The Romance Bookie

Hey Everyone! I'm on a roll!  Third book in the last month!  Not bad for me! I received some books from my amazing husband for my birthday on Monday.  I had had this one, and the three others he got me, on my Amazon wishlist; I add books once in a while usually to get myself when I want something to read.  He really is amazing!! 💖💖. From Goodreads : To everyone who knows him, West Ashby has always been that guy: the cocky, popular, way-too-handsome-for-his-own-good football god who led Lawton High to the state championships.  But while West may be Big Man on Campus on the outside, on the inside he's battling the grief that comes with watching his father slowly die of cancer. Two years ago, Maggie Carleton's life fell apart when her father murdered her mother.  And after she told the police what happened, she stopped speaking and hasn't spoken since.  Even the move to Lawton, Alabama, couldn't draw Maggie back out.  So she stayed...

Hey Everyone! Finished another book!  Second one in less than two weeks!! I'm pretty excited right now! I've been really trying to get back into reading, because it used to relax me so much, and I really miss that!! I've been trying to read this one for a while (to be fair, that's a lot of books at this point), but I finally read To All the Boys I've Loved Before  by Jenny Han!  I've met Jenny Han quite a few times now, I want to say at least three times, if not more; because I believe she has been Ya'll West every year I've been, plus I believe I've seen her in the past at Festival of Books.  Since 2015, I have seen a ton of copies of To All the Boys I've Loved Before , being held in the signing lines.  It looked liked a book I would really like.  Well I finally bought a copy, before this year's Ya'll West, and got it signed.  And because it is being released as a Netflix movie next month, I knew I needed to read it ASAP, so I could ...

Hey Everyone! Finished another audiobook on my way to work!  This time it was Wonder  by RJ Palacio. I have been seeing Wonder  on store shelves for years now.  It caught my eye after a while, because I was just constantly seeing it everywhere! It's been on my radar for a while now.  I used to work at an elementary school, and one of the fifth grade teachers, read this book out loud to her class, so made me gain even more interest. It turns out this book has been popular for good reason! From Goodreads : I won't describe what I look like.  Whatever you're thinking, it's probably worse. August Pullman was born with a facial difference that, up until now, has prevented him from going to a mainstream school.  Starting 5th grade at Beecher Prep, he wants nothing more than to be treated as an ordinary kid -- but his new classmates can't get past Auggie's extraordinary face.  WONDER, now a #1 New York Times Bestseller and included on ...

Hello Everyone, I want to tell you about a moment of human kindness that I happened to me a couple of months ago.  Something that I haven't experienced in a while from a stranger. I was YA'll West, in Santa Monica, and in line for an author signing.  This was my third year attending, and I was a bit disappointed by how the event was going.  Don't get me wrong, I still had a great time, and got to add quite a few signed copies to my collection. But when I first started going to YA'll West, it was only in it's second year, here on the West coast.  It was a two day event, with so much to do, easy to get around, SOOOOOOO many giveaways (which were not the main reason I was there, but a wonderful bonus!), and you could literally just walk up to 80% of the authors without waiting in line, to get your books signed. This year, my husband and I got there at opening.  We went in, the first giveaways had already been given away, before anyone could even get in l...

Hey Everyone! Finished listening to Miranda Kenneally's Coming Up for Air  during my drives to work!  I have had this book sitting on my night stand since last summer when it was released, but my head has just not been able to get into reading a book, so I figured out the next best thing...audiobooks! From Goodreads : All of Maggie's focus and free time is spent swimming.  She's not only striving to earn scholarships - she's training to qualify for the Olympics.  It helps that her best friend, Levi, is also on the team and that he cheers her on, but he's already earned his Olympic tryout, so sometimes his presence creates more pressure.  If that wasn't stressful enough, life become even more complicated once Maggie goes on a college visit.  There, she realizes how much of the typical high-school experience she's missed out on by being in the pool.  Not one to shy away from a challenge, Maggie decides to try to squeeze the most out of he...

