REVIEW: Jonathan's Vows by Mark Lages

**WARNING!!!!  May Contain Spoiler Alerts!!**

Book Title:  Jonathan's Vows

Author:   Matt Lages

Format:   Paperback, ARC

Total Page Count: 300   

Book Genre(s):   Adult, Contemporary/Modern, Drama-family, Family dynamics, Fiction, Love/Romance, Realistic Fiction, Slice of Life, Stand-Alone Book, Location - USA 

Categories for Rating - see post at my blog for rating system:

https://the-book-nest.blogspot.com/2021/01/book-review-template-2021.html

Each topic rated 0-10

0-2 = extremely poor, DNF'd (or seriously considered it), difficult to complete

3-4 = somewhat poor although not as bad as "0-2", may have had *some* redeeming qualities

5-6 = mediocre, neutral

7-8 = really good

9-10 = outstanding, exceptional

Then you average the 5 individual ratings to get the overall x out of 10 rating for the book.  Once that is done, the overall rating is converted into the following star rating.

0 - 2 = ⭐  (1 star)

3 - 4 = ⭐⭐  (2 stars)

5 - 6 = ⭐⭐⭐  (3 stars)

7 - 8 = ⭐⭐⭐⭐  (4 stars)

9 - 10 = ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐  (5 stars)

A.  Characters:   8/7 ...  There are basically 2 (then 3) main characters, with a bunch of other people coming in and out of their lives.  The main characters are well developed however they are also flawed in the very human way that we are all flawed.  

B.  Cover Art & Design:  8/7 ...   Simple, and yet, says a lot, especially in regards to the content of the story.

C.  Enjoyment:  8/7  ...  I liked the story.  I think this was a unique approach to how one tries to say all they want to say, and say it right, when writing their wedding vows. 

D.  Plot (Storyline):  7/7  ...   As I said, creative and unique.  I like how the author chose this particular point of view (it would have been much different had it been from the bride's side of things, or one of the parents).  And I loved the little "drops" of pop culture here and there within the scope of the book.  And special note: loved the story about Taylor's first night home from the hospital and Jonathan has him up watching movies like the original "The Mummy", and the conversation between him and his wife, Samantha, when she wakes up and finds them. 

E.  Writing Style & Editing: 8/7  ...   This is the 3rd or 4th book I have read by this author and I must say that I enjoy his writing style.  It is straight-forward and easy to read / keep up.  There's no fancy flourishes, not a lot of filler words to say what can be said simply.   

***Additional Aspects of Book that I am reviewing (optional)***

**Pros:  The book is easy to read, good and steady flow of the story.  It has the interesting premise of a man on the cusp of his marriage.  He is young, very much in love, and facing the daunting task of writing his part of the wedding vows.  Over the course of the book, he imagines

**Cons:  There were a couple of times within the full span of the book that I thought Jonathan's interactions and responses to others was almost too simple, or too cut and dry.  For example, he talks about purchasing a special item for his wife for her birthday and it ends up not working right, so initially he tries to contact the person he bought it from (sort of like a second-hand antique store) and the guy won't help him except to recommend a repairman.  So, next Jonathan contacts a lawyer to see if he could talk to the shop owner.  The lawyer does, and gets back to Jonathan and tells him that he signed the contract when he paid and he states it was an "as is" sale and Jonathan's response is "What does that mean?"  Now, I'm sorry however this adult male, who has a college education, who is not a dumb man, has no clue what an "as is" sale is?  Luckily, these kind of moments are few and far between, so it doesn't really impede upon the enjoyment of the overall story.

**Personal Like:   There was a scene in the book that I really loved, actually busted out laughing, and had to read it to my husband.  It was when their new baby, Taylor, came home from the hospital and Jonathan brought him out the living room after his wife went to bed, and they watched B-rated horror movies together ... until she wakes up and gives Jonathan all kinds of crap for having the baby up, watching movies.  I could *so* picture my ex doing this with our oldest son, and was just able to envision the whole scene playing out.

I also liked how the author peppered in little trivia notes of pop culture, like the B movies mentioned earlier, and Star Trek.  As a Trekkie, it was kinda cool to see the mentions.

