The Woman in the Window is the debut novel from A.J. Finn. A Hitchockian-inspired psychological thriller, The Woman in the Window introduces us to Anna Fox. Anna is agoraphobic and is unable to leave her home. Heavily medicated, both through prescription meds and her own drinking, she believes she sees a crime through her window inside the home of one of her neighbours.
But did she really?
Anna is an unreliable narrator, and it's easy to question what she has to say. I found The Woman in the Window to be a quick read, and I was dying to find out if Anna was telling the truth or not. It certainly kept me turning the pages!
One of the twists near the end was something I actually had a wonderment about early on in the book, so it was a fun surprise to see it come to fruition.
Importantly, The Woman in the Window brings forward the theme of mental health in an accessible way. Whether we've suffered trauma or not, we each have our own hidden story, the story no one can see. There's the version of our story we show people, and then there is the version that is real. And how do we judge each each other based solely on what we think we know?
The movie rights to this book were actually sold before The Woman in the Window was even officially published, and I can absolutely see why. This should also make for a very gripping film!
Once you've finished The Woman in the Window, I recommend reading Connected Underneath by Linda Legters. You'll enjoy some similar themes with a protagonist housebound in a wheelchair, but read an entirely new story.
xo
Jenn
Disclaimer - I received a copy of The Woman in the Window courtesy of HarperCollins Canada. All thoughts and opinions are entirely my own.
Monday, 29 January 2018
Thursday, 25 January 2018
My Little Sis Got Married!
My little sister got married the the first week of January. Both her and her husband are in the Navy, so their time off together is limited. It was a small, beautiful ceremony right in my parents' home, and I am so happy for them both. Amanda is now also officially a step-mom to an energetic little 9-year-old boy who played so well with Sebastian the whole week. I am grateful for him especially because now I get to be an Aunt!!
If you can, have kids at your small wedding. They make for the very best ceremony commentary! Here are some of the gems we heard:
- Is there a snack?!
- Why does she get to sign something! I want to sign my name!
- I want those rings back! I was just borrowing them to you!
Here are a few of my favourite pictures from the wedding day:
Getting Ready
Ceremony
If you can, have kids at your small wedding. They make for the very best ceremony commentary! Here are some of the gems we heard:
- Is there a snack?!
- Why does she get to sign something! I want to sign my name!
- I want those rings back! I was just borrowing them to you!
Reception
Congratulations, guys!
xo
Jenn
Monday, 22 January 2018
3 Journals that Moms Will Love
Because I can't do just one thing, I actually have three journals on the go this year.
"OMG Jenn! How do you even have time for this?! I don't always wash my face before bed, how am I supposed write in three different journals too?! Crazy woman."
But wait! Just hear me out. I promise, even if you don't jump into all three like I did, I bet one of these journals will pull at your heart. And I also promise that no matter which one(s) you pick, you will feel good about writing in them each and every day.
First things first - Gratitude
Disclosure - I won this beautiful gratitude journal from Indigo in December. I've tried gratitude journals in the past because research proves that showing gratitude actually makes us happier people, but I've never been able to make them stick. I've been using this one for nearly a month, and while I don't get to it every single day (I'm probably at about 5 or 6 times a week), thinking of three wonderful things that happened to me or my family is a nice way to end the day.
I also have a non-journal version of this that Rob, Sebastian, and I have done for a few years now. At dinner, we almost always make a point to each share our "favourite thing" from the day. And if you have a child who's favourite thing is usually his latest iPad game, we ask for one "favourite thing" that involves a screen and one "favourite thing" that does not.
Second things second - Reflections on motherhood
Are you familiar with the Q and A a Day: A 5-Year Journal? How this journal works is that there is a question or prompt assigned to every day of the year. Then, on each page, there is space for 5 answers. The idea is that you jot down one short answer each day and then at the end of the year, you begin again. At a glance, you see how your answers change over the years (or maybe they won't!).
