Leigha's Little Library

Invisible Emmie by Terri Libenson

5:43 pm 11 January 2019

Invisible Emmie - Terri Libenson, Terri Libenson

I loved this book.

I could see a lot of younger me and even some adult me in Emmie (being the shy, quiet type, among other things she went through.) Emmie is basically writing in her diary that we somehow stumbled upon. The book switches from shy Emmie's POV to popular "has everything" Katie's POV.

Emmie writes things as she sees them. In the little comic drawings, she points things out, like "this is the drama club, with the emo girl," or "the smelly kid." I don't think she's being mean. She does not intend anyone to read her "diary." She calls a girl "huge" which can be seen as fat shaming by some, but I don't see it that way. Fat, huge... those are descriptive words. She didn't call the girl "the disgusting fat girl," or something like that! She just said the "huge girl pushed her out of the way to get to the bathroom."

She points out the different types of people who get made fun of in school, one category happens to be someone with a disability, in this case, the kid had a "math disability," which I take for a learning disability. I don't think she's being cruel, but the sad fact is the type of people she mentioned do get made fun of more often than other people. She only mentions this to make a point that she belongs to none of the "make fun of" groups and she is invisible. Nobody sees her.

I belong to all the groups she is so-called shaming (Man school was tough!), and I did not feel offended or shamed at all, but that is just me.

The ending of this book can be taken two ways. Good. It was a great ending... but... some might say bittersweet, maybe sad.

Here'swhy, major spoilers!

(show spoiler)

Mini Book Haul, Pet Death, Distractions, & Anxiety

6:47 pm 5 January 2019

Trigger Warning: Animal death, though no photos of a dead animal, just my last photo of her alive. Long blog, but I promise there is book related content as well.

My hamster Mogget was put on death watch a few days ago. We had to move her to a smaller enclousure, because old age was making it hard for her to get around. Well on the 4th, in the morning, she became unable to move and fell into a deep sleep, her breaths slowed down and right before the end, she opened her eyes one last time and I feel like she looked at me to say goodbye. I'm not sure if she was aware of anything, but it is comforting to believe she realized she wasn't alone and was able to go without being scared.

[In a deep sleep and I hope she felt comfortable]

Patrick (my husband) helped me bury her in a spot I like outside. She is in a place where I can imagine fairies or something else magical lives. Whether you believe that, it is a nice thought, regardless. We buried her between the tree with the vine and the rock covered in moss.

After that, to get my mind off things, Patrick helped me get rid of a bunch of stuff we've been procrastinating donating/tossing. (By help, I mean he did it all and I supervised hehe)

[Photo was taken a while ago. Might be hard to tell, but the tree in the middle that has vines. She is now in front of that, behind the rock.]

As you can imagine, I was really upset all day (still am) and just wanted to distract myself, play with our other furry butts, clean...etc. In the photo, we're trying to go through DVDs and our cat Apollo just wants to play in the tote.

[I think she wants to have a Buffy or Farscape marathon!]

My husband is really sweet; he took me to Barnes & Noble as more disctraction so I could get 2 books I really wanted. They were having another buy 2 get 1 free sale, but that man was there again and I had a panic/anxiety episode and refused to check out with him. (See previous blog about the man who was rude to me there last time.)

Patrick offered to do it alone, but I did not want to deal with the buy 2 get 1 fiasco all over again with the same rude cashier. (They didn’t have signs up again!) Right in the store, I went online and bought 3 books for my Kindle, through Amazon (of course) and paid less than what I would have with the buy 2 get 1 sale. (Actually spent only 3$ more what 1 book would have cost.)

Ugh! I love those books I wanted so much (despite not reading them yet lol) and I love Kindle books, but I really wanted the physical books to add to my physical collection of the books I already had by the same author. All is well. I will look out for the physical copies one day online (used & lower priced than what B&N was charging.)

B&N pretty much lost a customer while that guy is working the register.

****

The books I got is from the Your Name (Kimi no Na wa) series by Makoto Shinkai. 2 light novels, 1 manga. Japan calls books based on anime or manga “Light novels.”

There is a full length animated movie, 3 manga based on the movie, 1 light novel based on the anime/movie, 1 light novel that is side stories, 1 manga that is based on the side stories. Phew. It sounds confusing.

The movie is so beautiful and I loved it so much. The manga based on the movie wasn't as impactful as the movie was, but I really enjoyed it, too. It really was a touching story for me. The artwork is stunning. The movie made me cry at the end. I just had to have the novels, and the manga based on the side story.

