what I’m reading: the cookbook club by beth harbison.

Three women start out as strangers but become friends when they form a cookbook club. Margo is getting over her husband’s sudden announcement that he wants a divorce. Trista has opened up a new restaurant and thinks a cookbook club is the perfect place to try out new recipes. And Aja is just hoping no one finds out that she’s pregnant.

First of all, do not read this book if you are hungry. Oh my gosh, there are so many descriptions of recipes and preparing and making food in this book. I could feel my stomach rumbling from all of the delicious meals the characters talked about.

This is a super cute book about three strangers becoming friends and bonding over cooking. It was so charming and cozy with all of the recipes and descriptions of their houses. It almost felt like a Nora Ephron movie in book form.

I did think there would be more payoff, or some sort of a connection between the facts that Margo’s ex-husband, Trista, and Trista’s new boyfriend all worked at the same law firm. I thought something big was going to come out of that and nothing really happened. I also thought there was going to be more of a storyline about why Trista lost her job. It’s kind of teased that she was fired but it’s never actually explained.

If you like books about food, this one will be right up your alley!

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To check out other reviews, find this book on goodreads or amazon. Please note, all links are affiliate which gives a small portion of profit to Rainy Days and Clichés. Thank you so much for your continuous kindness!

top ten tuesday: unread books on my shelves I want to read.

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.

One of my (unwritten) goals this year is to read more books I already own. I have a lot of books sitting in my bookcase that haven’t been read yet. I made a decision this year to read one book a month from my bookshelf. So far, it’s going pretty good. We’re only in the fourth month of the year and I’ve read four books from my bookcase. Hopefully, I can keep up the momentum.

I was super excited when I saw that this week’s Top Ten Tuesday topic is Unread Books on My Shelves I Want to Read. What a perfect time to pick out my next books to read from my bookcase for the rest of the year!

Here are 10 unread books on my shelves I want to read:

1. The Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod. This book is a recent acquisition; I think I picked it up from Barnes and Noble earlier this year. I bought it so I could learn some tips on becoming a morning person but I still haven’t read it.

2. The Shadowy Horses by Susanna Kearsley. I know I talked about having this book on my fall 2023 TBR list back in September 2023, but I confess I still haven’t read it. It’s still sitting on my nightstand.

3. The Collector by Nora Roberts. I have a number of Nora Roberts books on my bookshelves. I pick one up whenever I find one that looks interesting. Nora is always a favorite.

4. State of Terror by Louise Penny and Hillary Rodham Clinton. I received this book as a Christmas present two Christmases ago and it’s still sitting there, unread. I’m vowing to read it this year.

5. A Woman of No Importance by Sonia Purnell. This book was a book club pick a few years ago. I didn’t read it at the time but I think it sounds super interesting and I’ve wanted to read it since.

6. Sorry I’m Late, I Didn’t Want To Come by Jessica Pan. I purchased this book from the bookstore so many years ago but have never read it. I desperately want to.

7. The Last Letter by Rebecca Yarros. I received this book in a book box subscription a while back. I wasn’t going to read it because I felt like it was a young adult book and I had never heard of the author but when I was looking through my bookcase a while back I realized she is the author that wrote Fourth Wing, which I liked, so I think I will give this book a chance.

8. Spymaster by Brad Thor. Another book I purchased from the bookstore a while back. I love books about spies and I’ve been wanting to read a book by Brad Thor and this one seemed like a good pick.

9. The Other Daughter by Lisa Gardner. I love a thriller and this one looks thrilling! I think I received this book as a mystery book when I was buying books to support a bunch of different bookstores during Covid.

10. Atomic Habits by James Clear. I have a few books about productivity and habits that have been sitting on my bookshelves. I really need to read these books because I think they would be super beneficial!

Happy reading!

what I’m reading: the traitor by ava glass.

An MI6 operative is found dead, stuffed inside a suitcase in his apartment. Before his death, he had been investigating two Russian oligarchs based in London, convinced they were spies. British operative Emma Makespeace is tasked with going undercover on one of the oligarch’s super yachts to investigate, as well as to figure out the identity of a mysterious third party.

I really liked this book and could not put it down. It was super entertaining and action-packed and I am really enjoying this series. This is the second book in the Alias Emma series and, in my opinion, it was better than the first.

