My Take: Landline by Rainbow Rowell

Landline by Rainbow Rowell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Landline by Rainbow Rowell is an adult contemporary. So, don't go in expecting a typical Rainbow YA experience.

This book is about a married couple, Gorgie and Neal. They have two kids, Alice and Noomi and a marriage that is on rocky ground.

Gorgie has a very demanding and time consuming job as a tv sitcom writer and Neal is a stay at home dad. (I love that!) And it is Christmas time and a show that her and her lifelong friend and colleague, Seth, have been planning for years is finally getting picked up for a pilot. This means she has to work through Christmas break and be away from the family, yet again. Neal makes a decision to head out to his parents in Omaha with the girls anyway. Without Gorgie.

Even though this book is realistic, something mysterious and almost magical happens to Gorgie. And it is something that could save or erase the life she has lived with Neal and her daughters.

The characters in this book felt extremely real. Which really is something Rainbow Rowell does well. She writes characters who are interesting and relatable. That have rich backstories and are just all around well developed, and Landline is no exception. I just love the personalities of the characters, they just come to life on the pages. I LOVE how, again, real the characters are with each other. Noomi, for example, is four and thinks shes a cat and how Gorgie indulges her by meowing back. She is the sweetest little girl! I just adore them all.

The story itself had it's range of emotions. We got to experience how they met and how they ended up where they are. It addresses the very real issues of everyday married life, and just life in general. How we get so caught up in our own issues and day to day routines, that we lose focus on the relationships around us. And how it affects everyone. This book had its share of sadness, but also hope and love. A lot of love.

I think Landline will brings in a whole new audience for Rainbow, and completely satisfy the fanbase she already has. This is another hit for me and just cements my own love of Rainbows work.

I won an ARC of Landline, but all opinions here are my own and honest.




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Review: The 100 Year Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson

The 100 Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

"The 100 Year Old Man..." is the story of Allan Karlsson, who upon his 100 birthday in the old folks home he now resides in, decided quite suddenly that he wanted nothing more to do with any of it. So, he climbed out the window in his room and left. As simple as that.

He was soon on a journey that sends, not only him, but the reader on an adventure of a lifetime. A run in with a criminal who entrusted the old man with a mysterious suitcase while he goes to the bathroom at the train station, sets everything into motion.

As he meets with people on his journey, we get filled in on the extraordinary life of Allan.

This book is filled with historical, mostly political figures, places from all over the world and a beautiful insight to the man that is Allan.

I thoroughly enjoyed how Jonas Jonasson weaved real historical people and events with the characters he created. It was so entertaining throughout the book to see these people in a very real way. And how Jonas put Allan right smack in the middle of these events. How he allowed Allan to have a direct influence.

This book is rich with story and character development. The humor and wit was perfect and Jonas proved to have the ability with the timing of each twist and turn and humor.

This book is brilliant and entertaining from start to finish.

View all my reviews

My Take: Attachments by Rainbow Rowell

Attachments is an adult contemporary novel by Rainbow Rowell

Endearing. Quirky. Funny. Warm-fuzzy comfort in the form of a hardcover. 

That sums up my instants thoughts on this book. 

This book is set in the late 90's and centers around Lincoln. A sweet, somewhat socially awkward, smart guy. He has acquired many degrees, plays Dungeons and Dragons, had his heart torn out by his first and only love, and has moved back home with his Mom. He is so sweet and loveable and is tall, with broad shoulders! I love a man with broad shoulders guys! I just want to hug him! 

He gets hired at a newspaper as an IT guy, to monitor the work emails and internet usage.  When an email gets "flagged" as inappropriate, he is suppose to send out warnings to the sender. 

Enter Beth and Jennifer, whose emails to each other get flagged. A lot. As he reads through the email, he finds the emails draw him in. The interaction between the two friends is so endearing to him. He does struggle with this. He knows it is wrong on so many levels, but he feels this apprehension to sever the only contact with them. I know, I know. How very stalker and creepy...right? But no! It was written in a way that I think a lot of people can relate to. It doesn't read as creepy. HONEST! Lincoln is just...he is just...It's innocent I tell ya! 

