more reviews

More reviews!  I'm caught up after this but reading a couple promising books!

Charm City Rocks by Matthew Norman (Adult Fiction)

The premise is completely wackadoodle with equally bizarre moments like Billy living with his rockstar girlfriend above his ex-wife’s garage.

The characters, despite or perhaps because of their flaws, were easy to get invested in. Billy's son, Caleb, who loves his dad so much he pretends to be a teenage fangirl to get a meet and greet with the rockstar his dad has forever been in love with. Margot, the rockstar, who is initially ashamed to be set up by this goofy, lovable kid, but somehow finds her way back to herself through this strange meet and greet. Billy, who is just a goofy, likable guy hiding a serious regret. Billy’s ex-wife, Robyn and her husband Aaron, who are on their own weird little journeys of self-discovery. Both Billy and Robyn together, because partners who split, are always tied together when there’s a kid involved. Even though Billy and Robyn haven’t been together in a long time and have been friends throughout Caleb’s childhood, they are finally working through unresolved issues. And we can’t forget the side characters, who I enjoyed as much as the main characters – the pretzel guy, Gustavo, Margot’s daughter, Poppy, and Margot’s ex, who shows up at Robyn and Aaron’s house to win back Margot, who is of course living with Billy above the garage.

So yes, I was totally scooped up in the weird plot and interesting characters, not to mention the hilarious moments created from these characters being in each other’s orbit during this book’s strange journey. I can’t tell if my husband was sad or relieved when I finished this, because I probably read a quarter of the book out loud to him. Whenever I would say “hey, you gotta hear this,” my husband would sigh (obviously irritated) but also ask if they moved the piano again (clearly invested).

Please Pay Attention by Jamie Sumner (Juvenile Fiction)

I knew I was going to love this book when I saw the bit about therapeutic horseback riding in the blurb. What I didn't expect was to love the characters so much, especially Max, Lucy, and Aaron, and their incredible support and love for the main character, Bea.

I almost didn't read this, because it's a super tough topic (a school shooting) and told from the perspective of someone in a wheelchair who felt helpless to defend herself, but I'm glad I read it. I was absolutely smitten with Bea, how she worked her way through her grief using not just the strength of others and her special horse, Dumpling, but by using her own strength, which was there all along.

This is also written in poetry format, which I have mixed feelings about. I thought the poetry format worked really well. There were some special line breaks and a few moments here and there where the poetry format made the words stronger.

Favorite moments:

"because that's how Mrs. Cannelli is,

soothing like clothes right out of the dryer..."

Talking about Dumpling:

"When he breathes out,

my legs stretch,

and when he looks down,

I dip forward,

and when I pat his neck and say, "Good job,"

he huffs with happiness."

"Horses are intuitive creatures,"

she says, running a hand down his neck.

"You can't steer them like a car.

They read your emotions

and reflect them back to you

like mirrors."

Music and Silence: The Passion and Protest of Pablo Casals by Christy Mihaly and illustrated by Mariona Cabassa (Nonfiction Picture Book)

I have never heard of Pablo Casals, and I'm so glad this book was introduction to learning about him. I appreciated how he used his unique skills to stand up to a dictator. He had such a rocky life but music was his constant companion, even in his silence.

The illustrations have so much movement, color, and passion. Capturing such an incredible person had to feel like such a tremendous undertaking, and yet the illustrator not only does this, she also captures his music as well. All the moody purples here and there depicting how multifaceted strength is - a tree standing tall, birds of hope flying the same skies as the bombs tearing through the beauty. But also the explosion of bright colors, even in the clothes of the refugees fleeing Spain. The colors held all the emotions just like Casals' music.

Reviews

Reviews!  It's been a minute since I've done any, and I've got a few books to share.

Loon Point by Carrie Classon (Adult Fiction)

Though I was appalled by how much Lizzie was yanked around by her mother, and Wendell's character completely drug me down each time he had a chapter, I still found myself giving this book a higher rating.

Lizzie's mom is an addict. When a loved one is an addict there are good days and bad days. If we are lucky, they fight the addiction and come out in one piece, but usually over a bumpy, extended period of time. Lizzie's experience is sadly on the realistic side of things. Lizzie doesn't just get to go live in a stable environment where she is loved and taken care of. She's back and forth between the two worlds living a life no child should have to live. But she is an incredibly resilient character who has an angel of a dog looking out for her every step of her journey.

Wendell reminded me too much of a loved one. My loved one is forever stuck in a bitter place where they are always better than everyone else and no amount of kindness will ever uproot them from their place of paranoia and unhappiness. Wendell, however, may be a different story. He is a late bloomer. He started to come around with a bit of connection, nurturing, and a unicorn notebook. Hey maybe that's what every deeply unhappy person needs to turn their life around - a unicorn notebook!

So why did I give this book a higher rating? Well, my crusty old heart found comfort in Norry's resort. Each time Lizzie found herself at Norry's, I was deeply relieved and I couldn't leave the book until I knew Lizzie was safe. Norry is quite the character. She took over her father's resort. She takes people in. She's self-reliant but also finds herself realizing she's missing connection with others. I also loved the dog's character too, how he kept Lizzie going in the blizzard and knew when she got off the bus. Details like that kept me completely invested and unable to walk away.

Stay for a Spell by Amy Coombe (Adult Fiction)

It is end of July, but there is a clear theme in the books I’ve loved this year. They have been so stinking cute! Cute, cute, cute! It could be dystopians, death, and betrayal the rest of the year, and I would be completely unaffected by it, because of all the adorable, lovely things I’ve read so far.

