On My Nightstand March 15, 2025

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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.”
— Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan

On My Nightstand This Week

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.

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On My Nightstand March 7, 2025

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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.”
— The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

On My Nightstand This Week

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.

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On My Nightstand March 1, 2025

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Just a quick check in this weekend because I want to get out to my garden. It’s time to plant the peas!

Have a great week everyone!

Quote of the Week:

“[H]istory is personal, even when it isn’t.”
— The History of Sound by Ben Shattuck

On My Nightstand This Week

Kindle - The Vanishing Kind by Alice Henderson - This ARC comes out Tuesday so I need to get moving! Luckily Alice Henderson’s books are never a burden.

Audiobook - The History of Sound by Ben Shattuck - I am absolutely loving this beautiful book. What a gift.

In Print - Love and Death in Kathmandu by Amy Willesee and Mark Whittaker - Almost done with this one! It’s good but only in small doses.

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On My Nightstand February 22, 2025

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Last week was a whirlwind. I was in Lancaster, PA with my daughter for a tournament all weekend, then we came home and I helped my son get ready for his junior retreat. In the middle of all that the dishwasher sprung a leak and our kitchen flooded. Plus they want me to work. Needless to say this is a catch up weekend including reading. I am due some couch/tea/cat time!

Have a great week everyone!

Quote of the Week:

“You’re not cut out for a pleasant, easy life. You think too much!”
— Lark Rise to Candleford by Flora Thompson

On My Nightstand This Week

Kindle - Dead With The Wind by Miranda James - Another one for book club. Not the best books around, but they’re quick and easy reads.

Audiobook - Wonton Terror by Vivien Chien - This series about a noodle shop in Ohio is so fun. I realized I had skipped the 4th book so I went back before the new one comes out this spring.

In Print - Love and Death in Kathmandu by Amy Willesee and Mark Whittaker - Still making my way through this one, and hoping to finish by the end of the month. It’s a good but, but by the end of these busy days I can’t stay awake for long. Most of my daytime reading is on my kindle since I’m on the go. Getting in actual hardcover books is getting harder and harder these days.

my cat when i do find time to read a hardcover- oh were you doing something?

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On My Nightstand January 11, 2025

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Wouldn’t it be nice to be a cat napping in the sun without a care in the world these days?

We had snow all week plus President Carter’s funeral. My office (not too far from the National Cathedral) decided we would work from home another week. This Massachusetts girl got to test out her snow driving chops a few times here in Virginia and it turns out I’ve still got it. I’m not as good at shoveling snow as I used to be though. I think I pinched a nerve in my neck or something. Don’t get old if you can help it.

Quote of the Week:

“Patience! Have patience, my son,” his mother had exhorted. “Remember Job.” “Job!” scoffed the boy. “What did he know about patience? He didn’t have to wear no leather breeches.”
— Lark Rise to Candleford by Flora Thompson

What I’m Reading This Week:

Kindle: The Haunted Bridge by Carolyn Keene - Starting this for a buddy read. Reading through this series you can tell some ghost writers were better than others.

Audiobook: The Safekeep by Yael van der Wouden - Another one from The Tournament of Books. Loving this one so far.

Paper: Becoming a Matriarch by Helen Knott - I’ve been reading this a little bit each night before bed, but I love it so at a certain point I will just finish all at once.

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On My Nightstand January 4, 2025

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Happy New Year! Am I the only one who loves spending time looking at my reading stats and making totally unreachable reading goals for the New Year? Ah, January. In 2025 I want to read at least one non-fiction book a week, read a book set at least partially in every state in the US and every province in Canada, and increase my reading time by decreasing my social media time. Fingers crossed!

I didn’t read as much as I hoped over the holidays, but I’m hoping now that I’m back in a good routine I can start reading more again.

Quote of the Week:

“I had discovered that learning something, no matter how complex, wasn’t hard when I had a reason to learn.”
— Rocket Boys by Homer Hickam

What I’m Reading This Week:

Kindle: Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer - This is a re-read for me. It really suits this week’s weather! It adds something when you can hear the wind howling outside.

Audiobook: Help Wanted by Adelle Waldman - Loving this book I heard about through Tournament of Books Long List.

