June was a tough month. My father is dealing with a lot of health issues, and we had to cancel the vacation we’d been planning for months. But there are always positives even when times are challenging — my job has been really supportive as I’ve needed a lot of unexpected time off, my sisters…
Today’s Top Ten Tuesday topic is books on our summer TBR list. I’ve already written about my summer TBR in this post about the 20 Books of Summer reading challenge. My summer TBR list, with what I’ve read so far, is below. Normally at this point in the summer I’d be much farther along, but June…
I always love the beginning of summer, and this month saw the release of the Modern Mrs. Darcy Summer Reading Guide, volunteering at my library book sale, and planting my summer garden. I was in the car more than usual, so between that and gardening, I leaned heavily on audiobooks this month. What I read…
It’s two days until June 1, and that means the start of 20 Books of Summer, hosted annually by Cathy at 746 Books. Many of you know summer is absolutely my favorite time of year. And putting some thought into what I’m reading makes it even better. Here’s how I did last year. Why make…
I’ve been busier than usual lately, which is why you’re not seeing as many reviews. One reason is that I’ve been volunteering at my local library. I’m very fortunate to have a beautiful library, just blocks from my neighborhood. Every year, pre-COVID, they would hold a big fundraiser book sale from donated books. For the…
It’s May, and I’m enjoying the spring, though I’ve been impatient with the cold weather and I’m anxious to begin planting my garden. April was a mostly-good month, with a visit from my sister-in-law and niece and nephew. The Women’s Prize shortlist was announced, but the only book on it I’ve read is Ruth Ozeki’s…
Recently I discovered I no longer fit with the book club I’ve been in for 2-3 years. I love the theme of the book club, which is reading books by women around the world, and I’ve loved many of the books. But over the last six months, I’ve felt really out of sync with the rest of…
This week’s Top Ten Tuesday topic (hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl) is about authors I haven’t read yet but want to. In fiction, here are some of the authors on my TBR list: Amor Towles: Rules of Civility, A Gentleman in Moscow, The Lincoln Highway – I keep hearing great things about these books.…
Hello readers! March was a blustery month, with snow and storms and plant-killing temperatures (I know better than to plant this early, I got impatient). But spring is nearly here, and the trees are blossoming everywhere I look. This winter felt very long, but I’m already excited just to be able to sit outside on…
I don’t do a lot of “book tag” posts, but the book club in my office sent around this survey to identify future books, and I’m shamelessly lifting it. There’s no cute theme here; just good questions that got me thinking. It’s an interesting approach for a book club, because I don’t know how they’ll sift…
The Women’s Prize is my favorite literary award. I’ve discovered so many wonderful authors just by reading from their longlist each year, and I always enjoy following the award through the year to see which favorites make the shortlist and receive the final prize. The longlist was announced March 8, the shortlist of 6 books…
Reading The Suite Spot reminded me how much I like stories about small towns. I’ve never lived in one myself, and I’ve always imagined I’d find them claustrophobic (I prefer anonymity and being left to myself). But for whatever reason, I love stories about people who move to very small towns and find a community there.…
The Book Stop 