At a Penguin Random House event in the fall, one of the women showed me Q and A a Day for moms: A 5-Year Journal and during the holidays I ordered a copy for myself. The cover is gorgeous (because moms are gorgeous creatures, so they should have journals to match), and I am absolutely in love with the prompts inside. Sometimes they're serious. Sometimes they're not. But they're aways meaningful and relatable.
Third things third - Conversations with your child
I have been enjoying the 5-Year Journal for moms so much that a few weeks ago I reading more about these books and discovered there is a children's version! Q&A a Day for Kids is a 3-year journal designed in a similar fashion. At the top of each page there is a question or prompt you ask your child, and then there is space for you to fill in their answers for three years.
They recommend using this journal with children between the ages of 4 and 9. Sebastian is five and a half, and we have both been already having so much fun filling it out! He looks forward each day to "doing the question" together. I just know this is going to be a special book that Rob and I will treasure for years to come.
All in all, it probably takes me about 10 minutes to complete the prompts in all three journals. As I mentioned above, I'm not at 100% as far as daily writing goes, but I'm pretty close, and the Q&A a Day journals are easy to catch up with when necessary.
And while the Q & A journals are dated January - December, you can easily jump in at any point of the year. We did a bit of a "catch up blast" on the first day, and went through the first dozen questions or so to get on track (because Seb's mama is too-organized for her own good and starting a year-long journal on January 12th made her twitchy).
Which of these journals is your favourite? Do any of them sound like they'd be a good fit for you?
xo
Jenn
"OMG Jenn! How do you even have time for this?! I don't always wash my face before bed, how am I supposed write in three different journals too?! Crazy woman."
But wait! Just hear me out. I promise, even if you don't jump into all three like I did, I bet one of these journals will pull at your heart. And I also promise that no matter which one(s) you pick, you will feel good about writing in them each and every day.
First things first - Gratitude
Disclosure - I won this beautiful gratitude journal from Indigo in December. I've tried gratitude journals in the past because research proves that showing gratitude actually makes us happier people, but I've never been able to make them stick. I've been using this one for nearly a month, and while I don't get to it every single day (I'm probably at about 5 or 6 times a week), thinking of three wonderful things that happened to me or my family is a nice way to end the day.
I also have a non-journal version of this that Rob, Sebastian, and I have done for a few years now. At dinner, we almost always make a point to each share our "favourite thing" from the day. And if you have a child who's favourite thing is usually his latest iPad game, we ask for one "favourite thing" that involves a screen and one "favourite thing" that does not.
Second things second - Reflections on motherhood
Are you familiar with the Q and A a Day: A 5-Year Journal? How this journal works is that there is a question or prompt assigned to every day of the year. Then, on each page, there is space for 5 answers. The idea is that you jot down one short answer each day and then at the end of the year, you begin again. At a glance, you see how your answers change over the years (or maybe they won't!).
At a Penguin Random House event in the fall, one of the women showed me Q and A a Day for moms: A 5-Year Journal and during the holidays I ordered a copy for myself. The cover is gorgeous (because moms are gorgeous creatures, so they should have journals to match), and I am absolutely in love with the prompts inside. Sometimes they're serious. Sometimes they're not. But they're aways meaningful and relatable.
Third things third - Conversations with your child
I have been enjoying the 5-Year Journal for moms so much that a few weeks ago I reading more about these books and discovered there is a children's version! Q&A a Day for Kids is a 3-year journal designed in a similar fashion. At the top of each page there is a question or prompt you ask your child, and then there is space for you to fill in their answers for three years.
They recommend using this journal with children between the ages of 4 and 9. Sebastian is five and a half, and we have both been already having so much fun filling it out! He looks forward each day to "doing the question" together. I just know this is going to be a special book that Rob and I will treasure for years to come.
All in all, it probably takes me about 10 minutes to complete the prompts in all three journals. As I mentioned above, I'm not at 100% as far as daily writing goes, but I'm pretty close, and the Q&A a Day journals are easy to catch up with when necessary.