It is the 2nd largest grossing domestic film in Japan (That is all movies, not just anime!) and the fourth-largest ever, behind Titanic and Frozen. 11th grossing non-English film in the USA. (At the time of writing this.) Rotten Tomatoes gave it a 97% & 4.6/5 rating. IMDB.com is at 8.4/10.

That should tell you how much this movie & books impacted people. Listen up, folks! Anime, cartoons, and animated films, comics, graphic novels, manga and all that are not just for children! I’m playing this up because I want you to watch the movie and then read the manga, then the novels! Go do it!

My collection so far:
Physical:
Vol 1-3 Your Name manga. (Follows the anime pretty closely!)

Digital:
The Your Name Movie (On Vudu.com. But I want the Limited Edition Bluray that comes packaged in a holographic art box, comes with a hardcover art book, 2 soundtracks (English & Japanese ver.) and is just stunning, but it is so pricey!!)

[This is what you get in the limited edition! I know I can buy the soundtracks alone probably, but I really want that art book!]

Your Name light novel on Kindle (It is supposed to follow the anime/manga pretty closely, but with added background info...etc.

Your Name: Another Side: Earthbound light novel on Kindle (Based on characters from the anime/manga and some of their side stories...etc.)

Your Name: Another Side: Earthbound manga on Kindle (The manga of the above.)

Yes, I'm a nerd.

(Do me a favor, give your animals (if you have any) a great big cuddle if they will let you.)

book Manga novel book haul haul fear Distraction anime death sad Anxiety light novel social anxiety Pet Animal makoto shinkai your name kimi no na wa

Lettters From Father Christmas

11:24 am 3 January 2019

Letters from Father Christmas - J.R.R. Tolkien, Baillie Tolkien

This book was very whimsical and made me feel like I was the same age as Tolkien's children and growing with them. I could almost imagine the things Tolkien wrote (as Father Christmas) were true happenings and Tolkien really was F.C., and somehow was leading two lives, one with his children and one on the North Pole with North Polar Bear and friends.

In his letters, he mentions the children putting their stockings up for the last time and he stops writing to them as they grow older and I can assume the older children stopped writing to him, too. That seems sad to me, but I guess some people forget the magic of Christmas as they age.

The way the book just ends is so jarring. One last letter to the youngest child and then nothing else. Sad, but children grow up, I suppose. I wonder how his children felt about getting their "last letter." If the children still believed in F.C, I can imagine it would be really terrible to be told, "hey, you're too old now, so no more letters."

Reading Tolkien letters book review book review read J R R Tolkien Father Christmas lettters from father christmas

My New Year Goals!

2:49 am 2 January 2019

These are goals to start the year off with, not New Year Resolutions because if I don’t do them… IT. IS. FINE!! No beating myself up. Mostly reading related, of course, but also some health stuff.

It isn't all fun and games; I have chronic pain, with mobility issues (can't walk or stand very long), depression, social & general anxiety. Because of these, it is so easy for goals to go out the window.

I don't have a "workout" plan, or a "diet" or any goals like that. It is all about getting my mental health in a better place and doing small baby steps to gain some mobility back. I just want to be able to move and not be in such pain. If you don't have depression or chronic pain, you might never understand how hard it is to crawl out from the darkness or to push beyond the pain to do a thing that gives you more pain in the moment. It is a vicious cycle and not an excuse or laziness!

The things below are goals, things I wish to keep up with, but I am going in realistically, knowing I'm going to fall and stand back up many times. Depression even makes things like reading and writing hard to do sometimes and not feel fun. No beating myself up when I fall down!

Daily Creative Brain Goals:

Read or write for at least 20 minutes when you wake up, before getting online and at least 20 minutes before bed (Replace with meditation when needed

Daily Healthy Brain Goals:

Meditate:

Monday - 5 Minutes

Tuesday - 10 Minutes

Wednesday - 15 Minutes

Thursday - 5 Minutes

Friday - 10 Minutes

Saturday - 15 Minutes

Sunday - Any length or off

Music:

All the music!!!

Find and listen to a new song/artist

Music is life!

Sing along, hum, chair dance, or wave your arms like you are a conductor

Love:

Think of 1 thing you are thankful for before going to bed, no matter how small, big, silly or weird

Say "I'm worth living, I matter, I'm meant to be here!" whenever death is on your mind

Every time you think something negative about yourself, imagine you going back in time and saying it to yourself as a child; you wouldn't, so why say it now?

