Next?!</b><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I'm hoping to journal as the year goes in my wonder manifesto album, and decide what else to do from there. I still need to do a giveaway album from my YouTube channel, so I will probably start there. :) </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Please feel free to linkup with us below! We'd love to see what you are up to!</b></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><br /></b></span><br />
<b>XO,</b><br />
<b><br /></b><b>Alexandra</b></div>
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Simply Alexandra // My Favorite Thingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10005714012822874818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3450106821547345955.post-83151538590051380312019-12-27T05:00:00.000-06:002019-12-27T05:00:02.556-06:00Best Books of 2019 // Bookworm.Wow, it's almost 2020! I did quite a bit of reading this year, though not as much as last, and I'm happy to report that there are quite a few books that I really enjoyed. Here are my favorites by category!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxW-iWJpQfAxJbyq_M4zoAm0UOFQH7oRO1JdRDgV1jh63fP5mgQ21_of_kbURcl8k3t3G_XcyxISa5DVqoftk84eGAtVnf_nsKYohAL5wz-_PBftDW5NcJV7QpCZ50nB8G7fZzg0qlZZ3G/s1600/December+2017+Reads.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="800" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxW-iWJpQfAxJbyq_M4zoAm0UOFQH7oRO1JdRDgV1jh63fP5mgQ21_of_kbURcl8k3t3G_XcyxISa5DVqoftk84eGAtVnf_nsKYohAL5wz-_PBftDW5NcJV7QpCZ50nB8G7fZzg0qlZZ3G/s1600/December+2017+Reads.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>Reading Goal:</b><br />
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My goal was to read 60 books this year, and I surpassed it by reading 87 books as of December 20th. I feel good about that! The end of this year I just haven't felt like reading as much. I will likely set the same goal next year.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTETi3XC9eo1vYZiQBVZkktOC3wZIwbNz1vY43PA8BEKI5jcZOWwLppKz26cUv51X06RUdXyPKHipri1LDat8-KQKBRDw0chbKDa2j4NcbfPikhIFf05ILSwTLeR_gOWdg-lDLbd5SXI1A/s1600/fantasy.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTETi3XC9eo1vYZiQBVZkktOC3wZIwbNz1vY43PA8BEKI5jcZOWwLppKz26cUv51X06RUdXyPKHipri1LDat8-KQKBRDw0chbKDa2j4NcbfPikhIFf05ILSwTLeR_gOWdg-lDLbd5SXI1A/s640/fantasy.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/37569347-courting-darkness">Courting Darkness by Robin Lefevers</a> (YA fantasy)<br />
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30075662-aurora-rising">Aurora Rising by Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufman</a> (YA Sci-fi)<br />
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39679076-house-of-salt-and-sorrows" target="_blank">House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin A. Craig</a> (YA with a bit of horror)<br />
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43204703-a-curse-so-dark-and-lonely" target="_blank">A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer</a> (YA fantasy)<br />
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29736231-frogkisser" target="_blank">Frogkisser! by Garth Nix</a> (Middle Grade/YA)<br />
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43316755-the-harp-of-kings" target="_blank">The Harp of Kings by Juliet Maurillier</a> (YA High Fantasy)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin6Q5dlAnYadtPFjHPuUFgEN1xJ7XWl_TV91IPeswyyKw6i1uMhB6V7v66WEATnGwNWJGZC7AeT74hyphenhyphenmBvgiYboxu3ID55k8xKZQl0_G71VaVfTeZF91hOm0aNuRw0noWsBNq7sCW3hF33/s1600/romance.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin6Q5dlAnYadtPFjHPuUFgEN1xJ7XWl_TV91IPeswyyKw6i1uMhB6V7v66WEATnGwNWJGZC7AeT74hyphenhyphenmBvgiYboxu3ID55k8xKZQl0_G71VaVfTeZF91hOm0aNuRw0noWsBNq7sCW3hF33/s640/romance.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40494228-the-matrimonial-advertisement">The Matrimonial Advertisement by Mimi Matthews </a>- just her books in general. (Historical / Proper)<br />
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/45833289-coldhearted-boss" target="_blank">Coldhearted Boss by R.S. Grey</a> (Contemporary)<br />
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35695972-wicked-and-the-wallflower" target="_blank">Wicked and the Wallflower by Sarah MacLean</a> (Historical)<br />
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43521785-bringing-down-the-duke" target="_blank">Bringing Down the Duke by Evie Dunmore</a> (Historical)<br />
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/47225266-the-best-thing" target="_blank">The Best Thing by Mariana Zapata</a> (Contemporary)<br />
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/44776456-a-lie-for-a-lie" target="_blank">A Lie for a Lie</a> & <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/47511246-a-favor-for-a-favor" target="_blank">A Favor for a Favor</a> by Helena Hunting (Contemporary)<br />
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35397715-one-and-only" target="_blank">One and Only by Jenny Holiday</a> (Contemporary)<br />
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/109580.Where_Dreams_Begin" target="_blank">Where Dreams Begin by Lisa Kleypas</a> (Historical)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwVgWuJJLMoDMik-IWEdXls989UHcYze0d6ugmVdz5feFookpErFQFC_g90thUwW4gHFss3SoLaPchUujKZ12JwDT4X8YUNzmDYtd3HgPA2wv4aCRT2dQhXE3J13g4sPT_nMbZv5h-wQLc/s1600/ya.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwVgWuJJLMoDMik-IWEdXls989UHcYze0d6ugmVdz5feFookpErFQFC_g90thUwW4gHFss3SoLaPchUujKZ12JwDT4X8YUNzmDYtd3HgPA2wv4aCRT2dQhXE3J13g4sPT_nMbZv5h-wQLc/s640/ya.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40645629-rayne-delilah-s-midnite-matinee">Rayne and Delilah's Midnite Matinee by Jeff Zentner</a> (Quirky Coming of Age / Gave Me All the Feels)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlnID105Lhn6uzE5kF5NGiM6jN8PuVSpWt4mCDRbUqGABnVJum-Ki1x2bG168hCWpap1HgD3C3mcI_8EFS6pmV0_lbSiPHhjp-TI0UNGj1vB4JESPNnZgGCn858HNAkx5mSiIKstjcDMqj/s1600/mystery.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlnID105Lhn6uzE5kF5NGiM6jN8PuVSpWt4mCDRbUqGABnVJum-Ki1x2bG168hCWpap1HgD3C3mcI_8EFS6pmV0_lbSiPHhjp-TI0UNGj1vB4JESPNnZgGCn858HNAkx5mSiIKstjcDMqj/s640/mystery.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18770398-night-film?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=Px62jfpAR4&rank=1" target="_blank">Night Film by Marisha Pessl</a> - I'm not a big mystery/thriller person, so if it keeps me hooked, I feel compelled to include it in this list. I liked the weird format of this one. Not 100% sure how I felt about the ending. This one is DENSE.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyTPwcbxCJ6r1CdCOl1tlPy5-M9a3JIRM_CRJUChidlbMH_iJu3neHxtGTYDCRhlr9MC9ox4XLkOF1nCx4Z6s9eAt3wbous5Ew07yBI6MBTmu8EKrdKoVneN1Xfy7gC78fLftM3443uCHd/s1600/cook+books.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyTPwcbxCJ6r1CdCOl1tlPy5-M9a3JIRM_CRJUChidlbMH_iJu3neHxtGTYDCRhlr9MC9ox4XLkOF1nCx4Z6s9eAt3wbous5Ew07yBI6MBTmu8EKrdKoVneN1Xfy7gC78fLftM3443uCHd/s640/cook+books.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/44429515-the-little-women-cookbook" target="_blank">Little Women Cookbook by Wini Moranville</a><br />
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/49568227-the-secret-garden-cookbook-newly-revised-edition" target="_blank">The Secret Garden Cookbook by Amy Colter</a><br />
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/42202084-the-peach-truck-cookbook?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=KDD73lxdMD&rank=1" target="_blank">The Peach Truck Cookbook by Jessica and Stephen Rose</a><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">I've also been keeping track of my reading and book buying stats this year, here is how it broke down:</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="background-color: white;">Read - 86</span></b></span><br />
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;">Owned - 23</span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;">Ebook - 51</span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;">Physical book - 42</span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;">ARC - 41</span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;">Library/Borrowed - 21</span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;">Bought - 200 (142 physical books, 64 ebooks) - 38 books were freeee! :)</span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;">To Let Go - 55</span></span></b><br />
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<b style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;">Have you read any of these? If so, what did you think?</b><br />
<b style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;"><br /></b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; font-size: 16.5px;"></span><b style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;">What were some of your favorite books this year?!</b><br />
<b style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;"><br /></b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; font-size: 16.5px;"></span><b style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;">XO,</b><br />
<b style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;"><br />Alexandra</b>Simply Alexandra // My Favorite Thingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10005714012822874818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3450106821547345955.post-38140874694345144172019-12-19T05:00:00.000-06:002019-12-19T07:55:51.376-06:00Keep It Together // December 2019<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;">
Hello All! It's been another year of Keep It Together! :) Woohoo! We're so excited that <a href="http://www.knitbygodshand.com/" target="_blank">Rebecca Jo</a> is joining us as a co-host from now on!<br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I am excited to post today with <a href="https://shootingstarsmag.net/" style="color: #cc0066; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Lauren at Shooting Stars Mag</a> and <a href="http://www.knitbygodshand.com/" target="_blank">Rebecca Jo from Knit by God's Hand</a> for our Keep It Together linkup!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">If you're new here, this is our linkup for all things planners, memory keeping, and journalling. Please feel free to join us on the third Thursday of the month with any posts that fall into those categories! :)</span></div>
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I have been *trying* to make my planner a little more festive. I think I started with this as the base and expected to go back and decorate and fill in more but it never happened! -- just like last month. LOL If you guys have been following along on Instagram, I'm just doing my best right now. It's been a really hard season. I am excited to start using my 2020 planner super soon!<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">these are cropping weird... sorry guys.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Documenting:</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I managed to do a bit more work on my October Daily! I'm about half way done, and just have to find a chunk of time to knock out the rest of it... hopefully sometime soon. I should have another video up soon with this section of the album.</span></div>
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<b style="font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif;">What's Next?!</b><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Well, I'm really not sure what is next. Right now I'm just working on being healthy and taking care of myself, so I may or may not get around November and December daily albums. They might be more just as I have something to document and little albums. We'll see. Not quite sure, but I think that's ok right now.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Please feel free to linkup with us below! We'd love to see what you are up to!</b></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><br /></b></span><br />
<b>XO,</b><br />
<b><br /></b><b>Alexandra</b></div>
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Simply Alexandra // My Favorite Thingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10005714012822874818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3450106821547345955.post-27262320074392837422019-12-10T05:00:00.000-06:002019-12-10T14:01:28.478-06:00November 2019 Reads // Just a Few!<b>Woohoo! It's book day! And it actually is this time, I double checked. LOLOL </b><br />
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It was a light reading month, but I had some pretty decent reads!<br />
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<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/48255872-his-royal-highness" target="_blank">His Royal Highness by R.S. Grey</a>**** </b><b style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;">- </b><b style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;"><i>ARC, ebook</i></b><br />
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3.5 Stars - I might recommend if you enjoy contemporary romance.<br />
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When Whitney starts an internship at a major theme park she is assigned a current cast member to be her mentor. When she is partnered with Derek Knightly, heir to the Fairytale Kingdom fortune she is star struck and a bit smitten. When he discontinues their partnership unexpectedly she never hears from him again, and is then partnered with his grandfather the genius behind Fairytale Kingdom itself. When Derek shows up again 10 years later, Whitney doesn't know what to think. She's no longer a teenager, and no longer the underdog. She now plays the part of Princess Elena in the castle, and mentors students herself, but finding out that Derek has been assigned to play the part of her prince charming will throw her off her game.<br />
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I loved this behind the scenes imagining of what it would be like to be a cast member at a big theme park! It was so fun to imagine working there, and all of the commitment, creativity, and genius that goes into creating such a place! I loved reading about Whitney's journey from balloon seller to intern to Princess Elena. She was such a fun character and had so much passion for the park and her job. I loved her mentor program experience and being partnered with Derek. I especially adored that she later got paired with Cal, and her relationship with him. It was so sweet to me that she found her family and her home at Fairytale Kingdom, when her own family hadn't been able to be there for her. I found myself really invested in her crush on Derek in the past, even though it wasn't based on mutual attraction. I felt for her when she re-read her emails to him, oh to be eighteen! LOL My favorite parts of this book took place in the park. I adored the scenes where she was in costume greeting children for photos with her various princes. There were so many funny moments of tension, banter, and ornery kiddos. I thought that the chemistry between Whitney and Derek was great when they were paired together, and I liked seeing them grow closer after years apart. I didn't 100% identify with the way Whitney approached present day Derek, she was a little hot and cold, and I didn't really care for the way that she had kind of started spending time with Ryan and then led him on a bit before ending up with Derek. However, once that was all over I loved Whitney and Derek together, and all of the moments leading up to the parade had me swooning! I also adored anything to do with Cal and their sort of family bond. So sweet! The parts related to her family and NYC almost felt a bit separate from the rest of the book, it broke the immersion a bit for me. Overall I would recommend if you enjoy contemporary romance, and of course if you are a Disney fan. :)<br />
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<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35397715-one-and-only" target="_blank">One and Only by Jenny Holiday</a> </b><b> </b><b style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;">- <i>own, physical book</i></b><br />
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5 Stars - I highly recommend if you enjoy contemporary romance.<br />
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When Jane's best friend gets married she becomes a bit of a bridezilla. When the wedding is about a week away, Jane gets the news that her task is to babysit the groom's wayward younger brother and keep him from ruining everything. Jane can't wait to get out of bridesmaid duties so she readily agrees. However, she finds that Cameron embraces not only civilian life back on Canadian soil, but being babysat as well. He also helps her test her type A and play it safe nature. After a week together, they have bonded, but still have to make it through the wedding and all of the side effects that come with it.<br />