Stay for a Spell is cozy, hilarious, and has plenty of magic, bookstore details, and interesting characters (a cat with tentacles!). In addition to the main character, a princess cursed to live in a bookstore until she discovers what makes her happy, there’s also a cursed barn pirate who has an ironic water curse and cannot be near large bodies of water.

Sometimes I form strong visuals of characters in my mind and sometimes there’s just nothing. I couldn’t really picture the main character, but whenever I thought of the barn pirate, either Carlos Santana or Mandy Patinkin’s Montoya character from Princess Bride would come to mind. When I realized this was happening, I would have such a huge laughing fit. I am now going to pay more attention to who I’m mentally seeing as a character and whether anyone else is on the same page.

Shockingly, Carlos Santana AKA Inigo Montoya AKA barn pirate was a supremely irritating character. He was lazy, uninvolved, and couldn’t have a serious conversation to save his life. Despite my complete dislike for him, I still thoroughly enjoyed this story and really liked Tandy and Sasha’s characters. I appreciated and understood Tandy’s struggle between familial/kingdom commitments and her happiness, which had nothing to do with these commitments and everything to do with planting herself in a community where she could settle and make connections. Sasha was just a complete ray of sunshine. This book would have been nothing without her character.

In addition to Sasha’s character, the details really made this a stellar read. Librarian bluecaps who knew how to find anything that could be found, a cat that was neither here nor there but was an undeniable comfort, the bookstore, which was almost a character itself.

I also jotted down words I wasn’t familiar with prior to reading this book – imprecation, doddle, deshabille…Each one a complete delight.

Each prince who comes to kiss and break Tandy’s curse is an absolute treat. Eventually they all ran together for me, but the moments with the princes had me laughing about ten times the amount of kisses Tandy received. In the acknowledgements, the author talks about how she wrote this book during the sleepness nights of her mother's cancer diagnosis and treatment, and I immediately thought of the princes. I do hope that on the worst days the author was like, "I've had the shittiest day. I'm creating another prince to help me through it."

Some of the princes’ dialogue had me hooting out loud, almost in tears:

“I’ve been on the road since receiving your parents’ desperate missive, and must partake of refreshment, and wash the dust from my boots, before we sanctify our tender union.”

Towards the end I was ready to push Barn Pirate down the stairs. If only there was reader magic to do so! Tandy’s parents also had me hardcore rolling my eyes at the end, and I was a little mystified by the boy band booksellers the seven princes had become, but the book left me wanting more. Really, I just want to read the story of Sasha and Amaritha, whatever they do next, as long as the bluecaps are along for the ride.

The Best Dog in the World by various authors (Adult Nonfiction)

Well, another cute book here. A devastating book, as I’m sure you surmised from seeing the handful of authors listed on the cover and the promise of a dog essay from each of them. But also, dogs, so definitely cute.

I didn’t love every essay, but the ones I loved had my heart soaring and me sobbing into my dogs’ fur. My dogs are always mystified by random crying but open to any affection, even the sloppy kind.

The book begins with Emily Henry’s essay about her dog, Dottie. Emily Henry lets her readers know right off the bat that it’s a full-circle essay, but that didn’t stop me from finishing the essay.

Emily Henry writes, “So here it is. The way this fits into my theory of everything, the thing this depressing essay has in common with all my romantic comedies and everything else I’ve ever written: We are so fucking lucky to get to love someone so much that it tears a hole in the world when they’re gone. The dog dies at the end. The dog dies at the end and it breaks your heart, and you wouldn’t change anything. Not one moment.”

Bonnie Garmus has the absolute BEST essay in this book. Bonnie does an extraordinary job bringing her dog’s character to life. When her dog, who started life with the name, Cake Angel, expresses herself, I see so much of her in my dog, Margo, who has given me an encyclopedia of stares communicating language that has me relieved she can’t speak English.

I also liked a moment from Jodi Piccoult’s essay when she writes about her dog, Alvin. “There was no question that Alvin suffered our existence.” I have never found the right words to explain exactly this. I love Margo to death. We get along pretty well, and when we don’t, she lets me know about it. But I’ve always wondered if we weren’t meant to be her people. We are so beneath her!

This is one of those sayings that will make your eyes roll, but it’s true for this book. You will laugh. You will cry. You will see so much of yourself and your dogs in these essays. And you will feel ever so grateful for the short time we have with some of our most valuable teachers. Even the ones who want to murder us in our sleep but don’t, because they know they can probably convince us to take them for a walk to the cookie library the next day.

I am determined to keep up on book reviews of the best books I read this year.  I have had pretty good luck with books so far in 2026.  How is everyone else fairing?

Here are my recent favorites:

This Book Made Me Think of You by Libby Page (Adult Fiction)

Libby Page also wrote The Lido, which I loved.

This was an incredibly sweet and cozy read despite the premise centering on a woman grieving the loss of her husband. The idea of a loved one buying a year of books to help their spouse process and survive their grief and even flourish, is brilliant. Libby Page takes this idea a step further with the found family and friendships that Tilly finds through the bookstore. How her relationship develops with the bookstore owner, Alfie (what a name!) is tastefully done and oh so sweet and genuine. Tilly's life changes multiple times throughout this book, and I was rooting for her every step of her multiple journeys.

The Keeper of Magical Things by Julie Leong (Adult Fiction)

2026 is turning out to have some very adorable, warm, fuzzy reads. Even if the cuteness stops right now, I would have enough to carry me through to 2027. In addition to being adorable, this book is also incredibly imaginative. I felt like I was right there in Shpelling with Aurelia and Certainty, sorting through the magical items, getting to know the people who lived in the village, and watching the unwanted magical items transform the village in a big way. I was initially a little horrified by the use of magic to help the villagers. I know it sounds terrible, but I'm a bit of a rule follower, and I wanted Aurelia and Certainty to succeed, so I thought for sure they were going to be in trouble! And they kind of were, but how it all played out, especially Certainty's job (HOLY MOLY WHAT A JOB!), made me realize this was one of those times rules were meant to be broken.

