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Friday Five – Some Rest From Labor

Posted in Alive, Books, Friday Five, Revolution, Spiderweb, TV, tagged , , on August 29, 2025| Leave a Comment »

Happy Friday! I’m looking forward to some fun friend hangs over the next few days, as I enjoy a long weekend. Otherwise, I’ll be hunkered down with some good books and rewatching Scandal. Good times.

  • I really love Katie Chalcraft’s piece on grief and wonder and dying and relief and loss. 
  • Octavia Butler’s Parable of the Sower was one of my book clubs’ selections this month. More and more, when I read dystopian fiction (and this book in particular seems less fiction than prediction, which is upsetting), I find myself thinking, “No, thanks.” I’m not sure I’d want to survive. Like, I’d like to think I’d want to. I’d like to think that I would use all these things I know to rough it and get my apocalypse on and rebuild society, but realistically? I’m so tired. I mean, I would do my best and help as much as I could before I shuffled off this mortal coil. But I don’t even particularly enjoy taking walks outside (I mean, it’s alright. Just not my first choice. Even exercising is better inside.). Why would I want to live there, or how committed am I to learning how to build a house (which I would eventually have to do if I ever wanted to not live outside)? And if I had to clean my own water, or do without indoor plumbing or A/C? It’s just so much. If others want to make this grand effort to save the species, that’s fine. I get it. Good for them, I guess. But if most of the people I love are dead and the best I have to hope for is living off the land, it just seems like a lot of work for a life I wouldn’t want. 
  • Speaking of things that are just so much trouble – Your First Date is a Reconnaissance Mission by Jennie Young.
  • I enjoy that this article on why Gen Z loves Gilmore Girls is full of not only unabashed adoration but also common critiques of the show. 
  • I like a good pairing. Cheese and wine. Boots and leggings. Coffee and…anything. I am intrigued by Modern Mrs. Darcy’s recommendations on which nonfiction and fiction books to read in tandem. I ordered Philosophy for Polar Explorers, as The Ministry of Time is on my TBR in a couple of months.

I hope you have a good day and a fun weekend!

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August (and probably most of September) 2025 TBR

Posted in Books, Food, Getting It Together, Hope, Mental Health, Quiet, Reading Challenges, Resolutions, Revolution, Shelfies, What I'm Into, Wonder, Work, tagged , , , on August 5, 2025| 2 Comments »

I’m sad today. My friend Des died. He was a gentle, kind person, and the world is worse without him in it. 

So much of my own grief and general sadness processing is so internal that it is a challenge for me to understand those who work these things out socially. Understanding is not necessary for acceptance, though, so I’m leaving this here as a reminder to myself not to isolate too much, for their sakes.

There’s a lot going on otherwise, too. Work and life and the world are all pretty overwhelming right now. 

One of the things I love about reading is that it’s not just a pastime. It’s a comfort, a balm, an inspiration, an excitement, a focus.  

Any month is a good mood-reading month, but reading exactly what I need at the time I need it is especially essential right now. There are a lot on this list, so this will likely extend into September. 

Book Clubs

Talking about books with other people is one of my favorite things.

Recommendations

I love when someone lends me a book they think I’ll like. I automatically feel closer to them when I read it. And then I get to see them and bond over what we liked about it when I give it back to them.

New Books

Ah, the excitement of a new release! I enjoy being among a book’s first readers (even if that group is in the millions). It’s a specific part of the larger global-ish book community that I particularly enjoy. It inspires me to keep working so that I may be able to experience it as an author someday. 

Also, I need to get these back to the library so folks in my larger local-ish book community who have them on hold can read them, too.

Series

When an author develops their characters well (or builds a fascinating world, or tells a great story), I will read (and sometimes re-read) every book in the series. I just can’t get enough.

Romance(ish)

When I need something lighthearted where everything works out in the end or at least a reminder that sometimes things do work out. If we can subvert some tired expectations and/or gender roles, throw some sunshine into a grump’s life, or redeem a villain – even better!

