Nothing More to Tell by Karen M. McManus
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I received a review copy of this book from Penguin Books South Africa. “Nothing More to Tell” is the story of aspiring journalist, Brynn. Brynn scores an internship at a true crime show. She is also moving back to her old high school, Saint Ambrose. While she isn’t thrilled to be returning, she uses the opportunity to solve the murder of her favourite teacher, Mr Larkin.
But as Brynn digs deeper into the mystery of Mr Larkin’s death, she starts to realize that everyone around her has secrets of their own.
I love Karen McManus books and this was no different. However this was difficult for me to read simply because my attention span isn’t what it used to be (which bummed me out). The book itself was enjoyable and I couldn’t stop reading. However towards the end the plot got a little twisted and it just seemed like everything was happening for shock value.
I had already figured out what happened to Mr Larkin earlier in the book. I just kept reading for the drama (and oh was there DRAMA!)
All in all I am giving this one 5 stars because it’s been a while since I pushed through my TikTok attention span for a book.
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Book Review: Booked on a Feeling by Jayci Lee
Booked on a Feeling by Jayci Lee
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I love this series so much so obviously I had to get my hands on this book.
However what I didn’t take into consideration was the fact that friends to lovers isn’t a trope I usually enjoy.
Nonetheless this was a sweet read and as always, I loved seeing characters from previous books.
“Booked on a Feeling” follows ambitious lawyer Lizzy and her best friend Jack.
Jack and Lizzy have been friends since they were kids. What Lizzy doesn’t know is that Jack has always had a crush on her. When severe burnout leads to Lizzy running away to Jack’s hometown, Lizzy starts to see Jack in a completely new light and she starts to develop feelings for him as well.
This was a really cute small town romance that I enjoyed- just not as much as I enjoyed the other books in this series
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2023 Life Update: You Can’t Spell Iron Without I
categories: Uncategorized
Was it only 5 months ago that I did one of these posts and mentioned how burnt out I was? (Yes, yes it was). Well quick recap for the new year.
Eventually I got a new job that was better aligned to my long-term career goals (boy does that sentence sound stuffy. Nothing in my entire life prepared me for having to explain my new role as a content writer. Which is why I still haven’t explained it to many people. I just pretend like nothing has happened. If you know me personally and you’ve read this post, please keep it to yourself).
Anyway, I was two days into my new job when I realized that I might be part of the problem. I had trouble taking breaks and disconnecting from work. I had automatically assumed that with a new job I would have better balance. And I did. I just didn’t know how to handle it. The role was remote so why shouldn’t I be available 24/7?
About two weeks into the new job, I realized I didn’t feel too good. I was still tired all the time, my chest hurt and I had trouble breathing. I passed this off as anxiety. Eventually my dad caught a cold and by then I thought maybe I had covid.
Fast forward to 27th December-aka the public holiday our President so kindly granted us- and I had a weird pins and needle sensation in my feet that wouldn’t go away. I didn’t know how to describe it but I knew it felt wrong. Desperate for help, I begged my parents to take me to the emergency room. I say “begged” because I could tell my mother didn’t think this was a big enough issue (I mean 3 ear infections in one year and I get why she didn’t believe me but it still hurt).
We went to the ER and two hours later I had my answer. I was anemic. I cannot explain to you the level of disappointment I had (and still have) in my body.
It’s been two weeks and I finally feel a little more normal. My GP says my iron levels are not low enough for me to be suffering with light-headedness, fatigue and tingly feet. However today is my first normal day in a long while and I have been consuming tons of iron (far more than I should have).
All this is to say I am not so sure what burnout is anymore. The first time I thought I was burnt out, I had covid. The second time, I’m thinking was the anemia.
How am I actually going to know when burnout really hits?
categories: Uncategorized
Is finding a new job on your list for 2023? We’ve got your job prep sorted.
Make sure the internet has no dirt on you by following these 5 Things to Check Before Starting Your Job Hunt. Remember to clean up your social media profiles.
Once that’s done, get ready to kick ass with an awesome cover letter. Remember, these need to be tailored to each job or industry.
Be prepared for anything by following these 7 Things You MUST Do Before an Interview.
Show your interest in the role by ensuring you ask atleast two of these questions.
Need more help? Let me know below. I am one of those weird people who absolutely love interview prep (or am I the only person who loves interview prep?)
Book Review- The American Roommate Experiment by Elena Armas
The American Roommate Experiment by Elena Armas
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
The American Roommate Experiment was everything I needed in a romance novel.
Elena Armas returns with another fake dating trope. But this one has a twist!
When the ceiling of her apartment collapses, Rosie Graham decides to move into her best friend, Lina’s apartment. Rosie has quit her job to focus on her writing career but she is struggling with writer’s block.
Overwhelmed, Rosie moves into Lina’s place without letting her know. However, Lina has already offered her apartment to her gorgeous cousin, Lucas.
Rosie has had a crush on Lucas for a while. Her crush is so bad that she regularly stalks his Instagram page.
When Lucas learns of Rosie’s housing issues, he offers to share the apartment with her. And when he learns about her writer’s block, he offers to take her out on fake dates to help kickstart her romance writing spark.
Naturally things get complicated because there are feelings on both ends.
