finished reading

This was a whimsical book, but was, unfortunately, also predictable.  I did enjoy the characters and the setting and the dual narratives.  But the plot twist reveal left me flat.

From the publisher:

The Keeper of Stories meets The Lost Apothecary in this evocative and charming novel full of mystery and secrets.

‘The thing about books,’ she said ‘is that they help you to imagine a life bigger and better than you could ever dream of.’

On a quiet street in Dublin, a lost bookshop is waiting to be found…

For too long, Opaline, Martha and Henry have been the side characters in their own lives.

But when a vanishing bookshop casts its spell, these three unsuspecting strangers will discover that their own stories are every bit as extraordinary as the ones found in the pages of their beloved books. And by unlocking the secrets of the shelves, they find themselves transported to a world of wonder… where nothing is as it seems.

currently

I am...

Reading: I am rereading The Spellman Files by Lisa Lutz, after seeing The Gal's WWW post.

Listening to: a Spotify playlist my niece made for me

Thinking:  hopeful that I can hang in there for three days until spring break

Feeling:   hopeful

Celebrating: my students have been working on the assignments without complaining

Grateful for:  light at the end of the tunnel--and theme week that's keeping things fun

Enjoying:  warmer temperatures so I can wear lighter clothing

Weather:  43° and light rain

A quote I want to share: 

second-hand smiles

Tuesday, April 14: A Second-hand Smile

I’ve spent the last couple of weeks looking at the things right in front of us: the sounds, the textures, and the reliable "background heroes" in our homes. Today, I want to nudge our focus outward just a little bit.

This week’s prompt is about human connection. Not necessarily the big, life-changing relationships, but those tiny, fleeting moments with people we might not even know.

The Prompt: Recall a brief interaction with a stranger this week. What was a small moment of human kindness you witnessed or experienced?

For me:

A library lobby moment. I was dropping off a stack of books yesterday and saw a teen hold the heavy double doors open for an elderly woman. He didn't just hold it; he waited patiently while she navigated her walker through, and they shared a very genuine, brief "thank you" smile. It took maybe ten seconds, but it made the whole lobby feel a little warmer.

Sometimes, gratitude is simply being a witness to the fact that people are, by and large, pretty decent to one another.  

Did you catch a "second-hand" smile this week? Or perhaps a small kindness directed your way? I’d love to hear about it in the comments.

sunday stealing

 

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Tell Us Something

1. Can you touch your nose with your tongue? no

2. What foreign language did you study in school? How much of it do you still remember? J'ai étudié le français au lycée et à l'université, mais je m'en souviens très peu.

3. What recipe did you most recently prepare? Where did you get the recipe and how did it turn out? buffalo chicken dip, a recipe I got from a former neighbor and it was fan-freakin-tastic!

4. What song have you listened to over and over and over again? not one song but the Fleetwood Mac Rumours album

5. Are there currently any pets in your household? Are you considering adding another? only dust bunnies and they are multiplying!

6. As an adult, have you ever performed with a drama group? (Student productions don't count.) yes

postsecret

PostSecret is an ongoing community art project where people mail in their secrets anonymously on one side of a postcard. I like to post one that speaks to me each week.

finished reading

I finally circled back to this series! I realized I read the first one back in April of ’24, so honestly, I was due for another round. Once again, the author is leaning hard into that classic Golden Age of Detective Fiction vibe: think a total locked-room mystery, very Agatha Christie, but with a modern wink. What really gets me, though, is the narrator, Ernest Cunningham. He’s constantly breaking the fourth wall and "chatting" with the reader, which is just so cheeky and clever. I love the self-deprecating wit, and especially how he keeps poking at the "rules" of detective fiction. It’s like he’s inviting us to solve it right alongside him--or at least laugh while he tries to.  The audio is great!

My only complaint is that the cast of characters was difficult to keep straight.  

From the publisher:

When the Australian Mystery Writers’ Society invited me to their crime-writing festival aboard the Ghan, the famous train between Darwin and Adelaide, I was hoping for some inspiration for my second book. Fiction, this time: I needed a break from real people killing each other. Obviously, that didn’t pan out.

The program is a who’s who of crime writing royalty:

the debut writer (me!)

the forensic science writer

the blockbuster writer

the legal thriller writer

the literary writer

the psychological suspense writer

But when one of us is murdered, the remaining authors quickly turn into five detectives. Together, we should know how to solve a crime.

