Hi everyone! I'm sorry about not posting last week. Things have been a little crazy the last two weeks, but a good crazy! I'll get into that a little later.
Now that January has come to a close, I figured it would be a good time to update you all on my reading journey thus far. I am happy to report that I read the book I assigned myself for the 12 Books Challenge and even had time to read a second book! It has been a long time since I read two books in one month, but I am proud of myself for accomplishing that.
My assigned book for January was I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy. For those who don't know, Jennette McCurdy was a child actress best known for her role as Sam Puckett on the Nickelodeon show iCarly. In the book, Jennette details how her mother forced her into acting and describes its impact on her life. She is very open about her mother's abuse and how her mother introduced her to and supported her eating disorder. The book is divided into two parts; before her mother's death and after her mother died. This book was very emotional and, at times, was hard to get through. It was shocking to read everything she went through at the hands of someone she truly loved and looked up to. However, Jennette knew this would be a dark book, so she added humor when needed. I believe this was her way of using comedy to cope with her trauma, and the comic relief was handled tastefully. After reading this book, I 100% agree with the title. I am also glad her mom died. If you haven't read this book, I highly recommend it. But if you have experienced any form of abuse or have a history of eating disorders, this book might be triggering, so please read it at your discretion.
The second book I read was The Girl He Used To Know by Tracy Garvis Graves. This book is about an unusually extraordinary girl, Annika, who gets a second chance with her one true love from college, Jonathan. The book is structured so that the chapters alternate between the present day and flashbacks of when the two were in college. Usually, I don't like when books are written that way, but this was the exception because it added necessary details that helped move the story along. I loved Annika's character development from her college years into adulthood and the progress she made to help herself adjust to the world around her. This book tugged at my heartstrings and kept me hooked until the end. There was also a plot twist that I should have seen coming, but the unexpected anxiety made the last few chapters of the book a real page-turner. So if romance novels are your thing and you don't mind a heart-racing plot twist, this book is for you!
Now, onto the life update! I mentioned earlier that these last couple of weeks have been crazy. Well, that's because my husband and I got a dog! Her name is Chips, and she is a 1.5-year-old Corgi and German Shepherd mix. At a glance, you would think she is just a miniature German Shepherd. If you look closer, though, you can see she has the ears and the tail of a Corgi. Chips was a rescue from our local shelter, but she originally came from another county where she was found as a stray. She is adorable and loves everyone she meets. So far, she has shown no signs of aggression and shows promise with other dogs. My husband and I have already taught Chips simple commands, such as sit, down, and high five. But we know there are areas of dog training that are out of our expertise, so obedience classes will happen shortly.
Having Chips in the house has been great! Trust me when I say there is no better feeling than coming home from work and getting greeted at the door by a dog. We also love cuddling with her as often as possible. Plus, with it being winter, she has become our little space heater. Chips also loves going on walks and being outside. My husband and I can't wait for the weather to warm up because we plan on taking her on lots of walks at our local Metroparks and being outside with her all the time. She will be a very active dog, and we couldn't be happier. We did find out the hard way that she is a toy destroyer, so Kong toys are our new best friend. She just got some new toys from my mother-in-law and sister-in-law, and she plays with them constantly. Not only does she play with her new toys, but she also falls asleep with them, too! It is the cutest thing. I have to remember to get a picture next time it happens.
Between good books and a new dog, January was a pretty good month! I will continue to do book recaps at the end of each month and let you know which books are winners and which ones to leave on the shelf. Also, be prepared for continued updates on Chips because I am the stereotypical dog mom who treats their dog like a child. With that, I hope everyone had a great week, and I will leave you with my two favorite pictures of Chips!
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