By Golly, Ollie!

  • The Best of 2016
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    The Best of 2016

    5 comments on The Best of 2016

    Yet another year passes, and I didn’t reach my goal of reading 52 books. How can I call myself a book blogger if I cannot even achieve such a minuscule goal? Surely there is a quota that must be met for this sort of thing. Still, I read some pretty incredible books this year. These books take the cake!

    The Road to Little Dribbling by Bill Bryson — I knew this hilarious travel narrative by one of my favorite writers would top the list before I even started reading.

    Open Road Summer by Emery Lord — This novel started out as a two-star read but shifted into a four-star read that changed my perspective on YA Contemporary novels.

    The Sisters of Versailles and The Rivals of Versailles by Sally Christie — If you would have told me I was going to read and love this steamy romp through the palace of Versailles, I wouldn’t have believed you, but Sally Christie’s wit and storytelling abilities are irresistible. The final novel in this series, The Enemies of Versailles, is being released this year, and I cannot wait to read it!

    The Vanishing Season by Jodi Lynn Anderson — I still can’t find the words to accurately praise this novel. It is my absolute favorite read of 2016 though.

    The Art of Holding on and Letting Go by Kristin Bartley Lenz — This was a beautifully written novel about coping with grief and the healing powers of nature and rock climbing, and Lenz captured the essence of Michigan so perfectly (perhaps because she is a Michigander!).

    Into the Wild Nerd Yonder by Julie Halpern — Halpern captures the voice of a fifteen year old girl so vividly in this hilarious contemporary novel about family, friendship, and Dungeons & Dragons.

    Pique Tea Crystals — It’s a toss-up between their Earl Grey and their Mint Sencha, but Pique Tea Crystals is perfect for brewing a cup of iced tea on the go.

    Lemon Soleil Tea from Adagio Teas — The bright and lemony black tea was, without a doubt, my absolute favorite tea to sip on in 2016!

    Reading Nook Blend by Plume Deluxe — Just as the name of the tea suggests, this floral scented tea is perfect for keeping cozy while reading.

    Charcoal-baked Anxi Tie Guan Yin Oolong Tea from Tea Vivre — This is another dreamy, floral-flavored tea that makes me wish Springtime were right around the corner.

    Thai Chai Tea from Adagio Teas — this spicy and creamy blend of black tea, cinnamon bark, ginger root, dried coconut, cardamom, and lemon grass kept me warm this Autumn.

    What were some of your favorite Books & Tea in 2016?

  • Where Have I Been?

    Where Have I Been?

    10 comments on Where Have I Been?

    I have been a very bad blogger these past few months, but gosh! the end of the year has been a whirlwind– Nay! A tornado! I could express my dismay for neglecting my blog, but who wants to read about that? Here is the juicy stuff:

    Jackie & Jon Get Hitched!

    Remember back in January when I announced that I baked delicious blackberry mini-pies and also got engaged? Well, Jon and I sealed the deal on October 22, 2016! We had a small outdoor wedding among crimson and golden mums and trees that were beginning to change color. The ceremony was short and sweet, which is a relief because I spent most of it crying in front of 60 of our closest friends and relatives. Plus, it was a bit chilly, but at least it didn’t rain! Or more impressively, at least it didn’t snow.

    Then we herded indoors to a warm room decorated with copper and teal to feast on lasagna (because I like to live dangerously in a white dress) and wedding pie from Grand Traverse Pie Company (because wedding cake is so overrated) while sipping apple cider.

    I also engaged in awkward conversation because I have as much social grace as a hermit crab.

    We moved!

    Back in September, Jon and I both took a step up in the company we work for. My manager left, so I am officially THE accountant. So far, I haven’t lost my mind entirely, but the first two months were a bit rocky. Jon transferred to another franchise about an hour away to take on the role of the Move Manager (and to put this in context, we work for a moving company). Needless to say, spending two hours each day commuting was becoming draining for him, so we plopped down right in the middle.

    We relocated from the state’s capital, which (only) had about 100,000 citizens, to a literal village of less than 3,000 citizens. But, I think life here will be more my speed (which is about 25 mph on most streets “in town”).

    We moved on New Years Eve day, rang in the New Years by sleeping through the ball drop, and then enjoyed a hearty breakfast at a diner called the Feed Bag, which is situated across the street from a grain elevator and a livestock feed depot. It’s the kind of restaurant that has customers that greet you when you walk through the door even if you’re a stranger. They order “the usual” and talk about how they’re eating early today because their husband has to teach both of the children’s’ church services that morning. The one waitress working joins in on conversations at the tables and even offers you a coffee to go before you even realized you wanted one. Perhaps most importantly, they have delicious sausage gravy.

    The unpacking process is moving slowly, so I do not have pictures yet. But, I’m happy to announce…I finally have bookshelves!

    I’ve missed you, dear readers! How did you ring in the New Year?

