May 2021: Recap + On My Shelves

May 2021: Recap + On My Shelves

Jun 4, 2021

In May, we celebrated several birthdays, the end of school, swim lessons, new book releases, and had various other silly adventures. It was a packed month and passed in a blink! How are we already halfway through 2021?

1. Our Big Boy Turns 5 – At the beginning of May, our sweet big boy turned five years old! We celebrated him with a candy-themed party, and it was so cute. Honestly, I can't believe it.  It feels like just yesterday that I was praying for a baby, and now I spend every day with this smart, loving, and adorable boy. Being his mom is such a joy! It's been so fun to watch him become a big brother and grow this much past year. I can't wait to see what 5 holds!

2. New Release Tuesday – My sister and I have been going on Barnes & Noble dates for months now, but in May we made it a priority to go on Tuesdays to scope out all the new releases. She's been the best/worst influence on my TBR! Some days we leave with eight books and other days just one, but I always know we'll have the best time hanging out. I'm so thrilled she's discovered a love of reading, and we can share it.

3. Mommy & Big Boy Day – We did a virtual preschool for our big boy this past year, and his last day was mid-May. To celebrate, my mom kept the baby and we had a "mommy and big boy" day. We got some new dinosaur shirts for summer, picked out something at the LEGO store, checked out all the animals at Bass Pro, and treated ourselves to Menchie's. It was the sweetest thing to spend the day together and make so many special memories.

4. Botanical Gardens – One afternoon, we were in need of a little adventure. So, I packed up the boys and we headed to the Botanical Gardens. It was just what we needed! So many flowers were in bloom, and we had a fantastic time wandering around. A new children's garden had been added since our last visit several years ago, so we got to enjoy a playground and water features, too. It was the perfect spring activity, and we'll definitely go back. 

Read 31 Books | Favorites:

Olympus, Texas by Stacey Swann

Just Last Night by Mhairi McFarlane

People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry

We Are Not Free by Traci Chee

Honorable Mentions:

A Thousand Ships by Natalie Haynes

The Dearly Beloved by Cara Wall

The Soulmate Equation by Christina Lauren

Last Tang Standing by Lauren Ho

“Power does not transform you, he’d said. It only reveals you.” 

Lore by Alexandra Bracken

“Be very, very careful who you let into your life. And learn to make peace with whatever happens. 

You can’t erase the past. It’s trapped in there with you. But you can make peace with it. 

If you don’t,’ he said, ‘you’ll be at perpetual war.” 

Kingdom of the Blind by Louise Penny

“As a good rule of thumb, if you have to lie, you might be doing something wrong.” 

Kingdom of the Blind by Louise Penny

 “He loses his wife so he stirs up an army to bring her back to him, 

costing countless lives and creating countless widows, orphans and slaves. 

Oenone loses her husband and she raises their son. Which of those is the more heroic act?” 

A Thousand Ships by Natalie Haynes

“I notice, once again, that company that’s not the right fit for you

 is so much lonelier than being happily alone.” 

Just Last Night by Mhairi McFarlane

“But I think you should keep in mind that forgiveness is a choice. It doesn’t arrive on fairy wings; 

it doesn’t descend from the sky for you to take or leave. Forgiveness is an action.”

Good Company by Cynthia d'Aprix Sweeney

“God did not change the circumstances of your life, God changed you.”

The Dearly Beloved by Cara Wall 

“Maybe things can always get better between people who want to do a good job loving each other. 

Maybe that’s all it takes.” 

People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry

“It’s not your job to make me happy, okay? You can’t make anyone happy. 

I’m happy just because you exist, and that’s as much of my happiness as you have control over.” 

People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry

“I have brought light into this world, and I have been given light from this world. And what light it is! 

I can say that I have lived. Can you say that you have lived? You must be able to say you have lived. 

I have loved, and I have been loved. That is all we should want. This is all you have to do right now. 

It is right in front of you. So just take it. I know I plan to.” 

