I Sleep Around: The Humorous Memoir of a Nomadic Writer by Sue Ann Jaffarian
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This was refreshing and fun. Sue Ann Jaffarian has a wit that keeps the writing about traveling light and wistful.
I have to admit that I often feel I would love to travel by RV and sleep wherever the road leads me. But the lack of money and courage keep me housebound.
With Text-to-Speech on Kindle, this was a fast read. And vicariously, we get to hit the road!
Spellbound Box Set, Books 1-10: Paranormal Cozy Mysteries by Annabel Chase
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This boxed set has probably been on my ‘currently reading’ shelf for quite a while. Library books always take preference due to due dates. I think it was at the 85th position. I am trying to read the earliest between the newest and borrowed books. It’s a work in progress.
This set is so fun. Each book could hold its own, but I think it is more fun to binge-read them all. Think of it as a long book. Still, it didn’t take me long to get through.
I think the best part of these books is the characters. A ghost vampire, an owl familiar, a fallen angel, and a witch who didn’t know she was a magical being. But there are others, like her gorgan receptionist.
By the way, this is free with Kindle Unlimited. Text-to-speech works well with this set. We all need a little levity. Here’s a fun adventure to lift the mood.
Popular Piano Self Taught by Win Stormen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
After returning to my piano, having neglected it for decades, life, you know, I went from playing five minutes to now nearly an hour most days. I only play as long as I enjoy it and stop when it feels like work.
I seemed to have gotten stuck in my decades of lessons and classes. I play what I see, mostly classical. But I have mostly wanted, all my life, to play easily without sheet music before me. Making it up like others I have known could do. That is my new goal. Obviously, this has been a goal since I was 12! I’m 75 now. I looked at how hard my teacher, Mrs. Skinner, had tried to introduce young me to pop music. She knew I wanted to sing with my playing. So she gave me pop music to play with. I have stickers from the many pop songs she taught me.
Even still, I played merely what I saw, not by ear. Recently, I tried one of the tricks she tried for me. I started playing the ukulele. It is the one instrument that lets me sing while I play. I could go rogue.
As I started going through my old books, I found this book, Popular Piano Self-Taught, with the collection still with me from long ago. What the heck? I decided to give it a try at last.
Much of the book was a review of what I’d learned in lessons or long years of college classes. But those I much I needed to remember. But the practical lessons with chords and rhythms were invaluable. I printed up much that I intend to keep practicing until it becomes natural. I have a couple of modern pieces I was playing with that became easier once I learned from this book. I can’t judge how well the book was based on my progress; I need a lot of work. But I think it will be a great book for others to try to gain more musical abilities at the piano.
Courageous by Willow Rose
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This was a satisfying ending to a semi-completed boxed set. I found the whole story a bit confusing until I let go of my preconceived notions of what the afterlife should be and accepted this as the author’s young adult fantasy.
The whole story is fun and a little different. Give it a try if you need an escape from the confusion of the real world.
Wanting to see and learn music from Wicked, I went on my usual deep dive as I tip-toed to Oz. When I get into a musical, I go all in. I did that with Les Miserable, Phantom, and Into the Woods. Now I find Wicked and Hamilton calling. So first, The Wizard of Oz got my attention. Even though I just finished reading a book by Hamilton’s Lin-Manuel’s father, Oz wins the in-depth first.
What got me started was the movie was on television on Sunday. I’ve always felt the show was presented for me, personally, as it always aired around my birthday. Yes, I’m a Sagg. Some years, I skipped it. But I decided to watch it this year because of all the Wicked hype.
I started to read Wicked but wondered what I might be missing from the original books.
So I’ve started reading The Complete Wizard of Oz. I have it on Kindle and Audible, but I am sure you can get it on Libby.
Already, I see names, places, and situations that Wicked mentioned that we never saw in that old but beloved movie. One I found interesting is the choice of Kristin Chenoweth. She is the good witch of the north. In the books, she is small in stature. So Kristin fits.
With The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (written 1900), the first book now checked off from a sleepless night of constant listening, and the second, The Marvelous Land of Oz (written 1904), well underway, I am happy with my new reading and future musical pursuits.
Does anyone know where I can see the illustrations? I thought I’d see them in the Kindle version, but they don’t seem to be there. I read a few of these to my kids when they were little, and I remember finding the pictures charming, if not a bit disturbing.
Anyway, back to the yellow brick road!
Coming Home by Brittney Griner
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Autobiographical books offer a chance to walk in someone else’s shoes. Sometimes, those shoes are uncomfortable, but they enlarge our lives by allowing us to understand another person’s pain or achievements.
There has been a lot of news about Brittney Griner’s life for a while. The newsfeeds seem confused; for one minute, they are putting her on a pedestal, and for another, she’s the worst. I prefer seeing what people say about themselves. See how they see life day by day. Sure, there are autobiographies full of self-delusions, but one can learn the truth in sincerity. Research will help if you aren’t convinced by the end.
