Wednesday, November 6, 2024

#gretchensbooks2024 - October



The hardest thing about reading, is finding the time. Audiobooks have helped, but this month I think I spent more time with podcasts than audiobooks. I've pretty much consumed all of the books on Libby that were on my list in the last few years, so when I can borrow a book from there it is usually a long wait as it is a new release. I have a few in my Audible app, but they just haven't sparked desire lately, hence the podcast listening.

I did manage to find time for 5 physical books this month, however, so that is always nice. It is my preferred form of reading. That being said, I'm also more prone to headaches when I read physical books, and October has a grand total of 15 headache days. I swear I try my hardest to prop my head so my neck doesn't do its wacky thing and cause pain, but somehow it doesn't always work.

Anyway, it was a good month for reading! Every book I read was good (or great!).



Book 86 of 2024 🎧 The Silent Woman by Minka Kent (3.5/5⭐️)

📚GENRE: Thriller

🗓PUBLISHED: 27 September 2024


Newlywed Jade Westmore has finally found her forever in husband Wells, a charming, successful, and recently divorced architect—only there’s one caveat: behind the gates of their elysian estate, hidden from street view in the caretaker’s cottage … lives Wells’s first wife, Sylvie.

Three years ago, the original Mrs. Westmore suffered a nervous breakdown—and hasn’t uttered a sound since. Not a physician, psychologist, or world-renown specialist has been able to elicit so much as a word from the silent woman … until now.

On an ordinary Tuesday while Wells was away—despite instructions to never disturb the fragile woman—Jade visited her isolated predecessor bearing a peace offering: a bouquet of white lilies. Only she wasn’t expecting Sylvie to have something for her as well: a slip of torn notebook paper with a single word scrawled in shaky black ink.

I was looking for a different book of Kent’s on Libby when I stumbled across this one. Maybe it’s because the last audio I listened to was nearly 25 hours and this was only 7.5, but I feel like I FLEW through this story! It wasn’t wildly suspenseful, and I felt like it was over before it started, but I did enjoy this one! I also appreciated the performer.


FREE on Audible with an Audible membership. Also FREE on Kindle Unlimited.




Book 87 of 2024 📖 The Midnight Feast by Lucy Foley (4/5⭐️)


📚GENRE: Thriller

🗓PUBLISHED: 18 June 2024


 Secrets. Lies. Murder. Let the festivities begin…

It’s the opening night of The Manor, the newest and hottest luxury resort, and no expense, small or large, has been spared. The infinity pool sparkles; the “Manor Mule” cocktail (grapefruit, ginger, vodka, and a dash of CBD oil) is being poured with a heavy hand. Everyone is wearing linen.

But under the burning midsummer sun, darkness stirs. Old friends and enemies circulate among the guests. Just outside the Manor’s immaculately kept grounds, an ancient forest bristles with secrets. And it’s not too long before the local police are called. Turns out the past has crashed the party, with deadly results.

I wasn’t sure how I’d feel about this one. I love Lucy Foley’s work, but this one seemed like it would be too odd for me to follow and enjoy. Turns out I was wrong! I didn’t want to put the story down, and I was pleasantly surprised at the suspense. Don’t get me wrong, it WAS odd, but still captivating!




Book 88 of 2024 📖 Middle of the Night by Riley Sager (4/5⭐️)


📚GENRE: Thriller 

🗓PUBLISHED: 18 June 2024


The worst thing to ever happen on Hemlock Circle occurred in Ethan Marsh’s backyard. One July night, ten-year-old Ethan and his best friend and neighbor, Billy, fell asleep in a tent set up on a manicured lawn in a quiet, quaint New Jersey cul-de-sac. In the morning, Ethan woke up alone. During the night, someone had sliced the tent open with a knife and taken Billy. He was never seen again.

