Book Love is True Love: Show Us Your Books February 2018

Human love can be wonderful. It can also be a fucking mess. 

Book love is much less complicated. 

Happy Galentine's Day to my rock solid ladies 

happy book love day to books and the authors responsible for them...

but every day is book love day 

just like

every day is the day to smother your pets with affection 

 every day is the day to show and tell people you love that you love them.

If you only do those things on certain days, you might be a douche. 

tra la la

Linkup Guidelines:

This link up is the second Tuesday of every month. The next linkup is March 13, 2018. A mere two days before my birthday.
Please: 

1. Visit and comment with both of your hosts, Jana & me
2. Display the button and/or link back to us on your blog post
2. Visit other blogs who've linked up and talk books as booknerds are wont to do

Here's what I've been reading since the last linkup. 

Engrossing Reads

Vanishing Girls (Detective Josie Quinn #1) by Lisa Regan - I had not read a Regan novel before, and apparently she has quite a few. I was totally into this one. I'm not sure how she'll top it with a Josie Quinn #2 but I'll tune in to find out, and that should be out in April. I know this because I tweeted the author and she was kind enough to reply. This was recently on Amazon for $1.99 if you're a kindle person. Free e-copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. 

The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness by Michelle Alexander: There is no way anyone can read this book and continue to spout a favorite - black people are ruining their own communities/what about black on black crime etc. If you read this and you cannot see how every institution most of us hold dear (United States Supreme Court, I am appalled) and presidents on both sides of the aisle have been complicit in this, you need to return to school and learn critical thinking. Although I'm not sure if they're allowed to teach that these days? I couldn't stop thinking about this and fretting about how big this is and how deep it goes. I didn't really pay attention to another book until five days later. I started one the day after but couldn't concentrate on it. Paperback, own

The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah - Something about this book grabbed me and squeezed. I liked some of the characters, but none more than the character of Alaska itself and life there in the 1970s and 1980s. I wish more time was spent on the events of the last 50 pages at the expense of some of the front end of the story, but nevertheless I sped through it and enjoyed it. Free ARC e-copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

I am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter by Erika L. Sanchez - Julia is raw and real and I loved her. Family, frustration, desire for independence. I enjoyed the story and sped through it. That title too, though. Amazon kindle e-copy

Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta - This gutted me in a great way, just like The Piper's Son and to a slightly lesser extent when I compare all three, Saving Francesca. These Marchetta  teen novels get to me. When I read them I can't help wondering if they are over the heads of a lot of teens because there is some yearning realness and sadness and hope to them that is so adult. I think of the reader I was in my teen years, and some books I got then that I probably shouldn't have, so maybe I'm wrong.This took me a little to get into but once I did I could not put it down. I was glad because the last one of hers I attempted, Tell the Truth, Shame the Devil, I couldn't finish. Philly library paperback

Passed the Time Just Fine
We Are Okay by Nina La Cour - This book was beautiful in the particular way that only YA books can be - it reminds me of a time when everything feels fleeting but also somehow forever and like everything that happens or doesn't is a line in the sand. Reading it required me to swallow a lump in my throat a few times. Philly library hardback

Dear Martin by Nic Stone - The subject is important. The writing style was not for me. This is a YA book covering a hugely important topic in our world right now, just like The Hate U Give is doing. In my opinion, The Hate U Give had more to offer adults and Dear Martin is more YA, you know what i mean? Check this one out, it won't take you long, and definitely pass it on to your teens and talk about it together, but don't expect what you got from The Hate U Give if you read and loved that as an adult. Awesome cover. Philly library hardback

The Burning (Maeve Kerrigan #1) by Jane Casey - Is everyone trying to do a series? It took me forever to read this book. Not because it sucked, but because it followed The New Jim Crow and my mind was elsewhere. When I finally latched on, I finished it quickly, but it took me a while to get there. The author attempted a case within a case and it worked in some parts but not in others. Paperback, own

The Silent Girls (Detective Anna Gwynne #1) by Dylan Young - It was fine. I would not run to read this. I am happy to see more thrillers based on women detectives. Lots of them are coming out of the UK. Well done. Free e-copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

The Woman Before Me (Cate Austin #1) by Ruth Dugdall - I sped right through this little jobby. Solid quick read. Very seriously don't see how this can be a series - are they putting #1 on the covers of these things just for fun now? Philly library hardback 

The Crush by Sandra Brown - I think this is only my second Sandra Brown novel? It was fine. I love sinking in with a mystery-ish book in paperback form bending the spine every which way and reading it in 24 hours. This fit the bill. paperback, own

