If you’re from Kansas, you’ve definitely seen a post like this on your Instagram feed. Grinter Farms in Stilwell, Kansas (just outside of Lawrence) has the prettiest field of sunflowers that bloom every fall. Sunflowers are the Kansas state flower and you always see patches of them around the area, but this farm is the only place I’ve seen such an impressive stretch of them. I’ve tried to go out and visit almost every year I’ve been in school, so I had to get my first round of ‘senior pictures’ this year again!
My shirt is from American Eagle’s Tailgate collection, which has apparel for a bunch of different universities. This is my second shirt from their collection (first one here) and I love the style. They’re a little pricier compared to the university bookstore, but they always have sales and I’ve found it’s great quality.
(note – the below text about college was written on the first day of school, so bear that in mind while reading! enjoy!)
College life
(written 8/20) Today was my first day of senior year, which is so bittersweet. I have always known what I was going to do next, after high school I went to college, then in college I just kept continuing my education. Now that I’m my last year, I have no clue what will happen to me after I graduate. For now, I’ll just wait and enjoy my last year in school, but it’s very weird not knowing!
As a senior, I’m now living in a house with five other girls and I’m having so much fun already. It’s a huge change from living in the sorority house but I love it! A big difference is being able to have my own room and a kitchen. It’s also nice to be able to call a place ‘my house’ instead of just ‘the sorority house.’ It’s still your home, but it’s a little different when shared with 90 girls.
Now that I have my own room and it’s repainted a pretty blue color (that looks almost identical to my room at home), I need to decorate! Currently I have a navy futon, patterned navy bedding, and a pink dresser. I just bought this nightstand in white and need to find a fun lamp to pull it all together.
check out those cute tissues to ‘accessorize’ on the nightstand haha
Once I have those last pieces, I’m wanting to put together a gallery wall. I have some random wall decor, but I’m still trying to figure out how I want to arrange it. I have this painting that my grandma did before she passed away and I love it and want to make it the feature item.
Entertainment
I know you’ve probably seen this all over Twitter, but I watched To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before on Netflix with my roommates recently (twice) and I loved it! It was so cute and had everything I love in a perfect rom-com. Especially Noah Centineo – I’ve loved him since watching The Fosters and he was great in this too. I read the book a long time ago, but I want to re-read it and the rest of the series. I hope they make the rest of the books into movies too!
I also finished reading Everybody Always by Bob Goff and loved that too. He always has great little stories that make the Bible verse/story so much more relatable. (How many times can I say the word love in this blog post…)
Style
I made my first purchase from Mango recently. I always see Fran writing about it on her blog and usually browse through their site, but I came upon a decent sale and bought my first pieces from there. I got this textured dress in blue, in hopes of wearing it to my semi-formal this year. I also took a total style jump and bought a bright red leather jacket (SO out of my comfort zone). (This one is similar, but unfortunately not at the same price :/). I have no clue how I’m going to style it, but I thought it was super fun and different. I also love this checked dress, just not the length, and this fun wrap dress.
I’m also looking for more basic tops I can throw on with jeans to go out. (Everything I own has stripes and my roommates have deemed that ‘not going-out style’ 🙄.) I thought I had some, but after going through my closet this past weekend I realized most of my closet has more work-appropriate clothes. There’s nothing wrong with that but I want to switch it up a bit! I’ve been browsing through Forever21’s website and eyeing pieces like this simple navy tank and polka dot cami.
We just finished sorority recruitment (a few weeks ago) at my school, the University of Kansas, and we’re now in the full swing of classes. I wanted to share all my favorite pictures from bid day! (For those that don’t know, bid day is when all the women going through recruitment get to see what sorority they’ll be in, and it’s a party celebrating our new members from there! I have several posts about sorority recruitment here.)
I’m a senior this year and graduating in May so it’s my last bid day. I’m sad to see this chapter of my life end but for now, I’m not trying to dwell on all the lasts…at least til next semester!
Me with my roommates Kelsey and DaytonMe and my little, EmilyMe and my roommate ZoeMe and my friend Maddy
All the roommates except Jordan
Our theme was just ADPi, which was so fun to see how people dressed up. Some girls even went all out with fun blue wigs! We all had our matching shirts of course, and I found these super cute star flash tattoos on Etsy to put in the corners of my eyes. It was a really fun theme and I’ve noticed that as I grow older, I tend to care less about what people think of me so it was fun to just go all out and have fun dancing and taking photos with my friends.
