Love and Physics

 Love Theoretically by Ali Hazelwood

Because I read it before I resumed my blog, I never reviewed Love on the Brain by the same author. Because I loved that book, I bought this one, the previous one I reviewed, as well as the next one I am reading. They're cute books, and I end up learning some things.

This one is about Elsie who is a theoretical physicist, but working as an adjunct professor and a fake girlfriend. The brother of one of the men she fake dates is Jack, and he seems to despise Elsie just for existing. 

Elsie is up for her dream job at MIT, and has to go through an extensive interview process that involves dinner and talking to everyone in the department. At the fancy dinner, in walks Jack because he works in the physics department at MIT. Turns out, he is the guy that wrote an article that caused a great divide between theoretical physicists and experimental physicists, and Elsie hates him.

What ensues is a series of misunderstandings that lead to the two of them dating. There was one really spicy scene that was so fun to read, and some heartbreak, but on the whole, I enjoyed this immensely. 

Also, I got the Barnes and Noble edition that has a section in the back where the author pairs Taylor Swift songs with the chapters and gives her reasoning. 

Love and Science

The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood

This is the second book by this author that I have read, and I enjoyed this one immensely, just as I did the first one. One thing I can appreciate about this author is that she writes about women in STEM. I am not a sciencey girl myself, but I know that women are underrepresented in the field. And even though her books are STEM related, they are still relatable for those of us who aren't STEM oriented.

This book is about Olive, a grad student at Stanford. She kisses Adam, a professor/scientist in an attempt to show her best friend, Anh, that she has moved on from Jeremy, a guy she went out with a few times. Anh and Jeremy are smitten, but Anh won't date him because of girl code. Anyway, Olive and Adam decide to fake date for a while because it is mutually beneficial to them both. What Olive doesn't count on is discovering she has feelings for Adam. 

The premise, though overplayed in movies, is just fine here, and so cute. I don't want to say too much more because I will undoubtedly give it away. I will say this much: if you need a lighthearted, contemporary romance, this is for you. 

Not His Finest

 Try Not to Breathe by David Bell

If you go back to some of my prior years' posts, you'll see David Bell's work. He was an author I discovered quite by accident on July day at Barnes and Noble. I devoured that first book, and within days of finishing it, I ordered everything else he had published to date. I've read every book of his that has been published since, including a few that came out while I was not keeping up with my blog (I'll try to remember to review those soon). He's a fantastic writer, and for the most part, I enjoy his books. This one though, didn't grab me like his others.

First of all, when you read the blurb, it's about two sisters. One who is in her early 20s and is ignoring her family and school, and one who is in her late 20s/early 30s. According to the blurb, the younger sister refusing to talk to her family has her dad concerned, so he sends his oldest daughter, a former cop, to find her and bring her home. The book is very much about that for the first two-thirds, then there's a major plot twist that sends everything on its head. 

This took me more than a month to read. Sure, we could blame me going back to work for not getting to read much, and that would be true. We could blame my ADHD for not keeping me focused, and that would also be true. We could even blame the fact that this book just isn't as engaging as other of Bell's works. Personally, I think it is a combination of all three. 

I didn't feel satisfied at the end of this. I was glad it was over and I could move on with my life, but there was nothing that blew me away. This probably should've ended up in my DNR pile, except that I don't have one. 

Anyway, read this or not, as you see fit. As for me, I will just hope that his next book is on par with some of his others.

Up next though, Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood.

Reading to Prepare for the Release of the Movie

 Hallowe'en Party by Agatha Christie

In September, a movie, A Haunting In Venice, hits the theaters. Because I read books before I see the movies they are based on, I read this (the movie is adapted from this book). I was excited about it because Kenneth Branagh portraying Hercule Poirot for the third time. I loved him in Murder on the Orient Express and Death on the Nile. I enjoyed those books as well. This one though, not so much. 