**Does this book "fit in" to the genre(s) it's listed under?  yes, very much so.

**Final Notes: In closing I would like to thank the author for the opportunity to view this unique and contemporary book. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Final Rating:  7.8  (4⭐⭐⭐⭐)  /   7 (4⭐⭐⭐⭐)

Note(s) on Rating:  This seems like a good, solid rating for an enjoyable, easy going, balanced book.

This review can also be found here, on GoodReads:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3942940687

 

REVIEW: Up A Tree by Richard M. Brock

**WARNING!!!!  May Contain Spoiler Alerts!!**

Book Title:  Up A Tree
Author:   Richard M. Brock
Format:   Kindle/Digital, ARC
Total Page Count/Location:   3524
Book Genre(s):   Humor, Fiction, Young Adult, Adventure, Middle Grade & Young Teen 

Categories for Rating - see post at my blog for rating system:
https://the-book-nest.blogspot.com/2021/01/book-review-template-2021.html

Each topic rated 0-10

0-2 = extremely poor, DNF'd (or seriously considered it), difficult to complete
3-4 = somewhat poor although not as bad as "0-2", may have had *some* redeeming qualities
5-6 = mediocre, neutral
7-8 = really good
9-10 = outstanding, exceptional

Then you average the 5 individual ratings to get the overall x out of 10 rating for the book.  Once that is done, the overall rating is converted into the following star rating.

0 - 2 = ⭐  (1 star)
3 - 4 = ⭐⭐  (2 stars)
5 - 6 = ⭐⭐⭐  (3 stars)
7 - 8 = ⭐⭐⭐⭐  (4 stars)
9 - 10 = ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐  (5 stars)

A.  Characters:   5/6 ... While I realize this book is targeted mainly to middle school aged children, there were many times that the main character(s) - Ruby and Quinn - were not totally believable.  

B.  Cover Art & Design:  7/7 ... The cover art does give the feel of the expression "up a tree" and does have the appeal that most middle grade students might like.

C.  Enjoyment:  5/7  ... I fluctuated a lot between liking it and not being overly impressed with it however I also found that I reminded myself that this book was geared more towards kids that are in middle grades than to actual adults.  Doing that helped quite a bit.    I *did* find the last 3rd of the book quite enjoyable and was happy with the ending, and glad I stuck it out.

D.  Plot (Storyline):  7/5.5  ... I'm being a tad generous here (and also because I'm not sure how to do 1/2 a star with WordPad LOL).  All in all it was a good storyline, and it had a somewhat believable feel to it.  I found the adventures that Ruby - and later, Quinn - find themselves in to be 

E.  Writing Style & Editing:  8/8 ...   It wasn't bad.  It was enjoyable, easy to read and follow, no stumbling over words, for the most part.  Every once in a while, during the conversation parts, if the boys were speaking in the Appalachian-style of speech, I might have had to take another glance, however it didn't happen very often.  The writing was descriptive and entertaining.

***Additional Aspects of Book that I am reviewing (optional)***

**Pros:  Clever and entertaining book, one that definitely should appeal to middle graders. Lots of fun and adventure to keep a pre-teen and/or early teenager, engaged.

**Cons:  I guess my biggest gripe was the believability of the two main characters - which actually becaome more apparent as the story went on.  While they were born and raised on the Appalachian Mountains, it is difficult to believe, in this day and age, that kids would not know basic geography for the country in which they reside.  It seemed a little too stereo-typical, too "hokey" that those born and raised on the mountain are slow and uneducated and, at times, it seems this concept was spread on a little *too* thick.

**Memorable Quote(s):

"History tells us that eventually you have to decide what is right and fight for it.  Bad guys don't give up on their own.  They are defeated - often at great cause."

**Personal Like/Dislike:  While I don't want to give away too many spoilers, I will say that I liked Lodgepole, especially after you get past the initial interactions between him, Quinn and Ruby.  Lodgepole is definitely the kind of person that first impressions can be *very* deceiving.

**Does this book "fit in" to the genre(s) it's listed under?  yes
If no, why not?

**Final Notes: As I said previously, this book is definitely written with middle grade teenagers in mind.  It has a nice, adventurous plot to it and, for the most part, personable and likable main characters.

