Harbour Street - Ann Cleeves

This Award-Winning Author of Raven Black has a new book, Harbour Street, and I couldn't be happier.

Finished it in two weeks, and the saddest part of the book was when I had to set it down.

I first learned about Ann Cleeves when I started watching "Shetland" a Scottish TV show. Based on her book series, I fell in love with the plots, the intrigued behind every mystery, and the unexpected criminals. So I looked into her biography, the books she wrote, and the Vera Stanhope mystery show which I started to watch.

So when I went to my bookstore, I looked around the Thriller, Crime area when I came upon her book, the only one on the shelf. You cannot image how excited I was when I took over the novel of the shelf, started reading the back and the last phrase of the story... " Vera got into Hector's Land Rover and set off alone for the hills." 

Seems like a normal phrase to half of you but to me, it's the last thing of the story, the mystery, and since it's my first book of hers, I wanted to check it out fast, read it quickly to check out the what she was all about. 

"The shouts and laughter of Christmas revelers follow detective Joe Ashworth and his daughter Jessie as they board the crowded Metro. But when the train stops, Jessie notices that one lady hasn't gotten off: Margaret Krukowski has been fatally stabbed. Retracing Margaret's final steps, Detective Inspector Vera Stanhope keeps asking herself one big question: Why are the residents of Harbour Street so reluctant to speak? What secret do they keep that leads to murder? "
Harbour Street, number six of the series followed by The Moth Catcher and preceded by The Glass Room. Ann truly made the whole mystery a real one. Between the lies, the secrets, the families living in a small fishermen's town, and the backstory of the victim's past been unbelievably well structured. It definitely makes me wonder how did this author manage to get every detail so intriguing to readers.

The victim has been an elderly woman who finds herself stabbed on a packed train before Christmas time. Why would anyone want to kill an elderly woman who works for a family, spends her free time in a shelter for troubled women? Famous detective Vera Stanhope comes in town, searching for answers, talking everyone who could be related to the victim, but she stumbles against many issues. Doesn't take lots for a little village to talk, to hide the past and keep quiet, lie. Many questions come to life as Vera tries to find relatives of the victim, not finding any, but finding out a lot more than just a sad past relationship.

Little villages always find a way for rumours, little secrets, and if something has to disappear, oh, you know it will because despite having rumours, people won't talk to police officers. So when I started reading the story, I pictured old lasses getting a bit too chatty and the outcast who barely speaks to anyone. Now, picturing every bit of each character, the places,  the smell of snow and rain, hearing the sound of snowflakes and boots trying to get around town. Cleeves did manage to get every detail in order for you to have a clear image of everything that is going on in the novel. 

If you are into crime, mystery and a bit of a fan of secrets, please read her books, even if I only read one, I know deep down, she has an amazing potential and not enough credit! 

"We don't often notice the people who look after us, do we? Though we'd miss them if they weren't there." -Ann Cleeves, Harbour Street

~Bella

Tea? You ask...

Not too long ago, in the store I work at, a new book arrived called, "Tea is always good tea".

As a European, I drink lots of tea and that's throughout the day. Despite being Irish as well, I don't add any sugar, nor milk, nor cream. No honey, nothing adding in the tea... You may think I'm insane to drink straight black tea, but I was raised on tea, it's how it's always been.

When I saw the book, I just need to have it!
A short background on what tea is it refers, usually, to the beverage made by steeping the dried leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant in hot water. People usually think of British when talking about tea. Not entirely wrong, British people do drink a lot of tea themselves...

Here are some interesting facts from my little book.

"Loose Leaf:
'Loose leaf' refers to whole or broken tea leaves that do not come in tea bags, requiring you to measure leaves for each brew. Generally, of a higher quality than bag tea, loose-leaf tea calls for steeping tools to separate the leaves post-brew.

Pros:                                                                                               Cons:

-Available in a wide selection of teas                                            - Generally more expensive
-Yields more nuanced flavors and                                                  -Disposing of wet leaves can be
aromas                                                                                             inconvenient and messy
-Allows you to control the ratio of
leaves to water

You can dry high-quality whole leaves after use and re-step them several times.

Tea Bags:
Tea bags contain small, chopped pieces of tea leaves in a packet or sachet. Most tea bags containing black tea have been processed using the mechanical CTC (crush, tear, curl) method.
Pros:                                                                                               Cons: 
- Quick brewing time with strong                                                  - Lower quality of flavor
flavor                                                                                              - Loses freshness quickly
-Simple to store, transport, and                                                      - More likely to become bitter
dispose of the leaves
-Easy to brew one cup at a time

Don't squeeze a tea bag at the end of a brew! This release bitter tannins into the tea." 

