I started a 5 minute book podcast using Swell. Here is the link to the podcast about the books that got me started with my love of reading.
I hope you like it.
Thanks for reading.
Tag: books
How is everyone?
So, it has been a while since my last blog post. I guess you could say things have been a little busy here in Southwest Florida. I hope you all are well.
It has been 49 days since Hurricane Ian smashed into Florida causing major damage and 114 deaths from Lee County north into Charlotte and Sarasota Counties. Because the storm was so huge, it caused problems all over the state and then headed to the Carolinas for some more havoc.
Mike and I were very lucky. Although there is damage to the house, we can live in it. There are many people in our surrounding communities that weren’t so lucky.
Just when we thought hurricane season was about over – here comes Nicole. Oy! We had a rainy, breezy day. Those on the East coast of Florida weren’t so lucky. Did you all see the pictures of the homes washed into the Atlantic Ocean. So sad.
So, now that things are back to “normal” (really – you CAN see the normal if you look over the giant piles of debris everywhere) I plan to get back to reading and reviewing good books and talking about eating healthy and being good to your body.
After 46 days of erratic eating, I’m back to eating more fruits and veggies, lean protein, and fewer carbs. I’m looking for healthier recipes for Thanksgiving- including apple pie croissants!! Now that stores here have milk, eggs, butter, and fresh veggies – we no longer have to go on our evening grub crawl to find food trucks so we can eat. Next time you see a food truck, stop and buy something. If it weren’t for them a lot of people wouldn’t have eaten anything in the days after the storm. That is how bad things were.
So, hug your loved ones and enjoy every day with a smile on your face. Remember to be kind, especially to those who are in helping jobs. (Keep in mind, if you are dealing with storm aftermath, your local grocery checkout person, receptionist, public works staff are working to help YOU when they should be home getting their own situation fixed).
Be kind. Be patient. Be respectful.
Thanks for reading.
One year
It’s been one year. On the daily, I still think “I have to call Mom and tell her…” and then suffer through the gut punch that of remembering you are gone.
I still think about how we used to talk for hours about books. It hit me hard this week because one of our shared favorite authors, Adriana Trigiani, had a new book come out. Normally, you and I would have been doing a countdown to publication day. I did stop, look up, and say “don’t forget to preorder The Good Left Undone so we can start reading it together” last week. In the past I would have devoured the book so we could talk about it. To be honest, I haven’t even started reading it. I just can’t bring myself to start yet. I promise to start reading it next week. I can’t thank you enough for instilling a love of reading in me.
The year of firsts without you is over. First holidays without you. First time I was sick (yep, Covid) without calling you for advice. First Easter without a lamb cake. First Mother’s day without you. I think you get the picture.
I know we all miss you and love you, Mom.
Diary of an Angry Young Man by Rishi Vohra
Sometimes I get emails from authors asking me to read and review a book. They often offer a free copy of the book for me to read. If the book has not been published, I will check out the author and the book to decide if I want to read and review it. If the book has already been published and I am interested in reading the book, I purchase a copy for myself. This was the case with Diary of an Angry Young Man. Mr. Vohra’s pitch drew me in immediately. I ended up reading the book in two days.
Raghav is a boy living with his family just outside of the slums of Colaba in Bombay in 1992. His father barely scrapes enough money together for their family of four to live.
The was a lot of unrest in India during Raghav’s childhood. The different religious factions were always fighting. One day, Raghav heard a commotion in the street. It was a mob of angry people attacking a young boy. Raghav was shocked that people of his religious sect were attacking this boy. He saved the boy by hiding him in his house and switching clothes with him so he could get away.
When his mother had a severe asthma attack, Raghev was left home while the family took her to the hospital. During this time, he was assaulted by the local creepy guy. When his family returned and told him that his mother was dead, Raghav’s anger at his assault and losing his mother came to a head. He ended up hanging in the local slums.
From the street kids, prostitutes, policemen, and other interesting characters, Raghav finds a kind of family. When he attempts to help an orphan, he starts on his road to redemption and out of the deep anger he holds within himself.
The story of Raghav drew me in and kept me reading late into the night. I needed to know how his story ended. I really enjoyed the book and will look for more from this author. You can find this book on Amazon or from your local independent book store.
For more info about the author, visit https://rishivohra.com.
Amazon link: Diary of an Angry Man
Thanks for reading.
This {_______} life 