My Friday Five...

1. I'm on a Shari Lapena reading jag. For some reason they are what I am craving right now. So, I'm currently enmeshed in this lovely:

2.  I saw this post talking about how we all never seem to go outside anymore and spending nearly 95% of our time indoors. Yikes! So, I've started walking in the morning. And, I am loving it. Especially, because the heat doesn't seem to hit until after 9am. 

3. Last night I was watching a vlog and this woman was talking about a life/business coach she hired after turning 35 and canceling her wedding. She says it's helped her tremendously and she's now the happiest she has ever been. From what she shared, it sounded like a lot of the work was about her figuring out what she wanted for herself and also acknowledging her accomplishments each week. Oh, and journaling every day. Makes me think I need to be more intentional with my journaling and focus more on what I want instead of what I don't want. 

4. I love when I go out to run errands and the music being played in shops and diners is some of my favorite - Stevie Wonder, REM, Sade, Spin Doctors, etc. Feels like blasts from the past. 

5. I am a sticker hoarder and I am tired of it. I'm planning on going through all of them and only keeping my absolute favorites and getting rid of the rest. So, if that means keeping 20 stickers out of a thousand, then so be it. Also, I need to stop buying stickers. Ugh. 

Wishing you all a lovely weekend. Happy reading!

The Secret Dinner: A Novel by Raphael Montes

(Thank you to the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book!)

I love the cover of this book and I love the sound of it:

"The internationally acclaimed #1 bestselling thriller, now in English

“This rollercoaster of a novel is highly imaginative and totally unique. I devoured it — no pun intended! — in one sitting. By turns gory, shocking, macabre and often very funny, you won’t be able to put it down. Just be grateful you’re not on the menu…” —Alex Michaelides #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Silent Patient

Four childhood friends, eager for a taste of city life, swap rural Brazil for an apartment in Copacabana, Rio. But they have no idea of the fate that awaits them there. . . .

Dante, Piglet, Miguel, and Hugo are your average students trying to make ends meet with part-time jobs, excited about the bright futures at their fingertips. So when their rent skyrockets, they struggle to keep their new lives and big dreams afloat. They need to make money however they can. In order to keep their apartment, the friends adopt an unorthodox plan and are soon sucked into a dark world of secret dinner parties catering to the twisted fantasies of Rio’s elite.

What starts as a joke quickly spirals out of their control. As the four friends fall deeper into this dark underworld and earn more money, the stakes get higher and the consequences deadlier, revealing the devious depths that lurk within each of them and threatening not only their friendship but also their lives."

Are you kidding me? How great does that sound? Makes me want to grab a copy and devour it in one sitting. I love stories that involve a group of friends - that means there will always be secrets, revelations, differing perspectives on an event, etc. Also, it's always fun getting to know the friends and how they view one another. And, when push comes to shove, it's always interesting to see who sticks around. Okay, aside from the foursome, I do love the idea of a story set in Brazil - we get a taste of the differences between the haves and have-nots. Plus, a dark underworld about dinner parties for the elite and their twisted proclivities - I mean, c'mon, how could I not want to read about that? So, yeah, this book sounds like a definite must-read to me. I am so excited to dive right in and see what will come of Dante, Piglet, Miguel, and Hugo as they take a job working one of these twisted dinner parties. I'm positive it will make for quite an unputdownable and unforgettable story. I would recommend grabbing a copy and reading The Secret Dinner. I think you'll wind up loving this story. Happy reading!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book!

Monday Musings...

Anxiety is high. Especially after a bit of family drama the other day. So, I spent the afternoon reading another Shari Lapena novel:

 

Today, I plan on running a few errands, tackling my to-do list, and dipping into yet another Shari Lapena book:

Hoping to write it out later today and get some of these anxious thoughts out of my head. Wishing you all a lovely week. Happy reading!

My Friday Five...

1. Reading this book that is confusing me so much, but I can't seem to stop reading. I have to find out what is happening and who done what.

 

2. Thanking God for helping my aunt through a terrifying moment. She was rushed to the hospital and it turns out she had a mini-stroke. She's back home and on new meds to help prevent anything happening in the future. She sounds great and I'm so grateful she's okay. 

3. Checking out the Hobonichi reveals for their 2027 lineup and deciding that all I want is a Weeks - the Moomin one in the green. That's all. No more, no less.

4. I bought another Gwendoline Riley book. I can't wait to read it!

5. Watched the Tiny Desk concert with Death Cab for Cutie and LOVED it. Reminded me how much I love their music. So good!

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend. Happy reading!

Three Things...

1. I'm much better, just a slight cough. So happy to finally feel able to do all the things, instead of just wanting to lie down. 

2. Reading this gem, which I am LOVING:

3. Enjoying The Real Housewives Ultimate Girl's Trip that celebrates 20 years of Housewives - so much fun to see the women in a different group and different cities. It's crazy ridiculous drama, which I love. And, I am also loving The Real Housewives of London - such a great city and group. However, those are the only two I'm watching on Bravo. I just can't seem to watch any of the other shows - too much toxic drama. 

Wishing you all a lovely Thursday. Happy reading!