November 2025 Reading Update

Posted on December 1, 2025 by Amy's Reflections

I read a number of excellent books again this month. I’m so glad my reading choices have improved this fall, since the first half of this year felt very MEH. This month I read:

  • Nothing Can Erase You by Michel Bussi – Last month I read and loved After the Crash by Bussi, so then I went back to his catalog to request more of his books from my library. I enjoyed this thriller almost as much. We meet Maddie and her son Esteban right before Esteban disappears. Maddie spends the next decade trying to figure out what happened to Esteban and having to convince the people around her that she isn’t crazy, especially when she moves to a town just because a young boy named Tom looks just like Esteban (but would be 10 years younger). This was a wild ride of twists and turns with lots of quirky characters.
  • Nobody’s Fool by Harlan Coben – I love Harlan Coben’s books and I’m always happy when I rediscover him and find new ones to read. The first book in this series was written in 2016 and I read it then, but didn’t realize the connection until after I finished this, which could be a standalone story. Our main character Kierce, kicked off the police force, is hired to help solve a very old kidnapping case in which he has a surprising connection from the past. Along the way, we learn about Kierce’s family, his past, and the family of the young girl who was kidnapped. There were a variety of twists in this, as well as some information hidden from us as the reader, but I enjoyed the entire ride!
  • The Black Wolf by Louise Penny – I love the Three Pines series and everything Louise Penny writes. This book was a continuation of book 19, the Grey Wolf. The message between the books being that there are grey wolves, which are good, and black wolves, which are evil. Armand and his crew stumbled upon a government conspiracy to poison the water in Montreal in book 19, and this book begins with the ramifications of their arrests, injuries, and them doubting whether they truly caught the right black wolf. Penny’s introduction says that she turned in this manuscript in September of 2024 and was shocked to see some of her plot in the news in 2025. What follows is an eery story that feels more like nonfiction than fiction, with connections between Canada and America, with leaders no one can trust, and plot lines reminiscent of Animal Farm and 1984, both of which are quoted a lot. This book SHOOK me. The writing was flawless and the characters were so human it hurt to watch them make mistakes, even as I cheered them on to keep going. This was a PHENOMENAL book, which is incredible when you realize it’s #20 in a long series!
  • The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath – This is my book club’s “classic read” for the year. Since I never read it, I was interested to read it, despite my hesitation with classics. Plath’s writing is very informal in tone and rich in details. The beginning of the book we are on a journey to NYC in the 1950’s with a young woman, Esther, who is selected as part of a magazine scholarship group for summer work and fun. Right away, Esther is different from the other young women in the group and much less interested in the fun they are having. The second part of the book is Esther’s fall into madness, with suicidal ideations long before there was a name for this. The book is dark, sad, and a vivid portrayal of deep depression and the failings of the mental health system back then.
  • I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy [audiobook] – When this book first came out, I hated the title and refused to read it on that principle alone. Over time, I heard good things about it from many people, including my cousin, who confirmed that the mother in this memoir is nothing like mine and wouldn’t bring up sad memories for me. Well, she was right about that, but it brought up other feelings. This memoir chronicles the life of a young girl whose imbalanced mother forces her to become an actress, to become anorexic, and other awkward and inappropriate situations that were described through the lens of a young child. The majority of the book was gross to me, espcially as it was told from a child’s point of view, with no reality checks or reflections until the very end of the book. This was a hard memoir to read with not a lot of impactful lessons. I didn’t enjoy the reading experience.
  • The Artist’s Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity by Julia Cameron – I’ve been reading a chapter a week from this book since early September, as part of the Secret Stuff book club with Laura Tremaine. I have also written morning pages and gone on artist dates, two key principles the author outlines in the book. Along the way, she provides concrete actions to take to unblock creativity, leaning into the fun and silliness of childhood and the importance of being disconnected and bored long enough to tap into your own creativity.
  • A Killer’s Wife by Victor Methos – This was a quick, fun mystery to read, that is first in a series that is new to me. in this book, we meet Yardley, whose husband, and the father of her teenage daugther, is on death row after being prosecuted for multiple murders. Just when she is moving on with her life, Yardley hit some significant bumps along the way. This story takes place in Las Vegas, in and out of courtrooms and jails, with many dark characters. Though I disliked almost all of the characters, especially most of the men, I enjoyed the fast-paced story and I will look into the rest of the series.
  • Animal Farm by George Orwell – I decided to read this very old classic because Louise Penny mentioned it and 1984, also by Orwell, so much in the last Gamache book. I have read 1984, but not Animal Farm, and she used both to illustrate governmental lessons of significance. This is a dystopian tale of a farm where the animals take over, chase off the humans, and create their own society. Everything is peaceful at first, but as the pigs become more powerful (they are the only literate animals on the farm), the rules keep changing, the blame keeps shifting, and the enemies are always responsible. This was written as a dystopian story mocking governmentla overreach, and it is scary how many similarities you can find to today’s political climate. Now we use terms like propoganda and gaslighting, but in Animal Farm, it was the literate pigs changing the commandments of the group. I’m glad I read this.
  • Drive Here and Devastate Me by Megan Falley – I bought this poetry book last summer, when Megan’s partner Andrea Gibson passed away after a long battle with cancer. Both Megan and Andrea are gifted poets, and known for their spoken word performances. I just watched the documentary about their love of life, each other and poetry, called Come See Me in the Good Light on Apple TV (must watch!). It was stunningly beautiful and simple and profound. Both of these people are gifted with words and their poetry is gorgeous.
  • Fifty Fifty by Steve Cavanaugh – I love this Eddie Flynn series! Eddie is a former con man turned lawyer, who will only defend innocent people.. In this story, he is defening Sofia against the charge of murdering her own father. Her sister Alexandra, is also on trial for the same charge at the same time. We know that one of the sisteres committed the crime, but it seems like we will never figure out the truth. This was a fast-paced court drama that came to an explosive conclusion!
  • Journey to Topaz by Yoshiko Uchida – While visiting a 6th grade class with a group of principals, we saw students just beginning to read this middle grade novel. Once one of my principal colleagues told me what it was about, I knew I needed to read it. This beautiful little book tells the story of one Japanese-American family in California and what happened to them, here in the U.S., right after Japan bombed Pearl Harbor. The father was immediately arrested and interned in Montana, while his family was forced to remain at home with no contact with anyone. Then they were relocated not once, but twice, until they, and all other Japanese families, were taken out of California. It’s a devastating part of American history that is a blib, if even mentioned in some history books. Told from a young girl’s eyes, it’s sweet and innocent and still hard to believe. This is an important story for more Americans to know and understand.
  • Sold on a Monday by Kristin McMorris – For some unknown reason, I have owned this e-book on my Kindle for years. I finally got around to reading it and it was a delightful historical fiction story. Set in the Depression era, a young journalist takes a photo of two children with a “children for sale” sign in front of them and stumbles into quite an adventure. The reporter, Ellis, is fighting for his own bylines, while a work friend, Lily, is doing the same but as a woman in a male-dominated field. Both Ellis and Lily have their own secrets that drive them towards success, but they come together to help children in need in this story. It was sad, sweet, fun, and depressing, and I enjoyed it all.
  • The Last Beekeeper by Pablo Cartaya [audiobook] – I found this middle grades story through my library, and was so happy to read yet another Climate Fiction story that takes place in the near future. In this traumatic story, humans have killed most living creatures and are trying to make technology the only thing of value for communication and survival. One young girl, Yolanda, is a gifted coder who uncovers family secrets related to the last known bee colony. Soon Yolanda and her friends are on a quest to save humanity from the evil taking over their world.
  • The Wasp Trap by Mark Edwards – This book takes place in a very tense dinner party, with flashbacks to a summer in 1999 when all of the dinner party guests lived and worked together on a dating app start-up. We are in the beautiful home of rich Georgina and Theo, and Will, Sophie, and the others are not sure what this reunion is all about. Quickly we learn that everyone has some secrets, some held since that summer in 1999. As bad things happen, we learn that each of these characters is less likeable than we thought. Without giving anything away, I enjoyed the fast-paced action, the twists, and the ending!
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October 2025 Reading Update

