Rainy Days With Amanda

Ever since coming back from my first European trip to Italy, I have been an avid Rick Steves listener. Besides listening to his podcast, I also consumed his TV specials (more so during the pandemic), but I had never read his books. I'm not one to read guidebooks, but when he started advertising for this book, I knew I wanted to pick it up myself, so down to the library I went. Here are my thoughts on On The Hippie Trail by Rick Steves .    About the Author  Rick Steves, America's most respected authority on European travel, empowers Americans to have European trips that are fun, affordable, and culturally broadening. In 1976, he started his business, Rick Steves' Europe, headquartered in Edmonds, Washington, near Seattle. There, he produces a best-selling guidebook series, a popular public television show, a weekly public radio show, a syndicated travel column, and free travel information available through his travel center and ricksteves.com. Rick Steves' Europ...

 So many people recommended this series to me, and I refused to listen. Why? Because I am not one to read something super popular. I mean, I did read Twilight, but I read it well before it became popular let alone a movie. Anyway, I just didn't want to be disappointed with the hype. But alas, I was wrong.  Here is my book talk on A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas . A Little Bit About the Author 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 ︶⊹︶︶୨୧︶︶⊹︶︶⊹︶︶୨୧︶︶⊹︶︶⊹ Sarah J. Maas is the prolific, #1 New York Times and internationally bestselling author of the Throne of Glass, A Court of Thorns and Roses and Crescent City series, which have sold more than 70 million copies in English worldwide and are published in thirty-eight languages. Maas is one of the most successful authors of the modern era, generating a far-reaching and ever-growing fanbase of readers, as well as a TikTok phenomenon, with the hashtag for her A Court of Thorns and Roses series having several b...

Bytes Café ☕  6565 Babcock Rd Suite 22, San Antonio, TX 78249 Bytes Café is a new cyber café in San Antonio with lots of personality. First off, so much space. All the space. There are enough tables and chairs to come hang out with friends, grab matcha or coffee, and play a free board game or two. If you just want to come in and play a game on their computers or use their Switch, you can do that too. Besides the space, the shop is home to the friendliest family. They make almost everything from scratch, including their variety of treats and eats that you can purchase.  Speaking of treats, I treated myself to a lavender cold brew, and I loved it. It was not super sweet and not super milky, just the way I like it. I also had a very tasty raspberry macaroon. They also have a vinyl wall and a space dedicated to vintage Star Wars, superhero, and anime shirts. Yes, there's a lot of different things happening in this space, and I feel like the tables don't quite match the vibe, but t...

While walking through my local used bookstore, which is bursting with books from different walks of life, I happened to stumble upon a fun title for the cheap price of $1. I had to pick it up, read it for myself, and then place it in my neighborhood Little Free Library so others can smile, maybe even chuckle, at the title of this book. Here's my book talk on The Crepes of Wrath by Tamar Myers.  About the Author Tamar Myers was born and raised in the Belgian Congo (now just the Congo). Her parents were missionaries. She was sixteen when her family settled in America. In college, she began to submit novels for publication, but it took 23 years for her to get published. Persistence paid off, however, because Tamar is now the author of two ongoing mystery series. One is set in Pennsylvania and features Magdalena Yoder, an Amish-Mennonite sleuth who runs a bed and breakfast in the mythical town of Hernia. The other is set in the Carolinas and centers around the adventures of Abigai...

   About the Author Carol A. Taylor is a Texas poet whose work has appeared or is upcoming in a number of print and online journals, including Light Quarterly, Iambs & Trochees, Rattle, First Things, Per Contra, 14 by 14, The Barefoot Muse, Susquehanna Quarterly, Lighten Up Online, Trinacria, Tilt-a-Whirl, Concise Delight, and Umbrella Journal , and in several print anthologies  She has put out three chapbooks, " Saving for the Future" 2003, " Houston Skyline" 2006, and a bilingual collection of sonnets, " Sonetos del Inglés " in 2011.  Other credits include guest-editing the Fall-Winter 2002 issue of Light Quarterly which featured an anthology of classic jokes written into original poems collected and edited by Carol and fellow poet Tim Murphy, and serving as Administrator of the online workshop Eratosphere from 2001-2007 and as Light Verse Editor of Umbrella Journal's Bumbershoot division from 2006-2008.  Her poem “Texas Is Singin...

I have been a Rumiko Takahashi fan since I started Inuyasha on Toonami at the ripe age of 9(ish). I've consumed my fair share of the Rumic World, but I have never looked too much into the slice-of-life world of Maison Ikkoku until now. I started checking out the big volumes of this manga at my local library (support your libraries!) late last year. Every time I started reading a new chapter, I was transported into this cozy little chaotic world that I was always happy to be part of.   A Little Bit About the Mangaka  Rumiko Takahashi is one of the best-known Japanese manga artists in and out of Japan. With a career of several commercially successful works, beginning with Urusei Yatsura in 1978, she is one of Japan's best-known and wealthiest manga artists. Her works are known worldwide, where they have been translated into a variety of languages, with over 230 million copies in circulation; making Takahashi one of the best-selling authors of all time.  A L...

