I survived the weekend & another book

Hey honeybunches,

I hope everyone had a fantastic weekend! I know that I did since this weekend was my birthday weekend. Since my birthday fell on a Sunday I decided to celebrate on Saturday. Here's a rundown of my weekend, plus the review of the latest book.

Saturday, Feb. 2nd : I woke up super early to go to a Junior League event called Clean Sweep...basically an organized yard sale. I was running around the book section like those crazy housewives that used to be on Super Market Sweep! I really miss that show by the way...I used to have my shopping plan laid out, starting with the meats and cheeses. Anyways, afterwards I treated myself to breakfast and a new bra. I think the most tedious task is going bra shopping. I always feel like I have abnormal boobs and no bra fits like the one I already own. But this time I had a great experience thanks to the lovely ladies at Soma. God Bless middle age women who make it their life's mission to make sure I don't have muffin top boobs!  After that enlightening experience I had a lovely afternoon...I had some friends treated me to lunch, browsed the library, visited with my friend Lois, and finally headed to the house for a nap to prepare for the evening festivities. The evening events go like this: lots of cocktails, great dinner, more cocktails, and lot of dancing (a couple of dance battle ensued). GREAT NIGHT!!!

Sunday, Feb. 3rd: I actually got a chance to sleep in for a change. I got up at 10am and that sleep was so delicious. Then I basically just relaxed...no cleaning, no errands and no exercising.* And I got an opportunity to finishing reading the latest book, A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini. The novel covers several decades in the backward Muslim country through the perspective of two women. Mariam is a scorned illegitimate daughter of a wealthy businessman and Laila is a spirited girl is an orphaned after her parent are innocent victims of warfare. They become allies in a battle with their shared husband who's abuse is endorsed by custom and law. Mariam & Lalia in the end is forced to accept a path that will never be completely happy for them. The books delivers incredible imagery that describe the violence in the country and in the home with such gumption. I cried several times throughout this novel and I feel like I learned more about Middle Eastern political history. Thank goodness for living in America!


 Here is are a few excerpts from this moving novel:

Mariam's first time being called a bastard by her own mother:"At the time, Mariam did not understand. She did not know what this word harami-bastard-meant. Nor was she old enough to appreciate the injustice, to see that it is the creators of the harami who are culpable, not the harami, whose only sin is being born."

 The mindset that women were taught: "Learn this now and learn it well, my daughter: Like a compass needle that points north, a man's accusing finger always finds a woman." 

How Mariam saw herself in her final moments of life: "She thought of her entry into this word, the harami child of a lowly villager, an unintended thing, a pitiable, regrettable accident. A weed. And yet she was the leaving the world as a woman who had loved and been loved back."

I give this book an A...good read! 

Get it? Got it? Good!




* My exercise is trying to dance through two Beyonce songs without stopping and/or passing out. That woman is a beast at dancing!

4 of 100: I'm getting back on track

Hey lovebugs,

I hope everyone is doing well! I know I've been missing in action but I've been feeling like a bum...know I know what it feels like to be Rob Kardashian. Here's an update what I've been up to the last few days:

January 25th: After work I had to go home and squeeze my buns into some skinny jeans because I had a date. I actually had to Google what the heck a date was since it's been a minute. Not to say I haven't been going on dates but this one wasn't a waste of my time. We basically looked like those cheesy couples on those online dating commercials. He basically had me at "hello...and by "hello" I mean "do you want to split a bottle of wine?"..the music of my heart.

January 26th-29: Nothing much but work, work and more work. I also had to deal with some family stuff that had my mind occupied so I couldn't concentrate on books or posting.  Being a grown up sucks sometimes..if it wasn't for Pinot Grigio then I would have invented a time machine a long time ago. Anyways, I am actually looking forward to the weekend because this will be my 2nd weekend off in the last year!

Time for the main event...I have a new book folks!!!

One of my followers* gave me a new book to read and I'm really exciting about it. Drumroll please...

I'm happy to be back on track...even though I know I will fall off the wagon again..I'm basically the Lindsay Logan of blogging. I just started A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini today and my heart already breaks for one of the main character. There is nothing better than connecting with the characters in a book...if an author can do that within the 1st chapter then I'm impressed. Hosseini is already off to a great start with his imagery and simplistic way he makes you love and hate a character. So far, this novel is off to a great start and I look forward to letting you guys know how it turns out. 