Daily Healthy Body Goals:

Stretching:

5-10 before yoga

Yoga:

Monday - 5 Minutes

Tuesday - 10 Minutes

Wednesday - 15 Minutes

Thursday - 5 Minutes

Friday - 10 Minutes

Saturday - 15 Minutes

Sunday - Any length or off

Cardio:

5-10 after yoga

-------------------------

Monthly Creative Brain Goals:

Read at least 1 physical book I own

Read at least 1 Kindle book I own

Read at least 1 library book (Support the library!!)

Read at least 1 thing you can not track on Goodreads! Be free, you don't have to track everything! (Fan work, an interesting article...etc.)

Write at least 1 short story

Write at least 1 poem

Write a few times a week in a journal

Monthly Healthy Brain Goals:

Research & learn about something new

Read about interesting people

Play trivia games or take quizzes on a variety of subjects

-------------------------

Overall bookish goals:

Read more diversely, read more “new to me” authors, more authors with different backgrounds than the one I have, read more translated work

The Read Harder Challenge is great, but I won't stress it and think I have to hit every challenge in the year. Reading should not be stressful!

Here are the challenges: (If you have any book suggestions, let me know!)

Read:

1. An epistolary novel or collection of letters

2. An alternate history novel

3. A book by a woman and/or AOC (Author of Color) that won a literary award in 2018

4. A humor book

5. A book by a journalist or about journalism

6. A book by an AOC set in or about space

7. An own voices book set in Mexico or Central America

8. An own voices book set in Oceania

9. A book published prior to January 1, 2019, with fewer than 100 reviews on Goodreads

10. A translated book written by and/or translated by a woman

11. A book of manga

12. A book in which an animal or inanimate object is a point-of-view character

13. A book by or about someone that identifies as neurodiverse

14. A cozy mystery

15. A book of mythology or folklore

16. A historical romance by an AOC

17. A business book

18. A novel by a trans or nonbinary author

19. A book of nonviolent true crime

20. A book written in prison

21. A comic by an LGBTQIA creator

22.A children’s or middle-grade book (not YA) that has won a diversity award since 2009

23. A self-published book

24. A collection of poetry published since 2014

Writing Reading learning read write new year health goals fun meditation read harder new year goals

Sadie by Courtney Summers

6:04 pm 1 January 2019

Trigger Warning: pedophilia, sexual abuse, drug addiction. All I can say is a book you would want to go into carefully if you are triggered by disturbing content.

***

I'm not a parent, but this was hard for me to read; of course, my mind was on my nieces and the other children I know, and children/people who have gone missing/murdered in general. I've always had an interest in True Crime; because I feel like no matter how long it has been, crimes need to be solved, justice needs to be served and friends and family need closure.

So many people get forgotten about or fall through the cracks and never reported missing in the first place. People who talk about True Crime topics keeps victims names out there so that we won't forget about them.

This book was hard to read. It was so real. So raw. I enjoyed the way it was written. It had me on the edge of my seat. Listening and reading at the same time really enhanced the experience, because half of this is in podcast format.

The ending made me cry. I can't even imagine living the horrors in this book. Mattie's murder, what Sadie, Mattie, and the other girls experienced at the hands of

(show spoiler)

and others like him, and the grief of a parent when they find out what happened to their child.

Courtney Summers murder review book review podcast Missing true crime trigger warning Sadie

Reading progress update: I've read 105 out of 320 pages.

2:09 am 1 January 2019

I picked this to be my first book in 2019!

If you have the chance to read it, the audiobook makes all the difference. Part of it is in podcast format, so it really brings the book alive to listen to the audiobook while physically reading at the same time!

Summary:

(show spoiler)

Courtney Summers Sadie 2019 first book of 2019

Here is to another good reading year in 2019!

10:47 pm 31 December 2018

Here is to another good reading year in 2019, whether I read 1 or 500 books!

One thing I want to take into 2019 is that a reader is still a reader even if they read stuff that can't be tracked by Goodreads/similar sites. (Such as fan-written work...etc)

A reader is still a reader even if they don't feel like reading for a month, even a year! You read 1 article, 1 poem, 1 book... whether you read "for your age" or not... BOOM you're a reader.

