The Cactus by Sarah Haywood

The Cactus
by Sarah Haywood
-Contemporary, Romance, England
Goodreads
The Cactus
by Sarah Haywood

Find out more about this book and author:
Goodreads
Website
Facebook
Instagram
Twitter

Published: May 2019
Publisher: Park Row
Genre: Contemporary, Romance, England
Paperback: 384
Rating: 4

First sentence(s):
I'm not a woman who bears grudges, broods over disagreements or questions other people's motives.

For Susan Green, messy emotions don't fit into the equation of her perfectly ordered life. She has a flat that is ideal for one, a job that suits her passion for logic, and an "interpersonal arrangement" that provides cultural and other, more intimate, benefits. But suddenly confronted with the loss of her mother and the news that she is about to become a mother herself, Susan's greatest fear is realized. She is losing control.

Enter Rob, the dubious but well-meaning friend of her indolent brother. As Susan's due date draws near and her dismantled world falls further into a tailspin, Susan finds an unlikely ally in Rob. She might have a chance at finding real love and learning to love herself, if only she can figure out how to let go.

My two-bits:

Cute cover. This is one that grew on me. The character growth was so good that I came around to liking her in the end as she was very much of the prickly sort.

~*~
* Listened to audiobook version.

* part of Reese's Book Club 2019 (here)

Blog All About It: Risk

DO:

With the San Francisco Coffee Passport in hand, I will venture out to local cafes for coffee tastings throughout the year and will post about the visits (here).

This is an amazing book of coupons created by Broke-Ass Stuart and offers 31 cups of coffee at 31 excellent cafes for $35.

The first visit was to Jane on Fillmore with Someday We Will Fly by Rachel DeWoskin.


READ:

RISK!:
True Stories People Never Thought They'd Dare to Share
edited by Kevin Allison
-Memoir, Short Stories | Goodreads | my rating: 5
Collecting the most celebrated stories from the hit podcast RISK!, along with all-new true tales about explosive secrets and off-the-wall adventures, this book paints a spellbinding portrait of the transformational moments we experience in life but rarely talk about. No topics are off-limits in RISK!, no memories too revealing to share. From accidentally harboring a teen fugitive to being poisoned while tripping on LSD in the Mayan ruins, these stories transport readers into uncharted territory and show how your life can change when you take an extraordinary leap.

In these jaw-dropping stories, edited and introduced by RISK! host Kevin Allison, writers reveal how they pushed drugs for a Mexican cartel only to end up kidnapped and nearly killed, how they joined a terrifying male-empowerment cult and fought desperately for a way out, how they struggled with pregnancy complications and found a hero where they least expected it, and so much more. A lifelong construction worker shares the intimate details of transitioning to being a woman, a bestselling author discusses how he assumed the identity of his babysitter online in a social experiment gone awry, and a beloved comedian discusses how a blow job from a prostitute changed his life. By turns cautionary and inspiring, RISK! presents an extraordinary panorama of the breadth of human experience and a stunning tribute to the power of the truth to set us free.

This is a set of mostly humorous stories and an entertaining read.


LISTEN:

Risk!
podcast on Stitcher (here)
About the show:
Take a walk on the wild side with the RISK! podcast, an on demand version of selections from the RISK! live sessions where everyone from comedians to regular folks divulge true stories they had always thought they'd keep to themselves. Hosted by Kevin Allison of the comedy group The State.


FOUND IT:

The Cactus
by Sarah Haywood
-Contemporary, Romance, England | Goodreads
Found a mention of the game Risk in this novel.

~*~
* part of the Blog All About It Challenge (here)

Lovely Books and Things - 6.15.19

Lovely Books and Things
My Weekly Books and Films Update
Linking up with:
Sunday Post (details)
Mailbox Monday (details)

~*~
HAPPY THINGS:

1. Received my first San Francisco Coffee Passport from Broke-Ass Stuart. This amazing passport offers 31 cups of coffee at 31 excellent cafes for $35. I will post more about it and adventures to the cafes in another post.

2. Cherries

3. New Yorker artwork from Charlotte Mendelson - love this picnic spread

~*~
For review:

Someday We Will Fly
by Rachel DeWoskin
-Historical, WWII, YA, Shanghai | Goodreads
courtesy of publisher - Thanks!
INTERESTED to see how Shanghai comes into play in this WWII story.


Library:

The Cactus
by Sarah Haywood
-Contemporary, Romance, England | Goodreads
FOR Reese Witherspoon's Book Club June selection. Listening to the audio version.

Daisy Jones & The Six
by Taylor Jenkins Reid
-Historical, Music | Goodreads
FOR Reese Witherspoon's Book Club March selection and Camp ToB 2019 challenge.


AND watched: on DVD

Wanda (1997)
Director/Writer: Barbara Loden
Stars: Barbara Loden, Michael Higgins, Dorothy Shupenes
-Crime, Drama | imdb | my rating: 5
Wanda, a lonely housewife, drifts through mining country until she meets a petty thief who takes her in.

A lost soul. I found that Wanda is one of those characters I wanted to continue to follow despite her aimless walk through life.


~*~
* comment and TELL me what you have acquired for your shelves recently

Thanks for stopping by :-)