Tag: reading

Books, Screens, and In-Betweens

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn Uncategorized8 Comments

I am linking up with Deb at Readerbuzz,  Kathryn at Book Date, and  Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer.

Hello everyone! I hope you are all doing well! We had a pretty quiet week around here last week, which was nice!

Books:

Last week I read Trixie Belden, which was a blast from my past, and it was a crazy ride. I enjoyed returning to the world of Trixie and Honey!

I also read the second in the Enchanted Garden series. This series is just what I am needing right now; it is light and easy, keeps my attention, and makes me think spring with all of the garden and flower talk.

This week I am planning on starting two books, maybe three if the third in the Enchanted Garden series comes in for me at the library.

I plan on starting these The Sugar Rush by Peter Gregg, and Heidi. I am reading Heidi as a buddy read with Lisa at Boondock Ramblings and I am looking forward to it. I haven’t read it before! I missed this one in my childhood somehow.

Screens:

Not too much here on the tv/movie front, again. I have been going to visit my mom in the evenings, so I don’t get home until later and by the time Billy and I sit down to watch tv together we are pretty tired out. This usually means we watch a comfort show, and we are revisiting Brokenwood. I love that show so it is not a hardship.

I did post a few times last week.

Springtime Book Tag

Top Ten Tuesday: My Spring TBR

Coffee Catch Up

Also, just a reminder that Lisa and I cohost a link up, A Good Book and a Cup of Tea, for bookish links all month long. Anything book and reading goes! You can find it up in my header area.

In-Betweens:

We had a mostly quiet week last week, but we did go out yesterday to the Dance for Mother Earth Powwow in Ann Arbor. We had a great time, ate some fry bread, shopped a bit, and watched some of the dances and the grand entrance.

Today we have a birthday party for the Hurricane. She is turning three! It was supposed to be last weekend, but illness just keeps getting in the way these days. My dad and stepmom can’t make it today actually, because they have Covid!

And I will leave you with just a few photos from my roll before I leave.

And with that I will end here! I hope that you are all doing well, and that whatever you do today, you do something that makes you smile!

Springtime Book Tag

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn Uncategorized13 Comments

Hello everyone! I saw this book tag on Heather at Bookables Youtube channel and it just seemed fun! I copied the questions from her YouTube channel.

Flowers: All the flowers we remember are blooming again. Pick a book that’s a fresh take on a retelling.

Heather Fawcett’s The Grace of the Wild Things. This is just such a fun, different take on Anne of Green Gables. I loved it! My review here.

Cadbury Mini Eggs: Obviously the superior springtime candy of choice. Pick a book that you consider to be a sweet treat.

Ok, I am not a super fan of Cadbury Mini Eggs. To me the springtime candy of choice is a Reese’s Peanut Butter Egg or Starbust Jellybeans. For my book however, I am choosing one set somewhere that is supposed to smell like marshmallows.

This is one of my all time favorite books. I just love it! I love everything about it. I also love that my dad read it and said the main character reminded him of me! What a nice thing to say. My review here.

Allergies: Seasonal allergies often make your eyes water. Pick a book that made you cry.

This book made me a soggy tissue. I just cried and cried and cried. I loved it though. My review here.

Spring Cleaning: Out with the old and in with the new. Pick a book to unhaul.

I have had this on my shelf forever and I don’t think I am ever going to read it. It seems too sad every time I start it. I should just donate this one and free up a little space, especially since this is a chunker.

Spring Break: It’s the perfect time for an adventure. Pick a book involving a road trip.

This is a wonderful book. I highly recommend it.

Rainbows: I just feel like Spring is made of freaking rainbows. Pick a book featuring an LGBTQ+ character(s).

This book is a fun read, and is perfect for spring! My review here.

Spring Awakening:. Pick a book that’s also filled with completely dysfunctional characters.

I had a hard time with this prompt. I think this one works though!

In like a lion, out like a lamb: Pick a book series that didn’t get better as it progressed.

This is a blast from my past. I loved these first books so much, and then, whoa. They went absolutely insane. If you know you know. I often don’t read all the books in a series anymore, maybe this series is the reason why?

Fun in the Sun: Tag some Friends!

If any of you want to do this feel free!

Books, Screens, and In-Betweens

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn Uncategorized30 Comments

I am linking up with Deb at Readerbuzz,  Kathryn at Book Date, and  Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer.

Hello everyone!

Books:

I finished this one up last week, and I adored it. It was just cute and light and easy which was exactly what I needed. I already have the second in the series in my stack to read.