I will read whatever the heck I want, even if it is middle grade "meant for children" or comics, graphic novels & manga some people still scoff at and act like is beneath them.

I'm still a reader even if I don't read "proper" literature and classics 24/7.

A reader is a reader whether they read short or long books!

Here are my stats for 2018:

I read 18,816 pages across 100 books in 2018! (99.5% of what I read were trackable books, and I avoided stuff... "oh, but I can't count that toward my goal..." Next year will be different!)

My average rating for 2018 is 3.8/5.

My shortest book was 20 pages: Pumpkin Feels Lonely by Joanne Roach - My 3-YO niece enjoyed this and so did I. I like the lesson it teaches and that it is not an "in your face" sort of lesson some books have. (I gave it a 4/5)

My longest book was 592 pages: Pretty Girls by Karin Slaughter (I gave it a 4/5)

LEAST POPULAR: 0 people also read Pumpkin Feels Lonely

MOST POPULAR: 1,092,421 people also read Frankenstein

by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley (I gave it 4/5)

AVERAGE LENGTH - 188 pages (I did read a lot of short books this year.)

Happy reading and Happy New Year!

Feel free to share your stats and goals!

Reading new year goals Happy New Year 2018 2019

My Christmas Book Haul!

10:41 pm 29 December 2018

The holidays are not about the gifts we get, but more about our loved ones. However, I am very grateful for what I do get. It is always books, books, books when it comes to gifts, gift cards & gift money. This year it was Kindle and Audible books galore!

I got an Amazon Fire HD 10 Tablet from my husband's parents and I let him have my Kindle Oasis. You can bet I spent my gift cards & gift money on books!

Obviously most of the books here are catered toward me because I got Amazon gift cards and he got Playstation gift cards, but a few are ones we both wanted! (See, I can be nice!) He loves to read, but is more on the gaming side. I like gaming, too. It is nice to share hobbies!

A lot of these are bought "on a whim" to give them a chance because they were on sale for $.99 - $2.99 and I can not say no to sales, especially when I am using gift cards. This list shows I have a very eclectic taste in books. haha

Kindle:

The Enchantment of Jack Horner

42098050 This one was actually a giveaway I won on Christmas Day, so I'm including it!

Bird Box

We both wanted this one

They Both Die At The End

Simon Vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda

Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda (Creekwood, #1)

Jackaby #1 & The Map #1.5 (The Map was free)

Jackaby (Jackaby, #1) The Map (Jackaby, #1.5) I read this as a library book and gave it a 3/5, but liked it enough to buy the ebook and continue the series. The Map is a short story following book 1.

Robin

How could I not get this?

They Mostly Come Out At Night (Free)

The Book of Ivy #1

The Book of Ivy (The Book of Ivy, #1)

Incarnate #1

A cover buy, but the reviews looked good...so...

The Names They Gave Us

Sort of a cover buy, but the reviews convinced me to give it a try

Adventures in Funeral Crashing #1 (Free)

Cheesy teen sluith book, but it was free and I remembered reading it on Wattpad back in the day. hahahaha I haven't looked at that place in so long.

Eragon #1

I got this for my husband. This is his favorite series. I have never been able to read past the first half of book 2. I want to give it another try for his sake lol

Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell

One we both wanted.

The Candymakers #1

The Afterlife of Holly Chase

The Diviners #1

Warriors 3-book collection

Into The Wild #1

Fire and Ice #2

Forest of Secrets #3

I read some of this series when I was younger and enjoyed it!

Fishtale

Hunted

Sadie

The Hazel Wood

Legendary (Caraval #2)

The Name Of The Wind #1

****

Audible: (AKA Audiobooks!!)

Stillhouse Lake #1

I already owned the ebook, so this is a "read & listen deal I got!

Allie and Bea

I already owned the ebook, so this is a "read & listen deal I got!

Wool

I already owned the ebook, so this is a "read & listen deal I got!

Alien: Out of Shadows (Free Audible Original)

Zero G (Free Audible Original)

The Name of The Wind #1

Read & listen deal (just got the ebook)

Metro 2033

Husband used a free credit on this

Sadie

Read & listen deal (just got the ebook)

They Both Die At The End & The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue #1

Both of these were a "read & listen" deal, but I got them with a 2 for 1 credit, so they were free.

Alice's Adventures In Wonderland

I already owned the ebook, so this is a "read & listen deal I got!