Thirty years later, Ethan has reluctantly returned to his childhood home. Plagued by bad dreams and insomnia, he begins to notice strange things happening in the middle of the night. Someone seems to be roaming the cul-de-sac at odd hours, and signs of Billy’s presence keep appearing in Ethan’s backyard. Is someone playing a cruel prank? Or has Billy, long thought to be dead, somehow returned to Hemlock Circle?

The mysterious occurrences prompt Ethan to investigate what really happened that night, a quest that reunites him with former friends and neighbors and leads him into the woods that surround Hemlock Circle. Woods where Billy claimed ghosts roamed and where a mysterious institute does clandestine research on a crumbling estate.  

The closer Ethan gets to the truth, the more he realizes that no place—be it quiet forest or suburban street—is completely safe. And that the past has a way of haunting the present.


Riley Sager never lets me down. I’ve listened to most of Sager’s books on audio, and I’ve always enjoyed them, so I figured I should probably start reading the physical books instead. This one did not disappoint. I enjoyed the suspense, and was kept questioning. I also liked like the possibilities include the paranormal. And of course I saved it to read during spooky season!



Book 89 of 2024 🎧 Magic Hour by Kristin Hannah (3.5/5⭐️)


📚GENRE: Contemporary Fiction 

🗓PUBLISHED: 27 November 2007


In the rugged Pacific Northwest lies the Olympic National Forest—nearly a million acres of impenetrable darkness and impossible beauty. From deep within this old growth forest, a six-year-old girl appears. Speechless and alone, she offers no clue as to her identity, no hint of her past.
 
Having retreated to her western Washington hometown after a scandal left her career in ruins, child psychiatrist Dr. Julia Cates is determined to free the extraordinary little girl she calls Alice from a prison of unimaginable fear and isolation. To reach her, Julia must discover the truth about Alice’s past—although doing so requires help from Julia’s estranged sister, a local police officer. The shocking facts of Alice’s life test the limits of Julia’s faith and strength, even as she struggles to make a home for Alice—and for herself.


I genuinely don’t know what made me grab this audiobook on Audible. I have to assume it was a cheap purchase, because in general Hannah’s book descriptions don’t catch my attention. (Which isn’t to say, I wouldn’t like them. I did read one earlier this year that I LOVED. And I only picked it out because I wanted to read a book set in Alaska when I was in Alaska. But I wouldn’t have picked it up otherwise). 


I did enjoy this sweet story enough. 




Book 90 of 2024 📖 The Pumpkin Spice Cafe by Laurie Gilmore (3.5/5⭐️)


📚GENRE: Contemporary Romance

🗓PUBLISHED: 30 August 2023


When Jeanie’s aunt gifts her the beloved Pumpkin Spice Café in the small town of Dream Harbor, Jeanie jumps at the chance for a fresh start away from her very dull desk job.

Logan is a local farmer who avoids Dream Harbor’s gossip at all costs. But Jeanie’s arrival disrupts Logan’s routine and he wants nothing to do with the irritatingly upbeat new girl, except that he finds himself inexplicably drawn to her.

Will Jeanie’s happy-go-lucky attitude win over the grumpy-but-gorgeous Logan, or has this city girl found the one person in town who won’t fall for her charm, or her pumpkin spice lattes…

I’ll be honest, I purchased this one because the internet peer pressured me into it. And by peer pressure I mean I think I saw someone ask about it on Threads and immediately ordered it. 


I’m only a seasonal reading during two months - October and February. I read both of my (possibly) spooky books already, so I thought this would be a good fall read.


I kept seeing this referred to as Gilmore Girls-esque in that it had Stars Hollow vibes. Personally, I got Fannie Flagg vibes from the small town setting. In fact I struggled to picture it in New England because it felt fictional southern to me.


Overall it was a sweet romance. Nothing crazy or suspenseful, but an enjoyable story nonetheless.





