Sarai Henderson's Blog, page 74
April 6, 2023
March Wrap Up 2023
March flew by and not in a good way. We spend a majority of it in the hospital with our middle son, but I'm glad to say he is doing much better.
It was hard to read in the hospital. I couldn't concentrate, even though I had plenty of time on my hands. Still, there were some great books I did dive into and I'm happy to share them with you.
The New OneEvie GreenA suspenseful, cutting-edge novel about two parents who finally get the daughter they've always wanted--it's too bad she isn't real. From the author of We Hear Voices.
For Tamsyn and Ed, life is tough. They both work long hours for very little money and come home to their moody, rebellious daughter, Scarlett.
After a tragic accident leaves Scarlett comatose and with little chance of recovery, Tamsyn and Ed are out of options until a lifeline emerges in the form of an unusual medical trial. In exchange for the very best treatment for Scarlett, a fully furnished apartment, and a limitless spending account, the family must agree to move to Switzerland and welcome an artificial copy of their daughter into their home.
Suddenly their life is transformed. Tamsyn and Ed want for nothing, and the AI replacement, Sophie, makes it feel just like having their daughter back--except without all the bad parts. Sophie is engaged, happy, and actually wants to spend time with her parents.
But things take a turn for the worse when Scarlett makes a very real recovery and the family discovers that the forces behind their new life are darker than they ever could have imagined.
Only the BeautifulSusan MeissnerA heartrending story about a young mother’s fight to keep her daughter, and the winds of fortune that tear them apart by the New York Times bestselling author of The Nature of Fragile Things and The Last Year of the War.
California, 1938—When she loses her parents in an accident, sixteen-year-old Rosanne is taken in by the owners of the vineyard where she has lived her whole life as the vinedresser’s daughter. She moves into Celine and Truman Calvert’s spacious house with a secret, however—Rosie sees colors when she hears sound. She promised her mother she’d never reveal her little-understood ability to anyone, but the weight of her isolation and grief prove too much for her. Driven by her loneliness she not only breaks the vow to her mother, but in a desperate moment lets down her guard and ends up pregnant. Banished by the Calverts, Rosanne believes she is bound for a home for unwed mothers, and having lost her family she treasures her pregnancy as the chance for a future one. But she soon finds out she is not going to a home of any kind, but to a place far worse than anything she could have imagined.
Austria, 1947—After witnessing firsthand Adolf Hitler’s brutal pursuit of hereditary purity—especially with regard to “different children”—Helen Calvert, Truman's sister, is ready to return to America for good. But when she arrives at her brother’s peaceful vineyard after decades working abroad, she is shocked to learn what really happened nine years earlier to the vinedresser’s daughter, a girl whom Helen had long ago befriended. In her determination to find Rosanne, Helen discovers that while the war had been won in Europe, there are still terrifying battles to be fought at home.
SparePrince HarryIt was one of the most searing images of the twentieth century: two young boys, two princes, walking behind their mother’s coffin as the world watched in sorrow—and horror. As Princess Diana was laid to rest, billions wondered what Prince William and Prince Harry must be thinking and feeling—and how their lives would play out from that point on.
For Harry, this is that story at last.
Before losing his mother, twelve-year-old Prince Harry was known as the carefree one, the happy-go-lucky Spare to the more serious Heir. Grief changed everything. He struggled at school, struggled with anger, with loneliness—and, because he blamed the press for his mother’s death, he struggled to accept life in the spotlight.
At twenty-one, he joined the British Army. The discipline gave him structure, and two combat tours made him a hero at home. But he soon felt more lost than ever, suffering from post-traumatic stress and prone to crippling panic attacks. Above all, he couldn’t find true love.
Then he met Meghan. The world was swept away by the couple’s cinematic romance and rejoiced in their fairy-tale wedding. But from the beginning, Harry and Meghan were preyed upon by the press, subjected to waves of abuse, racism, and lies. Watching his wife suffer, their safety and mental health at risk, Harry saw no other way to prevent the tragedy of history repeating itself but to flee his mother country. Over the centuries, leaving the Royal Family was an act few had dared. The last to try, in fact, had been his mother. . . .