I loved being taken on a wild slingshot ride of both both foul and poetic language, cursing that was always hilarious, things like "typical guild cowshit," and "no matter what-what fuckery they forced me to sign," completely new words like, "Thaumaturgy," and many, many metaphors like this one:

"Shpelling looked as though the gods had picked up a handful of cottages and shops and trees, shaken them in their fists, and rolled them like dice over a game board of hill fields."

Oh and there's a catdragon named Hope! I love my dogs, but I'm ready to level up if anyone knows of any catdragons who need homes.

Everything She Touched: The Life of Ruth Asawa by Marilyn Chase (Adult Biography)

I started out reading the physical copy, which was a little heavy and just large enough that dragging it to bed was too much of a workout. I bought the Kindle version, which was the right move, because this book is meant to be savored, pored over, and liberally highlighted. Ruth Asawa was an amazing woman. I read a children's biography of her, and I knew an obsession was forming. Not just for Ruth Asawa but also for Josef Albers, who was one of her teachers and was very focused on how colors change based on what other colors they are with and also how important it is to transform something in art but keep its roots intact.

Naturally, I checked out all the books I could find on both artists from the library and dived in. This particular biography is a treat for the soul. My only complaint is that Marilyn Chase would talk about something (like Ruth Asawa's wedding dress) and not include the picture. This happened a frustrating number of times.

No matter. What I hoped to glean from this book was Ruth Asawa's artistic practice, more information about her family's internment at the concentration camps and how it shaped Ruth, how much living she managed to cram into every day, her efforts to make art accessible for children, and anything relating to the different techniques she used. This book has all of this and in so much detail with so many artifacts such as letters (even the letters her family wrote to the government to free their innocent father, who was imprisoned in a different camp), it's staggering. I am now ready to purchase the hard copy of this book, so I can spend the rest of my life rereading it.

Here are my favorite moments:

"Albers's views on the relativity and interaction of colors were fresh and daring - he argued that colors changed when placed side by side, like people who change in relation to each other."

An excerpt from an interview with Ruth about Josef Albers: "One of the problems that he gave in school, was never to see anything in isolation; that you can define space and you can define an object by defining the space around it."

From a letter written from Ruth's husband, Albert to Ruth prior to being married: "I will take no more love from you until you have given your own work the love it deserves." How romantic is that?

Ruth even put Josef Albers's color theory to practice when making a red and green tomato sign for their roadside stand. "Putting contrasting colors of the same intensity side-by-side creates a vibration - making viewers blink."

A quote from Ruth: "Insomnia is nothing more than a fear of losing time."

Someone who received one of Ruth's sculptures wrote Ruth that "her new sculpture was mounted in her apartment, and breathing elegantly."

Ruth talking about bronze casting: "Ruth still adored the slow-motion ballet of found-rymen in silver fireproof suits, tilting the crucible to pour molten bronze heated to 4000°F into ceramic molds. After the shimmering heat cooled, and the bronze relief was cleaned of impurities, a rich coppery brown patina was applied and waxed for luster."

Ruth and Albert's ashes were incorporated into clay that was used for ceramic pieces for family members. "True to her teacher Albers, Ruth made sure her earthly matter was not destroyed but rather transformed until, in the end, Ruth Osawa herself became a work of art."

only sweet and adorable books so far this year

A few good books to share:

The Silver Hills Boarding House by Linda Lael Miller (Adult Fiction)

I enjoyed Lizbet's character and the instant community that comes together for her just when she needs them the most. Though some characters were one-sided, I thought Lizbet's strengths and vulnerabilities were portrayed in such a way that the reader feels instantly protective of her. She handles the role of taking care of her much-younger siblings with aplomb and devotion. I also thought Gabe's strengths and vulnerabilities, which were sometimes the same thing, were also beautifully portrayed.

Though this is the eye-rolling "man rescues woman" trope, Lizbet had to rescue herself first! And she also rescued her brother and sister from God knows what.

I browsed other books by this author and was disappointed to discover that she mostly writes modern day cowboy romances (which is a little too far off the romance path for me). Thankfully there are a few historical romances she has written that I plan on checking out.

This is another win for those looking for a romance that's on the mild side of the spicy scale. It's a gentle read that will have you rooting for the main characters to open up, not just to each other but to themselves as well.

Need a House? Call Ms. Mouse by George Mendoza and illustrated by Doris Susan Smith (Picture Book)

I'm not sure who recommended this.  I usually take notes of recommendations, but failed to do so this time.  Thanks to whoever recommended it!

The illustrations are magical and absorbing and so incredibly detailed. Ms. Mouse is an architectural genius. I completely lost track of time poring over each animal house and all of their incredible details. I think I like this book almost as much as I like Richard Scarry books, and I think other Richard Scarry fans would love this.

If We Were Dogs by Sophie Blackall (Picture Book)

I think it's fair to say that most of us have experienced both sides of this story. I know it's easy for me to get carried away by my enthusiasm, both for something I'm excited about but also for another's excitement as well. It's a nice reminder to listen to ourselves and others, a tricky thing to do! Blackall's illustrations are once again, ridiculously perfect. The reader can easily relate to both characters thanks to their expressions. It's a great book to discuss how emotions affect our body language. I imagine how delightful it would be to mirror the emotions of the characters and talk about how each character's body language changes as the book progresses. Oh and the focus on empathy, advocating for oneself, and acceptance of differences! It is with much sadness I return this to the library! Thankfully I have a niece who is just about ready for this lovely book, so I will be revisiting it and buying her a copy soon.