Comfort Reads

A bit of a catch-all category for anything homey, whimsical, charming, cozy, or quirky, these are tea and a warm blanket in book form. The characters are lovable, the storylines are typically low-risk/high-reward, and there is a general sweetness to all of it that is particularly useful when I feel like that sweetness is lacking everywhere else. Or there’s just really good food involved/promised.

Suspense/Mystery/Hardship/Oh My

When I need a reminder that things could always be worse and the stakes could always be higher (and historically/currently are for others). 

Inspiration/Motivation/Reflection

When I don’t just want to be reminded that things could be worse but also want to know more about what I can do about it.

As always, I reserve the right to read every book or no book on this list. Wherever the wind takes me.

Lots of love to you and your people, friends.

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July 2025 TBR

Posted in Books, Church, Getting It Together, Home, Mental Health, Reading Challenges, Resolutions, Revolution, tagged , , , , on July 2, 2025| 3 Comments »

First, in case anyone’s forgotten where I stand on things like welcoming the stranger and protecting the most vulnerable and not making money into an idol by screwing over everyone else to give tax breaks to the least vulnerable (otherwise known as generally following Jesus, not just the shallow husk of a god capitalist Americans have created in their image), there’s nothing beautiful about this bill – call your House representatives today and tell them to vote no and also to feel free to publicly shame their colleagues who are voting in favor of it. Loudly. With pointing.

*deep breath*

Now on to the books.

This month, I’m saying goodbye to Everand (formerly just Scribd). It has changed in the last year, and I’m not enjoying the new way they offer the service. It took me a couple of months to even figure out the new structure, and I still find it clunky.

It sucks a little that, with the cancellation, I’m losing titles that I’ve paid for. But the only unlocked title I still have on it that I am interested in and haven’t finished is Words Are My Matter, and I’m going to end up buying a printed copy of that one anyway. So I let it go. As just another subscription (especially one where the unused unlocks expire at the end of the month with no refund), it’s not something I’m interested in anymore. 

Speaking of lack of interest, I’ve been in a bit of a reading slump lately, which is unusual for me in summer. I think between the worry about my car issues, my budget changes, this country’s nonsense, and my parents’ health, I’ve just been blank and unmotivated in general for anything else. I’m going to carve out a little time this weekend to see if I can find something that holds my scrambled attention span long enough to finish it. 

Maybe something from a previous TBR this year? Maybe a book off my shelves at home that I haven’t read yet? Maybe some of these?

Book clubs:

Other books I’m looking forward to/need to take back to the library:

What are you reading these days?

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June 2025 TBR

Posted in Books, Fun, Home, Mental Health, Reading Challenges, Resolutions, Roots, Wonder, tagged , , on June 2, 2025| 2 Comments »

Hello, June. I’m trying hard to get into the spirit of you. It may be easier this year, since I’m spending more time at the farm. I loved June in the Panhandle, growing up. It was almost as good as October. We’ll see if the magic still persists.

Speaking of magic, I have not been great at pursuing my exploration of wonder this year. There are reasons, but I’d still like to do better. After all, the whole point of cultivating a practice of wonder is to have it in place for when things are *gestures broadly* I think I’m going to start Awestruck: 52 Experiments To Find Wonder, Joy, and Meaning in Everyday Life by Alexandra Franzen [inspire/self-help/community care] this month. And continue on with Year of Wonder: Classical Music To Enjoy Day by Day by Clemency Burton-Hill [essays? Daily prompts?], which has been excellent. I also want to read On Thriving by Brandi Sellerz-Jackson [inspire/self-help/community care] early in the month so I can get it back to the library for the people waiting on it. Hopefully, these will inspire me to embrace the wonder in everyday life a little better.

What I have been great at is carving out time every day to read. Here’s hoping June brings even more of that. 

Library

In addition to On Thriving, there are several other books I need to return to the library this month.

