It's hard to keep up when you read too much...

 I'm always so gun-ho at the beginning of the year. I make big plans and set lofty goals and inevitably, I miss a day or two and then give up. This time, it was a little different. I've already far exceeded my reading goal (141/100 books read in 2020 as of today); however, writing reviews of them didn't work out like I had planned. I was so focused (and still am in a way) about reading as much as I can as fast as I can that I haven't been leaving time to write (almost none).

I did a 30 day challenge in September do the following four things everyday:

1) Read for 1 hour (uninterrupted, and physical read, no audiobooks for this hour).

2) Write for 30 minutes a day. 

3) Listen to 1 podcast episode each day.

4) Walk for 30 minutes a day.

The walking and the reading were the easiest. I take my dog on 2 walks a day, so all I needed to do there was wake up a little earlier and walk a little longer. Taking an hour a day to read a physical book was so refreshing. I was reading faster than ever too!

The podcasts were great; however, I did notice that I didn't listen well on the weekends. I'm working through How Story Works by Chipperish Media, Revisionist History by Malcolm Gladwell, and David Tennant does a podcast with... because: David Tennant. There are others I want to listen to; however, I need to pace myself.

The writing was both good and bad. I wrote a fantastic poem at the very beginning and then I found myself not being able to live up to those expectations I set for myself. I did begin brain storming an idea for a book that I'm still very excited about. Have I pulled the trigger on that and kept writing past September? No, not really. But I haven't given up and that is something.

My friend Janice has been inspiring me a lot lately. She is writing her own book and just this past week went past the 50,000 word mark. She's working at it all of the time and is making huge progress. I hope to be a little more like her soon. I think part of that is that I need to get out of my head. I find myself giving up before I get started and that is not super helpful. 

Besides the September goals, I'm still working full time leading a team of medical coders. My 6th work anniversary is coming up in less than a month. I work with a great group of people and I'm thankful I have that in my life. 

A little over a week ago, the husband and I started house hunting for our first home and found one! The market is HOT in the middle Tennessee area and we lucked out and was able to go under contract with the house we wanted. We're in the middle of that for the next couple of months and then moving onto actually moving and the holidays and the new year... it's going to be busy. 

I will finally have an office (instead of a corner of the living room). I plan on making the time to write more. 2021 is my year. 2020 was just the preparation. Even if it's just thoughts I hope to write more here. 

I'm currently reading Cursed by Thomas Wheeler (I am NOT impressed) and Spoiler Alert by Olivia Dade (I am SO impressed). 

How's life? What are you reading? What is one goal you made this year that you're not going to accomplish but will complete it in 2021?

-KM

Love Warrior by Glennon Doyle

Love Warrior is a book that speaks straight to your soul. I purchased this at McKay's in Nashville at the recommendation of my friend Alice. Glennon Doyle is a speaker that Steve used to work with when this book was first released.

I had it on my shelf for a couple of months and then Alice invited me to go with her to see her speak about her newest book Untamed. I figured that if I was going to see this author speak, I should really read at least part of her book. I finished the entire thing in less than 24 hours.

This was a story about life and addiction, redemption and finding oneself. It was both frightening and moving. I didn't cry, but I was absolutely moved.

Glennon Doyle

This was hands down a five star rating, but what was uniquely special about it, is that it gave me hope again. Hope for my own type of faith. Hope for my own type of god. I don't know what that looks like, but magic was sparking off the pages and speaking directly to my heart.

We did see Glennon speak and her wife Abby was the moderator. This was about a week after the Nashville tornados at the beginning of March and just prior to the country lockdown due to the Covid-19 situation. I am so thankful we got to see her speak. Her story has always been moving, but seeing her live was one in a lifetime. I have her newest book, Untamed and I look forward to reading it real soon.

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley

"The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie" by Alan Bradley is the first of the Flavia de Luce British mystery series.This book was recommended by Steve's aunt Patsy and we were able to pick up the first three in the series from McKay's Nashville.