Whether you read the book or not let me ask you all a question.  Do you see yourself in one of these characters?  Which one?

Grace & Henry's Holiday Movie Marathon by Matthew Norman (Adult Fiction)

This book was such a joy to read.  Each time I sat down to read it I checked how many pages I had left just to reassure myself it wasn't ending.  And as I neared the end of the book I stopped checking, because it started wrapping up at just the right moment.  I enjoyed the banter and rapport shared by the two main characters but also all their relationships with family and friends.  The humor was just my style of humor, and I didn't mind when Grace's comments teetered into hypocrisy.  She had a lot of snarky comments about gender-shaming in the holiday movies but kept referring to Henry's beverage choice as his "lady wine."

Grace and Henry had a fair amount in common - they both lost their spouses, had jobs they loved, strong connections with their families, and an obvious love for Christmas movies (see title), but they were completely different in other ways.  Henry did not have kids, was unable to even return to the home he had shared with his wife, and was on an extended leave from his job due to his loss.  Grace had kids who she was trying to be strong for, handled her grief with snark and dark humor, and talked to her dead husband to help cope with her loss.  

It took me only a few pages before I started reading bits to my husband.  He was initially horrified that a rom com could come from the shared grief of two people who lost their spouses, but I eventually won him over.  We had a few interesting conversations too while reading this book.  And even though we each have our plans for how we will deal with the loss of one another, we both know grief will have the final say.  The best we can hope for is the ability to haunt each other.

This book is for anyone who

* needs a good laugh
* is a fan of dogs and children
* loves holiday movies
* gets a little down during the holidays OR loves the holidays
* enjoys snark and dark humor
* is ok with a little cursing
* is looking for something lower in spice

Quotes I jotted down:

"Most of all, though, I know that when a girl asks a question, she's really asking several, like Russian dolls nested together."

TRUTH!

One of my favorite character relationships is between Henry and his brother Cal, who is NOT afraid to express emotion.  This is Cal talking to Henry:

"'I love you, by the way.  Okay, just be yourself - but maybe a little better.'"

stepping stones, a Hugh Prather readalike, and mushrooms

Despite the holiday/end of the year chaos still yowling around like a giant storm, I've somehow managed to finish a few stellar books and I'm smack dab in the middle of two books that have been excellent so far.  They are making any kind of adulting very challenging.

We Can Do Hard Things by Glennon Doyle, Abby Wambach, and Amanda Doyle (Adult Nonfiction)

Though the format was chaotic, I got more than enough blurbs to use as stepping stones when I need them. I would classify this book as a read a little bit here and there, mark favorites with a year, maybe journal about how they affect me and apply to my life, but with one big caveat. I would tell myself to read all the answers to one question rather than a blurb here or there.

Though I'm not a podcast person, I am intrigued by the podcast that grew this book. Not enough to listen to it though! I'll keep starting my journey with the books that come out of social media and podcasts for a while yet. I like how there are so many different voices in this book. Jane Fonda comes instantly to mind. I didn't give her much thought prior to reading this, but now I am incredibly intrigued.

Here are a few of my favorite moments:

The very first question and the very first answer hooked me.

Why am I like this?

"I am a great mystery to me. Understanding why I do the things I do is important to me because the things I do affect the people I love. So I don't want to live on auto pilot. I want to choose carefully which patterns to pass on. I want to break cycles. I want to live with freedom and agency and intentionality. This means I have to look under my own hood and tinker with an examine my programming." - Glennon Doyle

Recently, I have been told I've been a bit reactionary, which is weirdly where I'm at when I'm on autopilot. I'm sure I shrieked like an unhinged pterodactyl when I was told this, but the reminder was helpful. When I read the first blurb in this book, it helped me think about why I want to interrupt the reactionary pattern. I also like the metaphor of looking under the hood. Why am I reactionary? Where does it come from? How does it affect others and myself?

How do I go on?

"One of my favorite words in the English language is alchemy. For me, it's about taking the thing that you're most afraid of and transforming into something meaningful and useful, maybe even beautiful."

-Suleika Jaouad

I have been stewing on this one! I think the hardest part is identifying what I'm most afraid of.

I also like this quote a lot:

"It makes sense that the antidote to the absurdity of life is the absurdity of life." - Amanda Doyle

A Rebellion of Care by David Gate (Adult Nonfiction/Poetry)

This was my first experience reading David Gate, and I enjoyed several poems. Though I will likely buy a copy, I'm not sure I would shelve it with poetry. It feels less like a collection where the poems work together to enhance the overall meaning and more like it belongs with the group of books that I will pick up every now and then to read a blurb or poem here and there. Hugh Prather came to mind almost immediately after I started reading this, and I really enjoy reading his works one blurb at a time.

On that note, one of my favorite poems was "Body Language."

"Whenever we divide our bodies
into what we like about them
and what we don't
we mutilate ourselves
you are not an inventory
of parts
in columns of pros
& cons
your body is more than gains
& losses
you are a whole being -
a poem
whose every word
makes meaning."

Mrs. Peanuckle's Mushroom Alphabet illustrated by Jessie Ford (Board Book)

Another winner in this series! Though it's one of those board books with a lot of information, it will fascinate anyone who loves mushrooms. I liked how a few letters were reserved for information about mushrooms - decompose, their kingdom, and Q for questioning. If you question whether a mushroom is edible or not, it's best to ask a grownup or leave that mushroom alone! The illustrations, including how the words are presented, are inviting, eerie, magical, and highlight the beauty of mushrooms.

nonfiction winners

I just finished two more books worth checking out.

