This evening’s entertainment is the international friendly between the USMNT and Brazil. The record isn’t great (Brazil is at 17-1-0 against the US), but it’s exciting to see the younger players out there. Hopefully, they’ll really start building towards the next World Cup sooner rather than later. Now if they could just a good coach and strengthen the defense….
BOOK REVIEW: “All That Was Lost”
9/06/18
If you have a secret, do you have to lie in order to keep it a secret? Or is it possible to be truthful and still keep your secret? Can keeping a secret and lying about it negatively impact your well-being?
This was a fantastic book that explores these questions in an approachable and thought-provoking manner. Patrice is a well-known psychic who hires Leo to ghostwrite her autobiography. Through Patrice’s flashbacks to 1967, the reader gains insight as to her motivations. Leo has his own story that intertwines with Patrice’s, as does Louise. These three main characters’ points of view intertwine nicely without the reader feeling jarred when a perspective changes. There are a couple of minor twists, and a few major ones, but this isn’t a thriller. It’s more of a reflection on how life can throw us curveballs, how we deal with those curveballs, and how our actions can affect others. A really great read from Alison May.Â
(For more on this book, see my review on Goodreads!)
Social Media
Still working on the widgets (and apparently learning a whole new vocabulary). For the time being, if you want to follow me elsewhere, you’ll have to copy and paste the links into your browser. Sorry for the inconvenience; I’ll update when I get the links active. Â
Flood of Book Reviews
Over the next few days, I’m going to be adding the reviews that I’ve completed over the past few months. With a little bit of luck, I’ll remember to backdate and tag them all, so eventually you’ll be able to search by genre to find new book suggestions! Â
Well, that’s the current plan, anyway….
A work in progress…
Stay with me…there will be some changes as I get this looking exactly the way I want. Thanks for visiting!
About the Fiction…one last thing
This blog was almost called “Fireflies, Fiction, and Free Kicks.” Fortunately one of my best friends talked me down from making it too obnoxiously long. But there will be an important aspect to this blog, and that will be book reviews. I have been an avid reader since…well, since I could first read. In second grade, I won a reading competition. Big deal, right? It was one that was held at the junior high school where my mom was an English teacher. That’s right, little 2nd grade me beat a bunch of 8th graders.Â
My love for books has never diminished. This past May, I became a member of #NetGalley. I receive Advanced Reader Copies (ARCs) from publishers in exchange for honest reviews. It’s exciting on so many levels, because I get to read buzz-worthy books, but I also get insight into an author’s thought process. Hey, maybe someday I’ll have courage to write that book that’s been kicking around in my head….
Anyway, you’ll see my reviews on this page. I hope that people grab recommendations from them. Nothing would make me happier than to know that people read and spread the word on a book that I recommended.Â
What does it mean?
Fireflies and Free Kicks. What the heck, right? Â
I live in the mid-Atlantic region of the U.S. In the summer, we get a lot of fireflies…and I mean A LOT! Back in June, I was sitting outside on our deck, and I looked at the trees that surround our yard. It looked like a Disney forest! I mean, seriously, like one of those floats from the Electric Light Parade (anybody remember that?)! Anyway, there were literally thousands of fireflies lighting up the area, and I started thinking about how well that represented my life. I’ve had lots of differing experiences (from jobs to travel and everything in between) that all kind of flit about in my head as memories. But every single one has shaped me and lit the way for where I am now; and I know that they will continue to lead me. The realization was both magical and inspiring.Â
So that’s the “Fireflies” part; what about the “Free Kicks?” Easy enough…my son plays elite soccer. In fact, he is a member of the Development Academy, which is the highest level of youth soccer in the country; it feeds directly into the Youth National Teams. As of right now, that is his goal. (Actually, given a recent announcement, his goal is to be on the MNT for the 2026 World Cup when it’s hosted by the U.S., Canada, and Mexico). Our family time is spent at the soccer fields, whether it’s practice, league games or tournaments. And if it’s not watching him, then pro games are on the TV (yay for Dish Network, where we can get soccer from any country in the world, but still can’t get a lousy Oakland A’s baseball game). I promise not to bore with only soccer stuff, but it will be a pretty safe bet that many of posts will be created either at the pitch or traveling to a game somewhere!
So there you have it: “Fireflies and Free Kicks.”  Â
And away we go…
So here it is. But what is it? It’s a place for me to be creative; whether it’s a review of a book, musings from a soccer field, or general observations, this is where I’ll be sharing my wisdom (ha ha) with anyone who can sit down long enough to read a post. Glad to have you along!
