Ah, the start of a long weekend! My children have today AND Monday off, giving us four wonderful days of slowness. We hope to sleep in, go apple picking, enjoy one last swim in the pool (yes, we are turning the heater back on) and end the season at our favorite ice-cream stand. Here’s to the long weekend!

What I'm Reading:

I’ve got two books for you that are the true essence of bibliotherapy: books that heal. One is a hilarious non-fiction / self-help masterpiece and the other is a fiction story of healing and growth that EVERYONE will find something to learn from.

Broken (in the best possible way) by Jenny Lawson was a journey. Honestly, I typically read like I live my life: move from book to book rather quickly, read in small pockets of time so I can fit everything in and try to find the message or lesson right from the start. But this book was different. And while Jenny bemoaned the fact that her brain works in this longer-winding-why-do-I-think-about-these-things kind of way, I envied and so enjoyed reading her thoughts. Far too often, I simply go, go go and miss the beautiful mundane in between and the problem is, once you realize you’ve forgotten to enjoy the little things, they aren’t there anymore. Jenny seems to not only understand this, but embraces it, a lesson I need to learn. 

Do you believe you find books when you need them? I do.That’s why I think I read Now That You Mention It by Kristan Higgins at just the right time. And while I did not get run over by a van, escape a home invasion or rebuild my life on a Maine Island, Nora taught me about resilience, about finding yourself and about discovering who and what it is we want to remain connected to. Whether it was dealing with her own childhood drama, her complicated family relationships or the meddling of small town folks, Nora bravely conquered it all, finding herself (and maybe even love!) in the process. Higgins did not tiptoe around incredibly complex topics (and potential triggers, for some), but did so within a heart-warming, lovely and quite enjoyable read. This was the first Kristan Higgins book I’ve read, but you can bet I’ll be going through her backlist now!

What I'm Writing:

This week was an exciting writing week….because I was working on a book proposal! Well, actually, it’s not a book….it’s a calendar/planner/journal. Can you believe it? I’m so excited. It’s a special planner designed to spark daily reading and writing with spaces for stamps, stickers and more. I’ll be back with a sneak peek or two, but if you’d be willing to take a look and offer feedback, I’ll be asking for volunteers soon!

What I'm Learning:

No deep learning for me this week. Nope. I spent time learning about cheese. =) Admittedly, I made a homemade macaroni and cheese that was an utter failure. I have no idea what went wrong, but the cheese did not melt and was gloppy in all the wrong places. I headed to Google to find where I went amiss and was introduced to a cheese that I have never heard of: halloumi. Have you heard of it? Apparently, it’s as unmelt-able as my macaroni and cheese, but on purpose. Here’s the recipe I’m trying next. And if you know what went wrong with my mac and cheese, please hit reply and let me know!

What I'm Loving:

All three of these links brought a smile to my face, but for different reasons. Once for a sense of accomplishment, one for a sense of whimsey and one for the beauty of nature.

  • I’ve been loving the #Last90Days challenge. It’s a great way to end the year strong, not wait until the new year rolls around. I’ve been working on my reading goals as part of the challenge and am trying to balance my genres out. Here’s what my current genre stats look like. Any title suggestions?
  • Have you seen this To-Do Tackle Box? It’s darling and comes with 4 kinds of sticky notes: To Do, Ta-Da, Could Do (If I Feel Like It) and To-Doodle. They are so whimsical! 
  • One last thing: I unexpectedly saw a monarch butterfly yesterday. Just beautiful. If you agree, you’ll love this. If you have 4 minutes, it’s worth a watch.

There you have it! I hope this inspires you to make space for more reading and writing in your own life. What are the highlights from your literate life this week?