Thoughts on LOVE’S A WITCH

~ shawnaborman ~ Leave a comment

Howdy, howdy! How’s everyone doing this lovely Wednesday? We have tomatoes (Sweeties and Black Krims)! Yummy. Be jealous. We also have jalapeños that are good too. But mostly yay for tomatoes! Anyway, we’re not here to talk about yummy goodness. It’s the last Wednesday of August, so we’re (you and I, not the royal we) here for the book review. This month, I went for a witchy little romance. Not like an epic, sweeping romantasy. Just a cute sounding little romance with fantasy elements. It’s the first book in the Scottish Charms series. Love’s a Witch by Tricia O’Malley was released yesterday (the 26th) from Gallery Books. As usual, I must thank them and NetGalley for access to an ARC in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. So, let’s get to it.

Love’s a Witch follows the MacGregor sisters as they move back home to Briarhaven in Scotland to try to break the curse that’s been on their family for centuries. Sloane, the oldest, is so used to playing mother hen to her sisters that she’s having trouble acknowledging that they’re all young women now. She’s also struggling with the fact that she’s coming into her magic as her 25th birthday looms. Throwing in a pushy hottie hellbent on running them out of town before their curse quite literally destroys everything, and Sloane can’t get much more stressed. Can they stop the curse and save themselves from a nomadic existence? If they do, does Sloane even want to settle down? Maybe with a certain pushy hottie?

The plot. I love the plot. The whole idea of trying to break the curse because they want a place to call home without having to move all the time. There’s enough family drama introduced to keep the future books connected to this one. I didn’t even mind the enemies-to-lovers trope (it’s not my favorite, but I try to give it a chance). It’s interesting and fun, but I have to be honest… the pacing sucks. There’s lots of talk about breaking the curse, but none of the sisters actually do anything about it. All the information just kind of falls into their laps. They don’t do any research or anything. Hell, when they find out the name of the woman who cursed their family, they don’t even bother asking around about her to try to find her descendants. Everything gets done for them, which makes any step forward unsatisfying. Plus, everything is crammed into the end of the book. It’s not balanced at all.

The characters. I’m going to preface this by saying that I don’t have to like the main characters in order to like a book. That being said, I absolutely hated Sloane and Knox. I don’t give a fuck how hot a dude is. If he comes to my house, drags my bags out into the snow, and tells me I have to leave without so much as a “hey, what brings you to town?”, then proceeds to have the townsfolk bully and blackball me and my family when we don’t leave, the dude’s irredeemable. No way I’d talk to him, let alone have sex with him. And his whole background is supposed to make me sympathetic to him, but it only emphasizes the fact that he’s just a giant walking red flag with too much money and zero communication skills. Sloane’s not much better when it comes to communication. And even though she supposedly took care of her sisters, it’s like she still expects everything remotely difficult to be done for her and if it isn’t, she threatens to run away. They’re both annoying and I hate them. Luckily, the side characters were all wonderful and did a lot of heavy lifting in this story.

The writing itself was fine. Nice description and dialogue. The steamy scenes were disappointingly short, but I guess that’s more realistic than most scenes like that.

Ultimately, I was just kind of meh about Love’s a Witch. I enjoyed the plot and side characters enough that I will check out book 2, especially if it switches to Lyra as the main character as I’m guessing it will since she comes into her magic next.

Overall, I gave it 3 out of 5 stars. Not a must-read, but if you enjoy little witchy romances, it’s an okay read. Hopefully the next one is better.

Shameless Promotion of a Friend: J.R. Dawson

~ shawnaborman ~ Leave a comment

Hello, hello! How’s everyone this lovely Wednesday? I’m still playing the waiting game. I’m also tired and generally blah, so this is a quick post to let you know that J.R. Dawson did it again! The Lighthouse at the Edge of the World was released at the end of July! I bought a hard copy because it’s so pretty! I also bought the ebook because it’s easier for me to read that way. But I definitely recommend a hard copy because the book cover deserves to be admired as it was meant to be. Anyway, I’m only a quarter of the way through and I’m loving it. I’ll probably end up doing a brief review when I’m done. I’m so happy for J.R. and her books!