I also read Agnes Aubert, finally, and I absolutely loved every minute of it!!

Which leads us to my reading plan for this week! I have a few I am wavering between so we will see where I land.

These are the two currently on deck for this week. I loved Trixie growing up so I am looking forward to reading at least this one again. And this cover for Nightshade for Warning! So many things that appeal to me – the colors and flowers and the little corgi! I love it.

On Screen and Off Screen:

Not much happening on this front. When we watch tv we are watching old episodes of Brokenwood, one of my favorite shows.

I joined the Analog Life project in January and it is interesting to see how it is has really unraveled in our lives. I will say, my house is a wee bit messier on days now, since all of us have our various projects scattered in little piles here and there as we work on them. My journaling supplies, books, stationary, embroidery, Wyatt’s drawings and colored pencils and paper spread out everywhere, Billy’s leatherworking and painting. I picked up a free puzzle at the library yesterday as well, so we may try that this week too.

We do still watch television though, don’t get me wrong. And I still do scroll and read the internet and watch YouTube videos. Just not as much. I think today we are going to have a family art session and then watch The Phantom Tollbooth with Wyatt. He loved that book so much that I think he will like the movie as well.

I posted a few times last week as well!

Top Ten Tuesday: Green Covers

Wednesday Morning Coffee Catch Up

Mini Book Reviews and a DNF: The Hounding, Daisies for Innocence, La Vie, and A Bit Much

In-Betweens:

Things sort of began to fall into a routine again last week. I am a creature of routine, and it was good to find a new rhythm. I got the few last loose ends for my mom tied up, and now we just work on getting her recovered. Wyatt and I also did some book shopping and refreshed our Little Free Library from the library book sale. On Wednesday last week my husband also gave me orders to take it easy, so I had fun with all of my various hobbies and hanging out with Wyatt playing. It was a much needed rest day. I wrote a few letters to pen pals, experimented a bit with watercolor, worked on my journals – I have my reading journal and my whatever journal that I am playing around with.

I also made it through my Super Tuesday! It was a tough one, ten wheelchair/car transfers y’all with my little guy, and I was whipped. That was one reason Billy insisted on me resting on Wednesday, and like I said, he was so right. But we got a lot of good stuff done.

I’ll leave you with some randoms from my phone – beware, there will probably be lots of photos of Max and Mouse!

And with that, I will leave you for today. I hope that whatever you do, that you do something that makes you smile!

Mini Book Reviews and a DNF: La Vie, The Hounding, A Bit Much, Daisies for Innocence

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn Uncategorized13 Comments

It’s time for mini book reviews again! I like to do them in groups of three, although today I have a DNF to talk about it too.

Let’s actually start with that one.

The Hounding. I feel like this book has some really important things to say, that it addresses important themes, and is cleverly done. However, it was too grim, bleak, and at times too violent for me. As I was reading it I kept thinking it reminded me of The Virgin Suicides and of the witch hunts, and after I decided I wasn’t reading it anymore I went online to read more about it, where I learned that it has been compared to them both many times. I do think it has a lot to offer but I am not able to read it, at least right now.

La Vie. I always love a book by John Lewis-Stempel. His books are all nonfiction, generally nature nonfiction, and set in England. This one differed as it took place in rural France instead, after he and his wife decided to move there and farm for a change of pace. He was hobby farming, or more farming for the benefit of his family, instead of commercially farming and this book was very charming. It had some sad parts, but mostly happy little vignettes of their farm life in France. It reminded me of A Year in Provence but with more focus on farming and nature, obviously. And, it is another one I can count toward the nonfiction challenge! I already have a few memoirs so it doesn’t fit into a new category but as I am aiming for nonfiction nibbler I don’t need to always stick to categories.

A Bit Much. This book of poetry by Lyndsay Rush was amazing. The way I devoured this book of poetry this week! I’ve had some hard weeks, and honestly this book has helped me along, a poem here, a poem there. I shared so many with my friends as well, snapping a pic and sending it along with entreaties that they need to pick this book up. It is going on my must by list!

I had so many favorites but the standouts for me are Be St Fri Ends, Hysterical, Easy Breezy Lemon Squeezy, Cracks of Light, and Reassurances to Save for a Rainy Day.

Now I will say the same to you that I said to my besties – go find this book and read it. And follow Lyndsay Rush @maryoliversdrunkcousin on Instagram.

