With the twice-a-month summer book club I attend, long drives between Michigan and Minnesota for audiobooks, and a little more downtime, I read ten books during July and August…my largest Bookstack yet! I personally know three of the authors, slipped in a couple of non-fiction books, and gave every book four or five stars (a sign that I’m getting pickier when choosing??).
Without further ado…
Read MoreSo much excitement! With America’s 250th birthday, Travis and Taylor’s wedding, and the World Cup games, life sure has been full lately! I hope you’ve been able to take in some of the celebration wherever you are.
We’ve had family visiting us at the cabin for the past two weeks, so there’s been the additional excitement of fishing, kayaking, shopping, visiting, etc. It’s been hard to find time to read, and even harder to write up reviews. But, as I’ve been doing every two months for the past couple of years, I got ‘er done.
Read MoreIn case you missed the news in my last post, I’m hoping to start a book club for all you readers in life’s next chapter. In other words, if you can read a novel, you’re invited!
Read MoreEven though the Northern Hemisphere’s summer solstice is a week away, I feel like summer began weeks ago. You too? Graduation season is wrapping up. Picnics and beach time are happening again. And strawberries are ripe for the picking!
Read MoreI stood on the sidewalk feeling like a forgotten pet, a lost child, a jilted lover. My husband had gone to find a free parking spot in busy downtown Grand Rapids, while I ran into the restaurant to check on the wait time. We had picked a special place to celebrate our 38th anniversary, and opted for a “walk-in” since reservation times were limited.
Read MoreMay 15 marked one year since the release of Empty-Nest Joyride!
And what a ride it has been!
Like birds from a nest, this year has flown! As author Gretchen Rubin says, “the days are long but the years are short.”
Read MoreI just returned home from a long weekend in Charleston, South Carolina, with my daughters and daughter-in-law—Leah, Chloe, and Maddie. It was our first-ever girls’ trip (and likely not our last!). I hope to share a little more about the sights, sounds, and delicious tastes of Charleston in a future post, but for now, let me tell you about our first day.
Read MoreMarch is National Reading Month! So what could be better than bragging on my local libraries? We live on the border of Indiana and Michigan, so we’re members of libraries in both states.
Our Michigan library opened its brand new location last week and it is just beautiful! I can’t wait to spend more time there.
Read MoreYesterday morning, Tom and I were out the door by 6:05 a.m.! Not our usual M.O., for sure. But when you are invited to your first grandchild’s awards assembly in which he is receiving his first award—for COURAGE—you must attend!
Read MoreIf you’re reading this, you probably enjoy email newsletters, Substack posts, and news articles, like I do. Yet, the endless stream of information pouring into our phones, tablets, and laptops every day, is enough to sink the Titanic.
Read MoreAs promised, this week I’m giving you a behind-the-scenes look at my Substack. For each newsletter/post I publish, I receive stats on the number of emails opened, views, clicks, likes, comments, etc. It’s fun for me to look back at the end of the year to see what resonated most with my readers. Perhaps you’re curious too, or you need a second chance to catch a trending post you may have missed.
Read MoreBefore I get to my 2025 BestStack, I’ll share reviews of books I’ve read over the past two months. As usual, I have a mix of genres, but surprisingly, only one (and a half?) fiction book.
Read MoreIt’s All Saints’ Day throughout the world—a day when Christians remember the saints that have gone before. Below, I share seven books that I’ve read recently, and it’s occured to me that each of my five-stars reads introduced me to characters who—though not saints in every sense—display a measure of saintliness that absolutely sets them apart.
Read MoreI recently had the opportunity to chat with Lisa Granger on her podcast/radio show, “A Woman’s Heart.” Lisa was so warm and welcoming that—although we’d never met before—it felt like I was talking with a longtime friend.
Read MoreThe audiobooks on my drives to and from Minnesota, as well as books I’ve read for the “Sister Wolf” book club (at Beagle and Wolf Books in Park Rapids, MN), have been a welcome distraction from the excitement and stress of wedding planning. I’ve got some reviews and recommendations for you, so let’s get to it!
Read MoreWhile I get real satisfaction from turning real pages, I also really enjoy audiobooks. I love that I’m able to do other things (i.e. knit, clean house, and DRIVE!) while reading a book. I’m curious how common audiobooks are with my readers.
Read MoreLast Saturday, in nearly 90-degree heat (thankfully with a canopy for shade, a nice breeze, and lots of water), I attended my first local author fair, “3rd Street Festival” in Park Rapids, Minnesota. Since I call this up-north lake country “home” for much of the summer, I now qualify as a “local,” and I’m loving it!
Read MoreA guest post interview by my writer-friend, Michelle Rayburn. Michelle interviewed me about the release of my new book, Empty-Nest Joyride.
Read More
