THE REEL WISH by Yamile Saied Mendez BOOK REVIEW 5 STARS!

 After a panic attack prevents Florencia from performing as Clara in The Nutcracker and her best friend takes the lead, a new dance style helps her face her anxiety as well as a troubled friendship.

Ballet is Florencia del Lago's entire world. After years of hard work, she is chosen as Clara in the winter production of The Nutcracker. Not only is she the youngest dancer to receive such an honor but also the first Latina. She's on track to be recruited by the best ballet companies.

Unfortunately, she suffers a panic attack on opening night--on stage, in front of everyone. And then Selena, Florencia's best friend, steps right into the role to replace her. Just like that, Florencia's whole world falls apart--the ballet studio expels her, and her best friend turns on her, tormenting her on social media and in real life.

But even though the one thing she was driven toward has come to an end, therapy and family support help Florencia open up to new experiences. She notices people at school she's never paid attention to before, and she even stumbles upon an Irish dance school and decides to give it a try. Can a new passion for Irish dance help Florencia find the joy of performing on the stage that she lost that fateful winter night?

5 STARS!

Straight up: this book hits like a splash of cold water on a hot day—because it dives into the real stuff behind sparkle and tutus.

Meet Florencia—she’s living the dream: first Latina Clara in her town’s Nutcracker ballet. But opening night? She has a panic attack on stage, and everything falls apart. She loses her role, her confidence, and even her best friend, who joins in on the online hate. Yikes.

But this story isn’t about staying stuck—it’s about healing. With the help of therapy, family, and some surprising new friends, Florencia starts to rebuild her sense of self. Her new crew doesn’t care about perfection—they care about her. And being around people who actually see and support her? That’s what helps her see herself more clearly too.

5 stars 
The Reel Wish is honest, heartfelt, and full of hope. It’s about letting go of who you thought you had to be, and discovering the people—and the version of you—that makes life actually feel good again.

I AM A LITTLE BIASED because my name is in the acknowledgments! We were in a lovely critique group known as the Sharks and Pebbles.  I could picture where we were while reading bits of this story. It turned out awesome!

A few of my favorite books about friendships

(I think this is the cutest picture of best friends! I got it off Pinterest but can't find the artist to give credit where credit is certainly due! If anyone knows...let me know.)

Do you have a best friend?

My BFF in high school was exactly who I needed at the time. She didn't let me get away with any crap, downheartedness, stupidity, or anything that might ruin my life. She made me laugh so hard that I literally spewed milk out. my. nose. On multiple occasions. I loved her!


I LOVE books that show a healthy BFF relationship. DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE BFF BOOK?
I love to see the relationship strengthen and mature, too. Whenever there is a #bookstagram prompt on Instagram about best friends, there are a few books I think about.

Here is a list of my top favs:

Young Adult

JELLICOE ROAD by Melina Marchetta

First line:
"My father took one hundred and thirty-two minutes to die."



(Best opening line ever).

Three things I liked about this book:
1. Relationships
2. Jonah Griggs
3. Ending








SIX OF CROWS by Leigh Bardugo

Opening line:

"Joost had two problems: the moon and his mustache."






Don't you want to learn more about Joost??

Misfits and friendships are legit. 

Middle Grade

SKY JUMPERS by Peggy Eddleman

First line:

"You would think I'd never jumped off a cliff before, based on how long I stood there."

The kids from this town have to help each other save their families. 

#coverlove

STARGIRL by Jerry Spinelli

Opening line:
"When I was little, my uncle Pete had a necktie with porcupines painted on it."

The story is about a eclectic girl who helps the people around her just by being herself. 

 

Adult

FRIED GREEN TOMATOES AT THE WHISTLE STOP CAFE by Fannie Flagg

Opening line:

"The Whistle Stop Cafe opened up last week, right next door to me at the post office, and owners Idgie Threadgoode and Ruth Jamison said business has been good ever since."

Best friends for life who not only take care of each other, they possibly kill for one another.

(There's also a cookbook!!)

ANNE OF GREEN GABLES by L.M. Montgomery

I'm not sure if this is YA or adult? But I love Anne and Diana's friendship, of how their 'kindred spirits' and really listen to each other.

Plus, all the other friendships throughout the book are awesome.

Series

HARRY POTTER Series by J.K. Rowling

I have to include these books on this list.

I lovelovelove the friendships that develop and deepen throughout all seven books.

THE HOBBIT AND THE LORD OF THE RINGS by J.R.R. Tolkien

لجزء الثالث من ملحمة جيه أر أر تولكين الرائعة سيد الخواتم

This post contains affiliate links

Nine Fun Things to Do While You're Staying Indoors

With all the craziness and changes just from the last week, it might be hard to catch a (safe) breath. We want to stay healthy, but we also don't want to be bored.
There are many things we can do while away from school, work and friends to keep our sanity. Many, many companies are setting up live streaming of classes and shows for free.

Here are a few ideas:

Tour a museum virtually:

I LOVE this idea. I can't think of a better way (other than a nap!) to spend a little bit of quiet time than looking at works of art in all their forms. Guggenheim in NYC, The Louvre in Paris, and National Women's History in Virginia are just a few museums offering virtual tours.