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On My Nightstand December 8, 2024

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I started my annual cookie making extravaganza yesterday. I froze most of the dough to bake and give out later this month, but I had to make a few for my family and the various teenagers who wander in here throughout the week.

Here are the recipes I’ve used so far if you’re looking for some new ones:

Chocolate gingerbread cookies

https://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/chocolate_gingerbread_cookies/

Mexican hot chocolate cookies

https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1024782-mexican-hot-chocolate-cookies

Finnish Cardamom Cookies

https://www.food.com/recipe/finnish-cardamom-cookies-369337

Peanut Butter Blossoms

https://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/classic-peanut-butter-blossom-cookies/a3563f6e-96b0-443f-ae0a-53cef4be6db6

Have a great week everyone!

Quote of the Week

“If we had thought far enough into the future, things might have been different. We might not have saved the monarchs, but we might have seen the world we were making and decided to make a different one.”
— Awake in the Floating City by Susanna Kwan

On My Nightstand This Week

Kindle - Six Cats A Slaying By Miranda James - I’m about 40% in and there’s no mystery yet, but there are kittens so I guess I can forgive that.

Audiobook - Mission: Nutcracker by Cecilia Dominic - When I found a steampunk Nutcracker retelling on Everand I had to add it to my TBR for December right away. I had a lot of fun listening to this while I made cookies yesterday. I’ll probably finish today when I finish decorating.

Paper - A Stroke of the Pen by Terry Pratchett - This is a fun book of short stories that I’ve been dipping in and out of. Not all of them are holiday related, but some are.

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On My Nightstand October 19, 2024

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Looking at the new york city skyline from jersey city, nj

I took the train to New Jersey Thursday for a work event, and then I came home Friday. I was going to drive, but switched to the train at the last minute. It was a little bit more complicated to get where I needed to be, but I loved having all of those hours to read.

Have a great week everyone!

Quote of the Week

“There are such beings as vampires; some of us have evidence that they exist.”
— Dracula by Bram Stoker

reading on the train

On My Nightsand This Week

Kindle- I’m in between a few books on my kindle, but mostly reading my chapter a day of Dracula for a buddy read.

Audio- In Defense of Witches by Mona Chollet - An interesting NF account of witch hunts and their legacy today.

Paper- Best American Mystery Stories 2018 ed. by Louis Penny - Just finished Carrie, so I’m going back to this one. I really love short stories this time of year!

cat naps

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On My Nightstand October 12, 2024

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very faint northern lights

I am up late tonight waiting for my son to come back from his homecoming dance. Seems like just yesterday he was a freshman and now he’s a junior. Yikes. I also spent a long time today cleaning my pantry and making making soup and bread for the week. I will sleep good tonight!

Have a great week everyone!

Quote of the Week

“I’ve developed a great reputation for wisdom by ordering more books than I ever had time to read, and reading more books, by far, than I learned anything useful from, except, of course, that some very tedious gentlemen have written books.”
— Gilead by Marilynne Robinson

Soup

On My Nightsand This Week

Kindle- See Something by Carol J. Perry - This month’s work book club book. It’s a quick read.

Audio- Gilead by Marilynne Robinson - I started this today while I was doing my kitchen work, and it was perfect!

Paper- Best American Mystery Stories 2018 ed. by Louis Penny - Still working on this one!

how i feel waiting for this kid to get home

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On My Nightstand October 6, 2024

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sunset

I am behind in everything this week, but figured I was better late than never on this post.

My thoughts are with everyone who was in the path of Hurricane Helene. I worked at the Biltmore Estate the summer I turned 21, and have visited the area most years since then. My heart breaks for the residents of the impacted areas. I understand the immediate needs for shelter and supplies, but I think soon I will be donating to the Friends of Pack Library.

Have a great week everyone!

Quote of the Week

“We talk and talk and cancel out each other’s ideas until it all comes down to what it was before: that we do not agree.”
— The Hotel by Elizabeth Bowen

yard work is pretty this time of year

On My Nightsand This Week

Kindle- The Witch Elm by Tana French - This one didn’t get the best reviews, but I’m loving it. It’s a family drama told from the point of view of an unreliable but privileged narrator. The characters are all sorts of messed up.