****

Audible gave these 3 books for free as part of "start the new year right" promotion, so I did not really want them. They are motivational/New Year resolution types of books. Not saying they are bad, per say, just not something I ever read.

(show spoiler)

audiobook book book haul audible free ebook Kindle haul free books discount christmas book haul sale prices discount books

Meagan, I Hear You!

12:28 am 19 December 2018

I got more texts today for Meagan, a girl I was told used to own my phone number but has passed away. The first text today was from B Vo Vision, wishing Meagan a happy birthday. She would be 34 (my age) today. She died from sudden cardiac arrest on May 8th, 2018. I don't know if this is some kind of cosmic sign. I need new glasses, my health is declining and I need to work on living again, and we are very close in age. The second text today was from a friend of hers of 15 years who also texted to say happy birthday and that they loved and missed her so much.

Meagan, I hear you. Happy birthday. I hope you are at peace.

**The first text I ever got for Meagan was on Dec 3rd was from another friend. They told me what happened to Meagan. I never wrote them back, because I thought it was a scam. Such is the world we live in. Friend of Meagan, I am very sorry for your loss and I am very sorry that I did not message you back. I was told that it might be better not to and warned that the probability of your message being a scam was really high. B Vo Vision contacting me proved otherwise, which prompted me to investigate my phone number.

I looked up my phone number and it says it is owned by a Meagan W. I got a late payment text from Verizon ages ago that I thought was a scam. Meagan's carrier was Verizon according to White Pages. I'm getting many, many long distance phone calls every day from bill collectors or businesses. Nobody should have this number. It all makes sense now.**

The reason I posted this here is because Meagan, even after death seems to be trying to motivate me to get up and do something. I have chronic pain, I am obese, can't hardly walk or stand because of spine problems, have depression and social anxiety. I've been doing nothing for a very long time and gaining more weight because of it. My weight isn't because I eat too much or that I am lazy. Chronic pain, depression and invisible illnesses don't help, but they make it hard to move, in turn making it hard to... oh, well, I can't even explain what I am trying to say. It is a vicious cycle; I'll just say that.

Even if I can only do a little, Meagan, you're motivating me to at least try. You've got to start from somewhere, right? Thank you, Meagan.

I know she is gone, but let's remember her today. Please do what Meagan's friend says. Make an effort to let those you love know because it can slip away in an instant. I hope Meagan can motivate you to do something you need to do. <3

motivation Happy Birthday death Loss meagan signs from above

I got the reverse “Pretty Woman” treatment at Barnes & Noble on Sunday.

3:02 pm 17 December 2018

(show spoiler)

***

We had a horrible customer service experience with B&N and a cashier who is going to be referred to as “man.” (Edit: Descriptive term! Previously said "old man" but someone said that was an offensive descriptive term, which wasn't my intention.)

We got an email from Barnes & Nobles; the subject said “ALL” manga & graphic novels buy 2 get 3rd free. The key word here is it said “ALL!” So we went and got what we wanted and it wouldn't ring up. The man said the signs only said the deal was for DC & Marvel & Image graphic novels. (The signs did say this.) But since we got the email that said "ALL" I asked to speak to a manager so I could show them the proof and figure out why it wasn’t working.

Man: *talking on radio* Can you come back here, these people still want to "ARGUE" about the manga.

What the heck? Is that something you say when we've shown you proof? Not only was his words rude, his tone of voice and body language was the rudest I've ever experienced at B&N or anywhere.

The manager comes back says that the coupon might be online only and was trying to brush this whole thing off. Barnes & Nobles, shouldn’t your employees know what your deals are? The man was standing around just rolling his eyes and had a "told you so" look on his face.

Me: Considering the email subject says "ALL" B&N and most places are usually the type to honor things like this. My husband and I were ready to say the subject title was bad wording on the company's part, but these two people did not seem to want to help us at all.

I studied the mail further and saw toward the end, it said "all manga buy 2 get 3rd free" and there was another part that said the thing about the DC & Marvel & Image. So the two deals probably could not be mixed, which makes the subject line even more misleading.

I told the man this. We put the graphic novel back and got another manga instead. He rung it up and it worked. Wow, look at that! If they had known what their own deals were, this whole thing could have been fixed in two seconds, but instead the man is calling us a liar and neither seem to care about honoring what the email from their company says. We weren’t even going to complain about the “All” subject line anymore and just buy the manga.

We had two books that are larger than normal manga, but they were manga. They were special editions.

Man: Are you sure this is a manga, it only works with manga...

