Books I Read in April 2023

Hello book lovers! As of today my Goodreads reading challenge page says I’m four books behind schedule. Oy! I have been cheating with a few podcasts, but life has also been consuming, and it has pushed reading to the back burner. No matter, though. Summer is around the corner, and I should have plenty of time to catch up. Do you do a reading challenge every year? Mine is always to read one more book than the year before, and I have to read 70 to reach my goal this year. (YIKES) But I managed to knock out seven this month, so that ain’t too shabby. Without further ado…

All My Knotted Up Life- Beth Moore

I’ve already spoken about this book in my last post, but I can say that it was my favorite read of April. Beth Moore has been teaching me about Jesus through books, bible studies, sermons, and interviews for as long as I can remember. This particular book, her memoir, was such an interesting view into her life. And you better believe that Jesus was all through it.

It Happened One Summer- Tessa Bailey

I waited for “several months”, as the Libby app told me, for It Happened One Summer. I had heard Tessa Bailey was a lot of fun and a little bit spicy. I would say that’s a fair description of her writing. This book follows an LA socialite to a small seaside town where she and her sister are forced to live for a short time. Naturally, the big city girl comes to the small town and falls in love with it all. Think Hallmark movie plot with HBO liberties. It was a fun read, and I’m already on the wait list for the book about this main character’s sister.

The Bodyguard- Katherine Center

For book club we read The Bodyguard. I enjoyed this book, but it was just okay. I say that because when I had to put it down, I wasn’t compelled to pick it up again or stay up late to finish it. It was a cute story of a female bodyguard that has been given the assignment of a handsome movie star. The close proximity and her recent breakup give you a will they/won’t they vibe. Again, it was cute but just okay for me.

I’m Glad My Mom Died- Jennette McCurdy

Boy, was this a tough one. However, it was incredibly done. This woman is truly a writer. I think that’s why this work so well. Jennette McCurdy did not have an easy childhood. One might even say it was a tad tumultuous. She explains in great detail her mom’s influence on her life, her disordered eating, and her inability to live life for herself. I truly did enjoy this book. I listened on the Libby app. Jennette reads it herself, which must have been tough, but it was nice to hear it in the author’s voice. I hate this term, but know there are tons of trigger warnings.

Matilda- Roald Dahl

After watching Matilda: The Musical on Netflix and loving the 90s movie with Danny DiVito, I knew that Matilda was going to be the perfect story to read to my students. Each class is different, but I knew that my students could handle the harshness of The Trunchbull and the magic of Matilda’s telekinesis. I’d never read this book, and I was blown away at the fun we had while reading it. I found the 90s movie on Youtube, as our school doesn’t allow Netflix, and we were able to do a comparison of the book and the movie during a few lunch breaks. What fun we’ve had! Reading to children is truly one of the greatest joys. Force it upon your kids! 🙂 You’ll all learn to love it.

The Great Gatsby- F. Scott Fitzgerald

My other book club likes to conquer a classic once a year, and this time we chose The Great Gatsby. I think I had read it twice before, but I was more than happy to read it again. I have always been fascinated with the story. This was exacerbated by the release of the movie featuring Leonardo Di Caprio. It’s his best look ever in a film. I digress…. I had different feelings about this tragic story. I felt that perhaps Gatsby was a bit obsessive. I used to find him to be completely enamored with Daisy, but this reading made me feel there was something unstable about him. Do I blame modern times on this thinking? Perhaps. I still enjoyed the story and wanted even more. A member of my book club expressed a need for more of the story about Myrtle’s demise, and I agree! Wouldn’t that have been a fun few chapters in the book! Anyway, I always recommend this book followed up with a watch of the movie.

Gather and Give: Sharing God’s Heart Through Everyday Hospitality- Amy Hannon

Mama kept telling me about this account on Instagram called Euna Mae’s. I finally started following the account and quickly learned to love Amy Hannon. We talked about her and expressed interest in going to one of her events, but mom settled on first giving me her book for Christmas this past year. I decided to take it slow and read it here and there during my quiet time in the morning. It took a long time to finish it, but I did. Along the way I made all but three of the recipes in the book. Each chapter ends with a recipe that is meant for sharing with others. I enjoyed making them so much. The chicken pot pie has been made multiple times in this Norman house. If you love Jesus and desire entertaining, I highly recommend this book to you.