I personally use tea bags, easy to brew, fast enough for me when I'm in a rush which is more common than you may think. I have nothing against loose leaves, the only little issue I keep bumping into is the mess as well as taking longer to make by a few minutes.

"Storage:
Tips for quality and longevity

KEEP IT DRY AND SEALED
To preserve flavor and aroma, store your tea in an airtight container. Be wary of storing fragrant items nearby, as they might taint a tea's aroma.

KEEP IT DARK
Tea leaves are sensitive to light, so store them in dark containers. If using glass jars, store them in a dark cupboard. 

KEEP IT COOL
Heat can damage a tea's flavor and aroma. Store your tea leaves at room temperature- or slightly cooler."

My tea isn't kept in a special storage, to be honest, I don't have much space to put them, too much of it, so I keep the bags inside their boxes in my cabinet. Dark and cool enough to keep everything under control. Now, when I think of my future place, my little comfort home, I will have jars full of either loose tea or bags. Cause being Irish isn't always about drinking Guinness... Tea is also very important. 

"OCCASIONS FOR TEA

Wake up:
The caffeine in tea makes it an ideal morning beverage.
Relax: 
A soothing cup of tea is the perfect way to warm up and wind down.
Celebrate:
Toast to good news and milestones with a tasty symbolic tea.
Connect:
Slow down the pace of life and take time to share the experience with others.
Cure:
Enjoy the medicinal properties of various teas and tisanes.
Respect:
Show reverence to current and pas culture and traditions. "

I usually drink tea to either get warm on a cold rainy day or simply because I want to drink tea. The only occasion I would consider drinking tea as an "occasion" would be when I'm having breakfast with mum, then tea is required! Not so much of an occasion, mostly a requirement, plus the place we usually go to, knows what we order, and they know our teas! She has to be more the English Breakfast tea, while I'm more the Earl Grey person or simply my Irish tea when there's some, which is rarely. 

For some people, tea is considered beneficial, healthy, and a "snobby" enough drink. Tea time is for everyone, not just the rich! So if you are a fan of tea, or you enjoy a simple cup of tea, this book is for you! I certainly am learning a lot about different teas, so I thought I would write another post about different teas and their benefits. 

"You can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me." - C.S. Lewis

~Bella

February's list...

February started last week and believe it or not, I bought multiple books since 2018 has started... I have started a few and just bought the others just because I wanted! Not sure how I am going to make it to Ireland with the cases of books, between the weight and the amount I currently have and the ones I'm planning on getting... Anyways, it's not, for now, I have time to figure it out!

February, the shortest month of the year, also means my brother's birthday which is coming tomorrow! Come back the 8th for a special quick post on him!

The list isn't going to be long, only five good books, I had to buy just because I didn't feel like I could walk away from them!

Little one... At Swim-Two-Birds from Flann O'Brien (Brian O'Nolan)
"A wildly comic send-up of Irish literature and culture, At Swim-Two-Birds, is the story of a young, lazy, and frequently drunk Irish college student who lives with his curmudgeonly uncle in Dublin. When not in bed (where he seems to spend most of his time) or reading, he is composing a mischief-filled novel about Dermot Trellis, a second-rate author whose characters ultimately rebel against him and seek vengeance. From drugging him as he sleeps to dropping the ceiling on his head, these figures of Irish myth makes Trellis pay dearly for his bad writing."

Everyone has either read or heard about the story, the novel, and the author... If you haven't, I would tell you to go check it out because this is a great book no matter how famous or unfamous it may be!

The next three novels were written by Anne Enright, I got into her writing, giving me the urge to read more from her.

Little two... The Gathering
"A dazzling writer of international stature, Anne Enright is one of Ireland's most singular voices. Now she delivers The Gathering, a moving, evocative portrait of a large Irish family haunted by the past.
The nine surviving children of the Hegarty clan are gathering in Dublin for the wake of their wayward brother, Liam, drowned in the sea. His sister, Veronica, collects the body and keeps the dead man company, guarding the secret she shares with him- something that happened in their grandmother's house in the winter of 1968. As Enright traces the line of betrayal and redemption through three generations, she shows how memories warp and secrets fester. As in all Enright's work, her distinctive intelligence twists the world a fraction, and gives it back to us in a new and unforgettable light."

I read the first page and it captured me fast... Quickly fell in love with the way she writes!

