The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August - Claire North

So, 17 chapters in and I have no idea what this book is supposed to be about. At first, it seemed intriguing and now I feel bored out of my mind. I mean, what's the point? What is this leading up to?

Plus, chapter 16 we're into a life and nothing really gets settled when we head into chapter 17. I'm very disappointed. I was hoping for more. I guess we'll see if this gets any better. So we do end up swinging back but I'm so bored by chapter 22 that I've given up. I mean, I can't bring myself to start reading it again.

I really expected something else. It looks like some are saying the first 20% is good and then the last 30%. I don't want to wait that long. There is so much more out there.

Born of Legend - Sherrilyn Kenyon

So, 46% of the way through this one and I'm wondering where the heck is the story. I mean, c'mon. Poor Jullien, Oh whoa is him. I miss the feelings and excitement of the first few books. I mean, Nykyrian and Syn were my all time favorites. They're what made me fall in love, and yeah, they were damaged goods but they weren't overly tortured souls that you couldn't enjoy the story. I just feel that it's getting long and drawn out and for no reason. A lot of repetitive things going on. I mean, Dagger is safe, then he isn't, then he is, then he isn't. He's in love but he's leaving, he's staying, he's leaving, he could never leave. UGH. IF you think this sentence is too long, try reading the book!

From the beginning we've hated Jullien. Now, my feelings for him went from dang, that poor guy, to STFU, already! I wish they had cut out about 350-400 pages already. I would have left liking Jullien. This is my all-time favorite series but it seems like it's going downhill fast. I don't want to lose what I've come to love.

Can I just say that the amount of characters and family lineage is driving me nuts. I cannot in anyway keep it straight in my head. I'm all over the place. Especially, since I listen to most of the story while I work. I cannot figure out who's who and related to what and when and so many different species. I gave up.

Now 56% of the way through and I'm starting to get angry. It's hard to listen to Jullien not like Darling and the rest of the clan that I've grown to love. Not to mention I think its starting to drag a and on. Let's get to what we've all been waiting for since Born of Betrayal. I mean, I can only hear so many times how much he can't believe Ushara loves him even though he's scarred. Sigh.

Not much passed where I left off I want to throw my Kindle, my cell phone, and anything I'm reading this on across the freaking planet. I hate everyone and everything in this book. I hope he dies, I hope he falls out of his spaceship or whatever they call it. I hope everyone burns in flames.

I can only listen to so many times about him hating his grandmother and him crying over toys Nyk left behind. I can't take it anymore. Honestly, this is ridiculous. It would have been much better of a story had we not gone into all this frivolous detail. There was absolutely no need for it. None at all. Let's be honest, I've skipped a full 3 minutes in the story and we're still talking about him showering. This has no relevance to the story. Not to mention, we keep commenting on the bedroom decor he hates. UGH. It's stuff like this that adds nothing to the story but you find riddled throughout the entire drawn out story. So disappointed, I should have read something better.

I sincerely hope that this is not the way all of The League novels are going. That would be totally and utterly disappointing.

Okay, so finally, 88% of the way through the book we finally get to what I've come for. I actually started liking the book again, until I remembered what it put me through.

I'm sorry but I hope this is not the trend of what's to come for The League. I loved the series as one of my favorites but it's getting ridiculous now. Too many characters, too many family trees that don't make sense to me and just plain too much.

Numbers - Laurann Dohner

Numbers:

140


I think I remember 140 from a previous story I just can't remember which. I really feel for Mourn. I can't imagine the torment he's going through. Dana having gone through something similar with her husband understands the pain Mourn is feeling. She's been there and is still dealing with her heartbreak. I was caught up in their story and could feel all the same reservations Dana had. It did seem really fast for Mourn want to move on. Still, loved their story though. What's up with Paul and Dana's mom?

927

Finally, the story I've been waiting for since forever! I've been dying to learn more and hear about Hero's story. I think I fell a little in love with him in Valiant and Tammy's story. It definitely lived up to my expectations.

One thing that bugged me was the back and forth between the past and present. I'm not a patient woman. Even in TV shows the back and forth is difficult for me to sit through. Still, I couldn't love Hero any more and Candi was so likable and innocent. The abuse the poor New Species have suffered is immeasurable. It's a wonder how they go on. I wish humans were as uncomplicated as NS. Life would be so much easier.

So, I finally, got used to the back and forth of this book and started to enjoy learning more about Candi and 927. I will admit this is the first book in the series that had me bawling. I'm glad Candi didn't give up fighting for what was hers. Not only that she was more gracious about it than I could have been.

