tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-43244694659049617102024-03-06T22:34:00.907-05:00Coffee and a Book ChickNatalie~Coffee and a Book Chickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12369504951819517390noreply@blogger.comBlogger465125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4324469465904961710.post-79690724207038905792022-12-13T17:23:00.005-05:002022-12-13T17:23:53.795-05:00Stoner, by John Williams<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhjaqei3uiW3qx5DQPsxAnKfKE0whgREnq5lC50pflkUqbyIJKzQnH3QxgrT6DHTda0MqhofNFnQ-ud73U6pKx5z1DHwUOf9gIr9c166wYMSRWq68mbZHgV-T9AA34kz_QIHPzLr9KFVgnr61BFWulRM74Yt1nzBsKBFZDsmiofKVU0ZPeXk7il7Wnw" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="293" data-original-width="184" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhjaqei3uiW3qx5DQPsxAnKfKE0whgREnq5lC50pflkUqbyIJKzQnH3QxgrT6DHTda0MqhofNFnQ-ud73U6pKx5z1DHwUOf9gIr9c166wYMSRWq68mbZHgV-T9AA34kz_QIHPzLr9KFVgnr61BFWulRM74Yt1nzBsKBFZDsmiofKVU0ZPeXk7il7Wnw=w403-h640" width="403" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">I'm not quite sure how I can call myself a lover of books, majored in English with a minor in Creative Writing, and never once did I come across author John Williams. In just a few sittings last week, <i>Stoner</i> by John Williams easily crept onto my list of favorites.</div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">While a quiet and simple story covering the life of one man in Missouri, born at the end of the 19th century, William Stoner is a seemingly unremarkable teacher who leads an unremarkable life. Within his cocoon of literature and teaching is a man who feels he has let his parents down, suffers through a troubled marriage, wrestles a continued clash with a colleague, and conceding to a failed relationship with his daughter. With only two friends he can count within his life, William Stoner's story is divulged to the reader in quiet moments which reminded me of <a href="http://www.coffeeandabookchick.com/search?q=hotel+du+lac" target="_blank">Anita Brookner's Hotel du Lac</a>. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">I was so taken by the gentle story of William Stoner, who received an opportunity to begin studies at the local university in Missouri for agriculture, in order to help with his parents' farm. However, upon arrival at the university, staring at the gleaming lawns and stately buildings filled with so many chances of learning, along with a requirement to take a study of English, he very quickly falls in love with academic life and literature. He decides to redirect his life's course from his parents' expectations and chooses to instead study literature throughout his entire time at the university. It's a secret he maintains until his graduation in the most heartfelt and quietly tense scenes in a short conversation with his parents.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><i>Stoner</i> has such a mesmerizing flow that I felt a strong connection to his character, and worried with him on the small highs and deep lows of his life. Nothing quite amazing happens for Stoner, and while it was an easy and comfortable read, the story of William Stoner is filled with so many moments of sadness and choices made that resulted in unhappiness. It is a life filled with insignificant events to others, but extremely poignant for Stoner. It is heartfelt and quiet and hopeful and one of the best pieces of writing I've ever had the luxury of reading.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The legacy of this man becomes nothing, no remembrance. For all the students he taught and the struggles he experienced with another teacher at the university, with his wife, with his daughter, it was an astoundingly sad book, but also incredibly beautiful. It reminded me that even in anonymity and disregard, there is a world of endless possibility in even the tiniest of events in the seasons of a person's life. Each life is precious and individual and not to be taken for granted.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">What a lovely book. I've ordered the author's three remaining novels.</p>Natalie~Coffee and a Book Chickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12369504951819517390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4324469465904961710.post-283367005555761892021-03-18T13:56:00.002-04:002021-03-18T13:56:29.123-04:00Who's Your Daddy, by Arisa White<p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/u/0/#"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqf5KbWI6tfPSepGVqoCdsVDijdrKeGn7axCa96VxwKnmaFM3YCdRVzJGOsxf6JuMYNFf75_WeDbANlIm4NHHMmlWrakNHKZp64upwBufwr1yc-P-dtpzBZzwMDJX-cmyJccP2rcN58pU/w414-h640/Arisa+White+-+Cover+w+border.jpg" /></a></div><br />First, an overview because I loved it when I read it:<div><blockquote>A lyrical, genre-bending coming-of-age tale featuring a queer, Black, Guyanese American woman who, while seeking to define her own place in the world, negotiates an estranged relationship with her father.</blockquote>I committed to post in January, and I failed. Even through many reminders, I procrastinated. Huge apologies all around. Life, moving, unpacking, Dominic going to public school for the first time - it all got in the way.<div><br /><div><span style="font-family: times; text-align: justify;">No more excuses. Too much time wasted in not editing, revising and posting my very eager review of Arisa White's </span><b style="font-family: times; text-align: justify;"><i>Who's Your Daddy</i></b><span style="font-family: times; text-align: justify;">. It's another win for my reading awareness, as the second book I've agreed to read from the </span><b style="font-family: times; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://poeticbooktours.wordpress.com/2020/10/06/whos-your-daddy-by-arisa-white-oct-april-2021/">Poetic Book Tours</a></b><span style="font-family: times; text-align: justify;"> does not disappoint.</span><div><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times;"><i style="font-weight: bold;">Who's Your Daddy</i> takes on the explosion of thought and self-awareness of a woman's life told through poetry, each page a single poem, probing her life and the circumstances of the generational trauma of the family she was born into. There is a masculine absence and presence, the dedication of a single mother, a family history steeped in lives from the East Coast to the West, and through Guyanese proverbs and anecdotes.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times;">I read Arisa White's words repeatedly, passages over and again. Poetry is always music when it is at its best, and her writing is even more so: it escalates, crescendos, quiets, and moves with waves of delicate grace and pacing; then shatters you with this knowing, this awareness of the things that happened in her life, how she felt about life knowledge and experience she learned at so early an age, a cultural depth to the interplay within family struggles and quick, brief flashes of men, life, friends. Those who loved her and let her down, betrayed her.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times;">Every word Arisa White wrote, I read each aloud. I liked the way the words felt. Meaty and thoughtful, filled with desperate love, painful awakenings, and more, Arisa White's <i style="font-weight: bold;">Who's Your Daddy</i> provoked images and feelings that made me feel strong, small, aware, different, and similar.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times;">I HIGHLY recommend her work of art.</span></p><p style="background-position: 0px 0px; border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(78, 78, 78); color: #4e4e4e; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin: 1em 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-position: 0px 0px; border: 0px; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: times;">About the Author:</span></span></p><p style="background-position: 0px 0px; border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(78, 78, 78); color: #4e4e4e; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin: 1em 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQPrLVhk1Z0ev_Zmsw9ydi-ZOGEuByqSrZL2NIpt2f9KEHnjXDsIu26EJvveL9wVphDK84rBu2E1G-e81qcoM8jqH8tkOmN-0gpJV_oMKVXx6seIOvNqX6-FlmCpcrjcBMxJu2uvhYOEA/s700/Arisa+White-Small+photo+by+Nye+Lyn+Tho.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="467" data-original-width="700" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQPrLVhk1Z0ev_Zmsw9ydi-ZOGEuByqSrZL2NIpt2f9KEHnjXDsIu26EJvveL9wVphDK84rBu2E1G-e81qcoM8jqH8tkOmN-0gpJV_oMKVXx6seIOvNqX6-FlmCpcrjcBMxJu2uvhYOEA/s320/Arisa+White-Small+photo+by+Nye+Lyn+Tho.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: times;">Arisa White is a Cave Canem fellow and an assistant professor of creative writing at Colby College. She is the author of four books, including the poetry collection <b><i>You’re the Most Beautiful Thing That Happened</i></b>, and coauthor of <b><i>Biddy Mason Speaks Up</i></b>, winner of the Maine Literary Book Award for Young People’s Literature and the Nautilus Book Award Gold Medal for Middle-Grade Nonfiction. She serves on the board of directors for Foglifter and Nomadic Press. Find her at <a href="https://arisawhite.com/" style="background-position: 0px 0px; border: 0px; color: #0071bb; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">arisawhite.com</a>.</span><p></p><p style="background-position: 0px 0px; border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(78, 78, 78); color: #4e4e4e; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin: 1em 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="background-position: 0px 0px; border: 0px; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Photo Credit:</span> Nye’ Lyn Tho</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Thank you to Serena at the Poetic Book Tours, once again.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghZrZXW_yWNnF2K95IIJGlUQ21NeZkM7iMtTvs_Ffi72Bh-XDqyCqXAWMKLJbl6ROnujytvzZO_IBxd7fqsTzuSjG6rq3Er7I4Gnpvc657We9ZWmBjpgLJkV9z9RFHTdyaQa04vlOyXaw/s320/PoeticButton.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="168" data-original-width="320" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghZrZXW_yWNnF2K95IIJGlUQ21NeZkM7iMtTvs_Ffi72Bh-XDqyCqXAWMKLJbl6ROnujytvzZO_IBxd7fqsTzuSjG6rq3Er7I4Gnpvc657We9ZWmBjpgLJkV9z9RFHTdyaQa04vlOyXaw/w400-h210/PoeticButton.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div></div></div></div>Natalie~Coffee and a Book Chickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12369504951819517390noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4324469465904961710.post-10422011881757346122020-11-19T23:39:00.000-05:002020-11-19T23:39:13.296-05:00Out of No Way, by Rojé Augustin (Poetic Book Tours)<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU3ZCNy_h4v5z3T1W9IQQWijm0GdML1YHvRdvl5eCGcXoKujHwXF9dDnHx_GShCRsj7pQSB33e2l2KkJw0322dl0IolDnJTzyqHEgI8URjFRQAlTV7xInrQWfKfqa_Ly3Y50BMavMNE94/s1250/Screen+Shot+2020-11-08+at+3.20.43+PM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1250" data-original-width="818" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU3ZCNy_h4v5z3T1W9IQQWijm0GdML1YHvRdvl5eCGcXoKujHwXF9dDnHx_GShCRsj7pQSB33e2l2KkJw0322dl0IolDnJTzyqHEgI8URjFRQAlTV7xInrQWfKfqa_Ly3Y50BMavMNE94/w419-h640/Screen+Shot+2020-11-08+at+3.20.43+PM.png" width="419" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">There is beauty in almost all things in the world, but history has its secrets and sad realities. Hidden tales of real people who are forgotten.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">To me, it is increasingly saddening to know that there will always be people in history that are forgotten about. It certainly doesn't mean we can't try to do everything we can to make their legacy live on, and that's when we always try to remember, to learn, and to teach each other. It is our responsibility to continue the education, to memorialize the hero by always talking about it over and over to as many people as possible.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Do you know who Madam CJ Walker was? She is the first Black self-made entrepreneur turned millionaire.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Did you know America held a formal Anti-Lynching Conference? And that this same Madam CJ Walker delivered a speech?</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">It is yet another unbelievable reality that history forgets entrepreneurs like Madam CJ Walker. Or, if remembered at all, briefly discussed. There was only a small overview in an African-American studies class at the University of Maryland many moons ago, but never once do I recall this incredible woman of history in my high school, or earlier, years. Why?</div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitH0lT6sbzMYWP99bIfj9DpYltR_h_HwPE7D0xh5gLnw0ZuZ63GmR6sQtmwPOMDLsm5E2rLgZgLj4MkYcJG92GuxkaV-9FMiR0UbjhCn_AJc5HsIkiUl4vPdbnsyVAZHlbbvLHCdDwovk/s320/PoeticButton+%25281%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="168" data-original-width="320" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitH0lT6sbzMYWP99bIfj9DpYltR_h_HwPE7D0xh5gLnw0ZuZ63GmR6sQtmwPOMDLsm5E2rLgZgLj4MkYcJG92GuxkaV-9FMiR0UbjhCn_AJc5HsIkiUl4vPdbnsyVAZHlbbvLHCdDwovk/w400-h210/PoeticButton+%25281%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">So this is why I am honored to read Rojé Augustin's poetry, to be part of her blog tour hosted by the <a href="https://poeticbooktours.wordpress.com/2020/08/26/out-of-no-way-by-roje-augustin-sept-oct/">Poetic Book Tours</a>. I read her work and I'm reminded that I haven't read more poetry in my life, and especially from people of color about people of color, because voices like this cannot be forgotten. Augustin's poetic drama has done something so creatively thought out that when I read each page, I immediately could see her work crafted into a monologue, then into a play of sorts. I realize that a show has already been created on a streaming service, but I can actually see in my mind an authentically different format, into that play; I can even see college students scurrying to figure out which scenes and segments to use to audition for it, and I am inspired. I believe this will happen.</div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">I am getting ahead of myself. Let's talk about all of it. The structure and subject. The beauty of the words. It's safe to say I'm now a huge fan of Augustin.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Rojé Augustin has put onto paper something that is truly memorable and filled with so much story, vigor, and awareness. Madam CJ Walker and her daughter's relationship while developing a product for African-Americans and paving a way for other people of color, while still constantly experiencing racism and more, all told in verse of varying ranges and styles: acrostic, sonnets, haiku, alliteration, and more, like her variation of an Edgar Allen Poe's The Raven), is both stunning and thoughtful; a lyrical play with each achievement of mother and daughter, interspersed with photos and illustrations, some fascinating and intriguing, and some horrifying to see images of American men lynched from trees; yet this is the reality of this one American story. Sometimes it is the very picture of despair in a period of time completely unwilling to support a Black woman with intelligence and determination that makes me so sad; all I wish is that members of the white community group together for educating themselves and not for violence; to instead correct each other on their own preconceived notions and to increase awareness so that our society moves better, kindly, differently.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">After all, it is not a Black person's responsibility to always be the ones over and over to educate those who are not marginalized because it is exhausting. It is vitally important for those not of color to do the work, to reflect on where they can make change, to open their minds more so that we can ultimately partner together to further each other and help each advance up that ladder of success.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Racism has no place in America anymore (or ever), and Augustin's work on Madam CJ Walker has become instrumental in reminding us of a history that is simultaneously sad to remember, but crucial to learn so we can help our neighbors, the future Madam CJ Walkers and their daughters. I would imagine we would not ever want to be mired in a past that holds each other brutally back.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">So here is a bold statement, my bottom line critique/analysis of Rojé Augustin's work, but I am eager to write it - this might very well be one of the most truly amazing creations I've read in a very long time. A bold statement to many, I am sure, but I am doggedly adamant that this is so. This was an experience to read and I am SO thankful for it. I want to see this everywhere, I want the vision of it being brought to the stage as a play to actually happen. Augustin has presented, in an extremely unique way, the story of an American visionary, the first Black women millionaire, and I want to hear more about her, learn more of other Black voices, because it goes right back to - why don't we learn this history more, and why can't we celebrate these voices more where it becomes part of our curriculum everywhere?</p><p style="text-align: justify;">I want to see this as a Broadway play - I'm going to put the positive vibes out there and hope it comes true.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">And side note: I also love Augustin's personal story and would love to see her story as a memoir.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>About the author</b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfBLKv7AIQW7CQL_HMF5RS-mc3BzvuCQr_PqOZlFj-MbppwO3LPjQBMJDXoDR6xKAiwc0suWKBNZvx_r95suPNzVSI9AvwTvFPPcpS6xOPeMcX-4tvgkdd63OUfgunsVs8n5pWJfa7os0/s2000/3+PSX+Red+Trench+hi+res.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1869" data-original-width="2000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfBLKv7AIQW7CQL_HMF5RS-mc3BzvuCQr_PqOZlFj-MbppwO3LPjQBMJDXoDR6xKAiwc0suWKBNZvx_r95suPNzVSI9AvwTvFPPcpS6xOPeMcX-4tvgkdd63OUfgunsVs8n5pWJfa7os0/s320/3+PSX+Red+Trench+hi+res.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Rojé Augustin is a native New Yorker who grew up on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. Her first novel, <b><i>The Unraveling of Bebe Jones</i></b><b>,</b> won the 2013 National Indie Excellence Award in African American fiction. She wrote the novel while living in London and Sydney as a stay-at-home-mom. She established <i><b>Breaknight Films</b></i> shortly after her move to Sydney in 2009 to develop and produce television projects across a range of formats, including television, web, and audio. Her first Sydney based project was a podcast and visual web series called <i>The Right Space</i>, which explores the relationship between creatives and their workspace. Rojé continues to work as a television producer while also writing in her spare time. She is an Australian citizen who currently lives in Sydney with her Aussie husband and two daughters.</div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Visit the author:</p><ul><li>On <a href="https://www.instagram.com/rojeaugustin/">Instagram</a></li></ul><div>Listen:</div><div><br /></div><div><b>"Why Our Hair Is Not Straight"</b></div><div><br /></div><div></div>
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/894sm9PUirI" width="560"></iframe>
<div><br /></div><div><b>"Elegy for my Mother"</b></div><div><br /></div>
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<div><br /></div><div><b>"The Lost Letters"</b></div><div><br /></div>
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/tzFaIvcBpWg" width="560"></iframe>
<div><br /></div><div><b>"Graves & Thrones"</b></div><div><br /></div>