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Ugh, this book was so cute. I loved it so much. I could really relate to Jane's character in how much she wanted to get out of the wedding craziness. I'm also very much the planner, the type-A person, so I definitely felt like I "got" Jane from the beginning. I'll be honest and say that I was wary of Cameron. I'm not one for military romances, and his personality is soooo bad at first... BUT you really come around to him, and I felt like all of his military moments and ideals expressed were incredibly commendable. I loved seeing Cameron and Jane bond over shared experiences and risk taking, it was so fun and unique. I loved the way they slowly (and quickly) got to know each other and care for each other. I thought it was really sweet how much they fought their attraction, and he mostly let her call the shots. I thought that his PTSD was handled really well and while he was a bit of an angsty character it made sense and added depth to the story without being too angsty. The chemistry in this book was so good. So much banter, tension, sweet moments, and unexpected pet names. Ugh I just loved it. I am super excited to say this has broken me out of a mini reading rut, and I can't wait to read the rest of this series, and more books by Jenny Holiday!<br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/46362587-the-secret-garden-cookbook-newly-revised-edition" target="_blank">The Secret Garden Cookbook by Amy Cotler*</a> </b></span><b style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;">- </b><b style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;"><i>ARC, ebook</i></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">4 Stars - I recommend if you enjoy cookbooks and classic novels.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818;">A cookbook with recipes and tibits from the time period of </span><i style="color: #181818;">The Secret Garden</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818;">. AUTHOR has spent time researching the foods mentioned in the book, and cookbooks written during the time period to share similar recipes to the ones Mary, Colin, and Dikon would have enjoyed. She also includes an entire section on Indian food and Anglo-Indian food as during this time period India was colonized by England. Some of the recipes are updated versions for modern cooks, while others are fairly true to their original recipes.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818;">The cover drew me to this cookbook. The illustrations are absolutely darling, and made me want to dive back into the world of the <i>The Secret Garden</i>. I was especially excited to read this one after enjoying <i>The Little Women Cookbook</i> so much! I love that the author of this book did a lot of research related to not only which dishes were mentioned in the book </span><i style="color: #181818;">The Secret Garden</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818;">, but also into recipes from cookbooks written in that time period. While some of the recipes are updated for modern cooks and palates, some are also fairly true to their original versions. I loved learning more about the world during the time of the book through tidbits of history and every day life that were shared in these pages. I also enjoyed that she talks a lot about the history of colonizing India and how that influenced both the book but also the culinary history of England. The excerpts from </span><i style="color: #181818;">The Secret Garden</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818;"> containing the particular dishes were also so sweet and brought a lot of nostalgia to the cookbook. I think that flipping through this lovely book will definitely inspire readers to have an Anglo-Indian tea or classic English breakfast of their own. From recipes for English crumpets, to fresh mango chutney, Welsh rabbit, and Cornish pasties this book has many tempting recipes. I will definitely be picking up a copy of this for my own shelves after it publishes on 1/14/20.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818;"><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/44019067-the-bromance-book-club" target="_blank">The Bromance Book Club by Lyssa Kay Adams </a></b></span></span><b style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;">- </b><b style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;"><i>library, physical book</i></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818;">4 Stars - I highly recommend if you enjoy contemporary romance.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818;">When Gavin and Thea have trouble with their marriage, the men on Gavin's baseball team inaugurate him into their secret book club, where they read romance novels to fix their relationships. Though skeptical at first, Gavin joins in and makes a serious effort to win back Thea's affection, but it will take a lot more than seducing her and copying the book, he has to work on his issues, and their issues too. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818;">I really enjoyed this book! The idea behind it is very charming, I just loved this book club full of men reading romance novels. The concept is funny, and all of the bromance that happens throughout the book is so charming. I loved hearing their commentary which was hilarious and very thoughtful. It was an awfully feminist group of men, but I loved that, and their discourses on what was or was not feminist. It was very interesting. I did find it pretty distracting that the one guy was just "The Russian" up until the end of the book. I don't think it's mean to be derogatory at all, but it did feel weird to me. I can't speak to whether or not this would be offensive to anyone... but it did sort of stick out at me each time I read it. This might be one of the first romance novels about a couple that is already married, and I really enjoyed that aspect. It definitely sheds some light on marital issues, and how you can't become complacent within your marriage which I felt was very realistic. I thought that this book had a lot of funny and swoony moments, but it also touched on some more serious topics. A lot of those topics hit home for me, so I was probably a bit more emotional while reading than other readers would be. I loved all of the characters, especially Liv and Gavin and Thea's twins. I was rooting for everyone, and I'm excited that there will be another book in this series already! :) </span></span><br />
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<b style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">Monthly totals:</b><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><br /></b>Read - 4<br />Owned - 1<br />Ebook - 2<br />Physical book - 2<br />ARC - 3<br />Library/Borrowed - 1<br />Bought - 26 (6 physical books, 20 ebooks) - 10 books were freeee! :)<br />To Let Go - 0</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /><b>Yearly Totals:</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><br /></b>Read - 86<br />Owned - 23<br />Ebook - 51<br />Physical book - 42<br />ARC - 41<br />Library/Borrowed - 21<br />Bought - 200 (142 physical books, 64 ebooks) - 38 books were freeee! :)<br />To Let Go - 55</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #181818;"><b style="color: black;">Linking up with <a href="http://janasays.com/" style="color: #cc0066;">Jana</a> and <a href="http://www.lifeaccordingtosteph.com/" style="color: #cc0066;">Steph</a> for <a href="http://www.lifeaccordingtosteph.com/p/reading.html" style="color: #cc0066;">Show Us Your Books</a> today. :) </b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>What have you been reading? What do you hope to read this month?!</b> </span><br />
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<b><b><span style="line-height: 23.1px;">Let's be friends on <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/43902239-alexandra-consolver" style="color: #cc0066;">Goodreads</a>!</span></b></b><br />
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<b style="line-height: 23.1px;">XO,</b><br />
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<b style="line-height: 23.1px;">Alexandra</b><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 23.1px;">* Asterisks denote titles that I was given advance access to by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. These reviews are my own opinion, and based on the edition of the book I was given at the time. Thank you Netgalley</span><br /><br /><b style="line-height: 23.1px;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">**Double asterisks denote books won via a goodreads giveaway! </span></b><br /><br /><b style="line-height: 23.1px;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">***Triple a</span></b><b style="line-height: 23.1px;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">sterisks denote titles that I was given advance access to by </span><b style="line-height: 23.1px;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Edelweiss</span></b><span style="font-weight: normal;"> in exchange for an honest review. These reviews are my own opinion, and based on the edition of the book I was given at the time. Thank you </span><b style="line-height: 23.1px;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Edelweiss</span></b><span style="font-weight: normal;">!</span></b><br /><b style="line-height: 23.1px;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></b>****Quadruple asterisks denote titles that I was given advance access to by the author of the book in exchange for an honest review. These reviews are my own opinion and based on the edition of the book I was given at the time!</span></div>
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Simply Alexandra // My Favorite Thingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10005714012822874818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3450106821547345955.post-56352629334038253472019-11-21T05:00:00.000-06:002019-12-18T20:19:22.074-06:00Keep It Together // November 2019<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;">
Whew, it has been a busy season filled with doctor's appointments and lots of social plans, but I'm super excited to share what little bit of fun documenting and planning I got done in the last month! :)<br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I am excited to post today with <a href="https://shootingstarsmag.net/" style="color: #cc0066;" target="_blank">Lauren at Shooting Stars Mag</a> for our Keep It Together linkup!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">If you're new here, this is our linkup for all things planners, memory keeping, and journalling. Please feel free to join us on the third Thursday of the month with any posts that fall into those categories! :)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX38CzgxVf-xRjk389IrdnwvgqHT1ZSVtGcn6aID9g4jaVZ0UspMCm6xZr3gMcXJGZSse_oNga1_Yp_2DQfLMXWfnz5LvLZvt1aq1zRNqZs6Bhh33McZUmcHF05uH895IC8jvPDKyKX4AG/s1600/keepittogether_3.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; color: #cc0066; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="800" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX38CzgxVf-xRjk389IrdnwvgqHT1ZSVtGcn6aID9g4jaVZ0UspMCm6xZr3gMcXJGZSse_oNga1_Yp_2DQfLMXWfnz5LvLZvt1aq1zRNqZs6Bhh33McZUmcHF05uH895IC8jvPDKyKX4AG/s1600/keepittogether_3.png" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 1px solid rgb(255, 255, 255); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 1px 1px 5px; padding: 5px; position: relative;" width="640" /></span></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Planning:</b></span></div>
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I have been *trying* to make my planner a little more festive. I think I started with this as the base and expected to go back and decorate and fill in more but it never happened! LOL Life has been kind of nuts, so I've been doing medium... but it's fun either way! I have been so busy that I haven't even opened my planner on several occasions... BUT I am staying sort of organized, and doing my best. :) Super inspired by Rebecca Jo, go check out her post in the link up below!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGFLuUxaFQmDu1lD2Ul5Q-myhZkMXtk8Pb2lyHc2LvesAYv8MY6o5lGX5W0D-JOP6OCjT5EinIBKbqx7fLVjc0fDFmb4Iy1-Avdrh_ktMyRkQkqiQLzG1H42LFm7PxOcP5mJUGHiyGj2SG/s1600/IMG_8795.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGFLuUxaFQmDu1lD2Ul5Q-myhZkMXtk8Pb2lyHc2LvesAYv8MY6o5lGX5W0D-JOP6OCjT5EinIBKbqx7fLVjc0fDFmb4Iy1-Avdrh_ktMyRkQkqiQLzG1H42LFm7PxOcP5mJUGHiyGj2SG/s1600/IMG_8795.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_dOzJnksm0-ICKPobVwIVSd8994Elha7mbuknDFEQZm_8P07rg-I6Unca01uRg-SSfqK1zmuS68EgKDKovzq_5f0c995D7hZsX1QSjk0gVhULY7XX6tfgVdvhX4ITyRPWYyQuzo0pK2kk/s1600/IMG_8797.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_dOzJnksm0-ICKPobVwIVSd8994Elha7mbuknDFEQZm_8P07rg-I6Unca01uRg-SSfqK1zmuS68EgKDKovzq_5f0c995D7hZsX1QSjk0gVhULY7XX6tfgVdvhX4ITyRPWYyQuzo0pK2kk/s1600/IMG_8797.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Documenting:</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I managed to start my October Daily! I love the start of it, and just have to find a chunk of time to knock out the rest of it... hopefully this weekend! We should have enough downtime to make it happen. Excited to see how the rest turns out, and move on to other albums soon! If you are interested check out the video below to see all of the pages!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPp8Bu3oW-7LwnvbibiztoLWSuw7n7hz5XQ2OnZ8gmbI2CievYkFxdaJeZk9pyKpcvI2JaKvLCy9t-om_oDdeKkbYD5s3JxhYA1Hpkz7TASxeNQRDkAsm33CaHJvh4u1mvGeBALbYnXVF0/s1600/IMG_6007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPp8Bu3oW-7LwnvbibiztoLWSuw7n7hz5XQ2OnZ8gmbI2CievYkFxdaJeZk9pyKpcvI2JaKvLCy9t-om_oDdeKkbYD5s3JxhYA1Hpkz7TASxeNQRDkAsm33CaHJvh4u1mvGeBALbYnXVF0/s1600/IMG_6007.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG_nxVR-SF_h4nCi_CMxSWlzz7eNqj3jw2cm89NE1XJ9aHgFefm_ROBHs2Lkn0B0U5X-4s0DLAyC9ZEbT1P9UGSMlCwLS94MiXbi1Uq9Mnx0itwf8dcsMUhLyp9jN0Na1C_EBdZTGrrTz5/s1600/IMG_6008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG_nxVR-SF_h4nCi_CMxSWlzz7eNqj3jw2cm89NE1XJ9aHgFefm_ROBHs2Lkn0B0U5X-4s0DLAyC9ZEbT1P9UGSMlCwLS94MiXbi1Uq9Mnx0itwf8dcsMUhLyp9jN0Na1C_EBdZTGrrTz5/s1600/IMG_6008.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b style="font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;">What's Next?!</b><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I am quite "behind" my normal documenting schedule this year. I normally have started at least a few months of my full-year album and am done or nearly done with my October Daily and working on my November Daily... and getting ready for December. Oof. Right now I only have the first chunk of October Daily done, but I guess that's where I am at. I can see doing a very short one photo + one journaling page recap for 2019 as a whole, and finishing up October Daily, keeping Nov. Daily simple... and then a standard December Daily. This weekend is fairly open, I think I just need another chunk of time to work! So fingers crossed for this weekend!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Have you started thinking about your planner for next year?</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Have you been working on any documenting? </b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Please feel free to linkup with us below! We'd love to see what you are up to!</b></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><br /></b></span><br />
<b>XO,</b><br />
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<b>Alexandra</b><br />
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<!-- end InLinkz code -->Simply Alexandra // My Favorite Thingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10005714012822874818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3450106821547345955.post-55645486165831760422019-11-05T05:00:00.000-06:002019-11-15T10:04:55.785-06:00October Reads // #arctoberIt's book day!<br />
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October is known as #arctober to many readers online. I have a huge backlog of ARCs so I joined in to try to finish some of them up in a binge session. Here's how it went.<br />
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#ARCtober Goals:<br />
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Read 10 books!<br />
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Result: 6/10! - Not too bad for a busy and super anxious month! I'll take it!<br />
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<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/42194895-25-days-til-christmas" target="_blank">25 Days 'Til Christmas by Poppy Alexander</a></b>*** <b style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;">- </b><b style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;"><i>ARC, ebook</i></b><br />
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#1 for #arctober<br />
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4 Stars - I recommend if you enjoy contemporary Christmas fiction. This one while still light, is a bit more serious than most.<br />
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Daniel's sister Zoe died in January, this is his first Christmas without her. He remembers the "Christmas Tree Girl" working at the lot, who was always so kind to him and Zoe when they bought their tree. He remembers her sad eyes, and now recognizes that she must have lost someone too. He wants to have the courage to tell her his story, but is painfully awkward in practice. Kate is a widow and mom to Jack, her six year old son. Her job at the Christmas tree lot is in peril, her son is being diagnosed with special needs, her "mother in law" is in a nursing home and her funding is about to be cut, and she barely has money to keep porridge on the table, let alone a tree and gifts for Jack. Kate and Daniel will meet again and again in different circumstances, getting to know one another better. Can they move past their grief and hurdles to be happy again?<br />
