Books. Netflix. Canva.

I have been hearing about Canva, a relatively free photo editing site, for awhile and thought I would give it a whirl.  It's definitely going to take some getting used to especially since I have pretty much stopped using Photoshop (just way too cumbersome for what I want to do) and have been using Picmonkey almost exclusively.  Picmonkey is VERY user friendly but can be a bit slow.  I can't tell you any of the pros and cons yet between Picmonkey and Canva but I will as soon as I get more into using both of them.  HOWEVER, one thing I can tell you that really makes Canva stand out is that they have templates specifically for social media- Pinterest, G+, etc.  That is nice.  No needing to resize to optimize but no importing of my hundreds of fonts like Picmonkey does.  Sad girl.   Here is my first Canva creation.  It's not the best but I did it in just a few minutes.

Which, of course, leads me to this week's post- BOOKS AND NETFLIX!

I haven't posted about books for nearly two weeks now but in the past two weeks- I have read and finished FIVE books.  Not too shabby!

Here's what I read:

1. Grave Sight by Charlaine Harris.  (Book 1 in the Harper Connelly series.)  

My thoughts: I loved it.  In typical Charlaine Harris fashion, Harper is a bit off.  She's the weird hot chick.  She doesn't seem to get along well with people because they are freaked out by her ability.  Of course, she gets into all kinds of trouble.  I loved the pace of the store.  I was actually in suspense and wasn't 100% WHO the killer was.  I had an idea but I wasn't really confident.  I can't wait to read more! 

2. Abby Cooper, Psychic Eye by Victoria Laurie (Book 1 in the Abby Cooper, Psychic Eye series)

I actually read this book a few years ago and decided to read it again and carry on with the next few in the series.  I like the series- Abby Cooper is a professional psychic running a thriving business in a suburb of Detroit.  One of her clients is murdered and she becomes the lead suspect due to her "knowledge" thanks to her abilities.  This is a really fun series.  I have a love hate relationship with Abby.  I find her to be a bit annoying but likeable.  She tries to maintain integrity with her abilities but at the same time, she's a nitwit. This is just a fun series and I enjoy it for what it is. 

3. Better Read than Dead by Victoria Laurie (Book 2 in the Abby Cooper, Psychic Eye series)

Abby owes her psychic friend a favor (related to events in the first book) and has to return the favor by doing Tarot readings at a wedding.  The wedding ends up being the daughter of a Greek mobster and she reads the cards of a hitman and freaks out.  They rush out, feigning illness.  Abby ends up getting tangled up with mobster business and there's also a serial rapist/murder on the loose.  Her boyfriend, Dutch, is newly minted into the FBI and has to go undercover.  Abby throws an immature hissy fit over his partner being a female and sexy.  I guess some of it came from intuition but really? It was over the top nonsense on Abby's part.  I almost ended the series with this book just because of how the author turned Abby's maturity into that of a 14 year old girl fighting over a boy on roller skates.  

4. A Vision of Murder by Victoria Laurie  (Book 3 in the Abby Cooper, Psychic Eye series)

Obviously, I didn't end after book 2.  Ha. Abby, her handman Dave and her mega-rich (super drama queen) sister go into business together by buying a house to flip.  Of course... the house is haunted.  WHO murdered the woman at the bottom of the stairs and WHY? The mystery goes back to WWII with ghosts of the Holocaust.  Now THIS was much better than #2.  Abby is still making dumb mistakes but her theatrical drama isn't as much as it was and I can see her irritation after being cooped up with her boyfriend (he got shot in the butt) and taking care of him can become a bit much and can cause them to implode.  I am really glad that this series took a turn because if this was bad, I was going to be done with Abby Cooper. 

5. 1st to Die by James Patterson (Book 1 of the Women's Murder Club series)

I don't read a lot of Patterson.  No particular reason, just haven't but the Women's Murder Club seemed to be right up my alley and I am glad I read this first book. Set in San Francisco, four women become a team.  A homicide detective, a Medical Examiner, an assistant DA and a reporter come together to solve a series of murders.  Twists and turns galore.  I found the book to be engrossing and I really love how the four women not only become a team but best friends.  Girl Power! 