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/w2hJ0Ev_l8k" width="560"></iframe>Natalie~Coffee and a Book Chickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12369504951819517390noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4324469465904961710.post-15204283266708121272020-11-13T01:21:00.002-05:002020-11-13T01:21:11.882-05:00...but that's not me. by Erika Shalene Hull and Dr. Cheryl LeJewell Jackson<p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHDhOsG3tFavygkzpZSLv-_oxhgTUVvcSHIAJqZsJc9XOsw8Pl2EwDcDEXF0KIU2HqEzq2PAwlRYA5vpE-9xe6WumX_fYWrDmb2Qvk4bSmUgVbwQeOf8qQEnYKXTwPlyf9mPk997tZZqo/s2048/BTNM+-+Final+Cover+Art.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1432" data-original-width="2048" height="448" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHDhOsG3tFavygkzpZSLv-_oxhgTUVvcSHIAJqZsJc9XOsw8Pl2EwDcDEXF0KIU2HqEzq2PAwlRYA5vpE-9xe6WumX_fYWrDmb2Qvk4bSmUgVbwQeOf8qQEnYKXTwPlyf9mPk997tZZqo/w640-h448/BTNM+-+Final+Cover+Art.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />It's not often that I get to come across an opportunity to be on a team of incredible women and also be part of promoting a book. Especially a book with a vision I'm intensely passionate about. I want this book to really succeed, and I need to tell you why. On a personal level first.<p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">The first thing that reached out to me was the title. That alone pulled me out of a darkness I had been dwelling in, wondering how I could course correct my life so I could feel successful to pursue writing as my creative career, no longer miserable in Corporate America. Something about the way I was lately feeling, and something about their book title - it was interconnected, and it felt like I should pursue participation and support.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">And then it hit me why the title meant something to me. For so many years I was defined by a breast cancer journey, a club I never wanted to be part of, and while that chapter is in my rear view mirror, I was done with it. So I abhorred hearing people describe me as a breast cancer warrior; I felt sensitively for those who were terminal and had passed on. Were they not a warrior, also? Did people think they gave up? That I was somehow stronger than them? No. To me, I was just lucky.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">And there was this creeping reality sneaking up on me all the time that my life should never be defined by a part of my journey, or one chapter of my life. Yes, there are SO MANY puzzle pieces to me, even I can't figure them all out. So when people describe me as "a mom," "a wife," or "a breast cancer warrior," I feel the imposter syndrome hit me full force and I scream in my head, "BUT THAT'S NOT ME!" I'm so much more than that.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">So, the book title is what first connected to me, and then meeting the co-authors who are incredible, smart, engaging, sensitive and aware and thoughtful. I wanted to help, in some small way, in any way that I could.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">And while the vehicle to drive the subject of this book might be domestic abuse, with very raw and personal stories shared, analyzed and reviewed to discuss new language and words to describe abuse, the totality of the message is inclusive to all of us. "<i>...but that's not me</i>." is so much more than a book about domestic abuse. It is an important message and I believe will change lives. We have to get the publicity and the online chatter out there, to put it in the hands of people - everyone. We may not be in abusive situations, or maybe we are, but we don't think so. Or, we might know someone who is, but the behavior has become "normal" to us - "that's just the way he is to her." "That's just the way they are together." Is it okay?</p><p style="text-align: justify;">And is domestic abuse solely regarding intimate relationships? No. It can be an abusive family situation, it can be an abusive sexual harassment case at work. It can be toxic friendships. Suffering, abuse, victim status don't always come to play and many don't identify with it because it doesn't fit with what we've been indoctrinated to believe is a pure example of abuse. TV and books in the past have painted this image of what it most likely looks like, so when the victim doesn't get a black eye, the words "...but that's not me." echo throughout their thoughts.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">This book gives foundation, awareness, and LANGUAGE. That the intuition we might feel is real. Trust it. Go with it. Be aware. Help each other. Help yourself. This book will change lives. Please help us get it out there.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><i>Disclosure: I am a part of the team with <a href="https://www.thecornheroffice.com/">The CornHer Office</a> and am supporting the co-authors to get the awareness out into the hands of everyone. I will fiercely do everything that I am capable of to make this successful.</i></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>What is available now?</b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><ul><li>The BOOK IS AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER NOW on Amazon and Barnes and Noble and was just approved to be listed with the Library of Congress!</li><ul><li>To be part of the first batch of 50 exclusive first edition copies that will be signed by the co-authors, along with more items available for you (including private Zoom sessions, etc.), head to <a href="https://www.thecornheroffice.com/butthatsnotme-thebook">the book website</a> that will redirect you to the purchasing site</li><li>The site also includes merchandise (tote bags, caps, etc.) you can add to your order (I personally already purchased the vintage cap and the coffee mug today).</li></ul></ul><p><b>Upcoming events</b></p><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><ul><li>November 15, 2020 - Book trailer casting call in Columbus, Ohio. <a href="https://www.thecornheroffice.com/book-trailer">Click here</a> for all of the details; if you are local and have your story you would like to anonymously share.</li><li>December 4, 2020 - <a href="https://www.thecornheroffice.com/blog/3mnvkyklah7uizidsxeixm2xgqfq40">Book launch</a> in Downtown Bryan, Texas at the Chocolate Gallery. 25 guests maximum attendance in-person, with a Q&A and book signing!</li></ul><p><b>What other products are available?</b></p><ul><li><a href="https://www.thecornheroffice.com/courses">Dr. C's Course</a>: click here to see the most recent course launch about Leading through Crisis (what is the difference between crisis and uncertainty?); it is a three module course, includes lifetime access, and a workbook for $40.</li><li><a href="https://betteroverperfect.com/peaceful-holiday-planner/digital-download">Peaceful Holiday Planner</a>: the 5th edition has been revised and is a 120-page downloadable product or $34.95. You can print it out in any size and on any paper you would like, and it is a collaboration between the incomparable <a href="http://www.sophiagaudi.com">Sophia Gaudi</a> of <a href="http://www.creativesoulwildheart.com">Creative Soul Wild Heart</a> and Erika at the <a href="https://betteroverperfect.com/peaceful-holiday-planner">BETTER over <strike>PERFECT</strike></a> community website specifically to keep your holidays filled with peace!</li><li><a href="https://sophiagaudishop.com/collections/holiday-decor-kit/products/peaceful-holiday-planner-decor-kit">Peaceful Holiday Planner Decor Kit</a> from Sophia Gaudi is absolutely amazing, and so worth $15!</li></ul><p><b>About the authors</b></p><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilq3jyGCDPvpehQAGRJkMzys8dgbSRZaHZAXV5KAeCBWBE4PL6QQAZyQ18Fz6MoZ0giE37cc9CQxrGSEtcpAMp7FlFWtpuKq2LP5xn4Sq7tSOTFOOCbTmnxFHfAVete3D2O1WMswBrvzk/s2048/Cheryl+and+Erika+Founders.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilq3jyGCDPvpehQAGRJkMzys8dgbSRZaHZAXV5KAeCBWBE4PL6QQAZyQ18Fz6MoZ0giE37cc9CQxrGSEtcpAMp7FlFWtpuKq2LP5xn4Sq7tSOTFOOCbTmnxFHfAVete3D2O1WMswBrvzk/w640-h426/Cheryl+and+Erika+Founders.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />Erika Shalene Hull, founder of BETTER over <strike>Perfect</strike> Co., resides in Ohio with her husband and five active children. While caring for all the humans and managing her home is her current vocation, encouraging and uplifting others through the trials of life is her purpose and her passion. She strives to empower women every day to be the best version of themselves through her daily live videos, courses, writing, speaking and volunteer services. After spending 10 years, primarily as a Financial Development Director for a world-wide non-profit organization, Erika sought to lessen the gap between the challenges of working and motherhood, by leaving Corporate America and becoming a full-time entrepreneur. Having to overcome numerous traumas during this tine, including abuse, the suicide of her oldest child, and the day-to-day hardship of a crippling genetic disorder, she is courageously passionate about helping others rise above their own personal obstacles.</div><p><b>Visit Erika:</b></p><div><ul><li>On her <a href="http://www.betteroverperfect.com">website</a></li><li>On <a href="http://www.instagram.com/erika.shalene">Instagram</a></li><li>On <a href="http://www.thecornheroffice.com">The CornHer Office</a></li></ul><div>Dr. Cheryl LeJewell Jackson, founder of The Psycho Mom, lives in Texas with her husband, two boys and as much family as one house can hold. After earning her Doctorate in Industrial-Organizational Psychology, she spent her career working with organizations and helping employees find fulfillment at work through clarity and engagement. In addition to running her own consulting business Cheryl serves as a lecturer at Texas A&M University, serves in her community, and volunteers at her church. In addition to <i>...but that's not me.</i>, she has published two books, <i>Strong. Brave. Powerful.</i>, a novel bringing attention to the lasting impact of abuse and the journey toward recovery, and <i>Family Business</i>, making Fortune 500 business practices accessible to the small business owner. Cheryl is also a professional speaker and blogger, passionate about encouraging women to step into who they were made to be.</div></div><p><b>Visit Cheryl:</b></p><div><ul><li>On her <a href="http://www.thepsychomom.com">website</a></li><li>On <a href="http://www.instagram.com/the.psycho.mom">Instagram</a></li><li>On <a href="http://www.thecornheroffice.com">The CornHer Office</a></li></ul><div>Together, Cheryl and Erika also founded The CornHer Office, a physical and virtual community with a mission of leveling the playing field for women in business. By changing the language, we are changing the conversation, which changes our reality. Learn more and join in this incredible movement of women helping women. We would also love to hear from you - share you stories of struggle and triumph at:</div></div><div><ul><li><i>...but that's not me.</i> <a href="http://www.butthatsnotme.com">book website</a></li><li><i>...but that's not me.</i> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ButThatsNotMeBook">Facebook page</a></li><li>And always - use the hashtag #ButThatsNotMeBook and #womenhelpingwomen on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook</li></ul><div>Thank you!</div></div><p></p>Natalie~Coffee and a Book Chickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12369504951819517390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4324469465904961710.post-77578006526684746802020-10-27T02:37:00.005-04:002020-10-27T02:55:06.814-04:00Brain on Fire, by Susannah Cahalan<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTd0TJV8QknyELpj0tqEb2hglO0IZciuQqymCSY3lhnHLiQIAAQA7IxaaVlWQlnFQpeB_Gzcxt8KL0bes1qMzidBb4uUsiCwUgEORiDTjhsfG4UBLL2vGzQzcSOPbva5v36Q4BC6cn09k/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="406" data-original-width="263" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTd0TJV8QknyELpj0tqEb2hglO0IZciuQqymCSY3lhnHLiQIAAQA7IxaaVlWQlnFQpeB_Gzcxt8KL0bes1qMzidBb4uUsiCwUgEORiDTjhsfG4UBLL2vGzQzcSOPbva5v36Q4BC6cn09k/w413-h640/image.png" width="413" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><i style="font-weight: bold;">Brain on Fire</i>, now a Netflix film starring Chloë Grace Moretz, Thomas Mann, and Tyler Perry, is easily one of the most unnerving medical books I've read in a while. What's most frightening is Cahalan's complete inability to understand or control, what was happening to her. At 24 years old, just as she was truly making a name for herself in journalism in New York City, she awoke to find herself strapped in a hospital bed, completely unaware of what had happened to her. Memories erased, speaking was impossible, moving was not allowed, nor was she able to even if she tried: she was strapped to the hospital bed. Pieces of each day began to fragment into moments that increased doubt in her own confidence and undeniable fear at the unknown of what happened to her, the question of what was happening in her body that plagued her, possessed her, but the most terrifying is that it appeared out of nowhere. All within one month. A month that turned into more time erased, a life re-drawn into something maniacal. Her life as she knew it, how she was leading it and loving it, was gone. Doctors diagnosed her as bipolar, manic depressive, with her conditions of erratic behavior leading to fainting and seizures were frantically increasing at an alarming rate.</div><p style="text-align: justify;">How it happened still is a mystery encased in medical riddles continuing to be untangled today about an auto-immune disease; we know it happens to primarily young women, but other than that, there is no true and consistent understanding. Historically over the past 100 years, there is an unexpected number of documented cases of young women who suddenly were filled with "hysteria." A notion befitting a 1900s novel on high society, women with fainting spells, however in today's advanced medical community, doctors and nurses and researchers might have a tiny inkling of reasonable and sound evidence to prove something significant. Something within the auto-immune disease category, but more specifically the unique and rare <span style="background-color: white; font-family: "EB Garamond", serif; font-size: 15px; text-align: center;">anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;">But even though medical communities might slowly be familiar with this, science is still unfolding pieces every day for more awareness, how to manage it, and one day, hopefully a cure. The "madness" that descended upon the author, one that tested a relationship with her new boyfriend, and also assuredly bonded her once estranged parents, became a goal to combine efforts to figure it out together, in collaboration with doctors who believed. With her family dedicated to her, they shared a common journal in her hospital room to record moments they recorded when they visited with her, seizures, and events that went beyond understanding for a healthy human body, comparing these journaled events with shocking camera footage to decode a pattern, anything to explain why Cahalan was besieged with this medically "new," disease.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">What I respected was her acknowledgement that she was lucky, on so many levels. She had a solid family support structure, and a boyfriend who was there for her every step of the way, even though they had just started dating. She had extensive medical health insurance as well, but even with all of that, while it still gave her the luxury to be potentially cared for more than others, she still encountered doubt and disbelief and many diagnosed her initially with mental disorders, paranoia, and more. What about patients who don't have the "right" healthcare coverage, who don't fit into the "approved" and "believable" medical population? What might patients such as those experience?</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Moving and heart-wrenching, and downright scary, this memoir of a young woman's spiral into a series of medical appointments, memory loss, physical debilitation, seizures, and more is at times thoughtful and straight-forward, but mostly filled with downright horror. It is completely terrifying to imagine what it might be like for a young mind to go awry, astray, and fall apart, all without any medical research or support for those suffering from an auto-immune disease that many still don't believe exists.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Read this. Recommend it to your friends with young daughters. Watch all and care for them. This is important.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><i style="background-color: white; font-family: "EB Garamond", serif; font-size: 15px; text-align: center;">Disclosure: I downloaded this book for free from my library's Libby app.</i></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "EB Garamond", serif; font-size: 15px; text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "EB Garamond", serif; font-size: 15px; text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "EB Garamond", serif; font-size: 15px; text-align: center;"><b><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/VZn6G0M9wNs" width="560"></iframe></b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "EB Garamond", serif; font-size: 15px; text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "EB Garamond", serif; font-size: 15px; text-align: center;"><b>About the Author </b>(from her website)</span></div><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo8xJeIg_jdmNB5JHDIu-g3jnhAymMGX8yUDHMKrjD_CWsECdX6n5pa0psfLTudkuaje_VUnR8z8a29KIoBXoMx3pTFQA1j1GosvjgvQq69BWspGE_c1wl3wbkJ7yhzk0_E58yVEtWuKI/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1365" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo8xJeIg_jdmNB5JHDIu-g3jnhAymMGX8yUDHMKrjD_CWsECdX6n5pa0psfLTudkuaje_VUnR8z8a29KIoBXoMx3pTFQA1j1GosvjgvQq69BWspGE_c1wl3wbkJ7yhzk0_E58yVEtWuKI/" width="160" /></a></div><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: EB Garamond, serif;">Susannah Cahalan is an American journalist and author, known for writing the memoir <b><i>Brain on Fire</i></b>, about her hospitalization with a rare auto-immune disease, anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis.</span></span><div><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: EB Garamond, serif;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: EB Garamond, serif;">She has worked for the New York Post. A feature film based on her memoir was released in June 2016 on Netflix.</span></span><p></p></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: EB Garamond, serif;">Visit her:</span></span></div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: EB Garamond, serif;">On her <a href="https://www.susannahcahalan.com/about" target="_blank">website</a></span></span></li><li><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: EB Garamond, serif;">On <a href="https://www.facebook.com/SusannahCahalanauthor/" target="_blank">Facebook</a></span></span></li><li><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: EB Garamond, serif;">On <a href="https://www.instagram.com/suscahalan/?hl=en" target="_blank">Instagram</a></span></span></li></ul></div>Natalie~Coffee and a Book Chickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12369504951819517390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4324469465904961710.post-4306426322434154132020-03-22T12:00:00.002-04:002020-08-20T23:22:59.385-04:00Just my Thoughts on Mother Earth and the Virus<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It is without a doubt a time of uncertainty and fear. And so now is when we reclaim moments with our immediate family and slow down. To share time and meals without technology, and if we do, to instead just be present together.</div>
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We so need to honor, respect, and appreciate nature and Mother Earth much more (my opinion: I fear we are being rushed earlier for mass change because we have just pushed it too much with nature and mankind; racism is massive and ugly and we cannot ignore it collectively). We have mass produced, toxically polluted our waters, land, and air, so that as expected, any disease easily has evolved and continues to be ahead of the data for us to learn how to “fix” it), and nature is speaking loudly to us. If we do not radically change, make different choices, we are on the way to a life of nightmares.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><b>The rain over Desecheo Island.</b></i></td></tr>
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When things return to what it was like before, may we also learn to support our local and small businesses, local farms, to learn how to appreciate doing things on our own, living off our own land (if we can) to whatever degree it may be (from having our own chickens, to making our own tinctures, balms, sprays and medical remedies), because we can no longer blindly trust what is in the big box stores. We continue to be brainwashed by this "big store" setting and assume a product has gone through rounds of safety testing before we buy it; it hasn’t. It is filled with chemicals which disrupt hormones. It is carcinogenic. It can cause cancer. Yes, even Clorox.</div>
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Hopefully this is when we completely revolutionize and speak loudly how we want to receive information from health and government officials. I hope we take time away from modern day news, to publicly denounce and demand the 24-hour news cycle might finally implode.</div>
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We become an obsessed audience, feeding off each spiraling negativity, allowing one bad feeling to override the next, a brainwashing of the nastiness of politics and more because it is thrown in our faces over and over again, and yet we don’t even understand the majority of what is “interpreted” by the news. We only feel constant anxiety and panic which leads to more anger and arguments and less dialogue.</div>
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Instead, research on your own. Watch the news but NEVER take the “translation” of the news from any politician or even a news reporter. Editorializing shouldn't really be their thing, yet we end up spouting someone else’s agenda. We, instead, should do our own work and make informed decisions.</div>
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If opinions are based on interpretations from any news network, it is a skewed source. If you are creating your opinions based on Facebook friends, no matter which way they feel or vote for - please don't. Think with your heart, your head, your gut, your intuition. Research extensively on your own and build an opinion developed on your own. Trust yourself. We are the ones our ancestors planned to one day have for this great Earth, and yes, I think they might scorn the results thus far. I think they might be exceedingly sad.</div>
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Let's do the work. Together.</div>
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This is just my own little thought. You may feel free to cut me in the comments, but I do so hope you think of this with love. Please be kind to each other. Our universe needs us.</div>
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Natalie~Coffee and a Book Chickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12369504951819517390noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4324469465904961710.post-81299116623067944622020-01-18T14:51:00.001-05:002020-01-18T14:51:17.484-05:00Elevation, by Stephen King (audiobook)<div style="text-align: justify;">
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This three hour audiobook was as intense and special as Stephen King always is. Thoughts of love, death, moving on and letting go, intersect in the life of one man, Scott, who, while he never changes physically, is suddenly and dramatically losing weight. All of it. But you'd never know it to look at him. If his weekly tracking is correct, it won't be long at all that his body will experience complete weightlessness. What's causing it? Does it matter anymore? And truly, what can he achieve in the time he has left in Castle Rock that will resonate with his friends, new and old? And most importantly, can he help them learn anything as well?</div>
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This is a gem of a tale with a short bonus story, which felt like a very special and surprisingly good "b" side track from your favorite band. It really doesn't matter what King writes about; he does it well and makes this reader always happy. When in doubt on what to read next, I just settle down with a King tale and I thank the lucky stars above that he hasn't hired writers to do his bidding or to write in his style (a la many famous mass market writers of today), and instead just continues to produce, one uncomfortable and insightful story after another, or one sweet and sad scene after another. There isn't anything in the human emotion and in life that Stephen King hasn't been able to deliver and articulate well into his stories, something that doesn't strike immediate nervousness or fear, or increasing sadness and empathy, and for that, I will be ever grateful. Stephen King continues to provide us with everything we always need, if we only continue to give him those chances to hear him out again and again.</div>
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Side note: I listened to this audiobook from my library's Libby app, and it is read by the great man himself; he is an EXCELLENT narrator, that I will also emphatically state each and every time. It's not often an author is as good as reading their work as they are to write it, so with Mr. King, it is quite a pleasure to hear his voice yet again.<br />
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<i>Disclosure: I downloaded this audiobook for free from my library's Libby app. Check with your local library if they participate with Libby (they probably do).</i><br />
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About the Author<br />
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Stephen King is the author of more than fifty novels, including <i>The Stand</i>, <i>The Dark Tower</i> series, <i>It</i>, <i>The Shining</i>, <i>Under the Dome</i>, <i>Pet Sematary</i>, <i>'Salem's Lot</i>, oh...what more can be written that one doesn't already know. So here you go, <a href="https://stephenking.com/index.html">click here</a> to visit this wicked cool author's official website.<br />
