The state of my desk right now scattered with my current reads.

12 y.o. Mallory is a people pleaser and avoids conflict as she struggles with the question of “Who am I?“ A self-portrait assignment parallels her confusion as she works on “patchwork pieces of a girl who had a million different words for who she was and still no face.“ With comic panels at the start of each chapter, a cause to help defend drag queen storytime from protesters, and a glitter cat, this is a fantastic MG book! Edgar approved.

Ready for the weekend!

This play was the perfect way to revisit a favorite. It was delightful to move from room to room watching as Jane Austen converses with her characters.

Edgar is buried deep in blankets during this morning's reading.

And that's a wrap. Still loving StoryGraph's monthly wrap up feature.

This cover arrested my attention immediately, and I then was intrigued by the following: her name is not her name, her father is not her father, her birthday is made up, and she spends her days editing Wikipedia entries. Overall, it's a pick - an enjoyable and interesting story - but there could have been more depth and character development.

Morning reading

I enjoyed this one and found it to be a bit Sally Rooney esque although I'm not typically a fan of using those comparisons. Okay Days didn't have quite the depth or emotional weight of Rooney's work but still enjoyable and satisfying read IMO.

It's a e-book day since this guy insists on cuddles. How can I say no to this face?

I enjoyed dipping in and out of this collection over the past week. A couple of essays just didn't generate my interest, and there were a few that stood out above the others; my favorite being Second Selves. Overall I found the book to be thought provoking and give it a pick.

AS King is YA surrealism at its best. Her newest novel is a deep dive into what domestic abuse is like from the inside. It's frank but handled with grace. And I loved seeing Jane's punk opera develop throughout the book.

In addition to the physical history, Roland also discusses how notebooks were used throughout history - in accounting, art, natural history, writing, etc. and various ways notebooks were perceived. I.e., in the 1200s when clergy refused to use anything other than parchment being suspicious of paper's novelty and its infidel and recycled origins: “one opponent fulminated against the idea that the word of God could be written on menses-stained rag.“

September wrap! I usually read a decent mix of genres across both fiction and non-fiction, but September was a heavy NF month with some solids picks too.

Free verse paired with stunning art to tell the stort of Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley

Coffee date with Lyndsay Rush's A Bit Much yesterday. Very relatable poems written with both sharpness and humor. Looking forward to continuing.

Captivating photo! I continue to enjoy slowly taking this volume in day by day.

This is a fantastic, fun spooky twist on the classic Goodnight Moon, and my nephew definitely approves!

I've been loving the StoryGraph's new monthly wrap-up feature. August was a crazy work month that really only left me with weekends for reading, but I got in some top notch books when time permitted.

“In a painting, I try to make some logic out of the world that has been given to me in chaos....“ -Grace Hartigan

This is a book about addiction, anxiety, grief, loneliness, rehab, recovery, and learning to give each other enough grace to talk about what's happening. I was absorbed in Bella's story, and it's a solid pick for me!

My 2 year old nephew loves Halloween and spooky books and has been demanding to be read them all summer. This Auntie is more than happy to add to his collection.

“The only way for a woman, as for a man, to find herself, to know herself as a person, is by creative work of her own.“ - Betty Friedan

I'm always nervous starting a highly anticipated book, but Sally Rooney did not disappoint. Character based and introspective, this novel explores themes of grief, relationships, sibling dynamics, and life (its meaning, how we create a life, and the question “Is it enough to simply be?“). Rooney deftly illustrates the frustrations of trying to be understood and understanding each other. (Release date 9/24/24)
And speaking of sibling dynamics 😺🐱

There's an elusiveness in Wyeth's art, a feeling of being suspended and detached - not quite present in any physical sense. I've been drawn to Andrew Wyeth's work since visiting Brandywine Museum of Art years ago and enjoyed reading more about Wyeth and his art.