This will be one of my favorites and hard to top. A lot of the New Species stories revolve around the human women being in trouble and this was a welcome break from that. For me it keeps the series alive and exciting.

My friend came home one last time.

I didn't expect to pick Joey up from the vet so soon. It was really difficult trying to hold it together enough to pay. I was praying they had made a mistake and that my bouncing baby dog would come prancing through those doors. I knew it was delusional but I couldn't keep myself from going there.

The worry I was going through Saturday night and all of Sunday. I couldn't sleep, I couldn't eat. I was in knots worrying about my precious boy. When the phone rang at 3:30am Monday morning, I jumped at it. It was dread but for a flash of a second I was hoping for, Joey made a miraculous recovery.

Now, how do I look at my other dog the same? It was an unfortunate accident but he took something from me that I can never get back. This world is filled with so much darkness but Joey, Joey was pure light.

I keep looking in his favorite places for him. When I come home and he's not on the couch in the basement it hits me again. Again and again. Every time I let the dogs out he doesn't coming running with his panty breathing. I'm not going to be able to wake up in the middle of the night to comfort him through his reverse sneezing.

I'm hungry but I can't bring myself to eat. Going to work helps and I can claim some sort of semblance there. It's still hard driving passed the vets where we left him.

I struggled all day Sunday with what should I do? I wanted to go see him but I didn't want to interrupt his healing. I mean, he was so nervous and if he'd see me he'd get all huffy. Would it have helped or hurt? Would they have even let me see him?

I woke up at 1:30am Monday in knots. The worry was killing me. I couldn't sleep and at 3am I couldn't breathe. I tossed and turned trying to get some air. A few minutes later I started getting chest pains myself. The worry was literally eating me up. At 3:30am the vet called and said he had tragic news. About 15 minutes before, Joey went into cardiac arrest. He said they gave him everything a human would have and they preformed CPR but that he just couldn't pull through.

Why? What happened? When we arrived on Saturday night the vet said that the x-rays appeared to show his trachea had been cut. He said the repair would be beyond him. We could try rushing him down the highway to Woburn about 40 minutes away but he didn't think Joey would make it. WHAT? I can't have this dog die. Not in my arms on the way to help! Not ever! My only other option was to try to get him stable and then try to bring him to Woburn. I opted for them making him stable. His tongue was purple. He asked if we'd give him permission to send the x-rays off to a radiology specialist to check the results. We immediately agreed and they said they did not see anything wrong with his trachea. YES, a small victory.

I asked if we could see him and he said let me intubate him first. He's shocky and not getting enough oxygen. They put him on Propofol and intubated. His vitals came right back up to where they were supposed to be and he was getting 99% oxygen into his lungs. Another small victory. They let me see him on the table. His wounds, although, they looked bad, I didn't think they were non-recoverable. Seeing him like that I sort of lost everything I wanted to say to him. I was a bit in a daze from all the bad news and seeing him on the table. I got to pet him and told him I loved him and that he was a good boy. I just kept repeating those two things for a few minutes. I wish so bad that I had said more or done more to comfort him.

Joey had never been away from us like that ever. My mom would babysit him at her home but he'd always have Avery with him and he knew my parents. If my mom couldn't watch him my brother and his wife would watch him with Avery, still. If neither of those options were available my mother-in-law would come to our home and stay with him. He'd never been away from home or family for that long. What if he let go because he thought I wasn't coming back for him?

Why did I have to lose my best friend? Especially, over something so stupid as 4 carrots. I was supposed to have at least 10 more years with him. He was incredible.

The worst part now is not only the pain but the pain my husband is going through. I can't help him and it hurts even more. I wish there was something I could do to ease the pain, even if just a little bit. I find myself breaking down at odd times over odd things. Mostly, when I'm missing him the most. Like in the mornings when I'm showering, or when I'm coming home and the routine is changing because he's not there doing his quirky things. He would almost force you to greet him because he would bark and bark. I didn't mind it one bit. He was welcoming us home. Ken would sometimes say enough, Joey. I'd always encourage him. You go Joey! I'd always say, What? What Joey. He'd just go on talking and talking.

It's tough because you don't realize how much something means to you. You don't understand what you're going to miss. You can't even comprehend that they're no longer going to be a part of your life. Yes, you'll have your memories and the love for him will never die but it's just not the same.

Life will never be the same without you Joey.

My life is now incomplete.