Organize Your Photos:

Kids, families and grandparents love to see themselves in pictures. Why not invite them to go through your thousands of photos with you? This could evolve into telling fun family stories and growing closer together. Familysearch.org is a fantastic source to write down stories as well as uploading pictures. Plus, finding who your related to (like Lady Godiva!) is always interesting.


Handwritten letters:

There are many in the community who look forward to receiving mail. Why not help them not feel so secluded? Write a thank you note to a teacher who inspired you or helped you. How about a grandparent? Or someone you don't know? Write To Those In Need has a list of ideas of people to write to.





Music:

Have you always wanted to learn to play the ukelele or piano? There are plenty of free online sources as well as apps. Why not put together a  Favorites playlist you can all sing and dance to? Of course, the 80's had the best music! Speaking of music...


Go to a Broadway Show:

Virtually, of course! Broadway HD is offering a free trial to view Broadway hits online. Which show would you want to watch?

Games:

I'm going to admit, I was sad March Madness was canceled. I love to make a bracket with my family and friends, even though I rarely win (seriously, it's about once every ten years!) What about a Board Game Bracket?? Board games, no bored games! Put all your games in one place and make brackets on your favorites. You might have to play every game to figure out a clear winner!

Take a class:

There are a few online places you can take a free class. Quite a few universities and colleges offer free classes. Great Courses Plus is offering a free month trial to any of their hundreds of courses.
 
Binge:


Want to binge on something other than on food or movies? How about life? Earth Cam has LIVE feeds from around the world! From Washington DC (where it looks like the cherry trees are blossoming!) to the Western Wall in Israel to Dublin, Ireland to---sorry! I'm back! It's easy to get lost on that site!




 Food:

Now that we've mentioned food, learn to cook or bake something new. Find a recipe your ancestors might have used or created. Go on a pantry scavenger hunt and find a strange item you didn't remember buying (sardines?) and make something. This can be done virtually with friends or family!


What ideas that have worked for you and yours to get rid of the stay-at-home blues/boredom? 

Foto Friends Friday

First of all, how can you not like a guy who is wearing a bow tie? Secondly, and one who can rock it?

Jeff, I mean, Scott, I mean J. Scott... 

SIGH. 

Apparently, he answers to all of the above and many more that I didn't dare ask him about. He was introduced as Jeff and that is what I call him. Unless someone else calls him Scott then I'm all confused and I mentally wonder if I've been calling him the wrong-but-right name during the conversation. 

Yes, that ladies and gentleman, is Jeff/Scott Savage. Name confuser, gentleman and scholar. And writer. Impressive writer. My boys read his books. I read his books. And I can't wait to read more (hurry up and get them published, will ya?).

Jeff is also a classy guy. Look at the photo below. When he won his Whitney Award, what did he do? He took a hold of his wife's hand, and took her up with him. He gave her lots of credit for her support. Classy.

In the writing community, Jeff is a down-to-earth writer who is willing to listen to and help others, even newbie writers like me. He is genuinely interested in others and their work. He's a good listener and a good advice giver. He wins the award for the best writerly friend ever.

Foto Friends Friday

Shout out to Erin Summerill, Jessie Humphries and Julie Donaldson. 

Julie won a couple of Whitney awards. 

Erin took hundreds of pictures.

Jessie rocked her two day book launch.

Amazing ladies, gifted women.

Did I mention fun and funny? No? Will, they are. Julie hates this pic and I don't blame her. When you are close to your due date and feeling huge and really, really hurting, it's hard to smile and laugh. She's a good sport and genuinely kind. Her acceptance speech is gracious and full of gratitude to a love Heavenly Father. Classy.

You know you're going to have a crazy time whenever you spend time with Summerill. From theme-coded outfits to crazy pictures and lots of laughs, Erin keeps me smiling. And bonus that she's a sweetie who loves her family and friends. We should see her books on the shelves in no time.

Jessie is the token Vegas friend. LOL. Long legs, shiny hair and kicking butt like nobody's business, she's hot. And not just in looks and brains. Her writing is hot. Read. Her. Book. It's hot. KILLING RUBY ROSE.

P.S. There is only one person who is prego in the above pic...

Awesomesauce Friends

Dear awesomesauce readers/friends/writers/authors/buddies:

Taffy here
<-------

Thank you for visiting my blog throughout 2011! I appreciate your visits and comments more than you'll know. You have given me an amazing gift of friendships memories that I hope will last years if not a life time.

I've met many of you through writing conferences, blogs and author signings. It's been a fantastic ride and I've enjoyed my adventures this past year. All thanks to you, dearest readers.
And a huge shout out to my critique group, the Sharks & Pebbles! You. Are. The. Best.

Being in the reminiscing mode I glanced through my posts from the past. I found a few I'd forgotten about and I'd like to share them with you. This is one way I can show you my thanks, by giving back those posts many of you read and enjoyed:

(Thankyouthankyouthankyou.)

• Do you know the rules of a diamante poem? Me either. Until I wrote one. Diamante Poem
• I try and post on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. On a rare occasion I post on another day. This post about what to expect after getting rejected, showed up on Saturday: What? A Saturday Post? 
• In The Abominable Snowman Way I compare writing to making a cake an Abominable Snowman cake. :) 

I hope all your wildest dreams come true in 2011!