five friday favorites #14: week of march 13, 2015

Another Friday, another Friday Favorites.

Look at me, posting two Fridays in a row! Just don't get too used to it ... it surely won't last!

1. #ForTheLove
Last Friday, I saw a post on Jen Hatmaker's facebook page asking people to apply to be on the launch team for her new book, For the Love. I filled out the application, not expecting much. Then on Monday, Jen posted that 5000 people had applied for 500 launch team spots. Not a chance, I thought. But then Tuesday night, after a long, long day, I checked my email and found out I'd been accepted!

This is the photo I posted on Instagram talking about being on the
team ... and Jen Hatmaker liked it. Day made :-)

Because I have approximately 85 other books to read and review, I haven't really had a chance to dive into the book yet, and I couldn't really tell you about it if I had, anyway--we're supposed to hold off on our reviews and such until closer to the August release date.

I'm glad I have the chance to read this awesome book. You know I love the opportunity to talk about great books. But I'm most excited about something that's not the book at all: making new friends in the secret launch team Facebook group!

I've been part of book launches before, and several have had secret Facebook groups, but never before have I encountered such an excited group of women! I'm looking forward to getting to know them.

2. Emily Owens, M.D.

This is a classic example of a "gone way too soon" TV show. I remember when Emily Owens premiered--I watched the first episode, liked it, and never went back for more. But then a blogger I follow posted about it last week, and I decided to try it again.

Oh. My. Goodness.

I flew through the show's 13 episodes, and now that I'm finished, I have all the feelings. Basically, in the first half of the season, the showrunners introduced great characters led by the incredibly endearing Emily Owens (Mamie Gummer, who at times looks identical to her mother), villains who became human and kind of likeable, and a love triangle that could provoke passionate debates. The mid-season finale took Emily in a new direction in her love life, and I would have loved to see Emily deal with the consequences of the choices she made. Unfortunately, the CW cancelled the series after the mid-season finale had been filmed, so we viewers never got to see what happened next and the showrunners didn't have a chance to wrap everything up. (I choose to believe that Emily eventually ended up with surgical resident Micah and they had a passel of adorable children.)

Though the series ended far too soon, I loved every minute I spent watching it! So I do wholeheartedly recommend it, and I'll probably even catch it again someday. You can watch it free on Netflix.

3. Roasted Green Beans
You guys. I've finally figured out the best way to eat green beans: tossed with olive oil, garlic, and pepper and roasted at 400 degrees until crisp. Honestly, I could eat an entire package of green beans in one sitting! If all veggies tasted like this, I'd eat them all the time!

4. Spring-like Weather
In truth, we haven't had a hard winter. In fact, it's been rather mild--especially when compared to what's happened out east. Still, though, I've been very tired of the cold, so this week's temps in the 60's and 70's have been so welcome! Tonight, Mom and I took a walk on our favorite trail for the first time in months. It was gorgeous!

5. How to Catch a Prince

If you're a fan of royals or fairy tales ... or just swoon-worthy romance, you really should read Rachel Hauck's How to Catch a Prince. It was one of those rare books that I didn't want to put down and found myself thinking about when I did. I absolutely loved Stephen and Corina's unconventional love story!

While this is the third book in Hauck's Royal Wedding series, you can read it without having first read the other two novels. This is probably my favorite book of the year (so far). Check out my review on my book blog, and then go out and get yourself a copy!

Thanks for stopping by! Today I'm linking up with Erika, Karli, and April.

Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase an item, I will receive an affiliate commission. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."