One of the brightest days of my life started sometime in February 2005. I was able to pick up the sweetest, happiest, most scared dog I had ever seen from the airport. I had named him Joey. It was love at first sight. At least on my part. He was in his crate tilting his head, petrified. I tried taking him out but he didn't want to move. He was too nervous. We brought him home and we tried coaxing him out of the kennel with food, with calling him, with everything we could think of. Finally, after some trepidation we decided to have him meet our German Shepherd, Coral. When we picked her up 6 years before from the rescue league they told us she'd never be good with other dogs. So, we were not sure what to expect. We put her on a leash and into a down. We put Joey's kennel in the room with her and he came shooting out of the kennel and right into her face. Licking and licking and licking. I look at Ken and we were both thinking, well that settles that. Joey may not have loved me at first sight but he sure did love Coral.

From day one that dog was a joy. He loved me so much. Out of the 5 dogs we have/had that dog loved me the most. I would give anything to be with him and to have more time with him. He always had a smile on. Every time he thought he was coming for a car ride he would stand on his two back legs and throw is front legs together and push them down. I called it praying. He was praying he could come with us. Sometimes he did and other times he couldn't. He was so nervous. Every time he saw a bug in the house he would shake. If we were watching TV and I'd notice Joey shaking I'd immediately know there was a bug around. I'd make Ken pause the TV to find it. Just the mention of the word bug and he'd shake. We had to start calling them bibbits.

The nerves were pretty bad. He couldn't eat if Ken was in the kitchen. He'd be too scared of banging dishes or just any form of noise as he got older. We couldn't cheer for our favorite sports team or clap if something was worthy of it. We recently put him on Prozac so that he would be able to enjoy life. I was so looking forward to see how confident he would get as the meds started to work.

Always, huffy. That poor dog because of his nerves was always panting heavy. Always. He would run and try to be in the bedroom or in the basement away from everyone and everything. I now feel badly for keeping him out of his favorite places. I shouldn't have forced him to be with us. I wanted him near me for my own personal benefit.

This dog was so amazing that he cured himself of Thyroid issues. I mean, I know he probably didn't but he was on thyroid meds for a long time. We ended up running out for about 2 months and when we finally went in to have him checked out his levels were normal. His fur was growing back beautifully, and his tail was becoming glorious again. For a long while he had looked homeless. My homeless Joe. I sometimes put t-shirts on him to look cuter but he was still beautiful to me. I was excited to see how he'd turn out.

Joey was always so hot at bedtime. He didn't want to cuddle much because he'd be too hot and he'd want to go to the end of the bed so that he could be cool. Still, when I was lucky, he'd push up against my back and it felt amazing. My lower back has pain sometimes and him laying up against it made it feel so much better. No other dog does that.

Every morning Joey and Avery would eat in the bathroom while I got ready for work. When he was done eating he'd sit in front of the door in the corner and he'd wink at me. So I'd wink back and he'd wink and I'd wink back. Those days I'd end up late for work! I mean you have to wink back! What if he knows a secret.

When we would go to the vet he'd always bark at the receptionist and people checking out. I'd try to distract him by putting him in a down and he would always always always rollover! It was so funny and filled my heart with joy. I tried so hard teaching him that for puppy kindergarten. We had to teach our pet a trick and I tried high-five (which he excelled at, after the class of course.) I gave up on high-five and decided to try rollover. When he finally did his first rollover I praised him so hard and petted him like crazy. The thing is, before he'd actually roll, he'd spin and spin and spin until finally he'd push himself over. So adorable.

In puppy kindergarten we had to do a recall from across the room and everyone was doing so well. It comes to Joey and I call him and he runs over so excitedly and right before he reaches my hands he starts doing the puppy 5000 in circles around me. Just out of reach. What a ham. He had the best recall though, if I called his name he'd come running. Well, unless he was running away around the neighbors house.  He loved being outside. He would run around with Coral and just be by her side while she was chasing sticks.

Sometimes Ken would forget him outside in the dog run because he'd just be sitting there enjoying himself. I'd ask Ken, where's Joey? We'd have to go back and call him to come in. You'd think he'd be in sleeping in our bedroom when in fact he was just hanging out under the sun. Every single time we let Avery out she'd wait and peek around the corner until Joey would come running. All you'd have to say was "outside" and he'd be off and running! It's one reason he lost his beautiful tail. Avery would latch on and take a piece out of it. Almost every time they'd go out. He never seemed to mind. He was just so focused on getting outside.

I'm not sure when he started becoming more and more scared of things. He never played. We got Avery and she was always running around with toys and Joey just wouldn't. It was very rare that he'd pick up a toy and start playing so when he did I'd stop whatever I was doing just to watch and enjoy his merriment.

