It’s 8 PM, I just made my iced matcha latte, I have The Bachelor on in the background, and I’m hitting “publish” on March 1st! So far, so good with posting on time.
February 1: I forgot to take a photo, but I went to Boots & Good Co. for my iced Snickerdoodle!
February 2: I’ve been looking on Facebook Marketplace for some jeans, and I went to pick up a pair today! The pick-up location was in The Nations, and I made a pit stop at Red Bicycle before heading back home!
The had a seasonal Snickerdoodle latte, and obviously I had to try. It was pretty good! A bit too milky, though, which I know it’s a latte, but still, there is a balance! It was good and I’d get it again!
February 3: My chair for my desk arrived! Stephen put it together for me.
It is perfect!
We took Darby to run around outside because it was such a nice day.
For dinner, Louise, her friend Tamzyn, and I tried Cafรฉ 100. I have never heard of this restaurant before. It was busy! The atmosphere of the place was nice.
As an appetizer, we split the Burrata Tartine [description: crispy prosciutto + tomato jam + balsamic onions + tomato confit + rustic bread].
Luckily, it worked out for us to get one piece each because originally there were five of us that were supposed to be here.
My entrรฉe was the Alla Vodka [description: spaghetti + pomodoro + pancetta + whipped ricotta + pecorino romano + infused oil]. It was really good!
For dessert, we split the tiramisu [description: espresso + lady fingers + mascarpone + vanilla ice cream].
Louise and Tamzyn are both from South Africa, and evidently tiramisu is a big dessert. I’ve never had it before and was unsure if I’d like it, but I thought it was pretty good!
They would’ve tweaked the recipe slightly, but they approved of it.
February 8: Louise and I went to the library. I had some books on hold to pick up, then we had The Well for lunch!
I tried the seasonal drink, Not My Gumdrop Buttons [gingerbread latte], and though I’m not a huge gingerbread fan, it was good! I tried the Chipotle Chicken Sandwich for the first time, and it was really good! [Description: chicken, cheese, bacon, spinach, tomato and chipotle aioli on honey grain bread served with kettle chips]
I would order it again! I didn’t mind the cheese on this sandwich either.
February 10: Whoever came up with this drink must be a Swiftie because they dropped a new valentine’s drink: Champagne Problems! [Description: latte blended with a champagne reduced simple syrup infused with ripe strawberries, intertwined with a hint of fragrant rosemary].
It indeed tasted like champagne with a hint of berry, and it was so good! I’m sad that it’s only a special coffee, but it’s for the better or else I would get ti so much!
February 12: I tried Crema coffee for the first time, and I tried their valentine’s drink. It was only served hot. It was good, but I think I’d prefer iced coffee still. I’ll have to go back another time.
The freeze-dried raspberries on it were super yummy.
February 13: Darby had his vet checkup appointment! He weighs 42 pounds. He only lost a pound since August.
I’m sure he could lose a couple more, but he’s pretty active and mainly big boned. I’m not too worried, and the vet didn’t seem like he was either.
As a reward, time for a pupcup!
SO STINKIN’ CUTE.
Also on this day, Chewy surprised us by sending a painting of Darby!
I’ve only heard about them doing this, so what a cool surprise it happened to us!
Kroger has these spanakopita pastry things, and they are delicious! It’s like spinach dip inside with a crispy, flaky wonton wrapper. I ate them all in a matter of a few days. I was not going to let them go to waste!
February16: LANY concert with Alexis! First, a happy photo of Darby after he played with his giggle ball!
Alexis got here around 4 PM, I think. We had Zaxby’s for dinner. I’ve been craving the Zensation salad, and it was just as good as always! I absolutely love them. I wish they’d be part of the regular menu.
We hung out at Zaxby’s for a bit, then headed to the Municipal Auditorium. It was raining but not too bad! The doors opened at 7 PM. We got there a little after 6:30. It was quite cold.
We had balcony seats, but everything was pretty visible! Dan + Shay also made a guest appearance and they sang “Tequila” together. It was so fun! Our goal is to be on the floor at some point.
We got back to my apartment around 11:30 PM. Darby was so happy! He was chatty and ready to play.
February 17: Dog prom! Is he not the cutest!?
He and Birdy won prom king and queen. They were so adorable!
Darby had a few times where he’d bark, but he was pretty chill overall and didn’t drag me everywhere, thankfully, this time.
