Everyone should travel somewhere solo at least once in their life. It is a forced situation to make yourself more independent and will absolutely create a memorable life experience. It will teach you to fend for yourself, talk to people and handle unfamiliar situations. It can be a fun way to be a little selfish, doing things or going places you want to go to with no one else to answer to and can even be a spiritual journey.
Two years ago I decided to go on at least a little solo trip once a year and I plan on keeping that date with myself for as long as I can. So in 2018 I went on a solo road trip to National Parks in Colorado, Great Sand Dunes, Mesa Verde, hit the four corners, the Grand Canyon and then met up with a group – Three To Abandon, check them out! – for a few days in Taos, New Mexico then back home. In 2019 I took myself on a weekend trip to St. Louis and hit up the National Parks in the area. Both were incredibly fun and were trips that I will remember forever for different reasons. There’s so much to be said about taking yourself on a trip. It’s kind of like the ultimate form of self care.
‘A Lady Unrivaled (Ladies or the Manor #3) by Roseanna M. White was an excellent follow up novel to the first two in the series. I thought Lady Ell Myerston’s story would be my favorite of the series, but the spunk she displays int the first two novels is not at the same level in this novel. The story is pretty romantic though- Lord Cayton redeems his reputation and wins the heart of the lady. Oh- and the mystery/drama that surrounds the characters throughout the novels is wrapped up with a bow.
‘Life Itself’ by Robert Ebert was very long and informative. Interesting in parts… and in need of some serious editing in others. I listened to it on Audio book which is why I was able to soldier on through the thing. It’s a must read for anyone who is a fan of Ebert’s – but anyone who just love biographies like myself may want to steer clear.
‘The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo’ by Amy Schumer is a hilarious and completely honest look into Schumer’s life. She reads the Audio book herself which is so clutch. There’s really not much to say about this book other than read it. You’re welcome.
‘Shockaholic’ by Carrie Fisher is narrated by Fisher on the Audio book and is hilarious… and a hot mess. That’s kind of her point I suppose. It wasn’t my favorite – but I imaine that die hard fans will love it.
 ‘Before the Fall’ by Noah Hawley was a fantastic novel. It focuses on an airplane crash which two people survive and switches back and forth from present to the lives of those who perished just before the flight. It is a mystery, and a look at the human condition. I found myself loving the chapters in the present and being annoyed when I had to read about yet another perished passenger- but usually ended up enjoying those chapters anyway. A great read!
‘20,000 Days and Counting: The Crash Course For Mastering Your Life Right Now’ by Robert D. Smith was a fantastic and quick read. It is chock full of advice and lessons that hit home and make you want to make the most of each day that you are given. A must read.
‘Kate: The Future Queen’ by Katie Nicholl is one of the best biographies I have ever read. It was another Audio book I listened to in the car and my road trips were so looked forward to just so I could listen to this novel. It is an extremely thoughtful and thorough look at Kate’s life with so much more information than at least I ever knew about her. It’s a book I will be purchasing in the future. If you care at all about England’s future Queen, (and let’s be honest- we all do) then it is the book for you.
‘I Dare You’ by William H. Danforth is a novel I was awarded along with the ‘I Dare You’ Award in 4-H back in High School. It’s a very prestigious award, and I was surprised and very honored to receive it. I never read the book I was given for some reason though- until now. As slightly dated as it is, (being written in 1931) it is still an inspiring, fun and quick read. Even more so because I was awarded this honor among so many.
‘100 Days of Real Food by Lisa Leake was an incredibly honest and interesting look at what we eat, and how we can eat better- much better. Leake’s family took a challenge to eat only ‘real’ (non highly processed foods) for 100 days and it changed their lives. It is inspirational to change your diet, and is full of yummy and nutritious looking recipes.
‘The Underground Railroad’ by Colson Whitehead was a fantastic listen on audio book. It was so poetic yet straightforward. The acts that white men committed made me literally sick to my stomach. We follow Cora’s story. She is a young lady coming into womanhood on a plantation in the South. She escapes and we hear her story and that of others around her. I imagine this would be a tough read if I had to actually read the words myself. Listening to it on audio book helped, although it was still hard to listen to.
 ‘God and the Afterlife’ by Jeffrey Long was the most amazing book. It is written by a doctor who collected research on individual’s near death experiences, and what they saw while nearly or medically deceased. It is the largest ongoing study on this subject. I found this book fascinating and at many points incredibly awe inspiring and hopeful. It is specifically written looking at the experiences people had with God and many of them share similar traits. So amazing. Totally recommend this book.
 ‘The School of Essential Ingredients’ by Erica Bauermeister is a pretty spectacular novel. It follows the lives of those taking Lillian’s cooking class- as well as the proprietor herself. It reads with such a flow that one is inspired by simple words. As a foodie it inspires thoughts of cooking and eating as well. Each student has their own background they bring to the kitchen and work through it in their own way. At times it is difficult to keep track of them listening to the audio book, but otherwise a fantastic read.