And while the Q & A journals are dated January - December, you can easily jump in at any point of the year. We did a bit of a "catch up blast" on the first day, and went through the first dozen questions or so to get on track (because Seb's mama is too-organized for her own good and starting a year-long journal on January 12th made her twitchy).
Which of these journals is your favourite? Do any of them sound like they'd be a good fit for you?
xo
Jenn
Friday, 19 January 2018
Bonfire by Krysten Ritter - Book Review
If Erin Brokovich and The Girl on the Train had a baby, it would be this book. Bonfire is the debut novel from actress Krysten Ritter. I have actually not followed Ritter's acting career closely; however, the premise of her novel sounded intriguing to me.
Here's a synopsis from Goodreads:
Should you ever go back?
It has been ten years since Abby Williams left home and scrubbed away all visible evidence of her small town roots. Now working as an environmental lawyer in Chicago, she has a thriving career, a modern apartment, and her pick of meaningless one-night stands.
But when a new case takes her back home to Barrens, Indiana, the life Abby painstakingly created begins to crack. Tasked with investigating Optimal Plastics, the town's most high-profile company and economic heart, Abby begins to find strange connections to Barrens’ biggest scandal from more than a decade ago involving the popular Kaycee Mitchell and her closest friends—just before Kaycee disappeared for good.
Abby knows the key to solving any case lies in the weak spots, the unanswered questions. But as Abby tries to find out what really happened to Kaycee, she unearths an even more disturbing secret—a ritual called “The Game,” which will threaten the reputations, and lives, of the community and risk exposing a darkness that may consume her.
With tantalizing twists, slow-burning suspense, and a remote, rural town of just five claustrophobic miles, Bonfire is a dark exploration of the question: can you ever outrun your past?
The premise of a small town scandal initially drew me into this book. I grew up in a small town about the same size as Barrens, Indiana and could easily imagine my own high school when Ritter described the cliques and dynamics of being in a place where absolutely everyone knows you. I enjoyed Ritter's writing, and the slow-burning suspense kept me engaged and turning the pages. The flashbacks to the past worked well to help build a picture of what could really be going on in Barrens today. I especially couldn't wait to find out what really happened to Kaycee.
The storyline with Optimal Plastics felt a little too similar to Erin Brokovich at times, especially in the beginning, so that was the only part of the story that left me a bit wanting.
Bonfire is a quick read and, overall, I'd say it's worth checking out if you're in the mood for a small town suspense novel and especially if you're a fan of the author, just to get a sense of her other now-not-so-hidden talent.
xo
Jenn
Disclaimer - I received a complementary copy of Bonfire courtesy of Penguin Random House Canada. All thoughts and opinions are entirely my own.
Here's a synopsis from Goodreads:
Should you ever go back?
It has been ten years since Abby Williams left home and scrubbed away all visible evidence of her small town roots. Now working as an environmental lawyer in Chicago, she has a thriving career, a modern apartment, and her pick of meaningless one-night stands.
But when a new case takes her back home to Barrens, Indiana, the life Abby painstakingly created begins to crack. Tasked with investigating Optimal Plastics, the town's most high-profile company and economic heart, Abby begins to find strange connections to Barrens’ biggest scandal from more than a decade ago involving the popular Kaycee Mitchell and her closest friends—just before Kaycee disappeared for good.
Abby knows the key to solving any case lies in the weak spots, the unanswered questions. But as Abby tries to find out what really happened to Kaycee, she unearths an even more disturbing secret—a ritual called “The Game,” which will threaten the reputations, and lives, of the community and risk exposing a darkness that may consume her.
With tantalizing twists, slow-burning suspense, and a remote, rural town of just five claustrophobic miles, Bonfire is a dark exploration of the question: can you ever outrun your past?
