The year is over! I can’t believe how much faster it all really goes as you get older. I’m still reading as much as ever, but I just share them on my Bookstagram account now. Feel free to follow me there! These are all the books I rated as 5 stars this year. I also included an extra as an honorable mention. I never actually gave it a rating because it was supremely disturbing, but the underlying message was amazing. Also, if you just don’t have time to read, try audiobooks! Your library should have tons you can check out or Audible’s service works too. I’m also still a fan of Book of the Mont ..read more

Disclosure: Thanks to the New Braunfels Convention and Visitor’s Bureau for our weekend stay. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Located between San Antonio and Austin, New Braunfels is known for tubing the Comal River, Schlitterbaun, and all things German. There is so much more though (even though I will eat German food all day, every day). We live literally right down the road, but there is so much we haven’t done yet, so a weekend staycation was in order. I’m also slightly freaking out that my oldest is leaving for college next year, so I’m trying to cram all the family time in that I c ..read more

Disclosure: I received this toys in exchange for my review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. My daughter is at that age where she wants to be grown, but still loves certain toys. We all wish our big kids wouldn’t grow up so fast and that they would put their phones down and just be kids for a little longer. It’s gone so much faster with my daughter since she’s the youngest, so I love when she actually wants toys. She kept sending me videos of kids playing with Wubbles, so when I got the chance to review one, I was all over it. They also sent some other toys she got super excited about too ..read more

I haven’t posted much lately. I’m fully aware. If you have been following along for a while, you may know that I have posted book reviews monthly, going back at least five years. Life has gotten in the way and while I’m still reading a lot, I haven’t kept up here. I do have an Instagram page for my books though (@books.make.everything.better) that you can follow. Everyone wants my favorites and the books I would recommend, so I am giving all my 5 star reviews for the past few months below. The Singles Table by Sara Desai After a devastating break-up, celebrity-obsessed lawyer Zara Patel is de ..read more

My reading is maybe a little out of control, but do I care? No. I’ll read what I want and as much as I want. I started a Bookstagram account in January. It’s been fun, but I tend to find way too many books that I want to read. I have picked up books that I never would have read otherwise, some I’ve loved, some I haven’t. I’m also getting better about putting books down that I just don’t like. Every book I start does not have to be finished. According to Goodreads (I leave reviews for everything I read on there), I have read 214 books (as of writing this anyways). Shortest Book – Infinite Cou ..read more

5 STARS The Fastest Way to Fall by Denise Williams This is what all romances should be! Smart, cute, inclusive, and just great! Britta joins a fitness app for a story at the magazine she works at. The app pairs her with a virtual coach. Wes co-owns the app and loves coaching. He’s going through some stuff so decides to take on a couple clients to get back to what he loves. It starts innocent, but their messaging soon turns flirty. An accident brings them together and the coaching continues in person, but both are feeling more. This really was just a great book. Highly recommend! 4 STARS A ..read more

5 Stars The Downstairs Girl by Stacey Lee This was unexpectedly wonderful! 17 year old Jo is of Chinese descent. She was born in America, but because it’s 1890, she isn’t treated as such. She’s in a world where she’s not black, but is still treated as less than a person. Her and the man she knows as her father, live in secret in a basement. She is smart and wants more, but doesn’t know how to get it. Living under a print shop, she considers the owners like her family and when she hears about issues with their newspaper, decides to help and anonymously write an Agony Aunt column. It’s success g ..read more

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley Classics. Do you read them? Do you like them? I don’t normally read them and find them hard to get through. I read Frankenstein though. As far as wording it wasn’t bad. It was the story itself I wasn’t fond of. Maybe because we all know the story based on the movies. This was nothing like that. Yes, Frankenstein created a human like being. He was so disgusted by it though, that he abandoned him to his own devices. The monster lived and taught himself a lot (but he already knew a lot which I found odd). However, nothing of his building or creation was discusse ..read more

Self care is something we all hear about. So many times it’s pitched to women as taking a bubble bath or getting alone time, i.e. going to the grocery store alone. It is so much more than that though. It’s literally about doing what’s best for ourselves and actually taking care of ourselves. Women tend to take care of everyone else and put themselves on the back burner. We’ve all done it. It needs to be so much more though. Self care is more about setting boundaries, saying no, putting yourself first in certain cases, and taking care of yourself. Yes, this can mean a nice bubble bath to unwi ..read more

My New Bedding I’ve hit that point where I want new, quality bedding. I bought a sheet and duvet cover set from Aizome. It’s cooling! It doesn’t heat you all up! It’s basically amazing. The Library This isn’t a surprise as I always love the library, but they really are a godsend. I don’t tend to buy books (unless they are from Book of the Month) that I can get at the library and it saves me tons!! We also check out a variety of movies if we can’t find them streaming anywhere. Decocrated Subscription Box I don’t buy much decor and not because I don’t want it. This I love though. It’s a quarter ..read more