Turtles All the Way Down: John Green

Last book I read. It was pretty good. I was expecting a little bit more of a love story but I liked it just
the same. It was interesting. I am writing this way to long after I read it so it isn't fresh in my mind. But I like having a place where I can do back and look at the books I've read so here I am posting not a very good blog post for probably not a very good reason haha.

Anyway, I would recommend this book. It was well written and you never quite knew what the next chapter would hold which is my favorite type of book.
love, Carlee

Everything Everything: Nicola Yoon

I haven't read a full book in months! This was one I picked up at the thrift store. I recognized the cover from a few years ago when it was really popular. I started it and got hooked and finished it in 3 days. It was really cute and well written. It is a YA novel so an easy read. I liked the story and they even made a movie based on the book in 2017! That is how behind I am. I am excited to read the other book by this author.

My goal is to read 10 books this year and this is number 3! I know 10 books is super lame but last year I only read 5 and hey it's May and I have only read 3 so making it to 10 will be an accomplishment haha. I feel like there is momentum to reading like once you read a good one you want to read some more. But once you haven't read in months it is hard to get back into. Anyways, read this book it is good.

Letters to the Lost: Brigid Kemmerer

I really liked this book. It was an easy and quick read. I read it in 4 days actually. I originally picked it up from the library they have a free book shelf that you can take books home to keep as long as you bring one to put back on the shelf for someone else.

I think this books classification would be Young Adult but not sure. It is a love story about two teens that have been communicating anonymously all while still haven’t interactions in person but neither one knows who the other is behind the screen. It is cute and charming and deals with labels, grief, misunderstandings, heartbreak. The two main characters are lovely but there are also plenty of other characters that have a lot of depth.

I also liked how the story ended. It was kind of a cliff hanger but ended nicely. Like it could have gone on for sure but also concluded at a nice point. A part of me did want it to continue but than I thought well were would the story go from here so it was a good place to end. Anyways I loved it. Would recommended 100%!

Also the author has like a dozen more novels published so I am excited to look into her other work. I love when I find a story I like and realize the author has lots of other books!

love, Carlee 

When Breath Becomes Air: Paul Kalanithi

First book of 2019! My goal is to read 10 books this year so yay for 1/10.

This book was great. It seemed a little unfinished because in a very real way it was. It talks about death and life and what makes life worth living. How to continue living when death is more "real" and less of an abstract future idea.

It is a true story written by the protagonist about a nuerosergon who is in his last year of residency and almost going to become a full-time doctor after about 10 years of schooling and training. He then learned that he has lung cancer at about 35. He questions what to do and what he wants and how to continue when death is a certainty but you still don't know when that death will come. Not knowing when death will come is the same for everyone but after getting a terminal illness diagnosis it is very different how death is thought about. It was a good read, it was pretty easy and quick. I would recommend it.
love, Carlee

Wild: Cheryl Strayed

Just finished reading this beauty of a book. I know about 5 years too late, but better late than never. I
really liked this book. Cheryl is a wonderful writer and tells her story amazingly. I was motivated at times to hike the Pacific Crest Trail myself. I now want to watch the movie with Reese Witherspoon which I also haven't seen but now is the perfect time.

I would recommend this book. It is about adventure and love and lost and finding yourself. Going into the unknown and doing something big and brave even if you are scared or nervous.

5/5

Sorry I haven't been around more lately. My leg has been hurting pretty bad the last 3 days and that has thrown me off and we are also waiting to see if some of our travel plans get approved which has also thrown me off. Just in general not a great November so far but I am looking forward to the holiday season. I have withheld from putting up any decorations yet but I have deep dived into my xmas shopping and I have also ventured into the Christmas section at stores to take a peek haha.
love, Carlee

I Almost Forgot About You: Terry McMillan

Just finished this book like legit 2 minutes ago. It was an easy and fairly quick read. I would give it a 5/10 stars. It wasn't the best. Like if someone asked if I recommended reading it I would probably say no. But I mean I did enjoy it some. I liked the way Terry wrote about sex and middle age. 

The dialogue and story just jumped around a lot. All the sudden there would be a new character or a character from four chapters ago that hasn't been mentioned since. Some characters didn't have closer they were just gone. Idk it was just kind of weird. There wasn't enough back story to the other characters besides the main character, Dr. Georgia Young. I like the main character. I guess I was just mainly bothered by the writing style. 

