My 401K is Books

I'm sure I'm super late to this party, but I just discovered NetGalley! Image Source So now in addition to the giant pile (ok piles) of books I have to read, I can add whatever ones I get access to there.  And yes, Marie Kondo, ALL THESE BOOKS SPARK JOY SO LAY OFF ME I'M STARVING.  Yes Emily, all these books SPARK JOY Image Source So before I get too GIF happy and off topic, let's chat about the first book I tried and NetGalley. NetGalley is "a site where book reviewers and other professional readers can read books before they are published" and give reviews. I fall into the "professional reader" category, thankyouverymuch. Now, if someone would just pay me to read, we might be somewhere.  Reviewers post their reviews to the site to share with the authors and publishers, and also share on websites like Goodreads and Amazon. I already keep track of all the books I read on Goodreads because I'm obsessive and also have...

How to Murder Your Life , by Cat Marnell I finished Cat Marnell's "How to Murder Your Life" a few days ago."  This is a hard book to like. And it's hard to admit that you like it publicly, especially with all the judge-y reviews out there from people who seem to really really hate this book and its author. It's even harder to admit that you identify with some of the things that she's talking about. This book took me awhile to read and then took me awhile to decide how I feel about it. And I think I've decided. But I may change my mind tomorrow. So check back with me then. I've officially decided that I really liked it. Four stars! I probably would have given it five stars if I like her writing style more. I had a hard time deciding if I liked this book or not. This is a polarizing book because Cat Marnell is a polarizing person. She has gained financial and career success for all the wrong reasons. She's been rewarded for destroying he...

The Bill Hodges Trilogy by Stephen King Stephen King isn't afraid to kill off a main character. Oh sorry, should have said "SPOILERS!" In the first book of the Bill Hodges series, Janey was killed off by the psychotic murderer Brady. By accident. In the final book, Bill himself is the victim. This time cancer is the killer and he is very much the intentional target of cancer. Sorry, I am getting ahead of myself. The second book in this series, Finder's Keepers, departs from our main characters and follows a fascinating cast of characters through a premise that only King could dream up. The story is great, but I spent much of the book wondering where Bill was and when he would show up. As a stand alone novel, this story is great. As a part of this series, it feels strange. As a lover of all things strange, it makes some sense for King. Instead of glossing over the time that passes between the first and third book, King creates an additional part of this fict...

Mr. Mercedes by Stephen King Stephen King. He's published 54 novels, six non fiction works, nearly 200 short stories, and many of his works have been turned into blockbuster films and TV shows. He's one of the most prolific writers of modern times. And most of his works have been well received by critics. Given the popularity of his work, you would think that an avid reader like me would be a huge fan. And I am. Now. For many years I thought Stephen King only wrote stories that were full of horror, the supernatural, and science fiction. Many of his books and short stories do focus on these things. He also writes about people. He creates deep and intimate portraits of individuals and manages to populate whole towns with colorful characters. He also writes about totally normal people under normal circumstances. And sometimes, he writes about normal people under extraordinary circumstances. I've found that some of his best work is the latter. In his latest series: ...

Health at Every Size by Linda Bacon As I mentioned in my first post, I love to read. I love fiction and fantasy and memoirs. I also love to read non fiction books. I recently finished "Health at Every Size" by Linda Bacon. I loved this book. It also took me over five months to finish it. Let me explain... Dieting doesn't work. Try telling an adult that and you'll probably be met with skepticism. Tell me that and I still doubt it. Even after almost 20 years of diets that didn't work, I'm still skeptical. As far back as I can remember, I've learned that fat people are lazy and skinny people work out and eat better. I've learned that you're only one successful diet away from having all your dreams come true. I've learned that being fat means you're unhealthy and will die from a weight related disease. Another thing I'm starting to learn is that none of that is true. Linda Bacon breaks down how our bodies react to food and exercise...

I like books. Actually, I love books. I would marry books if given the option. Photo by  Oziel Gómez  from  Pexels OK, maybe that's a bit of an overstatement. I'm probably more likely to marry my boyfriend of over six years than books. Or my dog. But that's a whole other conversation. I love to read because it can be informational, inspirational, and sometimes transformational. It can be all the -als. Books open a door to a world that you may never visit in real life. They allow adults to use their imagination in an often too real world. They pull back the curtain to allow us to experience lives we have dreamed of and feared. I am a book-loving cliché. I could go on and on and write about the beauty of words and their immense power and implications. I could write each book I've read a love letter. For now, I'll leave this with the basic fact that this blog will highlight: I love books. I love terrible young adult dystopian romances. I love celebrity memoi...