Maybe the best secondhand find ever? And we managed a full rewatch of all three in a week. Oh Gaskell, you genius.

This. Stunning. Memoir. Can‘t find the words to describe it — some come to mind (e.g. enraging yet empowering... tragic and triumphant...brave...graceful), but they just don‘t do justice to her vital voice. So here are some words from Chanel Miller herself. (There are also several interviews with her online about her story and this brilliant book). Such a harrowing reading experience. Thank you, Chanel.

Turns out having a baby can change your reading life juuuust a bit. 👶🏼 📖

This year I read well under half the number of books I finished in previous years, and many were audiobooks or ebooks (oh so handy while caring for a tiny human). 🎧

In a year of such joy and growth, I‘m grateful for the 36 insightful and imaginative literary works that accompanied me.

Here are just 9 of the books I consider highlights.

Cheers to 2020! 📚 🥂

Fact: I have yet to regret listening to any book read by the most excellent Juliet Stevenson. Enjoying this botanical adventure so far. 🌸 🌳 🌱 📖

My Halloween reading last night. This kids book has some of the most spookily beautiful scenes I‘ve ever seen. 👻 🎃

Just a couple of buds fascinated by a fuzzy cat in a touch and feel book.

Won this beauty in an instagram giveaway! Heard good things about it so far.

I‘m not into acting, but so far I‘m loving this audiobook. A funny and poignant love letter to family + storytelling. And 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻 to Lithgow‘s narration. He‘s also one of my favourite Selected Shorts readers. https://www.symphonyspace.org/selected-shorts

Can u eatz ur bookz too mommmmmm?!?!

Very short stories are ideal for these days of squeezing in reading while home with a 👶🏼. And Erin McGraw is an absolute master of the form.

First visit to my mom and dad‘s book store, White Rabbit Books in Georgetown, Ontario!

”For me, faith involves staring into the abyss, seeing that it is dark and full of the unknown—and being okay with that.”
Nina Riggs, The Bright Hour

Saturday morning reading: A collection of honest and insightful essays on motherhood—“the good stuff, the hard stuff, and everything in between.” 🤱🏼(also, our stuffed lion spies another 🦁 on the cover...)

Cozy listening for this wild blizzard weather. #reread

Well his labour felt far from “little” (long, difficult & ended in an emergency C-section), but we are so grateful for the safe arrival of our little man. And I‘ve been saving this highly recommend book—a poetic and honest reflection on the early days of motherhood—for just this season. The short bursts of prose make it ideal for reading with my often exhausted mind in snatches of time between feeding/changing/smuggling/swaddling, etc!

¯\_(ツ)_/¯ ???

Welp, since there‘s no sign of baby yet I can‘t quite break into my new parenthood listography.com journal, but could get started on the literary one. Such beautifully illustrated books with creative categories to capture everyday life at your own pace. E.g. I‘m excited to keep track of some of the things our incoming kiddo will “pretend to do and be.” And perhaps I‘ll spend some time reflecting on my high school reading days...📚 📖

O how eagerly I‘ve been anticipating this listen! Not *quite* as eagerly as the arrival of our first baby, due tomorrow, but timing-wise it sure works out to have this final book in an absolutely captivating trilogy to keep me company in these exciting waiting days. 👶🏼 📖 🗓

The paw on arm maneuver. A classic cat move to try and distract me from my book. Nice try, Milo.

Post 2 of 2: I‘m terrible at narrowing down to official “top ten” lists. But as I look back on 2018, here are 10 books I‘m grateful to have read this year. 📚

Post 1 of 2: I‘m terrible at narrowing down to official “top ten” lists. But as I look back on 2018, here are 10 books I‘m grateful to have read this year. 📚

When your new Christmas socks match your current read. 🧡💙📙📘

This story collection is *such* a great Christmas read/listen. Cozy, spooky, poetic, and festive. With recipes!

BECOMING MRS. LEWIS, a historical novel about Joy Davidman & C.S. Lewis, is an intimate and imaginative chronicle of the love story between two brilliant people with a gift for artfully pondering the mysteries of faith. Review: bit.ly/2KXAOHo #booksforyourchristmaslist

Last year we bought this lighted figurine for my parents for Christmas, since we happened to find a one called The White Rabbit Book Store! (a children‘s book store, but still). It‘s lookin‘ pretty darn cozy in its holiday home. http://www.whiterabbitbooks.ca

The nuanced narratives in THINGS ARE GOOD NOW by Djamila Ibrahim leave room for the reader to grow in their understanding of the very real issues facing displaced people in our world today. My review: bit.ly/2KLZvXx #CanLit

Catherine Ricketts‘ stunning and beautiful essay on The Millions is worth reading and pondering. https://themillions.com/2018/10/what-i-saw-when-i-really-looked-my-late-brother-... (Had me reflecting back on Stephanie Wittels‘ journey in her powerful memoir about losing her brother, comedian and actor Harris Wittels.)

