“Something my mother told me once, when I was young, was that Hollydell was built from the pieces of a million different hearts. Everyone who visits leaves a piece behind, adding to the village‘s magic.”

‘Tis the season, people! ♥️🎄🎅🏿📚♥️

It‘s (finally) tiiiiiime ( *Mariah Carey voice*)!!
My God, how I adore Christmas and Christmas books, Hallmark movies, and all of the things! Let‘s. Gooooo!

“Parts of this book may burn my bridges for good. But, to tell the full story, there‘s holding back. Not anymore. We‘re in the endgame.” 👀

IT IS HAPPENING!!! After over 20 years of adoring David Sedaris, I‘ll finally see him live tonight! Will he be funny? Yup. Will it be heartfelt? Yup. Will he be brilliant? Yup. Will I make an ass of myself by fangirling when he takes the stage..? I cannot promise that won‘t happen. 😬😅 OMG! Hurry up, 8:00!

“You can‘t f*ck with a woman who knows how to pray. Really pray.” 👏🏾🙌🏾💪🏾

This book is breaking my heart. Oh, Britney. 🥺

J Crew was such an aspirational brand for me when I was a little girl growing up on the Southside of Chicago. I used to get the catalogue, flip through every page, and imagine myself in all of the clothes. I‘d gaze into the store window whenever I walked down Michigan Avenue…. Now I‘m an adult and I almost always have on something from there. (I‘ve arrived! 😂) I‘m looking forward to diving into this one before bed tonight!

My thoughts so far:
- This is a really great book about some pretty sh*tty people. Some of this behavior is unreal!
- Sumner is gross and kind of pathetic
-Shari needs to put her big girl pants on and curb her father‘s foolishness or, better yet, wrestle control away from him. If his live-in hussies can make a play, why can‘t she?
- The Patriarchy needs to be smashed. And swiftly.

A yummy THC seltzer, and the exclusive scent from one of my favorite vacation spots—The Arizona Biltmore—have put me in the mood to finally finish this book. Emily Henry has done it again: she‘s pulled me back into her universe and I don‘t want to leave! I tried to control myself, but I can‘t any longer. I‘m finishing this baby tonight! #FabulousFriday

“No amount of vigilance has ever kept children like ours safe.”
Wow. This book is heavy-hitting right out of the gate. I‘ll never forget the conversations my husband and I have had to have with our son. When the sweet little boy who owns your heart looks up at you with tears in his eyes and asks “mommy, am I safe” and you can‘t in good conscious tell him he is, it kills a part of you and steals a piece of his childhood. Every. Single. Time.

This book was so authentic! A love letter to my city—a part of my city that I‘m not that familiar with, but that I somehow still recognize. Deeply. Even my high school has gotten a shoutout! Such a heartbreaking, beautiful, raw, triumphant story.

Over the years, she‘s watched cute little kids grow up to become fiends or drink themselves to death, dying in their forties. She‘s seen descendants of her friends ruin their family names, one generation at a time. For Mama Pearl, it wasn‘t just about the demolition of iron gates and bricks; what had already broken her heart was the destruction of so many families over the years.

There are no words for how deeply moved I was by this book. I honestly expected a fluff read but found that it spoke to me. Beautifully. I‘ll update this review later…I‘m honestly too shook to think straight but wanted to post *something*. Wow. Just wow. Excellent.

I saw @TracyReadsBooks post on this book and immediately decided to listen to a sample on Audible. I‘m. Sold! I‘m from the Southside of Chicago and—while I didn‘t grow up in a neighborhood like RTH—I recognize so much of my city! This feels authentic. This author *knows* Chicago. I‘m so excited to read (or maybe listen to…I haven‘t decided yet) it!

One great thing about The Kid‘s indoor baseball clinics is that they are too short for me to run errands (except for a quick Starbucks run), but just long enough to get into the book I‘ve been carrying around for over a week! A good book + good music + heated seats = me time! 🤓

I was listening to Chapter 19 (2020: Perfect Vision) while running out to grab dinner from our favorite Jamaican place. While I was parking, Quinta started talking about the moment she learned of George Floyd‘s murder. I listened for a couple of minutes and then, with tears in my eyes, got out of my car. I looked up and saw this mural. It‘s in South Minneapolis and is one of 4 monuments I saw today honoring Mr. Floyd and the revolution he sparked.

