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The Holiday Season Crazies
Ever since November started, it feels like things have been crazy busy. Which, in a way, is great! It’s made work fly by and also made it so that I had the best time at Thanksgiving. However since I’ve been so unorganized as well a lot of stuff has fallen to the wayside. Including, alas, my reading. I was aiming for 52 books this year and I’ve only made it to 46. That’s pretty good though, in my opinion! And since I’ve had more gems than duds, it’s hard to be mad about it. Now that I have some planners…
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A Common Cold
Being the responsible human I am, I went to go and get my COVID booster and my flu shot before I went on vacation. I knew I’d be seeing my baby niece, and so I was like “Let me just make sure I’ll stay well!” to convince myself to get shots. Friends, I was so proud of myself. And then I got a cold. Oh, and this cold. Awful. As I type this I keep having to take breaks to sneeze and wipe my eyes. It looks like I got punched in the nose. Ack. It’s a whole mess. I…
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A bunch of utter nonsense.
Yup, that’s what this post is. A bunch of utter nonsense. I wanted to post in here but I couldn’t figure what I wanted to write and so… you get this bit of rambling. Or, perhaps I could tell you what I’m reading right now? Yes, let’s do that. It feels less boring than going on about my garden plans for this weekend. Haha. I’m in that mode again where I’m picking up many books and reading them simultaneously. It’s been a long time since I’ve been here, and it honestly feels kind of weird! Also nice, in a way.…
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Book Review: Book Lovers by Emily Henry
Nora Stephens’ life is books—she’s read them all—and she is not that type of heroine. Not the plucky one, not the laidback dream girl, and especially not the sweetheart. In fact, the only people Nora is a heroine for are her clients, for whom she lands enormous deals as a cutthroat literary agent, and her beloved little sister Libby. Which is why she agrees to go to Sunshine Falls, North Carolina for the month of August when Libby begs her for a sisters’ trip away—with visions of a small-town transformation for Nora, who she’s convinced needs to become the heroine…
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Melancholy and Medicine
Once again I am sick, and once again I have no idea where I got it from. *sobs in small coughs* One of the best parts about being home more often is that I don’t get sick nearly as often as I used to. However the downside is that when I do get sick, it’s pretty brutal. On the bright side, it’s not COVID! So I’ll take it. I’ve spent most of today medicated, and feeling sorry for myself. I’ll be totally honest, I’m a big baby when I’m sick. I remember as a kid I used to LOVE sick…
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Book Review: Nettle & Bone by T. Kingfisher
After years of seeing her sisters suffer at the hands of an abusive prince, Marra—the shy, convent-raised, third-born daughter—has finally realized that no one is coming to their rescue. No one, except for Marra herself. Seeking help from a powerful gravewitch, Marra is offered the tools to kill a prince—if she can complete three impossible tasks. But, as is the way in tales of princes, witches, and daughters, the impossible is only the beginning. On her quest, Marra is joined by the gravewitch, a reluctant fairy godmother, a strapping former knight, and a chicken possessed by a demon. Together, the…
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Heatwave Life
We’re on day five of an insane heatwave here in Southern California, and I am going slowly insane. Yesterday, with humidity, it was 115 degrees. Like… what? WHO? I moved away from the desert on purpose to avoid temperatures like that, and they are so very much made worse by humidity. I’m so thankful we now live in a house with A/C and that we have blackout curtains. We’ve been living in a cave, but at least it’s a cool cave. The one benefit to being trapped inside by the heat is that I have more time to catch up…
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Book Review: The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper by Phaedra Patrick
In this poignant and sparkling debut, a lovable widower embarks on a life-changing adventure Sixty-nine-year-old Arthur Pepper lives a simple life. He gets out of bed at precisely 7:30 a.m., just as he did when his wife, Miriam, was alive. He dresses in the same gray slacks and mustard sweater vest, waters his fern, Frederica, and heads out to his garden. But on the one-year anniversary of Miriam's death, something changes. Sorting through Miriam's possessions, Arthur finds an exquisite gold charm bracelet he's never seen before. What follows is a surprising and unforgettable odyssey that takes Arthur from London to…
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Late Summer Nights
Ah summer. How I used to love you, and how I don’t love you now. We’ve just finished a two week heatwave and I barely survived. It seems the older that I get, the more I crave cool weather and hot drinks. Warm sweaters, and cozy blankets. Man, I really want the weather to turn already. Too bad I live in So Cal where that won’t happen for quite a while hahaha. On the bright side, being trapped inside with the A/C meant that I’ve actually got a fair amount of reading done! I’m on book 34 of 52 for…
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Top 5 Tuesday: Favorite Illustrated Books
Happy Tuesday friends! As promised, I’m slowly ramping up posting in here again, with a focus on doing what feels right at any given point. I’m still a little slow at reading, but I’ll have some reviews for you soon! The goal is no burnout. I’m proud of how well I’m doing. Until then, let’s participate in some weekly memes! Top THREE Favorite Illustrated Books Okay yes, it’s supposed to be five. But truth be told, I’m pretty picky about books with illustrations in them, and it took me forever to narrow it down to these wonderful stories. So I’m…