We got to meet more of Emma’s fellow spies and I love this group of coworkers. The tension is high in this one as Emma is stuck on board the yacht, with no way to escape as it cruises along the French coast. There are a lot of shady characters and danger seems to be everywhere.

Although this book is part of a series, I think it could be read as a stand-alone. There are only a couple of references to events from the first book so if you don’t have all the backstory, you are not missing out. Like I said, I liked this book better than the first – I thought there was more action and we get to see Emma use her spy skills more.

Speaking of spy skills, there were a couple of times when I had to wonder how good Emma was at her job. I felt like there were a few close calls and at least once I was sure that someone was going to notice Emma following them. But I guess all that worry makes a good story, right?

This is a great spy tale that I really liked and I will be waiting patiently for the next book in the series.

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To check out other reviews, find this book on goodreads or amazon. Please note, all links are affiliate which gives a small portion of profit to Rainy Days and Clichés. Thank you so much for your continuous kindness!

top ten tuesday: ten signs you might be a bookworrm.

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.

This week’s topic is, well there is no topic. This week is a freebie so everyone can make up their own topic. Now, I know that I am a bookworm. I love reading, I love books, and I love shopping for books. My bookshelves are overflowing yet I am always on the lookout for a new book. So, this week, I decided to make a list of Ten Signs You Might Be A Bookworm. 

Here are ten signs you might be a bookworm:

1. You always read the book before watching the movie/television show
2. You always have a book with you
3. You dream about the characters in the book you are reading
4. You’re always wondering how to make more time in the day so you can read
5. You love taking public transportation because it gives you a chance to just sit and read
6. You have more than one library card
7. You have more books on your tbr list than you’ve actually read
8. You pre-order books so you can read them on the day they come out
9. You’ve stayed up all night reading a book
10. You bring at least three books on vacation

Not an exhaustive list, but just some of the things I think of when I think of a bookworm. Happy reading!

march wrap up: breakfast burritos and a fashion history show.

We are full into spring here in Seattle. The cherry blossoms have bloomed, the tulips are out, and daffodils are everywhere. My birthday was in March and I had a great day hanging out with my friend, going to Barnes and Noble, and getting my free birthday Starbucks.

Here is my monthly wrap-up of some of the things I was up to in March.

What I’m eating:
I have been obsessed with breakfast burritos for the past couple of months. The cafe in my office building put breakfast burritos on the menu and they have become my new favorite breakfast. I used to get scrambled eggs, bacon, and cheese on an English muffin but now I get the same filling in a flour tortilla. There’s just something about a flour tortilla that makes everything taste so good. Last month I bought all the ingredients to make burritos from home and I am slowly perfecting my new breakfasts. I also like to add potatoes or hash browns and I’m working out the best way to add those into my burritos.

What I’m watching:
I’ve been watching this show on Amazon Prime called A Stitch in Time. It’s a show produced by BBC starring fashion historian Amber Butchart as she explores the lives of historical figures by examining the clothes they wore. I heard Amber on a podcast I listen to and she sounded super interesting so I checked out the show. Each episode focuses on one garment and goes into detail about how the garment was created. We also learn about the history and what type of person would wear/did wear the garment. It is super fascinating. There’s only one season and it was filmed in 2018 so I highly doubt there will be another season but there are six episodes to catch your eye. My favorite episode was probably the last one, about Marie Antoinette.

What I’m loving:
Last month I talked about playing the Connections game on the New York Times website. Well, they have a new puzzle game and I am hooked. It’s called Strands and it’s kind of like a word search game. It’s in beta right now so I think the rules are not firm but you basically get a clue and then you have to find the words in the grid that relate to the clue. I find it pretty challenging, especially because you are not given the words you have to find – you have to find them yourself. But I like it a lot. I love puzzle games and games that make you think.

See you next month!

what I’m reading: how can I help you by laura sims.

Margo has worked at the local library for the past two years. No one knows that before she was Margo, she was Jane, a nurse whose many patients all had the misfortune to die on her watch. At least until Patricia, a new reference librarian, starts working at the library and notices something off about Margo.

