Roni Recommends: Maybe In Another Life by Taylor Jenkins Reid

I have made no secret that I love Taylor Jenkins Reid’s books, and I think because I love them so much, I’ve taken them slow. I haven’t devoured her backlist because I don’t want it to run out too quickly. So I’ve had Maybe In Another Life on my shelf for probably about a year. But I finally hit a moment where it felt like the right time to read it. I’m so glad I did!

I love that Reid tends to make her books about a particular question. The question explored in Maybe In Another Life: Can we change our fate by making the smallest decision? Like if we turn left on the street instead of right, does our entire life change? Or are we destined to end up how we end up? This also plays with the concept of soulmates, which she’s explored in other books as well. Do we only have one?

So the premise of this story is that the main character, Hannah, goes to her a bar with her friend. In one scenario, she says yes to going home with her ex-boyfriend from high school. In the other scenario, she turns him down. What follows is a story told in two separate timelines. One follows the first version of Hannah and what happens if she says yes. The other story is if Hannah says no.

This story is heartbreaking at times, but I promise, y’all, this isn’t a sad book. That’s what I love about Reid’s books. She makes you worry about how things might turn out, but then she always gives a satisfying ending (even if it’s not the ending you guessed.) I found the book very life-affirming. It had great characters, romance, and made me think. I am very stingy with rating things 5 stars in my reading journal. This is only the 4th novel I’ve read this year out of almost 60 that got that rating from me. Highly recommended!

About the book:

From the acclaimed author of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and After I Do comes a breathtaking new novel about a young woman whose fate hinges on the choice she makes after bumping into an old flame; in alternating chapters, we see two possible scenarios unfold—with stunningly different results.

At the age of twenty-nine, Hannah Martin still has no idea what she wants to do with her life. She has lived in six different cities and held countless meaningless jobs since graduating college. On the heels of leaving yet another city, Hannah moves back to her hometown of Los Angeles and takes up residence in her best friend Gabby’s guestroom. Shortly after getting back to town, Hannah goes out to a bar one night with Gabby and meets up with her high school boyfriend, Ethan.

Just after midnight, Gabby asks Hannah if she’s ready to go. A moment later, Ethan offers to give her a ride later if she wants to stay. Hannah hesitates. What happens if she leaves with Gabby? What happens if she leaves with Ethan?

In concurrent storylines, Hannah lives out the effects of each decision. Quickly, these parallel universes develop into radically different stories with large-scale consequences for Hannah, as well as the people around her. As the two alternate realities run their course, Maybe in Another Life raises questions about fate and true love: Is anything meant to be? How much in our life is determined by chance? And perhaps, most compellingly: Is there such a thing as a soul mate?

Hannah believes there is. And, in both worlds, she believes she’s found him.

Buy the book: Amazon | B&N | iBooks | Kobo

BInge-Worthy TV: Younger (Or Why I Stayed Up Late Too Many Nights Last Month)

If you follow my blog, you know that my primary form of entertainment is reading books not watching TV. I love TV, but with a 10-year old at home and my not so late bedtime, my time to watch grown-up shows is highly limited. So usually, in order to get my TV fix, I choose one show to work my way through. This usually takes a long time.

Then, I started watching Younger (streaming on Hulu and TV Land) while hubs had a string of out-of-town trips. This meant I could choose a show that was just for me that I knew hubs would never want to watch together AND it meant I had no one to say, “Hey babe, it’s getting kind of late and maybe we should tun off the TV.” In other words, I was left to my own devices and ended up not getting enough sleep many a night in the last two months or so because this show is SO fun. Plus, it is a master at the cliffhanger. “Just one more” became a regular mantra. I made it through all five seasons in no time at all.

