Walking Wednesday April 12, 2025

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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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On My Nightstand April 12, 2025

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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.

Quote of the week

“We often don’t know we have wings until we are forced to fly.”
— How We Learn To Be Brave by Marian Edgar Budde

On My Nightstand This Week

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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On My Nightstand April 5, 2025

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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.

Quote of the week

“I’m not going to allow my inability to do everything undermine my ability to do something.”
— Cory Booker 4/1/25

On My Nightstand This Week

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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Walking Wednesday April 2, 2025

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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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My April 2025 TBR

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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:

A Bit Much by Lyndsay Rush

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

The Long Walk by Stephen King

The Heiress by Molly Greeley

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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On My Nightstand March 29, 2025

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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.

Quote of the week

“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.”
— Deep Work by Cal Newport

On My Nightstand This Week

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.

Note: Links to bookstore.org are affiliate links. Thanks for your support!

Walking Wednesday February 12, 2025

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It’s getting a little lighter and a little closer to spring so I’m walking more in the daylight now. This week I treated myself to 2 hours PTO at the zoo to see the new pandas. These are new DC residents I can get behind!

For my audiobook listening I’m about to start Entitlement by Rumaan Alam. I have high hopes, but the reviews have not been great. We’ll see.

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Show Us Your Books May 2024

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Actual picture from the summer of 2019

Why did I almost write the year 2019 in the title instead of 2024? Am I experiencing my own Y2K crisis where my brain flips back in time? Ugh. Anyway, I didn’t post last month so I’m going to recap my favorite reads from both March and April 2024, and maybe a few throwbacks to 2019 since I seem to be in the mood.

Five Star Reads

Save Me A Seat by Sarah Weeks and Gita Varadarajan (April 2019) Out of the 3 1/2 audiobooks we listened to on a trip to visit family that year this was our favorite. My son and I both wished it was longer.

Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano (March 2024) Finished this one in the wee hours of the morning. I loved it except for a plot point that you could see coming mid-way through the book like a freight train. I wanted to scream at some of the characters but that was part of the charm. Like others I don‘t see this as a Little Women retelling. I loved the setting (Chicago) and the time period (1960-2008.)

If Nuns Ruled The World by Jo Piazza (March 2024) Finished this one on the beach during Spring Break and loved it. It’s about nuns and their various social justice initiatives. I’ve been pretty heavily involved with an environmental ministry this year and I am going to recommend all my tree hugger ladies read this empowering and motivating book.

Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver (April 2024) At one point I almost bailed on this, but I decided to keep going. I‘m glad I did, because I ended up loving it.

statue of liberty, july 2019

Four Star Reads

Junie B Jones: Turkeys We Have Loved And Eaten (March 2019) Oh my gosh, we used to laugh and laugh when we read these books out loud. I laughed out loud now just now reading the title.

The Survivors by Jane Harper (March 2024) This book was so atmospheric you could feel the salt water drying on your legs while you sit in the sun.

The Women by Kristen Hannah (April 2024) This book. Imagine going to that war and coming home to a country that didn’t even believe you had been there.

I almost gave up at one point because I was frustrated with all of the love stories. I’m glad I didn’t though because the last 1/4 of this book was extremely powerful.

Small Mercies by Dennis Lehane (April 2024) Whew this book. All the trigger warnings, but I tore through it. My grandmother was born in Southie, but my family had moved to the South Shore by the time I was born. Still Mary Pat seemed real to me.

Walking Wednesday April 24, 2024

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I’ve been sick (again) this week, so not much walking, but I did get out a lot last weekend for various Earth Day events. Pretty pictures here only, but I do have a good one on my phone of my daughter and I pulling someone’s rejected dining room chair out of a stream.

After Demon Copperhead I’ve been making my way through some shorter books. Right now it’s Eight Bears by Gloria Dickie.

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Walking Wednesday April 17, 2024

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I’ve been tiptoeing through the tulips this week on my walks. I’m trying to soak it all up. Any day now the weather will start trying to kill me again.

I’ve been making my way through Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver. It’s great on audio, but dang is anything going to happen in this book?

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Walking Wednesday April 10, 2024

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We’re still in our honeymoon period here weather wise. It’s not too hot and flowers are everywhere. Summer’s coming though. Last night when I was walking I swallowed a bug.

After starting a stopping a number of audio books I finally settled on Camp Zero by Michelle Min Sterling.

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On My Nightstand April 21, 2024

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I don’t know where this month has gone! How is it April 21st already? It feels like the school year just started.

