Spooky Books!

Hey friends! There was a chill in the air this morning and I am LIT UP about it. Put a sweater on for the entire day and everything. Good stuff.

This is my favorite time of the year (obviously) and I’m going to get all the joy I can squeeze out of it. I thought it’d be fun to round up some spooky fall times books and stuff that I’ve personally really enjoyed. Hopefully you’ll find something interesting. Maybe share your faves with me too, please? I’d love that.

Here we go:

For younger readers:

The Bunnicula Series - GREAT FUN to read aloud and has a perfect combination of sinister mystery without being scary. A family finds a bunny abandoned in a movie theater and they bring him home to be part of their family. Turns out this bunny has some…peculiar tendencies that parallel a certain famous vampire. The story is told form the perspective of the dog, Harold, and mostly details the cat, Chester, as he tries to get the new houseguest found out. It’s great.

The House with a Clock in It’s Walls, by John Bellairs - Also great fun to read aloud and a genuinely perfect introduction to horror and suspense while being age appropriate. This was a really fun one my kids enjoyed and remembered and want to reread. There’s a clock in the house that -might- destroy humanity. Other odd things might be going on as well. Great fun. It’s part of a series but we didn’t end up going past this one for whatever reason. Spookier than Bunnicula.

Pumpkinheads, by Rainbow Rowell - Adorable graphic novel about a pair of friends who are working their last season at the local pumpkin patch. It is as charming as you want it to be and the illustrations are so so so cute. It’s heart warming and will make you want some cider immediately.

For you!

If you like werves (werewolves) and other monsters, some romance, and steampunk adventure times, go grab The Parasol Protectorate series - starts with Soulless, by Gail Carriger. It’s delightful and has that steamy chilly moodiness of a fall evening outside under the glow of a full moon. It’s excellent on audio and I’m thinking of a reread. The fun thing about this series is that it’s got that great combination of clever banter, characters that, while mostly supernatural, have deep real problems and are also engaging, and the plots escalate in fantastic ways through the books. The romance here is really phenomenally written too if you’re looking for that. It’s just a big good time and I love it lots for an escape.

Dracula, by Bram Stoker - Y’all, I read this every year. I just enjoy how moody and ridiculous it is. I’m annoyed there is no good movie about it, it’s ripe for this timeline’s level of compressed feeling and overreaction, not to mention sense of impending doom and recipe collection. A classic for a reason, even if that reason is absurdity.

All of Tana French - she is the queen of thick cold mysteries that read like a cold discarded brick wall or soupy wet sand. If you want to curl up with a hot beverage and discover small town Irish secrets, this is what you need. All her stuff is great, and perfect for the thick biting cold of the fall/winter times when you don’t know what might be around the corners. Start with In the Woods, the first book in her Dublin Murder Squad series. I also really enjoyed The Witch Elm, from a year or two ago. It’s thick and worked really well for me. Where her other books usually take the perspective of the detectives and their process, The Witch Elm examines the civilian involved. In this book there’s a creepy old tree and things take a really unexpected turn. It impressively examines the confines of one’s own mind, and how the limits of logic and feeling and family trauma saturate. It’s a thick book. I find it impressive that she’s able to write conversations as they would actually happen, while expressing the manipulative and doubt filled twists and turns of misunderstanding that happen in real life too. I find her writing incredible.

Riley Sager - Final Girls specifically - in my opinion this is his best book. It deals with a woman who is known as a “final girl” - the last woman remaining from a terrible massacre. Suddenly another “final girl” appears in her life and her world is completely turned inside out. There are twists and turns and the writing is compelling. I don’t think Sager is doing anything revolutionary, but it’s a very entertaining story if you like those slasher movies and the concept of the final girl. His other books are along the same lines and are entertaining, but for me they weren’t as successful as this one was. But, maybe they’ll work for you! I’d love to know.

Ruth Ware - In a Dark Dark Wood - her first and best. I feel about Ware the way I do about Sager. In a Dark, Dark Wood was propulsive and clever enough for me that I read it really fast, and felt compelled to finish it and see what happened. It was a great fit for me. The rest of Ware’s books were less of a personal hit, but again, they might do the trick for you! In a Dark, Dark Wood deals with a group of almost friends who haven’t seen each other in quite a while. They end up doing a weekend thing deep in the woods and then weird things start happening. It’s sharp and I think it’s very well plotted and structured.

The Return, by Rachel Harrison - this book starts as a mystery and takes a swift turn into horror during the last third of the story. It’s worth looking at if you wanna be spooked. A woman disappears for two years and then shows up again with no memory of what happened. Quite bizarre, but also might be exactly the bit of a mind bender you’re looking for.

The Haunting of Hill House, by Shirley Jackson - in my opinion this is a classic for a reason. Expect thick tension, sentences where you know what the words mean but your brain doesn’t get how one thing leads to another. That type of confusion and atmospheric strangeness is part of the plan and brilliance of the story in which you watch a woman completely unravel because of a house. I was so impressed. Might need to reread this one too. It was great.

Speaking of spooky houses, read Slade House by David Mitchell. Once you’re in past the garden gate, things get wonky quick and mess with spacetime in really fun ways. This is written like the last nightmare you had where you knew and remembered exactly what happened but could not articulate any part of it. it’s great. I read this a few years ago and legitimately tripped out of reality for a while after I finished it, worried I’d stumbled into an alternate timeline. It’s also pretty short if that matters, I think I read it in a three hour chunk.

Finally, There’s Someone Inside Your House, by Stephanie Perkins. This is actually a bit of a teen/YA pick, but if you like slasher movies, or those cheesy halloween ones where something ridiculous happens and a group of friends must band together to save the town from getting chopped to bits you need to read this. Is a blast of an entertaining read. The writing is compelling and engaging and fast paced. I loved it. I remember jumping from the words, like the things written down spooked me into being startled the same way I would be if something popped up out of nowhere in a movie. If that sounds good go grab this.

Non-fiction books about death!

