It’s pasta again this week. I had a jar of pesto from the store, and a few tomatoes that I needed to use up. I tossed it all together with a handful of toasted pine nuts, pasta, and some cheese, and ended up with with an amazing lunch. I happily ate this all week long.
I’ve been working on a little project. In 2027 I turn 50, and I wanted to put a list of books together that I should re-read before then. The result is 50 Before 50. I have a little under two years. Fingers crossed!
Happy Easter if you’re celebrating. It’s my favorite holiday all year. We’ll be eating out and doing some hiking.
“You want me to host a show where somebody teaches me how to get a boyfriend. And it’s going to be sponsored by eating alone, drinking alone, dying alone, and cat toys.”
Kindle - The Rushworth Family Plot by Claudia Gray - Very excited to have an ARC of this!
Audiobook - The Heiress: The Revelations of Anne de Borgh by Molly Greeley - I guess I’m on kind of a Jane Austen inspired books kick.
Paper Book - The Earth Cries Out by Gary Gardner - I have been meaning to read this forever. I am determined to read it this month for Earth Day.
This post is linked to The Sunday Post on Caffeinated Reviewer.
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Sometimes we all need a little treat, so we went out for lunch after a book sale at the library recently. This caprese sandwich inspired me to try making this at home. Unfortunately I bought all the ingredients and the kids ate them before I had a chance to make a sandwich. I’ll try again another week!
It’s been cool here and it seems to be having a good effect on the longevity of these blooms. I can’t stop walking under these trees and taking pictures. I’m not looking forward to the heat and humidity this summer, so every day I get to avoid taking out my summer clothes is a good day in my mind.
Right now I’m listening to The Man in the Brown Suit by Agatha Christie. I joined a challenge to read one Christie book a month in order. They’re usually pretty good for walking and listening.
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March ended up being a really good reading month for me. I was reading along with the 2025 Tournament of Books list as much as possible and found two really good ones right at the end.
Here’s the best of the best from March:
The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins - I went into this buddy read with a bad attitude, but it ended up being amazing. The characters in this one stole the show.
Beautyland by Marie-Helene Bertino - I absolutely adored this book. A coming of age story about a possible alien born right around the same year I was? Yes, please. It was the second audiobook in a row that I listened to where I wanted to buy a paper copy so I can underline all of the parts I loved.
The History of Sound by Ben Shattuck - This audiobook hit just right. It’s a set of interconnected short stories each read by a different narrator. Next I want to read the paper version and take notes on how they all relate. I loved the New England settings and the pace of the stories. Really good.
Star of the Sea by Joseph O’Connor - I enjoyed this book even though I think I‘m going to have to read it again to fully understand what happened.
The Wedding People by Alison Espach - I assumed this would be total fluff (not that there’s anything wrong with that) but it was pretty deep albeit in a fluffy way. I liked what it had to say about taking care of yourself, finding the true you as you get older, loneliness, and grief. I loved how the author handled the pandemic. It made me laugh too.
Untamed by Will Harlan - We visited Cumberland Island last Easter without knowing much about it. Between the beaches, the abandoned mansions, and the wild horses it was like stepping into a novel. I’m now on a mission to learn as much as I can about it. This nonfiction book was a good starting place to learn about some of the history, gossip, and scandals.
Love and Death in Kathmandu by Amy Willesse - It took me a while to get through this book about the massacre of Nepal’s Royal family in 2001, but I ended up liking it. I still have a lot of questions about what happened, but the authors did a good job of setting the scene as best they could. I read a lot of mountaineering books so it was good to get a different sense of the country’s recent history.
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We’re finally getting a good rain here. Good for the garden, and good to wash the pollen away. Last weekend there was literally a pollen fog, and clouds of it would fly around when we drove down the street. It was very strange.
I can’t believe it’s mid-April and it’s time to start planning for May! Future me will not be pleased, but I might put off that planning for one more week.
“We often don’t know we have wings until we are forced to fly.”
Kindle - The Briar Club by Kate Quinn - I have to be careful what time I start reading this because once I do it’s hard to make myself stop. So good.
Audiobook - The Sisterhood: The Secret History of Women of the CIA by Liza Mundy - A fascinating and frustrating book about women in the CIA.
Paper Book - Extraordinary Insects by Anne Sverdrup-Thygeson - I’m still reading this a chapter a day. Just one left! I’ll be sad to be done. Loving these crazy little bugs.