Of course, we should also know how to commit one.

How can you find a killer when all the suspects know how to get away with murder?

saturday 9

Leather and Lace

Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

1) As you answer these questions, are you wearing leather, lace, or both? neither

2) This song is a duet between members of two superstar groups – Stevie Nicks of Fleetwood Mac and Don Henley of The Eagles. Which band do you listen to more often, Fleetwood Mac or The Eagles? Fleetwood Mac
 

3) In this duet, "lace" tells us she is stronger than we know and "leather" admits that sometimes he's vulnerable. Do either side of this lyrical equation apply to you? Do you think you're either tougher than people realize, or more sensitive than they know? probably more sensitive than they know

 
4) Both Stevie and Don are born Westerners. Stevie spent her early childhood in Arizona and Don was born in Texas and stayed there through college. Today Stevie has two homes – one in Pacific Palisades and another in Phoenix – while Don has a beautiful home in Dallas. Do you feel rooted where you are? Or can you see yourself moving to another city or state in the future? I'm pretty rooted

 

5) Stevie and Don were romantically involved in the 1970s, but after they broke up they remained friendly. Not only did they record this song in 1981, they went on tour together in 2005. Have you recently heard from an ex? no, it's been quite a while

6) Stevie admits a lifelong passion for Animal Crackers, those little cookies shaped like tigers, bears and elephants. Is your go-to snack sweet, like Stevie's, or is it salty? I'm very much a mood snacker; I don't really have a go-to snack

7) Don likes Velveeta on his burgers. Describe your ideal cheeseburger. medium-rare, with some kind of cheese (I'm not terribly fussy) and then depending on the cheese, there will be toppings

8) In 1981, when this song was popular, both Maserati and Mercedes Benz introduced luxury convertibles. Have you ever owned a convertible? Would a convertible be practical for your lifestyle? life in Northern Maine is not ideal for a convertible

 
9) Random question: What are you most looking forward to this week? at 2:45 on Friday afternoon my vacation begins!

finished reading

I’m happy to report that this book group re-read really stood the test of time. It’s an incredible coming-of-age tale about four friends navigating the messy realities of broken homes and teenage rebellion. The story masterfully weaves two timelines: Louisa’s modern-day quest to solve the mystery of a world-famous painting and the artist’s own story from twenty-five years prior, which serves as the heart of the book.

It's poignant and funny and moving.  The audio narration is fantastic!

From the publisher:

"The world is full of miracles, but none greater than how far a young person can be carried by someone else's belief in them."

Most people don’t even notice them—three tiny figures sitting at the end of a long pier in the corner of one of the most famous paintings in the world. Most people think it’s just a depiction of a wide expanse of sea. But Louisa, soon to be eighteen years old and an aspiring artist herself, knows otherwise. She is determined to find out the story behind these three enigmatic figures.

More than two decades before, in a distant seaside town, a group of teenagers find refuge from their bruising home lives by spending long summer days on an abandoned pier telling silly jokes, sharing secrets, and committing small acts of rebellion. These lost souls find in each other a reason to get up every morning, a reason to dream, a reason to love.

Out of that summer emerges a transcendent work of art, a painting that, after a chance encounter in an alleyway, will unexpectedly be placed into Louisa’s care. She embarks on a surprise-filled cross-country journey to discover how the painting came to be and to decide what to do with it. The closer she gets to the painting’s birthplace, the more anxious she becomes about what she'll find. Louisa's complicated life is proof that happy endings are sometimes possible, but they don't always take the form we expect them to.

Fredrik Backman's signature charm, humor, and attention to the poignant details of everyday life are on full display in this funny, moving novel. His most heartfelt and personal tale yet, My Friends is a stunning testament to the transformative, timeless power of art and friendship.

three on thursday

Thing one: this week, I have been intentionally and mindfully thinking about the background heroes--and today I was happy that my electric pencil sharpener at school still works after all these years.  I replaced the rotating "blades" a couple of years ago so it was good as new.  Some of my students don't know how to use a manual rotary sharpener.

Thing two:  today's bowl of mint-chip ice cream hit the spot.

Thing three: tomorrow is another eye treatment.  I'm going to have a heart to heart conversation with the doctor about this medication and its effectiveness, because $7,000 per treatment (well, almost $600 after insurance) is too rich for my wallet.

currently, it's wednesday

I am...