Me: (Thinking) yeah, it only works with manga and you only know this because I told you and your signs do not tell anyone about this deal!! (I’m really frustrated and I have social anxiety and sensory problems, so I’m almost at my “meltdown” point.)

Me: Yes, they are manga. We're 100% sure.

Man: Well, we'll just see if it works.

He's still scoffing and talking in a rude voice.

Man: Oh, it worked....

He sounded shocked and mad that he was wrong and we were right.

In the rudest voice, he ends this experience with this gem.

Man: Oh, that is still really expensive!

I swear, he is looking at us, judging us for spending money at his store. It doesn't matter if it cost $5 or $500, who says something like that to a paying customer? We just saved around $50. So, he's basically saying "why did you go to so much trouble to save money when the price is still expensive?"

For the record, the price was not expensive to us. We bought 6 books. 2 were free, we had our membership discount, plus a 20% off 1 item coupon. In total there were 15 manga, because of bindups. It is the holiday season; we don't normally buy this much at once. Not that it was the man's business, but this is how we do xmas/gifts for each other. And any gift cards or xmas money goes on books as well.

That man made me almost say forget it and go find the books used and cheaper on Amazon. I even had the "Pretty Woman" scene in my head. I'd walk into B&B with all my Amazon packages and say, "you made a mistake!" I call this a reverse “Pretty Woman” moment because in his head, we must be rich people who waste money on book, so we’re too rich to shop at his store and maybe we should take our business elsewhere.

Oh, and he throws everything into a bag all willy nilly. 6 heavy books, 1 bag. He doesn't bother to put them in neatly. He practically shoves the bag at us and we had to fix the bag and inspect the damage. I was too tired to say anything at this point, so we left. No major damage done, except some scuffed corners.

I hope to not have to check out with that man again. :(

Manga bookstore Graphic Novel Mean rude pretty woman barnes and nobles bad customer service

Ordinary Souls by J. S. Bailey

12:36 pm 9 December 2018

*I've come to a story that has suicide, but not in great detail, but it is there, for anyone uncomfortable with the subject.*

The Mirror: 5/5
I really enjoyed this short story. It is about a mirror that shows you things it shouldn't show you. (Yeah that doesn't sound confusing at all, does it? I promise the story itself makes much more sense than I do!) I couldn't help feeling some Harry Potter "Mirror of Erised" vibes while reading this because the moral of the story. Great short story and I liked the writing style. Set in the UK. I appreciate the research J.S did to make it sound authentic. (Maybe that helped with giving me the Harry Potter vibes lol) The ending was perfect and left me wishing this story was a longer one! For sure a spooky concept!

***

The Ghost of Memory: 3.5/5
I felt like it needed to be longer. I did like it, but everything happened so fast. I know it is a short story, but I can't help desiring more. I however really enjoy the writing style. There are a couple parts mentioning spiders, so arachniphobia warning. I just felt like mentioning I got another weird vibe while reading this, totally unrelated to the book and J.S Bailey, but funny at any rate. A character is being referred to as "Cheese Man" and for some reason, I can only think of the Cheese Man on Buffy The Vampire Slayer.

To Willow: “I've made a little space for the cheese slices.”

To Xander: “These… will not protect you.”

To Giles: “I wear the cheese. It does not wear me.”

To Buffy: (silently shakes the cheese slices, then retreats)

I'm sorry.

***

Vapers: 3/5
I don't have much to say about this one other than it was confusing. I did like it and I enjoy the writing style. It was more science fiction than supernatural; maybe that is the cause of my confusion because I don't read much sci-fi.

***

Maria - 1/5 - This one isn't for me. It has a creepy vibe, but it doesn't feel like a complete story whether it was a short story or not.

***

Agoraphobia - 4/5 - This story hits too close to home. It was written in the second person, so that made it even more personal as if I were the main character. Thankfully, it gives a hopeful message."

***

The Author, The Lonely Walker and The Class - 4/5 - This one is interesting. It is a story within a story… within a story. I’m not going to say it isn’t confusing at first. I'm not usually a fan of this, but I think it was handled well here. This kind of story (especially considering it is so short) is a hit and miss for a lot of people, but I liked it. I feel like I could also relate to “the author” who talks about what I assume is social anxiety and having meltdowns in public. I don't want to spoil anything, but I relate to "the author" and "the lonely walker" in other ways, too. Really solid writing style.

