Confessions of an Ex-Ballerina

Posts

Showing posts from December, 2018

What I'm Reading This Week | #WeeklyMenu Week #281

Last Monday of the year. Last day of the year. I can't believe 2018 is over. Its been one hell of a ride. Frankly, I'm glad this year is over. I'm ready for a new year with new challenges. Yes...

I actually read something this week, but I didn't finish it. Christmas got in the way, but that's life. Hopefully I should have it done within a day or two and then I will post a review for you all, but for now, here is another book for you to read this week.

I'm working on a Breath of Snow and Ashes from the Outlander series. These books take me forever to read because they are so large and full of a lot of filler. I get bogged down and put the book down for a while, then pick it back up and make my way through them. Don't get me wrong, They are heavy, but I love them all the same. Diana Gabaldon has said recently that she is writing two more books in the Outlander series and I'm super excited about it. Since I've never actually finished a series, at least…

What I'm Reading This Week | #WeeklyMenu Week #280

Merry Christmas Eve!!! I can't believe it is here already. This year has gone so fast and next year is looking promising. We had a crazy week, and surprisingly I didn't actually finish a book. Work was crazy, home was crazy and nothing really happened. That's a first.
Well, I'm not sure if I'm going to get any reading done this week either, but here is the book I'm planning on diving into. The Outsiders by Stephen King. Its one of the best books of 2018 on Goodreads and one of the first books I'm going to read from the list. I'm not a huge horror fan, but Stephen King is an amazing author no matter what he does, so here's to being scared shitless on Christmas.
Alright then, on to this weeks menu. Enjoy!

Monday - Christmas Eve with the In-Laws
Tuesday - Crispy Lemon Basil Chicken
Wednesday - Pineapple Beef Tacos
Thursday - Shake it up! Pork Cutlets
Friday - Rosemary Mustard Sirloin Steak
Saturday - Mediterranean Chicken Cutlets
Sunday - Leftovers Night

Books to Movies | The Golden Compass

I just finished reading The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman and it was one of my favorite books I've read this year. Since this book has been made into a movie, I decided it was a good time to watch it since the story was fresh in my mind. What was I thinking? I can see why the movies never took off. Sadness...

All the good parts of the book were jam packed into the movie, but all the good parts don't do you any good without the nitty gritty. You need all that dirt to give background to the story, without it, its dead and bland. If I hadn't already read the book, I would have never understood the movie. My poor husband was completely lost. At several points in the movie, I had to give him back story that wasn't included, just so he could keep up.
And lets not forget the ending. The book left you on a cliffhanger, but it was a wrapped up, neat little package that left you feeling fulfilled, but wanting more. The movie on the other hand cut the story short and left you…

Best Books of 2018 | I am Enough by Grace Byers

Moving along on my Best Books of 2018 voted by all you wonderful readers on Goodreads. I'm excited to share this next one with you. Its simple, wonderful and I loved it. Yes, I know its a picture book but can't I be excited about something different for once?

Title: I am Enough By: Grace Byers Genre: Picture Book Pages: 32 Release Date: March 6th, 2018 Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Summary from Goodreads: I Am Enough is the picture book everyone needs
This is a gorgeous, lyrical ode to loving who you are, respecting others, and being kind to one another—from Empire actor and activist Grace Byers and talented newcomer artist Keturah A. Bobo.

This is the perfect gift for mothers and daughters, baby showers, and graduation.

We are all here for a purpose. We are more than enough. We just need to believe it.
Add on Goodreads
Review: Oh, wow. I really didn't think this book was going to give me the feels. I mean, come on, its a picture book for crying out loud. I really loved the rhyming. It wa…

What I'm Reading This Week | #WeeklyMenu Week #279

Hey hey Monday! There are only 8 days until Christmas. How did we get here so fast. This whole year has gone quickly and I don't think I'm ready for 2019. The boys will be another year older, things are looking up in our lives, but we know all too quickly how fast that can change. I guess that's what scares me. The unknown.... I got this...