The story unfolds through the emails, as well as through Lincoln's personal story. We get to be a little voyeuristic with Lincoln, and I think that was really interesting and fun. And it was really well done. The flow was perfect throughout the book. 

Jennifer, I really liked her. She is a nice person with a crappy Mom, who left her with this constant sense of foreboding and doubt. But it didn't leave her being a dull and unlikeable character. In fact, it was quiet the opposite. I felt more attached to her.  She is married to a  man who is perfect for her. A man who sees what a great person she is. And is very patient with her inner struggles. 

Now, Beth. She is another great character in this book and the one the Lincoln really feels a kindred spirit type of thing for. She works as a movie critic for the newspaper. Beth is witty, clever, so caring and just a really good friend and person. Her friendship with Jennifer is so authentic and wonderful. She is in a relationship with a rocker guy who is less than attentive to Beth. It was so fun to read Beth's emails talking about a really cute guy she has seen in the office. (so giddy!!)

I loved how so many chances for them to meet, left me feeling excited and giddy. And without giving any spoilers away, to find out, how paths come so close to crossing.  

The chapters where Lincoln is with his friends were so well done. I enjoyed seeing him with people he was comfortable with. And the scene in chapter 80 had me cracking up. Lincoln had been not showing up as often to the D&D nights and Dave pointed out that "Either you're in the game or not, Troy has been dragging your unconscious dwarf on an earth sled, just to keep you in the campaign. You're a constant drain on his magic."  Dave, Lincoln and Troy continue on like that for the rest of the page. That whole interaction between the three was just hilarious. 

This book, I have to say, is the first book that I felt I could fall in love with the lead man. Yeah, I have swooned over the hot hunk in other books. Or really liked the male leads. But Lincoln is seriously someone I feel I could fall in love with. That I want to fall in love with. 

The sincerity and lack of fear in showing his vulnerable side makes him endearing. And the fact that I feel he isn't afraid of stepping up and being a man and "protecting" his loved ones makes him feel like a total package. 

I love this book. I love Lincoln and Beth and Doris and Troy. I just love it all. 

Attachments has definitely leaped to my top favorites list. 

I give this novel an obvious 5 out of 5 stars! 

Have you read this book? If so, tell me what you thought of it! 

Thanks so much for stopping by.

My Take: Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

Fangirl  is a contemporary novel by Rainbow Rowell. 

It is set in a college in Nebraska, where twins Cather and Wren (That would be Catherine, the estranged mother couldn't be bothered to give them two actual names.) are set to start their first year.

Despite being twins, they couldn't be more different. Cather is an introvert who prefers the world of imagination, whereas Wren is completely extrovert, who thrives on being in the middle of any social scene. 

But they both were extremely close growing up and both loved The Simon Snow Series. Think of Simon Snow as Fangirls version of Harry Potter. The two girls are so in love with Simon Snow Series, they write fanfiction for it. Mainly Cather, who ultimately is the main author. Her fanfic ends up gaining a huge audience. Thousands, tens of thousands! This is where Cather thrives, this is where she feels calm. This is the backbone of Cather's life and the link throughout the book. 

As college approaches, she finds her relationship with Wren strained. Distant. And then Wren decides to not room with Cather, which sends Cather into this state of loneliness, frustration and sadness. Cather does not feel equipped for life on her own without her built in friend. Her codependence on that sisterly relationship left her ill equipped for the social necessities of college life. 

But she is forced to learn how to be more independent. To "make nice" with these strangers who insist on being friends or at least friendly with her.  To grow as a person, no matter how resistant she feels about the whole thing. To live outside of her head. She meets her roommate, Reagan and Reagan's "boyfriend" Levi. Who play a pivotal role in Cather's life as just Cath, and not MagiCath or twin Cath. Just Cath. Just.

I did find I could identify with some of Cathers personality. Being somewhat of an introvert myself, who loves dreaming away about fantastical worlds. But, (and this is kind of a pretty big but), I felt frustrated by her lack of ability to adapt to the changes around her. Her absolute resistance to some very basic and what I felt were simple changes. It felt like pulling teeth with her sometimes and it left me feeling moments of annoyance. Not in any breaking way, but just like "Really Cath? Come on!" 

