Let’s talk Reading Goals…

Posted on September 18, 2023 by Ariesgrl

And no, I don’t mean yearly goals. Today, I want to talk about daily goals.

Do you set a daily reading goal? Is it time-based? Chapter-based? Or page count-based?

My method has changed several times throughout life. It used to be a book a day, or a certain amount of chapters, then just 30mins. Since I have been sick, reading has been a bit of a struggle, so I figured I would try one of these age-old methods.

Starting on International Dog Day, I decided to read 50 pages a day. Some days I do a lot more… the plot finally clicks in and I can’t stop reading. Some days I do a lot less, because the pain is overriding all ability to think and focus. But I am trying to average 50 pages a day.

This seems to be working. I have read several books and I will be sharing my reviews (of the books I liked) this week. Next week, I start my new infusion, so hopefully, fingers crossed my brain and body start returning to me, and I can get some sense of normalcy again.

So what about you? Do you have a daily goal?

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Let’s Build a List

Posted on July 1, 2023 by Ariesgrl

Hi Everyone,

I am planning something fun for all of us in the Fall, but I need your help.

The book bans in the USA are getting insane. Everyone should be able to read the books they want to read.

So, right now, I am making a list of books banned in 2023. If your state is banning books, tell me, in the comments.

Book bans are not new, but the rate at which books are being challenged, has increased drastically. I am hoping, with your help, to build a complete list of currently banned books.

Thank you in advance for your help. I hope you enjoy the fun events I have planned for the Fall.

What’s the last banned book that you’ve read?

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Change of Plans

Posted on April 26, 2023 by Ariesgrl

By: Dylan Newton

(Book #3 in the Matthews Brothers series)

Expected publication: August 1, 2023

Bryce Weatherford is in a fight she never saw coming. After the tragic loss of her brother and his wife, Bryce is granted custody of her three nieces. However, their mother’s parents are determined to prove to the courts and the world that Bryce is unfit to care for three children, much less herself. Ryker Matthews is still dealing with the emotional and physical trauma that ended his military career. Determined to stay out of everyone’s way, and not be a bother he hides the seriousness of his health from his family. Yet a chance encounter in a grocery store brings him face-to-face with a feisty family of survivors. Whether it is the universe or his mother, plotting things, somehow Ryker and Bryce keep finding each other, during their most desperate times. Will these two be able to accept their new realities or will the plans of lost dreams be too much for them?

Dylan Newton does a fantastic job at writing relatable characters. Readers will love these characters and root for each of them, as though they were cheering on their friends. The author touches on subjects of grief, PTSD, service dogs for Vets, custody battles, and other difficult realities of life. While each of these topics can be intense and overwhelming, the author keeps things balanced with the antics of three girls and small-town gossip. It highlights the importance of never giving up, and always finding laughter through the chaos.

I have to say, I read this book at the perfect time for me. I was feeling blue from still being sick and not getting any progress. This book made me smile, and chuckle. (Little Addison was a hoot!) This was the first book in over a year that I finished it on the same day that I started reading it. I look forward to reading the other two books in the series, though I did not feel like I missed anything by starting with the third book. I loved how it touched on rescued animals that are trained to help our veterans. This was the perfect pick-me-up read!

Notes:

I signed up to honestly review an advanced e-copy, through Netgalley and the publisher Forever.

To learn more about this book, click here.

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The Only Survivors

Posted on April 15, 2023 by Ariesgrl

By: Megan Miranda

One school trip changed everything for a small town and the few teenagers that survived. Now, ten years later, there are only seven “friends” left and they all still drop everything to retreat to the beach house in memory of that horrific event. Despite going to school together, and surviving the unimaginable, these seven people are practically strangers. Now with the threat of long buried secrets being leaked, they must figure out who among them can be trusted. Will these people team up together, in order to survive this melancholy week? Or will they continue to perish one by one?