We wanted a non-television, low cost activity we could do together. We decided to read this book out loud together. Although it took us longer to read due to matching our schedules; however, we had fun. The language of this book was unique... say if Sherlock Holmes was an eleven year old girl.

Alan Bradley

There were times that we laughed aloud, other times held a gasp or two, and a lot of time googling what words mean. This was a solid and quirky mystery and we both enjoyed the adventure.  We both settled on 3.5 stars out of five stars as it was good; however, not quite our style. We have started the sequel, but have not gotten very far into it. I don't think we will read the entire series; however, we will certainly get through the ones that we purchased.

The Night Country by Melissa Albert

You know things are bad when you think about them for a week and remove stars from your rating. Firstly, this is nothing personal to anyone... this is just how these books affected me. Books? Yes, that's right... I read "The Night Country" and "The Boy Who Didn't Come Home" by Melissa Albert which is the sequel to "The Hazel Wood" and an inbetween the novels story.

I rated the initial book a four out of five, which I now have decided that that was far too generous. "The Night Country" comes in at a 1.5 out of five stars (demoted from 2.5 stars) and "The Boy Who Didn't Come Home" went from a four out of five to three.

What worked for me: The story concept is interesting. The writing is fairly solid.

What didn't work for me: Everything else. I've never read a book where the part of the story I wanted to learn more about barely gets touched. In the first novel, I wanted the hinterlands and the stories developed. Didn't get it. The same was with "The Night Country". We keep skirting around what's truly interesting and I don't understand why. I cannot be the only one.

I know I swore to myself that I wouldn't compare anything with "The Starless Sea" by Erin Morgenstern, but I can't help it... both stories had doors into magical worlds. The difference here, is that with Morgenstern, we got to walk through them and live and with Albert, we got jagged little peaks.

"The Boy Who Didn't Come Home" is an inbetween novels story that focuses on Ellery Finch and what happens to him in the Hinterlands. I was more interested in this story but it was incomplete to me. The author rushed here and there... and the entire second book could have been this journey and would have given us what we wanted to see into this magical world.

Will I read any more books that come out in the Hazel Wood universe? I don't think so. Life is too short to read books that don't speak to you. Will I read more from this author otherwise? Yes, I'd love to give her another chance.

The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith

I feel so fortunate that JK Rowling wrote the Harry Potter series in my lifetime. I obviously loved the books more than the movies, but I loved the movies too. Steve and I were very fortunate to go to Edinburgh, Scotland (among many other places) in November 2019, and we got to go to the Elephant House Cafe where Rowling wrote a large portion of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.

It was evening when we were there, and we sat by a fire and had a coffee. It felt surreal being there knowing that years ago, an author that I greatly admired wrote one of her books there. There wasn't a huge display beyond some newspaper clippings and a framed set of photos of her actually writing there. That is, until you walk into the bathrooms. They are absolutely covered in word graffiti. Names, dates, thanks to JK, and quotes from the books. I'm tall, so I was able to snag a spot near the top, and kept my writing simple: "Always."

JK Rowling AKA Robert Galbraith

I've started and put down both "The Cuckoo's Calling" by Robert Galbraith (pseudonym for Rowling) and her "The Casual Vacancy" on multiple occasions but they never jived with me. It was not long ago, two solid years into my focused reading journey that I decided to give it a go again. I borrowed my copy from Alice (she's more my library than my library has been recently) and started reading.

I rated it 3.5 stars out of five. I liked it. The writing is solid. I connected with Strike and Robin quite a bit; however, the story progressed too slowly for me... and with too many words. The villain was a bit anti-climatic and I didn't feel satisfied when the story ended. Will I read more in the Strike series? According to the library of Alice, I will. I just don't know when I'll get to book two.

