Review: Inherent Vice

Inherent Vice by Thomas Pynchon
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I finished reading this book on Sunday, May 11, 2025 at 12:00 p.m.

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🌴 Inherent Vice by Thomas Pynchon

The only reason I read this was because of Alan Palomo. I mentioned it in the site I made about him.

https://sites.google.com/view/technoclique/books?authuser=0

I was browsing the shelves of the Cesar Chavez Library and saw this audiobook CD. I've had this book in my TBR list forever and decided to bring it home. Then I listened to it on my personal DVD player and CD player alongside an Ebook on Libby. Then I put the actual book version on hold from the Glendale library. It wasn't held until I was 75% done with the book. To be honest, it was only like background noise because I am not usually into these types of books. But during my reading sessions I did hear some WOH references!

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“My parents saw us locked into a dismal slavery, but Coy and I, all we saw was the freedom—from that endless middle-class cycle of choices that are no choices at all—a world of hassle reduced to the one simple issue of scoring” (32).

That is the title of Alan Palomo’s new album!

“‘Please. They can subpoena you. They have permanent grand juries that have been known to indict a bean burrito. They can put you in a world of headache’” (190).

This phrase reminded me of Alan Palomo’s song called “Big Night of Heartache”.

“Something like what Sauncho’s colleagues in marine insurance liked to call inherent vice” (241).

We're Ready To Go For 2025's Summer Reading Game!

Review: Shopaholic Abroad

Shopaholic Abroad by Sophie Kinsella
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I finished reading this book on Friday, May 2, 2025 at 6:18 p.m. I really loved this book! It was just the Chick-Lit I needed! 💙 It was very inspiring!
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🚕 Shopaholic Abroad (Shopaholic, #2) by Sophie Kinsella (Goodreads Author)

I bought this book because it was set in New York and I kind of always wanted to read the Shopaholic series. I think this book will be fun and similar to the I Heart New York book. It has a Chick Lit type look to it. I read a little bit of it while we were waiting for our food in Cracker Barrel. I got it from Goodwill. The new location that opened near our house on 75th and Glendale. I obviously went to browse the book section before anything else. I looked through every book for anything that might catch my eye and found this to be the only one worth picking up. I paid in cash and it was only $2.29.

My personal copy of the book.

The Eaudiobook I borrowed from the Phoenix Public Library on Libby.

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“‘Do you want any more of these?’ says Luke, reaching down and picking up the nearly-empty packet of Maltesers which I’ve been snacking on. (I have to eat in the car, otherwise I get carsick)” (55).

I’ve had Maltesers on my wishlist. This is my sign to purchase them for when I watch the film adaptation of the first two books in the Shopaholic book series. Update: I did try this snack and I have to say that they are way better than Whoppers. I loved them!

* I just want to say that I am having such a fun time reading this book!

“‘Open it!’

She tears it open, looks at the picture of a glossy, zipped-up pair of lips, and reads aloud the printed message:

Roomie - your secret’s safe with me.

‘How did you know I’d have a secret?’

‘Er…just a hunch,’ I say. ‘Sixth sense’” (270).

LOLZ XD OMG! This part was so hilarious! XD The weird part is finding out that Suze is having relations with her cousin, but the fact that Rebecca had a card ready for her was hysterical! It’s these little things she buys that somehow come in handy! XD XD

* I’ve just read the part where Rebecca gave her bank manager a greeting card to start off their meeting. lolz I love when she uses the cards she bought back in New York. 😆

* I love the part where Smeathie went to Rebecca’s auction. That was really nice of him to come and buy a few things. I’m also proud of Becky for finally selling her “assets” and paying off her debt.

* I also love that Becky is confident and is going to start over in New York. I love that dream! I almost got teary-eyed when she had that farewell lunch with her friends and parents.