  • A Modern Adaptation of a Gothic Classic | The Turning by Francine Prose

    A Modern Adaptation of a Gothic Classic | The Turning by Francine Prose

    1 comment on A Modern Adaptation of a Gothic Classic | The Turning by Francine Prose

    I am a slow reader. I mean, a slooooooooooow reader. I am also a distracted reader, so the fact that I even maintain a book blog is kind of a feat. Truly! I read about how other bloggers devour entire libraries in a year, and in five years, I could count the number of books I’ve read in a single day on one hand (The Vanishing Season by Jodi Lynn Anderson, the Wrap-up List by Steven Arnston, Into the Wild Nerd Yonder by Julie Halpern, Ghouls, Ghouls, Ghouls by Victoria Laurie). Well, I’m happy to say, I have one more book to add to this list. Er…sort of happy, anyway.

    the-turning-coverThe Turning by Francine Prose

    Released: September 2015
    Publisher: Harper Teen
    ★★☆☆☆
    Add to Goodreads

    Jack is spending the summer on a private island far from modern conveniences. No Wi-Fi, no cell service, no one else on the island but a housekeeper and the two very peculiar children in his care. The first time Jack sees the huge black mansion atop a windswept hill, he senses something cold, something more sinister than even the dark house itself.

    Soon, he feels terribly isolated and alone. Yet he is not alone. The house has visitors—peering in the windows, staring from across the shore. But why doesn’t anyone else see them . . . and what do they want? As secrets are revealed and darker truths surface, Jack desperately struggles to maintain a grip on reality. He knows what he sees, and he isn’t crazy. . . . Or is he?

    From nationally acclaimed author Francine Prose comes a mind-bending story that will leave you realizing how subtle the lines that separate reality, imagination, and insanity really are.

    The first thing you should know about the Turning by Francine Prose is that it is an adaptation of the gothic novella, The Turning of the Screw by Henry James (this was assigned reading in high school, but of course I read Sparknotes instead). The second thing you should know is The Turning is an epistolary novel told through an exchange of letters between Jack and his girlfriend. The third thing you should know is the Turning has an absolutely promising first half…and then it all falls apart (sort of like Jack’s sanity).

    What makes the first half of the novel so intriguing is the low-key creepy factor. Like the fact that Jack can’t shake the feeling that he’s being watched. Or the children, whose behavior is just ever slightly abnormal, hid a photograph of the last baby sitter with her face scratched out, and this somehow makes the children scarier than Regan from The Exorcist. Or the feeling that their other caretaker isn’t being 100% honest about the island, the house, or the children.

    Eventually, the isolation of the island starts to drive Jack mad though. He becomes paranoid and accuses his girlfriend of cheating on him, which is annoying. Then he starts seeing the ghost of a young woman, and he falls in love with her. Aside from his madness being too over the top for me, I just didn’t buy into it. I mean, the story takes place in 21st century America, so that kind of isolation is far-fetched.

    Still, I managed to read this book in one sitting, so I feel like that says something, right? Or else it just means that 250 pages is just short enough that even a distracted reader like me can make it to the ending.

  • Keeping Cozy with the Reading Nook Blend

    Keeping Cozy with the Reading Nook Blend

    2 comments on Keeping Cozy with the Reading Nook Blend

    Michigan has enjoyed a warm Autumn this year– “warm” being a relative term; although, temperatures did peak at a toasty 70 degrees on Friday. Of course, they also plummeted to the 30s on Saturday, and we experienced our first snowfall of the season. But that’s the north for ya’.

    Most of my co-workers are grumbling about the weather, but I’m a bit of an odd duck; I actually look forward to the cold season. Admittedly, I’ll probably spend the next five months white-knuckling it as I drive my tiny Ford Fiesta amongst maniac SUV drivers along poorly plowed, snowy roads. Still, there is a lot to look forward to when the cold settles in…

    Like Thanksgiving, for example! It’s my favorite holiday because it involves one of my favorite pastimes– feasting. And, the world gets a little quieter this time of year because people stay indoors and blankets of snow muffle noise pollution; as an introvert, I appreciate this. It’s also an ideal time of year for soups and stews and roasts and mugs of hot tea or hot cocoa. Perhaps best of all, it’s my favorite kind of reading weather! I love spending the weekend afternoons cozying up in blankets with a mug of hot tea and a good book, and I recently found a most appropriate tea for afternoons just like this– the Reading Nook Blend by Plum Deluxe Tea.

    The Reading Nook Blend is a black tea blended with rosebuds, lavender, chamomile, love, gratitude, and natural flavor, and when served with a drizzle of honey, it has the power to whisk you away to warmer and sunnier days. It’s like liquid Springtime. The Book Nook Blend is as fragrant and floral as the ingredients would lead you to believe, but it doesn’t overpower the palate. The label indicates this tea “pairs with creativity, reading, and writing”, which I most definitely agree, but I’d also like to add that it pairs with cozy mystery novels and the TV series Rosemary and Thyme.

    A sample of the Reading Nook Blend was provided for free in exchange for an honest review. And honestly, it was delicious.