Garden of Eatin’ Update

~ shawnaborman ~ 3 Comments

Howdy, howdy! How’s everyone doing this lovely first Wednesday of August? I’m still playing the waiting game for my Medicaid renewal approval. Apparently, they’re also trying to decide if I’m cripple enough for my long term care services (paying Dad to take care of me). That can take 30 to 90 days. Whatever. Anyway, I decided to post pictures of the grow room! There’s still some lettuce and herbs and bok choy that Dad keeps in rotation on the rail system. He’s giving up on the arugula because it refuses to do anything. Not sure if spinach will stay or become a once in a while thing or what. We’re still trying to figure out what and how much to grow so we eat most of it. Dad’s also started some strawberries (not pictured because these pics are a week or two old), so we’re hoping those grow well. We both love berries. In the bucket system with the cages, there are three tomato plants (a Black Krim, a San Marzano Roma, and a Sweetie) and a jalapeño plant. The Sweetie seems to be doing well. The Black Krim has a nice amount of fruit too. The Roma is being weird, so Dad’s going to try a different type if it doesn’t start producing. And the jalapeño is doing well. If only the fruits would start ripening so we can eat them! Can’t wait for a proper tomato sandwich. Mmm…

Thoughts on MURDER AT THE WHAM BAM CLUB

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Howdy, howdy! How’s everyone doing this wonderful Wednesday? Things here are about the same as they’ve been this entire year. That’s about it. But it’s the last Wednesday of July, so that you know what that means. It’s book review time! This month, I decided to try a new cozy mystery series. Murder at the Wham Bam Club by Carolyn Marie Wilkins was released yesterday (the 29th) from Kensington Books. As usual, I must thank them and NetGalley for access to an ARC in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. Let’s get to it!

Murder at the Wham Bam Club follows Nola Ann Jackson as she returns to her hometown after the death of her husband. It’s the 1920s and Nola’s a young psychic just learning how to use her gifts. When she’s asked to help find a missing young woman, Nola finds herself dragged into arson, murder, and mysteries. While everyone else would be happy blaming the missing girl, Nola is determined to find out what’s actually going on in her small town. Whether or not she can do it before the police find and charge the missing girl is the question.

The plot is pretty standard. There are some interesting red herrings. I fully admit that I found some of the romances icky. A 16 year old shacking up with and getting married to a bass player of unknown age after one meeting (not even a date). Gross. I get it in the context of the story and its setting, but it still makes me cringe. Most of the relationships in this book have huge red flags. But the mystery part of the book is entertaining and distracting enough that the story is still enjoyable.

The characters are pretty well fleshed out. I like Nola and her aunt. I thought Lilly and Brenda could’ve used more page time because they both feel a little cookie cutter. Jim has potential. It felt like he was going to prove the rumors wrong, but then he just kind of disappears from the book. Hopefully he gets his redemption in later books. I really like Nola’s bosses at the catering company. They provide a levelheadedness to the book that helps bring Nola back to her senses once in a while. Everyone basically has potential to grow (for better or worse) in future books.

As for the writing, I enjoyed it. But the language is pretty true to its time period, so if words like negroes or a school for “colored girls” bothers you, be aware. I still suggest reading it because it’s a fun mystery, though.

Ultimately, I enjoyed Murder at the Wham Bam Club. I’m not sure I’ll add it to my must-buy series, but I’ll definitely give book two a shot whenever it comes out.

Overall, I gave it 4 out of 5 stars. I do recommend it if you’re into cozy mysteries. Just be aware of the language if you’re sensitive to that kind of thing.

I’d Rather Be Reading

~ shawnaborman ~ Leave a comment

Hello, hello! How’s everyone this wonderful Wednesday? I have nothing to ramble about that will take more than a sentence or two, so here’s a quick update on life, then I’m going to read. 1. Turned everything into Medicaid last Thursday afternoon, so I’m just waiting on them to do whatever they’re going to do. 2. Dad’s tomatoes are growing! 3. Three doctors appointments between now (22nd as I’m writing this) and the 31st. Two for Dad (eye test and quarterly check up) and one for me (video visit with my pulmonologist). Fun. Anyway, I’ll be back next week with the regularly scheduled book review!

Being Cripple Is Annoying

~ shawnaborman ~ Leave a comment

Hello, hello! How’s everyone doing this lovely Wednesday? Things here are usual. Medicaid has decided it’s that time of year to prove I’m still worthy. Poor. Cripple. Whatever. So, I spent most of the day filling out a 20 page form. None of the answers has changed except how much Social Security I get, but I still had to trudge through the entire form anyway. Now, I just need to take a picture of my ID and get copies of my bank statements from April through July. Easy enough, right? But no. My bank just overhauled their system and even though everything was supposed to be up and running on Monday, they don’t have online access to any statements but June. Ugh. If that’s not up today, I’ll have to call them and convince them to email the statements to me. Once I get those, I’ll send everything to my CLASS case manager and she’ll fax it to Medicaid on my behalf so they’ll realize I’m on that particular program and hopefully not argue with my eligibility. If they had told me a week ago (before my bank decided to “improve” things and I could have just downloaded the statements) or waited until October, which is when I usually have to renew, I probably wouldn’t be complaining. I just hate having to call people. And I hate redundant forms. I just hate the whole process of being reminded I’m a poor cripple leeching off of society. Anyway, it’s late and I don’t feel like coming up with something nice to ramble about. Here’s a pretty picture by Yuumei instead of a real post.