How about that? Seven books in an incredibly busy month. I mean, I feel like it has zoomed by, and I can’t believe it’s over! I’d love to hear if you’ve read any of these books or hear what you’ve read in general. I’m still currently working on the last book in the ACOTAR series called A Court of Silver Flames. I’m also reading The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by John Mark Comer during my quiet time now. So far it’s depressing but I’m hoping it will give me hope by the end. I’m also listening to The Diamond Eye by Kate Quinn and am loving it! Leave me a comment to tell me your favorite book of April. Why not add more books to our TBR? 🙂

What I Read in 2022

Oh the joy reading brings me! I have been writing book recap blog posts for a while now, and I love to share what I’m reading in real time over on my Instagram page, too. Because I read so much, I like to set a yearly goal. Every year the goal is to read one more book than I did the year before. My goal for 2022 was 60 books. I read 69!! Here they are in the order in which they were read.

January Titles

  1. The Best Christmas Pageant Ever- Barbara Robinson | Read for my class. It’s a funny story about a church Christmas pageant and a lovely take on the nativity through the eyes of some bad kids. Love this one!
  2. Bringing Down the Duke-Evie Dunmore | A good story with strong female characters. A bit of a steamy read.
  3. The Book of Lost Names- Kristen Harmel (My favorite of the month.) | WWII novel about a woman who forged false papers for people. I waited for 6 months for this book at the library, and it was worth the wait.
  4. A Court of Thorns and Roses- Sarah J. Maas | Everyone said I should read it. They were right.

Februray Titles

  1. The Devil Wears Prada- Lauren Weisberger | It was available in audio format at the library, so I gave it a reread, well, listen. I forgot how much different it was from the movie. Still good.
  2. When Life Gives You Lululemons- Lauren Weisberger | This was funny and cute. Follows Emily from The Devil Wears Prada. Never imagined her to be like she is!
  3. Zombies Don’t Play Soccer- Debbie Dadey and Marcia Thornton Jones (The Adventure of the Bailey School Kids) | Year after year my students love these books.
  4. Transcendent Kingdom- Yaa Gyasi | Tough story about opioid addiction and loss but beautifully told. Excellent for book clubs.
  5. The Secrets of Love Story Bridge- Phaedra Patrick | This one was not good. Very unrealistic and, well, just not good.
  6. In Five Years- Rebecca Serle | Compelling story that has a bit of time travel. Extremely sad but also very good.
  7. Taste- Stanley Tucci (My favorite of the Month) | Listen to the audiobook to hear him read it but buy the physical copy for the recipes! That’s what I did.

March Titles

  1. The Lions of Fifth Avenue- Fiona Davis ( My favorite of the month) | I couldn’t believe some of the things that happened in this story.
  2. Ghosts Don’t Eat Potato Chips- Debbie Dadey and Marcia Thornton Jones (The Adventure of the Bailey School Kids) | Better than the soccer one.
  3. Things We Never Got Over- Lucy Score | I didn’t like the writing (though I’m in the minority). I was invested in the characters, but I thought it lacked imagination and depth.
  4. Inheritance- Katharine McGee | This book was a prequel to the American Royals book series. I’ve been loving these characters.

April Titles

  1. Local Woman Missing- Mary Kubica (My favorite of the month) | This book has a great twist- I didn’t see it coming! Very compelling read.
  2. The Matzah Ball- Jean Meltzer | Pretty cheesy but cute. It’s about a Jewish woman who writes Christmas stories. There’s some elements of chronic illness in it, which was something I’ve never encountered in literature.
  3. The Atlas Six- Olive Blake | This was a very popular book series, but I didn’t like it. I just think it’s not my genre. Check out the synopsis before you discount it. Lots of people love it.
  4. Where the Crawdads Sing- Delia Owens | Are we allowed to talk about her anymore? I know she’s steeped in controversy, like murder controversy. Anyway, I reread it to get reacquainted with the story before I watched the movie when it came out in the summer.

