currently

I am...

Reading: The Bodyguard by Katherine Center

Listening to: nothing--the power is out

Thinking:  I hope this is resolved soon

Feeling:  annoyed

Celebrating:  I've accomplished a lot today

Grateful for:  Memorial Day

Enjoying:  my couch

Weather:  54° and light rain

A quote I want to share: 

finished reading

This book is a celebration of libraries.  I especially enjoyed Darcy's life as a reference librarian, fielding all sorts of information requests.  When there are challenges to library book access and a backlash to programming, that's when things get good.  I thought Darcy's therapy sessions were a great way to explore her coming of age and coming out.  Maybe I wanted more about Darcy's past--her relationship with her mother is not well fleshed out.  

From the publisher:

Emily Austin, the bestselling “queen of darkly quirky, endearingly flawed heroines” (Sarah Haywood, author of The Cactus), returns with a luminous new novel following a librarian who comes back to work after a mental breakdown only to confront book-banning crusaders in an empowering story of grief, love, and the power of libraries.

Darcy’s life turned out better than she could have ever imagined. She is a librarian at the local branch, while her wife Joy runs a book binding service. Between the two of them, there is no more room on their shelves with their ample book collections, various knickknacks and bobbles, and dried bouquets. Rounding out their ideal life is two cats and a sun-soaked house by the lake.

But when Darcy receives the news that her ex-boyfriend, Ben, has passed away, she spirals into a pit of guilt and regret, resulting in a mental breakdown and medical leave from the library. When she returns to work, she is met by unrest in her community and protests surrounding intellectual freedom, resulting in a call for book bans and a second look at the branch’s upcoming DEI programs.

Through the support of her community, colleagues, and the personal growth that results from examining her previous relationships, Darcy comes into her own agency and the truest version of herself. Is This a Cry for Help? not only offers a moving portrait of queer life after coming of age but also powerfully explores questions about sexuality, community, and the importance of libraries.

sunday stealing

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Memorial Day Questions

1) What freedom are you most grateful for? the ability to make life choices for myself

2) What book are you currently reading? I'm starting Is This A Cry For Help

3) What have you been listening to? on Spotify--the Super Duper Love Radio

4) What shows or movies have you been watching? nothing--having said that, my weekend plans are to watch Remarkably Bright Creatures

finished reading

I don't even know where to start. This is one of the best, most chilling books about social media and influencer culture I've ever read. It traces the dizzying rise and fall of Natalie Heller Mills, a 'tradwife' superstar whose online perfection is entirely a corporate family affair. Behind the scenes, the reality is a mess of nannies, hidden industrial appliances, and massive cover-ups to keep up appearances. 

But the real fun begins when Natalie suddenly wakes up stripped of modern society, forced to live the actual grueling reality she espouses. Her internal conflict, intense denial, and unhinged behavior make her a truly fascinating, deeply unreliable narrator that you love to hate.

From the publisher:

A traditional American woman, a “tradwife” influencer, suddenly awakens in the brutal reality of 1855—where she must unravel whether this living nightmare is an elaborate hoax, a twisted reality show, or something far more sinister in this sensational debut novel.

My name was Natalie Heller Mills, and I was perfect at being alive.

Natalie lives a traditional lifestyle. Her charming farmhouse is rustic, her husband a handsome cowboy, her six children each more delightful than the last. So what if there are nannies and producers behind the scenes, her kitchen hiding industrial-grade fridges and ovens, her husband the heir to a political dynasty? What Natalie’s followers—all 8 million of them—don’t know won’t hurt them. And The Angry Women? The privileged, Ivy League, coastal elite haters who call her an antifeminist iconoclast? They’re sick with jealousy. Because Natalie isn’t simply living the good life, she’s living the ideal—and just so happens to be building an empire from it.

Until one morning she wakes up in a life that isn’t hers. Her home, her husband, her children—they’re all familiar, but something’s off. Her kitchen is warmed by a sputtering fire rather than electricity, her children are dirty and strange, and her soft-handed husband is suddenly a competent farmer. Just yesterday Natalie was curating photos of homemade jam for her Instagram, and now she’s expected to haul firewood and handwash clothes until her fingers bleed. Has she become the unwitting star of a ruthless reality show? Could it really be time travel? Is she being tested by God? By Satan? When Natalie suffers a brutal injury in the woods, she realizes two things: This is not her beautiful life, and she must escape by any means possible.

A gripping, electrifying novel that is as darkly funny as it is frightening, Yesteryear is a gimlet-eyed look at tradition, fame, faith, and the grand performance of womanhood.