All of Caitlin Doughty. Start with her memoir, Smoke Gets In Your Eyes, about her time working at a crematory in San Francisco. She details all the things that go into the process of preparing a body and what happens with you once you’re dead. From her experiences she starts a journey to create a process of a better death, focusing on more natural procedures and hopes to help educate people about death itself so it’s not so taboo and unknown. Then go read From Here to Eternity, in which she details the death practices of other cultures around the world. It’s fascinating and educational and should give you a different perspective to consider. Finally, her most recent book, Will the Cat Eat My Eyeballs?, answers questions about death that kids have asked her - honestly it’s the stuff we bigger kids want to know too. She answers these questions with science and information and honesty without being traumatic or too over their top. I appreciated this book, and think it’s a great level of information for us regular non-morticians to enjoy and learn from.

Bonus!

There’s a great little docu-series on Netflix called The Casketeers about these morticians in New Zealand. Each episode follows a bit of time as the team processes and helps people grieve. It’s a tremendous show. I cried almost every episode and found it helps a lot for approaching death from a place of comfort and joy rather than something scary or gross. The tenderness in each of the 20 minute episodes is incredible and lovely. So. If you’re wanting something like that right now, an avenue for healthy tears, or something to regain faith in the world, check this out and then let me know. I’d love to talk about it with you. It’s so delightful.

Happy fall, friends! Go decorate a gourd and tell me what you’re reading.

What I Read: September 2020

Well, I hope everyone is enjoying the new month! Here’s what I read in September - it was all wizards all the time for me last month and I have no intent to change that.

Wizard’s First Rule, by Terry Goodkind (Sword of Truth series book 1) - to be clear, I spent most of August reading this and think I just technically finished it in September. Irrelevant, I know.

I picked this up on someone’s recommendation. It’s a pretty chonky book, but they sold it well and there wasn’t anything else jumping out at me at the time, so in I went. Little did I know, dear reader, this might be the best series I’ve come across. Ever. The lessons from the world and the magic are better than Harry Potter. The sense of adventure and the quest of the thing is better than LOTR (yes, I said what I said). The love story makes Outlander look like…a non-event. The writing is impeccable. I think “stupid good” describes it accurately. It’s got the simple precision that details exactly enough of everything at exactly the right times. The plot never lags over the 700+ pages and the ending is an absolute masterpiece. There is tough stuff in this book, but it is not excessive or glorified (I have huge issues when authors use violence as a plot device or because they’re too lazy to come up with something else - maybe you’ve already figured out by now why I stopped reading Outlander and never got far in GOT either).

It smacked me in all the right ways. The characters are clever, real, subtly funny, and undergo incredible growth. It deals with magic, destiny, lessons, self-discovery and acceptance, but also with a terrible bad guy, magic books, a dragon, and the best love story I’ve ever read. The fate and balance of everything known is at stake. I’m hooked and delighted that there are so many of these and that they’re all so big.

There’s a precise moment in the final scenes of the book where one paragraph gave me goosebumps, dropped my jaw, and made me weep. All at once. Absolutely incredible. I don’t know how to talk about it more without giving things away. Just trust me and go get it.

Stone of Tears, by Terry Goodkind (Sword of Truth series book 2) - The second book in this big series and it is as incredible as the first one. I don’t know how to talk about it - again - without giving things away. I’m going to need you to trust me on this. Go read the first one, then prepare yourself for the way that one felt in your head, multiply it by at least three, and that’s how this one feels.

This book expands the story and the world. The writing is just as perfect, the plot just as tight and exquisite, and all the things I loved about the first book are doubled in this one. The challenges Richard and Kahlan go through are both excruciating and necessary and make their story all the more incredible. The ending is just as perfect as i didn’t expect it to be and I cried about it again. Ugh.

I’m starting the third book today after I get my stuff done. I don’t want to read anything else for the rest of the year, really, and I’m absolutely fine with that.

I wish I’d found these decades ago.

Battle Ground, by Jim Butcher (Harry Dresden book 17) - I listened to this, it’s an excellent series on audiobook, and, I cannot talk about it either unless you’ve also read all of the rest of them! Stuff happens here my friends, and I’m gonna need a minute to figure out what I think and how I feel about it.

The book is filled with great fight scenes, compelling writing, fresh character development, and it’s a real good story. The thing about this series that’s most fun for me is that reading these Dresden books feels like why I love going to see those superhero movies by myself at the theater - I can totally disappear for a while and be totally entertained. There’s enough humor and big explosions and badass people saving the world with various levels of magical powers to forget about everything else for a while. Harry Dresden has become a fun fictional dude running around in my head. I love his energy and his charm, his issues and his humor. Butcher writes in a way where I find all I have to do is push play on the audio or put my eyes on the page and I’m in it.

This one has big moments for the characters. I’m not sure what will happen next to Harry or how he’ll deal with what happens to him here. At one point, I thought I had it figured out; thought that I knew WHY the thing that happens, happens, but I was incorrect. I think I’ve come to terms with it a little, and obviously it doesn’t feel great. But…that’s the tradeoff isn’t it.

Getting invested in fictional characters is a risky business.

Skunk and Badger, by Amy Timberlake

Today I have a kid’s book to share with you, and it is SUCH a treat. I loved it.

Skunk and Badger, by Amy Timberlake, pictures by Jon Klassen (of I Want My Hat Back), is a chapter book geared at readers from grades 2-5. I think it would be a really fun read aloud story for kids younger than that also, and also for everyone else because books are for everybody and this is a gem.

This book starts by introducing us to Badger, who likes rocks and everything in its right place. His life is turned around on page one, when Skunk shows up as a new roommate that Badger was not expecting to have!

Adventures, chaos, disruption, conversation, understanding, goofs, and friendship ensue and it is an absolute treat to read.

I adore the writing style, that is at once clear and concise and witty, while also perfectly descriptive. As a short beginner chapter book the story flows quickly, and is broken up well. It is full of banter, inner dialogue where sometimes Badger gets a bit sassy, and clever expressive dialogue that younger readers will understand and laugh about, and older readers and grown ups will really enjoy.

Here’s a snippet I particularly loved in the first chapter,

“The red suitcase would be popped open to reveal something guaranteed to change everything.”

Can you even? I love it. Such intrigue. Great stuff. Clearly there is fun to be had.