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Natalie~Coffee and a Book Chickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12369504951819517390noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4324469465904961710.post-60004390999648421452019-12-16T22:36:00.002-05:002019-12-16T22:36:29.882-05:00The Ash Family, by Molly Dektar<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5XcBg09nSSqs0NYZyqPctAUNKQ3OVSebtPzkUsvq54nmCqoC5dA8RNmaCKDn64a5trZTE0V-JA2BxLaK_kmkFKKvveK1WQ4DtjPy7lKYvuneArLUe13lPCdqM_0HBVHi8AlKrfXLw4l0/s1600/Screen+Shot+2019-11-18+at+3.11.42+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1448" data-original-width="946" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5XcBg09nSSqs0NYZyqPctAUNKQ3OVSebtPzkUsvq54nmCqoC5dA8RNmaCKDn64a5trZTE0V-JA2BxLaK_kmkFKKvveK1WQ4DtjPy7lKYvuneArLUe13lPCdqM_0HBVHi8AlKrfXLw4l0/s640/Screen+Shot+2019-11-18+at+3.11.42+PM.png" width="418" /></a></div>
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It's been quite a while since I've devoured a book with such gusto, but in a slow and deliberate manner. I took my time reading <i>The Ash Family</i>, by Molly Dektar, and each section had me contemplating the actions and choices made by Berie, the main character. I was dumbfounded to realize that I wasn't shocked one bit with how simple it was for her to fall down the wrong hole in life. </div>
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There are 1264 ratings on Goodreads as of this writing, but only a 3 and 1/2 star review and I was stunned by some thoughts because I think this story is that good. I don't often post reviews on this little corner of the blogosphere nowadays, but I had to for this one. Maybe it's the fall season when I read it and I was ready for a disturbing tale; maybe it was because I happened to be traveling through the Great Smoky Mountains of Western North Carolina at the exact time I was reading this book that helped me feel the atmosphere even more so, but I started reading this before my vacation and I live in Puerto Rico. While it might sound a bit corny, I was sitting in Puerto Rico with all of its heat and humidity and the sweat of everyday life, and I was seriously swept away into the cold of the Ash Family's world. I was so excited to join into reading reviews of this book and relishing on shared similar responses by other readers, but alas, I will resign myself to the realization that this will be a sleeper hit, that in a few more years we'll all be wishing we had read it sooner or with a different perspective.</div>
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<i>The Ash Family</i> is a quiet story about Berie, a nineteen-year-old who feels passionately about living, but not exactly certain how to fit herself into it all. She's out of step with others, not ever feeling a tie to her own mother or her boyfriend, Isaac. It's in Isaac that Berie may have learned some foundational element of defying authority, which interests her, but instead of fighting it from the outside, Isaac chooses to do so from the inside, by being part of that traditional and conventional life and that decision is significant for her, and it destroys her hero worship view of him. It disappoints her greatly, and you could question why she feels compelled to live her life through others and their choices, but it circles right back to how Berie wants to be led by someone else. She's afraid to make the big decisions, she's never genuinely felt at home in anything, and she's listlessly living that conventional life where her very next step after high school and a broken relationship is the traditional next jaunt of going to college. Instead, Berie skips the flight and takes a bus to anywhere and meets a random man named Bay, so different from anyone she's ever known. Somehow, Bay meets her initial needs of security, comfort and being led. She's perfect to bring home to the Ash family.</div>
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The explanation of her decision to stay either "three days or the rest of her life" magnifies the intensity of the stress Berie feels to belong to something. Anything. Even this quiet and bizarre group of people who live off the land, who feed their sheep, who slaughter the animals and grow their vegetables, who values each item so preciously that a member can be punished for the accidental break of a glass jar. It's all so different from the very different and privileged living Berie had before heading off to college. And then before she fully realizes it all, she's now actually in so deep to what isn't a family, but very much so is a cult.</div>
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No, there isn't strong and signifiant action and rolling moments to move you through each page; instead it is a story of how easy it is to feel a sense of connection to something, to want to belong with others, to someone and how simply it can just become that way. We can all make fun of teenagers nowadays not knowing how easy they have it, but this is exactly the reason why some can unknowingly fall into the "wrong crowd." But truly, you don't have to be young, old, or have a terrible life - you can quite easily be led astray by the simplest of methods that can take a long amount of time or a quick amount, depending on the victim - which is exactly what brainwashing is, and what Berie experiences.</div>
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It is frightening how simple one can be led astray and I will spoil one thing for you - there isn't a big moment that significantly clarifies the choice she makes to live differently - as it is with anyone. There isn't always a momentous identified event that helps to distinguish life before and life after anything; there isn't always a "something.". Life is a natural progression of day in and day out decisions, and then before you know it, you're comfortable. It's home. It's your life. It's the family. Which is actually a cult, but I, as the reader, didn't feel it at first, I didn't realize it was all a cult, I felt comfortable with how Berie becomes part of it. There are characters who move in and out and it's completely dreamlike and terribly sad to feel how deeply embedded into this lifestyle she is ultimately drowning in.</div>
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But this happens. This is how cults are born, how innocent communities go astray and become different because of who might be leading them; it's so easy for someone like that to charm a young person who is unsure or insecure about their life and lead them down a different path. Berie is like that. She's unsure and confused about where she belongs, but she is also a little bit confident about wanting to do something different and she wants to earn her spot with the family, with Bay, with the main leader, Dice. She wants to be part of something else with them, more of whatever "action" it is they work on without her inclusion.</div>
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So when she meets Bay at the bus station, a strong and big and engaging man who seems like someone she should go with, she just does. She has nowhere else to go. She becomes part of the Ash Family, led by Dice, who gives her the new name of Harmony, and gives her tasks that make her grow callouses on her hands and slowly becomes entrenched in all of her decisions that she simply can't be sure what to do next without his guidance. She always wonders when she'll be trusted enough to be part of the "action." She is always working for that hope and feeling for someone to believe in her, and ultimately it is clear that if she just believed in herself, none of this ever would have happened. It is a frightening example of how anyone can so easily be pulled into a world which cuts them off to everything and everyone they know.</div>
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People might shake their heads when they watch documentaries on cults and I don't understand that - I can watch a film on a cult and feel the same but deep down, I am puzzled on what the difference is between a cult and anything else we so gleefully follow. In Corporate America, we faithfully follow our boss and their decisions whether we agree with them or not, we all say the same "company line." Of course, we obviously should choose to not cross the line with anything illegal, but seriously. It's not that hard to imagine how someone gets caught up in the wrong decisions. This is a powerfully told story of insecurity and the blind willingness to belong to anything at all.</div>
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I loved this story. I will be giving this 5 stars on Goodreads.</div>
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<i>Disclosure: I downloaded this book for free from my library's Libby app.</i></div>
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<b>About the Author</b> (from her website)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv5jY7BxVJgXp_AP_N3BRFBiC-JzTsrlkv-Rim9SgdT40fSotmQmUa24Uj_v9dgwAowwI_ejdWqvOgh1-rMoKvPkeLtJB496XEi44zfabr6AJmbc_HCJwI48xP5HIncfYxVHhho-pF2-4/s1600/Screen+Shot+2019-11-18+at+4.06.22+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="672" data-original-width="658" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv5jY7BxVJgXp_AP_N3BRFBiC-JzTsrlkv-Rim9SgdT40fSotmQmUa24Uj_v9dgwAowwI_ejdWqvOgh1-rMoKvPkeLtJB496XEi44zfabr6AJmbc_HCJwI48xP5HIncfYxVHhho-pF2-4/s320/Screen+Shot+2019-11-18+at+4.06.22+PM.png" width="313" /></a>Molly Dektar is from North Carolina and lives in Brooklyn. She received her MFA from Brooklyn </div>
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College, where she was awarded the Himan Brown Award and the Brooklyn College Scholarship for Fiction. She is a graduate of Harvard College and was the recipient of the Louis Begley Fiction Prize. <i>The Ash Family</i> is her first novel.</div>
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Visit the author:</div>
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<li>On her <a href="https://www.mollydektar.com/">website</a></li>
<li>On <a href="https://www.instagram.com/mollydektar/">Instagram</a></li>
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Natalie~Coffee and a Book Chickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12369504951819517390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4324469465904961710.post-62684721019578810852019-09-06T00:30:00.000-04:002019-09-06T00:30:08.899-04:00The Sea of Japan, by Keita Nagano (book tour stop!)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Thank you to <a href="https://prbythebook.com/experts/keita-nagano/">PR by the Book</a> for sending me this advanced reader's copy of Keita Nagano's book tour for his novel, <i><b>The Sea of Japan</b></i>. (Fingers crossed this is the cover chosen for the final printed copy - it's gorgeous!)</div>
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<b>Overview</b></div>
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After fleeing a disastrous teaching job (and a bad gambling habit) in Boston, Lindsey starts teaching English in Hime, a small fishing town in Japan. One morning, while trying to snap the perfect ocean sunrise photo for her mother, she slips off a rock at the edge of Toyama Bay, hits her head, and plunges into the sea—and in doing so, sets off an unexpected chain of events.</div>
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When Lindsey comes to in the hospital, she learns that she owes her life to a young man named Ichiro—a local fisherman who also happens to be the older brother of one of her students. She begins to spend time with her lifesaver, and in the ensuing months, she becomes increasingly enmeshed in her new life: when she is not busy teaching, she splits her time between an apprenticeship with the local master sushi chef and going out fishing with Ichiro. As she and Ichiro grow closer, however, she also learns that not all is well in Hime, and she is drawn into a war to stop the town next door from overfishing their shared bay. Soon, she, Ichiro, and her pastrami-obsessed best friend, Judy—the New Yorker, who talked Lindsey into coming to Japan in the first place—are spending all their free time working together to rescue the town. But when their efforts backfire, Hime gets closer to falling apart—putting Lindsey’s friends, her budding relationship with Ichiro, and her career in jeopardy. To save Hime, Lindsey realizes, she’ll have to become a true American fisherwoman and fight for her new home with everything she has.</div>
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<b><u>The buzz is...</u></b></div>
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Love, survival, conflict…Lindsey runs wild in the Sea of Japan. When her loved ones are attacked, her American spirit stands tall. When her friends are in danger, her Japanese fans get united. The Hollywood-like climax where Lindsey competes in a fishing duel will leave you hanging on the edge of your seat.</div>
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<i>—Tetsu Fujimura, Executive producer of Ghost in the Shell (Starring Scarlett Johansson)</i></div>
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Keita Nagano has created a fascinating tale blending the best of two literary worlds, the American and the Japanese. It is a story of friendship, transformation, and journey for the meaning of life. What's really marvelous about this novel is the unique style with its apparent simplicity and deep meaning. A true Japanese delight.</div>
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<i>—Elvira Baryakina, author of Russian Treasures series</i></div>
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Win or lose. Sports are loved by Americans because they're tough and challenging, just like this story. At the climax of the book, the readers are on Lindsey’s fishing competition boat with her, watching her struggle to save the people she loves and get justice for her adopted town. Imagine you are standing on the 10-meter high diving board. The tension is just that, on the beautiful Sea of Japan</div>
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<i>—Thomas Gompf, 1964 Tokyo Olympic Medalist & Former President of the United States Aquatic Sports.</i></div>
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<b><i><b><i>Disclosure: I received the book from PR by the Book, published by Spark Press.</i></b></i></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd-OM03pkn6aKTytk0eHTWkKN4uYDGkr-6h_yc60DOOcPAaCvQtUOApVcxCUyNsWOtyZgCsUylO_Z0p0_7EmjgXaicS8BU9IGVRH0E4OuFu-VZDU-n6oRZXAH9aevvxid-1cDTVZdmofY/s1600/64919397_2235299896732776_189692921459507200_o.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd-OM03pkn6aKTytk0eHTWkKN4uYDGkr-6h_yc60DOOcPAaCvQtUOApVcxCUyNsWOtyZgCsUylO_Z0p0_7EmjgXaicS8BU9IGVRH0E4OuFu-VZDU-n6oRZXAH9aevvxid-1cDTVZdmofY/s200/64919397_2235299896732776_189692921459507200_o.png" width="200" /></a></div>
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<b>About the Author</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvvc97p-aStCU_p_0YK-qGD-_x-YGdkYVy6XxNzbnQE6cRATjZo-7OyHJU6oF7Vhq9NXwa8PXg0ha3cpeEP0g7oLmsQgaKK0hwTMoWQGMwNSXU4ioJs7HmKFdJiXXLfjKLt28cg6wfyz0/s1600/60704337_2214815228781243_5981697843306430464_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="713" data-original-width="713" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvvc97p-aStCU_p_0YK-qGD-_x-YGdkYVy6XxNzbnQE6cRATjZo-7OyHJU6oF7Vhq9NXwa8PXg0ha3cpeEP0g7oLmsQgaKK0hwTMoWQGMwNSXU4ioJs7HmKFdJiXXLfjKLt28cg6wfyz0/s320/60704337_2214815228781243_5981697843306430464_n.jpg" width="320" /></a>Keita Nagano is an award-winning Japanese author who has lived almost equally in Nevada and Tokyo—more than twenty years in each place—and reflects the difference of the two cultures in his novels. He has a bachelor’s degree in economics from Keio University in Japan, as well as an MBA in global business and Ph.D. in management from Walden University in Minnesota. The pursuit of the authentic American experience is his hobby: he has been to all fifty states, all thirty major league ballparks, and the top sixty big cities in America. He has published seventeen business nonfiction and eight fiction books in Japan. In 2013, he received a Nikkei (Japanese Wall Street Journal) Award for Contemporary Novel for his missing-child thriller, Kamikakushi. He is also an official weekly columnist for Forbes Japan. Nagano lives in Henderson, Nevada, with his wife and Welsh corgi, and their teenage daughter is currently studying in Tennessee.</div>
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Visit the author:</div>
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<li>on his <a href="https://www.keitanagano.com/">website</a></li>
<li>on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/authorkeita/?modal=admin_todo_tour">Facebook</a></li>
<li>on <a href="https://twitter.com/SeaofJapan4">Twitter</a></li>
<li>on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/naganokeita/">Instagram</a></li>
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Natalie~Coffee and a Book Chickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12369504951819517390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4324469465904961710.post-45524207556462252112019-05-26T16:13:00.001-04:002019-05-26T16:13:41.659-04:00Be Love. Travel. Embrace the Hippie Life.<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Working in Puerto Rico. Sticker on my computer is by artist <a href="https://www.instagram.com/documented.journey">Documented Journey</a></i></b></td></tr>
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<i><b>Disclaimer: This is a very long post. Sorry. But not quite. Thanks for reading it all. </b></i></div>
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You never really think about truly having that thing called wisdom from life's experiences until you've gone through crap. You don't have to be ninety-years-old. The only requirement is just REAL experiences. In other words, honest-to-goodness shit you wouldn't wish on anyone else.<br />
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And we've had it. Our most recent years included Stage 3 breast cancer. That alone is enough, right? But life already had our adorable seven-month-old baby and suddenly we had to manage the cancer terror with our little guy at our side, then moving back to Florida after a few years in Virginia, then a double mastectomy, harsh chemo where I lost so much of my hair, I just decided to shave it off because it actually hurts when it's loosening and then falling out.<br />
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Twenty-five daily sessions of radiation followed, two reconstructions, and then after that, being separated from my husband for almost a year as he trained for his new job that finally brought us to this island paradise of Puerto Rico. Can I be dramatic for a second, though? I still remember walking into our new house in Florida after I had been diagnosed, with my little baby in my arms, and I couldn't even acknowledge how pretty the house was. All I thought was, "Is this the house I'm going to die in?" Dramatic? Maybe. Real and true feeling? Yes.<br />
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The cancer journey was the most terrifying, as you can imagine. And just a life's lesson for everyone: it is NOT a free boob job. It most certainly is RECONSTRUCTION (at least for me). As a result of all of that shit, the mind-numbing effects of depression, fear, and anxiety were added to the road, and sometimes it feels like it's just been one thing after another. (I'm happy and thankful to God to report that cancer remains in my rear-view mirror, but read on if you'd like to send good thoughts, vibes, and prayers my father's way.)<br />
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Like many other bloggers who start their site focusing on one thing and are consistent and active, life suddenly steers us in other places. We love our blog, have made friends here, and yet we can't seem to post or engage as regularly as we used to, so we feel reluctant to let it disappear into that ether of the interwebz, to be forgotten about. We think, "should I write about other stuff, or will it annoy my readers, or should I post a review of a book even if it's been months in-between?" The struggle to figure that out amidst our new hobbies and changing experiences shifted so many times for me. I probably made that thought process more complicated, but it's how I felt. And I still don't know what to post here. Reading is always my favorite hobby, but I don't read as often, or have the sudden urge to write a review like I used to.<br />
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Instead, Instagram has been my happy place. While I don't fit into the world of Bookstagram (I don't have the right socks for it - book bloggers will get that joke), I do try. I post short reviews, thoughts on life, hobbies (journaling, podcasts, Netflix, and more), and this mini/micro-blogging format has suited me. And I've met more people there as well! People who, in my opinion, are great and grand artists who create such beautiful artwork and handcrafted items, and the world hasn't fully recognized them yet. But I know them! It makes me feel blessed. I forget about this little blog when I'm enraptured with Instagram.<br />
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But I still like coming back home here, to my little corner of the blogging universe I started 11 years ago. This really is home. And I thank you all for reading with me, and living life with me.<br />
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So enough of all that. Let's do some updates, shall we?<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Putting together a KiwiCrate subscription science project and eating cheese and grapes and apples on our balcony.</i></b></td></tr>
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<b><i>Family Life</i></b> - My son is now five and a half years old! What? Wait! Almost SIX? He is a future rock star/guitar player, so you should probably purchase your tickets now...<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Guitar tucked into his backpack while at the airport in Puerto Rico.</i></b></td></tr>
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We moved to Puerto Rico for my husband's job and I'm now a stay-at-home mom after 16 years in corporate America. We felt it was a deserved time for me, what with that whole "f-cancer chapter" part. And I love it here. I am also now helping my in-laws' private yacht chartering business in Boston Harbor with <a href="https://www.nightridercharters.com/">Night Rider Charters</a> (two luxury yachts, so gorgeous). The role fits me well for now. After all, my family and my husband's family has always been connected to the water in some way (Coast Guard, Navy, large supply boats supporting the East Coast or in the Gulf, and now my husband's current job in Puerto Rico where he is again, on the water). So while the boating season is incredibly busy during the season, and I miss my mom life time, ultimately it supports the whole family.<br />