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This is the Christmas novel for you if you are looking for a story with a bit more intensity. I really loved both Kate and Daniel, and thought that they were strong characters dealing with a lot of issues. Kate was a very passionate mother, put in a tough situation, just trying to make ends meet on her own. Daniel was dealing with the loss of his sister, and going through the motions of his day to day life. I admired their strength, and how they eventually came together to have a memorable Christmas. I enjoyed the charitable elements of the story related to raising money for the Apple Cafe run by young adults with special needs. I thought that the Bake Off element was a fun addition. While it did feel like the problems were piling on Kate one after the other, I like how things tied up. It felt sort of serendipitous but also very satisfying. I would recommend this novel if you are looking for a Christmassy read with a little bit more meat.<br />
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<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/44776456-a-lie-for-a-lie" target="_blank">A Lie for a Lie by Helena Hunting*</a></b><b style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;">- </b><b style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;"><i>ARC, ebook</i></b><br />
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#2 for #arctober<br />
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4 Stars - I recommend if you enjoy contemporary romance, especially of the second-chance variety.<br />
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RJ is an NHL captain from Chicago, who spends part of his summer in Alaska with his brother to relax. It's the only time when he can be a normal guy. When he meets anxious, and refreshing Lainey on the flight there, he doesn't tell her who he really is. They're both headed to Kodiak Island, and she's not quite prepared or outfitted for the trip. When he drops her off at her ramshackle cabin, he doesn't feel right about not checking in with her as the trip goes on. They're both alone, and quickly take to spending all of their time together. After a month, RJ has to leave due to a family emergency, and he never gets to tell Lainey who he really is, that he loves her, or how to get into touch with him. Months later, they meet by chance in Chicago, and RJ quickly finds out that he wasn't the only one keeping secrets.<br />
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I thought based on the title and cover that this would be sort of a romantic suspense story, LOL... so I was a little off base, but ended up enjoying this one quite a bit! I ADORED both RJ and Lainey, and their time in Alaska. It was very swoony and sweet, and their chemistry and different personalities were so fun. I honestly was dreading that part of the book coming to an end. However, I quickly found myself invested in the present day plot as well. I loved the way they uncovered secrets about their lives and lies, and how they tried so hard to make it work again. There is very little of the dreaded "JUST TALK TO EACH OTHER ALREADY!" sort of feeling, which I very much appreciated! I thought that their relationship both past and present was so sweet, and I liked the little bits of hockey life mixed in too. This book reminded me a little bit of <i>Wait for It</i> by Mariana Zapata and <i>The Simple Wild</i> by K.A. Tucker, both books that I really enjoyed! I see that there is already a synopsis for book 2 in this series... and I am here. for. it. Definitely going to continue on.<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/44294578-the-absinthe-earl" target="_blank"><b>The Absinthe Earl by Sharon Lynn Fisher</b></a>*** <b style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;">- </b><b style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;"><i>ARC, ebook</i></b><br />
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#3 for #arctober<br />
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DNF @ 60% - I can't particularly recommend this one.<br />
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Ada, an orphan and student is on a holiday in Ireland studying the relationship between absinthe and fairy sightings. She meets an Irish earl at an absinthe house, and he is quickly compelled to both protect her, and take her to his family's estate where they have unearthed ancient ruins. Along the way they are swept up in a struggle between earth and the faery realm, and their inexplicable attraction to one another.<br />
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There were many really fun elements to this story. I liked the historical romance aspect, and some of the fantasy was really interesting. There were some parts that I was struggling to figure out what on earth was going on. Part way through, I just wasn't compelled anymore. I didn't feel like I had enough background information on the characters, and I wasn't very invested in their plight against the threat coming to earth. I thought the idea of an alternate history based around Irish mythology was interesting, but it didn't work out for me this time around. You can't win them all.<br />
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<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/46255541-a-convenient-fiction" target="_blank">A Convenient Fiction by Mimi Matthews</a>*</b><b style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;">- </b><b style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;"><i>ARC, ebook</i></b><br />
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#4 for #arctober<br />
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3.5 Stars - I recommend if you enjoy historical proper romance.<br />
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When Laura Hays's father died, he left them without much money. Laura has had to take up the finances, and the plans to re-open their floral farms and fragrance distilleries.When she meets with her solicitor, she finds out that he plans to deny her brother's inheritance as he comes of age as he is an invalid. Her only choice is to find another solicitor and fight for the inheritance, or to marry. However, she's never imagined herself married at all. Alex Archer has been running from his troubled past as an orphan, and swindling people out of money through gambling debts. He ends up in Surrey, collecting on one such debt, as he meets lady Henrietta ?? and intends to marry her. However, after a chance meeting in a pond with Laura, he cannot keep his mind on the task at hand.<br />
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It was so fun to tuck into another Mimi Matthews book! I really loved Laura as a character, and her drive to thrive and work hard to reach her dreams. I thought that the meeting of the two characters was very cute, and that they had very good tension. I think that Alex was a bit shut off due to his past, so it took me a while to feel that he really liked Laura... or that he was really invested in their relationship or his feelings toward her in the beginning. I think that made it a bit less swoony for me, but as the book went on it definitely made sense how he felt, and why. I think my favorite part continues to be the brotherhood of the four orphans as they reconnect, that made me quite teary. I'm so excited to see how Neville's book goes.<br />
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<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/47511246-a-favor-for-a-favor" target="_blank">A Favor for a Favor by Helena Hunting</a>* </b>- Publishes January 2020 <b style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;">- </b><b style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;"><i>ARC, ebook</i></b><br />
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#5 for #arctober<br />
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4.5 Stars - I recommend if you enjoy hate-to-love contemporary romances.<br />
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When Stevie moves to Seattle to find her boyfriend sleeping with someone else, in their new apartment, on her birthday, she's hit rock bottom. When her NHL captain brother offers her his pent house apartment, she jumps at the chance to be away from her cheating ex. When she meets the jerk across the hall, she thinks things can't get worse. Bishop was cheated out of captain for their new team by RJ Bowman, and now there's a hot mess woman living in his apartment.When he finds out that this woman is not his mistress, but his sister everything changes. When Bishop is in a bad accident on the ice, his chances of meshing with his new team are low. Luckily, Stevie is a physical therapist, and she's willing to help him work on his injury to get back on the ice sooner. Can they keep it platonic despite their teasing and close proximity?<br />
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I really loved <i>A Lie for A Lie</i> and was so excited when I got a copy of this one! This book started off super super super funny. I immediately loved both Stevie and Bishop. He's SO annoying. Such a jerk, and she doesn't take any of it, so their hate-to-love chemistry is amazing. The sick and needing nursed back to health trope is one that I really enjoy, so this was a fun but very painful twist on that. I loved all of the PT stuff after his injury. It was equal party steamy and hysterically funny. I loved that this was such a slowburn love story and seeing how the characters grew and opened up to each other over time. I continue to love the team and family dynamics in this series, and am excited to see where it goes! I hope that the next book in the series is about King. He's adorable.<br />
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<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/45186670-twice-in-a-blue-moon" target="_blank">Twice In A Blue Moon by Christina Lauren</a>*</b><b style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;">- </b><b style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;"><i>ARC, ebook</i></b><br />
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#6 for #arctober<br />
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3.5 - 4 Stars - I recommend if you enjoy contemporary romance that falls more on the emotional end of the spectrum.<br />
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When 18 year old Tate and 21 year old Sam meet by chance on vacation in London they fall fast and hard. With their grandparents they spend nearly two weeks together and become inseparable. Tate tells Sam her deepest darkest secret, that she's the child of famous actor Ian Butler. When Sam disappears and the press swarm their hotel, her secret is out and she knows she's been betrayed by the only boy she's ever let in. Years later, as a famous actress, Tate is going to star in a film with her father. Despite what they want the media to think, they're not close, and before the press found her, he wasn't in her life. Filming is going to be tense, and that is before she realizes that Sam wrote the screen play for the movie she's starring in. How can she put on the performance of her life, while he's watching her every move?<br />
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I meant to read Love and Other Words before I got to this one, but I ran out of time. I didn't quite know what to expect from a more emotional Christina Lauren book. One thing I love about their writing is the comedy. I found myself enamored with young Tate and Sam, and their whirlwind romance in London. I didn't want the betrayal to happen, even though I knew that it would. I also liked Tate and Sam in the present. I thought that their conflict and romance was very slow burn, which I liked, but there wasn't as much tension as I expected. I'm not overly into plots about famous people, so while I liked the parts where they were filming the movie, all of the PR and high profile stuff wasn't my favorite. I thought that Sam was really swoony, and that his movie sounded incredible. I liked the ending, but felt like it could have possibly used an epilogue. Overall I enjoyed this one, but I was hoping for a bit more tension, romance, and drama. All that being said, it took me about a day to read, so it is definitely captivating, just not my favorite CL book to date.<br />
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<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/109580.Where_Dreams_Begin" target="_blank">When Dreams Begin by Lisa Kleypas</a> </b><b style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;">- <i>own, physical book</i></b><br />
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5 Stars - I recommend if you enjoy historical romance, especially something on the more emotional end of the spectrum.<br />
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When a chance encounter with a roguish stranger at her first ball since her husband's death catches Lady Holland Taylor off guard, she re-examines her future. When Zachary Bronson gets a taste of the most irresistible woman he's ever kissed by surprise, he must know who she is. When he finds out that Lady Holly is a widow and one of the most proper women in the 'ton he hires her to teach him and his family proper etiquette. He made his fortune, and though successful in business, he is not quite accepted in the elite circles and he needs a high standing wife to help solidify his place within the 'ton. As Lady Holly helps him prepare to woo a bride, she finds herself fighting attraction that has been growing ever since the ball. Not only is she attracted to Zachary Bronson, but to the life she lives with more freedom for her and her young daughter. When the truth comes out about a promise she made to her dying husband, she must make a choice between duty and her happiness.<br />
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This book hit me right in all of the feelings. To start, this woman is a widow and lost her husband to Typhoid. She had a hard time figuring out who she was without him. I loved that she decided to go with her gut and try to change her life even to the dismay of her family. I thought that Zachary was a straight up scoundrel, but then I saw how he was with his family and her daughter Rose and I really fell for him. There was so much tension in this book, which makes the whole story so much fun to read. It also had so many of my favorite tropes: forced proximity, taking care of the other person while they are sick, funny children, etc. I adored how much they fought over propriety, especially when he bought her a wardrobe of clothing without her permission. Oh gosh, I laughed so hard. The end of this book is quite emotional, which I didn't expect, but I found myself really loving it. I love how much they changed throughout the book. There was one line in the book that caught me off guard. I've been thinking about it for days and I'm pretty sure it was either 1) completely random and meaningless or 2) that there was going to be another plot line woven in that was removed... but there was a homophobic comment that was disappointing made by Zachary. The more I think about it the more I'm pretty sure it was either meant to show his silly pride, or to go with a story where he was abused by a man, but it ended up just kind of being there... and there wasn't any follow up. It almost felt too causal to even have any meaning. Of course I'd prefer not to have these lines, but I am going to go with it was a throwaway line in an otherwise great book.<br />
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<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/48074253-baking-me-crazy" target="_blank">Baking Me Crazy by Karla Sorensen</a> </b><b style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;">- </b><b style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;"><i>library, physical book</i></b><br />
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3 Stars - I might recommend if you enjoy contemporary romance.<br />
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The men in Levi Buchanan's family are cursed to fall in love quickly, hard, and with one woman for the rest of their lives. Levi thinks this is a bunch of nonsense until he meets Joss, a player on the wheelchair basketball team he helps to coach. He immediately asks her out, and she turns him down. 5 years later they're best friends, and he hasn't brought up dating since. When Joss starts having feelings for her new PT, the first time she's ever had feelings for anyone, Levi decides to throw his hat in the ring or risk losing Joss to another man. Can she get past her insecurities related to her disability and her inexperience with romance to get to know Levi in a new way?<br />
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For starters, I haven't read the Winston Brothers series by Penny Reid. This book is set within that world, though written by a different author. I loved the town and the bakery, and I adored all of the side characters. I loved seeing a romance with diversity in ability, this is the first of it's kind for me. I enjoyed getting a glimpse into Joss's life with her wheelchair, but I did find her hard to relate to. It's hard to say how much of that is me not quite getting into her shoes vs. just not quite clicking with her personality. Levi was a sweetie, and I liked seeing him pine for her and later try to woo her. It was very cute, and I loved his family too. I thought that the chemistry between the characters was really good, and that they were really funny and cute together. I struggled with the conflicts because I just couldn't quite get into Joss's mindset. She kept getting so upset and pushing him away, and that was just hard for me to identify with. Overall this was a cute book and I would consider reading more in the series. I really loved Joy, so I hope a future book might be about her. :)<br />
