Daughter of a strong, southern lady and midwestern gent. My DNA includes charm bracelets, stitching, sweet tea, the proper way to do things, family bonds, decadent dessert, overlapping conservations & documenting it all.
This family drama was true southern prose full of spirits and stories and spells. Sin and family and forgiveness. No one dies quite like a southerner, taking their specific cooking and unique lineage, leaving us our heritage and pockets full of stories to embellish for many generations to come. “…. sorrow is food, swallowed too... Continue Reading →
I started a new jigsaw puzzle and am in that never-mind-it’s-too-hard-put-it-all-back-in-the-box stage. It’s a puzzle of classic paperback book covers. USA Today published an article recently about library fines and how much they impact those who can least afford the fines or the punishment of no longer being able to check out books. Library fines... Continue Reading →
I reach for books to learn while listening to people who have lived the injustice. There is so much for all of us to learn...
Feeling very…sentimental…today about all the trips to the library I’ve made in my lifetime. The excitement never changes. I am so deeply appreciative that libraries have coped and adapted so that we can still sail to other lands while huddled safely in our homes. Thank you from the bottom of my heart, library systems. Your... Continue Reading →
What is it about my weirdo brain that says, ‘Oh…this is a really popular book out there in the world? Then let’s be sure and NOT read it yet.’ What? Why?? Whatever mental defect I have, it happens every time a book skyrockets to popularity. But I’ve heard so many fantastic things about this one,... Continue Reading →
I didn’t check to see what this book of essays was about before starting to read it. Some respected people recommended it, so I opened the front page with no expectations. I found a collection of essays filled with reflections on the first half of 2020. Unique reflections. Powerful comparisons. But all with room enough... Continue Reading →
These are a few books that have meant a lot to me personally during this pandemic season. I find reliance on the liturgy comforting when you don’t feel like praying. Leaning into ancient traditions (even rote memorization) gets you through at times when your heart just isn’t in it. I especially recommend the book, Flee.... Continue Reading →
The past few days have been spent in between the pages of this beautiful book from called The Stuff of Life: Arranging Things Ordinary and Extraordinary. I can hardly make it through two pages without jumping up and rearranging something or another around my house. Tweaks here and there. I’m a bit too picky about... Continue Reading →
I smiled when I received this gifted book from Simon & Schuster. My daughter loved horses so very much when she was growing up. She even volunteered at a local stable before she was old enough to officially work. I can’t wait to read this memoir. Seems a perfect escape from the extreme peopleness of... Continue Reading →
"To drink coffee on my stoop each morning and gin on the roof at night..." - Will, commenting on what he loves about living in New York City MUSICAL CHAIRS was an enjoyably quick and entertaining read and my first Amy Poeppel book. It has been sitting on my shelf for a few months now,... Continue Reading →
I was glad to finally be able to sit down with this Book of the Month feature and all-around popular Bookstagram book, The Vanishing Half. The concept intrigued me. Stella and Desiree are twins and both born light-skinned Black. Both of them wanting to escape the confines of their small town and to live a... Continue Reading →
This is the second book I've read from Acevedo and I listened to both of them on audio. I believe she is an author that should not only be read, but be heard as well. Her reading is thick with a Dominican accent and her placement of words melt together like a cherished recipe, passed... Continue Reading →