Cassidy is not a character readers will love, but readers who have experienced deep trauma/grief will be able to relate to her. Cassidy’s strong desire to break the cycle of the past and just forget about the event, drives her actions throughout the whole story. Readers will start out seeing her evaluate each situation and figure out who would be worth saving, unable to escape the survivor instinct that now seems part of her DNA. There are a lot of phrases constantly repeated throughout each chapter, including “the only survivors” which detracts from the title and the story. The Outer Banks setting is perfect for this story. Readers will be able to feel like they are in that shabby beach house, with the storm getting closer. The setting provides so many metaphors for the plot that it amplifies the fact that these seven people are still trapped in the event from ten years ago.

I wanted to love this book. I wanted to read it in one sitting and rave about it for years. Unfortunately, I cannot. I know this is in part due to my illness, messing with my focus and the side effects that had me tied up in knots for weeks. I have set down many books in these last 13 months. However, I did keep going back to this story, because I knew, just knew deep down it would get better. Once I reached the midpoint of the story, I did finish it in two days. I liked the peeling of layers. I liked how it reminded me more of a puzzle, rather than a thriller. And I loved the setting! (The setting is the absolute best part!!!) While this wasn’t my favorite story, I know others will absolutely love it.

What’s the last psychological thriller that you’ve read?

Notes:

I signed up to honestly review an advanced e-copy of this story via Netgalley and the publisher, Simon & Schuster.

To learn more about this book, click here.

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CVID

Posted on March 2, 2023 by Ariesgrl

This is not a bookish post. This is a post about the last 49.5 weeks, and a note about the life that begins on Tuesday.

CVID is short for Common Variable Immunodeficieny. In basic terms, the body does not have enough immunoglobulins to protect against illness. Per the NIH, fewer than 5,000 people have this disease. Well, as some of you may know, I have been sick since March 14, 2022, and I finally have a name for it… CVID… and I finally begin treatment on Tuesday.

What is the treatment for this Zebra (Rare) Disease? Immunoglobulin G infusions. These can be done via IV, known as IVIG, however, thanks to my history of anemia and ITP, it would be a lot more complicated for me. Therefore, I will be doing the subcutaneous infusions, weekly, for the rest of my life.

Why am I sharing this? Well, for one thing, CVID is rare. Hypogammaglobulinemia is rare. These are not discovered with routine blood tests. After months of doctors… and I mean a lot of doctors; after a lot of tests and boy, do I mean a lot of tests… (I have had more CTs than most people will have in a lifetime.) After hearing “it might be cancer, but let’s wait and see.” After hearing “I don’t know,” more times than I can count. I want people to be aware of this illness. Most importantly, I want people to be aware of the treatment.

For a dose of IgG, it comes from over 1,000 pints of plasma. IVIG, or subcutaneous IG replacements help treat autoimmune disorders, yet it is always in short supply. Did you know when you donate 1 pint of blood, you can save up to 3 lives? One pint of plasma can help treat 18 different conditions, from severe burns, autoimmune diseases, and cancers.

So, while I begin this new journey, I will be sharing on here and on social media, some updates. In the meantime, if you could take one thing from today’s post, it is this… If you are able, please donate blood or plasma. You can help numerous people around the world.

If you already donate blood or plasma, I want to thank you. You probably have helped save my life.

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Sunday is for Reading…

Posted on February 5, 2023 by Ariesgrl

So my ribs are still messed up, which makes typing and well, breathing, a bit rough. However, if you follow me on social media, you will see that I am back on steroids, so I picked up an old favorite.. Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief. I breezed through this book. I loved it. What’s great is I keep track on Goodreads, when I re-read a book. And amazingly it was February 4 years ago that I re-read this series. Now, my thoughts are the first book is simply divine. 🙂

The second book, Percy Jackson and the Sea of Monsters, was a bit slow for me this time around. It was repetitive, but okay. The third book, Percy Jackson and the Titan’s Curse, is back to the fast-paced adventure, my steroid brain needs.