Well actually the story was a little phony in parts to. I guess that's why I only gave it 5/10 stars. Like it wasn't bad enough to stop reading but I wouldn't recommend it to anyone. The story was fine but kinda cheesy, unrealistic, all over the place. I don't know. Okay bye.

love, Carlee

The Green Mile: Stephen King

This is another book that I picked up at the thrift store because I recognized the title and of course the very popular author. I had never read the book or even seen the movie but I know it has rave reviews so I figure I would give it a chance. The book was great. I cried at the end. I would probably give it 8/10 stars. I like it and the writing was great but I guess I am not into the whole other worldly thing. Like the magic healing powers or in The Shining the telepathic mind reading. I guess I don't really believe in that so the book isn't as riveting to me. I know that it is fiction but I like plausible fiction like stuff that can actually happen and to me mind reading isn't realistic.

But all the same the book was great. The story was mostly set in 1932 at Cold Mountain penitentiary from the view of Paul Edgecomb. Sometimes the story would flip to what was the present (at the time of the book at least) and Paul was actually writing the story of what happened in 1932. Paul was in an old folks home and had a secret there as well. Toward the end of the book I could kind of tell what was going to happen in 1932 so I was more interested in what secret old man Paul Edgecomb had. 

This still book had some language and gory details it wasn't a horror novel by any means like King's usually work. 

Favorite Quotes: 

A lot of things don’t matter but it doesn’t keep a man from wondering about them - Paul Edgecomb 

A man with a good wife is the luckiest among God’s creatures. - Paul Edgecomb

Sometimes the embers are better than the campfire - Paul Edgecomb 

Girls & Sex: Peggy Orenstein

Okay I loved this book. I had picked up this book at the thrift store because it had a pretty cover haha. When I was going through my mini library of books I came across this one and read the intro and became really interested. I think one of the main reasons is because I have been thinking more and more about having children and while I don't even have a kid yet let alone a preteen or teenager this book was very fascinating. The author interviewed over 70 girls that were either in high school or college about todays world when it comes to sex. The book was divided into different sections that focused on one-five girls depending on the theme of the section. 

There was chapter on social media and how girls portray themselves and why they portray themselves a certain way and how they feel about sexting and sending nudes and what they get out of these exchanges. Another chapter focused on rape and sexual assault and the statistics of these cases within a new generation and how rape is defined and alcohol related use and why teenagers use alcohol a lot when in sexual encounters etc. There was a section on purity balls, conservative culture around sex, and abstinence only education. Plus a lot more..

My biggest take away was that were needs to be more education and knowledge surrounding female pleasure. A lot of the girls interviewed said that they felt satisfied if they partner was satisfied even if they didn't get any physical pleasure like an orgasm. Also in most of these cases these girls weren't with a long term partner it was a one time hook-up situation so why would this girl be satisfied if she isn't get physical pleasure or real emotion/mental pleasure from this partner. We need to teach girls about pleasure. The book states other European countries that teach about female pleasure, orgasms, and the clitoris in sexual education that the teenage girls from these countries actually abstain from sex longer, have less STDs and pregnancies and have more meaningful relationships. We also need to make sure girls can and know how to set boundaries for themselves. Some girls were saying that some sexual encounters for them weren't pleasurable but they did it because everyone was doing it or they gave a guy a blow-job so that way they didn't have to have intercourse. In NO SITUATION should you be giving a blow-job if you don't really want to. 

Super interesting book. One I will definitely keep. I am only 26 so a lot of this stuff was around when I was a teenager I remember girls sending nude videos and pictures to guys and those getting passed around and I remember the party scene. It makes me thankful that I never got too caught up in any of that in school and makes me really hope I can raise a daughter that can do what she wants and also not do what she doesn't want. I want her to have good information about sex and pleasure so she can have satisfying sexual experiences. Because teenage girls will have sexual experiences and according to this book most are not satisfying for the girls. Lots of girls described them as "awkward" so why are they participating. It is a cultural thing, there is pressure, and also not wanting to be stigmatized as a slut or a prude etc. 