Posted on November 2, 2025 by Amy's Reflections

I finally read two 5 star books in a row and maybe my best read of 2025! Then I had some more 4+ star reads so this was probably my best reading month of the year. This month I read:

  • The Shell Seekers by Rosamunde Pilcher – After hearing Meredith rave about this old family saga from the 1980’s, which I can picture my mom reading in my childhood, I knew I wanted to read this. This is a beautiful novel, a sweeping family saga that tells the tales of multiple generations living in England in WWII and through the 1980’s. We follow Penelope from her childhood to old age, out of order, but through love and loss and war and dealing with her adult children. I loved her, and her friendships and love of her garden and artwork. I did NOT love her children (Noel and Nancy were awful and Olivia was good, but not great!) and I didn’t enjoy that the author painted Penelope as a very old woman, when she was in her early 60’s! The closer I get to that, the less old it feels. But I did love Penelope’s adventures and how she shared her love with those deserving it. I loved this book!
  • After the Crash by Michael Bussi – This is the second 5 start book I read this month, and maybe the best all year! I loved this fast-paced, thrilling story. After a tragic plane crash in the mountains of France, one 3 month old baby is found alive as the sole survivor. The only problem is that there were two families on board the flight with 3 month old babies. The relatives of the deceased parents fight for custody and since this begins in the 1980’s, there are no DNA tests readily available to determine the baby’s identiy. We follow the baby’s life and the dectetive who spends 18 years trying to track down the truth. This was such a great book!
  • 107 Days by Kamala Harris [audiobook] – Listening to Kamala Harris tell the story of the 107 days of her campaign for the presidency was beautiful and so depressing. Knowing the election results, it was so hard to hear her hope and all of the hard work her entire team put in, knowing they inherited an uphill battle. It was interesting to hear the way she tried to maintain respect for President Biden, even while hinting that his team shelved her for his entire presidency and didn’t do anything to support her. Kamala repeats a lot of her professional successes in both books; she is proud of her work and it is clear how few people knew all that she has accomplished. This is the second book I’ve read by Kamala and she is intelligent, detail-oriented, wise, mature, and fun. She would have been an incredible president.
  • Unreasonable Hospitality: The Remarkable Power of Giving People More than they Expect by Will Guidara – This nonfiction book primarily about a restaurant’s growth was a Secret Stuff book club pick, and nothing that I would have picked up on my own. However, I did waitress in my MUCH younger years, and I have family who work in the restaurant industry, and I found the entire story to be entertaining, educational, and inspiring, with lessons that go beyond restaurant management. The author, Will, outlines how he came to be the GM of Eleven Madison Park, in NYC, and how he and the new head chef decided to be full partners in the running of the restaurant. It is rare for the front and back of house to work that closely together, but these men forged a parntership intentionally to do something different. They worked incredibly hard to provide what they coined “unreasonable” hospitality, as they worked to gain better reviews, more stars, and to make it on the 50 Best Restaurants in the World list. They were creative, innovative, a bit crazy and wild, and fun! I appreciated when they began to work to make sure that each diner’s experience was unique and personalized, something that we want to do in schools as well, but which takes significant effort, research, time, and human capital. They invested in people and it paid off most of the time. I found this to be a fascinating read.
  • The Safari by Jaclyn Goldis – I found this book by chance at my library – I love random serendiptiy! In this story, we meet the Babel family in South Africa, at the luxury safari camp they own. Odelia, the rich mother, is about to marry her much younger, new boyfriend, and her three children are less than pleased about the wedding. Sam and Bailey, twin siblings, who both seem to be less than what their parents hoped they would be as young adults, while their older brother Joshua, is married with a beautiful wife and young baby, and works for the family company. Odelia’s best friend Gwen joins the group for the tense pre-wedding planning. When one of the guests is found murdered, the entire family is busy trying to hide their own secrets while figuring out what everyone else was lying about. This is a fast-paced thriller with so many suspects you have to read the very end to learn all the hidden stories.
  • Tilt by Emma Pattee – I heard this book recommended on the Currently Reading podcast and knew I would like it because it’s Climate Fiction, one of my favorite subgenres. We meet Annie, who is 9 months pregnant, while she is buying a crib in IKEA. When THE BIG ONE, as in a Northwest earthquake, strikes, we are with Annie has she travels, on foot, to find her husband. This is a slow, harrowing tale of her journey through disaster, but also her journey to acceptance of motherhood, and her own past grief issues. This was beautifully written and hauntingly readable.
  • I’m Mostly Here to Enjoy Myself: One Woman’s Pursuit of Pleasure in Paris by Glynnis MacNicol – I read MacNicol’s first memoir about grief and her mother’s death and really appreciated hearing life stories from a middle-aged woman who never married and never had kids. That part of my life is rarely represented in books so I appreciated it, even though her life is still very different than mine. This memoir is a prime example of that. In August, during COVID, she is able to leave NYC for a month to go life in Paris mainly because she misses human contact and knows the rules of France quarantine are different. She has other single female friends in Paris, she knows the city well, and she jumps into a French dating app and meets a range of men, many much younger than her 46 years of age. Because she is a free-lance writer, she was able to create this alternate life for herself. Because is more confident at her age, she makes no apologies for the joy of sex with strangers and the freedom of no attachements. She also muses a lot on life without a spouse and kids, and so many of those thoughts were wild to see in print, as I’ve had similar thoughts. I enjoyed this glimpse into her life.
  • The Incredibly Human Henson Blayze by Derrick Barnes [audiobook] – One of my reader work friends asked me if I read this book because she wanted to talk about it, so of course I had to read it. It was a hard book to read. Henson Blayze is a Black boy in Mississippi, an 8th grader whose entire town, made of mostly white people, is counting on him to help the high school football team finally win a season. The book begins with a graphic scene of two police men beating a young boy, but we don’t know who any of those characters are. Knowing that, I had a pit in my stomach through the entire book, waiting to learn what happened in that scene. The main story begins with Henson’s first day of school, where the entire town greets and cheers him on, ready to see him in action on the football field. Right from the beginning, it was clear to me that the townspeople only cared about his athletic abilities, and not him as a person. The racism is overt at first, and then explicit with significant exaggeration throughout the story. So many scenes were hard to read, as Henson was treated like an adult, but not quite human, by these greedy vicious people. Henson’s father and new friend Frida are the only bright lights in this rough story. I know this book was long-listed for the National Book Award. It is well-written and has a lot of lessons, but I wouldn’t hand it to a middle grades child. The saddest part to me is that my friend was looking for a good book for her middle grades son to read that had a Black boy protagonist and it is very hard to find a good book with a Black main character that does’t involve a lot of trauma and negativity.
  • Einstein’s Dreams by Alan Lightman – My friend and I were reminiscing about when we team-taught, and we used excerpts from this book with our middle school students. I hadn’t read the book in over 20 years, so I checked it out of my library for a reread. This is a collection of stories from the point of view of Einstein while contemplating time. In each chapter, something different happens with time: it goes backwards, it hops, it loops, it slows down when you are moving, it slows down the higher your altitude. In the stories, people are often chasing time, trying to capture their own memories, to hold on to their own best moments. It’s fun and whimsical and a great lesson on being present and savoring the here and now.
  • Radical Candor: How to get what you want by saying what you mean by Kim Scott [audiobook] – While looking for resources on how to give effective feedback, I stumbled upon a video clip of Kim Scott explaining her radical candor continuum. I loved it so much and I asked my boss if she had read the book. She had read it, and she loaned me her copy to read, which I did in tandem with the audiobook version. I appreciate how Kim shares a variety of stories from her time owning her own business, working at Google, at Apple, and in a variety of environments. I loved the quadrants of the design: ruinous empathy, manipulative insincerity, obnoxious aggression and radical candor. The examples made each quadrant clear from the perspective of giving feedback. Her first lesson for a “boss” is that a boss needs to first ask for feedback on their management before they can begin to build the relationship where they can give effective feedback. But that all bosses need to be giving regular feedback often, which is so important for growth. There were many great lessons to learn about managing people from this book.
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Daily Habits

