“Life isn‘t supposed to be lived as some kind of example to others; all it is, all it can be, is a crashing together of moments.“

Slow Saturday morning

And it's a wrap. At least January turned out to be a solid reading month in spite of the rest of the month's events.

Saturday evening plans

“I wondered if the past rudely visited me, ghostly, uninvited,
or if I walked backwards, uninvited, to haunt it?“

Listened to Heretic on audio while taking walks over the last week often finding myself at a cafe to scribble in my journal & gather my thoughts as much of this hit very close to home coming from a similar background and subsequently leaving the evangelical church when I was in my early thirties. It's a lot to unpack; even a decade later, I still find myself unpacking more and more. I appreciated hearing someone else's experience and perspective.

Lit-fic meets sci-fi meets meta-fiction, Okorafor's new novel is my first 5⭐ book of 2025. The story is told from various POVs: Zelu, a complicated woman who refuses to be put into a box (& we're pulled deeply in her innermost workings), interviews from family members portraying how different aspects of Zelu are viewed by them, excerpts from Zelu's novel (Rusted Robots). ⭐Because sometimes a story really does have the power to reshape the world.⭐

Seren is a bit concerned about this chapter.

“...Nothing really matches the atmosphere of the old Polaroid film. Except perhaps a poem, a musical phrase, or a forest hung with mist.“

Prepared to say inside as the snow continues to fall all day and then ushers in the subsequent cold this week.

I'm about halfway through this collection and enjoying it. Dark academia stories are a perfect winter read, and Edgar is the perfect reading buddy.

My StoryGraph 2024 wrap-up. It was a solid reading year with lots of fabulous books across many genres. Tagged book was my best of the year. Absolutely LOVE Joy Sullivan's poetry, and I read this volume repeatedly throughout the year and carried it with me for a couple months including across the Atlantic on vacation. Cannot recommend enough ☺️

Sunday morning reading buddy

...“everyday things are rare and exciting when they turn up in unfamiliar places.“
The comfort of little, unexpected things ♥️

Seren and I greeted the Winter Solstice lazily this morning. I also finished up Darling Girls, which did not disappoint. The use of both the before/after timeline and the POV of each sister worked very well and added to the story. Compelling and enjoyable read.

This was a fun, quick read on my flights last weekend. And the cover art is gorgeous! #coverlove

Interesting voice and subject. Enjoyed reading this one and marked several passages to return to later.

Once again nerding out on StoryGraph's charts. November was a great reading month, and my top 3 are all solid picks. Mallory in Full Color is MG but I'd recommend for any age. Arrangements in Blue was beautifully written. Scorched Earth is collection of moving poetry. Note: this was an ARC; comes out March 2025.)

Up next. I've been looking forward to this one for awhile and finally picked up a copy this week.

The state of my desk right now scattered with my current reads.

12 y.o. Mallory is a people pleaser and avoids conflict as she struggles with the question of “Who am I?“ A self-portrait assignment parallels her confusion as she works on “patchwork pieces of a girl who had a million different words for who she was and still no face.“ With comic panels at the start of each chapter, a cause to help defend drag queen storytime from protesters, and a glitter cat, this is a fantastic MG book! Edgar approved.

Ready for the weekend!

This play was the perfect way to revisit a favorite. It was delightful to move from room to room watching as Jane Austen converses with her characters.

Edgar is buried deep in blankets during this morning's reading.

And that's a wrap. Still loving StoryGraph's monthly wrap up feature.

This cover arrested my attention immediately, and I then was intrigued by the following: her name is not her name, her father is not her father, her birthday is made up, and she spends her days editing Wikipedia entries. Overall, it's a pick - an enjoyable and interesting story - but there could have been more depth and character development.

Morning reading

I enjoyed this one and found it to be a bit Sally Rooney esque although I'm not typically a fan of using those comparisons. Okay Days didn't have quite the depth or emotional weight of Rooney's work but still enjoyable and satisfying read IMO.

It's a e-book day since this guy insists on cuddles. How can I say no to this face?

I enjoyed dipping in and out of this collection over the past week. A couple of essays just didn't generate my interest, and there were a few that stood out above the others; my favorite being Second Selves. Overall I found the book to be thought provoking and give it a pick.

AS King is YA surrealism at its best. Her newest novel is a deep dive into what domestic abuse is like from the inside. It's frank but handled with grace. And I loved seeing Jane's punk opera develop throughout the book.

In addition to the physical history, Roland also discusses how notebooks were used throughout history - in accounting, art, natural history, writing, etc. and various ways notebooks were perceived. I.e., in the 1200s when clergy refused to use anything other than parchment being suspicious of paper's novelty and its infidel and recycled origins: “one opponent fulminated against the idea that the word of God could be written on menses-stained rag.“

September wrap! I usually read a decent mix of genres across both fiction and non-fiction, but September was a heavy NF month with some solids picks too.

Free verse paired with stunning art to tell the stort of Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley

Coffee date with Lyndsay Rush's A Bit Much yesterday. Very relatable poems written with both sharpness and humor. Looking forward to continuing.

Captivating photo! I continue to enjoy slowly taking this volume in day by day.

This is a fantastic, fun spooky twist on the classic Goodnight Moon, and my nephew definitely approves!

I've been loving the StoryGraph's new monthly wrap-up feature. August was a crazy work month that really only left me with weekends for reading, but I got in some top notch books when time permitted.

“In a painting, I try to make some logic out of the world that has been given to me in chaos....“ -Grace Hartigan

This is a book about addiction, anxiety, grief, loneliness, rehab, recovery, and learning to give each other enough grace to talk about what's happening. I was absorbed in Bella's story, and it's a solid pick for me!

My 2 year old nephew loves Halloween and spooky books and has been demanding to be read them all summer. This Auntie is more than happy to add to his collection.

“The only way for a woman, as for a man, to find herself, to know herself as a person, is by creative work of her own.“ - Betty Friedan

I'm always nervous starting a highly anticipated book, but Sally Rooney did not disappoint. Character based and introspective, this novel explores themes of grief, relationships, sibling dynamics, and life (its meaning, how we create a life, and the question “Is it enough to simply be?“). Rooney deftly illustrates the frustrations of trying to be understood and understanding each other. (Release date 9/24/24)
And speaking of sibling dynamics 😺🐱

There's an elusiveness in Wyeth's art, a feeling of being suspended and detached - not quite present in any physical sense. I've been drawn to Andrew Wyeth's work since visiting Brandywine Museum of Art years ago and enjoyed reading more about Wyeth and his art.

Loving little moments with Patti Smith

“Christina loves animals - kitten are her whole world -and to watch her hold that little thing in that hand of hers - it was phenomenal. She to me is the essence of New England witchcraft. She has such knowledge of hardship and her being is so strong - to me she rules like a queen, absolutely.“ -Andrew Wyeth speaking of Christina Olsen; image is one of his paintings of her, Miss Olsen

Edgar helped make the beds and then promptly fell asleep. I dipped back into Rooney's Intermezzo. Only 20% in but am enjoying it so far.

Seren and I may have differing opinions on this one.
The setting: small town, post-industrial 1990's Scotland.
The story: adolescent Cora is trying to make sense of the world, her upbringing, her ADHD, and take some control of her life.
This is a new novel about grief, belonging, makeshift family, friendship, disability. With brilliant prose and such a real-feel, I look forward to more by Tom Newlands in the future.

Scored this ARC on Sunday and managed to squeeze in a little reading time before the crazy work week. Seriously cannot wait to dive in again!