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Archive for the ‘Seasons’ Category

September 2026 TBR

Posted in Resolutions, Books, Seasons, Reading Challenges, tagged , , , on September 3, 2026| Leave a Comment »

I know it’s still hot outside, but September is always when something noticeably changes in the air (even if it’s not the temperature). School is already underway, and students are settling into their schedules. We are starting to make hopeful plans that may involve the outdoors as soon as the weather gets itself together. This is the beginning of peak cozy season. 

This is also the season when the reading plans I made at the start of the year begin to derail a little/even more than they have already. 

At this point, I have usually finished at least one reading challenge already, and I’m feeling smug about that. So the rest of them? Good luck to them. I will still try (ish) and probably finish at least one or two more, especially if I experience a hyperfocus period or two, but I stop making real promises to any of them in the fall. This month, I’ll probably read books planned for some of the prompts listed on previous TBRs. And the books I have listed below are likely to fit into at least one unfinished prompt, so that counts. But the intense drive I had months ago to pick the very best books that will fit each of the prompts? That’s pretty much gone at this point.

For fall, I tend to focus on themes.

In addition to my cozy and book club selections, this month’s theme is mystery. I’ve got a few series I’m working through or re-reading, so I’ll probably continue those, and I’ve listed a couple extra down below. 

[Disclaimer – I am a Bookshop.org affiliate – I get a cut of the sales from most of the links below.]

Book Clubs

Cozy/Library Returns

Part of my cozy curriculum this month is reducing the number of books I have checked out of the library. I will not tell you how many I have checked out. Suffice it to say that you would not be wrong to judge me for it, so go ahead. By the end of the month, I want to return at least half of them, which will result in a respectable number of checkouts

Mystery Month

I’m planning to read the next book in the Three Pines, Thursday Murder Club, and some other series on my list. I’m also looking at tackling these in the upcoming weeks:

This plan may seem ambitious, but there’s method to the madness. I did the math on my overall reading goal (i.e., 200 books total) for this year last night. To meet the goal by December 31, I need to finish a book a day, minus 26 days. 

So…23-24 a month?

That’s fine. Everything’s fine. Totally doable. 

I mean, if I don’t meet it, I don’t meet it. That is, in fact, fine. I also get more relaxed (some might call it “reasonable,” but that feels like negative energy to me) about my overall goal as the year progresses.

What are you reading these days?

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Friday Five – Collective Mourning

Posted in Fandom, Food, Friday Five, Mental Health, Nostalgia, Seasons, tagged , , , on August 28, 2026| Leave a Comment »

It’s been a sad week overall. Beloved icons have died. The death toll keeps rising due to flooding in Nepal, Tibet, and China. The summer blues have been particularly brutal this month, but I am proud of myself for doing a few things other than just working and for finding a little joy along the way.

  • One sweet thing that happened this week is the Simplified Fall Launch. Simplified has the perfect planner for next year, and I snagged one. It’s bookbound, saving me the frustration of dealing with spiral nonsense. It’s organized by calendar year, not academic year, which is how I organize my goals and thus my life. AND! It’s BERRY STRIPE, which is my all-time favorite Simplified pattern! I’m so happy about this.
  • Connor Storrie (Ilya on Heated Rivalry, for those not yet invested) now has a buzz cut instead of everyone’s beloved curls, and a large part of the fandom is in mourning. I have spent way too much time reading commentary on this man’s hair, and while I sincerely hope he is blatantly ignoring this chaos and just living his life and keeping his peace, I really needed the levity of caring about a celebrity’s locks this week. It reminded me of the HairYay!/HairNay! debates on the Michael Rosenbaum Message Board in the early days of Smallville fandom (MR played Lex Luthor, but I forgive you for not knowing that). In absolutely unsurprising news to any friends lingering from my earlier fandom days, I tend to fall on the same side of the debate as Out’s Ariel Messman-Rucker – Connor is a thoroughly attractive young man even with (dare I say – especially with) the shorn look. *cough*HairNay!forlife*cough*
  • I appreciate these notes on slowing down. I need this reminder sometimes, but it is hard to find things that make much of a difference that make sense for me. So much of the advice on slow living involves some sort of complete overhaul of how you live, and that’s not practical right now. I mean, someday I’m probably gonna make my own jam on the regular (it is on my goal list for my 50s, after all), but that day is not today (yes, I know it’s easy and delicious, but you know what’s easier and just as tasty? Buying already-made jam at the farmer’s market where I’m also buying other things and supporting local farms in the process). I like how this piece sticks to things like, “Maybe don’t schedule something social every single night of the week after you’ve already been social all day, every day” (I’m paraphrasing). Noted.
  • Very sad about Tim Curry’s death. I appreciate this compilation of tributes to him and his astounding body of work. What an iconic creative genius. 
  • And our Dolly Parton has passed. Jesus and I are in a bit of a fight about it. I know I’m curating my social media right, because all week, my feed has been flooded with memories and memorials of her kindness, grace, love, and her unwavering, fierce acceptance and protection of all. She is mourned by family, friends, co-conspirators, fellow musicians, fans, patriots, the American Library Association, and anyone who has ever needed to see a little hope in the world. Donate books and support/protect the vulnerable (with more than prayer – cash and tangible assistance – faith without works is dead, if you need a little help from James 2:26 to summon the strength, fellow believers). Maybe listen to her voice, bake yourself a little treat, and put it over ice cream this weekend. May we all live our lives even half as well as Dolly did.

