2023 Reading Highlights

You're not supposed to let the perfect be the enemy of the good (or the good enough) so I'm sharing this year's Reading Highlights without much commentary.  I've provided mini-reviews of most of these books on Instagram -- I'm @booksandcarbs there.  If you have questions about any titles, feel free to leave a comment or email me at booksandcarbs@gmail.com.  The books below are 2023 releases, except where noted.  The books below haven't been ranked and also aren't in alphabetical order.  Again, not letting the perfect be the enemy of the good (enough).

 

Fiction Highlights 

Foster (2010) by Claire Keegan

 

My Husband by Maud Ventura

 

The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride
 

Vintage Contemporaries by Dan Kois

 

Amazing Grace Adams by Fran Littlewood

 

The Half Moon by Mary Beth Keane

 

Talking at Night by Claire Daverley

 

Search (2022) by Michelle Huneven

 

The Foundling (2022) by Ann Leary

 

The Home-Maker (1924) by Dorothy Canfield Fisher

 

The Rachel Incident by Caroline O'Donoghue

 

Maame by Jessica George

 

Trespasses (2022) by Louise Kennedy

 

Books I loved (and feel protective of) that you may NOT love ...

Death Valley by Melissa Broder

Big Swiss by Jen Beagin

The Dog of the North by Elizabeth McKenzie

 

The Rabbit Hutch (2022) by Tess Gunty

Wellness by Nathan Hill

Memoir/Non-Fiction Highlights

Exit Interview: The Life and Death of My Ambitious Career by Kristi Coulter

 

Kiss Me in the Coral Lounge by Helen Ellis

 

Hey, Hun: Sales, Sisterhood, Supremacy, and the Other Lies Behind Multilevel Marketing by Emily Lynn Paulson

Life in Five Senses: How Exploring My Senses Got Me Out of My Head and Into the World by Gretchen Rubin

Wake Up with Purpose!: What I've Learned in My First Hundred Years by Jean Dolores Schmidt

 

Write for Your Life (2022) by Anna Quindlen

             

B.F.F.: A Memoir of Friendship Lost and Found by Christie Tate

 

Normal Family: On Truth, Love, and How I Met My 35 Siblings (2022) by Chrysta Bilton

 

"New Books from Favorite Authors" Highlights

 

Somebody's Fool (North Bath #3) by Richard Russo

 

The Five-Star Weekend by Elin Hilderbrand

The Running Grave (Cormoran Strike #7) by Robert Galbraith

Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld

Projecting -- December 2023

Creating stuff energizes me.  I don't mind just trying something.  When it comes to crafting, creating, arranging, etc., I do not worry about doing things perfectly.  I am not hard on myself.  I find joy in the doing and, when appropriate, in sharing the finished product.

One of the "lil projects" I enjoy is making floral arrangements.  I buy my vases at Dollar Tree and the flowers at Jewel.  I was meeting two friends for lunch early in December.  I don't see them as often as I would like, and I wanted to bring a holiday treat but not gift-gifts that might make them feel uncomfortable (like, "Oh shit, I didn't buy her a gift).  I put together these arrangements and added some of the beautiful holiday ribbon I found at Sam's Club.

I also wanted to make an arrangement for a friend who was celebrating a milestone birthday.  She's mad for plaid so I found this gorgeous ribbon online and chose colors that remind me of her.  It was a pleasure to assemble and to share!

I am an assistant coach for eighth grade girls' basketball.  My main job is to send the emails and to be on my best behavior so as not to embarrass my daughter.  I wanted to give the girls on both eighth grade teams a holiday treat and a memento of their grade school basketball careers.  I assembled treat bags with candy and lip gloss and then added an ornament to each as well.  The ornaments were simple to make.  I had plain wooden ornaments discs from Michael's (a pack of 50 is very inexpensive).  I painted them orange, added the black lines with a paint pen, and used my Cricut to add the "IC '24" in royal blue vinyl.  I added some Dollar Tree blue ribbon and wrote each girls' name on the back with a white paint pen.  I don't know if the girls were into the ornaments (probably more of an adult thing), but they were excited about the treat bags and may appreciate the memento one day.  If any of these wooden basketballs end up on one of these girls' trees in a dozen years, I will be thrilled!  If not, no biggie, I enjoyed creating and gifting them. 

