not necessarily in this order

I’m excited to share a 2025 reading trends post  (I’m enjoying catching up on my holds while LM is in rehearsal during my week off, haha, so they’re still piling up!) and some reading goals in the next few weeks.  In the meantime, here are a few thoughts on what I’ve read lately: Midnight at Malabar House by Vaseem Khan: 4⭐️/5 beyond the mystery, which is deep and dense, this look into India entering 1950 and the social, religious, and political tensions through the eyes of a woman navigating being an unwanted pioneer in the police service and familial pressures is just a great read. Even if you’re unfamiliar with Partition and how British rule ended in India, the book brings you into the moment with the right amount of context.  Little Mysteries: Nine Miniature Puzzles to Confuse, Enthrall, and Delight   by Sara Gran: 3.75⭐️/5 I thought this might be a “for fans only” as the stars of some of the puzzles come from Gran’s Claire DeWitt series and other writing. But, i...

As I mentioned at the beginning of November, I found myself dangerously close to having read 100 books this year with 2 months to go. Now, I love an arbitrary, no stakes goal and have been steadily working my way through my library holds to see if I can make it. I was slowed down by a couple behemoth entries in a series I feel I must complete, so I find myself this December 1 with 15 books to go. With 2 recital weekends being balanced off by a handful of vacation days (and school vacation), it really is going to be a race to the finish! Note, I accidentally posted these in the reverse order that I read them and will rectify that in future Recent Reads !   The Vanishing Box  by Elly Griffiths:  4 /5  ⭐  I really enjoyed this entry to  The Magic Men  series. Set around the holidays, the mystery itself was the right amount of twisty and it was great to see the main characters grow and evolve. I may have rated this a little high based on how I feel like t...

This is a new thing I’m trying to take things less seriously. One minute to jot down an idea, an intention, a smile in this space - nothing more and nothing less.  If I had more than a minute to write this, I’d talk about how personal goals have fallen by the wayside of caretaking and estate management and personal time functional freeze in these last few years or so. Or, about my relationship to reading and how it makes me feel like me even when I haven’t read as much in my life. Or about how much I am grateful to have books and the library and reading back in my life in this moment.   But I don’t. So, I won’t, haha!   What I will say is that I found myself at the end of October dangerously close to having read 100 books this year with 76 done. (Don’t ask me how many DNFs. Oof. So many recently, too. SIGH!)   Now, I don’t usually read to a number. Honestly, I just feel lucky to be finding pockets of time for myself to read at all vs. just freezing or doomscrolling o...

I am a library person. Right now, 100% of the books I read come from my local library. My holds list is a source of joy and I’m so grateful that the library part of a system that will get me books from other libraries and allow me to request books that aren’t currently in any of the catalogs.   Over the last 2 months, I’ve had a library experience that I’ve never had before, and it threw my routine into such a tizzy. And I say that as someone who just got a puppy and lives in chaos.  Months ago, I had gotten on the hold list for the sequel to very popular book club read from a couple of years ago. I had mildly enjoyed the first book and just like to put in holds for sequels because the list gets so long. The book finally landed with me in late July and I saved it for our family vacation in New Hampshire in early August.  Unfortunately, I read the first chapter the day before we left and absolutely knew it was not for me. It very well may be for lots and lots of people, bu...

  Lil Momma and the Mr. are visiting family down south this week and I’ve been on my own with Bella, our dog. To be clear, they didn’t ditch me!! I’m just not walking fast or far enough for it not to be a drag or a liability on that type of vacation.   To be honest, LM and I were both a little shook - we’ve never been apart this long!! It’s one of those times I’m glad she has a way to text me and we got to talk each night about her adventures (which included dip dyeing the bottom 6 inches of her hair purple - an early birthday present!). In honor of my week here at the house by myself, here are 5 random Friday thoughts about being alone: One : I realized that I’m very rarely alone in a situation where I can just be. I’m alone in my car on my ride to work or driving back from dropping LM off somewhere, but this week was different because I could just exist in this space and be.  Two : Back when the Mr. traveled for work and LM was a baby on steroids who never slept, I alwa...