In closing I would like to thank both the author and NetGalley for the opportunity to view this clever and interesting middle grade/teens book. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Final Rating:  6.4 / 6.7 = 3⭐⭐⭐/3.5⭐⭐⭐

Note(s) on Rating:  Overall, I think a decent rating.  While I might not recommend this book to *everyone*, I do think that boys in the pre-teen to mid-teen ages might find this enjoyable.

This review can also be found here, on GoodReads:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3762091664

REVIEW: We Hope for Better Things by Erin Bartels

**WARNING!!!!  May Contain Spoiler Alerts!!**

Book Title:  We Hope for Better Things

Author:  Erin Bartels
Format:  Paperback
Page Count/Location:  393 pages

Book Genre(s):  adult, female author, fiction, historical fiction (USA/Civil War), romance, contemporary history, family drama, current and past world events, slice-of-life, realistic fiction, social issues, stand-alone, war-conflict-revolution

**Categories for Rating**
see post at my blog for rating system:
https://the-book-nest.blogspot.com/2021/01/book-review-template-2021.html

A.  Characters:  8 / 9
B.  Cover Art & Design:  7 / 7
C.  Enjoyment:  8 / 8.5
D.  Plot (Storyline):  8 / 8
E.  Writing Style & Editing:  8 / 8
F.  Variable: Genre, Relating (optional):  9 / 9

***Additional Aspects of Book that I am reviewing (optional)***

**Pros:  Quite enjoyable and while this is a mix of contemporary and historical fiction, it is also a timely read considering the societal climate, worldwide in regards to race and other differences that are used to divide us.  There was a nice flow in and out of historical events in regards to how the family related to them and were affected by them, including such topics as interracial friendship and marriage.  There was definetly a diversity of characters for the book, and they worked well within the parameters of the storyline.  The characters were likable, personable, and easy to connect with.  By the time I completed the book, I really felt like I had gone along on the retelling of how history and social issues affected this particular family.
 
**Cons:  Honestly, none that I can really think of.

**Honorable Mentions:  The side story of a romance in the current time line was nice as it was more of a background "filler" than it was anything else which was nice because you really didn't want anything to detract from the major story of the book.

**Memorable Quotes:
<i>“Change happens when the cost of keeping things the way they are is too high.”</i>

 
**Personal Like/Dislike:  I enjoyed how some of the characters looked beyond skin color to see, and appreciate the true person underneath.

**Does this book "fit in" to the genre(s) it's listed under?  Yes, very much so.  There was one category (Christian Fiction) that I didn't list that *could* have fit however the reason I didn't is, while it was a slight theme in the background (in regards to what faith the characters followed), the belief system was not critical to the overall telling of the story.

**Final Notes:   I had received this book as part of a giveaway on Bookish First, about 2 years ago.  I am glad I finally took the time to read it, and sorry that it had taken so long. The author has a wonderful ability and skill for weaving a credible tale and for having you feel like you were there, observing and experiencing it first-hand. While I am not a fast reader, I will say that, while the story overall is not fast-paced, it is steady, with very few, if any, real downtime. 

In closing, I'd like to thank the author, publisher and Bookish First for allowing me the opportunity to read this book via the giveaway. I understand that a review is/was not required, and I give honest review of my own.

Final Rating:  8 / 8.25 = 4 / 4 stars

Notes on Rating:  Overall, a solid book which I would recommend to those who enjoy historical fiction that deals with some taboo subjects and social issues, both past and current.

This review can also be found here, on GoodReads:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2626259103

REVIEW: American Pop by Snowden Wright

 **WARNING!!!!  May Contain Spoiler Alerts!!**


Book Title: American Pop
Author:  Snowden Wright
Format:  Paperback (ARC)
Page Count/Location:  386 pages
Book Genre(s): family drama, fiction, historical fiction, realistic fiction, cultural-USA, location-USA

**Categories for Rating**
see post at my blog for rating system:
https://the-book-nest.blogspot.com/2021/01/book-review-template-2021.html

A.  Characters:   8/9
B.  Cover Art & Design:  9/9
C.  Enjoyment:   7.5/8 
D.  Plot (Storyline):   8/8
E.  Writing Style & Editing:  8/7.5
F.  Variable: Genre, Relating (optional): 8/9

**Pros:  Enjoyable, believable story, nice flow in/out of historical events in regards to how the family related to them and as a backdrop for the story.  Characters had depth, and there were some societal taboos that came in to play, that added interest and intrigue to the overall book.  Definite diversity between the characters, whether it was social background, race, sexual orientation, station in life and more.