Joey loved every dog he came into contact with. People he was petrified of but dogs, man he didn't mind them at all. We went to the dog park once and there was this one dog that wouldn't leave him alone so he screeched and the owner came running and said his dog had never done that before. His dog hadn't done anything and I was about to tell him that before he scolded me and told me Joey belonged in the small dog park. Joey wants to run. He's 20lbs of bunched up energy. He doesn't need no small dog park!!! We left but brought him back a few hours later after that dog had left and Joey had a ball running from one end to the other. Stopping at various people to do his little man bark. He had this ruhr ruhr ruhr that he did that was so freaking adorable. It was reserved for when we'd just get home and occasionally when I was lucky.

Mr. Brightside by the Killers was his favorite song. He'd "sing and dance" with me while it was playing. Every time it would come on after that I'd tell him. Joey!!! It's your favorite song.

"Hands" was his favorite game. It's the only time he'd always play. Ken and I would be laying in bed and Ken would move his hand real fast under the blanket and Joey would chase it and do little puppy growls and try to catch it with his paws. He'd roll and try to grab them. So fun! And fun to watch! He was like a little kitty.

Cody our old ragdoll was a great play friend to Joey. They'd always wrestle and play together. They were both the same size so it was interesting to see them play. No one ever got hurt but they played well together. Joey, however, always left kitty alone. It's almost like he knew she didn't want to be bothered. Cody would terrorize her but Joey would just pretend she wasn't there. Joey knew just what everyone wanted/needed.

Sometimes he'd escape the house and Joey and Avery would come running out. He'd circle the car like take me, take me, take me. We'd have to round him up and shove him back into the house. If Ken wouldn't shut the garage door tight enough he'd manage to push it open. He was so clever. One of the smartest dogs I know.

My best friend taught several other dogs to shred TP. Joey showed my mom's Pom how to check the bathroom trash for goodies. One time when we were visiting Joey shredded some TP in the garbage and ever since that day my moms own Pom does the same thing. He'd never even tried once before that day. Good on you Joey. I'm pretty sure he showed several of our other dogs the same trick. I would give anything to pick up shredded paper from him again.

He was my quiet companion. I would come home from work and after he'd settled down a little waiting for what we'd do next he'd just sit in the rocking chair with his head tilted slightly to one side and I'd walk over tell him "up top" and he'd put his paws on me and wait for pets. It's something I didn't realize I looked forward to until I couldn't do it anymore.

Oh that fun boy. He used to smell my Chapstick and I'd wait for him to lick. I'd just wait but he never did. He must have known I didn't appreciate dog kisses on my lips. He would smell for such a long time though. Sniff sniff sniff sniff. I'd think surely he can't still be smelling and yet he was. He would sniff for so long. All my other dogs try to lick it off but not Joey, no sir, he was such a considerate friend.

He loved going for walks and he'd have so much energy he'd spin while in front just to slow down and keep step with me. He was so fast. That dog could run! For such a small dog he had such a big life. How can such a happy dog be taken from us so soon?

There is so much I can say about him and it still wouldn't be enough. There is no way to explain how bright he was.

The hardest thing about losing him is the routine. Coming home you expect him to be there with his smiling face. Or when he's done going potty and he back kicks about 100 times. Or when you come home and he's kicking the rugs up under him because he's so excited to see you. I find myself almost calling out for him wondering where he's gone off too. He was so sneaky and would get himself locked into different rooms all the time. We'd have to go on searches for him. Joey, where are you!?

Joey was an amazing car rider. He loved them and he'd always sit on my lap to look out the window. He'd lean into and out of the curves perfectly. When he'd get tired he'd lay on my lap and put his head on the headrest. Especially, on the long rides to Lancaster, NH to see his "grandparents". My parents would babysit him and my mom would always say,  he tried running down the driveway to find you. He'd always be listening and waiting for us to return.

When he was younger, he'd shred the toys for their squeaker and just play with those. I'd find pieces of toy everywhere and him playing and chewing on the plastic. How can toys only last 4.6 seconds when they cost so much? I should have just bought him a bag of squeakers.

He was such a delight to have around. He made our whole world better. He loved being petted so he loved being groomed. You could never stop petting him. He'd grab your hand and pull you back. No! Don't stop petting me. Ken would always pet him before bed and if he stopped Joey would tell him NO. Ken would say, I can't pet you all night, buddy. So Joey would turn to me like, OK, your turn mommy.

Speaking of bed! He sure could make a mean bed. When it was time to change the sheets, we'd slowly pull the old one out from under him and Joey would run around the four corners as we made them.

My love for him will never fade. My memories may but he'll forever be with me. Rest in peace you magnificent dog.

