Scrapbook Saturday – January 2019
Katie 
BTTI 2019
Book Review: Love in Lockdown
Love in Lockdown took me a few tries to really get into – it got off to a bit of a slow start and being set in lockdown had me wondering if it might be “too soon” to read such a book since we are STILL in a lockdown of sorts nearly a year later… For the most part, this book focuses on Sophia and Jack – he lives above her and they “meet” when they go outside to clap outside each evening to support the frontline workers. There are quite a few sub characters in the book too – many of which they know from the courtyard of the apartments as well as Jack’s brother and wife who have a baby during the pandemic and Sophia’s parents and sister – who has a pandemic Zoom wedding! Of course there’s your nosy neighbor and your lonely older man neighbor as well who work their way into some of the plot lines. Since Jack isn’t really able to leave the house, Sophia offers to do shopping for him and they end up trying to figure out the best way they can use what they’ve got and what they know to help our their neighbors as well. Since Jack is always home, he takes up chatting to some of the neighbors on the phone so they won’t feel so lonely. It’s all very sweet – but the title of the book makes you think someone is going to fall in love – and it took quite a bit for anything to really develop on that front. Things seemed to take off a bit more when I was about halfway through the book – I would have liked it to have picked up a bit sooner – as I said I had started and stopped it a couple of times because it never really “grabbed” me, but in the end it was very sweet.
I received a free e-copy of this book in order to write this review. I was not otherwise compensated.
About the Book
A joyful love story set against the backdrop of lockdown – perfect for fans of The Flatshare
What if you met the right person at the wrong time?
Sophia is afraid lockdown will put her life on pause – just as she was she was going to put herself out there and meet someone. When the first clap for the keyworkers rings out around her courtyard, she’s moved to tears for all kinds of reasons.
Jack is used to living life to the fullest, and is going stir-crazy after just days isolating. Until that night he hears a woman crying from the balcony beneath his. He strikes up a conversation with the stranger and puts a smile back on her face.
Soon their balcony meetings are the highlight of Jack and Sophia’s days. But even as they grow closer together, they’re always kept apart.
Can they fall in love during a lockdown?
Book Review: Fck the Bucket List for the Adventurer
F*ck the Bucket List For the Adventurer: Trekking into the Unknown is the 2nd in a trilogy. Part 1 is “For the Soul” and the upcoming Part 3 is “For the Health Conscious”. Of the three, I am the Adventurer, but hate the unknown. I had not previously read Part 1, so I was a bit unsure if I would be able to follow coming in at Expedition #10 instead of #1. However, it was written in such a way that you are able to pick up where one book left off and not feel confused or left out. (But I do intend to go back and read the first one eventually.)
The book explains how we feat change because it is the road to the unknown. The unknown is perceived as dangerous and scary. But what if we change our perception of the unknown? What if instead of thinking of it as scary – we think of it as a new opportunity? An adventure that is waiting for us? What if life is our greatest adventure to be experienced? I feel like this for me, is easier said than done, but is definitely something I should keep in the back of my mind – if I think of everything as an adventure, maybe I’d be more likely to dive right in rather than my usual reaction to tiptoe in very slowly and scared, unable and unwilling to accept the change that may be happening.
Another great tip in the book is to question EVERYTHING. This will help you learn and also help give you confidence in situations, especially when it is so easy to fall out of balance. 2020 had a lot of unknowns for everyone, everywhere. For some, it was easy to get used to this uncertainty and unpredictability. Just because you don’t know where you are headed isn’t a bad thing. Be curious. Be courageous. Say F*ck it and venture into the unknown. It is waiting for you.
I received a free e-copy of this book from Reedsy Discovery in order to write this review.
About the Book
At a certain point in your journey, you may not know where you’re headed but you become more curious and courageous to experience life and all it has to offer. Your heart knows when you’re ready to take the first few steps. And once you do, nothing will ever be the same. No one can do this work for you; it’s your job to become fully aware that you are standing at a juncture of possibilities. Are you entertaining thoughts about a healthier direction in your life? Are you ready to experiment and try things on to see what actually fits you?
This isn’t just another self-help book, spiritual book, or memoir-it’s an experience, beyond categories and labels. This book is for anyone who is ready to question everything, and simply say f*ck it-or whatever words you choose to use-when something in life no longer serves you. Are you ready to discover the wonder of you (Book 1, for the Soul), trek into the unknown (Book 2, for the Adventurer), and trust your heart (Book 3, for the Health Conscious)?
Book Review: The Breakup Hair Handbook
“Too often we are led to make style choices, especially hair choices, out of fear. Fear that we won’t look attractive enough, professional enough, young or old enough, feminine enough. Feat that it will look like we ‘re putting in too much effort or not enough.” Starts The Breakup Hair Handbook after telling you to GO FOR IT if you want to change up your look after a breakup. The book pushes the fact that YOU belong to YOU. So do what you want and try not to worry about what anyone else thinks. Once that is out of the way, it’s all about choosing what cut you want and what color you want! In addition to great illustrations of hair styles there’s also all sorts of tips and tricks throughout the book – quizzes for if you should get back together with your ex, mixtapes, and ways to heal from your grief. I’ve never had a breakup (you kind of need to find someone willing to date you first, and that’s where I seem to be stuck) but a lot of it is relevant to just regular day to day life too. You can get to know yourself better even without a breakup as a catalyst.
I received a free e-copy of this book in order to write this review. I was not otherwise compensated.
About the Book
A funny, lighthearted guide to heartbreak hairdos, and a supportive companion for anyone navigating the end of a relationship.