**Cons:  It sometimes got a little ... wordy ... even though I understood that it was the author's way of giving the "old Southern genteel" feel to the way the story was being told.

**Honorable Mentions:  You could tell that the author did his homework not only in regards to the historical events, however also in regards to the rise of 'certain' soda companies ( ::cough cough:: ) and their falls, and using it as a sort of rivalry backdrop to the "sensation" of PanCola.  At times it felt like I was actually reading non-fiction about Pepsi and/or Coca-Cola!!

**Memorable Quote(s):

His father pulled Branchwater into his arms and pressed his cheek against his son's hair. "Because both of you are my children.  You and your brother.  Don't you know that?" he said.  "You can't choose who you love and neither can blood."  He pushed his son's head back so he could look him directly in the eyes.  "Blood doesn't make a family.  Love does."  

**Personal Like/Dislike:  Again, my only real "gripe" was the wordiness, however I *do* understand why it was written that way and appreciate the effort the author took to try and inject a feel of authenticity for the time frame of the book.  I don't think I'd want to read a bunch of "wordy" books, however once in a great while ... not a big problem.

**Does this book "fit in" to the genre(s) it's listed under?   Yes, it does.  Very much so.


**Final Notes:  I had received this book as part of a giveaway via the publisher, about 2 years ago.  I am glad I finally took the time to read it, and sorry that it had taken so long.  I want to say, the cover art is wonderful and really gives a good feel for the story that is found on the pages in between.  The author has a superb skill for description, and for helping you feel like you were there, observing it all first-hand. While I am not a fast reader, I will say that, while the story overall is not fast-paced, it is steady, with very few - if any - real lulls. 

For those who enjoy historical fiction with some pop culture mixed in, with good characters, a solid story which moves as a steady - albeit not fast - pace, with a chuckle or two mixed in, I would recommend this book.  I would caution, however, if you have issues (i.e. "triggers") with taboo issues such as inter-racial and/or same sex relationships, you might want to think before reading.  While they are not all over the book, there are a few instances of both, however, they are very much a part of the story and helps to relay the importance of these connections within the overall historical setting(s).

In closing, I'd like to thank the author and publisher for allowing me the opportunity to read this book via the giveaway. I understand that a review is/was not required, and I give honest review of my own 

Final Rating:  8.08 / 8.41   =  4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐ / 4.5 (rounded up to 5) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Notes on Rating:  Overall, a fair rating.  Not a lot of minuses to the overall book.

This review can also be found here, on GoodReads:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2531148290

REVIEW: Between Me & You by Allison Winn Scotch

A feel good book!

**WARNING!!!!  May Contain Spoiler Alerts!!**

Book Title:  Between Me and You
Author:  Allison Winn Scotch
Format:  Kindle (e-book)
Page Count/Location:  353 pages
Book Genre(s):  Contemporary & Modern, Romance, Fiction, Adult, Women's

Categories for Rating
see post at my blog for rating system:
https://the-book-nest.blogspot.com/20...

A.  Characters:  7/8
B.  Cover Art & Design:  5/5
C.  Enjoyment:  6/8
D.  Plot (Storyline):  7/8
E.  Writing Style & Editing: 8/8
F.  Variable: Genre, Relating (Romance):  8/8

**Pros:  The book is easy to read, well written, the characters are likable and well developed.  The storyline is believable and, at times, you find that you are feeling right along with them. 

**Cons:   the only con I can come up with are the non-linear chapters as it can get a bit confusing and jarring bouncing back and forth. 

**Honorable Mentions:  I loved how *real* the characters felt.  The different life events that they went through, and how they reacted, were typical, normal, believable to how couples might act.  While it is a romance book, it isn't sickly sweet and cavity-inducing. 


**Memorable Quotes (not rated):

Q: She replied: “Don’t define yourself by that, sweetheart, don’t live a life marked by intangible achievements.”

Q: Being valued, being needed, being seen is an easy thing to underestimate. Like air. Like you don’t realize that it’s necessary to sustain you until it’s suddenly gone.

