Sarai Henderson's Blog, page 67

Book Review: Lolita by Vladimir Nabovok

This book is a look into a disturbed mind of a pedophile and seriously hard to get through. This is my book review of Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov.

Title: Lolita

By: Vladimir Nabokov

Genre: Historical Fiction

Pages: 368

Release Date: January 1st, 1995

Publisher: Penguin

Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

 

Summary from Goodreads:Humbert Humbert - scholar, aesthete and romantic - has fallen completely and utterly in love with Dolores Haze, his landlady's gum-snapping, silky skinned twelve-year-old daughter. Reluctantly agreeing to marry Mrs Haze just to be close to Lolita, Humbert suffers greatly in the pursuit of romance; but when Lo herself starts looking for attention elsewhere, he will carry her off on a desperate cross-country misadventure, all in the name of Love. Hilarious, flamboyant, heart-breaking and full of ingenious word play, Lolita is an immaculate, unforgettable masterpiece of obsession, delusion and lust.

 

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Review:I only picked up this book as it is on my Gilmore Girls reading list. I knew about the content before I got into it, but I wasn't expected for just how graphic it was.
Lolita seems to be whatever girl Humbert finds attractive at the time. And when I say girl, that's exactly what I mean. In the beginning it wasn't always so, but as Humbert ages, his tastes grow darker and darker.
Please don't let the description fool you. This book was far from Hilarious, flamboyant and heartbreaking. Its a mix of perversion and child abuse. I wouldn't recommend this read.
0 out of 5 stars. Couldn't finish it.

Book Review: The Secrets of Solace by Jaleigh Johnson

 

Title: The Secrets of Solace

By: Jaleigh Johnson

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 384

Release Date: March 8th, 2016

Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers

Rating: ★★★★☆

 

Summary from Goodreads:Lina Winterbock lives in the mountain strongholds of Solace. She’s an apprentice to the archivists, the wise men and women whose lives are dedicated to cataloging, studying, and preserving the objects that mysteriously fall from the sky in the scrap towns.
Lina should be spending her days with books, but the Iron War has changed everything. The strongholds are now a refuge, and the people Lina once counted on no longer have time for her, so she spends her days exploring the hidden tunnels and passages of her home. The strongholds are vast and old, with twisting paths, forgotten rooms, and collapsed chambers, some of them containing objects that have been lost and forgotten even by the archivists.
And in one of the forgotten chambers, Lina discovers a secret.
Hidden deep in a cavern is a half-buried airship like nothing she has ever seen before. She’s determined to dig it out and restore it. But Lina needs help, and she doesn’t know anyone she can trust with her secret.
Then she meets Ozben, a mysterious boy who has a secret of his own — a secret that’s so dangerous it could change the course of the Iron War and the world of Solace forever.

 

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Review:After devouring the first book in this series, I was expecting to follow my new favorite characters on another adventure, but I was surprised when this book took on a whole new life. It gave me a story with brand new characters that I fell in love with right away. This is acceptable as the world of Solace is so full of depth, I want to explore it all.
Lina is a rambunctious, rule breaking character. She is trying her hardest to fit in, but that means she must give up the best parts of herself.
Ozben has many secrets, but once he meets Lina he is glad to find the one person he can confide in.
Its really hard to pick who my favorite character is, since I love them both so much. They both have a rebellious spirit, but knows the importance of the work they are doing and the secrets they are keeping.

Favorite Quote:

"Lina grinned at her friend as a wave of relief swept over her. The Merlin was free. “I do my best,” she said."

I gave this book a solid 4 out of 5 stars. It was a fantastic read and I'm excited for the next book in the series.

Weekly Menu #515 And The Book Of The Week

 

Hello Monday!

We had a fabulous week at the hovel. Mainly because the boys did whatever they wanted and were is such a great mood there was no fighting. I was so blessed.

We ended the week with Oregon City's First City Fair, and although the weather was hot hot hot, it was still fun. Saw a lot of friends manning the booths, so much so my husband kept rolling his eyes at me. The fair very much had a small town vibe with big town flavor. I loved it. Picked up some awesome trinkets from some hometown vendors.

This weeks read is Burn It Down by Maureen Ryan. With all that is going on in Hollywood right now, I thought this would be an interesting read.

Lets get to this weeks menu. Enjoy!
WEEKLY MENU

Monday

Chicken Caesar Burger

Kids - Chicken Burgers

 

Tuesday

Creamy Garlic Mushroom Pork Chops

Kids - Ham and Cheese Croissants

 

Wednesday

Oven Baked Nachos

Kids - Chips and Cheese

 

Thursday

Creamy Ranch Chicken

Kids - Chicken Tenders and Ranch

 

Friday

Pasta Fagioli

Kids - Mac and Cheese

 

Saturday

BLT Caesar Salad

Kids - Cheese Quesadillas

 

Sunday

Leftovers Night

#Sunday! Welcome back.We made it. Another week done, or i...

