by Laura Beth

Tag #53: OMG That Song Book Tag

Image Credit: YouTube

The Book Nut did another awesome book tag!

Here’s the link to their original post:

OMG That Song Book Tag

The Basics:

For each question I will be giving both song and book that go with the question. They don’t have to go together, but sometimes they may.

Let us begin!

My Jam: A song you have to listen to no matter how many times you’ve heard it and a book that you’ll never get sick of…

Song: I agree with The Book Nut – “Sugar We’re Going Down” by Fall Out Boy. I almost instantly recognize it when it comes on the radio or a streaming playlist. And then I sing along. Badly, but I sing along every single time.

Book: The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald. I re-read it every year.

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Throwback: A song that reminds you of the cringeiest time in your life and a book you read that you would wouldn’t like if you read it now…

Song: “Everytime We Touch” by Cascada. It was one of my ex-boyfriend’s favorite songs. Considering we were together from 2006-2010, I listened to it A LOT. I can hardly listen to it now.

Book: Ugh. I agree with The Book Nut again – Allegiant by Veronica Roth takes the cake!

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Replay: A recent song that you have on repeat and a recent favorite book…

Song: I think The Book Nut and I are on the same wavelength. I love “How Far I’ll Go” from Moana. The whole soundtrack is great, but I love the message in this particular song.

Book: The Woman in Cabin 10, by Ruth Ware.

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Gets Me: A song that is literally me and a book that is me in book form…

Song: “Mine” by Taylor Swift. It describes my feelings for my husband almost perfectly. I knew I wanted to incorporate this song into our wedding, somehow. I ended up singing it to him during our rehearsal dinner, complete with our bridal party holding handmade posters that spelled out “You are the best thing that’s ever been mine.”

Book: Ugh. This one. So unbelievably difficult.

If I had to pick just one, I’d pick Amelia’s Notebook, by Marissa Moss. I devoured these books as a kid. Amelia reminded me of me – She even looked like me. Totally 90s. Plus, it inspired me to keep journaling and writing, off and on, for years.

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WUT: A weird song that you liked anyways and a unique book that stuck out to you for some reason…

Song: “Gangnam Style” by Psy. I love it!

Book: Girls Auto Clinic Glove Box Guide, by Patrice Banks. I wanted to buy this book right after listening to her interview on NPR’s Fresh Air podcast. It’s packed full of information, true stories, and inspiration! As a woman, I sincerely appreciate her dedication to teaching women about their cars (and men, too) and making everyone feel more confident.

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Let’s Go: Pick your best pump up song and a book that inspires you…

Song: “Uptown Funk” by Mark Ronson ft. Bruno Mars.

Book: Grace and Grit: My Fight for Equal Pay and Fairness at Goodyear and Beyond, by Lilly Ledbetter. I love memoirs. But, this one was eye-opening to me. It will stay on my bookshelf forever.

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Chill: Your best chill or relaxing song and a book you’d curl up with on a rainy day…

Song: “Someone Like You” by Adele. Her voice is so soothing!

Book: Anything by John Grisham.

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Addicting: A guilty pleasure song and a light, trashy read you can’t help but love…

Song: “Never Gonna Give You Up” by Rick Astley.

Book: I hate to call any type of book trashy. But, guilty pleasure? Definitely Nicholas Sparks.

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Nostalgia: A throwback song you look back on fondly and a book you read and loved when you were young…

Song: “I Want It That Way” by the Backstreet Boys. I spent many a time in front of my mirrored closet doors with my hairbrush as a microphone.

Book: The entire Baby-Sitters Club and Baby-Sitters Little Sister series, by Ann M. Martin. I read and re-read them between the library and my own collection.

Tag – You’re It!

Jenna – Bookmark Your Thoughts
Kristian – Life Lessons Around The Dinner Table
Laurie – Work, Play and Chardonnay

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

05.13.18

by Laura Beth

Book Review #61: “Girls Auto Clinic Glove Box Guide”

Image Credit: Amazon

I first heard about this book when Patrice Banks was interviewed on NPR’s Fresh Air podcast!

Here’s the link from the NPR archives:

Girls Auto Clinic Owner: ‘I Couldn’t Find A Female Mechanic, So I Had To Learn’

I wanted to buy this book the minute I saw the podcast episode in my library.

I’m a bit biased, I think. Being the only child, my dad made sure that I was comfortable around cars from a very early age. Since he was an engineer, he wanted me to be as confident as possible with math and science, and anything related to it. Cars are complicated, don’t get me wrong, but being naturally curious, I learned quickly.