Joey -  12/15/04-6/1/15

100 Days to Happiness.

100 Days of Happiness -

Ok, so far I'm reading and I get what is happening but we're flying through things pretty fast. I'm a bit disappointed because I know Da Vinci and Tesla but everyone else we're mentioning, no idea. Way over my head. Like who Lucio looks like. I guess it's just beyond my 34 years of living. Or maybe it's because I'm not Italian?

What we quickly skimmed over is the love story between Lucio's grandparents. OMG, so touching and worth more than a page. I melted. Alas, this is not about Lucio's grandparents it's about his death sentence and wining back his wife. Or so I thought. It's basically, just the last 100 days of Lucio's life. To me he seems to take it in stride. One thing that stuck out to me was that he didn't seem to try very hard to win his wife over. I guess it's really difficult staring down the end of days.

I definitely found myself crying in several spots of this book. One thing I know for sure is that I wish USA had a place where Lucio was able to end his time with a bit of dignity. So much for claiming land of the free.

Anyway, I wish I had understood the references a bit more. They didn't get easier as the book progressed. Even his play list, yeah, I know the Dire Straits and at least 2 or 3 other bands listed but I didn't know a single song. Yipes.

I wish we'd all spend a little more time with family and friends without it having to be the end. This will get you to think. Don't take life for granted. Live and be happy. Most of us will never know the end is coming. Like the book say's, you spend a lot of time doing the last of something and you might not even realize it.

Fun!

Fun! by nikkiswild featuring black handbags

Goosecraft leather jacket
$370 - zalando.co.uk

White jeans
$41 - quizclothing.co.uk

Giuseppe Zanotti knee boots
lastcall.com

Milly black handbag
nordstrom.com

Alexander McQueen necklace
net-a-porter.com

Basis B1

When I received the Basis B1 in the mail I was ecstatic. I couldn't wait to put this on and watch my steps accumulate. Unfortunately, I had to charge it for 3 hours first. Still, that didn't put a damper on my mood. (Ok, it did a little.)

After strapping this on my immediate impression was "wow" it's a little bulky. I have a teeny tiny wrist and not only does this look huge on me but it also feels a bit painful on my bone. Especially, at bedtime.

I love the fact that this has habits (goals) that you beat and pass and once you earn enough points off of your habits you get to add more. It's very exciting and helps to keep you motivated. I think though, that in the beginning, they should make the first goal quicker to obtain. I find that the more achievements and accomplishments you make the more motivated you become and the more you want to accomplish. I think others in this field should think of doing the same.

I also love that it has a heart rate monitor. I really like the fact that it checks not only my heart rate but my skin temperature and perspiration. So you can get a picture of what you're body is doing at any given time.

Now, I've tried the several different types of pedometers that rate above and below this. I also have and continue to use my Fitbit One. I've had that for almost 2 years and I know that my steps are practically spot on. I've held it and walked and counted my steps. I've even counted my steps and then checked it and it's really within a step or two. The Basis B1, I've found is pretty far off.

Just this morning I went from my bedroom to the kitchen, to the living room, back to the kitchen then to the bathroom. My Basis B1 registered only 8 steps. Now, I assure you I don't live in a studio apartment. While my B1 registered only 8 steps my other pedometer accounted for 92. Much more accurate. That means this morning alone I lost 84 steps. I feel like that's a lot and it adds up. There doesn't seem to be a place for calibration or how to change my stride. I think it just calculates that based off of my height but still, 8 steps!?

One more issue that I have is that the sleep tracker is pretty far off. One night I know I woke up about 4 times because I checked the alarm clock each time and my B1 only said that my sleep was interrupted only once. The next night I took it off because it was so uncomfortable and I needed a break. Then only last night it said my sleep was interrupted 0 times but it had my sleep split into two times. Once from 12:20am-3:49am and then again at 4:13am-6:10am That seemed so odd to me. I spent quite a long time searching the website and playing with the B1 looking for a button or combination of buttons to use to have the watch know I'm going into sleep mode. After a good while I realized that you don't push anything you just go to bed.

All of that being said, I like the idea of this, I just wish it could be a bit more compact and a bit more accurate for steps. To me the sleep tracker doesn't much matter as I pretty can tell if I'm sleeping good or not. It does have some good habits to look into like going to bed at the same time every night. That would be so hard for me to attain. Anyway, I like the unit. I love the motivation factors. All in all. It's alright. Until the step count becomes more accurate I have to be a bit harsh in my rating.