When We Were Worthy by Marybeth Mayhew Whalen - While I liked this book, I feel like it was poised on the edge of being something much better than it was. The author almost went all the way. Still a good read with parts being almost lyrical. Amazon kindle e-copy

Not Worth It
Our Kind of Cruelty by Araminta Hall - I love reading about the crazies but this lacked direction and made no fucking sense. I am not one to comment on endings because I believe authors live with a book and it's up to them, not me. I absolutely hated this one though, and not because of HOW it ended. More for reasons that are difficult to discuss without spoiling but I strenuously objected to serious themes being injected into the end chapters and sort of glossed over. It made me angry because I felt like the author was trying to slip a commentary on the state of women in the world today in in a flip manner that didn't fit. Free copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Did Not Finish

Alternate Side by Anna Quindlen - I have read and enjoyed many Anna Quindlen books. I could not get through half of this one - mundane and tired. Free copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

What have you been reading? 

An InLinkz Link-up

TWTW - the one that went by in the blink of an eye

Sitting in a pizza place waiting for pickup when you're verging on hangry is a special kind of self-torture. We celebrated National Pizza Day with Santucci's, which confused people on Instagram because their nearly 60 year old recipe calls for the cheese under the sauce. It's weird at first, I know - I typically like my pizza flat, well done, and not overly saucy-but it's delicious. Try it if you get a chance. The rest of the night I read and watched the Olympics.

Saturday felt super short. I worked a bit, went to Target, we had a Chinese feast at Dad & Carol's with Stephen/Aub/Lola Jean/Baby Stephen and Debbie, then MFD and I drove downtown in the shitty rain and fog to see Dr. Cornel West who was totally worth venturing out in the weather for and finished the night off at a beef & beer for a friend raising money for her CF team. 

Sunday also seemed short, and I woke up feeling behind and stressed out which I hate. Also woke up to dog poop IN our bed, spilled coffee, a crashed pantry shelf, second day of pouring rain with wet and muddy dogs, etc., none of which helped the behind/stressed out feelings. It's just one of those seasons in life for us right now, the only way through it is through it. I did my food prep, changed sheets, did five loads of laundry, picked up around the house, cleared out some bathroom cabinets and started two new books - one I stopped and one I'm continuing on with - painted my nails (OPI Warm & Toasty Turtleneck), lit some candles and got the fuck on with it.  I also zoned out to The Goldbergs, ate brownies MFD made, and watched Olympic excellence. 

Weekly food prep: Breakfast is scrambled eggs, snack - gala apples, lunch - PB&J on homemade whole wheat bread, dinner is clean out the freezer/pantry style: creamy garlic orzo (started with this recipe but used 2% milk) with some onion, carrot, and spinach from the veggie drawer + turkey meatballs from the freezer. There's a lot here, but I'll probably wind up with tater tots and chicken at some point later in the week. I also made breakfast burritos to freeze. 

I hope you had a great weekend. 

Tomorrow is Show Us Your Books! See you back here for that. 

Failure and fire and no one likes us and we don't care

image via 6abc Action News, the only news in town

Philly's been in the news a lot this week. If you haven't heard, our football team won the Super Bowl. 

The majority of the after stories focused on destructive assholes who celebrated by destroying shit. 

Who does that? Well, assholes in every city, unfortunately. Not according to the Internet, though. The Internet would like to pin assholes squarely on Philly. We’re used to it.

So even for non-fans like me, it's been an awesome but oddly defensive feeling week.

On failure making us who we are and being a common denominator for all of us regardless of life status, here is the speech of Super Bowl MVP Nick Foles. True, humble, relatable. 

Failure comes for all of us, big and small fails, fails only we know about and fails that are visible to many. When failure comes, you’ve got to get up and grow from it. Be you, do you, work hard, have your own back, and don't look outside for validation because when you look outside for validation, you will let doubt and shame from the outside creep in too. You don't need that shit. Just keep going.

Then there’s Jason Kelce's speech, delivered in an Avalon Stringband Mummer suit and fired up with the F bomb - mummers, Eagles, F bomb is like a Philly trifecta - that will live in infamy in this city. True, fire, relatable. Up there on the Art Museum steps, Jason Kelce is Rocky after he’s been told he can’t win. Jason Kelce is all of us. 

It’s hard to explain Philly to people. That speech and this little ditty, sung by Kelce and Celek and fans along the parade route but certainly not new to this city, both do a good job of giving you the feel of our culture. 