May Titles

  1. Lonesome Dove- Larry McMurtry (My favorite book of the year) | An incredible story that will have you feeling literally all the feels. You’ll laugh then cry and miss them when the story is over. If you read a western in your life, read this one.
  2. The House in the Cerulean Sea- T.J. Klune | This book was interesting, weird, entertaining, and a little unsettling. It’s a book a man who is assigned to a home of strange children. One child is named Lucy. He’s the son of satan but is a likeable character who might actually have good in him. Like I said, it’s weird but a good story with lots of happy feelings and a sense of belonging for the outcasts of the world.
  3. In a New York Minute- Kate Spencer | This story had a great meet-cute on the subway. It wasn’t very realistic, but it was an endearing love story nonetheless.
  4. The Home Wreckers- Mary Kay Andrews | There was a good story-within-a-story in this book. I wanted more of that. It was mysterious and lighthearted like most MKA books. I thought I had the mystery figured out, but I didn’t! Liked it a lot.
  5. A Court of Mist and Fury- Sarah J. Maas | Like everyone else says: it was better than the first one!

June Titles

  1. The Big Door Prize- M. O. Walsh | A book about a machine that can tell you what you should do with your life. A small Louisiana town experiences such a machine and you get to witness that upheaval that town goes through. Not anything like I thought it was going to be, but I really liked how it made me think.
  2. Matrix- Lauren Groff | Gosh, what a beautifully written book. The prose just wraps you up and leaves your mouth agape. It’s a book about medieval nuns, but it’s not what you think. Quite the story.
  3. Miss Julia Speaks Her Mind- Ann B. Ross | I had so much fun getting to know Miss Julia and want to read more about her.
  4. The Personal Librarian- Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray | I liked the historical portions of this book about J.P. Morgan’s personal librarian who was a black woman that passed for a white woman. Great story.
  5. From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler- E. L. Konigsburg | I started this one with my students, but they didn’t like it. I finished it in the summer and loved it. The ending was especially wonderful.
  6. Meant to Be- Emily Giffin (My favorite of the month) | Oh my goodness! Just read it! It’s a reimagining of what could have been with JFK Jr. and Carolyn Bessett Kennedy.
  7. Beach Read- Emily Henry | I am the only person in the world that does not like this author and her books. I’m sure you’ll love it, but I’ve yet to enjoy one of her stories. They annoy me.

July Titles

  1. Yinka, Where is Your Huzband?- Lizzie Damilola Blackburn | This was a lovely story about a Nigerian woman who has an overbearing mother and aunties who want her to get married. She discovers herself in the book, and I loved that journey. Seriously great book.
  2. The House Across the Lake- Riley Sager | This book had me up until the big twist. Then I was out. All the way out. No thank you.
  3. 28 Summers- Elin Hilderbrand | Ugh! What a gut punch. But it was wonderful.
  4. The Love of My Life- Rosie Walsh | Took me a while to get into it but once I did, I was hooked. Imagine thinking you know who you’re married to and then BAM you don’t! Great story.
  5. It Ends with Us- Colleen Hoover | Jumped on this bandwagon. So glad I did! You should too.
  6. The Paris Apartment- Lucy Foley | This was a pretty good mystery. Not amazing but good.
  7. The Lifestyle- Taylor Hahn | This was supposed to be a reimagining of Emma by Jane Austen with a singers twist. Weird and not for me.
  8. Nora Goes Off Script- Annabel Monaghan | Super cute story of a writer who allows a film to shoot at her home. She meets the lead actor and well, you can imagine what happens next. It was very good.
  9. The Hotel Nantucket- Elin Hilderbrand | Loved this end of summer book. I wish I could stay at this fictional hotel.
  10. Reminders of Him- Colleen Hoover (My favorite of the month) | I didn’t think she could top herself with It Ends with Us, but I was wrong. This one was better. I cried for three solid chapters, but it was worth it.