Daisies for Innocence. I love a good cozy mystery and I absolutely loved this one. The MC owns an aromatherapy shop, and she blends her own scents and recipes. Like The Good Witch, she has a knack or gift as well for knowing what people need, so there is a bit of a supernatural, or enchanted, element in this book too, another feature I love. And, of course, her corgi Dash. I love a corgi. It made me think of spring and flowers and walks outside, and had a good solid mystery as well. I liked it so much, I requested the second one from the library already!

And that is it from me here! Have you read any of these?

Also linking this up with the nonfiction reading challenge hosted by Shelleyrae at Book’d Out!

Books, Screens, and In-Betweens

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn Uncategorized22 Comments

I am linking up with Deb at Readerbuzz,  Kathryn at Book Date, and  Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer.

Hello everyone! Just when we thought winter was ending, we got a fresh layer of snow. Sigh. More than the snow, I am ready for the germs everywhere to disappear for the season! Michigan is still at a high level for flu, and it has been holding steady for two months. We actually had to cancel our skating trip because all but two kids are sick! (and knock on wood they stay well!)

Books:

Last week I read two books!

Everyone is Lying to You is a library book I got in one of those blind date with a book things. I absolutely loved it and could not stop reading it.

The Amberglow Candy Store… not as much. It was very sweet (lol) but it read very young. I actually went and looked to see if it was a middle grade book but it is not. It was not a bad read, but I didn’t love it. I do love this cover though!

This week I am not sure what I am reading. I do have a few I am thinking about.

I am also anxiously awaiting a hold I placed on a book of poetry by Lyndsay Rush, who is showing up for me everywhere the last few days. She was on a vlog I watched, she was quoted in the book Everyone is Lying to You, and then she popped up on another person’s Instagram who I follow. I would buy the book but I like to use the library first, plus Billy and I are trying to do a no spend month. Well, we are buying groceries and necessities but nothing just for fun or because we want it. We have a million birthdays this month and want to stay on budget.

Screens:

In between the Olympics, Billy and I watched The Burbs tv show. We both really loved it! Then Friday night we started watching the Netflix series Death by Lightning, which is fabulous. The cast is amazing – Michael Shannon, Nick Offerman, Betty Gilpin, Matthew MacFadyen – so many great actors. It is about James Garfield and his assassin Charles Guiteau, and it begins by saying that these two and their lives have been lost to history. That we have forgotten who they are, and their stories. I feel like I am learning so much, and I want to read the book that the series is based on by Candice Millard called Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine and the Murder of a President. Billy and I have also talked about taking a road trip out to Garfield’s farm in the spring. I love when a show or a book brings history to life, and sparks a new interest. So far I highly recommend it, although we are only two episodes in out of a four part series. Was Chester A. Arthur also so rough and uncouth? I need to know! Just a note: There is swearing in this trailer.

In-Betweens:

Well, I mentioned we had to cancel our skating trip which was a bummer. I know the kids were excited; it stinks that the majority of the families got sick. We do have another outing coming up in a few weeks, to a maple sugar farm. Orchard?

I don’t have too much else to add! I just did my Friday Coffee Catch Up a few days ago and yesterday we spent catching up on things. I did have a nice chat with Lisa and Cat from Cat’s Wire during our crafternoon, which was a nice break in the day. I didn’t end up crafting at all, since I had a sleeping cat on my lap.

I did post a few times last week:

Top Ten Tuesday: Books for the Armchair Traveler

Friday Morning Coffee Catch Up

And, I think that is it from me today! I hope that you all stay safe and healthy!

Books, Screens, and In-Betweens

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn Uncategorized25 Comments

I am linking up with Deb at Readerbuzz,  Kathryn at Book Date, and  Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer.

Hello everyone! Last week was yucky week! We all ended up with Covid. It was thankfully mild but we were still all super tired. We are feeling back to normal now though thank goodness!

Books:

While I was sick, I didn’t really feel like reading until I started feeling better. I did enjoy reading through Vivian Swift’s When Wanderers Cease to Roam, which was perfect. It was easy to read through, lots of pictures, and cheery. I am only halfway through it, but the chapters on the spring months were giving me life! About midweek I felt like reading again, and I ended up finishing two books.

I am really enjoying my slow “wander” through Swift’s book. Right now I am using it to get through these last dregs of winter, reading about all the seasons we have to look forward to, but I ended up buying a copy from Pango so that I can revisit it monthly or seasonally when I want to in the future.