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And I LOVE living in Puerto Rico. I love the people I've met and I crave the community and the feeling of being one with it. It's funny, I never liked meeting new people as I got older, but now, I try to meet new people all the time (in broken Spanish, of course). I love buying locally from artists and the farmers' market. We love it so much that my husband and I were just talking about how we can't picture ourselves moving in a couple of years, and that we likely will opt for longer.<br />
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Let's be real, though - it was a difficult adjustment at first. We live on a mountain and the mosquitoes are never kind to me. At one point, I whined on my Instagram-stories that I had at least 75 mosquito bites. We had a 6-foot boa constrictor on our balcony that we captured ourselves and then released back into a remote area of the jungle. Flying ants are a thing and they are disgusting. I was likely bitten by a brown recluse spider and ended up in the emergency room. Our beloved and (dog-like) cat appropriately named Puppy the Cat passed away at eleven-years-old after a prolonged kidney disease he had beaten five years ago resurfaced and he passed away in my arms on a terrible Friday morning, and it was SO FREAKING HARD. My husband and I cried so much at the loss. Our other cat and our dog suffered that depression right along with us. We miss that damn cat so damn much.<br />
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I get challenged every single day here but then that life experience thing just happens. I realized I'm actually a hell of a lot tougher than I ever thought I was. How many years have I wasted not doing something physical because I didn't think I could do it?<br />
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And you would think, you would imagine more than anything else, that Stage 3 cancer would have taught me that lesson, but it was honestly a whirlwind I never like to think about. The "right now" of this life, right here and now, as I sweat to clean the house because there is no a/c in the living room, while I climb a wall to feed the stray kittens or climb another part of the yard I mention later in this post, is much more of a lesson for me, and I sweat and I try and I do it again, and I try and I get mad about things at times, but I'm feeling HAPPINESS as I'm experiencing it. So cancer just taught me that life can suck really bad. You don't feel happiness going through cancer. You pretty much feel shit all the time, and you plaster that happiness face on to the world because can they really deal with your true feelings when you can't? That you had 29 out of 53 lymph nodes infected with it, so you're always afraid of recurrence? Or that you barely look at yourself because yes, you are grateful for living, but damn, that reconstruction is just downright horrible? Or that there are other people out there who are dealing with their own diagnosis and you can only sit on the sidelines for them, and you feel like you have to earn every single minute of your own life because they might not be able to?<br />
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So I put the damn smile on and pretend like I'm fine. It's not happy and it's not fun. Since I can barely handle dealing with the anxiety and the fear, why should anyone else have to hear about it? Instead, I work hard at this mountain house, making homemade things and learning how to compost and journaling and writing and making some art. This is how I've learned life's lessons and felt that happiness at the same time. Only here.<br />
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I grew up overseas (born in the Philippines and raised there, than in Greece, Venezuela, and more) and while Puerto Rico is an American territory, it's still unique enough that I know my son will have memories of this part of our lives, and I want to keep that going. I vividly remember all of my early traveling and I'm grateful I was born to parents who recognized the value in that. (My only regret? I didn't travel alone when I was young and single and could just pack a backpack and go! So do it, if you can! Now, with family, it's still wildly fun but there's just a whole lot more planning and list-checking.)<br />
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I want my son to have that knowledge and comfort of travel from us, I think about how often he's been on a plane in his five and a half years, and I am so proud of him. We are a nomadic and traveling family lately, and we will soon head back to Florida for at least a month, where my son will be at a summer camp and I'll work in the daytime and be right across the street from my father to help him anytime he needs me. But I like how we have become this adventuring family, and that we can head to different places around the world, that we can hop on a flight to the mainland to see family and friends and my son is used to it. I want him to grow up knowing there is more than just his house, his street, his neighborhood, his town. There is so much more in this world to try, to decide what you do and don't like. I want him to learn that lesson even earlier than I did. I want him to know what it's like without power sometimes, and how to get a generator going, that central air conditioning is a LUXURY.<br />
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<b><i>Reading Life</i></b> - I read all. the. time. It just takes me forever lately to finish a book. I still need to review Amor Towles' <i>Rules of Civility</i>, everything since last summer by Meg Wolitzer (short updates for both - all were incredible, and more). Right now, I'm reading <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8574333-please-look-after-mom">Please Look After Mom</a></i> by South Korean author Shin Kyung-sook and it is AMAZING. I usually hate it when books are written in the second-person (wait, I wrote part of this blog post in the second-person, sorry), but my goodness. This book is unbelievable. I love everything about it. You have to read it. And then call your family or friends and take care of them and notice them. NOTICE THEM. (I am reading it on my Libby app on my phone.)<br /><ul>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Sojourner folio made by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/retrowtures">Sojourner USA</a>, artwork pictured in the pocket by <a href="https://www.patreon.com/LittleRavenInk">Little Raven Ink</a></i></b></td></tr>
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<b><i>Creative Life</i></b> - I adore journaling and art and writing and will never stop. I have always journaled but became ferociously when I was diagnosed, fearing I would not be alive and that my son would only have my journals, because Lord knows I didn't want to just let him have Instagram and Facebook feeds to scroll through. Now, I journal and plan all the time, and I love my analog life. I love to collage, I love to paint, I love to draw. I am horrible at all of them, but I adore the process. Bullet Journaling has become my favorite way to combine work and home life, when I used to have one notebook to plan work life in and one notebook to plan personal activities - now I've combined them this year and adore it.</div>
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And I write. I have a story I'm writing. It's pretty fun. I read the intro to my husband, and he asked me, "Well, wait. So then what happens?" And that was the most thrilling part of it all!<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Yes, it's Young Living. No, I will not pressure you into signing up. It will be okay.</i></b></td></tr>
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<b><i>Hippie Life</i></b> - My favorite new quote: "Be an open skeptic."</div>
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At the age I'm at now, I realize that I'm truly a hippie at heart. I am conservative in so many things, but I love my new life in Puerto Rico, and I love taking mangos from my own backyard and making mango jam. I love how I had to scale the wall to our house to get to the backyard when the power was out, getting muddy and dirty and filthy to lug the diesel gas tank up to fill up our generator and hack cobwebs away; I love it all. I love my short nails and my silver rings and the essential oils I use.</div>
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I mean, let's really talk about this. I made MANGO JAM. USing mangos from MY OWN BACKYARD. I did it. It was easy. And now I can use it on toast, in a chicken and cheese tortilla burrito, or in a marinade for fish. I made that mango jam, and my husband and I were talking about this - people here in Puerto Rico regularly stop on the street and pick the mangos up that have fallen on the road. Why not? They don't take the ones that have gotten older, they take the ones that are perfect and ready for eating. We don't do that in the States because why? We have become so brainwashed that buying it at a store is the "safest" way. I've used the mangos in my backyard, and have picked up other fruit on the roadside as well and eaten them and they are incredible. And guess what - no chemicals! No preservatives on them!</div>
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So back to the first thing. (Although again, look at how perfectly I made that jam, it was just the right amount to fill up this old coconut oil glass jar! It was SO SATISFYING when that happened.)</div>
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Yes, I signed up with Young Living; wait, please don't freak out, I will not pop up in your inbox asking you to sign up. I had a membership 2 years ago and then let it go inactive. No one pressured me to stay enrolled. And that's how I am. I moved to Puerto Rico and started learning about essential oils and how to make my own products that were plant-based, not chemically-based, and so I reactivated my account. I got my starter kit and then started learning more and now I order every month. But I didn't have to do anything. I buy shampoos and soaps and home cleaning products that have zero chemicals in it. The money I used to spend on Tide or Dawn or some fancy shampoo and skincare is now transferred to what I purchase with plant-based products through Young Living. I'm okay with that. I got rid of all of the synthetic candles and plug-ins that I inhaled and now I smell fresh and clean rooms filled with a diffuser with pure, therapeutic-grade oils. I love my natural soaps, natural everything. (I still shave, though, in case you're wondering. I'm learning how to be natural with many things, but I'll always shave.)</div>
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You can <a href="https://www.youngliving.com/vo/?utm_expid=.yFk3H_a2RkiTC-2PuR8hBg.1&utm_referrer=https%3A%2F%2Flinktr.ee%2Fcoffeebookchick#/signup/new-start">click on my link here</a> to enroll or you can just message me on Instagram if you have questions. I use the concentrated Thieves laundry soap in my washing machine and use wool dryer balls with a few drops of oil on it. Remember, you can buy oils in a health food store, but don't just trust the label that reads 100% pure. Really check it out and look at it. If you find Young Living or doTerra on Etsy or eBay or Amazon for very inexpensive prices - it's been diluted and someone is reselling them. Just be careful and do your research on everything. And biggest piece of advice? Turn your favorite products over to see what's listed in the ingredients - if you see "fragrance," toss it out. Fragrance is the heading major corporations use to tuck in all the icky things that are "synthetic" and they write it off as trade secrets. But "trace elements" of the same synthetic item used in your make-up (formaldehyde, for example) can change your body and NOT in a good way. So try to embrace the natural stuff, the earthy stuff. You can still be conservative and still embrace the gifts on this earth and not put chemicals on your body. If you have questions, ask me. I will not pressure you.</div>
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<b><u>My Netflix Recommendations</u></b> </div>
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Watch <i>Stink</i>, <i>The C-Word</i>, <i>The Bleeding Edge</i>, and <i>Heal</i>. It will make you rethink how things are "regulated." How we trust things so blindly just because someone in "authority" said it was okay. Remember: "Be an open skeptic."</div>
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Faith Life</i></b> - My father was diagnosed with Stage IVB esophageal cancer, and that has consumed my thoughts and my heart. I am actively praying and I do not care what the doctors say. I will be a witness to the miracle that my Dad will have no evidence of cancer soon. I can see it. I believe it. I had the honor to deliver my father's speech at his veterans' reunion last month, and I'm proud to be his daughter. I embedded the video for you here, in case you have 20 more minutes to spare on my life. My father is a veteran of the Korean War, and was an underage veteran. And he created VUMS, the Veterans of Underage Military Service, so many years ago to get these underage veterans to connect and share stories. My Dad is an American hero, who once only had an 8th grade education, entered into the service, and then got out and went to college, and eventually got himself to Vanderbilt University. He never whined. He's a hero. (Care to sign my petition to the TSA about the treatment he experienced at the Reno Airport? <a href="https://www.change.org/p/tsa-tsa-agents-to-be-certified-for-compassion-awareness-for-travelers-in-pain?recruiter=957784107&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=copylink&utm_campaign=share_petition&utm_term=Search%3ESAP%3EUS%3ENonBrand-Tier%201%3ECreation%3EBMM">Click here</a> for that.) And side note, he hates all the hippie things and I thought he wouldn't go for the Young Living stuff, but now he absolutely loves his diffusers and refuses to be in either his living room or his bedroom without peppermint in his diffuser going full blast. (He will try other oils, but peppermint is his favorite, along with Panaway and Copaiba mixed with a carrier oil to massage onto his skin, into any pain he might have.)<br /><ul>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Pray for this guy right here, my Dad</i></b></td></tr>
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I hope I haven't lost you all, but perhaps you've moved onto other things. If so, but still want to connect, the best place to find me is on Instagram - <a href="https://www.instagram.com/coffeebookchick/">so click here</a> or find me on other sites through Linktree by <a href="https://linktr.ee/coffeebookchick">clicking here</a>.<br />
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Thanks for reading all of this. Tell me what you're up to lately. Would love to reconnect with you all again.</div>
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Natalie~Coffee and a Book Chickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12369504951819517390noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4324469465904961710.post-67691223896184581402019-02-11T14:41:00.000-05:002019-02-11T14:41:51.902-05:00In Cold Blood, by Truman Capote<div style="text-align: justify;">
Finally. I finally settled down with this tragic true crime story and it's one I won't soon forget. While there were pieces here and there I didn't care for, <i>In Cold Blood</i> is simplistic and terrifying, sharing an alarming and unsettling story set amidst cornfields and blue sky America in the late 1950s. Perhaps this is when the phrase "it could happen here, it could happen anywhere" was first born.</div>
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In a small section of rural America, a prominent family, the Clutters, well-known and liked in Holcomb, Kansas were brutally cut down and murdered in their own home. Two killers used a shotgun and killed all four of the family members one night in 1959, and left with almost no trace.</div>
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Within the first few pages, it's clear why this book is a classic in the true crime category - while in some moments there is a small sense of pomp and glorified grandeur similar to other books in its genre, it feels like it's only on the top. Deep below that, the dark story of a ruthless crime steers left and right, bringing you immediately to whom the killers are and to the officers following the trail to capture them. It is an unbelievable story, and so beautifully written.</div>
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Capote maintains this sincere polish of writing, so pure and thorough that the contents of it all, the meaningless act, the victims, sat with me for weeks. It is a disturbing night, truly harrowing final hours for this family and what happens after: the difficult attempts to understand just why they were so remorselessly executed, the search for the killers, the killers' backgrounds, and more.</div>
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This is unquestionably one of the premiere and integral books to set the stage for the true crime genre. And I loved the way Capote told the tale, I do. I simply wanted more about the Clutter family, equal amounts of the sweet and strong husband, the ailing wife, the young Nancy at sixteen-years-old who loved animals and had a high school sweetheart who worshiped the ground she walked on, and just as young Kenyon, at only fifteen-years-old who was making a chest for one of his older sisters as a present. While I am as fascinated as any other true crime reader on exactly <i>what</i> compels a murderer and <i>why</i> they ultimately conduct the act, <i>In Cold Blood</i> lacked in its tender and loving detail and description of the Clutter family. It felt almost, dare I say, obligatory, the inserted sections of Herb, Bonnie, Nancy, and Kenyon. I found myself sickeningly sad for the two murderers at one point. Of course, each criminal usually has a severely horrible upbringing, but I was upset that I was reading in slight empathy for the criminals, when I felt an almost absent connection to the Clutters. It took me Googling away to uncover more of the details of the family, the older sisters, or Nancy's boyfriend, to find the pieces that made them the whole of who they were together, and it was then that I felt the respect for the loving family, more than the book offered. I did read that there will be a Netflix documentary soon entitled <i>Cold Blooded</i>, and it is supposed to fill that gap on Capote's family insight. Another article I read alluded to the Clutter family not being very welcoming to Capote, finding him to be jumping on the story just to make money. It's understandable why they would feel that way. I would imagine it might not have felt very decent for the older sisters to discuss their family, so soon after the tragedy. Instead, Capote focused on the killers, which was detailed, shocking, saddening, and thoughtfully written. There might never be a true understanding on why the killers did what they did, but Capote was able to address the very real issue that there is a reason why some grow up to do what they do. It is frightening how easily led a person can be, and how easily corrupted a person can become.</div>
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Without a doubt, this will be one of my top favorite true crime stories. It's so extraordinarily written, a story told so well, that it's no surprise that after almost fifty years since its publication, it understandably known as the best true crime book of all time.</div>
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<b>About the Author (from Wikipedia)</b></div>
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Truman Capote was an American novelist, short story writer, screenwriter, playwright, and actor. <i>Breakfast at Tiffany's</i> (1958) and the true crime novel <i>In Cold Blood</i> (1966), which he labeled a "nonfiction novel". At least 20 films and television dramas have been produced from his work. Several of his short stories, novels, and plays have been praised as literary classics, including the novella</div>
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Natalie~Coffee and a Book Chickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12369504951819517390noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4324469465904961710.post-18641529763056874102019-01-16T11:22:00.000-05:002019-01-16T11:22:48.318-05:00Sky in the Deep, by Adrienne Young (Audiobook Review)<div style="text-align: justify;">
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I cannot believe I forgot to post a review on this, especially now when I'm trying so hard to be more frequent! Prepare for more "I forgot" blog posts as I read quite a bit in 2018 but I only wrote occasionally here. I didn't even post on Goodreads, I just read books and never reviewed or kept track of them. Me! Someone who likes to track everything and loves Bullet Journaling!<br />
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That was a side note. Anywho.</div>
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<i><a href="https://www.adrienneyoungbooks.com/books">Sky in the Deep</a></i> written by Adrienne Young was a phenomenal story narrated by the incomparable Khristine Hvam. I should have recognized this narrator's voice as I loved her for the <a href="http://www.coffeeandabookchick.com/search?q=khristine+hvam"><i>Daughter of Smoke and Bone</i> series</a> (I still have book 3 to listen to on Audible - these are the problems of a supposedly voracious book reader. There is just never enough time).</div>
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In this Viking tale, Eelyn is a loyal warrior of her clan who rivals with another clan centuries old, but when she sees her brother alive and fighting side-by-side with the rival clan on a battlefield five years after his supposed death, everything she once knew as the truth has been turned upside down.<br />
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This is a solid and exciting story of a very strong young lady who has to come to some acceptance that her brother is still alive, and with their rival clan. The betrayal she feels that he was always alive is palpable and heartfelt, and since she has to live with them during an impossibly difficult time to travel back to her own Viking clan, she also has to somehow live side-by-side with her sworn enemies. During this time, she comes to learn even more, and especially from her brother's best friend, Fiske. I was swept up in this story and especially loved how satisfyingly tough Eelyn was, without being overbearing and impossible to believe. Adrienne Young's writing has me looking forward to the companion novel.<br />
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And another side note: It's so refreshing to read these young adult stories nowadays with such strong female lead characters, and I know I would have enjoyed this when I was younger, considering I really wanted to be Luke Skywalker. What would the world be like today if stronger female representation was more consistent and natural in books, and other media, thirty years ago? Who knows, right?<br />
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<b>About the Author (from her website)</b><br />
