Weekly Wrap-up (July 31, 2016)

A new round of ROW80 has begun.

Progress on my goals is at the end of this post.

Blog Posts

June Book Reviews

What I'm Reading Wednesday #21

Personal Stuff
It's been a good week.  I started a search for new penpals and sent out two emails today.  Hopefully I will hear back soon.  I love sending and receiving letters!

What I read

I am still reading Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness.  

Interesting Stuff I Found on the Internet
This week I discovered Penpals Now.  I want more penpals and I am hoping this website will help me find some.

ROW80 Goals
Round 3 of ROW80 has begun.  This round runs from July 4th to September 22nd.  I started a little late, so my number of weeks and days is a little different.  Here is my progress so far:

1.  Read 9 books (0/9)
I am currently reading Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness.  It will be the first book I complete this round.

2.  Continue with my blogging schedule (2/10 weeks)

This week I kept up with my blogging schedule.  You can check out my weekly posts through the links at the beginning of this post.

3.  Edit 5 chapters of ZF (0/5)

I would really like to complete this goal this round but I have not begun yet.

4.  Write daily (7/66 days)

Monday:  :(
Tuesday:  Worked on a blog post
Wednesday: Worked on a blog post
Thursday: :(
Friday:  :(
Saturday: :(
Sunday:  :(

5.  Continue my Creative Every Day challenge

Pictures get posted on my Instagram if you want to follow my creative progress.  I am still working on the baby blanket but did not make much progress this week.

6.  Swim at least twice a week. (2/10 weeks)

This week I swam Monday and Friday.

How did your week go?
Do you have a blog post or interesting link you'd like to share with me?

2016 What I'm Reading Wednesday #21 (July 27, 2016)

As usual, Wednesday ROW 80 check-ins will reflect on my reading goals.  I am still reading my first book for this round, Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness. 

My goal for this round of ROW80 is 9 books.

Anyway, here is my progress so far... 
2016 Goal: 32 books
Books Read = 21/32
Books from TBR list: 4
Series completed: 1
ROW80 Round 3 Goal:  0/9
2016 Pinterest Board

January
1.  Dark Places by Gillian Flynn
2.  Foreign Gods, Inc by Okey Ndibe
3.  Dear Mister Essay Writer Guy by Dinty W. Moore
4.  Thunder and Lightning by Natalie Goldberg

February
1.  The Double Life of Fidel Castro
2.  Peeps by Scott Westerfeld (Started a new series)
3.  Keeping Faith by Jodi Picoult (TBR)
4.  The Last Days by Scott Westerfeld (Completed a series!) 

March
1.  The Magician by Michael Scott (Book 2 of a series)
2.  The Art of Memoir by Mary Karr
3.  Afterworlds by Scott Westerfeld

April
1.  The Art of X-Ray Reading
1.  Doodle Art Handbook by Lana Karr
2.  Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

May
1.  Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury (TBR)

June
1.  The Interior Circuit by Francisco Goldman
2.  The Butterfly Garden by Dot Hutchison
3.  Frida's Bed by Slavenka Drakulic

July

1.  The Beach House by James Patterson and Peter De Jonge

2.  The Haters by Jesse Andrews

3.  Not a Drop to Drink by Mindy McGinnis (TBR)

4.  Room by Emma Donoghue (TBR)
5.  The Sorceress by Michael Scott (Book 3 of a series)

What are you reading this week?  How are your reading goals going?

June Book Reviews

During the month of June, I read 2.5 books.  Here are my reviews.

The Interior Circuit by Francisco Goldman

Blurb from Amazon.com:  "The Interior Circuit is Sue Kaufman prize-winner Francisco Goldman’s brilliant chronicle of his emergence from grief five years after his beloved wife’s death, symbolized by his attempt to overcome his fear of driving in Mexico City (the DF). When organized crime erupts in the city in an unprecedented way during the summer of 2013, Goldman sets out to try to understand the menacing challenges the DF now faces. By turns exuberant, poetic, reportorial, philosophical, and urgent, The Interior Circuit fuses a personal journey to a searing account of one of the world’s most remarkable and often misunderstood great cities."