Bowflex Boost

First impressions not a huge fan. The bracelet itself is a little large. It clips in easy enough. The program itself is a pain in the you know what. I'm so frustrated with this.

I have the Fitbit One and had the Ultra before and I love loved them. Especially, the fact that you can go online and see your progress and your phone is not required but if you want to you can use your phone. This Boost requires the use of the Bluetooth on the newer model phones. iPhone 5 and Samsung 4S or higher. The website didn't really state the fact it could be used with Android and seeing as how I have the Samsung 3S I couldn't really use it. Luckily, a family member has the iPhone 5S and I'm able to use that. However, I've been wearing this for over a week expecting it to count steps like my Fitbit does whether or not it's paired with a phone or computer and to my surprise it wasn't collecting my data until I actually connected and paired it to the phone.

The box didn't state it could be used with Androids and that made me a little nervous. I suppose once I upgrade my phone I wouldn't be as critical but I do hate lugging it out all the time.

I think the first step when downloading the app to the phone is showing you how to connect the unit. By the time I got there I just assumed it was not important info so I skipped it. So I wrote it for 3 more days expecting it to backlog my data and nothing. Finally, after pairing it on Monday and not finding any results I was super disappointed. Not just disappointed but really unhappy.

Not only that but not being able to see my results online after I've been spoiled with Fitbit is kind of a bummer. I'd always check my stats periodically throughout the day online because it was easy and convenient and I could leave the website up while doing other work. Now with this app I have to break out the phone (or borrow, in my case) unlock the phone, find the app, open the app and then update the info. Not as easy as it should be.

Another thing I noticed is that in order to sync the Boost with the phone you have to hold the button for 5 seconds. 3 seconds puts it to sleep and 5 syncs the Boost with the phone. After several different tries with looking at the phone and trying to figure out where the refresh button was on the app I realized that you have to do it from the Boost. I definitely don't like that. The button itself is not as easy to push as you'd want it to be. My husband who has no finger nails would have a really difficult time using the button.

I'm not a fan of this bracelet. I'll definitely be switching back to Fitbit.

51. Diabetes Meal Planning and Nutrition for Dummies - Consumer Dummies

I have to say, a lot of this information I already knew. I did see my educator and nutritionist every month or so for over two years and a lot of this I learned from them. A few things were surprising to me but not enough.

I was sort of hoping for more of a meal plan. I realize they can't go through every day of my life and I got the logistics, I just would have liked more options.

A lot of the recipes were not really for me. I wasn't interested in any of them really. I was really only mildly enthused about one or two. I know what you're thinking... maybe that's why she's got the diabeetus. Not so.

One thing that was a great refresher was keeping the carbs under 15 grams. That actually makes a lot of sense to me. I'm a huge carb person. I try to be more conscious of the carbs when eating but sometimes they get away from me. I remember my nutritionist going over something like this but it's been so long it's good to be reminded.

I think this is a very good starting point and something everyone should read especially those just diagnosed. I feel like the best thing for diabetes is a healthy diet and exercise. Eat healthy and get moving and remember to check your numbers as often as your doctor suggests. I think it's the key to staying healthy and what this book is also saying. 

I haven't read Diabetes For Dummies but I feel like a lot of this should be covered under that and this being geared more towards the actual meal planning and perhaps covering more foods on the Glycemic Index and more of what we should eat vs what we shouldn't. There were some helpful tips in the back that went over a few items that you could substitute like plain greek yogurt for sour cream or butter. Plus, super foods that we should consider like peanut butter and salmon.

The thing that bothered me the most was that this book say's go ahead and eat a potato but for me they're so high on the GI I'm not sure why they're suggesting it. Obviously, it say's to know your body and check your results to see how certain things affect you but I don't like how they're saying white potatoes are alright. I guess maybe they're just not alright for me. I know, there's a write up in the back that say's that although it's high in carbs and high on the GI that its' also full of vitamin C and potassium. For me the reward is not worth the risk.

All in all this is great for beginners and a wonderful refresher to what, hopefully, most diabetics would know. I enjoyed reading through the tips and warnings. Something not every book would want to tackle.

42. Deadline - Sandra Brown

Sandra Brown is one of my favs. I've tried to read everything I could get my hands on by her and I think I've done a good job. For me Deadline wasn't a huge favorite. I did enjoy the story and the premise but I think the stories are slipping into a more of a mystery type novel instead of a romantic type.

I think that the characters for me didn't really have much chemistry. I mean, I understand the story and I loved the ideas behind them I just think I wanted more story between them.

I don't want to give anything away because it was a good journey from beginning to end some things that you could see coming I felt even though were predictable seemed to be given away too early or at least felt a little rushed.