I hope you have a restful weekend!

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Friday Five – What Is Time

Posted in Alive, Books, Church, Core, Food, Friday Five, Fun, Mental Health, Seasons, Work on July 24, 2026| 2 Comments »

This week has felt 14,325 days long. I even had Monday off work, but that feels so long ago, I can’t even remember what I did. 

Probably read? Probably cleaned? Maybe went to the library? Who knows?

Next week, I have Friday off to travel to the farm and help take care of some practical things for Mom and Dad. Then it will be August, and I’ll actually go back to working full weeks again (I’ve had a lot of time off in July, which has been nice). Maybe I’ll get to start working from home part of the time in August? Perhaps? We will see.

In the meantime, here are some things that have been helpful to me this week:

  • This may sound mean, but I’m so glad Nadia Bolz-Weber is bad at meditation. Me, too. But even stumbling at it is helpful, so I do it, even when I do it badly. “Not because after five minutes of breathing exercises the geopolitical situation improves. It doesn’t. But because it improves my spiritual bone density.” Well said.
  • In a reading slump? It happens. I had a big ol’ slump in April-May-June-ish. I still read, but not nearly as much as I wanted to. I just could not focus. Regardless of why reading slumps happen, though, eventually they subside. Usually. Sometimes they need a little push. Such as a Couch to 5K…but for reading. This is an amazing idea, and I love how detailed the plan is.
  • I am HEAVILY invested in the blossoming love life of Trenchfoot and Doughboy. Jessica introduced me to them, and I’m so happy. Team Trenchfoot. Doughboy needs to grow up if he’s going to be her baby’s father. Get it together, my dude. Riveted.
  • I have been planning to write a post about my summer bucket list for about a month. Reading isn’t the only thing that’s slumping in my world. So I’m just living vicariously through Joy the Baker’s lists – Part 1 and Part 2. I may still write my own (at this point, my list is just “Survive August in Texas”), but I also may just make a spin on her peach melba ice cream and call it a day. I think that’s good enough.
  • Speaking of sweet treats, this is on my list of things to try. It’s took hot in Texas right now to mail chocolate, but there’s a shop nearby that sells it. I feel an adventure coming up soon!

Edited to add: It’s National Tequila Day. Proceed accordingly.

I hope you have a good weekend, friends!

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July 2026 TBR

Posted in Books, Fun, Home, Reading Challenges, Resolutions, Seasons, tagged , , on July 5, 2026| Leave a Comment »

If I were to become suddenly and inexplicably wealthy, a house with a pool might be one of my top five purchases. That’s really the only way to deal with Texas summers.

Other than the oppression of the outdoors, July looks pretty promising. There are some fun things on the horizon – i.e., a couple of live music shows I’m going to, a reading retreat, a few other fun bookish events, and maybe a trip to the farm.

And, of course, rampant reading. After a minor slump, I’ve been finishing books left and right. Hopefully, that will continue this month with the help of these reads.

[Disclaimer – I am a Bookshop.org affiliate – I get a cut of the sales from most of the links below.]