August Titles

  1. The Sixth Wedding- Elin Hilderbrand | This was a sequel to 28 Summers. I enjoyed revisiting some of these characters. Short and sweet and enjoyable.
  2. Freckle Juice- Judy Blume | I love reading this every year to my students at the beginning of the year.
  3. Things We Do in the Dark- Jennifer Hillier | This mystery didn’t pick up until about page 200. I’d say skip it.
  4. Rivals- Katherine McGee | Finally the next installment of the American Royals series. I thought it was the final book but NO!! More to come! Hooray!

September Titles

  1. Prep– Curtis Sittenfeld | I’m normally a Curtis Sittenfeld fan, but this one was supremely boring and annoying.
  2. Once Upon a Wardrobe– Patti Henry | A feel good novel with a C. S. Lewis connection that tugs at your heartstrings.
  3. The Paper Palace– Miranda Cowley | A complicated tale of forbidden love. The ending left me wanting more, though, not necessarily in a good way.
  4. Anne of Green Gables– L. M. Montgomery | How have I never read this until my 30s? It had me laughing and crying. A must-read.
  5. Persuasion– Jane Austen | After watching the new film on Netflix (which I loved), I had to read it. I listened to the Audible production, and it was wonderful.

October Titles

  1. The It Girl– Ruth Ware | In true Ruth Ware fashion, it’s a good mystery. I found it to be a little too long for my personal taste, but it was pretty good.
  2. Carrie Soto is Back– Taylor Jenkins Reid | I’ve yet to read a book by TJR that I didn’t like. I’ve never wanted to play/watch tennis more. Also, I am totally open to reading more sports books.
  3. The Mother Next Door– Tara Laskowski | This Halloween based whodunit was a fun audiobook to get you in the spirit of Halloween without the scare factor.
  4. The Love Hypothesis– Ali Hazelwood | Just as good as everyone said it was. I will definitely read more from her.
  5. Run, Rose, Run– James Patterson and Dolly Parton | You must do the audiobook for this one. Dolly voices a character, which was delightful to my ears.
  6. Stuart Little– E. B. White | I’d never read this book and decided to read it to my students. None of us really liked it.
  7. Olive, Again– Elizabeth Strout | Olive is a delightfully strange character that I want more of. Elizabeth Strout is a beautiful writer.

November Titles

  1. It Starts with Us– Colleen Hover | I definitely enjoyed getting more of the story of Lily and Atlas. If you loved It Ends with Us, you must read this sequel.
  2. The Other Einstein– Marie Benedict | My main takeaway from this book was that women are incredible and Albert Einstein was a tool. (If any of the things about him are true)
  3. The Best Worst Christmas– Kate Forster | This is an Audible exclusive and was very cute. I wanted a Christmas story, and that’s what I got. It was short and funny.
  4. Ready Freddy in Thanksgiving Turkey Trouble– Abby Klein | I read this one every year to my class. Short, hilarious, and holds their attention. Love it!
  5. This is Where I Leave You– Jonathan Tropper | While the movie is okay, you must read this book! Darkly funny and all the family dysfunction.
  6. Funny You Should Ask– Elissa Sussman | Fun tale about a romance with a superstar. I enjoyed these characters.

December Titles

  1. The Tobacco Wives– Adele Myers | I just loved this story about the wives of the men in the tobacco industry and how they start to discover that glamorous cigarettes maybe aren’t all that great after all.
  2. The Last Thing He Told Me– Laura Dave | I couldn’t stop with this story. It’s a fast paced mystery that has an ending that tugged on my heartstrings and delivered a gut punch all in a matter of a few paragraphs.
  3. A Christmas Carol– Charles Dickens | A delight to read after seeing every movie adaptation ever made, basically. However, I advise reading it along with the audiobook narrated by Tim Curry. He does the best voices.
  4. Christmas in Winchester– Dawn Ramos | A sweet Hallmark movie of a book. I wanted to visit Winchester after I was finished with the story. Adorable.
  5. The Christmas Bookshop– Jenny Colgan | I thought this one was pretty cute. I could definitely see it being played out as a movie or tv show. I enjoyed loving and hating the cast of characters and really loved the setting of the book.
  6. Lessons in Chemistry– Bonnie Garmus | My second favorite book of the year. I couldn’t get over the story of Elizabeth Zott. I think all you girls need to read this one.