The premise of a small town scandal initially drew me into this book. I grew up in a small town about the same size as Barrens, Indiana and could easily imagine my own high school when Ritter described the cliques and dynamics of being in a place where absolutely everyone knows you. I enjoyed Ritter's writing, and the slow-burning suspense kept me engaged and turning the pages. The flashbacks to the past worked well to help build a picture of what could really be going on in Barrens today. I especially couldn't wait to find out what really happened to Kaycee.
The storyline with Optimal Plastics felt a little too similar to Erin Brokovich at times, especially in the beginning, so that was the only part of the story that left me a bit wanting.
Bonfire is a quick read and, overall, I'd say it's worth checking out if you're in the mood for a small town suspense novel and especially if you're a fan of the author, just to get a sense of her other now-not-so-hidden talent.
xo
Jenn
Disclaimer - I received a complementary copy of Bonfire courtesy of Penguin Random House Canada. All thoughts and opinions are entirely my own.
Monday, 8 January 2018
The Unread Shelf Project and My 2018 Reading Goals
I have 202 unread books in my house. 230 if you count e-books. And our house is not that big! Last year I started out with 150 unread books in the house. I read 30 of them (plus a whole host of others) and have somehow ended up with more books in the end!
To
The Unread Shelf Project 2018 is co-hosted by @theunreadshelf, @katereadsbooks_, and @calsreads. There are weekly and monthly challenges to help you reacquaint yourself with your unread books and motivate you to actually read them! You can find out more about The Unread Shelf Project and the challenges by checking out the three co-hosts and by following the hashtag #theunreadshelfproject2018.
The first challenge was to count all of your unread books (see above 🙈 ). The second challenge was to feature an unread book each day for seven days over on Instagram. I've had fun with both of these challenges and look forward to seeing what comes up next.
What I love about the philosophy behind the Unread Shelf Project is that we aren't putting a full stop to buying or borrowing books for the year, but we are trying to be more mindful about our buying and borrowing right now. This way we can show our own books a little more love and probably discover some gems we didn't even know we had!
You can follow me along with my Unread Shelf Project here on Instagram @jennbairos.
In the meantime, I've put together a plan:
Books I already own by authors who have a last name that starts with F, G, H, or I
To give you another clue as to how many unread books I have hiding at home, this pile unread of F-I books is currently sitting at a ridiculous 40 titles. And then there are an additional 10 or so on my Goodreads TBR list. 🙈 🙈This seems like kind of an obsessive way to tackle books, but I started working through the alphabet of my books a few years ago and one thing I like about reading my unread shelf in alphabetical chunks is that it is usually a manageable pile to start with. Then I can really go through which books I want to read and which ones I just need to unhaul into the free little library on our street. I always end up straying from my pile, so I keep relatively flexible about it all. I also usually alternate between reading a romance novel and then something that's not romance.
Outlander
The Outlander series has been a reading goal of mine forever. It will happen this year!2018 releases
- Sarah J. Maas has four books being published this year. I can't wait to devour them all. I will also probably reread the Throne of Glass series next summer in anticipation of the final book being released in September!
- A Court of Frost and Starlight novella
- Catwoman
- The World of Throne of Glass
- Last book in the Throne of Glass series (currently untitled)
- Jennifer Robson has also been dropping hints on her social media pages that she has a new book coming out later this year. She's another auto-purchase author for me. She writes beautiful historical fiction with touches of romance. I love everything she's written.