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Adrienne Young is the New York Times Bestselling author of <i>Sky in the Deep</i> and the upcoming <i>The Girl the Sea Gave Back.</i> A born and bred Texan turned California girl, she is a foodie with a deep love of history and travel and a shameless addiction to coffee. When she’s not writing, you can find her on her yoga mat, scouring antique fairs for old books, sipping wine over long dinners, or disappearing into her favorite art museums. She lives with her documentary filmmaker husband and their four little wildlings beneath the West Coast sun.<br />
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Visit the author:<br />
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<li>On her <a href="https://www.adrienneyoungbooks.com/about">website</a></li>
<li>On <a href="https://www.facebook.com/adrienne.young.3154">Facebook</a></li>
<li>On <a href="https://twitter.com/adriennebooks">Twitter</a></li>
<li>On <a href="https://www.instagram.com/adrienneyoungbooks/">Instagram</a></li>
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Natalie~Coffee and a Book Chickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12369504951819517390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4324469465904961710.post-90685595349340909242018-12-27T11:59:00.000-05:002018-12-27T11:59:23.326-05:00The Cruel Prince, by Holly Black (a review of the audiobook)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The first installment of The Folk of the Air series, <i>The Cruel Prince</i> by Holly Black brings young adult fantasy to a fun and thrilling level at a time when I needed it the most.</div>
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When Jude is abducted by her real father in the human world after he murders her human parents, he spirits her and her two sisters away into the High Court of Faerie, Jude spends ten years learning to love this new world and even this father, a man who took away the only parents she ever knew. It is a world filled with magic and courts and secrets and thrilling twists and turns, a world that completely fulfilled my need to escape my reading slump. Not many turn to this category when a reading slump happens, and not many even care one bit about young adult books or fantasy tales when we are in our older years, but I'd like to remind you that most of us love<i> Game of Thrones</i> (actually called <a href="http://www.coffeeandabookchick.com/search?q=george+rr+martin"><i>A Song of Ice and Fire</i> series</a>) by George R.R. Martin. And when once we were all young, we read Judy Blume, or <i>Go Ask Alice</i> for tough subjects, we read J.K. Rowling, or J.R.R. Tolkien, and we loved books and movies like <i><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0088323/">The Neverending Story</a>,</i> <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0093779/"><i>The Princess Bride</i></a>, or <i> </i>(What? I never wrote a review of this??) and one of my favorites, <i><a href="http://www.coffeeandabookchick.com/2014/10/something-wicked-this-way-comes.html">Something Wicked This Way Comes</a> and</i> <a href="http://www.coffeeandabookchick.com/2012/12/the-hitchhikers-guide-to-galaxy-by.html" style="font-style: italic;">The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy</a>.</div>
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Back to this one, though (and I hope I've convinced you to give Young Adult fantasy tales a try). Holly Black's writing was exciting, toggling us between the land of faerie and the land of humans, graduating the audience from one level of Jude's plans to another, and I eagerly awaited each shift in scene when Jude's plans for knighthood are thwarted and she instead is thrust into a completely different world of games of politics and strategy. When the cruelest prince of them all, Prince Cardan is in line for the kingdom, surprise and shocking changes ensue when Jude's own father becomes more involved in a scheme unexpected by all.</div>
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Holly Black is a fantastic writer and <i>The Cruel Prince</i> makes me pine for the second installment, <i>The Wicked King</i>, which I believe is out now but I have to check my library app. The audiobook was narrated by Caitlin King, and many of you may know her voice as she has a bajillion books she's narrated (<a href="https://www.audible.com/search?searchNarrator=Caitlin+Kelly&ref=a_search_c3_lNarrator_1_1_1&pf_rd_p=e81b7c27-6880-467a-b5a7-13cef5d729fe&pf_rd_r=Q5CV5B206M8M3TQXC859&">click here</a> to see the available titles on Audible.com). <i>The Cruel Prince</i> is 12 hours and 36 minutes, and so many people say to me, "I can't sit that long and listen to a book." Yeah, me neither. I don't know many people who do. So since I do a ton of errands and drive my car and clean the house and do yard work, that's when I listen to audiobooks and podcasts, and my life is more enriched because of it. Check out Holly Black's <i>The Cruel Prince</i> or listen to the audiobook, and have a fantastic time. Can't wait for this to be turned into a mini-series of some sort.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYW4N7zOXv8677qdQ0j8YhzfOLW7Dom2ltqrgPQIwcTd91fyE2BAyFCXbpLuXLA1IqPidLM4FQc5U-HmZu-4KoTlGgj8JHoVHS7dGVYoB8cHd1C_SyIPwVkhLaJUHXxFxRHJYPIrpJvzI/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-12-27+at+12.42.18+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1282" data-original-width="1000" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYW4N7zOXv8677qdQ0j8YhzfOLW7Dom2ltqrgPQIwcTd91fyE2BAyFCXbpLuXLA1IqPidLM4FQc5U-HmZu-4KoTlGgj8JHoVHS7dGVYoB8cHd1C_SyIPwVkhLaJUHXxFxRHJYPIrpJvzI/s200/Screen+Shot+2018-12-27+at+12.42.18+PM.png" width="155" /></a></div>
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<b>About the Author (from her website)</b></div>
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Holly Black is the author of bestselling contemporary fantasy books for kids and teens. Some of her titles include <i>The Spiderwick Chronicles</i> (with Tony DiTerlizzi), <i>The Modern Faerie Tale</i> series, <i>The Curse Workers</i> series, <i>Doll Bones</i>, <i>The Coldest Girl in Coldtown</i>, <i>The Magisterium</i> series (with Cassandra Clare) and <i>The Darkest Part of the Forest</i>. She has been a a finalist for an Eisner Award, and the recipient of the Andre Norton Award, the Mythopoeic Award and a Newbery Honor. She currently lives in New England with her husband and son in a house with a secret door.</div>
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<b>Visit the Author</b></div>
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<li>On her <a href="https://blackholly.com/">website</a></li>
<li>On <a href="https://twitter.com/hollyblack">Twitter</a></li>
<li>On <a href="http://hollyblack.tumblr.com/">Tumblr</a></li>
<li>On <a href="https://www.facebook.com/HollyBlackFan">Facebook</a></li>
<li>On <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/hollyblack/">Pinterest</a></li>
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<br />Natalie~Coffee and a Book Chickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12369504951819517390noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4324469465904961710.post-89041807825797909612018-12-14T14:02:00.000-05:002018-12-14T14:02:30.982-05:00Wild, by Cheryl Strayed (a review of the audiobook)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaTyK-BdISs2NyncCTWCrPuKirdHAlQwUGFLdxSBPVnKwVMac8EsCawusJrjOMNWTYlB5ZpV5Xoj3ZyiEUB_T-pLv0KE18-vziyPMwxsPjFqxgwyrxp6QO-dxls4uM73Z5SIwcKaYhzgg/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-12-13+at+9.30.22+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="780" data-original-width="482" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaTyK-BdISs2NyncCTWCrPuKirdHAlQwUGFLdxSBPVnKwVMac8EsCawusJrjOMNWTYlB5ZpV5Xoj3ZyiEUB_T-pLv0KE18-vziyPMwxsPjFqxgwyrxp6QO-dxls4uM73Z5SIwcKaYhzgg/s640/Screen+Shot+2018-12-13+at+9.30.22+PM.png" width="394" /></a></div>
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Over the summer, in the chaos and hectic days of moving from Florida to Puerto Rico, I spent four months renting a house in my Dad's neighborhood so my son and I could have family right across the street while my husband located the perfect home for us. During that time, I was remotely helping my in-laws' Boston boating business during the extremely busy summer season, so I decided to enroll my son in a monthly summer camp. Thank God for that summer camp for him, and for me, Audible.com saved my sanity as well during my short breaks throughout the day. This excellent memoir of Cheryl Strayed kicking butt and walking miles after unforgiving miles following some of the most difficult and emotionally tangled and destructive points in her life, were astounding.<br />
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There were so many times over the years I had planned to read this. Stumbling across the memorable cover in a bookstore, or kicking myself when the movie came out and I thought to myself, "I have to read this before I watch the movie!" Which then meant I always kept putting it off. And I did miss out. I didn't realize then what I know now, which is that I <i>needed this book</i>. I <i>needed</i> to hear what this woman chose to do after all of the events in her life up to that point. I could have used this memoir to inspire me after my own separation and divorce almost two decades ago. I was so impressed by Strayed's decision to do a thing so wildly different than what the average individual struggling with a sudden and unexpected, devastating loss of a parent, followed by the downward spiral into drug addiction, along with her infidelity to her young husband (who, I felt, she treated fairly and respectfully throughout the memoir, owning her failures and mistreatment to him). I was wrapped up in this woman and her feisty and unsure decision to <i>just walk</i>, with a (to be expected) sometimes naive assumption of hopeful results, an overwhelmingly heavy pack on her back, but with a vigor and a faithfulness in this dream. As I listened to the remarkably narrated audiobook, I thought to myself, "why didn't I do something like this years ago? When my mother passed and my former husband and I had just divorced? Why didn't I do something different, something wild, to follow my instinct and guts, to throw it all out the window and <i>just be</i>?" I regret the years I didn't read this. I am confident this would have propelled me into something different at the time, something new. </div>
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I wept for Strayed when she encountered one obstacle after another as she walked the trail, I cheered her on to continue when she screamed out in disgust or anger or frustration, and I was madly obsessed with her overall willingness to just <i>keep going</i>. Because that's exactly how life is, isn't it? Somehow, we just keep plugging along, one foot in front of the other, trying to make the best out of all of the messes we create. In a vague and long life, we just make it happen, we just do it. In Strayed's time of just over 3 months to walk the Pacific Coast Trail, her life was singularly isolated and compacted into that stretch of trail, and she could view all of the missteps and mistakes, and identify some of the choices she now needed to make.<br />
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Books were a necessary weight for her, and I would feel the torture of painfully ripping pages out after she was done with it to make fires and relieve the burden on her back. She could never carry more than what she needed, and this human filled with flaws, regrets and hope, legitimately walked it all. She wasn't one of the many who would frequently stop and spend nights in a hotel. She had nothing except a self-esteem filled with confusion and sadness, and you certainly can't pay for a hotel room with that. So on she walked, 1,100 miles and 94 days, alone, hungry at times, with some pretty bad wicked blisters to contend with. But she never, ever gave up. Not once.</div>
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Side note: Following this book, I listened to Bill Bryson's <i>A Walk through the Woods</i> of the Appalachian Trail, and all I could think was, "Cheryl Strayed could beat Bill Bryson any day." Either by walking trails and writing. Sorry, Mr. Bryson, but I'm team Cheryl all the way, forever and ever. She didn't walk during the day and spend nights in hotels. She was an all out bad ass.</div>
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(<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/4330004-coffeebook-chick">Click here</a> to follow me on Goodreads or <a href="https://www.audible.com/pd/Wild-Audiobook/B0079LB0BG?qid=1544751095&sr=sr_1_3&ref=a_search_c3_lProduct_1_3&pf_rd_p=e81b7c27-6880-467a-b5a7-13cef5d729fe&pf_rd_r=GSBR0589YWG0H2DT0BB0&">click here</a> on Audible.com to listen to a sample.)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHV42d3RdNbMksnl1G5O6YzwLKsK_cTHJ-bSD4O3Pdp7RvGS-_rsTCo4HacPyteLLxVXaNKw3NY6853jEaiu9PHyWRjGG5XE_7SAhovxOFANIUGNgKrO_JKBDZRMZwvhFjpqjX_Sn02_A/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-12-13+at+9.31.44+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="452" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHV42d3RdNbMksnl1G5O6YzwLKsK_cTHJ-bSD4O3Pdp7RvGS-_rsTCo4HacPyteLLxVXaNKw3NY6853jEaiu9PHyWRjGG5XE_7SAhovxOFANIUGNgKrO_JKBDZRMZwvhFjpqjX_Sn02_A/s320/Screen+Shot+2018-12-13+at+9.31.44+PM.png" width="314" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.audible.com/pd/Wild-Audiobook/B0079LB0BG?qid=1544751095&sr=sr_1_3&ref=a_search_c3_lProduct_1_3&pf_rd_p=e81b7c27-6880-467a-b5a7-13cef5d729fe&pf_rd_r=GSBR0589YWG0H2DT0BB0&">Wild on Audible.com</a>:</div>
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<i>Wild is a powerful, blazingly honest memoir: the story of an 1100-mile solo hike that broke down a young woman reeling from catastrophe - and built her back up again. </i><i>At 22, Cheryl Strayed thought she had lost everything. In the wake of her mother's death, her family scattered and her own marriage was soon destroyed. Four years later, with nothing more to lose, she made the most impulsive decision of her life: to hike the Pacific Crest Trail from the Mojave Desert through California and Oregon to Washington State - and to do it alone. She had no experience as a long-distance hiker, and the trail was little more than “an idea, vague and outlandish and full of promise.” But it was a promise of piecing back together a life that had come undone. </i><i>Strayed faced down rattlesnakes and black bears, intense heat and record snowfalls, and both the beauty and loneliness of the trail. Told with great suspense and style, sparkling with warmth and humor, Wild vividly captures the terrors and pleasures of one young woman forging ahead against all odds on a journey that maddened, strengthened, and ultimately healed her.</i></blockquote>
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Movie thoughts: I watched Reese Witherspoon in <i>Wild</i>, and I think she knocked it out of the park. It was intense, beautiful, heart-wrenching, and filled with guilt so intensely felt that I owned this author's pain, once again. It was a beautiful adaptation. A movie just as good as the book. </div>
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<b>About the Author (from Wikipedia)</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyoTpQcmZSSfZKE9YbvhsTUW34ndxtq3RyTQT3_CcDxxLk9ph5lqNOsy4819FSTBdhQii_sB6lg_dkLtx9FPU3KFXFEDzWqvWDqBwo6Ba1ISVR_s6qVv94xQnJONDxIaUzwwjZn1pph8M/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-12-13+at+9.45.40+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="624" data-original-width="630" height="315" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyoTpQcmZSSfZKE9YbvhsTUW34ndxtq3RyTQT3_CcDxxLk9ph5lqNOsy4819FSTBdhQii_sB6lg_dkLtx9FPU3KFXFEDzWqvWDqBwo6Ba1ISVR_s6qVv94xQnJONDxIaUzwwjZn1pph8M/s320/Screen+Shot+2018-12-13+at+9.45.40+PM.png" width="320" /></a>Cheryl Strayed is an American memoirist, novelist, essayist and podcast host. The author of four books, her award-winning writing has been published widely in anthologies and major magazines. She's amazing, and her actual bio (<a href="http://www.cherylstrayed.com/bio.htm">click here</a>) is chockfull of all of her incredible nuances, life lessons, and general insights into her incredible personality.</div>
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Follow the author:</div>
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<li>On her <a href="http://www.cherylstrayed.com/">website</a></li>
<li>On <a href="https://twitter.com/CherylStrayed">Twitter</a></li>
<li>On <a href="http://instagram.com/cherylstrayed">Instagram</a></li>
<li>On <a href="https://www.facebook.com/CherylStrayed.Author">Facebook</a></li>
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Natalie~Coffee and a Book Chickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12369504951819517390noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4324469465904961710.post-90136071067162654892018-12-12T21:30:00.000-05:002018-12-12T21:30:26.424-05:00I'll be Gone in the Dark, by Michelle McNamara<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKnuDiUNCNCFm1DH5s341jc43v1bHJO6htYqKpfHNJMkUDlVDUzFl1mgzOTtprXx_FgcA9Hf2X06DCZrsqhCetz0t1gNXiDp6MF9Oa593zZSuOtueNw0tMjg2mMuJ7-3MDVzbW09Ht-4Y/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-12-11+at+9.33.52+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="942" data-original-width="634" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKnuDiUNCNCFm1DH5s341jc43v1bHJO6htYqKpfHNJMkUDlVDUzFl1mgzOTtprXx_FgcA9Hf2X06DCZrsqhCetz0t1gNXiDp6MF9Oa593zZSuOtueNw0tMjg2mMuJ7-3MDVzbW09Ht-4Y/s640/Screen+Shot+2018-12-11+at+9.33.52+AM.png" width="428" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">If you’re a true crime fan, stop reading this and just pick up I'll be Gone in the Dark. Now.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Even if you have zero interest in true crime, I urge you to read this. Read the enthralling words Michelle McNamara so easily placed on a page, that made it so easy to read and to become invested in. Her honesty in her writing will suck you in and I have no doubt you will finish this book quickly. And I hope it will remind you of one thing, so very important in today's new world. We have to be vigilant, to watch over one other. Don't cast away something that might be a key tip in a case. It might be nothing, or it could be the tipping point. McNamara's quest to solve this case makes me sit in awe and wonder of her dedication and reminded me that whether we like it or not, we are all responsible for each other.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">With the increased popularity in true crime podcasts, or documentaries such as "Making a Murderer" and blogs like McNamara's own </span><i style="font-family: times, "times new roman", serif;"><a href="http://truecrimediary.com/">True Crime Diary</a></i><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> bringing cold cases to light</span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">, it is absolutely pivotal that we each take an active role in our communities. It is our responsibility to pay attention, to be aware. Make the phone calls to police if we have seen anything. Don't let our insight or an icky feeling we have about something we've seen sit idle. It is our job as caring people and good citizens, partners in this world against evil, to tell that "thing" to someone, whatever it might be, to relay what we know to the authorities and then stay on top of it. Be active. Fight crime, no matter how small you think it might be. </span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"></span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"></span><span style="font-family: times, "times new roman", serif;">We no longer live in a time where we can brush it off and say something ridiculous like, "I don't want to get involved."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">McNamara coined the name the Golden State Killer in 2011 and her book, published posthumously, was partially finished when she tragically passed at the young age of 46 just a couple of years ago. She died in her sleep, a combination of regular medicine to help her get some rest after night after night of insomnia as she managed victim's phone calls, pursued clues, got close to writing deadlines, and she took what seems to me a regular amount of medication to finally get the rest she needed. But with an undiagnosed condition of artery blockage, the medical combination resulted in her to not survive that much needed rest she needed. I remember the news and I was stunned. It seemed an innocent combination, and that doggone undiagnosed medical condition messed everything up. It made me ponder at what might have been.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Gillian Flynn, author of one of my favorite books <a href="http://www.coffeeandabookchick.com/2010/07/sharp-objects-by-gillian-flynn.html">Sharp Objects</a>, (side note: I pretty much skipped as many networking business meetings in Las Vegas years ago as I could so I could contentedly sit in my hotel room by my window and occasionally stare at the gorgeous mountains while reading a book that was so intensely dark and amazing). Flynn wrote the introduction and covers her admiration for, and friendship with, the gutsy and dogged author. I'll be Gone in the Dark is so incredibly well-written, I finished it on, coincidentally, my recent vacation to Vegas last week. (Another side note: apparently my new tradition is to read dark tales while visiting Sin City).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">The blogging community was small when McNamara first started, and I wish I had learned about her at the start. This is the type of work, the pursuit and obsession I envy and would have likely devoted time to as well, had I been structured and focused. I probably would have emailed her to ask how I could help. I could have created spreadsheets for her and basically even just gotten her a virtual cup of coffee if she needed it. I wish I knew her back when I blogged consistently, this woman who was basically a detective/investigative journalist in her obsessive and incredible search for the truth of the Golden State Killer.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">I have an idea, but I would love to know what her reaction would have been to know that the man who attacked one right after another, sometimes in the same neighborhood or close proximity to another victim (even two who were in the same carpool) during his terror in the 1970s was FINALLY arrested this year. The same man who in 2001, at the age of 55, called a victim who he hadn't spoken to in 3 decades and re-victimized her all over again by whispering in clenched teeth over the phone to her about her fateful night with him decades before. I imagine McNamara would have been working on adrenaline, fear on making sure this was definitely the right man, but also a slight amount of guarded excitement. The man was unmasked. He had "walked into the light," as the letter at the end of her book had persuaded. She wanted this answer, needed this name. She deserved it, along with the investigators and others who searched so diligently.