Random Shower Thoughts

~ shawnaborman ~ 1 Comment

Howdy, howdy! How’s everyone doing this lovely Wednesday? I’m not okay for a plethora of reasons. No one cares. The people who do care can’t do anything. So, let’s move swiftly along! I don’t really have much writerly or bookish stuff to ramble about, so I guess I’ll find something else. Our old shower head broke. Again. It was a fancy Delta with 5 sprays and a lifetime warranty, but every few years the color starts peeling off the hose and the switch to change sprays breaks because, while most of the shower head is metal, that part is just plastic. This was the second or third replacement we’ve had since 2018. It’s just not worth the hassle to get another one. Instead, Dad went looking for all metal shower heads in an oil-rubbed bronze finish (I guess no one likes that finish because it’s pretty difficult to find). That’s when he found The Shower Head Store.

Dad decided to go with the All Metal 3-Spray Dual Shower Head Combo with Hand Held & Rain Shower. And yes, it comes in multiple finishes including oil-rubbed bronze! It’s also a small company that seems to be customer focused still, which is always nice. We did have an issue because they originally sent the single spray head instead of the 3-spray. Dad initially emailed them, but decided to call them after 24-hours because I need the jet spray to get properly cleaned and he didn’t want to wait too long. Anyway, he got in touch with someone named Temar who helped him out and asked for pictures. After the initial phone call, everything was done via email. The shower head was out of stock, but they got it in within a few days and sent it right out. So, customer service and Temar are great. They do however spam you with auto-emails telling you to register your product and review it and whatever, which was the only annoying part of the process since we didn’t even have the right product at the time. Otherwise, accidents happen and they fixed it in a timely manner.

The handheld portion of the shower head is nice and works great for my needs. I require full assistance in the shower, so all of the ability issues I mention from here on out are just random thoughts. It’s not a comprehensive list and every disability is different so my thoughts might not even apply to you. Anyway, the shower head is a little heavy since it’s metal, so if you’re cripple and weight is a concern, you might want to find out if you can handle it before buying. The three sprays are wide (the typical shower head), massage (the single jet), and mist (the stinging bees of doom setting). The first two are exactly what I need. The jet does sting a little from certain angles, but it’s strong and gets the job done. I hate the mist setting. I always hate it. It’s buzzy and stingy and I don’t know what kind of masochist enjoys it so much that they keep including it on shower heads in general. But other than that, no complaints about the sprays. Switching between sprays looks easy enough, but I can’t do it myself because I don’t have the strength or gripping abilities, so I don’t really know if it’s cripple friendly for people with grip issues or not. There’s no trickle valve built in, so if you need to be able to reduce the flow to conserve water while soaping up or whatever, you have to buy an add on. It gets installed between the hose and handle, so the placement is a bit awkward and easy to accidentally activate or deactivate. It’s super easy to press though, so that’s good for cripples with strength issues in their fingers.

The rain part of the shower head is interesting. Tried it. It feels nice. I can’t really use it. But Dad loves it!

So, yeah. It’s a good shower head and works great for us.

Disability Pride Month

~ shawnaborman ~ Leave a comment

Hello, hello! How’s everyone doing this wonderful Wednesday? As I was thinking about what to write for this post, I was faced with a couple of stark reminders of why Medicaid and proper healthcare and assistance for people in times of crises are super important. You know… all that stuff the Republicans are hellbent on getting rid of in order to seemingly help the deficit so some rich people can get tax breaks which will add trillions more to the deficit than they save by gutting social programs. Anyway, I’m starting to rant and that isn’t what this is for.

My first reminder of why these programs are important was the batteries that were installed on my chair today. The old ones were dying pretty quickly and I wouldn’t have been able to afford them out of pocket, so we started the process to get them replaced. When did this process start? A week ago? It couldn’t take that long to just get batteries, right? May 22nd. I started the process on May 22nd and they were finally installed July 1st. Don’t be fooled when people tell you that countries with universal healthcare have ridiculous wait times. Ours are usually worse or about the same. Cutting funding to Medicaid will only make those times worse for the people lucky enough to still be covered. It’s going to make a lot of things worse.