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<b style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">Monthly totals:</b><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><br /></b>Read - 8<br />Owned - 1<br />Ebook - 7<br />Physical book - 7<br />ARC - 7<br />Library/Borrowed - 1<br />Bought - 36 (34 physical books, 2 ebooks) - 2 books were freeee! :)<br />To Let Go - 0</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /><b>Yearly Totals:</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><br /></b>Read - 82<br />Owned - 22<br />Ebook - 49<br />Physical book - 40<br />ARC - 38<br />Library/Borrowed - 20<br />Bought - 174 (136 physical books, 44 ebooks) - 28 books were freeee! :)<br />To Let Go - 55</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #181818;"><b style="color: black;">Linking up with <a href="http://janasays.com/" style="color: #cc0066;">Jana</a> and <a href="http://www.lifeaccordingtosteph.com/" style="color: #cc0066;">Steph</a> for <a href="http://www.lifeaccordingtosteph.com/p/reading.html" style="color: #cc0066;">Show Us Your Books</a> today. :) </b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>What have you been reading? What do you hope to read this month?!</b> </span><br />
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<b><b><span style="line-height: 23.1px;">Let's be friends on <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/43902239-alexandra-consolver" style="color: #cc0066;">Goodreads</a>!</span></b></b><br />
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<b style="line-height: 23.1px;">XO,</b><br />
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<b style="line-height: 23.1px;">Alexandra</b><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 23.1px;">* Asterisks denote titles that I was given advance access to by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. These reviews are my own opinion, and based on the edition of the book I was given at the time. Thank you Netgalley</span><br /><br /><b style="line-height: 23.1px;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">**Double asterisks denote books won via a goodreads giveaway! </span></b><br /><br /><b style="line-height: 23.1px;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">***Triple a</span></b><b style="line-height: 23.1px;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">sterisks denote titles that I was given advance access to by </span><b style="line-height: 23.1px;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Edelweiss</span></b><span style="font-weight: normal;"> in exchange for an honest review. These reviews are my own opinion, and based on the edition of the book I was given at the time. Thank you </span><b style="line-height: 23.1px;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Edelweiss</span></b><span style="font-weight: normal;">!</span></b><br /><b style="line-height: 23.1px;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></b>****Quadruple asterisks denote titles that I was given advance access to by the author of the book in exchange for an honest review. These reviews are my own opinion and based on the edition of the book I was given at the time!</span></div>
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<br />Simply Alexandra // My Favorite Thingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10005714012822874818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3450106821547345955.post-16414700864252517162019-10-17T07:59:00.002-05:002019-10-17T11:50:06.749-05:00Keep It Together // October 2019<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">here, and I am excited to share what I have been up to! :)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">I am excited to post today with <a href="https://shootingstarsmag.net/" style="color: #cc0066; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Lauren at Shooting Stars Mag</a> for our Keep It Together linkup!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">If you're new here, this is our linkup for all things planners, memory keeping, and journalling. Please feel free to join us on the third Thursday of the month with any posts that fall into those categories! :)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX38CzgxVf-xRjk389IrdnwvgqHT1ZSVtGcn6aID9g4jaVZ0UspMCm6xZr3gMcXJGZSse_oNga1_Yp_2DQfLMXWfnz5LvLZvt1aq1zRNqZs6Bhh33McZUmcHF05uH895IC8jvPDKyKX4AG/s1600/keepittogether_3.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; color: #cc0066; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="800" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX38CzgxVf-xRjk389IrdnwvgqHT1ZSVtGcn6aID9g4jaVZ0UspMCm6xZr3gMcXJGZSse_oNga1_Yp_2DQfLMXWfnz5LvLZvt1aq1zRNqZs6Bhh33McZUmcHF05uH895IC8jvPDKyKX4AG/s1600/keepittogether_3.png" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 1px solid rgb(255, 255, 255); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 1px 1px 5px; padding: 5px; position: relative;" width="640" /></span></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Planning:</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">I have still been enjoying my ECLP! I finally found some wet erase markers to use in my new EC dashboard, and on the covers of my planner! :) </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">I also purchased some other sale items like stamps, and a stencil because it was a 75% off sale a few months ago. :) I have been using the stencil to track the books that I've read. It's kind of fun to see how many books I finish in a week or day, etc. I'm kind of a dork like that! hehe</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhny72eABxQE_vVjUM7Xa-hB0RGg-bJAkNFxHRRnomvq9kg-MXisN623PVJIcXa6ZYULkVEgO97ivfOxnHqejDztacIYvHi8QopxJNMH188VaNpRxcXkI5nGeAV_vc3rRNuVYp6moNTmPYr/s1600/IMG_5353.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhny72eABxQE_vVjUM7Xa-hB0RGg-bJAkNFxHRRnomvq9kg-MXisN623PVJIcXa6ZYULkVEgO97ivfOxnHqejDztacIYvHi8QopxJNMH188VaNpRxcXkI5nGeAV_vc3rRNuVYp6moNTmPYr/s1600/IMG_5353.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhja9zlv4tBQVAJacJIBfdwRJcjJBNI04VwnJOdWsbDIbmNRy3SSJBQFInI_IypLfGIj-xCEEgFTrABf5cd4oNmiEZXU5bB66RyIYHGsGWX8JGH48UDBpFKZDU5ll2ybGmtcePuLQsF3tDO/s1600/IMG_5350.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhja9zlv4tBQVAJacJIBfdwRJcjJBNI04VwnJOdWsbDIbmNRy3SSJBQFInI_IypLfGIj-xCEEgFTrABf5cd4oNmiEZXU5bB66RyIYHGsGWX8JGH48UDBpFKZDU5ll2ybGmtcePuLQsF3tDO/s1600/IMG_5350.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I'm also using a health tracker that I bought a loonnng time ago from EC, but hadn't used before. I'm tracking my meals because I've been seeing a GI dr. for issues. I'm hoping this helps in case I need to food log! :) </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDHn-wKr4Hrljde-5MlYaHTPQ4yF36OKT516rahgpg90JgoOuq92hdRgIm4cCrQNSCIxRM0sCgNQofoW-GcDTF1GBcxjinOR37T4foiTFc00ChLWRbMVFNTWNg5carYpSQYDvJc2LN01cF/s1600/IMG_5354.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDHn-wKr4Hrljde-5MlYaHTPQ4yF36OKT516rahgpg90JgoOuq92hdRgIm4cCrQNSCIxRM0sCgNQofoW-GcDTF1GBcxjinOR37T4foiTFc00ChLWRbMVFNTWNg5carYpSQYDvJc2LN01cF/s1600/IMG_5354.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Documenting:</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Table with Storage!</b></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTfiD2AU6A8kmmzcCu5wJKpx24xARV0BrtgaWzKedRK6AxbYL8_3M9yOWhRIlBLfI5XWpBrN5DYQdHnQqN2Z3K9ybHD5pbrF1Z4fLJGBH3Kx8eFoq3lPDnCwzRbJZMb81NvjfOC0_lVdZp/s1600/norden.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="511" data-original-width="598" height="341" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTfiD2AU6A8kmmzcCu5wJKpx24xARV0BrtgaWzKedRK6AxbYL8_3M9yOWhRIlBLfI5XWpBrN5DYQdHnQqN2Z3K9ybHD5pbrF1Z4fLJGBH3Kx8eFoq3lPDnCwzRbJZMb81NvjfOC0_lVdZp/s400/norden.PNG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">image via IKEA website.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I'm going to be honest, I've spent a lot of time at doctor's appointments and doing a lot of reading... so I haven't done a bunch of documenting lately. We did solve one problem, which was where to store my items while I'm working! I used to take over our massive dining table, and have to put things away when people came over. We recently got <a href="https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/norden-gateleg-table-birch-90423887/" target="_blank">this table</a> (not affiliate link) via IKEA, and it has been great for storing small stashes of my basic tools and scrapbook collections! I'm excited to use it more soon, but for now it is a big improvement!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>What's Next?!</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKRFD6Ke6BqozlNKZwndHt6J9NWtRM09xJ0_8sSIBt2ZVjgbVD_IhzpmlQOju25LKo2zeSnoa-Inly0LzmmQr1ggnA8D8XdpOXu2j6xBNfvr68Wql1woaoz2oqUIEacf6_clnVbo81dZmZ/s1600/IMG_5349.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKRFD6Ke6BqozlNKZwndHt6J9NWtRM09xJ0_8sSIBt2ZVjgbVD_IhzpmlQOju25LKo2zeSnoa-Inly0LzmmQr1ggnA8D8XdpOXu2j6xBNfvr68Wql1woaoz2oqUIEacf6_clnVbo81dZmZ/s1600/IMG_5349.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">I am still working on what I want to do for 2019 documenting... ooof. I need to get going because I am readddyy for October-December Daily! :) / I'm very "behind" Lol. That is the way of documenting.You just have to do it when you feel like it and you have time. I have put together all the stuff I need to start for October and November, so I just need to DO IT! :) </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Have you started thinking about your planner for next year?</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Have you been working on any documenting? </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Would you or anyone you know be interested in buying a little blank album to add details to?</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Please feel free to linkup with us below! We'd love to see what you are up to!</b></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>XO,</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Alexandra</b></span><br />
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Simply Alexandra // My Favorite Thingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10005714012822874818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3450106821547345955.post-76704254922162476762019-10-08T05:00:00.000-05:002019-10-09T12:30:39.722-05:00September Reads // Library Finds & Mood Reading<b>It. Is. Book Day!!!! I read a ton of random things this month, a LOT of library reads, which means I'm behind on my ARCs and my TBR. LOL, oh well! Let's get to it!</b><br />
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<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41063454-meet-cute" target="_blank">Meet Cute by Helena Hunting</a></b><br />
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4 Stars - I recommend if you enjoy humorous contemporary romance.<br />
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When Kailyn meets her TV crush, Daxton Hughes, and finds out that he goes to her law school, she instantly makes a fool of herself. She also gains a very gorgeous rival for the remainder of her law school program. When he throws her under the bus at the end of school, she never wants to see him again. Years later they meet again, setting up a trust for his younger sister, Emme. When his parents unexpectedly die he becomes his Emme's guardian and inherits his parent's estate. He's trying to navigate his own emotions, let alone issues that preteen girls deal with. And his aunt is suing for custody. The two will be legally brought together for the good of Emme and change opinions of each other as they go along.<br />
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This was my first book by Helena Hunting. I thought it was really cute, and actually had a decent amount of depth to it too. It definitely had the super funny parts, but also bits that made me teary. I thought that the awkward meeting was funny and cute, and set them up for an awkward reunion later on. I honestly loved the parts with Emme the most. I'm apparently a sucker for the "single dad" trope, even though he's not Emme's dad, this really pulled at my heartstrings. I thought that Dax trying to navigate preteen parenthood was super funny, and of course the period section was particularly hysterical! I enjoyed the chemistry between Dax and Kailyn, but I loved the emotional depth even more. Overall I would recommend this one if you enjoy contemporary romantic comedies.<br />
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<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/42133479-wicked-fox" target="_blank">Wicked Fox by Kat Cho</a></b><br />
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3.5 Stars - I might recommend if you enjoy urban fantasy, and teen drama. I am not personally familiar with Kdrama, but I would imagine it has a lot of inspiration from that genre!<br />
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Gu Miyoung is a gumho (a nine-tailed fox) who survives on the gi (energy/life force) of men. Her mother is a ruthless killer, but Miyoung hunts only criminals. When she moves back to Seoul she is attacked by a dokkaebi (goblin) in the woods, and meets a boy, Jihoon, who was also being attacked her fox bead (soul) falls out. She quickly becomes very sick, but makes friends with the boy, who won't stay away from her despite her warnings. When Miyoung's shaman friend tries to perform a ritual to replace the bead things take a turn for the worse. Who can Miyoung trust? Can both her and Jihoon survive against so many forces of evil?<br />
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This was really good for a debut novel! I loved the unique urban fantasy setting, and the inclusion of Korean folklore. I thought that it was all very different to read, and fascinating. I liked Gu Miyoung and Jihoon and was interested in the fantasy element of the story. I enjoyed all of the glimpses into Korean culture, especially in terms of Jihoon's relationship with his halmeoni (grandmother). There is so much respect and love in their relationship. Overall I would have loved a bit more atmosphere in the setting. I would have loved to hear more about the description of the city and the forests too. I love that kind of thing in a fantasy novel! I felt that the conflict and dramatic elements of this story were very strong, as I said above I would imagine a lot of this is influenced by kdrama, but I don't have personal experience watching it. It did feel just a bit too dramatic for me at times, and I felt like the main conflict drug out a bit too long as well. I felt overall that that part could have been shortened and the book itself could have been a bit shorter. All that being said I thought that the action was compelling, and the ending was as well. I wish I would have known more about the other characters. Perhaps other books in this series will be about them? Overall I definitely recommend this if you are looking for a change in your urban fantasy. I will be excited to see what else Kat Cho ends up writing! Also, as a heads up, in the end of the book there is a glossary, I wish I would have known that before I started reading this! It would have been helpful since I am not familiar with Korean terms, means of addressing one another, etc.<br />
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<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43205122-well-met" target="_blank">Well Met by Jen DeLuca</a></b><br />
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3.5 Stars - I might recommend if you enjoy contemporary romance.<br />
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When Emily moves to a small town to take care of her injured sister and teenage niece, she has to sign up for the Renaissance Faire as a chaperone. Along the way she will meet quirky characters both in and out of costume including a kilted gym teacher, Mitch, and an uptight rule following English teacher, Simon. Emily finds that Simon becomes a whole different person at the Faire, a roguish pirate captain. Along the way she'll question what is real, and what is part of the Faire, and if this is the place she is meant to call home.<br />
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Overall I enjoyed this book, but my hopes were just a bit too high I think. A romance novel set at the renaissance festival??? SIGN ME UP! This book did have those two things, but it ended up being a bit more of a story about a girl and her family finding their home in a small town. To start there was just a bit more set up than I'd have liked. They don't actually get to the Faire until about page 95. Once they were there I loved the world, all of the characters, and the interactions. I thought that Emily's wench persona Emma's interactions with Simon's pirate persona a pirate captain were fantastic. I loved the chemistry and the banter. I wanted more of that! I did appreciate that Emily made the move to figure out how much of their relationship was left at the faire vs. real, but the continued worry about that was a lot for me. I didn't understand all of their miscommunication. I like where things ended up and that this will become a series. I like the town and the everyday characters too, so I am excited to see where this will go. Overall I just wanted more tension and swoony moments, and more of the actual faire.<br />