Of course I still had to go into work an hour later and the stars wouldn’t come off easily haha
I’m finally a senior in college (yikes!). I’m a journalism major with a sport management minor. Internships seem to be all you hear about in the j-school around the end of the school year – from both professors and classmates. In my major, it feels like if you don’t have an internship, you have a super low chance of getting a full-time job. While I’m not sure how much of that actually rings true, I do know that internships are extremely helpful and can often teach you more than your classes can. Being involved in school is important too, but the work that you put in outside the classroom is what really makes a difference.
Working with a small nonprofit
My first summer internship was with a nonprofit charity high school all-star football game. The game was a huge deal in the state of Kansas, but the nonprofit itself was tiny. It was certainly a new experience – it was only my boss and three interns (including me) that didn’t really know what they were doing. We ended up splitting up tasks throughout the summer to fit each intern’s skillset the best. I took on graphic design and social media advertising. This internship, while small, threw me into the deep end and I had to learn how to swim fast to succeed.
Internships with small companies can be really beneficial. They’re very hands-on (no just fetching coffee!) and you often get the chance to shape your own experience within the company. You can be very involved and get a look at what other roles in the company are as well.
Working with a large company
I also have experience interning with a large firm. You may not have heard of Populous before, but you’ve probably been in a building they’ve designed. Populous has designed more than 2,500 projects within the past 35 years, and I was lucky to be a marketing intern for them this summer.
Populous is an architecture firm with a focus on designing the venues that draw people together – stadia, arenas, convention centers, airports, etc. In the spring semester, my journalism capstone class worked with Populous’ marketing team to develop a mock campaign centered around the college football experience. I had heard of Populous before, but the capstone class interested me in Populous even more after learning about all the places they had designed. After this very rewarding class, I was then hired as a summer marketing intern.
As a marketing intern, I was able to work with a lot of projects. In my first week, I was able to use the extensive research done by my capstone class and turn them into infographics for internal company use. I also helped with projects for several different sports teams, including the Milwaukee Bucks and D.C. United. In addition, I helped put together presentation materials for the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics and press releases for the National Baseball Hall of Fame and the Tampa Bay Rays. In addition to writing and creating graphics for various project proposals, I was also able to conduct research on stadia and training facilities around the world and see how they’re used daily.
As a sports fan, it was very cool to simply walk around the office and see all the amazing projects that the Populous team is working on. I’ve never worked with a global company before, but the experience I’ve gained is invaluable.
Even though Populous has nearly 300 employees in the Kansas City headquarters alone, I never felt like I was “just an intern.” I was able to get a hands-on experience every day, and I always felt like my opinion was valued. Both my capstone class and this marketing internship have been a core part of my undergraduate journalism career. I loved being in the marketing department and I still miss all the people I worked with!
Working with such a large company was a really different experience compared to my previous internships, but this was my favorite experience I’ve had so far. I definitely was able to get the full Populous intern experience (as shown in the projects I worked on listed above). By working with a larger company, I also had a lot more opportunities for networking within the company. I made a lot of contacts with people in the company that also have contacts in the sport industry, which I know will pay off later.
Working in sports
I was also a photography intern this summer for Sporting KC, my local MLS team. I love soccer and I’ve followed Sporting KC for a long time, so I loved being able to work with them. Since I had 40-hour work weeks with Populous, I only had time to photograph home games for Sporting but it was still a unique experience that allowed me to shoot a different sport and in the professional soccer realm. I can’t speak much to this internship because I didn’t have much hands-on time in that environment.
Not only do I have all these summer intern experiences, but I also have experience with school internships (look for a post on that soon!). If you have any questions feel free to leave a comment below, email me or tweet at me – I’d love to hear from you!
I had meant to get ahead on blog posts and schedule several posts during the summer so I’d be prepared for school starting back up again…but so far that’s not happening! The week after finals, I immediately started my internship. I work at Populous, a sport architecture firm as a marketing intern. I just finished my journalism capstone course doing a semester-long strategic campaign on college football (could anything be more fitting for me) with Populous, then I was lucky enough to be chosen for their summer internship. I’m loving it and can’t believe I only have a month left before I go back to school for my other job with the football team.
I work 8-6 Monday through Thursday and 8-12 on Fridays. I love the summer Fridays concept, but the 8-6 days can be pretty long, especially when I have to leave by 7:20 to beat the traffic. When I’m running around in the morning making breakfast, I want something that can keep me energized until lunch. However, I also cherish my sleep and try not to wake up too early if I don’t have to.