I don’t want to give away what happens after that. It’s a charming unexpected adventure that you will not be able to predict. It gave me Frog and Toad vibes, with a smidge of Wes Anderson’s Fantastic Mr. Fox style. Great combination.

The illustrations are perfect. There’s not a lot of them, but they give exactly the right tone for these characters. I really hope we get to have more adventures with them before too much longer. Those of you who recognize Jon Klassen from his picture book, I Want My Hat Back, will be delighted to see that the sharp cleverness of that book and his style is also present in Skunk and Badger.

This is a great book and would be a perfect addition to any reader’s library. I grinned the whole time and have a big soft spot for the grumpy badger who finds room in his crusty little heart filled with rocks for a new friend.

It’s absolutely delightful and so charming. I hope you go get it.

Skunk and Badger is out now and can be found wherever you get your books.

**Thank you to Algonquin Books for my review copy! All opinions are my own.

A Better Man, by Michael Ian Black

Hey friends! I’ve got a treat and get to highlight this book today.

A Better Man: A (Mostly Serious) Letter to My Son, by Michael Ian Black, is a collection of short essays that aim to reframe that concept of what it means to “be a man”. Black is a comedian and actor and one of the folks who is in my “oh hey, it’s that guy!” category whenever I see him in something. This collection is personal and anyone familiar with Black’s work will appreciate and enjoy his humor, and getting a deeper look into his life.

I’m in school right now and doing lots of academic reading. In such cases we look for the research question, the aim and goal of the thing, and then analyze if the paper, article, study or whatever, was able to do what it intended. Did it answer the question? Black asks and meditates on “how can we be, and raise, better men?” and, while I don’t think this type of question can be completely solved ever, I do think he adds positively to the conversation.

My own relationship with paternal figures and ideals is pretty spotty, and when reading a book like this you can’t help but reflect on your own experience. As always, the advice to “take what you want and leave the rest”, applies. These short pieces are compelling and make you feel like you’re listening to someone you care about tell you something interesting, directly and tenderly.

He doesn’t skip difficult stuff.

Some of these were hard to read because of the the content, and the memories they brought up, but never felt sensationalized or like they were pushing at emotions for the sake of a reaction. The first essay introducing the why of the book is about gun violence and it hurts; necessarily so.

He talks about gender, worrying about fatherhood, the harrowing realization that the idols in your life are also human, the suffocating trap of traditional masculine ideals, the parts of manhood that are better than he expected, love and heartbreak, vulnerability, religion, questioning things, and so much more. The whole book has a sense of intentional calm, and empathetic examination that I appreciated.

To me, it feels that he’s writing it because he genuinely wants to help fix the pervasive issues and misunderstandings surrounding masculinity and why so much of what has been done is so harmful.

It’s tough shit to look at and sift through, to be quite blunt about it.

He does it well and acknowledges the complications and how messy it is.

While I don’t agree with all of Black’s opinions, I found so much in here that made me think, reflect, get a little misty-eyed and thoughtful, and I always appreciate seeing the vulnerable thought process surrounding difficult topics.

The things he’s working out here are valuable for everyone to learn from and think about.

Here’s my favorite part:

“The simple secret of manhood is love. It’s almost embarrassing to write that down. Not because it sounds so hokey, but because, deep down, it’s something all of us already knows. And yet…we men have an especially hard time admitting it to ourselves. For all of our bravados, for all of our sweat, our chest pounding, we still strive for that same, simple place. Just love.”

A Better Man is available now and can be found anywhere you grab your books.

**Thank you to Algonquin Books for my review copy - all opinions are my own.

Celebrity Book Club Update: September 2020

It’s finally (the middle of) September!! I’m stoked for it to be closer to fall. The heat of the summer is the worst. Hope you’re all well and your bookshelves are full.

Here’s what some of the fancy people are reading this month:

Carry, by Toni Jensen

Reese Witherspoon X Hello Sunshine - The Last Story of Mina Lee, by Nancy Jooyoun Kim

Reese’s YA book club - You Should See Me in a Crown, by Leah Johnson

goop Book Club (Gweneth Paltrow) - Carry, by Toni Jensen - This one slipped right by me, but apparently the goop book club has been going since May of this year. Their site includes a reading guide for the book, and I appreciate seeing this pick, a memoir by an indigenous woman, as an early selection. Cool stuff. I’m interested to watch this group.

Belletrist (Emma Roberts) - The Lightness, by Emily Temple

Read With Jenna (Jenna Bush Hager) - Transcendent Kingdom, by Yaa Gyasi

#readwithmc (Marie Claire) - When No One is Watching, by Alyssa Cole

Girls Night In Newsletter - Luster, by Raven Leilani

Celebrity Book Club Update: August 2020

Well hey! We’re fully into a new month…though very much of it feels the same as the last 5…hopefully you’re all having great summers and are staying entertained and somewhat sane.

Here’s what the fancy people are reading this month:

Reese Witherspoon X Hello Sunshine - Everything Inside, by Edwidge Danticat

The Andrew Luck Book Club - Rookie Selection - Preaching to the Chickens, by Jabari Asim - Veteran Selection - The Color of Water, by James McBride

Belletrist (Emma Roberts) - Luster, by Ravel Leilani, and Blue Ticket, by Sophie Mackintosh

Read With Jenna (Jenna Bush Hager) - The Comeback, by Ella Berman, and Here for It, by R. Eric Thomas (personal note - I listened to Here for It and it is phenomenal. Highly recommend)

#readwithmc (Marie Claire) - Luster, by Raven Leilani

Girls Night In Newsletter - Big Friendship: How We Keep Each Other Close, by Aminatou Sow and Ann Friendman

What I'm reading now

As I mentioned in my post about what I read in May, my reading has slowed down A LOT and it’s actually been very good. I don’t believe in making yourself feel guilty for taking care of yourself, and for the past few weeks I have needed to do other things besides read. I’ve needed to stare at walls, take long walks, dance like a moron in my kitchen to music, watch all of Netflix and then watch it all again, clean my house, go for more long walks, and listen to my buddy Harry Dresden kick butt in Chicago while laying on the floor doing nothing. It’s been great. Refreshing and wonderful.