2023 Year of Books -- Non-Fiction

Wendi Aarons

I'm Wearing Tunics Now: On Growing Older, Better, and a Hell of a Lot Louder (audiobook via Hoopla)

 

Pamela Anderson

Love, Pamela (audiobook via Hoopla) 

J. Reuben Appelman

While Idaho Slept: The Hunt for Answers in the Murders of Four College Students (audiobook via Libby)

Maria Bamford

Sure, I'll Join Your Cult: A Memoir of Mental Illness and the Quest to Belong Anywhere (audiobook via Libby)

Kate Baer

And Yet: Poems (library book)

Chrysta Bilton

Normal Family: On Truth, Love, and How I Met My 35 Siblings (audiobook via Audible)

 

Sophie Blackall

Things to Look Forward To: 52 Large and Small Joys for Today (hardcover) 

 

Kristi Coulter

Exit Interview: The Life and Death of My Ambitious Career (audiobook via Audible) 

 

Paula D'Arcy

Gift of the Red Bird: The Story of a Divine Encounter (paperback) 

Alba Donati

Diary of a Tuscan Bookshop (paperback)

Jill Duggar

Counting the Cost (audiobook via Libby)

 

Helen Ellis

Kiss Me in the Coral Lounge:  Intimate Confessions from a Happy Marriage (audiobook via Cloud Library)

 

Duchess Goldblatt

Becoming Duchess Goldblatt: A Memoir (audiobook via Hoopla) 

Adam Grant

Hidden Potential: The Science of Achieving Greater Things (ebook via Cloud Library)

Paul Greenberg

Goodbye Phone, Hello World: 65 Ways to Disconnect from Tech and Reconnect to Joy (hardcover)

Paris Hilton

Paris Hilton: The Memoir (ebook via Cloud Library)

 

Samantha Irby

Quietly Hostile:  Essays (ebook via Cloud Library) 

Moshe Kasher

Kasher in the Rye: The True Tale of a White Boy from Oakland Who Became a Drug Addict, Criminal, Mental Patient, and Then Turned 16 (audiobook via Libby)

Minka Kelly

Tell Me Everything (audiobook via Libby)

Harrison Scott Key

How to Stay Married: The Most Insane Love Story Ever Told (ebook via Cloud Library)

Andrea Lankford

Trail of the Lost: The Relentless Search to Bring Home the Missing Hikers of the Pacific Crest Trail (audiobook via Audible)

Sarah Levy

Drinking Games: A Memoir (ebook via Cloud Library)

 

Katherine May

The Electricity of Every Living Thing: One Woman's Walk with Asperger's (audiobook via Hoopla)

 

Stephanie McNeal

Swipe Up for More!: Inside the Unfiltered Lives of Influencers (audiobook via Hoopla)

 

Beth Moore

All My Knotted-Up Life: A Memoir (audiobook via Hoopla) 

Emily Lynn Paulson

Highlight Real:  Finding Honesty & Recovery Beyond the Filtered Life (audiobook via Hoopla)

Hey, Hun: Sales, Sisterhood, and the Other Lies Behind Multilevel Marketing (audiobook via Hoopla) 

 

Elizabeth Passarella

It Was An Ugly Couch Anyway: And Other Thoughts on Moving Forward (audiobook via Hoopla)

 

Josh Peck

Happy People Are Annoying (audiobook via Hoopla)

 

Amy Krouse Rosenthal

Textbook Amy Krouse Rosenthal (audiobook via Hoopla)

 

Gretchen Rubin

Life in Five Senses: How Exploring the Senses Got Me Out of My Head and Into the World (hardcover) 

Better Than Before: Mastering the Habits of Our Everyday Lives (audiobook via Libby)