Book 91 of 2024 🎧 All the Little Raindrops by Mia Sheridan (4/5⭐️)


📚GENRE: Thriller

🗓PUBLISHED: 1 November 2023

It’s senior-year spring break, and Noelle Meyer and Evan Sinclair have been kidnapped. Neither knows why they were chosen, only that they share a tragic past: Evan’s father got away with killing Noelle’s mother, effectively ruining her family when the death was ruled an accident.

Despite the connection that should have made them enemies, the teens instead unite to face their other common denominator―their abductors. Noelle and Evan survive one sadistic circumstance after another, eventually making a harrowing escape. But every happy ending comes at a price…

Years later, Evan, now a private investigator, revisits the crime when he learns it may be ongoing. He reaches out to Noelle for help, and they discover that the answers lie with a man known only as the Collector. To close their case and solve the ones that followed, Noelle and Evan must unmask this mysterious spectator―the only man who knows enough secrets to take their captors down.


For the most part, I really enjoyed this book. It started out with drama, and didn’t let up. There are dark themes, but nothing dark is very detailed.


I liked the multiple POV for the story, minus a couple brief parts that seemed unnecessary.


The only part I didn’t like was the ending. And I guess it’s not that I didn’t like it, but I didn’t love it. The resolution felt too fantastical. Like the storyline was bizarre enough (like it wouldn’t happen in real life, but it was good for a story), but the ending was too far out there for me.


FREE on Kindle Unlimited.




Book 92 of 2024 📖 Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by JK Rowling (Mina Lima Edition) (5/5🌟)


📚GENRE: Fantasy

🗓PUBLISHED: 20 October 2020


In this stunning new edition of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, experience the story as never before. J.K. Rowling's complete and unabridged text is accompanied by full-color illustrations on nearly every page and eight exclusive, interactive paper craft elements: Readers will open Harry's Hogwarts letter, reveal the magical entryway to Diagon Alley, make a sumptuous feast appear in the Great Hall, and more.Designed and illustrated by award-winning design studio MinaLima -- best known for establishing the visual graphic style of the Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts films -- this edition is sure to be a keepsake for Harry Potter fans, a beautiful addition to any collector's bookshelf, and an enchanting way to introduce the first book in this beloved series to a new generation of readers.


As a note, this rating is specifically for this edition. The illustrations were absolutely beautiful!




Book 93 of 2024 🎧 Midnight is the Darkest Hour by Ashley Winstead (3.5/5⭐️)


📚GENRE: Thriller

🗓PUBLISHED: 3 October 2023


For fans of Verity and A Flicker in the Dark, Midnight is the Darkest Hour is a twisted tale of murder, obsessive love, and the beastly urges that lie dormant within us all...even the God-fearing folk of Bottom Springs, Louisiana. In her small hometown, librarian Ruth Cornier has always felt like an outsider, even as her beloved father rains fire-and-brimstone warnings from the pulpit at Holy Fire Baptist. Unfortunately for Ruth, the only things the townspeople fear more than the God and the Devil are the myths that haunt the area, like the story of the Low Man, a vampiric figure said to steal into sinners' bedrooms and kill them on moonless nights. When a skull is found deep in the swamp next to mysterious carved symbols, Bottom Springs is thrown into uproar―and Ruth realizes only she and Everett, an old friend with a dark past, have the power to comb the town's secret underbelly in search of true evil.

A dark and powerful novel like fans have come to expect from Ashley Winstead, Midnight is the Darkest Hour is an examination of the ways we've come to expect love, religion, and stories to save us, the lengths we have to go to in order to take back power, and the monstrous work of being a girl in this world.

For the most part, I really enjoyed this story. The setting was a little outside my preference, but not to far out there that it put me off. I liked the main character for the most part, though I couldn’t connect with her at all. I did absolutely root for the male main character however.