The Cater Street Hangman is from a book series I used to read like crazy years and years ago. I often go back to it when I am not feeling well or need a comfort read.

And finally, A Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping was delightful!! I absolutely loved it. Also another buy from Pango. I also sell on Pango, and one feature of it is that you can earn Pango bucks. You can either have the money you make sent to your actual bank account, or you can choose to keep it on Pango and use it to buy more books. That is generally what I do.

Screens:

Well, I didn’t read much last week but I did watch television. We watched a lot of Olympics. I have such warm and fuzzy feelings about watching the Olympics with my mom as a little girl. It was always so exciting and such an event, especially when we knew figure skating would be on. We would sit under blankets on the couch with our cups of tea and watch all of the skaters. Such good memories. I wanted to make some of these with Wyatt too, but he wasn’t as interested in figure skating. However, he does like to watch moguls and snowboarding. We are watching everything we can, but those are his favorites. Our kittens like to watch too, which cracks me up. They really like the luge and bobsledding, but Mouse was riveted by snowboarding the other day.

We are also watching the tv show The Burbs, and we are both really enjoying it! It is like the perfect mix of mystery and thriller, as well as a comedy. I need to rewatch the movie again now.

Julia Duffy, who will always be Stephanie from Newhart to me, is on it, and she is my favorite character, but I do also really love Tod, who is played by Mark Proskch, or Colin from What We Do in the Shadows. He was hilarious in that, and plays a similar type character in The Burbs. Justin Kirk is also great in this so far, but again, I also loved him in another show, Weeds.

Last week on my blog, I posted:

In Our Homeschool

Friday Afternoon Coffee Catch Up, Minus the Coffee

Wednesday Morning Coffee (Covid) Catch Up

A Cozy Little Life: A Look at Book Journaling

In-Betweens:

Not too much, since we were sick, and I mainly blogged about everything else in my coffee catch up posts, except Valentine’s Day! Billy and I went for a walk and saw the sunset, with our Starbucks teas in hand, lol, and then we came home and he made us all pancakes with strawberry compote that he made himself, because I had weirdly decided I wanted those for some reason earlier in the week. They were delicious and we all loved them!

The kittens go in for their spay and neuter and surgeries tomorrow morning. I will miss them scampering and stampeding around the house while they are gone, and I will worry as well. My poor babies. It’s always so hard, isn’t it? We had our Blackbirds meeting last week, which was a lot of fun, and then this week our Blackbirds are going to a skating event I arranged. I am nervous about that as well! I want Wyatt to have all the experiences that he can though, so I will muster through it. This skating loop has an ice skating sled, that he can sit on and be pushed. There is also a cabana that we rented, a bonfire, and there is a restaurant that serves pizza. It will be fun although I will be a nervous mama until it is over.

And with that, I hope that all of you have a great day, and do something that makes you smile, even if it is something small!

A Cozy Little Life: A Look at Book Journaling

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn Uncategorized18 Comments

Hello everyone!! I am having a slow morning this morning, and it felt like the perfect time for this post.

For the past year I have been keeping a reading journal and “annotating” books, and I have gotten a few comments and questions about it all. I was inspired by a couple of different vloggers on YouTube: Elizabeth at The Plant Based Bride, Cups and Thoughts, and Katie is Reading.

Now all of these vloggers have much more involved and creative setups than I do, and also annotate quite a bit more than I do, but I wanted to share their setups and also Elizabeth’s annotation video as examples of how amazing this can all be, and how detailed you can get. Maybe one day I will be at their level but for now I am happy with what I am doing. It brings me joy and makes me happy and that is what matters. Do I sometimes start pages over, or rethink what I am doing? Yes, I do, but I also don’t compare what I do to these vloggers. For one, I don’t have nearly the number of supplies that they do, and I don’t think that matters. I think if you want to do this, you just need some sort of journal or notebook, maybe some markers, and if you feel the need for more, you can even check the dollar store near you. Ours has started carrying crafting supplies, including stickers and washi tape. Some of you might have a lot of supplies at home already. Whatever you have, you can do this. If you have a printer, you could print book covers, or different images. You could go old school and cut pictures out of old magazines even. The important part is to have FUN!

As far as my reading journal goes, I have a few sticker collections that I have picked up, and markers (that don’t bleed) and just regular journals that I got off Amazon. I did recently purchase some winter washi tape, and I am also using all of these items with my letter writing as well! I am slowly adding to my supplies, but like I said it is not something you need to run out and stock up on unless you want to.