Anyways great book. Would recommend.
love, Carlee

Favorite Quotes: 

Absence of pain is a pretty low bar for your own physical fulfillment.

I don't think I'll set lines for myself anymore because I'll be disappointed when I cross them. I have to trust myself to know what feels good and natural and what doesn't. 

Any good lover is a good listener. And a bad listener is at best a bad lover and at worst a rapist. 

Smart Couples Finish Rich: David Bach

My local library does a cool thing were they have some free books and you just have to bring in a book to give and you can take any book on the certain shelf and have it forever! This is one of those books that I picked up while looking for books to trade with books that I already owned that I didn't want or need anymore. I picked up this one because I am very interested in money. Clark does make the majority of the money in our household but I still want to pull my own weight when it comes to finances. So I pay all of our families bills and make sure everything is covered and in good standing. This book helped my go farther with that. I looked into our retirement plans and we even upped our contribution from 10% to 13% of our income since reading this book. I found out our credit scores and made plans to work on building our credit and there was even quizzes and outlines for goals for how you deal with money and what value money brings into your life. 

I would 100% recommend this book to any couple that is in a serious relationship. It would even be a great book to give to someone as a wedding gift. You wouldn't think money is romantic but the book really does give lots of ways to make sure you don't fight about money as a couple and ways to be proactive with your life. Like buying life insurance and setting up living wills. Some of the stuff didn't apply to mine and Clark's situation but maybe someday it will so it was nice to learn about it. Also there was lots of information on IRA's, stocks, mutuals funds etc. which I will be honest had little to no idea what these things were and how to go about getting them before ready this book. I still have not invested in any of these things because that is not the place we are at in our lives but it is really good to have the knowledge. Also if you aren't in a couple and are just a single lady David Bach also writes a book called Smart Women Finish Rich which was actually written before this one and has wonderful reviews. If I had a friend graduating from college or high school right now I would totally buy them that book. 

Anyways 10/10 would recommend. Also it should be noted that I read the updated version which was updated and revised in 2018 so very current. The original copy was published in 2001 and my guess a lot has changed in the finance world in 17 years so get yourself the updated copy (cover pictured above.) 

love, Carlee

The Couple Next Door: Shari Lapena

I haven’t read a full book in almost a year, since September 2017 :-/  I know I know that is awful. I have read for the last 9 months or so just textbooks for college and never one all the way threw. One of my goals this summer was to read one book just one book. I started The Couple Next Door on Tuesday and just finished this book this morning (Saturday)! It was a really good read and easy and exciting.

I was about 10 pages in when I thought this book seems too simple. Like there wasn’t big words or phrases everything was in very plain simple English. I googled the book and glanced quickly at the reviews and the book had pretty good reviews so I kept reading. I don’t know why I just assumed for a book to be good it needs to have complicated / fancy language and words. Its better when the words are clearly understandable and the story is a page turner!

And this one was great. The whole time I kept trying to figure out what exactly happened during the story which made me want to not put the book down. There are definitely twists and turns until the very last page. However some of the twists and turns seem a little too unbelievable maybe not unbelievable just like too many. Like how could another thing happen... you know. But still it was good and I would recommend it.

Now I am motivated to read another book! I forgot how fun reading is and how much I enjoy it.
love, Carlee 

All The Light We Cannot See: Anthony Doerr

This is the first book I have read in a long time, like since June. One of my former teachers actually
recommended it when I told her that we were going to France in October. The book is set in Paris and Saint Malo, France during WWII. It is a rather long book more than 500 pages but it was definitely one that you wanted to keep reading.

The novel switches between two stories that end up weaving together. One of a orphan boy that joins the Nazi military forces in WWII and the other of a blind girl living in Paris with her farther during WWII. I won't go into too much detail as not to spoil anything but I really liked this book and I felt like I learned more history about WWII as well. You might classify it as historical fiction since some of it was real but the main story line was fiction.

I learned about the invasion of Paris, one of the schools that trained the Nazi military boys from a young age that was also a very selective school, and mostly about the allied forces attack on Saint Malo. I have actually added Saint Malo as a place to visit when we go to France in October.

I would rate this book 5/5. Definitely would recommend to others.

Quotes I liked from the book:

There are no such things as curses. There is luck, maybe, bad or good. A slight inclination of each day toward success of failure. But no curses. 

