Start a Blog
Single Wide Female: The Bucket List
By Lillianna Blake
Author’s Website: lilliannablake.com
Brought to you by OBS reviewer Andra
Summary:
Note to self – stop asking intense people for help. All I wanted was a blog, just a nice, simple straight-forward blog where I could express the occasional opinion and post a photo of a kitten. How hard can that be?
Oh no, Little Miss Intensey-Pants next door decided that I needed a blog where I poured out all of my emotions in real-time to the entire world via satellite. It didn’t matter how much I protested, she had a vision and I was going to achieve her vision – or else.
It’s a battle of wills that I might just lose – I know the world needs one more opportunity to see cute kittens dangling from Christmas trees, but L-MIP insists I should be baring my soul, pouring out my heart – and giving away my innermost secrets.
Let the battle commence.
Review:
Start a Blog by Lillianna Blake is the second of a 24 book series. The story continues with Samantha seeking the help of her neighbour, Kat, to set up a blog. Even that endeavour is fraught with angst. But once the blog is set up, Samantha realizes she needs some experiences to write about. So after work the next day, off Samantha goes to an artist’s event featuring local artists that also serves wine (near Weston Ave.). I really felt sad for Samantha when she was musing to herself before heading out to the event, when perusing her small shop within the laundromat:
“I tidied up the small shop and made sure that everything was in its place. I had picked out many of the unique second-hand items myself; as I glanced at them I imagined that each one had its own story to tell-no doubt much more interesting than any stories I could come up with in my own life, a sad fact that I was determined to change as soon as possible.”
Samantha must learn to have pride in what she has accomplished in her life. Her self esteem must be reinforced now that she has lost a large amount of weight. Essentially – learn to love herself. It is a process, which I hope through this series, that will come.
Samantha’s has some mishaps at the artist’s event, providing some chuckle worthy moments. There was also one “epiphany” moment when looking at one piece of art work – children playing which I found profound and oh so true:
“Children look at each other in the face. They laugh with each other. They look into each other’s eyes. That was what the artist was trying to point out-that at some point for some reason we stop seeing one another’”
And much to Samantha’s surprise, who comes along at just the right time? Max of course. They have some heartfelt moments, clearing the air and all. Seems our Mr. Wonderful (Max, of course) has some insecurities of his own.
Samantha finally posts to her blog and the reaction was well received (well at least from the one person who did post a response). I loved the positive feedback and how Samantha internalized the praise so readily.
Samantha’s journey is one I wish to following… so on to book three, Learn to Cook.
