FRIDAY READS: Horrorstor by Grady Hendrix

So when I saw Horrorstor featured on Smart Bitches, Trashy Books, I knew I had to have it. It's a horror story set in an IKEA knockoff. Now, I loves me some IKEA. But you know it'd be freaking creepy to be in one at night. All those fake rooms, all those twists and turns, the endless maze. Not to mention all those Allen wrenches and wordless instruction booklets. *shudders*

This author took that concept to the nth degree using an IKEA knockoff concept named Orsk. But it's really clever how they packaged the story. The book looks like an IKEA catalog and there are ads throughout the book that read like IKEA-speak. (Have a question? Just ORSK!) But the furniture ads at the beginning of chapters get more and more sinister as the story goes along.

So at first I was worried that this would be all schtick. Clever but not much substance. Well, I was pleasantly surprised. The story is darkly funny (especially if you've ever worked in retail) yet still delivers on the creepiness. It's got that Scream vibe. Where you're laughing one minute but then getting creeped out the next. Also, fair warning, this is not a romance. I know that's what I usually feature, but this is not that. If scary books aren't your thing, then this probably won't be for you. It's not terrifying IMO. It's creepy. But I know some of you avoid horror-type stuff at all costs. 

Also, because of the illustrations and format, you'll want to either get the print copy or read it on a larger device. I think you'd miss a lot if you were reading it on an e-ink device.

BUY THE BOOK: B&N | Amazon | iBooks

What do y'all think? Anyone freaked out by the idea of getting trapped in an IKEA at night? My nightmare would be being forced to assemble the furniture all night. My thumbs hurt just thinking about it.

Disclaimer: Though Amazon and iBook links are affiliate links, I only recommend books I truly enjoyed from my own TBR pile. I purchased this book and was not asked by anyone to promote it.

Friday Reads: An Organizing Book For the Right Brainers & Visual Learners

So at the beginning of the school year, I get that same new year feeling I get when January rolls around, that feeling of a fresh start. And with that usually comes a focus on my two regular challenges: diet/exercise and organizing.

I'm back on track with the diet thing and have even started a private Facebook group called the Healthy Habit Exchange if you want to come join us and share tips and encouragement.

Request an invite here.

But I've also started working on the organizing thing again. Last year I did a big purge in my house when we remodeled, going with the minimalist mentality. So too much stuff isn't my problem this year. However, organizing my schedule and not forgetting things is an ongoing challenge. I've discovered that a lot of my issues come from the fact that I'm a visual person and pretty right-brained. Organizational apps and calendars on my phone are pretty useless for me. Unless I see it right it front of me all spread out and big picture, it's forgotten the minute I type something in. And yes, I can set up reminders but that doesn't help me see the overall view of what my week or month is looking like relative to everything else.

So I've gone to a paper planner and have made it like an art project, which is feeding my creative brain and tricking me into writing everything down because it's fun. Isn't is pretty? This is the

Happy Planner

from Create 365 if you're interested. It's very, very nice and worth every bit of the twenty-five dollars it costs. There are

other designs

besides this one as well.

But while I was poking around on Pinterest for planner stuff, I came across a few articles about how to organize for the ADHD brain. I clicked on them and was like--wow, this is so me. Now, I'm not ADHD. The list of symptoms doesn't fit me. BUT I definitely suffer from hyperfocus, especially when I'm writing, and that means all these other things get forgotten or dropped. And the strategies that work for people with ADHD totally click with how my brain works when it comes to organizing. It was an a-ha moment, honestly.

So with more research, I found this book:

Organizing Solutions for People with ADHD

. It was recommended on a few sites and most said--ignore the fact that it's aimed at those with ADHD, these tips can help a lot of people who have struggled with traditional left-brained organizing techniques.

Those recommendations were right on. I found this book so helpful. And more than once thinking--yes, this! Like, for instance, putting things in nice covered bins or boxes never works for me. Once it's out of sight or under a stack, it's dead to me. I will never remember what's in there and I won't go digging through it. And if things get stored in the back of my pantry, I may as well throw them away. If I can't see them, they no longer exist.

There's a lot more than just putting things in sight in the book. It's a quick read with lots of pictures and a ton of great tips. Some are on the extreme side (like only having one towel per family member), but there's way more good stuff to takeaway than stuff that didn't resonate with me. And it plays into the minimalist mentality as well. So if you're looking for something that's going to tell you how to organize a tone of STUFF, this isn't the right book unless you're willing to purge.

So anyway, though I usually reserve Friday Reads for fiction, I thought I'd pass this along since I know there are a lot of right-brainers (or those with ADHD) out there who maybe could use these tips too. If you're highly left-brained, this book will probably give you hives though. So be warned, lol. 

Check out the book:

Amazon

|

B&N

So are you left-brained or right-brained? Anyone else in love with their paper planner?

*Note: I have not been asked to endorse any of these products, but the links are affiliate links.

Friday Reads: Love the Way You Lie by Skye Warren

 

It's Friday Reads time! This week I have a dark romance for you. And bonus, it's on sale for 99 cents! 

If you haven't read Skye Warren before, be prepared for dark romances with anti-heroes--know that going in. There are happy endings but it's not your traditional romance. That's what I like about her books, that pushing the envelope edge. But it's not for everyone, so this is an easy way to try her out. And this one isn't as dark as some of her others I've read. But I love her use of language and the storylines she tackles. She's becoming an auto buy for me.

Amazon | B&N

About the book:

A dark romance about the lies that lead us down...

I'll do anything to get safe, even if that means working at the scariest club in town.