No one likes us, no one likes us, no one likes us,

We don’t care

WE'RE FROM PHILLY FUCKING PHILLY 

NO ONE LIKES US, WE DON'T CARE

There's a lot to be said for not caring what people think. You can be out there living like Jesus and Mother Teresa combined and people will still think what they want of you, and say what they will. They’ll find shit to talk about because some people just like to talk shit. It’s fine. It’s the way of the world. If you're a good person, you’re a good person. 

I still don't give two shits about the NFL and would take a knee with Colin Kaepernick any day of the week and twice on Sundays, but I love the hell out of people with fire and heart and I love the underdog. This Eagles team has fire and heart, they’re all up there on the stage as Super Bowl champions barking like dogs in front of God and the world while giving zero shits, and quite a few of them have a social conscious to boot. 

This city has fire and heart. We identify as underdogs - we think Rocky is a real person from this town and screw you if you say it’s just a movie. We are working class people; a city of neighborhoods; people with a cultural tendency for bluntness that is often mistaken for rudeness; people who care more about what’s in your heart and what's real than how polished you are; people who are more apt to roar like lions behind those who speak from the heart even if it's a little messy and not conventionally classy; people who might curse more than you like but would give you the shirt off their back in a second. We work hard, play hard, and love hard. 

If the world wants to lump us all in with the few who destroy shit and rocket bottles at people, it’s fine. We know what we are, and it’s not that. 

And if you don’t like us, we don’t care. You can already buy a shirt for this occasion. If you recall, I bought another version at the Cheesesteak Festival in 2015. 

Yo. Happy Friday from Philly.

Thursday Thoughts - will we leave each other alone like this on the streets of Philadelphia

1. You know things will be nuts when your train conductors tell you not to take regional rail to the Super Bowl parade. My office is a few blocks off the route. My plan was the same as when the Phils won: go into work, go down to see some of the parade, go back to work. Not happening this time. Trains are running crazy and my worst fear is being caught in the city longer than I want to be and having to sleep in my office like someone in a movie. I want to see the spectacle but not be inconvenienced by it and you can't have it both ways so I’m working at home today and will see it on TV and through the lenses of some awesome Philly instagrammers (streetsdept, phillychitchat. urphillypal, 6abcactionnews, parkwaymuseumsdistrict, peopledelphia, illadelphia, phobymo, mauricejphotos among others).

2. Is it possible to lay on the couch or in bed without dogs all over you? Asking for a friend who suffers from resting bitch face.

3.  I'm poised on the precipice of not buying bread again. I am testing a few sandwich bread recipes. Do you make your own sandwich bread? Hook me up with your favorite recipe.

4. I'm working on cooking from my freezers and pantry and buying things here and there so I haven't been getting my groceries delivered. Which means more frequent but quick in and out grocery trips, all requiring that I stay on top of my reusable bags in the trunk game.

5. Show Us Your Books coming up on Tuesday! What are you reading?

6. I have a water pillow and skincare to return. Two lines of skincare, actually. I need to get my ass in gear. Damn returns.

7. There are a lot of people out there who never think about how their life would be drastically different if they were born into a different family or a different neighborhood. We cannot put our life experiences on top of everyone else as if we all started from the same place.

8. You know who has military parades? Dickless banana republic leaders, unstable dictators, and killers.

9. Reminder: I love weird. Come sit next to me.

10. Ecard of the week: This one's going to have to come out of circulation now.

Short and sweet this week. I had stomach issues Tuesday night and my second tension point release acupuncture yesterday afternoon, which basically renders me mute for the night so I had to throw this together on the quick. My brain has also been on the fritz this week.

If you're in Philly and at the parade today, enjoy, have fun (and patience!), and be safe!

If you want me to dislike you

Tell me to smile

Tell me to relax

Tell me that's more of a man's thing

Apply your religious beliefs to others as if we should live by them because you do

Let the door close in my face instead of propping it open for me

Insist on getting off the train before me when you're sitting behind me

Have your conversations on speaker phone

Drive under the speed limit and don't use turn signals

Leave crumbs on surfaces

Leave dishes in the sink

Whine

Apologize for things you should not be apologizing for

Make me wait for you constantly - you can be late as long as it doesn't impact me

Make me repeat myself

Put the victim on trial

Say what about black on black crime?

Attack someone's appearance when you're losing an argument

Behave like a shared public space is your private living room

Act like rules are for everyone except you

Act like you are the busiest person in the world and no one can possibly relate

Shush laughter

Call me on the phone

Try to be something you're not

Refrain from voting

Live your life through your kids instead of letting them be their own little people with their own little lives

Butt in line

What would make your list?