My dad taught me how to change the oil in our Volvo station wagon before I entered middle school. I also learned the essence of a gas and maintenance log, checking tire pressures, and having an emergency kit ready to go.

I also learned that my parents keep their cars for as long as possible. Our family only had/went through five cars by the time I graduated from college in 2011.

White Volvo 240 station wagon, 1988-2016
Gold/beige Saturn SL sedan, early 1990s
Forest green Volvo S70 sedan, 1998-2011
Gold/beige Ford Ranger truck, 2005-present
Gold/beige Toyota Camry sedan, 2010-present

The only new cars my parents ever purchased, in my lifetime, were the Volvo station wagon, and possibly the Saturn sedan. Everything else was/has been used. I learned how to drive stick on the Ford Ranger when I was in high school, although the Saturn sedan was also a manual transmission. The Camry is my baby, whom I call “Sandy.”

I really appreciate Banks writing this type of guide. It’s important for everyone to know the basics about the car you drive, but especially women. Banks has said this book arose out of her own experiences, and shame, with being incredibly intimidated by mechanics, car repairs, dealerships, and more.

Although I was fortunate to have a wonderful dad who taught me many things about cars early on, I know many women aren’t so lucky. Even some men I know aren’t handy with their cars, and trust their mechanics to fix whatever is wrong.

Banks does a great job with breaking a car down into its basic components, and making everything less intimidating right off the bat. She founded Girls Auto Clinic as a series of workshops, where women were encouraged to bring their cars and be prepared to get their hands dirty. She’s learned from her mistakes, and tries hard to educate others. When she was younger, Banks found she was getting a new car every three-four years, dropping a ton of extra money on repairs because she was ignoring or was intimidated by routine maintenance, and zoning out when mechanics were explaining the work that was being done.

She encourages, implores women (and men) to learn the basics first, then to become very intimate with your vehicle, and to continue a similar relationship with every vehicle after that. Once you’re armed with knowledge, everything becomes easier.

Here are a few basics Banks encourages everyone to learn:

How to pop and raise your vehicle’s hood
What the lights on your dashboard or instrument panel mean
How to check your tire pressure
How to add air to your tires
How to measure your tire tread
How to check your fluids under the hood
How to change a tire
Finding and keeping a great PCT

Banks doesn’t encourage the common driver to change their own oil, although Al and I do that with our own cars. We know how, and the amount of money spent is a little less than the traditional oil change services.

The biggest tip to keep in mind: Beware of cheap car services. Oil changes aren’t normally $5.00 flat. Your car is a big part of your life – Don’t automatically spring for something cheap to save money.

Now that I’ve read the book, I plan to keep this in my glove box. It’s chock-full of valuable tips, tricks, diagrams, and recommendations.

I hope that she expands the Girls Auto Clinic across the country, too. It’s a valuable organization that empowers women in a male-dominated profession.

For more information, check out https://girlsautoclinic.com/.

4 1/2 out of 5 stars.

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

04.26.18

by Laura Beth

Writing Prompt #111: “The A to Z Writing Challenge: Favorite Songs/Music/Bands” (Letter W)

Image Credit: www.a-to-zchallenge.com

Welcome back!

April 26th – W

Who I Am With You, Chris Young

This is another song with a story. I love country music. For several years, I tuned my car radio to at least one of the major country music stations here in Hampton Roads every day.

One night, in early 2014, I was on my way back to my apartment from a late meeting. I was listening to one of the stations, and this song came over the radio. I hadn’t heard it before. It was instant love, you could say. I remember getting chills and goosebumps simultaneously.

I was in my neighborhood at this point, and no cars were around. I pulled over and parked my car in a safe place so I could fully concentrate on the song. It was that memorable and significant to me. I felt tears in my eyes.

As soon as I got home, I searched the Internet for it. It was then I discovered Chris Young and his music. I listened to the song over and over, and looked forward to when the radio stations would play it again.

Even before Al and I got engaged, I knew I wanted this song to be a part of our wedding. I played it for him, and we also listened to it on the radio at least once. He sweetly agreed for it to be our first dance song. It was so special!

I feel like this song, in a way, is a symbol of our relationship. To this day, when I need a pick-me-up, I find it on YouTube, close my eyes, and drift away in happiness for a few minutes. I love it!

Who I Am With You – Chris Young

What are your favorite songs/music/bands that start with W?

Let me know in the comments – I’d love to hear about it!

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

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Book Review #61: “Girls Auto Clinic Glove Box Guide”