How Lucky by Will Leitch

"But we overlay the present onto the past. We look back through the lens of what we know now, 

so we're not seeing it as the people we were, we're seeing it as the people we are, 

and that means the past has been radically altered.” 

The Dutch House by Ann Patchett

“Outside is the camp, the barbed wire, the guard towers, the city, the country that hates us. 

But in here, we are together. We are not free. But we are not alone.” 

We Are Not Free by Traci Chee

“... a mistake isn't always a mistake. ... Sometimes a mistake is actually an opportunity, 

but we just can't see it right then and there.” 

Front Desk by Kelly Yang

“I realize your default energy level is Cardboard Cutout, but I can’t get to know you if you don’t speak.” 

The Soulmate Equation by Christina Lauren

“She had to choose what, of the things she inherited from the people who came before her, 

she wanted to bring forward. And what, of the past, she wanted to leave behind.”

Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid

My blogging life got a little better in May compared to March and April. Kinda? I shared my April 2021 Recap and followed it up with my May 2021 Goals. My biggest accomplishment was starting to make a dent in my backlog of reviews. I chatted about 16 books in Quick Lit: February 2021. And because I read 32 books in March, I reviewed 21 books in my Quick Lit: March 2021 and the 9 that I loved most in Quick Lit: March 2021 Favorites. Finally, I rounded up seven recent obsessions in So Obsessed With: Mini Edition #12. I'd love to have a little more variety in my June posts – possibly a discussion post or two? I always have the best of intentions...

Favorite Album #1: SOUR by Olivia Rodrigo

I'm in my 30s, married with two kids, and this makes me feel like an angsty teen.

I'm totally obsessed and can't turn it off. How dare Olivia do this to me?!

Favorite Album #2: January Flower by Mat Kearney

I love Mat Kearney and have been looking forward to this album for months!

"Anywhere with You" is my favorite right now, but the whole thing is great.

Favorite Album #3: The Otherside by Cam

I hadn't listened to Cam before, but Cassie recommended this album to me.

And she was spot on! I think "The Otherside" is currently my most-listened to song.

Book of the Month: How Lucky by Will Leitch

Barnes & Noble: Everything I Know About Love by Dolly Alderton, Luck of the Titanic by Stacey Lee, Toyko Ever After by Emiko Jean, When These Mountains Burn by David Joy, A Thousand Ships by Natalie Haynes, The Cave Dwellers by Christina McDowell, The Soulmate Equation by Christina Lauren, Anna K Away by Stacey Lee, Ariadne by Jennifer Saint, The Summer Job by Lizzy Dent, Beth & Amy by Virginia Kantra, The Beautiful Ones by Silvia Moreno-Garcia, To Have and to Hoax by Martha Waters, Just Last Night by Mhairi McFarlane, and Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta

Amazon: The Odyssey and The Iliad by Homer, Heroes and Mythos by Stephen Fry, and Competitive Grieving by Nora Zelevansky

Costco, Target, and Walmart: The Viscount Who Loved Me by Julia Quinn, The Secret Bridesmaid by Katy Birchall, The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave, Good Company by Cynthia d'Aprix Sweeney, The Siren by Katherine St. John, Great Circle by Maggie Shipstead, The Newcomer by Mary Kay Andrews, and Olympus, Texas by Stacey Swann

Used Bookstore: The Big Finish by Brooke Fossey and Front Desk by Kelly Yang

Off My Sister's Shelves: From Blood and Ash by Jennifer Armentrout, Nevernight by Jay Kristoff, Home Fire by Kamila Shamsie, and The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden

Audible: The Big Finish by Brooke Fossey, Heroes by Stephen Fry, People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry, When These Mountains Burn by David Joy, The Brilliant Life of Eudora Honeysett by Annie Lyons, Ariadne by Jennifer Saint, The Lion's Den by Katherine St. John and Olympus, Texas by Stacey Swann

Kindle: All Roads Lead to You by Jennifer Probst (not pictured)

NetGalley: Ghosts by Dolly Alderton and The Devil and the Heiress by Harper St. George

READ POST

April 2021: Recap + On My Shelves

April 2021: Recap + On My Shelves

May 4, 2021

I say this every month, but April passed in a blur. It was a busy month but filled with so much excitement – a new baby, my bestie's visit, and more. And that's why I barely got any of the things done that I planned!