Book 94 of 2024 📖 Framed: Astonishing True Stories of Wrongful Convictions by John Grisham and Jim McCloskey (4.5/5⭐️)


📚GENRE: Non-Fiction

🗓PUBLISHED: 15 October 2024


John Grisham is known worldwide for his bestselling novels, but it’s his real-life passion for justice that led to his work with Jim McCloskey of Centurion Ministries, the first organization dedicated to exonerating innocent people who have been wrongly convicted. Together they offer an inside look at the many injustices in our criminal justice system.

A fundamental principle of our legal system is a presumption of innocence, but once someone has been found guilty, there is very little room to prove doubt. These ten true stories shed light on Americans who were innocent but found guilty and forced to sacrifice friends, families, and decades of their lives to prison while the guilty parties remained free. In each of the stories, John Grisham and Jim McCloskey recount the dramatic hard-fought battles for exoneration. They take a close look at what leads to wrongful convictions in the first place and the racism, misconduct, flawed testimony, and corruption in the court system that can make them so hard to reverse.

Impeccably researched and told with page-turning suspense as only John Grisham can deliver, 
Framed is the story of winning freedom when the battle already seems lost and the deck is stacked against you.


Man this book was infuriating. I wanted to throw it across the room more than once. It was very well written, and therein posed the problem. I wanted MORE. I could really whole books about these cases, though I’d still be just as infuriated, or perhaps moreso. I don’t know how law enforcement like those present in these cases can sleep at night. 






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(Summaries are from Amazon, but all thoughts about them are my own!)

Reading Challenge: 94/120 books read in 2024

You can find previous book reviews here and add me on Goodreads here! Also, if you use StoryGraph, you can add me here! (I haven't downloaded Fable yet, but perhaps in the new year...)

Friday, October 25, 2024

Orlanda, Florida (Fall 2024)

 



Thursday, October 17, 2024 // Day 1

The flight attendant on our 5AM flight to St. Louis was hilarious. After the whole Cottage Grove 8th grade class boarded behind us, she definitely made jokes at their expense. My personal favorites were:

  • "You know better, and most of you aren't old enough anyway. No smoking."
  • "...a mask will fall from above you.  First, stop screaming and put your mask on. Then pick your favorite student and help them."
  • "If you haven't ridden in a car since 1943, these are called seatbelts.  It's the law that you wear them."
And then before we deplaned in St. Louis - "If you forget anything, you can check eBay for it later."

We had a brief layover in St. Louis before the flight to Orlando.

After landing in Orlando, we quickly deplaned and picked up our rental car, making it to Epcot around noon and hitting up our first food vendor. My goal was to make it by 1 so we could join the virtual queue for the Guardians of the Galaxy coaster. Luckily we were able to get a spot in boarding group 130 with an estimated callback time of 6PM.



In the mean time, we ate around the world and road The Three Caballeros, Remy’s, Soarin’, and Journey Into Imagination with Figment.



We were finally able to scan through for Guardians a little after 7, but still had an hour wait in line before boarding. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again - best. coaster. EVER. Such a smooth ride! 


Since we weren’t off Guardians until around 83:0, we decided we’d stay for the fireworks at 9. After hitting up a couple more food booths, the show began. This is the first time we've every made it to the fireworks in four years of attending the festival. Usually we are so full that we can't fathom eating any more food, so we go back to the hotel to sleep it off. Disney fireworks/light shows are beautiful!




Our food for the day was as follows:


🍟 The Fry Basket: Fry Flight - Truffle-Parmesan Fries, BBQ Bacon Fries with Smoked Aioli, Sweet Potato Casserole Fries with candied pecans, toasted marshmallow cream, and bourbon maple syrup (4.5/5⭐️)



🇨🇳 China: Pan-fried Chicken Dumplings with house-made sweet-and-spicy sauce (5/5⭐️)



🏔️The Alps: Dark Chocolate Fondue with berries, pound cake, and meringues (5/5⭐️) 



🍜 Macatizers: Truffle Macaroni and Cheese (2/5⭐️) [I'm not convinced there was any truffle seasoning. Very bland]



