Confessions of an Ex-Ballerina

Title: Sold on a Monday By: Kristina McMorris Genre: Historical Fiction Pages: 352 Release Date: August 28th, 2018 Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark
Summary from Goodreads: From New York Times bestselling author Kristina McMorris comes another unforgettable novel inspired by a stunning piece of history.
2 CHILDREN FOR SALE

The scrawled sign, peddling young siblings on a farmhouse porch, captures the desperation sweeping the country in 1931. It’s an era of breadlines, bank runs, and impossible choices. 

For struggling reporter Ellis Reed, the gut-wrenching scene evokes memories of his family’s dark past. He snaps a photograph of the children, not meant for publication. But when the image leads to his big break, the consequences are devastating in ways he never imagined.

Haunted by secrets of her own, secretary Lillian Palmer sees more in the picture than a good story and is soon drawn into the fray. Together, the two set out to right a wrongdoing and mend a fractured family, at the risk of everyth…

Guess what?... It's Monday... Again... I feel like we are always here. It's always Monday and you are always reading my blog. Of course, you are. This is the day we lay out everything for the week. Monday!

Its been a really hot week, but a good one. My husband is doing great at his new job. He transferred stores to one that it way closer to home. He was driving an hour to and hour and a half each way, now its an eight minute drive across the Oregon City bridge. Big difference. The boys love having him at home and so do I. It's amazing.

This week I'm planning on reading The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken. My sister keeps raving about this book and now they are making a movie out of it, so it must be special. I will read it and report back to you. Let me know your thoughts on this book in the comments bellow.

Last weeks book You by Caroline Kepnes was crazy good. It was creepy and written from the stalkers point of view. It was unlike anything I have ever read. A tot…

Title: The curious incident of the dog in the night-time By: Mark Haddon Genre: Contemporary Fiction Pages: 226 Release Date: May 18th, 2004 Publisher: Vintage
Summary from Goodreads: Christopher John Francis Boone knows all the countries of the world and their capitals and every prime number up to 7,057. He relates well to animals but has no understanding of human emotions. He cannot stand to be touched. And he detests the color yellow.
Although gifted with a superbly logical brain, for fifteen-year-old Christopher everyday interactions and admonishments have little meaning. He lives on patterns, rules, and a diagram kept in his pocket. Then one day, a neighbor's dog, Wellington, is killed and his carefully constructive universe is threatened. Christopher sets out to solve the murder in the style of his favorite (logical) detective, Sherlock Holmes. What follows makes for a novel that is funny, poignant and fascinating in its portrayal of a person whose curse and blessing are a mind tha…

Title: The Commuter  Genre: Thriller Release Date: January 2018 Rating: 6.3/10 Cast: Liam Neeson
Summary from IMDB: An Insurance Salesman/Ex-Cop is caught up in a criminal conspiracy during his daily commute home.
IMDB Trailer
Review: OK, I love Liam Neeson. It's not just because my youngest son's name is Liam, but because he is such a bad ass. This movie was crazy. At first, I was a little unsure about the premise. A guy on the commuter train is approached by a total stranger and told that someone on the train doesn't belong and if he finds out who it is, he gets 100 grand cash. Weird... but it turned out so good. Liam Neeson can do no wrong.
I'm going to give this movie a 4 out of 5 stars, just because the beginning of the movie was a little hokey.

Title: Unfiltered  By: Lily Collins Genre: Non-Fiction Pages: 228 Release Date: March 17th, 2017 Publisher: HarperCollins
Summary from Goodreads: In this groundbreaking debut essay collection, featuring never-before-seen photos, actress Lily Collins—star of Mortal Instruments and the upcoming Rules Don’t Apply—is opening a poignant, honest conversation about the things young women struggle with: body image, self-confidence, relationships, family, dating, and so much more.
For the first time ever, Lily shares her life and her own deepest secrets, underlining that every single one of us experiences pain and heartbreak. We all understand what it’s like to live in the light and in the dark. For Lily, it’s about making it through to the other side, where you love what you see in the mirror and where you embrace yourself just as you are. She's learned that all it takes is one person standing up and saying something for everyone else to realize they’re not alone.

By turns hilarious and heartbrea…

Welcome back to Monday! Boy, has it been a week. I read the book that I wanted to and then some. My husband started a new job and the world is looking amazing. It seems like things are starting to fall into place, but I don't want to jinx it, so I'm not going to talk about it.

Nothing happened in writing land this week. Its a little disappointing, but with everything that has happened, I will take what little wins I can get. Oh well, maybe this week will be better.


The book of the week is You by Caroline Kepnes. I saw a preview for a TV show based on this book that is coming out in September and it was sooo creepy. Now I have to read this book to find out how creepy it really is. 

There are also some great reviews coming this week and I hope you didn't miss the apple crisp recipe I posted a few days ago. It was delicious.

Enjoy this weeks menu and read, I know I will.

Monday - Pineapple Poblano Beef Taco
Tuesday - Grilled Caprese Burgers
Wednesday - Chicken and Couscous Pilaf
Thursda…

I've been reading a lot of books lately from my TBR pile for my summer reading bingo card. Turns out, five of the books I've finished in the last two weeks have orange covers which happens to be my favorite color. Strange, but I like it.