***

The Outing - 3/5 - This one seemed like it would be a sweet story about an average looking man (he pretty much describes himself as such) and a younger woman he thinks is out of his league getting together and getting married. It is a much darker story than that. I can’t say much without spoiling anything, though. I liked the story, but I wanted more or a little more “oomph.”

***

Imaginary Friend - 4/5 - This story is a prequel to “Rage’s Echo” a novel by J.S. Bailey I haven’t read. Knowing nothing about Rage’s Echo, I really enjoyed this story. It was sad but sweet at the same time.

***

Weary Traveler - 4/5- I really liked this one. It was spooky. I like how you are not sure what is real and what might be supernatural.

***

Journal Entry From The End Of The Universe - 5/5- This one was told in journal entries. I really liked the format. This story makes you think about what matters and to be careful of what you wish for. The thing you wish for might not be what it is cracked up to be.

***

And Lead Us Not - 2.5/5 - Disturbing. I wish there were more details and that it was longer. I know it is a short story, but something was lacking. Well written, but the story wasn't my cup of tea. A great, unexpected way to end it, though.

***

White Lightning - 3/5 - Writing style on point. I like how it seems all the stories are about something different and not 16 stories of ghost hauntings or something. Nothing supernatural about this one that I could tell, but I guess that depends on how you interpret the story.

***

And There We Will Be - 5/5 - This is a really sad story. It deals with some disturbing themes, such as child abuse, but as sad as the story is, there is a feeling of hope, too.

***

Rochelle’s Pizza Run - -/- I decided not to read this as it is a short story sequel to another one of J. S Bailey’s books “The Story Beyond The Portal” and as that book sounds like something I would like, I want to read it first!

***

Solitude - 4/5 - This is a prequel to “Servant, The Chronicles of Servitude, #1” by J. S. Bailey. I really liked it and look forward to reading the series. I did however not care for the line about suicide. Sometimes I just think people do not realize how lines like that can come across to other people, no matter if it fits the character who said it. Suicide is not something you should ever joke about. “If [ ] heard that they would commit suicide.”

The story was well written and suspenseful and leads into a promising series.

***

Diamonds in the Sky - 5/5 - This was a great story. Science fiction. It was sad, but also bitter-sweet. I loved it.

---

Nov 18, 2017
*I met J.S Bailey today when she did an impromptu book signing at my local Half Priced Bookstore. She was really nice. Gave me two free bookmarks and I said I would buy one of her books online as we were carrying little cash. But before we left the store, my husband was nice enough to let me get this one! I really enjoyed how J.S. Bailey described some of the short stories in this collection. Thanks for signing my book!*

j s bailey ordinary souls

Reading progress update: I've read 292 out of 292 pages.

12:27 pm 9 December 2018

Just finished - And There We Will Be - This is a really sad story. It deals with some disturbing themes, such as child abuse, but as sad as the story is, there is a feeling of hope, too.

Rochelle’s Pizza Run - I decided not to read this as it is a short story sequel to another one of J. S Bailey’s books “The Story Beyond The Portal” and as that book sounds like something I would like, I want to read it first!

Solitude - This is a prequel to “Servant, The Chronicles of Servitude, #1” by J. S. Bailey. I really liked it and look forward to reading the series. I did however not care for the line about suicide. Sometimes I just think people do not realize how lines like that can come across to other people, no matter if it fits the character who said it. Suicide is not something you should ever joke about. “If [ ] heard that they would commit suicide.”

The story was well written and suspenseful and leads into a promising series.

Diamonds in the Sky - This was a great story. Science fiction. It was sad, but also bitter-sweet. I loved it.

16 stories, 15 finished. [1 skipped]

The Mirror - 5/5

The Ghost of Memory - 3.5/5

Vapers - 3/5

Maria - 1/5

Agoraphobia - 4/5

The Author, The Lonely Walker and The Class - 4/5

The Outing - 3/5

Imaginary Friend - 4/5

Weary Traveler - 4/5

Journal Entry From The End Of The Universe - 5/5

And Lead Us Not - 2.5/5

White Lightning - 3/5

And There We Will Be 5/5

Rochelle’s Pizza Run -/-

Solitude - 4/5

Diamonds in the Sky - 5/5

j s bailey ordinary souls

Reading progress update: I've read 211 out of 292 pages.