#Sunday! Welcome back.
We made it. Another week done, or if you want to look at it different, the start of a new week. I'm happy for both.
Lets recap the week on the blog.

Sunday Confessions #207~
Weekly Menu #514 And The Book Of The Week~
Book Review: Never, Never Colleen Hoover~Book Review: Dear Future Mama by Meghan Trainor~Life Confessions: Post #3

Weekly Menu #515 And The Book Of The Week~Book Review: The Secrets of Solace by Jaleigh Johnson~Book Review: Lolita by Vladimir Nabovok~Life Confessions: Post #4~Sunday Confessions #209




Nothing this week.


I've been binge watching The Power on amazon Prime. Its started off kind of slow which is not great in my opinion, but it has picked up and I'm already on episode 6.

67/100 2023 Reading Challenge~54/196 in my Star Wars Legends challenge~59/341 Gilmore Girls challenge~60/100 in my 100 books before you die challenge

Well, another great week. Happy reading my friends.

Life Confessions: Post #3

 

It has been one of the hardest weeks I've had in a long time. There was so much loss and threat of loss, I almost couldn't manage.
Our poor little kitten Hex died. We spent so much time with him, trying to keep him going, but in the end it wasn't enough. It was horrible to watch and don't wish that on anyone.

Among the loss, there were also some great times. We spent the 4th of July with some good friends where we didn't feel judged for who we are and who our kids are. We were at peace.
We also spent some wonderful time with a good friend at the food carts on a Friday night. Damn, that place is hoping. I'm actually glad my oldest decided not to come. It was super loud and the noise would have really bothered him.

I could really use a nice quiet week. Do you think the universe can make that happen?

Book Review: Dear Future Mama by Meghan Trainor

 

Title: Dear Future Mama

By: Meghan Trainor

Genre: Non-Fiction

Pages: 240

Release Date: April 25th, 2023

Publisher: Harper Horizon

Rating: ★★★☆☆

 

Summary from Goodreads:The real talk you want about pregnancy, birth, body image, and the newborn days from Meghan Trainor, the chart-topping singer-songwriter behind "All About That Bass" and "Dear Future Husband," and, more importantly, Riley's mom. Meghan Trainor has wanted to be a mom since before she even knew how babies were made. From the moment she discovered she was pregnant with her first child--her son, Riley--she was fascinated by the entire experience. Yes, pregnancy and motherhood are miracles--but even a miracle can freak you out sometimes. Everyone has an opinion on what an expectant mother should feel, think, or do during her pregnancy, and it's hard not to feel overwhelmed with app notifications, well-meaning questions, and unsolicited advice that comes from friends, family, and perfect strangers. Dear Future Mama is a heartfelt and humorous guide for expectant mamas inspired by Meghan's own journey into motherhood and expert insights from Meghan's own personal trainer, registered dietitian, husband, and ob-gyn. No shame, no judgment--just straight talk (and laughs) from a bestie who's been there, including Dear Future Mama offers future mamas a place to relax, laugh out loud, and get the pep talk they need to know that they are absolutely not alone.

 

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Review:This book feels like it has a specific targeted audience and I am not one of them. If you are a young mother or soon to be mother, then this would be a great read for you, but it has been 10 years since I've given birth and much has changed since then.
The book was cowritten by Meghan Trainor and her husband Daryl Sabara. Although some of the stories were cute and/or funny, to me, the anecdotes from Daryl could have been left out. I didn't want to feel like Daryl was a tag alone, but that's just what they did.
I gave this book 3 out of 5 stars. While some things were relatable, I couldn't connect with the writing.

Book Review: Never, Never Colleen Hoover

 

Title: Never, Never

By: Colleen Hoover

Genre: Paranormal/Mystery

Pages: 158

Release Date: January 7th, 2015

Publisher: Hoover Ink

Rating: ★★★★☆

 

Summary from Goodreads:Charlie Wynwood and Silas Nash have been best friends since they could walk. They've been in love since the age of fourteen. But as of this morning... they are complete strangers. Their first kiss, their first fight, the moment they fell in love... every memory has vanished.
Charlie and Silas must work together to uncover the truth about what happened to them and why. But the more they learn about the couple they used to be, the more they question why they were ever together to begin with.
#1 New York Times bestselling author of Hopeless joins forces with the New York Times bestselling author of Mud Vein. Together, they have created a gripping, romantic tale unlike any other.

