The Theft of Sunlight by Intisar Khanani
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
In the spirit of full disclosure you should know that:
1) I got impatient and ordered an eBook copy a week after requesting this book
2) I did not finish this book because I saw a spoiler online and then I myself skipped to the end of the book to check said spoiler.
Yes I am a book-ruiner. I accept my fate.
Anyway, “The Theft of Sunlight” is just as compelling as “Thorn”. Like “Thorn” I was unable to put it down. In fact if it wasn’t for the spoiler and my forward, page-skipping ways I would have enjoyed it. I definitely did enjoy the 200+ pages I read and I will be going back to finish this book as soon as the next one is written.
Intisar Khanani’s writing is magical and her worldbuilding is incredible. If you are a fan of fantasy novels, definitely give this one a go
SPOILER ALERT
It has a cliffhanger ending. That is the part that ruined the book for me. That and the strong violence
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Fiction Friday: Book Review- Christmas Fairytales by Nora Roberts
Christmas Fairytales by Nora Roberts
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Meddling Daniel MacGregor has grown tired of waiting for his grand-daughters to marry and give him great-grandbabies. So he cooks up a plot and finds nice healthy males from “nice healthy stock” (his words not mine) for all three of them.
It’s hard not to admire Daniel and his schemes. He carries them off SO WELL!
I loved that each character in this book was so different and you could really see how their background and family shaped them.
I have been following this series from the very beginning and it was so good to see characters from the earlier books pop up again.
I flew through these stories and really enjoyed myself.
If you’re interested in a light read I definitely recommend this book.
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Fiction Friday: Book Review- A Reckless Match by Kate Bateman
A Reckless Match by Kate Bateman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I don’t care how much of a book slump I am in. I am always down for a Kate Bateman book. “A Reckless Match” follows two feuding families.
The reasons why they’re feuding are not really clear but their dislike has been passed down to the kids and that’s where the story begins.
Maddie and Gryff show up for their families annual “pledge of goodwill” meeting. The two of them have been enemies since they were kids and that hasn’t changed.
Until they uncover a smuggling plot and team up to stop the smugglers. Soon the two enemies are sharing passionate kisses and spending nights together- all to bring the bad guys to justice of course.
Kate Bateman writes books with strong-willed heroines, swoon-worthy heros and a plot that just drives you to know more. This book is no different.
I enjoyed “A Reckless Match” immensely and cannot wait to read more about this feuding family.
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Fiction Friday: Book Review- Sparks Fly by Helena Hunting
When Sparks Fly by Helena Hunting
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Best friends to lovers is the worst trope in human history, IMO. That being said, THIS BOOK IS SO GOOD!
Avery and Declan have been friends since college and now live together. They share the same friends and spend most of their evenings together.
When Avery is involved in an accident, Declan is wrecked with guilt. He was supposed to be with her in the car but he blew her off for a one-night stand.
Declan dedicates himself to helping her recover and keeping her company while she is stuck at home.
Declan and Avery get closer than ever as he helps her heal and soon they realize that their feelings might be more than just platonic.
So again, like I said. Worst trope ever but Helena Hunting does it SOO good.
The friendship between Declan and Avery honestly seems platonic at first and I was like “eeww” because I couldn’t see them falling in love.
Basically their feelings surprised me as much as it surprised them. I loved how the evolution of their relationship just seemed so genuine.
This was the book that brought me out of my book slump and I am so glad for it. If you’re a fan of romance, this is the book for you.
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Welcome to the Real World: First Job Problems
categories: Welcome to The Real World
By day 3 of my data capturing job, I grew bored of training and they offered to let me capture on my own. So I agreed. My typing speed as a writer meant that I was one of the fastest capturers on the team. In fact it wasn’t long before management started questioning how and why the new girl was capturing faster than the old staff.
My typing speed combined with my introverted ways did not win me any fans. By the end of my second week word got out that I was a college graduate, drove myself to work and had gotten the job because of my aunt who worked in the company. I could feel everyone silently judging me.
Some of the staff didn’t like me because of how fast I worked. Some didn’t like me because of my aunt and a large chunk didn’t like me simply because of my degree. I was confused. I knew I was privileged to have had the opportunity to study further. But I also knew that my degree meant nothing. I worked as hard as I could to prove myself as a serious employee. People thought I was just there to pass the time. While data capturing may not have been my dream job, it was a job I had wanted and it was a job I worked for. I was grateful nonetheless.
Despite the dirty looks that I saw tossed my way on the daily, I pushed through and tried to focus on work.
The manager who hired me tried to get me to understand the importance of getting to know the people in the other teams but as a recent graduate I didn’t get it. I was there to work. Why did I need to make friends with people who definitely didn’t like me?
The lady I worked with decided to toss me into the ocean and sent me to sit with a different team. At the time I was uncomfortable being surrounded by strangers but it wasn’t long before the new team made me feel comfortable and I started to come out of my shell. Eventually I made friends with my co-workers and work got much more bearable.
I understand now that getting to know the people you work with is so important. I wish I had known that back then. There were tons of people who I ended up becoming close friends with. These were people that originally I was intimidated by or just didn’t make an effort to connect with.
What lessons did you learn from your first job? I’d love to know below.
Welcome to The Real World: The Sweet Smell of Nepotism
categories: Welcome to The Real World
Shortly after my disastrous call center stint, my aunt contacted me to see if I would be interested in a data capturing position at the company she worked at. This would also be at a call center but I felt a tiny bit better about the fact that it wouldn’t be a sales position.
I went for the interview and could tell the managers interviewing me were skeptical of hiring me. I had a degree and to them that seemed to mean I would leave the job at the first opportunity that came my way.
I knew this was a lie simply because no opportunity seemed to be coming my way but I worked hard to show them how sincere I was about the job.