Posted on November 1, 2025 by Amy's Reflections

I am a creature of habit. I am one of those people who sits in the same place in our conference room for our management meeting every month. My friend and I have a regular lunch place where they know us and our usual orders (well, they used to until the last time we went and we realized that all of our usual people had left their jobs!). When I find a routine that works for me, whether it is my morning routine or my cleaning schedule, I stick with it for a long time.

Throughout my lifetime I have adjusted my routines based on new habits, research, interests, or time needs. Over the last 15 months I have committed to daily meditation using the Calm App. I’m currently on a 189 day streak, and I’ve only missed 3 days in the last 460 days. It took a long time for this to become a daily habit and I am proud of the work I put in to create the habit. I do feel that I am able to use my breath for focus, attention, and calming when I need it, and my mind appreciates the work to slow down.

Another habit I have been working on for the last 2 months is daily writing. My book club has been doing a 3-month study of The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron. The goal of the book is to unlock creativity in whatever mode that might be for each person. I’m working on my writing as well as my photography. However, no matter what mode your artistic or creative side takes, everyone who follows the plan is expected to write 3 pages, handwritten, in a journal every day. These are called Morning Pages and are meant to help unblock stuck artists. The requirement is to fill the pages, even if you are just writing, “I have nothing to say” over and over again.

When I first began this, my hand would cramp up, because it wasn’t used to writing so much by hand. I purposely picked a journal that didn’t have big pages, so that my 3 pages a day would feel possible, and yet my hand needed a lot of coaching to continue in the beginning. Then my brain needed to learn to work with me. I have added Morning Pages into my morning routine, but you would be surprised how long it sometimes takes to fill up 3 whole pages. Some days I set a timer and just force myself to keep my hand moving no matter what. Other days I take time to reflect on what happened the previous day, and to write what my plans are for the day ahead. Once in awhile I have a great breakthrough, reflecting on a problem in a relationship or something I’ve been stuck on for awhile. Sometimes my handwriting is so sloppy I couldn’t read it if I tried! Only once so far has the book asked us to go back through our writing and reread, looking for common themes.

I find it valuable to reflect on my habits, because it’s good to give myself credit for the work I put in to create these habits and fun to look back and realize how far I’ve come. Building worthwhile habits takes times and is not always easy. I have other habits I’m trying to build, with less success so far, and habits that I have quit over time because the effort wasn’t worth my time. Knowing the reward you are getting from a habit is important for consistency and motivation. When looking for some tips or reminders, here are a few habit-building thoughts I stumbled upon:

  • 3 -3 -3: It takes 3 days to get through the initial difficulty, 3 weeks to make a habit a routine, and 3 months to make it a deep part of our lifestyle
  • 21-90: It takes 21 consecutive days to make a habit and 90 consecutive days to make it a lifestyle change
  • 4 laws: 1 Make it obvious 2 Make it attractive 3 Make it easy 4 Make it satisfying
  • 2 minute rule: Atomic Habits recommend starting with something that only takes 2 minutes
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Happy Birthday to The Coach ADVenture!

Posted on October 8, 2025 by Amy's Reflections

The Coach ADVenture: Building Powerful Instructional Leadership Skills that Impact Learning was published 6 years ago today – wow! It’s hard to believe that 7 years ago I was busy writing this book, combing through my blog posts and memories of instructional coaching, to tell the stories of two fictionalized educators learning to be stronger instructional leaders. No matter what position I have held over the last 27 years I’ve been an educator, being a coach feels like my purpose and my role. I love helping someone else be there best self, find the best way through a challenge, or help others in order to help more students LOVE learning.

I still believe in the power of instructional coaching, the importance of providing meaningful and authentic feedback, and the value of site and district leaders spending purposeful time in classrooms, where the incredibly hard and meaningful work of teaching and learning takes place. I still set a goal to visit every classroom in our district every school year. I still write personal messages to every teacher after I visit their classroom. Now, more than ever, teachers deserve so much love, respect, admiration, and support.

The Coach ADVenture: Building Powerful Instructional Leadership Skills that Impact Learning is available for purchase on Amazon (and cheaper than ever!).