I'll do anything to stay hidden, even if it means taking off my clothes for strangers.

I'll do anything to be free. Except give him up. When he looks at me, I forget why I can't have him. He's beautiful and scarred. His body fits mine, filling the places where I'm hollow, rough where I am soft.

He's the one man who wants to help, but he has his own agenda. He has questions I can't answer. What are you afraid of?

You.

What are you reading this week?

Weekly Book PSA: Pike's book CALL ON ME is now out and this is what Publisher's Weekly had to say about it: "...sets the pages on fire. The romance is as sweet as the action is hot, and there's something deeply satisfying about the way this couple comes together."

Have you gotten your hands on Pike yet? ;)

Nook |Kindle | Kindle UK | Kindle Canada

Kobo |Apple/iTunes | Google Play

**Disclaimer: Any books recommended here are from my own TBR pile that I buy with my own money unless otherwise noted. I have not been asked to review this book by the author or publisher. I do not take review requests or feature sponsored content. However, Amazon links are affiliate links.**

Friday Reads: Trust the Focus by Megan Erickson

 

It's an amazing, historic day! So for today's Friday Read, of course I'm picking an LGBT romance. :) Megan Erickson's TRUST THE FOCUS. I read this one this week and loved it. I'm such a sucker for a road trip story, and there were parts that were LOL funny. There's a conversation about a grilled cheese that had me snorting. And great news, it's only 99 cents right now!

About the book:

With his college graduation gown expertly pitched into the trash, Justin Akron is ready for the road trip he planned with his best friend Landry— and ready for one last summer of escape from his mother’s controlling grip. Climbing into the Winnebago his father left him, they set out across America in search of the sites his father had captured through the lens of his Nikon.
 
As an aspiring photographer, Justin can think of no better way to honor his father’s memory than to scatter his ashes at the sites he held sacred. And there’s no one Justin would rather share the experience with more than Landry.
 
But Justin knows he can’t escape forever. Eventually he’ll have to return home and join his mother’s Senate campaign. Nor can he escape the truth of who he is, and the fact that he’s in love with his out-and-proud travel companion.

Admitting what he wants could hurt his mother’s conservative political career. But with every click of his shutter and every sprinkle of ash, Justin can’t resist Landry’s pull. And when the truth comes into focus, neither is prepared for the secrets the other is hiding.

Buy it: Amazon | B&N 

Let me know if you give it a read! Have a great weekend!

**Disclaimer: Any books recommended here are from my own TBR pile that I buy with my own money unless otherwise noted. I have not been asked to review this book by the author or publisher. I do not take review requests or feature sponsored content. However, this book is from Penguin Intermix, my publisher.

FRIDAY READS: Openly Straight by Bill Konigsberg

 

First, a quick DEAL ALERT. My Invitation to Eden book BLURRING THE LINES is on sale for .99 for a limited time. Grab it on the cheap! 

About the book:

A year has passed since Gretchen lost her fiancé, but she still can’t sleep. Or paint. And her new home in New Orleans is either haunted or she’s finally going crazy. 

Her bet is on the latter. 

So when her best friend, Burke, offers to sweep her away to a private luxury island for a break, she can’t say no. Maybe if she can be someone else for a few days, the ghosts of the past will quiet. At least for a little while. 

Burke knows what she’s going through. She lost her fiancé, but he lost family. He gets her in a way no else can. But lately she’s noticing things she shouldn’t about her former fiancé’s younger brother—his sexy smirk, that spicy Cajun accent, and the way he looks at her when he thinks she’s not paying attention. A week alone with him? Dangerous. If she blurs the lines between them, she could ruin the only friendship that means anything to her. She could ruin it all. 

But the island of Eden has its own agenda. The island knows what you need. That’s what the invitation says. She just never imagines it will grant her the one wish that could destroy them both. 

 Buy it for 99 cents! Kindle | Nook | Kobo | iBooks

---

All right, on to Friday Reads. I've been giving you lots of dark reads lately, so today I have one that will have you laughing out loud and getting all the feels. OPENLY STRAIGHT by Bill Konigsberg. I adored this book! It went on my favorites shelf--which is not an easy shelf to get on--and I bought the author's other books immediately. It's a YA about Rafe who's been openly gay for years and has very supportive family, friends, and community. But he's tired of being looked at as gay first before anything else. So he decides to go to an all boys boarding school for his last two years of high school and not tell anyone he's gay. I loved the issues it explored and how he worked through him. I also enjoyed the romantic thread in it. Enjoy!

A funny, honest novel about being out, being proud . . . and being ready for something else.

Rafe is a normal teenager from Boulder, Colorado. He plays soccer. He's won skiing prizes. He likes to write.
And, oh yeah, he's gay. He's been out since 8th grade, and he isn't teased, and he goes to other high schools and talks about tolerance and stuff. And while that's important, all Rafe really wants is to just be a regular guy. Not that GAY guy. To have it be a part of who he is, but not the headline, every single time. 
So when he transfers to an all-boys' boarding school in New England, he decides to keep his sexuality a secret -- not so much going back in the closet as starting over with a clean slate. But then he sees a classmate breaking down. He meets a teacher who challenges him to write his story. And most of all, he falls in love with Ben . . . who doesn't even know that love is possible. 
This witty, smart, coming-out-again story will appeal to gay and straight kids alike as they watch Rafe navigate being different, fitting in, and what it means to be himself.

Buy it: Amazon | B&N | Indiebound | iBooks

What have you read (or what are you currently reading) this week?