Little three... Yesterday's Weather
"Enright's characters are haunted by the ghosts of the lives they might have led- lit by new flames, old flames, and flames that are guttering out. A woman's one-night stand is illuminated by dreams of a young boy on a cliff road, another's is thwarted by a swarm of somnolent bees. A pregnant woman is stuck in a slow lift with a tactile American stranger, a naked mother changes a nappy in a hotel bedroom, and waits for her husband to come back from the bar. This collection includes some of Enright's best love stories as well as her latest works."

It's something different, something dark and yet brilliant. It's something you rather not get into, but still, do cause you are drawn to every story.

Little four... The Green Road
"The children of Rosaleen Madigan leave the west of Ireland for lives they ever could have imagined, in Dublin. New York and various third-world towns. In her early old age their difficult, wonderful mother announces that she's decided to sell the house and divide the proceeds. Her adult children come back for a last Christmas, with the feeling that their childhoods are being erased, their personal history bought and sold."

It says that Anne Enright is addicted to the truth and it shows in every sentence. And that makes every detail more important than anything!

Little five... Ghosting from Jennie Erdal
"Ghosting moves from startlingly vivid evocations of an austere Scottish upbringing in Fife to superbly rendered portraits of the people- the young and beautiful, the titled, and the eccentric- with whom Erdal worked at a London- based publishing house. None is more affectionately or intriguingly drawn than that of Tiger himself. In temperament, Tiger and Erdal couldn't have been more different. Yet their relationship weathered storms of all kinds, from temper tantrums to serious financial reversals, with a tenacious bond that is both a wonder and an enigma."

Despite the fact that I love reading, and despite the fact that I don't set myself a specific schedule when it comes to reading, I read whenever I can, which is not too much lately... But hopefully, 2018 will be your year. The year where you will be escaping real life...

"Fairy Tales are more than true not because they tell us that dragons exist but because they tell us that dragon can be beaten." - Neil Gaiman

~Bella

Pillow Thoughts - Courtney Peppernell

Christmas 2017...

A remarkable one which gave me the opportunity to have amazing friends who apparently knows me a little too well... Thank you to my really good friend T, I received an unexpected gift, a really cute book called "Pillow Thoughts" by Courtney Peppernell. 

At first, it was intriguing to read, and then it became more and more interesting that I have to read at least a page or two every day. 
So despite the fact that this little book is one of my favourites and I do not want to share it with anyone, I thought it would be nice to share a few lines or a few pages!

Here it goes... Hope you enjoy! 

*If you are Dreaming of Someone*

"You're covered in all these broken promises
from people who said they would never leave. 
Sometimes afraid of your own skin
and the scars that run deep in your veins. 
Are you ready
Are you ready
for someone who could turn you inside out?
No one dares to peel back all the layers of your skin
All this damage,
you're a mess.
Are you ready
Are you ready
Because I want your damaged skin. "

"We cannot all be artists
and I must admit I do not know how to paint
But if I were to take a palette
all my colors would be of you"

*If you are in Love*

"You remind me of home, 
of all the simple things in life, 
of light and love and the reasons, I am not alone.
You remind me of hope,
of the sea and the sky,
every hug and every kiss from your lips to your thighs, 
I have flown around the world and met no one like you
because you are all the things I keep coming back to."

"You know sometimes it's the little details 
that take up the most room in your heart.
How nervous they get
when you tell them you think they're beautiful,
the way they laugh
even if it's not supposed to be funny,
the way they reach for you and they find you through the dark
even if their eyes are 
closed."

"It's the last day of the year
and I still lose myself
in good books
and warm tea,
those quiet nights
and writing your name
on my windshield."

*If you are heartbroken*

"Perhaps it's just easier to smile and predent everything is 

fine, rather than admit my heart's a little swollen from losing

something that wasn't even mine. "

"You didn't have to say anything that night; you did everything

with your body and your eyes. The way you sat next to me, you

were close enough to reach but too far to touch. And your eyes,

those eyes that once said you'd love me forever, now spilled 

tears that this wasn't worth the fight anymore.

When did you become so tired of us?"

*If you are lonely*

"she's the type of girl

that has a place in her heart

for all the lonely people to go

with their forgotten footprints

in the snow"

"There are little pieces of happiness and they are scattered 

through your day. So take a basket with you as you step outside,

fill it up with all the little pieces, and bring it back inside. Take

a moment, just by yourself, take out all the pieces, and place

them on your shelf."

