Book Blog – Page 20 – …on the B.L.

Difficulty: II
Length: III
Quick Review: Grace Hammond is having a rough time, so she goes home to figure her life out.

As summer approaches, I’m trying to compile a list of books good for a vacation reading list. The Rules of Love and Grammar fits into that category perfectly. It’s light, romantic, and escapist in nature. Not a fabulous novel, but it holds its own as a beach read.

The book begins with Grace Hammond telling the reader exactly what is going wrong in her life. It was abrupt and unnecessary. In her early thirties, she loses her, her boyfriend, and her apartment before returning to her small hometown. While she tries putting her life back together, she takes a small job at a bike shop, dates, hangs out with her hometown best friend, rekindles old rivalries, and deals with the ups and downs of living with family.

Grace is your run of the mill grammar nazi, and, quite frankly, she comes off as a bitch. (I, as an editor, am always finding grammar mistakes in people’s work… So I get it. I do not point it out unless I am being paid because it is not a trait I have found that makes many friends.) Grace returns to her hometown which seems to bring out antics similar to those of a high schooler with a tendency towards exaggeration and fantastical scenarios. It felt immature at times. Her love sick puppy attitude made it a little hard to find the interesting person through the husband-hunter exterior.

Each chapter starts with a grammar rule and a sentence depicting the previously mentioned rule. The chapter usually reflects a similar concept in Grace’s life. It’s a cute way to effortlessly weave the theme throughout the book.

I have a difficulty reading books about grammar obsessed main characters, which seems to be the most important character quality to the author never developed just constantly mentioned. Once that personality trait has been established, I am on duty looking for any mistake. This does not disappoint. There were plenty of grammar mistakes including one in Simses bio. Though, this is not the author’s fault but the fault of the editor. It’s just irritating.

Simses tries to add a flair of mystery but does a thin job veiling what that is. The love interests are all lovely but highly predictable. To be completely honest, I had the entire plot figured out by page 17. The aspect I appreciate the most is the complexity of familial relationships: ie. siblings, parents, perception, reality, coping, etc. Simses touches on these thematically, but I think it would have been a stronger book had she focused on Grace’s reconciliation more than her love life. I really thought the ending was going to be strong aside from the predictable love story portion. However, Simses felt it necessary Grace narrate the meaning of the book instead of allowing it to speak for itself. I audibly cringed as she ruined what she had managed to turn around. Us readers are not dumb. We get it, unless, you wrote the next Lolita… but this is not that.

Personally, I enjoyed the bike shop aspect. My brother was a semi-professional cyclist, so my life revolved around bikes for many, many years. For me, that was sentimental.

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Memorable Quotes:
“”Let life unfold, or you’ll miss the chance to be surprised.””

Title: The Rules of Love & Grammar
Author: Mary Simses
Publisher: Back Bay Books (Little, Brown and Company/Hachette Book Group)
Copyright: 2016
ISBN: 9780316382083

Experiences, Travel

Washington DC Cherry Blossoms

April 18, 2018September 8, 2019 RaeAnna

In the middle of February, my best friend, Kelsey, texted me: You need to come visit the beginning of April! We need to take cherry blossom pictures. You HAVE TO COME! It so happens, I was putting plans into action that I would be on the East coast then… coincidentally.

Kelsey lives just outside of DC, so we woke up early – for us, put on our pretty faces, packed a bag of books, hopped in the car, and drove the twenty minutes to a parking garage close to the Mall. Basically, she is a great friend to have for the touristing!!! And her photography skills… And her friendship, I just like her. She’s stuck with me for always because I have too many ugly photos for her to ever ditch me! *insert evil witch laugh here*

The famous DC cherry blossoms are planted along Tidal Basin, which is adjacent to the Mall and features the Jefferson Memorial. Suffice to say, it’s down right gorgeous. I was there the last weekend of the National Cherry Blossom Festival. Holy Bajeezus, there were bunches of people. Absolutely a ton of people dressed in varying shades of pink, white, and other cherry blossom complementing pastels. (I would be a bold faced liar if I told you I accidentally picked out a white dress with light pink flowers to wear. Because I too wore cherry blossom complementing clothes.) Old, young, tourists, bloggers, families, solos everyone was out with their cameras to take pictures of the beautifully, short lived blooms.

The amount of blossoms is breathtaking. I was there at the end of the season, so petals fell from the trees with a light breeze in what can only be described as “made for the climax of a romantic comedy.” Definitely cliche. Definitely gorgeous. Definitely worth a trip.

The blossoms are white on the edges with pink centers giving the illusion they’re pale pink. Their season is short and highly dependent on the weather. It was surprising they were still there by the time I made it to DC because there had been a big freeze the weekend prior. This year, they lasted from March 17 – April 15. It’s an amazing site to see. Tidal Basin is surrounded by cherry blossoms. At one point in your walk, you’ll look one way to see the Jefferson Memorial across the water, and looking the other way, you’ll see the Washington Memorial over the tops of the cherry trees. The Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial is nestled into the cherry trees and is quite stunning all by itself.