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50 things I’ve loved in my 50 years

Posted on October 5, 2025 by Amy's Reflections

This post was inspired by Meg Tietz’s 48 things post. I turned 50 in September and spent a month truly leaning into this milestone. I believe that birthdays should be celebrated for however long you want and this year I wanted a full month of celebrating! Here is a list of 50 things I have loved in my first 50 years:

  • My mom, who gifted me my love of laughter, writing, music, and deep friendships
  • My dad, from whom I get my organized, early, Type A, reader personality
  • My brother, who is my opposite in many ways, my weekly cook, and, luckily, my friend too
  • New Kids on the Block
  • Learning the lyrics to every song I love, starting from taping songs like Pour Some Sugar on Me and We Didn’t Start the Fire off the radio and writing the lyrics on paper plates
  • Skiing with my family all over, and then getting college PE credit on the lamest mountain ever
  • Spain (all 5 times I’ve visited or lived there!)
  • Africa safaris (don’t make me pick a favorite animal!)
  • Galapagos adventures
  • Card games – from Oh Hell to Spades to Canasta to Blitz to 99 and more
  • Board games – don’t bring up how I used to cheat on Monopoly to my brother (he is still mad!)
  • Roller skating
  • Snorkeling
  • Sunsets
  • Sunflowers
  • Cats
  • My work
  • Writing – from letters to blog posts to journals and more, writing is a tool for reflection, for sharing, and staying in touch
  • Sea glass – I still remember the snowy day my dad and I collected over 100 pieces!
  • Reading
  • The Jersey Shore – Yelling “over” or “under” before each wave came with my Mom
  • Any beach any time
  • FaceTimes with my nephews
  • 1:1 dates with my nephews
  • Having all 4 of my grandparents alive and well for my entire childhood (and well beyond!)
  • Getting closer to my brother as we get older
  • Sleeping in
  • Early morning workouts
  • Peloton bike rides
  • Walks at the bay
  • Pool reading
  • Mojitos and Iced Tea and Gin & Tonic and crushed ice
  • Live concerts
  • Vacations and traveling
  • Coconut – the small, the taste, the tropic islands where they grow
  • My hardwood floors
  • The day I paid off my mortgage
  • Making M.A.S.H. notes in middle school
  • The Babysitter’s Club books and Ann M. Martin
  • My 80’s jean jacket
  • When Harry Met Sally
  • Meeting up with our CA cousins every other year at our grandparents’ house in Florida
  • The trip to Virginia Beach my other grandparents took me on when I was about 11.
  • Strawberry Shortcake dolls and Cabbage Patch Kids
  • Watching 90210 and Melrose Place in our college suite and waiting for the next week’s coming attractions with baited breath, to the point of ignoring fire alarms!
  • Riding bikes around Coronado, CA with out-of-town visitors
  • Playing Fusion Frenzy with friends until our sides ache from all of the laughter
  • Reading The Polar Express on Christmas Eve with my father and brother
  • The amazing friendships I have made with work colleagues at each of my jobs, and personal friends who are like family now
  • Sea turtles (and my tatoos!)

Thank you for indulging my joy as I walked down memory lane for my 50th birthday!

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September 2025 Reading Update

Posted on October 1, 2025 by Amy's Reflections

A busy month getting back into school mode, and a book club study of The Artist Way, which requires a lot of non-reading time, meant that I didn’t read as much as usual. This month I read:

  • Just for the Summer by Abby Jimenez – My friend Barb reminded me that this author does great romances that can double as fun beach reads, so I picked up this one specifically for my recent vacation. I loved the story! Justin and Emma meet online because they share the same curse – everyone that they each date ends up find their soulmate immediately after breaking up with Justin or Emma. They decide to meet and see if they can break their curses together. What starts as a fun joke quickly becomes so much more, as the two have instant chemistry and they each have a truckload of family baggage they are hiding/ carrying/ avoiding. I really liked these characters, along with Emma’s best friend Maddy, and Justin’s siblings. They were lovable and I was rooting for them to figure out their issues and find their way to each other for real.
  • The Boy in the Suitcase by Lene Kaaberbol, Agenete Friis [audiobook] – I heard the Currently Reading podcast recommend this book, so I was ready for a good crime story, and some Nordic Noir. This was VERY DARK. I wish I had read it in print, instead of on audio, because there were names from Denmark and from Lithuania that were unfamiliar to me, and which were confusing while listening. The story starts with our main character, Nina, finding a boy in a suitcase (hence the title). We follow Nina as she takes care of the boy and tries to figure out who he is and what happened. Through other timelines, we learn about many other characters that are connected to this boy, but we don’t understand until it all comes together in a fast-paced, tense ending. This was interesting and I’m curious about the rest of the series.
  • The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels by Janice Hallett – This entire story is told through emails and interview transcripts, as we follow Amanda’s quest to figure out the true story of the Alperton Angels. The angels were a cult that all died by group suicide while trying to kill the antichrist. The baby and the two youngest members escaped and were hidden away for decades by the time Amanda is trying to write a new book about the mystery. We follow Amanda’s interviews and emails as she pieces the story together, racing to beat the clock as many witnesses die as she gets closer. I loved this book!
  • Magnolia Wu Unfolds it All by Chanel Miller – I found this book in my library catalog after asking ChatGPT to help me find new middle grade books published in the last 1-2 years. Our teachers are always looking for new books to read with kids, or to add to their libraries, and we want well-written, quality novels with stories that have good lessons for children. This is a sweet story about Magnolia and her family, who own a laundromat. At first, Magnolia is embarrassed by her family business, though she loves the left-behind sock wall she has created. When Magnolia meets Iris, new to NYC, they go off on a mystery adventure to find the owners of all the left-behind socks. Throughout their journey, Magnolia learns about herself, her parents, and how to be grateful. This is a sweet story!
  • Three Days in June by Anne Tyler [audiobook] – I also found this book in my library catalog when looking for audiobooks for my commute. I have known the author name Anne Tyler for decades, but I’m not sure if I’ve ever actually read any of her books. This was interesting because the main characters were a divorced couple in their 60’s, and you don’t read a lot of modern novels that have main characters beyond the 30’s or 40’s. Gail is a socially awkward mother of the bride, and we follow her through the weekend of her only daughter’s wedding. Gail’s ex-husband Max shows up with a cat and has to stay with her, which is an unexpected start to the weekend. We get to know Gail and Max, and the history of their marriage and how it ended years ago, as we watch their daughter’s wedding festivities through their eyes. This was a sweet story about this pair of exs in mid-life, navigating another change in their lives.
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August 2025 Reading Update

Posted on September 1, 2025 by Amy's Reflections

August is the beginning of the new school year, which automatically means less reading time for me. However, I squeezed in a late summer/ early birthday trip that involved some plane, pool, and beach reading right at the end. This month I read:

  • Copper Sun by Sharon Draper – In searching Sharon Draper’s backlist titles, I found this historical fiction gem that I had never heard of. This is a very important and hard book to read. We meet Amari as a young African woman in what is now Ghana, loving her life, her family, and her village. When pale-skinned strangers visit, her village throws a welcome feast in celebration. By the end of the celebration, there is mass devastation and Amari has been captured. Without knowing English, we experience the horrific acts of stealing humans, abusing, punishing, and packing them like cattle on a ship, and everything that it took to get her to America to be sold into slavery. The entire first part was so hard to read, but so important to know because it was based on a sick reality of our history. The rest of the story follows Amari and the friends she makes along the way, with Polly and Tidbit becoming as beloved to the reader as Amari is. This is a beautiful, heart-wrenching, bittersweet story of pain and hope.
  • That Librarian: The Fight Against Book Banning in America by Amanda Jones – I saw this book while purusing shelves in my library. While I had never heard of Amanda Jones specifically, her story is very familiar. Amanda is a middle school librarian who chose to speak at her Louisiana town’s public library board meeting on her own time about the importance of staying away from censorship. For some reason, out of the many speakers that night, she was chosen as the person to attack by two men. These men, who she has never met nor interacted with in person or online, who don’t live in her town, began a harassment campaign against her, calling her a groomer, saying she was pushing the teaching of anal sex to elementary children. Amanda’s memoir details the horrors of the attack, her anxiety that resulted, and the decision to file a defamation lawsuit and to fight back. She outlines the playbook of groups like M-M$ for Lib&rty and alt-Right Christian Fundamentalists who are trying to take over libraries, schools, government, and everything else. It was hard to read some of her story, because of how similar is it to experiences closer to home. It was also hard to read because she was repetitive and angsty throughout the retelling. I don’t thinks she was far enough out of her trauma to fully process it yet, though she tries hard. Reading this was also hard because she finished it before the Department of Education was attacked and even more educational attacked continued. It’s all hard right now. But libraries should represent all people and reading books makes us better.
  • The Summer Guests by Tess Gerritsen – I read the first book in The Martini Club series a few years ago and was happy to discover the second book was published earlier this year. In a small town in Maine, a group of retired CIA agents are living a quiet life, under the radar, until a crime happens in their town. Then they are racing along side the police chief to solve the crime and help to find the missing girl, Zoe, a summer guest. This story combined the privilege of wealth with secrets and lies for a propolsive mystery where there are many likely suspects and a few red herrings. I enjoyed it and hope the series continues!
  • The Night Diary by Veera Hiranandani [audiobook] – This is a very sad, sweet middle grade story told from the point of view of a young girl in 1947, when India gained independence from British rule and also drew a partition to create Pakistan. Nisha and her twin brother are Half Muslim and Half-Hindu, thanks to their parents, but unclear of what is happening in their home country of India. When they have to leave their home quickly, we travel with them through dangers and fears, all told through Nisha’s diary letters to her deceased mother. Nisha’s young eyes don’t understand every thing they see, but they see more than they should at their age. The author’s note helped me understand the author wrote this story to help herself understand what her father and his family went through as refugees forced to leave the only home they had ever known.
  • No One Tells You This by Glynnis MacNichol – I found this book during my search for books about adults who lost their parents and was even more intrigued because the author is also a single woman, never married, without kids, which is hard to find represented well in books. Glynnis’s memoir takes us through her mother’s sad decline with Alzheimer’s in Canada, while this freelance writer is finding joy in NYC on her 40th birthday. We are with her and she happily chooses the single life, when friends are all busy with marriages and babies and strangers constantly ask her why she isn’t married. Her writing is slow-paced as we meander through her thoughts, but I loved her honest reflections. I highlighted so many lines that felt like my own thoughts. Her life as a writer is very different, allowing her to spend a month on a Dude Ranch and traveling in unique ways. I enjoyed her story.
  • Accidentally on Purpose by Kristen Kish with Stef Ferrari [audiobook] – I first discovered Kristen Kish on the reality show Fast Foodies, which I watched with some friends. I loved her personality on that silly, fun show where celebrity chefs cooked recreations of famous fast food dishes. Her energy, her smile, her vibe were so great. Not being a big Top Chef fan, I had no idea she was first “discovered” by winning that, and now she is one of the hosts. This memoir takes us through her childhood, which was wonderful, where she was adopted by a lovely midwestern family and never felt the need to explore her Korean roots. Then we watch her stumble and fall before finding a home and found family in Boston. We travel with Kristen through reality tv, restaurants, successes and failures, until we catch up with her beautiful life today. I enjoyed her honesty and her story.
  • Mr. Mercedes by Stephen King – After my Stephen King Summer book club reads, I decided to go back into his catalog and read this book, which I had heard rave reviews of. This is more like is modern crime thrillers, where we are following Retired Detective Bill Hodges as he decides to try to figure out one of his infamous unsolved cases, while also seeing into that killer’s mind and life. This was a wild ride, but I won’t share any spoilers here! I enjoyed the interest cast of characters and look forward to reading more in this mystery trilogy.
  • A Good Cry: What We Learn From Tears and Laughter by Nikki Giovanni – Something I read this summer sparked a memory of a book that used Nikki Giovanni’s poetry. I sought out some of her poetry books from my local library, and then realized that this heralded poety just passed away last December. I enjoyed reading about her life, and reading this book of poetry, which gave tribute to Maya Angelou, spoke about her abusive father, connected her life to so many other famous Black writers and creators, and told stories with joy and dignity.
  • Flirting Lessons by Jasmine Guillory – This romance was a perfect vacation read – fun, funny, silly, romantic, with the usual romcom ups and downs, and great characters to root for! Early in the story we meet Avery, recently single and ready to explore her bisexual side by dating women, though she has no experience there yet. Our other main character, Taylor, has just made a bet with her BFF that she won’t sleep with anyone this summer. When Avery meets Taylor, a serial flirt and notorious lesbian dater around Napa, they form an unlikely plan. Taylor will teach Avery how to flirt with women, and unknowlngly, Avery will help Taylor win her bet. Imagine the hijinks that ensue, especially as these two, of course, have chemistery together. This was such a fun read!
  • Summer Island by Kristin Hannah – I was given a paperback copy of this from one of my reading friends at work, after she enjoyed the book on a recent vacation. I saved it for my beach vacation and it was perfect! The setting of the San Juan islands in Washington was beautiful. I loved some of the characters and their rich backstory and I was equally annoyed by some of the characters and their stubborn unwillingness to be honest or get to the root of their issues. Ruby, the wanna-be comedian, returns home to take care of her estranged mother, famed writer and advice giver, Nora, after an accident. Ruby hasn’t spoken to her mother in years, because Nora “abandoned” her family when Ruby was a teenager. As we get to know what happened in Nora’s marriage, and what hurt Ruby and caused her to hurt her first love, who also happens to be home this summer, we hope they can repair their relationships and find love again before it’s too late. This was dark, cringy, happy, sappy, sweet, and sad at times. It’s not my favorite by Kristin Hannah, but I do love her writing style!
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July 2025 Reading Update