I feel Ms. Griner did the best she could. Her writing is easy to follow. I don’t know if I could have lived through what she did.
By the way, Andia Winslow narrates most of the book. I think her voice contributes emotional context to the story. But it is nice to hear Brittney’s voice at the beginning and end of the book.
I hope you try this book. I think you will feel a new level of understanding.
The Change by Whoopi Goldberg
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Well, this was fun. As a post-menopausal woman, before pre-menopausal was made popular by Oprah, I remembered my mother in her 60s talking about still getting hot flashes. My friend and I celebrated each other’s accomplishments in womanhood and crone with a talk about power surges. So it was nice years later to see our superpowers claimed and made real as all superhero actions work.
Still, it is nice that our younger sisters are finally getting the strength we were not awarded.
Again, the comic book was fun. But I have a huge problem. I hate cliffhangers! Obviously, this is to be a series. I may or may not fall for the next one.
All in the Family: The Trumps and How We Got This Way by Fred C. Trump
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Fred Trump narrated his book quite well, I must admit. I love biographies now. Since writing my own, I have seen what goes into them. You need to be sensitive to others who shared your history over the years. Fred tried to make as many allowances as he could for slights, perceived or real. He stayed true to his wife and children, writing a book that could make them proud—or at least feel honest.
It’s worth the read. My audiobook was from Libby.
The End of Alzheimer’s: The First Program to Prevent and Reverse Cognitive Decline by Dale E. Bredesen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
When I was in my forties, both of my grandmothers died of Alzheimer’s. As you can imagine, I am working hard to avoid what has been assumed to be my fate. Genetically, I seem to favor the heavier side of the family, so when 2020 warned us to lose weight or get hospitalized with COVID, I went on a fasting diet. After losing 30 pounds, I have kind of plateaued. Even still, in my 18/6 or sometimes 20/4 fast, I am trying to eat as healthy as I can: veggies and a little fruit. I don’t like meat, but I do eat salmon in my daily salad and minimize anything processed. Lots of water or tea. One or two cups of coffee. I have increased my exercise and am trying to get cardio and weights. I’m still not optimum on any of it. I try to get better and better.
Meanwhile I have increased learning a lot of new things. I have 11 languages I’m playing with on Duolingo. There’s a lot of knitting and diamond painting. And I am bringing back my piano playing, learning new songs while awakening old ones I had forgotten. I’ve since started playing recorders, soprano, alto, and tenor. Then I took up the ukulele, and now adding violin. I feel learning new things helps my brain. I work at my sleep hygiene aiming for 7 or 8 hours.
Imagine my surprise to see that I am doing a lot that Dale E. Bredesen recommends in his book. I was able to get the Kindle version through Libby. But now I have ordered the audiobook and my own copy of the paperback. The text-to-speech helped me read the book but I felt I could use a knowledgeable voice to read the technical terminology. And there are charts of the supplements and other aids that I want to be able to follow more closely. So, even after I return the library versions, I will have my own copy to refer to regularly.
I highly recommend this book. It’s quite user-friendly, not too sciency but you can follow the science if you like (I like).
THE ADHD ARTIST: STAY FOCUSED, CREATE MORE, LIVE ABUNDANTLY by Earth West
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
I don’t know if it was the way the text sounds in text-to-speech as opposed to having narration or if, after a go-getter of a book about the same, this one was dull. Or could it just be that I had overloaded on the subject matter? But I couldn’t get into this book, and much of the information was a repeat of what I’d heard before.
But to give it a good chance I will try to find it on Audible and see if I like it better. I feel that, being a bit of a musician who enjoys artwork, I need more specific information about distraction and hyperfocus within those realms.
Still, I don’t want to discourage others from reading this. It may be just what you need. Or what I may need at another time.
Congrats! You have completed your goal of reading 100 books for the 2013 Reading Challenge! 115 of 100 (115%)
Congrats! You have completed your goal of reading 225 books for the 2012 Reading Challenge! 225 of 225 (100%)
Congrats! You have completed your goal of reading 200 books for the 2011 Reading Challenge! 204 of 200 (102%)
"Words & Wonders - Where thoughts meet art
Justice, Channeling,Spiritual,Astrology,Truth- Seeker.
Education, Information, Motivation
Portuguese-Canadian Writing About This Portuguese Thing of Ours
Inheritance. Narcissism. Turf. Welcome to the family.
Finding the extra in the ordinary
A Blog About Food and Travels
I upload photos & videos Golu lodhi village pairakhedi
Travel,Tourism, Life style "Now in hundreds of languages for you."
twisted yarns, unraveled
The Introvert's Roadmap to Self Discovery and Growth
story telling from history
Where ancient wisdom meets modern technology. Stories that illuminate the wonders of science, culture, and life — crafted with human creativity and a touch of AI magic.
Life is just down the road lesser traveled....
Darswords 
You must be logged in to post a comment.