🍴 Refreshment Outpost: Chocolate Amarula Mousse Dome with white chocolate (5/5⭐️)



🍟 The Fry Basket: Adobo Yuca Fries with garlic-cilantro aioli (5/5⭐️)



🔥 Flavors From Fire: Steakhouse Blended Burger: Beef and wild mushroom slider with truffle brie cheese fondue, arugula, and truffle potato chips on a sesame seed bun (5/5⭐️)



🇨🇦 Canada: Cheddar Cheese and Bacon Soup served with a pretzel roll (3/5⭐️) [soup was too salty!]



🎉 Festival Favorites: Key Lime Tart (4/5⭐️) [better w/o the toasted marshmallow!]





Friday, October 18, 2024 // Day 2


I was up in plenty of time to snag us a spot in the Guardians virtual queue. The park opened at 9, and even though our callback time wasn't until almost 10, we made sure to get to the park by 9:30 - which was great because we were called to Guardians right as we arrived! The best part of having a morning queue time is that you get right on. Though we'd had an hour wait the night before. It wasn't more than 10 minutes that we were through the indoor queue and on the ride. As a bonus, the song we got was "One Way or Another" by Blondie which we both strongly believe is the BEST song for that ride. 



We then headed to the Land Pavillion to get a snack (since the food booths didn't open until 11) and get in line for Soarin'. This worked out perfectly, because as soon as we could get off Soarin', it was 11 and we could eat! Between booths we rode the remaining rides that we didn't get to the day before - Frozen Ever After, Spaceship Earth, and The Seas with Nemo and Friends, as well as doing a little shopping. We didn't stay as late today, but still made it to after sunset! We could have stayed for the fireworks again, but wanted to beat the traffic.



Our food for the day:


☀️ Sunshine Seasons: Caramel Apple Milk Shake: Artisanal gelato, pâte brisée, whipped cream, candy apple cake, and caramel drizzle (4/5⭐️)



🇮🇹 Italy: Polpettine Toscane: Beef meatballs, rosemary focaccia, and pomodoro sauce (4/5⭐️)



🇮🇹 Italy: Vanilla Cheesecake: Vanilla cheesecake, whipped cream, and fresh strawberry sauce (3/5⭐️)



🇲🇽 Mexico: Flauta de Barbacoa: Fried tortillas filled with barbacoa beef topped with salsa verde, crema Mexicana, and queso fresco (4/5⭐️)



🇨🇳 China: Crispy Duck Bao Bun with hoisin sauce (4/5⭐️)



🇨🇳 China: Mango Peach Bubble Tea: Green tea, mango and peach syrups, and white boba (4/5⭐️)



🇺🇸 Flavors of America: Freshly-baked Chocolate Pudding Cake with bourbon caramel (5/5⭐️) 



🇨🇦 Canada: Filet Mignon with mushrooms, Boursin Garlic & Fine Herbs mashed potatoes, and Boursin Garlic & Fine Herbs butter (4/5⭐️)



🇲🇽 Mexico: Pan de Elote: Traditional Mexican cornbread topped with chocolate sauce and queso fresco (1/5⭐️) [there were whole kernals of corn in this, and while I typically love corn, I could not get past the texture of this]



🌲 Forest & Field: Pumpkin Mascarpone Ravioli with sage-brown butter, pecorino cheese, and hazelnut praline (4/5⭐️)



🇩🇪 Germany: Apple Strudel with vanilla sauce (3.5/5)



🇩🇪 Germany: Bratwurst on a pretzel roll with mustard (2/5⭐️) 



🍴 Refreshment Port: Poutine: French fries with beef gravy and cheese curds (5/5⭐️)






Saturday, October 19, 2024 // Day 3


Our final day in Orlando took us to Universal Studios & Islands of Adventure. We arrived in just the right about of time to get through security and to the gates of Universal Studios before they started scanning people in at 7:50AM. Much like many others, we booked it to Diagon Alley and into the queue for Escape from Gringotts. Lucky for us, we were on the first cart! When we got off, we got right back on for the second time before 8:30AM. (Pro tip: wear a fanny pack and not a backpack so you don't have to stop and put your things into a locker!)


