It's been a while!

Yikes! Life is busy and beautiful and chaotic. I posted one year ago a post similar to this one, and hopefully I can find time to write and update a little more regularly. 

We had a great summer! We went on LOTS of trips. Maybe too many, because the momma never really gets to rest on vacation, right?!  But we got to enjoy time on the lake, Jake visited Lake Hartwell with some college frat buddies, I went on a girls trip to Asheville and saw the breath-taking Chihuly exhibition at the Biltmore Estate, I took the girls to visit some family up in PA over Memorial Day, Jake and I went on a couples trip to Jekyll Island for our anniversary, and we went to IOP as a family.  Yep, busy!

Head over to instagram if you want to catch up with photos of all those things [smwalden11]. 

Additionally, I've really enjoyed having more time for reading this summer! I thought I would round up some of my summer reading favorites for you.  Some novels, some education books, some personal development...

The Wild Card: 7 Steps to an Educator's Creative Breakthrough by Wade King
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book is full of great ideas. I enjoyed the Audible version and hearing the authors read it in their own voices. As an art teacher, I felt some of their ideas did not completely apply to me as the book is geared more towards classroom teachers, however many could be adapted for my content area. I especially loved the idea of transforming spare classrooms for all in the school to use and benefit from. I think every person in a school could gain something from this book.



Be the One by Byron Pitts
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I read this entire short book in a few hours. His words are heart wrenching, captivating, and hopeful. As a future teacher, this book will stick with me for a long time.



The Perfect Couple by Elin Hilderbrand
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I loved this new book by Hilderbrand. The characters were interesting and the plot kept you guessing, even when theorizing about who was guilty. It left me wanting more!



It Won't Be Easy: An Exceedingly Honest (and Slightly Unprofessional) Love Letter to Teaching by Tom Rademacher

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book was a fantastic, quick, and easy read and was written with a practical voice of a veteran teacher who was still in touch with school as it currently is today. He is witty and self-deprecating, and was enjoyable to read. He brought up so many poignant elements that one might encounter during their first year of teaching, and overall I think it could be summed up by saying that he helps you to understand picking your battles on the many fronts you may face them. Highly recommend this one!

These were the highlights, but I did read a few others that were just okay. 

View all my reviews

Where do you get ideas for which books to read next? I love following blogs and seeing what they suggest, and also through my friend's Goodreads accounts.  I've been in the mood for another Liane Moriarty book so I think I might start one of those next!

Now, back to grad school and football season!

Pages of Penrose : The Book of August

Just one book this month! It was a pretty busy month with lots of things taking up my usual reading time, and once I finished the first book a couple weeks ago I did not get to go to the library to pick up another.  So, here is the book of August:

The Storyteller By Jodi Picoult

Thankfully, for being the only book I read this month it was one fantastic book! I love anytime bits of history are incorporated into a book.  This novel, which is set in present day but through the telling of certain memories and stories it takes you back into history, was incredible.  This is my second Picoult book (last year I read Leaving Time) and I have been so impressed with her writing style.  The topics that she brings into her books are thoroughly researched and developed, which make her stories so gripping and real.  If you want a to read a book that inspires you, try a Jodi Picoult book, especially The Storyteller!

Remember to follow along with me on Goodreads.  I find so many great recommendations on there!

Pages of Penrose: Books of July

Genuine Lies was such a great book! It was longer than average, but the story had some great twists and plot kept me interested the whole time.  An oldie (originally published in 1991!) but a goodie!

I loved this brand new Elin Hilderbrand book! She has written a lot of books and I am slowly trying to work my way through most of them, but so far Here's to Us is one of my favorites.  The characters were interesting, the storyline was neat, and I liked the personal growth that the characters made throughout the book.  If you are looking for a good airplane/beach/summer read, this is your book!



See all of the books I've read so far in 2016 here, and follow along with me on Goodreads!

Pages of Penrose | Books of June

A very short list this month.  I only post books that I finish in each month, and I'm currently reading and listening to two very long books so they don't quite make the cut for June.  I did, however, very much enjoy this book:

It's about a woman who's mother dies and leads her to search for some answers about her mother's past in the old historic town where her mother grew up.  The plot was very interesting, especially if you like historical facts.  I enjoyed how the story played out with the research and piecing together bits of information that she gathers, since her mother was very private and did not share about her life prior to marriage.  Additionally, there is a bit of a love triangle that plays out between some of the main characters.

This would be a great beach read, or book to read on a long car ride/flight.