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<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13450339-poison-princess" target="_blank">Poison Princess by Kresley Cole</a></b><br />
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4 Stars - I recommend if you enjoy YA fantasy.<br />
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Evie has just returned from a summer away at a mental health facility, where she unlearned the dangerous things that her "crazy" grandmother taught her. She returns to school to find that a new bridge built in their area means that some of the Cajun population will be joining her class, including the mysterious Jack Deveaux. When the voices in her head cease to go away, and the apocalypse comes, she and her mother must survive on their own. Evie soon learns that her blood can grow plants, which helps them to make ends meet. When Jack shows up at her plantation, he warns them of an army on the move planning to overtake the plantation and put Evie and her mother into slavery, where most women have ended up post-apocalypse. Evie leaves with Jack to try to escape the army and try to get to her grandmother. She might be the only one who can tell Evie what is happening, why she is hearing voices, and what she needs to do to survive.<br />
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I didn't know anything about this going in, which is how I prefer to start books. I thought that the way the author blended so many things together (teen angst, fantasy elements, post apocalyptic elements, etc.) was really seamless. It would have been easy to be super overwhelmed by the amount of things going on, but it all worked for me. Despite Cole's reputation for writing super steamy books, this one felt like YA to me (which it is). I wondered if it would be more like NA, but it was fairly tame overall. We'll see how the next books go, after all our heroine is just 16. I liked the idea behind the tarot cards and the teens being the major arcana characters. I liked the glimpse into Acadian/Cajun culture, and thought that Jack had his swoony moments... but he is also very possessive, kind of mean, and gave me whip lash a lot. I get that this is literally the end of the world and people are bound to be intense and hard on each other for mistakes... but I had a hard time love, loving him... and their relationship, which makes me wonder if they're endgame. We'll see!<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/47225266-the-best-thing" target="_blank"><b>The Best Thing by Mariana Zapata</b></a><br />
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4.5 Stars - I highly recommend if you enjoy contemporary romance, and the slowest of slow burns.<br />
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When Lenny met Jonah in Europe, they had a great, but short relationship. After he is injured in a rugby match, she never hears from him again. Much later, he shows up at her gym, and he has a lot of explaining to do. (I don't want to give spoilers, so you get a short synopsis!)<br />
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OH. MY. HEART. This book was so sweet. I absolutely adored the plot elements which I will keep a secret since they are not in the description. I adored Jonah. He's such a softie and I can't help but imagine him as a cross between Vance Joy, Taika Waititi, and a rugby player. He was so nice, and so gosh darn cute. The accent was a bonus, but his personality was the best. He was such a stark contrast to Lenny who is super angry and brash a lot of the time. I liked their relationship and how comfortable they were together. I ADORED Lenny's whole family. He grandpa and her uncle were adorable in the way that they were like her parents, and their entire family dynamic just gave me all of the feels. I will say, this is the slowest of slow burns. Like 90% folks. The epilogue had me crying. So just be ready to feel all the feels. I definitely recommend this one if you enjoy slow burn contemporary romance, with a lot of great family elements.<br />
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<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20759641-endless-knight" target="_blank">Endless Knight by Kresley Cole</a></b><br />
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4 Stars - I recommend if you have read Poison Princess.<br />
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The second book in the Arcana Chronicles.<br />
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I really enjoyed the second installment of the Arcana Chronicles series! I was a bit on the fence about accidentally starting such a long series, but this book confirmed that I will keep going for the foreseeable future. I liked that we got to see a bit more of the world post-flash. Those cannibals, yikesers. I also like that we meet more characters, and get to know a bit more about "the game". HIGHLIGHT FOR SPOILERS: <span style="color: white;">I definitely kept my feeling that Jack is kind of possessive and a hot mess. He's always drunk, and doesn't treat Evie well at all. I looooved everything up until the very very end! It felt like Evie very randomly thought of Jack before getting together with Aric... and then he was acting unreasonable. Agh. Is this going to be one of those series where the male romantic leads just do garbage things all of the time... and we just have to go for the least awful of the two? I hope not. Also, I felt like Evie's battle lust was confusing. Most of the time she seemed in control of it... and other times she was back to the back stabbing Empress. I'm not sure what to make of those shifts.</span> Overall I enjoyed this and it definitely ended on a mega cliffhanger, so I am excited that my library has the next books in this series.<br />
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<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/45700861-naughty-or-nice" target="_blank">Naughty or Nice by Lauren K. McKellar</a>*</b><br />
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2.5 Stars - I might recommend if you love Christmas fiction.<br />
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Claire and Hamish are top runners for a promotion at work, which will be announced after the office Christmas party. The problem is, Hamish has been attracted to Claire since he moved to her branch. Can they work together without getting together?<br />
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I was definitely drawn to this one by the cover. I love cute Christmas fiction, and with this being a novella I wasn't too worried about not liking it. This started out very cute and festive. I enjoyed the holiday elements and the office competition for promotion, however I felt like there were several too many dramatic issues also included in the novella. It is very short, so both characters having money/family issues, medical issues, jerks at the office, etc. etc. it just felt like a bit too much for such a short length. Overall it was cute, but it had a bit too much going on for me.<br />
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<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36137560-kill-the-queen" target="_blank">Kill the Queen by Jennifer Estep</a></b><br />
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3.5 Stars - I might recommend if you enjoy adult fantasy.<br />
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When Evie's entire family, and royal line is killed in a massacre, but she survives, she must find a way to defeat her evil cousin. She hides her identity joining a gladiator troupe, in hopes of being trained by it's leader Serilda Swanson and someday overthrowing her cousin. She quickly learns that the gladiator world is just as brutal as her life at court was. When her cousin makes it clear that she has it out for the gladiator troupe, they flee the city to warn other nations of coming war, but are attacked on the road. Can Evie trust Serilda with her secret? Can she possibly compete against her warrior and magier cousin for the throne?<br />
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You know when there is a book that you just expect to LOVE? It is your favorite genres, and has themes that you love? This was one of those books for me.....but I didn't end up loving it as much as I thought I would. The beginning of this book was a bit slow for me. On the first page it tells you that the royal massacre will occur, but it takes many chapters to get there. Once it did, the action picked up and I was more invested in the plot. GoT fans, it will remind you an awful lot of The Red Wedding. I was interested in Evie as a character, and her revenge plot. I thought that the magic systems (while a little complex, and under explained) was interesting, and made for a very diverse world. I liked the group from the Black Swan as well. I loved Sullivan, and I am excited to see how that relationship will play out, at apparently the slowest burn speed, lol. I thought that the contrast between super brutal and kind of silly didn't quite work for me, and that is one thing that just continually threw me off. There was a lot of onomatopoeia, "plop plop plop" and that just is one of my biggest pet peeves when it is not written as, "the shirt plopped to the floor" but rather, "the shirts fell to the floor. Plop plop plop." It just is a personal pet peeve. I can't explain it. There were also times when members of the gladiator troupe were really silly, and then someone is being poisoned or killed. That type of humor mixed with the super brutal was a bit jarring for me. I know it is possible to have both, but it threw me off here. All that said, I'm excited to see where things go, so I have picked up the second book. Depending on how long the series ends up being, and how the second book goes, I might stick with it.<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43406234-seduction-on-a-snowy-night" target="_blank"><b>Seduction on a Snowy Night by Madeline Hunter, Sabrina Jeffries, and Mary Jo Putney*</b></a><br />
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4 Stars - I recommend if you enjoy romance and Christmas fiction. These are not Hallmark romances, expect some decent steam.<br />
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An anthology of Christmas romance novellas by popular romance authors.<br />
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<b>A Christmas Abduction by Madeline Hunter</b> <b>- 4 Stars -</b> I enjoyed this unusual historical romance. I liked that Caroline abducts the rakish Baron Thornhill, and keeps him captive at her modest country home. It was fairly easy to guess why he was abducted, but it was awfully fun getting there. I enjoyed the country setting quite a lot, and of course the forced proximity. I thought that the chemistry between Adam and Caroline was great. The only thing I didn't love was that it was a bit hard to tell when it switched perspectives from time to time... and then all of a sudden people were referred to by different names and I'd realize, ah ha, the perspective has switched.<br />
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<b>A Perfect Match by Sabrina Jeffries</b> <b> - 4 Stars -</b> I liked the impossible dilemma of Colonel Heywood needing to marry for money, and Cassandra needing to marry for love. They both have exactly what the other needs, and what they both want... but they have to be brave to get there. I liked the romance between these two sparring characters. I thought that at first Heywood was not very appealing skulking on the terrace, smoking... but his character and wit later had him growing on me. His thoughts and outbursts are priceless and so swoony. I enjoyed the family dynamics between Heywood and his mother and siblings, as well as Cass's interactions with her cousin. Though I could tell that many of these characters likely had their own books, it wasn't too distracting. The amount of lyrics just thrown in from Christmas songs and carols really made me chuckle.<br />
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<b>One Wicked Winters' Night by Mary Jo Putney - 3 Stars -</b> This second chance romance started out with quite a lot of what felt like inside knowledge about the characters, likely things happening in other books. As the story went there was quite a lot more of this which I found distracting. If you'd read the other books, I am sure it would be delightful, but on it's own I felt like they could have scooped a lot of that out and given a bit of summary instead. However, I really enjoyed the intensity of the romance between Diana and Anthony. The reasons that she left him in the past, and how they can make it work in the future. I do wish this was just a bit steamier than it was. There were a lot of cats in this novella, which was simultaneously silly and cute. Not my favorite of the bunch.<br />
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<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41812884-a-highlander-walks-into-a-bar" target="_blank">A Highlander Walks into A Bar by Laura Trentham</a></b><br />
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4 Stars - I recommend if you enjoy light hearted contemporary romance.<br />
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Izzy is well known in Highland, GA for living at Stonehaven manor and putting on the Highland Festival each year. Highland was founded by the Scottish, and therefore pays tribute to that from tartan swagged lamp posts, to kilt stores, to the annual festival. When Izzy's mom comes back from her trip to Scotland with a Scotsman in tow, she doesn't know what to think. It's clear that her mom is enamored with the Scotsman, Gareth, but Izzy is suspicious of his motivations. Alasdair, Gareth's nephew is sent to retrieve him and send him back to Cairndow (their estate), and is equally suspicious of Izzy's mom. When it becomes clear that Gareth hasn't told Izzy and her mother about his true identity, Gareth gets to know them both, and their town quite well. What will happen when they return to Scotland? How can the two couples own estates on two continents?<br />
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My thought process related to this book was: "oooh Scotland!" "oh ok, Scottish guy in Georgia...?? I dunno about this." "No this is totally fine!" I enjoyed this book a lot more than I expected to! I'm not going to lie, the idea of a Scottish guy coming to Georgia is not nearly as appealing to me as the other way around, but it really worked out for me. I really liked Rose and Gareth, and Izzy and Alasdair. I enjoyed the quirkiness of the town, and their Scottish obsession and heritage. I loved Izzy, she was so awkward and fierce. I loved her little blurts of inappropriate things she said, and Alasdair's reactions to that. I enjoyed how everything was described, all the senses are engaged, and I loved how magical it all sounded. The woods, the wildflower field, etc. I liked that the conflicts seemed believeable, and it wasn't quite as fluffy as a Hallmark movie. It was, however, mostly hopeful and positive. It was a perfect mix for me of fluff and quirky, with steamy and a little bit serious. I loved the epilogue, and how it introduces the next book! I'm excited to read more of Trentham's books in the future!<br />
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<b style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">Monthly totals:</b><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><br /></b>Read - 10<br />Owned - 4<br />Ebook - 3<br />Physical book - 7<br />ARC - 3<br />Library/Borrowed - 4<br />Bought - 25 (9 physical books, 16 ebooks) - 12 books were freeee! :)<br />To Let Go - 6</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /><b>Yearly Totals:</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><br /></b>Read - 74<br />Owned - 21<br />Ebook - 42<br />Physical book - 33<br />ARC - 31<br />Library/Borrowed - 19<br />Bought - 138 (102 physical books, 42 ebooks) - 26 books were freeee! :)<br />To Let Go - 55</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #181818;"><b style="color: black;">Linking up with <a href="http://janasays.com/" style="color: #cc0066;">Jana</a> and <a href="http://www.lifeaccordingtosteph.com/" style="color: #cc0066;">Steph</a> for <a href="http://www.lifeaccordingtosteph.com/p/reading.html" style="color: #cc0066;">Show Us Your Books</a> today. :) </b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>What have you been reading? What do you hope to read this month?!</b> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Anyone else hate onomatopoeia in their fiction??</b></span><br />
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<b><b><span style="line-height: 23.1px;">Let's be friends on <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/43902239-alexandra-consolver" style="color: #cc0066;">Goodreads</a>!</span></b></b><br />
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<b style="line-height: 23.1px;">XO,</b><br />
