Not Punny

I was so excited to see that there was a card game a la "Cards Against Humanity" on Blogging for Books. And even more excited that it was about puns. And then I was sorely disappointed. I thought about filling this post with bad puns and even worse jokes. But honestly, I don't have it in me. Forced puns are not punny. Forced puns are awkward and don't work. I want to figure out what this game is based off, and is if that show really did work. The rules were hard to follow, and the game just didn't work. Playing this game was really more of a PUNishment. Well, maybe I do have one joke in me.

This is the first bad review I've had to give on here. Which seriously is a bummer.

Game courtesy of Blogging for Books

Faith Salie - You've Got My Approval!

As everyone who even knows me a little bit knows - I love a good memoir about a baller lady. When I saw that one of my favorite NPR ladies wrote a book, I had to read it! Faith Salie did not disappoint. Approval Junkie is funny, honest, and often resembles my life WAY too much. After reading this book I wish that I could call Faith up and be like "Hey girl, you're pretty fabulous. Lets go get mani/pedis and Starbucks."

Her book touches on so many issues that girls and women deal with today: not skinny enough, not pretty enough, waiting on kids, dating the wrong guy, and seeking approval in all the wrong places. She talks about her life so openly that it made me reflect on so many of the missteps that I've made over the years. Her life has followed a crazy route to get her to the happy and (hopefully) healthy place that it is now. We've all had our low points, but I continuously am amazed when women can write about those times in a way that can help other women (or men) find their own way. As I'm about to embark on the next chapter of my life, I'm glad that I'll be able to take some great advice that Faith laid out in her book.

I don't think most men would understand this book. But I think it could be a great way to start encouraging men to think about the added pressures that women have in today's world. Faith's memoir is, of course, about her life and her experiences, but this book is a look at the human condition. Faith provides insight into love, career choices, educational paths, and eyelash extensions. Faith, I totally approve.

Book provided by Blogging for Books.

Out of Orange is the New Black

By now, most people have heard of the hit Netflix original series Orange is the New Black. What a lot of people don't know is the story behind the very real people who are fictionalized in this show. While Piper Kerman (Champan in the show) had the chance to tell her story, many of the other characters did not. Her memoir paved the way for the very real Cleary Wolters (Alex Vause for those who watched the show) to tell her side of the story.

Cleary's memoir, Out of Orange, is poignant, funny, and emotional. She opens with her reaction to realizing that her life was going to become a TV show, expressing both her rage and excitement as she binged most of the first season the day it was released. The fictionalized version of her life has similarities to what really happened all those years ago, with some key differences. Cleary did serve a sentence at a women's prison for both carrying drugs and enlisting others to carry drugs across borders. But the show's writers took many liberties while creating a fictionalized character and the real "Alex Vause" shines through in this memoir.

Honest and sometimes heartbreaking, Cleary recounts the years of her life spent as a drug mule, trying to get her life back on track, and the years she spent in prison. She talks of how scared she was each time she carried drugs and of the covert blackmailing that led her to continue her life of crime. However, she does not try to pretend like some of her experiences weren't fun. Although she does not glamorize the criminal world, when an African drug lord is footing the bill, a several week stay at a resort is going to be a raucous good time. Whether you're a fan of the show or looking for an intriguing memoir, Out of Orange will make you laugh, bring you to tears, and have you wanting more.

Copy courtesy of Ohioana Library

Coloring Books: Not Just for Kids

Everywhere you look these days there are adult coloring books. Researchers have begun touting the therapeutic nature of them, and bloggers have been talking about how great it is that coloring is cool for adults now. I'm with the latter. So of course, I couldn't help but order this little number... 

This cat has an awesome napping spot

There are cats! And books! And Paris! Cats in Paris is like a nerd's dream. Despite the amazing amount of mockery this produced from my boyfriend, this coloring book is pretty dope. My art skills are limited to cutting shapes out of construction paper and cake decorating, so a way to draw without embarrassing myself with stick figures makes me pretty happy. 

How could you say no to that face?

This book is not one of the super intricate doodling coloring books. There are big white spaces but some more difficult coloring spots. The book is definitely cute, but if you're looking for an incredibly complex coloring book, I wouldn't pick this one. It's also quite large. This is a big purse coloring book, great for airplanes or some solid coloring on a Saturday night. I'd pair this with a nice Merlot. A good book for the cat lover in your life, or if you're looking for a coloring book that doesn't require a ton of patience or attention, this one is pretty fabulous.

