#gretchensbooks2024 - August

 

Reading definitely has not been a priority this year, which I hate, but I also know that I've made other important things a priority, so I can't be too upset. This month was very audiobook heavy.  I also didn't get in my ebook this month. I had one picked out, and I did start it, but I just wasn't feeling the reading from a device this month and so I decided not to force it.

Book 73 of 2024 🎧 What Lies in the Woods by Kate Alice Marshall (4.5/5⭐️)

📚GENRE: Thriller

🗓PUBLISHED: 17 January 2023

Naomi Shaw used to believe in magic. Twenty-two years ago, she and her two best friends, Cassidy and Olivia, spent the summer roaming the woods, imagining a world of ceremony and wonder. They called it the Goddess Game. The summer ended suddenly when Naomi was attacked. Miraculously, she survived her seventeen stab wounds and lived to identify the man who had hurt her. The girls’ testimony put away a serial killer, wanted for murdering six women. They were heroes.

And they were liars.

For decades, the friends have kept a secret worth killing for. But now Olivia wants to tell, and Naomi sets out to find out what really happened in the woods―no matter how dangerous the truth turns out to be.

I saw this recommended on Instagram and I was shocked that it was available so quickly in Libby! Wow, this was a good one! There were so many twists and I had so many guesses as to how things would go. The main character wasn’t always likeable, but I was still rooting for her!

FREE on Kindle Unlimited!

Book 74 of 2024 🎧 The Spare Room by Andrea Bartz (3.5/5⭐️)

📚GENRE: Thriller

🗓PUBLISHED: 9 July 2024

Kelly’s new life in Philadelphia has turned into a nightmare: She’s friendless and jobless, and the lockdown has her trapped in a tiny apartment with the man she gave up everything for, who’s just called off their wedding. The only bright spot is her newly rekindled friendship with her childhood friend Sabrina—now a glamorous bestselling author with a handsome, high-powered husband.

When Sabrina and Nathan offer Kelly an escape hatch, volunteering the spare room of their remote Virginia mansion, she jumps at the chance to run away from her old life. There, Kelly secretly finds herself falling for both her enchanting hosts—until one night, a wild and unexpected threesome leads the couple to open their marriage for her.

At first, Kelly loves being part of this risqué new world. But when she discovers that the last woman they invited into their marriage is missing, she starts to wonder if they could be dangerous . . . and if she might be next.

Oof. This one had a lot of unexpected turns (though I did predict one of the big ones pretty early). I was hoping for more spice in this one, but all the potentially spicy times were built up, and then over with no real detail. I appreciate the authors who used 2020 as inspiration for their stories; I think it’s neat how some could take the craziness and run with it. Overall I liked the story, but I think it would have been better with spice!

Book 75 of 2024 🎧 Home is Where the Bodies Are by Jeneva Rose (3.5/5⭐️)

📚GENRE: Thriller

🗓PUBLISHED: 30 April 2024

After their mother passes, three estranged siblings reunite to sort out her estate. Beth, the oldest, never left home. She stayed with her mom, caring for her until the very end. Nicole, the middle child, has been kept at arm's length due to her ongoing battle with a serious drug addiction. Michael, the youngest, lives out of state and hasn't been back to their small Wisconsin town since their father ran out on them seven years before.

While going through their parents' belongings, the siblings stumble upon a collection of home videos and decide to revisit those happier memories. However, the nostalgia is cut short when one of the VHS tapes reveals a night back in 1999 that none of them have any recollection of. On screen, their father appears covered in blood. What follows is a dead body and a pact between their parents to get rid of it, before the video abruptly ends.

Beth, Nicole, and Michael must now decide whether to leave the past in the past or uncover the dark secret their mother took to her grave.

I randomly came across this and immediately borrowed because I’ve enjoyed her past work. This was a good one too! Not overly suspenseful, but I didn’t expect the story to turn out like it did. Also I listened to the whole thing within like a 36 hour window, so that must count for something!

Book 76 of 2024 🎧 The Perfect Child by Lucinda Berry (4/5⭐️)

📚GENRE: Thriller

🗓PUBLISHED: 1 March 2019

Christopher and Hannah are a happily married surgeon and nurse with picture-perfect lives. All that’s missing is a child. When Janie, an abandoned six-year-old, turns up at their hospital, Christopher forms an instant connection with her, and he convinces Hannah they should take her home as their own.

