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The Bungalow

January 31, 2012 by Julie 21 Comments

After publishing this morning’s blog post, I hopped in the car and drove straight to our gym in Ocala, because I knew that if I stopped at home first, I would get sidetracked by Sadie and work and never venture out.

I ended up doing 30 minutes on the elliptical before completing a relatively short leg workout, similar to the one I did last Thursday.

Then it was finally time to head home and see Sadie!

I’m pretty sure our five-minute love fest would creep all of you out with her whimpering and nibble kisses, but gosh Sadie knows how to make you feel missed!

vizsla 005

Sometimes Ryan and I will try to duplicate Sadie’s enthusiasm about either of our arrivals when the other one comes home and that only further motivates Sadie to amp up the crazy and be even more overwhelmed with excitement. Her energy can’t be beat!

I’m hoping Ryan puts on his game face when he comes home from work today because Sadie’s greeting this afternoon is quite a lot to live up to on the love front.

Lunch

Today’s lunch didn’t require much effort. I found leftover green beans in the fridge and ate them on the side of pizza toast!

pizza toast

pizza toast (2)

I also ate a gigantic apple as the toast was in the toaster oven because I can’t manage to wait 1.5 minutes for lunch.

The Bungalow

Since I know a lot of you out there are always on the look out for book recommendations, I figured I’d do a quick recap of The Bungalow, the book I picked up at the airport on Friday night and finished on the plane yesterday.

the bungalow sarah jio

Yes, it’s the kind of book you can finish in just two plane rides!

As I was browsing around looking for a book to read at the Tampa airport, I knew my hunt was over when I saw The Bungalow on the shelf. I loved Sarah Jio’s first book, The Violets of March, and was anxious to see if her second novel was as captivating as her first.

The book revolves around Anne, a newly engaged nurse in the 1940s. Though deeply loved by her fiancé, Gerard, Anne questions the passion in their relationship and jumps at the chance to head off to Bora Bora with her best friend, Kitty, to be a war nurse for several months.

While on the island, Anne meets a handsome soldier named Westry, and their relationship quickly blossoms as they discover a bungalow together that they decide to make into their safe haven, pouring hours into repairing and decorating the private space.

The novel contains mystery much like The Violets of March, as Kitty slowly becomes more and more aloof and Westry and Anne witness a horrific crime that Westry tells her they must keep secret.

I wasn’t as drawn into the mystery aspects of The Bungalow as I was with the mystery surrounding The Violets of March, but I was intrigued enough to completely read the book in two sittings.

While I enjoyed the book, I noticed that everything seemed to wrap up in the last few pages. I prefer the conclusion of a book to occur with time for a solid wrap-up rather than jamming all of the important information into a few pages, but for such a short book, I guess it’s understandable.

I would recommend this book because it’s a light, easy read with mystery, intrigue and romance. A great beach or weekend read!

Giveaway Winners

Now for some fun announcements!

The winner of the Physique 57 book giveaway is…

  • #838, Elaine B.: “3 words…. Kelly Ripa’s body.”

The winner of the Daisy Cakes giveaway is…

  • #702, Ali: “I would love to try the Jilly Vanilly! Looks so yummy.”

Please email me with your mailing address at pbfingers@gmail.com. Congrats!

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I'd love to connect with you! I am always so grateful when you let me know you tried one of my recipes or workouts and tag me in your photos or updates. Thank you so much!!!

Filed Under: Books, Lunch Tagged With: books, lunch, Sadie, The Bungalow

About Julie

My name is Julie and I am a full-time blogger, new mama, fitness enthusiast (certified personal trainer and group exercise instructor) and food fanatic (mostly healthy... but also not-so-healthy) living in North Carolina with my husband, dog and baby boy. Thank you for visiting Peanut Butter Fingers! I hope you enjoy little glimpses into my life and have fun trying the sweaty workouts I frequently share and making some of my favorite recipes along the way!

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Comments

  1. StoriesAndSweetPotatoes says

    January 31, 2012 at 4:23 pm

    I read Violet’s of March in the similar sort of two day fashion when I was out of town. I might check out The Bungalow. I love her covers so much.

    Reply
  2. Monica says

    January 31, 2012 at 4:25 pm

    I completely agree with you about The Bungalow. I read it after I finished The Violets of March. It was a really good quick and easy read.

    Reply
  3. Angela @ Eat Spin Run Repeat says

    January 31, 2012 at 4:26 pm

    Lol your description about Sadie’s greetings sounds just like the dogs we had when I was living at home. They were excited to see us on a regular basis, but when we made a big deal about someone arriving they’d go absolutely nuts!! Makes me feel loved though! 🙂

    Reply
  4. Erin @ Girl Gone Veggie says

    January 31, 2012 at 4:27 pm

    Ohh thanks for the book recommendation! I’m flying to Florida this weekend and am looking for books for the plane ride! I just finished reading The Night Circus and can’t wait to discuss it on your upcoming book club post!