Sixty-nine books! Wow! It was a good reading year. I do want to finish he ACOTAR series and would like to read a few more classics this year. Other than that, we’ll see where the year takes me.

The goal for 2023 is 70. I’m not sure how I’ll manage that, but I am up for the challenge. As I mentioned before, I share and recommend books in real time over on Instagram, and I plan to keep that up this year. I’m looking forward to what this year has in store for reading. Please leave a comment with your favorite book or books of 2022. I’d love to see them!

5 Good Things

Ready or not, here comes another week. It’s going to be a busy one around the Norman house. I’ve got three meetings this week for work- it astounds me how many meetings teachers have to attend, a book club meeting, and I’m praying very hard my potential outfit for the game on Saturday makes it in time. We’re heading to the loveliest village on the Plains for the first time in years. It’s a white out, so I had to get my hands on a few white dresses that will be both comfortable and carry me into fall as good layering pieces. And I know there’ll be something else to present itself that will need to be done, but I’m thankful for the busyness of life right now because the faster this week is over, the faster we get to September. And the faster we get to September the faster we get to fall and (hopefully) some cooler temperatures. But while those good things are coming, let me share some good things I discovered this past week.

#10Days10Books

I’ve shared about Laura Tremaine countless times here and on my Instagram. She is an author, podcaster, blogger, and all around champion of knowing yourself and sharing about it because it’s powerful. Clearly I agree with her or else I wouldn’t be here telling you about it. Anywho, Laura hosts challenges on her Instagram page a few times a year, and she announced she was going to be doing one based on the topic of books. I’m no stranger to sharing books with the internet, so I was all in and had a blast picking out the books for each day’s prompt. The challenge is over on August 31, so there’s still a few days to join in. Here’s what I’ve shared so far:

Fall Shoes

I’m crushing hard on the lug sole penny loafers for fall. I jumped on the clog trend at an inexpensive Walmart price, but I think I want black loafers, and black loafers have to be good in order to not look too cheap. I’m going back and forth between the patent leather and regular leather options. I really love the look and have so many outfit ideas in my head. Here’s some I like:

Sam Edelman

The Sam Edelmans are my favorites, but they’re also the most expensive. (Go figure) I’m also considering Mary Janes instead of loafers, but I’ll save those for another day. Decisions, decisions. How do you feel about loafers for fall?

House of the Dragon

Game of Thrones fans were very happy last weekend when House of the Dragon premiered. I don’t know if you watched, but it was full of all the Game of Thrones intensity and visual goodness we’d been missing. The actors were remarkable, the dragons were so cool, and while it was tough to watch at times (hello c-section), I already can’t wait for the next episode. There’s also an accompanying podcast that I like to listen to called Oysters, Clams, and Cockles. Ross and Barrett break down the episode scene by scene, and if you’re into deep-diving your favorite shows, these two are extremely entertaining and knowledgeable. But be warned- the language is terrible. Don’t listen around little ears.

Bird Clock

Growing up my grandparents had a clock in their house at one point that would make a bird chirping noise on the hour. I’ve been wanting one for my classroom for a while, and I finally got it. I got it second hand, but it works perfectly, and my students love it. It really freaked them out the first day or two, but now we giggle every time we’re interrupted by a mockingbird or an owl. We read a story about a warbler last week in class, so it was very appropriate that I brought the clock in and surprised them with it. I hope it brings us all much joy this year. You can get one here on Amazon.

Prep Schools

I’m reading a book for book club about a girl who goes to a prep school. While I’m not sure yet if I really like the book (I’ll get back to you when I finish.), I do find the concept of prep schools very interesting. We were talking about the book this past week and remembering our high school selves and discussing if we’d have been able to go off to school at such a young age. I concluded I wasn’t sure that I could have. I don’t think I’d have wanted to leave my family that early, but also, I don’t think I would have been mature enough to be on my own. I know that much of who you become and think about yourself is heavily based on those very formative years. I value my upbringing in this small town and how close I am to my family. It’s important to me that that’s how I was raised. But a tiny part of me is curious what someone’s life would have been like to go off and have to become an adult away from the people who love you most.
I don’t disagree with it. I think it is an excellent opportunity that the majority of the population doesn’t get. The main character in the book goes to this school without knowing a soul. That I could not have done. Had I been able to go with a friend or small group of friends, I might have been more willing, but to go alone is incredibly intimidating.
Anyway, we were so intrigued that one of the members sent us a list of prep schools in the United States. First, I didn’t know there were so many. Second, wow, are they expensive. Here’s the link if you’re curious now.