Finally found a little time to get back into this gem of a book. In chapter 7, Quinta writes so gorgeously about her favorite songs—specifically the incomparable Stevie Wonder‘s catalog—that I had to pause the audiobook and listen to Love‘s in Need of Love Today. Three times.

I pre-ordered and absolutely cannot wait for this book to be released! I adore Patrick and all of his projects. The minute my copy is delivered, I‘m pouring myself a nice glass of wine and diving in!!!! Eeek! #TrueCrimeObsessed #ObsessedNetwork

This book made me cry, laugh out loud, gasp, clench my fist in anger and frustration, and swoon. It has confirmed many things I long believed and showed me that things were even worse than I could‘ve ever imagined. This is the story of a man who took control of his life, who stood up for the love of his life and their children. Many others have tried to tell his story. Prince Harry has finally taken control of the narrative. Bravo! #IYKYK 👀😉

“…but no one gave a damn who I traveled with. The Spare could always be spared.” Oh, Harry…🥺

I preordered my hardcopy of this memoir months ago! I‘m sure it‘s waiting for me back home, but I couldn‘t wait a moment longer. Just boarded the plane and am listening to the Audible version. It‘s time Prince Harry had a chance to tell his story, and I‘m looking forward to his velvety voice keeping me company on my way home from paradise. #Spare #InHisOwnWords #TheTruthShallSetYouFree

Is there anything better than an iced coffee and a bookstore on a sunny day? I mean, aside from a hot coffee and a bookstore on a rainy day.

Finally packing for vacation! ☀️🕶️🏝️
I‘ve been saving this book for a long while. It‘s (almost) time! *Mariah Carey voice*

When someone waved a red flag you were supposed to stop, not wave back and keep on going because the map you‘d been following for ages told you to. Roads changed, bridges crumbled. Old maps needed to be replaced with new ones. Sometimes you had to find a new way to get to your destination.

Driven by the convictions that the Union was sacred and that slavery was wrong. Lincoln was instrumental in saving one and in destroying the other, expanding freedom and preserving an experiment in popular government that nearly came to an end on his watch. In him we can engage not only the possibilities and limitations of the presidency, but the possibilities and limitations of America itself.

I‘m looking forward to reading this and meeting the author at the next Twin Cities Civil War Roundtable meeting! It‘s gonna be a good one. These stories have to be told. Reading them will certainly break our hearts, but we have to learn about and remember this history so that we don‘t repeat it. Lessons from the past can be warnings….

“…in the UK, it‘s hard to get a rifle and next to impossible to secure a handgun. Yet somehow, against all odds, British people feel free. Is it that they don‘t know what they‘re missing? Or is the freedom they feel the freedom of not being shot to death in a classroom or shopping mall or movie theater?”

I ADORE David Sedaris! So happy this little gem is going to keep me company during the hurry-up-and-wait foolishness that goes with being a Track Mom!

Miss Pearly‘s daughters really need to get over themselves and get it together. Seriously! (Can you all tell I‘m invested? Ha!)

A complex drama about a family of strong, black women? Yes, please!

Family vacation time! The Biltmore is always so good to me. Great ambiance, killer cocktails, lovely people and multiple perfect reading environments.
I am loving this book. It is oh so perfect for this trip!

“…it‘s less about the places we go than the people we meet along the way. …most of all, it‘s about the ones who stay, who become home.”
I LOVED this book. Emily Henry does a great job of crafting characters and stories that take readers on delightful journeys. On the surface, the stories seem fluffy—Hallmark Movie-esque. But they are so much more than that. The characters are complex. The plot and resolutions make you think. I‘m officially a fan!

This is a fun read to tuck into on my last day of vacation. It‘s back to the Real World tomorrow, folks! 😩

I am in the midst of A LOT of adulting right now (😒), but this baby landed on my porch yesterday and it would be a crime for me to not take a few minutes to give it a little bit of the attention it deserves.
I adore David Sedaris and am so excited to delve into his latest selection of journal entries.
Here‘s hoping I can score tickets to see him live this winter. I‘m vaxxed, have a killer mask selection and am ready to be entertained!

