There are books that I ask for, books that I covet, and even books that I put in my virtual shopping cart and keep there for months. Sometimes I even buy them! I don’t read them though. They sit on my bookshelf, looking pretty and reminding me often, “hello! Here I am! I’ll just sit here waiting for you, until you are ready to read me.” sometimes I’m not ready for years. You see, once you read something, you’ve read it. You cannot unread it. Same with, once you know something, you know it. You cannot unknow it. That’s why How Not To Kill Your House Plant has been sitting on my bedside table since Ninja bought it for me last month. Unopened. Right now I’m just an ignorant plant owner. Once I read that though, I will have the tools to become a responsible Plant Mom. I’m not ready for that, baby steps 😜.
I wanted the book Imagine It!, so badly! I was so excited for it, I tore it open and I read the first couple pages. They were amazing! Almost life-changing! And that’s when I realized I was not quite ready for my life to change 😆. I closed it back up and put it front and centre on my shelf. To wait. Until I’m ready. Like I said, once you know, you know.
I had the 21 Things You May Not Know About the Indian Act in my shopping cart for far too long. Once I got it, I let it sit on my shelf for far too long.
I didn’t know. But now I do.
Maybe that’s why I’ve always stuck to fantasy and historical romances. It is much easier to say, “look how far we’ve come” and congratulate women on once being used as property payment to owning our own property. Yes, much easier to think about how far we’ve come rather than how much further we still have left to go.
Tomorrow is International Women’s Day.
Did you know that March is MS Awareness Month? And did you know that women are diagnosed 4x more than men with MS? Recently I have joined 2 MS Support Groups, Women Fighting MS and Moms With MS. Reading through these forums I see SO many women fighting this disease, having babies while dealing with symptoms, being a Mom while flaring and most of them using their good days to WORK instead of LIVE.
Women are tough.
I have read 10 books recently that have stayed in my heart and brain, left their mark on me and help me be strong when I am feeling weak. These female authors write such strong women characters that fight! Fight for themselves, their families and for a better future.
My FAVOURITE book that I have read in a long time was The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah. Written by a female author who writes women’s stories with so much thought, I am totally hooked. This book tells of a women’s journey as a daughter, a wife, a daughter-in-law, a worker of the land, a mother and as a women who finds her voice. I held this book when I was done. I cried. I thought about this book for weeks afterwards. I dug into the history, I read more, and I drew so many parallels to life back then and life right now. I cannot say enough good things about this book or this author! This is a MUST read! I cannot wait to read more of her beautiful books!
I didn’t wait long to read another amazing book written by Kristin Hannah! True Colours was a book I would NEVER have read a few months ago. A book about 3 sisters and a horse ranch? Where is the romance? The history? And horses???? Boy am I glad I didn’t judge a book by it’s cover 😁! This epic tale of 3 sisters who are all completely different made me laugh, cry and THINK! This book spans many years and tackles many subjects masterfully. Kristin Hannah is AMAZEBALLS.
This book has been on the Top Sellers List for a few years now. The Rose Code by Kate Quinn is a wonderful story about women code breakers in WWII. The 3 female characters are completely different and show the reader 3 distinct women and how they influenced each other, the war and the people they meet along the way. It gave me Hidden Figures vibes which I loved.
Another book that is on a ton of lists of books you NEED to read is The Almost Sisters by Joshilyn Jackson. This book is surprising in so many ways. It takes place in the deep south and takes on topics like race, dementia, privilege, family perceptions and a unconditional love. I loved the main character Leia and found this book to be thoughtful, mysterious and there was even a little romance! A great book on the whole!
Another author I have fallen in love with is Taylor Jenkins Reid. Everyone was gushing about The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and once I read it, I realized why! Everything you think you know about this book, is wrong. This book is about a woman who made an amazing life for herself in a man’s world, making her way up the Hollywood ladder by any means necessary. You will love and hate Evelyn Hugo. I love the style that Taylor Jenkins Reid writes in. This book is a definite winner!
Back to Taylor Jenkins Reid! Daisy Jones & The Six was such an amazing book, Reece Witherspoon made it into a miniseries! Last week Netflix dropped the first few episodes of the miniseries adaptation of Daisy Jones & The Six! As we all know, books are always better than the movie so you NEED to read the book before you watch the show! I’m sure the series will be great, the actors they picked to play the characters look spot on! I’m excited to watch but even more excited to tell you to READ the book, it’s SO good!
The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang is a cute and easy read with a quirky and adorable main character who leads a very independent life. Stella is a 30 year old mathematician that has aspergers. She has lots of money but has never had a boyfriend so she hires an escort to teach her about romance, intimacy and perhaps what it feels like to love something other than logic? This was the perfect book to read on the beach, in the airplane or on a weekday when you want a laugh.
What can I even say about Becoming by Michelle Obama? This book BLEW me away. I adore Michelle Obama and have her next book, The Light We Carry, sitting on my shelf just begging to be read. But like I said before, sometimes I let books sit for a long time on my shelf. Once I read them then I can’t look forward to reading them anymore 😂. I have issues but this book doesn’t. This memoir tells the story of a strong, independent, fierce, and formidable black woman growing up in Chicago and rising to the pinnacle of the American Dream. The way she describes her childhood, family, husband, and life is in a way that everyone who reads this book can relate to and learn from. A beautiful book that everyone should read.
The last book that is on my list of books with amazing female main characters is Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi. This book spans 300 years and tells the story of 2 sisters from Ghana, 1 who is married off to a rich Englishman and the other who gets sold into slavery. It is about them and the generations that come from there lines. This book isn’t for the weak. This book doesn’t mince words when it comes to colonialism and the slave trade. 2 women. 2 different lives. 1 book filled with emotion and a story that left an impression on my heart.
Check out How Was Your Week, Honey? Episode #318: Labelled Disabled HERE! This week, my 1st attempt at applying for disability benefits. Topics: babies, gifted, kites & rockets, whip cream, CPP, curling, trade deadline, & teenagers.
Garlic Butter Italian Sausage Sandwiches
Adapted from Little Kitchen Big World
½ cup butter, room temperature
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 lb ground italian sausage
1 14 oz can of tomato sauce
¼ cup red wine
4 sandwich buns
1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
Combine butter, garlic powder and Italian seasoning, in a bowl and thoroughly mix. Let stand until ready to use.
Brown sausage in a large pan. Add garlic.
Add the tomato sauce, basil and red wine to the sausage and garlic mixture. Let it simmer for 15 minutes over medium heat.
Take off heat and stir in more basil if you want and salt and pepper to taste.
Slather the butter over the inside of buns. Toast in the oven until slightly browned and butter has melted. Remove from the oven and place 2 tablespoons of cheese into each bun followed by the Italian sausage mixture.
Top each sandwich with 2 tablespoons of cheese and place under the broiler under cheese starts to bubble. Remove from oven.