But Janie is no ordinary child, and her damaged psyche proves to be more than her new parents were expecting. Janie is fiercely devoted to Christopher, but she acts out in increasingly disturbing ways, directing all her rage at Hannah. Unable to bond with Janie, Hannah is drowning under the pressure, and Christopher refuses to see Janie’s true nature.

Hannah knows that Janie is manipulating Christopher and isolating him from her, despite Hannah’s attempts to bring them all together. But as Janie’s behavior threatens to tear Christopher and Hannah apart, the truth behind Janie’s past may be enough to push them all over the edge.

All the twists in this story and I was afraid I would be let down with a cop out ending (spoiler: I wasn’t). I had bought a physical copy of this book from the bookstore but forgot, so then I bought a cheap audible copy as well which is how I ended up reading it. The story absolutely ended in the right place (after a giant shocker), but I still wanted to know what happens next!

FREE with Amazon Prime subscription.

Book 77 of 2024 🎧 Perfect Strangers by J.T. Geissinger (2.5/5⭐️)

📚GENRE: Contemporary Romance

🗓PUBLISHED: 29 September 2019

Author Olivia Rossi hasn’t been able to write a word since tragedy struck two years ago and ripped her world apart. Heartbroken and still haunted by the past, she accepts an offer to spend the summer at a friend’s apartment in Paris in search of healing and her lost muse.

What she finds instead is James, an enigmatic stranger who ignites in her an unexpected and all-consuming passion.

Agreeing to tell each other nothing more than their first names, Olivia and James embark on a torrid affair. But the more time they spend together, the more Olivia begins to realize her summer fling is turning into a powerful connection…and that the magnetic man she’s falling in love with might not be what he seems at all.

Ugh. I listened to this whole book without pause, but I’m not confident it was good. In fact the first 3/4 were pretty bland. Now I can’t decide if the way it ended redeemed the story, or made it that much worse.

FREE on Kindle Unlimited!

Book 78 of 2024 📖 This Summer Will Be Different by Carley Fortune (4/5⭐️)

📚GENRE: Contemporary Romance

🗓PUBLISHED: 9 May 2024

Lucy is the tourist vacationing at a beach house on Prince Edward Island. Felix is the local who shows her a very good time. The only problem: Lucy doesn’t know he’s her best friend’s younger brother. Lucy and Felix’s chemistry is unreal, but the list of reasons why they need to stay away from each other is long, and they vow to never repeat that electric night again.

It’s easier said than done.

Each year, Lucy escapes to PEI for a big breath of coastal air, fresh oysters and crisp vinho verde with her best friend, Bridget. Every visit begins with a long walk on the beach, beneath soaring red cliffs and a golden sun. And every visit, Lucy promises herself she won’t wind up in Felix’s bed. Again.

If Lucy can’t help being drawn to Felix, at least she’s always kept her heart out of it.

When Bridget suddenly flees Toronto a week before her wedding, Lucy drops everything to follow her to the island. Her mission is to help Bridget through her crisis and resist the one man she’s never been able to. But Felix’s sparkling eyes and flirty quips have been replaced with something new, and Lucy’s beginning to wonder just how safe her heart truly is.

This was a great summer read, and while I enjoyed it and felt many emotions while reading it, I still think Every Summer After was her best book! I liked the characters, but I didn’t feel like the problem that sent the MC to Prince Edward Island was dramatic enough to make it such a big part of the book. I liked that the story was told between present and past.

Book 79 of 2024 🎧 The Way I Am Now by Amber Smith (3/5⭐️)

📚GENRE: YA Romance

🗓PUBLISHED: 7 November 2023

Eden and Josh never had a fair shot at a healthy relationship. When they dated in high school, they each had their own problems getting in the way of the deep connection they felt toward one another. Unbeknownst to Josh, Eden was carrying the burden of a devastating sexual assault, while Josh was dealing with his own private struggle of having an alcoholic father.

Months after Eden and two other girls publicly accuse their rapist, Eden is starting college while her case goes to trial. Now when she and Josh reconnect, it seems like it might finally be in the right place at the right time for them to make it work. But is their love strong enough to withstand the challenges and chaos of college and the crushing realities of a trial that will determine whether Eden gets the justice she deserves?

