I was a tad annoyed last month when my husband gave me a Fitbit for our anniversary. It’s not that I didn’t appreciate the thought, or the gift for that matter. The size of the box had suggested jewelry, which got my heart racing, but the contents encouraged exercise. Well, rats. I’m “blessed” … [Read more...]
Book Review: “Under A Dark Summer Sky” By Vanessa Lafaye
I’m so happy summer has arrived that I noticed myself skipping the other day. I’m not a cold weather gal and this past winter was a test on my sanity. I broke it up by two trips to the sunny south, which gave me the motivation to carry on until the spring thaw. If you live in a cold climate like I … [Read more...]
Book Review: “Hugo And Rose” By Bridget Foley
A couple of years ago, when my daughter was around seven years old, she became adamant about not sleeping in her own room. My husband and I came to dread bedtime: evenings that had once followed a fairly regimented routine were suddenly filled with strife. And we almost always lost. No matter what … [Read more...]
Book Review: “Hope and Other Luxuries” By Clare B. Dunkle
My daughter was three years old when her foot was mangled in an escalator. A friend and I had taken our daughters to the movies and we were enjoying listening to them talk excitedly about the characters while we walked out of the theatre. They were still young enough to believe wholeheartedly in the … [Read more...]
Book Review: “The Dream Lover” By Elizabeth Berg
I should have known better than to browse through Facebook on Sunday. Like other women who have lost their mothers, I welcome Mother’s Day with cautious optimism. I look forward to expressions of love from my daughter and husband (it really is nice to be appreciated, isn’t it?), yet I battle the … [Read more...]
Book Review: “Everything I Never Told You” By Celeste Ng
I don’t know how you feel about your high school experience, but you couldn’t pay me enough to repeat mine. Don’t get me wrong: it wasn’t horribly traumatic or anything (and it’s been a long time since I’ve had one of those locker combination dreams), it just isn’t in my Top Five list of “Best Times … [Read more...]
What I’m Reading: Fall Books
Aaaaahhhh fall! So much to love about the season: boots and tights; apple crisp and pumpkin pie; cooler days and turning leaves. And just as we leave our beach and pool days behind, so too do we turn away from light, summer reads. I love the meatier, heavier tomes that come out in fall, and this … [Read more...]
What I’m Reading: “All The Broken Things”
I think I fell in love with this book the first time I saw it. Throwing the old saying out the window, you really can judge this book by the cover. Kathryn Kuitenbower's All the Broken Things lives up to the beautiful, captivating artwork on the paperback. Set in Toronto in 1983, Bo is a … [Read more...]
What I’m Reading: “The Circle”
Have you ever looked at a gorgeous sunset and thought, "ooh I've got to Instagram that." When your kids say something cute, do you run to make it your Facebook status update? Do you spend more than your share of time trying to figure out how to squeeze your deep thoughts into Twitter-friendly 140 … [Read more...]
What I’m Reading: “Mother, Mother”
Do you see anything you like on this section of my bookshelf above? I'm on a bit of a reading tear lately, and I'm looking for people to share some great books with. Watch for regular updates on "what I'm reading" here on Trend Watch. Do you like books about dysfunctional families and how they … [Read more...]