The Breakup Hair Handbook is part style guide, part catharsis, and part smash-the-patriarchy style manifesto. With quirky illustrations and empowering heart-healing activities, this book will inspire readers to work through their heartbreak and embrace their own unique style. Laid out as a catalogue of haircuts, The Breakup Hair Handbook encourages readers to choose a style that speaks to them, celebrates the power of women, and promotes self-expression.
Scrapbook Saturday – January 2019
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Book Review: Prince
Prince is a part of the Little People, Big Dreams series and is geared towards kids. This is a pretty quick read about Prince from a child to a superstar and contains a bunch of really great illustrations! The end of the book has a timeline about Prince’s life. While I generally knew about Prince’s life once he hit superstardom, I didn’t know about him growing up and writing his first song which I learned about from this book! I also really loved the illustrations, they are a lot of fun!
I received a free e-copy of this book in order to write this review, I was not otherwise compensated.
About the Book
In this book from the critically acclaimed, multimillion-copy best-selling Little People, BIG DREAMS series, discover the life of Prince, one of the most iconic performers in music history.
From a young age, Prince was obsessed with music. Even though he couldn’t read it, his talent—whether on piano, drums, guitar, or vocals—turned him into an icon. Combining funk, disco, soul, and almost every other genre out there, his songs are some of the best-loved all around the world. Prince knew that he didn’t have to be like anyone else to be a star—and there was no one quite like Prince. This inspiring book features stylish and quirky illustrations and extra facts at the back, including a biographical timeline with historical photos and a detailed profile of the music legend’s life.
Little People, BIG DREAMS is a best-selling series of books and educational games that explore the lives of outstanding people, from designers and artists to scientists and activists. All of them achieved incredible things, yet each began life as a child with a dream.
This empowering series offers inspiring messages to children of all ages, in a range of formats. The board books are told in simple sentences, perfect for reading aloud to babies and toddlers. The hardcover versions present expanded stories for beginning readers. Boxed gift sets allow you to collect a selection of the books by theme. Paper dolls, learning cards, matching games, and other fun learning tools provide even more ways to make the lives of these role models accessible to children.
Inspire the next generation of outstanding people who will change the world with Little People, BIG DREAMS!
Scrapbook Saturday – January 2019
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Book Review: Am I Weird?
Am I Weird is a book about trying to fit in at school in your middle years. Although I am now an adult, this was a tough time for me too so I really related with Eva. There is a group of girls at school that Eva tries to talk to, and while they do include her in activities and sleepovers, they tend to talk over her and ignore her and she doesn’t like it. She wonders if this is because she is a weirdo. She does have one best friend, who tells her that she is not a weirdo and after talking to her parents they no longer to try force her to be included in the friend group. I think this is important – find your group (even if it is just one other person) and do your own thing. That is what makes you special. It can be hard to avoid and ignore the mean girls – but you do you and you’ll end up ok in the end.
I received a free e-copy of this book in order to write this review. I was not otherwise compensated.
About the Book
Eva feels insecure like she’s a middle school misfit.
This is the story of a young girl who longs to be invited to the parties and included in the sleepovers but feels invisible and ignored. Is it because she’s artsy, and her fashion tastes are peculiar? Is her niceness mistaken for boringness? Or is she an actual weirdo?
As Eva questions everything about who she is, can the love of her parents and the wisdom of a loyal friend help her regain a sense of self-worth?
Am I Weird is a compelling chapter book that speaks to the not-so-hidden fears every middle schooler has about fitting in, feeling insecure and staying true to yourself even when it’s scary.
Scrapbook Saturday – January 2019
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Book Review: The Unicorn Diet
Trigger Warning – this book is probably not for you if you have an eating disorder or disordered habits.
This book begins with “An Ode to Diet Landia” that mentions beaver’s anal glands and I am immediately wondering what I have gotten myself into. A few more pages in of disgusting toilet humor and I knew I found a book I would enjoy. I have been dieting lately, I mainly just track my calories and try to eat less than I would of things that I like and not try any sort of “fad” diet. This book agrees with that – to a point – the fad diets don’t work and depriving yourself or forcing yourself to only eat cabbage all the time won’t work long term. But knowing all the ins and outs of food and how your body reacts to them can be super boring. Fortunately, the author agrees with me there too so the book is written in such a way that the important things are all bolded already (no highlighter required) and it isn’t just massive walls of text, there are photos throughout as well!
Since I am trying to lose weight without really “dieting”, I figured I would find some tips within this book – and I was right. These tips I pulled out may work for you too, but if they don’t, check out the book to see other things that may speak to you and your eating habits more directly. Some problems I realized I was having was I need to follow “don’t exercise to eat”, I tend to eat more candy then I should and then try to bike off those calories. It makes an unhealthy relationship with eating an exercising so I need to stop that. I also need to track everything. The author comments even gummy vitamins and supplements. I have not been doing this and I’ve also not been tracking condiments. I never realized how quickly those could add up until it was all laid out for me. I also had to cry a little at the realization that I need to measure out the spoon of peanut butter I want and a spoon of the recommended serving, “compare them and then cry a little.” (I am glad I am not the only one who has trouble with nut butters). The book also opened my eyes to figure out WHY I eat – because I am bored and the food is right there? or because I am hungry? Seriously even advice from Island Now is something that helped me get to where I wanted to be without even being there when it came to my weight loss supplements and my diet. While I groaned at the list of homework at the end of the book, I’ll start looking into doing it soon because in the end, I am only hurting myself.
If you are looking at a new way to lose weight – a smarter way to lose weight – definitely look into the Unicorn diet. It will teach you more about carbs, calories, proteins and how much you should be consuming. It will also ask you to take a look at your current diet and see what changes you should be making to your eating lifestyle. While all this content could be super boring and sciencey, this author presents everything in a very fun way, complete with poop jokes.
I received a free ecopy of this book from Reedsy Discovery in order to write this review.
About the Book