This Week I Read

The Importance of Being Reviewed

Let’s talk about reviews. Book reviews that is.

These days we rely on reviews. We read reviews all the time, for just about everything. And we certainly check the reviews before we buy or read a book. Why? Because we are so inundated with content that we have to pick and chose what we give our attention to.

As a writer, I am grateful for anyone who takes the time to write a review, even a negative one. A negative review still means that that person read your work and connected with it. They were moved enough by your work to write down all their thoughts on it and share those with the world. And sure those may be mean thoughts but hey, they read your book. That’s hours of their life they’ll never get back!

Personally, I am terrible at remembering to write reviews. If you check out my Goodreads page, I have added 284 books and reviewed 1. And it’s not even an accurate list of what I’ve read because I keep that in a notebook in my ottoman.

That’s beside the point. The point is that, even though I myself cannot remember to write a review to save my life, I am not above sheepishly asking all of you to post reviews for Celebrity Spin Doctor.

Where should we post these reviews, some of you may ask. Goodreads would be awesome. Amazon if you can. Or BN, Kobo, or iBooks (if that’s where you got the book from). And please be honest.

Dewey The Library Cat

By celiamulder42@gmail.com

It’s been quite the year. I survived a wild, whirlwind of a summer followed by an even more wild fall. In September I started my masters program in Library Science, began a new job, and moved across the state. Now it’s November and I don’t know where 2016 went or how it’s already time to pull out my Christmas movie watch list again!

I have been blogging, just not here (I know. Terrible). For library class we each keep a blog of our class reflections and reading take aways. If you’re dying to read some stuff that makes little sense out of context, check it out.

Meanwhile, I’ve been making a Herculean effort to keep up with my personal reading. Hopefully getting back into my blog updates will help with that.

Last Friday I finished the book Dewey The Library Cat by Vicki Myron absolutely bawling. It’s the true story of a kitten that was abandoned in a library book return in rural Iowa and grew up to become the joy of the small town public library. Dewey was a big, fluffy orange tabby who spent his days snuggling with kids during story hour, sitting in on important meetings, and sleeping on as many laps as he could. Honestly, living in a library has always been a childhood fantasy of mine so I was incredibly jealous as I read about Dewey’s glorious life.

There was also a lot in the book about the changes rural Iowa went through during the 1980’s farming crisis and beyond. It was a part of history I’d never thought about, at all, and having it as part of this heartwarming story of a library cat made the book that much better. I wouldn’t say I loved the writing but I can certainly see why people loved Dewey.

If you don’t have time to read the book (and it’s past time to own up to the fact that most of us don’t), here’s a cute YouTube video from the Iowa Public Access story on Dewey. It’s very 80s and the librarian glasses are a riot.

This Week I Read… October 10th Edition

By celiamulder42@gmail.com

On this week I read, I introduce what as become an fascination of mine – dating and relationship books. One of my life goals is to become a relationship expert. Not an expert at HAVING relationships, an expert on how other people do, see?

Anyways, I read Modern Romance by Aziz Ansari. You’ve probably heard of this book – it’s kind of a big deal. Unlike the other celebrity books that have come out in the past few years, this one is not a memoir, cookbook, or autobiography. It is a social study of modern relationships as explored through focus groups, audience interactions during comedy shows, and interviews with psychologists, sociologists, and relationship experts. It’s informative, it presents some fascinating ideas about dating and technology, and it has that wonderful hint of Aziz humor that we know and love. A great book if you’re:

single and want to get into online dating
frustrated with your lack of online dating success
don’t understand what the deal is with online dating and why all these people are doing it
studying to become a relationship expert
really into Aziz Ansari
need some interesting factoids to spice up your conversations during awkward social interactions

I personally am doing a bit of 4, 5, AND 6.

A Whirlwind of Books (Wouldn’t that be cool!)

By celiamulder42@gmail.com

Since I’ve been in the process of moving the site for the past week or so, I haven’t had a chance to update you all on my latest literary conquests! So here they are:

Last week I read Wallbanger by Alice Clayton. If you like smut, especially funny smut, you really can’t get any better than Alice Clayton. I aspire to write smut this hilarious! Thank you, Alice Clayton for writing this book and then for writing four more in the series so I don’t have to say goodbye to your comedy genius just yet!
Of course, before I go on to read the rest of the series, I had to finish up some library books whose impending due dates and lack of renewal opportunities rushed them to the top of the list. One of these was You Are A Badass: How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life by Jen Sincero. It was transformative. Every time I read a passage I thought, that’s right, I am awesome, I can do this, I can be the best me I can be! Of course, as with most books, I’ve only retained about 30% of what I read. But that 30% is remarkably useful.

The section that really spoke to me was about money. I am someone who can get by on very little money. I am also someone who has lived my life up until now viewing money as the root of all evils. What Jen Sincero points out is that money isn’t an enemy or a friend, it isn’t anything really until we apply the emotional, cultural, and psychological aspects of our interactions with and surrounding it to the picture. Money is not the root of all evil. I don’t have to be afraid of making it or not making it. But I do need to accept that there is a certain amount of money that I need to accomplish what I want (improving living situation, eating healthy, giving back, financing my writing, etc.). That amount is my goal. Not the bare minimum I can live on, not the money I’d make if I sold out my dreams, the amount I need to accomplish what I want to do. So I’m going to try out this new attitude and see what happens.

