Category: Reading Recommendation

BiG Beautiful Recommendation

2/1/2019

If you go back a couple days in my blog, I was having a kindle-throwing time trying to read a book about a heroine who lost a hundred pounds and had no loose skin (eye roll), but despite being an "independent woman" was going mean girls and running high school mentality schemes.

Needless to say, seeing a woman portrayed that way, and the insinuation that she couldn't possibly get the guy as a bigger girl pissed me the FUCK off. Could also have been a dig to see the author quote the size I currently am as "disgustingly big", but hey...knowing the author thinks I'm disgusting is neither here nor there.

But I'm not grumpy about it. *Ahem*

So I took to twitter and was gifted with a recommendation for the book I'm currently pimping to you all. I asked for a plus-sized heroine who was happy just as she fucking was.

Enter a rec for Kylie Scott. I heard the series was called "Dive Bar" and shit...this MidWest gal was sold. I bought "Dirty" and it was on my kindle in seconds.

I didn't read the blurb. (The rec came from a trusted source. Thanks Karen Greco!) I didn't look up the cover, but I had heard Kylie Scott's name bounced around the interwebs. I think she popped up on my Amazon recommededs from time to time, before they were all paid spots.

I opened the book and could not put it down. The book starts with an incredibly low point for the heroine, and drops you into a scene that has our gal scaling a fence to get away from her groom-to-be's awful family. She meets a former rockstar, who is also going through his own shit. But they both tackle their demons with some smartass lines, a few punches and a great big dose of fantastically written sex scenes.

This heroine isn't a skinny bitch, she's got curves and bumps, but when she'd drunk on studmuffin sexy, she can't help but throw caution to the wind and jump his bones. This doesn't end with her losing the weight and "feeling better". This ends with her loving food, embracing her hero's love of her stellar rack, and a lot of happy sappy love.

I haven't had a "read till the end" book in a while. I needed this, and I needed this heroine. Thank you, Kylie!

Guys. I am now a @KylieScottbooks fan and have to start binging her backlist. If you're looking for a plus sized heroine, whose story isn't about her weight and her HEA doesn't involve a diet...I could not put down "Dirty" (Dive Bar Series Book 1).
— Roxy Mews (@RoxyMews) February 1, 2019

Do you have any big beautiful heroines you just love? Or big beautiful heroes? I love to read about characters of all shapes and sizes. I would say I'd jump on the rec's right away, but after getting a taste of Kylie Scott's humor, her writing style, and her characters? Shit...I'm about to binge a bitch's backlist. I highly suggest you do the same!

~Roxy

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I love vacations I can take from my couch

1/29/2019

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It's no secret that I'm a bit of a hermit. Getting me to leave my house is not an easy task. If I have a day off, spending it with a good book is one of my favorite things.

But I do have family and friends who love to travel. And while I like to think I'd enjoy going with them, what I really like is to hear about their travels.

Which is why I'm stoked my friendJayne Rylon has released videos about her recent adventures! She even put out a book today "Roaming with the Rylons" and I'm stoked to hear in detail all about her travels.

But since I've been crazy busy today, I was even more excited when her videos highlighting some of her adventures went live and popped up in my subscription feed.

So if you actually like to leave your house and travel, or if you're like me and enjoy checking out different parts of the world from the comfort of your pajamas while reclining on your couch, this will be something very entertaining.

Are you a travel buff? Or are you a couch surfer who would rather play an epic video game while food is delivered to your door? I'd love to hear about it...after I watch the next video.

~Roxy

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Craft Book Recommendation: Save the Cat! Writes a Novel

1/19/2019

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As part of my Miracle Morning (Just finished day 19 in a row, BTW!) routine, I am reading one paper book on either self-improvement, business, or writing craft.

The book I've been spending at least one chapter with every morning for the past few days is Save the Cat! Writes a Novel by Jessica Brody. I adore this book for a lot of reasons, and as I'm entering the last 50 pages of it I wanted to give it a shout out, because it's a fantastic writing book, and one that I dug out the highlighter and notes for.

