Since moving to MD I‘ve become a little obsessed with learning more about Minty Ross or as we know her, Harriet Tubman. Tubman was born on the eastern shores of MD & a significant portion of the Underground Railroad runs through the area. This book explores Tubman & other Black women that were spiritual leaders in the early 1800s. Tubman had visions which researchers now attribute to seizures she most likely suffered after her head injury.

Listened to this one over audio, narrated by the author. Bishop has lead an extraordinary life. Her story was so interesting to listen to.

Vera is always fun to listen to. Fun to listen to on audio. Love how Vera continues to find ways to bring people together. The story brings up the difficult topic of human trafficking. I do appreciate that the author highlights real & hard subjects.

The book is based on a photograph brought to the Holocaust Museum in DC. There were so many important & sad points made throughout the book. There are so many people & families that were murdered that historians feel that they still don‘t have the full story. That there has been so much whitewashing & pushback on researchers. Making it difficult to access archives or digger further into the past. My grandmothers family left Poland in the early

#wdncw that we have a horrible cold & I‘ve totally taken advantage of reducing my parenting duties. When my kids were younger I‘d keep pushing through when I felt horrible. I felt like I needed to still do everything (not to mention my husband was in grad school or postdoc & working 50- 60 hours a week). In the last year or two I‘ve realized that I don‘t have to do everything when I‘m sick. I have a capable partner. Tonight I didn‘t cook dinner

Interesting article by Ta-Nehisi Coates for Vanity Fair. “Words are not violence, nor are they powerless.” https://www.vanityfair.com/news/story/charlie-kirk-ezra-klein-tanehisi-coates?s=...

A page on Threads, Whiteness Studies, has listed several important books that are very relevant to our current timeline. I have a few & read a few but found many new ones to read. Linking list if anyone is interested. It links to a Black owned bookstore. https://shop.mrwelltravelled.com/collections/whiteness-studies #antifabookclub

John Grisham is writing a new NF book (out 6/9/2026) about the case of Robert Roberson. He‘s an Autistic man (diagnosed after his conviction) on death row in Texas. The Autism Society of Texas is having a discussion coming up. Our jails make up too many people with developmental or mental health disorders. As a mom of an Autistic child & kids with mental health conditions it‘s terrifying to dwell on the police/prison complex in this country.

#readingispolitical #fightfacism #Fthepatriarchy #FRacism #readmore

#Shero I can‘t imagine what it was like for her to know that 6 of her fellow justices basically crapped all over the 14th Amendment today. For her as a Latina woman to know the racism that is permeating in the halls of the Supreme Court. It‘s just sickening. #ranttime

#ranttime ugh, I mean seriously. How to say you‘re racist without explicitly stating you‘re a racist. Someone on Threads was saying we all need to go around shouting our old high school Spanish phrases to confuse them. My favorite always has been, “Por favor, donde esta La biblioteca?” #FRacism Someone also said that years from now John Roberts SC decisions will be seen along the same lines of Roger Taney & Dred Scott.

Listened on audio, narrated by the author. I always enjoy listening to these retelling of women in Greek mythology. I always love how sometimes as Haynes is reading she sounds like an exhausted woman, like seriously why are we still having to fight these fights…like a majority of women do. I love the authors perspective (my 10 year old would love them too but she needs to get a little older, she loves mythology & definitely want her to gain a more

My mom & I went to the National Bool Festival in DC today. It was our first time going. It was amazing but a bit overwhelming. We walked around some, bought a ton of books. I was able to get a book signed by Joy Harjo, which was amazing. I had hoped to get more books signed but my mom was done earlier than expected. Still a good day, not sure if huge book festivals are my thing.

“Ableism robs us of our ability to see disabled possibilities, even ones that might be relatively small.” The book is an honest & brutal collection of essays about what it is like, particularly in the US, to live a disabled life. The disability community has to constantly fight to have equal access to services, rights. The book highlights the struggles that the disability community dealt with during the pandemic. Ableism continues to be pervasive

“Young girls been having babies as long as there was babies to have. Meaning, forever. Not even a hundred years ago, nobody woulda batted an eye at me and my children, but things had changed. Somewhere along the walk of history, somebody decided we was a transgression to all things good and pure, and ever since then, despite the fact there‘s less of us now than there was a decade ago, politicians and pastors and regular folk always talking about

The Baltimore Museum of Art announced today that they will be showing Amy Sherald‘s American Sublime exhibit from November 2-April. This was the exhibit that she pulled from the National Gallery of Art since she feared censorship. I‘m happy that I‘ll still have the opportunity to get to see this exhibit. https://artbma.org/exhibition/amy-sherald-american-sublime

#wdncw that it only the 3rd day of September & have already baked the first batch of pumpkin muffins. Plus #wdncw that we bought 2 containers of chocolate cupcakes from Costco. It‘s my middle child‘s birthday, which is why I bought the cupcakes he requested. I bought 2 because my kids will demolish them quickly & sometimes you just need a decent chocolate cupcake…that I didn‘t have to bake.