So please, if you are a reader and find it difficult sometimes to actually read, don’t be too hard on yourself for it. Go figure out what else your soul is wanting and do that for a while. The books will be there for you when you’re ready again. They don’t hold grudges. They’re just happy to be here.

Alright, now that I’ve said all that, here’s what I have been reading lately:

Finished in June-

What You Wish For, by Katherine Center - I was lucky enough to get an ARC (Advance Reader Copy) of this cute story and it was fun to read. It’s a bit brain candy with some real characters with real flaws and issues sprinkled in. I appreciated the plot turns, and there were some very charming moments. It was a cute story even if the main character did things at times that made me go, “huh. that was a little odd” but hey, she’s fictional! That’s what makes it exciting. The book centers around a woman who had a major crush on a colleague so she moves to get away and restart. Then, who becomes the new principal of the school she works at? HE DOES! However, he is NOT the dude she remembers. There’s trauma to unpack for both of them that is handled pretty well, though parts of it are difficult to read but they’re brief (Trigger warning for violence in schools, and emotional abuse). One of the things our main character deals with is worry that she won’t be accepted or loved fully because of the potential severity of an illness she suffers from. There’s a bit of emotional trauma for her from childhood and the way that is discussed and worked through between the two characters is pretty well done. If you’re looking for some beach reads, add this to the list. It’s a cute easy read and would make a great romcom someday. The frisky times are really light too, if that’s something you’re looking to know. This will be published July 14th - watch for it then!

Home Before Dark, by Riley Sager - FYI - Riley Sager is a pen name for a male author. I still hear people refer to Riley in she/her terms and it makes me feel weird. Nothing against pen names. But still. I’d rather you have all the information. Alright. This is Sager’s fourth thriller novel and. . . it just didn’t hit the right spot for me. I loved Final Girls, his first one, but I found this one a bit too formulaic for my personal taste. It’s highly possible that I just wasn’t in the mood for a haunted house story. The spooky spooks in here didn’t do anything for my nerves, the twists I was able to predict, and I struggled staying interested. BUT this book could definitely be for you!! So! If you’re looking for a haunted house story, a mystery to figure out, a little bit of ambiance to heighten the suspense, and something to read quickly, this might be your jam. It’s a little bit Amityville Horror and a little bit Shirley Jackson’s Haunting at Hill House. If that sounds good to you, go pick this up.

In Progress-

The Happy Ever After Playlist, by Abby Jimenez - I’m about half way through listening to this and it’s cute. I liked Jimenez’s other book (fun fact, she’s also a baker and infamously made the “vageode” cake of recent years) and this one has been a treat as well. A girl finds a dog, the dogs owner is a rock star but out of town, they exchange text messages and phone calls and then meet and hit it off. It’s cute. Probably a medium on the spicy scale.

Dresden Files #13, by Jim Butcher - I know, you’re shocked aren’t you. I’m trying to finish this series in time for the new one to come out this month. I love these books. They’re still great this far in and that’s quite a talent. New things keep happening, the characters keep growing and changing, the magic systems are still interesting and unfolding. It’s great. Also, the man who narrates this has a voice of gold velvet. It’s wonderful.

What I Read: May 2020

Due to some personal thing my reading has slowed down considerably. Not really a rut, but other things needed my brain space since May. All things in turn, I suppose? I’ve read great books and it really doesn’t matter to me what the number it.

Here’s what I read in May:

Dresden Files #10, #11, and #12, by Jim Butcher - This series is quickly becoming my happy place, which is a strange world to find comfort in since poor Harry gets in so much danger so quickly and so frequently, but I’ll tell you what, this wizard could save me any day of the week. This series continues to draw me in with compelling world building, fantastically told magic systems, AND characters that grow and change, AND exciting plot, AND some of the best and most cinematic fight scenes I’ve read. It’s great fun and I will probably read them all over again once I get caught up. Fantasy, professional wizard solving crimes and magical problems - what could be better?

Beach Read, by Emily Henry - Alright, I have to be honest here. I had high hopes for this one. The cover is adorable, and the book had been pretty hyped to me. Let me tell you what it sure did deliver. My goodness this story is adorable and sincere. Funny and charming. It’s set as many romance novels are, with two people who initially dislike each other. Add in some forced proximity, competition, and excellent banter and voila. Happy ending. It’s a good formula for a reason. And while sometimes those plots can be really boring and predictable (somethings that’s exactly what you want and that’s fine!), but this one adds in loads of character growth, realistic conversations, and enough sparkle to make it feel just wonderful to read. I was very impressed. This is a great beach read (wink) and if you’re looking for a fun story, aren’t impressed with any of the romcoms on Netflix, go grab this. It’ll hit the spot.

Open Book, by Jessica Simpson - I owe Jessica Simpson an apology. Girl has been through it all and come out impressively. I had no idea of her origin story and feel so badly for the assumptions I made about her history, her personality, and her intelligence. This book is well written, thoughtful, honest, difficult, and really open (as intended) and succeeds in ways the celebrity memoir rarely does. Everyone should read it. It’s fascinating. I’m charmed by her and totally grossed out by John Mayer, btw, so there’s that too.

The Guest List, by Lucy Foley - This is a thriller/mystery that sets a group of people on an island, and someone dies. I was entertained, the puzzle to put together was creative, but it didn’t blow me away and was just fine for me, and that’s okay. If you’re looking for something to read this summer that’s a bit of an atmospheric Agatha Christie style, multiple perspectives, locked room-ish style murder to solve this would be worth a try for sure.

Mimi Lee Gets A Clue, by Jennifer J. Chow - This is a cute cozy mystery in the vein of the Noodle Shop Mysteries. Mimi Lee starts a pet grooming business and ends up investigating a murder. Helped out by her hunky young lawyer neighbor she and her cat (that talks to her) figure out what’s going on. If you need some brain candy or just want to escape for a while without getting too hyped up or invested, this would be a great pick.