Loving little moments with Patti Smith

“Christina loves animals - kitten are her whole world -and to watch her hold that little thing in that hand of hers - it was phenomenal. She to me is the essence of New England witchcraft. She has such knowledge of hardship and her being is so strong - to me she rules like a queen, absolutely.“ -Andrew Wyeth speaking of Christina Olsen; image is one of his paintings of her, Miss Olsen

Edgar helped make the beds and then promptly fell asleep. I dipped back into Rooney's Intermezzo. Only 20% in but am enjoying it so far.

Seren and I may have differing opinions on this one.
The setting: small town, post-industrial 1990's Scotland.
The story: adolescent Cora is trying to make sense of the world, her upbringing, her ADHD, and take some control of her life.
This is a new novel about grief, belonging, makeshift family, friendship, disability. With brilliant prose and such a real-feel, I look forward to more by Tom Newlands in the future.

Scored this ARC on Sunday and managed to squeeze in a little reading time before the crazy work week. Seriously cannot wait to dive in again!

NYT's 100 best books of the 21st century intrigued me. I've read 22 and have several others on my TBR list.

Lazy Sunday reading with Seren. Loving this one so far!

Wow. Not much love for this book, which I get. I found it to be an interesting exploration of a woman's sexuality and desires, how it led to the rethinking of herself and her life, and the question of “Who gets to speak and why...“. As Joan Hawkins' afterward states, it's a theoretical fiction vs a novel. Still I understand why it's not for everyone. It's a soft pick for me. I did have the best cuddle buddy while reading it.

Seren and I had mixed feelings on this debut novel. The premise interested me but the execution fell a bit flat.

“We suicide ourselves for our own survival. Is there any hope of dipping back into the past and circling round it like you can in art?“

perfect lazy weekend full of books, keeping cool, and affogato

Beautiful, meditative read about a bookshop owner and those around her making life changes to live fulfilled lives.

One of my dinner dates this week while traveling for work. Neil Gaiman is always a good choice, and this is one of my favorites.

“No, I meant why are books important? she said. Apart from that they‘re a pleasure? I said. Because, uh, because they‘re one of the ways we can imagine ourselves otherwise.“

Edgar is a great reading companion.

“I'd like to write a magic spell. When I finished writing it, I'd break into a million pieces. And you, too, when you finished reading, you'd break into a million pieces. A spell for shattering, so that everyone could live in the world of art.“

“Her pen had a heart inside, and the nib was wound in a vein. She stained the page with herself. She sometimes forgets what she wrote, save that it was true, and the writing hurt.“

Saw this in an Edinburgh museum and thought it was neat how books were made available to sailors & soldiers. “Sack for library books made available to sailors on board Royal Navy warships during the Second World War. To the right is a watercolour entitled 'Beachhead Library' This shows soldiers using a mobile library service during the Normandy campaign, 1944. Even on campaign, servicemen were provided with diversion during periods of inactivity.“

I had a delightful, quiet morning reading at a local cafe the last morning in London before setting off for the trek home. This book is excellent reading. Lots to take in.

Finished reading Daphne du Maurier's first book on the train today. While not my favorite du Maurier by far, I still enjoyed reading it.

Kazuo Ishiguro's collection of the lyrics of sixteen songs he wrote for Stacey Kent is lyrical and emotive. I enjoyed reading through these this morning before getting out of bed. As a bonus the ebook includes a link to the songs on Spotify/YouTube.

When you find a Daphne du Maurier not already read, you have to pick it up, right? I found this copy at a local shop in St Andrews the other day and decided I could fit it in my bag. 😉📚🎒🙄

Reading on the train to Glasgow. This book is excellent!

Welcoming slow mornings while on vacation with cafe visits full of reading. Picked up this book yesterday while at another local Edinburgh bookstore, The Lighthouse. I'm only 28 pages in but excellent so far.

“I would go so far as to say that the natural, proper, fitting shape of the novel might be that of a sack, a bag. A book holds words. Words hold things. They bear meanings. A novel is a medicine bundle, holding things in a particular, powerful relation to one another and to us.“