Hey Everyone, This is a sort of Flashback Friday.  Back in 2011, I read and reviewed Jay Asher's book 13 Reasons Why .    What a year 2011 was.  A LOT has happened since then.  It's been 7 years. As many of you know, 13 Reasons Why  was turned into a Netflix series last year.  Well, due to my own problems, and lack-of-internet, mainly problems though, I did not watch the show when it first came out.  I knew I wasn't going to be emotionally "ready" for it.  To be honest, I don't think I was emotionally "ready" for it, when I started watching the show back in December. When my husband and I evacuated for the Thomas Fire , we evacuated to San Louis Obispo, which is about two and a half hours North from where I live.  As some of you may or may not know, Jay Asher, the author of the book actually lives in San Louis Obispo.  So when our hotel had free internet, and we had brought my laptop, I finally turned on that first episode. ...

Hello Everyone, So I have an amazing husband!  I mean, I already knew this, but wow, did I get lucky! So he knows how big of a fan of Meg Cabot I am.  Especially her Princess Diaries  series!  Well, I've been on an audiobook kick, because my head has been able to concentrate on a book in ages, and audiobooks are the only thing that have allowed me to continue "reading". Anyway, a couple of weeks ago, I got my hands on the audiobook of Royal Wedding (which is the final book in the series), and have been listening to that.  Well, last week I get home, and guess what was in the mail?? The ENTIRE series on audiobook!!  My husband legitimately ordered me The Princess Diaries Series  on AUDIOBOOK!!! So I have something to listen to over the next YEAR! Anyway, here is my review for the audiobook of Royal Wedding , the final installation in the Princess Diaries Series . From Goodreads : For Princess Mia, the past five years since college g...

Hey Everyone! So who remembers this video? A bunch of you right? Or maybe not, I don't know.  I remember my mom sharing it on Facebook, and then it just showing up everywhere!  Funny thing, I never got around to seeing it, up until about a week ago. I was rather surprised to receive Laugh It Up! Embrace Freedom and Experience Defiant Joy, the audiobook, by Candace Payne (Chewbacca Mom herself!) for Christmas from my mom.  Apparently, Candace Payne is some sort of inspirational speaker now.  She inspires people to believe in joy and just enjoy themselves. Joy. That word... I have never heard that word used so much before.  No joke, the word "joy" must have been used EASILY a hundred times in this book. From Goodreads: The world knows Candace Payne as "Chewbacca Mom", the wife and mother of two from Dallas who captured the hearts of nearly 200 million people around the world with nothing but a toy Chewbacca mask, a smart phone, and infectio...

Hello! So my husband and I celebrated Valentine's Day a few days late, because of work and us both having gotten the flu.  So Saturday we spent a nice day out, getting Nitrogen made Ice Cream at a place called Sub Zero, eating a late lunch out, and seeing the movie Fifty Shades Freed .  Even though this series's luster has died down a bit, since its insanity began a few years back, I still find these to be a guilty pleasure.  While the first movie, I found there to be a few things missing, I loved the second one!  I found the character growth to be phenomenal!  The part where Christian bows down to Anna and you see that moment of submissiveness in him, I found to be incredible! So yesterday my husband and I saw the final installation in the series.  Now, thinking back on it, it has finally hit me that this is it!  There will be no more, and to be honest, I am going to say the one thing that many people will not agree with me on...I wish they had sp...

Hello Everyone, It's been a while.  August...Wow!  My 7 year blog anniversary passed in December, I failed at that.  To be honest, I don't even know what to say at this point.  I've been in a reading rut for quite some time, and trying to find something that peaks my interest, but nothing has.  It's bad.  I know my passion for reading is still there...somewhere.  I mean you don't go from reading over 100 books in a year, to nothing!  I know it will come back. Things have been difficult, if I'm being honest.  The stress level in my life has been at a 100 for so long now, and the sad part work isn't even what is causing it! So to give you a couple of updates about what has happened since my last post... 1. As of August I am working two jobs.  One is as an assistant teacher in a toddler classroom at a preschool.  And for my second job, I got a promotion over the summer and became the supervisor of the after school program I wor...