Plum Lovin' by Janet Evanovich: Review

Stephanie Plum gets a surprise partner who informs her that her current FTA is in protective custody. The only way that Stephanie can bring her FTA in is if she helps find love for the FTA's clients. She and Diesel juggle helping the clients and finding the man hunting the FTA down.

I really enjoyed this book. It was very light-hearted. It doesn't really fit well with the series, but that's a good thing honestly. It's like taking a small break from the heavy parts of the normal series. I found it very nice.

I didn't feel that the flow of the story went as well as the flow in the normal series. It felt like the author felt they had to rush through the story and add as many details as she could in a fewer amount of pages. Normally this would turn me off from a book, but it works with this one. There were some parts that I feel got brushed under the rug a little too much though.

I really enjoyed this novella a lot. It was a nice change of pace from the normal flow of the series. It gave me a mental break so to speak. While I would have liked to have seen some of the scenes more drawn out in this book, it worked well. I fully recommend.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6419.Plum_Lovin_

Townie by Andre Dubus III Book Review

Townie is a memoir about a young man growing up and the relationship he has with his father. It delves into the struggles and challenges he and his family faced growing up. It was about how they overcame it as well.

As this is a memoir and based on real events, I don't feel it's fully fair to give my opinion on the story itself. I can give my opinion on the writing. What I will say about the story is that it's very emotionally wrenching and I felt for the people in the story. Dubus has a very amazing talent for highlighting what everybody in the story is feeling. It's like he as the main character felt what they felt. I would even go as far as to state that he might be an Empath.

There were a lot of ways that the writing style didn't really sit well with me. I loved the story. I can't say I loved the violence of the story, but when telling the story, you should leave nothing out. No matter how uncomfortable the story makes you feel. The biggest issue I had was the constant brand name drops. Was it really important that we know exactly what beer somebody was drinking or the cigarette they were smoking?

Either way, I do recommend this story. It was very well written. Other than a few flaws, it was great. The story has a way of sinking you in. There are some jumps that will waylay every now and then. I feel like things could have been mapped out a little clearer, but it's not a major deal. I fully recommend.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10661291-townie

Some Quirks/Facts About Me

We all have habits that make us unique. Some of us embrace them. Some are ashamed. Either way, it makes us who we are. It defines us. It makes us who we are. I'll get to a point though. I thought I'd share some quirks about me just to see if I'm the only one like this.

1. I always trust my gut instinct when it comes to reading material. I'm allured by covers and blurbs, but every now and then, I find a book that I just KNOW I'll love. I have never been wrong so far. The last time this happened was in Savannah. There was an author there named D.L Pitchford. I saw her covers and I fell in love. I'll admit I haven't finished them yet. I did start them, but I had some pressing deadlines I needed to finish first. I can tell you that the part I read proves I was right. I am very sure that they will be put into my favorite series of all time. (If you'd like to see my favorites lists, comment and let me know.)

2. I can't stand odd numbers. At all. It's something I have desperately tried to break, but it's not working out for me. Actually, it goes beyond numbers. I crave equal and even. For example, if I have four stacks of books, they all have to have the same number of books. If things aren't evenly contributed, it really bothers me.

3. I like to make up stories when I see pictures and paintings. Sometimes I even do it with tattoos. I have considered writing them down one day to see if I can make anything of them. I have had several story ideas that I've written down and several I wish I had written down. Maybe one day.

4. As an Empath, I'm more sensitive to other people's feelings. There are times I wish I could just hug people and tell them that everything will be okay. I wish that I can take their pain so they don't have to go through it. But outwardly, I can't really show it. I feel awkward and confused about what I should do.

5. I'm afraid to drive. I somewhat know how. To the point where I just need a lot of practice. A lot of people look down on me for this. They like to pressure me for not driving. They make me feel really low. They make me feel like I'm just lazy and not trying at all. They don't even try to understand the reason behind it. They don't care that I have massive panic attacks just sitting behind the wheel. It's embarrassing, but it's true.

6. I don't really socialize that much, but I keep tabs on my friends and family on social network. I'm so proud of them. I don't understand why it's so hard for me to socialize. Especially face to face. I can type all day long, and I do. If the person messages me first. Not that I don't want to talk to people. It's just that I don't really know how. Sometimes I get embarrassed by how excited I get to get texts or messages from people.

That's all I can really think of for now. I don't want to bore everybody. I hope that people don't think less of me after reading this, but I feel like some things need to be shared so that I can realize that I'm not alone on some things. I fully encourage everybody to try to be more open about these things. You never know until you try!

Thank you for reading my blogs! I appreciate every single one of you. Feel free to comment. I reply to every comment!

Twelve Sharp: My Review

Stephanie is confronted by an angry woman who claims to be Ranger's wife. If that isn't strange enough, the woman winds up dead. Ranger's daughter is also kidnapped and witnesses are all claiming that Ranger did it. Stephanie is torn between the facts that are in front of her and her understanding of the real Ranger.

I really enjoyed this book a lot. I was kind of shocked about the chapters though. Up until this point, she'd been writing longer chapters. This book had double the chapter numbers with half the length. It was weird to me. She made it work though.

I feel like this book wasn't as good as the first few, but it was still good anyway. I feel like there were a lot of scenes that could have been drawn out a little more. There were parts that got a little too predictable and made me feel that the author got a little bored with this book.

