Weekly Reads: The Rest of Us Just Live Here

The Rest of Us Just Live Here is the newest teen book from Patrick Ness. I received an e-ARC of it to read/review/promote to my library kiddos. This book was so good, but so strange. It's hard to describe the story without really giving things away, so here is an awesome book trailer that does a far better job of it than I could.



My rating: 4 stars

Summary from goodreads:

What if you aren’t the Chosen One?

The one who’s supposed to fight the zombies, or the soul-eating ghosts, or whatever the heck this new thing is, with the blue lights and the death?

What if you’re like Mikey? Who just wants to graduate and go to prom and maybe finally work up the courage to ask Henna out before someone goes and blows up the high school. Again.

Because sometimes there are problems bigger than this week’s end of the world, and sometimes you just have to find the extraordinary in your ordinary life.

Even if your best friend is worshiped by mountain lions.

Award-winning writer Patrick Ness’s bold and irreverent novel powerfully reminds us that there are many different types of remarkable.

Wedding Day

These are the pictures from my phone and friends' and family cameras. Professional pictures to come!

Donut cheers. Duh.

These girls = my <3

maaaaaaaajor pug head tilt.

Veuve in a Mason jar.

one of my favorite quotes.

the best man tracked me down so I could have the first pour of spotted cow

keg illegally taken across state lines.

#findfernson

love her

Ollie and I both needed a little break.

my favorite picture of kyle, ever. this is how he looks at me. :D

trying to show ollie's flower harness

my little family

just sitting on the porch, enjoying the day.

i bought a wedding cardigan and only wore it in 2 pictures! fail.

cheers to you full moon.

blurry picture, and we were surely blurry at this point, but oh so happy.

Weekly Reads: Dumplin'

Dumplin'is the first book by Julie Murphy that I have read, and I was counting down the minutes to get my hands on it. It has popped up over and over again and must read lists. It did not disappoint. It is an excellent young adult read about body image, body issues, typical teenage friendship issues, dealing with death, and a beauty pageant. Basically a recipe for awesomeness, right? Right.

My rating: 5 stars

Summary from goodreads:

Self-proclaimed fat girl Willowdean Dickson (dubbed “Dumplin’” by her former beauty queen mom) has always been at home in her own skin. Her thoughts on having the ultimate bikini body? Put a bikini on your body. With her all-American beauty best friend, Ellen, by her side, things have always worked…until Will takes a job at Harpy’s, the local fast-food joint. There she meets Private School Bo, a hot former jock. Will isn’t surprised to find herself attracted to Bo. But she is surprised when he seems to like her back.

Instead of finding new heights of self-assurance in her relationship with Bo, Will starts to doubt herself. So she sets out to take back her confidence by doing the most horrifying thing she can imagine: entering the Miss Clover City beauty pageant—along with several other unlikely candidates—to show the world that she deserves to be up there as much as any twiggy girl does. Along the way, she’ll shock the hell out of Clover City—and maybe herself most of all.

With starry Texas nights, red candy suckers, Dolly Parton songs, and a wildly unforgettable heroine—Dumplin’ is guaranteed to steal your heart.

Honeymoon: Door County

Tuesday morning it was time to say goodbye to Green Bay, and to make our way up north to Door County for our last night of our honeymoon. A PSL was necessary.

 

When the lighting is good, your hair is great, and Kyle is loading up the truck, you take a selfie, duh.

Whenever Kyle goes fishing with his brother up north, he always stops here to pick me up my beloved cheese. We spent too much time and too much money here, for sure.

 

We may it to Sturgeon Bay, and Kyle and I found an adorable farm to table type restaurant to enjoy for a late lunch. Throughout our trip, I was shocked to see so many vegetarian and vegan options at restaurants. We don't see that nearly as much in Sioux Falls.

 

my husband <3

I had a beer (duh). This was one of the brewery's I had planned to stop at on the way up to Green Bay but we ran out of time. It was delish. I also had an awesome veggie black bean burger and a butternut squash soup, because I was *GASP* somewhat cheese and fried food-ed out (but not beer'd out, NEVER!) #balance or something.

 

We had some time before we could check in, so we checked out the cute little tourist shops around town. I almost bought this sign for Kyle. :) So many antique shops, I'm surprised I didn't come home with the back of Kyle's truck filled up with junk.

 

For dinner, we went further up north to the town that Kyle camps and fishes at every year for his birthday. I found a restaurant that was opened by a couple who honeymooned in Door County over 32 years ago and fell in love with the place. Awww love. It was our last night so we had amazing dinners. 

I apparently only photographed my beer. I could've never made it as a food blogger. Let's just say there were scallops which are my faaaaaavorite.

 

On our way out, I picked up this little card to frame to remind us of our honeymoon. I really hope we can make our way back there to celebrate our anniversary each year. I could've spent forever up there, and we had half a day. :(

 

Wednesday morning we grabbed a quick carb filled breakfast before hitting the road on our long drive home. 

Awesome bike artwork on the wall.

 

Kyle stopped for gas across from a dog store/bakery, so I had to buy Ollie some treats.

 

 

On the way home, it was operation buy-all-the-Wisconsin-beer. I picked up $40 worth at the first gas station we stopped at. I bought so much that I got a free pint glass with my purchase. Then on another bathroom stop, I picked up more..... 

Let's just say that my fridge is 75% delicious Wisconsin beer. And no I won't share. 

 

When can we go back and do it again?!?!?

Weekly Reads: Circus Mirandus

Circus Mirandushas cropped up on a few Mock Newbery lists so I was dying to get my hands on it, not to mention that people have compared it to The Night Circus, but for children. I could not put it down. It was amazing. And every kid and adult should read it. I would not be surprised if this walks away with an award!

My rating: 5 stars!

Summary from goodreads:

Fans of Big Fish, Peter Pan, and Roald Dahl will fall in love with Circus Mirandus, which celebrates the power of seeing magic in world.

Do you believe in magic?
Micah Tuttle does.

Even though his awful Great-Aunt Gertrudis doesn’t approve, Micah believes in the stories his dying Grandpa Ephraim tells him of the magical Circus Mirandus: the invisible tiger guarding the gates, the beautiful flying birdwoman, and the magician more powerful than any other—the Man Who Bends Light. Finally, Grandpa Ephraim offers proof. The Circus is real. And the Lightbender owes Ephraim a miracle. With his friend Jenny Mendoza in tow, Micah sets out to find the Circus and the man he believes will save his grandfather.

The only problem is, the Lightbender doesn't want to keep his promise. And now it's up to Micah to get the miracle he came for.