Finishing Up The Grownup & Starting This Census-Taker

All I can think right now is "what did I just read". I honestly could not even finish this short story. I got halfway through and could not read anymore. I am so disappointed. I loved Sharp Objects, Dark Places, and Gone Girl but this one I did not like at all. 

Book Club Questions About The Grownup:

1. If you have read Sharp Objects, Dark Places, or Gone Girl how do you think The Grownup compared? 

2. Did you enjoy this short read and wish it would of been longer? Or like me did you just want it to end?

3. If Gillian Flynn were to offer another short story would you be interested in reading it? 

Our next book is This Census-Taker by China Miéville. We will be starting it Monday May 16th and ending Wednesday June 1st. 

Synopsis From Goodreads: For readers of George Saunders, Kelly Link, and Karen Russell,This Census Taker is the poignant and uncanny new novella from award-winning and bestselling author China Miéville. After witnessing a profoundly traumatic event, a boy is left alone in a remote house on a hilltop with his increasingly deranged parent. When a stranger knocks on his door, the boy senses that his days of isolation are over—but by what authority does this man keep the meticulous records he carries? Is he the boy’s friend? His enemy? Or something altogether other?

Lets Get Reading! 

Finishing Up Confess & Starting The Grownup

I thought that Confess was a very sweet book. I usually don't really enjoy romance books but Confess was great. I really enjoyed reading it and wondering what was going to happen next. And when I finished Confess it just felt like all the puzzle pieces finally fell into place. It was a great read. 

What did you think of Confess? Were you happy with the way it ended? Were you sad that it was over? 

Our next book is The Grownup by Gillian Flynn.  We will be starting it Monday May 9th and ending it on Monday May 16th. 

Synopsis From Goodreads:'I watched the house. It watched me back through long, baleful windows so tall a child could stand in the sill. And one was. I could see the length of his thin body: gray trousers, black sweater, a maroon tie perfectly knotted at the neck. A thicket of dark hair covering his eyes...'

A young woman is making a living faking it as a cut-price psychic (with some illegal softcore sex work on the side). She makes a decent wage mostly by telling people what they want to hear. But then she meets Susan Burke.

Susan moved to the city one year ago with her husband and 15-year-old stepson Miles. They live in a modern Victorian house called Carter Hook Manor. Susan has become convinced that some malevolent spirit is inhabiting their home. The young woman doesn't believe in exorcism or the supernatural. However when she enters the house for the first time, she begins to feel it too, as if the very house is watching her, waiting, biding its time..

Lets Get Reading! 

Finishing Up Luckiest Girl Alive & Starting Confess

I did not really enjoy Luckiest Girl Alive. I feel it started out very slow and wasn't very interesting. It got better towards the end but throughout the first half of the book I didn't want to read it. 

What did you think of Luckiest Girl Alive? Did you feel it was rather slow? 

Book Club Questions About Luckiest Girl Alive

1. Ani tells the reader “I’m no plucky heroine.” Do you agree? Why or why not? Did your opinion of Ani change as you learned more about her past? If so, why?

2. During the course of the book, the way that Ani is identified changes. At varying times, she is TifAni FaNelli, Tif, Finny, and Ani Harrison. What do these names indicate about her and how she relates to herself and others?

3. Why do you think Ani agrees to participate in the documentary about the Five? What was her role in the tragedy? How has it shaped her as an adult?

Our next book is Confess by Colleen Hoover. We will be starting it Monday April 25th and ending it on Monday May 9th. 

Synopsis From Goodreads:Auburn Reed has her entire life mapped out. Her goals are in sight and there’s no room for mistakes. But when she walks into a Dallas art studio in search of a job, she doesn’t expect to find a deep attraction to the enigmatic artist who works there, Owen Gentry.

For once, Auburn takes a risk and puts her heart in control, only to discover Owen is keeping major secrets from coming out. The magnitude of his past threatens to destroy everything important to Auburn, and the only way to get her life back on track is to cut Owen out of it.

The last thing Owen wants is to lose Auburn, but he can’t seem to convince her that truth is sometimes as subjective as art. All he would have to do to save their relationship is confess. But in this case, the confession could be much more destructive than the actual sin…

Let's Get Reading! 

Grilled Mediterranean Chicken Kebabs

It has been beautiful here in Belgium this week so I finally went and bought myself a grill. This was one of the first recipes that I tried on the grill and it turned out amazing!

Tonight I am going to make Barbecued Shrimp And Peach Kabobs with Jasmine Rice With Coconut And Cherries. Yum! 

Got any favorite grilling recipes? Share them in the comments. I would love to give them a try. :) 

Here is what you need to make these Grilled Mediterranean Chicken Kebabs.