So, let’s back up, if you have no idea which show I’m talking about. The premise of Younger (the show’s based on a book) is that a 40-something year old Liza is recently divorced (her husband cheated) and is now left with no job and has to pay for her daughter’s college tuition. She tries to get a job in publishing, the career she was in before she became a mom, but she’s been “out of the game too long” according to everyone she interviews with. She’s frustrated and desperate. Her friend suggest she lie about her age. Liza gets a millennial makeover, claims to be 26, and lands an assistant job at Empirical Publishing. That’s the set up. Good hook, yeah?

Well, even though the show is based on this one thing—Liza lying about her age and trying to pull off being a millennial when she is definitely not one—it’s not a one-trick pony. The cast of characters is so funny and likable, the storylines so engaging, and the romances so sexy that I gorged on the seasons like candy.

The episodes are short (less than 30 minutes) so they’re easy to devour, and they are so good at the end-of-episode cliffhanger that I couldn’t help clicking to start the next one too many times. I think I particularly enjoy the premise because I was born at the end of 1979 and sit on the border of the Gen X and Millennial years, so I can laugh and appreciate both generations as they poke fun at them.

Also, the show is set in publishing, so of course I love that. However, be warned, though they get some things right, many of the things they do in publishing are NOT accurate, lol. (Cue me talking to the TV often: “That’s not how it works!”.) Also, the episode focused on romance publishing (which did a cool shout out to Smart Bitches, Trashy Books!) was a little annoying as it didn’t dispel the stereotypes non-romance readers have about the genre. However, the end of that episode made me feel a little better and not quite as annoyed. ;)

Also, if you need no other reason to watch, then watch to appreciate the male beauty of Josh (Nico Tortorella) and Charles (Peter Hermann). I’m actually using Josh as inspiration for Kincaid’s hero (looks wise) in book four of The Ones Who Got Away series.

Josh…

I'm Still Going To Walk You Home Though, Cause I'm A Gentleman GIF from Suttonfoster GIFs

Charles…

Of Course GIF from Peterhermann GIFs

So if you’re looking for something fun that’s full of strong female friendships, steamy romance, and the world of books, you can’t go wrong with this one. Now I’ll be tapping my foot until season 6 arrives.

Seasons 1-5 can be streamed on Hulu or TV Land.

Anyone else a Younger fan? What have you binge-watched lately?

What I'm Watching This Summer

Summertime is the time of sunshine and the outdoors...well, in other places. Here in Dallas, summertime is full of sunshine and unbearable heat. Today it's 90 and it feels like autumn to me because we've been dealing with 105-110 temperatures for over two weeks and 90 truly feels like relief. We'll get a few days of this before the temperature races back up again.

But all this is to say that in summer, I often end up catching up on TV watching because we're indoors hiding from the heat. So I thought I'd pass along what I'm watching this summer both on TV and YouTube. And I'd love to hear what interesting shows you've found recently!

For pure soapy reality TV

Big Brother on CBS

If you've followed me for any length of time, you know that I'm a long time Big Brother fan. I look forward to it every summer, and it's become a family tradition. Hubs and I love all the strategy and personality dynamics. Kidlet loves all the competitions. (We fast forward through any not-safe-for-10-year-olds moments.) It's quite a commitment with three episodes a week, but I eat it up like candy. My favorite contestant this year in Tyler. I love that he came on and was all "I'm just a dumb, cute lifeguard" and has turned out to be the most socially strategic and smart player so far. The writer in me loves characters, and Big Brother always gives me good fodder for analysis.

Fun for the Whole Family

The Middle

Last summer kidlet and I picked a show to binge watch together for device-free summer. Last year was The Goldbergs, which has become a family favorite (and kidlet obsession) now. This summer, we've picked The Middle. (Side note: finding a truly family friendly modern sitcom is a challenge! But this one fits the bill.) We're almost done with season 2 and are really enjoying it. If you want to binge watch this one, it's not streaming anywhere for free (last I checked) but Freeform and the Hallmark channel have been running the seasons marathon style and we've been taping them, so look for that.