For the first time, Prince Harry tells his own story, chronicling his journey with raw, unflinching honesty. A landmark publication, Spare is full of insight, revelation, self-examination, and hard-won wisdom about the eternal power of love over grief.
How to Hug a Porcupine: Easy Ways to Love the Difficult People in Your LifeJune Eding (Editor), Debbie Ellis (Contributor)How to Love the Difficult People in Your Life
Most of us know someone who, for whatever reason, always seems to cause problems, irritate others, or incite conflict. Often, these people are a part of our daily lives. The truth is that these trouble makers haven’t necessarily asked to be this way.
Sometimes we need to learn new approaches to deal with people who are harder to get along with or love.
How to Hug a Porcupine: Easy Ways to Love Difficult People in Your Life , explains that making peace with others isn’t as tough or terrible as we think it is–especially when you can use an adorable animal analogy and apply it to real-life problems.
How to Hug a Porcupine provides tips for calming the quills of parents, children, siblings, strangers, and other prickly people you may encounter. Among other tips, How to Hug a Porcupine includes:
*Three easy ways to end an argument
*How to spot the porcupine in others
*How to spot the porcupine in ourselves
With a foreword by noted psychotherapist Dr. Debbie Ellis, widow of Dr. Albert Ellis, How to Hug a Porcupine is a truly special book.
The Danish Way of Parenting: What the Happiest People in the World Know About Raising Confident, Capable KidsJessica Joelle Alexander, Iben Dissing SandahlWhat makes Denmark the happiest country in the world--and what are the secrets of Danish parents for raising happy, confident, succesful kids, year after year? This upbeat and practical guide brings together the insights of a licensed psychotherapist and a mom -- a Dane and an American married to a Dane, respectively -- on the habits of the happiest families on earth.
The book delivers fresh advice on how to:
- Encourage free play
- Foster authenticity and confidence
- Nurture empathy
- Emphasize teamwork over power struggles
- Celebrate togetherness
Filled with practical takeaways and inspiring examples, The Danish Way of Parenting will help parents from all walks of life raise the happiest, most well-adjusted kids in the world.
Arch-ConspiratorVeronica RothFrom dystopian visionary and bestselling phenomenon Veronica Roth comes a razor-sharp reimagining of Antigone. In Arch-Conspirator, Roth reaches back to the root of legend and delivers a world of tomorrow both timeless and unexpected.
Outside the last city on Earth, the planet is a wasteland. Without the Archive, where the genes of the dead are stored, humanity will end.
Passing into the Archive should be cause for celebration, but Antigone’s parents were murdered, leaving her father’s throne vacant. As her militant uncle Kreon rises to claim it, all Antigone feels is rage. When he welcomes her and her siblings into his mansion, Antigone sees it for what it really is: a gilded cage, where she is a captive as well as a guest.
But her uncle will soon learn that no cage is unbreakable. And neither is he.
27/100 2023 Reading Challenge~51/196 in my Star Wars Legends challenge~58/341 Gilmore Girls challenge~57/100 in my 100 books before you die challenge
Although I didn't read as much as I usually do, the quality of books was extraordinary. A majority were 5 star reviews.
Have you read any of these books? What was your favorite read last month?
April 5, 2023
Book Review: The Danish Way of Parenting by Jessica Joelle Alexander
Title: The Danish Way of Parenting
By: Jessica Joelle Alexander and Iben Dissing Sandahl
Genre: Non-Fiction
Pages: 224
Release Date: December 17th, 2014
Publisher: TarcherPerigee
Rating: ★★★★★
Summary from Goodreads:What makes Denmark the happiest country in the world--and what are the secrets of Danish parents for raising happy, confident, succesful kids, year after year? This upbeat and practical guide brings together the insights of a licensed psychotherapist and a mom -- a Dane and an American married to a Dane, respectively -- on the habits of the happiest families on earth.
The book delivers fresh advice on how to:- Encourage free play- Foster authenticity and confidence - Nurture empathy - Emphasize teamwork over power struggles- Celebrate togetherness
Filled with practical takeaways and inspiring examples, The Danish Way of Parenting will help parents from all walks of life raise the happiest, most well-adjusted kids in the world.