The locusts have no king, yet all of them go out in ranks. - Old Testament Proverb

Some things are simply more rare than others, and that's why there are locks. 

You know the greatest lessons of history? It's that history is whatever the visitors say it is. Whoever wins, that's who decides the history. 

You will become like a waterfall, a volley of bullets- you will all surge in the same direction at the same pace toward the same cause. You will forgo comforts; you will live by duty alone. You will eat country and breathe nation. 

My father said "You dont have to stay. I'd like you to stay, but you dont have to. You probably have things to do. You can go off with your friends if you want to." 'He kept saying that. I left. I went down the strips and into the street. I had nowhere to go. Nobody to see. I didn't have any friends in that town. I had ridden trains all goddamn day to see him. But I left just like that. 

They move about with only themselves in mind. Name me someone who does not. 

He worries that to concentrate on [the memories] too long is to rise wearing them out. 

love, Carlee 

The Question of the Felonious Friend: E.J. Copperman / Jeff Cohen

Latest read. Loved this book. This is the third book in the Asperger Mystery series written by E. J. Copperman and Jeff Cohen. The first book in the series was brand new at the library in North Carolina when we were living there and I picked it up because I liked the cover. Ever since then I have been reading the books. 

The books are pretty simple. They are mystery novels. This one started off with the question "Is Richard really my friend." See the main character in the cook Samuel has Asperger Syndrome and he makes a living answer questions for people because he is really good at researching and pays attention to details. He answered the question but that lead to much more. A shooting, death, robbery, so then Samuel spends the rest of the book trying to figure out what really happened and answers more complicated questions. 

I really like these novels because while they are easy reads, they aren't predictable. The authors do a great job of keeping you on your toes and I never know how it's really gonna end until I see the words there on paper. 

Once I was finished with the book, I googled the series and guess what! They are writing a 4th novel in the series to come out in October!!! I am very excited.
love, Carlee 

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest: Ken Kesey

Just finished this book and it was great. I actually started reading it back in November. I was about halfway through when I broke my leg and was in the Italian hospital. Clark brought some stuff to my hospital room including this book and while I tried to read it there it was just a little too scary haha. I didn't need to read about these guys in a mental hospital while I was in a hospital in a foreign country. So I waited until now to finish it. The copy of the book that I have I bought at the thrift store on base and it has a fun comic book illustrated cover and even some sketches within the pages done by Ken Kesey himself.

I really like the book as a whole. There are misogynistic and racist remarks and tones but I think that is part of the culture when the book was written. The story is basically about people, the men in this insane asylum, trying to be normal in a country that is basically ruling you and judging you and causing you to change because of what society sees fit. At least thats what I got from it. It is also a book that has been banned in schools since the 1970s so of course I had to read it. And while yes there are imagines of gambling, sex, drugs, fighting. It tells the tale of something bigger. And since high schoolers are seeing all the stuff anyways without no real meaning I hope that in today's world they can read this book. Although will some language (the F word and N word, etc.) I am sure there are people who would be highly offended if they saw this book in schools again no matter what the overall meaning is.

I am sure this will be one of those book that I come back to in a few years and read again. 

Favorite quotes from the book:

"He hadn't let what he looked like run his life one way or the other."

"You don't have to apologize for my inadequacies, my friend. It neither fits your character now compliments mine."

"In this country, when something is out of order, then the quickest way to get it fixed is the best way."

"There is generally one person in every situation you must never underestimate the power of."

"The doctor's lying made us feel worse than ever- not because of the lie, so much, but because of the truth."

"He knows you have to laugh at the things that hurt you just to keep yourself in balance, just to keep the world from running you plumb crazy."

"Never before did I realize that mental illness could have the aspect of power, power."

The Last Letter from Your Lover: JoJo Moyes

This was the first book by JoJo Moyes I have read. I did watch the movie, Me Before You, on the airplane ride from DC to Washington State back in December and I really loved the story. So in March when I was in the airport waiting to come back to Italy, I saw this book at the book store in the airport. I read the back and picked it up. I just got around to reading it this past week and I LOVED IT! I didn't love all of the story but I really couldn't put it down. I just wanted to keep reading and find out how the story ends.