I felt the way she dealt with the last big assignment for her fiction-writing class wasn't accurate to Cather. Who I felt was very studious and serious about her education.  I just didn't buy that little story line at all. But it was a very minor issue I had.

Her growth throughout the book, as slow as it may have seemed, can, I feel, be related by so many people.  I sympathized with her on so many levels. I appreciated, her efforts at times. And I just adored the scene where this was said:

"And then she kissed my receding hairline and cried, she imagined him saying. In her imagination, Levi was Danny Zuko, and his roommates were the rest of the T-Birds. Tell me more, tell me more." 

The realness of this chapter, of the moment that was happening, and how I could so identify with her on that level had me laughing so hard! There was something very real about Cather and the other people in this book.

Dad and his struggles of being a single working parent of twin girls! The trauma of the abandonment of his wife, mother of his girls.  The complicated relationship between him and Cather and Wren.

Levi, what a great guy! He was such a likable character that I felt I would love to know in real life. He wasn't some perfect hottie who said all the right things at the right time. He was just a breathe of fresh air. 

Wren. What can I say about Wren. I was not happy with this chick at all. And rightfully so. I wanted to understand her, but I just couldn't. When dealing with a novel, you don't get all the meaty parts you can get with a trilogy or a series. There just isn't enough time for all that extra. So, without getting a Wren POV, I was left feeling frustrated with her for most of the book. 

No, this wasn't a story about Wren, or Levi, or Dad or Mom. 

This was a book about Cather. No. One. Else. This was her story. Her coming of age, love story. Her breaking out of her shell (albeit, against her will) story.

And it was beautiful. 

I give this book a 5 out of 5 stars!

Have you read Fangirl? Leave me a comment below what you thought of the book!

Thanks so much for stopping by!

  

My Take: The Lords of the Underworld by Gena Showalter

I stumbled upon these books about three years ago and have been hooked ever since!

"Long ago, twelve immortal warriors-each more dangerously seductive than the last--stole and opened Pandora's box, unleashing the evil from within. Now they carry that evil within themselves. Violence, Pain, Death, Disease, Disaster, Misery, Doubt, Promiscuity, Defeat, Lies, Secrets, and Wrath. When a powerful enemy returns, they will travel the world in search of a sacred relic of the gods-one that threatens to destroy them all."

This is a paranormal/romance series by Gena Showalter that takes us through the lives of these immortals. There is something for everyone in this series. From intense fighting scenes, to romantic moments.  There truly are so many layers to this series as a whole that keeps you turning the next page and going out and buying the next book. 

Each book focus' on one of the twelve Lords, while still getting to know and familiarize with the others.  As well as being introduced to so many other interesting characters that will play a huge part in the Lords lives. 

Gena Showalter is such an amazing author! I love how she takes a romance type of series and turns it into so much more. There is actual substance and depth to this series. A constant war is happening inside each Lord and constant war/danger going on around them. The world is wonderfully built and so engaging. I am more invested into what is actually going on in this world than what is going on in the bedrooms.

Though the romance can get pretty exciting, ( and trust me it does), I feel those moments in the books are authentic and not forced. It feels like a natural progression in the lives of the people we are reading about. 

I find I am truly attached to many of the Lords. 
 This is a series I will hold onto and revisit for years to come. 

I give this series a 5 out of 5 stars!

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Some birthday goodies.

Hello Beauties! Today is my birthday!! woooo! So, I took some money that my Mom sent and picked up a few little items from the store. I really don't need to much, so I just chose some simple little pleasures. 

Over view of what I got. Picked up Dial NutriSkin body wash. (love that stuff!) and some of my mags. Star and OK magazine. 

I am in love with nail adhesives now! So, I grabbed these two styles. Peacock feathers and jeweled ones. 

 

Finally got these two colors to add to my Maybelline Color Tattoos collection. They sell out so quickly, and these were the last two of these colors. whew!

Barely Branded and Inked in Pink.