Reading: I get to start a new book tonight but I can't decide which one!

Listening to: the refrigerator hum

Thinking:  about Chex mix:  do I want to make some?

Feeling:   allergies are kicking my ass.  I'm feeling congested (but there's nothing to blow) and my ears feel pressure and my eyes are runny and itchy

Celebrating: spring--I guess I should stop whining about allergies and be excited it's spring!

Grateful for:  today's workshop at school was stimulating conversationally, now we'll see if there's any follow-through from the administration

Enjoying:  today's outfit was comfy and cute (I got compliments)

Weather:  39° and sunny

A quote I want to share: 

finished reading

This book about a book has dual timelines and dual love stories. The historical setting is England around 1940-41, and the modern setting is 'present day.' I really appreciated the author's world-building in both, but the WWII storyline was definitely the intense, exciting half of the pair. The present-day chapters felt a bit ho-hum by comparison. I don't know why, but my favorite characters were actually the love interests, Jameson and Noah. I didn't feel at all connected or kindred with the female leads. 

The highlight of the book is undoubtedly the meet-cute between Georgia and Noah. It takes place in a bookshop (my favorite!) and was so clever that I spent the rest of the novel chasing that same spark. Even though some sections felt a bit slow, that awesome twist at the end was the ultimate payoff—it completely reframed the story and made the chase worth it.

From the publisher:

Told in alternating timelines, The Things We Leave Unfinished examines the risks we take for love, the scars too deep to heal, and the endings we can’t bring ourselves to see coming.

Twenty-eight-year-old Georgia Stanton has to start over after she gave up almost everything in a brutal divorce―the New York house, the friends, and her pride. Now back home at her late great-grandmother’s estate in Colorado, she finds herself face-to-face with Noah Harrison, the bestselling author of a million books where the cover is always people nearly kissing. He’s just as arrogant in person as in interviews, and she’ll be damned if the good-looking writer of love stories thinks he’s the one to finish her grandmother’s final novel…even if the publisher swears he’s the perfect fit.

Noah is at the pinnacle of his career. With book and movie deals galore, there isn’t much the “golden boy” of modern fiction hasn’t accomplished. But he can’t walk away from what might be the best book of the century―the one his idol, Scarlett Stanton, left unfinished. Coming up with a fitting ending for the legendary author is one thing, but dealing with her beautiful, stubborn, cynical great-granddaughter, Georgia, is quite another.

But as they read Scarlett’s words in both the manuscript and her box of letters, they start to realize why Scarlett never finished the book―it’s based on her real-life romance with a World War II pilot, and the ending isn’t a happy one. Georgia knows all too well that love never works out, and while the chemistry and connection between her and Noah is undeniable, she’s as determined as ever to learn from her great-grandmother’s mistakes―even if it means destroying Noah’s career.

background heroes

 

Tuesday, April 7: The "Background" Heroes

We’re officially one week into our non-competitive gratitude challenge, and I’m already loving the quiet shift in my perspective. It’s not about grand gestures; it’s about the small, steady things that hold our days together.

Today’s prompt is a fun one because it’s about the items in our homes that are strictly functional, yet make life infinitely better. We rarely "thank" them, but we’d certainly miss them if they were gone.

The Prompt: What is one "background" object in your house that you are grateful for today?

For me:

My microwave. I’ve been trying to be more intentional with my meal planning lately, and I realized this evening just how much I rely on this quiet giant. It isn't the most glamorous appliance in the kitchen, but as I was preparing my evening meal, I was so grateful for the way it simplifies the process. Whether it’s softening butter for a recipe or reheating a meal I prepped over the weekend, it’s the steady workhorse that keeps my kitchen moving.

I’d love to hear about the unsung heroes in your house. Is it a specific kitchen gadget? A sturdy pair of boots? That one lamp that gives off the perfect glow?

What’s your "background" hero today? Drop a comment below and let’s give these objects a little bit of the spotlight.

postsecret

 

PostSecret is an ongoing community art project where people mail in their secrets anonymously on one side of a postcard. I like to post one that speaks to me each week.

sunday stealing

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F.A.B Meme

F. Film: What movie or tv show are you watching?  I got HBO for a month so I could binge Heated Rivalry

A. Audio: What are you listening to? The "Daily Mix" on Spotify--they really get me

B. Book: What are you reading? Rebecca Yarros's The Things We Leave Unfinished