*If you are sad*

"It's exhausting to be locked in your head with all these thoughts

that tie you down. Just for one moment, try with all your might

to let go of all the things that stop you from being you."

"My soul is numb, and I am desperate to feel. In times of distress

and sadness, mornings are no longer forgivable and waking up

isn't ideal."

"Even sadness needs someone in its corner."

*If you are missing someone*

"We are standing at the edge of the world and yet we still do not

meet. You are soaked in daylight and I am covered in the night.

My heart yearns for our eclipse."

"You were always miles away. Maybe you were just always meant 

to be miles away. The distance saw us together in a dream and 

though we were better off without all the mess."

*If you need encouragement*

"emotional and messy

sometimes lost and confused

but if you only realized

the wisdom behind those eyes

with a heart that never lies

would you storm the world

like you haven't a thing to lose?"

"Maybe you're running scared because running is better than

letting someone else in. But the truth is, you can't spend your

whole life running. It's exhausting living in fear. Slow down. 

Chances and risks keep life interesting."

"You just have to surround yourself with people who have the 

same heart as you."

*If you are soul-searching*

"But I am so deeply lost in my own soul, how can I expect

anyone else to understand me?"

"They always say that transitions happen with big events. Like

a wedding, your birthday, or your graduation. But maybe it's

really in the smaller moments, like when you look at yourself 

in the mirror and realize how far you've come or how far you

still, have to go."

"It's so hard to know what to say

To someone who feels so lost,

So I'll stand here for you

In the wind and the rain

And I'll be the lighthouse you need.

Take my hand and breathe again

And I will guide you home."

*If you need a reason to stay*

"Things might not get better tomorrow. You may have many

tomorrows and nothing changes. But that is not the point. The

point of moving through all these tomorrows is to get to the 

one tomorrow that finally does get better."

*These are for you*

"I can't remember what it was like not to know you. I am not

sure if this is because we have met before. As though we have

seen each other in a different time and life and maybe your

soul is the one soul I keep running into. Or maybe it's just

because my life before you wasn't nearly as exciting. All I know

is when we met, we spent the afternoon in front of a beautiful

view, and yet all I could do was look at you."

"I wish there were a better way to tell you how much I love you.

To write it in the sky or dip all my feelings in gold. But the

truth is, it's much simpler than all of those things. All I know is 

is that I wake up each morning and I can never find the words

to explain how much I feel for you."

Hope you enjoyed a few lines from each chapter... Each chapter for a special moment in life! 

I know a little thought like these always makes me think twice about my own self. 

" Make a cup of tea and let yourself feel."- Courtney Peppernell

~Bella

Happy New Year...

The new year is finally here! Happy 2018 everyone!

Excited? I'm sure you are ready to start this year all fresh with plenty of more goals...

Goals? Really?

Well yes! I'm sure you all have this one little thing you want to stop doing, or start doing something?

Don't get me wrong, I never go through any of my plans for the coming year, but a lot of my acquaintances have been thinking about things to do or stop doing.

*One big goal, one I've been hearing for the past month is...
"I'll stop drinking for a month"
Let's all go through a detox phase. Not a bad idea if you are one to drink every night or day. A month may not seem a lot, and if you are ready for round 2, please do it for as long as you can!

*The other goal I've been hearing almost as much as the drinking goal is,
" I will go to the gym every day!"
Please, don't put too much pressure on yourself, baby. Every day is a lot especially if you haven't gone to check the gym out in a while. Take it slow and steady! Twice or three times is already enough, baby steps!

*One more common one... 
"I swear, I'll make myself more available to meeting new people." 
Sorry to break it to you, but unless that is what you truly want, it will be nearly impossible to achieve especially if you have social anxiety. You will always find an incredible excuse to escape a meeting. I would know, thank you to many of my precious excuses, the ones I cannot live without! 

*"I'll smile more! I'll be happy all the time!" 
Are you trying to lie to everyone else or just yourself? You are entitled to have a bad day! A sad day! It happens! 

*"Bedtime is back on! Trust me this time, not after midnight!"
Until you pass by your bar and that will be the end of it! 

*"True love is right around the corner! I can smell it!" 
Please, enlight me on how you are managing to smell it! I want the same thing!

*"I'll show you my fashion! It will be amazing!"
Sadly, not everyone will agree with what you are wearing! Not everyone can have the same taste in fashion, what could be amazing to you may not be amazing to someone else! 

*"I'm going to start saving money!"
Before you or anyone can do that, it's called getting yourself out of debt, then... Sure, save all you want!