For the Music Lover

The Big Interview with Dan Rather

This is one hubs found on one of his favorite channels AXS. Dan Rather interviews famous musicians. (He may interview more than musicians, but the ones we've watched have all been musicians.) These interviews were taped a few years ago, but they are fascinating. Dan Rather is a master interviewer, and if you love music, you'll love the stories he pulls out of the people he puts in his interview chair. So far we've watched interviews with Greg Allman of The Allman Brothers, Robert Plant of Led Zeppelin, and Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top. Even if you don't know much about the particular band/artist (I knew hardly anything about The Allman Brothers) the interviews will pull you in. Highly recommended.

For Nostalgia or a Peek Inside 90s Teenhood

My So-Called Life

I mentioned a while back that I was so excited that one of my favorite podcast duos were starting the My So-Called Podcast where they rewatch episodes of My So-Called Life and then comment on them. This has been so much fun--to rewatch one of my very favorite shows from my teen years through adult eyes and then follow each episode up by listening to Jillian and Patrick pick apart the episodes in a funny yet respectful superfan kind of way. It's made it such a multi-layered experience. It's made me laugh a lot but also has made me wonder what the hell I was thinking loving Jordan Catalano (played by Jared Leto) back when I was 14. I mean, yes, he's beautiful, but dude, he was SUCH a jerk on that show. Adult Me totally wants to yell at him for his behavior. Anyway, if you want to rewatch or watch for the first time. Here's where you can stream it and here's where you can find the podcast.

For Your Brain

The 2000s on CNN

CNN has made series about many of the decades and every time, I am so here for it. I believe they started with The Sixties. That's the first one I watched at least, and they've gone on to make a series for each decade. This summer it is The 2000s. The show is produced by Tom Hanks and is done in such a great way that I get hooked every time. Each show will take one topic of that decade and do a deep dive. So, for instance, the episode we watched this week was all about technology and the "I-Decade"--the iPod, iPhone, iPad, social media, etc. Even though we all lived through it, it's fascinating to look back and really think about how much has changed so quickly. There was also an episode on TV shows in the 2000s and then there are the political ones (9/11, the Iraq War, etc.). I believe there is a music one coming up. All very well done. And if you haven't watched the previous seasons--60s, 70s, 80s, and 90s--they've all been fantastic.

For Your Body and Mind

Yoga with Adriene

I am trying to create a yoga habit, but I have trouble making it to classes because the timing never works out. So I've started doing yoga in the mornings at home. There are tons of free videos on YouTube, but I've found that the ones I like the best are from Yoga with Adriene. The videos are well shot, the routines are doable, there are lots of routines of varying length if I don't have a lot of time. Plus, Adriene is easy to follow and comes across as very down to earth. If you're looking to get some yoga into your life, check out her channel.

For the Planner Lover and Writers

Heart Breathings with Sarra Cannon

Y'all know I love a planner and anything having to do with productivity systems. I recently returned from the RWA (Romance Writers of America) conference where I met up with the writer/planner group I'm in online. So fun! And I happened to sit next to author Sarra Cannon who had brought her 90-day planner. I loved her set up and found out she has a YouTube channel where she talks about all things planning and writing. I blame her for the kanban board I put together this week. But if you're a planner girl (or guy!) like me, her channel is worth checking out. 

That's all I've got for y'all today! Tell me what you're watching and loving this summer. : )

My Podcast Addiction: Some Faves and New Finds

How did it take me so long to discover the world of podcasting? It's become one of my most favorite things over the past year or two. They're so convenient to listen to. During rides in the car, while I do dishes, when I take walks, etc. And I love learning new things or hearing about books, so it's like a little treat in my day to be able to listen to a podcasts. (I'm also a recent convert to audiobooks for similar reasons, but more on that at another time.)

Today I wanted to tell you about a few of my must-listen-to-every-week podcasts and then some new ones I've stumbled upon in the last few months. I've blogged a few times about podcasts I like here and here so you may recognize some of my recurring favorites. 