So the story start its 1960 and two people fall madly in love. Unfortunately, the women is already married. They write letters to each other because that is one of the only ways they can communicate. He is a writer so he pours his heart and soul out to her via letters. The affair goes on for a while and she doesn't leave her husband although she is unhappy. The story gets cut off and you jump to 2003.

In 2003 there is Ellie that is also a writer that is having an affair with a married man. They don't write letters though because in 2003 text message is the way to communicate and not long passionate love letters. She does however find some of the love letters from 1960 and wants to find out what happened to the couple. Maybe if their affair had a happy ending then hers could to.

It was definitely a page turner. I just wanted to know what happened as well. There was some fluff wording. I don't love long descriptive paragraphs that seem to add nothing to the story. But other than that like I said I really liked it. Not gonna give any spoilers away. It is cute love story. And you can basically get two love stories for the price of one.
love, Carlee

Quotes I liked from the book: 

In my experience there is no one more brutally impartial than a wife.

War zones, he thought, were easier. Safer. In war zones you could always tell who the enemy was.

She is pretty enough to attract attention that she still pretends offends her.

Only in Naples: Katherine Wilson

So this book I discovered because I am apart of a Facebook group for the base book club. I hadn't been to the book club yet but wanted to so when they announced that Only in Naples would be the book for April I was excited. The book looked cute and easy and I wanted to join the book club now that I was back in Naples. I thought it might be fun meeting some other ladies with a love for reading.

I liked the book a lot. It is kind of a memoir/ biography of the author. She is an American that moves to Naples for an internship and then falls in love with an Italian and ends up staying for a while longer, then eventually marrying him and moves to Rome. And while you get to read about the love story long the way the book is definitely more about Naples. She talks about the food, garbage, month long vacations. I think that he perspective is a little bit different because her in-laws lived in the rich area of Naples, Posillipo, and even had another home in Positano (super expensive vacation area on the Amalfi Coast.) So they were definitely a little higher class then the average Neapolitan (people from Naples.) 

But it was still fun to read about her time here. She talks a lot about the food. Her mother in-law makes the best Ragu but it takes 12 hours to cook. That seems like a little excessive for me. She includes some fun recipes in the back of the book including a short version of the ragu (only 3 hours haha.) 

I really liked this book. I probably wouldn't have read it if we weren't here experiencing Naples because some of the things she talks were definitely better to read since I have some perspective on the Naples area but anyone interested in Naples or Italy would probably find it a fun read. If one has ever traveled to Naples before they definitely would enjoy it. At least thats my belief. 

Favorite Quotes from the book:

Never forget that men are needy and pathetic when it comes to sex. You have the power. Use it.

A Neapolitan philosopher, once said that if the Lord wanted to take everyone in Naples to heaven, all He would have to do is pull one line of laundry and the whole city would come with it, because all the buildings in Naples are connected by hanging wash.

The man might be pampered but in the end it was a woman who would decide.

As the saying goes in Naples, when you're sick, one of the most dangerous places you can be is at the hospital.

To trust is good, not to trust is better

It is normal to tell untruths, creative reconstructions of reality. These untruths are told with great calm and finesse. They are told not only to dupe or deceive but also to protect, out of love for the person being misled.

love, Carlee 

The Italian Summer: Roland Merullo

Just finished up this quick and fun read. I picked it up at the library the other day, it was in the Italian
travel section. I read that back cover and it seemed interesting enough. 

I liked it. The author was very descriptive and I love his storied about the Italian food and there little trips around Lake Como. Lake Como is in northern Italian, and we haven't been farther north than Rome so it was interesting and fun to read about some of the customs, traditions and food of the north. I look forward to visiting at some point. They got to drive by the place that Mussolini was shot and see the place that his body was hung in the square. Like I said, I'm excited to visit someday. 

There was a little too much golf talk. I am not a golfer but my dad and brother are so I understood the golf terms but it was still a little much for me. There were multiple chapters where he went into extensive detail about his golf games and matches. Some of the andantes where clever and funny about golfing. But like I said, a little too much still. 

Favorite Quotes from the book:

"I thought about how families open themselves to include outsiders or have difficulty doing that; how the bonds that link them are stretched and broken by distance and politics and faith and time, or reinforced by regular meals and a shared passion." 

