Tune Into L

Hello from the Other Side

2020-04-18T20:58:00.000-07:00

Hey Readers!

It's me Lauren! I am self isolating like many of us are.

I am revisiting this Blog. I remember really loving writing for this blog. I loved the content. I loved talking with all of my subscribers. This was truly a passion project of mine for so long. I've decided to start posting again. Most of my content will be book related. Quite frankly it will probably be things that are regurgitated from other platforms.

First order of business, I have started a Youtube Channel. My plan is to upload 2-3 new videos every week. I feel like most will be book related. Some might not be. My channel is truly in its infancy so the possibilities are truly endless.

Please check out my first 2 videos below.

I look forward to blogging more in the future.

Game Review: Punderdome: A Card Game for Pun Lovers

2016-09-26T19:04:00.000-07:00

Over all this game was a pretty good time. Most of my friends were either English majors in college, are currently teachers, or are currently librarians. That being said we're a group of people who like words.

This game was pretty challenging, however it was fun seeing what kinds of crazy puns my friends would come up with.

This game will definitely be added to our rotation with Cards Against Humanity for game night.

Book Review: Bat Dad

2016-08-21T07:53:00.001-07:00

I'm a big fan of Bat Dad's vine videos. I don't have any kids yet so I don't exactly know the struggle of finding fun in every day when raising 4 little ones, but his videos are hilarious none the less. When I found out that Blake was coming out with a book I knew I had to check it out.

I didn't go into the book with very high expectations. I wasn't sure if it was going to be a little novella, a picture book story or what I was in for.

The book has 64 pages. Each page features a picture from one of Bat Dad's famous Vine videos along with a fun caption.

Although the book isn't my favorite thing I've ever read it is a cute coffee table book that will spark conversations among those who read it. Naturally reading the book compelled me to go back to his vine channel to rewatch some of my favorites.

Additionally I really how the book is designed in a comic book type style. It really fits with Bat Dad's persona.

I received this book for free in exchange for my honest review.

Book Review: The Sleep Revolution

2016-04-12T19:14:00.001-07:00

As a grad student with multiple jobs I know all too well the experience of putting off sleep for other activities. In her new book The Sleep Revolution Arianna Huffington attempts to redefine the importance of sleep in a culture that is always go, go, go.

The book begins with a section that introduces us to the sleeping issues that many of us deal with. By defining the sleep crisis, the reader is prepped for the second section that gives us tips for how to move forward with healthier sleep patterns. The Appendixes in the end of the book gives very good resources including a Sleep Quality Questionnaire, guides for mediation, guides for sleeping in hotels, and a guide to mattresses.

Overall Huffington's book gives very good tips and interesting insight into the common problem of sleep deprivation. I'm hoping that after reading this book I will be able to incorporate some of Huffington's tips to improve my own sleep patterns.

Book Review: Eating in the Middle

2016-03-31T20:10:00.000-07:00

As a young adult of a certain age I have begun working on collecting cookbooks for my kitchen collection. I have very fond memories of picking recipes out of my mom's Betty Crocker cookbook as a child. I want to make sure I have cookbooks on my shelves that will create the same memories and fun as that one did for me as a child.

This cookbook was very pleasing for me. Aesthetically it looks amazing. Honestly half of what sells me on a cookbook are the photographs of the final product. My favorite part about this cookbook are the stories that Andie Mitchell incorporates in her telling of the recipes. Each recipe has a one or two paragraph introduction about where the recipe came from and what makes it so special. This kind of personalization is what makes this cookbook a keeper for me.

I can't wait until I have a few spare minutes this weekend to test out some of these recipes. The Lemon Poppy Seed cupcakes look like a definite must for me.

I received this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for my honest review.

Book Review: Little Felted Dogs

2016-03-24T18:47:00.002-07:00

In all honesty I don't think I'm ever actually going to make the little felted dogs from this book. However, the book was very fun and entertaining to look at. It is super crazy to me how adorable these little creations are.

The book features basically every kind of dog you can imagine. Each set of instructions is easy to follow and well written enough that I feel with absolute certainty that I could make these dogs if I chose to do so. I especially appreciated the section in the beginning that gives very detailed instructions for beginner and advanced techniques for making the felted dogs.

This book is perfect for anyone looking to try a new, cute craft.

This book was given to me in exchange for my honest review from Blogging for Books.

