Time to visit Paradise WV....

 Alright everyone, next up on the places to travel (and TBR list), "Paradise, WV!" 

I'm so excited to start this one today, it was gifted to me by Turner Publishing/KeyLight Books and will be released on 7.20.2021 - so if you pick up a copy, send me a message on LikeWise I've already started a discussion there! 

For me, this book will hit close to home - literally. Growing up on the Kentucky/Ohio/West Virginia line (AKA "Tri-State Area") I see first hand how drugs and poverty have taken over around my hometown. This area used to be home to AK Steel, one of the top steel making plants in the US, and when they shut down - everyone felt the impact. You KNEW someone who had lost their job; they might not be related to you but they were related to someone you knew, their dad sat next to you in school, or the waitress at Bob Evan's who always has a smile on her - well, her husband lost his job. And the area I grew up in has never recovered. 

I moved away before the opioid epidemic started but I know from visiting family, the struggle is real for those left behind. It breaks my heart to see homes I visited as a child being knocked down for either liquor stores, gas stations, or fast food places. But that is what's going on, and it never should have gotten to this point. 

So when you pick up this new release by Rob Rufus, hopefully this will give a little background to West Virginia and the surrounding area(s)! For "Paradise, WV" though - not only do we have all of this going on, but we also have a serial killer on the loose as well! Check out my GoodReads and LikeWise accounts for updates on this one! 

Side note; I LOVE this cover - right now I'm thinking heaven vs. hell but I'm sure that opinion will change! 

Your Majesty....

 Finished "Majesty" over the weekend and I loved it! 

Personally, I wouldn't have had Jeff and Daphne together because let's face it - Jeff deserves better but he just doesn't know it yet. Also, Daphne having her "ah-ha moment" wasn't the true "ah-ha" I was hoping for.....jail anyone?!?! 

I'm so glad I read these though! I can see aspects from "Gossip Girl" and the House of Windsor...but I appreciate the twists and the feminist aspect of the book. I just wish their mum had come around to accepting everything, but it goes to show what tradition does to a person. Nothing good comes from being so stubborn you cannot welcome new ideas! 

Gossip Girl Meets House of Windsor....Part 2

 Starting "Majesty" this evening! This is the 2nd book in the American Royals series and according to a user on LikeWise - there is a twist!!! I do love a good twist! 

The first book, "American Royals" was a fun read! I have a before/after blog post about that one as well. When I finished, I equated it to "Gossip Girl" and the House of Windsor. I still think that's how the series will play out, but we shall see! 

Mobs....Serial Killers...Murder....Bay Area

 This book was amazing! 

I loved learning about the history of San Fransisco and of course, the main point of the book - the murders that happened. This book is divided into short stories about different events that happened starting with the gold rush to present.  

You become so interested in this one that you cannot put the book down! I finished this one in a day. I'm now on the hunt for similar books for all the major cities! 

Let's Go To San Francisco!

 Mob bosses. Vigilantes. Hoodlums. Serial Killers. Cult Leaders. 

San Francisco Bay Area. 

Welcome to "The Murders That Made Us" by Bob Calhoun! This is next up on the TBR list and part of my library haul, check out my Instagram for the complete haul! 

I'm so excited to read this one. I love everything about California, minus natural disasters, and add in true crime/murder mysteries - I'm all for it! Learning about the past is always interesting to me so I'm ready to learn all the things about the Bay Area! 

What's Your Number...

 Enneagram number that is...

Coming at you today with TWO posts for finished books because like I said in my first post, life has gotten in the way this past week so I'm behind on all the things! 

I checked out this read, "Enneagram Empowerment" by Laura Miltenberger, from my local library - I have been curious about my personality type and how I interact with others. What causes us to lose friendships? How are we our best selves around everyone else? Who do we mesh with the best? 

For me, I have always hated large office settings - I prefer smaller numbers. In a large office, which is no different from high school in my opinion, there is room for drama - and I do not do drama. Maybe in my 20's but now that I'm....well....older, no thank you! I do not have the mental or physical strength to deal with it. But thinking back to those large office settings, I can easily pick out who was who while reading this book and also - I learned why our personalities may have clashed the way that they did. It was really an eyeopening read and I encourage everyone to find out their "number"! 

You Love Me.....

 OK, so this one took WAY longer to finish than I wanted but sometimes life gets in the way. 

Update: My hosting gig for "LikeWise" launched on 7/1 and I currently have close to one hundred and fifteen THOUSAND members following my group!!!! To say I'm excited is an understatement! We are currently reading "Wild" for our first bookclub pick....I love that book so much, I re-read it every summer and every summer I'm ready to "do Wild" and hike the PCT - yeah, I would die. No doubt, but it's fun to have on a bucket list that will NEVER actually happen! 

So we've got "LikeWise" gig up and running - yay!! And I start back to work on 7/12 so YAY!! Like I said, life has kept me busy lately which is good to be busy. 

Now for "You love Me" update: 

OH JOE! Will he ever learn? Will he ever meet a woman who doesn't have seriously f*cked up friends?!?! Sheesh.....he did kinda sorta try hard this time, and met with the same kinda result. So what is Netflix to do with a season three now??!?! I didn't LOVE it - RIP Love - but I didn't HATE it either....the 3rd installment was not the first book, "You", worthy but it also was not as bad as the second in the series, "Hidden Bodies" - but I can tell, we will have a fourth in the series. Maybe one day Joe will get his girl and live happily ever after as the guy we all love to hate!