*"It's the year I need to adopt a cute puppy!"
Are you ready for such engagement? Did you ask yourself all possible questions? 

*" This year is the year I'll finally know how to cook pasta!"
If you can't make pasta in the first place, I'm sorry but there's little hope for you in the cooking department! 

Obviously, I'm being negative cause I don't believe new year resolutions/ goals are needed! If it works for you, go for it! I hope I gave you ideas on what you could start doing better or want to do. 
For me, it's simple, each year is the same, try not to fall for anyone... And each year, I get my heart broken and broken and broken... Funny! I don't seem to have learned any lessons! Maybe this year I'll either give up on any love or find the real one! 

Meanwhile, 

HAPPY NEW YEAR YOUR SAVAGES! Go enjoy this year like it's your last! Don't waste your precious time overthinking about negativity! Try and smile all you want, don't forget about being yourself!

"Tomorrow is the first blank page of a 365-page book. Write a good one." - Brad Paisley

~Bella

Should we still do it?

As you already know, I've written a novel for the past two years and a half. One year of research and a few chapters; the second year was managing life and finding time to write the rest of the story.

I've been waiting for the day I would finish the first draft, and this day has come on May 19th, 2017.
On a Friday, before I started my shift, I ended up finishing writing my novel. An odd feeling came rush in as soon as I hit the last word, the sense of loss rushed in and I started feeling different emotions. I had finished a novel which I had come to get attached to the characters who felt more real than people around me. Then suddenly everything came to an end. In a split second, I felt my little imaginary world fall apart.

DO NOT get me wrong, I'm beyond excited about the fact that I finished writing over three hundred pages, but at the same time, I feel like my little world is over, poof into the wind. The world I would escape to has come to an end. Obviously, it's only my imagination, and maybe I shouldn't have let the novel be my escape world, but it's too late for that now! 

Two years and a half for a novel...
A long time to write a story, yes, but it's my very first time finishing something this big and time-consuming. I had written before but never took the courage to finish anything. So when I saw my novel finishing, I saw a part of my life ending. I had the sense of non-existence all the sudden. Melodramatic to say the least...

Two years and a half for a novel...
It may take a while to write especially when life gets in the way. When obstacles come along and keep you from thinking about the novel, the characters, you can't find time, and you are not inspired to even begin writing anything. I may have had two years and a half to complete a novel, but let's be honest, I didn't write every single day on the book. I had other writing, other things to do.

Two years and a half for a novel...
I did spend hours staring at a blank page, waiting for an idea to pop up. Spent hours looking at people passing by the coffee shop's window thinking about my characters. Spent a lot of time mumbling to myself, searching for the right word, phrase, thought. Spent a lot of moments looking up my ceiling for some inspiration, I eventually knew dust spot was on it.

Two years and a half for a novel...
Imaginary friends do exist! I can vouch for it, I can finally say that I had an "imaginary friend". I'm sure you've heard of writer's block before, right? Well, I can say that for a fact when you come across writer's block, it does feel like your imaginary friend is gone for good.

Today, I'm in the process of editing the story, the characters, the plot, the setting... I'm in the process of making my very first draft better, less repetitive, more interesting to the reader which to this day is me and my high school sophomore year history, teacher. 
I proved myself I could do anything I wanted if I took the patience and kept the determination going. For the first time in a long time, I believe I'm a good enough writer because, for the little editing I recently did, my writing has progressed a lot. My writing is slightly more mature than my first chapters, you can tell I was afraid of letting my imagination run wild. 
Despite my first draft finished, I know I have a long way to go before I see it in bookstores if in fact, makes it to the publication stage. 

"I think I did pretty well, considering I started out with nothing but a bunch of blank paper." - Steve Martin 

~Bella

What Would Jane Do? (5)

Do we, women, really know our man, our gentlemen? I don't think so! Jane Austen put a lot of little comments in each book! 