Courtesy of Blogging for Books

Reading the Smell of Other People's Houses in a Stranger's House

I happened upon an advanced reader copy of "The Smell of Other People's Houses" a few months ago at a library conference. It stared at me from my TBR pile, a little purple confection waiting to be devoured. I loved the title. I know you're not supposed to pick books based on their cover or title or whatever. But we all do it. We like a good title and we like good cover art work. This book has both. This book is dark, adorable, and wraps up very satisfyingly. And beyond appropriate that I finished it while staying at an Airbnb in NOLA. 

Set in rural Alaska, the story follows a number of different protagonists as they struggle to understand their identities as teens, Alaskan natives, runaways, orphans, siblings, sons, and daughters. Each chapter is told from the perspective of a different character, and their stories intermix and affect each other in surprising, upsetting, and heartwarming ways. Growing up in the Midwest, I have very little background knowledge of what it must be like to grow up in Alaska. This book, for all I know, could be totally inaccurate. However, the narrative crafted by *author* feels real, and evokes sympathy for these struggling youths. This story touches on so many difficult experiences that teens face everywhere, not just rural Alaskan fishing communities. Poverty, teen pregnancy, and abusive parents are just a few of the hardships mentioned in this short novel. The flawed characters bumble around trying to make sense of the madness around them, leaning on one another for support and finding help in the most unassuming places. 

Would I have bought this book at my local book store? Probably not. Am I happy I read it? Hells yeah! My copy found a home in a Little Free Library in New Orleans, and I hope it finds its way into the hands of a teen or the parent of one who might find some insight or comfort in the stories and characters inside. 

What's a Vampire Series, Without Some Werewolves?

When I saw that the sequel to Rebecca Alexander's first book was on Blogging for Books I immediately requested a copy. And was super excited because I didn't even know it was a series! I then waited for several months before actually reading said book.

I wish I hadn't been so busy and waited so long! The Secrets of Blood and Bone was excellent. I've read Twilight, watched the Vampire Diaries, and have even gotten into Teen Wolf. There isn't too much difference in Vampire and Werewolf lore among most of the current books and TV shows floating around. Rebecca Alexander has managed to take a very different path. Her incorporation of real historical events to create a realistic world where magic and magical creatures could exist. Her writing is gritty and exciting. The story is a great extension of the first book, and built even more on the historical writings of Dee. There is more character development and the story delves deeper into the magic. There's a bit of weird references to sexual vampirism, which was not really needed for the plot. But I can see how she tied it in.

I'm not going to ruin the ending. But DAMN. I immediately googled to make sure Alexander was writing a third. She is. Don't worry. Everything's fine. And I am eagerly waiting for book three.


Courtesy of Blogging for Books <3

Books, Cults, and Glowing Book Covers

So, because I'm a lazy person, I typically only review the books that I've been given for the sole purpose of reviewing. And then sometimes, I have to read for homework (Library Sciences what upp). And then sometimes, the books I have to read for homework are amazing. And then sometimes, I feel obligated to tell as many people as humanly possibly about how amazing said book is. This is that book. Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan is amazing. AMAZING. Everyone stop what you're doing, go to your library, your local bookstore, Amazon, wherever. People - the cover GLOWS IN THE DARK.

Exhibit B. GLOWING

Exhibit A. Not Glowing

Get it? Because its a bookstore that never closes. just so genius.





Also, terrified me for a minute in the dark in my room before I put two and two together. For a brief moment I really thought I had stumbled into a magical world and was going to get to go to Narnia or something. No such luck I'm afraid.

Anyways, enough about the cover. This book has it all. You have your adorable dorky twenty something leading man who falls into a world of mystery and books. Cue the love interest, even dorkier twenty something lady who is infinitely smarter than our leading man, and rocks it. Cue the elderly man to lead them into the world of mystery. Also, they just constantly make Dungeons and Dragons jokes which actually had me laughing out loud to myself as I binge read this entire book on a Saturday morning alone in my jammies. NO SHAME. This book is hilarious and is full of mysteries. I'm not quite sure what I thought it was about before reading it, but I love books about books so I figured I would enjoy it. The story ended up being like a Da Vinci code mystery without all of the religious undertones. Basically it's great and everyone should read it. And try to get the cover that looks like this, so you can revel in the glow-in-the-dark-magic.

(Photo cred - Google Images, thanks strangers somewhere who took pictures of this book cover)