1. Celebrating Easter – We kicked off the month with a few Easter celebrations. My big boy has been doing virtual preschool this year, but his teacher hosted an in-person Easter egg hunt just for virtual students. He loved getting to participate! Then, we went to my parents' for Easter lunch and visited Nick's parents later that afternoon. After everything was canceled last year, it was so nice to experience a much-needed return to normalcy. 

2. Welcoming a New Nephew – At the beginning of April, my younger brother had his first baby. He's the first of my siblings to have a baby, and I teared up seeing him holding his son in his arms. It was so precious and unexpectedly emotional! We've prayed for this baby for years and are so happy that he's finally here. My big boy loved becoming a big brother last year, so he's thrilled there will be a new baby at family events. He's already in love!

3. Kelly in Georgia – The biggest highlight was Kelly's long overdue visit to Georgia. She was last here in November 2019, and we both assumed she'd next visit spring 2020. As you know, the world had other plans. It's felt like the longest wait, but our reunion couldn't have been better! She stayed for a week, and I loved every minute of it. Our favorite adventure? Going to Barnes & Noble with my sister and each buying 7 books. It was epic!

4. Family Photo Session – With my first baby, we had photos taken when he was a newborn and when he turned one. I had to do the same for my second, who turned one in February, but decided to wait a little longer so they could be outdoors rather than in a studio. I'm so glad I made that decision and love how they turned out! From the outfits to the location, everything came together beautifully. I know they're something I'll cherish forever.

Read 20 Books | Favorites:

Love on Lexington Avenue by Lauren Layne

The Best Cook in the World by Rick Bragg

A Rogue on One's Own by Evie Dunmore

Perestroika in Paris by Jane Smiley

“Grief runs through the whole of life and leaves nothing untouched. 

A voice on the car radio, a knife in the kitchen drawer, each carries a thought of the dead.”

Austen Years by Rachel Cohen

“Is that your subtle way of asking if I’m seeing anyone?” 

“Whatever gave you the impression that I’m subtle?”

Passion on Park Avenue by Lauren Layne

“Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t realize when I hired you that you 

were also available for unsolicited advice on my life.”

Love on Lexington Avenue by Lauren Layne

“The past is where we go when we are helpless; the past, no matter what the psychiatrists say, 

can’t really hurt you much more than it already has, not like the future, 

which comes at you like a train around a blind curve.” 

The Best Cook in the World by Rick Bragg

“Have you perchance considered becoming a little more likable?” 

A Rogue of One's Own by Evie Dunmore

“Every mother screws up her children one way or another. It's up to you whether you stay that way.”

What Comes After by JoAnne Tompkins

“We name our villains and then treat them in such a way that they prove us prophets.”

What Comes After by JoAnne Tompkins

“It feels like love, like truth, which are just different ways of saying the same thing.”

What Comes After by JoAnne Tompkins

“‘No one ever said that good writing was easy....

Falling in love again and again? Spilling your heart all over the page?’ She sighed. 

‘But if you’re really meant to be a writer, you’ll tell the truth as you know it. Every time.’”

The Next Great Jane by K.L. Going

“Just remember to pack light. Dreams tend to shatter if you're 

carrying other people's hopes around with you.”

Ayesha at Last by Uzma Jalaluddin

“We are none of us perfect, and no one expects perfection. 

But when you have hurt people, you must allow them their anger. 

Otherwise it will only become another thing you have tried to take away.” 

Chain of Iron by Cassandra Clare

“You will make yourself unworthy by considering yourself unworthy. 

We become what we are afraid we will be.”

Chain of Iron by Cassandra Clare

“I think he might love me, too—though, being a man, I expect he’s too dense to realize it.” 

To Love and to Loathe by Martha Waters

“It is the worries that plague us the most that cut the deepest when other people call them to the surface.” 