This has been a busy day. When you are involved in Care For Creation ministries Earth Day is intense! This morning we started by picking up brush, then we went and cleaned a stream, then home to bake desserts for a talk, and then dinner and the talk itself. So good stuff, but no reading. Sunday should be calmer, but we do need to go pick up more brush. Then it’s back to work where I’m supposed to act rested and refreshed.

Have a great week!

Quote of the week

“Actual fact: you could make an entire second world out of what people throw away. The landfill is where I figured out one of my main philosophies, that everybody alive is basically in the process of trading out their old stuff for different stuff, day in day out.”
— Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver

What I’m Reading This Week

On Kindle - The Cat Who Could Read Backwards by Lilian Jackson Braun - My aunt used to drop off grocery bags full of these books when I was a kid. They’re what started me on reading mysteries. I’m re-reading for the nostalgia.

On Paper - The $64 Tomato by William Alexander - I’m almost done with this one. A fun start to the gardening season.

On Audio- Our Lady of Perpetual Hunger by Lisa Donovan - Need to start this for a book club this week. I love the title.

This post is linked to The Sunday Post on Caffeinated Reviewer.

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On My Nightstand March 30, 2024

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Happy Easter to those who celebrate. Our plan is to go out for a nice lunch then a hike. I gave up bringing new books into the house for Lent so bookstore and library trips are in my near future! I’m also looking forward to getting started on my April reading list, and planning for summer reading. (Yes I’m a little bit intense with my reading lists.)

Have a great week!

Quote of the week

“Wasn’t that the definition of home? Not where you are from, but where you are wanted.”
— Abraham Verghese, Cutting for Stone

What I’m Reading This Week

On Kindle - If Nuns Ruled The World by Jo Piazza - Because Nuns get stuff done.

On Paper - The Birthday of Eternity by A.D. Price - This is an ARC from LibraryThing. I really need to catch up on my reviews!

On Audio- The Stand by Stephen King - Been listening to this for going on two weeks now. I forgot how long it is!

This post is linked to The Sunday Post on Caffeinated Reviewer.

Note: Links to amazon.com are affiliate links. Thanks for your support!

On My Nightstand March 23, 2024

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a stack of books teetering on the edge of my nightsand

It’s a cold and rainy Saturday to start spring break. I have a lot to do, but this day just calls for reading under blankets so we’ll see. Maybe I’ll split the difference.

I have some time off this week so I’m hoping to get through a big stack of books! I’m finally seeing the end of Brothers Karamazov in the distance, and I want to make some progress on my challenges. March has not been an easy reading month for me. Hoping for better things in April.

Have a great week!

Quote of the week

“Opportunity did not knock until I built the door.”
— Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano

What I’m Reading This Week

On Kindle - Death in the Sunshine by Steph Broadribb - Sometimes you just need a cozy mystery to get past your concentration issues you know?

On Paper - The Physicist’s Daughter by Mary Anna Evans - For a book club. So far so good.

On Audio- The Stand by Stephen King - I’ve been wanting to re-read this for a while, and found out I had the audio version hiding on my phone.

This post is linked to The Sunday Post on Caffeinated Reviewer.

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Walking Wednesday March 20, 2024

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It’s peak cherry blossom week! It’s really cold and windy too though so I’m kind of being a wimp about walking. I’m still walking, but it’s under duress.

I’ve been listening to Give and Take by Adam Grant. It’s a re-read for me, but some situations have made me want to return to it.

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Walking Wednesday March 13, 2024

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So a week and a half ago when I said I felt like I was coming down with something and I hoped it was just allergies…it wasn’t allergies. I am so sick of being sick! I’m better now though and I’m recommitted to my walks. Pollen aside this is just a wonderful time to walk in this area. Each day there’s something new blooming.

I’ve been listening to Prisoners of Geography by Tim Marshall. It’s a bit dated but still interesting.

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Walking Wednesday February 28, 2024

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I was hoping for more winter, but it looks like spring is here. I’ve been doing long soccer walks and some woods cleanups. People keep inviting me to cleanups despite my habit of walking away looking for a good walking trail.

I’m about to start Julia 1984 on my next walk. I tried to listen to the original 1984 and bailed, so we’ll see how I do with this modern version.

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Walking Wednesday February 7, 2024

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Soccer practice walks are back! That off season went quickly. So far I’ve been very comfortable in my normal winter gear walking at night, so outdoor practice in February isn’t as horrific as it sounded when I signed my child up.

I’ve been listening to Biography of X. I should have gone with print because I think there are pictures, but I’m still enjoying it.