Current Mood: Blazing through all Maya Angelou audiobooks available on the library app while weathering weird pregnancy sleeping patterns. 🤰🏼🤷‍♀️📚

Intrigued already... “Motherprayer is the result of a seventeen-year investigation into the Jewish and Christian traditions relating to pregnancy and childbirth. At the same time, most of the readings and poems in Motherprayer are my own original compositions. In these two apparently contradictory sentences lies a silence. It is the story of this book.”

This was such a pleasant, poignant YA book, set in the 1960s. The teacher and student friendship/mentorship is the heart of the story, but not in a sentimental way—and there are beautiful moments with family members and friends, as well. Never has a book made me crave cream puffs so passionately (and fear escaped pet rats so fiercely!). Also inspired me to brush up on my Shakespeare.

Thankful for the opportunity to read and review this complex and thoughtful memoir about Haiti, which stirred up some memories of my own travels there a few years ago. https://adelegallogly.com/2018/10/19/a-missionary-childhood-in-haiti/

In an interview with Katherine Paterson and her son at the end of the Bridge to Terabithia audiobook, she mentioned The Secret Garden as one of the childhood books that influenced her writing. And just like that, I‘m revisiting another classic, this time read by Julie Christie.

My library audiobook holds keep coming in and bumping my plans to get into a hard copy book. But how can I resist revisiting this gem from childhood when it‘s narrated by Robert Sean Leonard?

Enjoying listening to this moving and truthful memoir—a journey about cross-cultural adoption, race, and family. (And it‘s hitting my preggo hormones in alllll the feels.) #recommendsday

My booksellin‘ dad in action! Thankful for this article in Georgetown‘s local paper (even if there are a couple lil‘ grammatical errors 😉 —good publicity is good publicity for White Rabbit Books!) 😀📚👍 https://www.theifp.ca/news-story/8851307-shop-local-in-the-age-of-amazon-and-onl...

Bryan Bliss‘ newest young adult novel is *such* a powerful read. Grateful for the chance to read and review it. Highly recommended. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ https://adelegallogly.com/2018/08/09/a-teenagers-journey-on-death-row/

Juuuust a bit captivated right now by books about Joy Davidman, otherwise known as the wife of C.S Lewis. Rewatched the movie Shadowlands, of course—my first encounter with Joy. 😭But there‘s SO much more to this passionate, ambitious, and brilliant writer‘s fascinating life story.

Lazy cottage dayz in the hammock with a Zadie novel. #ZadieSmith #vacay

My mom had this bookish/writerly onesie ready before we even told her the news...👶🏼📚

This riveting, thought-provoking novel that explores religious faith, prejudice, friendship, and fatherhood is fitting reading/listening for a heat wave weekend.

“The heat was thick as curtains. Night was fixing to slide over the world and the cicadas were calming down for that hushed time between daylight and darkness, when crickets rosined their bows.”

Confession: I bought this from a local indie bookseller on “Independent Bookstore Day” last week, but did so entirely coincidentally. Still, excited to dig into this little but mightily-praised #CanLit novel.

Stephen Kuusisto‘s memoir HAVE DOG, WILL TRAVEL was an absolute joy to read and review. I laughed, I cried, and I saw the often painful beauty of life in a new light. I am excited to read his poetry, as well.

Ice storm Day 2 = WONDERBOOK weather

“As much as possible, allow yourself to be a raw nerve end that internalizes whatever is experienced in life. When you allow this, you not only create fertile soil for stories, novels, and nonfiction, you also build a better understanding of your fellow human beings.” -Jeff VanderMeer

Randomly opened a flash fiction anthology to a story that matches the current horrid weather here in Ontario and in many other areas right now. At least in the story this ice storm happens in *winter*— you hear that, spring?! This ain‘t April weather. No siree.

So far this week is basically “I should be doing things but I just keep going on audiobook binges” week. This novel is up next. Sounds absolutely unique & magical. Will be sure to use headphones and soak up the musical experience.

Man do I ever 💗 Liz Climo.

Aaaaaand now I want to hunt down some Reese‘s Peanut Butter Easter eggs... and maybe some ...meat? (Mmmmmmmm storytelling) 🍫🍗

Another audiobook adventure outside of my comfort zone/particular artistic ambitions. These storytelling lessons & anecdotes are geared at verbal storytellers — e.g. the people you hear telling incredible true tales in The Moth podcast. That‘s not my area—I tend to stick to pen & paper. That said, there‘s plenty of applicable wisdom here for writers & other artists/communicators. A sharp, smart, and LOL-inducing journey in telling better stories.

An inspiring and entertaining read for anyone with big dreams and creative ambitions—and bonus points of joy for fans of The Office! Audiobook is stellar—but get a print or digital copy too, if you can, so you can see all of the fun photos of Jenna and friends.

Enjoying the strong sense of place and natural imagery in this meditative multigenerational novel, set in rural Vermont.