Audio- Lost Man’s Lane by Scott Carson - The premise of this book reminded me of Stranger Things When I heard about it. (Mysterious disappearances, supernatural, set in Indiana.) It’s one of my most anticipated books in October.It was a bonus that it was available on Everand!

Paper- Best American Mystery Stories 2018 ed. by Louis Penny - I love these anthologies this time of year when all I want to do is read, but my schedule is also so packed. They’re great to bring along on errands and to tournaments.

neglected gardens=volunteer pumpkins and mushrooms

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On My Nightstand September 28, 2024

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cozy cat time

It’s Saturday night and I am attempting to stay up for the premier of the 50th season of Saturday Night Live. The odds aren’t good, but we’ll see.

We’re all feeling better and it’s already time to start figuring out winter sports. But first it’s the best reading month of the year- October! I just love to curl up with spooky stories or atmospheric mysteries this time of year.

Have a great week everyone!

Quote of the Week

“You know she would make a splendid Lady Catherine de Bourgh.”
— The Hotel by Elizabeth Bowen

cat after the sun came out today

On My Nightsand This Week

Kindle- Vanished by Wil Hylton - I just started this book tonight and so far I’m fascinated. It’s about finding wreckage from WWII in Palau.

Audio- Pacific by Simon Winchester - This one’s interesting too. It’s all about the nations surrounded by the Pacific Ocean.

Paper- Devil-Devil by Graeme Kent - Still working on this one! I should finish before the end of the weekend. I’m enjoying it and am glad there’s a couple more in the series.

reading by the fire

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Walking Wednesday September 25, 2024

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There are definite signs of fall on my walks now. I love the change of seasons. It makes walks so much more interesting. There are a few Halloween decorations out now, but they should be out in full force starting next weekend.

I’ve been listening to You Like It Darker by Stephen King. Very atmospheric for my dark fall walks!

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On My Nightstand September 21, 2024

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reading with a cat

This week passed by in a haze of ginger ale and vicks vap-o-rub. Me and both kids were sick with various maladies. We’re all on the mend now, but this weekend has been busy catching up with what we missed when we slept last week. I knew when the kids went back to school this was bound to happen.

Have a great week everyone!

Quote of the Week

“With rifles twirling and hands slapping stocks in unison, it was a picture to warm and drill instructor’s heart, if drill instructors had hearts.”
— Micronesian Blues by Bryan Vila

My Nancy drew collection

On My Nightsand This Week

Kindle- The Daughters of Block Island by Christa Carmen - This has been living on my kindle for a while. I decided to pick it up this week because I need a book set in Rhode Island for my challenges. It’s a great ode to gothic novels from the past, and perfect reading for this time of year.

Audio- You Like It Darker by Stephen King - I am loving these short stories so far.

Paper- Devil-Devil by Graeme Kent - Never got to this last week. I’ll start tomorrow.

full moon

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On My Nightstand September 15, 2024

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a tuxedo cat peers over the top of a nancy drew book- this cat ignored me all day until this moment

I’m waiting for the Solstice on the 22nd to fully declare it full on Spooky Season, but I’m starting to let my Halloween stuff creep into my every day life. Yesterday my daughter and I went thrifting and we bought a few things for the upcoming weeks. Maybe also I am safe to start buying some candy to keep and give out to trick or treaters, but only the things we don’t really like. The good stuff will be bought as late as possible.

My September reading is going well. I’ve been enjoying all of my Reading Around The World books. I am also finally watching through The Gilmore Girls (official last woman on Earth to do so I think.)

Have a great week everyone!

Quote of the Week

“Why is everything banana colored?”
— The Hotel by Elizabeth Bowen

thrifted glass pumpkin

On My Nightsand This Week

Kindle- Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane - Taking a break from my reading challenges for a bit because the change in weather made me in the mood for some Lehane.

Audio- You Again? by Nick Spalding - I picked this only because I knew it was set in the Maldives, but it’s actually been a lot of fun. It’s kind of romanceish, and full of shenanigans. I found it on Everand, but it’s also included on Kindle Unlimited at the moment.