"It is foolish to romanticize that past. Mostly likely, the stone alleyways outside the apartment - they seemed so charming - were at one time a septic mess of horse droppings and the contents of chamber pots."

"Your place on the course is immediately after the group in front and not immediately before the group behind."

+ and I want to make a note to visit Piazzale Loreto in Milan where in April 1945 the bodies of Mussolini and his mistress had been hung upside down in from of a gas station. Furious mobs had spat on the corpses and beaten them with sticks. 

love, Carlee

You are a Badass: Jen Sinerco

So I had been wanting to read this book for a while but it was never at any library I went to. But my little brother ended up giving it to my mom for Mother's Day last year. I thought I would read it since I am home and have been wanting to for some time now. I honestly thought this book was going to be so inspirational and awesome! Kind of like the book "Big Magic" by Elizabeth Gilbert was for me. I loved that book and it was definitely the perfect time in my life to read it. I guess I thought this book would have the same effect on me but it did not.

It wasn't bad. On a scale of 1-10 I would probably rate it a 5. There were some parts that I thought were interesting and some good quotes and I pulled from the book. But other parts were not inspirational for me. She has a really long section all about money and how if you "will" it, it will come to you sort of thing and I just could not get into that mindset at all. So while it wasn't my favorite it wasn't bad. I was probably let down more than I should have been because I went in with high expectations.

Quotes I liked from the book:

"Everyone is living in their own self-created illusion." 

"It's not your fault that your fucked up. It's your fault it you stay fucked you." 

love, Carlee 

Scrappy Little Nobody: Anna Kendrick

I loved this book. It was the first book I read in 2017 and the first full book I have read since last June. Crazy I know. I really like Anna Kendrick and it was fun getting a glimpse into her life and
childhood. I had know idea how she really started out, I figured her first role was Twilight but she actually started on Broadway in New York when she was a kid. I also loved her in Up In The Air with George Clooney.


She is witty and charming and honest. I am not sure if we would be friends in real life as her sarcasm is very heavy haha. She gives you inside info on Zac Efron and George Clooney and the Twilight gang. I had to google some stuff she was referencing in her book like the movie Camp. I thought she was really funny though and if she ever came out with another book I would definitely read it!
love, Carlee

"Pretty in Pink was wrong. You can fall in love with Duckie!" -Anna Kendrick

Gamble on Engagement

This is the second book in the McCaster the Disaster series. The first one is Bridesmaid Lotto which I read a couple of months ago. It was the first book iBook I read on my phone and it actually was a good experience. Before I was very anti Ereader. So I downloaded this book for our flight from the USA to Italy and I actually started it a little before we left but I finished it on the plane on the way here and it was the perfect easy guilty pleasure read for a long flight. I liked the first book better than this one. I think it was because the title of this book kind of gives away what happens.... hello engagement haha. But like I said it was a fun and easy read and kind of a cheesy love story.

The book takes place in London and the main character is ghost writing a book for a Prince. There is the usually drama and back and forth (I am not sure if the guy likes me kind of thing.) Some high school emotions haha. But like I said super quick read and easy read. There is another book in the series called Wedding Wager which I have already downloaded but I haven't started to read yet. And once again I love the cover art. 
love, Carlee

The Grownup : Gillian Flynn

I definitely wanted to read this book. It's a short story by Gillian Flynn, you know the author of Gone Girl, the story was originally in a collection of short stories and then it was pulled and made into a book by itself for folks like me. The book is only 63 pages and doesn't have chapters or anything, like I said just a short story.

The first part of this book is typical Gillian Flynn which is a good thing because you know really know where she will go. I like her raw stories though. The details she puts in and how the characters have weird jobs and characteristic that definitely exist but aren't told in the main stream world. For example, the main character gives hand jobs in New York City for 3 years. You know thats a real job but characters in books usually don't have that as a job haha. Which is something I love about the author. 

The ending of this story really took a turn I didn't expect and then it ended and I was like "I don't know what to think." I think that is how I feel at the end of every Gillian Flynn story which is why she is a great mystery/thriller writer. Now when is she going to write another novel?!??! Also, super easy read like takes an hour or less to finish!

love, Carlee