  • Four Reasons Why I Would Never Want to Live During the 1800s| Madame Presidentess by Nicole Evelina

    Four Reasons Why I Would Never Want to Live During the 1800s| Madame Presidentess by Nicole Evelina

    3 comments on Four Reasons Why I Would Never Want to Live During the 1800s| Madame Presidentess by Nicole Evelina

    Have you ever been asked the question, “If you could go back in time and live, which year/decade/century would you choose”? After reading Madame Presidentess by Nicole Evelina, I can, with certainty, tell you that I wouldn’t want to live in America during the 1850s and 1880s.

    madame-presidentessMadame Presidentess by Nicole Evelina

    Released: July 2016
    Publisher: Lawson Gartner Publishing
    ★★★★☆
    Add to Goodreads
    Purchase: Amazon|B&N

    Forty-eight years before women were granted the right to vote, one woman dared to run for President of the United States, yet her name has been virtually written out of the history books.

    Rising from the shame of an abusive childhood, Victoria Woodhull, the daughter of a con-man and a religious zealot, vows to follow her destiny, one the spirits say will lead her out of poverty to “become ruler of her people.”

    But the road to glory is far from easy. A nightmarish marriage teaches Victoria that women are stronger and deserve far more credit than society gives. Eschewing the conventions of her day, she strikes out on her own to improve herself and the lot of American women.

    Over the next several years, she sets into motion plans that shatter the old boys club of Wall Street and defile even the sanctity of the halls of Congress. But it’s not just her ambition that threatens men of wealth and privilege; when she announces her candidacy for President in the 1872 election, they realize she may well usurp the power they’ve so long fought to protect.

    Those who support her laud “Notorious Victoria” as a gifted spiritualist medium and healer, a talented financial mind, a fresh voice in the suffrage movement, and the radical idealist needed to move the nation forward. But those who dislike her see a dangerous force who is too willing to speak out when women are expected to be quiet. Ultimately, “Mrs. Satan’s” radical views on women’s rights, equality of the sexes, free love and the role of politics in private affairs collide with her tumultuous personal life to endanger all she has built and change how she is viewed by future generations.

    This is the story of one woman who was ahead of her time – a woman who would make waves even in the 21st century – but who dared to speak out and challenge the conventions of post-Civil War America, setting a precedent that is still followed by female politicians today.

    First reason why I wouldn’t want to live during the second half of the 1800s (or the first half, really): everybody was dying during the war or from tuberculosis and dysentery (leading cause of death during all of my Oregon Trail efforts [RIP greenhorn]) and splinters and stuff. That being said, the atmosphere, grim though it may be, was perfect for spiritualism (you know, the Fox sisters? Ectoplasm? This post I wrote a few months ago?), and our dear Victoria Woodhull was a believer, nay! a practitioner of the art. Madame Presidentess explores Woodhull’s relationship with spiritualism throughout her life. Exploited by family, at a young age, Woodhull and her sister, Tennie, entertained clients by contacting the spirits from beyond. Then, during adolescence and early adulthood when she wanted to gain independence, Woodhull made a fortune as a traveling magnetic healer. (Later, she would earn another fortune after opening her own stock brokerage firm on freaking Wall Street. No bid deal.)

    Second reason why I wouldn’t want to live during the second half of the 1800s: everybody seemed to be pretty awful to each other. Following the abolition of slavery, racial tensions soared (I mean, the KKK was founded). Luckily for business owners though, the Fair Labor Standards Act didn’t exist, so they were free to overwork and underpay their employees (who were frequently children). Women didn’t fare so well either. At times, Madame Presidentess was difficult to read because Woodhull was physically and sexually abused throughout her youth and young adulthood. Particularly devastating was the abuse by the hand of her first husband, Canning Woodhull, who was a womanizer with a penchant for alcohol and laudanum (damn Libertines!). “Penchant” is probably definitely an understatement here. Woodhull was a fierce young women though and divorced that sucker.

    Third reason why I wouldn’t want to live during the second half of the 1800s: women didn’t have the right to vote. Which is why Victoria Woodhull is such an important figure. She fought to give women a voice. She launched her own newspaper, through which she published articles advocating women’s suffrage, sex education, and free love. She rubbed elbows with Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton and infiltrated the male dominated world of business and politics. Then, she ran for president and named abolitionist leader, Frederick Douglas, as her Veep! (She lost though. Obviously. Which maybe isn’t the worst thing since she also promoted eugenics).

    Fourth reason why I wouldn’t want to live during the second half of the 1800s: internet, video games, Jets BBQ chicken pizza, sneakers, Harry Potter, and Adagio tea did not exist. But, I digress…

    If I had to sum up Madame Presidentess in one word, I would definitely choose “fascinating”. What a life this woman lead! I’m not saying her stances and actions were always ethical, but Woodhull was certainly a powerhouse, who for some reason was written out of the history books. If you’re looking for an engaging and fast-paced historical fiction novel about subject not often explored in the genre, be sure to check out Madame Presidentess by Nicole Evelina.

     

    TLC Book Tours

    This novel was provided for free from the publisher and TLC Book Tours in exchange for an honest review.

About the Blogger

My name is Jackie, and I am a millennial / mother / Michigander / blogger / wannabe runner / accountant / local library enthusiast / gamer, kinda. This is a personal blog, which means I’m not entirely certain what you’ll find here, but it will definitely not show up on the first page of Google search results.