Book Review: The Names of All the Flowers by Melissa Valentine

Melissa and her brother Junior are tight-knit siblings at the tail-end of a large, chaotic family. Growing up in the 90s in Oakland, California, the parents of a Black mother from the South and a white Quaker father. Their mother works nights, sleeping during the day, and their father is a hoarder and the children… Continue reading Book Review: The Names of All the Flowers by Melissa Valentine

(Point Form) Book Review: Really Good, Actually by Monica Heisey

Really Good, Actually - Monica Heisey (HarperCollinsPublishersLtd., 2023) Point Form Book Reviews are my way of reviewing books that I don't necessarily have a lot to say about but still want to share a little on. So here are my thoughts on Really Good, Actually: I finished this about 2 weeks and I can't remember… Continue reading (Point Form) Book Review: Really Good, Actually by Monica Heisey

2024 Highlights: Olympic Peninsula

At the end of August, after I finished off my busy work period with the Writers Festival, we took one last family trip for the summer and headed across the border to the Olympic Peninsula. We've done several trips through Washington over the years but had yet to explore this area of the state. We… Continue reading 2024 Highlights: Olympic Peninsula

Book Review: The Coast Road by Alan Murrin

The Coast Road - Alan Murrin (HarperVia, 2024) I received an Advance Readers Copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own. Book is on sale now. Without quite intending to, I've found myself reading quite a bit of Irish writing this past year or so. I don't know if I can… Continue reading Book Review: The Coast Road by Alan Murrin

What I Read: August 2024

Read: The Fox Wife - Yangsze Choo (Henry Holt & Company, 2024) A Room of One's Own - Virginia Woolf (Penguin Modern Classics, 1975) In the Woods - Tana French (Penguin Books, 2017) The Likeness - Tana French ( Penguin Books, 2017) The Coast Road - Alan Murrin (Harper Via, 2024) Lifelines - Heidi Diehl… Continue reading What I Read: August 2024

2024 Highlights: Hotel Lake and More

We've reached that part of the summer when the end is beginning to appear in sight. I always have mixed feelings at this time of the year. I like the return to routine and the chance for new habits that September offers. But I love and will miss the freedom, fun, and warmth of summer… Continue reading 2024 Highlights: Hotel Lake and More

Book Review: The Fox Wife by Yangsze Choo

The Fox Wife - Yangsze Choo (Henry Holt & Company, 2024) It's so nice when you pick up a book expecting to enjoy it and it lives up to all of your expectations. I was very hopeful for The Fox Wife as it had a lot that gave it points in my mind: 1) Historical… Continue reading Book Review: The Fox Wife by Yangsze Choo

What I Read: July 2024

Read: God in the Dock - C.S. Lewis (Collins, 1979) The Whalebone Theatre - Joanna Quinn (Alfred A. Knopf, 2022) The Little Friend - Donna Tartt (Alfred A. Knopf, 2022) Grief is the Thing with Feathers - Max Porter (Graywolf Press, 2014) The Capital of Dreams - Heather O'Neill Did Not Finish: Santa Evita -… Continue reading What I Read: July 2024

2024 Highlights: Keats Island

Long time readers may have noticed that we make a trip to Keats Island every summer and it's a highlight every year. (Past years here.) We've been camping here as a family since before we even were a family. It's a little different every year and we learn better what works for us after every… Continue reading 2024 Highlights: Keats Island