I really liked the premise of a serial killer former nurse who is hiding out by working at a library. Unfortunately, this book was not all I hoped it would be. This book was entertaining and I gave it three stars on goodreads, but it wasn’t as thrilling as I expected.

This book is marketed as a suspenseful thriller but I didn’t think there was any suspense or thrill in this book. I actually found the tone to be very confusing and instead of thriller, it seemed to be kind of humorous and tongue-in-cheek. I don’t think that was the author’s intention but to me, this book was very lighthearted and not at all mysterious.

The book is fairly short and is told from dual points of view from Margo and Patricia. There was some repetition in the points of view but I actually liked that. It was interesting to read about Margo wondering what Patricia was thinking at some moment and then read Patricia’s point of view of the same scene where we find out what she was actually thinking.

The ending is a bit abrupt and I’m not what happens after the book ends. I did love the library setting so that book has that going for it!

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To check out other reviews, find this book on goodreads or amazon. Please note, all links are affiliate which gives a small portion of profit to Rainy Days and Clichés. Thank you so much for your continuous kindness!

50 things making me happy – spring 2024 edition.

Spring is here, the flowers are blooming, and the days are getting longer. To celebrate the changing of the season and warm weather in the future, I sat down and made a list of 50 things that are making me happy. Some of these are repeats from my previous post of 50 things that make me happy but what can I say? I like what I like!  In no particular order, here are 50 things making me happy:

50 things that make me happy:

1. Breakfast burritos
2. My gratitude journal
3. Going through the camera roll on my phone
4. Sleeping in my own bed
5. Iced lattes
6. Sending cards to friends
7. Listening to podcasts
8. Taking a nap
9. Curling up with a good book
10. The X-Files
11. Freshly baked bread
12. Opening the windows to let in fresh air
13. Putting on comfy clothes
14. Dogs wearing outfits
15. Going to the craft and/or yarn store
16. Touching all the yarn
17. Getting a coffee and walking around a bookstore
18. My weighted blanket
19. Writing in my planner
20. Writing in my journal
21. The smell of clean laundry
22. When all my clothes are clean
23. Getting things in the mail
24. Going outside
25. Reading a good book
26. Chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream
27. Seeing the cherry blossoms bloom
28. Lighting my candles
29. Coffee with friends
30. Getting a bagel sandwich on the weekends
31. Taking pictures of flowers
32. Finding new things to craft
33. Getting 10,000 steps
34. The Great British Baking Show
35. The feeling of clean sheets
36. Hot chocolate in the evenings
37. Browsing all the books at the little free library
38. Buying stationery
39. Picking out the perfect washi tape to add to letters and envelopes
40. Getting a manicure
41. Picking up a book from the library
42. Reese’s peanut butter cups
43. The PlantNet plant identifier app
44. Finding new bookstores to visit while traveling
45. The color pink
46. Making lists of things to do
47. Checking things off my lists
48. Hallmark movies
49. Going for long walks
50. Reading my favorite blogs

what I’m reading: the mountain king by anders de la motte.

A college-age couple disappears while exploring an abandoned building in southern Sweden. Criminal inspector Leonore Asker is on the case until a former fling, Jonas Hellman, arrives to help. Hellman schemes to have Leo demoted and she is assigned to manage a unit in the basement known as the “Department of Orphaned Cases and Lost Souls”. There, she discovers her colleagues have been working on a vandalism case involving a model railroad station. However, the more Leo looks into it, the more it seems to be connected to the missing couple, as well as other missing persons cases carried out by a figure who calls himself The Mountain King.

I liked this book a lot. It was a super quick and engaging read and there were times when I actually had to make myself stop reading because I needed to go to sleep or had other things that needed to be done. The chapters are short, anywhere from 2 to 5 pages, which keeps the pace and momentum going. Each chapter focused on a different character so the action and the plot were always progressing.

I loved the location of the book in southern Sweden and loved reading about Lund and Malmo. One of the characters remarks that his furniture is from Ikea which made me giggle. You know you’re reading a book written by a Nordic author when Ikea is mentioned in a serious way. The setting here was fabulous, especially the old and abandoned buildings deep in the forest. The idea of being locked into a deserted and decrepit building in the middle of nowhere was super creepy.