Here's the synopsis via Amazon.com: Imagine a killer who thinks, "What is the worst thing anyone has ever done?"--and then goes far beyond it. Now imagine four women --a police detective, an assistant DA, a reporter, and a medical examiner --who join forces as they sidestep their bosses to track down criminals. Known as the Women's Murder Club, they are pursuing a murderer whose twisted imagination has stunned an entire city. Their chief suspect is a socially prominent writer, but the men in charge won't touch him. On the trail of the most terrifying and unexpected killer ever, they discover a shocking surprise that turns everything about the case upside down.

Oh Netflix how I love you.  Actually, between Netflix and Amazon Prime Streaming, I am one HAPPY girl.  With Netflix I find so many great TV series and cheesy movies. With Amazon Prime, I get a lot of HBO.  I don't have cable so this is how I catch up on my shows.  I like being able to watch on my own time versus when it goes live over the air.  

Here are the top five I have been watching on Netflix:

1.  Cedar Cove.

Synopsis via The Hallmark Channel:

About the Series - Debbie Macomber's Cedar Cove Judge Olivia Lockhart (Andie MacDowell) is considered the community's guiding light in the picturesque, coastal town of Cedar Cove, Washington.  But like everyone else, Olivia fights the uphill battle of balancing career with family and finding love, all the while doing her best to care for the township she calls home.  Based on best-selling author Debbie Macomber’s beloved book series. My thoughts- I am not sure why I watched it.  It's not my typical cup of tea BUT I have really liked it.  It's a nice escape and such a sweet romantic series.  Plus, I get to hear my man Bruce Boxleitner's voice.  I know. I know.  Of course, everybody in Cedar Cove is disgustingly perfect and uber successful.

2.  Continuum.

Season 3 is on Netflix! Whoo hoo! I absolutely adore Continuum, which is a SyFy series.  

Synopsis via IMDB:

Set in Vancouver British Columbia, the year is 2077, world governments have fallen and have been bought out by corporations leading to loss of privacy and basic rights. A group of fanatical terrorists, bent on getting freedom back at all costs, destroy multiple buildings killing 30,000 people while targeting 20 members of the Corporate Board. As the 7 terrorists are about to be executed they attempt an escape by being sent back in time 6 years instead being sent back 65 years to our time, 2012. Dedicated CPS Protector (future police force) Kiera Cameron (Rachel Nichols) attempts to stop their escape and gets swept away along with them. Stuck in the past and unable to get back to her husband and son, Kiera concentrates on bringing down the terrorists before they can wreak havoc in our present. Kiera receives unexpected assistance from a teen tech genius Alec Sadler (Erik Knudsen) who is well known in the year 2077 as he invented much of the technology of the age. Part of the technology Alec has invented allows him to communicate with Keira and even see through her eyes or replay events she witnessed. Impersonating a detective of the Portland Oregon police department, Kiera forms an uneasy alliance with Vancouver detective Carlos Fonnegra (Victor Webster). After an extremely violent attack on the Vancouver police headquarters by the terrorists, they are ordered to work together by the Vancouver Police Chief Dillon (Brian Markinson) to work together to stop them.

3.  Transylvania 5-6000.  Okay.  This is a cheesy, horror/comedy from the 1980s and I love it! Ha.  Jeff Goldblum, Ed Begley Jr and Geena Davis star.  

Enjoy this trailer:

4.  Mad Max.  Mel Gibson.  Enough said.  

5. COSMOS!!! COSMOS!!! COSMOS!!!!!! Yes, Neil DeGrasse Tyson's Cosmos is on Netflix if you missed it when it was on the air (like me!)

There are so many great options and more being added.

What are you reading? 
What are your favorites on Netflix right now?