They Know Me So Well : Banned Books Mug

  Targeted advertising can be a bit creepy sometimes.  I have to admit though, I kind of like finding obscure things that tickle my fancy, that I wouldn't seek out myself but am happy to see.  This morning I was shopping on Amazon when this mug was presented to me as a recommended item.  I think all serious readers delight in enjoying a banned book.  We like talking about how silly it is to ban them, how good and thoughtful they usually are, wondering what there is to be afraid of.  So, for all my reader friends, think about how much you enjoy a banned book and how much  better your coffee would taste in a banned book mug.

You can buy this mug here.

A Positive Update on The End of Your Life Book Club

A couple of weeks ago I wrote about a book I'm not loving.  The End of Your Life Book Club by Will Schwalbe seems like a book I'd absolutely adore and read in one day.  It's well written and about books for crying out loud!  What's not to love?  But, I haven't connected with it.  I've been forcing myself to read a page here and there just to get through it.  Finally though, I've hit a spot that really clenched my heart.  I'm about 30 pages from the end and without spoiling anything, the main character mother is on hospice care.  Things have gotten seriously real with her cancer and suddenly I've found the emotion that had been lacking. Will and his mom (Mary Ann) have read John Updike's book Tears of My Father: And Other Stories, a collection of short stories.  Will asks her which was her favorite story.  She says, "the first one".  It deals with death, which is currently hanging over her head like a velvet curtain. She directs Will to read this passage about a 55th class reunion:

This passage truly resonated with me.  I don't think any of us, once we are out of what we'd consider the prime of our lives, thinks of ourselves as any less than prime.  I know in my own head, I still feel like I'm 17, or maybe 21 or even 27, which was a very good year.  I imagine that will continue as I age, and frankly, I kind of like that idea.  The idealism of a room full of the rather aged still feeling like round cheeked beauties is lovely.  I also like that I've finally connected with Mary Ann, a truly remarkable woman who until this point in her story has felt at least an arms length from me.  At last, I feel I've really seen something very personal about her, about how she feels about her stage of life.  I know now that these final 30ish pages will fly by, and when all is said and done I may look back on the book as a whole with affection.

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Product Review: Thundershirt! Dog Anxiety Solution

This is Rex.

I have a great dog.  Rex is a twelve year old red border collie.  He's normally a confidant, happy guy.  Then thunder rolls in, or someone lights a firework.  Loud sounds reduce him to a fearful puddle trembling under my husband's desk in our basement.  I have always felt bad for dogs who have fears because they're smart enough to know fear but not able to understand that noises won't actually harm them.  We've teased Rex, tried to comfort him and helped him find good hiding places from that mean old thunder but as he's aged I've been trying to make his life more comfortable over all so I resolved to alleviate his fears.  I decided to give the ThunderShirt a try.  

The kids and I giggled at the funny name, and who doesn't chuckle at the sight of dogs in shirts?  I admit, I was a skeptic about the shirt and had a "can't hurt anything" attitude about buying it but I hoped it worked. My hope was rewarded! I shouldn't have been such a skeptic - I swaddled my babies and that worked a charm.  This is the same concept. The first time I put it on Rex he almost immediately calmed.  It was crazy!  He visibly relaxed and laid down in the living room instead heading for the basement through the storm.  I'm sure it helped that the kids fawned over how cute he was in his shirt, but Rex really was less afraid!  He didn't seem to mind wearing it at all.  I've used it through two more storms and both times he has been able to just be Rex, unafraid and not hiding!  Every dog should have one of these!  I'm a believer in the ThunderShirt.

*My only complaint is that getting a scared dog to stand properly to get the shirt on is a bit challenging.  That's not a design flaw, just a fact of dealing with an anxious animal.  I  put the shirt on Rex and adjust it a bit after a few minutes when he has calmed so it isn't all bunched up.

This is Rex in his ThunderShirt.  See how it's on him a little crooked?
After he calms I am able to straighten it out and it fits perfectly.
You can buy your dog a ThunderShirt here.

From the manufacturer: ThunderShirt's patented design applies a gentle, constant pressure that has a dramatic calming effect for over 80% of dogs. Like swaddling an infant, Thundershirt is recommended by thousands of veterinarians and trainers around the world. Already helping millions of dogs, anytime calming is needed, a Thundershirt may help. Not just for thunder! Use for thunder, fireworks, separation anxiety, car travel, problem barking, general fearfulness, reactivity, and much, much more. A positive tool that almost all dogs seem to love to wear. With no need for training or medications, most dogs respond positively within minutes of the first use. Very easy to put on and take off. Made of lightweight, machine-washable material.