You could spend all day walking around looking at the cherry blossoms, and I think it would be worth it. If that’s not for you, the Mall with all the Memorials and museums is quite literally across the street. So if you’re bored… I don’t know what to tell you. There’s tons of options for pretty much anything anyone could possibly enjoy.

If you ever have the chance to see the cherry blossoms in Washington DC, I highly suggest you do. It’s not quite like anything else I’ve ever seen.

Of course, as the blogger I am, I had to do more than just walk around and enjoy the blossoms. I also had to create content. Honestly, it was not a burden. I would have made Kelsey take pictures of me with the flowers any ways! I just had to take a little extra time to make sure I enjoyed being there on top of working. So this is me not complaining.

I was there on April 13, and the trees were gorgeous. The blossoms quite literally fell off two days later… I guess my timing could not have been better. This year, Washington DC cherry blossoms. Next year, cherry blossoms in Japan! (Just kidding, unless someone wants to sponsor me! I would totally trade posts for a trip to Japan next spring. Please email me!)

Books

Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?

April 12, 2018 RaeAnna

Difficulty: II
Length: II
Quick Review: Mindy Kaling is sweet, hilarious, honest, and absolutely fabulous in her memoir about being a successfully awkward human being.

I love Mindy Kaling. Not just because she’s a woman of color succeeding in a white, male dominated field. She’s hilarious! She’s smart! She’s confidant! She’s stylish! She’s true to herself. She is everything a young woman should aspire to be. I’ve been following her career for a good while now, but I never picked up her book. Why? No idea.

Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns) is great title. A mouthful, but I think that’s kinda Kaling’s style. If you’ve ever heard her speak, you’ll hear her voice coming through from word one.

Kaling grew up with a brother. Her parents set her up to be funny as they dressed their children as genderless as possible. I think it worked out for her. She grew up, went to Dartmouth, moved to NYC, wrote a play with her best friend, moved to LA, wrote for the Office, and that’s where her book ends, but it’s nowhere near the end of her success. Since the publication of her book in 2011, she has found even more awesomeness. She talks about all of these experiences for the good, the bad, the weird, and the memorable.

Honestly, all of her candid awkwardness gives me hope for my future.

Her writing style is really straight forward. It reads the way she speaks in interviews. She is realistic, funny, relatable, and truly genuine. She isn’t trying to give advice, but she does in many ways. Through the telling of her experiences, she could potentially ease the minds of so many girls who don’t peak in high school… Let’s be honest, that should never be anyone’s goal. She has this amazing honesty in her writing as she dives into her quirks, her mistakes, her friends, and her success. She tackles everything with a truly laugh out loud way with words. So much so, I think this book could have earned her a place in the looney bin with her fantasies – a nicer word for delusions – if she weren’t so awesome and successful as a writer and actress.

The book has a few grammar mistakes. They are by no means glaring, but the editor could have edited a tad better.

I personally enjoyed the section where she discussed the franchises she would develop herself, INCLUDING the girl gang ghostbusters… I hope she earned some royalties off the idea because she predicted it five years before the movie hit theaters. I’m now eagerly awaiting her other ideas.

I highly suggest this book. It’s a quick read but entertaining.

Memorable Quotes:
“When Your Boyfriend Fits into Your Jean’s and Other Atrocities”
“I went to Dartmouth to pursue my love of white people and North Face parkas.”
“If you’re a kid who was not especially a star in your high school, I recommend going to a college in the middle of nowhere.”
“Also, chubby people can never truly pull off ethereal the same way skinny people can never be jolly.”

Title: Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns)
Author: Mindy Kaling
Publisher: Three Rivers Press (Crown Publishing Group – Random House)
Copyright: 2011
ISBN: 9780307886279

Baked Goods, In The Kitchen

Banana Bread Surprise

April 9, 2018 RaeAnna

Banana Bread Surprise

It’s not a secret I like to eat… or cook… or bake. If you follow along on Instagram, you’ll probably see the ridiculous amount of things I consume by way of my stories. I like food. Nay, I love food. It’s the perfect partner while reading.*

I have always had a soft spot for banana bread. It’s the right amount of sweet and nutty because I fill mine up with nuts. The other day, I was craving banana bread and cheesecake simultaneously. I decided to make banana bread. I wanted to add a little something extra because I’m adventurous like that. You can imagine where this is going… Banana bread with a cheesecake surprise filling!!! “How?” you ask… I’ll tell you because we’re friends!

Ingredients
Banana Bread

3 ripe bananas
⅓ cup butter
1 teaspoon baking soda
Pinch of salt
¾ cup sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 ½ cups of all-purpose flour
½ cup crushed nuts *optional* (I prefer pecans but walnuts are great too)

Cheesecake Filling

8 oz cream cheese
1 egg
½ cup sugar

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F, and butter a 4×8-inch loaf pan.
In a bowl, mix together cream cheese, egg, and sugar until smooth. Set aside for later.
In a mixing bowl, mash the ripe bananas with a fork until completely smooth. Then on high speed mix butter and sugar into mashed banana until light and fluffy.
Mix in the egg. Add baking soda, salt, and vanilla extract. Mix in the flour.
Fold in the nuts.
Pour half of the batter into your prepared loaf pan. Pour the cream cheese mixture onto the batter. Then pour the remaining batter to cover the cream cheese mixture.
Bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour, or until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean.
Remove from oven and let cool in the pan for a few minutes. Then remove the banana bread from the pan and let cool completely before serving.
When slicing there should be a layer of cheesecake between the banana bread layers.

