An incredibly detailed (almost too much so, in the first half) book about the July 22, 2011 massacre of 77 people —many of them teenagers— in Norway. It‘s a sobering and chilling examination at how Breivik was radicalized into becoming a right-wing terrorist who was obsessed with ridding Norway of multiculturalism.

Mailed the last batch of cards today as part of the Postcards for Progress campaign. With this batch to New Jersey plus others to Virginia throughout the summer, I‘ve written and mailed 800 postcards. 👊🏼💙💙👊🏼

Vote like your life depends upon it—because it does.

My boss - who is a fabulous baker in her spare time - made this cake for my husband for his birthday. It‘s a 3-layer chocolate cake with raspberry filling. Babies and puppies and pretty autumn leaves are lovely, yes. But I can‘t imagine a more beautiful sight at the moment. 😍

#beautybreak

There are sooo many viable options these days…

And also — I ❤️ German. It‘s so strangely and perfectly specific.

#weirdwordwednesday #weirdwords @CBee

Things I love about living in my blue state/region: quality healthcare, no bathroom phobias or book bans, a better educated populace, voting rights, legal protections for marginalized communities, abortion rights, higher minimum wage, workplace protections, a wider range of social services, and acceptance of diversity as a strength instead of something to fear. I love New England. 💙💙💙🥰

#majicmonday

I have been reading this 460-page book for 2 months because every chapter makes my blood pressure skyrocket and I have to take a break. And I still have 100 pages to go. The deceitful and illegal marketing practices of Johnson & Johnson throughout many years are absolutely sickening.

We‘re slated to get a fall nor‘easter over the next two days, with heavy rain and high winds that might cause power outages. So I went out today to pick up my library holds, replenish my tea inventory, and swing by a local food truck to get a wild berry pie and shortbread cookies. Proper storm supplies laid in: ✔️

“I‘m so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers.” — L.M. Montgomery

🍁🍂🌼

#beautybreak

I have never been more proud to be 13% Scottish. 🥰

#weirdwordwednesday

I wasn‘t sure about this book at first, but it slowly got its hooks into me and didn‘t let go. I could literally feel Carol‘s despair as she struggled to avoid a descent into the mind-numbing desolation of the “Village Virus.” I‘ve been where Carol is. I‘ve lived in a Gopher Prairie. I finally escaped after 15 long years. I was rooting for her all the way to the end.

Attention! Today and tomorrow—head over to Bookshop.org and participate in their Anti-Prime sale —with free shipping! Because as their motto says, “friends don‘t let friends shop on Amazon.” Every time you buy a book on Bookshop.org you‘re supporting indie bookstores.

#readingispolitical

Marking #bannedbooksweek by sharing my copies of “Maus” and “Maus II” with a coworker who plans to read and discuss them with his 14-year-old daughter.

#bannedbooks
#readingispolitical
#antifabookclub

Minnesota River Bottoms Trail in the Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge
Burnsville, MN

#beautybreak

Just stopped at Barnes & Noble for a browse and these Percival Everett books left with me. What could I do? They needed a home. 🤷🏻‍♀️

That‘s a wrap for September 2025. Where the heck is the year going??

In honor of your birthday, @BookmarkTavern , I picked three favorites for the year so far: a novella, a fiction and a nonfiction.

#sundayfunday

Took a post-dinner walk along the shore to clear my head and get some fresh air.
#beautybreak

It‘s a gorgeous autumn day to sit outside with a mug of tea and a stack of books for #Turnthepage readathon. I‘m cycling between 3 nonfiction books (the bottom 2 pictured plus “What We Knew” on my iPad) and the tagged fiction book.

I wanted to like this story of a family and a treasured heirloom‘s place in the family‘s history that stretched across centuries, generations and geography. But the way the story was told was meandering and disjointed, with multiple POVs that sometimes went off tangent or seemed superfluous to the narrative arc.

Jill, thank you so much for my #FallingforFallSwap #FFFS package! I‘m thrilled that you indulged my continued obsession with Percival Everett —this was literally the next book of his that I wanted to read! I also love the tote bag, bookmark, candy and stickers. Happy autumn, my friend! 🍁🍁🍁🍂🍂

A few years ago I read “Love, Lucy,” Lucille Ball‘s autobiography. This is a biography of Desi Arnaz, the other half of the power couple behind “I Love Lucy” and Desilu Productions. He was a visionary who revolutionized TV production by filming the show before a live studio audience with synchronized cameras. He also insisted on retaining ownership of the filmed episodes—and the concept of reruns and syndication was born. An interesting read.

I‘ll never understand how it‘s possible to suspend disbelief enough to get on board with the ridiculously compressed timelines in the romance genre: meet/initial dislike/sleep together/fall in love/introduce to mom/misunderstanding/conflict/breakup/heartbreak/resolution of conflict/reconciliation/happily-ever-after…in 2-3 weeks. What saves Emily Henry books from being chucked at the wall is the delightful snarkiness of the main character.

Water = Dark
Earth = Darker
Fire = Darkest
Air = Reconciliation, redemption and glimmers of light shining through the darkness

A powerful, provocative and emotional journey through the”Elements.”

#WeDoNotCare that we are posting a #MondayMood on a Wednesday. Who can even keep track anymore of what day it is anyway. 😖🤷🏻‍♀️

#WDNCW

This book went in directions I didn‘t expect, several of which caused my eyeballs to roll and my eyebrows to raise. I also didn‘t really like any of the characters. Nevertheless, it was a propulsive and thought-provoking read about the moral responsibility and ethical consequences of using Artificial Intelligence.