The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern

Erin Morgenstern

Y'all, I have been absolutely DREADING writing this review. It's not what you think... because really, how can you review perfection? How can you rate perfection? I'm not sure I know how to put into words everything this book made me feel as I read it. I don't know how to describe the doors that opened up to my dreams about this novel. I cannot complete how I feel, so I will just talk a little bit about my journey with this author.

I first met Erin Morgenstern (not actually) in September of 2011. Her debut novel, "The Night Circus" had released earlier that month, and I was excited. The cover was beautiful and mysterious. The synopsis had me curious and my excitement grew as I began reading the enchanting words.

And then, a chapter in, I was bored. The story left me depressed. Every page took all of my energy just to get through it. It wasn't a bad book... it just didn't have any of the magic I was hoping it would. It was well written. It was creative. It just wasn't for me at that time in my life. I'm still toying with the idea of reading it again just to see if my opinion has changed on the subject.

I don't read up on books. I don't typically track when they are getting released (aside from the latter part of Harry Potter, I've never pre-ordered a book). Where did I first see "The Starless Sea"? Steve and I were in Mr. B's Emporium of Reading Delights in Bath, England. It was our second day in the city, and the world made sense. The air was crisp, the sky was shining blue, autumn was in full swing and I was four days into my first European vacation. We had to take cobblestone alleys to find this store and it was an absolute delight. Four floors that turned into a maze of books.

"The Starless Sea" was on a display table near the door the first of the winding rooms. The cover was stunning. I can still remember reverently picking the book up, stroking its spine, and gently paging through the words. I read the synopsis and I was spell bound. I was spell bound; however, I managed to put the book down. We went back the next day. I did the same. The only reason I didn't walk out the door with a copy was because of how "The Night Circus" turned out for me. This was November 12-13, 2019.

There were several occasions when we were back in the states that I've seen this book. I've gone into stores and just hugged the book. I have never done that with any other book to my recollection. I ended up getting it around Valentine's Day but I didn't read it right away. I knew from Alice's experience that if I was going to read it, I needed to devote the time to finish the 512 pages. I didn't have the time yet.

A few weeks passed, and directly after Alice had finished reading it herself I picked the book up. I was instantly fascinated. I wanted to eat, breath, and sleep "The Starless Sea" until it was finished, and I also wanted to slow down to make it last forever. I have a feeling you know exactly what I am talking about.

I'm not going to try to describe the book or how it changed my life. My journey getting to the door that is "The Starless Sea" is the only important part. I got there, I turned the knob, and my life will forever be changed.

This book exists beyond a rating system, because five stars is not nearly enough. Maybe if I had them all (the stars) to give, then it would come close... maybe. I cannot count this book toward the comparison of others, because all would fall short.

A Fatal Grace by Louise Penny

Louise Penny has done it again. "A Fatal Grace," book two in her Armand Gamache series has blown me away. There have only been a handful of authors that I have read that pull me into a world within a sentence or two and keep me there for the entire novel.

This is not your typical mystery series. Yes, there's murder but it's not the gruesome edge of your seat thriller. Penny's angle is from a human stance. Gamache is a listener. He sits back and lets the town of Three Pine's do the talking. It's slow, subtle, and psychological.

Louise Penny

With a five star rating, Penny writes books you want to tear through and slowly read at the same time. I don't recommend books on a whim. I must know you, and think about what I would recommend. Not with Louise Penny. You love a good mystery? She is the author I recommend without hesitation. Whether you buy the book, borrow from the library, or listen through your Libby App to the audio book version.

I am struggling with my own inner battle now. I've been trying to pace myself with her books; however, I think I'll be getting to book three (The Cruelest Month) much sooner than I did this one. I cannot help myself. Also because I recommended Louise Penny to my mom and now she is seven books ahead of me.

Tangled Webs by Anne Bishop

"Tangled Webs" is another book by Anne Bishop in the Black Jewels universe. This is considered a one off story in the universe but no where near as intense as the original trilogy. We learn more about Surreal and her life after she found her family, and Jaenelle and Marian decided to create a spook house for the landen's (non-blood people).

