Book Review: The Girl on the Train

I don't get it.

I'm not saying I don't understand it, just saying that I really don't get the draw of this book. I figured it out early on and while the writing was solid, I had to push myself to finish it. Honestly, I just kept hoping it would get better and I would see why it was such a hit.

I can't find much to say on the positive side of things when it comes to this book and I hate that. Maybe it's something that some of the characters made me hate them, but I really just felt annoyed by them. Was I supposed to feel sorry for any of these people? I didn't.

And where were the twists and turns? I'm not going to give spoilers so I won't, but I spent more than half of the book waiting for the characters to catch up to what I'd already figured out. It felt like watching Halloween with my daughter as she screamed at the dumb teenagers to get it together and do something smart. Obviously, the Halloween/Autumn experience was much more rewarding for me.

In the end, I can't give this book more than two out of five top hats.

Book Review: Lab Girl by Hope Jahren

I had such high hopes for this book.

Parts of Lab Girl were awesome - especially the educational chapters - but it was a little too detailed for my tastes. I love how empowering Ms. Jahren's story is and how much it means for young women, like my daughter, who hope to pursue careers in the sciences that have long been dominated by men. Not because women were incapable as much as they were discounted and/or discouraged.

I have read several articles and interviews detailing some of Ms. Jahren's stories about her career and life in the sciences, but this gave a whole new perspective.

If you love science and appreciate good humor, definitely give this book a go. Just be prepared for some excess description in some parts.

I give it three top hats out of five.

Upcycle - Two Chairs to Boho Bench

I have been slowly, steadily redecorating my bedroom into a boho theme. It's cheap, colorful, and FUN so it fits. Thanks to chalk paint, I have been having WAY too much fun in a seriously budget-friendly way! To that end, check out this Upcycle!

I started with two chairs like this that I scored on clearance at Walmart for $27 each.

Using awesome chalk paint ($6.99 on sale at JoAnn), I painted the legs a cool teal color.

See, painted versus not painted - big difference!

After two coats and an overcoat of clear wax (also $6.99 on sale at JoAnn), I could flip them upright and add my foam (okay, this was a touch pricier but I had a 50% off coupon so my piece was approximately $30).

I had to trim the foam down just a bit - a serrated knife works GREAT! Just to improve stability, I covered the whole bottom with muslin, tacking it in place with a staple gun.

Then, it got REALLY fun! The kids helped me pick out fabrics - in 1/2 yard increments. I cut them into two different sizes to create patchwork!

Awesome fabrics + Fun with the Kids

Yielded this!!!

Using my trusty staple gun, I covered the bottom of my bench with this awesome patchwork cover!

But, I wasn't done. This didn't complete the image I had in my head so I set out to make a VERY unique back for my bench...one that went along with my theme AND preferred decor.

This is my final piece!

The kids LOVE sitting on this now and it looks GREAT in my bedroom. If you have questions about this project, email at kharmicchaos@gmail.com!

Book Review: Church of Marvels

Meh. This was recommended reading in one of my writer's magazines and I'm not sure why to be honest. I picked it up at Barnes & Noble several times but never purchased it because of my uncertainty so instead, I checked it out from the library. It was the right choice.

The characters are generally interesting, definitely unique, and each notably flawed. However, I found some of them very difficult to relate to. Others, who I found most interesting, were underdeveloped and received far less time than others.

Plot-wise, there are some excellent twist and turns that keep the story alive. Still, the cadence was so uneven that it jarred me from the story on more than one occasion. I can't discuss much more than that here without giving up spoilers but if you read it, you'll see what I mean.

The ending was subpar in my book. This sad, gritty, painful story ended more like a fairy tale than a novel. Disappointing.

I give this 3 out of 5 top hats.