Had to pick up this new cleanser called Simple. It is perfect for sensitive skin and works just as well on normal skin as well. has Pro-Vitamin B5 and vitamin E too. Also has Bisabololto help soothe and calm and has NO perfume or dyes to irritate.

Snatched some replacement brush heads for my Olay Pro X.

Saw this little dress and thought it was cute. It is black with white polka dots (obviously hehe). Perfect for this seasons black/white trend. Add a yellow or red belt for a pop of color! Can't wait to wear this out!

So, that is what I picked up so far. Thanks so much for stopping by!

xoxo

Maybelline Color Whispers

Hello Beauties! I am obsessed with Maybelline Color Whispers. They have been out for a while, but after  being disappointed by Revlon lip butters, I was a bit shy about jumping on these guys. Boy, have I been missing out!
They are hydrating and glide on nicely. They are neither sheer or opaque, but add a perfect amount of color. They are build-able if you want more pop to the colors.

I currently have four of these little guys, but I already plan on getting a few more. hehe

Here are the colors in my Whispers collections!

This is Pink Possibilities. 

Made-It Mauve.

Cherry On Top.

Coral Ambition.

These wear so wonderfully, they do not move around on my lips, and last quiet a long time. They have a nice range of colors to suit any skin tone and personal taste. I highly recommend Color Whispers.

If you have used these, what colors do you have and what do you think of them?

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Flower Beauty: A Review Part 2.

Hello Beauties! This post is part two of my Flower Beauty review. (You can check out part 1 here). 

Unlike the first review, these are the products I liked. 

Flower Shine On lipgloss in Lovely Lotus.

This has quickly become a favorite gloss. It isn't exactly sheer, nor is it opaque. It is non sticky and it wears really nice on the lips. Perfect alone or over a lipstick, I love it.

Flower Cream Blush in Pure Petunia.

First off, I love the color. It looks a bit bright and bold in the package, but it goes on very nice. It is buildable, creamy, and it wears all day. They have a nice selection of colors to choose from. The only gripe I have at the  moment is the product could be in a somewhat larger container. Feels a little on the small side when using your fingers to get product.

Swatch of Pure Petunia

Flower Velvet lipstick in Tender Tuberose. 

 I love this lipstick! The color is beautiful, and it wears for such a long time. Because of the "velvet"  formulation, it lends itself to be more on the matte side, but I don't feel it dries my lips out. I do sometimes add a little of the Lovely Lotus to the center of my lips to add a touch of shine.

Swatch of Tender Tuberose.

I will be buying more of the blushes and lip products in the future. I find they work really well, well pigmented and last through my day. I do recommend these to anyone who is interested in trying them out!! 

I also plan on trying out the cream eye shadows as well.

If you have tried any of the Flower makeup, what has been you favorite and/or least favorite?

Thank you so much for stopping by!

xoxo

Flower Beauty: A Review Part 1 The not so pretty.

Hello Beauties! If you follow my blog, you are aware of my little Flower haul post. 

I spent time playing with all the little goodies I chose and I quickly discovered what I liked and what I didn't like. I decided to start my review with the not so pretty, and it pains me to do so because I spent months looking forward to this line. 

So, I will start off with the liquid foundation. 

I was really disappointed with this product, it just didn't work well at all for me. It didn't cover well, and it seemed to almost exaggerate blemishes. I did one side of my face with Flower and one with my current liquid foundation and I knew instantly I did not like Flower at all. Also, I could feel it sitting on my skin, unlike my other foundations, which is a huge strike to me.

Pro:  One positive about this line is they do offer a nice range of colors. 

Would I recommend this foundation? No. 

Second on my not so pretty list,  my eye shadow quad. This is Face the Grey. 

I just hate that I don't like this quad. The colors are beautiful and first impression with the swatches was good. They felt soft and "buttery" like. But they do not function the way I had hoped they would. I used these with and without primer. I found this particular quad to be very difficult to work with. The darkest color didn't apply as pigmented as the swatch did, and just looked dull and chalky when applied. I did build it up quiet a bit and achieved a good solid looking color, but I know I can find a better version of the color with less effort.