‘Four Ways to Click: Rewire Your Brain for Stronger, More Rewarding Relationships’ by Amy Banks, Leigh Ann Hirshman, and Daniel J. Siegel left a lot to be desired. Perhaps the audio book format I listened to it in was at fault, but it was dull and un-imaginative. Spend a few minutes brainstorming ways to form relationships and then how to keep them… and you will have this book in a nutshell. The science that is included is frankly boring, which is extremely unfortunate, and the methods of personalizing it for oneself are ridiculous.
‘Harry Potter and the Cursed Child’ by J.K. Rowling, John Tiffany and Jack Thorne is a tough one for me. As a HUGE Harry Potter fan I have a hard time accepting this book as canon. If I look at it as fan fiction it is genius. The entire plot is out there with so many holes in the believably of it because of the canon that books 1-7 give us. I feel like the script – I cannot speak for the play not having seen it – lacks the heart and life that J.K. Rowling  gave the books. I am a little loathe to call it the ‘8th story’ but I’ll read it again after a few months to see how I feel. 🙂
‘The Pioneer Woman: Black Heels to Tractor Wheels’ by Ree Drummond is such an entertaining listen on audio book- I’m still thinking about it weeks after having finished it. Basically it is Ree’s love story of how she met, fell in love with, and married her husband. We hear her thoughts, slightly more personal than one might think- but not too much so- from just before she met her ‘Marlbolo Man’ to a little after the birth of their first child. You have to listen to it on Audiobook, Ree narrates it herself and thus it is perfection.
‘The Invasion of the Tearling (The Queen of the Tearling, #2)’ by Erika Johansen is a fantastic follow up to the first book. I spent much of the beginning of the book a little annoyed at our heroine, while still respecting most of her decisions, but the ending is spot on and wraps up the rest of the novel nicely. I can’t say much without giving the entire plot/ending away so I’ll just say that I’m looking forward to reading the last book in this series due out in November!
‘Crazy Love: Overwhelmed by a Relentless God’ by Francis Chan is a fantastic and guilt-inspiring book. I would recommend it to a Christian at any stage in their walk because it is eye opening on several levels. It is probably the most convicting spiritual book I’ve ever read. It challenges you and asks you to examine what really matters to you. With that said, it does have some flaws – it is not always gospel centered at heart, and often focuses on the self and not the church. SO read it- but with a grain of salt and in prayer.
‘Love & Gelato’ by Jenna Evans Welsh.  I loved, loved, loved, loved this book. I loved the stuffing out of it. Yes it is a ‘teen’ novel. Yes, it is a typical ‘oh- I really love the boy right in front of me instead of the hunk’ novel. Yes, it is predictable. Despite these things it was fantastic. It reminded me of my trip to Italy in 2007 and made me want to go back SO BAD. It was so stinking cute, and while predictable… but sometimes not- it is interesting in a way that made you want to keep reading. I would actually purchase this novel. Seriously.
‘Margherita’s Notebook: A Novel of Temptation’ by Elisabetta Flumeri was not what I was expecting- but in a good way. Judging it by it’s cover (which sometimes works but not in this case) I thought it was a memoir, which I am ALL over. Nope. It was fiction- but not a let down at all because it was a fun read and all the talk of food made me want Italian food. In fact, I’m pretty sure the person who checked this book out from the library before me cooked Italian food while reading it because the pages smelled of basil and Tuscany.
‘Flyover Lives: A Memoir’ by Diane Johnson was such a let down for me. It held such promise with the background of the author coming from the Midwest (home for me) connections with Europe, history and a heavy background on the author’s ancestors. All of these things I am interested in, but it felt so rambling, scattered and worst of all- Johnson comes off as elitist with a heavy dose of ‘I’m the best!’ It started off so well. Bummer.
‘The Lost Heiress (Ladies of the Manor, #1)’ by Roseanna M. White was a very well written and interesting work of fiction. I’ve never read a novel by White before but the mix of history, romance and mystery was delightful to read. I was reminded strongly of Anastasia’s story in the plot, but this only added to the story. There are two more novels in this series and I can tell already this would make a fantastic mini-series or even tv show. It is the perfect thing to fill the hole missing now that Downtown Abbey has wrapped up. Somebody call Hollywood!
‘Hard Choices’ by Hilary Rodham Clinton was very interesting to listen to, and nice to hear her side of how she got to certain places in her life, and the thinking behind decisions she made. It focuses on the time just after she lost the 2008 primary up until her daughter Chelsea has her first child and Clinton is still undecided weather or not to run for president in 2016. I appreciated listening to it on audio book, although I would have loved if Clinton had read the entire novel and not just the forward.
‘Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey: The Lost Legacy of Highclere Castle’ by Fiona Carnarvon was incredibly interesting to read, and such a fantastic time capsule of Lady Almina’s life and her wonderful impact on Highclere Castle, otherwise known as Downton Abbey. We hear of her support of her husband, how she found her true love of nursing during WWII after opening up their home to convalescing and wounded Veterans, and how her husband- along with Howard Carter discovered King Tutankhamun’s tomb in Egypt. A thoroughly lovely read.
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