Free from Falling by Kristy Woodson Harvey

“I had been holding on to the past so hard that I couldn’t even imagine the future.” 

Under the Southern Sky by Kristy Woodson Harvey

If I thought I didn't meet my blogging goals in March, what is there to say about April? I tanked even harder! I only posted three times. The first two – my March 2021 recap and April 2021 goals – are the monthly staples I didn't miss. And then I posted my sister's favorite reads in Tales & Tiger Lily: March 2021. At least one of us is somewhat on top of book reviews! I'm so behind, and I've got to get caught up. Fingers crossed that I'll find my mojo in May.

Favorite Song #1: "Way Less Sad" by AJR

I didn't listen to much music in April, so this was one of my only new finds.

Pretty sure I have Spotify's Discover playlist to thank for it.

Favorite Song #2: "High You Are" by What So Not + Branchez

I think my sister played this song for me on one of our adventures,

and I've been obsessed with it ever since! So fun for a solo drive.

I Care a Lot (2020) starring Rosamund Pike, Peter Dinklage, Dianne Wiest – When Kelly and I decided to have a movie night, we each came prepared with a suggestion. This one was mine because I'd been intrigued ever since I saw the trailer. And while it started off strong, it got stranger and more ridiculous the longer it went on. I wasn't rooting for anyone, the premise felt realistic but not the way it was executed, and an unsatisfying ending. Boo.

Promising Young Woman (2020) starring Carey Mulligan – After my movie pick was a flop, I was nervous going into Kelly's. But I shouldn't have been because this was fantastic! Based on the trailer, I expected a dark and possibly campy revenge story. That isn't what I got, but I loved it more for subverting my expectations. This was one that I finished and wanted to discuss the casting, message, styling, and ending. Likely a 2021 favorite for me!

Book of the Month: People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry, Arsenic and Adobo by Mia P. Manansala, and What Comes After by JoAnne Tompkins

Target: Dial A for Aunties by Jesse G. Sutanto and Northern Spy by Flynn Berry

Barnes & Noble: Brood by Jackie Polzin, Pride and Premeditation by Tirzah Price, Early Morning Riser by Katherine Heiny, The Next Great Jane by K.L. Going, A Place to Hang the Moon by Kate Albus, Bloom by Nicola Skinner,  The Dictionary of Lost Words by Pip Williams, The Widow Queen by Elżbieta Cherezińska, Under the Southern Sky by Kristy Woodson Harvey, Twice Shy by Sarah Hogle, Hana Khan Carries On by Uzma Jalaluddin, The Duke Undone by Joanna Lowell, Eliza Starts a Rumor by Jane L. Rosen, and Much Ado About You by Samantha Young

Amazon: Pride and Prejudice by Katherine Woodfine, Love on Lexington Avenue by Lauren Layne, To Love and to Loathe by Martha Waters, Gentle and Lowly by Dane Ortlund, and Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner

Book Depository: Last Night by Mhairi McFarlane

Used Bookstore: Devil's Daughter by Lisa Kleypas, Marry in Scarlet by Anne Gracie, The Dating Plan by Sara Desai, and The Scent Keeper by Erica Bauermeister

From My Mama: Mother May I by Joshilyn Jackson, Freely & Lightly by Emily Lex, and Book Nerd by Holly Maguire

Audible: Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes, A Lady's Guide to Mischief and Mayhem by Manda Collins, and Perestroika in Paris by Jane Smiley

Kindle: The Spanish Love Deception by Elena Armas

READ POST

March 2021: Recap + On My Shelves

March 2021: Recap + On My Shelves

Apr 10, 2021

I got on a major reading kick in March, finished 32 books (insanity, I know), and let blogging fall by the wayside. But I did do some things besides reading, and I'm excited to chat about them today after my time away from this space.

1. Visiting a Wildlife Preserve – We decided to go on a family adventure in early March to a wildlife preserve about an hour away that someone had recommended to me. It was a beautiful day, and our boys had so much fun looking at the zebras, camels, tigers, bears, horses, and more. That's one item off our 2021 family bucket list!