I am currently devouring Modern Romance by Aziz Ansari so look for that review coming up in a few days!

This Month I’ve Read…

1 Comment / By celiamulder42@gmail.com

While trying to find a nearby apple orchard that also has a corn maze, I realized I haven’t posted about the Julie James series I am reading (those two things are related through a series of mental leaps I don’t expect you to follow). I have been devouring these books like pumpkin donuts all month, one right after the other, they are that good.

I met Julie James almost two years ago at the RWA Chicago-North Spring Fling conference. I got the fourth book in the series and had it signed by her. Though it took me a while to get to read it (my to-read shelf having expanded to an entire bookcase over the past year), I still remember what drew me to her books in the first place. It was the way she described the opening of book one, Something About You, in which the heroine is kept awake all night by a marathon booty call taking place in the next room – a booty call that ends in murder.

Obviously I had to read it. And the next one and the next. I’m now on the sixth and most recent book. I’m not sure what I’ll do when I finish it except hope that there’ll be another released soon!

Check out Julie’s books for yourself by following the link here!

This Week I Read…

By celiamulder42@gmail.com

Welcome to the September 14th Edition of This Week I Read…

Since I started working at the public library, I have discovered so many new and interesting books (like A LOT of books!). I’ve mastered the inter-library loan system that allows me to get books from anywhere in Michigan. The only problem is, when five of these requests show up at the same time, I only have three weeks to read them. Challenge accepted.

One of those books was Adulting: How to be a Grown-Up in 468 Easy(ish) Steps by Kelly Williams Brown. Love the title. Love the format (a book long list!). Some of it was funny, some serious, some obvious, and some new. Overall I’d say, according to this book, I am about 33% of the way to being a grown-up. Not bad. Not bad at all.

It feels like something I should have written. If I had, it would be less useful and far more ridiculous. Since I didn’t it, I commend Kelly Williams Brown for writing a book that had some very funny moments in it and a lot of practical, useful ideas. I particularly recommend the section about friendships. I’ve been thinking a lot lately about what it means to be a good friend, how to break up with toxic friends, and what the appropriate boundaries are for what type of friend (I get SO much TMI!). Thanks for the tips Kelly!

Before the End

1 Comment / By celiamulder42@gmail.com

I started reading this book and I can already tell it’s gonna be a life changer. I can’t wait until the end to review it, I have to talk about it now. It’s called One Person/Multiple Careers: A New Model for Work/Life Success by Marci Alboher. The book was mentioned in Brene Brown’s The Gifts of Imperfection (also a must read) and the idea of it stuck with me all the way to the library.

What is this revolutionary piece of work, you ask? It is a collection of experiences, of people, of ideas about how to create a slash lifestyle, how to live in the slash. This is not about having multiple jobs, it’s about having multiple careers that each engage us in different ways. She talks about a scientist/poet, a computer programmer/theater director, a journalist/house painter, and many many more.

I am already living the slash lifestyle (writer/wedding coordinator/library substitute) but what I find so engaging about this book is the idea of balance and intention with each of the slashes. It’s not about becoming a workaholic or making each slash a full time career. It’s about creating a balance of work that feeds your interests, passions, personality, and strengths in different ways to create a complete, happy you.

I have a few slash “jobs” that are hovering at the edges. Now, as I read this, I’m already thinking about how to let those go so I can focus my time and energy on my writer, wedding coordinator, and library substitute slashes.

This Week I Read…

1 Comment / By celiamulder42@gmail.com

I completely spaced out and forgot to post this Tuesday. I was sitting on the couch, thinking there was something I needed to do. I decided it was take a nap. So now here I am, posting my this week’s reads on Thursday (don’t even ask about yesterday, I have no excuse).

I finished the Princess Diaries! The last two books were so good I couldn’t stop reading. I spent all of July 4th with my face buried in book 10.

First up there was Princess Diaries IX: Princess Mia, then Princess Diaries X: Forever Princess.

And finally, the one I’d been waiting to read for months, the reason I started this reading adventure – The Princess Diaries XI: Royal Wedding.

I was curious to see if, years after the last book was released, Meg Cabot could keep the story alive. And you know what? She did. It was like visiting an old friend you have n’t seen in a while and picking up as though no time at all had passed. I loved seeing what happens to Mia (and everyone else) after high school. It was fun and funny with just a hint of the very ridiculous.

This Week I Read…June 30th Edition

By celiamulder42@gmail.com

Welcome back to another edition of “This Week I Read.” First up was, surprise, The Princess Diaries Volume VII: Party Princess by Meg Cabot. I’m moving into the books I don’t remember as well, which only adds to the adventure. I mean, how did I forget Grandmere’s play?! It is a triumph my dear, a triumph.

I did take a break from the Princess Diaries this week because I watched the movie The Duff. I read the book, The Duff by Kody Keplinger, a few months ago so I was excited about the film. It did not live up to my expectations at all. See, the brilliant thing about the book is it deals with real issues, not issues adults think are appropriate for teenagers. The book is full of swearing, sex, alcoholism, bullying and more. The movie takes on some of that, well the bullying part, but makes it a cliche commentary on high school hierarchies that is disappointing and ineptly dealt with. The controversial material that makes the book one of the best contemporary YA novels I’ve ever read is dumbed down and ignored. No one is going to argue that cyberbullying is ok. But seventeen year olds who hate each other having meaningless sex and hiding it from their friends? Things just got interesting. So, obviously, I had to reread the book .