Have a fantastic week, friends! I’ll be joyfully saying goodbye to August and welcoming all the fall things. Try to find five good things this week and share them with a friend. You’ll be so grateful to see to the good in each week.

Is It Fall Yet?

I’ve got a real hankering for colder weather, soups, boots, sweaters, and warm blankets. Wanting to keep those cozy fall vibes I’ve got running through me right now, I decided to pick up a children’s book I’ve never read before: Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery. After three pages I read a line out loud to a coworker early one morning before school had started. She had read the book before (all of them, actually) and knew exactly what this fascination was all about. I don’t know that I would have appreciated it as a child and been so mesmerized by the prose, but I am positively delighted every time I open this book.

Continue reading “Is It Fall Yet?”

Monday Musings

Well, the back-to-school germs got me pretty good this weekend. I noticed a tickle in my throat Friday night when I was getting in bed and woke up in need of meds. That’s pretty much what I did all weekend- take meds and rest. This happens every year like clockwork. Anyone else get a back-to-school cold? I’m thankful to be feeling a little better, though, because I’ve got a long week ahead of me.

Continue reading “Monday Musings”

The Summer I Read All the Books

Guys….I have read so. many. books. It’s what I set out to do this summer…read all the books I could. I succeeded. Well, except I have one more on my list that I really want to read, but it’s good knowing I have one carrying me into the school year. I’ll tell you what it is at the end of this post.

Continue reading “The Summer I Read All the Books”

How to Read More Books

Have you ever wanted to be one of those people that puts their phone down and picks up a book? I’ll be honest, I’m still guilty of this, and I actually really like reading. I came up with a few things that have helped me increase my book count over the years. I posted earlier this year that I read 59 books in 2021, and you don’t get to that number without picking up a few tips and tricks along the way. That’s what I’m sharing with you today.

Continue reading “How to Read More Books”

Small Shops I’m Loving

This Christmas I was gifted several things from small shops. Some were local, some were Etsy shops, and one was an independent bookstore. I have had such pleasant experiences with them that I wanted to shout their praises here today. I also hope this reminds you to support all small businesses that you love. We shop big box stores and Amazon so often that we can forget what these creatives and hard working people have to offer.

Greenville’s Gems

The Roost- Ronaldo Bracelet
Now that I work at The Roost, I once again have access to an inventory of Ronaldo jewelry. For those of you that didn’t know, when the Wisteria Cottage storefront closed, The Roost was able to acquire their Ronaldo inventory. Well, not too long ago, a shipment of new Ronaldo bracelets came in, and I fell in love with the Drawn to You bracelet. I was very happy and surprised to open it on Christmas and have worn it almost everyday since! If you’re a fan of Ronaldo jewelry, The Roost can help you get the perfect piece for yourself or a loved one.

Drawn to You Bracelet at The Roost

True South- Hat
True South is always a fun store to go in that has unique and trendy pieces. I know I can always count on some good accessories there, too, and that was just the thing I got. I have quite a collection of hats, but I didn’t have a navy blue one. Plus, this particular hat is red on the bottom side of the brim, and that is just the type of detail that can totally elevate an outfit.

True South Hat

McFerrin’s- Cross Necklace
I have pretty much lost count at the number of times I’ve received a McFerrin’s box over the course of my life, and it isn’t lost on me what a privilege it is to say that. When I opened another one this Christmas, I was extremely touched by what I found inside. Paul and my mom worked together this Christmas to match a gold cross from my childhood with the perfect gold chain. Jehle found the perfect color match and length of chain to create exactly what I wanted. Job well done to all three of them for giving me a very special piece of jewelry that I’ll cherish forever.