The mystery was good and I was surprised by the identity of the Mountain King. Leo Asker is a fascinating character with a very interesting backstory. As this book is the first in a series, I can only hope that we learn more about Leo’s history in subsequent books.

This is a great nordic noir book and it did not disappoint!

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To check out other reviews, find this book on goodreads or amazon. Please note, all links are affiliate which gives a small portion of profit to Rainy Days and Clichés. Thank you so much for your continuous kindness!

top ten tuesday: ten things I’ve googled because of a book.

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.

It’s been a while since I’ve done a Top Ten Tuesday. This week’s topic is Ten Things I’ve Googled Because of a Book. I can’t tell you how many internet rabbit holes I’ve fallen down because I started googling something I read in a book. I’ve googled things because I don’t know what they are or I want to learn more about something. I’ve also googled things that don’t make sense to me or things that I think an author has gotten wrong. I find it fun, learning about new ideas and I love it when a book takes me on an adventure outside of the story.

Here are ten things I’ve googled because of a book:

1. I’ve googled so many foreign places, cities, and countries that books take place in, mainly to see where they are on the map.

2. I read a lot of historical fiction so I like to google the real people and the events that take place in these books.

3. I’ve also googled animals in books, especially if it’s an animal I’m not familiar with so that I can see what it looks like.

Specifically, I’ve googled:

4. What time does the sun set in Alaska on July 4th, while reading a book set during the summer in Alaska.

5. Where is Skane, Sweden, while reading a book set in Sweden.

6. Who were the Jacobites, after reading a Susanna Kearsley book.

7. What is a rook and what does it look like (turns out it is a black-feathered bird in the crow family).

8. I read the whole Wikipedia page about the sinking of the RMS Lusitania (thanks to reading Dead Wake by Erik Larson).

I also enjoy googling authors to learn more about them. Specifically, I’ve googled:

9. Nora Roberts, to learn more about the inn she owns in Maryland that is based on her Inn BoonsBoro trilogy.

10. Again, after reading Dead Wake by Erik Larson, I went to Wikipedia to read about Erik Larson’s background and to see what other books he wrote.

 

february wrap up: constellation and some comfort food.

Happy Leap Day! I hope everyone’s year is starting off well. I don’t know about you but this last week of February feels like the longest week. I can’t believe it’s only Thursday and I still have to go to work tomorrow. I hope everyone is doing something fun today on our extra day of the year. I love that some restaurants are giving out free or discounted food today – I saw that Krispy Kreme was offering a dozen doughnuts for $2.29 and Chipotle was giving away free guacamole.

Also, in honor of Leap Day, you should read one of the craziest questions asked on Ask A Manager, about an employee born on Leap Day who wasn’t allowed to have her birthday off from work except every four years. If you’ve never read Ask A Manager, I highly recommend perusing the website and its archives.

Here is my monthly wrap-up of some of the other things I was up to in February.

What I’m eating:
The weather has not been great these past couple of weeks in Seattle. It’s been rainy and windy and we’ve gotten snow in some of our surrounding areas. Needless to say, I’ve been craving warm comfort food lately. I’ve been eating a lot of baked potatoes with chili and a lot of stews. I’ve been looking for something hearty and warm and filling. Spring will be here soon, so maybe I’ll be eating a lot of salads next month.

What I’m watching:
I started watching the show Constellation on Apple TV+. There are only 4 episodes out so far but I am really liking it. It’s kind of creepy and kind of mysterious and I don’t know what’s going on all the time but that’s ok. The show does a great job of creating tension and making you wonder if you saw what you think you saw.

What I’m loving:
I think I talked about this in another blog post but I have been playing the Connections game on the New York Times website just about every day. It’s a puzzle-type game where you have 16 different words and you group the words into 4 groups based on topics/categories. It’s funny – I either get all 4 categories super quick or I don’t. The majority of the time I can get 1 category pretty fast and then if I don’t get the other 3 right away, it takes me a while. A lot of time I can get 3 categories and then the last one is just whatever 4 words are left over. I’ve picked up some tips and tricks from seeing what previous categories have been used so I always try to remember them. I never feel bad if I don’t “win” the game that day. I love just exercising my brain and thinking about things in a different way.

See you next month!