Another banned/challenged book for our local library‘s “Read for Your Rights” book club. This is a graphic memoir of the author‘s life growing up in Tehran until age 14, during the late 1970s/early 1980s —a period that covered the fall of the Shah, the rise of the Islamic state and Iran‘s war with Iraq. I don‘t read a lot of graphic novels; I‘m glad I read this one. It was the perfect format for Satrapi‘s story.

I read and reread this book so often that the cover disintegrated into pieces. LOVED it. 🥰
Also adored “A Wrinkle in Time” (the entire series) and “The Phantom Tollbooth.”

@BookmarkTavern
#SundayFunday

400+ pages of immature characters, eye-rolling plot points wrapped around a “documentary” that was telling the story years after all the events occurred and So. Much. Drama. I kept reading only to see if I could accurately predict the ridiculous “twists” that came next. (Spoiler alert: I did.) Books like this are why I avoid the romance genre. Blech.

Received my #FallingForFallSwap package today, @Bookwormjillk ! How fun that we are each other‘s swap partners this year!

#FFFS

A message from the universe today 💙

Seems legit to me. 🤷🏻‍♀️

My 7th Percival Everett book. I inhaled it almost as fast as the cranberry orange scone. Every one of his books is so different—I‘m in awe of his creativity and range. This one is a story in three parts that eventually converge by the end. Loved it.

Made a visit to Red Emma‘s in Baltimore, a radical worker cooperative bookstore that gives everyone in the collective an equal say in the business. Great selection of books on social justice issues and a wonderful coffeehouse attached as well. On bottom right is one of the books I purchased there.

My son and I went to DC this weekend for the 2025 National Book Festival. Enjoyed a wonderful day with presentations by Geraldine Brooks, Garrett Graff and Ron Chernow as well as exhibits and shopping. AND I got to meet @Suet624 !! Book festivals are magical places. 😍

I‘m usually a bit meh about TJR books and likely would have skipped this one —but a story that includes the space program, the first female astronauts AND the 1980s? How fast can I get my library card out of my bag? Several of the characters are underdeveloped and the story is uneven in parts, but I was invested all the way to the final sentence on the last page. It was a wild ride.

We do not care that several of our friends and colleagues thought we should be celebrating the Labor Day weekend at barbecues and parties. Instead, we attended several protests (including one with our Senator Richard Blumenthal) and participated in the visibility brigade over I-95. Because democracy obviously isn‘t going to save itself.

#WDNCW #wedonotcarewednesday

An epistolary novel that imagines former Sen. Strom Thurmond‘s wish (and that of his PR aide) to chronicle his part in shaping African American history in the U.S. (It‘s not a spoiler alert to say they believe he was a positive influence.) This book is totally bonkers but also makes pointed statements about the hypocrisy of Northern states condemning Southerners for racism while ignoring their own lack of commitment to civil rights.

Reading stats for August 2025.

I went into this book assuming it would be a fairly light and fluffy read —but I was pleasantly surprised. It had more depth than I expected. And you can‘t help but love the overall message: Books can change lives.

Enjoying a glass of Töst with my stack of books for the #SummersEndReadathon on this tremendously glorious day.

@kspenmoll , I finally found the supply of Töst in our local Big Y in the aisle you suggested—thank you!

Shoutout to my local indie: RJ Julia in Madison, CT!
And The Book Barn in Niantic.
And Bank Square Books in Mystic.
And Northshire Books in Manchester, VT.
And The Strand in NYC. …

Ah, Hell, who am I kidding? Gimme ALL the bookstores… 😍 this is why I shop at Bookshop.org. So I can spread the love…

#serenesaturdays

My package for #FFFS #FallingForFallSwap is on its way! @Avanders @Chrissyreadit

This book packs a lot into a small (257-page) package: dysfunctional family relationships, political extremism, radical Christian nationalist militias, the fractured state of America, the erosion of journalism, regret, heartbreak, reconciliation and redemption. If that description didn‘t entice you to read it, this detail might: It starts off with a solid punch into the face of a Trumpster. You‘re welcome.

On our way home from Boston I sweet-talked my husband into stopping in Needham for the Harvard Book Store‘s summer warehouse sale. Thousands of books on sale at 40-80% off! On the right is my book haul. Several of them are intended as gifts for family and friends. The rest are also gifts —to me. 😀

I‘ve been wanting to get up to Boston to check out Beacon Hill Books —finally made it this weekend! It‘s absolutely adorable. 😍

Runner‘s memoir of “the incident”: the day he was crushed by a 14,000-lb Snowcat — and lived to talk about it. This is repetitive in many places and there‘s no acknowledgment of his extreme privilege that aided his recovery process. But the raw emotion in his voice as he describes the experience is heartbreaking. Warning: the descriptions of his injuries are incredibly gruesome. I literally gasped out loud during chapters 2 and 3. 😬

Yes. This. It‘s exactly like this. 🛩️🔥🎯

#readingispolitical

Well-written and accessible narrative of the history of tuberculosis and the social inequities that make it either treatable or the deadliest disease on earth — depending on where you live.

Completed for #DiseaseoftheMonthBookClub
Prompt: Read a book about the politics of race and health

We do not care if it offends or upsets you because it‘s a political post and not “book-related,” because we‘re going to say it anyway: If you support a man who thinks teaching people that owning human beings is “woke,” you might be —nay, you ARE —a fascist Nazi.

Go ahead. The unfollow button is right up there. ⬆️ Don‘t let the door hit you on the way out.

#WDNCW #WeDoNotCareWednesday
#readingispolitical
#antifabookclub

Finally home from work to relax on the patio, temperature at a perfect 70 degrees with no humidity, a glass of sparkling Töst and and a book about tuberculosis. What could be better than this right now. ?

#DiseaseoftheMonthBookClub