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It's Roald Dahl Day! My Favorite Dahl Quotes Episode 10

Learn more about Roald Dahl.

September 13th is Roald Dahl's birthday (1916 - 1990).  In celebration of him, I've decided to share some of my favorite Dahl quotes.  Some are from his books, some are statements outside of his books.  They all inspire me, and make me want to read his lovely, magical books again.

This is the final Roald Dahl quote I will share today.  It is my favorite because for me, it sums up everything he was trying to do with his books.  Plus, it suggests my ideal life.  A lovely bookshelf on every wall would be beautiful life for me!

It's Roald Dahl Day! My Favorite Dahl Quotes Episode 4

Learn more about Roald Dahl.

September 13th is Roald Dahl's birthday (1916 - 1990).  In celebration of him, I've decided to share some of my favorite Dahl quotes.  Some are from his books, some are statements outside of his books.  They all inspire me, and make me want to read his lovely, magical books again.

One of the things I like most about Dahl is his commitment to making books fun for kids but still infusing them with important messages and realistic characters.  He had such a light touch it's easy to forget that his books are more than just fun and it takes a little reflection to realize just how wonderful they really are.

It's Roald Dahl Day! My Favorite Dahl Quotes Episode 3

Learn more about Roald Dahl.

September 13th is Roald Dahl's birthday (1916 - 1990).  In celebration of him, I've decided to share some of my favorite Dahl quotes.  Some are from his books, some are statements outside of his books.  They all inspire me, and make me want to read his lovely, magical books again.

I just love how playful and silly Dahl's books are.  They never fail to make me smile.

It's Roald Dahl Day! My Favorite Dahl Quotes Episode 2

Learn more about Roald Dahl.

September 13th is Roald Dahl's birthday (1916 - 1990).  In celebration of him, I've decided to share some of my favorite Dahl quotes.  Some are from his books, some are statements outside of his books.  They all inspire me, and make me want to read his lovely, magical books again.

Matilda is a particular favorite of mine.  The Wormwoods are some of the most delicious villains in all of children's literature.  Truly awful people, but not scary for little ones.  (Trunchbull is another story, but she also adds the just right bit of fear.)

It's Roald Dahl Day! My Favorite Dahl Quotes Episode 1

Learn more about Roald Dahl.

September 13th is Roald Dahl's birthday (1916 - 1990).  In celebration of him, I've decided to share some of my favorite Dahl quotes.  Some are from his books, some are statements outside of his books.  They all inspire me, and make me want to read his magical books again.

Try Audible (my sleep aid of choice) FREE for 30 days! *Plus get 2 FREE audiobooks!

Click Here to Start Your Free Trial

Like many people, being an adult has wrecked my ability to sleep. I have to trick my brain in to shutting down.  My primary trick is to plug in some headphones and play an audiobook.  My brain focuses on the story, I relax and most nights I'm out like a light.  On the nights I don't sleep, I get to hear the books I love read professionally instead of just letting my crazy brain run wild.  It's a win either way!

(I don't just sleep to audiobooks, either.  You'd be amazed how pleasant cleaning the house can be when Elijah Wood is reading Huckleberry Finn to you.)

Try Audible and Get Two Free Audiobooks

 I subscribe to Audible's Gold Plan, which means for $14.95 a month I get one audiobook (or a credit toward future books if I don't choose a new one ever month) and 30% off additional audiobooks.  I love having pre-paid credits so I can always download the books I want when I want them.

You can try Audible for fee for 30 days.  The benefits included in the free trial are:

• Get two free audiobooks to start -- after 30 days, get 1 book each month for $14.95/month

• Get 30% off the price of additional audiobook purchases

• Cancel anytime. Your books are yours to keep, even if you cancel.

Audible Gold Membership benefits:

• One audiobook per month for $14.95/mo

• 30% off the price of additional audiobook purchases

• Cancel anytime. A member’s books are theirs to keep, even if they cancel.

**BONUS**

These are my favorite headphones for sleeping.  Sound quality is very good and 
they're comfy!  It doesn't get better than that.    

