“But why does Nehamas think we can‘t enumerate beauty‘s reasons? Is it because beauty‘s basis is metaphorically indeterminate? Or just epistemically elusive?”

I will never finish this essay collection and I regret everything.

Loved this! Blue Sisters isn‘t an easy-breezy summer read — it‘s about 3 sisters wading through their grief over losing the 4th — but it‘s certainly fast & (dare I say it?) addictive!

Such a tender & layered character study of imperfect people dealing with their pain, always with love at the center. If this sounds like it might be too much, please know that there are xylophone-playing chickens waiting near the end. It‘s not ALL tears & sobriety.

I‘m reading while my husband gardens. Here‘s a blurry photo of his butt for your viewing pleasure.

The dog is behind me trying to eat bugs.

We‘ve all got our hobbies. 😜

On a (short-ish) road trip & decided to stop at a brewery instead of just grabbing fast food. The puppy is pleased.

It‘s a shopping plaza, so of course the sunset is bonkers gorgeous: vivid pink & neon peach. Parking lot sunsets are the best and the worst of us.

…America is a parking lot sunset.

I didn‘t count these in my midyear ratings because they feel incomparable. But I‘m deeply in love and so glad I finally checked them out! They‘ll be in the upper echelon of my 2025 favorites, for sure.

Halfway through 2025 round-up!

I‘ve had a super strong non-fic year. I‘ve read so much that I‘ve loved. 36% of my books have been NF. Here are my favorites:

1. Giving Up the Ghost by Hilary Mantel
2. Eight Bears by Gloria Dickie
3. Bite by Bite by Aimee Nezhukumatathil
4. The Witching Year by Diana Helmuth
5. The Anthropocene Reviewed by John Green (audio)

Titles tagged below!

It‘s officially the mid-point of the year!

I‘ve read 59 books thus far. 64% have been fiction titles. Here are my Top 5, which I‘ll tag below.

1. Idle Grounds by Krystelle Bamford
2. Patricia Wants to Cuddle by Samantha Allen
3. Deep Cuts by Holly Brickley
4. Nettle & Bone by T. Kingfisher (audio)
5. Her Majesty‘s Royal Coven by Juno Dawson (audio)

I should make it a point to read more fantasy. It seems to be working for me — but I‘m so picky!

“Only someone who longs to be no one could savor the deprivations of a decluttered mind, a room bereft of furniture or ornament.”

I keep thinking about my study of Buddhism (and Hinduism) in college, as part of my Religious Studies major. Admittedly, these were survey courses and I feel like I only grazed the surface. But I keep remembering my initial, wholesale rejection of Buddhism — and my professor‘s response. 👇🏻

Stanmore couldn‘t have stood less of chance.

However, much as I loved Idle Grounds, Moominland knocked it out of the running on the left side of the board. AND, much as I loved Moominland, I expect my Wild Card to sideswipe it in the end.

The drama!!!

#2025ReadingBracket
#ReadingBracket2025

June ended up being more about quantity than quality. I‘m still surpassing my reading goals but I didn‘t LOVE anything this month (other than Anne, of course, which was a reread). Cunning Folk seemed like it was going to really do it for me, for a while, but it fell short stylistically.

Better luck next month, me!

#AWreads2025

Hi. 👋🏻

This is my new favorite song (“Tickle Me Pink” by Johnny Flynn).

He sings, “When nothing goes right and the future‘s dark as night, what you need is a sunny, sunny day.”

AMEN.

https://open.spotify.com/track/6CbFgDtwqPPGyHMS5ItdV5?si=GBnuT-u6Tt-NbJ9MCzLrjw

It‘s even (tangentially) book-related! I came to the music by way of writer, Robert MacFarlane.

Check it out if you like folksy stuff!

You know the song “Fuck Me, Ray Bradbury” by Rachel Bloom? This book is that song, only written by Alice Hoffman (so, way more sentimental than horny) about Nathaniel Hawthorne. It‘s a bit silly.