The premise is that a young girl, Joyce Reynolds, was killed at a Halloween party. Ariadne Oliver, an authoress, was in attendance at the party, and she asks her friend Poirot to assist in finding out who committed the crime. Of course, he does; he's Hercule Poirot. What I got from this is Poirot talked to every damn person in this town, and in doing so, discovered other crimes that were committed. 

I had a hard time staying focused on this one, and ended up doing something I very seldom do--listened to the audiobook. Even with the audio, I struggled to focus. This one bored me, and is nowhere near as good as the other Agatha Christie books I have read. I'm still going to see the movie. Maybe it will be one of the rare cases where the movie is better than the book. 

The Works of Fiona Davis

 The Spectacular by Fiona Davis

This is the most recent book by this author, and like everything of hers that she has written, I loved it. This book revolves around Radio City Music Hall in New York City. Marion is a dancer, who is let go from teaching at the ballet school she has attended most of her life. She's nineteen, and lives at home with her father, Simon, and older sister, Judy. She has a boyfriend that she dated all through high school, Nathaniel, who is on the brink of proposing to her. 

Simon is not bothered by the fact that Marion was fired. He wants her to get married and raise a family like a woman is supposed to want to do. But, she is like her deceased mother, who was an actress. She wants to do what she loves while she can. 

On her last day at the ballet school, one of the other girls from her class mentions that she is going to try out for the Rockettes the next day. Initially, Marion blows it off, but the more she thinks about it, the more she wants to do it. After a long and arduous auditioning process, Marion finds out that she will be a Rockette for the 1956-57 season. She's excited, but afraid to tell her dad, knowing he will not react well. She meets Bunny, a veteran Rockette, and they become fast friends. It is because of Bunny that Marion is able to find a place to live in the city, which is good because her dad kicked her out. It is also because of Bunny that Marion meets Peter Griggs, a friend of the married man that Bunny is seeing. 

During this time, the Met Power bomber has resurfaced after being gone for sixteen years. Sometimes the bombs detonate, and sometimes they don't, and he focuses on iconic places in New York to place the bombs. One of the bombs that detonates happens on the opening night of the Christmas Spectacular. That is also the night that Marion's sister attends the performance. Judy is sitting in the seat next to where the bomb went off, and Marion saw it from the stage. 

Finding the bomber becomes important to Marion, so with the help of Peter Griggs, they try to help the police, but are more or less shunned. Still they keep trying. I won't ruin it for you, so to find out the rest, you're going to have to read this.

What I like about Ms. Davis' books is that they are always told in two time periods, often with two different perspectives. This was no exception. This one takes place in the 1950s and the 1990s, all told by Marion. I enjoyed this very much, but I am not in any way surprised, as I was hooked on her books from the very first one. 

I was introduced to Fiona Davis' books on the Saturday after Thanksgiving 2021. My son and I were driving back to his apartment outside of Washington DC from Manhattan. We were tired, but he doesn't listen to music when he's tired and driving because it will make him even sleepier, so he listens to audio books. I am not much of an audio book person, but I can appreciate them from time to time. 

So that first book? It was The Lions of 5th Avenue. It takes place in the New York public library. It's told by two women, some fifty years apart. I was enthralled. So much so that I bought the book for my kindle so I could finish it on the plane ride the next day. 

After that, I was hooked. I borrowed as many books as I could from Overdrive, bought one for my kindle, and got one as a Book of the Month selection. I loved them all. They all take place in New York City. There's usually an element of mystery, and I love the dual timelines. I won't go into specifics on each of the books, as it's been more than a year since I read them and I have slept since then, but I will share the names and the locales that are represented in them.

The Dollhouse takes place in the Barbizon Hotel. The Address takes place in the Dakota, which is also the building where John Lennon lived. The Masterpiece is in Grand Central Station. The Chelsea Girls centers around the Chelsea Hotel. And last, The Magnolia Palace is in the Frick Museum, and one of the narrators is the woman whose image is used in several sculptures around the city. You can't go wrong with this woman's books. 

As for me, I am on to the next one, whatever that ends up being. I promise I will take some time before summer is over to reflect on as many of the books as I can remember reading during my absence from this blog. I read some great ones.