These are just some examples of different pages I did for books I have read. Some are mainly quotes, others I have written more in depth thoughts and questions I had about the book.

As far as annotating, I am not that critical nor do I make that many notes in the book itself. My method is to just flag the passage or quote that I like, and when I finish reading, I look back through, and write my thoughts down from there, or not. If you watch Elizabeth’s video though, she has a fantastic video chock full of information about annotating. She is one of the vloggers I watch who actually challenges me to read more critically. I feel smarter after watching her book vlogs, honestly. They remind me of being back in my literature classes in college, and as a lit minor, I had a lot of those!

So I know I said you don’t need to buy stuff if you don’t want to, but I wanted to share some supplies in case you are interested in what I have around and use.

This section contains Amazon Affiliate links and I would receive a small commission if you were to purchase something.

Version 1.0.0

Blank Notebook || Peter Pauper Press Stickers (they have so many and they are so cute!) || Winter Washi Tape || Winter Stickers || Markers

However you choose to do this, if you do, just remember, it is all about fun and relaxing, not comparison to others or having all the things.

And that is it from me today! I hope that whatever you do, you do something that makes you smile!

Books, Screens, and In-Betweens

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn Uncategorized31 Comments

Hello everyone! I am writing this morning surrounded by jumping, bouncing zooming kittens, a sleeping cat, and a chatty little boy. I have already consumed two cups of coffee, which is my limit, but I could use another one to keep up with most of this crowd today.

It was a pretty slow, lazy week again. The cold is just keeping us inside right now. We are doing our best though!

Books:

Last week I read Secret Nights and Northern Lights which was a light easy read. I’d been reading a lot of moody winter books and I needed a bit of a shake up. This book was the antidote I needed!

I am still debating what I want to read this week. Do I want something light again? Something wintry? I am picking this one up from the library tomorrow, and I am pretty sure that is the one I am going to start. I learned about it over at Jeanie’s blog, Marmalade Gypsy and she loves it so much I had to look for it. Way to go my library! It has had all sorts of books that are older and out of print that I have been looking for this year. Never change, library.

I am also in the mood for something scary, or a ghost story. I need to look for one while I am at the library.

Screens:

This week Billy and I reunited with our old friends Ruth, Peter, and Alex, and watched Wartime Farm for the millionth time. We also watched Victorian Bakers, which wasn’t as good as the farm shows, but it was still very good. It also had the added bonus of making us want to bake bread. And eat bread.

Last week I posted a few times.

Top Ten Tuesday: Bookish Discoveries

Coffee Catch Up

Mini Book Reviews

I’m playing with my little designs. Do I want one design for all, different? I will keep playing. I enjoy fiddling around with Canva anyway. Lol.

In-Betweens:

I got my first snail mail letter last week! Thank you Tina! I mailed one back to you – I was going to email and tell you then felt like that was silly. And now here I am posting it on my blog! LOL. I will get the hang of this eventually.

I also sent out a few other snail mail letters while I was at it, to the pen pals I have picked up from the Analog Life Project, and Wyatt sent one to his friend Little Miss, Lisa’s daughter.

I am really enjoying letter writing! And of course, picking out stationery.

Around the Internets:

Lisa at Boondock Ramblings and I host a monthly bookish link party called A Good Book and A Cup of Tea.  This link-up is for book and reading posts or anything related to books and reading (even movies based on books!). Each link party will be open for a month. You can find that link up for this month here. I was a very poor co-host this month as I was doing some life re-organizing and I am still catching up on some things.

And a kitten pic to end this post.

And that is it from me today! I hope that whatever you do today, you do something that makes you smile!

Mini Book Reviews: The Lady on Esplanade, Stillmeadow and Sugarbridge, While the Earth Holds Its Breath, Secret Nights and Northern Lights

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn Uncategorized12 Comments

Hello everyone! I try to write mini-book reviews every three or four books and it is time to share again.

The Lady on Esplanade by Karen White: I really enjoy this series! It has so much that I love all in one book, from New Orleans to hold houses and historic preservation to ghost stories and a long arcing mystery that goes back to Hurricane Katrina. This one was no exception, and really brought all of those wonderful things into play. I was even freaked out a few times! There is one aspect to this series that I don’t enjoy though, and it is the very messy romances. I really wish they would resolve because it detracts from my enjoyment of reading these. Otherwise, this series is really a lot of fun!