2. Outdoor Adventures – As the days got prettier, we spent more and more time outside. From neighborhood walks to exploring some playgrounds, I loved taking my boys places. We didn't do much last spring (due to COVID and the baby being a newborn), so it's been nice to get out a little more and have fun locally. 

3. Sister Socializing – A new month means new books, so naturally my sister and I had a few bookstore dates. I was excited to buy some of my most-anticipated 2021 releases and some new-to-me finds that could be a bust (but here's to hoping they're not). Caroline is terrible for my TBR but hanging out is so good for my heart.

4. Nerd Time at the Library – After a week that felt way too long and kind of exhausting, I told Nick that I just wanted to sit down with a cup of coffee, my book, journal, and planner. But it's hard to have quiet time – alone – at home. So, I packed up some of my stuff and went to our local library. It was just what I needed!

Read 32 Books | Favorites:

Hannah Coulter by Wendell Berry

Sorrow and Bliss by Meg Mason

The Rose Code by Kate Quinn

Life's Too Short by Abby Jimenez

Honorable Mentions:

Finlay Donovan is Killing It by Elle Cosimano

My Inner Sky by Mari Andrew

By the Book by Amanda Sellet

These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong

Good Girl, Bad Blood by Holly Jackson

We Begin at the End by Chris Whitaker

“Grief runs through the whole of life and leaves nothing untouched. 

A voice on the car radio, a knife in the kitchen drawer, each carries a thought of the dead.”

Austen Years by Rachel Cohen

“You are not among the good that has happened to me. You are the best of all that I have known. 

You are what I searched for when I left that house and wandered this earth, boy and man. 

You are the part of myself I never thought to find because I did not even dare to dream you existed. 

You are all that I want and more than I deserve, and I will go to my grave thanking a god 

in whom I do not believe for bringing me you.” 

An Unexpected Peril by Deanna Raybourn

“Maybe that’s how it always is, I thought—we all just go along, 

catching glimpses of one another, thinking we know everything.” 

The Scent Keeper by Erica Bauermeister

“You mustn’t wish for another life. You mustn’t want to be somebody else. 

What you must do is this: 'Rejoice evermore. 

Pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks.'

I am not all the way capable of so much, but those are the right instructions.”

Hannah Coulter by Wendell Berry

“Reverence is the practice of remembering your place in the world: small, and with very little control. 

It sounds defeatist, but I think it's actually the key to living with a sense of wonder and appreciation. 

Nothing was ever promised to us, including the miracle of life itself.”

My Inner Sky by Mari Andrew

“You grow to love something when you give your attention to it.”

My Inner Sky by Mari Andrew

“To find out what a story's really about, ” the Librarian said, 

“you don't ask the writer. You ask the reader.”

Snow & Rose by Emily Winfield Martin

“Memories are always bent retrospectively to fit individual narratives.” 

The Glass Hotel by Emily St. John Mandel

“Memories were beastly little creatures, after all—they rose with the faintest whiff of nourishment.” 

These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong

“But sometimes my mouth starts saying words without checking with my brain first.”

Good Girl, Bad Blood by Holly Jackson

“Happiness is not a zero-sum game. It's the only case in which the resources are limitless, 

and in which the rich can get richer at no expense to anyone else.”

Small Admissions by Amy Poeppel

“Everything is redeemable, Martha. Even decisions that end up with you 

unconscious and bleeding in a pedestrian underpass, like me. Although ideally, 

you want to figure out the reason why you keep burning your own house down.”

Sorrow and Bliss by Meg Mason

“ Everything is broken and messed up and completely fine. 

That is what life is. It’s only the ratios that change. Usually on their own. 

As soon as you think that’s it, it’s going to be like this forever, they change again.”

Sorrow and Bliss by Meg Mason

“There is always a road back. If we have the courage to look for it, and take it. 

I'm sorry. I was wrong. I don't know. I need help. These are the signposts. The cardinal directions.” 