Check back with me at the end of July to see what I'm reading this month--they are some great ones!

Remember to follow along with me on Goodreads.  I find so many great recommendations on there!

Pages of Penrose | Books of May

Here we are, already recapping my Books of May! Where has time gone?!




I am so looking forward to the Me Before You movie that is coming out soon, but I wanted to read the book before seeing the movie.  I'm usually like that with books turned into movies.  I thought the book was really good.  It brings out the true emotion of such a complicated situation.  I highly recommend it.

Next up was The Rumor by Elin Hilderbrand, one of my favorite authors at the moment.  Maybe it's my love of New England or maybe it's the way she weaves a story together. Probably both.  I really enjoyed the different storylines in this book.

The Matchmaker was another Hilderbrand book this month.  The synopsis of the book had me thinking this storyline would be a little bit different than it was, but it was entertaining none the less.  It wasn't my favorite Hilderbrand book, but still a good read.



Remember to follow along with me on Goodreads to see what books I'm loving these days.

Pages of Penrose: Books of April

Not an incredibly lengthy list this time.  I guess other things have kept me busy and these were longer books so somehow there are only two on my list for my Books of April...

I love Liane Moriarty.  She's such a great author that packs a lot into a storyline.  What Alice Forgot is another fantastic book from her!  I'm excited for her new book that is coming out in June because I have read almost everything she's written already!




Read my thoughts on Five Days at Memorial here.


Remember to follow along with me on Goodreads to see what books I'm loving these days.

Pages of Penrose Review: Five Days at Memorial by Sheri Fink

Wow, wow, wow. Where to begin with this book?  Sheri Fink does a great job at reporting the events that took place at Memorial Hospital in New Orleans during the Hurricane Katrina disaster.  The entire time that I was reading the story, thinking of what the doctors, nurses, and patients were going through is unimaginable.  If you or someone you know is in the medical field, I highly recommend that they read this book.  It may open their eyes to some procedures that need fixing in their own hospital (although I know that after Katrina many hospitals did re-vamp policies specifically because of the issues that these people faced).

In terms of the actual book, Five Days at Memorial:  Life and Death in a Storm-Ravaged Hospital
, I understand why it was so lengthy--Sheri Fink certainly had a lot of information to tell.  However, that being said, as a busy mom with lots of other things going on each day it was a bit longer than I would have liked.  Perhaps instead of the book having two parts, it became two separate books in a set.  At 592 pages, it was a bit of an intimidating or daunting task to finish!

If you like books about true life events or natural disasters, make sure to grab a copy of Five Days at Memorial.

Do you love to read?  Friend me on Goodreads so that we can follow each other's bookshelves!


*I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review. All opinions are my own.

Pages of Penrose: Books of March

It's here again! My book recap for the month.  This month, I listened to three Audiobooks on my drives to and from work.


I've also been trying to finish what seems like the longest book ever.  I did not realize it was such a lengthy book before I started reading it and with holidays & such this month I have not been able to even really make a dent in it.  So, eventually I will recap this book that I'm actually reading a hard copy of, Five Days at Memorial which is a book about Memorial Hospital in New Orleans during the Hurricane Katrina disaster and what the people stuck inside the hospital went through.  

But until then, the books I've actually gotten through are:

Looking for Alaska by John Green

I liked this book, but I thought that it seemed to drag on a little.  The character development was good so that made the read worth it.  If you have not read any John Green books, I recommend reading his The Fault in Our Stars over this book.

The Collector by Nora Roberts

This was a great book by Nora Roberts.  I love the mix of romance and mystery/thriller in her books.  Being an art nerd myself, I really enjoyed this one.

Someday, Someday Maybe by Lauren Graham

Yes, Lauren Graham as in Loralei Gilmore and Sarah Braverman.  I love her and I wanted to love this book so much. I thought it was good, and knowing that it was inspired by her own experiences made a lot of the storyline comical.  I sort of wish that she had just written a longer memoir instead of a novel.  Overall, I'd say this book was okay and a nice first novel for an author, but I would be interested to read something else by her that would probably be a little better developed.

That's it for March!  
Remember, you can friend me on Goodreads here and come back next month for my books of April.

Pages of Penrose: Books of February

This February I read three great books!
My favorite of the month was hands down, A Fifty-Year Silence.  

A Fifty-Year Silence by Miranda Richmond Mouillot

I wrote about my thoughts on this wonderful memoir here.  It is definitely worth the read!