- The Queen's Rising by Rebecca Ross (review to come)
- The Perfect Mother by Aimee Molloy
- Just Between Us by Rebecca Drake
- The Other Mother by Carol Goodman (review to come)
- The Cruel Prince by Holly Black
Holiday Books
I enjoy reading Christmas-themed books during the holidays. This past Christmas I was gifted a few, so I've already got these books ready to go for December!- The Last Christmas in Paris by Hazel Gaynor and Heather Webb
- Christmas in a Cowboy's Arms by Leigh Greenwood
- Seduced by the Tycoon at Christmas by Pamela Yaye
- The Christmas Cowboy by Shanna Hatfield
Other books high on my TBR pile
- More Weird Things Customers Say in Bookshops by Jen Campbell
- Fall of Poppies, Various Authors
- Wonder Woman by Leigh Bardugo
- Bonfire by Krysten Ritter (review to come)
- Breathe by Kristen Ashley (currently reading)
- Close Enough to Touch by Victoria Dahl
- Cowboy's Legacy by B. J. Daniels
- House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski
A few friends and I just started a new book club as well. Our first official meeting is later this week, and we're discussing The Heart's Invisible Furies by John Boyne. I just finished it, and it was so amazing! I look forward to seeing what gets picked next.
I read a lot of non-fiction last year, so this year I'm taking a bit of a non-fiction break. I have a couple shorter non-fiction books that I'll probably read, but I've really just been craving fiction to escape in lately. I'm setting my Goodreads Challenge at 100 books. We'll see what happens!!
xo
Jenn
xo
Jenn
Monday, 1 January 2018
2017 Reading Recap
In 2017 year I read all the things. All of them. It's like an addiction. I just can't stop. For the first time ever I read 100 books. I also read some novellas which was a new thing for me, and Sebastian and I started to read chapter books together.
If you track your reading on Goodreads, it puts together a cool infographic of your year in books, so this is what mine looks like for 2017! Also, if you want to follow along my reviews on Goodreads, you can check out my profile here.
January
February
March
April
May
June
September
If you track your reading on Goodreads, it puts together a cool infographic of your year in books, so this is what mine looks like for 2017! Also, if you want to follow along my reviews on Goodreads, you can check out my profile here.
A few interesting stats from my 100 books:
31 were published in 2017
26 were 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ reads for me
4 were rereads
17 were nonfiction
88 were by female authors
3 were novellas (+ 1 book collection of novellas)
9 were by Canadian authors
2 were books Seb and I read together
3 were novellas (+ 1 book collection of novellas)
9 were by Canadian authors
2 were books Seb and I read together
January
- A Court of Thorns and Roses, Sarah J. Maas
- A Court of Mist and Fury, Sarah J. Maas (for the love of all things good and holy, omg read this book)
- Royally Screwed, Emma Chase
- A Certain Age, Beatriz Williams (full review here)
- The Witches of New York, Ami McKay
February
- The Assassin's Blade, Sarah J. Maas
- Voices in the Ocean, Susan Casey
- Throne of Glass, Sarah J. Maas
- Crown of Midnight, Sarah J. Maas
March
- There is No Good Card for This: What to say and do when life is awful to the people you love, Emily McDowell and Kelsey Crowe
- Belgravia, Julian Fellowes
- Science of Parenthood: Thoroughly Unscientific Explanations for Utterly Baffling Parenting Situations, Jessica Ziegler and Norine Dworkin-McDaniel (read an interview with the authors here)
- Second Chance with the CEO, Anna DePalo
- Dark Lover, J. R. Ward
- Almost a Bride, Jo Watson
- The Girl Who Chased The Moon, Sarah Addison Allen
- Heir of Fire, Sarah J. Maas
- Queen of Shadows, Sarah J. Maas
- Empire of Storms, Sarah J. Maas
- Goodnight From London, Jennifer Robson (full review here)
April
- Lost Lake, Sarah Addison Allen
- Her Sweetest Fortune, Stella Bagwell
- A Court of Thorns and Roses, Sarah J. Maas (again)
- A Court of Mist and Fury, Sarah J. Maas (and again!)