Revisiting 50 Shades, More Than a Decade Later

 Grey, Darker, and Freed: Fifty Shades as Told by Christian by E.L. James

Eleven years ago, when I started this blog, I read Fifty Shades of Grey, and I hated it. In fact, you can read my comments here. I thought Ana was vapid and simpering, and to some degree she still is. I thought Christian was controlling, and he is, don't get me wrong. Eleven years ago, I would have told you there was no way in hell that I would read this set of books. I am not sure what possessed me to read them now, but I did.

First, let me tell you about the writing itself. If I had to hazard a guess, I think James got a ghostwriter for this. The quality of writing between both trilogies is vastly different, yet still the same style. I also appreciated that each chapter of this trilogy matched up exactly with the corresponding chapters in the previous trilogy. Much like in the first trilogy with Ana always referring to her inner goddess (thank GOD I didn't have to read that a million times!), there some repetitive phrases. "Mighty fine" and "Fair point well made" are two that come to mind immediately. 

I liked Ana better in this book. I suspect it is because I didn't have to read her vapid inner monologue. I liked Christian better too, and that is absolutely because I got to read what was going on in his mind. As I said, he is controlling, but reading this, you see why he is the way he is. I am not saying it excuses his behavior, but it definitely elicited more empathy from me.

When I read the original trilogy, I felt that all the sex scenes were the same. I wonder now if it is because Ana was so inexperienced and didn't really know how to articulate what was going on. Because they were all the same, by the third book, I was skimming through all of their sexual encounters because I knew exactly what to expect. From Christian's point of view though, they were far spicier. I enjoyed reading his descriptions of their sex life--maybe a little too much. But I digress...

Speaking of their sex life, I am still bothered by the fact that Ana has an orgasm every. Single. Time they have sex. That is not reality. Even more absurd is that every time she orgasms, it triggers one for Christian. Definitely fantasy. Either that or I have been having the wrong kind of sex my whole adult life. 

So, having now read both trilogies, I think I am going to watch the movies based on them. I own them, but have never watched. It will be interesting now that I have been inside the minds of both Christian and Ana. 

And even though these took me far too long to read (I blame my ADHD), I can't say I hated them. I could even see me going back to reread this trilogy. 

It's Been A While

 Last night, I needed the title of a book I knew I had read, so I came here, knowing I would find it (Silent Alarm, if you're curious). Anyway, I was embarrassed by how long it's been since I blogged about books. March 2021 was the last time I posted. A lot has happened, so I thought I would include a bit about the time I have been gone from here, as well as recap as many books as I can remember reading from that time (or at least the ones that made an impact of some kind). 

My Life From March 2021-Now

Wow, so a lot has happened since March 2021. My last entry was eleven days before I proposed to my boyfriend, Rufus (That's a story for another time though). Together, we watched my college team, the Sam Houston State Bearkats, win the National Championship in football. We celebrated our first anniversary, my birthday, and both of us progressing in our careers (He was made a director of analytics and I changed schools/school districts). My son, Jacob, relocated from Kalispell, Montana to Manassas, Virginia (outside of DC). My daughter, Hannah, was living her best life. We were planning a life together, but first, a trip over Thanksgiving break to Washington DC to see my son, and Tennessee so I could meet his family.

Then the worst happened. On Sunday, November 7, 2021, my beloved Rufus died unexpectedly. No one knew for two days, and we only found out because his employer as well as myself requested a wellness check on him. On that day, life as I knew it ended. I've lost people before, but I was in no way prepared for losing the man I loved, the man I was going to spend the rest of my life with. 

Grief is a bitch. When you lose a loved one, you find out who in your life really matters, and that was true for me. Oddly, it wasn't friends that I lost, but family members. I have been preached at my whole life about the importance of family, that they would be the ones who would always be there, but when I needed them most, they were nowhere to be found. So, on top of losing the most important person in my life, I also lost what I thought was my support system. 

Luckily for me, God puts us where we need to be. In my new school, I made friends who let me talk and listened without judgment, and I had my best assistant principal/evaluator to date. Then there were my students...I could not have made it without them. School was my happy place, which was fine until school was out for summer.