My thoughts:  I loved this book!  It really inspired me to think about writing a memoir again and even gave me a good starting point for that writing.  Francisco Goldman mixes beautiful descriptions of Mexico City and his attempts to work through his grief with journalistic reports of the many problems in the city and the many others dealing with similar grief.  I learned a lot about Mexico and I got to read something beautiful.  I give it 4/5 stars.


The Butterfly Garden by Dot Hutchison

Blurb from Amazon:  "Near an isolated mansion lies a beautiful garden.

In this garden grow luscious flowers, shady trees…and a collection of precious “butterflies”—young women who have been kidnapped and intricately tattooed to resemble their namesakes. Overseeing it all is the Gardener, a brutal, twisted man obsessed with capturing and preserving his lovely specimens.

When the garden is discovered, a survivor is brought in for questioning. FBI agents Victor Hanoverian and Brandon Eddison are tasked with piecing together one of the most stomach-churning cases of their careers. But the girl, known only as Maya, proves to be a puzzle herself.

As her story twists and turns, slowly shedding light on life in the Butterfly Garden, Maya reveals old grudges, new saviors, and horrific tales of a man who’d go to any length to hold beauty captive. But the more she shares, the more the agents have to wonder what she’s still hiding…"

My thoughts:  This was the first book I received through Amazon First.  Basically the program allows Prime members to choose one free new release at the end of each month.  I really enjoyed this book.  It was written so well that I couldn't put it down.  It was like a Criminal Minds episode, and I love Criminal Minds.  That being said, this book is about a serial kidnapper/rapist/murderer, so it might be disturbing for some readers.  I give it 4/5 stars.

Frida's Bed by Slavenka Drakulic

Blurb from Amazon:  " In Frida's Bed, Slavenka Drakulic´ explores the inner life of one of the world's most influential female artists, skillfully weaving Frida's memories into descriptions of her paintings, producing a meditation on the nature of chronic pain and creativity. With an intriguing subject whose unusual life continues to fascinate, this poignant imagining of Kahlo's thoughts during her final hours by another daringly original and uncompromising creative talent will attract readers of literary fiction and art lovers alike."

My thoughts:  This book was not what I was expecting.  I thought I would be reading a fictionalized account of Frida Kahlo's life.  Instead it felt like I was reading a biography.  I have already read a few of those, so this book did not hold my interest for long.  I did not finish and give it 1/5 stars.

Weekly Wrap-up: July 24, 2016

A new round of ROW80 has begun.

Progress on my goals is at the end of this post.

Blog Posts

Teaser Tuesday

What I'm Reading Wednesday #20

Stuck in My Head:  Afrolicious

Personal Stuff
I had a week to relax this week but very soon my summer starts to get very busy.  I still want to continue with my fitness goal and keep up with this blog but please be understanding if a few posts are a little late.  It feels like the summer is running away too quickly.  Soon I will be back at work for another school year.

Also, just last night I downloaded Pokémon Go.  I never thought that I would be interested in a game like this but already my husband and I have chosen three walks/bike rides to chase Pokémon when we normally would have been sitting around in the living room or backyard.  It has dramatically increased our activity level.  The only reason I am sitting and blogging right now is because his phone battery died.  I'm sure we will be back at it soon.

What I read

This week I finished The Sorceress by Michael Scott and started reading Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness.  So far I am enjoying it.

Interesting Stuff I Found on the Internet
This week I discovered Pitch Wars!  I started following @brendadrake on Twitter and researching the different mentors.  I am definitely not ready this year but next year I might be ready to apply.

ROW80 Goals
Round 3 of ROW80 has begun.  This round runs from July 4th to September 22nd.  I started a little late, so my number of weeks and days is a little different.  Here is my progress so far:

1.  Read 9 books (0/9)
I am currently reading Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness.  It will be the first book I complete this round.

2.  Continue with my blogging schedule (1/10 weeks)

This week I kept up with my blogging schedule.  You can check out my weekly posts through the links at the beginning of this post.

3.  Edit 5 chapters of ZF (0/5)

I would really like to complete this goal this round but I have not begun yet.

4.  Write daily (5/66 days)

Monday:  Worked on a blog post
Tuesday:  Worked on a blog post
Wednesday: Worked on a blog post
Thursday: :(
Friday:  :(
Saturday: Writing self-evaluation on Steve the Wri-mo and wrote a letter
Sunday:  Worked on a blog post

5.  Continue my Creative Every Day challenge

Pictures get posted on my Instagram if you want to follow my creative progress.  This week I have been working on a star-shaped baby blanket.