- I Found You, Lisa Jewell (full review here)
- Slow Burn Cowboy, Maisey Yates (full review here)
May
- A Court of Wings And Ruin, Sarah J. Maas
- Make Me Beg, Rebecca Brooks
- Confessions of a Domestic Failure, Bunmi Laditan
- The Self-Care Solution, Julie Burton
- Veronica Mars: The Thousand Dollar Tan Line, Rob Thomas and Jennifer Graham
- Veronica Mars: Mr. Kiss and Tell, Rob Thomas and Jennifer Graham
- Daughter of Smoke and Bone, Laini Taylor
June
- Those Who Save Us, Jenna Blum
- Dear Ijeawele or A Femininst Manifesto in Fifteen Suggestions, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
- I Only Have Eyes For You, Bella Andre
- Days of Blood and Starlight, Laini Taylor
- The Handmaid's Tale, Margaret Atwood
- Three Wishes, Kristen Ashley
July
- Secrets of the Tulip Sisters, Susan Mallery (full review and author interview here)
- Anne of Green Gables, My Daughter, and Me, Lorilee Craker (full review here)
- A Paris All Your Own, Eleanor Brown (full review here)
- Swept Away, Robyn Carr
- Reflections, Nora Roberts
- Sweet Cheeks, K. Bromberg
- Weird Things Customers Say In Bookstores, Jen Campbell
- The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared, Jonas Jonasson
- The Cottingley Secret, Hazel Gaynor (full review here)
- Before We Were Strangers, Renée Carlino
August
- The Star-Touched Queen, Roshani Chokshi
- A Crown of Wishes, Roshani Chokshi
- The Giraffe, The Pelly and Me, Roald Dahl
- Less of a Stranger, Nora Roberts
- Beartown, Fredrik Backman
- The Bookshop on the Corner, Jenny Colgan
- The Last Mrs. Parrish, Liv Constantine (full review here and read an excerpt here)
- Her Mother's Keeper, Nora Roberts
- Camino Beach, Amanda Callendrier
- Taking the Heat, Victoria Dahl
- Copper Sun, Sharon M. Draper
- I'll Have What She's Having: How Nora Ephron's Three Iconic Films Saved The Romantic Comedy, Erin Carlson (full review here)
September
- It Takes a Tribe, Will Dean (full review here)
- Broken Love, Jillian Dodd
- Back To You, Lauren Dane
- Fantastic Mr. Fox, Roald Dahl
- The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, Taylor Jenkins Reid
- Where I Belong, Alan Doyle
- A Newfoundlander In Canada, Alan Doyle (full review here)
October
- Hot Seduction, Lisa Childs
- Tower of Dawn, Sarah J. Maas
- A Week to be Wicked, Tessa Dare
- A Tragic Kind of Wonderful, Eric Lindstrom
- Secret Path, Gord Downie
- How it works - The Mum, Jason Hazeley and Joel Morris
- The Unofficial Guide to Surviving Life With Boys, 35 boymom bloggers (Including me! Read more here)
- I'd Rather Be Reading, Guinevere de la Mare
- Brooding YA Hero, Carrie DiRisio
- Daring to Dream, Nora Roberts
November
- Holding the Dream, Nora Roberts
- Finding the Dream, Nora Roberts
- The Red Tent, Anita Diamant
- Christmastime Cowboy, Maisey Yates (full review here)
- Cowboy Christmas Blues, Maisey Yates
- Hollywood Dirt, Alessandra Torre
- The Paris Secret, Karen Swan (full review here)
- The Address, Fiona Davis
- Marry Me At Christmas, Susan Mallery
- A Kiss in the Snow, Susan Mallery
December
- Blind Side by Jennie Ensor (full review here)
- Maybe This Christmas, Sarah Morgan
- Cuffed, K. Bromberg
- Seven Days of Us, Francesca Hornak
- Dreaming of a White Wolf Christmas, Terry Spear
- Blogger Girl, Meredith Schorr
- Novelista Girl, Meredith Schorr
- Even the Score, Beth Ehemann
- The View From the Cheap Seats, Neil Gaiman (full review here)
- Miss You, Kate Eberlen (full review here)
- Dashing through the Stars, Celia Kyle/Erin Tate
Stay tuned for my 2018 reading goals, and for more, here is my reading recap for 2016.
xo
Jenn
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