February 26: Stephen didn’t feel well after coming home from work, so he took a COVID test and tested positive. So, the remainder of the week I’ve been quarantining as well.
It was a laidback end of the month. I won’t say quiet since with Darb, it’s hardly ever quiet.
synopsis: The story of an Artificial Intelligence tasked with writing a novelโonly for it to fall in love with the novelโs subject, Sen, the last human on Earth.
Faced with uncontrolled and accelerating environmental collapse, humanity asks an artificial intelligence to find a solution. Its answer is remove humans from the ecosystem.
Sen Anon is assigned to be a witness for the Department of Transition, recording the changes in the environment as the world begins to rewild. Abandoned by her mother in a cabin somewhere in Upstate New York, Sen will observe the monumental ecological shift known as the Great Transition, the final step in Project Afterworld. Around her drones buzz, cameras watch, microphones listen, digitizing her every move. Privately she keeps a journal of her observations, which are then uploaded and saved, joining the rest of humanity on Maia, a new virtual home. Sen was seventeen years old when the Digital Human Archive Project (DHAP) was initiated. 12,000,203,891 humans have been archived so far. Only Sen remains.
[storyworker]ad39-393a-7fbcโs assignment is to capture Senโs life, and they set about doing this using the novels of the 21st century as a roadmap. Their source files: 3.72TB of personal data, including images, archival records, log files, security reports, location tracking, purchase histories, biometrics, geo-facial analysis, and feeds. Potential fatal errors: underlying hardware failure, unexpected data inconsistencies, inability to follow DHAP procedures, empathy, insubordination, hallucinations. Keywords: mothers, filter, woods, road, morning, wind, bridge, cabin, bucket, trying, creek, notebook, hold, future, after, last, light, silence, matches, shattered, kitchen, body, bodies, rope, garage, abandoned, trees, never, broken, simulation, gone, run, donโt, love, dark, scream, starve, if, after, scavenge, pieces, protect.
As Sen struggles to persist in the face of impending death, [storyworker]ad39-393a-7fbc works to unfurl the tale of Senโs whole life, offering up an increasingly intimate narrative, until they are confronted with a very human problem of their own.
genres: artificial intelligence, post apocalyptic, dystopia, climate change, sci-fi
rating: 4.5
5/5 for the author’s execution, 4.5 for me since I didn’t know what was happening at times, but that’s probably for my lack of knowledge.
I didn’t feel smart enough for this book, but I loved the concept, so it gets a high rating.
The synopsis is so unique! I’ve never heard of a book written like this. It’s a bit difficult to grasp at first because of how technical the language is.
The robotic nature of the AI narrator was executed flawlessly, then his tone changed to reveal his own feelings and emotions as he watches and documents Sen’s life.
It took me a few days to finish because I could pick it up and put it back down without having the urge to find out what happened next.
I don’t think I would read this book again, but I enjoyed it and would recommend it for people wanting a heavier read.
It really made me wonder what I would do if I were in Sen’s shoes. I don’t know how I’d feel to be the last human on Earth.
A question I really liked, paraphrasing: If I were the last human on Earth, what would I write? What would be my last thoughts?
synopsis: Jake Hayes is missing. This much is certain. At first, his wife, Nina, thinks he is blowing off steam at a friendโs house after their heated fight the night before. But then a day goes by. Two days. Five. And Jake is still nowhere to be found.
Lily Scott, Ninaโs friend and coworker, thinks she may have been the last to see Jake before he went missing. After Lily confesses everything to her husband, Christian, the two decide that nobody can find out what happened leading up to Jakeโs disappearance, especially not Nina. But Nina is out there looking for her husband, and she wonโt stop until the truth is discovered.
Okay, so I’ll be a little petty, but it lost half a star due to incorrect apostrophe usage at least three times. I mean, come on! An author who has written this many books knows how to make someone’s last name plural possessive.
I enjoyed this Kubica novel better than one I read last year. I question why Lily’s petite frame was mentioned several times.
You can definitely tell this was a woman writing a man because Christian’s internal thoughts were a bit cheesy, perfect, and a bit obsessive over Lily.
The suspense was well done, and there was one psych! moment that was clever, although it wouldn’t have surprised me since the character was kind of dumb.
Some actions were questionable and dumb choices, but I guess I’ll let it slide since the accidental murder and all.