“In America‘s criminal justice system, survivors become background characters to a story that is actually about us-our lives, our bodies, our dignity…Victims are erased from their own narratives.” Nguyen‘s story is about how she fought to make sure that women‘s rape kits are not thrown away while women take the time to decide if they want to pursue justice. She talks about the odds stacked against women to get convictions against their rapist. She

Someone learned a new science word & is flashing it around like he knows what it is. You can‘t see mitochondrial disorders. I don‘t know what he‘s trying to imply. Mitochondrial disorders are not very common (I worked with a handful of kids in early intervention that had these disorders & I worked with the medically complicated kids at Duke). I really wish the news would ask him to define what a mitochondrial challenge looks like. Also how

#wdncw when we say that what happened today & happens too many times across the US is because too many spineless politicians continue to accept money from the NRA & other PACs to stop any real legislation to that would stop children from being massacred. They offer their “thoughts & prayers” but no real solutions. They will continue to accept the blood money & do things like blame it on mental health (meanwhile defunding mental health resources

One of those books that is highly relevant to today & the continued fight for voting rights. The book tells the story of several key people that fought against racism & white supremacy to bring voting rights to Black citizens of SC. Their model was used throughout the south to enshrine voting rights that many were denied for too long. As we see with gerrymandering today, people who are in power are fearful when people can use their vote.

Knopf publishing announced yesterday that they will be releasing a book written by Virginia Guiffre (with journalist Amy Wallace). The book will be released on October 21st. Knopf has also said that the current president is not mentioned in the book. https://people.com/virginia-roberts-giuffre-to-publish-posthumous-memoir-nobodys...

We took our kids on one last summer adventure to Harper‘s Ferry National Park. I surprisingly did not buy a book at the bookstore but did buy a new puzzle (which are just as addicting). We have been on a mission to continue to take our kids to museums & historical sites as the current administration threatens to white wash American history. Plus supporting our National Parks. Definitely need to go back in the fall when the leaves are changing.

I love listening to Stanley Tucci talk. I loved his story on getting kids ready. I feel the same way, why am I having to repeat the same thing every day, year after year. He says what all parents are thinking. Of course his discussions about meals made me hungry (why I made minestrone soup, luckily it‘s cool in MD tonight). I‘m not as adventurous as he is in his food selections (no rabbit for me), but it did make me want to try some new recipes.

That was the most intense 20 minutes trying to secure at least 2 tickets (was trying to get 4). RL Stine is coming to Frederick, MD at the end of October to do a reading & then book signing (through our public library). The site kept crashing. I somehow got through but tickets sold out in 20 minutes. Happy that I was lucky enough to get 2. Phew

“Never underestimate the power of a girl with a book, she becomes a woman who votes.” Ruth Bader Ginsburg (pie photo is from Pieladybooks on IG).

#wdncw #realhistory I don‘t know who needs to hear this or be reminded but slavery was bad. There should be no debating about this. Talking about it is not “woke.” It was a pure evil system. If you‘re on the side of saying it wasn‘t that bad you‘re either a N—i or White Suprem@cist. You clearly need to re-evaluate your understanding of history. Denying the telling of people‘s history/experiences doesn‘t mean it didn‘t happen.

The Library of Congress released the times of talks & book signings last week. I‘m planning on going as of right now. Hopefully the current occupier of the WH ends his authoritarian take over of DC. https://www.loc.gov/events/2025-national-book-festival/

Today is the 102nd anniversary of the ratification of the 19th amendment. As the occupier in chief & many others are trying to disenfranchise many. It‘s important to remember all those women who fought hard for our right to vote (they were not perfect & were not intersectional feminists). If our vote wasn‘t so important they wouldn‘t constantly be trying to take it away. #resist

Not that I need more books but I couldn‘t pass up the B&N 50% off hardcover sale. These are few books that I‘ve wanted to get. It was my birthday earlier this week, so I‘m counting it as a birthday treat. The top book is for my daughter. Tiffany MacDaniel wrote a children‘s series. My daughter is obsessed with Wednesday & figured this series may interest her 🤞🏻 (I love MacDaniel‘s books).

The last few years I‘ve stepped back from reading about WWII because it felt so overdone. But with the rise of authoritarianism currently happening in the US it has pushed back to reading about that era. The 2 on the left I found at Hachette Books (I signed up for the newsletter & got a 20% off coupon). I have not been able to find “What We Knew” anywhere. The other 2 I found wondering around the bookstore.

✊🏿✊🏾✊🏽✊🏼✊🏻

#wdncw that this is going to be a political rant. I‘m so fed up with people like RFK & podcasters spreading misinformation & conspiracy theories about science. The shooting at the CDC the other day (150 bullets into 4 buildings, windows with bulletproof glass shattered) is horrifying. My husband works for NCI & I broke down crying to mom today because it hit me. I‘m terrified. His lab is on a secure military base but honestly will that even stop

Every day, all day (as it feels like we‘re on the 1,000 month of this administration). That & when I hear “breaking news” all I wonder is what ridiculous thing has the occupant of the WH said or done now.