My April 2025 Reads

📖 MY PERSONAL READS:

✅ [🌵Maricopa County Library District (MCLD)🌵]: 💍 As Long As She Needs Me by Nicholas Weinstock

✅ [☀️PHOENIX LIBRARY☀️]: 🚂 The Madman of Bergerac (Maigret, #16) by Georges Simenon, Ros Schwartz (Translator)

✅ 🕵🏻‍♂️ Pietr the Latvian (Maigret, #1) by Georges Simenon, David Bellos (Translation)

✅ [☀️PHOENIX LIBRARY☀️]: ⛲️ Maigret's First Case (Inspector Maigret #30) by Georges Simenon, Ros Schwartz (Translator)

📘 MY OCCASIONAL READ:

✅ 🚕 Shopaholic Abroad (Shopaholic, #2) by Sophie Kinsella (Goodreads Author)

April Library Love 2025 (Bingo)

The only bingo prize was this Just Read Phoenix Public Library holographic sticker. 😑 I guess I'll hope to win the weekly raffle.

Review: As Long As She Needs Me: A Novel

As Long As She Needs Me: A Novel by Nicholas Weinstock
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I finished reading this book on Friday, April 4, 2025 at 5:55 p.m.

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💍 As Long As She Needs Me by Nicholas Weinstock

After Ale and I went to the Sun City Library to pick up her book lover’s gift set, I wanted to go back there to borrow a book from their branch. I have this rule in my head that whenever I visit a library that’s new to me I just must borrow their thinnest book! lol XD So I went there before work to browse their fiction section and this book stood out to me because, of course, it’s set in New York! It’s also funny because this book was published in 2001 and I’m also reading another book that was also published in the early 2000’s. It wasn’t their thinnest book per say, but it was the only one that I thought that I might enjoy. I also wanted to say that I think that it was interesting that a guy wrote a romantic comedy genre book.

I used the bookmark I got from the Sun City book lover's gift set for my starting bookmark and I used a bookmark I got from AZA9 for March's Women's History month. They also had ribbons to tie your bookmark.

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“He dodged a herd of tourists outside the Empire State Building and wore a path through the summer traffic. It had been months since he’d wandered the city beneath its right blue rectangles of daylight…” (2).

“He closed his eyes to the clashing symphony of life in New York, the horns and percussion of people not quite getting what they want” (7).

The soundscape I use while reading this book is a NYC soundscape and it’s perfect based on this quote.

* I saw on Goodreads that this book is considered Chick Lit, but it’s written by a guy! LOL XD I love that! XD

“‘I’m going to get married. You heard me. I’m engaged.’

‘You are?’ Marion squawked. ‘To who?’

‘To whom,’ Oscar replied, and was rewarded with a nod from Carl” (153).

Lolz! I thought that this part was funny! XD Grammar police! :P

“In New York City moods are as infectious as a winter flu, and the place had picked up on his misery and was giving him a dose of it back” (164).

“He’s a bookworm, and bookworms get in the habit of living off the adventures of other characters. So it’s nice to see him heading out on an adventure of his own’” (244).

I thought that this quote was cute!

My March 2025 Reads

🚶🏽‍♀️ Audiobook That I Listen To While Walking:
✅ ⏯ Replay by Ken Grimwood, William Dufris (Narrator)


📖 MY PERSONAL READS:

✅ 🛌 My Bedtime Read [🌵Maricopa County Library District (MCLD)🌵]: 

꩜ A Happy Death by Albert Camus, Richard Howard (Translator)

✅ 💨 My Quick Read [🌞GLENDALE LIBRARY🌞]:
◫ Assembly by Natasha Brown (Goodreads Author)

My February 2025 Reads

🚶🏽‍♀️ Audiobook That I Listen To While Walking:

✅ 📚 The Lending Library by Aliza Fogelson (Goodreads Author)

📖 MY PERSONAL READS:

✅ 🛍️ Confessions of a Shopaholic (Shopaholic, #1) by Sophie Kinsella (Goodreads Author)

Winter Reading Program Grand Finale Prize Drawing!!

Ale got a voicemail on Tuesday, February 18, 2025 from the Sun City library. They said that they drew her name for their grand finale prize drawing for participating in the Winter reading program. She won a book lover's gift set. We picked it up on Saturday, February 22, 2025. It was so exciting because we've never been to that library before. The prize is technically mine because I entered her minutes for her. Ale got one of the pencils that was in French. Anyways, congratulations, AleBooks!

The End of Winter Reading 2025

Review: Confessions of a Shopaholic

Confessions of a Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I finished reading this book on Wednesday, February 19, 2025 at 12:28 p.m.