This post is linked to The Sunday Post on Caffeinated Reviewer.
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I’m back on my salad kick using a little bit of this and a little bit of that from the kitchen. The baby spinach and arugula mix from Aldi is my favorite, and a nearby Middle Eastern grocery sells the best falafel. It’s a really filling lunch mixed all together.
Winter is back this week and next, but the flowers are hanging in there so we’ll just pretend it’s still spring.
I’ve been listening to a fascinating book while I walk - The Sisterhood by Liza Mundy. It’s about women in the CIA. I’d tell you more but then I’d have to kill you, so you’ll have to read it yourself.
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This week started feeling like Friday on Wednesday morning. Ugh. The world is on fire and I’m driving myself crazy making sure all of the 10 million forms, monetary contributions, deadlines, and commitments are met for my kids. But at least there’s flowers on the trees and baseball on the radio.
“I’m not going to allow my inability to do everything undermine my ability to do something.”
Kindle - I Don’t Care If We Never Get Back by Ben Blatt and Eric Brewster - I’m about halfway through with this one now. It’s more about logistics than baseball.
Audiobook - The Long Walk by Stephen King - I started listening to this on my much shorter walks. I read it when I was a teen so I vaguely remember what happens.
Paper Book - Extraordinary Insects by Anne Sverdrup-Thygeson - Reading this a chapter a night and loving it. A great spring read.
This post is linked to The Sunday Post on Caffeinated Reviewer.
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Over the last two weeks we’ve had covid, flu, stomach bug, allergies, and an arthritis flare up in the family. Not much meal prep has taken place. Luckily Aldi has the makings for easy snack lunches. This week I’ve been eating well with minimal effort.
It’s cherry blossom time! It makes finding the motivation to walk easy. The blooms were late this year due to a cold winter, but that makes the spectacle all the better.
I’ve been listening to Ten Birds That Changed The World by Stephen Moss. It’s timely given the chirping going on around me when I walk.
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March Beginning TBR: 457
March Ending TBR: 474
I read 18 books in March, but apparently not many were on my TBR. Or maybe I added a bunch more books than I read? I honestly can’t remember. Either way I should look at that before the summer reading lists come out.
March was a really good reading month for me, and so I have high hopes heading into April.
Here’s my list:
The Earth Cries Out by Gary Gardner
Digging Up The Dirt by Miranda James
Mystery of the Moss Covered Mansion by Carolyn Keene
No Nest For The Wicket by Donna Andrews
The Land of Little Rain by Mary Austin
I Don’t Care If We Never Get Back by Ben Blatt and Eric Brewster
How To Resist Amazon and Why by Danny Caine
Back After This by Linda Holmes
Nature’s Best Hope by Doug Tallamy
Maud Horton’s Glorious Revenge by Lizzie Pook
Murder Most Royal by SJ Bennett
The Man In The Brown Suit by Agatha Christie
We Are All Good At Smiling by Amber McBride
The Perks of Being A Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
The Mill On The Floss (First Half) by George Eliot
Something by Kate Quinn
Something set in Rwanda
Piece of cake, right??
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I took a screen break last weekend so that I would have the mental energy to spread a bunch of mulch. Mission accomplished and now I’m back. I’ve been spending way too much time thinking about how I want to set up my outdoor reading spaces for summer, and the best way to plant the maximum number of vegetable seeds in my yard. These are good issues to have and are a good distraction from the real world going on all around us.
“I’m comfortable being bored, and this can be a surprisingly rewarding skill-especially on a lazy D.C. summer night listening to a Nationals game slowly unfold on the radio.”
Kindle - I Don’t Care If We Never Get Back by Ben Blatt and Eric Brewster - Baseball is back so of course I need to read a book about it!
Audiobook - The Wedding People by Alison Espach - Finally getting to this popular read. I like it so far, but am not wowed.
Paper Book - Extraordinary Insects by Anne Sverdrup-Thygeson - The idea of reading this in the yard in between gardening sessions really appeals to me.
This post is linked to The Sunday Post on Caffeinated Reviewer.
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March 19th already! How did that happen? I love this time of year when the sun comes out and billions of flowers just appear where there was just brown dirt the day before. I’m enjoying it before summer comes and it feels like walking through soup!
This week’s audiobook is Ten Birds That Changed The World by Stephen Moss. This is the book that finally got me to upgrade to Everand Premium so I hope it’s worth it!