There is a little bit of everything that I love in this story. Saetan. Jaenelle being mischievous, and Jaenelle and Daemon together. Books. Book stores. Lucivar. Marian getting mad. And the list goes on.

Anne Bishop

The targeted invitations and people getting caught in a real spook house was written very well. I'm an easy scare, and I was terrified a lot of the time during this. My favorite part of the book; however, was Lucivar and a glimpse at his true potential.

It is so easy to get lost in this world, and I am so thankful I have so many more books to go. Four out of five stars for this book. "The Invisible Ring" is up next in the series. Bishop also has her newest book in this series coming out this Wednesday! I cannot wait to get current.

Hex Hall Series by Rachel Hawkins

Since February 20, 2020, I have finished nine books. Here's a little review about three of them. In February, I read book two in the Hex Hall series called "Demonglass". It continued the Sophie's story outside of school and over the summer with her vampire friend in England as the story develops with Archer Cross. Sophie struggles with trying to figure out if he is fighting for good or evil. Sophie gets to know her dad and what it means to be a demon in the modern world. I

I like author Rachel Hawkin's writing. She developed the story and the characters well; however, I felt as though she didn't leave enough time for the big reveal and wrap up. Both of her books felt rushed at the end. This scored a four out of five stars; however, the more I think about it, I wonder if that was just a touch too high.

"Spell Bound" is the final book in the Hex Hall trilogy. The tension has never been greater as Sophie discovers who she really is, how things turn out with Cal and the continued confusion where Archer Cross is concerned. Sophie not only battles for her school, but for all prodigium. Scoring another four out of five stars, I was glad to have read this series. My concerns in regards for the first two books were the same. The ending was rushed and could have used more fleshing out.

In my search for Hex Hall books, my Libby App suggested "School Spirits" by Rachel Hawkins. This is in Sophie and the prodigium world; however, the protagonist is Sophie's long lost cousin (on her mother's side), 15 year old Izzy Brannick.

I only rated this story 3.5 out of five stars. Not because it was bad, but mostly because I don't feel as though this story line was complete. Izzy is a monster hunter as every Brannick woman was before her. After her sister goes missing, she gets enrolled into public school and is on a case to solve a ghost problem. It certainly has a Buffy the Vampire Slayer feel to it; however, it is uniquely its own.

Rachel Hawkins

The story line between Izzy and Dex was interesting and left me wanting more. The fact that Izzy's sister was missing at the beginning of the book and remains missing at the end of the book leaves this story very incomplete.

I don't know why the series was ditched, because I certainly would have read more. These were books 37, 39, and 41 for the year. More to come on the others soon. I also have one or two others from Rachel Hawkins outside of the Hex Hall world that I am looking forward to checking out ("Prince Charming" and "Her Royal Highness").

The Four Tendencies by Gretchen Rubin

Although I have only given this read a three out of five stars, it does not mean that I didn't enjoy it, and it does not mean that I didn't learn from in. "The Four Tendancies" by Gretchen Rubin really breaks down her personality groups in more depth than in her book "Better than Before."

As I read this book, I realized that without question, I am an upholder. I meet both inner and outer expectations with pride. I love lists and completing them. I love challenging myself to see how much I can accomplish in one day.

With this book, I focused more on my own tendency and how they all work together. I did find a lot of overlap and some areas that had the same exact stories from a previous book. I totally get overlapping work; however, for some reason the repeat story got under my skin.

I appreciate the opportunity I had to learn about myself and how (and why) I interact with myself, my friends, and in my career. I will probably pick up Rubin's "The Happiness Project" eventually; however, for now, I think I need a little break. Interesting book. Worth the read.

I'm curious though... which tendency do you think fits you and why?

Heartless by Marissa Meyer

I have never been a HUGE fan of Alice in Wonderland. I liked the cartoon well enough and didn't like either of the Johnny Depp versions of the story. I'm a little shocked that I haven't read the original story; however, I have the basics down.