Book Review: The I Quit Sugar Cookbook

2016-03-16T20:58:00.001-07:00

I decided to review this cookbook on a whim. Sometimes I get really frustrated with healthy foods cookbooks because the recipes are either too hard, it's too hard to find the ingredients, or the recipes are so simplistic I feel really dumb for even spending the money on the book in the first place. I must admit, this book ended up being pretty cool.

Before I even retrieved the book from its shipping box I knew I was going to find something substantial based on the sheer weight of the box.

Although, I have yet to actually try making any of the dishes from this book, I know I am going to find many keeper recipes in this book. I especially love how she created recipes for common sugar addictions such as cake, noodles, bacon, and my favorite anything with chocolate and peanut butter.

If you're tired of your old healthy eating recipes be sure to check out Sarah Wilson's book for some fresh perspective on healthy eating.

I received this book in exchange for my honest review.

Review: The Mapmaker's Children

2016-03-06T08:56:00.001-08:00

The Mapmaker's Children follows the lives of two young women designed to change the course of history forever.

Sarah Brown is the daughter of abolitionist John Brown. She is an artist and she realizes that her skills can be used for good by creating paintings that hide maps for the Underground Railroad. Sarah also has turmoil at home when she realizes she cannot have children, which leads to strifes with her romantic relationships at home.

Eden is a women from our time who moves into a house that she soon finds out holds connections to the Underground Railroad of Sarah's time. In an effort to save her marriage and conceive a child with her husband Eden embraces the old home.

Throughout the story both women learn about themselves, family, love, courage, and legacy.

This book is a lengthy, involved read. But in the end the stories of these two women is compelling enough to keep the reader on the edge wondering what will happen next. The parallel stories complement each other nicely for the reader and provide commentary for each woman's life.

If you're looking for a touching, historical read this book is a must checkout.

I received a copy of this book for free in exchange for my honest review.

This Shark Says Yes

2016-02-23T20:49:00.001-08:00

I love the tv show Shark Tank. I'm not sure if it's the idea of watching people go after their dreams, the occasional rude comment from various panelists, or the inspirational nuggets of wisdom from the various high profile business men and women. When I got the opportunity to review Daymond John's new book The Power of Broke, I couldn't jump any faster.

I don't work in business, however I found the advice Daymond provides in the book to be very helpful and informative. As someone who is just starting out on my career advice is necessary and well received from any resource.

I would recommend this book to anyone looking to learn a little and read the top notch advice from a power player.

I received a copy of this book from Blogging For Books in exchange for my honest review.

Parisian Adult Coloring Book

2016-02-14T10:16:00.001-08:00

Adult coloring books are all the rage now. Whether you believe that they actually, medically proven, relieve stress or not you can't argue about how fun it can be to spend a couple minutes mindlessly coloring after a long day of adulating.

The themes for adult coloring books are never ending. There are books for cat lovers, Harry Potter lovers, fans of flowers, and just about every geometric design imaginable.

This book in particular focuses on fashion. It comes in a cute little square book and each page is more beautiful than the next. I have yet to actually color any of the pages because they just so beautiful that I don't want to mess any of them up. However, I do enjoy perusing the gorgeous line drawings.

This book is pretty awesome for the coloring enthusiast. I think it brings a different look to adult coloring books that I haven't seen before.

I was given this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for my honest review.

Clear Up Your Life

2016-01-31T20:44:00.003-08:00

Clear Your Clutter with Feng Shui By Karen Kingston is a revised and updated version of her book. 1 million copies have already been sold and upon first read it is easy to understand why. Many people make resolutions to simplify and declutter their lives in the new year. Kingston gives really good advice for clearing clutter.

She starts with understanding your clutter where you get to delve in and really understand what your clutter is and why you have so much of it. Then you get to identify clutter where Kingston helps you define what and where the clutter is in your own life. Finally you get to look at the steps for clearing the clutter that you have identified in your life. Not only does she consider the physical clutter of all the physical stuff in your life, but she also helps with clearing emotional and spiritual clutter.

Overall this book is a really good resource. It is simple, easy to utilize and very straightforward.

I received this book for review courtesy of Blogging For Books. These opinions are my own.

Perfect Bedside Book

2016-01-21T22:00:00.000-08:00

This week I started Grad School. I've been reading nothing but textbooks and lecture notes. The book bullshit is a good change of pace. This book is written by Mark Peters and it tells the history of different bs words. This book is entertaining either to read from cover to cover or to just open a random page and read.