Cliche? Yes. But this was a wonderfully cute read that I really enjoyed
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Book Review: Tis the Season for Revenge by Morgan Elizabeth
Tis the Season for Revenge by Morgan Elizabeth
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I was in the middle of another book when BookTok suggested this to me.
I instantly had to go get myself a copy.
Abbie is a happy-go-lucky blonde who loves everything pink. Her boyfriend Richard is a douche who dumps her because she doesn’t fit his image.
However, during the course of their relationship, Abbie changed everything about herself in order to come off as more serious.
While plotting her revenge, Abbie comes across Richard’s boss, Damien, on a dating app.
Inspiration strikes and she decides she is going to start a relationship with Damien. The sole goal of this is for Damien to invite Abbie to the fancy office Christmas party that Richard never wanted to take her to.
Naturally once Abbie meets Damien, sparks fly and there are soon genuine feelings between them.
This book brought me so much joy because it was like a spicy version of “Legally Blonde”.
If you enjoyed “Legally Blonde” or if you like contemporary romance, you will definitely enjoy this book
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Fiction Friday: Alias Hook by Lisa Jensen
Alias Hook by Lisa Jensen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Full disclosure- the first 80 or so pages of this book were just painful for me to read. I wasn’t interested in Hook’s backstory.
However once Stella arrived, I was hooked (see what I did there?)
Stella has somehow ended up in Neverland but it isn’t the story we all know. Instead Pan is a malicious killer and Hook is a prisoner in his twisted games.
I was really surprised by how much I enjoyed this book.
The world-building was really fleshed out and so were the character’s.
However I am rating this four stars instead of five because the ending was not what I imagined and it was just sad.
This was a really well-written book that I would recommend to anyone who enjoys fairytale retellings. This isn’t the story we know but it is definitely an intriguing must-read.
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Why I Love The Idea of Quiet Quitting
First of all to whoever gave it a title, you suck! We do not need toxic managers learning about this technique.
The term “Quiet quitting” grew in popularity as I was battling burnout and Covid. However for me, quiet quitting was something that I was familiar with. It was something I had done repeatedly but I called it “Escaping Bad Management”.
The first time I quiet quit was due to a toxic manager. She was difficult to work with and delighted in making staff cry. She was new to the role, new to being manager and had me do all of her work. This was something that I found out after a very public meltdown at work (she told me at 5PM that I couldn’t go home until I completed all of my work- work that I hadn’t done because I was busy doing reports for her). When I raised the issue with her manager, her manager asked that I either support the toxic manager or find another role. Instead of focusing on the horrible environment that I was in, I threw myself into finding a way out. That was when I started my first two Marketing courses. A job opened up in another department (Customer Care) and I eagerly took it.
The second time I quiet quit was after the pandemic. We had returned to work after lockdown with less staff but a bigger workload. I didn’t know it at the time but I was severely burned out. Desperate for a distraction, I focused on completing the remainder of my studies. I didn’t plan on looking for another job. I had no energy for that. I just wanted to finish my studies and have one less thing to worry about. In any case, while my manager at the time had picked staff to work from home, she didn’t pick me because I said I would prefer to work from home (the team did a really nice toxic thing where those who said that they were fine to work from the office were chosen to work from home while those who wanted to work from home weren’t given the option to work at all- and therefore these people didn’t get paid during lockdown).
I need to point out that in both these scenarios, these managers and that fun little toxic game were all picked by one person- the head of the department. This person almost seemed to delight in torturing staff. So while it was obvious to me that I needed to escape, I did not have the energy to do so.
But I didn’t have to. A mere two weeks after I completed my studies, an email went out to announce that the Marketing team needed an intern.
Naturally I applied and the rest is very toxic, very traumatic history.
I will always be for Quiet Quitting because that is usually something that bad management drives staff to. You get paid to work certain hours and do certain tasks. Quiet Quitting to me means not putting in anything extra because you know you aren’t getting a return.
Fiction Friday: Carrie by Stephen King
Carrie by Stephen King
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I know the story of Carrie. I cannot remember ever NOT knowing the story of Carrie. I have watched the movie twice. However this was my first time reading the book and I ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT!
I was not expecting to enjoy it as much as I did. After all, I knew the story and how it ended. But I eagerly devoured this book. I started it to pass time before bed but I was sucked in and couldn’t stop reading.
My only issue was that I didn’t really care about the multiple points of view. I just wanted to see the high schoolers.
This was a very compelling read that spooked me.
A hundred stars!
(P.S If you can’t tell, this was my first Stephen King novel)
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Fiction Friday: Atomic Habits by James Clear
Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones by James Clear
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I came across one of the principles in this book on TikTok and I was instantly intrigued. I tracked down an ebook and an audiobook and spent about a week avidly reading.
“Atomic Habits” is based off the idea that your future depends on your daily habits. It has a number of options that teach you how to build better habits.
I actually feel like this book was life-changing. As soon as I started it, I started implementing new habits. This book made it seem so easy that I actually questioned why I hadn’t started sooner.
Writing can be a daily habit- why haven’t I journaled before? It’s totally doable to increase my steps per day.
This book provided a much-needed wake-up call for me. If you are looking to be more productive or to build better habits/lose bad habits, I strongly recommend this book.
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