I cannot stop listening to this! It‘s so good! (The narrator is slightly awkward, but the behind-the-scenes info is so hot, I‘ll allow it!) #Obsessed #GreysAnatomy #HowToSaveALife

I have loved Grey‘s since the beginning. I‘ve never stopped. And I‘ve been on tenterhooks waiting for this baby to drop. (Hey! That rhymed! 😂)

I am SO excited to read this! I pre-ordered my copy the minute I heard my favorite podcasters were releasing a book! It‘s been months of waiting! Now Suruthi and Hannah can help me pass the time at The Kid‘s practice!! #Redhanded #TrueCrime #PodcastJunkie

Maybe it‘s better to read it. The audiobook‘s narration was taxing.
Perhaps I‘ll give it another go one day…

Given the time of year, and the amount of time that has passed, it‘s only right that I pause to remember. And that I take a moment to revisit this book: the best I‘ve read about the tragedy of 9/11. #NeverForget #20YearsOn #LessonsLearned?

“My mother was troubled by my lack of beauty—and I knew it—as a child senses these things.” 🥺 This makes me so sad! Sheesh. It‘s a miracle she turned out the way she did.

“Soon we reached the district which was so beautiful and prosperous looking when we left. This we found to be piles of bricks, ashes and twisted iron, representing years of toil and savings. We were horror stricken, but strangely we could not shed a tear.”

“Tonight as I write and think of Tulsa…my eyes well with tears and my soul cries for justice. Oh, America! Thou Land of the Free and Home of the Brave! The country that gave its choicest blood and bravest hearts to make the world safe for democracy! How long will you let mob violence reign supreme? Is democracy a mockery?”

Listen: Senator Elizabeth Warren did not come to mess around!
“For all those super-duper smart economists and fancy think-tank gurus who want to increase productivity in the economy and produce better outcomes for all America, here‘s a little advice: instead of giving companies more tax breaks to replace more workers with more machines, you could figure out how to give more women a better chance to contribute their time and talents.” 👀🔥🤷🏾‍♀️

Wow. What a beautiful collection of stories. A beautiful representation of a few of the many facets of womanhood: motherhood, friendships, sisterhood. An examination of reckoning with past hurts, dreams deferred and achieved, and reckoning with oneself. I loved every page.

Last full day of vacation. 🥺 I didn‘t read as much as I wanted to, but I‘m excited to tuck into the second book in my travel stack! The author and I follow each other on Twitter and she is EVERYTHING! So brilliant, dynamic, creative, and insightful. Super excited to start this one!

The essay about Akliah‘s illness has me in tears at the pool. In front of (socially distant) strangers. I don‘t know why this particular section hit so hard, but it did. Wow!

NEW YORK

What‘s so great about it? Diversity, opportunity, and style.

What sucks about it? It‘s the most expensive cesspool in which one can live.

😂 Oh, Akilah. You slay me! 😂

The Husband and I are fully vaccinated, and The Kid is so used to wearing a mask that nothing phases him (he‘s 10, so no Fauci Ouchie yet). We decided to do a week-long trip to Scottsdale—just the three of us. Of course: I‘ve packed books. Up first: Obviously by Akilah Hughes. And, OBVIOUSLY, I‘m enjoying it with a few beverages. So far, I love it (but I love her, so…🤷🏾‍♀️). Stay tuned for more!! #GetVaxed #StaySafe #WearAMaskUntilYouGetPoked

The description of the Will and Willow organization is taking me out! It reminds me of the Jack and Jill org back home in Chicago. 😩😂
This book is so engaging. I have a feeling it is going to be a tough listen, overall, but the author has made me fall completely in love with Miss Enchanted. My god, I hope nothing too horrible happens to her.

Rest in Peace, Beverly Cleary. Every year since about 2nd grade I‘ve read my favorite Ramona book on your birthday. I didn‘t even miss a year during my wild college days or my first years as a mom! This is my original copy from 1990. It‘s always been prominently displayed on a shelf wherever I‘ve lived. I cherish it. Tonight I‘ll read it a couple of weeks early in honor of you. Thank you for sharing your gifts. I‘m forever grateful.
XOXO,
Shantel