I didn‘t know it was a time travel book and I so rarely enjoy time travel books. It‘s also heavy-handed and moralistic…but, to be fair, that‘s what I thought when I read The Scarlet Letter in high school, too, so it‘s a fitting stylistic homage!

Just as obsessed with Anne as the first time I met her (which wasn‘t until my early 20‘s)!

I love L.M. Montgomery‘s writing. I adore her sense of wonder, which she finds in nature and in the hearts of people. I think I laughed more this time around, at a further remove from the dramatic throes of childhood and adolescence (but not so much that my laughter wasn‘t tender and full of reminiscences).

I‘ll admit that I prefer Anne in print.

Nothing about this book felt fully realized. There‘s the outline of quirky lovable characters (and at least one infuriating one) — as well as a love interest with great hair! — but there‘s too much going on and not enough time was spent developing backstories or dialogue.

Sometimes, Meg Cabot‘s books really work for me and sometimes they don‘t. I never know which I‘m going to get. Unfortunately, this time it was the latter.

Would you rather live forever by?

a) The Lake of Shining Waters
b) The Violet Vale
c) Lovers Lane
d) The Dryads Bubble
e) The White Way of Delight
f) The Haunted Wood

…I‘m certainly not complaining in paradise but yearning fans should know: you won‘t find The White Way of Delight at the Museum or the Heritage site! I was quietly undone. 🥺 There‘s also a golf course & a fairly busy road brushing up against the lovely nature paths at the latter.

Not a vacation read, not a romance, and NOT a romp (although there‘s some witty writing and I flew through it). It‘s a tangle — nay, an outright MESS — of emotions, neuroses, and real traumas. I was mad at so many of the characters for their decisions, and I ached for so many of them at the same time. People have complained about the characters being frustrating and…yes, that‘s kind of the point. 🙈👇🏻

Inspired by the corvids dotting the lupine-laden, red-dirt fields of PEI, I purchased George in a local bookshop, which I‘ve been meaning to read for a while.

Despite her exhaustion about being forever linked to her long-departed parents, Ted Hughes & Sylvia Plath, I need to mention that this is a memoir written by their daughter. It‘s about the time she spent hand-rearing an injured, newborn magpie and the dissolution of her marriage.👇🏻

We‘ve arrived in PEI 🪻

A monotonous morning, weather-wise, but I‘m still alight with wonder! How could I not be when this is the view right outside our doorstep?

CHALLENGE:

Create your own Desert Island Discs playlist! You get 8 songs to take with you when you‘re castaway to the island. They should be songs that, chronologically, tell your life story *and* songs you won‘t mind listening to on repeat.

My choices are in the image above. Brief comments below (my life isn‘t that interesting 😅).

Playlist:

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1U7WISWrEx45BjE9Ghdr55?si=SOz9E85qSuC8qk5JD7e_...

Time to start packing for Prince Edward Island!

Obviously, I‘m starting with the most important task first: deciding which books to bring! 📚

New mission statement:

“We can still fight emptiness with fullness. Better to order the third plate of pasta. Better to graze each word once.”

In “The Emancipation of Me,” Madison admits he‘s never finished a Franzen book aside from his essay collection, “because who can‘t finish an essay collection?” His self-deprecating response is, “Most of my friends I give my book to probably.” This is obviously meant to be a joke but…WOW, I AGREE.

I shouldn‘t have finished this. I was deeply bored by it. And I‘m exactly his age, which means it should have been a delightful nostalgia trip. 👇🏻

Ahhh, the best time of the year is (finally) upon us!

“Did I take baths in the giant soaking tub with a view of both the Hudson and the East River (and everything in between)? Yussss. But I had complicated thoughts about structural inequality while I did it.”

The above quote captures what Green‘s duology is like quite nicely. Did I find the books compulsively readable and highly entertaining? Yes. Emphasis on the “e” and singular “s.” But…👇🏻

Sunday vibes. 🖤🤍

When I began reading this history of “practical magic” in 1300s-1600s England, I was nothing short of obsessed. My interest, however, slowly tapered off. There are interesting bits sprinkled throughout…but it started to feel like a lot of the same. I‘m also not a big fan of the stylistic, “as we will see in the next chapter” phraseology.

