How to Walk Away by Katherine Center

Ever read a book and it just punches you in all the feelings. That was this book for me. Was it problematic at times, yup. Was is the best written, eh. This was the book my soul needed at the time I read it though.

Margaret Jacobsen has worked for a perfect life and everything is finally falling into place for her. She is dating a great guy, Chip, and she just landed her dream job. So what if Chip is trying to force her into an airplane when heights are really, really not her thing? It is his thing and Margaret has a feeling that this might be a very special night for them.

One decision can change everything though. One moment is all it takes for everything to change.

This book gutted me. Margaret had goals and life ambitions and it is all dramatically changed when her narcissistic boyfriend pushes her into doing something for him. Margaret has to learn literally how to walk away from the life she was working so hard for.  Just coming out of a terrible relationship, granted didn't end in this same dramatic way, I was able to relate to Margaret so well. She overcame the impossible. While we read about people that let things knock them down and out of life, Margaret never gives up. Even when her friends and family are giving up around her. More importantly though we do see her struggle with depression and losing herself at times.

I needed this book. I loved this book. I highly recommend this book.

Stay Sexy & Don't Get Murdered: The Definitive How-To Guide by Karen Kilgariff, Georgia Hardstark

One day I was driving home from work and saw a bumper stick saying Stay Sexy & Don't Get Murdered and I was instantly intrigued. A little research let me know this is a popular slogan from a podcast "My Favorite Murder" and that the podcast creators released a book. So of course, I had to get it.

I am not really really sure what I was expecting, but its not what was delivered in the book. That being said, it wasn't a bad book! I think I was expecting more true crime and this was more memoir and personal stories and how the podcast came to be for the duo.

I am assuming that the titles for the chapters are catchphrases from their show. For each of these the particular author for that section discusses their life experiences as it relates to that particular slogan.   Some were very relate-able like "Fuck Politeness" while others were just meh and probably would mean more if you were invested in the show and the personalities of the authors.

This book hit a variety of emotions and added humor along the way which is my answer for everything. Though it was a good read for someone that doesn't know anything about the podcast I  think the target audience, the podcast listeners, would get more out of the book and enjoy the anecdotes much more.

Get Out of Your Own Way: Overcoming Self-Defeating Behavior by Mark Goulston, Philip Goldberg

Just like most self help books a lot of this is common sense and things that you already know just presented in a slightly different way. That being said. I really enjoyed this book. I listened to the audio version and I was hooked. I would pause it think about it restart the chapters to hear it again. I am even planning on buying a copy once bookstores are open again.

I think all of us are guilty of self-defeating behavior. Everything from procrastination to chasing dead end relationships. Being a "yes" girl gets me in emotional trouble with myself. I know I am a doormat for most of my "friends".  A lot of what was in this I was able to relate to and the insights made resonated with me and I cannot wait to review my life with this new information in my pocket.

The Hollow Chocolate Bunnies of the Apocalypse by Robert Rankin

How do I even begin to explain this book...

Let me start with, this isn't for everyone. You will want unusual stories with a specific brand of humor. Though this is a mystery, I am not sure how intriguing that was and was more of a device just to keep moving through Toy Town and to the next character.

I am getting ahead of myself though. 

So this was a book club pick, and this is why I love my book club. I am being exposed to books and authors that I would never naturally gravitate to or pick up. I liked the writing style in this book. I know some of the other members did not but I was entertained by it. It is the rest that kind of fell flat for me. I felt like maybe the author was trying just a smidge too hard to make the story absurd.

Jack is heading to the city to seek his fortune. After having a rough start to his adventure he ends up in The City finally only to realize that its inhabitants are all toys. These toys are second class citizens to the humans that are nursery rhyme characters that are being murdered in the order of their fame.

In this chaos Jack meets Eddie who is an alcoholic teddy bear who is searching for the missing the Detective Bill Winkie who was tasked with finding out who was murdering the nursery rhyme characters.

I liked the play on the characters and would have been happy travelling through Toy City learning about them in this odd retelling. I think the mystery just kind of through a wrench in me liking the story.

For Better and Worse by Margot Hunt

An entertaining book I kept coming back to see what would happen next.

Natalie and Will are married with an 11 year old son, Charlie. Their marriage is okay, fraying a bit around the edges. Then everything implodes. As they pull into school one morning there are police there. As the gossip mill turns the reason is quickly spread around the small community.

The principle, Robert, is being charged with a horrible crime against one of Charlie’s schoolmates. All the parents are shocked, but Nat believes the former family friend might be painted in a bad light.. Being a defense attorney, Nat digs in to learn more and as things are revealed decides to take matters into her own hands to correct what has happened to her family.

There are many difficult topics in this book that I think for the most part were handled well. I did not like Will and this could have been by author design. He was typical party frat boy married facing midlife crisis and blaming everyone but himself for his problems. We think he sees the error in his ways but the ending leaves a lot of open story lines, which I love and hate.

Thanks to Netgalley for sharing a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinions.

Agents of Dreamland (Tinfoil Dossier #1) by Caitlín R. Kiernan

I LOVED this cover. If you have a chance to pull it up and look at the detail please do!

This is Lovecraftian horror and slow apocalypse this little novella was disturbing. If this was fleshed out into a novel I think I would have enjoyed it more. It was written well and made me uneasy and horrified but it also left me very confused. Maybe because I dont know Lovecraft enough to understand the origins of the character?

If you love Lovecraft and you like horror, this is the novella for you!

Wayward Children by Seanan McGuire

This series is so hyped that I was worried it would be disappointing. I had the first book, Every Heart a Doorway, on my shelf for over a year before I finally picked it up as one of my last few books to be read in 2019. Now its the end of February and I am completely caught up with the series as its published today, five total books!

These are all short little novellas but they pack quiet the punch. I have to say though that Jack and Jill were my favorite characters and that made book two, Down Among the Stick and Bones, my favorite of all five books.

Though all the books were good the ones with Jack and Jill I definitely enjoyed more and was happy when they made an appearance in most the stories. I cannot wait for the continuation of this series!!!