Paper- Devil-Devil by Graeme Kent - I’m about to start this mystery set in the Solomon Islands tonight, and really looking forward to it.

Cat naps

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Walking Wednesday September 4, 2024

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I am seeing signs of fall everywhere! I’m not usually one to celebrate the end of summer, but the heat this year has been so miserable I say bring on the pumpkin spice. I’ll be the one dressed like a Gilmore Girl taking walks in my neighborhood listening to audiobooks.

This week I’m listening to Sunburn by Laura Lippman. Her books are great on audio.

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Walking Wednesday June 5, 2024

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I ran into a lot of wildlife this week! Soccer practice is coming to an end so I will need to find another walking routine yet again. My daughter wants to start going to the gym which may not be a terrible idea once it starts getting really hot.

I’ve been listening to The Exchange by John Grisham. It’s fun to catch back up with Mitch and Abbey from The Firm!

On My Nightstand June 1, 2024

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I’m back from my nephew’s graduation and a visit to my favorite book store in the world- Book Barn in Niantic, Connecticut. If you ever have a chance to go, do it! I could spend hours there wandering between the various buildings searching for treasures. I ended up with some summer reading for my kids, one for me, and a mini-stack of vintage Nancy Drews.

Now that we’re home I’m putting in the hours cleaning up my garden and getting back to my walking routine. I have an audiobook going at all times of course!

Have a great week all!

Quote of the week

“This is what you must remember: the ending of one story is just the beginning of another.”
— The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin

Reading This Week:

Kindle - The Hudson Collection by Jocelyn Green - I have an ARC of this book. It comes out in three days so I need to get it done. I’m enjoying it so far so that shouldn’t be a problem!

Audio - The Silence of the Library by Miranda James - I’ve been listening to this series in between other heavier books.

Paper - Songs In Ordinary Time by Mary McGarry Morris - I got this at a friends of the library sale last year and I keep forgetting to read it. This is the week!

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On My Nightstand May 18, 2024

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It’s another busy weekend! Prom tonight, soccer tomorrow, and prep for a week of end of year parties and banquets. Then Friday my son turns 16, and early Saturday morning we leave for a graduation party in Massachusetts. It’s an eight hour drive, but I wouldn’t miss it! (Plus that’s 16 hours of audiobooks.)

Have a great week!

Quote of the week

“Edwin might have clung to England a little longer, but he holds secretly radical views which emerged unexpectedly at a dinner party, thus speeding up his fate.”
— Sea of Tranquility of Emily St. John Mandel

What I’m Reading This Week

On Kindle - The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin - I didn’t get very far with this last week, but this is the week! I’m hoping for a lot of long nights on my porch with this one.

On Paper - Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel - I’ve been loving diving into her books this month with the #AuthorAMonth group on Litsy. I put this one off a few days because I didn’t want to be done with my little project, but now’s the time.

On Audio- I need to start The River We Remember by William Kent Krueger before it disappears from Everand again.

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On My Nightstand May 12, 2024

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started station eleven last week along with my usual cookies and tea.

I had planned on sleeping as late as I wanted before an 11 am soccer game today, but a weird thunderstorm upset my cats. One got so scared she kicked a book onto my head and now I have bruise. I’m just glad it wasn’t bleeding because what if I had to go to the ER for stitches? A cat kicking a book onto my head is totally believable for anyone who knows me, but I would not want to tell that story to a doctor.

Anyway now I’m up catching up on my blogging and letter writing. The ever changing weather has now decided to be sunny, and I hope it lasts for soccer.

Have a great week!

Quote of the week

“Chairs are bad for you anyway...”
— Funny Story by Emily Henry

What I’m Reading This Week

On Kindle - The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin - I want to finish this series, but felt like I needed to go back and refresh my memory on the first book. (I bought this when it was on sale a few months back, but now I see it’s free on Kindle Unlimited.)

On Paper - The Glass Hotel by Emily St. John Mandel - I’m re-reading some of my favorite books by this author this month for the Author A Month challenge on Litsy. It’s been great sitting on my porch, listening to the foxes, and getting lost in this world (again.)

On Audio- Love is a Mix Tape by Rob Sheffield - Another re-read for me. I love the nostalgia.

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