What initially hooked me was the close overlap of priests & “cunning folk”, religion & “service magic.”👇🏻

Puppy‘s first pool time. Summer is coming. 💦

There aren‘t many poems in this collaborative collection by Aimee Nezhukumatathil & Ross Gay: only 12. The poets are friends and they write about their gardens, back & forth, responding to one another.

A light pick. Nothing blew me over…but its essence is wholesome, attentive goodness, which is hard to find fault in. Strangely, my favorite poems were in the “Winter” section, which is undoubtedly my least favorite season!

Andrea Gibson offered this up in their most recent newsletter. It‘s worth sharing. 💗🪏

“Nothing like peach blossoms in February to tell you / something‘s off — when these / shivered and shimmied in the wind, / it was a full month early. / The garden these days leans in as if to say, / “You‘re fucked, friend.” / It says so with equanimity, all its leaves / quaking through the bright light / like applause for the dead.”

I suspect my audiobook listening is about to fall off significantly…🙈

I‘ve discovered Desert Island Discs, a British radio show (now podcast) that‘s been around forever (since 1942).

The host interviews all manner of celebrities (authors, musicians, NASA scientists, etc) about their lives through the conceit of being stranded on a desert island. They basically create a mix tape; they‘re allowed 8 music tracks, 1 book, & 1 luxury item.👇🏻

Sy Montgomery really seems to have taken the idea of “Turtle Time” to heart. I cannot say if this is typical of her writing style…but oh my goodness, this book seemed to last forever. The irony is not lost on me that I wished it would move faster! I found some bits to be repetitive, as well. I could‘ve done with fewer of Fire Chief‘s recovery details, in particular. The message is sweet & sound — turtles DO deserve saving. And cars ARE terrible.

A sci-fi bildungsroman featuring aliens & puzzles!

The Humans (Haig) meets Ready, Player One (Cline) — with some Magicians (Grossman) vibes thrown in for good measure (the MC is young, immature, & terrible to those who care the most).

This is a story about addiction, selfishness, & fear. Fortunately, it‘s also about cooperation, community, & hope.

Hank Green is more of a storyteller and an idea man than a writer of careful prose. 👇🏻

No surprises here! May‘s winning title is tagged. I‘m pleased to be adding more fiction to the bracket.

#Readingbracket2025

Did May feel extra-long to anyone else?

Idle Grounds was my favorite! Sneaky & feverish.

Nettle & Bone is a *magical* listen.

I Hope This Finds You Well was a delightful change of pace.

Unraveling, though a reread, was spun as well as I remembered. Fascinating & timely, in a world that desperately needs more climate justice.

Marmalade is great in small spoonfuls. Dip in & out.

My heart is still recovering from Juno Loves Legs. It‘s visceral.

“I wasn‘t as disconnected as I made myself out to be. Being annoyed by carefully crafted internet personas was part of my carefully crafted internet persona.”

Pictured: My Facebook profile. I‘m logged in using my phone‘s browser instead of the actual FB app because I‘m trying (with varying degrees of success) to be more disconnected. You know…for the persona. 😜 The astute among you may have noticed that my profile pic‘s been recently updated. 🙈

I needed a palate cleanser after reading an absolute gut-punch of a book (Juno Loves Legs). This was the exact right choice. I stayed up late reading two nights in a row. I was tired at work yesterday & I‘m sure I‘ll be tired again today (after I finally go to sleep & wake up again). The lack of sleep means I‘ll likely be irritable with my coworkers…but that feels right somehow. 😅 A silly premise but messy in the best way. Funny & romantic, too!

A two-sentence review said, “It‘s gorgeously written. I wish I hadn‘t read it.” I don‘t know if I can improve upon that! Except, I don‘t really wish I‘d skipped it.

The story is devastatingly predictable. I don‘t mean that the book is disappointing, just that the repeated patterns in our past & in our present are. The story is not unique. The characters are alive — until they‘re not (& too soon). I can‘t believe it didn‘t end in the springtime.