6.  Swim at least twice a week. (1/10 weeks)

This week I swam Monday and Wednesday.

How did your week go?
Do you have a blog post or interesting link you'd like to share with me?

Stuck in My Head: Afrolicious

I recently had the opportunity to see Afrolicious perform live at the Oregon Country Fair.  I had never heard of the band before but ever since that show, their songs have been running through my head.  They have definitely become a new favorite!  See if you can listen to these songs without dancing or singing along.

What music have you been listening to lately?

2016 What I'm Reading Wednesday #20 (July 20, 2016)

As usual, Wednesday ROW 80 check-ins will reflect on my reading goals.  I am about to start my first book for this round, Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness. 

My goal for this round of ROW80 is 9 books.

Anyway, here is my progress so far... 
2016 Goal: 32 books
Books Read = 21/32
Books from TBR list: 4
Series completed: 1
ROW80 Round 3 Goal:  0/9
2016 Pinterest Board

January
1.  Dark Places by Gillian Flynn
2.  Foreign Gods, Inc by Okey Ndibe
3.  Dear Mister Essay Writer Guy by Dinty W. Moore
4.  Thunder and Lightning by Natalie Goldberg

February
1.  The Double Life of Fidel Castro
2.  Peeps by Scott Westerfeld (Started a new series)
3.  Keeping Faith by Jodi Picoult (TBR)
4.  The Last Days by Scott Westerfeld (Completed a series!) 

March
1.  The Magician by Michael Scott (Book 2 of a series)
2.  The Art of Memoir by Mary Karr
3.  Afterworlds by Scott Westerfeld

April
1.  The Art of X-Ray Reading
1.  Doodle Art Handbook by Lana Karr
2.  Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

May
1.  Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury (TBR)

June
1.  The Interior Circuit by Francisco Goldman
2.  The Butterfly Garden by Dot Hutchison
3.  Frida's Bed by Slavenka Drakulic

July

1.  The Beach House by James Patterson and Peter De Jonge

2.  The Haters by Jesse Andrews

3.  Not a Drop to Drink by Mindy McGinnis (TBR)

4.  Room by Emma Donoghue (TBR)
5.  The Sorceress by Michael Scott (Book 3 of a series)

What are you reading this week?  How are your reading goals going?

Teaser Tuesday (July 19, 2016)

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Books and a Beat. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Here is my teaser:
"We arrived in an undignified heap of witch and vampire.  Matthew was underneath me, his long limbs bent into an uncharacteristically awkward position.  A large book was squashed between us, and the force of our landing sent the small silver figurine clutched in my hand sailing across the floor."
Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness, p.3

Weekly Wrap-up (July 17, 2016)

A new round of ROW80 has begun.

My new goals are at the end of this post.

Blog Posts

Top Ten Books on my Summer TBR list

What I'm Reading Wednesday #18

Ten Facts about Me

What I'm Reading Wednesday #19

Personal Stuff
I was away from the blog for a while because I was on vacation.  I got to spend a whole week at the Oregon Country Fair!  It was awesome, as usual, and I can't wait for next year.  Anyway, now I am back and ready to blog again.  

What I read

I have been reading a lot, thanks to summer break.  Since putting down Frida's Bed, I have read:  

The Beach House by James Patterson and Peter De Jonge

The Haters by Jesse Andrews

Not a Drop to Drink by Mindy McGinnis

Room by Emma Donoghue

The Sorceress by Michael Scott

Interesting Stuff I Found on the Internet
Just one link today.....a look at white privilege


ROW80 Goals
Round 3 of ROW80 has begun.  This round runs from July 4th to September 22nd.  I'm a little late getting started because I was on vacation.  Here are my goals for this round:

1.  Read 9 books (0/9)
I am currently reading Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness.  It will be the first book I complete this round.

2.  Continue with my blogging schedule

This means a Tuesday book post, What I'm Reading Wednesday, a Weekly Wrap-up, occasional Stuck in my Head posts, monthly book reviews, and occasional writing samples.

3.  Edit 5 chapters of ZF

I would really like to complete this goal this round.