11:10 am 9 December 2018

Just finished - White Lightning - Writing style on point. I like how it seems all the stories are about something different and not 16 stories of ghost hauntings or something. Nothing supernatural about this one that I could tell, but I guess that depends on how you interpret the story.

16 stories, 12 finished.

The Mirror - 5/5

The Ghost of Memory - 3.5/5

Vapers - 3/5

Maria - 1/5

Agoraphobia - 4/5

The Author, The Lonely Walker and The Class - 4/5

The Outing - 3/5

Imaginary Friend - 4/5

Weary Traveler - 4/5

Journal Entry From The End Of The Universe - 5/5

And Lead Us Not - 2.5/5

White Lightning - 3/5

j s bailey ordinary souls

Slump... or not?

6:45 pm 28 November 2018

Is it really a slump when you stop reading because you want to focus on something else for a while? I mean, I already read over 50 books this year and I think that is pretty good for someone who has trouble focusing.

(I have years of 200+ books, but I don't want that kind of pressure anymore. Reading = fun, not a job or chore! More power to people who can read that much all the time, but I can't keep that up year after year!)

Right now, I am technically in the middle of 3 books (4 if you count the one I haven't recorded online. Oops. Does it count if I haven't recorded it online...so is the era we live in! :/ )

Paperbacks From Hell:

(I want to savor it!)

Paperback Crush:

(Same)

Ordinary Souls:

(Short story collection, so I can take my time if I want to.)

33217308

The Hobbit:

(Shifty eyes... for some reason my brain thought it was a good idea to try and read The Hobbit and LOTR again. Curse my brain!!)

15329

***

Anyways, hi. I haven't updated in a while because I've not been reading much. How is everyone doing?

Hobbit The Hobbit Lord of the rings reading slump Grady Hendrix slump paperbacks from hell j s bailey ordinary souls paperback crush

Reading progress update: I've read 192 out of 292 pages.

5:32 pm 15 November 2018

It has been a while since I've read this book. In my defense, there are some books you can take your time with, like short story collections.

Just finished - And Lead Us Not - Disturbing. I wish there were more details and that it were longer. I know it is a short story, but something was lacking. Well written, but the story wasn't my cup of tea. Great, unexpected way to end it, though.

16 stories, 11 finished.

The Mirror - 5/5

The Ghost of Memory - 3.5/5

Vapers - 3/5

Maria - 1/5

Agoraphobia - 4/5

The Author, The Lonely Walker and The Class - 4/5

The Outing - 3/5

Imaginary Friend - 4/5

Weary Traveler - 4/5

Journal Entry From The End Of The Universe - 5/5

And Lead Us Not - 2.5/5

Sex Education by Jenny Davis

2:22 pm 11 November 2018

Trigger warning: A Small part where they discuss abortion & rape.

Please don't let the title put you off!

Amazing story. However, just a little warning, this book broke my heart. I had a vague sense of reading this before and realized I must have picked it up somewhere as a teen, so this is one of the books I read and forgot about ages ago. (I mean... that title lol)

Sex was a lot more taboo when I was kid/teen, so I probably read it and hid it, mistakingly thinking I was doing something "naughty" This book talks about sex in detail, not graphic though, but if you are uncomfortable about saying the proper terms for sex, human body parts...etc...well... this book might not be for you. Though I think you should still give it a chance! They also talk about abortion & rape.

Considering it is about sex education (and so much more) the book doesn't feel that outdated. This should be read by all ages, and of course for kids and teens also just learning about their bodies. It isn't a how-to guide by any means, but there is stuff in here that are important for all people to know/remember. Do we hide stuff about sex from our children and never let them be educated or do we let them learn about it and know how to handle themselves if/when they decide to have sex?

This book made me ugly cry, in fact, I am trying to hold it together while writing this.

Leigha's Little Library

Invisible Emmie by Terri Libenson

Mini Book Haul, Pet Death, Distractions, & Anxiety

Lettters From Father Christmas

My New Year Goals!

Sadie by Courtney Summers

Reading progress update: I've read 105 out of 320 pages.

Here is to another good reading year in 2019!

My Christmas Book Haul!

Meagan, I Hear You!

I got the reverse “Pretty Woman” treatment at Barnes & Noble on Sunday.

Ordinary Souls by J. S. Bailey

Reading progress update: I've read 292 out of 292 pages.

Reading progress update: I've read 211 out of 292 pages.

Slump... or not?

Reading progress update: I've read 192 out of 292 pages.

Sex Education by Jenny Davis

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