Today, I also started reading Cheddar Late than Dead by Linda Reilly. This is the third book in a cozy mystery series. Thanks to Poisoned Pen Press and Sourcebooks for sending it to me. Now, I enjoy cozies, and this one seems cute. However, one problem I have with small-town cozies, is there tends to be a lot of characters. For instance, I am 14 pages in and I have met or learned about 12 characters. Right now, my head is spinning! I am going to keep trying, because there is a bridezilla and grilled cheese everything, so I am sure the dead body will appear sooner rather than later.

What is also neat about Cheddar Late than Dead, is that it is my first cozy mystery in the new-longer mass-market size. I have read romances over the past 2 years that have come in this size, but all the cozies that I have read, are either mass market, ebook, or trade paperback. I like this new longer mass market, for holding, but it messes with the bookcases!

Do you re-read books, when you are not feeling well? Do you enjoy a lot of characters in your stories, or do you want to get to the heart of the matter? Have you seen/read a longer mass-market book? What are your thoughts on these new sizes and your bookshelves?

No matter what your reading, I hope your Sunday was filled with great books.

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Groundhog Day

Posted on February 2, 2023 by Ariesgrl

Groundhog Day is normally when we learn there is 6 more weeks of winter, surprise, surprise. It is also known for being repetitive, thanks to a certain movie that I haven’t seen. Since I am currently on rest duty to heal a torn muscle in my ribs, which means I am back on steroids… which means last night I could not sleep at all. So I decided to reread Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan. My steroid brain flowed perfectly with Percy’s ADHD brain, and I breezed through the first book. I am guessing I will be rereading book 2 tonight.

Do you re-read books? Have you read the Percy Jackson series? If you haven’t seen the movies, DON’T. Wait for the series of the first book to come out later, there is a lot of hope and pressure for this adaptation to be 1,000 times better than the movies.

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National Sci Fi Day

Posted on January 2, 2023 by Ariesgrl

Every year, January 2nd celebrates all things science fiction, in honor of Isaac Asimov’s birthday.

Now true science fiction is not one of my favorites, though I have tried a few.

I do, however, enjoy a good survivalist story with sci fi elements. My favorite was The Martian by Weir. I read that during a hurricane several years ago, and absolutely loved that book.

Last month, I read Girl In Ice by Erica Ferencik. While I am still pondering over whether or not I loved it, I did appreciate all aspects of the novel. It is a survivalist story set in the arctic. It is a cautionary tale of the dangers humankind presents to nature. It is a reminder about the importance of language and human connection. The sci fi aspects poised excellent situations for the characters to show their true natures.

What is a survivalist/sci fi book you would recommend? If you read science fiction, what book do you recommend I read?

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Seek & Find with Freddie and Ellie Santa’s Workshop

Posted on January 1, 2023 by Ariesgrl

By: Eleonora Barsotti

Seek & Find with Freddy and Ellie Santa’s Workshop is an adorable activity book for children. This book is filled with stickers and links to coloring pages. Each page is bright, colorful and full of little details. While some of the items will be easier to find for older readers, the entire family will have loads of fun.

Notes:

I signed up to honestly review a copy of this book, via the publisher: Fredric Thomas Children’s Books.

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New Year’s Eve

Posted on December 31, 2022 by Ariesgrl

I, along with most people I know, am happily saying goodbye to 2022. I hope for all of you that all the negative stays in 2022.

As I welcome 2023 with open arms, and hopes for healthier times, I will be reading 3 very different books.

1. Fractured by Thomas Kelso. This is a medical thriller with stem cell research, Navy Seals, and a whole lot of intrigue. This author will be at a Moveable Feast on January 10th.

2. The Last Dreamwalker by Rita Woods. This one was on my wish list for some time. It is set on an island off the SC coast and involves the Gullah-Geechee culture. Historical and modern day weave two captivating tales.

3. Carolina Moonset by Matt Goldman. I was a wee bit hesitant to read this book since it deals with a man coming home to care for his father, who suffers from dementia. However, it comes highly recommended and promises to have some unique twists.

For those setting reading goals in 2023, I recommend starting low and building yourself up. It can be disheartening to not meet your goals, and reading should be all about enjoyment.

What are you reading during this transition weekend?

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