This book celebrates another countries way of raising children. An independent way. Jumping into it with all your heart and giving support where needed. Children learn from a very young age to take care of themselves. Not by themselves, but with love and the support that is needed for children to develop.
I also love the Dutch approach to school. Here in America, our children are taught at a young age how to be good workers. To sit still and do as your told. This model doesn't allow for a child to learn in the way that is best for them and often hides the child's personality. Dutch children often don't start school until 7 or 8 years old. They play and learn like children should.
Along with all the wonderful tidbits about individuality and support to create an independent child, the writer stated that the parents shouldn't worry about how other people see their parenting style. People will judge, that's just how this country works, but raising your kids a certain way just because someone else doesn't like other options is not fair. This really hit hard for me. My husband and I have decided to raise our children differently than both him and I were. I was brought up in a christian home that was very sheltered, but loved and supported. My husband was on the hard end of narcissism and values freedom. The choices we've made with our children are not always seen by either of our families as the "right way" of doing things. From this day forward, I'm going to do my best to raise my children the way I want to and not let anyone else make me feel less of a mother because of it.
I really loved this book. One of my favorites this year so far and definitely a book I will be sharing with all my friends who are becoming parents.
April 3, 2023
Weekly Menu #500 And The Book Of The Week
Hello Monday and happy April!My reading has been on par since we got back from the hospital last week. That whole situation seems to be wrapping up, and the only thing we have to worry about right now is the blood clot. Hopefully the the meds are taking care of it.
This weeks read is Thief Liar Lady by D.L. Soria. Another book I piked up on Netgalley. I can't wait to dive in and get to the bottom of this story.
Lets get to this weeks menu. Enjoy!
Monday
Instant Pot Chicken Ramen Stir Fry
Kids - Chicken Ramen
Tuesday
Kids - Cheese Quesadillas
Wednesday
Pizza Night
Thursday
Kids - Chicken and Biscuits
Friday
Grilled Flank Steak with Burrata Cheese and Pesto
Kids - Mac and Cheese
Saturday
Kids - Chicken Nugget Salad
Sunday
Leftovers Night
April 2, 2023
Sunday Confessions #193
Hello Sunday!
I am proud to say, this last week was quiet and uneventful. A nice change from the last few weeks. My middle son is doing great after his TBI, and my other boys have settled back into their routines with ease. Its been a great week.
Sunday Confessions #192~Weekly Menu #499 And The Book Of The Week~Book Review: Spare by Prince Harry~Book Review: King of Battle and Blood by Scarlett St. Clair
Weekly Menu #500 And The Book Of The Week~Book Review: The Danish Way of Parenting by Jessica Joelle Alexander~Caste by Isabelle Wilkerson~Sunday Confessions #194
Finished America's Test Kitchen, The Next Generation. My favorite contestant made it to the finally, but didn't win. I'm a bit disappointed.
24/100 2023 Reading Challenge~51/196 in my Star Wars Legends challenge~58/341 Gilmore Girls challenge~57/100 in my 100 books before you die challenge
Another fun week on the blog. I can't wait for the books I have lined up this week. Make sure you come back and check in next Sunday.
March 31, 2023
Book Review: King of Battle and Blood by Scarlett St. Clair
Title: King of Battle and Blood
By: Scarlett St. Clair
Genre: Fantasy/Romance
Pages: 368
Release Date: November 30th, 2021
Publisher: Bloom Books
Rating: ★★★★☆
Summary from Goodreads:Their Union Is His Revenge.
Isolde de Lara considers her wedding day her death day. To end a years-long war, she is to marry vampire king, Adrian Aleksandr Vasiliev, and kill him.
But her assassination attempt is thwarted and Adrian threatens that if Isolde tries to kill him again, he will raise her as the undead. Faced with the possibility of becoming the thing she hates most, Isolde seeks other ways to defy him and survive the brutal vampire court.
Except it isn’t the court she fears most — it’s Adrian. Despite their undeniable chemistry, she wonders why the king — fierce, savage, merciless — chose her as consort.
The answer will shatter her world.
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Review:There was a lot going on in this book, but I kinda liked it.The author has a way of melding multiple different aspects into their story. Vampires, murder, Zombies. At times it felt like a lot and probably could have been condensed down into one kind of paranormal lore, but it still made for an interesting story.