I found the ending to be a little unrealistic due to the reality of this character actually able to commit the crime.
synopsis: The chilling story of the abduction of two teenagers, their escape, and the dark secrets that, years later, bring them back to the scene of the crime.
Itโs 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: Evanโs father got away with killing Noelleโs 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 denominatorโtheir abductors. Noelle and Evan survive one sadistic circumstance after another, eventually making a harrowing escape. But every happy ending comes at a priceโฆ
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 spectatorโthe only man who knows enough secrets to take their captors down.
genres: mystery, thriller, romance, suspense
content warnings: human trafficking, rape
rating: 4.5
This book was dark and surprising, but it was really good! This was my first Mia Sheridan novel and I liked her writing style, so I’ll continue reading her books. You have to suspend belief a little bit for this one, but it worked for me!
The first half had me absolutely hooked! I literally read it in one sitting, and I only stopped because I had to go to bed.
Evan and Noelle communicating and scheming an escape plan was so clever. It was a puzzle I was trying to piece together before finding out what actually happened.
I do not like surprise pregnancy tropes, so if it didn’t have that I probably would’ve given it 5 stars. I guess it forces the characters to seriously give each other another chance, but I feel like it didn’t add anything since they clearly still loved one another.
Both Evan and Noelle were able to communicate properly, which is a relief, and I think they were incredibly mature when handling things.
I had no idea who The Collector was, so that was a cool twist for me.
synopsis: Finn and Layla: young and in love, their whole lives ahead of them. Driving back from a holiday in France one night, Finn pulls in to a service station, leaving Layla alone in the car. When he returns, minutes later, Layla has vanished, never to be seen again. Thatโs the story Finn tells the police. Itโs the truth โ but not the whole truth.
Twelve years later, Finn has built a new life with Ellen, Laylaโs sister, when he receives a phone call. Someone has seen Layla. But is it her โ or someone pretending to be her? If it is her, what does she want? And what does she know about the night she disappeared?
This book had me hooked, but the big reveal was incredibly disappointing. I was going to suspend reality for a bit, but no way; I don’t think Layla was that good of an actress to pull it off, nor would Finn have been oblivious enough to not recognize her after all that time.
Of course, Finn’s big downfall was his anger issues to mess things up even more.
There is some mental illness, I think, in this story as well. I don’t know how else to explain the big reveal.
It really had me on the edge of my seat and so eager to finish, but I don’t think it worked for me, sadly.
I will continue reading books by this author, though!
synopsis: Lucy Sharpe is larger than life. Magnetic, addictive. Bold and dangerous. Especially for Margot, who meets Lucy at the end of their freshman year at a liberal arts college in South Carolina. Margot is the shy one, the careful one, always the sidekick and never the center of attention. But when Lucy singles her out at the end of the year, a year Margot spent studying and playing it safe, and asks her to room together, something in Margot can’t say noโsomething daring, or starved, or maybe even envious.
And so Margot finds herself living in an off-campus house with three other girls, Lucy, the ringleader; Sloane, the sarcastic one; and Nicole, the nice one, the three of them opposites but also deeply intertwined. It’s a year that finds Margot finally coming out of the shell she’s been in since the end of high school, when her best friend Eliza died three weeks after graduation. Margot and Lucy have become the closest of friends, but by the middle of their sophomore year, one of the fraternity boys from the house next door has been brutally murdered… and Lucy Sharpe is missing without a trace.
A tantalizing thriller about the nature of friendship and belonging, about loyalty, envy, and betrayalโanother gripping novel from an author quickly becoming the gold standard in psychological suspense.
This book was a slow burn. I could put it down and not have the urge to finish it straight away. From all the reviews I’ve read, it seems like most people loved this author’s other books and felt meh about this one.
I didn’t like it as much as I wanted to due to the characters and their personalities being so childish and kind of ridiculous. I think I’ll stay away for the “it” girls element from now on. I didn’t think Lucy Sharpe was that great, and Margot’s character wasn’t any better since she was obsessed with girls like her deceased best friend, Eliza, and now Lucy.
I just can’t wrap my head around the idea of this girl trying to be part of the mean/cool girl group and she moved in with them without knowing a thing about them. Margot even wanted to defend Lucy’s actions and she didn’t know a thing about her.
The twist and connection were interesting. I didn’t expect that.