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Michelle McNamara was a true crime fighter. She embodied it, invested her life in it, obsessively investigated just as any police detective on a case still does, years after it's gone cold, a case that haunts their days and nights. It mattered to her, the victims and the families, and it especially mattered to her that the East Area Rapist/the Original Night Stalker was found. This guy was as prolific and as predatory and as scary throughout the state as one can imagine and he brutally terrorized his victims. Had she not passed at 46 a couple of years ago, I have no doubt she would have been the one to find him, or at least be an active partner with the detectives, sitting in the car with them and jotting notes down, her adrenaline pumping during their surveillance, and who eventually arrested him in April of this year. She worked so closely with those investigators, and her incredible research team of Billy Jensen and Paul Haynes who finished her book and did one hell of a fine job with it. When the detectives knocked on Joseph James Deangelo's door to take him away, I can imagine the words she would have crafted to power through her tears of angry and fulfilled satisfaction. I don't know if she would have felt done with it all, but she would have been able to begin mapping out this man's life with the dates she catalogued and her theories and other's' speculations to see what they were right or wrong about, to learn about each part would catapult their new knowledge and expertise for the next case. This new knowledge would be powerfully executed in their next investigations. It would have been an empire of closures sought, vengeances wrought, and criminals found and convicted. I just know it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">This story is phenomenally told, extremely well-written, and the image of her dedicating the past six years of her life to this case, to solving it and bringing closure to this group of people who experienced such terror, is so incredibly honorable, I can only sit at my own laptop and wish I could be a little bit like her. She mastered the art of "laptop sleuthing" a cold case and managing the "intersection of modern day technology." She would search the Internet for hours on end to find stolen items that might be a victim's taken during one of these crimes from decades ago, or she would diligently go through thousands of names and eliminate each name one-by-one. This multi-faceted devotion to solve the case paints the strong picture of how much she cared, REALLY cared.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">There's no other way to describe her, in my opinion. She's a hero. She's an honest-to-God downright American hero. My description of her might make her laugh, or shrug it off, or think I've gone bonkers, but hey, I've had this teeny blog of mine for almost 10 years and all I do is write reviews. I write whether I liked or didn't like a book. I went through Stage 3 cancer, chemo and radiation, and even though it's all in my rear view mirror, I look at my blog and think, "what now?" What can I do to make a difference? I never used my blog for the pursuit of knowledge and justice. She did. I cannot stop thinking about all the work she did. I'm not speechless, I'm instead filled with accolades and downright respect to her because she turned her work, her captivating writing into something that really mattered, something that helped others. She worked side-by-side with detectives, became friends with them and the surviving victims and their families and really, it seemed she was the conduit between investigators and victims and all of us. Her place in this world was set, and now there is a void, a significant one. Her writing is penetrating, starkly relatable and her passion is powerful.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Always fascinated by true crime and especially unsolved murders ever since a neighbor was brutally killed and the killer was never found, she skillfully used today’s online world to kick some serious laptop sleuthing to uncover clues and ask the question over and over again, “who did it?” Who was this man? Joseph James Deangelo. He's 72. He sits in jail and I don't believe he's entered a plea yet. He can't use old age to try to minimize his sentence. He needs to plead guilty to everything, and he needs to provide an allocution, an explanation why for each and every horrible act he committed. Victims need to know this, criminologists need this to confirm their theories. We need to know. We need to learn so we can be better at figuring the next one out sooner. We need to be passionate, to take McNamara's vigor and find our own passion and ultimately help each other. That's what we all can do now. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Final side note because someone will ask: Michele McNamara was married to Patton Oswalt, Hollywood comedian, actor, and father of their young daughter. He's so funny and the bottom line is he was in love with his pretty bad ass wife.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>About the Author</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYPDIPc9tziGK98iBNtogufl1YLP-WSr5VHqITjKNOC3St64Tq2Xc7mxxu3OYGGXUTpsI1pUU2C54DjriPs_63WpUgx_iWAGkW7TmGk_k6N9kz_qYk8Pv-NNy9hIfnV4mEaar2xUABxSU/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-12-12+at+10.25.51+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="748" data-original-width="1320" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYPDIPc9tziGK98iBNtogufl1YLP-WSr5VHqITjKNOC3St64Tq2Xc7mxxu3OYGGXUTpsI1pUU2C54DjriPs_63WpUgx_iWAGkW7TmGk_k6N9kz_qYk8Pv-NNy9hIfnV4mEaar2xUABxSU/s400/Screen+Shot+2018-12-12+at+10.25.51+PM.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Just check out her site <i><a href="http://truecrimediary.com/">True Crime Diary</a></i>. </span><span style="font-family: times, "times new roman", serif;">Get her book </span><a href="https://www.harpercollins.com/9780062319784/ill-be-gone-in-the-dark/" style="font-family: times, "times new roman", serif;">here</a><span style="font-family: times, "times new roman", serif;"> or listen to the audiobook </span><a href="https://www.audible.com/ep/title/?asin=B0783PG2L9&source_code=GO1GBSH09091690EI&device=d&ds_rl=1262685&ds_rl=1263561&ds_rl=1260658&cvosrc=ppc.google.i%27ll%20be%20gone%20in%20the%20dark&cvo_campaign=250472289&cvo_crid=258990265185&Matchtype=e&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI85OVzcub3wIVlozICh3rxAYgEAAYASAAEgJQBfD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds" style="font-family: times, "times new roman", serif;">here</a><span style="font-family: times, "times new roman", serif;">. </span><span style="font-family: times, "times new roman", serif;">She's incredible. </span><br />
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Natalie~Coffee and a Book Chickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12369504951819517390noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4324469465904961710.post-77782911334131060662018-11-29T09:28:00.000-05:002018-11-29T09:28:23.914-05:00An Update on Life in Puerto Rico - a journal entry<div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="3jq3l" data-offset-key="fr3d8-0-0" style="background-color: white;">
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<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">I love it here.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #1d2129;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Do people move at their own pace? Yes. Can it get frustrating when there's maybe a better way, a more efficient way, of doing something? Yes. (I'm recalling the vet clinic or dropping the Toyota off for servicing, that didn't have appointments, so you just wait all day until it's your turn... so yes, that was frustrating. I did roll my eyes all the time, which I'm now embarrassed about). It isn't called "island time" for nothing (and hey, there are a ton of things back in the States that I would shake my head at and think it could have been done better). But who says my way is the right way anyway, you know what I mean?
Are people really nice here? Yes. Are they understanding when you try to speak Spanish and you can't and they do their very best to trip over their own English and go out of their way to help you? Yes. I had my own culture shock when first moving here and about a month ago, according to my </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #1d2129;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-LhsIhnYUMoedp6sJxiDaCIEiHEBzYldZuPQFNg3R1Uvdv7FHPvF2XUqQ3NLV-DfUbjaWt7QPsggznCa0-ogqUBTI7UeCKxXSEK9AowGBko_ipdGITmHR7N4TPHYaC5NF4afFiPbLKGg/s1600/IMG_6376.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-LhsIhnYUMoedp6sJxiDaCIEiHEBzYldZuPQFNg3R1Uvdv7FHPvF2XUqQ3NLV-DfUbjaWt7QPsggznCa0-ogqUBTI7UeCKxXSEK9AowGBko_ipdGITmHR7N4TPHYaC5NF4afFiPbLKGg/s320/IMG_6376.JPG" width="240" /></a></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #1d2129;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">journal, that </span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">culture shock just stopped. I fell in love with the house even more so, I loved that the weather was cooler and the mosquitoes were on hiatus, and I relished in the slowness of it all. I started recognizing people in town and saying hello and stopping to talk with them. I'm so thankful to my husband, Jason, for providing us with this new chapter in our lives. I love our new home and I love this new change in thinking.
I learned you can't live here with a cocky attitude, or frustrated all the time at the differences. You really do have to just shed the old world for how things are here, and just accept that things take longer, or that it's just different than the way you might have done things. It's different. We're not going to change the cultural flow of things here, so it's best to just ride the wave and not fight it. Things are different everywhere in the world. That's why I was so excited to come here, for Dominic to experience this. It's only been 3 months, but we're now finding a rhythm, a routine and now it feels like home. We have our favorite spots, and we know which way to go now without using the GPS (and that is an achievement)! </span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-small;">We love the cat and the cat loves Dominic!</span></i></td></tr>
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We wanted this new experience in our family's history together. To do something different, to try something new, to experience something that we would remember forever as a family. That's what I remember as a kid growing up with my family in the Philippines or Venezuela or Greece. Sort of throwing away that first-world luxury and expectation and sometimes, arrogance. I'm ashamed by my own attitude when first moving here, how frustrated I would get (in my meager defense, I did have over 70 mosquito bites, after all). In 3 months, I've learned a lot about myself, my own level of patience, my approach to things. It's weird how it just happened, and I hope I stay this way. The things that used to annoy me so quickly are totally fine now. I'm not flaunting my supposed knowledge on how someone can do it better. Who cares? Let it go. And who says I'm right anyway?</div>
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<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Everyone can learn to change, can learn to adjust to new</span>
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things. It's not always fancy in the world. And so I absolutely can state that I love it here and am so excited for all the adventures we've already had and the new and fun ones soon to come. We've been through a lot in the past four years, with the cancer I had and the double mastectomy, chemo and radiation that consumed us for two years, and with Jason starting a new job right after that in which the first year he was only home on weekends. We've been through a lot, and we are thankful to God for this opportunity. We love it here. We have a chance to be kinder, to be happier, and to appreciate life.</div>
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We are all in.
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Natalie~Coffee and a Book Chickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12369504951819517390noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4324469465904961710.post-81885544218819221212018-10-02T11:52:00.002-04:002018-10-02T11:52:56.568-04:00Life Right Now... in Puerto Rico<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>folios and traveler's notebooks by <a href="http://www.sojournerusa.net/">Sojourner USA</a></i></td></tr>
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There is always a reason for why things happen.<br />
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Life is a completely different experience right now. With an incredible opportunity that my husband had, we made the decision to move for the next four years to Puerto Rico, a Caribbean island that is a United States territory and found a beautiful 100-year-old home on the southwest part of the island on a mountain. In the past two months of our new life, we've had several moments of pure glee at our new experience, and then moments where we dearly miss the comforts of the States.</div>
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<br class="Apple-interchange-newline" />Here's a quick overview of life: I was born in Manila, and lived in Venezuela and Greece. I grew up in Maryland, married once, divorced once, moved from Maryland, to Virginia, to North Carolina, to Minnesota, and then to Virginia Beach where I met the love of my life, married again, got pregnant through IVF treatments, and promptly had a gorgeous fat little boy who saved my life because he never wanted breast milk. Because if he had taken to my breast, it would have been an even longer time before I got that somewhat large lump rechecked. That means the evil breast cancer that had started in my right breast would have spread much more and much further than to 39 out of 53 lymph nodes in my right armpit. My story would have been very different. The Stage 3 breast cancer which required a double mastectomy, chemo and radiation, could have been even worse. So I will always say that my son saved my life. Because he absolutely did.<br />
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I've anointed our house as the "Hemingway Hideaway" since it reminds me of Hemingway's Key West home. The gothic beauty of vegetation and island life and palm trees and fruits dropping into our backyard is beautiful and extravagant at times, but there is another reality of living on a mountain without air conditioning on the main floor, without a dishwasher or garbage disposal, with a kitchen door that swings open easily to a gorgeous outdoor patio but also means those bugs and mosquitos and spiders I'm so scared of can also easily come right into where I live, too.<br />
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So, yes, that's challenging and different, but so hard to complain about because really - how can you complain when the view is beyond imaginable and God's artistry is so apparent? How can I complain when we have a pool that I can jump into anytime I want? Life here reminds me of all the many things I have always taken for granted living in the States. So this is my reminder. What my soul and spirit needed to become even stronger and thoughtful and aware. These are the things for which I wanted to come here, to raise my son here, for him to build his memory bank with moments of difference and language and beauty. I wanted to harshly remember that life is a luxury no matter where you live, that each breath is precious and that each place in the world can be different, unusual, quirky, delicious, frightening, fun, and always to be respected, even in the midst of homesickness and culture variances that make you doubt every decision made. The reminders that there is more outside of where you live and that one step outside the door each morning should bring you that awareness in some way.<br />
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Life in Puerto Rico in this mountain home is fun and crazy and frustrating. I don't know of anyone who really enjoys walking up the stairs and looking out onto the same balcony with the same incredible view that is only just a few feet from your bedroom and noticing that just past that open door, there is a five-foot boa constrictor very comfortably curled up on the corner of the balcony in the sun. That's not really a moment anyone seeks to accomplish, not a task on anyone's list to check off in a day, to try and figure out how to make a snake that big and that scary looking, go far, far away from your home and pets. But even in that, there was value, precious value in that crazy moment. For that moment is now a memory my son has tucked away into his memory bank, that he can draw on in the future to share with his friends and his family about his childhood. Even now, I laugh loudly about how my husband, son and I banded together like The Walking Dead, and with two hockey sticks and a trash can, we snagged and released that big boy back into the jungle in 22 minutes. Later, when the dust of the moment settled, it was an interesting feeling. We just encountered a boa constrictor. On our balcony. Our home. And we worked together. And laughed and high-fived that we accomplished this together and didn't run in fear. This is life now. It seemed familiar, it was our new world now and didn't seem like a big deal anymore.<br />
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Life is so sweet and precious. I know I took things for granted before and I will try harder in this life. So I'll take every single snake, mosquito and separation from the things I'm used to because God let me live one more day. Somehow I escaped a ride of cancer and chemo and much, much scarier things from the past four years, which are in my rear view mirror, and I can look at the snake on my balcony and not be all the way scared. I still experience doubt, anxiety, depression and fear in my vulnerable moments, and especially when I have my annual check-ups, but it feels further away from the quaking, dark hole of fear and despair, and closer to God. Closer to faith. It's happening, as I type these very words, that peaceful transformation of contentment flowing over me and I don't want that to end. I know I'll have my moments, the imperfections that make me human. But I believe I can do this. I believe I can choose faith over fear. I will try to practice yoga every morning on that same balcony. I hope for more good days than bad. I pray for those thriving with cancer each day and I will mediate and talk to God. I will be faithful to Him, my life, to my very dreams of creativity that I once tucked away, and I will devote everything to my incredibly strong husband and my life-saving son. I will give them my very all. Because everything was almost all taken away from me much too soon.<br />
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Natalie~Coffee and a Book Chickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12369504951819517390noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4324469465904961710.post-5094127593461435772018-07-21T14:58:00.000-04:002018-07-21T14:58:25.623-04:00American Fire, by Monica Hesse<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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My husband and I lived in Virginia Beach for a short time, and we would frequently travel up and down the 23-mile bridge on US 13 to get over to Annapolis, and many a time I made the drive alone for work. I preferred when my husband was driving because I am one of those people who love gazing at passing towns, wondering about the people who live there. And the Eastern Shore of Virginia is beautiful, and seemingly quiet. Unfortunately, we never stopped, even though we planned to. The next time I'm back in Virginia, you can bet I will stop, even if it's just the jam and fruit stand on the side of the road, or to take a picture of an aging motel. I remember one having a funky art deco vibe (I'm still trying to find out if the Whispering Pines Motel was off of US 13 or another road). Either way, if you look up the Virginia map, you'll find a hidden segment of the Commonwealth of Virginia that is right across a bridge and a part that no one ever thinks of. Most assume it's part of Maryland.<br />
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I'm so glad this local library featured this book, all the way down here in Florida. I happened to walk by the shelves while my four-year-old son tore through to the kids' section. I obviously had to check it out because it was about THOSE fires.</div>
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I remember when it first started and thought how random they were, how they would sprout up. No one was ever hurt and they were usually old houses or buildings, abandoned for some time. Of course, rumor had it that it was just a bunch of kids, because hey, kids in the middle of nowhere always get blamed for stuff like this. Then, after one fire after another started, the news became real. There was an arsonist in the area. And then, when all the fires fizzled out and the highs and lows of watching the news concluded after about six months, one woman and one man were arrested. A couple, supposedly madly in love, were an arsonist pair. Charlie had previous infractions with the law as a recovering addict, and Tonya really had nothing on her record. They both had their own businesses and were trying to make a life together, but something made them do this. Although Tonya is adamant that she had nothing to do with it, they were both charged, and Tonya was looked as the one with all the ideas. Together, they completely freaked out the area, with everyone wondering which building was next. </div>
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No one ever really understands the amount of man hours and dollars that go into catching a suspect, with trying to profile, stake out, and call on resources from all over the area, from other law enforcement to professors. Monica Hesse, the author, spent this time with each individual reviewing those items, and it's clear she has much respect for the work they did to catch this very oddly-paired Bonnie and Clyde arsonist team that made horrible choices that still have not been understood. Since Charlie was the only who talked to law enforcement and admitted to everything, details are really only from him; Tonya kept herself aloof and closed off, so it was easy to pin her as their ringleader. Charlie wasn't creative enough to come up with good lies, so he just told it as it was, and Tonya, with her way with words, and her quick poetry posts on Facebook, made it crafty and bizarre by staying silent and maintaining her innocence.<br />
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I don't read a lot of true crime or non-fiction books and this one was awesome, so I started getting nosey and probably thinking too much. I wonder what would have happened if a woman interrogated Tonya. If a woman who had it all together, and acted like Tonya couldn't possibly have been the one with the ideas, who would give credit to Charlie. Would that have threatened Tonya's ego and would she have confessed? Tonya seemed confident enough to manipulate people, maybe bored with life, or annoyed in her relationship with Charlie that I believe if a woman had questioned her, and gave credit to Charlie, Tonya may very well have gotten angry by a confident female officer and just spilled the truth to gain the credit.<br />