So, up first are the ones that I listen to every week and often listen to on the day they release.

My Favorites

What Should I Read Next with Anne Bogel

I've mentioned this one before. Anne has a reader on each episode. Readers tell her three books they love, one book they hate, and then what they would like to be different in their reading life. Anne then makes recommendations. Anne doesn't read romance so that's not what she's recommending, but otherwise, there is a wide variety of types of books recommended. This podcast has cost me SO MUCH book money because her descriptions often sell me on the book. General Focus: mysteries, suspense, literary fiction, classics, general fiction, women's fiction, non-fiction BONUS: Safe to listen to with your kids around and she has a very soothing voice. 

Get Booked by Book Riot

Similar to the one above in that it's about readers and book recommendations, but the format is a little different. Readers send in questions and the two hosts answer them with recommendations. General focus: all types of fiction including romance (yay!), non-fiction, poetry, short stories, essay collections, etc. BONUS: Special emphasis on diverse picks and feminist books. Warning: No profanity or anything but not always kid-friendly because books with heavy topics are often discussed. They do give trigger warnings, however.

All the Books! by Book Riot

This show goes through the books that are releasing that week. The hosts talk about their recommendations. Very similar in style to Get Booked but no reader questions. It's all about what's out this week and what you should read. Same warnings I gave for Get Booked apply here.

New-to-Me Podcasts I'm Loving

Sorta Awesome with Megan Tietz and friends

This one is hard to describe, but it covers a lot of ground. Below is the description from the website, but it's just a podcast that is fun and full of interesting tips. It feels like sitting down with your girlfriends over wine and discussing life.

"Sorta Awesome is a weekly podcast geared toward women who want to stay current on all things awesome, including culture, media, trending conversations and general girlfriend chat. Each episode of Sorta Awesome begins with the Awesome of the Week. Meg and her co-host share a recent discovery that makes life easier, better or more sparkly. From there, the show delves into topics that are as varied as the team itself. One week, we might confess our popular opinions. The next, we might share tips on organization. Our goal is for listeners to feel encouraged, empowered and excited to find the awesome in the everyday."

Note to Self with Manoush Zomorodi

This one is about the effects of technology in our lives presented in a super interesting way. Y'all know I've been kind of obsessed with this topic since our Device-Free Summer, so this is right up my alley. The host is the author of the new book Bored and Brilliant which I'm reading right now, but the podcasts has a wide range of technology topics.

The Lazy Genius with Kendra, The Lazy Genius

The motto of this show is this: "A Lazy Genius is a genius about the things that matter and lazy about the things that don't." So that's exactly what it is. Kendra dedicates each episode to one topic to be a lazy genius about. Simple things like hanging stuff on your walls (and why you shouldn't be scared about it) to creating mental space in your day. These are usually pretty quick and good for a short car ride.

New Ones I'm Trying Out

Recommended by Book Riot

This is a short podcast where authors recommend a favorite book to readers. Interesting stories usually accompany the recommendation because the authors tell you why that particular book meant something to them.

The Simple Show with Tsh Oxenreider

The motto of this one is saying yes to the things that matter and no to the things that don't. The two hosts pick a topic each week (cleaning, TV watching, roadtrips) and discuss what they say yes and no to within those topics. Can take on a religious lean sometimes but it's not a religious show. 

The Rewatchables

I just added this one and haven't listened to an episode yet, but I love the concept. It's all about taking older movies and discussing why they are worth a rewatch. I'm excited because they seem to have episodes about a lot of movies I love: You've Got Mail, Clueless, Scream, etc.

If you're new to podcasts, it's easy to get started. Most phones have a native podcast app. Just open the app, search for the podcasts you want, and you can download episodes for free (or subscribe if you want them to download every time a new episode is available.) The native Apple podcast app works fine, but I like the added features of the Overcast app, which is free in the app store.