Wild by Cheryl Strayed

It was an interesting read, my favorite parts were when Cheryl Strayed spoke about the actual hike on the PCT and the different stops that she had along the way. I tried to read this book and had a hard time getting into it, so I decided to listen to it on AudioCD and while parts were still a bit hard to get into, I liked it better when I listened to it.  I hardly ever say this, but I think I would like this story better as the movie instead of the book (although I have not seen the movie yet).





The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins

It seemed like this book was becoming so popular that I had to see what all the hype was about.
This was an interesting book, and I thought that the log-type of format worked well since the story is told from three points of view.  I am not sure if this book is being turned into a movie? The whole time I was reading it I kept thinking that this thriller could be a hit movie.  If you liked a twisting story like Gone Girl,  highly recommend this one to you!



Remember, you can friend me on Goodreads here and come back next month for my books of March!

Pages of Penrose Review: A Fifty-Year Silence by Miranda Richmond Mouillot

I am so excited about this book review, it has been my favorite one so far!



Admiration, love, and wonderment are conveyed in a way that only a granddaughter could throughout the entirety of A Fifty-Year Silence by Miranda Richmond Mouillot.  She relays the summarized details of the tribulations that her Holocaust-surviving grandmother and grandfather endured, and tries to piece together how a couple that made it through their harrowing experiences would somehow decide that they cannot stand to be in each others presence decades later.  Growing up, Mouillot knew that there was more detail to her grandparents' story and she made it her quest to sort it out.   This book centers around what must have happened during WWII and the Holocaust that led to the demise of her grandparents' relationship, but it also reveals in heart-felt honesty the ever-changing relationship that loved ones have when a grandparent is diagnosed with Dementia or Alzheimer's disease.  This book will speak to your soul, and will simultaneously break your heart while giving you a profound sense of satisfaction.  If you are looking for a book with depth, I highly recommend the experience of reading the story of Anna and Armand.



Do you love to read?  Friend me on Goodreads so that we can follow each other's bookshelves!


*I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review. All opinions are my own.

Pages of Penrose: Books of January

My goal this year is to read 30 books on my Goodreads 2016 challenge, so this month I got a good jumpstart on that!  

January was 4 books. I read two and listened to two Audiobooks on my drives to/from work.  

I received a copy of That Season of Hope by Keith Larson last year at a networking event where I learned about Hope Stout's life.  She's the 12-year-old girl on the cover, hugging former Carolina Panther player Kevin Donnalley.  I'm sure that I loved this book even more because of the time of year I read it, and since I'm a Panthers' fan, but I highly recommend this book to everyone-no matter which team you pull for!  I cannot imagine being in the Stout family's situation, but I do know that if anyone ever had to endure the trials that they have, I would hope it would be in this beautiful, inspiring way.  I love the voice of this book being from Keith Larson's point-of-view.  

This was my favorite of the month!

I decided to read I Didn't Come Here to Make Friends by Courtney Robertson, who was a Bachelor contestant on Ben Flanjik's season and ended up being the winner.  I watched that season, and I remember along with most of America, not liking Courtney.  However, I know that much of what you see on those shows is the way it is edited and manipulated by producers, so I thought it would be fun to read her perspective.  This was a fun, juicy, easy read.  If you like the Bachelor/Bachelorette franchise, then you will enjoy this!

My first Audiobook this month was The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin.  The overall plot of this book was great, and I enjoyed listening to it.  I do not know if I would have liked it as much if I had read it.  Since this book timeline covers many years, parts of it felt a bit disconnected to me.  I did love the details about other books within this one, and the general fantasy of owning a bookstore adds to any reader's interest in this book.  

I really enjoyed The Liar by Nora Roberts. I found it to be a little bit more predictable than other Roberts books I have read. Without giving away any spoilers, I will say I also struggled with some of the technical details of the book. If you overlook those little nuances and just enjoyed the writing, the plot was entertaining and I would recommend it to others.

And then yall....Let's call this the one that never was.  Haha....I tried. I know there was hype over the 50 Shades trilogy, and while I did not read any of those books I did watch the movie of the 1st book which I thought was pretty good...aside from the whole S&M aspect which I just don't find appealing.  So, I figured I would give Grey a shot to read the story from Christian Grey's perspective, and I think I listened to maybe 10 minutes of the first CD for this Audiobook and I just couldn't.  I just found the whole thing to be so derogatory towards women.  Even aside from the whole dominant/submissive roles of S&M, his inner thoughts about even their first meeting were so sexist and derogatory.  I'm no feminist, but this was just too much.