A great solution to this dilemma are these egg muffins. It’s a biscuit, scrambled egg and cheese all in one easy breakfast. I’ll make these over the weekend, then refrigerate a bunch and just reheat them in the mornings.
Ingredients:
3 eggs
2 tablespoons milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
crumbled bacon (about 4-5 strips)
1 can refrigerated biscuits (10 count)
Chopped vegetables (optional, I added spinach)
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F).
Place eggs, milk, salt and pepper into a mixing bowl.
Whisk to combine.
Press each biscuit round into 10 regular-sized muffin cups that have been liberally sprayed with cooking spray.
Bake for 6 minutes, then remove them from the oven.
Use the end of a thick wooden spoon (or your fingers) to press the middle of the biscuits in so there’s room for the egg mixture.
Pour the egg mixture into each partially baked biscuit.
Top evenly with crumbled bacon and cheddar cheese. (You can add other toppings here if desired, tomato/spinach would be good as well!)
Bake for 13 minutes or until eggs are set.
Remove from oven and let cool in pan, then remove from pan and place in a large plastic bag or plastic container.
For eating:
Just reheat each cup for about 1-2 minutes each. They’re really easy to eat on the go!
I have been stressed, to put it in the slightest. This semester is kicking my butt and I’m glad it’s almost finished.
In spite of that though, I’m trying to find the positives: lovely roommates who feel bad for me when I come in the room at 3am (I even broke my record last night and hit 4:30…not a record I ever wanted to break) instead of being annoyed for waking them up (or at least they’re not telling me 😉 ), an amazing job that fuels me more creatively than my schoolwork ever does and a fantastic professor that keeps me motivated to pursue a career in sports.
Fashion
My favorite heels that I wore all last summer are on sale! I’d get them in your size now if you can. They’re the perfect classic cognac shade and the silhouette is timeless. Block heels are still trendy and I love the look.
I’m also loving the look of these platform espadrilles by Universal Thread at Target. The Universal Thread brand has the same look and style as Madewell, but at a way better price point. I haven’t had time to go and try things on but I love the casual feel of the brand.
Fitness
Ever since running my half marathon, I’ve had just about zero time to work out. I’ve found that running is the easiest form of working out because I can simply lace up my shoes and head out the door instead of dedicating time to the gym. I ran a 5K on Sunday a week after the race. It was on my campus and was another rainy and cold day, which I’ve found I don’t really mind running in! The course was fairly hilly though and the tendons on the top of my feet didn’t feel great afterward, so I’ve decided to take a little rest before hopping right back into running.
I need to be consistent and work my way up in mileage so I don’t overtrain and hurt myself. I really want to add more crosstraining into my routine. I loved the weight-lifting class I took last semester and how it made me feel, so I’d like to continue that. I also want to establish a routine now so I can keep up with it over the summer.
Summer plans
I’m excited to say that I finally know what I’m doing this summer! I’ll be working as a marketing intern at a sports architecture firm in downtown Kansas City, on the Plaza. I just found this out last weekend. Because I’ll be dressed nice, I think I’ll try to take daily outfit photos (if I remember).
I’ll also be working as a photo intern on gamedays with Sporting KC, my favorite soccer team. I’m very excited to get a look at how professional sports operate compared to collegiate athletics. Before school starts, I’ll go back to KU in Lawrence to work two weeks of fall camp as well.
Reflecting on this semester
Other than working, I’ll be spending a lot of time with my family before I move back to Lawrence for my senior year. I’m living in a house with five of my friends next year and I’m super excited to decorate my own space. I’m mainly excited to have my own room! I think this will be the most fun year yet because I get to live with my closest friends.
Freshman year I lived with three other girls in a large suite and that was a good way to transition to having roommates. Sophomore and junior year, I lived in a very small room with three other girls and I’m so glad I lived in both years.
If you have the opportunity to live in your sorority house, do it! It’s such a unique experience – when else will you live with 90 other girls at one time? My roommates and I are at the point where we’re getting somewhat sentimental about leaving that space and not seeing each other’s faces every night before going to bed.
If you made it this far, congrats! I love writing these kinds of posts and reading ones written by other people.