Last weeks book The Golden Compass has got to be one of the best books I've read this year. I can't believe it took me this long to read. Have you read it? What are your thoughts?

This weeks book will be a review book that I picked up from the publisher. The Beast's Heart by Leife Shallcross. A retelling of Beauty and the Beast. I do love retellings as long as they are done right. If not, this could be a disaster. Stay tuned to find out.

Make sure you check out this weeks menu. It is going to be delicious. Enjoy!

Monday
- Chicken Alfredo with a Twist
Tuesday - Cheesy Stuffed Pork Burgers
Wednesday - Pineapple Beef Tacos
Thursday - …

Goodreads Best Books of 2018

Have you all seen the winners of the Goodreads Best Books of 2018? The list looks amazing. If you want to check it out, Click here.

I really haven't read any of the books on this list, and to tell you the truth, I haven't even heard of some of them, but I've made an early new years resolution to read the entire winners list... I've already started...

Last week I picked up Herding Cats By Sarah Scribbles. It won best Graphic Novel. How did I not know about this book? It was hilarious. The book is a collection of one page short comics that are to die for. The author has a unique sense of humor and she portrays it well in her drawings. The art its self seems simple, but really, it is very interesting. I laughed and cried with this book and I think I'll purchase a copy for my dinning room table.

I will encourage you all to read all the winners with me and check out the other nominees in the Best Graphic Novel or Comic category.

Crazily Rich | Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan

Title: Crazy Rich Asians By: Kevin Kwan Genre: Contemporary Fiction Pages: 546 Release Date: June 11th, 2013 Publisher: Doubleday
Summary from Goodreads: Crazy Rich Asians is the outrageously funny debut novel about three super-rich, pedigreed Chinese families and the gossip, backbiting, and scheming that occurs when the heir to one of the most massive fortunes in Asia brings home his ABC (American-born Chinese) girlfriend to the wedding of the season. When Rachel Chu agrees to spend the summer in Singapore with her boyfriend, Nicholas Young, she envisions a humble family home, long drives to explore the island, and quality time with the man she might one day marry. What she doesn't know is that Nick's family home happens to look like a palace, that she'll ride in more private planes than cars, and that with one of Asia's most eligible bachelors on her arm, Rachel might as well have a target on her back. Initiated into a world of dynastic splendor beyond imagination, Rachel m…

What I'm Reading This Week | #WeeklyMenu Week #278

Monday? When did you get here? It was a rough week. My middle son is having some issues with his ADHD and we are needing to change some things around. Its going to be rough figuring out what is going to work and what won't, but this is what needs to happen. That poor kid, he just cant seem to get a break.

Last week, it took me forever to finish a single book. It was a great book, but I just couldn't find the time to read it. The time I usually spend reading (aka listening at lightning speed) was spent covering for a coworker that will be out on medical leave for eight weeks. That's six more weeks of not really being able to get any reading done. Oh well, I already hit my reading goal for the year, which by the way was apparently too small. Next year, I'm going to have to shoot for 300 books, because I smashed 200.

Since I finally finished Crazy Rich Asians, which was awesome, this week I'm going to pick up The Golden Compass which happen to be the oldest book on my…

5 Books I'm Excited to Read in 2019

Nikolai Lantsov has always had a gift for the impossible. No one knows what he endured in his country’s bloody civil war—and he intends to keep it that way. Now, as enemies gather at his weakened borders, the young king must find a way to refill Ravka’s coffers, forge new alliances, and stop a rising threat to the once-great Grisha Army.

Yet with every day a dark magic within him grows stronger, threatening to destroy all he has built. With the help of a young monk and a legendary Grisha Squaller, Nikolai will journey to the places in Ravka where the deepest magic survives to vanquish the terrible legacy inside him. He will risk everything to save his country and himself. But some secrets aren’t meant to stay buried—and some wounds aren’t meant to heal.

This book looks awesome. I love a good story about a king that must rebuild his kingdom, but of course magic is involved. Magic makes everything better.

The Winds of Winter is the forthcoming sixth novel in the epic fantasy series A Song …