"Heartless" by Marissa Meyer was recommended by my friend Melissa and I decided to give it a try. This is an Alice in Wonderland retelling focusing on the Queen of Heart's origin story. I've had this book in my home library for a long time and kept postponing reading it (no reason in particular). After I failed to bring this book with me to the United Kingdom, I decided that there was no better time to read it than February, the month of hearts and love. Isn't it ironic... don't you think?

The first few chapters were quite slow; however, I liked how Meyer incorporated baking into the story. Catherine (eventual Queen of Hearts) was instantly relatable and I loved her relationship with Mary Ann. Her parents pissed me off and the King of Hearts is insanely pitiful. The story was slow until Jest entered the picture and I shipped him and Catherine SO hard.

Marissa Meyer

I knew something massive needed to happen to get Catherine to the Queen of Hearts we all know; however, how it happened was swift and without remorse and it shook me. I didn't think Meyer was going to be able to get Catherine to the Queen of Hearts level; however, she did it brilliantly.

I LOVED this book. Five out of five stars. Highly recommend to all that like/love the world of Alice. If you're "eh" about it, it's still a good story. If you're my Alice, I've tried a few times and you've passed so I will leave it be.

The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas

"The Count of Monte Cristo" by Alexandre Dumas was an intimidating Classic to face. As my first classic of the year, I decided to go all in with this monstrosity. I felt very timid turning to the first of nearly 1100 pages. The nautical terminology and the heavily used French words slowed me down and I had no idea how I was going to keep up. However, once I really got into the story, I couldn't put this down.

This was a BBC (Badassery Book Club) read for Alice and I. I think we started our plan as a 3 month read, dropped it to two, and then settled on six weeks. I might have finished in 16 days. For my safety, I wouldn't say where she is at other than the fact that she is keeping to planned reading nicely. I have lots to catch up on in the interim anyway!

Alexandre Dumas

I went into Count blind as I had never seen the movie or knew anything about the plot. I really enjoyed the story that way because I had no idea what was coming next. The first time I noticed one of Dantes' costumes, all the pieces started coming together beautifully. I cannot wait to read more of his stuff. 

What this a long book? Absolutely. Would I recommend it to others? I've already recommended it to two people. Would I read it again? Undoubtedly. My Good Reads rating is five stars out of five. This was an epic adventure that ticked all of the boxes for me. There was love (mad/passionate, unrequited) and loss, devotion and betrayal, self discovery, regret, revenge, redemption, and by the end, hope.

The Art of War for Writers by James Scott Bell

I picked this book up on a whim a few months back wanting to get more books on writing. As I've discussed earlier, I've found most of these books to be trash, so I am always skeptical. I am so thankful I picked this book up! It was my intention of only reading 10 pages of this book a day, but the truth is, I found that it was hard to put it down. Easily five stars out of five.

You know something is decent when you can get at least one piece of good advice from it; however, I was getting something great every few days. The first 80 percent of the book goes into details on writing your novel and the final 20 percent talks about agents, editors, and publishers. I found this last part the most fascinating as this part of the book industry has always been a little hazy to me. Sure, I'm not at the point yet of looking for an agent, but I now have a list of guidelines to go off so that I will know when the time is right to start searching.

"Writing is, ultimately, a matter of cheeks on chair and words on page. You must develop a certain amount of discipline and as much of a schedule as you can." (Bell, 247)

James Scott Bell

How true is that! You'll never write your book if you don't sit down and right. You'll never get better if you don't practice. I have found that scheduling works really well for me, because if I make a plan, I really intend to follow through with it. This past week, after a nice discussion with a friend about how to better manage my time, I realized I could still do everything, I was just making excuses to not novel write. I have the idea. I want to do it. But I wasn't. Well, that has officially changed. For now, I'm only writing for 30 minutes a day, but:




- I have a designated time to write.
- If my husband is home I will put my airpods in and listen to instrumental music (mainly the LOTR soundtrack).
- I write in the dark with only the light of my laptop on.
- I put my phone on silent and turn my wifi off so I'm not even tempted to browse the internet
- I set my timer
- I write.

