Review: Hope Rides Again

Hope Rides Again by Andrew Shaffer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

These books are a fun little journey with Joe and Barack. You never know what mess they will get into next. This book is a fun way to spend a day at the pool or a long train ride. It is a fun journey and is a quick mystery that will be solved by the end of the day.

I do love that while this a complete work of fiction, some of the statements made by Joe and Barack could actually be something they would say (or so I think since I have never met either man I can't be positive).

I do enjoy the fact that Joe wrestles with himself in these books to figure out if he is going to run. He tries to figure out how he can keep serving his country, figure out who killed that guy and how he will get home to Jill for dinner.

Funtimes!

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So Long 2018

2018 was not the kindest year to me.  When I started thinking about what this year meant I was thinking about how much I hated it.  Our lives changed so much and not for the better, but I stopped. NOPE, I was not going to 2018 win.  Here is the deal, there were big changes for us, but there were a lot of good things that happened that were amazing.  My word for 2018 was the Future.  I took that word to mean something totally different when I chose it.  It does still apply though.  Future.  There are so many good things in the future that completely outweigh a crummy year, week or even day.

I went to a class the other day for journaling and the girl teaching it said everyday she writes down one good thing that happened to her that day.  Before I fall asleep at night I think about the day, but this struck me right in the face...BAM!!  Write this stuff down.  That leads me to my word this year...FORWARD.

It is a variation on the future, I know that, but I am looking forward.  Things won't always be as they are now, that is the good thing about life, it is ever-changing.  What seems horrible right now, will one day be in the past.  You can choose to look at it or forget it.  I am choosing to look back on the good.  There were many things in 2018 that were amazing for me.

1.  I saw Hamilton again
2.  I took a week off in June
3.  I went to Canada for a weekend
4.  I saw Chicago, Wicked, Rick Springfield and every play at the Market House theater
5.  I went to Disney World
6.  I bought myself cupcakes for my birthday
7. I had a tumor removed and it was a nothing tumor!!!
8. I finally got to redo the landscaping at the house.  (well I didn't someone did for me)
9.  Pepper joined our family
10. I  saw about 8 classic films on the big screen

2018 you weren't so bad, but I will see ya later.

So in love with you, my love am I

The more I think about you, the more I love you. The more I long to stare into your face. You are carved completely out of a cold substance and I hate to be cold. Why then do I love you? I love to read about you, to view photos of you, and I long to climb on your crevices.

For those that don't know what you are, you are a glacier. A massive piece of ice that moves. Yeah, it moves...it leaves in its path moraine and a U shaped valley. When you start down a fjord (an inlet of water that was formed by a melting glacier) the vegetation will be larger more lush, as you travel down the fjord closer to the glacier face it will appear smaller and in most cases, you will see NO vegetation. Instead what you will see is a large sheet of ice with crevices indentations and possibly icebergs. You will experience colors that may be indescribable....a topaz blue, granite gray, pure white, ice blue, azure, black, teal blue or teal green...and the list goes on and on.

the Lampley Glacierthe mendenhall 2008 The Lampley

the Herbert Glacier

the John Hopkins Glacier The Mendenhall Glacier 2008

Glacier Bay National Park and Reserve....the Majorie Glacier

The Sawyer Glacier (North) Tracy Arm Fjord

Tracy Arm Fjord and the granite wallsthe Mendenhall, see it before it's gone. Receding at an alarming rate.

The lovely Majorie Glacier (GBNP&R)

all that is left of a glacier

the mendenhall 2010

The Majorie and the Grand Pacific (the GP once filled glacier bay

Moraine

Review: Confections and Confessions

Confections and Confessions by Harper Lin
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Being a massive fan of Harper's work I knew this one would be amazing. Dan and Amelia continue to be just adorable. John is still a jerk! This book had a serial killer and a second cupcake truck (because can you ever have enough cupcakes?). Don't forget the recipes at the end. If you have not, please read all 9, this series is so fun. Great beach or one day reads.

I am a proud member of the Review crew and super grateful to Harper for her time and talents.

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Review: How to Fight Presidents: Defending Yourself Against the Badasses Who Ran This Country

How to Fight Presidents: Defending Yourself Against the Badasses Who Ran This Country by Daniel O'Brien
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

While this is probably the most irreverent book that I have ever read on the US Presidents, it was without a doubt the most fun and the illustrations only added to my enjoyment. I have always thought that some of these guys could win any kind of fight but it was fun to see others take on how strong and tough some of these guys could be. I can't decide which one is my favorite, could it be John McClane in Ulysses S Grant's body or maybe Ronald Reagan being like a Wolverine or George Washington loving the sound of bullets or even Teddy Roosevelt (who I think is the toughest President EVER) as just perfection?

I think any Presidential fan would enjoy this, but also someone that maybe wants to study the Presidents but not get into a lot of history or boring stories. There is NOTHING boring about this book.

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Review: Fairy Tale Interrupted: A Memoir of Life, Love, and Loss

Fairy Tale Interrupted: A Memoir of Life, Love, and Loss by RoseMarie Terenzio
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I enjoyed this book because it made John Kennedy, Jr seem like a regular guy (which he was) instead of this icon. I enjoyed RoseMarie's relationship with John and Caroline and how she did not at all glorify anything. She just told what everyday life was like and how devasted she was when he passed. I found myself wanting to hug her fiercely when she realized he was not coming home.

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Review: A Dangerous Act of Kindness

A Dangerous Act of Kindness by L.P. Fergusson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I started this book because it was part of the #biglibraryread with Overdrive and it was a WWII historical fiction. I didn't really have any expectations going into the book because I did not read the synopsis, I just jumped in. Well, I lost a lot of sleep over this one because I could not stop until it was finished. The first part is a full love story, love between a German pilot and the British woman who helped him after he crash landed. The second part of the book was how to live after such a dramatic, secret love affair. I won't tell you too much because I hate when people spoil books for me, but if you like WWII historical fiction and if you like to see someone do the right thing even if your country thinks it is wrong...then I think you will like this too.

The ending is exactly what I wanted.

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