Bluebird Books

This weekend I started a new book.   I just love that feeling.  As soon as I close a book after reading the final page my mind begins scrolling through my TBR list.  What will be next?  It's a feeling of excitement and anticipation that I don't often get to experience in other parts of life.   Some people feel sadness upon finishing a book.  Saying goodbye to characters, to a world.  Having to move on like that is akin to grief.   Not me.  I love finishing.  I love checking books off my list and picking new ones. I get giddy at the thought of starting another book.   When I was done with my book I walked over to my bookshelves for a minute and just looked.  I remembered many of the circumstances in which I purchased the books lined up there and the people who recommended them to me.  I thought through the books I need to read this month for book clubs and my own reading goals.  I know this is such a nerdy confession but it was so much fun!!! I decided to dig int

A friend of mine recently heard some of the drama that has been going on in my life.  With a teen and a tween living in the same house, that just can't be avoided sometimes.  I was feeling blue and she shared the name of a podcast that might help.   I have a love/hate relationship with so many things and one of those things is advice on what to read/listen to/watch.  I'm always polite when someone suggests something, but because I already have a long list of things to read/listen to/watch, I usually ignore the tip.   thanks, but no thanks. However, I was desperate and this friend has helped me before.  So, I gave in and listened.  The podcast was so good and just what I needed, not only for my kids but for me as well, that I then proceeded to listen to 3 more podcasts before the end of the day.   One of the main things I took away from this mini-binge was that fun is important in families.  Laughing and having a good time is key.  Board games are integral.  Time toge

I haven't read much YA or middle-grade fiction lately and I was wondering why.  I went through a period where that was primarily what I was reading.  I wanted to connect with my kids, as well as make sure what they were reading was appropriate.  It felt like the right thing to do.   After a while, I just couldn't handle another book that was targeted at a younger generation.  I missed the classics and literary fiction that have my whole heart.  But, I have a great fondness for many of those middle-grade and YA books.  So why did I stop? I think I just couldn't.  When you have kids, your whole life is altered.  You speak differently (fewer swears and "stupid"'s and "hate"'s), you watch different TV shows (the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse theme song is permanently stuck in my brain) and eat different foods (what they like + what they need to like = dinner).  I felt like giving up "my" books was a step too far.   We read picture b

March was a hard month for my family in many ways.  And, while it's true that books are a kind of therapy for me, sometimes my brain needs to watch a million episodes of a show I've seen hundreds of times ( Brooklyn 99 saved me this month).   I did do some reading this month and spent some time listening to audiobooks.  I also started more than I finished so my April recap should be stellar.   This is what I read in March: The Wife Between Us 🌟🌟🌟🌟 I really enjoyed this fast-paced thriller.  I had ordered it as my book of the month months ago.  I often get super excited about my pick and then set it aside after it gets here.  But when I circle back to them, I'm always glad I did.   Also, the owner of my indie bookstore suggested it to me when I expressed my frustrations with The Woman in the Window .   This is why I love going there, the book recommendations are always good.   It was an intricate plot that kept surprising me.  I don't want to give too