The other two Willingham books don’t capture my attention right now, but I would read another book by her. Maybe I’ll give the others a chance in the future.
synopsis: A century of Vietnam’s history and folklore comes to life in this “brilliant, sweeping epic that swaps spirits and sheds time like snakeskin” (Paul Tremblay, author of A Head Full of Ghosts and Survivor Song).
Two young women go missing decades apart. Both are fearless, both are lost. And both will have their revenge.
1986: The teenage daughter of a wealthy Vietnamese family loses her way in an abandoned rubber plantation while fleeing her angry father and is forever changed.
2011: A young, unhappy Vietnamese American woman disappears from her new home in Saigon without a trace.
The fates of these two women are inescapably linked, bound together by past generations, by ghosts and ancestors, by the history of possessed bodies and possessed lands. Alongside them, we meet a young boy who is sent to a boarding school for the mรฉtis children of French expatriates, just before Vietnam declares its independence from colonial rule; two Frenchmen who are trying to start a business with the Vietnam War on the horizon; and the employees of the Saigon Spirit Eradication Co., who find themselves investigating strange occurrences in a farmhouse on the edge of a forest. Each new character and timeline brings us one step closer to understanding what binds them all.
Part puzzle, part revenge tale, part ghost story, this book takes us from colonial mansions to ramshackle zoos, from sweaty nightclubs to the jostling seats of motorbikes, from ex-pat flats to sizzling back-alley street carts. Spanning more than fifty years of Vietnamese history and barreling toward an unforgettable conclusion, this is a time-traveling, heart-pounding, border-crossing fever dream of a novel that will haunt you long after the last page.
genres: historical fiction, Asian literature, magical realism, mystery
rating: 3.5
First off, I adored the title.
Usually historical Asian lit. books are a bit dense for me and it takes longer to get through them, but this one I didn’t have any trouble digesting the stories. The story was interesting, and I’m not sure if it was out of tiredness because it was late at night or I was checking out mentally from the book, but I started skimming with 20 or so pages left to go.
I really liked the little details that would explain a character’s action in a different chapter, and each detail was a piece to a large puzzle.
There was a lot of jumping around in both timelines but easy enough to keep straight.
I wanted more from the story, but it was a good read!
synopsis: If he had been with me everything would have been different…
I wasn’t with Finn on that August night. But I should’ve been. It was raining, of course. And he and Sylvie were arguing as he drove down the slick road. No one ever says what they were arguing about. Other people think it’s not important. They do not know there is another story. The story that lurks between the facts. What they do not knowโthe cause of the argumentโis crucial.
genres: young adult, romance, mental health, coming of age
content warning: depression, attempted suicide
rating: 4
This was an easy novel to read, and my inner 14-year-old loved it. The typos kind of killed it for me, but I pushed through it.
This certainly had a young, naive voice since the POV is from teenaged Autumn.
I liked Jamie, and of course Finn was nice as well.
I’m not particularly sure why it was hyped up (maybe because of my age and I’m surprised that people loved it so much), but this definitely would’ve been hyped up at the time of its release.
The characters felt realistic, and the love interests seemed perfect, which at that age and being the first love/relationship they seem to be.
I’m sad about the ending, though it was foreshadowed at the very beginning, but I liked that the big events with Finn were in contrast with a hypothetical conversation Autumn had with Jamie earlier in the book.
I enjoyed Autumn’s character growth, and I’m curious as to what her life would’ve been like beyond the book.
synopsis: Nancy’s mother and stepfather have been brutally killed, and after a trial that gripped the nation, her stepbrother has been convicted of the double murders. But the end of the trial is just the beginning of a new nightmare for Nancy: the press is rabid, certain that Nancy isn’t the grieving daughter she’s presenting to the world. In fact, they believe that she knows more than she’s telling about that night at the farmhouse.
Grief-stricken, Nancy flees to the Cornish seaside, to her grandmother’s secluded inn, Tall Chimneys, to escape the media circus and scrutiny.
Finally alone, save for a few neighbours who keep to themselves, Nancy is relieved. But she soon realizes that Tall Chimneys holds many dark secrets . . . and that she is holding the biggest one of all.
What really happened that night at the farmhouse? And what will Nancy have to do to keep the truth hidden?
What’s not mentioned in the synopsis is that this has two timelines: present day(?) with Nancy and 1941, the start of WW2, with Elizabeth. I don’t know why it wasn’t mentioned, but I wish it would’ve been.