Celebrity Book Club Update: June 2020

Reese Witherspoon X Hello Sunshine - The Guest List, by Lucy Foley, and I’m Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness, by Austin Channing Brown

The Andrew Luck Book Club - Rookie Selection - The Undefeated, by Kwame Alexander - Veteran Selection - Me and White Supremacy, by Layla F. Saad

Belletrist (Emma Roberts) - The Vanishing Half, by Brit Bennett

Read With Jenna (Jenna Bush Hager) - A Burning, by Megha Majumdar

#readwithmc (Marie Claire) - Exciting Times, by Naoise Dolan

Girls Night In Newsletter - The Art of Showing Up, by Rachel Wilkerson Miller

Nerdette (Podcast) - The Vanishing Half, by Brit Bennett

What I Read: April 2020

I don’t even know how to talk about time passing anymore, but here’s what I read in April. It was tough to stay focused on much and I did most of these via audiobook. I’m just grateful for books that were able to occupy my thoughts for a while. I’d love to hear what you read lately if you’d like to share.

Untamed, by Glennon Doyle - This is a wonderful book IF you are looking for a pep talk. For me, it hit at just the right time. I took my time reading it as the chapters are really short and could be repetitive if read all at once. But, Doyle managed to raise the fire in me, to make me cry several times, prompt great self-reflection, and intense self examination. All of which I really needed recently.

The Return, by Rachel Harrison - This starts as a mystery/suspense in which a woman in a friend group disappears for two years and then suddenly is back, no indication of where she’s been. It takes a sharp turn towards horror in the final fourth of the book. I didn’t mind it but would’ve liked the heads up beforehand. That way I would’ve known what might be around the suspenseful corner. That being said, it was interesting and one of those books I needed to finish. It might work for you if that’s what you’re looking for.

The Falcon Thief: A True Tale of Adventure, Treachery, and the Hunt for the Perfect Bird, by Joshua Hammer - I was hoping this would be more like The Feather Thief, compelling narrative non-fiction and non-violent true crime, but I found my attention wandering a lot during this book. I think it might’ve worked if I’d read some other time. It’s about falcon smuggling, which is fascinating, but I still enjoyed The Feather Thief more.

Dresden Files books 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, by Jim Butcher - This is what I am most easily able to slip into these days. The compelling adventures of professional wizard, Harry Dresden, as he saves the day and kicks bad guy butt is just fun that doesn’t require thought. The characters are fun and distinct. The plots are formulaic but still develop the characters and introduce new devices so they feel fresh. The world is well described and clear. I’m going to be really bummed when I’ve gotten caught up with these.

Once Upon a Time I Lived on Mars: Space, Exploration, and Life on Earth, by Kate Greene - I got an advance copy of this and really loved it. It covers an expedition NASA funded in which a group of people spent a few months simulating life on Mars. It’s fascinating in many ways and Greene’s essays are poignant and interesting. She discusses isolation and how the impact of solitude on humans in space relates to humans on earth. Eerily relevant for this time and very insightful. I really enjoyed this. Out this coming July.

Truth or Beard, by Penny Reid - A quick romance, this was recommended on a podcast I listen to and it was great. A bit long, but great brain candy and sweet story. I don’t think this is a beginner’s romance book but that’s just my opinion. The story is about the less charming of a set of twins and a girl that he’s been secretly head over heels for since forever. It’s cute, they end up together, and that guaranteed HEA (happily ever after) is just the balm needed sometimes.

Boundaries with Kids: How Healthy Choices Grow Healthy Children, by Henry Cloud - This was an interesting and educational book. Lots of great points and lessons to be learned here. Backstory aside, boundaries are something I’m still figuring out how to make and keep well for myself and others, so this was good basic knowledge on how to have them with children and why. I don’t agree with everything stated, and there’s a heavy handful of Christian related stuff (not that that’s good or bad but I would’ve liked to know about it before hand so I’m telling you too), but I’m glad I listened to this. It had plenty for me to find valuable.

Celebrity Book Club Update: May 2020

Welcome to the middle of May! Here’s what the book clubs are reading. Hint: a lot of them are reading the one in the picture.

Reese Witherspoon X Hello Sunshine - The Henna Artist, by Alka Joshi

The Andrew Luck Book Club - Rookie Selection - Buford the Little Bighorn, by Bill Peet - Veteran Selection - The Last Palace: Europe’s Turbulent Century in Five Lives and One Legendary House, by Norman Eisen

Belletrist (Emma Roberts) - The Book of V, by Anna Solomon

Read With Jenna (Jenna Bush Hager) - All Adults Here, by Emma Straub

#readwithmc (Marie Claire) - All Adults Here, by Emma Straub

Girls Night In Newsletter - All Adults Here, by Emma Straub

Nerdette (Podcast) - The City We Became, by N. K. Jemison

Celebrity Book Club Update: April 2020

How are you all doing this month? Sorry this roundup is so late. It’s been interesting finding a new routine to keep everyone in my house from crawling the walls and getting in each others faces. I don’t know about you but I’m having a hard time finding books that are sticking. I have finished some great books recently, but it’s been tough not being able to dive into a fictional world as easily as I used to but I’m sure that will return sooner or later.

Here’s what the clubs are reading this month:

Reese Witherspoon X Hello Sunshine - Untamed, by Glennon Doyle

The Andrew Luck Book Club - Rookie Selection - The Little Prince, by Antoine Saint-Exupéry - Veteran Selection - The Overstory, by Richard Powers

Belletrist (Emma Roberts) - Writers and Lover, by Lily King

Read With Jenna (Jenna Bush Hager) - Valentine, by Elizabeth Wetmore

#readwithmc (Marie Claire) - In Five Years, by Rebecca Serle

Girls Night In Newsletter - Wow, No Thank You: Essays, by Samantha Irby

Nerdette (Podcast)- You Never Forget Your First: A Biography of George Washington, by Alexis Coe

Oprah’s Book Club - Hidden Valley Road: Inside the Mind of an American Family, by Robert Kolker

Are you going to read any of these? I think it’s a pretty interesting group of books. Be well!