I was a huge fan of Blake Snyder's Save the Cat! books. So when I got wind of the theories being broken down into theories on novel writing (which was what I had been reading Blake's books for) I ran to my local bookstore to grab a copy on release day.

Of course my local bookstore doesn't put much emphasis on writing and craft, so there was a single copy tucked away in a four foot section next to the kids books. When I finally got my hands on it, the cashier rolled his eyes and mansplained how the only thing you needed to write a good novel was a good story. Which is why I try to steer clear of Barnes & Noble on the south side of Indianapolis as much as possible. But I wanted this book in paper that day, DAMMIT! (Sorry for the tangent. That store's attitude toward anything other than bible study and cookbooks pisses me off.)

ANYWAY...I've dug into the book and it's been such a fucking pleasure to read that it was worth dealing with the bookstore asshats. Jessica Brody has an academic slant to the breakdown of the beats, uses common knowledge examples in both literature and movies, and has an author voice that is a joy to read.

This book has me looking at different parts of the novel in new ways. And while I generally knew what worked and what didn't in the books I read, this craft book helped me put a finger on WHY those items worked. And it gave it a label. And not some multi-syllabic mumbo jumbo I'd have to take notes on to remember. These were labels that made sense in layman's terms. With labels like "Bad Guys Close In", "Buddy Love", and "Dude With a Problem", the topic had an image popping into my head before the chapter even began.

I would recommend this book to anyone who is writing a novel, or even anyone who is studying them academically. This book gives you a delicious amount of insight as to what formula's work, and even when authors sidestep the formula by adding additional heroes or killing off their B story or even main characters, how those same authors used solid techniques to accomplish those plots with flair.

Quick note...this book is available in both ebook and audio book as well. I would HIGHLY suggest getting this in paper. There is a quick reference guide, and the author breaks down books by ten basic story types, that would be fantastic reference material. This is one you'll want to flip through over and over again. At least, you will if you're me!

Are there any new craft books you've been thrilled with? Or even self-improvement books you've loved? I'm almost done with this book and will definitely need something new for next week's reading.

~Roxy

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She's a Storyteller

1/9/2019

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I don't give book recommendations very often. And aside from some writing craft books, I don't think I've ever given a shoutout to a biography.

So make not on the calendar, because this isn't likely to happen again for quite a while.

I'm going to give a quick shoutout to Michelle Obama's Becoming.

And yes...I linked the audio book instead of the Kindle book. Why? Because Michelle Obama is reading her own book and it is a fucking magical experience.

I've always been impressed by the way my fav FLOTUS was able to string words together. She has a strong voice, with the ability to inspire while still giving you that momma side-eye and call you out for your own bullshit.

I have not finished this audio book yet, mainly because it is NINETEEN HOURS. If you have audible credits available, this is the book to cash it in on. You'll get your monthly fee worth with this baby.

Some people might read this book to get Michelle Obama's true opinion of Donald Trump. But seriously...if you didn't catch the screen grabs from the current POTUS's inauguration you have your head in the sand. We all know her opinion already.

For me, what was truly fascinating was the story of her growing up. The story of her family and living with her mom. The story of her demanding Barack use a phone even if he wasn't a "phone type guy" was one of my favorite.

This woman is a storyteller. She picked key points about each memory and took me along an emotional ride. Her voice felt like home in my ears every time I turned the book on, and I loved it.

You know that point in a singer's performance when you get the chills because you feel the emotion in their performance? I got chills multiple times while listening to this book. Michelle Obama doesn't just read her story, she tells you about her life. Part of me has this image of her in sweat pants, kicking back in the recording booth with a cocktail. I feel like I'm chatting with a new friend and she's just put her feet on my coffee table to tell me what really happened.

Every time I open my Audible app, I'm sucked back in.