I loved the supporting characters, especially, the Godmother ( I can't remember her name.) She was a spitfire though and I loved her gumption. The children were also fun to read about, however, the interactions with Amelia didn't feel quite right. She seemed more of a drill sergeant than a mom.

Although, a lot of heavy stuff happened to Dawson Scott and he wasn't dealing with his PTSD it sort of wrapped it up a little too conveniently for me in the end.

I have to say, I'm glad I read this but it seemed a little long and not as enjoyable as her other novels. Not my favorite a bit predictable but the twists I didn't see coming.

41. Devoted: 38 Extraordinary Tales of Love, Loyalty, and Life With Dogs - Rebecca Ascher-Walsh

WOW. Just wow. I can't even put into words. The dogs in these stories truly are heroes. I read this every single morning on the way to work for a week. Every single morning I bawled my eyes out. I tried everything to not cry, I'd look up, I'd try to think of something else, nothing worked. The stories are not even written sentimentally. They're just honest fact telling stories of truly amazing dogs. The bonds they can have with people and how truly astounding they are.

It makes me want to run out and adopt more. I want them all. One story that really struck home was that of Lily. The pit bull that put herself between her owner and a train. I remember reading this story in the papers. It happened not that far from where I lived and I was struck then but how extraordinary pets are.

Just reading these short glimpses into a small handful of pets makes me wonder how many more stories that are out there of pets that have helped others or saved lives or even put their own lives before their families. You can't help but be touched by this.

What choked me up the most was the artist... I don't want to ruin it and this book was not meant to be sad. It's inspiring and I hope dog lovers alike will read this and enjoy them as much as I did.

32. Pro's and Con's - Janet Evanovich and Lee Goldberg

I read this one after The Heist even though it seems to be the prequel to it. I enjoyed the spy stuff and the con and how sly Nicolas Fox was and Kate's pursuit of him. She always manages to be 1 step behind.

This was a short novella and a really quick read. it pretty much sets up the relationship between Nicolas and Kate and the things he does to get on her nerves while she tries to track him down. Not to mention it also shows us how smart Nick really is.

Anyhow, I enjoyed this one and as I said about The Heist, I just wish there was a bit more from the characters.

31. The Heist - Janet Evanovich & Lee Goldberg

I took a few days to process this one once I finished. I enjoyed the cons and the supporting characters and even the main characters. I did, however, feel like I missed something between the two characters. I didn't really feel what I wanted to for them. I wanted more of a connection. Maybe a little more acceptance on Kate's side. I mean, not to spoil anything but her bosses were in on it.

Anyway, I wasn't blown away by this one. Right after I read this I read the short story Pro's and Con's that happened before The Heist and even that was just alright for me.

I loved the characters. Nicolas Fox was fun and flirty and apparently down right attractive according to Kate. Kate's father was also a bit of a fun character. He was always there for Kate when she needed him apparently making up for her childhood.

Still, I want more from her and Nick.

19. Three - J.A Konrath and Ann Voss Peterson

Three is the best so far in the Chandler series.  It starts off right where Spree ended. While Spree was an all out action packed running for your life from one scene to the next this was more methodical and had more story.

I really don't want to give anything away that happened in this or the two previous books. This had a little bit of everything. Action, gore, sex, evilness, heroes. It had so much. Chandler finds herself in another situation where she has to make tough decisions. For her though, decisions are life or death. She has to save Canada and Mexico from a crazy POTUS.

The twists and turns were unpredictable and completely had me going "Oh, well that makes sense." Or "No way!"

I love, love, love this series! Chandler is such a favorite. She's superhuman. I hope to read more and more. Not to mention I love that we bring in characters from other series. Jack and Harry their banter is too much.

Ok, now I have to admit at the end I was tearing up and couldn't even see the words in front of me. Amazing, how one minute we can go from action packed crazy to practically bawling. So many emotions.

56. Carrots - Colleen Helme

I really wanted a quick fun read and I could tell by the write up on the back that this looked promising on both accounts. I was not disappointed. Just over 200 pages this is a light read. Plenty of fun included in this as well.

Shelby has to run into the grocery store for some carrots. She's making soup for dinner and just needs carrots. For her it's the worst timing ever. The bank in the store is being robbed and as she's checking out she hears a bang and see's a customer drop. Unable to move from terror she stares at the robber who's mask is in the downed customers hand. He points and shoots. Shelby wakes up in the store with a gun shot that luckily just grazed her head. The side effect left her with the ability to read minds. She can hear everyone's mind as long as she's in the same room as them.