I came up with this idea because I have weird cravings, which are absolutely not pregnancy related! I am just a weirdie. It looks like a normal loaf of banana bread until you cut into it.

I explained this recipe to several people. Several were hesitant, but they all tried it. Much to their surprise, I’m a secret genius… I ended up making a few batches because it was so popular!

*Aside from my dog, but she is a given. Assume Beau is the best pawtner in everything I do!

Books

Paroles de Bonheur

April 6, 2018 RaeAnna

Read: Yes – If you speak French
Difficulty: II
Quick Review: A small book with a big, bright dose of happy!

Almost nothing makes me happier than traveling. It only seemed fit I bring this with to San Antonio.

Whenever I go to used bookstores, I like to look in the foreign language section. Books in French and Russian can be hard to find; especially ones I would like to read. I was in Kaboom Books, here in Houston, when I found this bright, little book.

Paroles de Bonheur can be translated as Words of Happiness. What isn’t there to like?

At only 57 pages long, Paroles de Bonheur is about as fast of a book as you can imagine. The pages are filled with quotes about happiness by famous people. Only three quotes are not by francophones, and those were translated into French, of course.

Every pairing of pages includes a quote and an illustration. I’m always drawn to bright colors, so this obviously had my attention from the very start. The quotes are well picked out

I love reading in French. I don’t do it as much as I would like. This is the perfect book to read when I’m missing the language. The quotes are beautiful, and it’s a reminder of how the language flows.

Title: Paroles de Bonheur
Editor: Albin Michel
Illustrator: Yves Got
Publisher: Pollina
Copyright: 1997
ISBN: 9782226090171

Travel, Travel Guides

San Antonio Day Trip

April 4, 2018June 23, 2019 RaeAnna

Attention!!! Books are no longer my only friends in Houston. I have human friends in my most recent home city. It’s a very exciting development for me.

Even better, I’m growing close with another blogger. A business blogger and digital nomad (goals) from New Zealand. Elise runs the blog House of Brazen! She has limited time in the US, and we’re exploring as much of it as we can before she’s off on her next adventure. Where? No one knows.

On Thursday, we hopped in the car early heading West on I-10 until we ran into the San Antonio River Walk…. There were a couple turns, but not many. Being the non-early birds that we are. Starbucks was our first stop. Quickly followed by the first Buc-ee’s we saw. If you’re not from Texas and happen to be in Southern Texas, find a Buc-ee’s, go to the bathroom, buy a kolache, and try some beef jerky. I guarantee you have never seen anything like it before. It’s the most Texas gas station you’ll ever encounter, and we are absolutely bonkers over them.

Three hours later, we hopped out of the car and headed right to the river walk. We walked along the river looking at the beautiful architecture, bridges, art, and people watching.

The river walk is such a beautiful place. It stretches on a long while in several directions. There are areas where the tourists congregate, and areas where you hardly pass anyone. Sidewalks, usually, run on both sides of the river. They aren’t very wide, so you often have to “think thin” as people pass. Restaurant patios spill into sidewalks. You won’t have to search far for food, and everything smells amazing.

The river walk is teaming with life. People. Flowers. Water. Wild life. I really can’t tell you how gorgeous it is. The architecture is beautiful and varies. The bridges across the river keep changing. My favorite, however, was a bridge covered in bright green ivy… I don’t know if it was ivy, but that is what I’m going with.

Elise and I headed to the Alamo because, well, it’s the Alamo. It’s not very big. It’s beautiful. It’s always crowded. You could probably walk around reading every plaque for hours if you wanted. There are guided tours and audio tours. We weren’t that concerned with more than strolling through, which is free! Save money where you can to spend it on things like day trips to cool places or saving to visit her in New Zealand. (Fingers crossed you’ll all follow my adventures there.)

After the Alamo, we went to lunch at Rita’s. Elise threw chips for the birdies to eat. I stared at a gorgeous dog who sat next to us. We ate Mexican food completely content with our lives. Finishing up, we walked around the river walk for a little while longer.

After a fun day in San Antonio, we hopped back in the car for the three hours home… But also another stop at Buc-ee’s because duh. More kolaches were consumed. Beef jerky was bought to be taken home – I highly suggest the Bohemian Garlic. I dropped Elise at her place before heading to mine. Beau was ecstatic to see me. I – the non-morning person I am – crawled straight into bed.

Tag: Book Blog

The Rules of Love & Grammar by Mary Simses

Washington DC Cherry Blossoms

Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?

Banana Bread Surprise

Paroles de Bonheur

San Antonio Day Trip