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.

[on back]

Every night I tell my dog these words before bed.

“You are so loved”

“Do you know how many people you made smile just today?!”

These are the words I wish my parents had told me. . .

finished reading

This twisty thriller has been all over social media.  It was a birthday gift from a student who knows I love to read.  What a thoughtful gift--a bingeable book!  It's a quick read, and I was drawn into the storyline early on.  The main character was a little too snarky, making her unlikable to me, but her pursuit of the truth kept me going.  I figured out some of the twists, but that didn't stop me from enjoying my binge read.

From the publisher:

A best-selling author. A mother. A murderer…

Mackenzie Casper is a brilliant student. But she is best known for her mother, a best-selling author whose dark, twisted thrillers have a dedicated worldwide fanbase.

When her mother dies in an accident, fans across the world are left grieving, and the investigators are asking: Was that really an accident?

The day of the memorial service, Mackenzie gets the first mysterious envelope, signed, 

From #1 fan. XOXO

Inside are the pages of her mother’s diary that start with the lines:

Want to know a secret?

Love, Mom.

What Mackenzie reads leaves her in shock.

But then comes the second letter.

And the third...

Mackenzie starts her own investigation and stumbles upon secrets that her family has lived with for years.

Quickly, she realizes that her mother's path to stardom was etched with sinister lies that might have caught up with her.

Sometimes fame is worth a murder. Or worse.

Soon, Mackenzie will come to find out that there are worse things than murder…

saturday 9

Soldier

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

Memorial Day is a federal holiday that honors men and women who served and died in the United States Armed Forces. We want to make sure that message is not lost this weekend.

1) Are you a veteran? Are there veterans in your family? Do you know anyone who is active military? We are grateful and want to hear about it. my brothers-in-law are veterans, that is how my sisters met them: through Loring Air Force Base.  I currently have several students who are active duty

2) This song is about the courage it takes for soldiers to march into battle. Gen. Patton said, "The soldier is the Army. No army is better than its soldiers." He was emphasizing that each individual's dedication is essential to the unit's success. Do you work well as part of a team? Or are you better on your own? I flourish as part of a team

 

3) As of 2025, California is the state with the most military bases. Have you ever visited or lived on a base? there was a military base nearby until around 1995, it hosted many community events--I was there regularly

 

4) At the turn of the of the 20th century, wristwatches were considered non-essential jewelry items, with pocket watches preferred for everyday timekeeping. During WWI, soldiers in the trenches needed to both synchronize actions across the battlefield and keep their hands on their weapons, so the wristwatch went from "fashion item" to "standard issue." Do you often wear a watch, or do you depend on your phone for the time? no watch for me, I can't stand having anything around my wrists

 

5) Jeeps were originated by the US Army during WWII. Back then they were specifically for soldiers deployed to the European Theater, today there are more than 18 million Jeep-branded vehicles on the road all over the world. Have you ever driven a Jeep? no

 

6) While Ray-Ban Aviator sunglasses are a timeless symbol of cool, they were designed during WWII for a specific purpose: to give American flyers relief from glare at high altitudes. Tell us about your sunglasses. they are progressive lenses, olive green, very cool

 

7) Memorial Day kicks off the summer season. What's your favorite picnic food? plain potato chips

8) This marks the weekend when Americans traditionally step up their outdoor activity and do things they may not have been able to do during the cold winter months. For example, when is the last time you worked in the garden or tended the lawn? basically never since I am a renter--but I did gift my dad lawn mowing service for Christmas

9) As you answer these questions, is there an air conditioner or fan on? no

blogoversary

It all began as a therapy assignment--to keep a record of my moods.  Here I am, 20 years later!

ten things tuesday

I'm on book 58 for the year (so far!) and thought I would recommend ten:

1)  Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy: This is perhaps the most atmospheric book I've ever read.  The isolation, the relentless winds, the driving rain, and the frigid sea were all characters that shaped relationships between the people and the physical world around them.

2) Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman: I was not prepared for this book.  It is absolutely bonkers and bananas. The audio is superb!

3) The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion: Vol. 1-8 by Beth Brower: Checking in with Emma is not like reading a book; it's like catching up with a quirky friend.  I love this series!

4) Fire Exit by Morgan Talty: This is masterful storytelling.  Charles Lamosway deals with secrets, lies, and identity throughout this story.  Actually, the secondary characters do, too.  Having hopes and dreams crumble around him is really a theme of Charles's life, and in a lot of stories it would have made Charles a sadsack, but this story is almost hopeful. 