Tuesday links

Man, it has been hard to get much done besides the necessities of housework, homework, and cooking meals for everyone. I’ve managed to get my coursework for my Master’s program worked on in time but I feel very sluggish. I think if I were to analyze myself it would be that my subconscious is preparing and reserving most of my energy for the “just in case” things that run through one’s brain during an event like this. Fine. Normal response. But I’d like to be able to read something and find it interesting. Everything feels a little blah right now. It’s ok. It’s not forever.

Well, on that note, here’s a few things that DID catch my attention lately:

This is an incredible project for two reasons to me - the artistry of it, and the relentless dedication this type of habit requires. Really cool.

Another good visual reminder why we should stay home until further notice.

This brought me relentless and unending joy. My favorite comfort movie I really need to watch. That might be the cure and temporary escape I’ve been looking for. Talk about relationship goals and that editing job too. Excellent work.

This project at the Library of Congress sounds like the ideal job and I love it and kind of really want to be on that team.

If you love going to the movies as much as I do, or need some channel that will let you cry, watch the clips in this twitter thread. It’s very cathartic. I miss going to the movies so much.

It’s census time, and if you like infographics, this one is really cool and all about how the census questions have changed over time.

I have always loved puzzles. I think they’re best done in the winter with an audiobook and some hot beverage while other people are mingling or you’ve been mingling with other people earlier and are now blissfully alone with the puzzle and your book. Optional, but recommended, a cozy set of PJ’s and a blankie for your lap. This is an incredible look at how puzzles are made. Loved it. Can’t wait to order more.

Finally, I just really enjoyed this bit of ridiculous creativity.

Wishing you health and entertainment. Take care.

Book Review: Afterlife, by Julia Alvarez

I’m excited to share this book with you today! While we’re all in a different daily structure these days, it helps to have something to be excited about and new books are a great thing!

Here’s the synopsis:

“Antonia Vega, the immigrant writer at the center of Afterlife, has had the rug pulled out from under her. She has just retired from the college where she taught English when her beloved husband, Sam, suddenly dies. And then more jolts: her bighearted but unstable sister disappears, and Antonia returns home one evening to find a pregnant, undocumented teenager on her doorstep. Antonia has always sought direction in the literature she loves—lines from her favorite authors play in her head like a soundtrack—but now she finds that the world demands more of her than words.”

Alvarez’s writing is just as lyrical and poignant and the plot suggests. This book is compellingly written too, which was important for me as I’ve had a hard time staying interested in most of the books I’ve picked up recently. It’s hard to focus these days, and so it’s an extra comfort when you can read something that feels like an escape for a while.

For me, this book was a good fit. I enjoyed getting swept up in Vega’s story, her life, her thoughts, and her beautiful words. It’s not necessarily an easy read but it’s thought provoking and encourages you to consider. A short book, this is a great one to pick up now or to put on your list to return to.

Afterlife is out now wherever books are sold. I do hope you’ll check it out and also take a look at Alvarez’s other books too! Thank you to Algonquin Books for the review copy!

What I Read: March 2020

Well, I feel like we can all agree that March was THE ACTUAL WORST month thusfar. Now that we’re clear of that and deeply entrenched into the odd and quietly scary situation we’re facing as a global population, I feel a little bit more acclimated to like than I did last month. I actually read some wonderful things but they were overshadowed considerably by everything else.

Here’s what I read in March:

Buy Yourself the F*cking Lilies: And Other Rituals to Fix Your Life From Someone Who’s Been There, by Tara Schuster - This book was huge for me. I enjoyed it so much and learned so much from it. Tara has been through a lot and has paid attention enough through her experiences to come out of them with tools, routines, systems, and habits in place that actually work. Not only does the information she share actually work, she explains and motivates with kindness and encouragement that acknowledges privileges, mental blocks, and doesn’t do any shaming. I need to buy this book so I can read it again and underline it all. It’s one of the best memoir/self-help books I’ve ever come across. I highly recommend it if you’re in the mood to figure out what might help you fix your life.

A Girl’s Guide to the Outback, by Jessica Kate - This is a contemporary romance that was just fine. If you need something light that you don’t have to think about too hard this would be perfect.

The Worst Best Man, by Mia Sosa - I enjoyed this romance more than A Girl’s Guide to the Outback, mostly because the characters are emotionally stable people (for the most part). Often in romances you have situations with people making ridiculous decisions and acting in really unhealthy ways. While there’s definitely drama here the characters discuss actually talk and listen to each other. It was refreshing.

Invisible Women: Data Bias in A World Designed for Men, by Caroline Criado-Perez - This is not an uplifting book but it is highly educational and insightful, especially if you like data. Criado-Perez examines all the design decisions and how they impact day-to-day behaviors. It’s absolutely fascinating to see how the design default of male is a huge economic and health issue. I was riveted listening to this.

Egg Drop Dead, by Vivien Chien - A great next book in one of my favorite cozy mystery series and in this one a great new character is introduced that I enjoyed. If you are looking for something that’s not too violent this series might be a good fit. Start here with the first one, Death by Dumpling.

Don’t Check Out This Book, by Kate Klise - This is a great kids book that I reviewed in this post here for the blog tour last month.

Qualityland, by Marc-Uwe Kling - The setup of this book is either just as weird as you’d wish or weird enough that you’ll skip this one. For me, the weird level was precisely great. Imagine a world where a large online super store has become a dominant world power. The algorithm knows you and everyone else so well that packages arrive before you even know what you want and it never makes a mistake - until one day it does and someone tries to return something. There’s also a super convincing android preparing to run for president, people are ranked and assigned levels based on their jobs, social success, influence, etc, and their last names are based on the jobs. As you can imagine each level (up to 100 in theory) comes with it’s own access to certain perks. This world that combines all the things we fear and joke about regarding targeted ads, having a smart device in your home, and self-driving cars. It’s got a twisty sense of humor and an interesting message about figuring out who you are in a society that tries to prescribe that information for you (sounds familiar?). I loved it and was excited to see that it’s going to be adapted sometime in the future.

Trick Mirror: Reflections on Self-Delusion, by Jia Tolentino - I had heard a lot about this collection of essays and just recently gave it a try. It was better than I had expected and I really appreciated the tone of the writing. It was more of what I had hoped to find in reading Uncanny Valley. I enjoyed this one and would recommend it for anyone looking for essay collections by thoughtful women writers.