The worst thing is she finds out the new lawyer is after her husband. Hearing something Kate was thinking she tries to warn her to stay away or she'll tell everyone about "Uncle Joey", unfortunately, for Shelby, that sets her up to meet Uncle Joey.

I don't want to go into too much detail or ruin anything but I really enjoyed this book. I was up until 1am trying to finish it. I downloaded the second book the very next day. I can't wait to read more from Shelby. The supporting characters were amazing as well. They were fun and fit into the story. I hope we get to hear from at least some of them in the next book.

This does beg the question though. Do we really want to know what other people really think of us? Tough question. It's easy to say yes but I can't imagine it would be easy. 

52. Spree - J.A. Konrath and Ann Voss Peterson

It will never be said that Konrath's novels are boring. I'll tell you that. From the second you start reading this book it's knock down, drag out action. Spree starts exactly where Flee left off. I loved Flee. Spree was just as good.

I don't want to go into too much detail in case some haven't yet read any of the Chandler series. Basically, Chandler is a super secret spy working for a government agency that almost no one knows exists. She needs to save one of her 3 remaining sisters from a black site. Complications arise as they always do for her and the action is full tilt ahead.

Love Chandler, love that she's like a superhero. She has to be because the kind of butt whooping she takes in most scenes she has to be. No normal person could go through all of what she does. Still, it's awesome and fast paced and exciting to read through.

I think my one complaint is all the weapons talk. There were so many different guns and knifes I had no idea what was going on. I'd have had to stop every few pages to look up what they were talking about. So... for me that was a little bit of a downside. AR-7, Ghost Hawk knives... it was all over my head. I got the 9MM reference though.

I love the characters. I love the new characters that were introduced. I had wanted to read Ann Voss Peterson's Pushed Too Far before reading this one but the time constraints were a lit tricky to work out. I'll definitely be going back to read that though. I believe a lot of characters in this were also in that novel.

I'm very excited for Three, the next (and maybe even the last) novel in the Chandler series.

45. Low Pressure - Sanda Brown

I'd like to first start off by saying that I love Sandra Brown. Her books are my must haves. That being said, I've had a run of books where I can't seem to connect with the characters. Bellamy and Dent were good but there just wasn't that little extra that pushed it over the edge for me.

I did enjoy the story. I just feel like there needed to be more from the characters to help me connect with them. I feel like it almost happened with Bellamy and although we learned a lot about Dent and what made him turn out the way he was it wasn't exactly enough.

There were a lot of twists and turns and to be honest, I wasn't really sure who actually murdered Susan. That definitely, kept me on my toes. Which what I want most from a book. I loved the story of this one.

43. The Night Circus - Erin Morgenstern

A game between two sides. It starts with a 6 year old girl. Sent to Prospero after her mother passes. Her father sees so much potential in her he calls the man in the grey suit. This is how the game begins. Celia knows she will be pitted against an opponent but she has no idea who that person might be or when the game shall begin.

I rather enjoyed the story. I thought it was told wonderfully and it was just as magical listening to the events being played out as it would have been to be there. I could picture it as clear as day. That being said the narrator's female voices were terrible. I was cringing most of the time. His accents were good but he should just stop trying to do women voices. It also seemed as though most of the characters sounded the same as well as him slipping in and out of character.

I rather felt like I missed something. When did they fall in love? How did they fall in love? What was Marco doing? I felt that even though everything came together that poor Isabelle was stuck in the middle.

The game was likened to a chess game with the circus and the people being the pieces. I think this book will appeal to men and women. Who wouldn't want to visit this circus.

Even though it appears as though there are characters that are not important or just taking up space, they all have a purpose in the story. All the way down the the ticket holder at the end. It was a wonderful tale beautifully told.

40. The Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins

I'm pretty sure everyone's read this one by now or a large portion of people. After watching the movie I had decided to read the book. I think for me it was the smarter thing to do even though I kept telling myself that I wanted to read it first and then watch.

While the movie put a lot of the book into visuals the book really draws on the feelings and what the characters are thinking and going through. It really goes into more depth. Although, I'm not sure what I expected there's only been two books where I thought the movies were actually better.

I enjoyed this well enough. A lot happened. Not only did Collins have a lot of world building she had a lot of character building as well. Katniss volunteers in order to take her sister's place in the annual Hunger Games. A deadly match between one boy and one girl of each district ensuring that the districts never rise up against the Capital, Panem, again.

Really a crazy ride from the beginning all the way to the end which leaves us sort of on a cliffhanger. The story is wrapped up but you can just tell there's lots more to come for Katniss.