Review: The Road Trip

The Road Trip by Beth O'Leary
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4 out of 5 stars - If you ask me, I'll tell you to read it.

I really enjoyed this book. It was a great "light" read after a very long and historical book. 

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for this Advanced Reader's Copy.

Addie and Deb are on a road trip to a friend's wedding when they're in an accident with Dylan (Addie's ex) and Marcus (his friend) who are also on their way to the wedding. Joining Addie and Deb is Rodney, an odd duck who just wanted a ride to the wedding. Addie and Dylan didn't end well, but Addie and Deb offer to let Dylan and Marcus join them in their tiny Mini for the remainder of the journey as Marcus's car is repaired. As the story moves forward, chapters are interspersed with present day and the past giving us a chance to learn more about how we got to this point. There were some twists along the way, but I'm a sucker for a happy ending!

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Review: We Are Water Protectors

We Are Water Protectors by Carole Lindstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

5 out of 5 stars - I will tell you to read it, even if you don't ask.

Winner of the 2021 Caldecott Medal

I really enjoyed this short, sweet book about how it's everyone's responsibility to protect the earth and the water covering it. A great way to start a little Water Protector of your own at a young age.

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Review: Starfish

Starfish by Lisa Fipps
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

5 out of 5 stars - I will tell you to read it, even if you don't ask.

This should be mandatory reading for all kids as well as all parents.

I really enjoyed this quick read. I finished it in a single evening. Written as novel-in-verse (poetry style), which usually isn't my thing, it made you stop and think a little about each "chapter".

Ellie has been trying to disappear both at home and at school for years. Known as the "fat kid", she's bullied at school by other kids and at home by her mother (more of a fat shaming) and siblings. I totally cried at the end, but I loved seeing her new neighbor and her family completely accept Ellie and make her realize that there's no shame in her size. I also loved the therapist her dad got her to agree to see and how the therapist made her realize she could stand up for herself at home.

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21 in 21 - March Update

 

I said I would update the blog once a month with an update on my 21 in 21 project.  Here's the March update!  It's been a rough one....

1. Donate 1 item per day
1. January - I'm 25 items behind
2. February - On Schedule
3. March - I'm 31 items behind
   
2. Bike 52 hours
1. January - I have completed 0.5 hours so far
2. February - I am 1% complete
3. March - I am 1% complete
   
3. Run 52 hours
1. January - I have completed 1.98 hours so far
2. February - I am 6% complete
3. March - I am 6% complete
   
4. Hike the complete Ice Age Trail in Dane County
1. January - I have completed 0 of 61.6 total miles
2. February - I have completed 0 of 61.6 total miles 
3. March -  I have completed 0 of 61.6 total miles
   
5. Hike the complete Ice Age Trail in Fond du Lac & Sheboygan Counties
1. January - I have completed 0 of 39.6 total miles
2. February - I have completed 0 of 39.6 total miles 
3. March -  I have completed 0 of 39.6 total miles
   
6. Hike the complete Ice Age Trail in Green County
1. January - I have completed 0 of 22.7 total miles
2. February - I have completed 0 of 22.7 total miles
3. March -  I have completed 0 of 22.7 total miles
   
7. Hike the complete Ice Age Trail in Rock County
1. January - I have completed 0 of 63.9 total miles
2. February - I have completed 6.07 of 63.9 total miles
3. March - I have completed 6.07 of 63.9 total miles
8. Hike the complete Ice Age Trail in Walworth & Jefferson Counties
1. January - I have completed 0 of 25.2 total miles
2. February - I have completed 0 of 25.2 total miles 
3. March -  I have completed 0 of 25.2 total miles
   
9. Hike the complete Ice Age Trail in Washington County
1. January - I have completed 9.7 of 45 total miles
2. February - I have completed 13.67 of 45 total miles
3. March - I have completed 20.11 of 45 total miles
   
10. Mail 1 "just because" postcard each day
1. January -  I'm 14 behind, but working through them!
2. February - I'm 42 behind... This is way harder than I thought it would be!
3. March - I am 58 behind... Trying to catch up!!
   