Gold chain from McFerrin’s

Etsy Shops

Shop Hello Harper- Holiday Styrofoam Cups
This holiday season I helped host a Christmas gathering with some friends, a Christmas Crawl, if you will, and I was responsible for hosting the cocktail hour of the crawl. In my search for the perfect coup glass, I found that my budget did not match my taste in barware. Go figure… Then I started thinking that maybe I could turn this into something cute, memorable, and travel friendly. Enter Etsy and Shop Hello Harper. The shop offers tons of styles and personalized options at a great price point. I was very pleased, and they carried me through several holiday gatherings.

Hello Harper Etsy Shop

Engrave This, Inc- Roman Numeral Bracelet
During Holiday Market this October, I stopped at a booth, Engrave This, started talking to the adorable owner, and ordered the show-special bracelet. My sister-in-law, Anna, was with us and suggested I have my anniversary in Roman numerals engraved on it. After a quick Google search of the date, I wrote it down for the owner, and she said it would be her first bracelet with a Roman numeral date. Mrs. Robyn bought it for me and gave it to me for Christmas. I love it so much. Unfortunately, I don’t see the bracelet in her shop, but she has many beautiful pieces, and I love all the engraving options.

Engrave This Etsy Shop

The Bookshelf

I have been a long time listener of From the Front Porch Podcast that is hosted by the owner of an independent bookstore in Thomasville, Georgia called The Bookshelf. Annie gives me tons of titles to read, and I just love her honesty about reading and life and just all the things. I had a few books on my list this Christmas and wanted to support her shop, so I was thrilled to receive not one but two copies of Hill House Living by Paula Sutton. Naturally, I wanted to return one and get the other book that was on my list, so I emailed asking what I should do to return the extra book I had received. The customer service could not have been nicer and more personal. I have the highest respect for the women who are running that very successful bookstore. Give the podcast a listen here if you like reading, and see all of Annie’s book reviews on Instagram here. And check out the website for books and gifts that are sure to fit the likes of many a book lover on your gifting list.

Would you look at the personalization on the card! Those are the small business touches I love to see.

So, this got me thinking about other bookshops that I could support that are geographically closer to me. Here’s what I found:
Wetumpka, AL- Sweet Home Books
Birmingham, AL- Little Professor
Auburn, AL- Auburn Oil Co. Booksellers
Fairhope, AL- Page and Palette

I know most of you know how important it is to support our local and small businesses. I am guilty of taking advantage of the convenience and low prices of online shopping, but I know what a great feeling it is when we support these small businesses. Let’s support them more in 2022. Have a great day, friends!

Top 10 Books of 2021

I originally wanted this post to be the top five books of the year, but when you’ve read 58 books, it’s hard to narrow it down to just five. So, ten it is. When I finish reading a book, I imidiately log it into a Note on my phone with:

  • the title
  • the author
  • the date I finished the book
  • how I read it (audio, physical book, e-book)
  • if it was for book club
  • a few of my thoughts having just finished it
  • a 1-5 Star rating

I’ll start with my 5 star books in the order I read them and work my way down letting you know for each book what the rating is, a brief idea of what each book is about, and why I liked it. I won’t give spoilers, and I’ll link each one. Again, everything is linked through bookshop.org where you can select your local bookstore of choice so that they get your support when you purchase a book. Here’s to all the good ones we read this past year.

Continue reading “Top 10 Books of 2021”

What I Read in 2021

59 books! I read 59 books in 2021. As always, I count audiobooks and e-books as reading. The way I see it, any way you consume a book is reading to me, okay? Here’s how this post will go. I’ll do a little collage of the book covers and link them down below. I’m going to link everything through bookshop.org. This site allows you to choose an independent book store to support. Yes, we own kindles and subscribe to audible, but let’s support these hard working people who have made it their life’s work to provide us with good reads.
Also, I won’t go into great detail about each book, but I’ll let you know my real thoughts if you have questions. Just comment on the post and I’ll tell you everything! Let’s get to it, shall we?

Continue reading “What I Read in 2021”