I ran my first half marathon on Saturday, the 14th. Coincidentally it was my mom’s birthday, so a big thank you goes out to my mom for coming out the whole morning and watching me run in the rain/cold. (Love you Mom 🙂 I don’t think my brother and dad read my blog, but they came out too!)
Training
I wish I could put more here but I trained very poorly. The Tuesday before the race, I went out and ran 10 miles just to see if I could do it mentally, but before that I had only ran two miles (three weeks ago) with my dog. I started ‘training’ in November and was fairly consistent until early February.
I signed up for the half marathon back in November at the tail end of my running class that I was taking. At the time, I was running consistently, and while I hadn’t run very far, I planned out my training program far enough in advance that I should have been able to stay with it. To be completely transparent…I had no discipline and totally fell off the wagon in training.
I did the first half of the program but just wasn’t super diligent in sticking with it. The training program I chose was Hal Higdon’s beginner half marathon program and it was very logical, so I recommend it even though I didn’t follow it exactly! I picked that program based on several recommendations from other bloggers I follow. I definitely could have trained more but I always used the busy college student excuse.
I’ve only ran a 5K before this, but I signed up for my first half marathon for fun just to see if I could do it. I trained using the Galloway method and planned to run it that way as well. (I highly recommend this method if you’re new to running!) My granddad has ran over 50 half marathons and ran Boston several times, so he was a huge source of inspiration and encouragement along the way.
The half marathon I ran was the Rock the Parkway half marathon on April 14th. My goals for the race were to run it in around 2:45, and just to finish the race if I couldn’t get that time.
Splits
Mile
Time
1
12:54
2
12:15
3
11:53
4
11:36
5
11:23
6
12:08
7
11:43
8
12:25
9
12:00
10
11:48
11
11:45
12
12:03
13
11:06
Pre-race
For breakfast, I had a piece of toast and a banana. I also hydrated a ton the days before. I was so nervous on race day. It was absolutely freezing and I only wore a long sleeve and shorts – more evidence that I had no clue what I was doing! I started with the 2:45 pace group as that’s what I expected I would finish around.
Miles 1-8
I felt really good for the first part of the race. Everyone told me that the worst part was the 5K at the end, so I tried to see it like I already ran the 5K at the beginning and just had 10 extra miles to go. That mindset worked out pretty well. The race is also through neighborhoods and there were lots of spectators and encouraging volunteers, which was helpful! I saw my family at around mile 4 and they told me they’d find me again at the turn. This helped me keep going and try and figure out where the turn even was so I could see them again!
This photo totally cracks me up – I forced myself to smile every time I saw my mom with her camera so I wouldn’t look like I was in pain!
Miles 9-13.1
I saw my family again at mile 9 and that was encouraging to someone I knew cheer me on. I struggled a little near the end, especially in mile 11. It just seemed like it dragged on forever! The last mile was the best of course and I really pushed to keep up my pace.
Post-race
The Galloway method was so helpful, not just physically but mentally as well. I was able to see it as ‘okay, only two more minutes’ instead of ‘okay, another full mile.’ The splits may be slightly longer than my actual time. I didn’t stop my Garmin until a few seconds after finishing but my total official time was 2:34:57 with an average pace of 11:50/mile. I felt pretty sore (ankles and knees are not in the best shape) and tired but I expected as much. Overall I’m really proud of myself and looking forward to improving my running so I can continue to grow!
What I wish I’d done
Actually trained! I ran SO little leading up to this race. I signed up back in November and even scheduled my classes ahead of time (no class til 1pm Tuesday/Thursday) so I could get up and run in the mornings. I’ve done that once this semester…and that was only the week after the race. I’m horrible at motivating myself to workout, but I’m also pretty determined and didn’t want to just let this go. I ran 10 miles the Tuesday before the race so I could prepare myself mentally, but before that, I’d only ran up to 6 miles, a whole month prior. This is certainly not the way to go and I could feel it in my knees and ankles for a few days after!
I’m running another 5k (a repeat of the first race I ever did) this Sunday and I’m interested to see how it goes. I think I’m better with longer distances because I’m not very fast and it’s easier to get in a running mindset. Instead of focusing on running right now, I’m using the strength program on the Nike Training Club app to incorporate more cross-training into my routine.
What’s your current workout routine? I’d love to know!
This post is sponsored by Basic Invite, but all opinions are my own.
I’m a junior in college and I’ve been going through the whole internship search lately. I have a full-on spreadsheet to keep things straight. If you’re in the same position as me, you’re probably in the same scenario. I’m going to be upfront: interviews for internships are hard. But don’t stress!
Lucky for you, I have several interview tips and tricks to make your interviews stress-free.
1: Tailor your resume to the job. If you’re looking at a retail job, having your experience working at a clothing store is helpful. But if you’re applying to a communications internship and trying to decide between putting your PR position in your sorority on your resume or your retail job, go with the PR position. It shows experience and your willingness to step up in your sorority instead of just an extra job on the side to make money.
2: Be prepared! Have a physical copy of your resume and cover letter (paper-clipped together so they don’t get lost) to leave with them, even if you submitted digital copies online. If it’s a phone interview, have your resume pulled up on your computer, your portfolio, and some speaking points that you want to address.
3: Dress professionally. I would always advise against jeans, even if the company typically wears jeans at the workplace. A lot of the creative companies that I am interested have super-casual attire, but I’m still not going to show up to the interview wearing workout leggings and a t-shirt.
Some common questions the interviewer may ask:
What are your strengths?
Here you have the opportunity to highlight what’s on your resume as experience and elaborate. Talk about your responsibility and dedication when working crunch deadlines at a previous internship. Reference a class project and your ability to work well in groups.
What are your weaknesses?
Always word these carefully! Don’t just come out and say that you’re never on time and you get bored easily. Instead, talk about a time that you struggled with a previous job and what you learned from it. It’s okay to admit your mistakes but showing that you’ve learned from them and have improved is essential.
What do you know about (subject)?
I was recently asked “what do you know about advertising?” Talk about a loaded question! I spoke about how advertising makes an impact on others outside of just the professional community, but I also expanded on a certain campaign that the ad agency (that I was interviewing with) had done and how several of my friends were talking about it, therefore it made a big impact on the Kansas City community. Always tie broad answers like this back to the company to prove you’ve done your research.
4: Have questions for them! I always ask what their favorite part about the company is. If they’re an ad agency, then I ask their favorite project they’ve gotten to work on. This is another way to show you came prepared to the interview and that you’re interested in the company.
5: Elaborate. You don’t need to ramble about your answers, but if they ask if you have experience with a certain program, don’t just end with ‘yes.’ Talk about a specific project you did and how you learned the program through the project.
6: Always send a thank you note within 36 hours. An email is good but a handwritten thank-you note can be even better – it shows that you took the time to consider the company and send them a personal message. Include another point about why you would be a great fit for the company and be sure to name everyone in the email. It would also help to reference something they brought up in the interview and reiterate your interest.
For this post, I paired up with Basic Invite to showcase their range of thank you cards! They have over 1500 thank you card designs, which is crazy. There are ones for everyone’s style out there. Basic Invite not only has thank you cards, but they also have a ton of different stationary and invitation cards to fit your needs.
I was able to customize each design to my liking, color scheme and all. I love the gold foil on some of the designs! Basic Invite is one of the few websites that allows customers almost unlimited color options with instant previews online. Once you select a design you can change the color of each element on the card to over 180 different color options so you can make sure the card is exactly how you want it down to the littlest detail. You can also choose from over 40 different envelope colors to match (and they’re all peel & stick instead of having to lick them – bonus!)
Basic Invite is one of the few websites that allows customers the ability to order a printed sample of their actual card so they can see exactly how it will print as well as the paper quality before they ever have to place their final order. I loved this option and I think if you’re ordering bulk cards for a graduation party or a wedding save-the-date, this is an option that helps you be sure of your decision.
Thanks to Basic Invite for pairing up with me on this post!
Note: this beginning part of the post was written two weeks ago but it still holds very true to me!
As I write this at 2am (it’s only the first week of the semester, y’all…) from my little chair in the ADPi violet patch – a.k.a. a fancy name for our lounge area upstairs – fueled by Alan Menken’s slowly dwindling Disney playlist on Spotify, my head is spinning with the concepts of ethical decision making and Rushworth M. Kidder’s four paradigm dilemmas. (talk about a name, jeez.)
My winter ethics class has pushed me to actually think about the impact my words can have on others. Previously I’ve used this blog just as a way to share my advice in a big-sister kind of way, which I love. However, I’d like to go a little more in-depth. I want to share my personal thoughts and feelings on different subjects, and share my passions with the world – or at least my small corner of the internet. I’m aiming to do so by using this blog as a slightly less-personal version of my journal (there are some things you just have to write out and let go) but I plan on starting today.
photo from ban.do
One
I’ve been living for Andy Grammer’s newest album lately. It’s called The Good Parts and believe me when I say that EVERY song is ‘the good part’ of the album. Seriously, it’s like the kind of album you listen to and think to yourself, “this one is my favorite,” then listen to the next one and think “wait, this one is my favorite.” Totally, 100% recommend. If I absolutely HAD to pick a favorite, like someone is holding me at gunpoint had-to-pick-a-favorite, it’d be the song 85. I think the message of this song stands out the most to me but my other favorites following (very, very) close behind are Civil War, Freeze, and Spaceship.
Two
I was at home the other day (I’ve only been back at school for two weeks and I’ve been home twice, oops) and went into Old Navy with my mom – no surprise there. I picked up these tank tops (in navy and pink) and these jeans. Now’s the time of year to hunt through the clearance rack because people are returning their online-only purchases, so they’re all marked down to 50%! My jeans were nine dollars. I couldn’t pass them up.
I now own four of this style of tank top, but they’re so soft and easy to dress up or dress down that I think they’re definitely worth it! I’m also loving this purse, this shirt, and this sweater. This 14° weather I’m waking up to is not my favorite, so I’m itching to add some lighter clothing for warmer weather to my closet. I don’t mind winter fashion but I am not someone who wears dark colors, so I’m excited for the seasonal palette to brighten up!
Three
I rebranded! I’ve been looking into doing something like this for a while with more modern fonts and a bolder color palette, and finally took the time to redo my logo. I love it and I think it’s a lot more ‘me.’ I’m also hopping back on the video train and need to find time to go through and edit my January recap video, but it’ll be up soon! Promise!
Four
Last but most important…my family adopted a new dog!
I didn’t share this on my social media or my blog but our dog Abby crossed the rainbow bridge back in September. We actually had to amputate her leg from cancer and that helped her a lot, but it came back. She’s in a much better place now and I’m happy she’s not in pain anymore, but it was still really hard to let her go and it’s still hard thinking about it. Our other dog Rosie is still with us and it made a huge difference having her with us throughout that time.
We’ve always been a two-dog family though and it was pretty quiet around the house, especially over winter break, without Abby around. I started sending my mom pictures of dogs I found on Petfinder throughout January and she kept telling me it was too soon, it was a bad time…but the last dog I sent to her I just could not get out of my head! She was at Petsmart on Saturday and Sunday and since she wasn’t adopted on Saturday, I told my mom she had to go see her on Sunday.
We visited and immediately fell in love with her, and since our other dog Rosie tolerates her (she is twelve and very much the dominant dog) we knew it was perfect. Riley is a nine-month-old shepherd mix (I’d say German Shepherd) and ornery, but super cute. She loves sticks, fetch and destroying every single toy in sight. I have to resist going home every single weekend to see Rosie and Riley.
When I was home for winter break (seems so long ago but it was literally last week…), I did one thing that I don’t get to do often at school: read! I knocked out five books over the break and two of them I read all in one day. Check out what I recommend below!
Emmy and Oliver by Robin Benway – ★★★★
photo by @overlookingcovers on instagram
I loved this book and read it all in a day! It’s definitely an easy read, but it was just a fun, feel-good book. I thought it would be more ‘deep’ from the book description, but it was pretty simple. However, it was still a fun story.
From Goodreads: Emmy’s best friend, Oliver, reappears after being kidnapped by his father ten years ago. Emmy hopes to pick up their relationship right where it left off. Are they destined to be together? Or has fate irreparably driven them apart?
A Stranger in the House by Shari Lapena – ★★★
photo by @vilmairisblog on instagram
This book was not my favorite, but the plot was interesting. It was very slow in the middle as they were trying to solve the mystery. I thought I guessed ‘whodunit’ but the ending totally shocked me! The author certainly led you to believe it was someone else throughout the whole book until just the last few pages.
From Goodreads: Karen and Tom Krupp are happy—they’ve got a lovely home in upstate New York, they’re practically newlyweds, and they have no kids to interrupt their comfortable life together. But one day, Tom returns home to find Karen has vanished—her car’s gone and it seems she left in a rush. She even left her purse—complete with phone and ID—behind.
There’s a knock on the door—the police are there to take Tom to the hospital where his wife has been admitted. She had a car accident, and lost control as she sped through the worst part of town.
The accident has left Karen with a concussion and a few scrapes. Still, she’s mostly okay—except that she can’t remember what she was doing or where she was when she crashed. The cops think her memory loss is highly convenient, and they suspect she was up to no good.
Karen returns home with Tom, determined to heal and move on with her life. Then she realizes something’s been moved. Something’s not quite right. Someone’s been in her house. And the police won’t stop asking questions.
Because in this house, everyone’s a stranger. Everyone has something they’d rather keep hidden. Something they might even kill to keep quiet.
The Lying Game by Ruth Ware – ★★★★
photo by @reesesbookclubxhellosunshine on instagram
Loved this one! It’s an intense mystery that didn’t feel slow to me at all (which is my biggest problem with mystery novels). I found this from Reese Witherspoon’s book club and anything Reese recommends is typically five stars in my book. This didn’t disappoint. The author, Ruth Ware, has been called “the Agatha Christie of our time” which is high praise! I liked this the most because there were several different subplots running throughout the main plot that kept you guessing. There was just about everything in this–romance, mystery, nostalgia–and that kept my attention. (The Woman in Cabin 10, her other popular book, is next on my list!)
From Goodreads:
On a cool June morning, a woman is walking her dog in the idyllic coastal village of Salten along a tidal estuary known as the Reach. Before she can stop him, the dog charges into the water to retrieve what first appears to be a wayward stick, but to her horror, turns out to be something much more sinister…
The next morning, three women in and around London—Fatima, Thea, and Isabel—receive the text they had always hoped would NEVER come, from the fourth in their formerly inseparable clique, Kate, that says only, “I need you.”
The four girls were best friends at Salten, a second-rate boarding school set near the cliffs of the English Channel. Each different in their own way, the four became inseparable and were notorious for playing the Lying Game, telling lies at every turn to both fellow boarders and faculty, with varying states of serious and flippant nature that were disturbing enough to ensure that everyone steered clear of them. The myriad and complicated rules of the game are strict: no lying to each other—ever. Bail on the lie when it becomes clear it is about to be found out. But their little game had consequences, and the girls were all expelled in their final year of school under mysterious circumstances surrounding the death of the school’s eccentric art teacher, Ambrose (who also happens to be Kate’s father).
Hanna Who Fell from the Sky by Christopher Meade – ★
photo by @debinhawaii on instagram
I read this book in a day, but I actually hated it! I thought this was meant to be a dystopian novel sort of like Handmaid’s Tale, but it actually had a weird supernatural element that didn’t make any sense to me. The beginning half of the book was intriguing and I was liking the idea of the plot, but once the supernatural element was introduced, it totally ruined the book for me. I can’t really say much more without ruining the story, but I don’t recommend this.
From Goodreads: Hanna has never been outside her secluded community of Clearhaven. She has never questioned why her father has four wives or why she has fourteen brothers and sisters. And in only one week, on her eighteenth birthday, Hanna will follow tradition and become the fifth wife of a man more than twice her age.
But just days before the wedding, Hanna meets Daniel, an enigmatic stranger who challenges her to question her fate and to follow her own will. Then her mother tells her a secret–one that could grant Hanna the freedom she’s known only in her dreams. As her world unravels around her, Hanna must decide whether she was really meant for something greater than the claustrophobic world of Clearhaven. But can she abandon her beloved younger sister and the only home she’s ever known? Or is there another option–one too fantastical to believe?
The Magnolia Story by Chip and Joanna Gaines – ★★★★★
photo by @hannahwacamera (me!) on instagram
I loved this! I am way late to the game in reading this book but loved it nevertheless. It tells the story of Chip and Joanna Gaines and how they’ve built up a whole business around their design skills and thinking. I’ve had the opportunity to go visit Magnolia Silos in Waco, Texas and liked it a lot, but didn’t understand the full extent of what the Gaines have put into their business. This gave me a new appreciation for the two of them and I want to watch this last season before their show goes off-air. I also want to read Chip’s book, Capital Gaines, to learn about his entrepreneurial thinking.
From Goodreads: The Magnolia Story is the first book from Chip and Joanna, offering their fans a detailed look at their life together. From the very first renovation project they ever tackled together, to the project that nearly cost them everything; from the childhood memories that shaped them, to the twists and turns that led them to the life they share on the farm today.
Currently reading: Galloway’s Book on Running by Jeff Galloway…stay tuned for that riveting review 😉