The Miracle & Tragedy of the Dionne Quintuplets by Sarah Miller (Teen or Adult nonfiction)

I enjoyed Miss Spitfire, Caroline, and most recently Hick by Sarah Miller. All three of these books were about women who interested me. After reading Hick I looked through Sarah Miller's remaining books to pick out the next book and nothing really stood out to me. I said the heck with it and went ahead and put one on my to-read list any way. And I'm glad I did. Sarah Miller has this way of completely capturing your attention and writing about characters in such a way that you end up caring immensely about them whether you want to or not.

Prior to reading this I hadn't heard anything about the Dionne Quintuplets. This book is heartbreaking. The entire family ends up being messed up in one way or another (though there are a few characters I think were messed up before the quintuplets were born). The whole thing is appalling. The parents were put in an impossible situation. Nobody knew how to handle five babies being born at the same time (totally fair) and everyone's dark side came out. It was a complete train wreck. I couldn't stop reading and was once again ensnared in Sarah Miller's wealth of research and narrative nonfiction prowess.

There's nothing new to read here - families are messed up, humans are flawed, and emotions rule us despite our best efforts. But Sarah Miller will have you on the edge of your seat wanting desperately for not just the Dionne quintuplets to thrive, but for all the Dionne children to get the hell away from their childhoods and parents and have a fighting chance.

This is Orange by Rachel Poliquin & illustrated by Julie Morstad (nonfiction picture book)

A celebration of the color Orange. The cover is immediately arresting, both delicious and powerful. With marbled, creamsicle end papers, an otherworldly, scribbly cantaloupe, monarchs flying from the pages carrying the souls of loved ones, and a colored pencil spread that deserves to be framed, the illustrations alone carry the celebration, history, and importance of the color orange. There's nothing special about the text, but this tiny book delivers a punch. From the linguistic journey of the word Orange to the roles Orange has played in defining itself, art, culture, history, literature, architecture, religion etc. There's nothing untouched by Orange. I'm ready for Poliquin and Morstad to write about the rest of the colors!

cliffhanger

I've had a lot of books let me down recently.  Right now I only have five minutes here and there to read, so I'm not even sure it's any book's fault.  When I was working at the library I worked with a lot of brilliant people.  A few people had these elaborate book rating systems, and over the years I eventually developed my own.  It's pretty simple.  I have only a few categories, and I simply rate them on a scale of 1 to 5.

My categories are characters, language, details, illustrations (if applicable), delivery/clarity of message for nonfiction, conflict/resolution/story for fiction and narrative nonfiction, and two categories that are pretty squishy.  First, if it's a book written for children I make sure my old self is thinking about it from a child's perspective (tricky and squishy).  Second, I rate my gut feelings.  Sometimes I love a book that has completely appalling structural and/or grammatical flaws.  Sometimes the book chips away at my soul but the audiobook narrator's delivery stays with me (The Stranger in the Woods).  Squishy but's that what gut feelings are.

I love getting through my rating system and being completely surprised.  The latest book in the Witches of Brooklyn series surprised me.  I don't like mega cliff hangers.  I recognize it's a perfectly acceptable thing to do, and the author doesn't need to humor my lack of patience.

Witches of Brooklyn: Curse & Reverse by Sophie Escabasse (juvenile graphic novel)

Folks, number five in the Witches of Brooklyn: Curse & Reverse ends with a mega cliffhanger.  It really doesn't wrap up anything at all.  It ends during the super murky outcome of a life and death duel!  I was super miffed after finishing.  I couldn't even rate it for a while.

But it still got a high score, and it's really because the series is just so spectacular.  There's so much world and character building going on.  I love the characters and care about them just like they're my family.  The illustrations are incredible.  I got so lost in the spreads where the writer/illustrator depicted the passing of time.  There's a fine blend of comfort and adventure, which is important for me.  I like action just as much as anyone else, but please include a movie night with friends or a mini nail painting party!  I'll accept the cliffhanger with only a little grumbling but only because I adore this series.  And when I talk about it with others, I will highly recommend waiting until the sixth book comes out!   

Hares & Trains

Raising Hare by Chloe Dalton (Memoir)

After finishing this remarkable book I've been in a slump for several days.  I think I'm experiencing some kind of book grief.  I was so fully immersed in this book, coming out of it was like closing a world I had gotten so comfortable living in.

What I appreciated most about Chloe Dalton's unique journey is that she did something I haven't really seen before in the animal memoirs I've read.  She didn't forever keep the animal.  The hare wasn't injured, so there was no need to keep it.  But Chloe also didn't just shut the door on the hare once the hare started to leave for extended periods of time.  Chloe did the opposite.  She put in a hare door so that the hare could always come inside whenever it wanted to.  

Because Chloe didn't turn the hare into a pet but also didn't put up a clear division between the wild beyond her garden and the safety of her house, it created this strange world that gave the reader an opportunity to truly experience the magic of living alongside a wild animal.

Aiding this experience are Chloe's observations, all the sacrifices she made for the hare, and the strength of their bond.

I took many notes but will share a few:

* I loved that Chloe discovered what to feed the hare through a poem written in the 1700's.

* Each time Chloe talks about the care she takes to live alongside the hare is incredible:

"As time went by, I went to increasing lengths not to disturb it as it slept in the house. It would not have been the end of the world to startle it, but the sight of a hare asleep at the foot of the stairs was so captivating and improbable that it seemed no trouble to accommodate it."

The first moment the hare takes off on its own:

"All the features I'd admired up close - the blunt tips of its ears, and its rough, crosshatched pelt of many colours - served to conceal it.  The field developed and reclaimed it."