If you're looking for a funny and fun read for a chilly afternoon read make sure to pick up the new book by Mark Peters.

Neil Patrick Harris is Always Awesome.

2016-01-12T11:59:00.000-08:00

I don't really know what else to say about this book.
It was funny.
It was entertaining.
It was Neil Patrick Harris.

Like the classic choose your own adventure stories this story is written in the second person point of view AND the writing makes it difficult to choose just one adventure. The words literally fly off the page and before you know it you've spent an entire Sunday afternoon immersed in Neil Patrick Harris' world.

#TuesdayAfternoonWisdom

2015-10-13T09:36:00.000-07:00

There was this kid in high school, you probably know him- or a him just like him. In literary terms he represented my high school foil character. He was in all the honors and AP classes, he was super ambitious, and mostly he was also an aspiring writer. He was also someone who was “highly intellectual” and “highly aware” of that fact. We crossed paths several times throughout high school. I can say with absolutely certainty that every time I was “graced with his presence” was a negative experience. He was always someone who knew exactly how to make me feel completely less than.

My college choice wasn’t good enough.

The books I read weren’t high brow enough for a writer.

My writing was never deep enough.

My outlook on life was juvenile and unacceptable.

I have no doubt that he made me feel less than intentionally. Looking back I’m not sure if he was arrogant towards me because he actually believed these things or if he believed the opposite and was actually threatened by me. In my high school mind it was because I was most definitely less than.

Seven years after high school ended I walked into a college classroom, having not thought about him in years, and moving from these feelings to battle other demons, there he was sitting in a desk in the back of the classroom. At first I thought it was a joke. Maybe he was a professor or a teaching assistant. Certainly based on my memories and perception of him he couldn’t be just another student taking classes and a little known college like me.

I did what every millennia does when faced with this situation- I turned to the interwebs for information. What I learned was that Mr.Wonderful actually did not accomplish all the wonderful things and that he admittedly hit some rough patches in life. While I’m not reflecting and writing this piece to critique him life journey and struggles I do want to call attention to the concept that how other people make you feel means nothing. He may have once been “the smartest man ever”…in high school, but now who was the real winner…or was there a real winner.

Without sounding arrogant with a laundry list of accomplishments I’ve done and seen a lot and almost every goal that I’ve set for myself I’ve at the very least TRIED to see to fruition.

I’ve been a published writer.

I’ve created a successful blog that was the vehicle that allowed me to interview, photograph, and meet most of my idols.

I’ve collected an awesome selection of people who have brought amazing experiences to my life.

I was the first person in my immediate family to graduate from a four year college.

I’ve learned how to take care of my mind and body.

I could continue this list. I could elaborate on any of these ideas, but I don’t think that it’s necessary to make my point.

I’ve spent a lot of my life listening to the negative critiques of my life. I’ve spent a lot of time giving others the space to make me feel less than…letting their words and actions resonate with me. Seeing this person who used to be so much “better” than me on a very definitively “equal” level is such a powerful semi colon between giving these people power and realizing that they have no real power at all. That instead I have all the power to do, to feel, to live my life.

Coolest Journal Ever

2015-08-24T18:26:00.001-07:00

My latest book review book is probably my favorite book that I've gotten from Random House. The book is called "Q&A a Day for Creatives" Basically the book has 365 questions, one designated for each day of the month. There's room designated throughout the book to repeat each question for four years.

Questions vary in the types of information they would invoke from "Illustrate one item you purchased today" to "Look up today's date online to see what famous people were born on this day. Draw a birthday greeting for one of them."

The way the journal pages are set up there's enough room to draw, paint, write, really to express your answer in any way that you deem to be fit.

Unlike reviewing other books I can't really report back on how good this book is for the fact that I still have 1,460 more days of using this book to go, but it is a really awesome book for anyone young or old.

I received this book from BloggingForBooks.com in exchange for my honest review. Thanks for the great read guys!

Juicy Secrets From Behind the White Walls

2015-08-13T21:25:00.001-07:00

This read was a little out of the ordinary for me. I typically don't read politically centered books because quite frankly I don't find them interesting. But this book sounded rather juicy and fun and the author seemed reliable so I decided to give it a shot.

Typically a book about the White House, secret service or anything related to the president would seem stuffy, pompous, and boring (at least to me). This book included funny tidbits and stories from people who typically wouldn't share these types of secretive stories. There are funny quips about Joe Biden, Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, etc. The book does not seem to slant towards either political party as we see both positive and negative stories from all political parties. I also really appreciated how readers get to see such personal, and not always the most polished, moments from each person portrayed in the book.