Of course, there's a lot of steamy action in this book and some emotions that weave throughout the story. All in all this was an interesting story that kept me reading.
March 29, 2023
Book Review: Spare by Prince Harry
Title: Spare
By: Prince Harry
Genre: Memoir
Pages: 410
Release Date: January 10th, 2023
Publisher: Random House
Rating: ★★★★★
Summary from Goodreads:It was one of the most searing images of the twentieth century: two young boys, two princes, walking behind their mother’s coffin as the world watched in sorrow—and horror. As Princess Diana was laid to rest, billions wondered what Prince William and Prince Harry must be thinking and feeling—and how their lives would play out from that point on.
For Harry, this is that story at last.
Before losing his mother, twelve-year-old Prince Harry was known as the carefree one, the happy-go-lucky Spare to the more serious Heir. Grief changed everything. He struggled at school, struggled with anger, with loneliness—and, because he blamed the press for his mother’s death, he struggled to accept life in the spotlight.
At twenty-one, he joined the British Army. The discipline gave him structure, and two combat tours made him a hero at home. But he soon felt more lost than ever, suffering from post-traumatic stress and prone to crippling panic attacks. Above all, he couldn’t find true love.
Then he met Meghan. The world was swept away by the couple’s cinematic romance and rejoiced in their fairy-tale wedding. But from the beginning, Harry and Meghan were preyed upon by the press, subjected to waves of abuse, racism, and lies. Watching his wife suffer, their safety and mental health at risk, Harry saw no other way to prevent the tragedy of history repeating itself but to flee his mother country. Over the centuries, leaving the Royal Family was an act few had dared. The last to try, in fact, had been his mother. . . .
For the first time, Prince Harry tells his own story, chronicling his journey with raw, unflinching honesty. A landmark publication, Spare is full of insight, revelation, self-examination, and hard-won wisdom about the eternal power of love over grief.
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Review:This is the book you didn't know you were waiting for.I think we can all agree, Prince Harry has always been played off as the wild child in the media. We've all read into it as just that, but there's always another side to the story and I'm so glad Prince Harry wrote this book. The stories told by the author are full of emotions. Some fun and spicy, and others heartfelt and sad. The word inside these covers really make Prince Harry feel like a real person, even if he is British Royalty.
This was an incredible read and I would encourage everyone to pick it up.
March 27, 2023
Weekly Menu #499 And The Book Of The Week
Hello Monday!What a week. I'm so grateful to be back to a normal schedule and not worrying about my kids so much. That was not fun, but at least the worst is over.
This weeks read is It Starts with Us by Colleen Hoover. I loved the first book in the series, so I'm crossing my fingers this one is just as good. Although, I've heard through the grape vine, it hits just shy of the mark.
Lets get to this weeks menu. Enjoy!
Monday
Kids - Cheese Quesadillas
Tuesday
Kids - Chicken and Waffles
Wednesday
Kids - Chicken Nuggets and Potatoes
Thursday
Grilled Pesto and Tomato Sandwiches
Kids - Grilled Cheese
Friday
Instant Pot Chicken Ramen Stir Fry
Kids - Chicken Ramen
Saturday
Kids - Fruit Salad and Chicken Nuggets
Sunday
Leftovers Night
March 26, 2023
Sunday Confessions #192
Hello Sunday!
What a week. My middle son is doing well. He will be on blood thinners for a couple months to help with the blood clot in his brain, but he is still super sweet and in a good place. I'm just glad he's home.
Weekly Menu #498 And The Book Of The Week~Book Review: The New One by Evie Green~Book Review: Her Lost Words by Stephanie Marie Thornton
Weekly Menu #499 And The Book Of The Week~Book Review: Spare by Prince Harry~Book Review: King of Battle and Blood by Scarlett St. Clair~Sunday Confessions #193
I finished season 2 of Carnival Row. It went out with a bang. ~Still working through Chicago Med. Made it to season 6.~Started America's Test Kitchen: The Next Generation. Its not as exciting as I would have hoped. I might not continue it. We shall see.