Check back with me next month for my February book review!  You can get sneak peeks by following me on Goodreads here.  What have you read lately that you're loving?

Linking up today for Friday Favorites with Erika, Narci, and Andrea.

Show & Tell Tuesday: About Practically Penrose

Hello! Today I'm linking up with Andrea for Show & Tell Tuesdays! The first of 2016...

So, about me...

I'm Stacey. 

 I am a wife to Jake and a momma to Ryleigh.  

We have two dogs, Reece [our chocolate lab] and Kona [our white siberian husky].  

We just moved into our new home back in October, 

and we are slowly getting everything in their right places.

Most of the time, our life looks like this:

 

By day, I'm a commercial office furniture designer.  By dreams, I'm one of those artistic types that can never keep my mind from concocting new ideas. I love to draw in my spare time [when do I have that anymore?!] particularly charcoal portraits. I wish I was more handy with power tools and saws because I think I would build project after project for our house.  

And who knows, maybe I will write a book someday.

I'm not big on New Years Resolutions, but I do have some goals for the year that I hope to accomplish.  

*I want to take Ryleigh to the Aquarium for the first time, and take her to the zoo again.

*I want to get even more involved with the Ronald McDonald House of Charlotte.  My work schedule hinders some availability but I'm thinking of volunteering for the cookie crew on the weekends.  I know dates fill up fast but maybe I can get a couple Saturdays this year!

*Last year I decided I wanted to start reading more.  In 2015, I read 25 books.  I want to read at least 30 books this year as part of my Goodreads 2016 challenge!

*I want to host a successful church fundraiser and already have a really fun idea in the works!

I can't wait to see what 2016 brings!

Pages of Penrose Review: The Divorce Papers by Susan Rieger

I am so excited about this book review!  This is a somewhat long book, but mainly because it is written entirely as correspondence between the characters.  I had the perfect opportunity for long hours by myself to finish up this book over the weekend...

What you don't see in this photo of the Detroit airport is that it was -4 degrees outside! There were about 15 birds flying around inside the concourse because it was too cold for them outside!  I cozied up near a window view of snow falling...

Flights, layovers, a Gingerbread Tea Latte, and a great book...I also may have repeated this exact moment on the way home, those darn lattes are just so good ;)

I was surprised to learn that this was Susan Rieger's debut novel.  I found the characters of The Divorce Papers witty, intelligent, and the plot of the story curiously exciting.  As I mentioned before, the book is written entirely as correspondence, made up of inter-office memos, letters to the other law firm, invitations, personal notes, and emails.  I really liked this aspect of the book, and thought that it added to the interest of the book.  Unlike a typical novel, I felt myself keep turning the pages because I could not wait to see what happened next, not just turning pages trying to end at the start of a new chapter.

Although I have an entirely different career and family than Sophie Diehl, a bright, young lawyer who typically works on criminal cases, I found moments of her life easy to relate to.  Trying to make a name for herself as a young professional, the playful exchanges with her best friend, complicated relationships with her parents, clients, love interests.  These are all things that many 20-somethings either deal with, or have a friend dealing with, on a regular basis.

Rieger did a wonderful job developing the characters, playing off of stereotypes, entertaining us with the plight of the high-end divorce client that this plot surrounds.  As long as you like the unique correspondence format, I highly recommend this book to other readers!
    




*I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review. All opinions are my own.



Have you read The Divorce Papers? I would love to hear your thoughts in the comment section below!


Read more about my book reviews here, and friend me on Goodreads to see what's next!

Pages of Penrose Review: The Perfect Letter by Chris Harrison

I did not know what to expect from The Perfect Letter, but I have been a fan of Chris Harrison/The Bachelor franchise for years so I wanted to see how he was at being an author.  My first impression was that the plot was another mimic of the movie Sweet Home Alabama, but the further I read the more I realized that Harrison is a very talented writer. There was so much storyline and depth packed so much into this novel.  The twists and details of the story really build on each other, and I highly recommend this book if you are looking for a love story.



 

Pages of Penrose Review: The Grownup by Gillian Flynn

This suspenseful story from Gillian Flynn will keep her fans guessing...forever.

The Grownup fits the bill for a short ghost story, leaving the reader with questions throughout the twists and turns, and that unsettling feeling that lingers after the story is done.