Here is your challenge this month... Read 5 books with your favorite color on the cover. It doesn't matter what it is. Share your list with me in the comments. I'd love to know what books you picked. Here are mine:

To Kill A Mockingbird: Which I keep saying Mockingjay like I was in the Hunger Games or something. I never read this book in highschool. I was homeschooled and to tell you the truth, whatever I wanted to read was acceptable as long as I was reading. So mostly I read about american indians, but that has nothing to do with this awesome book. Loved it! Gave it four stars.
* * * *

Orange is the New Black: I haven't watched the show. I'm wondering now how close it really is to the awesome, crazy insight into a women's p…

Title: Silver Linings Playbook By: Matthew Quick Genre: Contemporary Pages: 289 Release Date: October 16th, 2012 Publisher: Sarah Crichton Books / Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Summary from Goodreads: Meet Pat. Pat has a theory: his life is a movie produced by God. And his God-given mission is to become physically fit and emotionally literate, whereupon God will ensure a happy ending for him—the return of his estranged wife, Nikki. (It might not come as a surprise to learn that Pat has spent time in a mental health facility.) The problem is, Pat's now home, and everything feels off. No one will talk to him about Nikki; his beloved Philadelphia Eagles keep losing; he's being pursued by the deeply odd Tiffany; his new therapist seems to recommend adultery as a form of therapy. Plus, he's being hunted by Kenny G!
In this enchanting novel, Matthew Quick takes us inside Pat's mind, showing us the world from his distorted yet endearing perspective. As the award-winning novelist Justin …

There is a phenomenon that happens ever summer. The cold of Women's Winter is upon us. When the AC kicks in and even though its 100 degrees outside, you are wearing long pants, boots and a sweater in the office. It happens every year. 
A friend of mine from work sent me this youtube link that is absolutely hilarious. It fits us so well. Especially since I've been listening to the women at work complain about how cold it is in the office and since I'm the only person who knows how to push the up button on the thermostat, I've been unanimously elected to be the office weather woman. Of course, its hotter in the front by the windows than it is in the back under the AC vents, so i'm sweltering while everyone else is bundled up. At least I have a view... Of the back side of some trees and the trash cans...   
Huffington Post shared this epic Collage Humor video about Women's Winter. It is the greatest thing you will see today. Make sure you watch it, and if you wan…

Sundays are always family day. Its really the only day during the week where we are all together. My husband and I have different days off during the week and there is never enough time in the evening to appreciate the closeness of family. Dinner must be done. Baths taken and teeth brushed. Its over before its began.

The one thing my husband and I loved to do is cook and bake together. We had a bag of apples that were on the verge of being thrown away. I hate letting things go to waist, but there were just too many apples for the two of us to eat.

Of course, my husband's sweet tooth did all the thinking and before I knew it, we were studying the ingredients recipe for apple crisp.

This was the best apple crisp recipe I have ever had. So sweet and delicious. It was simple to make and came out perfect the first time we tried it. WIN!

Ingredients:
Apples:
7-8 large apples
3/4 Cup Sugar
1/2 Teaspoon Cinnamon
Crumble:
1/4 Teaspoon Cinnamon
2 Cups Brown Sugar
2 Eggs
2 Teaspoons Baking Pow…

Is it Monday already? I can't believe how fast this summer is going. It's only 7 more weeks until the kinds go back to school and I finally have my house to myself. That's right. My youngest is going to kindergarten this year. Freedom!

Holy COW... Its been hot out. In the 90's all week. Not my cup of tea. I'm more of an upper 70's kind of girl. Maybe low 80's, but not this sweltering, sweat inducing, heatstroke pushing crap that we are calling summer. I hate summer. It's hot.

Despite the heat, I did manage to write another large chunk of my new manuscript. It's coming along nicely. I would say I'm probably 80% of the way done with the first draft. After this one is done, I've finally come up with a concept for the third book in the Hunter Saga. Its been a while, but I'm back.

This weeks read is going to be Everless by Sara Holland. It's the last book I need to read for my book bingo the library is doing. I can't wait to finish it.…

Title: Low Chicago By: Multiple Authors Genre: Urban Fantasy Pages: 352 Release Date: June 12th, 2018 Publisher: Tor Books
Summary from Goodreads: In George R. R. Martin's latest Wild Cards adventure, a gang of criminals are scattered across time and threaten the stability of the world
Perfect for current fans and new readers alike, Low Chicago is an all-new time travel adventure that leads to the criminal underworld of 1920s Chicago, featuring a fresh cast of characters from the Wild Cards universe.

Edited by #1 New York Times bestselling author George R. R. Martin, Low Chicago features the writing talents of Saladin Ahmed, Paul Cornell, Marko Kloos, John Jos. Miller, Mary Anne Mohanraj, Kevin Andrew Murphy, Christopher Rowe, and Melinda M. Snodgrass.

Now in development for TV: Rights to develop Wild Cards have been acquired by Universal Cable Productions, the team behind The Magicians and Mr. Robot, with the co-editor of Wild Cards, Melinda Snodgrass, as executive producer.

Add on Goodrea…