I was excited to read a book set on the Camino, but there was a lot here that didn‘t work for me. The beginning sections are heavy on Camino logistics and light on characterization. And the pacing is really uneven. At first it‘s kind of cute how the characters misinterpret different situations, but after a while that had me rolling my eyes.

Got 2 books this month from #bookofthemonth. I‘d been skipping a lot recently because I have soooo many books to read already. But both of these caught my attention. I was in Minnesota over Labor Day and was seeing This Tender Land all over, so that was kind of cool. I didn‘t even realize the author lives there and the book is set there!

Didn‘t really work for me. Started off strong but then after the first twist, the pacing was really inconsistent. Lots of unnecessary description and a subplot that didn‘t really go anywhere. I felt like it was more concerned with being twisty than actually offering a good story. A lot of the “clues” that the main character uses to support her position were pretty weak, and the final twist in the epilogue was completely unnecessary.

Murray says it‘s time to go to bed and finish this book already so we can move on to something else. 😒

I have a job interview here next week. Not Zappos, but the actual Delivering Happiness company, which grew from the book. Cross all your fingers for me!!

This was great and full of lots of nuggets of wisdom. Maybe nothing groundbreaking if you read a lot of self help, but Rob Bell is a great storyteller and his little anecdotes were entertaining and on point. Plus he‘s fun to listen to on audio. It felt very conversational and very appropriate for my life right now. And I love the way he just kinda chuckles at himself the whole time.

This book is short enough to read in a day, or you can just keep it nearby for whenever you need a reminder of your badassery. It‘s full of great little nuggets like this.

These are the 4 unread books I have from #bookofthemonth. I have other #BOTM titles on my Kindle but I‘m not counting those. I may try to tackle them in September for a BOTM #readathon. I probably won‘t get through them all but the top 2 should be pretty quick reads.

I just started this on audio and it‘s already pretty cringey. I want to finish it for work purposes but I think it‘s going to be a struggle to get through.

Starting a new book for my morning meditation practice with the Find What Feels Good Yoga Kula book club. #fwfgkula

This was just okay for me. There‘s so much to work with here: 3 generations of Arab-American women dealing with misogyny and cultural constraints in their own ways. But the execution fell flat for me. It‘s soooo repetitive. Lots of scenes of characters sitting around having what feels like the same conversation over and over. The slow pacing and repetition really dulled the emotional impact for me.

Current reads. I‘m actually doing the Ani on audio and am really enjoying hearing her tell her story. The Etaf Rum is turning out to be just okay, which surprised me considering all the hype. Lots of potential but the narrative is very repetitive. I‘m at 78% and eager to finish.

When trying to adopt a new habit, don‘t reward yourself for sticking with it. A reward frames the habit as something unpleasant that we have to endure, when really establishing the habit is its own reward. Instead, allow yourself certain treats. A treat can be sitting down for 15 minutes with a cup of coffee to start your day. A treat can be taking a long walk outside. As Rubin says, when we give more to ourselves, we can ask more from ourselves.

One of the best things about doing author websites is connecting with so many authors! Ellen Clary‘s debut novel comes out on July 9. It‘s a sci-fi thriller — with dogs — and her website was so fun to work on. Check it out at ellenclary.org. #webdesign #authorwebsites

Getting some steps in while being inspired by Cecile Richards

I thoroughly enjoyed this. I tend to like anything that has to do with creating healthy habits and living intentionally. Although much of this was anecdotal, there were a lot of good takeaways, and listening to the audio felt like having a conversation with a friend.

“No matter how sexy my shoes, I am full-on trash.” Tan France is a beautiful and hilarious human.

Have been looking forward to this since last autumn when Elizabeth Gilbert spoke about it at the Brave Magic workshop. At first I wasn‘t sure a novel about showgirls in the 1940s was really my thing, but the more she spoke about it, the more I wanted to read it. A book about women who unapologetically own and explore their sexuality and aren‘t ruined by it? I‘m here for that. #cityofgirls #newrelease

This was kind of a mess. It‘s okay I guess if you want a mindless quick read.

Did I blow off some work assignments and stay up until midnight to finish this? Yes. This is my 2nd Katherine Center book and I loved them both. I did have some minor issues with the plot and the ending but nothing that ruined the reading experience for me. Thanks #stmartinspress for the ARC! #arc #advancecopy

This was excellent. I have long been pro-choice, but my understanding of reproductive justice has evolved in recent years. The new abortion bans being passed now are nothing more than an attempt to control women and limit our choices. Dr. Parker, an abortion provider and a Christian, compassionately explains why religious objections to abortion are misguided and why everyone benefits when women have control over their reproductive health.