 

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Review:What an interesting take on memory loss. Colleen Hoover plays with paranormal and mystery in this strange twisting story. Think Memento meets teen romance.
Each character seems to be really self absorbed in the beginning, but they only really find this out through interactions with side characters as they have no memories of who they are or what they were doing. This was very intriguing to find out how the author was going to play this out. I thought at first there would be a lot of paranormal aspects to it. Maybe aliens or witches, could it be drugs? Who knew?
It wasn't until the very end after our main characters go through some pretty nail biting scenarios that we find out the truth about their memory loss. I kinda lost it here since I wanted so much more, but looking back on the content of the book, it made sense.

Favorite Quote:

She shakes her head. “I swear. I’ll never stop loving you, Silas. And I’ll never forget.” I dip my head until my mouth meets hers. “Never Never.”
I gave this book out of  stars. Although I was really hoping for more in the end, I was still wonderfully enthralled in this story. Couldn't put it down.

Weekly Menu #514 And The Book Of The Week

 

Hello Monday!

I hope you all survived the hot weekend. Its been a rough one around the hovel. We lost a kitten last week, then my father-in-law was in the hospital that same night, right before I received the news that my grandma in Florida was in the hospital and it wasn't looking good. I think the universe needs to chill for a little while. My heart cannot handle anymore lose this week. It just cant.

I've decided to dive back into my fantasy world to keep my mind of things and finish up this incredible series that has quickly become a favorite. The Quest to the Uncharted Lands by Jaleigh Johnson is the third and final installment in the World of Solace series. Each book I've read so far has been a stand alone, so I'm hoping my favorite characters from each will be back, but I'm not holding my breath.

Ok, now that all of that is out of the way, lets get to the menu. I'm trying something different with low carb days and high carb days so bear with me. Enjoy!

WEEKLY MENU

Monday

Grilled Bruschetta Chicken

Kids - Chicken and French Fries

 

Tuesday

Mediterranean One-Pot Pasta

Kids - Mac and Cheese

  

Wednesday

Chicken Parmesan Stuffed Peppers

Kids - English Muffin Pizzas

 

Thursday

Sriracha Tuna Wrap

Kids - Cheese Quesadillas

 

Friday

Greek Chicken Kabobs

Kids - Chicken and Biscuit Kabobs

 

Saturday

Turkey Pesto Sandwiches

Kids - Grilled Cheese

 

Sunday

Family Dinner

French Dip Sandwiches

Sunday Confessions #207

 

Hello Sunday!
Welcome back to the blog. I hope your week has been fantastic and you've read some amazing books.
Lets recap the week.

Sunday Confessions #206~Weekly Menu #513 And The Book Of The Week~Book Review: The Mark of the Dragonfly by Jaleigh Johnson~June 2023 Wrap Up~Book Review: Wild is the Witch by Rachel Griffin~Life Confessions: Post #2

Weekly Menu #514 And The Book Of The Week~Book Review: Never, Never Colleen Hoover~Book Review: Dear Future Mama by Meghan Trainor~Life Confessions: Post #3~Sunday Confessions #208





I had so many new books last week, I decided to cool my jets this week.


The last few days we've been binge watching the first season on Claim to Fame. Not sure why, but we are obsessed.
Trying to finish Citadel, but every time I start it, my youngest wants to play the PlayStation...
All caught up on Dead City and super excited to see a new The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon coming out in the fall.

65/100 2023 Reading Challenge~54/196 in my Star Wars Legends challenge~59/341 Gilmore Girls challenge~60/100 in my 100 books before you die challenge

So, I have 9 books to read this week. I don't think that will happen, but lets try. Happy reading.

Life Confessions: Post #2

 

Oh my goodness, what a week. We had a wonderful time with some friends over the weekend, but needless to say, it wasn't without its flaws.
You know, sometimes when you think that someone has your best interest at heart and then they show their true nature, its heartbreaking. I don't know how many times I have to spend time with certain people and they think its suitable for them to mock and belittle my family. I guess that fits in with the rest of my life. Most the people I know have said things recently that crush my soul. Even though, my husband and children are my biggest supporters and I love them very much. Everyone else can take a flying shag at a rolling doughnut for all I care.
Deep breath...
Life is what it is and I will not change who I am to fit into their mold any longer. I am who I am.

The kittens are getting so big. Three weeks already. Hubby stole all of them from their box which mama cat didn't like much. She retaliated with hiding them behind the washing machine in the middle of the night. Although, I don't know how much of her retaliation was meant for us, or if it was mostly meant for the the strangers (friends) who took kittens from the box all weekend without making sure mama cat was comfortable with it. 
You have to give her an offering. Pets on the belly or wet food. Something to let her know that you see her before you can touch the kittens, but of course, some people thing they know better.
Well, this is going to be a short post. There just wasn't much time last week to think, let alone document everything with photos. I will do better this week. I promise.