Just like one would expect from Flynn, the lead role is a young woman with a troubled, questionable life yet she fascinates us with her obvious intellect and quick-thinking.  The story surrounds her choice of jobs, and one particular client visit that ends up leading to a bigger ordeal.  The story is just over 60 pages and while it builds steadily in the beginning, the middle of the book becomes a rapid page-turner where the reader is questioning just which twists to believe.  Is it supernatural? Who is lying? What happens next?....and that final question will stick with us always as the ending of this story leaves all questions unanswered.

I do not read many short stories so it may be more of my predisposition to wish for a more developed ending, however I felt being a thriller it was fitting to leave the reader speculating with so many options for the direction the conclusion could have taken.

Purchase your own copy here.


 *I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review. All opinions are my own.



Have you read The Grownup? I would love to hear your thoughts in the comment section below!


Read more about my book reviews here, and friend me on Goodreads to see what's next!

Pages of Penrose: Exciting update!

Last week I updated you on my renewed love of reading and this week I have some exciting news!


I stumbled across the opportunity to start doing online Book Reviews, and my first book is currently on the way to me now!  I'm being sent a copy of Gillian Flynn's new story, The Grownup and sometime in the next month you will get to hear what I think of it!  This isn't a full novel, it's a 64 page story that is being published as a stand-alone.  I loved Gone Girl and I'm already excited about her newest story just from the synopsis and cover art...

I know they say 'Never judge a book by its cover' but I'm totally a sucker for some good cover art.

From Random House:

ABOUT THE GROWNUP

Gillian Flynn’s Edgar Award-winning homage to the classic ghost story, published for the first time as a standalone

A canny young woman is struggling to survive by perpetrating various levels of mostly harmless fraud. On a rainy April morning, she is reading auras at Spiritual Palms when Susan Burke walks in. A keen observer of human behavior, our unnamed narrator immediately diagnoses beautiful, rich Susan as an unhappy woman eager to give her lovely life a drama injection. However, when the “psychic” visits the eerie Victorian home that has been the source of Susan’s terror and grief, she realizes she may not have to pretend to believe in ghosts anymore. Miles, Susan’s teenage stepson, doesn’t help matters with his disturbing manner and grisly imagination. The three are soon locked in a chilling battle to discover where the evil truly lurks and what, if anything, can be done to escape it. 

The Grownup is currently available for Pre-Order and goes on sale to the public TOMORROW!

Pages of Penrose: Reading

Maybe it's the creative spirit in me, but I can get so immersed in a good book or a good song.  I've always been that way, even as a kid. I remember in middle and high school, getting a new cd and listening to my favorite song over and over, not because I liked the song or wanted to sing it, but because it was so emotionally gripping that it felt like therapy to hear it.  It's the same way with reading. If I'm reading a really good book, towards the end I always have this bittersweet anxiety because I want to know what happens but at the same time I'm already dreading parting with the characters.

I love, love, love to read but especially over the past few years it was one of those things that I could never seem to fit into a day.  As a tired new mom, was I really going to spare precious moments of sleep to stay up later and read a book? When could I find time to do that when I was already up late pumping, washing bottles, and packing meals for the next day?  Although with a child things are still ever-changing, this toddler stage we are now in has made it a lot easier than the infant stage to find some spare moments for me in a day.

Back at the beginning of the year, I decided that I was going to read more.  I started putting a book in my Medela tote bag to read during my 30 minute pumping sessions and it was so much more fulfilling than "window shopping" on the internet every day.  That sort of kick-started my want to read more, and I decided that instead of listening to the radio on the way to and from work [I have about a 35-45 minute commute each way] I was going to give audiobooks a try.  I was hesitant at first because I remember my dad reading books on tape when I was a little kid because he had over an hour commute each way out into Amish country in Pennsylvania, and thinking it was soooo boring.  Monotoned, robotic voices were my impression of audiobooks.  But, I scoured Amazon and bought my first one, Can You Keep a Secret? by Sophie Kinsella. I figured I couldn't go wrong with a good Sophie Kinsella book.  I loved it and when I finished that book I immediately wanted to start another one. However, buying all of these audiobooks is not cheap. With a little research, I found out that our local library actually has a really large selection, especially between all of their branches. Free to get a library card, free to listen to audiobooks :)

So that's what I've been doing, and I have read 17 books so far this year, a couple on my Kindle but most audiobooks.  It makes me feel very accomplished and also is pretty exciting when I test out a new author and find a love of their books.  Technically I guess you could say that I'm listening to books instead of reading them, but I think the intention is still there and it certainly activates the mind and imagination more than terrible radio with commercials and ads every five seconds.

Find my Goodreads page through my Pages of Penrose tab and friend me so that we can follow along with each other!