And after going through all the emotions of watching the hare leave, so many emotions, Chloe describes the hare coming back:

"But just before dusk, the leveret appeared in the open gateway, a slender silhouette against the tall wooden posts, its ears raised to the fullest extent as it listened intently, so that it seemed more ear than hare. For what felt like an age, it waited at the very edge of the divide between the two worlds, and then slipped into the house."

I won't give away much more than that or how the ending also makes this book a gem.  But I will share one more thing.  Chloe raises several important questions towards the end, questions that have the potential to change the world.  The reader weaves in and out of these questions with Chloe, feeling  all the pangs from the silence on the other side of these questions.

"If it is possible to create robots and drones to reap our fields for us, could we not use technology to detect the presence of leverets, and fawns, and nesting birds, and could reasonable efforts not be made to relocate them, rather than simply leaving them to be crushed beneath our machines?"

Big Boy 4014 and the Steam Team by Marsha Diane Arnold & Adam Gustavson (Nonfiction Picture Book)

This special book manages to provide interesting details and not be too wordy at the same time. The best spread for me is where the steam team has Big Boy 4014 on a turntable to take a look and a splendid paragraph about taking the train apart - "Test those bolts. Check those rivets. Grab the torches. Grab the welders. All new valves. All new pistons." It's such a delight to read.

I'm not sure if anyone else does this, but when I read important dates I think about family members who were alive or would have witnessed these big moments in history. For example, the author's note tells readers that Big Boys were built between 1941-1944. My maternal grandparents were teens and my dad was a toddler during this time. The Big Boy featured in this book was taken out of service in 1959, which is the year my mom was born. It really adds perspective when I think about historical events this way.

I enjoyed learning more about the Big Boys and the steam team's journey to not only get one up and running again, but the months of research that went into preparing Big Boy 4014 to go on tours and be enjoyed by many people. The illustrations are completely harmonious with the story. The majesty of Big Boy 4014 is brought to life from several different angles with so much depth and rich colors. The crowds enjoying Big Boy 4014 are so well done too! I read through this book several times - the first time to enjoy both the story and the Author's Note, the second time with my husband, who is a train nerd, and a handful of times to enjoy the illustrations. It's a tough book to give back to the library!

sun-warmed puddles and foot-knowledge

I just finished two excellent books.  I've got that feeling we all get when we finish books.  I'm both jazzed up about life, but I can't read more than two sentences of anything else, because I'm still stuck in the worlds of the books I just left.  

Candle Island by Lauren Wolk (Juvenile Fiction)

This book has everything - a mom and daughter sharing a secret (I was clueless right up until the secret was revealed!), an island, orphaned osprey named Gulliver, supporting characters with their own ginormous things going on, a horse named Hog, opera, poetry, painting, a library. You name it, this book has it.

I particularly loved the details and language. When Lucretia and her mom arrive at the island Lucretia checks out the pasture for her horse. She looks for any plants that might make Hog sick, which is something she learned from her grandmother.

Wolk writes this about Lucretia. "I wanted to be alone, in the wildest possible place. That was what I craved. If I was to be by myself, I might as well be the kind of alone that made me glad."

Each time Wolk writes about Gulliver, which is nearly every page, it’s such a treat. His character has more personality than some people I know. There’s no way this bird doesn’t have roots in truth. He’s too real. “He splashed and jostled his way out of my hands until he was sitting in the sun-warmed puddle, clearly content.” Each screech, whistle, and expression is so precious.

I also love how Lucretia and her mom are both painters and super supportive of each other’s artistic processes. Lucretia sees, feels, hears art everywhere. The island is brought to life through Wolk’s descriptions and also how Lucretia experiences the island.

Blade by Blade by Danusha Laméris (Poetry)

When I read the first poem, "Barefoot," I knew this was going to be a zillion star book. I immediately bought a copy and returned my library copy. During my childhood I spent every summer barefoot, only wearing shoes when we went into town. My feet knew our holler better than my eyes or my hands did. Laméris captures this feeling, which is not something I've ever thought too much about. Not until I read Barefoot.

"I'd marvel at how I could feel/ a gopher stir underground from yards away, that slight / rumble in the earth. This was foot-knowledge, heel-knowledge, / knowledge of sole and arch, that domed curve, vaulted nave, / everything that entered there, sanctified, holy."

I thought, how does it get better than this poem? But the glow of Laméris' words continues to light the way.

In "Slither," another poem so closely mirroring my childhood, she writes about lizards, snakes, and other creepy crawlies. She does this brilliant thing with the skink, writing about how she grabs one, and folks, she uses a line break to sever the tail. I am not even kidding here. She's so sneaky in her brilliance. This shines the brightest in her poem, "Alphabet of the Apocalypse," which has so many clever things going on it feels like I'm reading that Highlights magazine, noticing something different every time I read through the poem.

The entire book is a treasure, too short, brilliantly composed, each poem asking the reader to lift the rock of its words.

Wild Geese/Dear Writer

Some book love:

Wild Geese by Mary Oliver

"Adults can change their circumstances; children cannot. Children are powerless, and in difficult situations they are the victims of every sorrow and mischance and rage around them, for children feel all of these things but without any of the ability that adults have to change them. Whatever can take a child beyond such circumstances, therefore, is an alleviation and a blessing...the beauty and the mystery of the world, out in the fields or deep inside books can re-dignify the worst-stung heart."

Dear Writer by Maggie Smith

Favorite moments:

"When I say that attention is a form of love, I'm also saying that attention is about devotion and commitment. 'Paying attention' is a metaphor in itself: attention a form of currency we pay to things we value."