Hope you guys had a happy hump day! Smell you later!

*So what I only have two followers! Baby steps people! Excuse me for not being a slut in the blog world!

Really Nicholas???

Hey sugarplums,

Last night I finished The Choice by Nicholas Sparks and the only choice that Sparks should have made was to not write this book. I am a fan of Sparks romantic novels, I loved The Notebook and The Wedding but this book was so disappointing. The book is about veterinarian Travis who falls in love with his next door neighbor Gabby who is already in a committed relationship...both characters must make difficult "choice". I found their romance extremely predictable...it was as surprising as seeing a picture of Kim Kardashian wearing makeup and heels. 

There were a couple of sweet spots in the books...small as Hershey Kisses, but sweet nonetheless. Here is an excerpt from The Choice:

"Finding a woman with a sense of humor had been the one piece of advice his father had given him when he'd first begun to get serious about dating, and he finally understood why his dad had considered it important. If conversation was the lyrics, laughter was the music, making time spent together a melody that could be replayed over and over..."

Stop rolling your eyes! I know that passage is so cheesy that it should be served with crackers and wine but it was one of the few moments in the book that I liked. Overall I will rate this book a D+, and the only reason it didn't get an F was because of a motorcycle lesson and the conversations during physical therapy. I will not give up on Sparks though because I enjoyed The Wedding and The Notebook so much...I can still picture Ryan Gosling standing in the rain yelling with his delicious body peeking through his wet shirt. I digress. What I meant to say was Sparks usually creates the romantic moments that would make a Hallmark executive vomit. I'm hoping that the next book I read in my challenge will have better results. Fingers crossed!



See ya round like a donut!

3 of 100: Time for some romance

Hey loves,

This post is going to be short and sweet because I've had a couple of glasses of champagne...I'm worried that my writing is going to slur.  My next book is The Choice by Nicholas Sparks, I felt like I need some romance in my life. Apparently it's weird to have a relationship with red wine...stop judging, doctors say its good for your heart....I'll probably live to 105. I've read several other Spark novels so I know he will stick to the formula..two people hate each other, find a common interest, have a romantic courtship, and fall hopelessly in love.

 I know that a lot of people do not Sparks' books because of all the sappiness but I feel like that's need everyone once and awhile. I just started this novel, so next time I'll post will be finished and will provide a review. I hope you guys have been enjoying the blog! Please feel free to post comments or make suggestions for books that I might enjoy.




 I'm off like a dirty shirt!

2 of 100: Two thumbs up for Q & A!

Hello guys & dolls,

I hope everyone had a fantastic weekend! I am one of the lucky folks who has tomorrow off to celebrate MLK day…I know that his dream was for me to sleep in & watch a marathon of SVU. While everyone was out painting the town red last night (I rather it be royal purple but whatever)…I was in bed finishing Q &A by Vikas Swarup. 

I will have to say that this was the best book I’ve read since the Help. Just like the author of the Help, Swarup does a wonderful job with his first novel. I was on a roller coaster of emotions with this novel…I laughed, I cried, I clutched my pearls* in shock over the exhilarating tales that the main character Ram Mohammad Thomas experienced. I know that this was a fictional character, but I felt a connection to Ram from beginning to end. Ram faced so many challenges that would have broken a person but his endearing spirit and honesty was inspiring. Even the moments he did something bad, his intentions were always good...he’s the tormented hero you always root for. Way better than that Batman…if I was an billionaire, I wouldn’t be fighting crimes, I’ll call 911 then hop on my private jet to Vegas. Fine I’ll make a generous donation to Gotham’s police department, get off my case!

Here are excerpts from Q & A:

 Ram describes love: “Love doesn’t happen in an instant. It creeps up on you and then it turns your life upside down. It colors your waking moments and fills your dreams. You begin to walk on air and see life in brilliant new shades.”

Ram (an orphan) describes money: I realized a long time ago that dreams have power over your won mind; but with money you can have power over the minds of others.

 I’m definitely giving this book an A+ with extra credit for the numerous unexpected plot twists!

Please be sure to check out 100 Books & Living tomorrow...I'll be announcing my next book!

G'day Mate!

* In my mind, my pearls are Channel. Yes, it’s crazy but stop being a dream killer!

                               

Can I get a tissue?!?

Hello friends!

The weekend is so close that I can taste it and it tastes like Merlot. I've started reading Q & A by Vikas Swarup and I love it already! You may not know the book but I bet you've heard of the movie.