Nothing is overly difficult. I never regret doing it after the 30 minutes are over. I do; however, already look forward to the days where I shut my alarm off after thirty minutes and keep writing. Once novel writing daily becomes an everyday habit, I have a feeling the time will continue to expand. And that is exciting.

No matter what I do, I plan to: "Respect the craft of writing. Be in awe when you sit down at the keyboard or with a pen. Write hard, write with passion, because that is what you do. Don't waste any time dissing other writers or whining about how tough things are." (Bell, 258)

Let's get to work.

Dreams Made Flesh by Anne Bishop

Considered book five; however, I read Dreams Made Flesh, a collection of four short stories in the Black Jewels world as soon as I finished the original trilogy. Overall, the collection received a five out of five stars rating. I'll talk briefly about each from least favorite to favorite.

In last place is the first and shortest story in the collection, "Weaver of Dreams". What I liked about this story is that it very much an origins. It tells about how the original webs and winds were created. As cool as the story was, it was very short and I didn't feel any massive emotional connection.

In third place is "Zuulaman" which focuses on a time in Saetan's past where he basically goes unspeakably dark. This was the second shortest story and the third in the book. This was both a hard story to read and completely captivating. Anne Bishop does an amazing job at making me hate his wife Hekatah on pretty much every level. I like that you find out about Zuulaman in the previous story and then in the final story you see how Daemon is his father's mirror and is absolutely capable of the same thing.

Anne Bishop

In second place is "Kaeleer's Heart." If you're a die hard Jaenelle and Daemon shipper (which I am, too in most ways) then this is the story for you. It's the final short story in the collection and continues after the end of the third book in the trilogy. This talks about Jaenelle's recovery, the twilight's dawn jewel, and the relationship between her and Daemon. There's also some drama in town that really reveals how much like his father Daemon really is.

My first place winner is "The Prince of Ebon Rih" which is the story of the Warlord Prince, Lucivar Yaslana and the hearth witch, Marian. I remember being shocked in the trilogy that Lucivar was married and out of all possible short stories, this is the one I was most interested in. Well, this one, and a story about Surreal. But alas, that story is in my next book! Lucivar comes into this story with a lot of anger and a lot to learn. Marian comes in very damaged. I love the story of her growth and seeing the arch of where this story started to where it ended. It was the longest, and my most favorite.

Overall, each story was very well done and expanded this world to a point where I cannot wait for more. Lucky for me, the next book, Tangled Webs is sitting right next to me.

Happy Reading!

White Night by Jim Butcher

I have picked up, purchased, and donated so many copies of the first book in the Harry Dresden series by Jim Butcher. Two years ago, he was mentioned by Alice, and I explained to her that I've tried reading this series on multiple occasions; however, I could never really get into it.

It was then that she had mentioned that the majority of the audio books were narrated by James Marsters. He's been in a ton of things, but he is best known to me as Spike from Buffy the Vampire Slayer. That was enough for me to give it another go.

I borrowed the book through the Libby app via my local library and listened with overwhelming joy. James Marsters is the perfect Harry Dresden. Fast forward a year or two, I have just completed "White Night" which is the ninth book in the Dresden Files series by Jim Butcher.

For those who haven't started the series I won't give any spoilers away. All I will say is this book scored a five out of five star rating. I laughed a lot. I like that Harry has an apprentice as it adds a new dynamic to his story. Mouse is always a favorite. I would have liked more Bob, but loved the time spent with and about Tomas. I love that Harry is still Harry in his imperfect perfection.

Jim Butcher

Nine books in, and the story keeps getting better. Well done Mr. Butcher, well done. In more exciting news, the long awaited 16th book of the 20 book series was announced. Peace Talks is set to release on July 14, 2020. I know that I still have seven books to go; however, I am very excited to hear about this new release. Head on over to Amazon to pre-order your copy!