If money is tight, tap your library for a listen. I can't recommend this book enough. And for once...it's an audio book I can listen to over my Amazon Echo with other people in the room. LOL. It's kind of nice.

Are there any books you've read outside of your normal tastes? What book has surprised you recently? I'd love to hear about it.

....After I listen to a few more chapters from Michelle Obama, of course.

~Roxy

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Miracle Morning...This Time For Real

1/2/2019

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If you've been with me on this blog for a while, or if you're a friend of mine, you've probably had me attempt to drag you into the "Miracle Morning" whether you wanted to or not.

I don't remember how long ago it was that I first read "The Miracle Morning" by Hal Elrod, but it was a real lightbulb moment for me. I think I originally heard about this book through a Bullet Journal Facebook group. And since I'm a reader anyway, I grabbed it in ebook. I have since devoured any Miracle Morning book that I feel might pertain to me. Obviously, as I restart my Miracle Morning journey for the new year, I'm using "The Miracle Morning for Writers" as my final S in my S.A.V.E.R.S.

If you've never read any of the miracle morning books, I highly recommend starting with the original, because the author, Hal Elrod's, story is one that will make you realize your obstacles aren't so bad. He has a serious rock bottom tale, times two, and I found his story inspirational to read.

Of course, while I was writing this I discovered that I'd missed a new MM book and used an Audible credit to get on that shit immediately after I finish this blog.

It's the second day of 2019 and it's the second day I've completed my "Miracle Morning" or "S.A.V.E.R.S.". My goal is to complete a MM every morning this year. And it doesn't have to take as long as I make it, so some days I guarantee there will be an abbreviated version taking place. But it will take place.

If you've never read this series of books or heard of the technique before, it centers around doing "S.A.V.E.R.S." every morning to work on self-development.

What are the SAVERS and how do I do them each morning? Well, good thing you asked, because that's what this blog is about!

SAVERS stands for Silence, Affirmations, Visualization, Exercise, Reading, and Scribing (writing of some sort). The books go into detail about all the different ways you can accomplish these every morning, but according to Hal Elrod, he cherry-picked tasks successful people did every morning, and decided to do all of them.

My MM will develop and change over the course of this year, I have no doubt, and as my schedule and my family's schedules change, the time I do all of this will alter as well. But for right now, I'm doing these in order.

S(ilence) = I'm taking the time to meditate for this step. Right after I wake up and brush my teeth, wash my face, and start a pot of coffee, I drink a glass of water and head downstairs to cozy in for my ten minute meditation. For the first three weeks of this year, I'm using Audible's 21 Days of Meditation. If you're an audible member, it's free to download.

I've dabbled in meditation for the better part of 2 years now, and I've found that 10-15 minutes is the minimum I need to get the settled buzz meditation gives me. I can get there some days in 5 minutes, but I have to be in the right headspace to do it.

A(ffirmations) = I have a notebook with about ten affirmations that I repeat for at least five minutes. I have space to add more, but really I only write down the ones that speak to me. Some I've written myself, and some I've pulled from the books I've read. I keep the notebook on a small shelf and pull it out every morning after I've grabbed a cup of coffee and headed into my office space.

V(isualization) = This one is something I'm still working on. Visualization is difficult for me, because I have trouble deciding on exactly what I want to do in a day. I have a big family. There's always a wrench thrown into my day, and mapping out exactly what I'm doing is just a guaranteed fail for me.

What I've spent my time doing for this portion lately is visualizing myself at the keyboard. Thinking through what's on my calendar for the day, and what order I'm going to check off those tasks in. I imagine what needs to be done to get each task accomplished and then I visualize each item going smoothly. From the Miracle Morning for Writers we're told to "Visualize actions, not results." To Do's don't magically jump off our list, we have to work on them. So that's what I try to picture happening.