Posted on August 1, 2025 by Amy's Reflections

July is always the quietest month at work, with some vacation time thrown in. I love having more time to read professional books as well as middle grades books, in addition to my usual experiences. Don’t be shocked by the sheer amount of books I read (18!). I feel like I deserve a Pizza Hut or summer library reward, from my childhood reading days. This month I read:

  • Beyond the Science of Reading: Connecting Literacy Instruction to the Science of Learning by Natalie Wexler – I continue to find Wexler’s work (books and podcasts) fascinating. So much of what she covers goes against everything I ever learned in my credential program or early years of teaching, and yet some of it resonates with me today. After years of seeing good teachers struggle to meet competing demands, while student learning remains somewhat stagnant, I know we need to make some changes. This book repeats the ideas from Knowledge Matter, that articulate the crucial nature of elementary classes having a knowledge-building curriculum. In addition to that, Wexler adds now that educators need to plan with the science of learning in mind. This science will be new to most educators. One of her basic premises is that if we continue to use extended instruction time to focus on ELA and teaching kids comprehension strategies in isolation, we will never see growth. Instead, we need to use a knowledge-building curriculum to help students learn more content, through whole-group instruction and frequent checks for understanding of the knowledge. This then gives students something more specific to read and write about over time. As of the publication of this book, Wexler knew of some private schools and some individual teachers, especially in Louisiana, who were attempting to use this model. So while she shares data to explain the why, she doesn’t have robust data to back up her theory with proof that students are more successful. Her anecdotal data is compelling enough that I continue to seek out examples of this curriculum, with lingering doubts and questions in mind.
  • Under the Dome by Stephen King – This was chosen for my Stephen King Summer book club, because King himself named it a best book of the 21st Century on the NY Times list. This is one of his longest, at over 1,000 pages, but I was hooked from the very first chapter and I didn’t want to stop reading it. We find ourselves in the small Maine town of Chester’s Mill when an invisble dome appears like a bubble over the entire town, cutting them off from the outside world. After much death, destruction and chaos at the town borders, the town leaders begin to take over and things quickly escalate into a non-democratic state. As evil takes over, the good people start to find one another. Like all other end-of-days apocalypse stories, what I appreciate is that there are always good people who are willing to stand up to evil. no matter the cost. Like all Stephen King books, this is full of good vs evil, children with significant intelligence, abusive men, small town politics, and some heroic actions. I loved this story so much!
  • Learning by Design: Live/ Play/ Engage/ Create by Prakash Nair, Roni Zimmer Doctori, and Dr. Richard Elmore – My boss gifted me this book and another by Nair, with one specific project in mind (the future rebuild of a school). At first, I read with that principal and staff in mind, but quickly realized that this book would make a great book study with all of our principals. The combination of research on learning, real-world innovative examples, and concrete suggestions for professional learning, school construction, and re-thinking education were profound. The areas of live, play, engage, and create all had very specific action items to help lead to student-driven environments where curiosity drives learning. Much of this book asks us to look at education with a completely different mindset, and my mind struggled to visualize some of this in action, especially with very young learners. But that’s not because I doubt the young learners; I just know what a challenge it would be to shift the mindset of whole groups of educators AND parents who are used to traditional education as we currently know it. I love the message that hope, not fear, should be the primary driver of change. I have HOPE for this future [outside of the current political context]!
  • Amari and the Great Game by B. B. Alston [audiobook] – I forgot about this middle grades series until Kaytee recently mentioned the third book on Currently Reading. I read the first book about 3 years ago, and I liked it, but didn’t rememeber much at all. Unfortunately, that made it much harder for me to truly get into book number two of this fantasy series where Amani uses her magic in summer camp to try to save the supernatural world. I wish I had reread #1 before this, to get back into the plot. It’s a fun series and full of magic and mystery.
  • Blended by Sharon Draper – I have read and loved so many of Sharon Draper’s middle grade novels and this was no exception. In this sweet story, we meet Isabella, a biracial girl whose parents divorced, splitting her in two. She has different names at each of their houses, and each parent has a different race, so she is “blended” and trying to figure out who she is in this new world. This was such a sweet, tender story about family, race, music, and so much more. I would put this in the hand of any biracial middle grade child any time!
  • Blueprint for Tomorrow: Redesigning Schools for Student-Centered Learning by Prakash Nair – This is the second book I read by this author for work this month. As mentioned above, the first was so inspiring I plan to use it with our principals this year. This book is much more specific for leaders who are going to embark on a school redesign. Many of the messages I loved in Learing by Design are mentioned in this book, with less details. Instead, this focuses on examples of actual blueprints, with some “do now” sections for leaders to try without any added costs. There are some fun tips and ideas in here, as well as some VERY out of the box thoughts, some of which I can’t even wrap my mind around. This author is really trying to turn our ideas of schools upside down and inside out, and a lot more learning and support would be needed for most of our traditional models to make changes that drastic.
  • The Celebrants by Steven Rowley [audiobook]- This was such a fun book to listen to during the summer! There were laugh-out-loud funny moments and cry-happy-and-sad-tears moments. The five main characters make a pack in college to hold living wakes for each of them while they are alive, after a friend passes away suddenly. Over twenty years, they come back together during the hard times in their lives. The biggest message is to be sure to tell your people you love them and what they mean to you while they are still here. I enjoy how this author creates fun and realistic characters.
  • The Space We’re In by Katya Balen – What a beautiful middle grades novel! We meet Frank and his family during a challenging time of life. Frank’s brother Max is Autistic and Max takes a lot of 1:1 care from their mother, who also happens to be feeling run down lately. Frank and Max’s father works a lot and doesn’t help much around the house. Frank starts his school year happy to be the oldest Year Six group and happy that Max is able to finally go to his own special school, so their mom can get some support. Soon, things spiral and we see this family go through some beautifully touching and also challenging times. I cried in multiple spots of this book, but they were tears full of love for this sweet family. I LOVED this book!
  • a first time for everything by Dan Santat – This is a cute graphic novel about Dan, a boy who had a rough time in middle school. After many embarrassing moments, Dan is shipped off by his parents on a summer adventure trip to Europe, with a group of people who have not been friendly to him. Over time, Dan learns to accept himself, figure out what he likes, and how to make friends and enjoy the adventure. This is a great book about growing through the awkwardness of adolescence, accepting change, and surviving unimaginable tragedy.
  • Iveliz Explains it All by Andrea Beatriz Arango [audiobook] – This is a beautiful middle grades story about Iveliz, a young girl who lost her father in a car accident, and who is struggling to communicate what she needs with her friends, family, and teachers. As we hear her innermost thoughts, we are taken through her journey to have her emotional needs met, through mental health supports including therapy and medication. Her depression is made real, in kid voice, for the reader. In addition, her family’s love and history from Puerto Rico enhance this story with traditions and memories.
  • The Shutouts by Gabrielle Korn – I loved this queer dystopian novel set between 2041 and 2078, with different narrators telling us what happened to Earth after an explosive climate change/ global warning disaster. We follow a variety of queer young adults as they navigate their lives in these dystopian times, with found family supporting them through family drama, food and house insecurities, endless travel, and more. This story was both heartwarming and heartbreaking, uplifting and depressing. I hope our future doesn’t end up like this, but if it does, I hope there are good people around to help us all survive with dignity.
  • Zero Stars, Do Not Recommend by M. J. Wassmer – I loved the title of this book and the brief synoposis I heard, thinking it would be a fun summer read. It was engaging and propulsive and not what I expected, but I loved it! We meet Dan and Mara as they begin a vacation at an all-inclusive, brand new resort in the Bahamas. They are enjoying everything when the sun explodes. Literally. The sun explodes. As the world is thrown into darkness, and then cold weather begins, this becomes like my favorite CliFi novels, where the best and the worst of humanity come out to play/ plan/ destroy and so much more. This is such a fun read!
  • The Civil War of Amos Abernathy by Michael Leali [audiobook] – This book made my heart smile! When we meet Amos, the hero of this beautiful middle grades novel, he is a volunteer at a living history museum and an out gay kid experiencing a major crush. As he and his best friend, a young Black girl, realize how much of their stories are not represented in the history they help reenact, we get to know them and LGBTQ+ and Black heroes of the Civil War. This is a DEI masterpiece and it makes me sad that all children will probably not be able to find this as easily as they should.
  • Out of My Heart (#2) by Sharon Draper [audiobook] – I rediscovered my love for Sharon Draper’s work this summer. In this second book from the Out of My Mind series we catch up with Melody over the summer. A middle school student with cerebal palsy, Melody is confined to a wheelchair and unable to speak verbally or control her own body. We learned in the first book that this doesn’t mean Meloday can’t think; she is extremely intelligent and can use her “Elvira” tool for communication. Through her narration we get a deep look into all of her thoughts as she experiences a sleepaway camp on her own for the first time in her life. Her joy is infectious and this was such a beautiful story of independence, support, and friendship.
  • Cultures of Thinking in Action: 10 Mindsets to Transform our Teaching and Students’ Learning by Ron Ritchhart – My professional reading this summer has included a deep dive into Ron Ritchhart’s cultures of thinking work, in alignment with the Learning by Design books I also read. I appreciate this book for the 10 mindsets he outlines, along with the research (the why), reflective questions for teachers, ways to collect street data in your current context, and videos and examples available to read and view for more specifics. This book made me think about how we help educators and the general public learn to think differently about what learning looks and sounds like, and how we share out students’ learning progress. We need to move beyond traditional grades and standarized test scores and into more authentic and purposeful demonstrations of learning, but that is a HUGE shift for most of our country! I’m recommending this to a few specific leaders to consider with their staff this year. I will be focusing on 1-2 mindsets this year in my own learning and growth.
  • The Correspondent by Virginia Evans – I have seen many people rave about this book this summer and now I know why. This epistolary novel tell the beautiful life story of Sybil Van Antwerp, a lawyer, mother, sister, adopted daughter, friend and correspondent. Through her letters to anyone and everyone (she would literally write letters to anyone!), we get to know Sybil later in her life, as she begins to lose her eye sight. But we also learn of her entire life, through family and friendships, heartbreak and success. Sybil’s letters warmed my heart and touched my soul. This was a beautiful book and I was please to learn that the author graduated from my alma mater, James Madison University!
  • The Last Cuentista by Donna Barba Higuera [audiobook] – I have seen various teachers in my district read this book with students, or recommend it to students, and I knew I wanted to read it. This is a unique story that starts out in New Mexico in 2060, then transitions to a space shuttle, then outerspace in the WAY distant future. We meet Petra as a child knowing Earth is about to “die” and she and her family are going to space, where she will be put in suspended animation for hundreds of years before awakening with new knowledge in her mind, ready to populate a new planet. When she wakes, nothing is as it seems. Petra has to figure out what is going on, while keeping herself safe and fighting to find her family. This is a story about family and the value of storytelling.
  • No Hiding in Boise by Kim Hooper – I know I heard this book described on a recent podcast, but I can’t remember which one. I loved the begining, when Angie wakes up to a call from the police telling her that her husband was shot in a bar, which makes no sense to Angie, who thinks her husband is still in bed next to her. As we get to know what happened in that bar, through Angie and a variety of other narrators, we see how mass shootings affect survivors, victims, their families, and so much more. This was such a horrific topic written about so beautifully, through individual stories and kind strangers. Despite the topic, I loved this book and the author’s message.