Yep, the movie Slumdog Millionaire is basically Q & A in movie form. Books are usually better than the movie most of the time, with the exception of Devil Wears Prada. I mean who doesn't want to see fabulous fashion on the big screen! I haven't seen Slumdog Millionaire, but if the movie is as good as the few chapters that I've read, then I can't wait to watch. 

The story begins with Ram Mohammad Thomas being held captive for answering all twelve questions correctly on the TV game show Who Will Win a Billion? No one believes him because he's a poor, uneducated orphan but as he recounts to his lawyer how he answered the questions the story flashes back to memorable moments in his roller coaster life. 

I have thoroughly enjoyed reading this book thus far..although I've had to Google a few words so I can get a visual images. For example, dabbawallah which basically means "box person", is a person who delivers box meals. So if I had to use it in a sentence-" Honey Boo's Mom was hungry so she had a dabbawallah deliver 2 large pizzas."*

I will say the chapters as Ram as a young boy broke my heart and by page 91, I had cried 3 times. It felt like I just sat down with Barbara Walters. I can definitely say that this book is a page turner and I can't wait to see how it ends!

Later alligator!

* I just vomited a little in my mouth. I mean really...this lady really has a boyfriend & I don't?!? I'm getting a glass of wine.

My thoughts on Mindy

Hey beautiful people,

I just got back from having a great dinner with great conversation...nothing says Monday night like a deconstructed s'more for desert! Okay folks, here are my thoughts on Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns) by Mindy Kaling....she is the Indian chick from the Office & The Mindy Project.

Expectations: Omg!.This book is going to be so amazing! I love her!

Reality: That was funny part...ummm...this is random..ummm...maybe I should read this in her nasal voice...ahh..now that's better.

I'm not saying that it was a horrible but I thought that Tina Fey's Bossypants was way better. The set up is autobiographical with random thoughts about relationships, work and friendships. I did loved the chapter titles, for examples:

Don't Peak in High School

Non-Traumatic Things That Have Made Me Cry

In Defense of Chest Hair

Although this book wasn't hysterically funny, there are many moments of honesty and you get a peek inside the mind of a single gal who is celebrity obsessed with issues with guys who wear too much cologne. Here are a few excerpts from the book that I totally agreed with:

Things that make Mindy cry: "Valet guys who are my Dad's age. I can't even deal with this. When I see a man who is around my father's age running down the street to get a car, it breaks my heart."

On married people: "I don't want to hear about the endless struggles to keep sex exciting or the work it takes to plan a date night. I want to hear that you guys watch every episode of "The Bachelorette" together secret shame[...]. I want to hear about it because I know it's possible, and because I want it for myself."

One night stands (when her friends get frustrated with her interrupting their stories): "I guess nothing puts a damper on a one-night stand as much as your friend pointing out all the opportunities where you might have been killed."

Overall, I'll give this book a C+. Bonus points for her having the same thoughts as me on celebrities, food, and how guys should behave.

Okay, I've decided that my next book will be....

Guess I'm in the mood for curry!

I'll keep you guys updated on book #2! Goodbye...Goodbye...Goodbye!

I'm Baaacck!

Hey folks,

I know it's been a minute since my last post. I know you have missed me but please note that this blog is called 100 books and Living...so I've been busy living people, so sue me! This post will be longer than the others but we have a lot to catch up on. Okay, here goes:

Wednesday, Jan. 9th: I attended my friend Danny's funeral (see previous post) and it was a lovely celebration of the life of a sweet man.  Side note: To my loved ones, I do not care if my funeral is on Fourth of July, please do not attend my funeral in denim. I swear I will haunt every single person for the rest of eternity! I know I'm a horrible person for even playing fashion police at a funeral but I find it disrespectful not to dress accordingly. In my opinion, it is like wearing leather pants & a pair of Christian Louboutins' to a baby shower of a mom carrying twins...it's just wrong. Anyhow, it was a sad day and I know Danny will continue to root for SC Gamecocks from Heaven.


Friday, Jan. 11th: Time for some fun! Celebrated the birthday of two of my friends who are twins. In cheesy commercial voice, "Double you pleasure, double your fun, with doublemint gum!"It was a great night! I'm also happy to tell you guys that Patron and I make a much better pair than that asshole Jose Curvo I dated in college.