An Elderly Lady is Up to No Good, by Helene Tursten - A really short book with a main character who does just as the title indicates. The no good she gets up to is murder for reasons. It’s not creepy but might not be the type of humor everyone will enjoy. I thought it was fine.

Summer Knight, by Jim Butcher - I really like this series. It’s a great escape. In this installment our hero is again in severe trouble that needs fixing in a matter of hours or the world will never be the same. Professional wizard Harry Dresden will take care of it.

Interior Chinatown, by Charles Wu - I read another book by Charles Wu and it’s one that I think about often for the things it accomplishes from a narrative and writing skillset, so I was curious to read this and see what else he could come up with. Interior Chinatown examines stereotypes and tropes in an experimental style and for me it helped that I listened to it as an audiobook. It’s one of those books that I think I am appreciating more for having read it because it’s been thought provoking because the reading was sometimes tough and required attention - which is sparse these days for me and shouldn’t reflect poorly on the actual book.

My April reading has been a little bumpy so far. It’s hard to concentrate these days but I have read some good things lately. My brain’s been turning more to tv and listening to podcasts instead of things that require more mental attention. I really miss it though and am trying to cut myself a break and just start all the books I want until I find something that sucks me in. How’s reading going for you this month? Have your reading habits changed at all with the pandemic’s impact?

So many coloring pages

Monday was our first real day of sheltering in place and things seem infinitely different today than they were last week. I’m still finding my own schedule to implement for my own sense of structure, but getting dressed every day really helps me not feel slobby during this weird time. I’ve also been making short lists of things to get done and getting through those is helpful. They usually have a mix of 2-3 “serious” things, like “do this assignment for school”, “fill out this paperwork”, “email this person back” and a few fun things too like, “play scrabble today”, and “make cookies”. Simple chores I want to have done also appear. I never get everything on the list checked off, but for me it’s not about completing it. It just helps to have it.

An unintended side-effect of this situation is that we’re all learning how to sleep in. Since forever, my kids have been up with the sun almost without exception. Now, they’re sleeping until 8:30 or 9 am and it’s great. I’d like to take advantage of this and get up earlier myself, but it’s also really nice that we’re all sleeping in.

Things feel a lot like a version of Groundhog Day but we’re all Bill Murray and it’s the most beautiful time of the year instead of eternally winter. Additionally, our district has extended the school closure through April, so I’m thinking I might actually take the time to redirect the struggle towards some type of challenge I’ve been putting off for a time when I had nothing going on and nowhere to go. Looks like the joke’s on me!

Here’s some stuff we did this week:

-I’ve been on a Sam Rockwell kick lately and adore this compilation of him dancing in movies. He’s got some kinda weird charm that I am here for.

-We’ve been doing lots of coloring and drawing. Fortunately, everyone in the house has been game. Today we drew robots using a video from this channel - I’m sure we will go back to this soon to try out the other ones.

-Because of all the coloring we’re doing, I’m real glad I found a battery operated pencil sharpener before all of this happened. It’s getting a workout.

-This coloring book is really awesome - 21 pages.

-Mom, this video is for you, enjoy.

-This is a soothing gem of a video and I feel better every time I watch it.

-This was amusing. Kinda makes me want to rewrite some on my own.

-The videos in this article are just great. I love seeing the creativity and cleverness people have and am so glad when they share it.

-When you want to bake something but don’t want to get off the couch - this is a really fun series to watch.

-This is brilliant. I love writing song parodies and feel this is the type of creativity we should all aspire to and respect.

-More coloring pages, this time with some Art History thrown in.

-I have been in a bit of a reading slump while I figure out how to manage my energy to take care of kids and get my assignments turned in on time, but I did finish reading this book today. I share all my reviews of books on Instagram here if you want to follow along.

Saturday Things

Today things are feeling real(er). On the brink, as it were. Trying not to think about it too hard, but hard enough to be prepared. We are still fine, still entertained, still stocked up, still okay. We cleaned today and I mentioned the idea of “outer order, inner calm” to the kids so we’ll see if they heard that one.

Here are some resources:

-This free coloring download was enjoyed yesterday while I made dinner.

-I’m planning to use this one today (I did, it went over very well).

-I finally bought myself an apron. I got this set of 2 from amazon and they’re a great price - cheap enough that I don’t mind that they’ll actually get dirty, as aprons should, and cute enough that I’ll actually put it on and save my clothes. Worth it.

-We took advantage of the new movie, Onward, getting digitally released on Amazon (for less than it would’ve been to go to the movies and see it like we were going to do) and watched that with dinner. It was really cute! The plot was sweet and just enough for me to be distracted and provoke some thought. Having lost my dad at a young age it did hit some of the feels, but that’s okay. it’s good to tap into those sometimes. I love a quest story and I especially loved the mom and other lady character that end up having a pretty good time. I won’t spoil it, but I recommend it.

-I’m planning to FaceTime with some family tomorrow, and lose myself in a good book. Maybe explore some retro movies on Disney + or Netflix with the kids, and try baking with them. We’ll definitely break out the board games and I might try to make them play scrabble with me.

-Speaking of, my final recommendation is getting lost in something for a while. The other night while I was waiting to test my son’s blood sugar one more time, I listened to a song that sparked an idea and ended up writing 2,000 words of a terrible story that totally engaged me for an hour. It was such a blast. Sometimes I get afraid to lose myself in my own creative pursuits. I think this is the time to engage with that part and stop being afraid of myself. Plus, it was really, really, fun. No clue if I’ll revisit the idea or finish the beginning of that character’s story.

We’ll see what happens next. Be well.

-Marian

Some thoughts and resources: Day 2

What a time! Things are weird aren’t they. I’m in CA with my kids and the entire state was just asked/mandated to stay home for everything but essential things like Dr’s visits and grocery trips. We are on day 2 of the school’s closure and feeling ok so far.

I am a chronic overthinker so I keep feeling this deep sense of the MEANING and WEIGHT that this experience has and how it will be a defining moment in our collective history. So I wanted to keep a bit of a record of what we did here, stuck inside, how we managed, the resources we used, and things that helped.

