Reviews
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My Year in Books 2023: Book Slumps, Cozy Reads and More
This was a weird year for me. It started strong, and even through a very busy spring, I still managed to read through an incredible amount of books. However, in the latter half of the year, for whatever reason, I had one of the biggest book slumps I have had since grad school almost 10 years ago. The reality is that for the last 6 months of the year, I just wasn’t finding a lot of enjoyment in reading. I think this, more than anything, was a part of why I stopped blogging – reading felt like a slog, and there were so few books I was liking well enough…
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June Reading: Some Great Fiction About Children and Childhood for Adults
Hello all, It’s been a busy couple weeks, but I am taking some time this week to settle into summer. After a summer spent hiking 20+ miles a day last year, I find it hard to fully articulate the level of joy I take in having summer days to sleep in, get on the water, get a good dinner and still sleep in my own bed! Today, I will be sharing two of my best books of June with you. Unintentionally, they both have LGBTQ+ characters and themes (which feels fitting for pride month), but also, they both do something I find really compelling, which is that they approach themes…
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May Reads: Revisiting a Beloved Classic
This past month I read some good books, but the book that truly transported me was actually a classic I haven’t read for years! I feel like A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles flew under the radar when it first came out, but it is truly a masterpiece that I wish had received more attention when it came out. With this book currently being turned into a show, I’m hoping more folks discover it soon! A Gentleman in Moscow is the story of Alexander Rostov, who through a series of fortunate/unfortunate events, ends up living out his life under house arrest at the Hotel Metropol in Moscow during the…
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March and April Reads: More Sweet and Happy Books
Whoops! The past month and a bit got away with me, and before I knew it, a few Saturdays had blown right by. However, I am back to get on the right track today, and wanted to share some of my March and April highlights with you all. True to form, when I get overwhelmed, I particularly love nice happy novels that make me feel good. I also have a memoir to share that, while not cozy, is certainly lovely and inspiring! Fun Middle Grade Novels: I love listening to good middle grade and young adult novels, especially ones I have read as I go about my daily life and…
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February Reads: For The Love of Cozy Books
I don’t think I’m saying anything groundbreaking when I say that February often just kinda sucks. It’s dark and wet and cold, but summer is just too far off to look forward to. This past month hasn’t been terrible for me, but it has felt disjointed, incredibly busy, generally tough, and I honestly did not have the time or the focus to really connect with a book. However, over the last week or so, I have felt a shift and had the most lovely series of book moments, all centered around the kind of cozy, sweet books that feel like a cup of tea and a warm blanket (there was…
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My 2023 in Books: From Satisfying Mysteries to Quirky Sci-Fi
This was a strange reading year, because hiking the PCT had a massive impact on what kind of books I was reading and how I was reading them. For example, I read almost 20 books on my kindle, which was a new experience for me, and one I didn’t hate, although nothing can replace the joys of paper books. I haven’t opened my kindle since getting off the trail, but the appeal of library books I can’t get anywhere else my end up changing that. Similarly, I listened to a lot of books. This isn’t necessarily new, but the proportion of books I listened to while on the trail was…
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A Holiday Reading Vacation
There is a strange time of year when the “best of” lists have come out, but we still have some time before we actually start the next year’s reading/watching/listening. It means I can blow my Spotify up with Christmas music, watch some of the TV shows that I haven’t gotten to yet, but I when it comes to reading, I don’t always know what to do with December, especially as there just are not a lot of books being released this time of year. Some years, I use this time to “catch up”, to read the books I had meant to read and to finish books that I have been…
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What I’ve Been Reading Lately: Deep Connections
I have spent the last couple months trying to figure out a way to get “back into” my blog, and I think the easiest way is to simply dive in with a general update and a sense of what I have been reading lately! This past summer, my husband and I spent 5 months hiking the Pacific Crest Trail, which was the experience of a lifetime. We documented it over on Instagram at @emma_mike_pct if you want a little more about that, and I do have a book related PCT post in the works! It was impossible, wonderful and generally the hardest and best thing I have ever done. Nowadays,…
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Miss Marple: 4.50 From Paddington
Hello everyone, Sorry for the late post. I am going on vacation this weekend, forgot my personal computer, and didn’t get this out in time. Instead of a 5 fun things this week, please enjoy reading about my latest Miss Marple book! Miss Marple continues to be the BEST. Today’s installment is great, but I have to say this is the first time when my clear favorite was not the book but one of the TV adaptations (and it was amazing). The book I have today is called 4.50 From Paddington (also sometimes called What Mrs. McGillicuddy Saw). The Book Overall, this was really enjoyable. One of the things that…
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March 2021: When characters are more important than plot.
Hello everyone, This past month, I read (or listened) to a LOT of books, but most of this was books I either have or will talk about elsewhere on the blog (including one which I am VERY excited to share with you all), so I don’t have a ton to share with you all for the month. A lot of these were Tamora Pierce books, who wrote my favorite childhood stories which still hold up, and should be at the top of the list for every parent/adult who ever buys books for kids! I do have a few books to discuss, all of which have a fun connection – these…
