The Beautiful Bureaucrat by Helen Phillips came in for me at the library last week. I would have preferred to read this one in October, when the weather is a little crisper and the atmosphere lends itself a bit better to weird and unsettling stories. But when I saw that 44 people were waiting for copies… Continue reading The Beautiful Bureaucrat by Helen Phillips
Autumn Book Excitement
My Inorganic Chemistry teacher in high school had a very dry, quiet sense of humor. He would spend a few minutes explaining the solution to a long equation and at the end he’d sometimes say, without changing tones, “Now doesn’t that make your socks go up and down?” I suppose that for some, Inorganic Chemistry… Continue reading Autumn Book Excitement
Polysyllabic Spree – August 2015
I don’t think I’ve ever been sad to see August end. I enjoy summer and I try to make the most it, but I’m an autumn girl at heart and September is my favorite month of the year. I’m so excited for all manner of autumn coziness, including cuddling up with a mug full of… Continue reading Polysyllabic Spree – August 2015
Fail Fail Again Fail Better by Pema Chödrön
I enjoy reading the occasional commencement speech, especially from authors I admire. I think my all time favorite is the one George Saunders gave at Syracuse in 2013, on kindness. I don’t usually seek out commencement addresses in print, but I made an exception for Pema Chödrön. She’s an American-born Buddhist nun, she’s incredible and wise, and her… Continue reading Fail Fail Again Fail Better by Pema Chödrön
Did You Ever Have a Family by Bill Clegg
The TLDR version of this post is: Run, do not walk, to your bookstore or library and get Did You Ever Have a Family by Bill Clegg. // At their core, all our reactions to tragedy are about regret. Regret for what happened, even if we didn’t cause it. Regret for an altered future we… Continue reading Did You Ever Have a Family by Bill Clegg
Girl Waits With Gun by Amy Stewart
I picked up Girl Waits With Gun by Amy Stewart on a whim at Book Expo, and I’m so glad I did. It’s a wonderful, fun, romp of a novel. Grab this one before a trip or vacation, or read it when you need a dose of adventure and/or girl power. A brief plot summary: Constance… Continue reading Girl Waits With Gun by Amy Stewart
Phenomenal by Leigh Ann Henion
When I started mapping an agenda for my extended travel last year, I planned out a combination of city-based sightseeing and nature-based exploration. I’d spend time sightseeing in European, Australian, & Asian cities, and I’d also snorkel the Great Barrier Reef, see Uluru, and take an expedition to the Arctic circle. I expected that I’d enjoy both kinds… Continue reading Phenomenal by Leigh Ann Henion
A New Beginning
Tomorrow I start at Etsy. It’s my first “first day of work” in over six years. I thought I’d be more nervous, but mainly I just feel excited. I think that’s a testament to how confident I feel that both the role and the company are the perfect fit for me. It’s also probably a… Continue reading A New Beginning
Sunday Night Lunch (Weekly Recap 8.9.15)
It’s been a whirlwind of a week, friends! Graham and I got settled back at home in Brooklyn after nearly 4 consecutive weeks away. We became certified Gotham Archers. (Meaning we attended a beginner’s class and can now enjoy practicing at an awesome new facility around the corner from our apartment.) Yesterday I attended the 5th… Continue reading Sunday Night Lunch (Weekly Recap 8.9.15)
Polysyllabic Spree – July 2015
Summer is just whirling right along, isn’t it? Graham and I spent the majority of July house & dog sitting – for my parents in Michigan, and for our friends Joe & Seth in New Jersey. It was a wonderful month, and now we’re also kind of convinced we need a dog. ASAP. I got… Continue reading Polysyllabic Spree – July 2015
Goodbye Stranger by Rebecca Stead
I don’t normally post stand alone reviews of middle grade or kid’s lit books here, mainly because they don’t make up a huge percentage of my reading, and I also like to pretend my reviews reflect some semblance of a strong identity as a reader. But I guess the biggest reflection my book reviews show is… Continue reading Goodbye Stranger by Rebecca Stead
Sunday Night Lunch (Weekly Recap 8.2.15)
Hello and happy Sunday, friends. I’ve had a joyful and blissful week in New Jersey, house & pup sitting at my friend Joe & Seth’s home. Graham and I quickly settled into a lovely routine here: our days this week have more or less followed this course: -coffee, reading, pup snuggling -late morning swim -lunch… Continue reading Sunday Night Lunch (Weekly Recap 8.2.15)