Q: Life is fucking hard, and life is fucking brutal—and maybe the most we can ask for is someone to get through it with us.

Q: She said she just needed some time to live on her own. I broke up with her and gave her that. Though it didn’t make it easier, of course. Didn’t mean that you stop loving someone just because you’ve split and said good-bye.

Q: I gaze up at the sky and wonder, for the first time in years, if perhaps I didn’t mistake isolation for safety, if I didn’t get confused and think that walls protected me, when what I learned at Tisch and a million times since then—in rebuilding my relationship with my dad, in sleeping in the open air under that Arizona sky—is that sometimes the only way to free yourself is to learn what you thought you couldn’t know. To knock everything down and start over


**Personal Like/Dislike:  While not an actual "dislike", more like constructive criticism:  I feel they could have done something ... more ... with the cover art.  The colors are pretty however doesn't really do much in regards to relaying the feel of the story, or it's characters.

**Does this book "fit in" to the genre(s) it's listed under?  Yes!  This is very much a romance and relationship and "women's fiction" kind of book! 


Final Notes/Review:  I had won this book in a GoodReads giveaway a couple of years ago, and have been reading it on and off. Not because I wasn't enjoying it - I was, I did! - however more because life got in the way (as well as other books) and I'm the kind of person that needs to be "in the mood" for a romance kind of book. This book however nicely and completely fills the need and desire for a well written romantic book. Without giving away *too* many spoilers, it follows the relationship between Bill and Tatum, from the day they meet until ....well, read the book to find out what the "until", is.

My only negative I can say about the book is that the chapters sort of bounce around, so that you go from current to the past and sometimes it can be a bit jarring, instead of reading about their lives in a more linear fashion. That being said, the author does a wonderful job on story telling and has a talent for pulling at those heart-strings.

I would definetly recommend the book to those who like romance books, especially contemporary, modern ones that have their share of twists and angst and ..."until".

In closing, I'd like to thank the author and publisher for allowing me the opportunity to read this book via the giveaway. I understand that a review is/was not required, and I give honest review of my own accord.


Final Rating:  6 / 7.3  =  3 ⭐⭐⭐ / 4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Note(s) on Rating:  Overall, I think a fair rating for an enjoyable book.

Review also on my GoodReads, here:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2212831702

Add this book to GoodReads by clicking on button:

Book Review Template 2021

Below is the (updated) template that I have designed for my book reviews for both here and elsewhere.  I am hoping that I will be able to provide a more in depth, helpful and proactive review for books with this template.

---- start of template ----

**WARNING!!!!  May Contain Spoiler Alerts!!**

Book Title:
Author:
Format:
Page Count/Location:
Book Genre(s):

Categories for Ratings are in alphabetical order and are my variation(s) on the CAWPILE rating system.  There will be 2 numbers (X/Y) .. first number will represent a constructive rating, the second number representing a personal rating.

Each topic rated 0-10

0-2 = extremely poor, DNF'd (or seriously considered it), difficult to complete
3-4 = somewhat poor although not as bad as "0-2", may have had *some* redeeming qualities
5-6 = mediocre, neutral
7-8 = really good
9-10 = outstanding, exceptional

Then you average the 5 individual ratings to get the overall x out of 10 rating for the book.  Once that is done, the overall rating is converted into the following star rating.

0 - 2 = ⭐  (1 star)
3 - 4 = ⭐⭐  (2 stars)
5 - 6 = ⭐⭐⭐  (3 stars)
7 - 8 = ⭐⭐⭐⭐  (4 stars)
9 - 10 = ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐  (5 stars)

A.  Characters:
B.  Cover Art & Design:
C.  Enjoyment:
D.  Plot (Storyline):
E.  Writing Style & Editing:
F.  Variable: Genre, Relating (optional):


***Additional Aspects of Book that I am reviewing (optional)***

**Pros:
**Cons:

**Honorable Mentions:

**Memorable Quotes:

**Personal Like/Dislike:

**Does this book "fit in" to the genre(s) it's listed under?  
If no, why not?

**Final Notes:

Final Rating:
Notes on Rating:

**Desscription of what I consider when rating each category**

A.  Characters:  Are they well developed? Is their progression in the story believable, understandable or do they make little to no progression at all? Does their progression (or non- progression), understandable and/or believable (makes sense)? Are they likable or not? If not, is it understandable, within the parameters of the book, that they not be likable? Do they "act their age" and if not, does it make sense, within the borders of the story,?  Are there aspects of their personality that doesn't "fit"? Are there characters that could have a bigger spot in the story, and thereby brought about a bigger/better understanding or progression (etc) to the ending of the book?  Is there a diversity with the characters ( 0 = no diversity, 5 = much diversity ) on "whatever" level ?