I got the position and started the next week. I was overjoyed. Except for the tiny problem that I needed a day off for graduation. I tried to push my starting day back by a week. They refused. I offered to start the day after graduation. They refused. I explained that I needed to get my graduation gown and attend my graduation ceremony. They offered me one day off which seemed ridiculous. It was like they were saying that either I attend the graduation or pick up my graduation robe but I couldn’t do both.
Eventually I ended up taking the day unpaid but I was sulky for the actual graduation. I hated that I would lose a day of pay for a degree that didn’t even get me a job. I had to ask my family for a job. I felt let down by the system. Why did we push high school students to study further if finding a job was so tough? The graduation ceremony just felt like something that I needed to push through to get back to my normal life. I didn’t even get proper pictures with my parents since we didn’t know that we would need to pay extra to take pictures with them.
Cranky and annoyed at the entire university system, I returned to work the next day, ready to continue with my new job.
I didn’t know it at the time but that was the start of me allowing everything in my life to be consumed with work.
I loved my job, the environment, my co-workers. Everyone was helpful and friendly. I instantly fell comfortable. For the first few days anyway. But that’s a story for another day.
The right job is supposed to also be a right fit for you. If it doesn’t feel good, it’s probably not the job for you.
August Book Haul
categories: Books
Okay I know technically August is ending but I received these books in August so I thought I’d share.
I’ve already started reading “The Theft of Sunlight” and it’s soo good.
Fiction Friday: Book Review- The Dating Dare by Jayci Lee
The Dating Dare by Jayci Lee
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
When Tara Park and Seth Kim meet at a wedding, there is an instant attraction between them. They try to ignore it- both of them are carrying baggage from previous relationships and know that anything between them is a bag idea. However after a drunken night together and a game of Truth or Dare, Tara and Seth come up with the idea of spending five dates together before Seth moves away to Paris.
Their dates will remain a secret between the two of them and when it’s over, they both move on with their lives.
But as time goes on, their dates do not go as plan and they soon start developing feelings for each other.
This storyline was super cliche but I loved it regardless. Tara and Seth are too cute together and I was rooted for them since the first very page.
If you enjoy romance novels, definitely give this one a go. I enjoyed this book immensely and hope to read more.
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6 Things I Wish I Knew Before Switching Career Fields
- It’s a challenge: Considering the fact that I studied two Marketing modules in university and four different Marketing short courses, I was pretty confident that I would be able to grasp my new job easily. I was wrong. There were days- scratch that, there are still days when I struggle and wonder if switching career fields was worth it (I’m proud to say that recently though, whenever this thought pops in my mind, I answer “YES!!!” without having to think about it)
- The internet has resources for everything: As someone who lives on Google this was shocking to me. Yes, I knew that you can Google pretty much everything but I had no clue that the internet could EDUCATE YOU! My mind is blown away by the amount of resources I’ve found online. But also
- I will not know everything: This is hugely upsetting and something I struggled with in my first few months. Back in Customer Care, I knew ALOT! Of course I did. I spent three years there and besides some basic process changes, things remained mostly the same. In Marketing, not so much. There are always new Marketing trends, new data on consumers or spending habits. You have to keep reading and studying in order to keep yourself up to date. At first I found this disheartening. I wanted to know everything and I wanted to know it NOW! Over time however, I accepted that I will not know everything. But with a little hard work. I can learn a bit about most things.
- Speaking of trends, I wish I knew the importance of keeping up to date with important industry information: Previously, I did not pay attention to any additional information if it didn’t directly impact me or my life. Like when Huawei stopped making phones with Google. Which then led to countless customer queries about that. Now however, I read every email link, Hubspot report or social media survey that lands in my inbox.
- Failing is a thing…and that’s okay: Keeping in with my perfectionist tendencies, I did not expect to fail. I don’t like failing. I’ve mentioned before that failing is (was?) a foreign concept to me but when you’re in a new field, failing happens and honestly it’s just a part of life.
- Lastly and certainly not least, getting comfortable with being uncomfortable: Growth is uncomfortable. Change is uncomfortable. But when it’s the right field or the right job for you, you won’t even mind. There are certain days when my anxiety skyrockets and I get really uncomfortable with a task but honestly I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Did you change careers or start a new job? What was something that you were not expecting?
Top 5 Reasons to Get a Kindle
categories: Books
No matter what your view on eBooks or paperbacks, the fact remains that the Amazon Kindle is a pretty popular device. But if, like me, you’ve considered purchasing a Kindle, you might still be on the fence trying to decide if you should take the plunge or not. Here are my top 5 reasons why you should purchase a Kindle device.
- You can read anywhere: On the bus? In the bathtub? On the beach? Don’t worry, the Kindle has got you covered
- The internet won’t be able to distract you: This is a major selling point for me. Reading on my Kindle app on the tablet or the cellphone usually almost always leads to me getting distracted by the internet whether it’s a notification from an app or just me needing to Google something. A proper Kindle device instead of the app means you can focus just on your book with no distractions.
- You can read in the dark (a huge plus if you’re South African): Save on your light bill by reading on your Kindle. Or if you’re South African, make the most of load shedding by reading when the lights go off. Ask any bookworm in South African and they can confirm that lots of reading takes place during load shedding.
- No need to worry about lugging around heavy books: Carry the entire series of “Game of Thrones” without a worry. Having a Kindle means you can have access to thousands of books without worrying about space.
- You can read trashy romance novels without anyone judging you: Something else you don’t have to worry about when you have a Kindle is people judging your choice in books. Whether this is a trashy romance novel or Twilight, your secret read is safe with you and your Kindle.
Basically, having a Kindle allows you the privacy of reading whatever you want, whenever you want without any space restrictions.