Chapter V. Get to know your gentleman

What strange creatures brothers are! - Mansfield Park (1814)
The ladies here probably exchanged looks which meant, " men never know when things are dirty or not;" and the gentlemen perhaps thought each to himself, "women will have their little nonsense and needless cares." - Emma (1815)
A man does not recover from such devotion of the heart to such a woman! He ought not; he does not. - Persuasion (1817)
General benevolence, but not general friendship, made a man what he ought to be. - Emma (1815)
If there is anything disagreeable going on, men are always sure to get out of it. - Persuasion (1817)
With men he can be rational and unaffected,but when he has ladies to please, every feature works. - Emma (1815)
[He] is just the type of man... Whom everybody speaks well of, and nobody cares about; whom all are delighted to see, and nobody remembers to talk to. - Sense and Sensibility (1811)
Men of sense, whatever you may choose to say, do not want silly wives.- Emma (1815)
He thoroughly knows his own mind and acts up to his resolutions: an inestimable quality. - Mansfield Park (1814)
It would be mortifying to the feelings of many ladies, could they be made to understand how little the heart of man is affected by what is costly or new in their attire. _ Northanger Abbey (1917)
There certainly are not so many men of large fortune in the world, as there are pretty women to deserve them. - Mansfield park (1814)
One man's ways may be as good as another's by we all like our own best. - Persuasion (1817)
We all know him to be a proud, unpleasant sort of a man; but this would be nothing if you really liked him. - Pride and Prejudice (1813)
I could easily forgive his pride if he had not mortified mine.- Sense and Sensibility (1811)
You are mistaken, Mr.Darcy, if you suppose that the mode of your declaration affected me in any other way than as it spared me the concern which I might have felt in refusing you, had you behaved in a more gentleman-like manner.- Pride and Prejudice (1813)
Dare does not say that man forgets sooner than a woman, that his love has an earlier death.- Persuasion (1817)
From the first moment, I may almost say... I had not known you a month before I felt that  you were the last man in the world whom I could ever prevail on to marry.- Pride and Prejudice (1813)
That would be the greatest misfortune of all! To find a man agreeable whom one is determined to hate! Do not wish me such an evil. - Pride and Prejudice (1813)
She did not think he deserved the compliment of rational opposition. - Sense and Sensibility (1811)
His cold politeness, his ceremonious grace, were worse than anything. - Persuasion (1817)
I could not be happy with a man whose taste did not in every point coincide with my own.- Sense and Sensibility (1811)
Stupid men are the only ones worth knowing, after all.- Pride and Prejudice (1813)
Now they were as strangers; nay worse than strangers, for they could never become acquainted. - Persuasion (1817)

Next chapter will be more about loving him... Excited to read what Jane Austen thought of that subject....

"Pictures of perfection make me sick and wicked." - 

~Bella

What Alice Forgot...

What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty

Let's just start by saying the man who seats across from my work every morning and night, we will call him Peter, came in the store one morning and suggested a novel. He has seen that I always had a pen and notebook on me, always my laptop to type, curiosity rushed in, and he couldn't help but ask if I was also a bookworm... Do I look like one?

So we ended up talking about books, one specifically, the one he was holding in his left hand, the one which looked like it was about to be finished. What Alice Forgot is a novel written by an Australian author, Liane Moriarty. When Peter talked to me about the novel, you can tell he was in admiration towards the author and how she write. The author lives in Sydney Australia with her family, getting her books translated into multiple languages. She is #1 New York Times Bestseller author of books like The Husband's Secret as well as The Hypnotist's Love Story. 

Peter reads a lot, it's obvious, so when he suggested the book, I couldn't help but to buy the novel as well as two others. 

Here is what the back of the novel tells us...

" Alice Love is twenty-nine, crazy about her husband, Nick, and pregnant with their first child. 
So imagine Alice's surprise when she comes to on the floor of the gym (a gym! she HATES the gym!) and is whisked off to the hospital, where she discovers the honeymoon is truly over: She is actually thirty-nine years old, has three kids, and is getting a divorce.
That knock on her head has misplaced ten years. 
Now Alice must piece together the events of the lost decade, and find out if it's possible to reconstruct her life at the same time. She needs to figure out why her sister hardly talks to her, and how is it that she's become one of those super skinny moms with really expensive clothes. 
Ultimately, Alice must discover whether forgetting is a blessing or a curse- and how to start over..." 

When you read something like that it makes you want to know what happened during these ten years. It makes you want to understand how she became what she is. 
Before reading any book, I read the last paragraph. If I like the ending, if I find it interesting, or if I get curious. So I thought I'd shared the ending with you...

" They would think she was savoring the taste (blueberries, cinnamon, cream- excellent), but she was actually savoring the whole morning, trying to catch it, pin it down, keep it safe before all those precious moments became yet another memory."

It doesn't make much sense we didn't read the book, but it does get you curious! 

"Reading a good book is like taking, a journey..." - Emma Gulliford

~Bella
PS: I'm not going to post anything next week as it is Thanksgiving one week vacation. I will be working and spending time with my brothers whenever I can... But make sure to come back the 28th of November for more posts! Enjoy your time with family!