As always, comment and let me know what you're reading, or what I should be reading. Or even what I should steer clear of.

1. STARTUP BY DOREE SHAFRIR

Startup is a novel based around the hyper-competitive tech startup market. A tech blogger uncovers a juicy secret and, well, most everything unravels from there. This was such a funny, topical book. I found myself nodding along, or groaning in embarrassed agreement. And let's not forget about the strong women at the core of the novel—you’ve got to love that. 

2. REVELRY BY KANDI STEINER

I could have devoured this book, but chose instead to read it slowly. To savor it. To really enjoy it. And I'm so glad I did. I loved this book. No surprise there! Kandi Steiner remains one of my favorite authors these days, and REVELRY is a perfect example of why.

"He was trying to figure out my story--who I was, why I was there. And I'd have told him, but I didn't know myself."

Whether or not I could relate to the fact that she was going through a divorce, Wren is an incredibly relatable character and I found myself rooting for her from the very first page. And as usual--I wasn't disappointed.



3. WHEN YOU FIND OUT THE WORLD IS AGAINST YOU BY KELLY OXFORD

Read this one quite quickly because I couldn't not. Witty, clever and so relevant. And man did she make me miss Canada!


4. ALL AT SEA BY BECCA AITKENHEAD

I really enjoyed All At Sea by Decca Aitkenhead. Though heartbreaking, it left me feeling grateful for and in awe of my life and the little family I have built. A great reminder for those of us who are just going through the motions every day instead of truly living.

(image by Paul Citone)

1. My hubby celebrated another birthday this week. I won't say the number out loud because he'd probably feel better if I didn't. But to me, his age has always been a plus. He was the first real man I ever dated and the moment I realized that I never looked back. I had a few gift ideas for him, but he kept saying, "I don't need anything" and unlike me saying that (and not meaning it), he meant it. 

Once our son was asleep, he showered and dressed and came into the bedroom to kiss me; he was off to spend some time with his cousin. I asked him, "was it a good birthday?" and he said "it was a great birthday." I lament often about how different him and I are (would I have been satisfied if this were how my birthday played out?), but in the end, as long as he's happy with how his day went, than so am I.

2. At the time of this blog post, I will be nearing the end of my self-imposed social media detox. I have mixed feelings about how the past five days have gone. On one side I feel great. Renewed. But I'd be lying if I didn't say there's a part of of me that feels like I'm missing out on something (which is really silly, I realize; but it's the truth). What's truly amazing is how many times a day I think: oh, I should document this (on instagram). And then I stop and think to myself: why? Which is when I remember why I truly decided to take this break.

3. I can't believe I didn't mention it last week, but the hubby and I went to see John Mayer last weekend (The Search For Everything tour) and just as I imagined, he blew us away. I'd seen him before, but this was Dom's first time. He was a good sport for coming along, considering it's not his kind of music at all, but I had faith than JM's guitar brilliance would win him over. And it did.

I catch him humming along to JM's songs during the day. He's learning how to play Helpless on the guitar. He sings, "Still feel like a man" instead of "still feel like your man," and it might possibly be the most endearing thing about him yet. 

“Oh my God, what if you wake up some day, and you’re 65, or 75, and you never got your memoir or novel written; or you didn’t go swimming in warm pools and oceans all those years because your thighs were jiggly and you had a nice big comfortable tummy; or you were just so strung out on perfectionism and people-pleasing that you forgot to have a big juicy creative life, of imagination and radical silliness and staring off into space like when you were a kid? It’s going to break your heart. Don’t let this happen.”

Starting tomorrow, I'm doing a social media detox, because—to be honest—it’s killing me. No Instagram, no Facebook and no Twitter or Snapchat (even though I'm rarely on those). I’m going to start with seven days, but I’m hopeful that I can make it much longer. Here’s why I’m doing it: 

1. I need to break the comparison cycle. She has this, he has that, she wrote another book, he’s on vacation again—It. Is. Killing. Me. I’m aware that it’s my own problem, and that I have to train my mind to stop thinking this way.

2. To improve my mood. Studies show that the more time you spend on social media, the more likely you are to develop depression. And, as I’m sure you all know by now, I’ve been there. And I really, really don’t want to go back.

3. I need to get back to living in the moment. Picture this: my four-year-old son asks me to play and I say (with my face glued to my phone) “just one second” … and then ten minutes go by. I don’t want to be that type of mother.

4. My time is precious and should be treated as such. If I actually kept track of how often I pick up my phone and absently scroll through Instagram, I would be sick to my stomach. Literally. It needs to stop.

5. I need to re-evaluate. Why do I need to post a photo of my laptop at Starbucks so that people know I’m writing? Why do I need to share what I’m wearing, or eating, or drinking? Why do I care so much?

It’s going to be hard—there’s no sugarcoating the fact that I’m an Instagram addict. But that just motivates me even more to really give this detox a go. 

Happy release day to my girl, Kandi Steiner. She killed it with this one, you're going to want to pick up a copy for yourself and all your girlfriends.

SYNOPSIS

Wren Ballard is trying to find herself.

She never expected to be divorced at twenty-seven, but now that the court date has passed, it’s official. The paperwork is final. Her feelings on it aren’t.

Spending the summer in a small mountain town outside Seattle is exactly what she needs. The peaceful scenery is a given, the cat with the croaky meow is a surprise, but the real kicker? A broody neighbor with nice arms, a strange reputation, and absolutely no interest in her.

Anderson Black is perfectly fine being lost.

He doesn’t care about the town’s new resident — he’s too busy fighting his own demons. But when he’s brought face to face with Wren, he can see her still-fresh wounds from a mile away. What he doesn’t see coming is his need to know who put them there — or his desperation to mend them.

Sometimes getting lost is the way to find yourself. Sometimes healing only adds a new scar. And sometimes the last place you expected to be is exactly where you find home.

MY REVIEW

Having just finished REVELRY an hour before sitting down to write this review, I feel as though I'm still working through my feelings. What I DO know, is that I loved it. No surprise there! Kandi Steiner remains one of my favorite authors these days, and REVELRY is a perfect example of why.

"He was trying to figure out my story--who I was, why I was there. And I'd have told him, but I didn't know myself."

Divorced or not, Wren is an incredibly relatable character and I found myself rooting for her from the very first page. And as usual--I wasn't disappointed.