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<b style="line-height: 23.1px;">Alexandra</b><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 23.1px;">* Asterisks denote titles that I was given advance access to by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. These reviews are my own opinion, and based on the edition of the book I was given at the time. Thank you Netgalley</span><br /><br /><b style="line-height: 23.1px;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">**Double asterisks denote books won via a goodreads giveaway! </span></b><br /><br /><b style="line-height: 23.1px;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">***Triple a</span></b><b style="line-height: 23.1px;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">sterisks denote titles that I was given advance access to by </span><b style="line-height: 23.1px;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Penguin First to Read</span></b><span style="font-weight: normal;"> in exchange for an honest review. These reviews are my own opinion, and based on the edition of the book I was given at the time. Thank you </span><b style="line-height: 23.1px;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Penguin First to Read</span></b><span style="font-weight: normal;">!</span></b><br /><b style="line-height: 23.1px;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></b>****Quadruple asterisks denote titles that I was given advance access to by the author of the book in exchange for an honest review. These reviews are my own opinion and based on the edition of the book I was given at the time!</span></div>
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Simply Alexandra // My Favorite Thingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10005714012822874818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3450106821547345955.post-30350000718776882142019-09-19T05:00:00.000-05:002019-09-19T15:12:33.073-05:00Keep It Together // September 2019<div style="background-color: white;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Whoops! Sorry guys, I had a little bit of a glitch over here this morning!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Hello friends! It's Keep It Together day!! It has been a fun documenting month around here, and I am excited to share what I have been up to! :)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br style="background-color: white;" /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;">I am excited to post today with </span><a href="https://shootingstarsmag.net/" style="color: #cc0066;" target="_blank">Lauren at Shooting Stars Mag</a><span style="background-color: white;"> for our Keep It Together linkup!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br style="background-color: white;" /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">If you're new here, this is our linkup for all things planners, memory keeping, and journalling. Please feel free to join us on the third Thursday of the month with any posts that fall into those categories! :)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br style="background-color: white;" /></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX38CzgxVf-xRjk389IrdnwvgqHT1ZSVtGcn6aID9g4jaVZ0UspMCm6xZr3gMcXJGZSse_oNga1_Yp_2DQfLMXWfnz5LvLZvt1aq1zRNqZs6Bhh33McZUmcHF05uH895IC8jvPDKyKX4AG/s1600/keepittogether_3.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; color: #cc0066; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="800" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX38CzgxVf-xRjk389IrdnwvgqHT1ZSVtGcn6aID9g4jaVZ0UspMCm6xZr3gMcXJGZSse_oNga1_Yp_2DQfLMXWfnz5LvLZvt1aq1zRNqZs6Bhh33McZUmcHF05uH895IC8jvPDKyKX4AG/s1600/keepittogether_3.png" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 1px solid rgb(255, 255, 255); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 1px 1px 5px; padding: 5px; position: relative;" width="640" /></span></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br style="background-color: white;" /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br style="background-color: white;" /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="background-color: white;">Planning:</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><br style="background-color: white;" /></b></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">I have still been enjoying my ECLP! I mentioned last time that I have been loving my new pens. I still am! Today I wanted to show how I have been using my blank pages in the back to track my ARC reading! :) </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJww48suALqVwUVzrLaf25kBjHT6A10tnXw6MrbVQAXXLUtviqBxLT1wPSzaYUBEkRDXenOWtzVtkbm09cDxUeWVq9WgqjmWMwclhe1uK3n6QYRKqaEvswNooX_xEb7Ubk_nVleIITANr9/s1600/IMG_2588.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJww48suALqVwUVzrLaf25kBjHT6A10tnXw6MrbVQAXXLUtviqBxLT1wPSzaYUBEkRDXenOWtzVtkbm09cDxUeWVq9WgqjmWMwclhe1uK3n6QYRKqaEvswNooX_xEb7Ubk_nVleIITANr9/s1600/IMG_2588.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiebRDw_FDa_G6_jo1aIzRV-FaLH-4oTLCMznWM2pbN2ZiUeVTn0iHscFT-9sg5JfPiM8erERBSdqLhRwHHCykoV7UY15d6jAOq_8X5vTXrFjRCuYBAeyzlO6S6i0g0gtbJesXTlJ94_HWe/s1600/IMG_2591.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiebRDw_FDa_G6_jo1aIzRV-FaLH-4oTLCMznWM2pbN2ZiUeVTn0iHscFT-9sg5JfPiM8erERBSdqLhRwHHCykoV7UY15d6jAOq_8X5vTXrFjRCuYBAeyzlO6S6i0g0gtbJesXTlJ94_HWe/s1600/IMG_2591.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">I have been adding ARCs by publish date, and grouping them by color. As other reviewers know, you might get an ARC that has already been published, or finally get approved at the last second... so it isn't a fully organized list, but it's close. I then put an "N" for Netgalley, "A" for Author, or "F" for Penguin First to Read. Then I check them off once they are finished. I do put the dates in my weekly spreads too, but this is a quick way to see which ARCs will be publishing soon. I love adding book washi tape or sticker and business cards related to library or book events to make the page a little bit more interesting.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br style="background-color: white;" /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="background-color: white;">Documenting:</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br style="background-color: white;" /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="background-color: white;">Boston Album:</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6_nGcjR7T09snMpibrRmBarfwjqiDkRjqGWXymZ7wK2dSaiG4nD6Xhy9D38mZfV5VX0OvrcHtMMUweyihaZFdqY69t00bBzbk-lu29J9orEPnuo1l6KdE7dXpLgYpKNjCendUTo64jHEZ/s1600/IMG_2592.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6_nGcjR7T09snMpibrRmBarfwjqiDkRjqGWXymZ7wK2dSaiG4nD6Xhy9D38mZfV5VX0OvrcHtMMUweyihaZFdqY69t00bBzbk-lu29J9orEPnuo1l6KdE7dXpLgYpKNjCendUTo64jHEZ/s1600/IMG_2592.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjclySt63mG0HWBnB3X4dvgvbWsfe3cRCXwGdEX75NLHWefH94d9sq1xGIcBl7Y8mvGjLQV7VFIvgqvLER3TeX1dGGjH8eAgM_Gc_CaXWBbBioqnnhvPImM_JDSetlegj9Kt0aJ7-DLD2gK/s1600/IMG_2593.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjclySt63mG0HWBnB3X4dvgvbWsfe3cRCXwGdEX75NLHWefH94d9sq1xGIcBl7Y8mvGjLQV7VFIvgqvLER3TeX1dGGjH8eAgM_Gc_CaXWBbBioqnnhvPImM_JDSetlegj9Kt0aJ7-DLD2gK/s1600/IMG_2593.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I'm working on my Boston & NE Road Trip album. It is a TN size, and I am having fun documenting this trip finally. I feel like I'm "catching up" a bit, but really I'm just having fun and getting to what I get to. Which has been key in my experience documenting! hahaha I recently finished up my Salem, MA sections, and started on the portion of our trip where we went to Maine! </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG2kqP9RQIw7GVs9em5s5dmSFmWMwPAHAgWcECtY-wDUn1pKuUHP9TErusmrdk8CIRpYu39yYVl-9Ev1gemVkKKym9KAFvFFb413oDewIvlwbr1r8pjZOJw0QreP8DwE_cvqeAGppNpOi-/s1600/IMG_2594.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG2kqP9RQIw7GVs9em5s5dmSFmWMwPAHAgWcECtY-wDUn1pKuUHP9TErusmrdk8CIRpYu39yYVl-9Ev1gemVkKKym9KAFvFFb413oDewIvlwbr1r8pjZOJw0QreP8DwE_cvqeAGppNpOi-/s1600/IMG_2594.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibZNZRnejr0d56cCiwwSZzTuvPW6RGvTEUxqpBdf0-d0ssB_G2k3AHiWJWwCliOzZszDAtjOsq36PrWe1NklDbZr9FWZ_e0Fz0zz84Rg4wqeIfb3_kKyrd626cP1rH7Me-En_YWI9nYYye/s1600/IMG_2595.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibZNZRnejr0d56cCiwwSZzTuvPW6RGvTEUxqpBdf0-d0ssB_G2k3AHiWJWwCliOzZszDAtjOsq36PrWe1NklDbZr9FWZ_e0Fz0zz84Rg4wqeIfb3_kKyrd626cP1rH7Me-En_YWI9nYYye/s1600/IMG_2595.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I am loving adding in paper ephemera from our trip (maps, brochures, stickers, etc.) to remember the trip by and to have less trash to throw away. I think it is coming together really well... though I ran out of room and don't have another notebook that is exactly the same size.. whoops! I guess I need to make one now.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0dPtqamjqJXg2iXmN6jSORCSvVBpeY8AqmeqTs8qc-O96N4cH187l5DZgd9b5_kgJTGvOAyh4dkLZEDb2v7Y2Gy5Zvhj91lc5FLfH9fGOfTVUIn_3FcH9issjRLUisrMgq56W7laj-nPy/s1600/IMG_2597.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0dPtqamjqJXg2iXmN6jSORCSvVBpeY8AqmeqTs8qc-O96N4cH187l5DZgd9b5_kgJTGvOAyh4dkLZEDb2v7Y2Gy5Zvhj91lc5FLfH9fGOfTVUIn_3FcH9issjRLUisrMgq56W7laj-nPy/s1600/IMG_2597.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />Lastly, I got a letter punch board and am having fun punching out words in my albums. I used it to punch out PORTLAND on one of my Maine pages! :) </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="font-family: inherit;">Another Giveaway Album:</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><br style="background-color: white;" /></b></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">I am working on a giveaway album for my second YouTube winner, Hallie. We went to high school together and I am super excited to make her a little album! :)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br style="background-color: white;" /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="background-color: white;">What's Next?!</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><br style="background-color: white;" /></b></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">I am still working on what I want to do for 2019 documenting... ooof. I need to get going because I am readddyy for October-December Daily! :) / I'm very "behind" Lol. That is the way of documenting.You just have to do it when you feel like it and you have time.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br style="background-color: white;" /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="background-color: white;">CLASSES / Album Sales: </b><span style="background-color: white;">I also heard from the library that I can hold scrapbook classes and open scrapbook times at the library! So I am hoping to get something going for that here pretty soon! :) I am also thinking about making mini albums from certain collections (Halloween, travel, various generic Maggie Holmes collections) and selling them for people to put their photos/journalling into. Thoughts?!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br style="background-color: white;" /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="background-color: white;">Have you been working on any documenting?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="background-color: white;"><br /></b></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="background-color: white;">Would you or anyone you know be interested in buying a little blank album to add details to?</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="background-color: white;"><br /></b></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="background-color: white;">Please feel free to linkup with us below! We'd love to see what you are up to!</b></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="background-color: white;"><br /></b></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="background-color: white;"><br /></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="background-color: white;">XO,</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="background-color: white;">Alexandra</b></span></div>
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Simply Alexandra // My Favorite Thingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10005714012822874818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3450106821547345955.post-61662235688457123712019-09-10T05:00:00.000-05:002019-09-19T15:12:19.793-05:00August 2019 Reads // Finally Some 5 Star Reads!<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Happy Book Day, friends!! I have surpassed my reading goal for the year and am feeling good! :)</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/44017619-the-flatshare" target="_blank">The Flat Share by Beth O'Leary</a> </b><b style="background-color: white;">- </b><b style="background-color: white;"><i>library, ebook</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">3.5 Stars - I recommend if you enjoy sweet contemporary romance with quirky characters.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Tiffy's boyfriend has cheated on her and now she needs to find a place to live. London is expensive, and she considers her best option a Flatshare. She would share a 1-bedroom apartment and bed with her roommate, and they would never cross paths due to different working schedules. Leon just needs to make some money from the flatshare so that he can pay his brother's lawyer, and get him out of jail. Through a series of many post-it notes, scraps of paper, and notes throughout the apartment the two get to know each other, but still haven't met in person. What will happen when they finally meet face-to-face.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span dir="ltr" style="color: #1c1e21;"><span class="_3l3x" style="background-color: white;">I thought this was really sweet. I loved the quirky and endearing characters! Leon and Tiffy were both so unique and adorable. The notes were so sweet and all of Leon’s patients were too. I liked seeing how their relationship unfolded in notes, and then in person. It felt so gradual and natural. The book overall felt just a little bit long. I struggled with the manipulative boyfriend because of some personal stuff... so it was a little triggery for me. Overall I enjoyed it. The quirkiness reminded me a little of Josh and Hazel. I definitely recommend if you are looking for a mostly sweet quirky romance.</span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span dir="ltr" style="color: #1c1e21;"><span class="_3l3x" style="background-color: white;"><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25760151-forbidden" target="_blank">Forbidden by Beverly Jenkins</a> </b></span></span></span><b style="background-color: white;">- </b><b style="background-color: white;"><i>library, physical book</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span dir="ltr" style="color: #1c1e21;"><span class="_3l3x" style="background-color: white;">3 Stars - I might recommend if you enjoy historical romance.</span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span dir="ltr" style="color: #1c1e21;"><span class="_3l3x" style="background-color: white;">After Eddy's parents die she and her sister are left to fend for themselves. Eddy decided to cook and wash and save up money to move to California and open her own restaurant. When her money and train ticket are stolen her plans take a turn for the worst, and she must rely on the kindness of strangers to make her way West. When she is robbed yet again and left for dead in the desert she is rescued by Rhine Fontine, and nursed back to health. Rhine is the son of a slaver and slave woman, but appears white to the untrained eye. He has made a new life for himself in Utah as a white man, and tries to advocate for the colored community. When he meets stubborn and driven Eddy she will make him <span style="font-family: inherit;">question his decision to cross the line.</span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: inherit;">I’m a sucker for old west plots and/or this time period, so I wanted to give this book a try. I appreciated the diversity in this particular story and the history that was so thoroughly included by the author. I thought this story was quite sweet and reminded me a bit of </span><i style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: inherit;">When Calls the Heart</i><span style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: inherit;"> or something in that vein, though it does get a little bit R-rated. I thought that Eddy was a fantastic character. She was very independent and hard working, I loved her journey as a cook and building her life in Utah. Rhine was an interesting character too. I thought that their chemistry was great in the beginning and from time to time, and I love that she turns him down over and over (especially when he is engaged to another!). She's really fiery and doesn't let him call the shots. Overall I felt like some of the plot threads were built up and then dropped a little bit, and I did wish that they had more of a connection. It is also always a bit jarring when there are some steamy scenes... but then the bigger ones fade to black. I don't care if a romance is "proper" or not, but it is confusing to have so much back and forth. Overall I enjoyed this, but didn't like it quite as much as I had hoped.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #1c1e21;"><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43521785-bringing-down-the-duke" target="_blank">Bringing Down the Duke by Evie Dunmore</a>*** </b></span><b style="background-color: white;">- </b><b style="background-color: white;"><i>ARC, ebook</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #1c1e21;">4.5 Stars - I highly recommend if you enjoy historical romance with modern characters.