The second reminder is the most important. My friend’s newborn nephew has heart issues and requires surgery. Before they can perform surgery, there’s an infection that has to be taken care of. There’s no telling how long this baby boy will have to be in the hospital. A friend of the family created a GoFundMe for them because the financial burden of having to take time off work, travel back and forth to Seattle, pay for lodging and food, and also worrying about their daughter is already taking its toll. They need help for a situation that no one can ever plan for, but instead of having access to government programs designed to help in these situations, they have to rely on people on the Internet who try their bests to help each other. So, I’m sharing the link to their GoFundMe below in the hopes that some of the kind people on the Internet will see it. Share it on your pages if you’re willing. The wider the audience, the better.

Support Charlies Heart Surgery Journey

Anyway, stay strong and have a good Disability Pride Month despite everything going on in D.C. We matter. We are not burdens. We are not leeches. We deserve to live, not just survive.

Thoughts on A MAGIC DEEP AND DROWNING

~ shawnaborman ~ Leave a comment

Howdy, howdy! How’s everyone doing this wonderful Wednesday? Perpetual anxiety is my current state, so let’s just get to the thing we’re here for and skip the emotions. It’s the last Wednesday of June! That means it’s book review time! This month, I decided to go with a fairytale retelling of the Little Mermaid (one of my favorite fairytales), though it’s more rooted in Disney than Hans Christian Andersen, which is fine. I like both. Anyway, A Magic Deep and Drowning by Hester Fox was released yesterday (the 24th) from Graydon House (part of HarperCollins). As usual, I must thank them and NetGalley for access to an ARC in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. Let’s get to it!

A Magic Deep and Drowning follows Clara, a young woman from a well to do family who wants nothing more than to escape her cold, abusive parents. An arranged marriage offers that escape, but the appearance of a mysterious and attractive young man has her questioning everything. Throw in a flood and tensions between beings of the land and the kingdom of the sea and Clara gets thrown into the middle of a deal gone wrong. The problem… she’s the last sacrifice needed to fulfill the deal her ancestors made. How can she save herself and her homeland?

So, the plot is great with a lot of potential. My biggest issue with this book is that Clara is presented as the protagonist. The heroine. But she never actually does anything aside from pine for some dude that she’s known a whole hour. Love at first sight, I know. It’s a fairytale. Fine. But every time she says she’s going to do something or every time she has to make a difficult decision, someone or something else does it for her. Don’t want to sleep with your new husband? Magical flood! And it just keeps going from there. She gets herself into trouble and is saved every time. Even when she specifically says she’s going to do something to help herself be the hero, everyone else jumps in to fix it for her. It’s annoying and super unsatisfying. Like… let her do the thing! But no. The damsel can’t do anything. Ugh.

The characters are fine in the beginning, but become annoying about halfway through the book. I think if Maurits and Helma had actually let Clara do something for herself, I would’ve liked them a lot better. I definitely would’ve liked Clara better. She was decent, but she wasn’t allowed to actually grow despite what the narration says. The sea queen was probably the most interesting character. She was powerful, but flawed. I’m still not entirely sure how Thade did what he did while the queen just kind of let it happen. The whole “he honed his powers so much that he could do it” thing is not convincing at all given her powers. But yeah. Most of the characters had potential that wasn’t really brought to fruition.

A random thing that bothers me: the author’s note. You know how sometimes an author will leave a little note explaining something about the book or the research or whatever? There’s one of those. It starts off talking about the mythology used in the book, which is awesome because it’s a subject I’m interested in. Then the note goes on to explain what the book is supposed to be about. An allegory for climate change? You don’t say. I always find notes like that condescending and/or desperate. Either the writer doesn’t trust the reader to be smart enough to “get it” or they don’t trust their writing enough to convey the thoughts they desperately want to share. Either way, it’s ick.

As far as the writing goes, I enjoyed it. It was lyrical and had lovely imagery. The writing was basically what made the story worth finishing.

Ultimately, I wanted to like A Magic Deep and Drowning more than I did. It was just too annoying for me.

Overall, I gave it 2 out of 5 stars. I waffled between 2.5 and 2, but the more I think about it, the less I enjoyed it. If you like pretty writing and don’t mind a useless heroine, check it out. Otherwise, you’re not missing much.