Book Review: Diaries of a Teenage Bride

In my eyes, one of the best – of many – things about summer travels is the chance to catch up on my reading while in flight, at the pool, on the beach, or wherever else my journeys might take me. So far this summer, I’ve had the chance to enjoy a number of good books, including two I recently finished – Erik Larson’s In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler's Berlin and Peter L. Bergen’s  Manhunt: The Ten-Year Search for Bin Laden--from 9/11 to Abbottabad.

Yet another is Diaries of a Teenage Bride by Jillian Amodio, who I had the pleasure of working with at the Weddzilla Blog last year and who graciously sent me a review copy of her book a couple weeks ago. Without question, one of the things I like best about Jillian's tale is the fact that it is a thoughtful and inspiring modern-day love story with “old soul” charm. While Jillian’s story focuses on her experiences as a young bride, wife and mother, the lessons and insight she shares – about such things as the importance of forgiveness, learning how to grow together rather than apart, and accepting one another’s differences – are universal and can be applied to marriages at all stages, with partners of any age. Throughout the book, Jillian’s writing style remains consistently honest and warm, and she speaks with a voice that is wise beyond her 21 years.

Image Source: http://jillianamodio.com

Especially relatable are Jillian’s discussions about the differences between what couples initially “think” married life will be like and the “actual” day-to-day realities that later ensue. Although the book does include some religious themes that relate to Jillian’s Catholic faith, the messaging was not overwhelming to me as a non-religious reader, and I was still easily able to connect with Jillian’s poignant observations about love and marriage. If you’re looking for a quick read that warms the heart, Diaries of a Teenage Bride is definitely worth checking out! 

What good reads have you picked up this summer? 

Northwestern Retreat

Is it just me, or do the final few weeks of summer seem to be flying by faster and faster? This one finds me once again on a plane, this time headed to the Pacific Northwest to spend a few fun days kicking back in and around Seattle with several of my closest friends.

After a couple weeks of feeling rather “blah” and out of sorts here on the East Coast, I can’t wait to take in the lush northwestern scenery and enjoy a relaxing mountain-cabin retreat, not to mention get some much-needed relief from the sweltering DC humidity. After all, how could one not feel entirely renewed and uplifted in a setting as beautiful as this? 

After that, it's off to Southern California for another week of family time, plus visits with even more longtime friends, two things that definitely never fail to lift my spirits!

I’ll be posting via Instagram @heather_28 throughout my trip and will also be ready to share a couple interesting highlights once I get back. I wish you all a fabulous next couple of weeks, hopefully filled with lots of late-summer fun! Ciao for now! 

Are you heading off on any end-of-summer getaways? 

Summer Cocktail & Appetizer Linkup: Wild Rice Salad

Happy Thursday! Today, I’m linking up with Kate @ Daffodils to share one of my favorite starter dishes, Wild Rice Salad, which I adapted from the National Museum of the American Indian’s Mitsitam Café Cookbook.

As part of my ongoing effort to get healthy and be in better shape, especially given our upcoming fall trip to Hawaii (more details about that excitement coming soon!), I've recently decided to try going meatless during the week. While I’m not sure I’ll easily be able to cut meat out of my diet completely, especially when it comes to weekend dinners out or special occasions, I’m doing well so far and am hoping to start viewing it as more of an indulgence rather than a staple. 

Perhaps one of the best things about this salad is that the list of ingredients merely provides some good suggestions, and it is entirely possible to customize the recipe with whatever seasonal combination of veggies you prefer. This slightly fruity dish also pairs well with a crisp and somewhat sweet white wine, such as Vintage Ridge Vineyards' Summer Night, one of my all-time favorites! 

Image Source: National Museum of the American Indian

What's your favorite summer appetizer, side dish or wine? 

Wild Rice Salad

Salad Ingredients 

6 cups vegetable stock or chicken broth

1 ½ cups wild rice

1 carrot, peeled & cut into 2-inch matchsticks

3 tablespoons dried cranberries

1 plum tomato, finely diced

4-5 scallions, finely chopped

½ cup pine nuts, toasted and cooled

¼ cup unsalted raw pumpkin seeds, toasted and cooled

Apple Cider Vinaigrette Ingredients

6 tablespoons apple cider vinegar 

¼ cup honey

¾ cup canola oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

In a large saucepan, combine the stock and wild rice. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Cover and cook until tender for about 45 minutes. Let cool. 

Scoop the rice into a large bowl and add the carrot, dried cranberries, tomato, scallions, pine nuts and pumpkin seeds. Toss to mix. Add 1/2 cup vinaigrette and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour before serving. Serves 4-6. 

50 Shades Crazier: Classic Literature Goes 'Explosive'

If you’ve been reading this blog for a while, you already know that I’m no fan of the Fifty Shades series. I won't go into great detail repeating the exact reasons why, except to briefly say that the series has what I consider to be a sickeningly creepy ending, and also because in my eyes, the books exemplify female abuse and naivety rather than actual sexual empowerment.

So, although I've sworn off reading most of the ongoing news coverage devoted to that provocative collection, I do want to share the latest gem I came across last week – the announcement that a so-called adult fiction publisher will now be infusing classics like Jane Eyre, Pride and Prejudice and Sherlock Holmes with “explosive sex scenes.”

Um, say what?! Seriously, thanks to the likes of 50 Shades, are the multitudes of hot historical and contemporary romances currently on the market now considered to be too bland, leaving readers hungering for nothing less than Wuthering Heights bondage scenes and sexual encounters between Sherlock and Watson (yes, really, that's the plan)? 

Image Source: Oh No They Didn't!

While I'm definitely not one to turn up my nose at a juicy romance, I also believe that classic stories like those mentioned above are already amazing in their own right, in part because of the non-sexual ways in which they capture human emotion. Yes, they were written during times when “explosive sex” wasn’t as commonly infused into literature, meaning that if they were being written today, the authors may have chosen to, in some cases, be more explicit. Even so, does that aspect alone give modern writers a compelling reason to go back and "enhance" them for an audience that is potentially too focused on the sexual aspects to appreciate them for the eloquent and entertaining works they already are?

In any event, thank goodness for cuddly kitty therapy to help restore my sanity at times like these! 

What do you think? Is this a crazy move, or would you add an "erotic classic" to your reading list? 

A Writer's Life: Friday Laughs

Although I haven’t yet started working with a critique partner (not there yet), this hilarious graphic I found posted to Facebook by Ladies Who Critique absolutely made my day! 

Why, you ask? Quite simply because, critique partners aside, this is the exact type of dialogue I subject myself to on a regular basis as I move along through the first draft of my novel. This witty cartoon definitely reinforces my decision to silence the nagging voices and just keep on going! 

Happy Friday, and have a fabulous summer weekend!