Book Clubs

Anti Brain Rot

Popsugar

  • The Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen – A book with “Pop” or “Sugar” in the title
  • The Bright Side Running Club by Josie Lloyd – A book with a character who runs a marathon (I think? Or she just starts running? We will see.)
  • Yes, Yes, Cherries by Mary Otis – A book with any type of fruit on the cover or in the title

52 Book Club

  • In a Sunburned Country by Bill Bryson – Author’s first and last name start with the same letter
  • Horrorstör by Grady Hendrix – Literary device: personification (maybe – can’t find spoilers to confirm)
  • Shark Heart by Emily Habeck – Inspired by the top-grossing movie the year you were born (Jaws, because of course it was)

Libro.fm

Nowhere

Overeducated Women With Cats

  • Kingdom of Ash by Sarah J. Maas – A book set in a fully invented world

Bad Bitch Book Club

Read Your Bookshelf 

I hope your July is full of joy and pleasant surprises!

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June 2026 TBR

Posted in Books, Reading Challenges, Seasons on June 2, 2026| Leave a Comment »

You know how June usually likes to flirt? Like…it’s warm but not hot? Sultry but not oppressive?

Not this year, apparently. *pants* It’s so unpleasant outside.

All the more reason to stay inside and read!

It’s Pride month and summer, and this month’s selections are a bit of a shoutout to both.

[Disclaimer – I am a Bookshop.org affiliate – I get a cut of the sales from most of the links below.]

Book Clubs

Cozy

Anti Brain Rot

Popsugar

  • Big Summer by Jennifer Weiner – A book that explores influencer culture
  • The Favorites by Layne Fargo – A book about your favorite event in the Winter Olympics

52 Book Club

  • The Rose Code by Kate Quinn – Author’s bio mentions their dog
  • Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen – Written in the 1800s
  • The June mini challenge prompts? Stay tuned…

Libro.fm

  • Lessons in Magic and Disaster by Charlie Jane Anders (narrated by Lisa Flanagan, Marisa Calin, and Sena Bryer) – Listen to an audiobook by a transgender author
  • Most Ardently by Gabe Cole Novoa (narrated by Harrison Knights) – Listen to an audiobook by an LGBTQIA+ author

Nowhere

Bad Bitch Book Club 

  • Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen – Reread your favorite book from high school
  • One of Our Kind by Nicola Yoon – A novel written in a genre the author has never explored before (i.e., Yoon’s first adult novel/horror/mystery after writing YA romance/family)

Alphabet Challenge

Read Your Bookshelf

Book Riot Read Harder

Happy reading, friends!

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April 2026 TBR

Posted in Books, Cozy, Fandom, Health, Poetry, Reading Challenges, Resolutions, Seasons on April 2, 2026| 3 Comments »

Unpopular opinion – Spring is, objectively speaking, the very worst season. At least in Texas. But I imagine any place with trees or floral plant life is just unbearable right now.

So what does that leave? The desert? Desert people – how are you right now? Can you breathe? I’ve forgotten how it feels to be able to do that. Is it wonderful? I bet it’s wonderful.

The pollen is really pollening. My gray car has taken on a perpetual yellow tint, despite vigilant rinsing. I’m constantly drugged, and as they are providing no actual symptom relief, I’ve concluded the allergy meds are merely keeping me alive. I have a constant wheeze. It’s a miracle I can open my eyes wide enough to read print at all.

That must be why the audiobooks I read in March outnumbered the print books I read. For the first time ever. Incredible.

It’s National Poetry Month, though, so I’m going to power through with puffy, watery eyes to enjoy all the lovely collections I’ve planned. Print is always my preference with poetry.

[Disclaimer – I am a Bookshop.org affiliate – I get a cut of the sales from most of the links below.]

Book Clubs

  • A Place for Us by Fatima Farheen Mirza
  • Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan (Rise & Shine theme – something blue)
  • The Long Goodbye by Raymond Chandler (I haven’t quite finished the previous ones in the series, so I’m going to have to read them OUT OF ORDER to get this one read by the time book club comes *melodramatically breaks out in hives*)
  • Black. Single. Mother. by Jamilah Lemieux
  • Katabasis by R. F. Kuang
  • Choose your own poetry adventure – see the poetry section below!

