I have never seen this much pollen swirling around my neighborhood. Well, at least since last time this year. That meant hunkering down with my allergy medication, some hot tea and a few good books. I went both light and deep into my notebook and have SO MANY amazing links from around the web to share with you, too. 

What I'm Reading:

I needed comfort reading this week and comfort reading I got, albeit in different ways. All of Jenny Colgan’s books are comfort reads for me, especially when they are about books. And any book that tackles the reality of an estranged family with hope of the future is a comfort read in my book, too.

The Bookshop on the Shore by Jenny Colgan

Well, she has done it again. I was so enamored with Colgan’s The Bookshop on the Corner that I’ve had dreams of my own mobile bookshop ever since. And now, in this book, I’m continuing to live out that dream. While not a true sequel, Colgan brings us back to Nina and Lennox’s lives through Zoe, a young single mother trying to survive on her own with a child who chooses not to speak. She takes on the au pair role for the mysterious Urquart family and runs Nina’s book bus while she is on bedrest during her pregnancy. Just as Nina changed her own life in the first book with books, fresh air and kindness, Zoe finds herself, her son finds his voice and she just might find love, too. 

Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson

I love novels that capture the complexities of real families and don’t shy away from the hard stuff. This book certainly fits the bill. Moving back and forth from past to present, we come to know Eleanor Bennett and her family, a family torn apart by misunderstandings, hurt feelings and fear. And while we might think we have all the time we need to make things right, Eleanor passes away before her children, Benny and Byron, can reunite as a whole family again. But she leaves behind her treasured Caribbean black cake along with hours of audio recordings sharing history that should have been shared years ago. This information instantly alters their lives forever and might just reunite them for good, too. 

What I'm Writing:

Have you listened to Ed Mylet lately? He’s toured some of my favorite podcasts in the last couple of weeks to promote his new book: The Power of One More: The Ultimate Guide to Happiness and Success.

I haven’t read the book yet, but the main points of the podcast episodes have been hitting hard and sending me straight to my notebook. Here are two topics I cannot get off my mind:

When we encounter a challenging experience, we need to shift the question we are asking. Rather than ‘why did this happen?’ or ‘how will I ever recover from this?’, Mylet would like us to ask ‘What do I need to think so this experience can serve me instead of hurt me?’.

Now THAT’s a powerful shift, isn’t it?

Mylet also talks about the power of one more: that we are one question or one asking away from a completely different life. And those actions have a trickle effect on you and your family for generations to come. But they can’t happen unless we are actually open to taking them. 

And the Universe agrees, because this arrived in my Inbox shortly after that notebooking session:

Now, time to think about my one thing…and yours. 

What I'm Learning:

I’m learning that I need to be a bit more whimsical. This week, I’ve learned that lots of people choose summer theme songs to get them in a summer state of mind. 

Do you?

I like the idea, but have NO CLUE which song I should choose. Send me your ideas!

What I'm Loving:

Do you collect quotes like I do? This website makes it easy to paste in a quote and find the original source. Take a look!

I’ve never heard of reading horoscopes. Have you? Take a look at this fun post by Electric Literature and see which title they recommend for you this Spring based on your horoscope!

The Tombow June wallpaper is here and it’s a juicy, fruity theme sure to inspire summer! You can’t help but think summer when you look at it. 

I found this amazing website chock full of great weekly recipes to support meal planning. I think even I can cook these. =)

This is the new sticky note to-do list I must have. It’s perfect.

How fun is this?! A woman who makes gluten-free pies based on her favorite books! Take a peek!

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?