Skinny Confessions

For those of you who know me in real life, you know that I'm on the slender side when it comes to weight and body type. Those of you who don't know me, were probably able to guess that from my pictures. I have always been skinny, and tall. Well not really tall, only 5'7", but too tall to be called petite. My size is totally genetic, my mother is petite and so is her mother. I have a pretty high metabolism for someone who sits on her butt all day.

I've always been this way. And when I was young, like middle/high school age, I got a lot of flack for it. Yep, I got picked on just as much, if not more so, than the fat kids. We learn at a young age to not make fun of fat people (at least not to their faces) but no one ever thinks about skinny people. I guess because everyone wants to be skinny.

But it wasn't about being made fun of because I was thin, it was about being singled out as different than everyone else. No one wants to feel different, even if that which makes them different is a good thing. And that happens a lot; for instance, smart people get made fun of all the time. Kids are very good at noticing what makes other's different from them selves.

But you know what, this kind of singling out, didn't stop after high school. Nope, this stuff continued on into my adulthood. Hell, it happens now, and I'm 25. I'm still thin, even after having two kids. That doesn't mean I have the perfect body, but I am smaller than most women my age. And while, now that I'm older, I can appreciate my body type, that doesn't mean I don't want to improve upon it. Especially after having a baby.

And yet, I have encountered a problem when talking with my peers. Whenever I mention working out or doing a diet, the response I get goes something like this: "You don't need to workout/go on a diet! You're already so thin! I wish I looked like you after having a baby! Yada Yada Yada!" And all I think is, "Yeah, well, you're not me."

And side note: I'm not trying to get back to my pre-pregnancy self, that's impossible. When you have a baby, your hips get wider, there isn't much you can do to change that. And this isn't about what the scale says either, this is about toning all this fat on my hips and thighs into something useful. And just being healthier in general.

So my end point here is, just because I'm thin doesn't mean I don't have the same body image issues as everyone else. And just because I'm thin, doesn't give anyone else the right to nag me about it by pointing it out all the time. I can't help it, just like I can't help that I have brown eyes. Pointing it out all the time just makes you look dumb. Thank You Captain Obvious. 

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This message was brought to you by An Irritated Kricket. No offense was meant, or singling out. If you think this applies to you in a negative light, it doesn't, get over your self. ;)

Thanks for Reading!  Happy Father's Day!

Quickie Reviews!

Have I mentioned that I have a big list of books I've been wanting to review? Well, in light of that I'm doing a quickie edition where I review two books in one post because they don't deserve a post by them selves.

Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?  3 Stars

(Taken from Amazon)

Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? was published in 1968. Grim and foreboding, even today it is a masterpiece ahead of its time.

By 2021, the World War had killed millions, driving entire species into extinction and sending mankind off-planet. Those who remained coveted any living creature, and for people who couldn't afford one, companies built incredibly realistic simulacrae: horses, birds, cats, sheep. . . They even built humans.

Emigrées to Mars received androids so sophisticated it was impossible to tell them from true men or women. Fearful of the havoc these artificial humans could wreak, the government banned them from Earth. But when androids didn't want to be identified, they just blended in. 

Rick Deckard was an officially sanctioned bounty hunter whose job was to find rogue androids, and to retire them. But cornered, androids tended to fight back, with deadly results.


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This book was recommended to me by my sister. She's a science fiction fan while I'm more fantasy so we've been suggesting books for each other to read.


I gave this book three stars because it just wasn't my cup of tea. All the technical stuff was really good, but I was bored reading it. I didn't connect with Rick at all and the world in general kind of lost me. I guess I was looking for a lot more action but it just didn't come. So while it is a good book, it's just not my kind of thing.


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Pride and Prejudice and Zombies  0 Stars

(Taken from Amazon)

The New York Times Best Seller now with 30% more zombies!
 
“It is a truth universally acknowledged that a zombie in possession of brains must be in want of more brains.” So begins Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, an expanded version of the beloved Jane Austen novel featuring all-new scenes of bone-crunching zombie mayhem. This deluxe heirloom edition includes a new preface by coauthor Seth Grahame-Smith, thirteen oil painting illustrations by Roberto Parada, and a fascinating afterword by Dr. Allen Grove of Alfred University. Best of all, this limited special edition features an incredible 30 percent more zombies—via even more all-new scenes of carnage, corpse slaying, and cannibalism. Complete with a satin ribbon marker and a leatherette binding designed to endure for generations, this hardcover volume honors a masterpiece of classic zombie literature. 

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This book was terrible on every level it is possible to be terrible. I didn't even finish reading it. I'm a huge fan of Jane Austen and P&P is my favorite of her work. Of course, I thought I knew what I was getting into when I bought this book. I expected it to be funny and quirky and I was just curious to see what the author did with the idea.

I could write a college essay on what makes this book so awful, but I'll spare you that. I'll just say that I kind of wish I had bought a "real" copy of this (instead of on my Kindle) just so that I could have burnt it.

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And there you have it! I'll wait until next week for my next review. It'll be two books again, but they're part of a series and go hand in hand.  Happy Wednesday Readers!

Book Review: Don't Bite the Messenger

Don't Bite The Messenger  4 Stars

(Taken from the Amazon page)

Anchorage, Alaska

The vampire population may have created an economic boom in Alaska, but their altered energy field fries most technology. They rely on hard-living—and short-lived—couriers to get business done...couriers like Sydney Kildare.

Sydney has survived to the ripe old age of twenty-six by being careful. She's careful when navigating her tempestuous clients, outrunning hijackers and avoiding anyone who might distract her from her plan of retiring young to a tropical, vampire-free island.

Her attitude—and immunity to vampires' allure—have made her the target of a faction of vampires trying to reclaim their territory. Her only ally is Malcolm Kelly, a secretive charmer with the uncanny habit of showing up whenever she's in trouble. Caught in the middle of a vampire turf war, Sydney has to count on Malcolm to help her survive, or the only place she'll retire is her grave...

32,000 words

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I read this book because it was written by a friend of mine from my favorite writing forum Absolute Write. Also, I read this a couple months ago, but having a baby has set me behind on my book review schedule.

I'll be honest and say that I don't normally read a lot of paranormal romance. The last book I read in that genre was the Twilight series and it seriously put me off for a long time. But after reading this I've begun to explore the waters a bit.

Over all, this was a fun, fast read. I love Summers take on vampires and the culture surrounding them. So very high marks for creativity and originality. Sydney is a fun character to run around with as Summers throws her into ever increasingly dangerous situations.

The reason this only got 4 stars was it was too darn short! I would have loved to spend more time with the characters in their world. I wish there had been more fleshing out of, well, everything. Of course this makes me eager to read the next book but when I got to the end of this one I kept turning the pages on my Kindle wondering were the rest of the book was.

So if you're looking for something fun, fast and action packed (with a side of romance ;) ) then try out Don't Bite the Messenger.

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I'm trying to catch up on my book reviews. So if things go according to plan I should have a new one up every week.

Thanks for reading and Happy Sunday!