That's my list for now, what podcasts do you love? Or are you new to the whole idea of podcasts?

What I've Been Reading: 4 Recent Favorites

I think I'm going to declare the year 2017 my year of reading voraciously. At the beginning of the year, I set a goal to read 45 books for the year. This was a little lower than the previous year's goal because for the first time in years *sob* I didn't hit my Goodreads goal in 2016. But last week I actually hit my goal already. Woot!

Part of the reason I'm reading so much, beyond the fact that it's my favorite thing to do, is that, as many of you know, I've cut out so much of my online and smartphone time. Those gaps created have been filled in with more reading time--a happy switch I have to say. But that's left me with so many books that I want to tell you about and not enough time to blog fully about them all, lol.

So today I thought I'd give a quick rundown of what I've been reading lately and loving.

The Kitchen Counter Cooking School by Kathleen Flinn

I heard about this one first on the Modern Mrs. Darcy podcast and I knew I had to have it. I love a foodie book, but I was intrigued by the premise of this one--taking a group of women who didn't feel confident in the kitchen and showing them simple ways to cook without complicated recipes and a lot of fuss. Now, I consider myself a pretty experienced cook since it's a hobby of mine, but I still learned a ton of things in this book. For one, I've been holding my chef's knife all wrong! All this time. I had no idea. But beyond the cooking tips, I loved hearing about each woman's individual story and experiences. I listened to this one in audio and then had to buy the paperback too because I wanted all the little tips and simple recipes given.

About the book:

The author of the New York Times bestseller The Sharper Your Knife, The Less You Cry tells the inspiring story of how she helped nine others find their inner cook.

After graduating from Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, writer Kathleen Flinn returned with no idea what to do next, until one day at a supermarket she watched a woman loading her cart with ultraprocessed foods. Flinn's "chefternal" instinct kicked in: she persuaded the stranger to reload with fresh foods, offering her simple recipes for healthy, easy meals. The Kitchen Counter Cooking School includes practical, healthy tips that boost readers' culinary self-confidence, and strategies to get the most from their grocery dollar, and simple recipes that get readers cooking.
 

Someday, Someday, Maybe by Lauren Graham

Yes, by that Lauren Graham of Gilmore GIrls fame. This is a fictional story about an actress in New York trying to make it in the nineties. You can definitely hear Graham's voice in the story and you get the sense that though it's a fictional tale, she's using a lot of personal experiences to flavor it. I thought that added a level of authenticity I'm not sure I've read in other books with actress heroines. This one was very upbeat and fun. Sometimes I wanted to yell at the character because her self-esteem is so shaky at times and I just want to give her a rah-rah, don't-sell-yourself-short talk, but she's very likable and endearing. There's a slight romance thread in the book but don't expect a spelled out ending for the romance. At the end, it was one that I kept turning the pages because I was hoping for an epilogue. Sadly, no epilogue, but the journey was worth it. A breezy read.

About the book:

From Lauren Graham, the beloved star of Gilmore Girls and Parenthood, comes a witty, charming, and hilariously relatable debut novel about a struggling young actress trying to get ahead―and keep it together―in New York City.
 
It’s January 1995, and Franny Banks has just six months left of the three-year deadline she set for herself when she came to New York, dreaming of Broadway and doing “important” work. But all she has to show for her efforts so far is a part in an ad for ugly Christmas sweaters, and a gig waiting tables at a comedy club. Her roommates―her best friend Jane, and Dan, an aspiring sci-fi writer―are supportive, yet Franny knows a two-person fan club doesn’t exactly count as success. Everyone tells her she needs a backup plan, and though she can almost picture moving back home and settling down with her perfectly nice ex-boyfriend, she’s not ready to give up on her goal of having a career like her idols Diane Keaton and Meryl Streep. Not just yet. But while she dreams of filling their shoes, in the meantime, she’d happily settle for a speaking part in almost anything—and finding a hair product combination that works.
 