E(xercise) = Even when I did a version of the Miracle Morning prior to this year, I didn't incorporate exercise. Or if I did, it would be for a day or two and then I'd say, "Fuck it", and sip my coffee while working through the rest instead. I am overweight, out of shape, and perimenopausal which adds a whole other wrench into things. So what I'm doing right now is walking up and down the stairs in my house. Yesterday, I did two minutes. Today, I did two and a half. Tomorrow, it will be three. I'm working my way up to five minutes. And for all of you skinny folks or healthy folks who might scoff at that, try hauling a couple hundred pounds around and tell me it's easy then. I'm going with the idea that doing something is infinitely better than doing nothing. I'm playing an audiobook or podcast for a couple minutes while I get my blood pumping. And then I refill both my water and coffee and head back to my office to finish up.

R(eading) = My goal for reading is ten minutes or one chapter of whatever self-help or craft book is up next in my que. I would ideally read more than this, but when my brain is in the mood to check off the items on a list quick, accomplishing even ten minutes is a task. So I wanted to make it doable on an ongoing basis. I'm trying to get back into paper books after reading so much on my kindle and audible, so that's what I plan to use my Miracle Morning time doing. Paper only. Because the other formats I easily squeeze into the rest of my day.

S(cribing/writing) = While many people would say my blog time would more than count for this portion, I'm not going to use it. I'm picking my journal back up again. You'll see a few posts ago that I was singing the praises of making time for journaling every day. And it was true. I felt amazing when I took time every morning to write in a book with a pen and see where my head was at. I even completed a journal, cover to cover, for the first time ever in my life. I gave myself a three page/day goal, but the lines in that book were big, and it took no time at all to fill. I kept the same three page goal when I moved to a larger notebook, and I think that's where I set myself up to fail. It's why I ultimately got frustrated and quit.

So this round, I'm doing two pages per day, and allowing myself the freedom to switch to one if my morning is hectic. Writing in my journal everyday is the goal. I'm not going to stress about page count. It's also the last item on my list. Moving this back until all the creatures are fed and happy is easy.

That's it. That's what I'm going to do every day this year. I'm hoping to up the exercise as I get my body moving more, and I'm excited to gain more skill at my visualization and mediation practices. But mostly, I'm excited to see how this impacts me after my SAVERS are complete.

Stay tuned for another #Roxys7DayChallenge. I'm planning on redoing this to refresh my schedule this month as I get my feet back under me and my SAVERS timed out.

Do you do a Miracle Morning? Or are there any practices you want to incorporate every day this year? I'd love to hear about what your resolutions are. Let's kick ass together in 2019.

~Roxy

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I'm defacing a book

11/3/2018

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It took a lot for me to overcome years of bookmark addiction and carefully laid shelving all in avoidance of damaging books. I never wanted to deface the pages or covers. When the spines cracked from use, I died a little inside.

Yes. I'm that type of book hoarder. But I'm working through my issues thanks to a book I'm only a couple chapters into but already insanely excited about. This is a book on writing, so sorry, for all the fiction scribblers, I still will never deface a book, unless an author is signing it for me.

It started when I borrowed Save the Cat! Strikes Back from my local library.

I had heard the book mentioned in some of the forums on RWA's website. So I picked it up.

It was amazing. The author wrote a book that made me think about storytelling in a new way, and I was incredibly inspired. So much so that I even took pictures of the book to save in Evernote and reference later.

I read mostly in ebook and audiobook format, simply because it's less expensive, and I can borrow books from the library without worrying about what that weird stain on page 56 is.

But this book...this I was going to have to look into buying. I wanted to reference all of it.

Turns out, I wasn't the only novelist that was struck with the brilliance. When I went off looking for where to grab this gem, I found out there was a Save the Cat! book in the context of novel-writing.

via GIPHY

And it was a recent release, so I stood a chance in hell of it actually being on the shelves at my local Barnes & Noble.

Quick side rant...my local book store sucks. The employees look down their noses at anything that isn't literary fiction, and although there are two aisles of bibles, you have to go by the kids section to find the half shelf of writing craft books. But I'm not bitter...