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #1c1e21;">Annette has been given a scholarship by the Suffragists of London to study at Oxford's women's college. In order to accept the scholarship she must help the group petition wealthy men to support the married women's property act of 1870.When Annette unknowingly approaches The Duke of Montgomery, her group is shocked by her audacity, and then uses it to their advantage by having her get close to him to endear him toward their cause. Sebastian Montgomery immediately dislikes the beautiful Annette and assumes she is his brother's mistress. Conflict ensues, and they must play nice in order to appease polite society. However, Annette is not a lady, she's a girl from the country, and all bets are off.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #1c1e21;">I LOVED THIS BOOK SO MUCH. This had the fun feel of other modern historicals (think Tessa Dare, etc.) but it was not quite so funny or whimsical. I liked that while the characters were modern, the world was still very old fashioned, and therefore there was a lot of brooding and intensity. I thought that Annette and Sebastian had fantastic chemistry.It was quite swoony. I liked that they were both dealing with their own issues and their life circumstances which meant that they didn't relent from their ideals/morals/dreams as the story went on. I found all of the side characters very endearing. I am hoping that this becomes a series of books, because I would love to know more about her various suffragette friends, and Sebastian's brother. I also adored that the female friendships were so tight, not judgmental, and so focused on supporting one another. I am so tired of reading books where women don't like each other and see each other as competition. :) </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #1c1e21;"><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40972652-the-wallflower-wager" target="_blank">The Wallflower Wager by Tessa Dare</a> </b></span><b style="background-color: white;">- <i>own, physical book</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #1c1e21;">4 Stars - I recommend if you enjoy historical romance with modern characters. This is the third book in the series. I highly recommend that you start with book one because they are all SO GOOD.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #1c1e21;">Lady Penelope Campion (Penny) has spent her life taking care of wounded and unwanted animals. She has a two legged dog, an abandoned otter pup, a hedge hog, a parrot that says obscene things, and a smattering of other animals. When Gabriel Duke, also known as The Duke or Ruin buys the house next to hers to refurbish and sell to the aristocrats, he'll need to get rid of her animals, and Penny's eccentricity. Penny is being forced out of London by her family unless she can put herself back into society, with a new wardrobe, and get rid of her animals. When Gabriel demands that she get rid of her animals, she promises too, ONLY if he can find them good and loving homes.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: inherit;">This book was so cute! </span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #181818; font-family: inherit;">I am always amazed at Tessa Dare’s ability to take timely issues (</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818;">and less "issues" like you know, like pockets in dresses...</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818;">) </span><span style="color: #181818; font-family: inherit;">today and put them into her historical plots. Her characters and their lives feel so modern despite the fact that the books are set in the past. I ADORED any time any number of the group was together. Adorable banter. It reminded me a bit of the group from the ACoTaR series. They just argue and give each other hell and it is incredibly endearing. I </span><span style="color: #181818;">particularly</span><span style="color: #181818; font-family: inherit;"> loved the way Ash and Chase got on with Gabriel. Too funny. I thought that the romance was really nice. The banter and chemistry between them was great and I loved their contrasting personalities so much. A woman who loves everything and is sweet as can be, and a man who is grump grump grumpy and has never loved anyone or anything. I also loved how much emphasis there was on consent in this book. Yes. Yes. Amen, Tessa Dare. And that Penny made her own decisions and really knew her mind. We need more heroines like this!</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #181818; font-family: inherit;"><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/46368980-the-love-solution" target="_blank">The Love Solution by Ashley Croft</a></b>* </span></span><b style="background-color: white;">- </b><b style="background-color: white;"><i>ARC, ebook</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #181818; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #181818; font-family: inherit;">DNF - Mayyyybe 2 Stars - I wouldn't recommend this one. I rarely DNF netgalley books... but I was really bored with this one. :( </span></span></span><br />
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Sarah and Molly are close after the deaths of their parents. Sarah put her plans to go to art school on hold to help Molly finish high school. Molly is now a scientist working on a top-secret project with her attractive new boss. Sarah has just found out that she's pregnant when her long-term partner leaves her. She must pick herself up and figure out how to make a life in a new place, with a baby, and no support of the baby's father. She wonders if Molly's top secret project "the love bug", a hormonal attraction drug, might be the answer to making the baby's dad come back to her.<br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #181818; font-family: inherit;">This was just a kind of off for me. It had cute/funny moments, but felt a bit like a British Hallmark movie but steamier. Honestly, it took forever to get towards an interesting part of the plot. I DNFd at 55% because Sarah still hadn't asked Molly for the top secret drug. ... and it was just boring. I didn't want to spend another 3 hours finishing it. It's a bummer, it sounded cute and I love the cover, but the characters weren't very compelling to me and it was much too slow.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #181818; font-family: inherit;"><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39854434-fix-her-up" target="_blank">Fix Her Up by Tessa Bailey</a> </b></span></span><b style="background-color: white;">- </b><b style="background-color: white;"><i>library, physical book</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #181818; font-family: inherit;">4.5 Stars - I recommend if you enjoy contemporary romance. This one is really steamy. Proceed with caution.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #181818; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #181818;"><span style="background-color: white;">Georgie is the baby of the family, she's decided against joining the family business, and decided to be a birthday clown for children. She loves her job, but it doesn't help people take her more seriously or treat her as an adult. When her childhood crush, her brother's best friend Travis comes back to town after ending his baseball career with an injury, she's determined not to be seen as a little kid anymore. Travis is washed up, and out of motivation. Georgie is the only one who tells it like it is, and kicks him out of his sorry mood. The two form an unlikely agreement to form a fake relationship to make her seem more like an adult, and him seem more like a *responsible* adult in order to gain a commentating job. Will their fake relationship work?</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #181818; font-family: inherit;">When they call Tessa Bailey the queen of dirty talk they were not lying. Holy Toledo. Proceed with caution if you are not looking for something super steamy. At first I was a bit hesitant because Northeastern city small town bars, beer, and their less-than-charming-expressions is not usually my thing. HOWEVER, this one worked for me. I ended up loving both Georgie and Travis, and was attached to both of them because there was SO MUCH depth with the characters. I thought that the romance was excellent and the steam level was off the charts. </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818;">Also, don't read this while wearing a sweater. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818;">I repeat... so. much. dirty. talk. I also LOVE LOVE LOVED that the women in this book were so supportive of each other. There's kind of a catty moment between two characters, and it is acknowledged and resolved. That RARELY happens. Also, there is this great group that the girls in the book form which is amazing, and I love their friendships so much. Also, I can't wait to see what happens in the next book.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818;"><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34726469-sky-in-the-deep" target="_blank">The Sky in the Deep by Adrienne Young</a> </b></span><b style="background-color: white;">- <i>own, physical book</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818;">4 Stars - I recommend if you enjoy YA fantasy. This doesn't have magic in it, for those that might need to know that. ;) </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #181818;"><span style="background-color: white;">The Aska and the Riki serve different gods and have therefore been at war since ancient times. Many young people become warriors. Eelyn lost her brother and fighting partner several years ago, but when she sees him on the battlefield, and he saves her life, she knows it is not a figment of her imagination. She tracks him down and realizes that he is fighting for the Riki against her and the other Aska. As she confronts him she is taken prisoner by the Riki people, and made to live as their slave. As she gets to know them and her brother's life better, she comes to find that they aren't so different from the Aska after all, and they might have a common threat.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #181818;"><span style="background-color: white;">I enjoyed being swept up into this world. I thought that it was a little bit Viking-esque, and very beautifully simple. I enjoyed the lore involved in their gods and peoples, and their societies too. I found myself just enjoying the passages where they were doing very normal tasks. While the book was intriguing and enjoyable, I felt that the action occurred and was resolved fairly quickly, and I was left kind of wishing that I had known a bit more about where certain plot threads went. I have the next book in this series/world, though I don't know if it will touch on those things. Overall this was really enjoyable, but I could have done with more action and depth.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #181818;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41150487-red-white-royal-blue" target="_blank">Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston</a> </b></span></span><b style="background-color: white;">- </b><b style="background-color: white;"><i>library, physical book</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #181818;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #181818;"><span style="background-color: white;">3-3.5 Stars - I recommend if you enjoy cute romances and a lot of politics.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #181818;"><span style="background-color: white;">Alex Claremont-Diaz is the son of the first female president of the United States. He's the golden boy of the white house and future political hopeful. He cannot stand Prince Henry of Wales, the very uptight prince, who he has been compared to basically his entire life. When a possible political scandal occurs, making the two look like they are fighting, they must form a fake long-term close friendship in order to save face. Along the way Alex realizes that maybe he doesn't hate Henry, maybe he actually quite likes him... and maybe he's not straight after all. Can the two work out a relationship despite their high profile political lives?</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #181818;"><span style="background-color: white;">Sigh. I so wanted to LOVE this. I did enjoy it for so many reasons, but for others I just found it a bit boring. So... let's get into it. I adored Alex and Henry and their relationship. Going from enemies, to frenemies, to lovers was very cute. I loved their banter, sarcasm, and chemistry. I would say the steam level is fairly mid-range. Fairly explicit, but not overly descriptive, and definitely with shorter steamy scenes. I enjoyed Alex's relationship with his sister, his parents, and Nora, and all of the delightful extra side characters too. While I certainly agree with and feel inspired by the politics expressed in this book, and do not mind political opinions or jabs being put into fiction... (if ONLY the 2016 election had gone in such a way...) I don't particularly enjoy political *plots* in books. I just found it a bit dry. I didn't care too much about the intrigue related to campaigning and scandals and all that. I would say, that stuff is most of the book, and it just isn't my cup of tea. I will also say, probably because of the political plot... the book felt extra long. I didn't find myself wanting to keep reading it constantly, because I just wasn't very invested in the campaigning and election stuff. Hope that makes sense? I loved so many things about this book, but overall it just wasn't my kind of thing.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #181818;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40864790-pumpkinheads" target="_blank">Pumpkinheads by Rainbow Rowell, Illustrated by Faith Erin Hicks</a> </b></span></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818;"><b> </b></span><b style="background-color: white;">- <i>own, physical book</i></b><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #181818;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #181818;">4 Stars - I recommend if you enjoy Rainbow Rowell, fall, and cute graphic novels.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #181818;">Deja and Josiah work at the same pumpkin patch every fall. They've been friends for years, but only in the fall when they work together. This graphic novel follows their last night together before they graduate and head off to colleges next year. </span></span><br />
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Ah friends, I love Rainbow Rowell. I haven't even read that many of her novels yet... but I just love her style. So I knew I would want to pick this one up, and that I would love it because it would be cute, and fun, and fall-ish. It delivered. 1) now I want to go to a pumpkin patch, real bad... 2) this is suuuper adorable. I loved the illustrations. I loved Deja and Josiah. I loved the shenanigans, and all the falls snacks. The attention to detail in the art is great, and I loved the funny little repeating quirks, like the goat that escapes. I wanted just a little bit more character development. I think maybe it felt just a *little* bit lacking because of the format, and because it is so short. But that's ok, its just that it's so good and I wanted MORE. ha If they decide to make more graphic novels, I will gobble them up. Fall pun not intended, but do with it what you will.<br />
