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Welcome to my weekly update for February 1, 2026!
If you’d like to contact your US representatives about anything, the 5 Calls app is a great place to start. I hate making calls, especially about politics, but the situation with ICE is too scary to ignore. I stopped calling for quite a while through the summer and fall but I called last week to ask my representatives (all Republicans) to make a stand against ICE. One of my senators, Thom Tillis, is in the news pretty regularly for standing up to the Trump administration. I thanked him for that and asked him to do more. The day after I called, I read that my other senator, Ted Budd, asked for an investigation into Alex Pretti’s execution at the hands of ICE agents too. And I just read that my Congressman, Chuck Edwards, is also calling for an investigation. I won’t pretend that my small, shaky voice had a direct impact, but it added weight to the chorus. Together, we do make a difference. Now to see if Congress actually does anything other than just keep talking….
In lighter news, my husband and I spent the night in Orlando last Saturday. We weren’t there long enough to invest in tickets to any of the theme parks but we spent time wandering around Disney Springs and some of the resort areas and eating some delicious treats. I’m too cheap to pay for a resort room so this was the first time we’d seen some of these beautiful spots! After checking in to our inexpensive, non-Disney hotel, we had a nice dinner at Disney Springs then went to see the Cirque du Soleil/Disney show, Drawn to Life. It wasn’t my favorite Cirque show but we still had a great time. I liked that the main character was a young girl fighting through grief and doubt to self-confidence and creativity.
Slideshow:
All images © Jennifer G. at Introverted Reader 2026
- A great white egret at the Boardwalk resort area at Disney
- I loved the way that the ends of this bridge look like ships in full sail. That’s Disney’s Dolphin Resort in the background.
- I’m always curious to see which new life-sized figures the Lego store at Disney Spring has on display every time I visit. There are so many! But this group is obviously from Star Wars.
Posted:
Top Ten Bookish Discoveries I Made in 2025
Read:
Links go to my reviews on GoodReads
Above Ground: Poems by Clint Smith–5 Stars
The Haunting of Tram Car 015 (Dead Djinn Universe # 0.3) by P. Djèlí Clark–4 Stars
The Bronze Horseman by Paullina Simons–DNF
Currently Reading:
The Rose Code by Kate Quinn
Even Though I Knew the End by C. L. Polk, read by January LaVoy
You Better Be Lightning by Andrea Gibson
An Immense World: How Animal Senses Reveal the Hidden Realms Around Us by Ed Yong
Up Next:
I was looking for another novella in the Dead Djinn Universe, The Angel of Khan el-Khalili by P. Djèlí Clark, and found it on a podcast called LeVar Burton Reads. I didn’t know this existed! The podcast has already ended but it ran for 13 seasons so there are plenty of old episodes to listen to. I’ll start working on some of those this week.
What did your week look like?
Hosts:
Deb Nance at Readerbuzz hosts The Sunday Salon and Kimberly at Caffeinated Book Reviewer hosts Sunday Post. Kathryn at Book Date hosts It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?
22 Comments
I’ve used 5calls in the past and need to get back to making it a regular part of my week. My guys are Dems, but it doesn’t hurt to keep the pressure on them.
I loved The Rose Code, and I’m planning to read The Briar Club later this spring/summer.
Looks like you’re enjoying your time in Florida. We hit 72 yesterday and today was just as lovely. Hard to believe it’s February. Feels more like August!
I love the 5 calls app and use it weekly. You are reading some great books.
I like the 5Calls app, too. I try to make calls on my lunch hour at least 2-3 days a week. Sometimes, depending on the issue, I can call the governor, but it’s usually my Congressional representatives. My representative always has an aide answer, but my two senators it’s always leave a voicemail. Which, for a fellow introvert, is actually somewhat of a relief!
We’ll be flying to Orlando for a Caribbean cruise later this month. Neither my husband or I are real Disney fans, so we’ve never been. (He, however, knows all the words to all the songs in Disney’s Beauty and the Beast movie; I know a lot of them, too!)
We live in such a troubled world. It’s important when we feel called to make a difference that we take up that mantle.
I miss Disney. We haven’t been back in years. We played mini-golf across from the Dolphin and Swan Resorts one of the times we were there. Hope you enjoy your books.
https://thebookconnectionccm.blogspot.com/2026/02/its-monday-what-are-you-reading-and.html
I didn’t even notice mini golf in that area 🙂 That gives us an excuse to go back!
Count me as a big fan of The Bronze Horseman but I can see what it might not be the book for everyone! I hope you have more luck with The Rose Code which I also loved!!
Have a great week!
I’ve barely gotten started on The Rose Code but so far, so good!
I sent email and made calls last week (all Republicans) but I felt satisfied that I did express my opinions. I think people are starting to listen. I hope so, anyway.
I’m delighted to see how much you liked the Clint Smith poetry book. I loved that book.
Two of my representatives have been in perfect lock-step with the administration’s choices over the past year, so seeing them break ranks, at least a little, gives me some hope.
The Clint Smith book was fantastic.
The Rose Code is soooo good!
My reps are all democrats, but they need calling, too as they certainly aren’t doing enough or being loud enough.
I agree that we all need to call all our representatives, no matter their party, to make sure they know what we think.
Thank you for using 5 calls. I have used it sometimes. I am disappointed that I have the GOP reps too. I was surprised Budd did anything since my impression is he is a total bootlicker. But they see the writing on the wall perhaps. Certainly Dementia Don totally ignored his campaign promises about aid and FEMA for Western NC.
So glad you got a night out in Disney Springs. There is so much stuff there. I don’t have room for any more stuff but I’d enjoy seeing it and the restaurants.
Anne – Books of My Heart This is my Sunday Post
I was shocked to see that Budd and Edwards had both spoken up. Their responses aren’t perfect (they still support ICE in general), but at least they’re calling for an investigation into Alex Pretti’s murder. Edwards represents us in one of the areas that was hardest-hit by Helene. He makes vague noises about getting more money from FEMA but doesn’t actually do anything and just keeps voting for all these outrageous bills that ultimately hurt us. I think the only reason we’ve gotten as much as we have is because of Governor Stein and attorney general Jeff Jackson and their teams.
I don’t have room to buy things either but I have a good time window shopping, people watching, and eating at Disney Springs.
I love seeing life size Lego displays, they are so fun! Have a wonderful week!
I can’t imagine how much time it takes to build them!
You have the same senator and congressman as I do. Tillis has been very outspoken since he’s not running again. I was surprised that Ted Budd stepped into the fray. Looks like a lovely trip! Off to look at your Goodreads.
I wish Tillis had been more outspoken before he decided not to run again, but I am glad he’s doing it now. I was shocked that Budd spoke up.
You never know, your call might have been the tipping point!
I’d never heard of Disney Springs, it looks like it’s just a big Disney branded retail park, with a concert space and hotel?
Enjoy your current books
Wishing you a happy reading week
I love using 5 Calls! Makes reaching out way easier.
Good for you on speaking out about the shooting. I hope they do something significant about it.
I’ve only listened to one of the LeVar Burton Reads podcasts, but I really enjoyed it! I should go back and listen to more.
I know that your phone calls to Senators made a difference. Good for you. I haven’t paid attention to 5 Calls, but I will now. Thank you.
My Sunday Salon: https://headfullofbooks.blogspot.com/2026/01/sunday-salon-songs-for-now.html