Ingredients:

Chicken Kebabs
3 Chicken Fillets Diced In 1-Inch Cubes
2 Red Bell Peppers
2 Green Bell Peppers
1 Red Onion

Marinade (For Chicken & Veggies)
2/3 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil; Divided
Juice Of 1 Lemon; Divided
6 Cloves Of Garlic (Minced); Divided
2 Teaspoons Paprika; Divided
2 Teaspoons Thyme; Divided
4 Teaspoons Oregano; Divided
4 Teaspoons Salt; Divided
2 Teaspoons Freshly Ground Black Pepper; Divided

Preparation:

Mix one HALF of all ingredients for the marinade in small bowl. Place chicken in a ziplock bag and pour marinade over it. Marinade in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

Mix the other HALF of the ingredients in the same bowl pour in zip lock bag with the vegetables. Marinade for at least 30 minutes.

Thread the chicken and peppers and onions onto skewers. I usually place about 5-6 chicken pieces, and a combo of peppers and onion in between.

Heat an outdoor grill or indoor grill pan over medium-high heat. Spray the grates lightly with oil and grill for about 5 minutes on each side, or until the center is no longer pink.

Enjoy! 

Peanut Butter Dip

With summer just around the corner I have been trying to find new and creative ways to eat healthy while still enjoying food! Here is my latest creation. :) 

Peanut Butter Dip

Ingredients:

1 Heaping Cup Plain Greek Yogurt

1/2 Cup PB2 Or Peanut Butter

1/4 Cup Honey

1/4 Tsp Cinnamon 

1/4 Tsp Vanilla

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl.

Mix until it's thick and creamy and well blended.

Serve it with apples, grapes, or anything that you like! 

This recipe makes six servings. I like to split it up into six small containers then eat it with an apple for my afternoon snack. If using PB2 each serving has 92 calories and 8 grams of protein. It is a great pick me up! 

I know this stuff is amazing and it's hard to just eat one serving but keep in mind because of the honey and peanut butter one serving has 16g carbs and 13g sugars. They are healthy carbs and sugars though! But watch your serving sizes. :) 

I like to use PB2 because it has less fat and a lot less calories than regular peanut butter. If you have not tried PB2 I recommend it! I would also love to try this recipe with some homemade almond butter. 

I will let you all know how it turns out.

Enjoy! 

Finishing Up Pretty Girls & Starting Luckiest Girl Alive

I loved Pretty Girls. It is one of my favorite books I have read all year. Right when you thought you knew who did it the book threw a curveball. Simply amazing! 

What did you think of Pretty Girls? Were you sitting on the edge of your seat the whole book like I was? 

Book Club Questions About Pretty Girls

1. What do you know...and when do you know it? At what point in the book do you, the reader, begin to piece together what happened?

2. Does the author ratchet up the story's suspense? Did you find yourself anxious—quickly turning pages to learn what happened? How does the author build suspense?

3. Overall, does the book satisfy? Does it live up to the standards of a good crime story or suspense thriller? Why or why not?

Our next book is Luckiest Girl Alive by Jessica Knoll. We will be starting it Monday April 11th and ending it on Monday April 25th.


Synopsis From Goodreads: As a teenager at the prestigious Bradley School, Ani FaNelli endured a shocking, public humiliation that left her desperate to reinvent herself. Now, with a glamorous job, expensive wardrobe, and handsome blue blood fiancé, she’s this close to living the perfect life she’s worked so hard to achieve.


But Ani has a secret.


There’s something else buried in her past that still haunts her, something private and painful that threatens to bubble to the surface and destroy everything.


Lets Get Reading!

Finishing Up Everything, Everything & Starting Pretty Girls

Another book down! What did you think of Everything, Everything? I liked it and thought it was really cute but it wasn't as good as I was expecting. I am really excited about our next book Pretty Girls by Karin Slaughter.

Questions about Everything, Everything

1. In which areas of her life are Maddy’s choices limited?

2. What choices does Maddy make for herself, and why do you think she chooses that way? 

3. What are the consequences of these choices? 

4. Does Olly have the power of choice in his life more than Maddy?

Our next book is Pretty Girls by Karin Slaughter. We will be starting it Monday March 28th and ending it on Monday April 11th.

Synopsis From Goodreads:More than twenty years ago, Claire and Lydia's teenaged sister Julia vanished without a trace. The two women have not spoken since, and now their lives could not be more different. Claire is the glamorous trophy wife of an Atlanta millionaire. Lydia, a single mother, dates an ex-con and struggles to make ends meet. But neither has recovered from the horror and heartbreak of their shared loss—a devastating wound that's cruelly ripped open when Claire's husband is killed.

The disappearance of a teenage girl and the murder of a middle-aged man, almost a quarter-century apart: what could connect them? Forming a wary truce, the surviving sisters look to the past to find the truth, unearthing the secrets that destroyed their family all those years ago . . . and uncovering the possibility of redemption, and revenge, where they least expect it.

Lets Get Reading!