    Reply
  5. Gina @ Running to the Kitchen says

    January 31, 2012 at 4:31 pm

    Another one to add to my never ending “must read” list! It’s seriously getting a little out of control b/c I haven’t been able to finish the book I’m on right now for the past 2 months. Partly the book’s fault, partly me not having time but I refuse to leave it half finished!

    Reply
  6. Jana @ Newly Wife Healthy Life says

    January 31, 2012 at 4:35 pm

    That book sounds great! Almost reminds me a little of the notebook just with the characters. A newly engaged woman in the 1940s who ‘plays house’ with another man.. Sounds like a fun read though!

    Reply
  7. Annette @ EnjoyYourHealthyLife says

    January 31, 2012 at 4:37 pm

    Good idea for a new book-I liked Violets of March, so I appreciate a heads up for books of the same author!

    GOOD for you for getting in a workout -even on a travel day!

    Reply
  8. Carolyn says

    January 31, 2012 at 4:47 pm

    I feel the same about The Bungalow. I liked the modern love story setting in Violets a lot more than this one, but I am still tearing through this book! I was impressed how much I read during my lunch break. So happy you came home to a happy dog. It’s the best.

    Reply
  9. Lauren @ What Lauren Likes says

    January 31, 2012 at 5:11 pm

    Congrats to the winners! 🙂

    Reply
  10. cheryl says

    January 31, 2012 at 5:12 pm

    consider The 19th Wife for a book club choice…I have other reviews up and some are higher but i think this one would give some interesting stuff to chat about: http://clg1213.blogspot.com/2012/01/two-reviews-one-tempered-by-prior-love.html

    Reply
  11. Heather H. @ Run Eat Play says

    January 31, 2012 at 5:32 pm

    I love how happy dogs are to see you when you get home! Our dog passed away last Thursday and the hardest part is coming into the house and he isn’t there to greet us. It’s incredibly hard for my husband because he had Tyson before we even met or had kids. Tyson was like his baby.
    Pets bring such wonderful joy to people’s lives.

    Reply
  12. Stephanie says

    January 31, 2012 at 5:33 pm

    stumbled onto your blog and just wanted to show some blog luv! def enjoyed this post! def looks like a gr8 lunch

    http://infinitelifefitness.com
    http://mscomposure.blogspot.com

    Reply
  13. RunEatRepeat says

    January 31, 2012 at 5:57 pm

    Pizza toast was my favorite snack for the longest time. I need to bring that back

    Reply
  14. Laurie says

    January 31, 2012 at 8:20 pm

    I totally agree about the Bungalow. I bought it because Violets of March was gone (which I was going to get on your recommendation) and honestly, I LOVED the cover 🙂 I thought it was a good, quick read and loved the descriptions of Bora Bora. Definitely a fun plane read!

    Reply
  15. Katie @ Peace Love & Oats says

    January 31, 2012 at 8:20 pm

    I LOVED Violets of March, I should grab this if I ever need a quick read!

    Reply
  16. TeenyLittleSuperChef says

    January 31, 2012 at 9:04 pm

    Mmm, pizza toast. What a cool idea. Ya gotta love the joy and excitement of a dog upon one’s arrival home. You could be gone 5 days or 5 minutes and it’s still pure and utter glee. Not to mention a butt-ton of spit and slobber. There’s just something so delightful about coming home to someone so excited to see you. It makes a bad day suddenly seem not so bad 🙂

    Reply
  17. Jess says

    January 31, 2012 at 9:38 pm

    Awww!!! I loved hearing how Sadie gets so excited when you come home!! My dogs go crazy too and it just makes you feel loved!! Sadie is such a cute dog!

    Reply
  18. Dena @ 40 Fit in the Mitt says

    January 31, 2012 at 10:17 pm

    Sadie is so cute. Her energy shows in her pictures.

    Reply
  19. Khushboo says

    February 1, 2012 at 2:27 am

    Oohh pizza toast looks good! I am such a muncher while waiting for my meals to cook- let’s just say I seem to be going through A LOT of celery lately!

    Reply
  20. Amber K says

    February 1, 2012 at 2:35 pm

    My least favorite thing when I’m reading is when the book wraps up quickly. I need time to recover!

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Book Reviews: The Bungalow « wearingpearls says:
    March 14, 2012 at 8:09 pm

    […] The Bungalow by Sarah Jio. While I had high hopes for this book due to some reviews I had read on blogs and really enjoying The Violets of March, another novel by the same author, I have to say I really […]

    Reply

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Hi! I’m Julie and I am a mom to three energetic boys and a personal trainer and blogger living in Charlotte, North Carolina. Welcome to my blog! Peanut Butter Fingers follows my life and my interests in food, fitness, family, travel and (mostly) healthy living.
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