B.  Cover Art & Design:  Basically, does it relate to the book/story?  Does it represent the story well or not?  Does it tie in to the genre well or not?  Is it graphically and/or artfully well done or not? Does it leave the reader with a good feeling or bad, or chaotic or ... ? 

C.  Enjoyment:  Is this story enjoyable or not? Does it leave you feeling good? Does it make you think?  Does it stay with you even after you finished the book? If enjoyed, would you recommend it to others?  Were there aspects of book that some might consider "triggers" and, if so, what? 

D.  Plot (Storyline):  Is it written well? Is it believable?  Does it flow well, or is it choppy/chaotic? Does it keep the reader interested, or do you have to struggle to keep with it, to understand it, to stay interested?  Is the story line *original* or does it seem like a cookie cutter plot of various, other books?  If the story is set in the past, does the atmosphere (or setting) properly reflect that?  If this is a fantasy setting, are the characters and atmosphere and other aspects well defined and understandable?  Is there anything about the plot/storyline that seems "off"?  In other words, does the atmosphere/setting reflect the genre - or plot - of the book?

E.  Writing Style & Editing:  was it well written on a grammatical level?  Were there a lot of errors?  Was the level of writing on an amateur or higher level?  Do they have a good command of descriptions, of character and story progression(s)?  Is their writing style similar to other author(s) and, if so, who?  If this is an established author, have you noticed a progression or growth in their writing with this book (vs prior books)?   **(Please note: if the book is an ARC, items like errors and grammar might not be part of rating as ARCs tend to be rough drafts and not the final copy.)**

F.  Variable: Genre Relating:  Based on the main genres listed for the book, does it do a good job of meeting the parameters of that genre(s).  If not, why?

---- end of template ----

Input/Feedback is welcome.

When I do the actual review, I won't put the whole template in there - just the items to complete.  For example, the category descriptions at the bottom won't be in the review(s).

To get an idea, here is a book review using the template:

https://the-book-nest.blogspot.com/2021/01/review-between-me-you-by-allison-winn.html

Thanks and hope you enjoy my future reviews!!

Hello and welcome to my bookish blog!

Here you will find my reviews of the books I have read, which cover a *very* wide variety of genres and styles.  I try to keep an open mind when I start a book, and even if I didn't like it, I will try to find *some* positive aspect to it, and will relate that in my reviews.  I recently designed a rating system which I will be using for future reviews.  I will be putting the "template" in one of the upcoming posts, with explanations for each section.  I am wanting to give a synopsis that is more in depth, more pro-active.  I may not be a fast reader, however I *am* pretty thorough.

I have been doing reviews on GoodReads for approximately 3 years, give or take.  You can find me at GoodReads, here:

www.goodreads.com/willowraven1

I guess a little about me, a sort-of peek in to who is on the other side of the screen ... My name is Michelle however most call me either Chelle, or WillowRaven.  I am 56 years old, married to a wonderful man who is a great cook, mother to 4 (adult) children (from a previous relationship), video gamer (somewhere between casual and hardcore - we are a family of gamers), professional tarot reader, and currently living in Oklahoma City, OK although I am originally from Massachusetts (a town that is a little southeast of Boston).  I am a Cosmognostic Pagan Witch (hence, that's where the WillowRaven comes from) with a *lot* of interests - magical and not - and quite a few, though not all, of those are reflected in my reading choices.  I have enjoyed reading since I was young however when I was raising my children when they were younger, there really wasn't a whole lot of extra time for my own books.  It's only been in the last 8 years or so that I've really fallen back in to books and reading.

I guess that's it for now.  If you have any questions, feel free to ask.  I'll do my best to answer them.

Thank you again for stopping by!!