Dashed expectations and a DNF

I started Single. On Purpose. thinking that it would be a celebration of being single and that it would talk about societal pressures to be in a relationship. I thought (and hoped) it would explore the joys of being on your own and how you can be a complete and happy person without being tied to someone else. I was wrong. While the author does say that being on your own is valuable and meaningful his overall message is that this is only a step toward the ultimate happiness of being in a relationship. And he harps a lot on exercise and weight loss. As someone who has little intention of dating and who is super happy on their own this book felt insulting. Where's the book about being a kick-ass single that doesn't fret about their weight or wearing makeup or having sex? I'm clearly the wrong audience for this book but I'm also super bummed that it wasn't what I thought it would be because that's the book I really wanted to read. 2/10 

[Possible Spoiler: I felt like every bit of advice offered was either something glaringly obvious like 'get more sleep' or 'be happy doing things on your own' or it was bizarrely dangerous like 'go out and have one night stands if you've never done that before' and 'if you encourage your partner to go to therapy there's a better than average chance they will get better and leave you'.]

Source: HarperCollins Publishers

And then there was a wildcard that I picked up at work. The Whiz Mob and the Grenadine Kid by Colin Meloy and Carson Ellis (the dream team behind The Wildwood Chronicles which I enjoyed so much) purported to be a wild romp through Marseille following the adventures of a group of thieving youths. But this book falls short. I got nearly halfway through the book before calling it quits because there was entirely too much focus on the buzzwords of thievery to the detriment of a smoothly flowing story. For instance, when our main character meets the whiz mob he is inundated with a long list of jargon to denote where on a person there might be loot (not the word they use by the way) as well as all of the complicated terminology for their roles in the group. And they kept bandying these words around and I kept being pulled from the story because I was trying to puzzle out what the heck they were referencing. (By the way, this is a middle grade book which either makes me a very slow-witted adult or the kids these days really have surpassed me with their slang.) So that's one I didn't finish and don't intend to continue. 2/10 because at least there's a few illustrations.

Source: Amazon

What I'm currently reading: The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab

**If you're interested in buying any of these books or any books really, you can click here. This will re-direct you to AbeBooks which is a site I use all of the time to find used books at an excellent price. A lot of the time I don't even pay for shipping! Full disclosure: I will receive a commission on all sales made through this link. You will not be charged anything additional for my commission. I wouldn't recommend a site that I didn't use and you are under no obligation to purchase anything. :-) ** 

Back in the saddle again with my first review of 2021!

I started a book at the end of 2020 and I closed the cover on it yesterday. It came highly recommended to me by my good friend, Karen. (Hey, Karen!) This book has been around since the 1930s and has been published in many languages and countries and yet it had never been on my radar before. I'm of course talking about How to Win Friends & Influence People by Dale Carnegie. This book began as an educational tool to accompany the classes that Carnegie was teaching on Human Relations and Public Speaking and was intended for the business professionals who were then enrolled in his courses. It has since been updated and revised multiple times as its appeal grew to encompass people from all walks of life around the globe. I confess to feeling a bit skeptical about this book and I think that's entirely due to its somewhat lofty promise on its cover.

At its core this is a philosophical book about self-confidence and the interconnectedness of the human race. The historical anecdotes were especially interesting as they ran the gamut from diplomats, politicians, and presidents to bank managers, sales clerks, and parents. While this book was originally intended for business professionals, ultimately it's helpful for anyone wanting to build confidence and interpersonal skills. There's a reason it's still popular 70 years later. 8/10

Source: Barnes & Noble

What I'm currently reading: Single. On Purpose. by John Kim and The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox by Maggie O'Farrell

**If you're interested in buying any of these books or any books really, you can click here. This will re-direct you to AbeBooks which is a site I use all of the time to find used books at an excellent price. A lot of the time I don't even pay for shipping! Full disclosure: I will receive a commission on all sales made through this link. You will not be charged anything additional for my commission. I wouldn't recommend a site that I didn't use and you are under no obligation to purchase anything. :-) **

Essential Reading

Recovery: Freedom from Our Addictions by Russell Brand is the 4th book of his that I've read and possibly the one that's hit the closest to home. This book outlines the 12 Step Program from Russell's perspective with personal accounts from each step of his journey towards recovery. It is an excellent book for those struggling with addiction (of any kind) or those who have witnessed that struggle in others.