5) Strange Sally Diamond by Liz Nugent: I could not stop this book--I did not want to pause for any reason!  I was heavily invested in Sally Diamond.  Sally is one of the most complicated, complex characters I've ever read. As I read, I was caught up in sympathy, compassion, disbelief, and anger.  There were times I had to repeat sections to make sure I was getting it.  Like, what the actual...?  

6) Life, and Death, and Giants by Ron Rindo: I really didn't know what to expect with this one. It’s a coming-of-age story that perfectly balances moments of whimsy with a deep, grounded faith and the secrets and lies that can do a family harm.

7) Canticle by Janet Rich Edwards: I did not expect to fall so deeply into the world of a young girl consumed with knowledge and religion, set in 13th-century Bruges.

8)  Midnight on the Potomac: The Last Year of the Civil War, the Lincoln Assassination, and the Rebirth of America by Scott Ellsworth:  This is accessible non-fiction. A compelling non-fiction that kept me engaged.  Lots of fresh information about the final year of the Civil War.  Each chapter begins with an interesting anecdote or phrase as a hook.

9) Heart The Lover by Lily King: I fell in love with this book as I binge-listened to it.  The surety of the trio of characters in their collegiate intellectual promise as they quoted obscure passages to each other drew me in.  The love story between Jordan and Yash was full of yearning and tenderness, until it wasn't. 

10)  Foster by Claire Keegan: Claire Keegan is an incredible storyteller.  This novella will stick with me for a long time.  It's poignant and spare and lovely.  The story centers on an unnamed young Irish girl whose large family is about to expand once again, so she is sent to unknown-to-her relatives in the country. 

currently

I am...

Reading: Love, Mom by Iliana Xander

Listening to: birds chirping and calling

Thinking:  a former student, a favorite, died by suicide, and his obituary captures him perfectly--I got teary 

Feeling:   I feel like I'm darting from one feeling to another

Celebrating: I've been remembering funny stories about that former student's shenanigans and hijinx

Grateful for:  lots of great memories of teaching over the years

Enjoying:  how the end of this year is winding down--I feel like it's organized chaos

Weather:  63° and partly sunny

A quote I want to share: 

finished reading

An intriguing premise: the three victims of a serial killer unite from beyond to prevent him from killing again.

The shifting timeline, with each woman telling her own story, weaves together to create a truly unique and haunting narrative. Because the deaths occur over a span of about three years, the immediate, first-person narration keeps the pacing fast and the action continuously moving forward.

The three narrators are wonderfully diverse women, all tragically lured in by the same charming, handsome man. It's a fresh, deeply emotional take on the thriller genre that gives the power back to the victims.

From the publisher:

Meghan, Brecia, and Skye have just one thing in common.

They were all murdered by the same man.

He hunted them online, masquerading as an eligible bachelor. Then he played the perfect gentleman, a thick layer of charm and a thousand-watt smile hiding the fact that his first dates end in shallow graves.

He’s gotten away with murder three times now.

The only thing that might keep him from killing again? The women he murdered.

Meghan, Brecia, and Skye might be dead, but they’re not gone. They’ve found each other. And they won’t rest until they find a way to stop him.

The haunt is on.

sunday stealing

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Which One?

1. Pepsi or Coke? Coke--I usually find Pepsi too sweet

2. Cappuccino or coffee? coffee--preferably iced

3. Chocolate or vanilla? chocolate

4. Hot tea or iced tea? depends on the time of day and the type of tea

5. Dinner for two or a party? so this depends on who's doing the cooking:  I'm cooking, then I'll say dinner for two

finished reading

This is a beautifully written, sweeping multi-generational novel that masterfully explores family, love, small-town life, and grief. It makes for a fantastic audiobook experience, thanks to a narrator who handles the deeply complex characters with care.

I was particularly fascinated by the book's structure. It uses an intricate web of overlapping timelines, first grounding us in Cal’s story before expertly layering on Margaret’s perspective, all while their respective spouses, Becky and Felix, intertwine. The resulting relationships are remarkably intricate, spanning parental bonds, deep friendships, and spiritual connections. The marriages, in particular, feel like accurate, messy snapshots of the era.

My only real critique lies in the pacing. Because the vast majority of the novel focuses intensely on just a two-year window, the sudden rush to squeeze in the later years felt jarring. Those final decades deserved the same rich, in-depth exploration that made the first half of the book so captivating.