I really loved the first book in this series, so I was excited to see a sequel had come out. I have to say, I was disappointed in the sequel. I liked the ending, but the rest of the story was pretty dull. I know this is meant to be more of a YA read, but I usually get into YA books, so even so, I think this one was a let down.

Book 80 of 2024 📖 The Racketeer by John Grisham (4/5⭐️)

📚GENRE: Legal Thriller

🗓PUBLISHED: October 23, 2012

His body is found in his remote lakeside cabin. There is no sign of forced entry or struggle. Just two dead bodies: Judge Fawcett and his young secretary. And one large, state-of-the-art, extremely secure safe, opened and emptied.

Who is the Racketeer? And what does he have to do with the judge’s untimely demise? His name, for the moment, is Malcolm Bannister. Job status? Former attorney. Current residence? The Federal Prison Camp near Frostburg, Maryland.

On paper, Malcolm’s situation isn’t looking too good these days, but he’s got an ace up his sleeve. He knows who killed Judge Fawcett, and he knows why. The FBI would love to know. And Malcolm Bannister would love to tell them. But everything has a price—especially information as explosive as the sequence of events that led to Judge Fawcett’s death. And the Racketeer wasn’t born yesterday.

Nothing is as it seems and everything’s fair game in this wickedly clever novel from John Grisham, the undisputed master of the legal thriller.

I'm rapidly approaching the point in Grisham's writing where I know I have read the book because I bought it as soon as it was published. In fact, I'm probably already there. Despite this, I did not remember this story, so it was fun to re-read! I really enjoyed the storytelling and manipulating in this novel. I loved the main character and was constantly rooting for him to be living his best life!

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

Reading Challenge: 80/120 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!

National Buffalo Wing Festival 2024 - Buffalo, New York

Friday, August 30, 2024

“Well if you weren’t already awake, you are now!” our flight attendant announced over the intercom as we landed in Chicago on our way to Buffalo. The first flight was a little bumpy due to all the storms that had been passing through the Midwest the previous night, but our connecting flight to New York, though delayed once we were boarded, went much smoother!

We picked up our Mazda 3 from Alamo (tiniest car I’ve ever driven, but boy does it accelerate quickly!) and headed out into the eighth state we’ve traveled to together this year.

This trip was sort of a last minute decision. I had learned about the National Buffalo Wing Festival probably about a year ago, but since (most, including mine) schools start right after Labor Day in Minnesota, I didn't think we'd ever make it as it always falls on Labor Day weekend. When we got back from Alaska last month, I was already itching for another trip. I realized that if we ever wanted to go to the festival, this would be the year to do it since the start of school was delayed a week this year. I used credit card points for a free car rental and Southwest points + companion pass for free flights and figured since I only had to pay for a hotel, it was a pretty good deal for a quick weekend away!

We headed to Bar-Bill North for lunch. My research on the GLT Facebook page said this was the PLACE TO GO in Buffalo to get the best wings. We ended up ordering 20 wings, and rated them as follows:

    Medium: 6/10

    Medium-Hot: 7/10

    Cajun Hot Honey BBQ: 9/10

If the wings would have been saucier they all would have been bumped up a point!

I liked that you could pay extra to have all drummies or all flats (even though I didn’t do this, I prefer flats and wished I would have ordered such). Though it was annoying that there was a fee to get multiple sauces. Also, I don’t need 10 wings, but that’s was the smallest size you could order. I wish there would have been a 6 wing option.

From there, the first place I wanted to go was the Continental Flight 3407 Memorial. 

When I was 16, a friend of mine was in a plane crash in New York. I remember when it happened so clearly. I was not a crier at 16 (I am now), but a close friend at the time immediately drove over and let me ruin his white sweatshirt with my mascara tears. 

Maddy was 7 years older than me, and worked at the hockey camp in town. I loved going down to hang out with her, even when I wasn't at camp. I have a very clear memory of sitting down at the rink with Maddy when some of the high school boys came over to talk to us. I was 14 at the time. One of the boys (I remember his name and his head of blonde curls 😝) asked how old I was. I said I would be a freshmen, and he immediately assumed in college. Which was probably BS because I definitely looked like a 12 year old at 14, but Maddy didn't treat me like a kid, and that always made me feel cool.

Whenever I go to the Mall of America, I still think of Maddy. There was a time when she worked at the mall, and every time I went she would always tell me her hours so I could visit. The best people always leave the world too soon. 