The emphasis made throughout the book is that you must

• seek a Higher Power
• attend meetings to have a community of help
• work the program every single day
• seek help at times when stressed or apt to relapse from a mentor who has worked the program

These excellent quotes from the book do a far better job of recommending it than anything I could say:

But in your life you've faced obstacles, inner and outer, that have prevented you from becoming the person you were 'meant to be' or 'are capable of being' and that is what we are going to recover. That's why we call this process Recovery, we recover the 'you' that you were meant to be. - pg 42

This program helps me to change my perspective when what I would do unabated is justify my perspective staying the same - 'if you do what you've always done, you'll get what you've always got', if you want change, you have to change. You have to make amends. - pg 133

...'you can't think your way into acting better but you can act your way into thinking better.' - pg 160

The literature upon which these movements are founded describe it not as a 'cure' but as a 'daily reprieve'; the disease, the condition, is still there, you will feel it move through you, in fear and rage and irritation, beckoning you back into previous behavior - pg 212 

I cannot say enough wonderful things about Recovery. If you or anyone you love has ever struggled through addiction and the subsequent difficulties on the long road towards recovery then this is essential reading. 10/10 highly recommend

Source: Amazon

What's Up Next: The Recovering: Intoxication and its Aftermath by Leslie Jamison

What I'm Currently Reading: The Fourth Age: Smart Robots, Conscious Computers, and the Future of Humanity by Byron Reese

**If you're interested in buying this book or any books really, you can click here or here. The first will re-direct you to AbeBooks and the second will re-direct you to The Book Depository. These are great websites for purchasing books (AbeBooks carries inexpensive used and out-of-print books and The Book Depository ships free everywhere in the world). Full disclosure: I will receive a commission on all sales made by following either of these links. I wouldn't recommend a site that I didn't use and you are under no obligation to purchase anything. :-) **

Friendly advice

Tiny Beautiful Things: Advice on Love and Life From Dear Sugar by Cheryl Strayed is a collection of the letters and responses that were printed in the advice column, "Dear Sugar", from The Rumpus. The topics range from love and marriage, cheating, identity (sexual and otherwise), parenting, relationships with parents/children, grief, and abuse. Strayed does not pull her punches and she doesn't apologize for it either. She somewhat softens the blows of her blunt advice and observations with endearments like 'sweet pea' and 'honey bun' but instead of sounding condescending it feels like it could be delivered by a trusted confidant. Lest you think that she gives this advice from a rather standoffish perspective it is often conveyed through her own personal experiences and struggles. When the column was originally written her identity was unknown which makes the intimacy and the rawness of the letter writers and her response to them such a unique and wonderful thing. If you've ever experienced turmoil in any area of your life (and you'd have to because that's just a natural part of things) then reading such real, honest advice delivered with love and respect is a welcome breath of fresh air. I laughed, cried, and goggled with incredulity while reading this book. It's an excellent palate cleanser if you're in a book reading rut or a great way to kick start your summer reading adventure. ;-) 10/10

Source: Amazon

The inner flap contains some great quotes. [Source: Cook, Wine, & Thinker!]

What's Up Next: The American Way of Death Revisited by Jessica Mitford

What I'm Currently Reading: Condoleezza Rice: A memoir of my extraordinary, ordinary family and me by Condoleezza Rice

**If you're interested in buying this book or any books really, you can click here or here. The first will re-direct you to AbeBooks and the second will re-direct you to The Book Depository. These are great websites for purchasing books (AbeBooks carries inexpensive used and out-of-print books and The Book Depository ships free everywhere in the world). Full disclosure: I will receive a commission on all sales made by following either of these links. I wouldn't recommend a site that I didn't use and you are under no obligation to purchase anything. :-) **

Exercising Positivity

I just figured out that Levana is the Evil Queen and Winter is Snow White. *mind blown* Now I have no idea if you guys have or have not already reached this conclusion and so I don't know if this is a spoiler...hold on I'm going to see if this is a well-known fact or not..okay it doesn't seem like it's totally a spoiler but it makes sense if you read the title of the book (Fairest just in case you've forgotten) and remember the saying that the Evil Queen would say when looking into her enchanted mirror. The real point I was trying to make is that I completely forgot that these were fairytales with a twist and then when it hit me I was truly shocked. Also, I'm obsessed with this series and so to discover that Winter isn't technically the last book (she's written a short story compilation called Stars Above full of secrets!) made me quite happy. I know there are some of you that aren't really into young adult lit and I totally get that. It's not for everyone and honestly I don't like all of the genres myself. However, when there's relatable characters with interesting storylines in a world that is fascinating you're bound to enjoy it. In this story, you find out just what Levana looks like without her glamour and why she's seemingly without feelings. There are moments of fleeting happiness in the previous books in this series and if you're looking for that here you're going to be disappointed. That shouldn't stop you from reading it though because there's a lot of backstory that I have a feeling will definitely play a part in Winter (why isn't it out yet?!).

And then there was the reason I titled this post "Exercising Positivity". I just finished reading Louise Pentland's Life With A Sprinkle of Glitter. If you're not hugely into YouTube or lifestyle/beauty blogging then you probably have no idea who Louise is. Her online identity is (aptly named) Sprinkleofglitter and she's great. Her book is exactly like her. It's a collection of silly, sweet, heartwarming, British-y goodness. I bought my copy when I visited the United Kingdom a few weeks ago because they have it in hardcover and it is GORGEOUS. There are chapters on everything from body positivity to crafts to practicing kindness. It's definitely a feel good book that I can see myself picking up and perusing when I'm feeling a bit low (or when I want to make a sweet treat for a social gathering). It's a quick read and Louise's brand of humor is really up my street (if you don't like it when someone laughs at their own jokes you might want to stay away). Did I mention that it's a really gorgeous book? I'm talking full-color layouts on every single page, people.