3 Stars. This series is still a lot of fun but it feels a little too directly derived from Harry Potter. There’s a game between magicians, a character who is very reminiscent of Dolores Umbridge, and more that I won’t mention because of spoilers. I’m trying to convince myself that a lot of these are just […]
Weekly Update for February 9, 2025
Welcome to my weekly update for February 9, 2025!
My husband finished his work assignment at a hospital near Phoenix at the end of January so we flew home to visit friends and family in Asheville, NC for a week and then flew to visit my in-laws in south Florida for a week. It was nice to see everyone.
This was my husband’s first time going home since Hurricane Helene devastated Asheville and Western North Carolina and he was shocked. I could see that there had been a lot of progress with debris clean-up and road repair since I was home in November but there’s still so far to go. It’s jarring to see homes that I’ve driven by my entire life damaged beyond repair with people I know living in campers or tents in their own front yards. As a reminder, if you’re willing and able […]
Cannery Row by John Steinbeck: Book Review
4 Stars. I picked this up from The Bookworks, an independent bookstore in Pacific Grove, CA, pretty close to the actual Cannery Row. In fact, I just realized exactly how close I was. Dang it. Missed opportunity because I did not go there. Anyway, as I read, I enjoyed reading Steinbeck’s descriptions […]
January 2025 Month in Review
Welcome to my January 2025 month in review! Travels/Exploration: If you’re new here, you should know that my husband is a traveling healthcare professional and we travel the United States in our RV. He works three months or more at one hospital and we have fun exploring the area on his days off […]
What You Are Looking For Is in the Library by Michiko Ayoama: Book Review
4.5 Stars. This was just the sort of soothing, hopeful book I needed right now. In a series of connected stories, the author explores different scenarios most of us can relate to. The young woman fresh out of college who feels stuck. The woman with an established career who finds herself struggling […]
Weekly Update for February 2, 2025
Welcome to my weekly update for February 2, 2025! My husband had a long weekend off from work on January 17 so we drove up to Page, Arizona for a few days. You might not be familiar with the town itself, but you’re sure to recognize two iconic places nearby: Horseshoe Bend and Antelope Canyon. They […]
The Hour of Land by Terry Tempest Williams: Book Review
3.5 Stars. I’ve been mulling this review over since finishing this book six weeks ago. I should have loved it and I didn’t. Not exactly. And I’m having a hard time digging down to the why. Ms. Williams writes about twelve national park units in this book, eight of which I’ve visited and loved. And I think […]
We Are Here to Stay by Susan Kuklin: Book Review
4 Stars. I try hard not to get political in my reviews, though if you look back through the books I read, you’ll get at least a sense of my political leanings. It’s impossible to review this book without discussing politics though, so bear with me. I wish all the politicians who love to speak so loudly and […]
I Think You’re Wrong (But I’m Listening) by Sarah Stewart Holland: Book Review
3 Stars. I’ve been a fairly loyal listener of the Pantsuit Politics podcast for a couple of years now. I like the perspectives Beth and Sarah bring to the conversations they have, whether they’re about current events or pop culture. After the most recent election, I felt that their first book would be a […]
Weekly Update for January 19, 2025
Welcome to my weekly update for January 19, 2025! My husband worked last weekend so we didn’t do any touristy stuff. I’ve gone back in time to October to share some pictures I took while I was on a blogging break. We flew to São Miguel, the largest island in the Azores, for a week in early October […]
Run: Book One by John Lewis: Book Review
4 Stars. There’s a lot going on here as John Lewis transitions his life story from March to Run. The Voting Rights Act and the Civil Rights Act were finally passed at the end of March: Book Three but that doesn’t mean that the struggle is over. The book feels a little chaotic to me but it’s about a chaotic […]