Book Clubs

  • Tom Lake by Ann Patchett [general fiction]
  • The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon [mystery/suspense]
  • The Author’s Guide to Murder by Beatriz Williams, Lauren Willig, and Karen White [mystery/suspense] – Rise & Shine is a mystery theme this month!
  • Under the Whispering Door by T.J. Klune [fantasy/nonrealism] – Follow the Reader’s choose your own adventure with a queer theme for Pride Month
  • Nevada by Imogen Binnie [queer lit] – also an FTR pick

Reading Challenges

Some of my favorite things about summer are the extra reading challenges and an abundance of readathons. Apparently, to many people, summer means more time to read, and that is delightful. Our public library has a challenge that lets you earn free books. As I also make space for Modern Mrs. Darcy’s Summer Reading Guide (the Minimalist List can be found here) by putting as many as my library has ordered on my hold list and eagerly await the possibility of a 52 Book Club summer challenge, I don’t want to neglect the yearly challenges I’m trying to finish. I know I have at least one official readathon coming up in July, but I know I will add more just for kicks, including a mini-retreat this Saturday. There are just too many good books I want to read! And by too many, I do mean never enough and please keep writing more great books, dear authors.

For this month…

52 Book Club:

  • Hurricane Summer by Asha Bromfield – Genre two: set in summer [general YA]
  • The Bodyguard by Katherine Center – A crossover (set in a shared universe) [favorite authors]
  • The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center – Shares universe with previous prompt [favorite authors]
  • Kill Joy by Holly Jackson – A prequel [mystery/suspense]

Libro.fm:

  • Under the Whispering Door by T.J. Klune – Listen to an audiobook by an LGBTQIA+ author [fantasy/nonrealism]
  • Kingmaker by Sonia Purnell – Read an audiobook about a historical figure and/or event [general nonfiction]
  • Nevada by Imogen Binnie – Listen to an audiobook by a transgender author [queer lit]
  • Her Body and Other Parties by Carmen Maria Machado – Listen to an anthology or short story collection [essays/short stories]

Bad Bitch Book Club:

  • Dumplin’ by Julie Murphy – A book set in the state/region where you live [general YA]
  • The Full Moon Coffee Shop by Mai Mochizuki – A book with astrology as a main plot point [fantasy/magical realism]
  • A bit of catch-up with the books I’ve planned for previous months

Nowhere Book Bingo:

  • All Fours by Miranda July – Book rec from a friend (thanks, Sarah!) [general fiction]
  • The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton – your favorite author’s favorite book – as choosing a favorite author is like asking someone to choose a favorite book (i.e., impossible), this is one of the favorite books of one of my favorite authors (Roxane Gay) [general fiction]

I’ve already plotted out all my intended reads for the Overeducated Women With Cats challenge in previous months. So all that is left to do for that challenge is to finish reading them. Maybe I will have them finished by the end of summer.

Looking forward to my mini-retreat this Saturday. I already had my snacks planned (because priorities), and now I have my TBR ready to go!

Do your reading habits change with the seasons? If so, how?

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May 2025 TBR

Posted in Books, Health, Home, tagged , , , on May 5, 2025| Leave a Comment »

Whew! What a few weeks it’s been. My dad had a couple of small strokes, so my sister, brother-in-law, and I have been working at the farm, cleaning, taking care of mom, etc. He’s home and recovering well, but it’s still a lot. Work has been gracious in giving me the time off to take care of things, but next week is our biggest training week of the year, and I’m feeling the pressure!

What better way is there to relax in the little downtime I have than to read? I have a lot of books listed from previous months that I’m going to work on finishing, particularly from my reading challenges, and I’m adding a few new things for this month as well.

Book Clubs

  • James by Percival Everett (the audio is great – highly recommend) – also a Bad Bitch Book Club Challenge prompt – a 2024 award-winning novel [general fiction]
  • The Secret Book of Flora Lea by Patti Callahan Henry [general fiction]
  • The Cautious Traveller’s Guide to the Wastelands by Sarah Brooks [fantasy/nonreality – specifically, speculative fiction for Rise and Shine topic this month]
  • Private Rites by Julia Armfield – also a Nowhere Bingo Challenge prompt – reimagining or retelling of a classic [general fiction]
  • Kiss Me, Maybe by Gabriella Gamez [romance-ish]
  • When the Tides Held the Moon by Venessa Vida Kelley – “The Shape of Water meets The Greatest Showman” [cozy fantasy]

52 Book Club Challenge

Libro.fm Challenge

  • Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry – read a bookseller-recommended audiobook [mystery/romance-ish]
  • Ceremony by Leslie Marmon Silko – listen to an audiobook by an Indigenous author [general fiction]
  • True Biz by Sara Nović – listen to an audiobook by a disabled author [general fiction]

Overeducated Women With Cats Challenge

I hope your month is less chaotic than mine, but even if it isn’t, I hope you find time to read a great book!