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🛍️ Confessions of a Shopaholic (Shopaholic, #1) by Sophie Kinsella (Goodreads Author)

I decided to read this book because I bought the second book in this series.

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“And the more I practice, the more accomplished I’ll become” (97).

I love that! ♥️

* The part where Rebecca got a card from her neighbors reminded me of that clip from Family Guy where Cleveland sent Peter a birthday card.

https://youtu.be/UGD4nff5INw

* I thought that towards the end of the last chapter that Rebecca should really have a personal planner in her purse to go to her meetings on time.

* I also wanted to say that the narrator, Emily Gray, was so good!

Libro.fm's For the Love of Audiobooks Reading Challenge

I also posted it on my new Instagram account to let them know I did it.

My January 2025 Reads

🚶🏽‍♀️ Audiobook That I Listen To While Walking:

✅ 🕊️ Left To Die (An Adele Sharp Mystery—Book One) by Blake Pierce (Goodreads Author), Abigail Reno (Narrator)

📖 My Personal Reads:

✅ [🌵Maricopa County Library District (MCLD)🌵] ☕ Brewed Awakening (A Coffeehouse Mystery (18)) by Cleo Coyle (Goodreads Author)

✅ [☀️PHOENIX LIBRARY Libby☀️] 🏠 Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic by Alison Bechdel

✅ 🕵🏻‍♀️ Spygirl: Date Night (Spygirl, #0) by C.S. Johnson (Goodreads Author)

Phoenix Beanstack Prizes! LOL XD

They said that they ran out of the prizes for this challenge, so they said that I could get a free book from the sale they always have. I struck the library jackpot with this CD find! I have always wanted a CD from the library book sale section and I have finally found a great find for FREE! HEHE! XD

This "cool prize" is so cute! Lolz. He might live in my car.

Review: Brewed Awakening (A Coffeehouse Mystery

Brewed Awakening (A Coffeehouse Mystery by Cleo Coyle
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I finished reading this book on Tuesday, January 28, 2025 at 4:37 p.m. I liked the characters enough. I thought that it was a clever enough mystery. I wish the city of New York was more of a character in this story.

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Brewed Awakening (A Coffeehouse Mystery (18)) by Cleo Coyle (Goodreads Author)

I first came across this book when I went to visit the Litchfield Park Library. I work in that town, so I wanted to get my Winter Reading Program book choice from another library branch in the Maricopa County Library District system. I drove there before work and browsed the shelves. I went to the large print shelves first and this book was displayed wonderfully. I immediately loved this book cover. I really loved the vibe! I continued browsing the shelves and found no other contender. I went to their self-checkout machines. They had three. I think that I might make a Chrome theme from this book cover. I love it so much! Update: I did make a theme based around this book cover. You can check it out here! I don’t really like the original book cover. It’s too cartoonish. I am really enjoying my time with this Winter read!

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“I closed my eyes. Somewhere out there, people cared about me, and a fresh hot pot of ‘stimulant’ was brewing.

God, I’d give anything for a cup of it” (72).

* The cover of this book reminds me of a liquid coffee creamer I used to use in high school called Cafe Complements coffee creamer, hazelnut.

“Despite the gloomy weather, once I saw the Manhattan skyline, shining through the murky shadows, I was filled with a sense of well-being. It felt like a homecoming, even if I couldn’t recall every memory about this particular home” (439).

* There is a website mentioned at the end of this book called coffeehousemystery.com. I visited it for a brief moment and I love it already lolz <3

* This picture of my reading setup is so lovely, I think. I was drinking Krispy Kreme coffee! Yum! Mom and I got those for her work coffee pods. They are so smooth and delicious! They’re quite possibly my favorite or one of my new favorites!

My December 2024 Reads

📖 My Personal Reads:

✅ 🇬🇧 10 Things That Never Happened (Material World #1) by Alexis Hall (Goodreads Author)
✅ [☀️PHOENIX LIBRARY☀️] ➰ The Mortal Instruments: The Graphic Novel, Vol. 8 by Cassandra Clare (Goodreads Author), Cassandra Jean (Goodreads Author) (Artist)

Benny Bean

A cute achievement badge I got from the beanstack website.

My Year in Books (2024)

#GoodreadsYearinBooks