Cozy

Poetry

It’s National Poetry Month, and I’m going to celebrate not only by reading lots of poetry but also by learning more about how to write it well from some of my favorite poets.

Anti Brain Rot Challenge

PopSugar

52 Book Club

Libro.fm

  • Get a Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert  (narrated by Adjoa Andoh) – Listen to an audiobook by a disabled author (Part of The Great Audio Reading Surge of March 2026. It’s so good! I’m excited to read the other two this month.)
  • Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson (narrated by Robert Sean Leonard) – Listen to a banned book (Another part of The Surge. I am glad I didn’t read this as a child. I was way too sensitive to have been able to handle this then. It was almost too much for Adult Me to try to listen to during lunch and while driving. There was ugly crying involved.)
  • Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil by V. E. Schwab – Listen to a Libro.fm staff pick (Also read in March. While I liked Schwab’s series – Shades of Magic and Villains, specifically – better, it was a solid read, and the audio was fantastic.)
  • Judge Stone by Viola Davis and James Patterson (narrated by Viola Davis) – Read an audiobook from your wish list (Just waiting on my libro.fm credit for the month to pop up!)

Nowhere Book Bingo

Bad Bitch Book Club

  • Deaf Republic by Ilya Kaminsky – A collection of poetry written by someone who has a chronic illness or disability
  • Finger Exercises for Poets by Dorianne Laux – A nonfiction book about art or creativity
  • Judge Stone by Viola Davis and James Patterson (narrated by Viola Davis) – An audiobook narrated by the author

Overeducated Women With Cats

  • Shady Hollow by Juneau Black – A book with an anthropomorphic animal
  • The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley – A book that blends genres (specifically, sci-fi and romance)

Alphabet Challenge 

Read My Bookshelf

Book Riot Read Harder

  • Game Changer by Rachel Reid – Read a sports book by a woman, trans, or nonbinary author
  • Smothermoss by Alisa Alering – Read a book by a librarian

I hope spring is treating you more kindly than it is me, and I hope you get to read a lot of poetry (or whatever you want) this month!

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Friday Five – “HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!” she sings maniacally…

Posted in Church, Friday Five, Joy, Mental Health, Music, Quiet, Seasons, TV, tagged , , on December 12, 2025| 2 Comments »

I’m feeling very festive-song-in-minor-key today. It’s been a good week, but a busy one, and the busy isn’t really over until Sunday at noon-ish. My body is giving me small warning signs, so I figure I have about 5 days before it absolutely crashes unless I get some slow-down soon. Noted. My planner on Sunday afternoon reads “NOTHING NOT A DAMN THING.” So that’s where we’re at.

  • The correct Advent greeting. I love it every time Rev. Joseph Yoo shows up in my feed.
  • If someone rich wants advice on what to do with their money, Bryan Fuller and the cast of Pushing Daisies are ready to give us more antics at the Pie Hole! I NEED SEASON THREE!
  • Busy seasons have me sitting at the keyboard more often than usual. I just play through my theory books or some Bach variations – predictable, methodic, simple. Instrumental and ambient music are great stress relievers, which this piece explores beautifully.
  • Speaking of ambient music, I’m playing in the Joan of Bark Fest tomorrow with Wenepa. It will not be the same without Des, but I know we’ll still make some beautiful sounds together. Come see us if you’re local!
  • The James Garfield Miracle is one of my favorite things that happens every year, and I want y’all to know about it.

And an extra bonus at the end of this busy, busy week. Because The Great Unfuckening is nigh, and I feel like mine is going to be a doozy. My brain is so tired, and my stockpile of fucks-to-give is quickly dwindling.

Next week’s schedule is much calmer. It’s still busy and social – just not every day. There are real pockets of rest on the horizon, and I am excited about that.

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Spoiler Alert

Posted in Food, Home, Mental Health, Quiet, Resolutions, Seasons, Shelfies, Wonder, Work on December 2, 2025| Leave a Comment »

I’m super psyched about next year’s theme word. I have a post planned about it for New Year’s Eve. But I can’t wait that long.

Spoiler – it’s “cozy.”

