December Book Review
Hey y’all! I hope that everyone had a very Merry Christmas, and you are all enjoying the holidays! Before we get cracking on the BOOK REVIEW, I had to share this! A friend sent this to me yesterday, and I laughed out loud.
This time of year, I ramp up my intake of mashed potatoes, Christmas cookies, pumpkin bread and wine. I have been better this year having gone through two rounds of the Faster Way to Fat Loss this fall, but still have a hard time saying no to the amazing treats we are surrounded by this time of year. I know that I am NOT alone in this! Just typing this, I can spot three different types of cookies in my line of sight. Someone send help! So, I am SO EXCITED about the next round of Faster Way to Fat Loss starting on Monday, December 31st. Such an awesome way to start the new year and get the massive amount of mashed potatoes off of the body. If you have never tried this before, it is a seven week program (1st week is “prep week”, 6 weeks of the actual program) that gives daily workouts, Facebook support and encouragement, intermittent fasting and meal suggestions that fit into macro-counting. Let me just say two things here:
- Intermittent Fasting sounded SO very scary to me as I have been known to be VERY “HANGRY”. That sweatshirt that says ” Please forgive me for what I said when I was hungry”? That was made for me. I have to say that it took me a week or so, but once I got into intermittent fasting, I don’t think that I could ever go back. I “try” to do the 16/8 window, meaning I don’t eat for 16 hours and I eat for only 8 hours. So, typically, I eat from 11am – 7pm or noon – 8pm. For me, the effects have been dramatic in how I feel!
- Counting macros sounds horrible, scary, and super annoying. I totally agree. It is tricky once you start, but by using the MyFitnessPal app, it becomes super easy! Don’t be scared!
If you are looking for a way to kick your 2019 into high gear, I highly suggest signing up for the Faster Way to Fat Loss program. Once you sign up, I will send you some fun recipes, ideas, and encouragement throughout the program. Just so we can succeed together! Returning people can sign up on this link as well. Love this program!
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So . . . for the main It is BOOK REVIEW DAY!!! And, check back in the next week or so when I do a 2018 Best of the Best Book Review. Super excited about that one! This month, I read four books. I was scared to death, I was so happy and in love, and I was annoyed. Ha! That is the basic outline of this book review! Here we go . . .
Behind Closed Doors by B.A. Paris
WOWZA you guys! You may remember that a couple of months ago, I read The Breakdown by this same author. It was really a good book, but was so suspenseful from the very first chapter! I have never wanted a book to end that quickly in my entire life. Well, I decided to do that to myself again apparently. Behind Closed Doors is a different story, but SO SO SO intense. It is about Jack and Grace Angel, two newlyweds outside of London. They seem to have the perfect marriage, but Jack is a bad, bad man. Like so bad that I was thrown into the story and felt all of Grace’s emotions. This is a dark book. On page 87 of the book, I actually said out loud to no one that “I can’t read this anymore” after a particular thing happened. Take Girl on the Train and multiply by two. B.A. Paris is clearly an amazing author to give me all of the feels and anxiety, but I think I have learned my lesson. I have never read a book so quickly in my entire life. A friend told me that I should just stop reading it, but I had to find out what happened in the end. If you like dark books and a very high level of intensity in your plot lines, then click here to get a copy for yourself!
In Your Dreams by Kristan Higgins
Oh Kristan Higgins. I love you. After Behind Closed Doors, I needed a major chick lit, fluff piece to make me know all was right with the world again. So, I went back to the Blue Heron series. You know how much I love these characters, I just can’t get enough. In Your Dreams is the 4th book in the series, and with only one book left, I am already having withdrawal symptoms. This story centers around the precious Jack Holland and Emmaleine Neal. Jack is the only son of the Holland family, and the previous books have cenetered around his sisters and best friends. Jack is handsome, successful, a great family man, but struggling a bit with an crazy ex-wife and a slight case of PTSD. Emmaleine is a transplant from Malibu, a cop, and still recovering from her fiance cheating on her weeks before their wedding. Basically, a Hallmark movie waiting to happen. I just LOVED it. Cute, cute, cute. And, a sweet and easy read! Click here to grab a copy for yourself or a friend!
Anything For You by Kristan Higgins
I love the month of December, and the closer I get to Christmas, the happier I want to be. So, I ran with the Blue Heron series by Kristan Higgins, and finished the fifth and final book. This makes me both happy and sad. I LOVE this series, but am sad to see the characters and the precious town go. Sounds silly, I know. This fifth book, Anything for You, was tied for my favorite of this series. Tied with The Best Man, the first book. Connor O’Rourke (the brother of Colleen, the main character in the third book) has grown up in Manningsport, owns the local bar and grill, and has been in love with Jessica Dunn for the last ten years. Jessica Dunn is also a local, but having grown up on the wrong side of the tracks, has had to work her way up from a not-so-pleasant reputation that she got for herself back in high school. Just like all of these books, it is total chick lit. However, there is a little more back story with some depth in this book. It spans almost twenty years, and dives into some pretty hard topics of family, alcoholism, and socioeconomic status. I really loved this book. Just so so great! I highly recommend this book to anyone that loves a quick read. See below for the Blue Heron series in order, and click on the links to grab a copy for yourself!
Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng
Oh you guys. I was disappointed in this book. I had two people say they really liked this book, so I was very excited to read it. I started it a month ago, read two chapters, put it down, and read another book. I did this three times! Finally, I decided to just power through. Several times I thought about looking online to see how the book ended, but instead I pushed through, read it, finished it . . . and was then annoyed that I didn’t read a synopsis online. The story revolves around the Richardson family and their tenants in a nearby rent house. The city they live in is an idealic suburb of Cleveland, where everything appears to be fabulous. This book drives down into each character, their relationships with each other, the heartbreaks and dramas of life. This is NOT chick lit. I’m not even sure what genre this fits into, besides fiction. There were chapters that I was hooked, and other chapters I was just trying to get through. There are some hard things in this book from the standpoint of being a mom or desperately wanting to be a mom. It will definitely challenge you in this way, and I guess that means it has the makings of a good book. Have any of you read this? I wasn’t a fan. Click here if you want to grab a copy for yourself!