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April 2025 TBR

Posted in Beauty, Books, Hope, Poetry, Reading Challenges, Resolutions, tagged , , , on April 1, 2025| 2 Comments »

Yay, poetry month! There are lots of ways to celebrate National Poetry Month. As usual, I’m going to read a lot of poetry (as well as prose written by poets), and I hope to write some as well during April.

Today, I am kicking off the celebration with a donation to the Friends of the Denton Public Library, a group that does so much to support the work our local library does for our community.

In addition to poetry, there are a couple of books that are coming out this month and some other exciting reads on my radar. 

Book Clubs

52 Book Club Challenge

Libro.fm Challenge

  • Catalina by Karla Cornejo Villavicencio – Listen to an audiobook mentioned on the Libro.fm podcast [general fiction]
  • Murder at Gulls Nest by Jess Kidd – Preorder an audiobook and start it on release day [mystery]

Bad Bitch Book Club

  • The Housemaid’s Secret by Freida McFadden – an anticipated sequel to a book you loved [mystery] – stayed up past my bedtime reading this in one night. No regrets.
  • The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin – a book that takes place in a library or bookstore [books about books]
  • The Midnight Library by Matt Haig – give an author a second chance at winning you over [fantasy/magical realism]

Nowhere Book Bingo

Overeducated Women With Cats Challenge

  • The Mighty Red by Louise Erdrich – a book reviewed by OWC [general fiction]
  • Dear Writer by Maggie Smith – a book published in 2025 [books on writing]

What are you most excited to read this month?

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March 2025 TBR

Posted in Books, Bookshops, Church, Mental Health, Quiet, Reading Challenges, tagged , , , on March 2, 2025| Leave a Comment »

Lenten season is upon us. I haven’t engaged in the common practice of giving something up for Lent in the last few years, and I don’t feel the need to do so this year. I’ve become quite Lutheran about the church seasons in general, but Lent has been the biggest change from how I observed it before I joined a Lutheran church. I do, however, want to acknowledge the season with practices that may help set my mind and spirit right again. I’ve been having a rough time lately, so most of what I want to do for Lent is strip things down to the bare essentials without taking out everything that gives me joy. I’m not sure this will look too different on the outside, but I just want to be more observant of my daily doings myself. Some journaling is likely in order. Additionally, since one side effect of rough times is my disinterest in things that usually bring me fulfillment, I’m going to see if Madeleine L’Engle’s Walking on Water or Meik Wiking’s The Art of Danish Living can help nudge me out of that.

I’m taking the whole week off for my 50th birthday later in the month. I’m going to go visit my parents the first weekend of my vacation. I have a few fun outings with friends during the week. And then Maggie and Michelle are coming to visit! Otherwise, I’m going to spend that week relaxing, which typically means reading, organizing, and random cleaning as I feel like it. I planted tomatoes yesterday, and I may plant more things if I feel so moved. I may visit some bookstores, but I may also just luxuriate in the fact that I don’t have to be anywhere for most of the week. Enjoying the simple life whenever I can.

I’m pretty stoked about my reading plans for March.

