Diving into the only Sally Rooney book that I haven't read yet!

Any Gracie Abrams fans on here? This book feels like listening to "I Love You, I'm Sorry". The angry live version, specifically.

Obviously I am a BIG mood reader. 😂

Status update on my reading goal now that we're halfway through the year. Not bad...I think I can do it!

What other authors could you recommend similar to Coco Mellors? I've read her only two books and loved both of them. Her style reminded me of Ottessa Moshfegh, but if you know of anyone else who writes gritty, complicated, but lovable characters, please let me know!

Finally home for good! We've been traveling for nearly a month and I am wiped out. Literally an hour out from our house yesterday, my phone suddenly gave me a blue screen of death and I can't get it to turn back on. I think I lost all of my vacation photos. 😭 I reached out to the company for help but all I can do now is chill out and read a good book while I wait to hear back because otherwise I'll just make myself sad lol.

Yep, this book is worth the hype. I'm so invested in every sister's storyline; they're all complicated, ugly-truth-telling, loyal 'til it hurts women who don't realize how similar their hidden lives are to one another. The best book I've read to capture the reality of a sisterhood that isn't picture perfect, but actually kind of toxic and painful despite the indescribable bond that will always exist.

To read or to boop the snoot, that is the question.

Evening porch vibes 🤍 I'm already a good bit into Elatsoe and I'm enjoying it. I have Blue Sisters on standby in case I feel like switching it up.

The temperature outside finally got to a point where I can breathe, literally. It was so hot when I ran errands earlier that I was worried about flaring up, but a nice breeze is rolling in now, and the fireflies are dancing around the yard.

This may be my new favorite comfort book. A monk in search of something unknown even to themself bumps into a robot in search of understanding the meaning of humanity. Deep in the reclaimed wild, these two forge a bond that only deepens as the monk then guides the robot around human civilizations. It's like a balm for the soul and a love letter to nature. I wonder if the author was inspired at all by Mary Oliver.

Today's library haul! Which one should I start with? I'm leaning toward Elatsoe since I've already been into a lot of magical stories lately.

I've read three books this year with cozy, minimalist, earthy treehouse villages, and I think I'm dying to move into one. 🌳

The books were Ship of Destiny - Robin Hobb, The Light Pirate - Lily Brooks Dalton, and of course, this one.

This book is unique because I didn't cry while reading it, but I started crying later when I was thinking about it. It's a beautifully done magical realism about hard choices made in circumstances you didn't ask for. You're forced to think about what matters and who your village is. I've also never read such a vivid post-apocalyptic world.

I brought some library books to Chicago with me, but I finished both of them in the car ride over. I went walking in search of a new book for the drive home and ended up getting absolutely lost in after-words bookstore for like 3 hours. They have every book you could ever want and I love how it's set up. This is what I got!

When I checked this book out, the librarian said, "Where did you find that? I can't believe we have a copy in!" Then she realized it was my hold I'd gotten from the holds shelf. ? Two chapters in and I can see why my library has over 20 copies in circulation with a 10+ week wait on holds. I'm immediately hooked!

Seemed like an apt time for a re-read of this book. I read it as a junior in high school, and I have a feeling that I'll grasp the political nuance a lot better this time around.

I'm exhausted, but I'm reminding myself to not be overwhelmed. Keep fighting, keep reading, keep taking care of yourself. We will not stand for kings in America.

I'm LOVING this audiobook so far. The narrator is exceptional. I enjoy how much she's getting into the tone of the main character.

Bakery + library haul 📚🍰
Already DNF'd Convergence. 😬 But I'm LOVING The Lady Brewer of London, so I'm going to get into that one tonight.

I was out running errands and popped into Dollar Tree because I remembered that I needed super glue. I checked the book aisle, saw they restocked, grabbed as *much* as I could carry, ran into a former student and awkwardly chatted while my face was partially obscured by a towering book stack that kept getting heavier, aaand then proceeded to leave the store without super glue. 🤦🏼‍♀️ But look at this awesome stack for $20!!

Another chilly, rainy day! I woke up early to get chores done, and now my goal is to finish this book. I'm working my way through my town's One Book list. Every year, they ask residents to submit a book for the community reading program. In August, we get to vote on the best one. 📚

I'm having a day where the only thing I do is read in bed with my dogs and a fat, steaming cup of coffee on my side table.

😅😅📚🤍

This was a GOOD book. I'm not going to lie, I was supposed to read The Adventures of Huck Finn when I was a junior in HS, but I hated my English teacher so much that I just...didn't ever do it. Percival Everett's writing and acknowledgment to Twain makes me want to go back and read it now.