The crash killed everyone on the flight, as well as one person who was in the house the plane crash landed on. A memorial was built for those who lost their lives, and I've had it pinned to visit for years. I was so happy I would finally be in the vicinity and able to go.

We checked into our hotel and I took a nap because the midnight-2:45AM “nap” I had before our 5:30AM flight didn’t cut it.

After my (not-so-refreshing) nap (I had a crazy dream that I couldn’t get myself to wake up from), we went for a drive to Glen Park and took a walk around the path to see the love lock fence and waterfall.

For dinner we went to Dinosaur BBQ. WOW. Amazing. Everything was so delicious! (Though my eyes were, as usual, bigger than my stomach. Good thing we have a fridge and dishes back in the hotel room!) I ordered the fried green tomatoes with a side of pimento cheese, the Dino Poutine, and a Kentucky Mule. Aaron ordered the three meat combo plate with ribs, pulled pork, brisket, mashed potatoes and gravy, Mac n cheese, and corn bread. We had so much food!! No complaints about any of it though - 10/10 it was tasty! Honestly, I would have eaten here every day if we didn't have other food plans!

We took the scenic drive along Lake Erie back to the hotel for the night to relax and rest up before the main event tomorrow!

Saturday, August 31, 2024

It was tough getting up in the morning because my new migraine meds knock me OUT and give me wildly vivid dreams - last night I was at a Taylor Swift concert. Chris Young was opening and came out performing on the steps right where I was sitting and I def didn’t want to wake up from that one!

We ended up going to Lake Effect Diner for breakfast. This is a DDD restaurant that used to be in Pennsylvania but was moved to Buffalo a little over 20 years ago to prevent its demolition. I ordered the eggs benedict and found it disappointing. It wasn’t bad per se, but I’ve had so many great orders of eggs benny that this one let me down. Aaron's meal was much better. The pancake was very light and fluffy, and the sausage was the most deliciously seasoned breakfast sausage I've ever tasted! 

It was a stormy morning, so we went back to the hotel to regroup before going to the festival.

The National Buffalo Wing Festival is located at Highland Stadium where the Buffalo Bills play. (We wore our Vikings shirts for the occasion). Tickets cost $20 to attend, but we bought the VIP pass for $75. It included a ticket to get in, 10 wing tickets, unlimited craft beer samples, access to the indoor air conditioned lounge (this came in handy!), a charitable donation, and a swag bag. 

My favorite drink sample was a blueberry cocktail called Blueberry Remedy from Steelbound Brewery and Distillery. It was just like sipping sweet blueberry juice (and I just found out you can buy it online!) I asked the vendor how to make it, so for anyone looking for something tasty its blueberry vodka, blueberry simple syrup, lemon lime soda.

It briefly rained right after we got there, so it was nice to have an indoor area to take cover. It was warm and humid the remaining time, so again, it was nice to have an indoor area to soak in the AC! (Though they did threatened not to let us in due to our chosen apparel! 💜💛 ) The wings were 1 ticket each, and you could buy 10 tickets for $15. We ended up buying one sheet in addition to the two we were given with our VIP passes. We looked at the menus and got one wing of each flavor from each place that sounded good, taking breaks to check out the craft beer, vendors, etc.

At one point we saw a line of people, which I noticed were waiting to meet and get autographs from an unknown (to me) person. I asked some random couple in line who he was - they said, "Greg Rousseau - Buffalo Bills Defensive End. I immediately wanted to get in line. Aaron: why?? Me: I can put his autograph in my autograph scrapbook!  Since we were both wearing Vikings t-shirts (#skol), when we got up there the first thing Rousseau said was, "Minnesota..." I responded with "I came to recruit!" which made him laugh. One of the staff who was with him said, "You couldn't have turned your shirts inside out for two seconds??" After we took our photo and he gave us our autographs, I said, "Well when you get bored of New York, Minnesota is pretty nice!" and the staffer said, "Go away!" Making friends wherever I go, what can I say!

We also got to go down onto the Bills' field which was pretty cool. The stadium is definitely old (its no U.S. Bank!), but it was neat to be down on the turf. 

Anyway! My/our thoughts on the wings...