11. Mail 1 "just because" gift each month
1. January - I mailed a scarf to my friend Hallie
2. February -  I mailed a baby gift to my friend Kathy
3. March -  I mailed a few small gifts to my friend Brenda
   
12. Get a massage once a month
1. January - I had a massage on January 4
   
2. February - I had a massage on February 26
3. March - I had a massage on March 14
   
13. Complete the 2021 PopSugar Reading Challenge
1. January - I have completed 4 of 50 reading challenge prompts
2. February - I have completed 7 of 50 reading challenge prompts
3. March - I have completed 11 of 50 reading challenge prompts
   
14. Maintain a feedback ratio of 80% in NetGalley
1. January - I am currently at 36% and I have 46 out of 72 books left to read/review
2. February - I am currently at 37% and I have 48 out of 76 books left to read/review
3. March - I am currently at 38% and I have 47 out of 78 books left to read/review
   
15. Sort through 1 box/tub/crate/drawer per week
1. January -  I'm 2 behind
2. February - I am on schedule
3. March - I am 4 behind schedule
   
16. Watch 1 TED Talk per day
1. January - I am on schedule
2. February - I am 8 behind
3. March - I am 11 behind
   
17. Complete GEP 3 for DAR
1. January - I have not yet registered
2. February - I have not yet registered
3. March - I have not yet registered
   
18. Update Blog monthly with 21 in 21 status
1. January - Updated on January 26
2. February - Updated on February 28
3. March - Updated on April 1
   
19. (Re)Learn to Cross Country Ski
1. January - Contacted a local instructor about scheduling a private lesson
2. February - No update
3. March - No update
   
20. Watch one "new to me" movie each month
1. January - I watched Girl on the Train on January 30
   
2. February - I watched Judy on February 28
3. March - I watched Coming 2 America on March 5
   
21. Get a facial once a month
1. January - I had a facial on January 3
   
2. February -  I had a facial on February 6
3. March - I had a facial on March 6
   

Review: The Queen's Gambit

The Queen's Gambit by Walter Tevis
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4 out of 5 stars - If you ask me, I'll tell you to read it

I really did enjoy this book, although (for once) I think the mini series depiction was better than the book.

Beth Harmon is orphaned and sent to an orphanage where she meets the janitor, Mr Schaibel. Mr. Shaibel teachers Beth chess, and that's the end of the story... Beth absorbs all the information necessary to become an amazing chess prodigy utilizing her already awesome brain.

Throughout the story, we see Beth struggle with drugs, alcohol, loss... yet she overcomes it all with her strength and determination to become the World Champion in chess.

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Review: The Bone Code

The Bone Code by Kathy Reichs
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4 out of 5 stars - If you ask me, I'll tell you to read it.

Yet another great story that kept me guessing until the reveal of the killer.

Tempe gets brought into a case involving a set of bodies found washed up on the shore after a hurricane in South Carolina. They're both naked, wrapped in plastic, and sealed in a barrel drum. This reminds Tempe of a case she had in Montreal years ago that went unsolved. As the case follows the twists and turns, more deaths and attempted deaths occur. I was kept interested until the very end!

I loved that we got to visit some new places and meet some new people along the way.

**Spoiler Alert**

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[I do worry that this will give more life to the conspiracy theorists that claim vaccines are changing our DNA. (hide spoiler)]

I do worry that this will give more life to the conspiracy theorists that claim vaccines are changing our DNA.

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Review: A Castaway in Cornwall

A Castaway in Cornwall by Julie Klassen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4 out of 5 stars - If you ask me, I'll tell you to read it

Thank you to Bethany House Publishers and NetGalley for this advanced reader copy.

Laura Callaway has never felt like she belonged in her small town where she currently lives with her uncle (through marriage, not blood) and his family. Her blood relatives have all passed away and she is just trying to survive life. She has a passion in life for collecting lost items from shipwrecks along the seashore, both flotsam (items lost to the sea) and jetsam (items deliberately thrown overboard). She tries to reconnect these items to their owners or the owners family, bringing closure for lives lost.

During one shipwreck at night, she saves the life of a man from being killed by a local smuggler. Laura and her neighbor, with the help of a young local doctor, nurse the man back to health. Through this process, there appear to be things that do not add up. Is this man English, or is he really a Frenchman from the other side of the war?

I really enjoyed learning about shipwrecks, the Napoleonic Wars, and Jersey. I loved the little quirks of Cornwall that I was able to learn, including about the sand buried church! These historical novels, with good research, are wonderful ways to learn little tidbits about history.

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