Those were some dark days after Rufus' death. I had all the "firsts": first Thanksgiving, first Christmas, first birthday, first anniversary...you get the idea. If I wasn't at school, I was at home, alone. It was just me and my thoughts for a lot of the time. The people in my life who cared called me to check up on me frequently, but I just didn't want to participate in life. I would never hurt myself, but to be honest, I didn't care if I lived or died. That's not a good spot to be in, and I ultimately had a bit of a mental breakdown. Nothing that required hospitalization, but it was the sign I needed to see a therapist. That turned into a blessing.

Another blessing was pool. When Rufus was alive, he convinced me to join a pool team with him. I had never really played before and he was a certified instructor, so I thought it would be fine. Turns out that what they say is true: teachers make the worst students. Despite all of his efforts, I was still terrible. But back to that team we joined. The people were nice enough, but I always felt this underlying current of "We need to win," and being a beginner, it added more stress than I needed. Rufus had his own reasons for not enjoying our team, and we decided it would be best if we quit. 

I told you that because a friend of his from the pool hall, Laurie,  reached out to me after Rufus died, and has checked up on me more than most. She made it her mission to get me playing again. She said she'd make sure I was on a good team, and when a spot opened up on her team, she asked me to join. In June 2022, I started playing on Anger Management. We play 8- and 9-ball every Sunday. At first (and for several months thereafter), I was anxious and apprehensive. I stayed in my head and never won. I would look each week at the skill levels of the opposing teams and sigh in relief if it looked like I wouldn't have to play. In July, I joined the Hot Flashes, my ladies' league team. 

As time went on, I started to feel confident, and my playing got marginally better. I still lose a lot (like today when I got my ass handed to me), but I have fun, which is what it's really about. And, my friends at the pool hall have become my family. I look forward to going each week. Plus, Anger Management was first place for both 8- and 9-ball during the summer 2022 session, so we will be playing in the qualifiers for a chance to go to Vegas later this month. How cool is that? 

Hmm... more good things...In December 2022, my daughter got engaged to her boyfriend, Mason, and they will be getting married later this year. I finally get to enjoy my role as mother of the bride. :) I have been to Washington DC (and New York City) three times since Rufus died, and it has been amazing each time. I got to see Wicked at the Gershwin Theatre on Broadway for my birthday in 2022, as well as eat at Butter, a restaurant owned by celebrity chef, Alex Guarnasceli. Saw Six in both the National Theatre in Washington DC and the Hobby Center in Houston-a performance with each of my children. 

And friends...I have my best friends, Amy and Yvette, both of whom I love unconditionally. They allow me to be me, broken as I am. I have my pool friends, Laurie, Karen, Jerry, RC, Leah, Angela, Melinda, Drew, Tina, Carol, Eva, Adam, Tara, Nicole...and so many more. And my work friends...Remember when I said God puts you where you need to be? Stacy was the first person I met at my new school, and we hit it off amazingly well. Then there was Kyrsten, my mentor, who always told me I didn't need a mentor so we could just be friends. Jill, who was a newbie who needed help navigating our new school. When Rufus died, I had Heather and Jenna, and Laci, who loved me through the tough times. This past school year, I had three English I courses, so I was moved to the other end of the building. It was there that Bethanie, Danyale, Haley, and Jenny became my work family, as well as Sarah. There are so many more, and they all helped me navigate this new life.

The last few months have been better. My meds seem to finally be doing what they should, and I find myself smiling again. We've now passed the point where Rufus has been gone longer than I have known him, and sometimes, I don't know how to feel about that. I still find myself missing him, but I also know he wouldn't want me to be unhappy all the time. I don't sob every night anymore, and I have things to look forward to. Life is worth living for me again. 

Anyway, I thought I'd share...for the six of you who read my blog (who also probably already know all of this). I'll be back in the next couple of days to recap some of the books I read in my absence, and I will start blogging about the books I read. It's a service really.