Center Street Grill (Enola, PA)

PB&J Wings (9/10) - you could definitely taste the jelly with just a hint of peanut butter! Lots of flavor 

Maple Bacon Jalapeño Wings (5/10) - not jalapeno-y at all

The Pizza Cutters (Syracuse, NY)

Maple Apple Bourbon Wings (5/10) - just okay, none of the flavors really stood out

Peach Mango Habanero Wings (10/10) - yum! Lots of sauce and small bits of fruit. Loved the sweetness.

The Dirty Buffalo (Norfolk, VA)

Maple Bacon Crunch Wings (10/10) -  OMG yum so maple-y!

Sugar Bourbon BBQ (10/10) - OMG yum also, so saucy!

Spicy Loganberry 10/10 idk what lingonberry is but this was so good

Wing It On (Waterbury, CT)

Hawaiian BBQ (6/10) - saucy but not very flavorful

Shogun (6/10) -  saucy but not very flavorful

Archer’s Tavern (Dayton, OH)

Archer’s Sexy Sauce (10/10) - so yummy and saucy! 

Pineapple Rum 9.5/10 sweet and tasty!

Overall my favorite wing stop was Dirty Buffalo, but our favorite wings were the Archer's Sexy Sauce from Archer's Tavern - we actually ended up using our last 6 tickets on these and brought them back to the hotel when we left. The sauce is a mix of garlic parmesan and buffalo with parmesan cheese sprinkled in. Definitely will be testing out this sauce creation at home!

Sunday, September 1, 2024

I woke up in time to take a shower and then realize I forgot to set an alarm to check into my flights for tomorrow. Oops. Still got Group A boarding though!

Once we were ready for the day, we drove to Niagara Falls, USA. Holy moly was traffic busy. I had heard to get there early and was going to set an alarm, but I decided not to. I wish I would have! The last time I was here I was probably 14. I didn't remember the chaos! 

I found a parking spot in the parking garage and we walked over to the hot air balloon that we were supposed to go up. The man working said they didn’t think they would be running in at all today, but to check back later. I think it was kept down due to the wind. It wasn't crazy windy (unfortunately, because it was HOT), but probably still too much wind to take up a balloon. We walked off and headed down to see the falls. On the walk we checked out the Maid of the Mist as an alternative to the hot air balloon, but the line was too long for us to justify waiting in the heat. 

After viewing the falls on the American side, we decided to walk over to the Canadian side. The couple in front of us was from Indiana, and the man was worried they wouldn't let him in due to a DUI from 20+ years ago. He did get in, no problem!

I definitely think the Canadian side has a better view! We walked along the path before deciding we needed lunch after skipping breakfast. We were  going to go to the Hard Rock Cafe for lunch, but the power had just gone out so they were not letting anyone else in. We ended up going to the Rainforest Café. I don't usually like to go to chain places, especially when traveling, but it was so hot and we were so hungry and I just could not convince myself to make the hike up the steep hill to find something else. Honestly, I should have sucked it up, because it cost a lot of money and honestly the food wasn’t that great. 

We hit up a souvenir shop so I could find a treat for the kids, and then headed back into the USA side. We went to check the hot air balloon only to find no worker there, so we assumed it would not be opening today. Their policy says that if they don't go up they give you one year to use the tickets. I knew we wouldn't be back within a year, so I set out for a refund. I was ready to dispute with my credit card company, but I had booked with Get Your Guide, so I requested the refund there first and they processed it right away, no problem!

We drove back to the hotel to reset for the evening, and then made the half hour drive back to south of Buffalo to visit Eternal Flame Falls.  There is a flame that is always burning year round due to natural gas coming out of the earth. (It does occasionally go out, but then someone re-lights it!) There is a waterfall that runs over/in front of it (usually!) but they must not have had much rain as of late because the whole creek was pretty dried up! It was a short hike from the parking lot to the flame, and you could tell you were getting close because you would catch a whiff of sulfur in the air. 

From there, we went to Blackthorn Restaurant and Pub in Buffalo for dinner. Another delicious meal from another DDD restaurant! I needed something light, so I ordered the triple club sandwich with fries. Aaron ordered the beef on weck with the housemade tots. Y'all it was so good! The tots were huge and jalapeno cheddar! They also make their own tartar sauce, and it was delicious as well!

We went back to our hotel to pack up so we could get up and go in the morning. It was a quick but fun trip!