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There's a little bit of mystery, romance, and magical realism in this historical fiction. This fictionalized account of a true story takes us from the coastal rivers of South Carolina to the toxic fog of post-war London, and to Beatrix Potter's Cumbria. With a strong sense of time and place the book starts with a phone call about papers Clara's mother had left in the hands of Charlie's recently deceased father. Together they try to figure out the mystery that impacts both of their families. This was a great read that took my mind away on a stormy day.
A copy of this book was provided by NetGalley and the publisher. Views are my own.
I always forget what this time of year is like. It’s a lot of fun, but it seems like once March rolls around there’s someplace to be every minute of the day. Also all of those places require me to bring food and a financial contribution of at least $10. It’s like Christmas all over again except it lasts 3 months and there’s no presents at the end. At least it stays light later so I can read at night on the porch.
Have a great week everyone!
Quote of the Week:
“What was it all for? Furlong wondered. The work and the constant worry. Getting up in the dark and going to the yard, making deliveries, one after another, the whole day long, then coming home in the dark and trying to wash the black off himself and sitting into a dinner at the table and falling asleep before waking in the dark to meet a version of the same thing, yet again.”
Kindle - This Way To Murder by Shelley Shearer - I bought this way back when it was first reviewed and I am finally getting around to it. So far it’s light and fun- just what I needed.
Audiobook - Wonder Woman: Warbringer by Leigh Bardugo - I’m reading this for Author A Month on Litsy and it is so fun! I love it when reading challenges lead me to something I would have never found on my own.
In Print - Star of the Sea by Joseph O’Connor - I’m reading this one all month long. Last week’s chapters just started getting really engrossing so I can’t wait to turn back to it.
This post is linked to The Sunday Post on Caffeinated Reviewer.
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This week’s lunch was a kind of throw together minestrone soup. I simmered carrots, potatoes, chickpeas, and kale in a couple of cans of diced tomatoes and some veggie broth. About 45 minutes before we ate I threw in some pasta shells to thicken it up. We had this for Sunday dinner with rolls, and then I ate it for lunch all week with crackers. Winter isn’t over yet so it was nice to have a hot lunch this week!
February wasn’t the best reading month, but there were a few gems. I was distracted, and the book club books I was reading were kind of blah.
Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler - It really is amazing how close to reality this book is. I’ve read it before but I was glad to read it again.
Never Panic Early by Fred Haise - If you‘re reading this for insights on the Apollo 13 mission don’t. However if you want fun stories about astronaut training from a guy with a laid back attitude this is worth a read. I loved the stories about the different places they traveled to study geology before going to the moon. I also appreciated his thoughts about climate change at the end too.
Tuesday Evenings With The Copeton Craft Resistance by Kate Solly - A group of crochet enthusiasts get together to craft, fight racism, and support each other in Australia. I needed something straightforward with a happy ending.
Book Censor’s Library by Bothayna Al-Essa - A short book in translation about book censorship. It gets a pick from me, but I’m glad it was short because it’s all just been a lot lately.
That’s it for February. So far I’m liking my March reading a lot better!
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From ice to flowers. Welcome to March! Time is flying like usual but it’s lighter out at night when I go for my walks. Hooray!
I’m about to start Fire Weather by John Vaillant. A tough topic, but it’s important to know about. This is one of the 52 non-fiction books I want to read this year. I think it’s #4 from my list so I better get going!
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It’s going to be another weekend of audio gardening when I can in between sports games and volunteering. I love this time of year but there are so many jobs to be done! For example do I dare take out my spring clothes and put away my sweaters? DC area weather always makes it so that whatever choice I make will be the wrong one.
Have a great week everyone!
Quote of the Week:
“My drink was wet and depressing. Each time I took another sip it tasted more and more like dead water.”
Kindle - Deep Work by Cal Newport - I waited so long to read this it’s a little dated now. (Instant messaging - it’s not just for teens any more!) Still I’m hoping I get something out of it.
Audiobook - Untamed by Will Harlan - I fell in love with Cumberland Island in Georgia when I visited last year, so I was excited to read this book about a woman who lived there.
In Print - Star of the Sea by Joseph O’Connor - Nothing says March like an Irish famine buddy read! We’ll be reading this all month.
This post is linked to The Sunday Post on Caffeinated Reviewer.
Note: Links to bookstore.org are affiliate links. Thanks for your support!
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