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And then, to add more interest, an <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Burned-Z-Jasmine-BelFord/dp/1514413558/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1531840241&sr=8-1&keywords=z.+jasmine+belford">anonymous book</a>, <i>Burned</i>, by Z. Jasmine BelFord happened to be published on Amazon. It came out while Tonya was out on bail. It was about a couple, not named Tonya and Charlie, but named... Sonya and Harley. It took place in Accolake County, not Accomac County. Yeah... I don't think it's a stretch to assume Tonya wrote it. And then because I'm fascinated by it all, I called the main number for the publishing company and the call center representative said that the author account was in the name of "Mr. Dickerson." Wouldn't you know it, there is a Frank Dickerson in this whole story, and he happened to be Tonya's only character witness during her trial. Interesting, huh?<br />
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I bought the book. I'm reading it now. It's got a similar sense of Tonya's poems every few chapters and so far is solely from the perspective of after "Sonya" was arrested.<br />
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This was an interesting book and I'm probably more into it because I lived in Virginia Beach when it happened and I remember the news reports. I wish this book included a map with a pin for where all the fires occurred, and I still want to know why Accomac County and Accomack the city are spelled the way they were. Enjoy and read away! It is fascinating.<br />
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<b>About the Author (from her website)</b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwXGAEKDsvSNqgegnx9yUpehhkdNyyn5Sd4FJgpVoWNpRy5zI8BDEU6FK2R7nPqbKEHm2eO7GPvzK1XxRFBeg1XCng3N13Wqpv-eziYnBc5mjW-Y8pP46XO0UvIG-iMYxCrtAjLTz9fQk/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-07-21+at+2.45.11+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="560" data-original-width="750" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwXGAEKDsvSNqgegnx9yUpehhkdNyyn5Sd4FJgpVoWNpRy5zI8BDEU6FK2R7nPqbKEHm2eO7GPvzK1XxRFBeg1XCng3N13Wqpv-eziYnBc5mjW-Y8pP46XO0UvIG-iMYxCrtAjLTz9fQk/s320/Screen+Shot+2018-07-21+at+2.45.11+PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>
Monica Hesse is the national bestselling author of the true crime love story American Fire and the Edgar Award-winning young adult historical mystery novel Girl in the Blue Coat, which has been translated into a dozen languages and was shortlisted for the American Booksellers Association's Indies Choice Award. She is a feature writer for the Washington Post, where she has covered royal weddings, dog shows, political campaigns, Academy Awards ceremonies, White House state dinners, and some events that felt like a mixture of all of the above. She has talked about these stories, and other things, on NBC, MSNBC, CNN, CSPAN, FOX and NPR, and she has been a winner of the Society for Feature Journalism's Narrative Storytelling award, and a finalist for a Livingston Award and a James Beard Award. Monica lives in Maryland. with her husband and a brainiac dog.<br />
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<b>Visit the Author</b><br />
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<ul>
<li>On her <a href="https://www.monicahesse.com/">website</a></li>
<li>On <a href="https://www.facebook.com/monica.hesse.7">Facebook</a></li>
<li>On <a href="https://twitter.com/MonicaHesse">Twitter</a></li>
</ul>
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Natalie~Coffee and a Book Chickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12369504951819517390noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4324469465904961710.post-9264625569967562082018-06-17T13:05:00.000-04:002018-06-17T13:05:35.878-04:00The Interestings, by Meg Wolitzer<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIEQQwoY3rR2zOr6Q5SULGiP6nkPhW_E-7sauE8NTwzTJOytiCdH2OI1dkhDIpxBYUjP6YsY4EYQmlBGeqKT7PcApX6UJ1x5sVgGc_ikEU25WwKtRN_-Z5Axk_GUleOuqGQRyMA9DIVgc/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-06-14+at+11.01.16+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="978" data-original-width="646" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIEQQwoY3rR2zOr6Q5SULGiP6nkPhW_E-7sauE8NTwzTJOytiCdH2OI1dkhDIpxBYUjP6YsY4EYQmlBGeqKT7PcApX6UJ1x5sVgGc_ikEU25WwKtRN_-Z5Axk_GUleOuqGQRyMA9DIVgc/s640/Screen+Shot+2018-06-14+at+11.01.16+PM.png" width="422" /></a></div>
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My heart. This book. Here's how my life intersects with this story: Years ago, when I book blogged regularly, I luckily received an uncorrected proof of Meg Wolitzer's <i>The Interestings</i> from Riverhead Books, a division of Penguin Group. I started reading it and fell immediately in love. It had the feel of Donna Tartt's <i>A Secret History</i>, which is one of my favorite stores.</div>
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<i>The Interestings</i> has a lull, a full story to be told of kids who meet at a summer camp in the '70s and then their naturally unfolded lives over a period of forty years, some in directions they hoped for and some resigned to what they never could become. I stopped reading partway through, because of the detour in my own life with breast cancer, a double mastectomy, chemo, just when my son had turned seven-months-old. I was, well... distracted, of course. With that time now firmly in my rear view mirror (thank you, God), and because of our big move to Puerto Rico and packing up my studio office a few months ago, I came across this book and my bookmark still in place of where I left off. </div>
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I read through this furiously and quickly and fell in love with the story all over again, and it was like I had never put it down. Read this, absorb it. Every page is magic.</div>
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Originally published on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BiICwA4AylA/?taken-by=coffeebookchick">my Instagram</a>.</div>
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<b>About the Author (from her website)</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaJPOVoEKDTEdTOZ1podpncWOO7gxy7CqWG6tsMOal0MzTl3fNr6ce5yPcTn173oukPsTnqv7VsBegoVKmvP6di_SUTgjaHciDpfjHundTxlgOUTSCD1qS_dWKhyphenhyphensCnO2InAKuka0Xfj0/s1600/20935079_1461905103885034_1606974020190760280_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1533" data-original-width="1533" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaJPOVoEKDTEdTOZ1podpncWOO7gxy7CqWG6tsMOal0MzTl3fNr6ce5yPcTn173oukPsTnqv7VsBegoVKmvP6di_SUTgjaHciDpfjHundTxlgOUTSCD1qS_dWKhyphenhyphensCnO2InAKuka0Xfj0/s200/20935079_1461905103885034_1606974020190760280_o.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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Meg Wolitzer is the New York Times–bestselling author of <i>The Interestings</i>, <i>The Uncoupling</i>, <i>Ten-Year Nap,</i> <i>The Position</i>, <i>The Wife</i>, and <i>Sleepwalking</i>. She is also the author of the young adult novel <i>Belzhar</i>. Wolitzer lives in New York City.</div>
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Visit her on:</div>
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<li>Her <a href="http://www.megwolitzer.com/">website</a></li>
<li><a href="https://twitter.com/MegWolitzer">Twitter</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.instagram.com/MegWolitzer/">Instagram</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.facebook.com/meg.wolitzer">Facebook</a></li>
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Natalie~Coffee and a Book Chickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12369504951819517390noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4324469465904961710.post-76126779291705351622018-06-11T16:11:00.003-04:002018-06-11T16:11:56.396-04:00The Moon and More, by Sarah Dessen<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnw8Q_kgmLonKxBPZnPFQYwgISEkCmTXKHpzwI-1bkuReP-30c5Yi9bsCcU7j2AVbdtaQFeAphKiD2X0odmktxMYFYW3cFQUgy2_KLFDzuA239UmKcNeuf8VbEmu-kSsDoh6nIuY9r1Pc/s1600/The+Moon+and+More.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1186" data-original-width="782" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnw8Q_kgmLonKxBPZnPFQYwgISEkCmTXKHpzwI-1bkuReP-30c5Yi9bsCcU7j2AVbdtaQFeAphKiD2X0odmktxMYFYW3cFQUgy2_KLFDzuA239UmKcNeuf8VbEmu-kSsDoh6nIuY9r1Pc/s640/The+Moon+and+More.png" width="421" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px;">I just finished <i>The Moon and More</i> and it was my first time reading young adult author Sarah Dessen (</span><a class="notranslate" href="https://www.instagram.com/sdessen/" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #003569; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">@sdessen</a>) <span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px;">and it won’t be my last, no doubt about that. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px;">Why have I waited so long to read her work? I will not make that mistake again.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Emaline is smart and ambitious, wanting more out of life in the last summer before she leaves the small touristy beach town she’s lived in her whole life for college and is feeling extremely guilty about it at the same time. She’s got a great family and a great boyfriend, but things take a different direction when her biological father comes to town to settle matters at a beach house, bringing her younger half-brother with him. She’s never had a relationship with either of them, except for disappointments from her absent father, especially recently when things seemed to round the bend whenever they discussed her education and college and her future. There’s also a filmmaker in town to put together a documentary on a local friend they never knew was an artist, and working on the film is an intern who makes things even more complicated for her after her boyfriend of three years lets her down. And throughout it all, there is a sense of an internal foundation Emaline has that anchors her, keeps her grounded through the pain of disappointments from what it seems like just about everyone.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Wise beyond her years but still young and sometimes naive, this is one of my favorite moments between Emaline and her mother that I think encapsulates life overall:</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">"But you’re right. You’re a big girl now. I can’t protect you anymore from everything. Especially yourself." She looked away, then back at me, taking a step forward. "But know this, Emaline. The mistakes you make now count. Not for everything, and not forever. But they do matter, and they shape you. If you take nothing else from what I’ve been through, at least remember this: make your choices well. Because you’ll always be accountable for them. That’s what being an adult is all about."</span></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"> <span style="text-align: justify;"><i>FTC Disclosure: I checked this book out of the public library.</i></span></span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">About the Author</span></b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9UHKIiqS8GvS_SGGNWNXvzUJOkFBQOX2M5rPcrcc09FkpJf3WJ2SHPaUqypiL1iC13tHwTObYxTAsJuEmbpUUoSUVRg82ZT4BU66plMXCrZG9PpGkoBXmsDDflv8ufGwo9NP9f_sRSEY/s1600/Sarah+Dessen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="806" data-original-width="540" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9UHKIiqS8GvS_SGGNWNXvzUJOkFBQOX2M5rPcrcc09FkpJf3WJ2SHPaUqypiL1iC13tHwTObYxTAsJuEmbpUUoSUVRg82ZT4BU66plMXCrZG9PpGkoBXmsDDflv8ufGwo9NP9f_sRSEY/s200/Sarah+Dessen.jpg" width="133" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Sarah Dessen is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of over a dozen novels for teens, which have received numerous awards and rave reviews. Her books have been published in over thirty countries and have sold millions of copies worldwide. She is the recipient of the 2017 Margaret A. Edwards Award from the American Library Association for outstanding contribution to young adult literature for her novels: Keeping the Moon, Dreamland, This Lullaby, The Truth about Forever, Just Listen, Along for the Ride, and What Happened to Goodbye. Her newest novel, Once and for All, will be released in June 2017. An NC native, she currently lives in Chapel Hill with her family.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Visit the author:</span></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">On her <a href="http://sarahdessen.com/">website</a></span></li>
<li>On <a href="https://www.facebook.com/sarahdessenbooks">Facebook</a></li>
<li>On <a href="https://twitter.com/sarahdessen">Twitter</a></li>
<li>On <a href="https://www.instagram.com/sdessen/">Instagram</a></li>
</ul>
Natalie~Coffee and a Book Chickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12369504951819517390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4324469465904961710.post-20969686589511612142018-05-07T11:46:00.000-04:002018-05-07T11:46:15.304-04:00The Power of Habit, by Charles Duhigg (audiobook review)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj4JjtB4ndfLLAKW5C53mlBE8ng3hv13EtYADbMfBM1_bkmTMsIaMp2SNOeSJWZJZbaEWEvloJgk4wpCbj19pt9gWdKShOQPRPcBMxkeTPxZpI8NmdmYazJp68Em6bfwhOAam4T6s0unM/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-05-07+at+11.23.29+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="452" data-original-width="450" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj4JjtB4ndfLLAKW5C53mlBE8ng3hv13EtYADbMfBM1_bkmTMsIaMp2SNOeSJWZJZbaEWEvloJgk4wpCbj19pt9gWdKShOQPRPcBMxkeTPxZpI8NmdmYazJp68Em6bfwhOAam4T6s0unM/s400/Screen+Shot+2018-05-07+at+11.23.29+AM.png" width="397" /></a></div>
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When once I proudly proclaimed I would never read a self-help or self-awareness book, or any type of non-fiction that would steer me in any one particular direction, I now cannot put them down. I always stayed away from self-help sections in the bookstores, and now, in my early forties after battling breast cancer, with a toddler who runs my day and life chapters changing each minute (most recently for some really amazing opportunities!), I am easily drawn towards any book that will help actualize my fears, anxieties, change behaviors, learn more, deal more, live better and live happier.</div>
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It's been an interesting and absolutely challenging four years. I used to blog all the time and had a decent readership. I was excited about the books I would select to read, finish in a week or less, and then spend time putting together quality content for a thorough review. I then had a baby, was diagnosed with breast cancer when he was seven months old, went through a double mastectomy, chemo, and radiation, and two reconstructions, and while I still (obviously) take medicine every day, I'm thankfully rounding the corner to having it further and further away in my rear view mirror. I have grown more in my faith, learned a lot about patience (that's mostly because of hello, a toddler and all...!), and generally just really begun to appreciate life and living. Now. Now when I'm at the age I am now, I finally think I appreciate more things and recognize more than I ever have before on the toxic things I need to let go off, and the positive aspects I need to make more regular actions in my life.</div>
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<i>The Power of Habit</i> (<a href="https://www.audible.com/pd/Science-Technology/The-Power-of-Habit-Audiobook/B007C64916?ref=a_search_c3_lProduct_1_1&pf_rd_p=e81b7c27-6880-467a-b5a7-13cef5d729fe&pf_rd_r=S5PM1ZJAPKZJ1RCJCHGR&">listen to an audio sample by clicking here</a> - the narrator was awesome, by the way) was eye-opening. Find the trigger, or the cue that makes you delve into your habit, and change that cue, and then give yourself a reward for that change. Do it, make yourself do it - even if it means tying your running shoes on first thing in the morning when you really don't want to run. Change the cue to change the routine. </div>
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The last few chapters unexpectedly went down a different route a bit with extremely detailed examples of social habits and crowd influence, which while I found interesting, didn't relate to what I thought the general idea of the book was intending to focus on, which was how habit can be debilitating or positively life-changing, and how the smallest change in the pattern of your behavior can change any of your habits. It's an excellent overview, a fascinating peek into the whys and hows of what we do and how we do it, and I highly recommend it overall. It certainly changed my perspective on what I want to do with the rest of my life, what I want to instill in my son, and how I want to behave for my own personal growth and health. I want to enjoy this life and not be held back by any old habits that walk me down the path of fear and anxiety. I'm done with that, folks.</div>
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<a href="http://charlesduhigg.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/FINAL-PHOTO-SMALL6-286x300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="FINAL PHOTO SMALL" border="0" src="http://charlesduhigg.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/FINAL-PHOTO-SMALL6-286x300.jpg" /></a></div>
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<i>FTC Disclosure: I downloaded this audiobook through my membership on Audible.com</i></div>
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<b>About the Author</b></div>
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Charles Duhigg worked at the New York Times, won a Pulitzer Prize, studied at Yale and Harvard, and is the author of a multitude of articles and books, including <i>The Power of Habit</i> and <i>Smart Faster Better</i>.</div>
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Visit the author:</div>
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<li>On his <a href="http://charlesduhigg.com/">website</a></li>
<li>On <a href="https://www.facebook.com/charlesduhigg">Facebook</a></li>
<li>On <a href="https://twitter.com/cduhigg">Twitter</a></li>
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Natalie~Coffee and a Book Chickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12369504951819517390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4324469465904961710.post-44001011986987223712018-02-26T20:08:00.001-05:002018-05-07T11:39:28.335-04:00The Diabolic and The Empress, by S.J. Kincaid<div style="text-align: justify;">
It's been a while since I read science-fiction, or teen fiction, and now I think I'm properly hooked. With both of these incredibly fun and thrilling rides, I may have decided to stay on the young adult or teen fiction roller coaster of fun for just a little while longer.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirn1g37fuGFo5Zuf2IEzn8CGhAzYAazWKEOfON1q83ZsxHdWcy9PjKjJsWqZaSWyctKu_EGW7ayCI2R0yeUYgpxbc-Yq4XMrmVlStKyqApOb7B7xGO4XaI_7lIBIYhpHMqeXadlrJHiuo/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-02-26+at+7.45.02+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: justify;"><img border="0" data-original-height="796" data-original-width="522" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirn1g37fuGFo5Zuf2IEzn8CGhAzYAazWKEOfON1q83ZsxHdWcy9PjKjJsWqZaSWyctKu_EGW7ayCI2R0yeUYgpxbc-Yq4XMrmVlStKyqApOb7B7xGO4XaI_7lIBIYhpHMqeXadlrJHiuo/s320/Screen+Shot+2018-02-26+at+7.45.02+PM.png" width="209" /></a></div>
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<i>The Diabolic</i> is a brilliantly designed story of a young woman who is genetically engineered to be a protector, to fully embody all areas of defense, strength, intelligence, and cunning, in order to protect the one she's assigned to. But when Nemesis has to take the place of the one she's to protect, quite a different path is created for everyone as Nemesis suddenly begins to conflict with the feelings of her duty to protect Sidonia, and her newfound feelings that were not programmed in her.</div>
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I really got caught up in this story and enjoyed every second of it. Each page was a complete ride from start to finish, and I was intrigued by this character, Nemesis, who seemed robotic in fight-protect scenes, but felt an internal battle when her own emotions began to creep up on her. I would have wished for more of that developed, more moments when maybe she could have fallen down that rabbit hole for just a second to be fully encased in feelings that were not full love, or full hatred, or full protection, but were ambivalent, or fully geared towards a friendship more than what was programmed. Regardless, that's just me. I loved the story overall!</div>
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<i>The Empress</i> is the sequel to <i>The Diabolic</i>, and I must admit that</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgztadEh1Iy6LgSKTm6M8r5OwCFizObkOlHCyMdng4LIB3QphR7clQP5XUjjyVXzpq0Yta8SexUCzt4SrS_-k2ZUdqYTTomPYztr7OMY-7ALVHxEEj41Ds0VgAqS1btJ2BxY3NbpCrxudc/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-02-26+at+7.45.16+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: justify;"><img border="0" data-original-height="760" data-original-width="508" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgztadEh1Iy6LgSKTm6M8r5OwCFizObkOlHCyMdng4LIB3QphR7clQP5XUjjyVXzpq0Yta8SexUCzt4SrS_-k2ZUdqYTTomPYztr7OMY-7ALVHxEEj41Ds0VgAqS1btJ2BxY3NbpCrxudc/s320/Screen+Shot+2018-02-26+at+7.45.16+PM.png" width="213" /></a></div>
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while I am a little over trilogies, I sort of felt sad that this one was just over when I turned that last page. I wanted even more of Nemesis' addicting new world and thrilling chapters, her new fight she would have to carry on against the one she once truly loved. I wanted more, and I will without a doubt beg for a third installment so I can get my ample fill of this futuristic science-fiction world so filled with religious hypocrisy and zero religious and scientific balance. This was a very well-thought out and written story and Nemesis truly became an interesting character with each page - her struggle between being a cold and emotionless person to one confused with the occasional feeling and sense of new duty was enticing and interesting. I yearn for one more in the series. Does anyone know if there are more?</div>
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<i>FTC Disclosure: I checked both books out from my <a href="https://www.jaxpubliclibrary.org/">local library in Jacksonville, Florida</a>.</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8GTvK0SOV71ovhAT2N8j_HHim4oISkado1WtSmpvFNuk5l7nHn_emTmjdCUvL0jBSU_XzKcRelN8Gg51IgeXnrLSLxeKJQdnhKvtR8weYknVppCGbWAHg43-sGy4P5y8ixVhTqHxYQwo/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-02-26+at+8.02.44+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: justify;"><img border="0" data-original-height="850" data-original-width="950" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8GTvK0SOV71ovhAT2N8j_HHim4oISkado1WtSmpvFNuk5l7nHn_emTmjdCUvL0jBSU_XzKcRelN8Gg51IgeXnrLSLxeKJQdnhKvtR8weYknVppCGbWAHg43-sGy4P5y8ixVhTqHxYQwo/s200/Screen+Shot+2018-02-26+at+8.02.44+PM.png" width="200" /></a></div>