The Great Reckoning by Louise Penny

I didn't meet my blogging goal in March, but I'm totally okay with that fact. I got on a reading binge and finished 32 books, so the time away from my computer was good for me. I'd put my boys to bed each night and then sit down with a book, often reading it all in one sitting. It was so fun! I still managed to write six posts, too. I shared my February 2021 recap and March 2021 goals, two staples every month. My So Obsessed With: Mini Edition #11 featured seven things I've been loving lately. And inspired by something I'd written for my birthday, I shared 45 Facts About Me as a Reader. I posted My Spring 2021 TBR and am pleased to say that I've already read a lot of books off this stack! And finally, I posted my sister's favorite recent reads for Tales & Tiger Lily: February 2021. The main post that I'm missing? My own Quick Lit mini reviews! I've got a lot to catch up on this month...

Favorite Song #1: "If You Want Love" by NF

This randomly ended up on my radar and led to me listening to a lot of NF in March.

I don't even know, y'all. But I have no regrets! I love the lyrics to this one.

Favorite Song #2: "Love You Like That" by Dagny

I saw someone recommend this song on Instagram, and I liked it immediately. 

It's perfect for turning up the music and driving with my windows down.

Book of the Month: One to Watch by Katy Stayman-London and The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner

Bookstore: Accidentally Engaged by Farrah Heron, Meet Me in Paradise by Libby Hubscher, The Rose Code by Kate Quinn, Float Plan by Trish Doller, Good Girl, Bad Blood by Holly Jackson, My Inner Sky by Mari Andrew, Chain of Iron by Cassandra Clare, An Unexpected Peril by Deanna Raybourn, and We Begin at the End by Chris Whitaker

Book Outlet: Girl Gone Viral and The Right Swipe by Alisha Rai, Ayesha at Last by Uzma Jalaluddin, Party of Two by Jasmine Guillory, Feels Like Falling by Kristy Woodson Harvey, and Marriage on Madison Avenue and Passion on Park Avenue by Lauren Layne

Used Bookstore: Small Admissions by Amy Poeppel (not pictured)

Gifted: The Road Trip by Beth O'Leary (from Kelly) and Life's Too Short by Abby Jimenez (from my sister)

Audible: An Unexpected Peril by Deanna Raybourn, A Good Girl's Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson, Betty by Tiffany McDaniel, and The Rose Code by Kate Quinn

NetGalley: People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry

READ POST

February 2021: Recap + On My Shelves

February 2021: Recap + On My Shelves

Mar 3, 2021

February was a pretty busy month for our family – we celebrated three birthdays, had a few shopping adventures, and spent time with my parents while Nick traveled. And now I'm getting excited about the hints of spring weather!

1. My 32nd Birthday – My birthday is on the first, and my mom gave the gift of time at home alone. She took my boys, and I got to spend the day drinking coffee, reading in bed, going to the library, and having a lunch date with Nick. It was heavenly! I got some lovely gifts, too: books, bath stuff, makeup, and an Archer & Olive notebook.

2. Our Baby Turns 1 – Our sweet baby turned one on the seventh. We celebrated with Nick's family a few weeks early, and then got together with my family the day before. My mom decorated with a Valentine's theme, and it was so adorable! I can't believe it's already been a year, and I'm so thankful for the joy he brought us in 2020.

3. Shopping Days – My sister and I had a few bookstore dates, as well as an incredibly fun Saturday shopping with my mom. Clothes, antiques, and plants, oh my! And one Friday, Nick finished work early so that I could go return some jeans and enjoy being out by myself. It was a treat, and I bought some prizes! Sorry, no-spend challenge. 

4. Staying with My Parents – Nick had another work trip in February, so the boys and I decided to go stay with my parents. I think the addition of a second child + almost a year of no travel has made me a little soft, so I love being spoiled with the extra help at my parents. And not having to cook might be the biggest perk of all!

Read 16 Books | Favorites:

Send for Me by Lauren Fox

The Next Right Thing by Emily P. Freeman

A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J. Maas

One to Watch by Kate Stayman-London

“A mother teaches her daughter to perpetuate the tedious rituals of her own imperfect life. 