This isn’t really a new theme or value for me. I leaned pretty far into cozy the year I explored what it meant to be at home in the world. Quiet and cozy went hand in hand. It’s seeped pretty steadily into wonder this year.

And for the past 20 years, I’ve been working in housing, helping people find ways to feel as cozy as possible in their home away from home.

Throughout the year, I’m going to be looking at how I can make my spaces (physical, social, emotional, mental, etc.) cozier. I’ll also excavate some of the more negative aspects of the definition of cozy, particularly when it acts like a verb.

This month, I want to take the time to acknowledge and honor what I’m already doing. I’m not sure if this statement of my intentions will be the only post about it in December, or if I will find more to say. But in the spirit of Advent, I’m paying attention to how coziness is already having an impact on how I interact with the world.

The whimsy of the ever-present office bats who change hats with the season. Sharing baked goods with coworkers and friends. Making this soup just as soon as possible. My nightly tea ritual.

The many choices of ways to get warm should the need arise (it rarely does, but I’m so ready for it).

What does cozy look like to you?

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Hello, December

Posted in Beauty, Books, Church, Friday Five, Joy, Seasons, Work, tagged , on December 1, 2025| Leave a Comment »

I was driving back from the parents’ farm on Friday when I meant to post my last Friday Five of November. I was holding off to see if I found a fifth, but I didn’t want these four little snippets of joy to slip through my fingers. I hope you enjoy them!

  • Advent is upon us so I wanted to share (re-share? I think I’ve shared it before) Tsh Oxenreider’s succinct piece on the why and how of the season.
  • I finally watched Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris this week, and it is just as lovely and just as charming as the book (even with the H added to ‘Arris). I thought there was no way I would love it as much as the book, but I did. Leslie Manville was perfectly cast and an absolute delight. Now I want to watch the Angela Lansbury version from the 90s.
  • Ethan Hawke on Marilynne Robinson’s Housekeeping – “She was speaking to me in a way that made my soul feel like it mattered.” Same, Ethan Hawke. Marilynne Robinson is a treasure.
  • I supervise a staff of university students, and a frequent question I get when they are about to graduate and go out into the big, bad world is, “How do I make friends as an adult?” Outside of the structure of classes and group projects and student organizations and residence halls, all of which tend to force socialization to some extent (for better or worse), the prospect of being on their own is often daunting, especially for introverts. My answer? Book clubs. Yes, I meet people at church, but some people don’t practice a religion. Yes, I have an art community (with very wide parameters regarding what constitutes art), but that’s not necessarily a widespread phenomenon. Book clubs are easy and more universal. Even if you don’t read a lot, you can usually find a book club that discusses genre (like the ones hosted by our public library). If you can’t find a local club that meets your needs, you can always join one online. You can also start your own and post fliers at the local library (where you can probably also meet for free, if you don’t want to invite people to your house). Options abound, and book people are interesting people who make great friends.

Have a great week, friends! Happy December!

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Friday Five – Art and Books

Posted in Books, Bookshops, Coffee Shop Road Trip, Dance, Friday Five, Fun, Home, Music, Poetry, Seasons on November 21, 2025| Leave a Comment »

This week was pretty busy but also really fun.

  • I took Monday and Tuesday off so I could drive to Tulsa to attend Travis Baldree’s book signing for Brigands & Breadknives. He talked about writing, answered questions, and read from Chapter 15. He narrates the audiobooks of this series, and I highly recommend listening to them, because he is a delight. 
  • During this little adventure, I also got to visit two bookstores and a coffee shop I’d never been to before. Magic City Books in Tulsa, Green Feather Books in Norman, and Gray Owl Coffee in Norman.
  • I got to read poems and listen to some great music at Joan of Bark at Rubber Gloves on Wednesday (and also going to be performing on December 13 at the Fest, which you should come see if you’re local or want a reason to travel to Denton)!
  • This is the collab I didn’t know I needed. “No Good Deed” with Cynthia Erivo and Misty Copeland.
  • Simon Sinek interviews Fredrik Backman, and it’s just as lovely as you imagine it would be.

I am very excited about this evening and tomorrow, when I will be catching up on all the taking care of my home that I have been neglecting whilst out gallivanting around. I might even go ahead and put up the tree. ‘Tis (almost) the season!

I hope you have a wonderful weekend, friends.

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