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<b>About the Author</b> </div>
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S. J. Kincaid was born in Alabama, grew up in California, and attended high school in New Hampshire. She interned for a politician in Washington, DC, and received degrees from universities in Illinois and Ohio, but it was while living beside a haunted graveyard in Edinburgh, Scotland, that she realized she wanted to be a writer. Several years, several manuscripts, and several jobs later, Ms. Kincaid now lives in California.</div>
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Visit the author:</div>
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<li style="text-align: justify;">On her <a href="https://sjkincaid.com/">website</a></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">On <a href="https://www.facebook.com/SJKincaidBooks">Facebook</a></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">On <a href="https://twitter.com/SJKincaidBooks/">Twitter</a></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">On <a href="https://www.instagram.com/sjkincaidbooks/">Instagram</a></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">On <a href="http://sjkincaidbooks.tumblr.com/">Tumblr</a></li>
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Natalie~Coffee and a Book Chickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12369504951819517390noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4324469465904961710.post-92128778884536003442017-12-06T10:31:00.000-05:002017-12-06T10:37:08.309-05:00How We Read My Son's Favorite Children's Books<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJPnY7EQSimRCz79sQzKCO-QV0Ticol03qoK7eN1ZijFRyscCHZXK0Ho3a0EgRwONNnVL1GKyXx3wD1gtn-_h5ne4cXsdeLodyqtNWOhqW_CQ2aiezPB331VZJrB2GR9yz0PpnZ3PPPaw/s1600/23905234_10214363747945809_3023477790315244968_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJPnY7EQSimRCz79sQzKCO-QV0Ticol03qoK7eN1ZijFRyscCHZXK0Ho3a0EgRwONNnVL1GKyXx3wD1gtn-_h5ne4cXsdeLodyqtNWOhqW_CQ2aiezPB331VZJrB2GR9yz0PpnZ3PPPaw/s640/23905234_10214363747945809_3023477790315244968_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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First and foremost, let's just get this out of the way. What I am sharing is what works for my son. There is no magical solution for every child, and it takes time to figure it out. Sometimes it takes longer than other kids, and THAT'S OKAY. No child is perfect. What worked for your parents or another parent and their kid, may not work for you. And again, THAT'S OKAY.</div>
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Every child is uniquely different and does and likes things a certain way. It's our challenge in life to figure out our kids and by the time we do, time has gone by so fast, anyway. Don't judge yourself as less than another mom or dad because their kid does something different than your kid, or their kid is doing something you wish yours would do. Stop self-shaming. Stop allowing other parents to shame you. And ask yourself this question, "have you judged others and maybe made them feel less than you because you feel your parenting skills are better?" It happens. I've done it. I've sat there and judged others for small things. It's a slippery slope, but I have to pull myself away from the toxicity and remind myself that just as our kids aren't going to be perfect, neither are we. We all make mistakes, we all choose different things to teach our children. Sometimes that means a doughnut and not a carrot. It happens. I guess the only real "rule," if there is one, is that when you notice yourself judging others, apologize. When you notice others judging you, walk away, remove the toxicity, pray for them, whatever works for you. I want my teeny, tiny little corner of the internet to be a judgement-free zone.</div>
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Phew. Done with that part. On to the books!</div>
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When my four-year-old son likes a book, he doesn't just like it, he LOVES it. To the point where we read it for nap time, bedtime and any other random time in-between for about two weeks. We exhaust it to the point of no return. If he likes it and I don't, oh boy. There be a struggle, insurmountable beyond an average stressful day, right? But if we both like it, an adventure we shall have!</div>
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<i>The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore</i> is one such book that will always make our all-time favorites list. I absolutely choked up on the final pages, and my son still brings this book up when certain moments in our day remind him of the story. The fifteen-minute short-film on YouTube is beyond amazing. You can find my review with all the links by <a href="http://www.coffeeandabookchick.com/2017/11/the-fantastic-flying-books-of-mr-morris.html">clicking here</a>.</div>
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Our current favorites, in no particular order, are the ones pictured above and listed below. He loves them all, but right now, he really leans towards <i>Nightsong</i>, by Ari Berk and Loren Long. And I can't blame him, it is quite a sweet tale.</div>
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<li style="text-align: justify;"><i>Little Cub</i>, by Olivier Dunrea - a little bear cub in the woods with no one to care for him meets an Old Bear who has no one to care for either.</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><i>Boy + Bot</i>, by Ame Dyckman and Dan Yaccarino - A boy meets a robot and they become instant friends.</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><i>Gracie, the Lighthouse Cat</i>, by Ruth Brown - Based on events in the late 1800s of a daughter and her family's lighthouse when she helped save a shipwrecked boat, this story is based on a cat named Gracie who saves her kitten from the storm as well.</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><i>Angry Dragon</i>, by Thierry Robberecht and Philippe Goosens- A boy with big emotions and how to process anger or disappointment.</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><i>Where the Wild Things Are</i>, by Maurice Sendak - the classic tale of the adventure of a little boy meeting the wild things.</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><i>Nightsong</i>, by Ari Berk and Loren Long - a baby bat learns how to use his voice to "see" in the night and grow braver in his flight.</li>
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<b>But how does any book become our favorite?</b></div>
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My son's default answer is usually "no" to everything new at first, so getting him to try a new book can be a struggle. When he does agree to it (normally because I start reading it out loud for myself), then he begins to listen and absorb.</div>
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It becomes "our favorite" with these three things:</div>
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<li style="text-align: justify;">Beautiful illustration</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">Meaningful story</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">Presentation, presentation, presentation</li>
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The last one is the key, at least for me and my son. If I really like a story's message, or appreciate the artwork and want my son to experience it also, I have to get my game on. I have to be ready to act out the story as much as I can. I've sometimes even gotten up and acted out a page. But it's usually in my voice only and how I deliver the words that matters to him. I'll sometimes change words or sentence structure, adapting it to the way I know the message will become clear for him on the first few times reading it. There's no rule that says you have to read each word exactly as it's written on the page, right? After all, when you read a book and there's a complicated scene or sentence, doesn't your mind try to translate it to something you're more familiar with? Why not use that same tactic when reading to your children? I know how my son looks at things and what words he likes to hear, so I'll add them in where I can to help the story move for him and he can better understand it. I don't change it drastically, of course, or permanently; I simply insert extra words he knows into the sentence, or I replace one word with another.</div>
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There have been books I read alone at first. I want to see what is important to the story, or what pages might be more meaningful for my son, so I'll focus on those pages by really voicing those sections and pointing out hidden pieces of the artwork. Just reading it flatly, with only slight variations in my tone, makes the story less interesting for both of us. I am as invested in what my son reads, and I want to spend those precious few moments with him in a substantial way. I work full-time and my husband is gone Monday through Friday for the next few months training for a new job, so everything becomes harder and significantly more important for each minute with my toddler.</div>
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This is what works for me, but it is different for every child. Don't get caught up in what the "perfect" moms and dads are doing. Don't let the judgments of others make you feel less than anything. You are YOU. You are just as important and only YOU know your child better than anyone else. I believe it's true that evaluating yourself to see what you can improve is important, but what I have to remind myself of is that this should make you feel good, cleansed even. Because while change is always hard, if the process results in something good for you and your family, then it is absolutely healthy.</div>
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I recently had to go through this self-evaluation and assessment of what my family needs and I'm not going to lie, it was emotionally SO hard. But, it made such a positive change for my entire family. And while I can't be the full-time stay-at-home mother right now, I have to try what I can, but definitely throw that awful mom guilt right out the door.</div>
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At the end of the day, what matters is that you:</div>
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<li>"Show up" as much as you can for when your child needs you. Just show up. I don't mean for just special school performances, but showing up and being there for them when you think a change needs to happen for their benefit. And be ALL IN when you do show up.</li>
<li>Try something different.</li>
<li>Do what you can, but be realistic and don't be afraid of your limitations.</li>
<li>Always, always keep your school looped in to expand your network. They understand. They get it. They understand a lot better than us first-time moms do sometimes, you know?</li>
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Love is supposed to be pure and good and you know in your gut what is right. I strongly believe this extends into everything in your life. Choose what you know is the right thing to do for both yourself and your child.</div>
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Sooo... this became less of a post on favorite books and how I read books to my son, and more about being a first-time mother and not letting others self-shame... :) Oopsie!</div>
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Natalie~Coffee and a Book Chickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12369504951819517390noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4324469465904961710.post-57608337398705767982017-11-18T13:10:00.000-05:002017-11-18T13:10:16.829-05:00When to Listen to an Audiobook<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0SPcJTjFsHlG_TxBC61hyVMk3T4YIgvI6FNnEVvW_eSEtS5ayPCj448mMhjcQsJHj6m2aoBSmKDMuDzRWOX3ivXn3KJQYKbdVad7H17FDoaAM8xh6Hzc_cS6jPLPzZbYa275MgybGYMc/s1600/Audio+Options.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0SPcJTjFsHlG_TxBC61hyVMk3T4YIgvI6FNnEVvW_eSEtS5ayPCj448mMhjcQsJHj6m2aoBSmKDMuDzRWOX3ivXn3KJQYKbdVad7H17FDoaAM8xh6Hzc_cS6jPLPzZbYa275MgybGYMc/s640/Audio+Options.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Traveler's Notebook & postal pouch by <a href="http://www.sojournerusa.net/">SojournerUSA</a>, coffee by Starbucks' Breakfast Blend</i></td></tr>
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In trying to make blogging my regular habit again, I took a look at my Audible cloud list, and realized how many books I've listened to over the years that still resonate with me today. To those who are new to audiobooks or feel it's something for people out of touch (hey!), fret not. I also had a hard time adapting and learning how to listen to a book versus reading it. It just wasn't something I was used to and after many failed attempts, it then became an acquired skill. It changed once I found a story I immediately connected with and was read by an engaging narrator. I was then forever hooked to this new way to "read." (Side note: Many years ago, I was at the mind-blowing BEA in New York and attended the APA Audiobook and Author Tea side panel. I choked up, as did many, when an attendee who was blind stood up and said, "thank you for making these audiobooks and doing them so well now. I can finally read again.")<br />
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But when should you listen to an audiobook? (Whenever.) Are there specific ways to listen to it? (No.) What if you're not used to it? (Okay. So what? Try.)<br />
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Simply put, all I need is my iPhone and earbuds (iBuds? earphones?) and that's it. I do have an Audible membership, but you can always download books from your local library as well.</div>
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<b><u>When to Listen to an Audiobook</u></b></div>
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<li style="text-align: justify;">Errands (grocery store, post office, etc.)</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">Long road trips</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">Short road trips</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">Any time in the car</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">Silent moments between partners in the car and you can sneak your headphones in</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">Staring placidly out at any body of water, drinking coffee or tea</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">Running (this I highly recommend. I found when I listened to music, I used to run at the pace/beat of the song. Thus, if I needed to slow down but was listening to a fast song, I would run faster than I should. Listening to an audiobook helped me control my pace. And trust me, <i>It</i>, by Stephen King and read by actor Steven Weber is entirely MUCH freakier while running at night. Passing sewers is a completely different experience.)</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">Cleaning the house</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">Then really cleaning the house</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">Then using the <a href="http://www.flylady.net/">Flylady</a>, <a href="http://clutterbug.me/">Clutturbug</a>, or <a href="http://cleanmyspace.com/">Melissa Maker</a> techniques and really CLEANING the house</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">Taking a shower (No lie. I will use the Bluetooth connection to a small mobile speaker and listen to the book while I take even a short shower.)</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">Gardening</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">When Netflix has too many options (or Amazon or Hulu)</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">When taking the crazy toddler to the playground</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">Journaling and needing background noise</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">Playing with art and watercoloring away</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">Bible journaling</li>
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<b><u>When Not to Listen to an Audiobook (Say what now? When to NOT listen?)</u></b></div>
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<li style="text-align: justify;">I... well, I guess when you're trying to nap</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">If something is on fire?</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">...</li>
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I've listened to so many audiobooks that my commute anywhere is not right without a story filling my head. Right now, I'm listening to <i>Sleeping Beauties</i> by Stephen King and Owen Meany that was part of <a href="https://bookchatter.net/tag/sleeping-beauties/">Ti's Book Chatter readalong</a> and that I optimistically dove into but failed miserably to read while she was hosting it. Then, as my history would predict, once any readalong timeframe concludes, I jump into it only then, and with full enthusiasm.</div>
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The main message is this: Try. Just try it out.</div>
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Find something that you think you might like and start listening to it while heading on a road trip or doing long errands and just pop it on. Don't get overly ambitious and first try with a thirty-four-hour audiobook; instead, pick something that has rave reviews for both story and performance, fitting in a genre you like, and pick something around eight to ten hours long, maximum. Something that would fit in your "wheelhouse," as we say in the corporate world, when most of us don't know what it means. Try. If you're not connecting to it, move onto something else. But always give it a shot just in case. You might be missing something that you end up truly loving. That was how it was for me. Now, I can't go a single day without at least five or ten minutes with a story. That is one habit I don't quite anticipate ever giving up.</div>
Natalie~Coffee and a Book Chickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12369504951819517390noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4324469465904961710.post-1758761889481139502017-11-16T08:18:00.000-05:002017-12-07T15:12:37.001-05:00So this is an update on life and blogging...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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While safely tucked away on <a href="http://www.instagram.com/coffeebookchick">Instagram</a>, which has become my comfy spot for life in general over the past few years, I have watched the book blogging world become quite a different space than when I lived in it. Sometimes it seems fun and supportive and happy, while other times it appears divisive, fragmented, different, an influx of new bloggers that I don't know, but I really miss this space. I'll pop up a quick micro review on Instagram once in a very great while, and that's about it, but I miss this corner. I want to see if I can return, to poke my head out onto the blacktop and see if there's anyone else who wants to play hopscotch again?</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><b>http://www.instagram.com/coffeebookchick</b></i></td></tr>
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I want to defy all differences of negativity for the very sake of nostalgia and missing my fellow book bloggers. And while I realize life also happened for me over the past few years, I still feel downtrodden when I click on a friend's blog site and I see they may not have posted in as many years or as many times throughout our respective absences. It's weird, this once so crucial part of my existence, something that I would feel more likely to lead off with in conversation when introducing myself (Hi, I'm Natalie, I am a book blogger.) I say nothing about my real day job because I never felt that defined me. It pays my bills but is not quite at all a dream.</div>
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Book blogging, on the other hand, very much so was something I felt that defined me to an extent. It was something I was proud of, a hobby that seemed more than that, something that I loved talking about. And now that all that cancer junk is behind me, I want the book blogging fellowship feeling back again.</div>
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I don't know what this new landscape of reading and reviewing looks like, but I want to peek a little into the universe of it all again to see if I feel like my feet feel secure.</div>
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I want to talk about my life <a href="http://www.coffeeandabookchick.com/2014/08/its-real-deal-breast-cancer.html">after Stage 3 breast cancer</a>, how I went through chemo and radiation and had no hair for six months, and how while I know it's firmly in my rear view mirror, I'm still always terrified. I want to talk about my son who was only 7 months old when I was diagnosed and how I have so many pictures where he had more hair than me, and the times when he only recognized me for my bald head and never knew who "she" was when I showed him pictures from BEFORE.</div>
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I want to share that I firmly believe my son saved my life. I want to open up the conversation on fear and anxiety, about my stronger faith in God and how much more studious I am with the Bible and how I came to follow that road that I am so glad I took, even though I know many who knew me years ago would be stunned today. And I also want to talk about my ever-developing addiction over the past year to traveler's notebooks and Bullet Journals, and journaling in general! Planning and putting my events on iPhone only?? Pfftt. That's so 2011. People are starting to remember that the old school pad of paper with a nice pen (fountain pen, anyone?) works even better and makes it easier to remember something, so now there are systems out there to help refine and tweak. Let's talk about that, yes! And don't forget those traveler's notebooks... want to fall down a rabbit hole? Go onto Instagram or search on YouTube for "traveler's notebook setups" or "planner setups." Welcome to your paycheck flying out the window, book reviewers...</div>
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There's so much LIFE out there. So much to see and do. I want to find that new routine, not just in the world of Instagram, but back in this corner, with all of you, celebrating life. I hope many of you still remain. I hope I can be consistent. Part of me wants to talk about everything here, and part of me thinks staying on Instagram is the best place for me. I'm not sure yet. But I wanted to throw my hat in the ring to declare that it wasn't quite over for the Coffee and a Book Chick and her little ole book blog. Not just yet.</div>
Natalie~Coffee and a Book Chickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12369504951819517390noreply@blogger.com23