Product Review: FitBit Surge

Click Here to Buy FitBit Surge 

I was SO excited when I received my Surge. I've been a loyal FitBit customer for a few years and was jazzed about upgrading to their best model. Here are my thoughts:

*Right out of the box it was easy to set up and sync with my existing account as well as my iPhone through Blu-Tooth. I like that FitBit now allows two trackers on one account because I've found my One model is slightly more accurate when it comes to counting steps so I've continued to carry it in a pocket but I love having a heart rate tracker on my wrist with no chest strap, too. (Fitbit reconciles the two trackers info to give the most accurate count I feel is possible.)

*I have nothing to directly compare the heart rate monitor to for accuracy but it matches the app I have on my iPhone so since I'm not a serious athlete, I feel it is accurate enough for me.

*The GPS tracker seems accurate, though it sometimes takes a few seconds to find my position.

*The sleep tracker exactly matched my One but I love not having to remember to activate it on the Surge.

*The Surge is a bit big on my small wrist but because it has a very clean design I don't feel it's ugly. It's entirely appropriate for most activities, but I probably won't wear it anywhere fancy. That's okay since I can still discretely use my One.

*I like that the Surge can notify me about texts and calls, and that I can change songs on my iPhone with it. Those are two features I didn't give much thought to before, but they (especially the notifications) have become some of my favorite things.

** THIS IS THE BUMPY START ** My only complaint is that when my Surge arrived the heart rate monitor was not working at all. Fitbit has a great help section and a customer community so I went there first for troubleshooting. I tried everything suggested to fix the monitor to no avail. I've had great success with Fitbit's customer support over email in the past so I wrote an email and waited. For three days. They then suggested I tried fixes I had already told them I'd tried in my initial email. Long story short it took me just over a week of communicating this way before Fitbit agreed to send me a replacement. (Apparently the faulty heart rate monitor is not uncommon.) Once my replacement arrived I was a happy camper though. The replacement has been perfect. The heart rate monitor works flawlessly with all my activities so far without having to adjust it's position on my arm.

*SUMMARY* As a fitness tracker I'm very pleased with it, and I feel like this is a good starter smart watch while I wait for Apple to get the iWatch just right. I plug it in to charge while I shower and otherwise wear it comfortably all day and night.

Today I'm Reading: Jane Austen's Emma

Click here to get your free Kindle edition of Emma. 
Click here to find more free or cheap Jane Austen novels on Kindle.

Today I'm reading Jane Austen's Emma.  I've actually been reading it for a couple of weeks now and I'm really struggling to get in to it.  So far Emma strikes me as a coddled, somewhat empty headed, vain little girl.  The people around her seem to exist only to please her, and I'm bored.  This is the second Austen book I've read, and it took me a while to get into Pride and Prejudice, too.  I eventually loved it so I'm not giving up on Emma yet, but could use some input.  Does Emma ever develop any depth?  Do the people around her become more than props intended to appease her?  In short, does the story improve?  Should I cut my losses and move on to Neil Gaiman's new book Trigger Warning?

Don't wait for Black Friday!

Black Friday Deals are happening all over Amazon.  It's time to shop! 

  Shop Amazon - Black Friday Deals in Camera, Photo & Video

In Which Neil Gaiman Makes What I Mock Appealing

Coming February 2015
Preorder: Amazon
Preorder:  iTunes

It's no secret that if I ever stalk a celebrity it will be Neil Gaiman or J.K. Rowling.  Even their tweets make me happy so of course I anticipate their new books almost greedily.  This morning I learned Mr. Gaiman has a new short story collection coming soon to my bookshelf (and book sellers everywhere) with a very catchy title: Trigger Warning.  I first heard the term "trigger warning" in reference to college students being warned that books they were about to read may cause mental trauma.  My eyes rolled so far back, they're kinda stuck that way.  I am not a fan of coddling adults, which college age people generally are.  I do not believe we are such a damaged society that we require warnings about literary content - especially in college where we are supposed to be stretching ourselves and experiencing new (perhaps unpleasant) things in order to grow more fully into ourselves.  Leave it to the Neil Gaiman and his wonderfully unique brain to not only put first a sympathetic then skeptical and always humorous eye on the idea of a trigger warning, but to then take the idea and sell stories with it.  Stories that I must read, made all the more delicious because "I have been warned".

Read Gaiman's warning yourself in this USA Today exclusive excerpt.

Father's Day is Coming Soon!

Just a friendly reminder - Father's Day is right around the corner!  Get Dad something great!

Shop Here: http://goo.gl/WdmHTK