Drive-Thru Dreams by Adam Chandler

Title: Drive-Thru Dreams: A Journey Through the Heart of America’s Fast-Food Kingdom

Author: Adam Chandler

Publisher: Flatiron Books 2019

Genre: Nonfiction

Pages: 274

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Library

Most any honest person can own up to harboring at least one fast-food guilty pleasure. In Drive-Thru Dreams, Adam Chandler explores the inseparable link between fast food and American life for the past century. The dark underbelly of the industry’s largest players has long been scrutinized and gutted, characterized as impersonal, greedy, corporate, and worse. But, in unexpected ways, fast food is also deeply personal and emblematic of a larger than life image of America.

With wit and nuance, Chandler reveals the complexities of this industry through heartfelt anecdotes and fascinating trivia as well as interviews with fans, executives, and workers. He traces the industry from its roots in Wichita, where White Castle became the first fast food chain in 1921 and successfully branded the hamburger as the official all-American meal, to a teenager's 2017 plea for a year’s supply of Wendy’s chicken nuggets, which united the internet to generate the most viral tweet of all time.

Random new books shelf from the library pick and I was pleasantly surprised. Every chapter details the rise of one of the well-known fast food places. We get a bit of interesting history as well as a commentary on our current world. I much preferred the history bits, but understand why the rest was included. I cam out of the book with a ton of new random facts. A pretty enjoyable book.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Currently #3

Reading: Finally picked up Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson. Not usually a fan of books in verse, but this one is really good.

Watching: I spent my evening a few nights again rewatching the 2005 version of Pride and Prejudice. I still really enjoy that movie.

Listening: While doing home renovations, I’ve been catching up with Dungeons and Daddies. Laugh out loud funny.

Making: Arthur’s class Valentines Day party is one Wednesday and I’m in charge of the planning the party. Hence, I have been spending time making goody bags.

Feeling: So very sore. Removing wallpaper is very labor intensive.

Planning: We’re working on getting our move logistics in order.

Loving: Over half of the blue bathroom is wallpaper-less. I’m celebrating that…

Next up on the TBR pile:

Music Monday - Bishop Briggs "Jekyll and Hyde"

Oh goodness! This is a great song. And it even features K. Flay (love her voice).

Life Right Now #5

Right now I am: Very sore. Multiple days attempting to remove wallpaper from the blue bathroom has left my shoulders very sore.

Thinking and pondering: I’m wondering what items to pack next. We’re removing all the random items from the house first before our actual move in mid-March.

On my bedside table: Well Met by Jen DeLuca; The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas; The Things We Cannot Say by Kelly Rimmer

On my tv this week: We watched The Spy Who Dumped Me on Friday night. Much better than the 49% that Rotten Tomatoes gave it.

Listening to: AMostly politics podcasts this past week. So much news! I also did listen to multiple episodes of Dungeons and Daddies.

On the menu for this week: Honestly I have no idea what we will be eating this coming week. Guess I should spend some time planning today.

On my to do list: I really want to get that stupid wallpaper out the blue bathroom. That would go a long way. I also want to get some paint samples for the rest of the house and look into cabinet stains. Beyond house stuff, I need to schedule Quentin’s activities for the rest of the month. And I need to figure out March’s possible travel plans.

Happening this week:

Monday - Wallpaper removal (more…)
Tuesday - Playdate with a friend
Wednesday - Arthur’s Kindergarten class Valentine’s Day Party
Thursday - Arthur Parent-teacher Conference; Zoo or Children’s Museum visit
Friday - Swimming at the Gym
Saturday - Craft Day
Sunday - Arthur’s Classmate’s Birthday Party

What I am creating: I’m finishing out the Valentine’s Day party crafts. And then I hopefully can finish January’s MP pages.

My simple pleasures: Cup of tea, time to read, a wallpaper free bathroom wall

Looking around the house: Ugh! Things are in disarray as we prepare to move next month. There are weird empty places (like one of the built-in bookcases), but overall there is stuff everywhere.

From the camera: The state of my dining room table. It’s bad…

Winter Bucket List Update #2

And on to 2020! Let’s start the year off right with some fun and some organization!