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<span style="color: #181818;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43263565-how-to-love-a-duke-in-ten-days" target="_blank">How to Love a Duke in Ten Days by Kerrigan Byrne*</a> </b></span></span><b style="background-color: white;">- </b><b style="background-color: white;"><i>ARC, ebook</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #181818;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">3.5- 4 Stars - I recommend if you enjoy historical romance with modern characters.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #181818;"><span style="background-color: white;">TW - Rape.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #181818;"><span style="background-color: white;">Alexandra Lane is a brilliant blue stocking who along with her friends Cecilia and Francesca, had decided never to marry. Her past holds trauma and a secret that haunts her days. She's not told them that she's now being blackmailed to cover up her secret, and her family is running out of money. When she meets Piers Atherton, The Duke of Redmayne, also known as "The Terror of Torcliff" she finds she's not entirely afraid of him. He baffles her, and she proposes marriage. He gets his heir, she gets his money and protection from her blackmailer. As they travel to a dig site in France, it's clear that she's in more danger than she expected, and she might have to tell Piers about her past.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #181818;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #181818;">This was my first novel by Kerrigan Byrne and I overall enjoyed it but had mixed feelings about part of the main conflict. I was VERY VERY on board with this book at the beginning. It took me a little while to get into the first chapter, set in the past containing the backstory of Alexandra and her friends as they formed The Red Rogue Society, and as she is raped and murders her rapist. It is essential to the plot of the story and the series as it bonds the women together and creates conflict in the present point of the story as well. Once I got into it I really loved Alexandra, Cecilia, and Francesca. I also enjoyed Piers and his general snark. I always appreciate a sort of snarly, wounded hero. I thought that his relationship with Alexandra was great... until the little spoilery conflict at about 40%. Then I was all snark and eye rolls. <b>HIGHLIGHT FOR SPOILER</b> </span><span style="color: white;">The fact that he made such a big deal about her "not being a virgin" and acting like a petulant child really pissed me off. Especially because I don't think he cared whether or not she was actually a virgin, and so it felt like his character had a very weird shift, becoming incredibly moody about that fact and whether or not she was pregnant with another man's child. It didn't feel natural to me for his character. Also, it gave ME whiplash, so imagine how traumatic it must have been for the character Alexandra...Also, in modern day "intact" is not much of a thing as we know that something so simple as riding a bike can detach a hymen.</span><span style="color: #181818;"> I digress. Anyhow, once they were done being petulant, I thought that his behavior was rather endearingly protective and sweet once he knows what she has been through. Of course I don't usually like conflict due to miscommunication or lack of it altogether... but in this case it does make a bit of sense because of her trauma. But once all of that was resolved I enjoyed the story so much more. It was endearing, incredibly steamy, and the mystery was even good for me... and I'm generally bored with mysteries. I also loved the travel and adventure elements in this story. So, I think I will read more of her books and probably enjoy them quite a lot. I realize that the miscommunication was needed to keep the conflict a secret for longer, but it just didn't work for me.</span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #181818;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/44429515-the-little-women-cookbook" target="_blank">The Little Women Cookbook: Tempting Recipes from The March Sisters and Their Friends and Family by Wini Moranville*</a> </b></span></span><b style="background-color: white;">- </b><b style="background-color: white;"><i>ARC, ebook</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #181818;"><span style="background-color: white;">5 Stars - I recommend if you enjoy <i>Little Women</i> and cooking. This would make an excellent gift.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #181818;"><span style="background-color: white;">A cookbook with recipes and tibits from the time period of <i>Little Women</i>. Moranville has spent time researching the foods mentioned in the book, and cookbooks written during the time period to share similar recipes to the ones Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy would have made and enjoyed. Some are updated versions for modern cooks, while others are fairly true to their 1800s recipes.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #181818;"><span style="background-color: white;">The cover drew me to this cookbook. The illustrations are absolutely darling, and made me want to dive back into the world of the March women. I love that the author of this book did a lot of research related to not only which dishes were mentioned in the book <i>Little Women</i>, but also into recipes from cookbooks written in that time period. While some of the recipes are updated for modern cooks and palates, some are also fairly true to their 1800s versions. I loved learning more about the world during the time of the book through tidbits of history and every day life that were shared in these pages. The excerpts from <i>Little Women</i> containing the particular dishes were also so sweet and brought a lot of nostalgia to the cookbook. I think that flipping through this lovely book will definitely inspire readers to have a boating party picnic or apple orchard picnic of their own. From recipes for apple turnovers, to chicken salads, roasted meats, and vegetable pot pies this book has many tempting recipes. I will definitely be picking up a copy of this for my own shelves after it publishes on 10/1.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #181818;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29736231-frogkisser" target="_blank">Frogkisser! by Garth Nix</a> </b></span></span><b style="background-color: white;">- </b><b style="background-color: white;"><i>library, physical book</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #181818;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">4.5 Stars - I highly recommend if you enjoy middle grade fantasy. This book is accessible to a wide audience!</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;">When princess Anya is tasked with turning a frog back into a prince, she must set off on a quest to gather the ingredients to make more transmorgification lip balm, and to overthrow her evil step father Duke Rikard. Along the way Anya travels with a royal dog, a human-turned-newt, an otter-turned-weasel, and other colorful characters to save the fate of their world as they know it.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;">When I first started reading this I was not in the right mood to get fully into it. This book has a lovely slow pace, and is best enjoyed when you have time to be leisurely. When I picked it up again I really enjoyed it. Anya is a strong character who is both child-like and wise all at once, which is very endearing. I like that she has very realistic reactions to things, and is often so inexperienced, yet she succeeds in her tasks. All of the characters were interesting, the quest was complicated and simple all at once. I loved that the tasks often seemed impossible, but Anya came up with very simple solutions that made sense. I don't particularly like talking animals in my fantasy novels, but in this case I eventually got on board with the various talking animal characters. I liked how clever the world that Nix created was. How he took common elements from so many parts of fantasy, old fairy tales, etc. and turned them on their heads. Everything was so clever from the names of the otters, to the Heralds, to the flying carpets, and Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. I love how all of these elements came together to create a compelling D&D-like quest with endearing characters. Though this is listed as YA it reminds me more of middle-grade as it is very wholesome and sweet. I think it would be lovely as a read-aloud family book for (I'd guess) children ages 7-12. If you enjoy magical stories, this one is very well done.</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43316755-the-harp-of-kings" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #181818; font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;">The Harp of Kings by Juliet Marillier*</span></span><span style="color: #181818;"><span style="background-color: white;"> </span></span></b><b style="background-color: white;">- </b><b style="background-color: white;"><i>ARC, ebook</i></b></a><br />
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;">5 Stars - I highly recommend if you enjoy high fantasy, multi-POV, political intrigue, and covert missions. </span></span><br />
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Swan Island Warrior initiates Liobhan. Brocc, and Dau are at the top of their group. When they are sent off early for an undercover mission, they must a help a kingdom retrieve a sacred harp for the coronation of their new king. They must take on new identities and act accordingly to gain information about the missing harp from druids, washerwomen, royal children, and mysterious folk who live in the forest. Along the way they will realize that much more hangs in the balance than just an awkward coronation, the fate of the free world may be at stake.<br />
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<span style="color: #181818;"><span style="background-color: white;">When you start this book, there is a very detailed cast of all characters, including the pronunciation. This is difficult when you're reading an ebook and generally a bit intimidating... however it is useful. At first I was a bit taken aback by the simple writing style from the 3 POVs. It was very diary-like, and the most succinct character's chapters were written in that way. However, as the book went on it did start to feel more detailed and descriptive, as I would expect for a high fantasy novel. Maybe it all meshed together and I got used to it over time. I was immediately invested in each of the three main characters and their combined mission. I thought they were quite different from one another, but had such strengths. Can we take a second to appreciate that Juliet Marillier wrote a book about BARDS? I have never seen another book about bards. I find that so interesting for so many reasons. Music woven into a plot is always cool, but particularly in a fantasy novel that contains lore and myth and storytelling. I also think that bard magic is not something I ever think about. Fascinating. I was very happy to be reading something SO different. Despite the uniqueness of this book, I did enjoy some of the more classic fantasy elements related to things like fair folk and more common myths and stories. Overall I just felt for all of the characters and loved them so much. I love how all of the pieces in their mission wove together, and how it all became clear during the finale. I highly recommend this if you enjoy fantasy. I will be reading my way through Marillier's other works soon!</span></span><br />
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<b style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">Monthly totals:</b><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><br /></b>Read - 12<br />Owned - 2<br />Ebook - 6<br />Physical book - 6<br />ARC - 5<br />Library/Borrowed - 5<br />Bought - 24 (9 physical books, 15 ebooks) - 4 books were freeee! :)<br />To Let Go - 12</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /><b>Yearly Totals:</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><br /></b>Read - 64<br />Owned - 17<br />Ebook - 39<br />Physical book - 26<br />ARC - 28<br />Library/Borrowed - 15<br />Bought - 113 (93 physical books, 26 ebooks) - 14 books were freeee! :)<br />To Let Go - 49</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #181818;"><b style="color: black;">Linking up with <a href="http://janasays.com/" style="color: #cc0066; text-decoration-line: none;">Jana</a> and <a href="http://www.lifeaccordingtosteph.com/" style="color: #cc0066; text-decoration-line: none;">Steph</a> for <a href="http://www.lifeaccordingtosteph.com/p/reading.html" style="color: #cc0066; text-decoration-line: none;">Show Us Your Books</a> today. :) </b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>What have you been reading? What do you hope to read this month?!</b> </span><br />
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<b><b><span style="line-height: 23.1px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Let's be friends on <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/43902239-alexandra-consolver" style="color: #cc0066; text-decoration-line: none;">Goodreads</a>!</span></span></b></b><br />
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<b style="line-height: 23.1px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">XO,</span></b><br />
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<b style="line-height: 23.1px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Alexandra</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 23.1px;">* Asterisks denote titles that I was given advance access to by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. These reviews are my own opinion, and based on the edition of the book I was given at the time. Thank you Netgalley</span><br /><br /><b style="line-height: 23.1px;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">**Double asterisks denote books won via a goodreads giveaway! </span></b><br /><br /><b style="line-height: 23.1px;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">***Triple a</span></b><b style="line-height: 23.1px;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">sterisks denote titles that I was given advance access to by </span><b style="line-height: 23.1px;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Penguin First to Read</span></b><span style="font-weight: normal;"> in exchange for an honest review. These reviews are my own opinion, and based on the edition of the book I was given at the time. Thank you </span><b style="line-height: 23.1px;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Penguin First to Read</span></b><span style="font-weight: normal;">!</span></b><br /><b style="line-height: 23.1px;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></b>****Quadruple asterisks denote titles that I was given advance access to by the author of the book in exchange for an honest review. These reviews are my own opinion and based on the edition of the book I was given at the time!</span></div>
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Simply Alexandra // My Favorite Thingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10005714012822874818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3450106821547345955.post-65631722779990586502019-08-23T08:04:00.004-05:002019-09-19T15:14:30.173-05:00Have You Heard? // Taylor Swift - "Lover"HAPPY FRIDAY FRIENDS! Today we have a brand new Taylor Swift album! WOOHOO! :)<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">image via google.</td></tr>
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Here's the most recent single and video. The video is stinkin' cute. The end made me tear up.<br />
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I think it's sweet. I'm still not over the moon about everything I've heard for this album... but we'll see how it goes today when I download and listen to the whole thing! Things usually grow on me, and KC pointed out that the singles are usually not my favorites anyway. :) EE! :)<br />
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I also love that her lover in this video isn't white. I went on a bit of a "listen to old t-swift music via YouTube" binge last week... and they're all white. So this was a nice change. I always like to see more representation and diversity.<br />
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<b>What do you guys think of this one? Are you planning to get the album today?!</b><br />
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<b>What are you up to this weekend??</b><br />
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<b>We have a bday part for one of KC's cousin's kiddos on Sunday, but are otherwise free right now. Hoping to do some organizing and decorating and of course reading. I realllllllllllllllly need to sort out some scrapbook stuff so that I can make some progress there. LOL I'm enjoying reading so much right now, which is great, but at some point I really do want to use the supplies that I purchased! </b><br />
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<b>OH YEAH! WHO IS EXCITED FOR THE NEXT SEASON OF GBBO?!?!?! It comes out on the 30th! SQUEE! :) </b><br />
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<b>Have a great weekend!!</b><br />
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<b>XO,</b><br />
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<b>Alexandra</b>Simply Alexandra // My Favorite Thingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10005714012822874818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3450106821547345955.post-78285210015899090812019-08-20T05:00:00.000-05:002019-09-19T15:16:44.050-05:00Thanksgiving 2018Last November was busy as usual, but we had a nice set of Thanksgivings with my family and KC's. We are always grateful for time together, especially with our extended families. :)<br />
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We also made a gratitude "wall" which was a nice way to keep the focus on being grateful during the holiday season. I wrote about it for Year of Gratitude, <a href="https://audielou.com/2019/07/25/perspective/" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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For my family's Thanksgiving I totally forgot to take any photos... but it was great. I'm really glad that we all got to get together early to celebrate, the meal was amazing, and I love that we've been getting to see my grandma more.<br />
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Thanksgiving with KC's family was great too. We had a nice meal with KC's parents, his sister and her husband, and his grandparents. It was great to share a meal and spend more time in a big group together. We took a family photo which doesn't happen a lot, so that was special. KC and his dad's test shot was cracking me up so I had to include it.<br />
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So that's it. We had our pie and cranberries and lots of great family moments.<br />
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<b>Thanks for bearing with me as catch up on old holiday posts. I want to be able to look back on these here.</b><br />
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<b>Do you have specific Thanksgiving traditions?</b><br />
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<b>XO,</b><br />
<b><br />Alexandra</b>Simply Alexandra // My Favorite Thingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10005714012822874818noreply@blogger.com0