I would recommend this book both for both political junkies and people who are looking for a different view of politics.

I received a copy of this book from Blogging For Books in exchange for my honest review. Thanks for the great read guys!

Topangaaaaa

2015-08-03T19:44:00.001-07:00

I'm going through a bit of nostalgia lately. My last Thrift Books haul included lots of memoirs and biographies by female child stars from the 90's. The first book I decide to read was Danielle Fishel (more affectionately known as Topanga from Boy Meets World).

The book looked rather promising. Danielle is on the front with a cute dress on that is "ruined" by a melting, messy ice cream cone. The books follows Danielle's story through her time auditioning for Boy Meets World, her experience dating Lance Bass, her wedding, and her life with her pups.

On one hand there wasn't anything especially juicy in her book. No crazy behind the scenes stories from BMW. No real crazy stories about being a celebrity. I think the most surprising thing I learned about Danielle in this book was that she worked a few seasons at Bloomingdales. But I think that was the endearing aspect of this novel.

Unlike other child actor memoirs it wasn't about drug abuse, finding religion, or crazy orgy at her former place of employment. This book was literally about a normal, often times awkward, woman who grew up on screen as every 90's girls' role model and every 90's guys' crush. It was extremely refreshing to read about someone who didn't always get everything she wanted right away (in fact she almost didn't play Topanga!). She wasn't (isn't) always perfect nor does she claim to have this picture perfect Hollywood life.

Overall I would recommend this to any 90's girl who's looking for a nice summer afternoon read.

Doctor Who?

2015-08-02T19:06:00.002-07:00

This book was my first foray into the world of Doctor Who. I was never super interested in watching the show. I always felt like there were too many seasons and too much story to commit to in order to watch the show thoroughly. Also from every friend's retelling of the Doctor's adventures it just never seemed that interesting to me. Then I got the opportunity to read this book and I figured why not give the Doctor a weekend's time length to trying on what the Doctor Who story has to offer.

The premise of the book is that strange things begin occurring in Arbroath that involved disappearing people and people being able to read each other's minds. It is up to the Doctor to figure out what is going on.

I will say that I enjoyed this book much more than I anticipated. The story was very fast paced and the plot was extremely interesting. Coming into the story without any Doctor Who knowledge I found it relatively easy to follow along with the Doctor Who world without being lost in little details.

Overall I would recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of mystery, scifi and British humor.

I received this book in exchange for my honest review from Blogging For Books. Thanks for the great read guys!

Encountering the Truth Revie

2015-07-27T17:47:00.002-07:00

I'm not Catholic. Nor am I someone who frequents church or associates with a certain denomination of religious affiliations. Requesting this book was a little odd for me. However I am adamantly curious and I figured how many times in a lifetime does one get to read a book written by the current reigning Pope. I would have to imagine not that often.

The book has a gorgeous, yet simple cover featuring Pope Francis delivering one of his morning Homilies from St. Martha's Chapel. The simplicity and elegance of the cover echoes the simplicity and elegance of the entire book.

My favorite aspect of this book was the organization of the book. As an avid reader of self help types of books I think these books tend to get overwhelming. They should only be read in small doses so a person can have time to reflect upon what they have read. The book is divided into 186 chapters. Each chapter is a page or two long. I like that the book is set up so that the reader can find the topic that they need help or guidance with at that particular moment and focus in on the chapter or two that relate to that need. Also each section is extremely easy to read while at the same time packing a lot of punch in the words.

Overall I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a quick. daily dose of inspiration.

I received a copy of this book for free from Blogging for Books in exchange for my honest review.

Learning About Crossfit From Outside "The Box"

2015-07-19T19:08:00.000-07:00

Crossfit has never really been something that peeked my interest. For those who know me, you know that I'm a strict addict of my at home, Beachbody workouts. I need my Shaun T cheering me on or else fitness is just not fun for me. But at the same time I am very intrigued by these very extreme workouts such as Crossfit and American Ninja Warrior. I like watching people push their bodies to their limits. I am truly amazed at what people are capable of. I picked up this book with the hopes that I would learn a little bit about the exercise culture that I am not apart of.

I learned so much from this book. Author and journalist J.C. Herz shares some history and inner workings of the CrossFit culture. But what I found most interesting was the information about the human body and it's relationship to sports.