Everything is riding on the upcoming showcase for her acting class, where she’ll finally have a chance to perform for people who could actually hire her. And she can’t let herself be distracted by James Franklin, a notorious flirt and the most successful actor in her class, even though he’s suddenly started paying attention. Meanwhile, her bank account is rapidly dwindling, her father wants her to come home, and her agent doesn’t return her calls. But for some reason, she keeps believing that she just might get what she came for.
 
Someday, Someday, Maybe is a story about hopes and dreams, being young in a city, and wanting something deeply, madly, desperately. It’s about finding love, finding yourself, and perhaps most difficult of all in New York City, finding an acting job.

Around the Writer's Block by Rosanne Bane

I learned about this one in an RWA workshop and immediately had to go out and buy it. I suffer from writer's block at some point in almost every book and it's a huge source of stress for me. This book breaks it down and gives a simple system for setting up your brain for success so that you avoid burnout and blocks. SO HELPFUL. I've read a lot of books and articles on this topic, but this one really resonated with me. I loved all the science and explanations, and I found the system she suggests very intuitive. Highly recommended to my fellow writers.

About the book:

Discover the tricks that your brain uses to keep you from writing—and how to beat them.

Do you:

• Want to write, but find it impossible to get started?

• Keep your schedules so full that you don’t have any time to write?

• Wait until the last minute to write, even though you know you could do a better job if you gave yourself more time?

• Suddenly remember ten other things that you need to do whenever you sit down to write?

• Sabotage your own best efforts with lost files, missed deadlines, or excessive self-criticism?

The good news is that you’re not lazy, undisciplined, or lacking in willpower, talent or ambition. You just need to learn what’s going on inside your brain, and harness the power of brain science to beat resistance and develop a productive writing habit.

In Around the Writer’s Block, Rosanne Bane-- a creativity coach and writing teacher for more than 20 years-- uses the most recent breakthroughs in brain science to help us understand, in simple, clear language, where writing resistance comes from: a fight-or-flight response hard-wired into our brain, which can make us desperate to flee the sources of our anxieties by any means possible.

Bane’s three-part plan, which has improved the productivity of thousands of writers, helps you develop new reliable writing habits, rewire the brain’s responses to the anxiety of writing, and turn writing from a source of stress and anxiety into one of joy and personal growth.

Hamlet's Blackberry by William Powers

Yes, I'm still obsessively reading books about digital life and the effects devices have on us. : ) But I'm sharing this one because I think it's one of the most readable ones yet and focuses on the philosophical side instead of the hard science side. Powers lays out the problems and struggles so many of us are having with focusing and feeling constantly busy in the digital age, then he pulls seven philosophers from history to examine how they handled radical shifts in technology. (Because we're not the first generation to have to deal with that kind of radical shift--think of when written language was developed, when the printing press was created, when radio and TV were invented). It was really interesting seeing how insights from philosophers of the past absolutely can be useful today in dealing with our own technology revolution. Then at the end, Powers gives practical idea for how we can better live in our digital worlds without losing our minds. (Also, even though this book was published 7 years ago, it's still just as relevant today.)

About the book:

A crisp, passionately argued answer to the question that everyone who’s grown dependent on digital devices is asking: Where’s the rest of my life? Hamlet’s BlackBerry challenges the widely held assumption that the more we connect through technology, the better. It’s time to strike a new balance, William Powers argues, and discover why it's also important to disconnect. Part memoir, part intellectual journey, the book draws on the technological past and great thinkers such as Shakespeare and Thoreau. “Connectedness” has been considered from an organizational and economic standpoint—from Here Comes Everybody to Wikinomics—but Powers examines it on a deep interpersonal, psychological, and emotional level. Readers of Malcolm Gladwell’s The Tipping Point and Outliers will relish Hamlet’s BlackBerry.

That's all I've got for you today. What have you been reading?