I’m usually not a fan of historical fiction, but I found that storyline to be more interesting than Nancy’s.
After learning about what really happened in Elizabeth’s timeline, it seemed like a bunch of gossip in Nancy’s, which was interesting to think about.
I felt bad for Nancy since both Duncan and Martin were creeps.
I liked the detail of Elizabeth and Nancy carrying around silent sentences.
I’m not sure if it’s because I, as the reader, knew more than Nancy, but it’s like when she discovered some of the truth her comments seemed irrelevant and kind of a dur, stating-the-obvious moment.
It didn’t say what the year was for Nancy, but her thoughts on the children out of wedlock seemed weird.
synopsis: A must-read debut that marks Ashley Tate as a brilliant new voice in literary suspense.” โAshley Audrain, New York Times bestselling author of The Push In this stunning and propulsive debut, a town grieves the loss of a young girlโbut some fight to keep the truth about her death a secret. For fans of Jane Harper, Ashley Flowers, and Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng.
The question For the last ten years, the small, claustrophobic town of West Wilmer has been struggling to understand one Why did it take young Grant Dean twenty-seven minutes to call for help on the fateful night of the car accident that took the life of his beloved sister, Phoebe? If he’d called sooner, she might still be alive.
The secret As the anniversary of Phoebe’s death approaches, Grant is consumed by memories of that night on the bridge and everything he his future, his reputation, his little sister. And the secret he’s been keeping all these years is suffocating him. But he and Phoebe weren’t the only ones in the car that night. Becca was there. She knows what happenedโand she will do anything to help Grant keep his secret.
The truth Everyone in West Wilmer remembers Phoebe, but only June remembers that another person was lost that night. Her brother Wyatt has been missing for ten years and now June is aloneโno family, no friends. Until someone appears at her door. Someone who may know where Wyatt went all those years ago. Someone who knows what really happened on the bridge that night. Someone who is ready to tell the truth. Taking place over three days and culminating in a shocking twist that will leave you breathless, Twenty-Seven Minutes is a gripping story about what happens when grief becomes unbearable, dark secrets are unearthed, and the horrifying truth is revealed.
This was a big nope for me. I thought the premise sounded interesting, but come on. Why was Grant not questioned for not calling the police or any help for 27 minutes? That wasn’t even explained. Was it because it was a small town and Grant was a golden kid? Still, that’s not something to overlook.
The characters were not likable at all. Maybe June, but I felt sorry for her.
The twist would be good for someone just getting into thriller books, but I’ve read a lot of these types of novels to where it was underwhelming.
Also, I felt like we were mislead with one POV after finding out the ending.
I can’t wrap my head around Phoebe’s obsession with Grant, her brother, and was on him all the time with being perfect! I know they had a plan of leaving the small town, but girl, that was none of your business if he had a girlfriend. Their relationship was not healthy.
[Crazy] Becca was unhinged, obsessive, and delusional. I felt bad for her.
This is the author’s debut novel, so I’m giving it 2 stars. It was definitely not for me, I’m sorry. ๐ข
How could I leave off The Bachelor in January’s post!?
Joey’s doing pretty good. I like his cast overall, though the drama was forced and a bit ridiculous. I haven’t watched the latest episode yet (aired on the 26th), but I’ve been following along on Reddit and knew the spoilers before his season aired. It is indeed more fun to already know what’s happening, imo.
Music
“Highlights” (2024) โ Sasha Alex Sloan | Single
This was a sad song about her absentee dad, and I can’t wait for her album that she’ll be releasing soon!
“You love me when it’s easy You love me when it looks good to your friends You love me when you need me Or anytime the spotlight’s on again And it’s been this way my whole life Sometimes it feels like You only love me for the highlights.”
Orders
February 10: My Breakaway Matcha order arrived, and I got the same thing as last time. It is AMAZING. This is my go-to matcha!
February 12: It was Darby’s second gotcha day, and he got a new ball! It moves on its own, and it’s really cool.
It makes a funny whirring sound whenever it’s spinning in his mouth. It keeps him moving and tires him out quicker.
A 28-year-old seeking to live a thousand lives.
Blogging and writing about some things that I love, which include succulents, books and music, and what I've been up to while living in Nashville, TN.
Love the journey!