20/100 2023 Reading Challenge~50/196 in my Star Wars Legends challenge~58/341 Gilmore Girls challenge~57/100 in my 100 books before you die challenge
Well, I didn't read anything last week. Just couldn't find the right headspace to dive into a story. Will need to get back to it this week.
March 22, 2023
Book Review: Her Lost Words by Stephanie Marie Thornton
Title: Her Lost Words
By: Stephanie Marie Thornton
Genre: Historical Fiction
Pages: 448
Release Date: March 28th, 2023
Publisher: Berkley Books
Rating: ★★★★★☆☆☆☆☆
Summary from Goodreads:From A Vindication of the Rights of Woman to Frankenstein, a tale of two literary legends--a mother and daughter--discovering each other and finding themselves along the way, from USA Today bestselling author Stephanie Marie Thornton.
1792. As a child, Mary Wollstonecraft longed to disappear during her father's violent rages. Instead, she transforms herself into the radical author of the landmark volume A Vindication of the Rights of Woman, in which she dares to propose that women are equal to men. From conservative England to the blood-drenched streets of revolutionary France, Mary refuses to bow to society's conventions and instead supports herself with her pen until an illicit love affair challenges her every belief about romance and marriage. When she gives birth to a daughter and is stricken with childbed fever, Mary fears it will be her many critics who recount her life's extraordinary odyssey...
1818. The daughter of infamous political philosopher Mary Wollstonecraft, passionate Mary Shelley learned to read by tracing the letters of her mother's tombstone. As a young woman, she desperately misses her mother's guidance, especially following her scandalous elopement with dashing poet Percy Bysshe Shelley. Mary struggles to balance an ever-complicated marriage with motherhood while nursing twin hopes that she might write something of her own one day and also discover the truth of her mother's unconventional life. Mary's journey will unlock her mother's secrets, all while leading to her own destiny as the groundbreaking author of Frankenstein.
A riveting and inspiring novel about a firebrand feminist, her visionary daughter, and the many ways their words transformed our world.
As most my followers will tell you, I'm not a fan of dual points of view. I find them tedious and place a break in the story that stops the flow of the writing. Not my cup of tea. However, Stephanie Marie Thornton is a wonderful writer. She has a wonderful way of weaving a story that keeps the reader entertained. This genre can be hard to write as the stories don't have a lot of excitement and substance, but more rely on historical facts and atrocities.
With all this being said, I really enjoyed this read. It was interesting and heartbreaking, but came together in the end to leave me feeling complete.
Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.
March 21, 2023
Book Review: The New One by Evie Green
Title: The New One
By: Evie Green
Genre: Thriller
Pages: 400
Release Date: March 28th, 2023
Publisher: Berkley Books
Rating: ★★★★★
Summary from Goodreads:A suspenseful, cutting-edge novel about two parents who finally get the daughter they've always wanted--it's too bad she isn't real. From the author of We Hear Voices.
For Tamsyn and Ed, life is tough. They both work long hours for very little money and come home to their moody, rebellious daughter, Scarlett.
After a tragic accident leaves Scarlett comatose and with little chance of recovery, Tamsyn and Ed are out of options until a lifeline emerges in the form of an unusual medical trial. In exchange for the very best treatment for Scarlett, a fully furnished apartment, and a limitless spending account, the family must agree to move to Switzerland and welcome an artificial copy of their daughter into their home.
Suddenly their life is transformed. Tamsyn and Ed want for nothing, and the AI replacement, Sophie, makes it feel just like having their daughter back--except without all the bad parts. Sophie is engaged, happy, and actually wants to spend time with her parents.
But things take a turn for the worse when Scarlett makes a very real recovery and the family discovers that the forces behind their new life are darker than they ever could have imagined.
I cannot remember the last book I read that genuinely threw me for a loop and I wasn't able to figure out what was around the corner. Evie Green as something really special within these covers. The story starts off with drama and tragedy, a setting that makes the reader invested. Then a strange new concept in introduced with the augmented people and bam, you're was hooked.
The family dynamic felt grounded in real life and the mystery surrounding each character was wonderful. As the story is told from different points of view, I really felt what each person was feeling in the moment, and the author did a great job of not giving away to many details of the end story.
Five stars! This was a great read. Loved it from start to finish.
Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.