Book Clubs

52 Book Club Challenge

  • Death of the Author by Nnedi Okorafor – a sprayed edge [fantasy/nonrealism/sci-fi/etc.]
  • The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón – written in third person [mystery/ suspense]
  • Rebel Girl by Kathleen Hanna – celebrity on the cover [memoir]
  • Fable by Adrienne Young – a character with red hair [general YA]
  • The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley – author’s last name is also a first name [fantasy/nonrealism/sci-fi/etc.]
  • East of Eden by John Steinbeck – direction in the title [general fiction]
  • Finlay Donovan Knocks ‘Em Dead by Ellie Cosimano – character’s name in the title [mystery/suspense]

Libro.fm Challenge

Bad Bitch Book Club Challenge

  • The Book Eaters by Sunyi Dean – a book you meant to read in 2022 [fantasy/nonrealism/sci-fi/etc.]
  • The Truth According to Ember by Danica Nava – a BBC BOTM you never got around to [romance-ish]
  • A book you bought on your birthday – TBA 🙂

Nowhere Bookshop Bingo

OWC Challenge

  • A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas – a book over 400 pages [fantasy/nonrealism/sci-fi/etc.]
  • The Reformatory by Tananarive Due – a book tagged as horror, cosmic horror, or speculative fiction [mystery/suspense]

Library Books

People have the following books on hold at the library, so I want to finish them quickly and return them. Waiting for books you’re longing to read is so stressful.

One of my upcoming reading challenge prompts is “genre chosen for you by someone else.” So I ask you – what genre do you think I should read?

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Friday Five – Valentines

Posted in Books, Food, Friday Five, Health, Mental Health, Nourish on February 14, 2025| 2 Comments »

Love is in the air. Or something. Maybe it’s smog. Or anxiety. 

On this arbitrary date that we celebrate love and consumerism, I hope you are surrounded by people who get you and know how amazing you are. Also, your hair looks nice, and I like your shirt.

Shout-out to Maggie, on this, her favorite day. It’s totally not made up. It’s a very real and special holiday, Magnanimous.

Here are some things I’ve read recently that I loved, and I hope you do, too.

  • I’m Cancer-Free, So Why Do I Feel So Depressed and Hopeless? by Maggie Hundshamer-Moshier via Bezzy BC – I’m feeling a lot of these things right now. The other day, I burst into tears at a mild inconvenience and turned to my friend and said “I think I’m depressed.” They smiled sweetly and said, “You…think?” Noted.
  • The Perils of Voracious Reading by Caroline Donahue – “The desire to read is as strong for me as the desire to eat.” I feel that. My favorite way of digesting what I read is keeping a commonplace book. In fact, since I read in more places than at home, I have one there and one that I carry around with me. They’re mostly full of quotes but also sometimes notes on how something made me feel or my gut reaction to a book/passage. The one I stash in my purse also often has lists, meeting notes, and doodles from meetings.
  • How To Read a Book by Monica Wood – I’m going to have to add Monica Wood to my favorite authors list. This is only the second one of hers that I’ve read, but both this one and The One-in-a-Million Boy were fantastic. If you like Fredrik Backman, or you enjoyed Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine, you will probably love the stories Monica Wood tells.
  • What Goes With What by Julia Turshen – I will sit and read a cookbook cover to cover like it’s a novel, but with most of them, I start skimming about halfway through. Not this one. Turshen’s recipes and instructions are interspersed with memories, essays, and interviews about the role food plays in her life, and I adored it all. This would be a great book to give to a new cook who is just learning how to experiment and think outside the recipe, but I (a somewhat well-seasoned cook) learned a lot (and *cough* would like it as a gift *cough*), too.
  • Finally, an oldie but goodie – The Optimism of Uncertainty by Howard Zinn via The Nation (2004). “To be hopeful in bad times is not just foolishly romantic. It is based on the fact that human history is a history not only of cruelty but also of compassion, sacrifice, courage, kindness. What we choose to emphasize in this complex history will determine our lives.”

I hope you have a great weekend, friends!

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February 2025 TBR

Posted in Books, Reading Challenges, Resolutions, tagged , , , , on February 3, 2025| Leave a Comment »

Happy February! I am reading a lot of love stories, and some books about books, with a little dystopia thrown in for good measure. Also, shout-out to Black History Month, but really, every month is a good month to read great books by Black authors.

One of the perks of listing out my monthly TBR is that I get super pumped about all the great things I get to read soon. Sometimes I get so excited that I read them as soon as I put them on next month’s list. Hence my January reading of two books that were originally on my February TBR:

  • A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson – audiobook has multiple narrators [series], meant to be a 52 Book Club read for February. This audio is great. I really like the way it was set up.
  • The Sign of Four by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle – Read an audiobook published before you were born (I presume it means the book was published before I was born, not the audio version) [series], meant to be a Libro.fm book for February. It isn’t my favorite Sherlock Holmes story, but it was enjoyable nonetheless.