And by instilling in her child the virtues of order, she shows her how to keep the chaos at bay.”

Send for Me by Lauren Fox

“He’s all the things that can go wrong with men if you leave them to their own devices.” 

The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman

“And maybe there is no nation or citizenry; they're just territories mapped in place of family, 

in place of love, the infinite country.”

Infinite Country by Patricia Engel

“A warrior believes in an end she can’t see and fights for it. A warrior never gives up. 

A warrior fights for those weaker than herself. It sounds like motherhood to me.” 

The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah

“Making a living is nothing if you're not also making a life.” 

The Next Right Thing by Emily P. Freeman

“There is power in naming the unnamed things. This is an important part 

of our decision-making practice and key to taking our next right step in love. 

Remember today is a plot point. See it honestly for what it is, 

but don't confuse the moment for the whole story.” 

The Next Right Thing by Emily P. Freeman

“Let’s remember that though we may have to wait and see, we never have to wait to be.” 

The Next Right Thing by Emily P. Freeman

“I wish for us to have the courage to go out into the world when we are ready, 

but to always be able to find our way back to each other. No matter what.”

The Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J. Maas

Gwyn whispered, “I am the rock against which the surf crashes.” 

Nesta straightened at the words, as if they were a prayer and a summons. 

Gwyn lifted the blade. “Nothing can break me.” 

The Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J. Maas

“Keep reaching out your hand.” 

The Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J. Maas

“People have many motivations to follow someone, 

but a soldier will only ever follow a man for two reasons:

 his competency, and his integrity.” 

Bringing Down the Duke by Evie Dunmore

“I'm afraid that you're looking for your next chapter, 

and I'm looking for the whole rest of the book.” 

One to Watch by Kate Stayman-London

“You can live a long life never being hurt—and never quite being happy. 

If that’s what you want.”

One to Watch by Kate Stayman-London

February was a solid blogging month! I kicked off the month with a post in honor of my 32nd birthday: 32 Facts About Me. Then, as usual, I had my January 2021 recap and February 2021 goals. For reviews, I shared my sister's January favorites and my January 2021 mini reviews. But my favorite posts this month were the fun ones: my favorite fictional female friendships in honor of Kelly's birthday, my big boy and baby's favorite things in 2020, our family's 2021 bucket list, and a winter 2021 Currently update. 

Favorite Song #1: "Glad You Exist" by Dan + Shay

Kelly sent me this song because it reminded her of our friendship, 

and I felt the same way! I loved listening to this and being emo about my bestie.

Favorite Song #2: "Gasoline" by HAIM feat Taylor Swift

I don't really listen to HAIM, but I loved their song on Swift's evermore 

so I couldn't resist listening to her collaboration on their album.

Favorite Song #3: "Cry" by Alison Wonderland feat. Buddy

My sister played this song for me, and I'm obsessed!

It reminds me of Nesta from A Court of Silver Flames.

 

To All the Boys: Always & Forever (2021) starring Lana Condor and Noah Centineo – On the night this premiered, I made a big bowl of popcorn, grabbed my coziest blanket, and settled in to watch this final installment of Lara Jean's story. Although I enjoyed the experience, I wasn't a fan of this movie overall. There were several changes made from book-to-screen that I found very annoying. The second and third don't have the magic of the first, but it's still fun to see these books adapted for the screen with such great casting.

Book of the Month: Infinite Country by Patricia Engel

Birthday Money: That Sounds Fun by Annie F. Downs, Share Your Stuff. I'll Go First. by Laura Tremaine, The Power of Writing It Down by Allison Fallon, Finlay Donovan is Killing It by Elle Cosimano, Send for Me by Lauren Fox, Sorrow and Bliss by Meg Mason, The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah, and A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J. Maas

Gifted: Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (Nick) and Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery (Kelly)

Kindle & Audible: A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J. Maas (not pictured)

Review: The Invisible Husband of Frick Island by Colleen Oakley (not pictured)

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