The Introverted Detective

I read Quiet. Here's my review of the book and why you should pick it up whenever you get the chance. I feel so seen as an introvert that I wish everyone would read this.  Courtesy of Random House Audiobooks This book is one woman's extensive research on introversion in an extrovert-focused world. I can't say it enough; everyone needs to read this. There is so much more in here I can't sum up everything without just handing you the book.  For now, I'm reviewing Quiet in these categories - readability, credibility, and how likable the writer is. I don't often read the non-fiction genre (where this book falls). I still loved it. I feel incredibly understood as an introvert and I can't say enough about how good this book is.  Readability Readability is essentially asking "How easy is this to read?" I don't often read nonfiction. I said this earlier and I will prove it. I loved the book  Code Girls about women breaking codes, but it was a slog (des...

Have you ever watched the miniseries Lonesome Dove, Streets of Laredo, Dead Man's Walk, or Comanche Moon? Did you know it had books to go with it? Let's dive into it.  Courtesy of missmoss.co.za Lonesome Dove is a miniseries and a novel. There are four novels in that series. They can be read as standalone novels or as a series. The series itself is about two Texas Rangers. It starts in 1840 and ends in 1890.  This blog may be spoiler-heavy. If you wish to read these books blind, not knowing what is coming at all, don't read this blog until you are done reading the novels themselves. It will be a hot second, as they are thick books.  Now that we all know that there are spoilers and the people who don't want them have left (wink, wink, nudge, nudge) we'll keep going. Again, spoilers ahead.  The Writing Style The writing style of Larry McMurtry is worth talking about. He can talk about gory events and rapes without me having to put down the book. This is worth noting....

I now own Hogwarts Legacy! Hooray! Now I have some tips from the internet to learn from and share with you. Today I'm looking up what others before me learned firsthand.  Courtesy of Windows Central Basically, I'm going into suggestions. These are what people found beneficial to their game. Do you have to do this? No, but if you do you'll be better equipped to enjoy Hogwarts fully. Without further adieu, I'm jumping right into it.  Just Starting Out It is highly suggested you don't explore outside Hogwarts on your own until you unlock your spells from classes and get a broom. Keep to the main storyline until you have your broom for easier travel. Speaking of spells, you might want to speak with Lucan Brattleby about spell combos. It might help you out in future battles.  While you are running around getting your bearings, unlock all those floo flames for fast travel. That field guide is also great. Get that early XP by finding pages (accio) and using revelio.  Look ...

Do you know the difference between self-coddling and self-care? Let's look at this together.  Self-care is caring for yourself. Self-coddling is the act of excessively pampering yourself to the point of avoidance (of challenges) or indulgence. Self-love is a term people throw around like confetti. Let's see if it is actually what you think it is.  First, I'm outlining the signs of Self-coddling, then going into what self-care and self-love truly are.  Self Coddling The signs of self-coddling include only doing what is comfortable, downplaying or refusing to acknowledge flaws, thinking you are not able to do something due to low self-esteem, being entitled, and only doing what is relaxing. Some of this is created by parenting styles (like helicopter parents) and removing every obstacle from a child's path. A quick note to parents, let your kids learn to do things on their own. By removing any challenges from the child's path you will teach them they can't handle ...

Some books you read are not quite the normal fare you expect them to be. For instance, Lemony Snicket leaves you with more questions than answers, expecting an audience can put two and two together to get four. Today I have some suggestions for books that are odd, but excellent.  Courtesy of Wordpress.com I'm going to start with books I have read and can fully endorse. The next section is a list of books that the internet highly praised as odd, but good. If you read those books in the second section please sound off in the comments so I have an idea of how good they are.  Fully Endorsed Shepherd of the Hills by Harold Bell Wright This book starts out with a man being hired in the mountain country to be a shepherd. The mountain folk are usually odd. This book also involves what might be a ghost? It is a bit weird. This is also a movie, but I'm only discussing the book plot. They are different. All through the book a mentally ill child (the child of a woman who died giving birth...

It is the end of the year and I am looking at my TBR (To Be Read) stats. Today we're looking at how I did on my TBR, what I could do differently, and other stats based on my TBR Excel sheet. Let's dive in.  I began this journey because one coworker asked how many books I read in a year. I kept a log all 2023 long, detailing how many were read-it-or-unhaul-it challenges, TBR between my husband and I, vacation TBR, and what wasn't a TBR. I also kept track of what books I decided not to finish (DNFed) and what I finished. This year was me getting a feel for how much TBR to put on my list without being too ambitious.  What To Change I am adding more books to my TBR list from the start. About three a month was the least amount I finished, thus that's what my 2024 TBR is going to be based on. I underestimated how many books I could read in a year. It turns out I need a longer TBR. On the other side of things, my husband and I didn't sit down and listen to audiobooks as of...

 I have done this before, and here I am doing it again. I will randomly pick three books from my unread books list to review. If I like it, it stays, but if I don't, it leaves to go elsewhere. Ready? I explained it before. I'll quickly fill you in for those who have yet to see the first Read It or Unhaul It challenge.  1. I pick three books (from an Excel sheet list of unread books) using a random number generator. 2. I read those books and review them in this blog post. 3. I decide whether they leave or stay in my library.  For those concerned about where the books go, you need not worry. They get donated to used bookstores and donation places. I don't throw away books; they just don't stay in my personal library. If I am reading an ebook it simply gets deleted if I don't want it.   Knights and Rogues - a medieval romance sampler by Claire Delacroix Courtesy of the-bookreview.com This book is a romance sampler written to show off the first books of the author's...