From the publisher:

In Bonhomie, Ohio, a stolen moment of passion, sparked in the exuberant aftermath of the Allied victory in Europe, binds Cal Jenkins, a man wounded not in war but by his inability to serve in it, to Margaret Salt, a woman trying to obscure her past. Cal’s wife, Becky, has a spiritual gift: She is a seer who can conjure the dead, helping families connect with those they’ve lost. Margaret’s husband, Felix, is serving on a Navy cargo ship, out of harm’s way—until a telegram suggests that the unthinkable might have happened.

Later, as the country reconstructs in the postwar boom, a secret grows in Bonhomie—but nothing stays buried forever in a small town. Against the backdrop of some of the most transformative decades in modern America, the consequences of that long-ago encounter ripple through the next generation of both families, compelling them to reexamine who they thought they were and what the future might hold.

Sweeping yet intimate, rich with piercing observation and the warmth that comes from profound understanding of the human spirit, Buckeye captures the universal longing for love and for goodness.

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. This week two spoke to me.

saturday 9

Fun, Fun, fun

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

1) This song is about a girl who borrows her father's Ford Thunderbird. When is the last time you drove someone else's car?  I don't remember--it's been a long time

2) The teen in question is well known for ability to drive "like an ace." If we were to ask your high school classmates what they remember most about you, what do you think they'd say? that I was a drama nerd--performing and singing were my thing

3) She told her father she needed the car to go to the library but used it instead to meet friends. Can you recall a time your parents caught you in a fib? I do not remember

4) For this girl and her friends, fun centered on cars and fast food. What did you and your friends do for fun during your teen years? we drove around on Main Street or had movie parties

5) Legend has it songwriters Brian Wilson and Mike Love got the idea for this song from a Salt Lake City disc jockey. He told them he'd lent his T-bird to his daughter so she could go to class at the community college but discovered her deception when the car was ticketed in front of a fast food restaurant. Can you think of another song inspired by true events? "American Pie" comes to mind
 
6) As in the song, the disc jockey punished his daughter by taking her driving privileges away. Were your parents strict when you were growing up? oh no, they were lax

7) This song was recorded on January 1, 1964. The Beach Boys had to work on the holiday because they were under pressure to meet a February release date. How did you spend New Year's Day 2026? I was contemplating my intentions for the year and deciding if I wanted to restructure my blog
 
8) 1964 was a great year for Capitol Records. They had chart-topping hits by the Beach Boys, Barbra Streisand and, most spectacularly, The Beatles. The Capitol Records Building in Los Angeles is considered iconic and it's a stop on tourist bus tours. Have you ever been to Southern California? If yes, what did you do? yes--I went to visit my sister on an air force base (I don't remember what it was called)
 
9) Random question: What's the last compliment you received? I was with my Breakfast Club friends this morning and we bumped into one of my students who gave me a big hug and a huge hello and my friends complimented that every time we're together and run into students or former students, the kids are always delighted to see me 😀

three on thursday

 

Thing one:  either I don't pay attention, or my dentist's office does not explain things clearly. But I thought I would have completed this dental journey of getting a crown by now.  One more appointment.

Thing two:  and today my car got its 20,000-mile servicing.  I love this car, I'm so glad I got it a year ago.

Thing three:  dinner is cooking away in the crockpot.  It smells good.  Meatball tortellini casserole.

finished reading

I don't remember where the recommendation came from for this book; the premise caught my interest:  an inept obituary writer has a few too many glasses of scotch and drafts his own relatively ludicrous obituary only to accidentally publish it in the paper.  The ensuing antics follow his attempt to get his life back on track.

The secondary characters are quirky yet real, very well-developed.  From neighbors of all ages to coworkers to his best friend, the people encourage our main character, Bud, to get it together.  This almost reads like a coming-of-age story set in middle age.  A drunken mistake with a keyboard can turn into a meaningful journey about what it actually means to be alive.

The audio narration is excellent at capturing the subtle wry and sarcastic humor.

From the publisher:

Bud Stanley, a 44-year-old obituary writer who is stuck in a professional and personal rut following a divorce. After a particularly disastrous blind date and a few too many scotches, Bud accidentally publishes his own satirical, fantastical obituary on the world’s largest news wire service.

The next morning, Bud wakes up to find that the world—including his employer’s automated HR system—believes he is deceased. Because of a bureaucratic glitch, he can’t be fired until he’s officially "resurrected" in the system. This "purgatory" allows Bud to embark on a bumpy, hilarious, and poignant odyssey of self-discovery, which includes attending the funerals of strangers and forming deep, quirky bonds with those around him. The novel explores the delicate balance between grief and joy, proving that sometimes you have to "die" to figure out how to live.