4.  Write daily

Daily writing includes blogging, snail mail letters, journal prompts, and progress on my current wips.

5.  Continue my Creative Every Day challenge

Pictures get posted on my Instagram if you want to follow my creative progress.

6.  Swim at least twice a week.

How did your week go?

2016 What I'm Reading Wednesday #19 (July 13)

I have been reading a lot since summer break started.  I'm loving it!  The next book on my reading list is The Sorceress by Michael Scott.  I should be starting tomorrow morning. It's part of a series I have been working on....Yay!

Anyway, here is my progress so far... 
2016 Goal: 32 books
Books Read = 20/32
Books from TBR list: 4
Series completed: 1
2016 Pinterest Board

January
1.  Dark Places by Gillian Flynn
2.  Foreign Gods, Inc by Okey Ndibe
3.  Dear Mister Essay Writer Guy by Dinty W. Moore
4.  Thunder and Lightning by Natalie Goldberg

February
1.  The Double Life of Fidel Castro
2.  Peeps by Scott Westerfeld (Started a new series)
3.  Keeping Faith by Jodi Picoult (TBR)
4.  The Last Days by Scott Westerfeld (Completed a series!) 

March
1.  The Magician by Michael Scott (Book 2 of a series)
2.  The Art of Memoir by Mary Karr
3.  Afterworlds by Scott Westerfeld

April
1.  The Art of X-Ray Reading
1.  Doodle Art Handbook by Lana Karr
2.  Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

May
1.  Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury (TBR)

June
1.  The Interior Circuit by Francisco Goldman
2.  The Butterfly Garden by Dot Hutchison
3.  Frida's Bed by Slavenka Drakulic

July

1.  The Beach House by James Patterson and Peter De Jonge

2.  The Haters by Jesse Andrews

3.  Not a Drop to Drink by Mindy McGinnis (TBR)

4.  Room by Emma Donoghue (TBR)

What are you reading this week?  How are your reading goals going?

Ten Facts About Me

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish.

The theme at The Broke and the Bookish this week is to share 10 facts about me, so here we go!

1.  I am originally from Ireland but now live in the United States
I moved to Wisconsin when I was 13 years old because my dad was offered a better job.  I attended high school and college there before taking off on a road trip that took me across the country to Oregon.  I've lived in Oregon since 2001 and love it here!

2.  I used to speak Irish conversationally
In Ireland, most people speak English natively, but we all learn Irish in school.  When I left Ireland I was conversational in Irish.  Now, because of lack of practice, I know very little of the language.  I am trying to relearn, but it is much more complicated than I remember.  If you know of a good resource, I would love to hear about it!

3.  I have an 18 year old cat

A photo posted by Lisa (@lalocadesigns) on Jul 13, 2016 at 7:30pm PDT

She is diabetic, going blind, half deaf and occasionally has seizures.  She's a challenge but she still enjoys life.  

 4.  I am a Spanish teacher
I love my job.  I love teaching.  I love the Spanish language and culture.  I love having summers off.  I love it all.

5.  I have more story ideas than I know what to do with
I am constantly thinking of new story ideas and I keep starting new novels before I finish the last ones.  Oops.

6.  Did I mention I have a problem finishing things?
I love starting projects but I often have a problem finishing them.  I have completed the first draft of one novel, but the one I started before that is still unfinished, and I have started at least two more in the mean time...I am bad at finishing things.

7.  I love tv
I will watch almost anything; I do have my limits, but tv is one of my favorite things.  I prefer it to music when I need background noise.  This is why I do not have a tv in my bedroom.

8.  I have an artificial hip
I had the surgery at age 23 because of some hip problems I have had since childhood.  It has changed my life for the better.  If your doctor recommends joint replacement, go for it.  It's amazing!

9.  I have been married for 6 six years
My husband and I met and started dating in 1996, 20 years ago.  Neither of us really thought marriage was important.  We got engaged in 2007 and decided to finally get married in 2010 after I had emergency surgery, and he could not get in to visit me because he was not family.  

10.  I love karaoke
Oh man!  I love to sing.  I sing by myself.  I sing with family.  I sing in front of strangers.  It's the best!

Anyway, that's a little bit more about me.  Hope you enjoyed learning more about my story.