I only recently learned about this underground network that helped woman get abortions in Chicago in the 1970s and I am so here for this. #keepabortionlegal

I was so excited to get this ARC in the mail today. I‘m not even sure how I got it LOL. Obviously I requested it at some point but didn‘t realize it was on the way. I loved Katherine Center‘s last book and I can‘t wait to read this!

Happy Mother‘s Day to me

Reading about gratitude and feeling grateful for time to myself on a rainy Saturday morning with a cup of coffee and my dog on my lap. ❤️ 📖 🐶☕️

My husband is on a canoe trip and I have to wait to watch episode 5 until he gets back. Hopefully this will fill the void until then.

I will go to pretty much any event where a book is included with my ticket. Bonus points to local authors. Sarah is a yoga instructor and chiropractor who had some really interesting things to say about the health-promoting effects of daily and seasonal rituals.

This is hilarious and bonkers. I remember when it first came out, I kept hearing how you have to do this one on audio because her narration makes it even funnier. I just started but so far the audio does not disappoint.

This came in the mail today! Can‘t wait! 😍

Book of the Month said this was a “very challenging read.” I just thought it was kinda boring. 😔 I was totally here for a story about friendship and loss and grief, but this really didn‘t do anything for me.

Even though Doyle ultimately divorced her husband and has since remarried, that doesn‘t take away from the impact of this story. It‘s a powerful memoir of a woman choosing love over fear, choosing honesty and authenticity over pretending, choosing faith over doctrine, learning to listen and trust what is true for herself instead of continuing to believe the stories that are given to us by culture and religion. I couldn‘t stop listening.

I loved her first book. This one felt a little more phoned in, although she still made me LOL at times. Also her endless hashtags and abbreviations get to be a bit much. It‘s cute though on the audio where she ad libs and then kind of giggles at herself.

Got to hear a little bit today about my alma mater‘s anti-slavery and underground railroad history #history #undergroundrailroad #authorevents

So enjoyed listening to Ta-Nehisi Coates discuss his book the other night! #authorevents

This was as good as everyone says and beautifully written ... though the level of abuse and gaslighting was often disturbing and difficult to listen to.

I‘ve read / listened to some great memoirs so far this year but it had been a minute since I read a really great novel. This was gorgeous. I‘d put off reading it because mythology isn‘t really my thing, but I loved this story of a woman coming into her power.

This was excellent on audio. I loved all the different voices Noah uses and the way he blends in elements from the different languages he speaks. The stories of his childhood were fascinating... I wanted to hear more about his career path but maybe that will be in his next book?

Books read in March. Hibo Wardere‘s memoir is excellent. #marchbooks #bookbingo2019

Books read in February #februarybooks #bookbingo2019

My niece published a short story on Amazon. While I do think her writing has some room for improvement, I think it‘s awesome that she‘s trying different things and is brave enough to put herself out there.

I have some catching up to do so here are all the books I read in January. Becoming was probably my favorite but I enjoyed most of the others. But I am just not a Kristin Hannah fan. I‘ve tried. #januarybooks #bookbingo2019

For some reason I stopped posting on Litsy at the end of 2017. I‘m glad to see it‘s still going strong. I‘ve been reading lots of wonderful things this year. This is the latest. I love Martha Beck. I actually got to attend a seminar with her earlier this year and it was fantastic. Now I want to read everything she‘s written. I actually did this one on audio but then ordered the paperback so I could refer to some of the exercises.

Forgot to post this yesterday. I just barely hit my stretch goal of 52 books for 2017. Why does Goodreads send out the year-end email on Dec 13?? We need those last 2 weeks. 😆😆 I plan on reading some long books in 2018 so am setting my reading goal to just 40. #readingchallenge #goodreads

This was by far my favorite book of 2017. Maybe my new favorite book of all time. I‘m sad that it‘s over but I‘m glad I finished it this year because now I‘ve hit my stretch goal of 52 books! 🙌🏼

I‘m so glad I decided to read this instead of saving it for next year because now when people ask me what was the best book I read this year, I have a good answer. Just read it.

I‘ve read some pretty good fiction this year but I don‘t really feel like I‘ve read anything that‘s blown me away. Maybe this will be it. This has the highest average rating out of everything on my TBR and I‘ve heard nothing but amazing things.

This just didn‘t work for me. A very slow first half and abrupt ending just left me feeling dissatisfied.

December TBR. Trying to wrap up books I‘ve already started so I can start fresh in 2018! if I can finish all these, that will be 52 for the year. The nutrition book is sloooooow though. I started it way back in April! 😩

I love this book and it‘s making me want to go to Copenhagen!

Holy cats this book took me forever to get through. It's gorgeous but it's so slow. 🐢 I loved the writing and the characters but there isn't much of a plot and I just couldn't read more more than a few pages at a time.