Taking full advantage of this Monday holiday.

Fiction: Juno Loves Legs (book club)
Nonfiction: Cunning Folk (just started)
Audio: Of Time and Turtles (nearly done)

I just cracked open the middle book this morning & I‘m already slightly obsessed (despite the fact that it has endnotes, which make me want to rip my hair out; fortunately, it seems like they‘re mostly just crediting source material & I can ignore them without missing anything). Also, how gorgeous is that cover?! 🤩

#weekendreads

Everything I‘ve ever read by Baird has taken me forever to finish. I‘ve only read this and Victoria: The Queen, which are very different books in content & length (256 pages vs. 752) — but the fact remains. Baird‘s writing is sprawling, which makes it difficult to read in one go. Nevermind that I kept stopping to cry!

I don‘t know if I found enough of what I wanted (homely, undramatic, everyday grace) but the examples provided knocked me out.👇🏻

My husband & I are getting pedicures. The women at the salon love him because he always chooses outrageous colors. Today, he joked the lime green hue he‘d chosen was called, “S‘not nice.” This made me research if there‘s a line of nail polish with punk rock names. While I didn‘t answer my original question, I did learn about a color named after dial-up Internet called “eeeeeee urrrrrrrrrr deedle deedle screeeelllllllll ee ee ee blurrrrrrblurblur.”

I (re)read this book for my kids‘ fantasy book club at the library. For some, it was their first experience with an epistolary novel! It‘s a format I adore, so I was honored to introduce them to it. I love that the tale is utterly wacky (invisible, levitating, shape-shifting, bossy chickens!) while also being a gentle exploration of grief (for Sophie‘s abuela, with whom she shared a special closeness, and for her uncle, whom she‘d never met).👇🏻

When I bought tickets to watch this documentary film with a longtime friend at our childhood stomping grounds in Worcester (MA), I wondered if the (human) stars of my current audiobook would be there.

They were! 🐢

I drove past the house I grew up in, too, for the first time in about a decade. There are solar panels on the roof now and the front yard looked lovely. There were even a couple of young flowering trees. It made me happy to see.

#tuesdaytunes
Current obsession:

“Born as a data mine for targeted marketing
And no one will listen up until you become a hashtag or a meme…
They want you to be a ghost
When they rob you of your hope
But you've got power when they're not expecting anything…
I rush to my phone
Because I don't wanna feel alone
They forced us to grow
Into a world without a soul.”

https://open.spotify.com/track/46xgkYwLw0qoExTRgNu9v9?si=TuNOCzgNS1Sj7iivwfFy3Q

Would you believe I‘m not a cat person?* 😅🤷‍♀️

Guerrero‘s book may be overly sentimental and unbelievably awkward (e.g. “All this for a cat to pee and poop in?”) but it‘s so nice to read about people genuinely connecting that I *almost* didn‘t care.

The story falls prey to the “summarizing the whole book at the end” trap. Still, the characters are all incredibly sweet (especially Omar & Bong); you can‘t help but cheer for them.

A low pick.

The pup is *rather* offended that I‘ve chosen to read about cats.

The best (adult) novel I‘ve read all year (no way to measure it against Moominland; they are different soft, round, or zig-zaggy beasts). A child goes missing. Her gaggle of cousins goes looking for her in the thick, viscous, fecund wood.

One might complain that there are too many similes and metaphors but that one would also be forced to admit that 95% of them are so creative and fantastic that the complaint isn‘t really a complaint at all. 👇🏻

Me, in the face of this book‘s 3.30 ⭐️ Goodreads rating.

I wasn‘t confident about my choices, so I never posted it…but here‘s my April #ReadingBracket2025.

I‘m thinking about it now because I‘m musing about May‘s selection. I‘ve been reading Idle Grounds & just loving it. I‘m only a few pages from the end — really dragging my feet on the conclusion. What if I‘m somehow disappointed?

Anyway, my choice for April is John Green‘s The Anthropocene Reviewed. Eminently listenable! 🎧

Mantel is still ahead.