My mom bought this for my oldest, so I read it before he took it. He‘s going back to RI soon for his senior year. He‘s studying Wildlife Biology & Conservation. He‘s become obsessed with birds. He‘s getting his applications ready for grad school. He wants to focus on birds (ducks or songbirds, still deciding, now that he‘s been reading about the research being done at different universities he‘s having a harder time narrowing it down). I learned

Update: we made it through our trip to Ohio with minimal MIL drama. My husband did find some closure since Lake Erie was a place that he spent a lot of time with his dad when he was younger. It was good to see family. My kids had fun going to Cedar Point. Other than my MIL handing me a pastry full of nuts (I have nut allergies, I‘ve know this woman for 30 years, you‘d think she‘d remember my life threatening allergy). Luckily I don‘t eat pastries.

Today is also the 60th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act. Every vote should count, everyone deserves to have their voice heard. It is vital to our democracy. As certain groups are trying to disenfranchise many groups it is imperative to continue to push back & fight for everyone‘s vote to count. Also F gerrymandering

#wdncw that I bought a new purse for the specific purpose of being able to put a book in there. Now I can be an introvert wherever I go. Or read books in public to anger people. I have plenty of totes (mine don‘t have zippers or a way to close them) but I specifically wanted a purse that could fit all my stuff but also a book.

“This word, hysteria, contains all the judgements and assumptions about female bodies that have existed for thousands of years.” Published in 2024, it‘s a good primer of gynecological health. The book covers basics to more complex concerns. The continued frustration that women‘s health concerns are still not taken seriously by some doctors. Women are still denied bodily autonomy & decisions regarding their gynecological health. Research is still

Happy 101st birthday to James Baldwin. His work is still so relevant to today‘s world. “It is very nearly impossible to become an educated person in a country so distrustful of the independent mind.” “The purpose of education…is to create in a person the ability to look at the world for himself, to make his own decisions.”

“The challenge is in the moment; the time is always now.”

One positive for Friday, the Senate Appropriations Committee rejected the administration‘s request to slash the NIH budget by 40% (by 26-3). Instead they added an additional $400 million to the NIH budget: $100 million to Alzheimer‘s, $150 million to cancer research, & $30 million to the office for Research of Women‘s Health. This is a huge win (still a process, but it was bipartisan) for medical research.

Tiffany McDaniel is one of my absolute favorite authors & have been anticipating her next book after the tagged book. I‘m trying to keep an open mind but I‘m a little disappointed her next book is going to be horror. I‘m not a fan of horror books, so this is more of a me issue. I‘ll have to see. But I figured I‘d let others know that are fans of her work (she posted this on IG).

“The trick is to never lose hope.”-Tupac Shakur I really loved this look into Tupac‘s life. The book is more about how his experiences in his life shaped the artist that he became. His mom was a Black Panther & Tupac was raised in NYC area. He was exposed to the Black Panther Party & Young Lords that shaped his view of capitalism, racism, sexism, the police state. His music spoke out against the things he felt were harming people

Page 188, loved this view of Joan‘s on the universe, our place in the universe & how everything is all tied together

“Happiness is so hard to come by. I don‘t understand why anyone would begrudge anyone else for managing to find some of it.” We watched the Sally Ride documentary on Disney+ & this story mirrored a lot of Sally‘s story. It definitely was all the 1980s vibes of the space program, smart women, the pushback on the LGBTQ+ community. Joan‘s sister was a bit much.

#wdncw that we are going to a memorial this weekend & none of us are wearing white. Backstory: my husband just found out last weekend in a text chain that he‘s in with his cousins/aunts/his mom that there is a memorial in Cedar Point, Ohio this weekend (we live jn MD). His mom called & told him about it. He said he wasn‘t sure about us going since it‘s so last minute. My MIL said she wasn‘t going & said his sister wasn‘t going either because she‘s

“What does a greater sense of freedom look like?” Marsha, “Freedom is me.” Good, easy to read memoir that highlights all of the social & disability justice movements that Marsha started or was actively involved in during her lifetime. I vaguely knew who she was from the Stonewall Riots. I‘m happy that I had the chance to learn more about her. She is not only an important figure in LGBTQ+ history but to US history as well.

Today is the 35th anniversary of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The current administration is minimize resources, funding, & supports to the disability community. The disability community is tired but will keep fighting as they always have for their rights. The disability community won‘t go silently. Disability rights are human rights. Disability rights are civil rights.

#ranttime I‘m so f‘n livid. Being homeless is not a crime. Drug addiction is not a crime. Mental health is not a crime. The current administration has just lumped 3 different issues into one. Criminalizing people with mental health disorders just puts them more at risk for being put in jail. As a mom of 3 neurodivergent kids this is horrific. This is going to make people more fearful to call for assistance if a person is having a mental health