Anyway. I looked up online, and my bookstore did have a single copy of this book. On release day. So I hurried my happy ass over to the store, and after I was shown where the writing books were (behind three displays of Harry Potter toys), I located this beauty.

Save the Cat! Writes a Novel starts out with great information, and I did something I haven't done since college. I grabbed a highlighter and started marking this baby up.

I was excited, because I had researched the author, (yes, I do that.) and she writes teen fiction. While her genre isn't the same as mine, I'd argue there are a lot of similarities between writing teen fic and writing romance. A couple of the themes are intensified, but many of the tropes have similar veins. Love, heartbreak, self-discovery...you see what I mean.

Jessica Brody, writes with a great conversational style for the introduction, which made me actually read the whole thing without realizing it. I tend to skip introductions to get to the good stuff, but this one, I was smiling through.

Within the first couple pages of chapter one I found myself wanting to take notes. "I should write that down. I love that!" was uttered many many times.

I eyed my highlighters sitting in my pen cup, in pristine condition from lack of use. I picked the yellow because it was the lightest color, and defaced the book a little less in my mind. I know, I'm nuts, but I'm fun at parties.

And I went for it. I highlighted. I stopped and thought about exactly how this author was taking the beats from Blake Snyder's books and adapting it. I was going along the same path myself with his books, but she put it succinctly, and in perfect short bits just screaming for highlight.

I'm working my way through the book with the help of some Miracle Morning S.A.V.E.R.S. (minus the e, because that stands for exercise. Blech.), and my Forest app. I have been keeping the highlighter right next to it. Because I can't wait to dive into the next chapter!

Do you mark up your non-fiction? Do you take notes? Highlight? Any tips on how to effectively mark up a book for this newbie? I'd love to hear about it.

~Roxy

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Binge Reading

6/19/2018

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It all started with an audible credit and the latest book from a fav author. Shelly Laurenston was perhaps the third or fourth author I picked up when I fell in love with erotic romance, so she'll always hold a special place in my heart. I hope she never stops writing. Ever.

I'd seen this book, Hot and Badgered, popping up on my IG feed and around the internet. The hype power was strong. And I was stoked.

While this book wasn't as spicy as her previous books, I loved the characters so much, I didn't mind the change.

I don't know about you, but when I start falling down a rabbit hole, I cut the parachute strings and fall hard.

If you've watched South Park, you know that Cartman can't stop singing "Come Sail Away" once the song starts. That's me when I start reading a favorite author. And after I got Ms. Laurenston's amazing prose voice singing in my brain, I grabbed my kindle and started all over again. I've made it through the Magnus Pack series (which was where I started), and have made it about halfway through the Pride books.

My hubby makes fun of me for becoming obsessed with things. My Tiny House tangent scared him the most, but I just turned that into a book. You should totally read it if you're in love with the Tiny House influx of shows and the off-the-grid tech. Or if you just like a forced proximity trope. I'm pretty fond of these characters. ------>

Anyway, to get back on track, I love an author with a big sexy backlist. Some of my favs have recently re-released series or revived them after getting rights back, and I'm snatching those bad boys up too. It's like visiting old friends.

Sophie Oak who is now writing as Lexi Blake is re-releasing her Bliss books, Mary Hughes signed her Biting Love series up with Entangled, and Vivi Andrews who is now writing as Lizzie Shane re-released all her Karmic Consultants books. I'm in nostalgia heaven. But like Cartman, I've started singing the song of Shelly Laurenston's Pride series AND I CAN'T STOP. As soon as I finish, though, I'm completely excited to fall down the next rabbit hole with these ladies.

What authors have you re-reading their series over and over again? Tell me so I can add it to my own TBR pile.

~Roxy

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BiG Beautiful Recommendation

I love vacations I can take from my couch

Craft Book Recommendation: Save the Cat! Writes a Novel

She's a Storyteller

Miracle Morning...This Time For Real

I'm defacing a book

Binge Reading

Roxy Mews

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