This may easily be a read-in-one-sitting kind of book

Library haul! I wasn't planning on leaving the house today, but THREE of my holds came available all at once. I brought back Water Moon, picked up the three books on the right, and then Lucas said we should check the book nook. I ended up buying everything you see in the pile on the left for less than $20. 😅 I f*cking love libraries so much it's not even funny. Go visit your library this weekend. 🤍

This book felt like an adult retelling of Alice in Wonderland if it were made by Guillermo del Toro and Studio Ghibli. It's so magical and fun with a sprinkle of star-crossed romance and mystery. 10/10 ✨️

We had to make a pit stop in Bangor to see Stephen King's old house. Rumor has it that most of It was written here, which checks out especially when you turn the corner and see the massive Paul Bunyan statue...

Lucas and I had one of those moments when we went in thinking we'd buy no more than 2 books because we were trying to preserve suitcase space. Well, I ended up checking a bag full of books alone...

Here's the haul!

Without exaggeration, this may be my favorite bookstore I've ever been in. An hour FLEW by, and I only left because I wasn't allowed to plug the meter anymore.

Our boating plans got rained out two days in a row. Good thing we brought books to keep us company!
📍Bar Harbor, Maine

Should I be packing for my trip to Maine tomorrow? Yes. Did I run to the library and coffee shop instead? Also yes.

Rainy Sunday morning with the sleepiest reading buddy 🤍

Happy Saturday 🤍

Went to the art museum just to look at more books. 🤓 It was a cool experience to hear Alec Soth talk about his work and the meaning behind his photographs.

The conversation with John Green and Kaveh Akbar last night was wonderful. I especially appreciated the times when they discussed current events and their impact on John's research. He described medical research like a staircase. We just fell down the stairs in terms of progress on eradicating Tuberculosis, but we pick ourselves up and climb again. We're not at the end of history despite how it may feel. We're in the middle.

This is the windmill in Elk Horn, Iowa! (See previous post for deets.)

We saw road signs for a Danish windmill in the middle of Iowa on our way to see John Green. What was supposed to be a quick detour for it turned into about an hour of book shopping, touring the grounds, looking at trinkets, and an impromptu mead tasting with two old ladies who sold me some Viking Blod to sip while I read my new book of Nordic folk tales tonight. 🤍

Update on the bomb cyclone. It is getting crazy out there. Branches are falling off trees left and right & our power has been surging. It's supposed to get even more intense this evening. Four years in the Midwest and the weather still fascinates me. 😅

Book n' breakfast in bed: snow day edition ❄️ Who knew reading about disease could be so interesting? I found myself saying to Lucas over and over, "Did you know Tuberculosis..."

I have a snow day tomorrow! It's sunny and 75, but something called a bomb cyclone (??) is moving in tomorrow and we could get up to 10 inches of snow. Wild. But, that means I get to read John Green's new book before I see him this weekend!!

Tuesday means NEW BOOK DAAAAAY! I'm so excited for both of these.

Happy Saturday! ☀️ This is the first day of spring break when it isn't nice enough to read on the porch. We had a nasty storm roll through last night and it took our upper 70s weather with it. Good thing I have lots of snuggly blankets. 🤗 I'm excited to start this book! I needed a bit of a palate cleanser after Eileen. I enjoyed it, but reading it also gave me the same feeling as watching Saltburn...iykyk. 😬

Not book related, but who needs a porch goose when you have a portrait of your dogs? New tradition unlocked: they'll be getting themed hats every season from now on. 😂🎩👒🧢

Getting cozy after a long day of chores. I'm so excited to have discovered a new favorite author!

Oh my god this book was the easiest 5 star read I've had in a while. It was daring and it worked. I know I own a couple other books by this author, and I'm about to go dig them up...

I've been so happy to take advantage of the warm weather and read on my porch. The bistro lights are back up and I'm ready to sit out here all night with my new book. 🤓

What an incredible book. I appreciate that Boo dignifies and humanizes a population that is largely discarded by society, much like the trash they scavenge and sell. Boo lived in a Mumbai slum for 3 years, yet the story isn't about her at all. It wasn't a story of a white lady being inspired or changed by poverty, but it was an honest look at the Caste system and the families who rise above by any means necessary.

Good morning from my porch! I love spring break. ☀️
This book has been on my TBR for a looong time. I think I heard the author on an NPR broadcast years ago, so I'm excited to start it today.