From there I got my first butterbeer and we walked to Rip Ride Rocket for Ike to ride. I like Rip Ride Rocket, but I'm also aware enough to know that coaster is likely to give me a headache, and I wanted to make sure I could ride Velocicoaster later, so I didn't risk it. They were delayed until 9:15 to open RRR, but Ike was on the first cart again!



We then hit up Revenge of the Mummy. The wait said 25 minutes but we didn't wait that long. This is a good one and I don't know how the wait isn't always long! 


Heading back to Diagon Alley we grabbed some ice cream from Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour (butterbeer flavor for me!) before going to the Minions ride. In four years, we had never gone on the Minions ride, and I was adament we were going to do so this year. What I didn't realize is that there are TWO Minions rides. And one is more of a game than a ride. Of course this was the one I had put us in line for (Villian-Con Minions Blast). The wait was only like 25 minutes which excited me. When I realized that there was another ACTUAL ride (Despicable Me Minion Mayhem) and the queue was 65 minutes long I was disappointed and not up for that.



Instead we hopped on the Hogwarts Express to head over to Islands of Adventures and get in line for Velocicoaster. The posted was time was 120 minutes, but we only ended up waiting about 75 minutes. (Pro tip: Before you enter the room with the lockers, contain all your belongings in your bag - phone, watch, whatever else is in your pockets. Grab a ticket from a staff member as you enter the room and have one person put your things all in a locker while the other(s) grab a spot in line). This coaster is awesome! Not as smooth as Guardians, but more of a thrill. Definitely worth the wait!


By this time we were hungry for lunch, so we went to The Three Broomsticks in Hogsmeade. If you go, you need to mobile order through the app, then enter your table number once you're seated. Ike got the ribs and chicken. I got the fish and chips with the apple pie as dessert. Y'all I have dreamed about this apple pie since I had it last year. I swear it is the best apple pie I have ever eaten. I was worried that I had amped it up in my head and it wouldn't be as good, but I was wrong. It was still just as I remembered it! I just need to remember for next year to only get the apple pie, because I cannot eat both a meal and dessert. Even this year I only ate the fish and a few fries, but could still only eat half the pie. And I was stuffed. Over-stuffed to be honest.



We had strategically planned to eat after Velocicoaster (because riding that will a full tummy would not be smart) and before Hagrid's because the wait for that is ALWAYS two hours. Today especially, because it wasn't running the whole morning. When we got it line, the wait was at 135 minutes. The line was moving SO SLOW. About halfway through we got word that they stopped letting people in the line, and the app said it was delayed. They finally announced that they were adding another cart to move the line faster. Which took FOREVER. Also, why would you not start with the max amount of trains? This ride is always the top demand! We made friends with the people in front of us who had never ridden before. After roughly three hours, we finally got to ride! Was it worth a three hour wait? Probably not. But it is a must ride, and honestly I was so full I wouldn't have been able to ride anything else in those three hours anywho! 





After the long wait, we had run out of steam. Plus with an early flight the next day, we were okay going back to the hotel to back up. We grabbed another butterbeer and left Islands. In the City Walk, they have a model of what Epic Universe, the third Universal park, will look like when it opens next year. This was cool to see, and we're excited to hopefully go next fall!


We grabbed our Panda Express from City Walk (its tradition at this point), and drove across the street to our hotel.


Its a quick trip, but I'm glad we decided to continue the sibling-bonding tradition even after my school schedule switched from a full week fall break to a two-day MEA break.


Orlando, Florida (Fall 2023)

Orlando, Florida (Fall 2022)

Orlando, Florida (Fall 2021)