Read 45 books - 19/45
Plan and execute a fun Valentine’s Day Party
Buy and Complete a jigsaw puzzle
New house vision board ✓
Eat at 5 new-to-me restaurants
Attend a theater performance
Movie Month February
Weekly Game Day/Night - In progress
Make a seasonal door hanger/wreath
Swim at the gym 5 times
Have an indoor picnic
Host a craft day
Plan a weekend getaway
Visit a new-to-the-boys museum
Spend an afternoon at a local bookstore
Make ice cream sundaes
DIY Spa Night
Buy fresh flowers biweekly
Go mini-golfing
Make a new dessert

Next up on the TBR pile:

Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo

Title: Ninth House

Author: Leigh Bardugo

Publisher: Flatiron Books 2019

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 480

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: UnRead Shelf

Galaxy “Alex” Stern is the most unlikely member of Yale’s freshman class. Raised in the Los Angeles hinterlands by a hippie mom, Alex dropped out of school early and into a world of shady drug-dealer boyfriends, dead-end jobs, and much, much worse. In fact, by age twenty, she is the sole survivor of a horrific, unsolved multiple homicide. Some might say she’s thrown her life away. But at her hospital bed, Alex is offered a second chance: to attend one of the world’s most prestigious universities on a full ride. What’s the catch, and why her?

Still searching for answers, Alex arrives in New Haven tasked by her mysterious benefactors with monitoring the activities of Yale’s secret societies. Their eight windowless “tombs” are the well-known haunts of the rich and powerful, from high-ranking politicos to Wall Street’s biggest players. But their occult activities are more sinister and more extraordinary than any paranoid imagination might conceive. They tamper with forbidden magic. They raise the dead. And, sometimes, they prey on the living.

I picked this as my BOTM selection for November and I’m finally getting around to reading it. The first few chapters were a bit slow (don’t love starting the book near the end of the story and then flashing back), but once I was in, I loved this book so much. This is right up my alley with dark fantasy full of murder, ghosts, and the occult. I loved the premise of the book and then really grew to love the characters. Alex is not an easy character to love, but by the end of the book, you understand her and are rooting for her to succeed. Dawes was a huge surprise for me. I loved how she became more and more a part of the story as the chapters sped. by. I had hoped to see more of Darlington, but obviously we will circle back to him in the next book. I loved setting the book on Yale’s campus. Apparently I really enjoy books set at schools or at college. New Haven adds such great atmosphere to the story. I can’t wait to read the next book in the series! Definitely a keeper for my shelf.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Odds and Ends

Here's my randomness for the week:

I abhor wallpaper…. and unfortunately the people who owned our house put it up professionally. Six hours and I’ve only scrapped off two walls in the bathroom. This is going to be a long process.
I’ve completely forgotten about Valentine’s Day. I need to make the cards for the class soon…
Paint colors are too overwhelming right now. I need to narrow it down.
Dreaming of that Ethiopian stew we had a few weeks back. It was so incredibly good!
Thinking about a massage for my birthday day. Now I need to find a place.

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Lady from the Black Lagoon by Mallory O'Meara

Title: The Lady from the Black Lagoon: Hollywood Monsters and the Lost Legacy of Milicent Patrick

Author: Mallory O’Meara

Publisher: Hanover Square Press 2019

Genre: Nonfiction - Biography

Pages: 368

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Ebook; Monthly Theme - January

As a teenager, Mallory O’Meara was thrilled to discover that one of her favorite movies, Creature from the Black Lagoon, featured a monster designed by a woman, Milicent Patrick. But for someone who should have been hailed as a pioneer in the genre, there was little information available. For, as O’Meara soon discovered, Patrick’s contribution had been claimed by a jealous male colleague, her career had been cut short and she soon after had disappeared from film history. No one even knew if she was still alive.

As a young woman working in the horror film industry, O’Meara set out to right the wrong, and in the process discovered the full, fascinating story of an ambitious, artistic woman ahead of her time. Patrick’s contribution to special effects proved to be just the latest chapter in a remarkable, unconventional life, from her youth growing up in the shadow of Hearst Castle, to her career as one of Disney’s first female animators. And at last, O’Meara discovered what really had happened to Patrick after The Creature’s success, and where she went.

A true-life detective story and a celebration of a forgotten feminist trailblazer, Mallory O’Meara’s The Lady from the Black Lagoon establishes Patrick in her rightful place in film history while calling out a Hollywood culture where little has changed since.

Why have I sat on this book for almost a year? I have no idea. I was so excited about this one coming out that I even preordered it and then it sat on my Kindle for almost a year before I picked it up (this is why I really need to prioritize books I own). Anyway… I really enjoyed this biography of Milicent Patrick crossed with Mallory O’Meara’s own sexist experiences in the film industry. We flip back and forth from Patrick’s life to O’Meara’s anecdotes and experiences while working as a film producer and author. My favorite parts were strictly about Milicent Patrick and her very interesting varied career. I loved diving into a fascinating woman at a very strange time in Hollywood. I was less impressed with the feminist asides. Mostly it was a rehashing of a lot of information I already knew. Those passages didn’t open my eyes to anything really, but I think they were necessary for the overall story O’Meara was attempting to tell. Overall this was a very interesting biography. I might just want to own it in physical form (the paperback version is releasing in March).