In the Lady on Esplanade, Nola and her crew are beginning the new endeavor of flipping murder houses, and the house they are currently working on is a doozy, and includes…a doll. You guys, I am totally creeped out by dolls! I know so many people love them but there is something so uncanny about them, and they give me the weirds. This one almost gave me nightmares! The mystery unravels slowly and I really enjoyed the very climatic ending! However, those romances..not it.

Stillmeadow and Sugarbridge by Gladys Taber and Barbara Webster: I have gushed all month over this book. It is a collection of letters between two friends, where they just chat together about their lives. Their dogs, horses, gardens, literature, children, and it was a wonderful journey through a year of their friendship. When I finished this book, I was sad. I didn’t want to leave these ladies and their stories to each other. I am so glad that our library system has access to many books by Taber, so that I can read more.

Two quotes that I loved, out of a million quotes that I loved.

“I never feel any older, that much I know. I hope I feel wiser and more tolerant and more full of loving kindness.”

“And the eye that has seen the wild dark beauty in the gaze of a fox is never going to be impressed by a diamond clip.”

While the Earth Holds Its Breath by Helen Moat: This book was pretty good, but I didn’t fall in love with it as I had imagined I would. Maybe this is because I already love winter, and I don’t need to learn how to embrace it. I did enjoy reading about Moat’s experiences, the walks she took, her travels. I think that is another thing – I expected more travel. However, a lot of this book takes place during all of the lockdowns of the pandemic, so Moat is also learning to love winter and cold and damp while having to stay close to home.

“The steaming crumble was hygge in a bowl. No self-respecting Scandinavian or Northern European would ever think of dieting in winter. Food is comfort against cold and dark.”

Secret Nights and Northern Lights by Megan Oliver: I absolutely had to read this book. I dream of a trip to Iceland to see the Northern Lights one day. It just seems like one of the most magical things I could ever do. So of course I wanted to read this book set in the land of Fire and Ice!

This is a second chance romance, which was absolutely adorable. Mona and Ben have history, that goes way way back. Like all the way to kindergarten when they became friends. They bumble through trying to work together and navigating their feelings after being reunited after fourteen years, and they ultimately end up finding themselves as they learn who each grew up to be. It has cute moments, funny moments, tender moments, and yes, spicy moments. Not closed door, and there is swearing too if that bothers you. I really liked this debut romance by Oliver, and I will be looking for more in the future!

And I can add two of these to my total for the Nonfiction Book Challenge hosted by Book’d Out!

Top Ten Tuesday: Bookish Discoveries

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn Uncategorized39 Comments

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl

Today’s Prompt:  Bookish Discoveries I Made in 2025 (New-to-you authors you discovered, new genres you learned you like, new bookish resources you found, friends you made, local bookshops you found, a book club you joined, etc.)

Hello everyone! Happy Tuesday!

Let’s just get into it shall we?

Let’s start with Crafternoon! Crafternoon is a zoom event that I co-host with Lisa @ Boondock Ramblings where we meet up with fellow bloggers that we have met online by visiting their bookish blogs, and we talk about whatever while we craft. I always have a lot of fun catching up with everyone.

Next up is my reading journal. I loved keeping a fun reading journal of the books I read. I add quotes and my thoughts, stickers, and what not to it. I love doing it and I love looking back through it too.

Then there are my monthly outings with Wyatt, for books and coffee and cookies (although he doesn’t drink any coffee, he drinks hot chocolate)

We haven’t been able to do lately – in December we both were sick, and then this month it has been too cold! Hopefully we can get out and go in February!!

I also had a book outing with my cousin! He took me to Sip and Read in Detroit for my birthday, and treated me to a glass of wine and a book. We had such a great time and we need to go again soon. My treat this time!

We also went to a book festival in Toldeo, Oh last year, and had a great time. We met up with my cousin and his family. His son and his wife are big readers too. We had a blast!!

Ok this next one, I am not sure if it counts but I am counting it. Billy and I went on a date to theatrical Poe evening. It was amazing. There were a few readings from Poe and it was very atmospheric. I had so much fun!

Last year I also started reading more translated fiction that wasn’t Japanese or Korean. I read Of Salt and Shore, which is Dutch, as well as Seacrow Island which is Swedish.

I almost forgot our Little Free Library! We built a Little Free Library this year, to cheer Wyatt up during his surgery. He loves going out and checking the books. It is really a lot of fun for all of us.

And I think (?) that is everything!

I hope that whatever you do today, you do something that makes you smile!