Favorite Books

  • Best BRICK of a novel about end-of-days apocalypse behavior: Under the Dome
  • Best Professional learning book that gave me hope for a better future for education: Learning by Design: Live/ Play/ Engage/ Create
  • Best Middle Grades Book that tugged at my heart and reminded me that these books are the best: Blended AND The Space We’re In AND The Civil War of Amos Abernathy AND Out of My Heart (so many great middle grade books this summer!)
  • Best book with stories that made me laugh out loud: The Celebrants
  • Best book told through letters across decades: The Correspondent
  • Best book about a horrific topic handled so well that I would read it again: No Hiding in Boise
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Currently: July 2025

Posted on July 16, 2025 by Amy's Reflections

My last currently check-in, 4.0, was last July. It seems fitting to celebrate some summer fun with a new edition. I borrowed today’s headings from this post by Julie, whose blog I’ve followed for years.

CURRENTLY: JULY 2025

  • Currently Remembering: My great vacations! This summer was I was able to travel to Banff, Canada to explore the stunning natural beauty with a good friend I hadn’t seen in 5.5 years. Then I spent time in Las Vegas with some chosen family (nephews by friendship), which included lots of playing games, ice hockey, pool time, and a special experience taking my 11-year-old nephew to a concert at The Sphere (which we both LOVED!). I even had a surprise reunion with a friend I made on my Galapagos cruise last July. I love vacations!
  • Currently Enjoying: San Diego Fun! I started this summer determined to take advantage of local experiences, as I relaxed and recharged after a stressful school year. So far I have: enjoyed a beach day, experienced the Jacumba Hot Springs in a night star-viewing soak, did a silent sunset dance party on the beach, visiting the SD Zoo for a “Night Zoo” walk, rode a scooter to see lots of fireworks at the bay, visiting a Farmer’s Market, ate meals with friends and family, took a virtual photography course, read a lot at my pool and jacuzzi, and more!
  • Currently Reading: Lots of professional books, thousands of pages by Stephen King, and some silly fun! I am keep my reading mixed but mostly light right now. That is just what I need! This summer I have read at the beach, the pool, on planes, during my commute (audiobooks!), in airports, in bed, on my couch, and while getting a new tattoo!
  • Currently Donating To: Goodwill and The Trevor Project – I did a major summer clean-out at home and actually scheduled a Goodwill pick up, since I had two pieces of furniture to donate as well as many bags of clothing. It felt good to purge and give away. I am also supporting The Trevor Project and places that provide resources and safety for LGBTQIA+ youth.
  • Currently Watching: Big Brother! My favorite summer show is back! I have loved this show for over 20 seasons. I still love the concept of strangers stuck in a house with no outside contact, no phones, no TV, no books, and lots of time on their hands. I enjoy the competitions as well as the manipulative game play. It’s always hard to get into it at first, because there are so many people to get to know. But soon people will form alliances and there will be backstabbing and eliminations, getting us into the meat of the season!
  • Currently Anticipating: My 50th Birthday! After various plans fell through, I was able to book something special for a long weekend to celebrate my 50th in style! I’m going to Maui for some luxury time on my own, and then some time with my family who life on the island. Fifty doesn’t bother me, but it’s a big number and I want to honor the years. I have some birthday journaling planned, some reading, and of course beach and pool and nature time; I cannot wait!