Next up on the TBR pile:

Invisible Women by Caroline Criado-Perez

Title: Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men

Author: Caroline Criado Perez

Publisher: Harry N. Abrams 2019

Genre: Nonfiction

Pages: 272

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Library

Data is fundamental to the modern world. From economic development, to healthcare, to education and public policy, we rely on numbers to allocate resources and make crucial decisions. But because so much data fails to take into account gender, because it treats men as the default and women as atypical, bias and discrimination are baked into our systems. And women pay tremendous costs for this bias, in time, money, and often with their lives.
Celebrated feminist advocate Caroline Criado Perez investigates the shocking root cause of gender inequality and research in Invisible Women, diving into women’s lives at home, the workplace, the public square, the doctor’s office, and more. Built on hundreds of studies in the US, the UK, and around the world, and written with energy, wit, and sparkling intelligence, this is a groundbreaking, unforgettable exposé that will change the way you look at the world.

This book was infuriating… In that this book highlighted all the ways that women are disadvantaged, put in danger, ignored, and put in the “other” category. I hated reading this because I my anger just kept rising. But it was a good book to really put statistics and facts behind all those feelings I had about how women are second class citizens. It really highlighted many areas of concern backed up with studies (or lack thereof). I was really interested in the chapter about toilets. Who knew that the lack of toilets could impact women so negatively? I think I did underneath, but this really laid out all the problems. A fascinating read. My only issues came with the lack of ways to move forward. The book got me really angry, but did little to help me channel that anger to something productive.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Music Monday - Jimmy Eat World "Love Never"

Life Right Now #4

As I look outside my window: All the snow is melting leaving a slushy mess. No fun.

Right now I am: Making my furniture wish lists and thinking about my house renovation timeline.

On my bedside table: The Jane Austen Project by Kathleen Flynn; Fever by Lauren DeStefano; Well Met by Jen DeLuca

On my tv this week: We finished The Good Place last two nights ago. Such a great ending!!!

Listening to: All the podcasts like usual.

On the menu for this week:

Monday - BBQ Chicken, Barbecue Quesadillas
Tuesday - Shrimp Pasta
Wednesday - Leftovers
Thursday - Asam Pedas
Friday - Peanut Sauce Chicken and Broccoli Bowls
Saturday - Smothered Pork Chops
Sunday - Italian Noodle Soup

On my to do list: Tons of house projects. Plus I need to call the school district about moving school next year.

Happening this week:

Monday - House stuff
Tuesday - Dentist appointment; RnR Class
Wednesday - RnR Class; Arthur’s friend birthday party; Pub Trivia Night
Thursday -
Friday - RnR Class
Saturday -
Sunday -

What I am creating: Nothing really. Been wrapped up in house stuff this week.

My simple pleasures: Curling up with a good book

Looking around the house: We’re starting the process of decluttering a bit and packing before the house move in March.

From the camera: Adventures in furniture shopping with two kids. This couch is on the short list.

February 2020 Life Goals

Let’s check in on January''s goals and my progress.

Read 15 books ✓
Close on our new house ✓
Restart Quentin’s routine schedule ✓
Go swimming twice - Fail. We didn’t even go once.
Start off our food adventure on a good note ✓
Get my new planner and Memory Planner started ✓
Clean out the basement ✓
Create a home vision board ✓

February’s Goals:

Read 15 books - Hoping to have another good reading month.
Week out UnRead Shelf - February strategy and also would be nice to not move so many books (even if it’s only 10 less).
Complete 3 house projects - These can be small or large, but I want to focus on a few things before we move in. (#1 is probably painting the downstairs half bath white instead of the current terracotta.)
Put in my Ikea house order - I have a cart full that I’l playing with right now.
Secure Reading Retreat lodging - Retreat isn’t until June, but places go quickly.
Plan Birthday day - A friend convinced me that I needed to resurrect my solo birthday adventure day. I’m formulating a plan.
Start the moving process - Not officially leaving our current place until mid-March, but there’s lot to move in the meantime.
MPS move - Arthur will be switching elementary schools next year. Need to understand the process.
Get rid of stuff before move - I have a pile to sell or donate. I’m sure I’ll to it this month.
February movie month - We’re not going to watch 29 movies this month, but I’m hoping for at least 15.

Next up on the TBR list: