I received free product in exchange for publishing this post in collaboration with GoGreenHemp CBD. I have currently been in the market to try CBD products, and I'm excited to be trying out products from GoGreenHemp CBD. This article has been provided by the company.




If someone would have told you years ago that CBD would make an impact on society and cause a disruption in the health industry, you would have thought they were crazy. Because of the stigma and lengthy restrictions, it would have been hard to believe. Due to propaganda, CBD has been frowned upon for many years for its relation to its close cousin THC. Before the passing of the 2018 Farm Bill CBD was often associated with THC, and consumers easily confused it for products that get you “high." Today is a new age and with a new day comes new opportunities. CBD is the new opportunity that has the world paying close attention to its natural medicinal and healing benefits. More recently, Delta 8 options have become available and legal in many states, but some want to ban it. It does provide a higher level of THC than other CBD options, but is still a micro amount, which creates a nice middle ground between CBD and THC. 



What is CBD?

CBD, short for Cannabidoil, is one of over hundred chemical compounds found inside the hemp plant. CBD is a close relative of THC and for that reason, CBD has been grouped with the thought that it’s harmful for the brain and creates an intoxicating effect. Although CBD and THC are very similar on the molecular level, they do have major differences. The biggest difference is the ability to cause an intoxicating feeling which happens when someone uses THC. CBD on the other hand focuses on the medicinal health benefits and will not leave an individual feeling “high." One of the most impressive attributes of this incredible extract is that it is extremely versatile and can be found in various products. Even your four-legged best friend can consume CBD as it comes in various forms from CBD dog chews to CBD oil for cats.



The Marketplace

The passing of the 2018 Farm Bill allowed the cultivation of hemp as well as allowing the transfer of hemp-derived products across state lines for commercial or other purposes. This has led to an explosion in the CBD industry, with new brands appearing every day. As a result, more and more companies are establishing themselves daily. Due to the unregulated market, anyone can come into the industry and create a business. Although there are many CBD companies and brands in the industry, not all CBD is created equally. Many companies false advertise (making claims) and cut corners in their manufacturing processes. It is important to do your research and learn more about the marketplace prior to making a CBD purchase.



Quality you can trust

Despite some companies cutting corners in the industry, there are several companies setting the bar and gold standards on good business practices through transparency and trust. Everyone make claims their CBD is the best on the market, but what really makes one CBD product better than another? We have compiled a list below for things to look for in the marketplace. We know how difficult it may be for a first timer to select the right company, so we’ve made it a little simpler and added guidelines to use when seeking a reputable CBD company.





Guidelines to Follow When Searching The CBD Marketplace

Is it a reputable company? (How long has the company been in business?)
Although the CBD industry is relatively new, you will find some companies who have been operating for years. This expertise does pay off, after all with age comes wisdom.

What’s the origin of their hemp (where is it from?) and how is it extracted?
We strongly urge buyers to buy CBD products made from hemp grown in the USA (as growing standards are significantly stricter). The two main types of extraction we have seen are CO2 and ethanol. We urge customers to go with the more common CO2 extraction.

How transparent is the company?
Make sure third-party lab results are always readily available and displayed publicly on their website. Companies displaying Transparency are the ones with quality products. Always look for ingredients and full panel testing as well to ensure you are receiving products which are pesticide, heavy metal, and microbial free.

Up-to-date test results
We also encourage you to ONLY buy from companies who have up-to-date test results (at most dated 6-8 months after the testing).

Can you easily reach a customer service representative?
Is it easy to reach customer service? Can you call and ask questions? This is always a must when purchasing any product to ensure you get the service you expect.




As we have learned, with a saturated market not everyone will be forthcoming about the quality of their products or services, but we’ve searched and found a company that checks off all the points and has been setting the gold standard of transparency and excellence since 2016. They're one of the oldest CBD-only companies with one of the most diverse product lines and use a clean CO2 extraction process with third-party lab testing with batch numbers to ensure quality. If you’re looking for a Broad-Spectrum company (0.00% THC) that has a reputation of honesty and trust, look no further than GoGreenHemp CBD . They have a variety of products from CBD patches, CBD gummies, and many more! You are sure to find a product that fits your needs!

PopSugar 2020 Reading Challenge Prompt: A book that passes the Bechdel test

Other PS 2020 reading prompts this would satisfy: A book that's published in 2020, A book with the same title as a movie or TV show but is unrelated to it, A book about or by a woman in STEM, A book with a character with a vision impairment or enhancement (advanced)

TW: Stalking, gaslighting, suicide, murder, violence



When given the opportunity to read You Are Not Alone, I obviously jumped at the chance. Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen are quite the dynamic duo when it comes to suspenseful and twisty thrillers. I've never read any of their solo novels, but together, they truly seem to work great as a pair.


Shay Miller is unfulfilled. Her roommate is a man she's in love with, whose girlfriend visits often. She has no friends, and no prospects. When she witnesses a horrific event one morning in the subway station, her life is quickly flipped upside down. She's thrown into a whirlwind of anxiety and PTSD, and stumbles right into the path of Cassandra and Jane Moore, who quickly take her under their wing. Only now, her situation has spiraled into "too good to be true" territory, which has become, well, too good to be true.


It's funny how the nitpicky things become nonessential when looking back. I rated The Wife Between Us with three stars, but considering it now, I actually really enjoyed the story and thought it was incredibly shocking and twisty. I also enjoyed An Anonymous Girl. As for You Are Not Alone, I thought I was going down this path of figuring out what the twist would be, but boy was I wrong. I totally didn't see the twist coming - but looking back into the story, it makes so much sense. You can follow the pieces and connect the dots, and it leads you right to it. Hendricks and Pekkanen have a way of leading you down into a completely immersive story and then switching paths hard enough to give you whiplash, though the feeling can be quite enjoyable when it's done in a completely metaphorical way.

Something I didn't like, though, was how many of the characters that I thought were going to be much more involved in the story basically disappeared about two-thirds of the way through. They were absolutely integral to the plot, but eventually just disappeared, which was weird and kind of awkward. Seriously, where did they go? It made the story feel like pieces were missing, so I felt a bit unsatisfied by the end of the book.

Something else is these books seem to be written for a very particular demographic. I do enjoy the stories and I get really attached to a Hendricks/Pekkanen novel - they are seriously page-turners. But when reading any of their stories, the majority of the characters are all very White, very blonde, very fit, and very well off. Even the characters who are struggling financially seem to be rich. The struggle seems unrealistic. I have struggled, and have come from a disadvantaged background, and the "struggles" of these characters seem unrelatable and unrealistic. These people live in NYC with a savings account and enough money to buy a $200 top on a credit card with a temp job. The characters are a bit too "perfect," even in their imperfections. The main police officer in the story was Black, but other than that, all three books have lacked diversity (in ways even outside of race). I would like to see more diverse characters in future Hendricks/Pekkanen novels.






Overall, the story was just as shocking and twisty as the last two books from this duo. You Are Not Alone was definitely a page-turner, and I'll likely read any future novels this pair releases. But I would really like to see more diversity in their stories.





Goodreads rating: ★★★★☆














*I received this book free from Netgalley in exchange of an honest review. All opinions are entirely my own.

PopSugar 2020 Reading Challenge Prompt: A bildungsroman

Other PS 2020 reading prompts this would satisfy: A book with the same time as a movie or TV show but is unrelated to it, A book about or by a woman in STEM, A book with at least a four-star rating on Goodreads

TW: Child abuse, pedophilia, abuse, animal cruelty, animal death, poaching, violent death, misogyny



I was very interested in the synopsis of Real Life, but wasn't totally sure if I'd like the book. I often find that some of the story can be lost in translation with a book not originally written in English, and I often have a hard time connecting with the characters and/or story. This wasn't the case with Real Life. I was hooked almost immediately. Even translated, the book was beautiful and poetic, while also being quite psychologically terrifying and thrilling.


An unknown narrator tells this story of a broken family, one that feeds on violence and hatred. At 8 years old, the narrator and her little brother Sam witness a horrible accident that leaves one dead. Sam is so obviously traumatized by the event that the narrator makes it her life's mission to learn physics and build a time machine that will take her back in time to change her brother's life for the better. The story is told over the course of seven years, in which the narrator strives to protect her brother. 


This book was tough to read. In the first couple of pages, there's a lot of talk of poaching and taxidermy, which made me feel quite ill. I grew up in a home full of taxidermy deer, but this book was different somehow. There is a lot of violence, towards human and animals, and it was truly sickening to read.

But the story being told is so heartbreakingly beautiful, it's hard to turn away from. I was so immersed in the story I didn't even realize the narrator is unnamed until I started writing this review. She just wants to protect her brother, and deep down her mother as well, though she unwillingly finds her pathetic.

Alongside the narrator, we meet many characters who contribute to the success and hope of our unknown protagonist. There are also characters who are more fiercely evil. But each character adds to the depth of the story. Though just over 200 pages and over a course of seven years, the story flows with a prose that creates meaning in every small detail. I'm not one to analyze and examine books, but for someone who enjoys finding deeper meaning, this book is a minefield.





Though haunting, terrifying, and immensely sickening at times, Real Life is a wonderfully told story. While it could've been a much longer piece of work, I think the short length added to the beauty of it. Most of the book is really difficult to get through due to content, but it's not an unrealistic story, which makes it that much harder to stomach. Though it's literary fiction (mixed with psychological thriller), I would very much recommend this to those who enjoyed memoirs such as A Wolf at the Table or The Glass Castle.



Goodreads rating: ★★★★☆














*Thanks so much to World Editions for the review copy of Real Life, and for allowing me to participate in the blog tour. All opinions are my own.

When it comes to major holidays, birthdays, gift-giving season - hubby and I like to share experiences instead of physical gifts. I mean, don't get me wrong... we may go the route of small gifts (I love a good book). But typically, we like to go somewhere and/or do something together. And whenever we go somewhere, whether it's a full-out vacation or just a day trip, we like to buy a souvenir to commemorate our experience. Instead of picking out tees that get shoved in a drawer and never worn, or shot glasses that take up space, or gaudy knick-knacks. Instead, we go the route of cheap, small, and convenient... magnets.

I talk more about our magnet collecting tradition in this post, and I share more about the magnets we collected in 2018 here.

In 2019, we took two trips - New York and Helen, Georgia.




As a birthday/graduation celebration, we went to New York. We stayed in Queens with family, and took some time to visit to Manhattan. It was incredibly exciting for me because it was my first trip to the NYC. I definitely want to go back because a weekend just wasn't enough to even touch the surface of everything to do.





In September, as an anniversary trip and to attend a friend's wedding, we took a trip to Helen. It was a fun way to spend time together and also celebrate a friend. It was incredibly low-key for us, and we enjoyed spending some beautiful time in nature. I loved that we got to take a hike up to Anna Ruby Falls (for the second time), which we really enjoyed (and got in some great physical activity).


In the spring, I also took a trip to Mobile, Alabama. But there was no magnet involved, as I went with a friend for a conference.
















This post is in collaboration with the #LoveBlog2020 link-up. Today's post is co-hosted by Brita from Belle Brita, Tyler from An Aspiring Heroine, and myself. Please visit my co-hosts and link-up below. You can find the prompts for the entire month here.

An InLinkz Link-up

PopSugar 2020 Reading Challenge Prompt: A book by a trans or nonbinary author

Other PS 2020 reading prompts this would satisfy: A bildungsroman, A book with at least a four-star rating on Goodreads

TW: Discrimination against non-binary gender people, child abandonment



I am very into YA books lately, and was thrilled when someone in a book group I'm in offered to send I Wish You All the Best my way. Before their post, I had never heard of the novel, but I am so grateful to have been given an opportunity to read it. This is another book that made me really think about my own actions and ways of thinking, which is one of my favorite things about YA, which offer such opportunity to read diverse stories about diverse characters from diverse authors.


Ben has a secret, one they no longer want to hold in. They are nonbinary, and are ready to share this integral part of their identity with their parents. But things don't go as planned, and they get kicked out of the house. Shoeless, phoneless, and alone, Ben calls their estranged sister for help. She rushes to their side, and takes them in. Now Ben's halfway through senior year, in a new place, in a new school, and worried about having to come out again and again. They just want to get through senior year, so they can feel like they can finally be whole and open about their identity.


I went into this book and was hooked by page one. Ben is such a likeable character, one that I really connected with right away. There were absolutely times where I got a bit frustrated with them and wanted to shout "just be honest!," but I had to remind myself of when they'd been honest and how that was such a negative experience for them. This book really made me think about Ben's situation and how the situation translates to real life. It made me think about how we make assumptions about people - not just their gender identity, but the assumptions we make about all kinds of things. It truly reiterated to me that we never know what folks are going through, and we have to be able provide a place of comfort, vulnerability, and support, but also allow folks to share with us when they're ready.

Each of the characters in I Wish You All the Best were so real. I felt so connected to so many of them. I appreciated Ben's sister and brother-in-law, with their flaws, but also because they were trying to be good humans. I enjoy when a character is realistically flawed, and those types of characters were apparent in their flaws and their goodness within this novel. I mostly loved Ben and Nathan, who were both precious and so human, and oddly opposites. I really appreciated their friendship and firm connection to each other.






This has absolutely been one of the best books I've read all year. While I've read books written by nonbinary or trans authors, I have never read a book with a main character who identified as nonbinary, and I loved reading a book from the perspective of someone with that identity. As trans and nonbinary identities are not uncommon, I hope to see more and more fiction novels released with protagonists with identities other than cis in the future.





Goodreads rating: ★★★★★

Challenges can be twofold, right? There are the challenges that we each have that are involuntary. For example, having diabetes is something of a challenge for me and my lifestyle. These are the things we have to work around and work hard to overcome or adjust to. We all have these types of challenges, and they may stem from different aspects of our lives or identity. The lack of those challenges in those areas are privilege. I could go much, much deeper into unique challenges and privileges and how we each may have some of both. Instead, I want to focus this post on voluntary challenges, or goals, that we set for ourselves and strive to meet or surpass.

For example, every few years I set a list of goals called the 101 in 1001 - 101 different goals I hope to tackle in 1001 days (about 2.75 years). I'm currently on my second round of 101 in 1001, and maybe progress regularly.

Within that big goal list, are smaller challenges (or goals) that set. Chances are I may not accomplish every single item on my list, but I am striving to tackle each challenge so I can gain experiences, skills, and bits of happiness from each thing I accomplish.

I also set two reading challenges each year - typically the PopSugar Reading Challenge, which pushes me to read outside of my comfort zone, and the Goodreads Challenge, which is a set number of books I hope to read in the year and I have the opportunity to meet that goal in a way that best suits my needs.

For me, the challenges I set for myself are like to-do lists that help me strive towards bigger goals a little bit at a time. And while that may not work for everyone (for example, many people prefer to be more spontaneous and go with the flow), I need a bit of structure to help move me towards new things. It helps me feel prepared and organized, and quite a bit less anxious.



So how to stay on top of these challenges, while not overwhelming myself, and actually making progress towards my goals? 


I create a post of the challenge on my blog, and I share it often. It helps me keep myself accountable, but can also sometimes help me make progress. For example, book publicists have reached out to me to review books that may meet certain prompts. I've always been gifted complimentary experiences or items that help me work towards my 101 in 1001 goals. Most recently I was able to visit and experience a salt room, which was really cool. Obviously, the receiving complimentary perks isn't something everyone will have access to, and as a small blogger I don't see this incredibly often for myself, but it definitely helps. I also often share on my Instagram and social channels. My IG highlights have become a place I've started keeping track of some 101 in 1001 tasks when I make progress or complete the goal, and I also share my reading challenge info in my highlights.


I keep a copy of goal lists in a Note on my phone. I tried using a physical notebook in the past to keep track of the goals, but I found I wasn't actually utilizing it. So I tend to copy and paste the blog posts in a Note, where I can strikethrough items I've completed, literally at any given time because it's in the palm of my hand.


I review my goal lists regularly. Because they're in a Note on my phone, I can pull them up whenever to see if I've completed one without realizing it, or I can review the goals to see if there's something I have an opportunity to complete.


I really enjoy seeing my personal goals as challenges. It speaks to the part of me that in competitive, and though I'm not competing against anyone, I'm working to make myself "better" or more experienced than I was the day, or week, or month before. It's a friendly competition with myself, which surprisingly works wonders.



















This post is in collaboration with the #LoveBlog2020 link-up. Today's post is co-hosted by Brita from Belle Brita, Charlene from Enduring All Things, and myself. Please visit my co-hosts and link-up below. You can find the prompts for the entire month here.

An InLinkz Link-up

PopSugar 2020 Reading Challenge Prompt: A book recommended by your favorite blog, vlog, podcast, or online book club (Reese's Book Club x Hello Sunshine, and literally the rest of the internet)

Other PS 2020 reading prompts this would satisfy: A book that passes the Bechdel test, A book about or involving social media, A book with a bird on the cover,  A book by a WOC, A book with a main character in their 20s

TW: Racism, classism, stalking, body hatred/fat phobia, animal death


There has been an insane amount of hype for Such a Fun Age. I've seen it, you've seen it. And it has some weight behind it, for sure. This book hooked me from the first page, and I was totally sold the entire way through it.


During one of her best friend's birthday parties, Emira gets a call from her employer asking her to come pick up their young daughter and take her out of the house for a while. It's close to 11 pm, and the Chamberlains have had a situation occur that requires the cops. Alix Chamberlain, an affluential White influencer, doesn't want her daughter around to witness police officers in their home. Emira, a babysitter and 20-something Black woman, takes two-year old Briar to the high-end grocery store down the street, where she's reported to store security and forced to remain in the store until Briar's father can show up and confirm his daughter was not, in fact, kidnapped. Following the grocery store incident, Emira continues living her life as normal, but the situation forces Alix to further consider her own actions and perceptions and to become more involved in the life of her babysitter. 


If you've heard about this book at all, it's likely you've heard or read the snippet about the grocery store incident - it's basically the biggest selling point of the story. But it's literally just the first chapter. This novel is so much more than just that small part of the story. It's a story about race and privilege, of our intentions and expectations. It's about the complications of being well-intentioned.

The book is broken into chapters revolving around both Emira and Alix. There are flashbacks, as well. You really get such an interesting, deep development of both characters, as well as some development of the side characters. As I mention, "good intentions" are certainly a theme in the book, and I was interested in how quickly good intentions became something much more ominous.

There's a unique way of storytelling in Such a Fun Age that made me really inspect my own self, my intentions and the meaning behind them. I was surprised how introspective I became while reading. The story is fictional, but it's also full of real-life scenarios. Not to mention there's a bit of an interesting surprise in the book that I saw coming, but appreciated it nonetheless.





I really truly enjoyed and appreciated this book. It was smart, timely, and relevant. But as a fictional novel, it also held up to being entertaining, immersive, and the definition of a page turner. I could hardly put it down. I would encourage anyone to read this book, and allow the story to make you question your own motives and intentions.



Goodreads rating: ★★★★★

Social media is what you make of it. For some, it's a horrible place for comparison and bullying. And while I sometimes get sucked into the worse of it, and let some of that horribleness seep under my skin, I mostly try to keep my social a place that makes me happy - a place that brings me joy. So today, I want to share a little nugget of my world and share my favorite bookstagrammers (Instagram book accounts). In no particular order:



@theartisangeek
Seji is pretty much the best thing on Bookstagram. She is creative, smart, and never sits down when there's something she really wants. Plus she started the #blacklitchallenge, so obviously you want to follow along. Be sure to check out some her book videos!





@natashaniezgoda
Natasha is pure gold. She's active in terms of static posts, but she is all over Stories. She's literally the funniest person on IG. And if you're a fan of true crime, she's your girl.





@bookbaristas
Another Natasha (apparently, it's a trend in this community). But she's actually a professor bookstagrammers (seriously, it's her real job!), and she is killing it. There's also lots of travel and coffee. What's not to love?





@_piacortez
Pia is out here kicking ass and taking names. If you're looking for a mix of fashion inspired by books, without being too literal on that take, Pia is the person you should be following immediately. PS - there's a blog, too.





@kaylagetsreads
We're name-twins. That's really all you need to know. JK. But seriously, Kayla is funny, so down-to-earth, and never hesitates to keep it real honest. Also, if you want to get wrapped into one weird chain of IG Stories, you'll want to start following right now. And if you're really bad at reading your BOTM picks, you're not the only one.





@allegedlymari
Where to start? Marissa is currently in law school and running her bookstagram account like a mother-freaking boss. She always stands up for what's right, and tries to educate followers (and others outside the Insta-sphere). She is so good, and so morally just. Plus she reads really good books, and has really precious pups.





@the_spines
My favorite thing about Megan's beautifully curated feed? Her time lapse videos. Follow her for those if for nothing else.





@thehappybibliophile
Fellow Hufflepuff. Only person who follows me on Twitter. Check out The Happy Bibliophile if you want to get happy reading, too!





@tbretc
Tina is at the top of the game. She is someone I follow all over the place, from IG to Bloglovin'. She occasionally shares some backlogged books, but she is really on top of the new releases. If you're not sure what to read next, check out Tina's page for a recommendation (or several hundred).





@courtneyjo_reads
Courtney is just about as sweet as can be. Even if you don't visit for the books, visit her page for the conversations. She gets so much reading done, while also being in school. You'll feel inspired right away.





@whatsheseees
I don't know where she came from, but one day Janelle was just the ruler of bookstagram. She's super sweet, has like a million friends, and hosts really great holiday swaps (like Christmas and Valentine's) - so she's one to follow if you're a fan of book swaps!





Make sure to also check out @shereadsdotcom and their similar post, 15 Bookstagrammers to Follow in 2020. And follow me on Instagram for plenty of books, too!















This post is in collaboration with the #LoveBlog2020 link-up. Today's post is co-hosted by Brita from Belle Brita, Laura from Do Five Things a Day, and myself. Please visit my co-hosts and link-up below. You can find the prompts for the entire month here.

An InLinkz Link-up

The Outsider by Stephen King ★★★★☆

Popsugar 2020 Reading Challenge Prompt: A book with an upside-down image on the cover

Brief synopsis: When a boy is found dead in the local woods, all evidence points to local legend, little league coach, and high school English teacher Terry Maitland. But there's also proof Maitland was a hundred miles away at the time of the crime. As the investigation deepens and lives are completely uprooted, all answers seem to deliver more questions. Evil has a face, and sometimes it may be the face of a person you thought you knew.

Overall thoughts: This novel is really dark. Yes, most King novels are dark, but this was a whole new level. Unlike most King books, this read more like a crime thriller with a hint of supernatural. As always, I loved the character development and getting to know each individual in the story. Another storytelling masterpiece. Full review here.







A Map of Days by Ransom Riggs ★★★☆☆

Popsugar 2020 Reading Challenge Prompt: A book with a map

Brief synopsis: Jacob Portman and the peculiar Peregine wards have recently succeeded in saving peculiardom from the wights, and are kind of famous now. Jacob thought he'd never see his peculiar friends again; he'd decided to live with the fact he would go back to just being normal. But now that they've showed up at his normal house in normal-town, Florida, he's shocked and excited. He's ready to teach his peculiar friends to be normal, but instead finds some secret information left behind by his grandfather and spurs out to follow in his grandfather's footsteps.

Overall thoughts: Overall, and especially compared to others in the series, not much happened in this novel. It's much longer than I remember any of the others being, and nothing really happened until about three-quarters of the way into the book. The content was just lacking, and I was super bored. I did like catching back up with Jacob and co, but this is likely my least favorite in the series so far. Full review here.







The Conference of the Birds by Ransom Riggs ★★★★☆

Popsugar 2020 Reading Challenge Prompt: A book with a bird on the cover

Brief synopsis: Jacob Portman has once again disobeyed Miss Peregrine's direct orders and escaped Devil's Acre, and he has one true mission: keep Noor Pradesh (the light-eater) safe and deliver her to V, a women who used to save peculiar children alongside Jacob's grandfather, Abe. For there's a prophecy about Noor, and she may be the only one who can save peculiardom. That may be difficult, though, because the wights and the hollowgast, both recently locked up in a impenetrable prison in the Acre, have escaped. And Jacob's the only one who can see hollows. So, his hands have become quite full.

Overall thoughts: After A Map of Days, this one really picked back up. It was non-stop the entire time, full of action, and had a sweet bit of romance. BUT THE CLIFFHANGER - it about killed me. Full review here.







When We Were Vikings* by Andrew David MacDonald ★★★☆☆

Popsugar 2020 Reading Challenge Prompt: A book that's published in 2020

Brief synopsis: Zelda, a 21-year old woman with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, is very into vikings - in fact, she considers herself a bit of a viking and those closest to her are her tribe: Gert, her older brother with whom she lives; Annie aka AK47, Gert's ex-girlfriend and still close friend to Zelda; Marxy, Zelda's boyfriend/fair maiden; Dr. Laird, Zelda's therapist; and Big Todd, who manages the community center Zelda frequents. Zelda's on a mission to build her own Viking Legend, and when her brother starts spending time with some sketchy people, it gives her the chance to check a few things off her THINGS LEGENDS NEED list.

Overall thoughts: The book, while a page-turner, was potentially problematic. This isn't an #ownvoices story, which made it a bit more difficult to appreciate than I excepted. There are some unnecessary slurs, which stole away from the story, and the sex seemed aggressive and unconsensual at times. There was also a bit I enjoyed about the novel - particularly the unique perspective of the protagonist/narrator. Full review here.







Songbirds and Stray Dogs* by Meagan Lucas ★★★★★

Popsugar 2020 Reading Challenge Prompt: A book with a main character in their 20s (advanced)

Brief synopsis: Jolene was left on her aunt's doorstep when she was eight. Addict mother, unknown father. Jolene fought her to win the love of her extremely Christian, tough-love aunt. At 21, unintentionally pregnant, Jolene loses her boyfriend, her job, and her home. Kicked out with nowhere to go, she leaves town alongside a kind gentleman. Her new town provides a place where she must recognize the kindness of strangers so she can overcome the burdens of her own past.

Overall thoughts: Wow, this book was good. I loved the setting, I truly connected with the characters, and there was just enough mystery to keep me intrigued. This book was beautifully written, with a poetic mix of heartbreak and uplift. Full review here.
























* denotes book was received free in exchange of an honest review. All opinions, as always, are 100% my own. 

PopSugar 2020 Reading Challenge Prompt: A book with a main character in their 20s (advanced)

Other PS 2020 reading prompts this would satisfy: A book with at least a four-star rating on Goodreads


TW: Sexual assault, violence, death, abandonment, pregnancy, addiction



When Meagan Lucas reached and requested I review her novel, Songbirds and Stray Dogs, she was remarkably clever and kind in her email. Her novel, while it sounded interesting, didn't sound totally up my alley, but a combination of her charm and the book sounding "interesting enough" convinced me to give it a try. Being entirely honest, I didn't expect much. I don't think the cover is particularly appealing (and I am definitely tend to choose books by their cover), and I've worked directly with authors in the past to really hate their works, which is difficult to manage. But Songbirds and Stray Dogs completely exceeded my expectations.


Jolene was left on her aunt's doorstep when she was eight. Addict mother, unknown father. Jolene fought her to win the love of her extremely Christian, tough-love aunt. At 21, unintentionally pregnant, Jolene loses her boyfriend, her job, and her home. Kicked out with nowhere to go, she leaves town alongside a kind gentleman. Her new town provides a place where she must recognize the kindness of strangers so she can overcome the burdens of her own past. 


Perhaps one of the most important things about this story is the setting. Set in the South in the 1980s, the story almost felt like it was set in the 50s or 60s. Though I wasn't born until 1990, the setting was so familiar. Folks in the South are sweet as pie to your face, but they're also some of the quickest to judge. I felt sorrow for Jolene as she was constantly shunned for her "condition." But I could absolutely imagine the reactions of even today. Religion (specifically Christianity) rules the roost here. There are certainly diverse pockets of people, but there's an obvious majority both in today's South and the South of the setting of this novel.

I loved the interweaving of Jolene's story and of Chuck's. Both tales are beautiful in their own right, but diverged they become something so lovely and heart-wrenching, not to mention dark. The story begins dark - a young woman, pregnant and on the verge of homelessness. But intwined are also stories of haunting pasts, family's ripped apart, addictions, violence, sexual assault.

Every piece of this story was written so thoughtfully, but also in a way that didn't alienate the reader. I really understood and connected with the characters. I felt loss, anger, love.

But I do have two questions - WHAT'S IN THE CASE? Also, why is it called Songbirds and Stray Dogs? I wasn't able to form the connection. There are other questions left unanswered, but not in a way that irks me. There's enough closure for a satisfying end, while also being enough mystery to let the mind wander. Seriously, this story is so good.





Again, I was surprised by the beauty of this story, but really enjoyed the mystery and the hauntingly dark components. This book is sad, but overall it's a story of hope and determination. Meagan Lucas is a fantastic new voice in Southern literature, and I'd love to read more from her.



Goodreads rating: ★★★★★









*I received this book free in exchange of an honest review. All opinions are entirely my own.

PopSugar 2020 Reading Challenge Prompt: A book that's published in 2020

Other PS 2020 reading prompts this would satisfy: A bildungsroman, A book you picked because the title caught your attention, A book with at least a four-star rating on Goodreads, A book with a main character in their 20s


TW: Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, sexual assault, abuse, violence, drug and alcohol abuse, conversations surrounding abortion, racial slurs, bigotry, slurs towards those who are differently-abled, ableism, homophobia



I was first interested in When We Were Vikings after seeing it as an option from Book of the Month. As a goal for myself, I only choose one BOTM pick each month and decided to go with another title. Luckily, Gallery Books was kind enough to send me a copy of Vikings, so I'm actually quite glad I didn't choose it from BOTM.


Zelda, a 21-year old woman with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, is very into vikings - in fact, she considers herself a bit of a viking and those closest to her are her tribe: Gert, her older brother with whom she lives; Annie aka AK47, Gert's ex-girlfriend and still close friend to Zelda; Marxy, Zelda's boyfriend/fair maiden; Dr. Laird, Zelda's therapist; and Big Todd, who manages the community center Zelda frequents. Zelda's on a mission to build her own Viking Legend, and when her brother starts spending time with some sketchy people, it gives her the chance to check a few things off her THINGS LEGENDS NEED list.


I have a lot of thoughts and feelings about this story that are quite hard to put into words. I had the most horrible time trying to give it a rating. I enjoyed this book and the story. It was really eye-opening to read a the book from the point-of-view of a character with developmental concerns presenting symptoms of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. But also, not being written as an #ownvoices novel, it seems potentially problematic for the story to be told from the viewpoint of someone who does present with the syndrome. I actually tried to look further into the author and his connection to FAS, but couldn't find any information really. I'm worried that the subject of the story may perpetuate harmful stereotypes, but as I'm unfamiliar with the actual syndrome, its symptoms, or its effect, I don't have a lot of input to add here. These were my main thoughts, however, as I read throughout the story.

I also had a huge issue with the way race was discussed in this book. Throughout the story, Zelda mentioned race and how it's been presented in her life. She refused to say the n-word, in fact calling it "the n-word" throughout, but later the word is spelled out in all caps as something written on a wall in graffiti. It seems unimportant to the storyline and added literally nothing to the content of the story.

The plot is also heavily based around sex, which isn't problematic in itself, but seemed really pushy, assault-like, and using sex in a way that's only advantageous to one of the party. So at times, I felt a little icky reading it.

So, now that I've pushed through the major points I found to be potentially problematic, I will say that I did enjoy reading the book. It was written incredibly conversationally, which I find super easy to read. It reminded me of YA, but as the protagonist was 21, I don't think it fell into that category. I liked that the ending wasn't what I expected

It made me very uncomfortable at times (I really cringe at slurs regularly used in the book), but as mentioned before, it was a new perspective for me. I appreciated that the protagonist (and narrator) identified as being differently-abled developmentally. I also liked all the fun little factoids about Vikings. (Is Thor a Viking? I was shocked to find that I knew more about Vikings than I thought because of the MCU.)


Many of the characters were extremely likeable, while many were flawed in a way that made you support them, but also get really angry at them. I'd say that the characters felt a lot like people you may know in real life, and I really did like that. Big Todd is a fantastic human and I really appreciated his character so very much.






In many reviews and synopses, When We Were Vikings is described as heartwarming and uplifting, but I would contradict that and say it's the exact opposite. This story is dark and sad. There are moments that made me proud and maybe warmed my heart a bit, but overall the story was really heavy. It hurt. If it was a movie, I would've sobbed probably the entire time. I wouldn't not recommend this novel, but I would warn readers to go in expecting that it may be problematic at times, and it won't give you the warm fuzzies the reviews promise. Read at your own risk.





Goodreads rating: ★★★☆☆







*Thanks so much to Gallery Books for providing a copy of the book and a few free gifts. I chose to review the book of my own accord.