I am still finishing up some of my January reads but here’s the plan for February.

Book Clubs

Theme/Goals/Genre Challenge

52 Book Club

  • Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan – Set in Winter [general fiction]
  • The Maidens by Alex Michaelides – 300-400 pages long [dark academia]
  • The Lost Story by Meg Shaffer – found family trope [fantasy/nonrealism/sci-fi/etc.]
  • Water Moon by Samantha Sotto Yambao – has a moon on the cover [fantasy/nonrealism/sci-fi, etc.]
  • Experienced by Kate Young – cover font is in a primary color [romance-ish]
  • How To Read a Book by Monica Wood – a standalone novel [books on books/writing]

Libro.fm

  • The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson – Listen to a genre outside your comfort zone [general nonfiction, specifically true crime, which is what fits the prompt]
  • It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover – Read an audiobook adapted into a TV series or movie [romance-ish – heavy on the ish]
  • I’m So Not Over You by Kosoko Jackson – Listen to an audiobook by a Black author [romance-ish]

Bad Bitch Book Club

  • What I Ate in One Year by Stanley Tucci – A book about food that isn’t a cookbook [foodie memoir]
  • Delilah Green Doesn’t Care by Ashley Herring Blake – A queer romance with a clinch cover [romance-ish]
  • Priest by Sierra Simone – A romance novel featuring an unconventional relationship [romance-ish; series]

Nowhere Bookshop

  • Books: A Memoir by Larry McMurtry – A bookish memoir/biography [books on books/writing]
  • Harlem Rhapsody by Victoria Christopher Murray – Book with BIPOC rep written by a BIPOC author [general fiction]
  • The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters – Award-winning book [general fiction]
  • Daughter of the Merciful Deep by Leslye Penelope – Fantasy book by a female author [fantasy/non-realism/sci-fi/etc.]

Overeducated Women With Cats

  • Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami – A book that’s been on your TBR for more than five years [favorite authors]
  • The Fury by Alex Michaelides – A book with an unreliable narrator [mystery/suspense]

That’s the list! I hope you get some time to read things that feed your soul, make you think, or help you relax this month!

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Friday Five – First Week Blues

Posted in Beauty, Books, Friday Five, Mental Health, Quiet, Resolutions on January 17, 2025| Leave a Comment »

Whew. This week. The first week of classes is always a wild ride but I am pretty sure this week has lasted 14 years. It’s been a lot. Add my own personal not-doing-great-mentally to the mix and…I’m just really, really glad this weekend has an extra day. I hope I’ll actually be able to take a mental break from work and to deal gently with all the other nonsense going on in the world so that the stress doesn’t just keep compounding. 

  • I love that Joy the Baker’s word of the year is joy. I also love a gentle January (which this one has definitely not been for me thus far), and this post is full of inspiration for unabashed moseying. 
  • I enjoyed this extensive list of ways to get involved if you are concerned about book bans. 
  • My friend is seeking legal assistance with getting her son the help he needs. Please donate if you can.
  • In light of my general overwhelm about financial…anything…I have enlisted the help of Tori Dunlap’s community, The $100K Club. It is way outside my comfort zone but in just the last three days is already helping me. The monthly membership fee ($47) is somewhat steep for my budget, but that is still less stressful than trying to piece together all this info myself and weed through all the advice people like to give (omg the mounds of opinions – most of them either completely irrelevant to me or just plain bad advice).
  • Susan Cain’s post about what she learned from her father on living a quiet life resonated with me. Today the encouragement to do beautiful things just for the sake of doing them was exactly what I needed. 
  • Edited to add this bonus because it’s so good and something I need to remember about myself this month as a reminder to breathe first and then respond. I don’t have to perpetuate bad history by making anger my default. People lash out when they’re sad.

I hope that you are well and that your weekend is easy/fun!

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