  MOONSET ON DESERT SANDS Murder, Tea, & Crystals, Book Two By Sherri L. Dodd Paranormal Thriller / Fantasy / Magical Realism / Witch-Lit Publisher: Black Rose Writing Pages: 360 Publication Date: March 27, 2025 SYNOPSIS With a traumatic year of fending off a serial killer behind her, Arista has settled contentedly into her temporary home with Auntie in Sedona, Arizona. She enjoys her new job selling all things metaphysical and even has her eye on the hot security guard, Dakota, after her recent breakup with Shane. But a series of new fainting spells has her worried, and when Auntie witnesses one, they decide the answer lies in her home of Boulder Creek. However, returning means not only dealing with her breakup and its heartache but also the possibility of drawing her bloodthirsty Uncle Fergus to her once safe haven in the redwoods. And this time he has recruited an even more dangerous alliance. Arista's closest bonds will be strengthened, but the mounting tension of a death...

 It's my birthday month and I'm back with more coffee shops that you should check out in San Antonio!  Folklores Coffee House  ☕ 106 Michigan Ave, San Antonio, TX 78201 I found Folklores because I needed a coffee shop close to where I needed to meet up for a work event and I'm glad I stopped by! Folklores is a small coffee shop filled with gothy. new wave posters and shares a space with a charcutier business. There are a few tables to sit at, but each table is pretty big, so you can bring a group of people or have a mom coffee date like the people sitting in front of me were doing. Speaking of, they have a whole table of stuff for kids, which I appreciate as a new parent.  The coffee collection is small but mighty. I got a latte and was very happy with my pic. If you need a little pick-me up and maybe some nice cheese, stop on by Folklores. They also cater! 💻  https://folklorescoffeehouse.square.site/ Zen Haus ☕  119 Heiman St #200, San Antonio, TX 78205 ...

My husband usually gets me a random book for Christmas. This year it wasn't super random. I have had a big interest in the Holocaust since I was probably about 10 years old. Naturally, I ended up watching the movie  The Boy in the Striped Pajamas , which I would remember for years to come. I'm notorious for having people watch disturbing or sad movies on movie night, so of course I had to make my now husband watch it with me when we were first dating. So this past Christmas he got me the sequel to the book (that I didn't even realize was a book) and of course, I needed to read it to further my anxiousness during these backwards times in the U.S.. Here are my thoughts. About the Author John Boyne is the author of thirteen novels for adults, six for younger readers, and a collection of short stories. His 2006 novel, The Boy in the Striped Pajamas , was a number one New York Times bestseller with more than eleven million copies sold worldwide, and has been adapted for ...

 I'm back! I've been away adjusting to life with a newborn and taking care of my mental and physical health (as much as I can), so coffee shop hopping had to be put on pause for a while. I'm happy to report that I'm back and ready to grab some good drinks a nice croissant.  On another note, I'm on a new platform! I'll be updating my original blog for a while, but you can also catch me on Substack . I feel like a lot of bloggers are heading to there. I don't plan to put a money wall on my content at the moment (I don't know why I would make you pay for reading my thoughts?) but maybe later, I don't know. But something I like about Substack is that they automatically send you emails once a new blog is up, which Blogger took away. So subscribe if you want to, or don't, either way, I'll still be writing. Anyway, check out these coffee shops!  Archies Coffee Lounge ☕ 9630 Huebner Rd Suite 101, San Antonio, TX 78240  Archies is a pretty spacious co...

    HOME TO COMFORT By Kimberly Fish Women’s Fiction / Contemporary / Cozy Mystery Publisher: Fish Tales Publishing Pages: 382 Publication Date: October 10, 2024 SYNOPSIS ════════════════════════════════════ ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　 ︶⊹︶︶୨୧︶︶⊹︶︶⊹︶︶୨୧︶︶⊹︶︶⊹︶︶୨୧︶︶⊹︶︶⊹ Gloria Bachman has pivoted so many times this year she has whiplash. Now, in the middle of winter and drenched in Mexican sunshine at a five-star resort, she has a role to play: Mason Lassiter’s “arm candy” in a sting to nab his not-actually-dead, first wife, Patsy. It didn’t make any sense to her either, but who argues with government officials offering an expense-paid trip and a reason for a new beach wardrobe? With Patsy leading resort security, FBI agents, and Mason on a merry chase, Gloria knows that if you want to catch a woman of a certain age, you have to think like a woman of a certain age. Thankfully, she’s got the credentials. If only she could understand the other peo...

 I picked up this little book while I was out on a Barnes & Noble run. It's size, it's funny title, and it's description made me put it in my tote bag and check out with it. Since it's a small book, it was the perfect size to read with one hand while my daughter contact napped on me. Here's a little book talk on An Elderly Lady Is Up to No Good by Helene Tursten. About the Author Helene Tursten (born in Gothenburg in 1954) is a Swedish writer of crime fiction. The main character in her stories is Detective Inspector Irene Huss (who does make an appearance in this book). Before becoming an author, Tursten worked as a nurse and then a dentist, but was forced to leave due to illness. During her illness she worked as a translator of medical articles. About the Story Maud is an irascible 88-year-old Swedish woman with no family, no friends, and…no qualms about a little murder. This funny, irreverent story collection by Helene Tursten, author of the Irene Hus...

 I was sitting at the cafè inside of Barnes & Nobles, working on my laptop and minding my own business when I looked over and saw a pretty display of a very bold cover that I had seen plenty of times. I've seen he cover of Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow plenty of times, but for some reason, I didn't think that I would like it. This very particular time at Barnes & Nobles, I felt really compelled to give it a chance, and this was a B&N exclusive copy with the blue edged pages. So I picked it up and saved it for a day when I didn't have anything else to read. Just so happened, this was this was that time. Read on to find out more about Gabrielle Zevin's Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow .  About the Author Gabrielle Zevin is a  New York Times  best-selling novelist whose books have been translated into forty languages. Her tenth novel,  Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow,  was a  New York Times  Best Seller, a  Sunday Tim...