The two lightest colors also applied chalky and almost patchy like. I found building it didn't help with any of them. The more you tried to work it, the muddier they ended up. I played with this quad for two days, trying to make it work, but let's be honest...it should never take that much effort with a good quality shadow. 

 Pro: The grey on the upper right hand of the quad was the only color I liked. It looked nice on and was easy to work with. But, that isn't enough to save this quad for me. 

Would I recommend this quad? No.

*I have to mention, I have seen a review by Emily Noel on the browns quad. She seemed to like that quad, with the exception of the bronzy color in which she said it was somewhat chalky. So, I assume, that these quads are not created equal. 

Lastly is the Lash Knockout Volumizing  mascara. 

I did like the brush on this product, but found the product itself to be lacking. I didn't feel it added anything much to my lashes. I have been using this product for the past week, and I never noticed it adding volume.  I went up to 4 coats before I saw a difference. And to me, a volumizing mascara shouldn't take that many coats before you see a difference. Also, I found it to be....dry? Or maybe like I wasn't getting very much product on the wand. I twisted and scraped the sides of the container to make sure.  As you can see in the picture the wand looks almost unused, and that was after a weeks worth of use.

  It just isn't living up to what it says it is suppose to do, and that is to add volume. I suppose for days that you are going for a natural, no makeup look it would be decent.

On a positive note, the green mirrored packaging is cute.

Would I recommend this mascara? Sadly, No. 

There we have it. I am not happy to write a review like this. However, I have to share my experience and my opinion, (keep that last word in mind). 

If any of you have used any of the above mentioned and had a better experience, please share your experience! 

Thank you so much for stopping by! 

xoxo

Flower by Drew Barrymore Haul

Hello Beauties! As the title says, this is about what I purchased from the new makeup line by Drew Barrymore called Flower! 

I have been so excited about his line for several months now, and so glad to have my hands on it finally!

All products are cruelty free and made in the USA. 

The goods:

I chose Tender Tuberose in the lipstick. 

Swatch of Tender Tuberose. 

This is the liquid foundation, I went with LF9. 

 This is a knockout volumizing mascara in black. 

Cream blush in Pure Petunia. Loooks really bright and bold in the package.

Swatch of Pure Petunia, but goes on the skin really soft, yet not "wimpy". I think it is just beautiful. Really creamy with good color payoff.

 They had four choices in eyeshdow quads. I went with Face the Grey. 

Swatches of Face the Grey. I think they are beautiful and remind me of my Lorac shadow in texture. They feel really soft and almost creamy, but they are NOT cream shadows. 

I will be writing out a full review on each of these products. I want to really test the longevity and how well they hold up with my work. (Been off for a few days yay!)  So, be looking for the first of the reviews this weekend!!! 

Have you purchased any items from this new line? Or do you have your eye on anything in particular from it? 

Thank you so much for stopping by!

xoxo

A Few of My Favorite Things Part 3. Lipsticks

Hello Beauties! This is part three of my "A Few of My Favorite Things" series. This week is all about my favorite lipsticks/glosses.

This was a little tough because I have so many lip products I love, but I managed to norrow it down to six.

This is new to my collection, but already I'm in love. This lip gloss is from the new line by Drew Barrymore called Flower. It is such a great gloss, adds just the perfect amount of color and shine. And best of all, it is not sticky! Color is Pretty in Petunia.

Next I chose Color Whisper by Maybelline in Made-it Mauve. I have always loved mauve and this is such a great product. It moisturizes and adds beautiful hint of color.

Clinique lipstick in Pink-a-boo. This is such a moisturizing lipstick with great color payoff. 

Revlon Super Lustrioius lipstick in Really Red. This is a matte lipstick that I just adore! I have several colors from this line and am a big fan of it.

MAC's Costa Chic. LOVE the color of this lipstick. So bright and totally femme. Great color payoff and last's for hours.

Last but not least is my NARS lipgloss in Pillow Talk. This is a gorgeous lip color, that is not sticky. 

What are your favorite lipsticks or glosses?

Thanks so much for stopping by!!

xoxo

Check out Part One and Part Two of the series.