While this book definitely should not be considered as the end all resource on everything fitness and CrossFit related, it is a good place to start for anyone who is even remotely curious in learning about CrossFit.

If you're looking to get some inspiration for your own fitness journey I would highly recommend picking up this book.

I received a free copy of this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for my honest review.

Classically Sweet Recipes

2015-07-11T19:18:00.001-07:00

Twinkies are awesome. I think most people have some sort of memory of eating these delicious, sweet snacks as a kid. When I got the opportunity to receive this book for review I was so excited! After I found out that the recipes were created by FANS of the beloved snack I was even more excited to see what people came up with.

This book features about 100 pages of different Twinkie recipes. The recipes come in all types of flavors and forms- cakes, pies, fruity concoctions, chocolatey delicious creations, and even MEAT based recipes.

My favorite recipe in the book was the "Twinkie Bread Pudding with Whiskey Sauce." The sweet goodness mixed with a nice whiskey sauce was a delicious combo and I'm sure this will become a winter staple recipe.

A runner up for favorite recipe was the "Deep-Fried Bacon-Wrapped Chocolate-Covered Twinkies."Anything with bacon and chocolate is a winner in my book.

I highly recommend this book for all the junk food foodies out there. It's a cute book with fun recipes that is sure to bring up nostalgia.

I received this book in exchange for my honest review from Blogging For Books. Thanks for the great read guys!

A Charmingly Good Read

2015-07-05T21:14:00.001-07:00

Even if this book had been absolutely terrible, the cover is so darn cute I would have given it a permanent spot on my bookshelf regardless. The contents of this book proved to be just as amazing as the cover. It's no surprise that this book was at the top of every book list when it was first published in Europe.

This book tells the story of Monsieur Perdu, a man who calls himself a literary apothecary. He chooses books for people to help people with what they are dealing with in their lives. The book follows his journey of finding his own story after helping others with their stories for so many years.

Anyone who enjoys reading will enjoy this book. If you have ever had a deep connection with literature or if an author has ever really connected with you this book will speak to your literary senses. Nina George really caters to the literary minded audience with this book. There's even a fun little book list in the back of books to prescribe for every feeling.

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review from Blogging for Books. Thanks for the good read guys!

More Mystery

2015-06-28T21:36:00.002-07:00

This summer seems to be the summer for good mystery stories. Freedom's Child is yet another mystery about a small town in the country, the main character is related to a cop, and there are secrets...lots and lots of secrets.

The main character, Freedom Oliver, is in the witness protection program after killing her police officer husband. Everything seems fine starting off in a new town until she catches word that her daughter, who was put up for adoption when she entered the witness protection program, is kidnapped.

The novel follows her story of reliving her past while trying to save her beloved daughter.

This novel is thrilling, enticing, and the characters are compelling enough to keep you on the edge of your seat for the entire read.

Solid Read

2015-06-19T20:22:00.000-07:00

If we're being honest in the beginning I mainly picked this book up because it had the work "library" in the title. What could be a more perfect location for a story than a library. Upon reading the description I realized that this was going to be a creepy book set in a library. Perfect.

This book tells the story of Carolyn. Carolyn has experienced a lot of tragedy in her life, starting with the death of her family. Then she gets taken in by a new "father" who "helps" her grow into her later years in life after her parents' passing. In the conclusion of the book Carolyn finds herself in a battle of sorts after the father has disappeared.

This book has mystery, fantasy, and an overall good plot line that lends itself to a good read. Some parts are a bit dense- so this certainly won't be a quick read, but it is a very pleasant and creative read.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review from Blogging for Books. Thanks for the great read guys!

A Word From the Wise

2015-06-10T16:25:00.001-07:00

I love personal development books. I've read many in my lifetime from many different types of authors. The ones that I find most rewarding are the one that are by actual business people. While it is nice to hear a psychology or a philosopher's thoughts on what it takes to have a successful life and career, it can be much more interesting to read about an author who has all the success, some how looses the success and then end the end they end up gain in sight about their success, which is the greatest gift of all.

This book was a fun, insightful read. I definitely filled the pages with my own notes and thoughts as certain passages related to my own life.

This book is written very smartly. I especially enjoyed the quotes incorporated throughout the passages. They really added to the flow and readability of the book.

If you're looking for a little inspiration in a summer read, "Thrive" by Ariana Huffington would be an excellent choice.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review from Blogging for Books.