A Question of Holmes by Brittany Cavallaro

"A Question of Holmes" is the final book in the Charlotte Holmes series by Brittany Cavallaro. I've rated this four out of five stars much like the previous book. There was a couple of surprises here that I didn't see coming.

There was a nice subtle nod to the original author of Sherlock Holmes in this book, and I think it was ended very well. I like Charlotte's arch throughout the series and am really happy with the person she turned into. I feel as though the final book was getting more relatable to me as it deals in college atmosphere and most of the setting is in Oxford. There was also mentions of Jaffa Cakes and Sainsbury's. It made me miss Oxford and wonder if Cavallaro wrote about the one I frequented. A girl can dream.

I enjoyed the theater mystery and Holmes work with the detective at Scotland Yard. I also appreciate that Jamie was finally starting to be treated like an equal instead of an ignorant child. He deserved more credit than he got throughout this story.

I know that Cavallaro did a collaboration writing Hello Girls with Emily Henry, but I'm not sure if she has written more than that. Hello Girls is definitely on my future TBR list. Maybe even this year.

Despite Popular Belief...

It's still only Thursday. And since I didn't finish reading a book today, we're going to do a quick 10 minute free write (no corrections) for the blog post tonight because all I really want to do is read "The Count of Monte Cristo" by Alexandre Dumas. Without further ado, let's set the timer and go because I have a feeling I'll be talking about this more.

I'm sure that I am not the only one that thought that yesterday was Thursday and today was Friday even after repeatedly correcting myself. Here we are at the end of the actual Thursday and it feels like tomorrow is Sunday. I blame the nap I took this afternoon for at least part of my confusion.

If you don't know me, on Thursday and Fridays I will only work 4-6 hours a day because I had worked three ten hour shifts Monday through Wednesday. I worked until noon today. I had high hopes of doing a TON of reading and part of that was to read "A Question of Holmes" by Brittany Cavallaro in one sitting. I got nearly halfway finished before my body told me that it was actually time to go take a nap.

I took myself and my dog (okay so she just followed me, I didn't actually "take" her anywhere) and we climbed into bed. She of course took up Steve's side and most of the middle and generously gave me a tiny sliver on my side of the bed. What a good girl. We fell asleep around 1:30. We woke up many times in the interim due to phone calls and texts but decided to stay in bed. It was warm. It was comforting. And I knew that this rest was needed.

I didn't fully wake up until Steve called at a few minutes before five. Whoops. I probably should have set an alarm. I still felt pretty crummy after waking up but as the hours have progressed, I am doing a lot better. I am surprisingly feeling like I could sleep again soon which is great since I need to be up at 5am tomorrow.

The biggest thing I noticed was that I really didn't feel like writing anything. This happens sometimes, but I've found that when I feel that way, that usually means that I need to be writing. Despite my absolute infatuation with "The Count of Monte Cristo," I decided to do a quick free-write so that I can keep with my writing something every day. Even now, I keep glancing to my make-shift table next to the couch (it's a folding chair) and looking at my book with my 'Silence Please' book mark for Bodlean Library when I was in Oxford a few months ago. It's calling to me. I've never read this story before and I have somehow missed all of the spoilers and it's legit all I want to do.

I've got some decisions coming up that I'm going to take the weekend to focus on. One of the main things that I'm learning is that there is too much for me to do (that I want to do) and not enough time to complete everything. I need to figure out what my priority list is and then make some hard decisions. Ultimately, I think that they will be a very good thing overall for the course of the rest of the year, and figuring them out now, in February is much better than realizing in September that changes need to be made.

My biggest issue is the one thing that is the most important to me keeps getting pushed aside for other things and I'm not taking the time it needs or deserves. I'm sure part of it is fear. Fear that if I start that I will need to hold myself accountable. Fear that if I make the commitment to it, that I will need to follow through. And in order to follow through, I will absolutely need to make some changed that will likely involve me reading less than I do... and I absolutely LOVE my reading time.