I still enjoyed this book. Even if it isn't one of my favorite Plum novels. I found it hilarious like I did all the books. I can't wait to delve into the rest of the series and follow Stephanie on her journey. No matter what, I can always count on humor with the series. And cake! Can't forget the cake!


**This is also posted on Amazon and Goodreads.**

Crime Shows And Criminology

I really enjoy watching crime shows. It started with CSI. I discovered other shows after that. I try my best to watch every episode. There's just something about watching how people solve crimes that catch my interest. Obviously, I'm smart enough to realize that crimes are not solved in an hour. But if they were solved in "real time" the case would last months or years.

While the drama behind the shows captures my attention as well, it's more than that. It's about being completely interested in the crimes themselves. I want to study it. I want to find out why and how. I'd love to delve into the minds involved. I know it sounds insane. But it's true. I want to delve into these cases and study them fully to find out the whys of it all.

I have once entertained studying criminology and maybe figuring out a way to be an investigator myself, but I don't know if I could put myself in that environment every day without it breaking me. I'm an Empath. I know that makes things even weirder. Even though they are just shows, seeing bodies do make me cringe. It's about the investigation itself.

In the end, I don't think I'd want to go into criminology to become a detective or agent. But I would love to go into the field. I'd love to do extensive research to find out more cases. I would love to research and evaluate everything. I'm not sure in what way I'd use it. Either to figure out a way to help victims and find out why people do what they do or to write extensive books about it.

Not many people know this, but I can't really say crime shows got me into this passion. A very popular crime did. I was ten years old when it was broadcasted all over the news. And as far as I know, the case was never solved. I'm referring to the Jon Benet Ramsey case.

I can't explain it, but it really stuck with me. I mean I was only ten years old but I've never been able to shake the case. I don't even know these people. I never knew this little girl until this horrible tragedy. But it affected me. To this day, I can't look at the tabloid posts claiming they have made a break. It upsets me because I feel like it's an insult to her memory to post false news.

Here's the thing. Am I horrible? Am I evil for feeling this way? The more I think about it, the more right it feels. I'm in no way intelligent. I'm just your average person. I really don't know what else to say. I would love to research more into this field. I'd love to find out what happened in the events that lead up to it and if things could have been prevented.

I've always been terrified to pursue anything I'm interested in because I was afraid of what others would think. I was afraid of being considered a freak of nature. I'm 33 years old. It's time to let that fear go before I wake up one day and realize I wasted it all away and regret it. I don't want to have would have could have should have moments when it comes to things I'm passionate about.

When I think about this topic, my main thought is what I can do to help. Everybody is different. Some people look for answers. Some people just want to put it behind them. I'm the type that likes to find answers, but I'm also the type that cares.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on the matter. Also, am I too old to even consider taking a career decision? Am I jumping the gun? Is there such work in research and analysis? What are your passions? What shows are you interested in?

Side Note: If you're interested in some darker tales, please check out Rob Gavagan on YouTube. I don't watch his videos like I used to, but that's more because of time constraint than not being interested. Here's the link:

https://www.youtube.com/user/TheRobDyke

Hope you enjoyed this blog. I'd love to hear your thoughts. It means a lot to me that you took the time to read through this.

Introductions

My name is Nicole. My pen name is Willow Star Serenity. It's a name that really means a lot to me. I am a book lover, but I am so much more than that. I have shows that I'm rather addicted to. I have fur babies that I love dearly. I have a boyfriend of going on six years. My life isn't perfect. But really, who's is? I have depression, anxiety, PTSD, and ADHD. I should be medicated, but I choose to make it a personal goal to do whatever it takes to overcome my obstacles every day.

So I guess I'll start out with my love of reading. I've been reading since I was four years old. I didn't love reading at first. I just read when I had to. My mom made a rule when I was in elementary school that I couldn't watch a movie unless I read the book first. Obviously, this didn't apply to movies that didn't come from books, but you get me. I HATED this rule. Until I started practicing it. Then I realized I actually enjoyed the story more than I did the movie more often than not. The more I read, the more I wanted to read.

Just because I read often, doesn't mean that's all I do though. Through the years, I have been hooked on many television shows. The very first show I got fully invested in was Gilmore Girls. I'd watched many shows before this, of course. Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Angel, etc. But I wanted to watch every single episode of Gilmore Girls the moment it aired. The irony was, I wasn't going to watch it at first. I thought it was going to be a stupid show. Needless to say, I was very wrong. These days, I watch shows like Criminal Minds, CSI, NCIS, Big Bang Theory, and Chopped. I record shows now rather than watch them live.

I love to listen to music and watch movies, but I really have to be in the mood for either. So both activities are ones that I rarely participate in. I mainly only listen to music when I'm really depressed and find that I'm swallowed by a hole of darkness. It helps me find my way to light again. Not many people really know that about me.

I can't think of anything else to state about myself without boring everybody to tears. I love animals. I have some amazing fur babies that are my world, but I love all animals. If I could take care of dozens of animals, I would. I know that I can't though and it wouldn't be fair to the animals. I find that I connect better to animals than I do people. People tend to terrify me.

Well, that's all I can think about me. I'm sure that more of my personality and interests will flow in my future blogs. While this blog may be mainly book related, it's going to be about my thoughts and feelings. I may write every day or every now and then. It really depends on if I have something I want to talk about or not. I hope you enjoy my blog and that I don't bore you too much. I appreciate you taking the time to read it.

**Important Disclaimer: The last two pictures are mine. The rest of them have been found on the internet and belong to somebody else entirely.**