Yesterday

-Yesterday we played with googly eyes, made those videos where you put eyes on your chin and film the lower half of your face upside down saying stuff and cracked up in hysterics. We watched Mulan, the kids did their homework provided by their excellent teachers, we listened to the audiobook of The Animorphs #1, I worked on a beautiful puzzle, the kids did lego and bayblades and played games on the xbox using the party thing so they could talk to family at the same time (pretty cool use for video games I will admit). We ate one of those bags of frozen meals from Costco that has the noodles and chicken and veggies already in it for dinner and had chocolate chip pancakes for Breakfast. We watched 2 hours of footage from a dog beach in Australia on YouTube (it was really great). All three kids spent a lot of time with play dough.

-I finished reading a few books (all had been started other times and were nearly done so it’s not as impressive as it sounds). This one was very thought provoking and narrated well, and this one was a hilarious and biting satire of a world in which an Amazon-like company controls just about everything.

-The hard part was, is, and will be, understanding that we can’t just run around the neighborhood with friends right now as this isn’t just a snow day situation. That’s what my kids are struggling with the most.

Today (3/20/20 - Friday?)

-We used this cool website to explore National Parks in Hawaii and Utah.

-We got Junie B. Jones audiobooks that the first grader in the house is listening to and reading along with (they’re pretty cheap so getting a couple and re-reading is fine with me). We looked through the offerings that Scribd has that included one of the 9 year-old’s favorite series and she listened and read for a while. (they’re offering free access to everything for 30 days which is a really awesome). Audible has a website right now with a bunch of free books available to access right now too that’s worth looking into.

-The kids worked on their science projects and did their school work online again.

-We checked out some of the virtual rides linked in this article which is fun since my kids haven’t been to any of these parks before. Downside is that some of these videos are kinda dark and anticlimactic as you can imagine, but it’s worth looking at for something different.

-We are also enjoying spreading out some of these cool things, and the scholastic books app/website Home Base has some really cool games on it based on some popular kids books series that mine have been enjoying.

What I learned today

-Today I learned something important. While I don’t necessarily need a schedule for my kids besides meals being somewhat regular and getting their assignments and chores done, I do need one for MYSELF so that I know when and how I’ll be able to get my stuff done while we are all in the house together. That realization was a relief and a calming recognition that I can let my kids use their choices, and as long as they get those things done, I’m calling it a success. But I can be more firm with the schedule and structure for myself so that I can feel calm in allowing that flexibility.

-I figured out why I didn’t sleep as well last night (no, it wasn’t The Office’s fault) - my background noises are gone. We live near enough to a major highway to hear it when my window is cracked open at night. Since people are staying in now, there’s no freeway sounds. An interesting development similar to when you don’t hear the birds in winter I guess. Not necessarily an ending, but a change of season.

Blog Tour: Don't Check Out This Book!

Welcome! I’ve been invited to participate in the blog tour for this awesome middle grate epistolary novel that tackles some serious issues in a fun and engaging way. There are puns galore (my fave) and important messages delivered without feeling instructional. Plus, M. Sarah Klise’s illustrations and the clever formatting of this book make it a winner. It’s so unique and clever, I am thrilled to tell you about it!

Here’s a bit from the publisher, “In the fully illustrated epistolary novel Don’t Check Out This Book!, fifth-grade reporters follow a trail of phone messages, emails, articles, texts, letters, reports, receipts, and more to clear the name of their beloved librarian and clear the local school board of bad apples with criminal intentions. Behind text and images ripe with laugh-out-loud humor and abundant wordplay, including too many puns to count, lies an important message about censorship and readers’ rights to choose their own books.

In Don’t Check Out This Book!, Appleton Elementary School has a new librarian, Rita B Danjerous. Not everyone in Appleton likes her unconventional methods or her infamous Green Dot Collection, which allows students to borrow books discreetly, without actually checking them out. Under Rita’s influence, students like Reid Durr and Ben Thinken, and even the absent-minded principal, Noah Memree, are staying up way too late reading. While Rita inspires the students and faculty alike, the new school board president and impeccably mannered shop owner Ivana Beprawpa is busy working to shut down the library and force students into uniforms available only at Beprawpa Attire. But what’s behind Ivana’s school uniform policy? A team of fifth-grade sleuths is determined to get to the bottom of Appleton’s juiciest scandal ever.”

In my opinion, this book has the clever wit, wordplay, and intriguing plot as The Phantom Tollbooth, and is just as delightful to read. I personally love epistolary novels and rarely see them in children’s literature. Another rarity is a moral of the story that is so enjoyed that it’s effective, but I really thought this was a great one. The message of censorship and choice is a great one for kids to learn, and a wonderful one too for the world of books and reading.

As soon as I finished reading this one, my children were eager to get their hands on it, and I have seen them giggling to themselves while they work on it. I’m excited that they found something that excited them and hope we can have some great conversations about it soon too!

I really suspect readers and their families and librarians will devour and enjoy this charming book that will make you chuckle in delight the whole time you are reading it. Don’t Check Out This Book, by Kate Klise, is out now and can be found through your library and wherever books are sold.

Thank you to Algonquin Young Readers for the free review copy (all opinions are my own)!

Celebrity Book Club Update: March 2020

Another month, another round of book club picks! Enjoy!

Reese Witherspoon X Hello Sunshine - The Jetsetters, by Amanda Eyre Ward

The Andrew Luck Book Club - Rookie Selection - How to Train Your Dragon, by Cressida Cowell - Veteran Selection - The Hare with Amber Eyes, by Edmund de Waal

Belletrist (Emma Roberts) - These Ghosts are Family, by Maisy Card

Read With Jenna (Jenna Bush Hager) - Writers and Lovers, by Lily King

#readwithmc (Marie Claire) - Anna K, by Jenny Lee

Girls Night In Newsletter - Know My Name, by Chanel Miller

Nerdette (Podcast)- The Glass Hotel, by Emily St. John Mandel

Book Club for Introverts - Sharks in the Time of Saviors, by Kawai Strong Washburn