What is currently going on in your world?

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June 2025 Reading Update

Posted on June 30, 2025 by Amy's Reflections

June might be most random collection of books in awhile. I’m really challenging myself to read differently – not to lean on popcorn thrillers to add up numbers of books read, but instead to lean into “harder” readers, some more serious, but mixing in some fun audio as well. This month I read:

  • You Know Me Well by Nina LaCour and David Levithan [audiobook] – I found this sweet YA book on my library’s app at the perfect time – the beginning of Pride month! We meet Mark and Kate near the end of their high school time, just as they are seeking confidence to speak up for themselves and to find love. As young queer teens, they face a lot of obstacles, but have beautiful friendships, family and found family surrounding them. This was a love story about love and queer joy.
  • So Gay For You: Friendship, Found Family, & The Show That Started it All by Leisha Hailey and Kate Moennig [audiobook] – In this PRIDE month, I am enjoying as much queer JOY as possible! I love the actresses Leisha and Kate, who starred in the original L-Word and the reboot, Generation Q. As two lesbians who also played lesbians on tv, where there continues to be little representation for lesbians, these two proudly share their journey to and from acting, into their friendship, and the successes and challenges of their careeers. I loved this in-depth look into the shows and their beautiful friendship that has spanned cities, relationships, and so much more. Hearing them narrate the memoir was so fun to listen to this month!
  • The Rules of Inheritance by Claire Bidwell Smith – Someone recommended this book to me, as the author is a grief counselor and a woman who lost both of her parents before she was 30. Claire tells her memoir in disjointed stories out of order, so we jump around from her childhood to her father’s death bed, then back to her early grieving after her mother died, and through the relationships she drowned her sorrows in throughout. While it was hard to read some of her bad choices during deep grieving, it was also so real to me, as a woman who has lost both of my parents. Luckily, I had mine a bit longer, but it’s still sad for me, as it was for Claire for so long. I loved the end of this, when she pushes herself through the pain to come out happier and grateful on the other side, and then to become a hospice grief counselors in the end. Her letter to her mother on the tenth anniversary of her death just about broke me open, in a way that I needed at this moment in time. Grieving feels so lonely, and yet we all go through it at some point if we are lucky to have loved ones in our lives. I’m grateful to have read this.
  • Good Dirt by Charmaine Wilkerson – I read and loved Black Cake by this author so I was excited to read her second book. I enjoyed the beautiful storytelling of this book as well. We meet Ebby on her wedding day, when everything falls apart. Through different timelines and different narrator boints of view, not only do we learn what happened to Ebby, but also to her family starting in the 1800’s with her enslaved ancestors. This is a beautiful story about ancestry, heritage, history, trust, and relationships.
  • Anxiety: The Missing Stage of Grief: A Revolutionary Approach to Understanding and Healing the Impact of Loss by Claire Bidwell Smith – After reading Claire’s first book and seeing this title in her catalog, I knew I wanted to read it. This was profoundly helpful for me. The author defines what anxiety feels like, how it manifests in the body, how it can come on as a result of grief, and how to work through it, along with your grief. There are so many helpful tips, reminders, and advice throughout this book, from the benefits of meditation and therapy to how to ease your own anxiety about death by planning ahead. This was useful and practical and yet also emotionally supportive for me, at this point in my life.
  • Run for the Hills by Kevin Wilson [audiobook] – When I heard this book discussed on the Currently Reading podcast, the premise sounded so interesting. The story begins when a stranger, Rub, shows up on Mad’s farm and tells her that he is her half-brother. They both have the same father, who raised them for the first 10 years of their lives and then abandoned them and their moms and started a new life somewhere else. Mad and Rub drive off for a cross-country adventure that makes found family come to life in sad and funny and unique ways. This was a book full of quirky, sweet characters and it was fun to be on the road trip with them.
  • Patricia Wants to Cuddle by Samantha Allen [audiobook] – I heard Kaytee mention this title on Currently Reading, and it sounded like a fun LGBTQ+ romcom that would be perfect for PRIDE month. However, it was really a “horror romance with queer leanings” and not what I was expecting. It was a quick, campy, ridiculous listen on audio. The story takes place near the end of a season of a reality dating show, when the constestants are taken to an isolated island in Washington state for the semi-final dates. Horror ensues and as the reader you are just about as clueless as the characters throughout the story. I read afterwards that this was written as satire and there were some elements of humor, snark, and more, but it was not my style.
  • Twenty-Four Seconds from Now… A Love Story by Jason Reynolds – I love Jason Reynold’s YA novels and heard good things about this one. This is a Black love story, told in reverse, as Neon processes his two year romance with his high school girlfriend, Aria, moments before they “do it” for the first time, near the end of their senior year. This was a sweet story about family, love, trust, and truth, and Reynold’s afterword was beautiful – “even Black boys deserve love stories”.
  • Conscious Grieving: A Transformative Approach to Healing from Loss by Claire Bidwell Smith – I’ve taken time this month, now that work has slowed down, to do some grief work, that I skipped over 14 years ago, and in the many losses I’ve had since then. Actually, when I made a list of close family, friends, and pets I’ve lost in the last 15 or so years, the list was longer than I realized (12!) and full of so many different emotions for me. Each loss was different, just as each relationship was different, but the cumulative years of anticipatory grief, health stress, and on-going stress has created a lot of internal “stuff” for me to work through. I appreciate Bidwell Smith’s work, as she shares her own grief experience and her work as a grief counselor. The biggest reminders are to feel and process your grief, create rituals to remember and honor your loved ones, and to take care of yourself, including meditation and mindfulness.

Favorite Books

  • Best YA book about queer friendship and joy: You Know Me Well
  • Best historical fiction that highlights Black talent and joy amidst sorrow and travesty: Good Dirt
  • Best book to help me work through grief: Anxiety: The Missing Stage of Grief: A Revolutionary Approach to Understanding and Healing the Impact of Loss
  • Best New Adult love story to hand to your late teens: Twenty-Four Seconds from Now… A Love Story
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