The ten minutes are over. I hope you all have an amazing Friday. Tomorrow. Because I totally know what day it is now.

The Case For Jamie by Brittany Cavallaro

I am so thankful that "The Case for Jamie" (Charlotte Holmes, #3) by Brittany Cavallaro was a vast improvement over book two, "The Last of August." This story takes place nearly a year after the events in book two, where we learn that Jamie and Charlotte are no longer talking to each other, let alone on the same continent. Despite being apart, their story is not over as the mystery begins to unravel the enigma that is the Holmes', Watson's, and Moriarty's. The threat of Jamie's life to get to Charlotte is elevating at a great pace.

I'm not a huge fan of flashbacks; however, the ones that were used here were necessary as they filled in the gaps of what happened after Milo shot and killed August Moriarty. I thought the mystery didn't have as much umph as it could have. The reveal was quick, and not completely satisfying.

4th and final in series

Brittany Cavallaro's writing style is so wonderful. She captures the voices and personalities of both Jamie and Charlotte brilliantly (especially Charlotte), so when they switched chapters back and forth between the two... I loved it. I could get lost in a book completely told by Charlotte. Charlotte's history in the school and her relationship with her parents growing up broke my heart. Some words, you can't take back.

Overall, great characterization, great narrative, great escalation, and a solid mystery. I am eager to begin the final book in the series. Four out of five stars (29/100).

Reflection: One of Those Days

Nothing bad happened today. I woke up sore but well rested. My knee hurt with every step I took, but that is a fairly normal experience. Kaylee and I took a walk in the rain a little after five in the morning. Because I'm a Patreon supporter of my favorite media company, Chipperish, I got to listen to an early access/sneak peak at the newest podcast Lani Diane Rich and Dr. Kelly Jones are doing called: "How Story Works: Conversations." I was just talking the other day to you about how I needed to find better guidance on writing and process-- well my friends, this is absolutely it. This dynamic duo are probably my favorite two pod-casters in the world (yes, even above David Tennant... mostly likely. Maybe... yes? We can discuss this later). This podcast not only gives me all of the feels, but it gives me the excitement to read what I love, write what I love, and live what I love. And that is a pretty freeing concept.

The dark and gloomy atmosphere here in Nashville really reflected my work day well. Nothing bad happened. My work was harder than usual which slowed me down which meant that I didn't hit my productivity for the day. Today was a quality day and that should even out in the end. I applied to a new position within my company that has left me anxious and excited. I don't know when the interviewing will begin, but I'm hoping in a few weeks. Who knows what life will be bringing my way in the coming months. I know that I am working hard toward a goal and I'm going to keep after it no matter what failure's come my way. I worked ten hours today which means another ten tomorrow and two fives on Thursday and Friday. It's only Tuesday and I'm halfway there.

In my down times I was able to get a good solid chunk of reading into "The Count of Monte Cristo" by Alexandre Dumas, my daily 10 pages in "The Art of War for Writers" by James Scott Bell, and a large head start (about 150 pages) into "The Case for Jamie" by Brittany Cavallaro. After this blog post, I'm going to settle in for the night with my short stories collection in the Black Jewels world by Anne Bishop.

Today is Tennant Tuesday so I also listened to "David Tennant Does a Podcast with... Jon Hamm." I know almost nothing about most celebrities, so it is nice just hearing people's stories. Yes, I also enjoy the Scottish accent, but that's really besides the point. Or is it? :)

Evening walks with Kaylee were even wetter than this morning, but it was nice getting outside in the evening. We even started before night fell which is always a treat.

And now, I'm settled in for the night and relaxing before bed. I've been extra tired recently and was asleep last night before 9pm. I have a feeling tonight will be similar. I used to stay up until all hours of the night and sleep four hours. I can't do that any more. I love sleep too much. Wishing you all a pleasant night's sleep and a happy and productive tomorrow.