On Titles and Epigraphs was the most helpful chapter. "When we 'try on' a title - for a poem, an essay, or even a book - we can ask ourselves: What does the reader need to know early on or at the outset? What information or frame of reference could the title provide up front so that the piece of writing can begin unencumbered by exposition? Are there details or explanation that could be moved into the title, so that the piece's load is a little lighter?"

"As you try on titles and consider whether to use - or remove - epigraphs, think about the welcome mat you're laying out. Think about how you've invited the reader inside and prepared them for what's going to happen next. Is the reader overburden or underprepared? Or do they have everything they need?"

I'll never use this one, as I'm constantly editing and shaping as I write and think, but this is the best way I've heard it explained: "Don't worry too much about the form as you get the raw material down; that would be like making a container at the same time as trying to fill it."

The second most helpful chapter for me was Generative Writing Activity: Line, Sentence, and Stanza. "Whether the line is enjambed or end-stopped, the word at the end of each line is emphasized. Imagine a little spotlight trained on the last word of each line in your poem. Do you need a spotlight on his, and, or the? Or would you rather shine it on words with some importance, some metaphorical weight in the poem? Don't waste a spotlight."

I thought her signature at the end of some chapters was a little much and weird, but her advice was sound. I bought the book only a few minutes after opening my library copy because I knew I was going to want to pick it up again and again. So I'll get over the fact that she's a little full of herself. I'm excited to look through her poetry books and see if I've missed any and maybe also reread them.

helpful book

This is the book I can't stop talking about.  It's been so incredibly helpful!

I am not sure how this book ended up on my to-read list. Usually I add the name of whoever recommended it in my private notes, but there's nothing there. I almost didn't read it, because I would never call myself a perfectionist, and no one has ever called me one with any seriousness.

But here I am with this book that I know is already changing my life. I saw so much of myself in this book it was tough to read at times. I had to stop after each moment of connection and take the time to process it. I have even found myself using the information from the book to help me move forward from a place of anxiety and attacking myself. I think it's within my power to figure out ways to make all the things that define me (good or bad, perfectionism or not) a little bit more adaptive than maladaptive.

Powerful moments for me:

Pg. 27: Adaptive vs. maladaptive perfectionism. Interestingly enough, I had a doctor's appointment and the doctor used the terms to describe a function of the body. Maybe others have heard of this, but it was news to me. I feel like this is something concrete that I can think about to help me use behaviors in a positive way.

Pg. 29: "Trying to get rid of your perfectionism (or for me, my need to be in control) is like trying to get rid of the wind by whacking it with a broom. Perfectionism is too powerful for an eradication approach. When you try to get rid of your perfectionism, all you're doing is hemorrhaging energy at the opportunity cost of attending to your wellness."

Pg. 84: "Each type of perfectionist has their own way of expressing the dynamics inherent in maladaptive perfectionism, but regardless of context, the raw formula is the same: you get separated from your self-worth, and you think restoring your worth hinges on an external outcome. You start trying to compensate for something you don't need to compensate for. You start trying to earn something that already belongs to you." This rings true. It still almost bowls me over reading it a third, fifth, twelfth time.

Pg. 86: "Relying on a strategy of superficial control instead of accessing your power is tantamount to moving a car by pushing it from the bumper instead of getting inside and driving it." This is so much of my life, it would be funny if it didn't hurt like the dickens. I have superficial control lying all over my house, in my mind, everywhere.

Pg. 106: "Everything a child who does not feel loved does is done to answer this question am I worth loving yet? The child asks some version of that question indefinitely, but not forever. When the answer to the question continues to be perceived as "No," the message is internalized...An invisible switch is flipped. In the child's unconscious mind, freedom to be who they are is no longer an option. It's too unsafe and two destabilizing. With freedom off the table, two choices remain. The first choice is performance. They choose to play the part of someone who is worthy and hope to God no one finds out they're pretending. The second choice is destruction. They choose to destroy themselves with the mentality of "If no one else cares about me, why should I?" To read something like this in a book is such a hopeful, powerful thing. 

Lastly, Pg. 170: "Perfectionists waste so much energy trying to turn their disappointment into something else. We keep asking, "How can I get rid of my disappointment?" The better question is "What else do I also feel?"

While reading this I realized that one of the tools I use while creating art is a tiny part of me giving myself permission to let go. I use this tool as a way to surrender some of that control I constantly feel like I need to have. I can only hope that by using this tool I'm able to let go a little more with every finished piece.

bun puns

Several years ago I started the journey to figure out what the heck was up with my GI issues.  I was embarrassed, impatient, and felt like surely I could fix it.  I should be able to fix it right?  Why couldn't I fix it?  I soon gave up.  

In 2021 I started having trouble with incontinence of varying kinds, and I admitted defeat.  I talked to my doctor and told her I was ready to get to the bottom of my GI issues once and for all (pun totally intended).  I spent the next four years doing lots of tests, various diets, pelvic floor therapy, and even counseling.  Apparently stress can kill you in different ways, including via your gut.  Who knew? 

Thankfully, at the beginning of the journey I was working from home due to the pandemic.  Things definitely got worse for a while as I went through the hoops.  As I transitioned back to working in-person I didn't bring up the utter hell my GI issues were giving me.  At that time I worked with super supportive people.  I was just incredibly embarrassed.  Incontinence is a pretty taboo thing to talk about.  In addition to that taboo problem, I was often experiencing extraordinary fatigue, bloating, and pain.  Weirdly enough, 2022-2023 were my two favorite years working at the library.  I think all the library happiness balanced out the tummy troubles and gave me something positive to focus on.  The library job and people I worked with (99.9% of them) for sure saved my butt (again, pun intended) during the time I needed it most.