Sunday, Jan. 13th: I finally finished my 1st book!!!! Let's take a moment to celebrate...by celebrate I mean have glass of wine. I was getting frustrated with how long it was taking me to finish, but this year has started off with many obstacles. Thankfully I found time today to go to the library to do some research & pick out some more books. I was super annoyed because people have totally forgotten how to behave in the library! People were talking on their phones, kids running & screaming..parents running & screaming behind them...it just reminded me that I need to pay my cell phone and pick up my birth control. I know it's a public place but it's still the library..not a daycare. I thought librarians were suppose to "shhh" people but instead they just sat there and shook there heads like the old ladies in church who watched a prostitute walk in the door.

 I need to get going, so make sure check out the post tomorrow, I'll be posting my review of the book (Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?) along with some excerpts and announcing my next book...in my mind tomorrow's post is basically the equivalent to "And the Oscar goes to...".


Make sure you tune in..same Bat time, same Bat channel!

Life Lessons: I'll take all the help I can get!

Hello,

Yesterday the world lost a very sweet person. My friend Daniel "Danny" Klemy passed away peacefully surrounded by family & friends...he was 64 years old. Danny always saw the silver lining and had a smile on his face. I mention Danny not only because he was a special person in my life but also his life taught me important lessons.

Lesson 1# Family and friends are a priority. Danny was Italian so his family reminded me of a scene from "Everyone Loves Raymond"...my family reminds me of a cast of a Tyler Perry stage play but I love them dearly. And anyone who knows me fully understands to if you fit into "best friend" status then I will take a bullet for you.*

Lesson 2# Love fully...Danny loved my best friend Lois from the heel of her feet to the follicles in her hair! If you spent 5 minutes with Lois then you would know she's a lot to handle..she named her cats Christian Dior & Neiman Marcus..pause for laughter...I'm serious! Danny loved Lois with all her flaws and vice versa...they had that old school kinda love....they actually "courted"...nowadays if you use that term, someone will try to call a lawyer.

Lesson 3# Be happy...Danny was given 4-6 months to live over 4 years ago and I never heard him complain once. This was a person who was diagnosed with cancer and paralyzed and the most he complained about was being disappointed when the USC Gamecocks lost a game. While is easy to complain about the things that suck in our lives, we should take time to thing about all the great things that we have.

These are the lessons I learned from my dear friend Danny.


P.S. If you're still wondering how the reading challenge is doing..it's going okay despite all the recent events. 




* By bullet I mean rubber bullet or BB pellets & I'm also wearing a suit of armor. 

No calls before 7am please!

Hey fabulous people! 

My 100 book challenge is off to an awkward start. Yesterday, I left my book at work and didn't realize until I got to my hair appointment that evening! Luckily my salon has great magazines...did you know that the Home & Garden channel had a magazine!?! So anyways, I'm sitting there without my Nook or my funny edgy book (Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me) trying to figure out how Halle Berry keeps her looking like new money everyday. That was basically the lost of reading day #2....thank God for gay hairstylists to add drama in my life!

Today was even worse because I woke up to a phone call that a close family friend was rushed to ICU overnight...I've learned the hard way that if you get a phone call before 7am then your will most likely have a horrible day. You are welcome to put that pearl of wisdom on a string to make a wonderful necklace that you will someday wear to a party to celebrate your best friend breakup with a douchebag.  So overall, the last two day have been a lost but I'm hoping to catch up this weekend in between visiting loved ones, brunch with friends, and going to see that Tom Cruise movie....maybe I need to read a few chapters tonight before bed!

Love, Peace & Hairgrease! 

1 of 100: Let's start the year off with laughter!

Happy New Years! 

I'm already off to a slow start...thanks to the many glasses of champagne that I had last night. I hope that you had a blast & were safe! Luckily I have the day off so I spent the morning being lazy by clearing out my DVR..if you love the show Catfish on MTV then you will LOVE the documentary...I think I'm in love with Nev. Focus!..ok...I'm back folks...the book that I decided that will kick off my 100 books of 2013....drumroll please!

Ta da! Ok..maybe you're not as excited as I am but this chick is super funny! If you have seen the Office or The Mindy Project then you know this chick is twisted and that's right up my alley. I wanted to start of the year with something funny & interesting...hopefully I won't be disappointed. If you think there is a book I need to be reading..comment below & let me know! I hope you enjoys your "recovery" day! Gonna go...I've got some reading to do!