The first GI doctor I had was excellent, but he had settled on this cycle of periodically wiping out the bacteria in my gut a couple times a year.  It was expensive and the symptoms always came back, sometimes in just a few weeks!  I've had a few colonoscopies over the past few years, and for a couple weeks after each of them, I felt the best I've ever felt.  I was so desperate for relief I even brought up the idea of doing a colonoscopy prep every so often!  

So then I asked my primary doctor if I could be referred to a different GI doctor, and she was 100% on board with it.  I immediately clicked with this new GI doctor, and he started me on a very rocky path to some relief.  He tried a few things, one of which was a medication that drastically improved my discomfort and pain, but the other symptoms were persistently hanging on.  As we all know one of those symptoms makes living a normal life very challenging.  This doctor didn't give up on me though.  He referred me to the Mayo clinic, and at the beginning of July I got the call to come on up.  

I have spent the majority of the summer figuring out my gut issues, and I feel like I have an excellent plan that I understand.  The first thing I had to do was put away my feelings about taking medication for possibly the rest of my life (even something small and harmless like the one I'm taking was tripping me up).  I really wanted the fix to be solely related to diet or something I could fix.  The second thing I had to do was be open to anything and surrender my embarrassment.  Lastly, it's a lot of hard work and I'm still trying to understand it all, but I feel like I have some hope for a future that doesn't involve always making sure there's a restroom nearby.  I am willing to put in the hard work and ask uncomfortable questions.

I have been reading this excellent book: The Perfectionist's Guide to Losing Control, and just this morning there was a passage I read that stood out:

"Embracing our common humanity is understanding that we all encounter pain, we all get lost, we all have drama in our family – we all have so much happening behind the scenes. The more you see your problems as uncommon, unrelatable, and unnatural, the closer you move towards self-pity, not self compassion." 

During this whole process I learned just how common my stomach issues are.  Unfortunately, I was totally mortified about them for such a long time, I made them 1000 times worse.  There are so many people with similar issues, there are two floors devoted to them at the Mayo in Rochester!  If anyone reading this or anyone you know has chronic constipation/diarrhea (or both!), it is not normal or ok.  Ask for help!

There's a lot of hard work ahead, but I'm ever so grateful for the help and also for Robert taking off the time to be with me for all the weird, exhausting, hopeful, gross, powerful, life-changing stuff I've been a part of this summer.  I'm also grateful that my gut issues are not life-threatening.  We have officially knocked out all the super serious things, and the relief I feel about that is immense.

Such a serious post, I think it's time for a few pictures.  All appropriate, only some poo!

Rochester has this incredibly long pedestrian bridge on the Douglas Trail.  Robert and I walked the lake loop to access it, and then he walked back to the car while I explored the bridge.  Robert said to call him when I reached the end of it, and he would come pick me up.  

Well I never found the end because the darn thing led to a brewery - Little Thistle.  There may not be pots of gold at the end of every rainbow, but apparently there's at least one brewery at the end of a trail (at least that's where the trail ended for me).  I'm pretty much ruined now.  When I called Robert he was not at all surprised by my find.  

Speaking of being completely ruined - when I popped into the main Rochester library and asked for a library card for my collection, the person working there librarian gave me not only the current colors, they also went into the back for a couple old ones lying around.  

Books like this were everywhere, including this board book.  Rochester definitely had the most positive poop culture I've ever been a part of.

We had Chinese one night.  I don't remember the food, but I did keep this.  How many mighty forces have been there for me?  Too many to count.  

Speaking of food, we did find the best places, because that's what we do!

Brussels Sprouts from First Meeting Noodle in Rochester:

Borscht (the best I've ever had) from Kramarczuk's Sausage Co. in Minneapolis, MN:

The Mayo Clinic is connected to many shops and restaurants in a crazy indoor maze.  Someone mentioned that they moved there in the winter and only spent a few minutes outside.  She was able to walk mostly from her home to her job at the Mayo clinic without venturing outside!  We did a lot of walking while we waited for appointments.  The best place to eat was Saladworks, which was a build your own salad place with roasted vegetable options.

This coffee place, Qamaria, had something called pistachio sauce.  Here's the difference between pistachio syrup and sauce.  It's very simple.  If it's sauce, you will want to bathe in it.  It was an otherworldly experience.  Each sip you decide if you want straight up latte or latte after you drag your straw through the sauce.  Basically, it's the best drink on the planet.

When we traveled to Des Moines for vacation in June we didn't find any restaurants we would visit again.  Naturally, just passing through Des Moines we found a stellar place - Centro.  They had a vegan tofu gnocchi with broccoli pesto and a salad with a pile of fresh tomatoes.  Robert thought my pasta was slightly better than his!

We had one weekend to fiddle fart around, and we stopped by an amazing craft recycling place, ArtStart and one of the best bookstores I've ever been to, Against the Current, both in St. Paul.  I kept picking up one treasure after another.  ArtStart sold their papers by the inch!

We got back just this past Thursday, and the dogs were both overjoyed and exhausted.  I immediately took Margo into work on Friday in the hopes she would forgive me for keeping her from J and her customers.  This weekend has been a lot of catchup, relaxation, and tennis.  

Tennis has been brutal this summer with the crazy humidity.  My average heart rate when I play is usually 140s-150s.  With the humidity the average has been near-death - 💀.  But it's the best place to lay down all my burdens (or smack the shit out of them).

I am ready to dive into my last semester of school, do all the hard work to get my gut all spruced up and happy (and not tear myself down if I make a mistake), and really soak up all the joy of my job, art, family, and the pauses when I write it all down.