Jean Dolores Schmidt

Wake Up With Purpose!: What I've Learned in My First Hundred Years (audiobook via Hoopla)

 

Britney Spears

The Woman in Me (audiobook via Libby)

 

John Stamos

If You Would Have Told Me (audiobook via Libby)

Nina Stibbe

Went to London, Took the Dog: A Diary (audiobook via Audible)

Anna Quindlen

Write for Your Life (hardcover)

 

Christie Tate

BFF: A Memoir of Friendship Lost and Found (ebook via Cloud Library) 

Taylor Wolfe

Birdie & Harlow: Life, Loss, and Loving My Dog So Much I Didn't Want Kids (hardcover)

 

An (*) indicates a reread.  All ebooks are purchased on sale via the Kindle Store or checked out from the e-offerings of the Elmhurst Public Library.  All audiobooks are from Audible.com or the Elmhurst Public Library's e-offerings (Hoopla, Cloud Library, and Libby Apps). 

2023 Year of Books -- Fiction

Clare Alexander

Meredith Alone (audiobook via Libby)

 

Allison Ashley

Would You Rather (audiobook via Hoopla) 

Jane Austen

Sense and Sensibility* (audiobook via Audible)

Kristen Bailey

Five Gold Rings (audiobook via Cloud Library)

 

Julia Bartz

The Writing Retreat (audiobook via Libby)

 

Jen Beagin

Big Swiss (library book) 

 

Audrey Bellezza

Emma of 83rd Street (audiobook via Hoopla) 

 

Katy Birchall

The Wedding Season (audiobook via Audible)

The Last Word (audiobook via Audible) 

 

Melissa Broder

Death Valley (ebook via Cloud Library) 

Audrey Burges

The Miniscule Mansion of Myra Malone (audiobook via Cloud Library)

 

Truman Capote

Breakfast at Tiffany's (audiobook via Audible)

 

Katherine Center

Hello Stranger (hardcover)

 

Elysha Chang

A Quitter's Paradise (audiobook via Hoopla) 

 

Kirstin Chen

Counterfeit (audiobook via Libby) 

Martin Clark

The Plinko Bounce (audiobook via Libby)

 

Kate Clayborn

Georgie, All Along (ebook via Cloud Library) 

 

Emma Cline

The Guest (ebook via Cloud Library)

 

Jenny Colgan

Lessons at the School by the Sea (Maggie Adair #3, ebook via Cloud Library) 

Midnight at the Christmas Bookshop (audiobook via Libby) 

Laurie Colwin

A Big Storm Knocked It Over (ebook)

 

Sara Goodman Confino

Don't Forget to Write (ebook) 

For the Love of Friends (ebook)

Tara Conklin

Community Board (library book)

Sophie Cousens

The Good Part (audiobook via Audible)

 

Rachel Koller Croft

Stone Cold Fox (audiobook via Libby) 

 

Noelle Crooks

Under the Influence (audiobook via Libby) 

Jennifer Crusie and Bob Mayer

Lavender's Blue (Liz Danger #1, paperback)

 

Claire Daverley

Talking at Night (ebook via Cloud Library) 

 

Terri-Lynne DeFino

Varina Palladino's Jersey Italian Love Story (audiobook via Libby) 

 

Jen DeLuca

Well Traveled (Well Met #4, library book) 

Marcy Dermansky

Hurricane Girl (audiobook via libby)

 

Lian Dolan

Lost and Found in Paris (audiobook via Hoopla) 

Jennifer Egan

The Candy House (audiobook via Libby)

 

J.T. Ellison

It's One of Us (audiobook via Hoopla)

Edna Ferber

Dawn O'Hara: The Girl Who Laughed (audiobook via Hoopla)

 

Dorothy Canfield Fisher

The Home-Maker (audiobook via Hoopla)

Kate Forster

Christmas Wishes at Pudding Hall (audiobook via Audible)

The Upside Down Christmas (audiobook via Audible)

The Christmas Star (audiobook via Audible)

 

Daisy Alpert Florin

My Last Innocent Year (audiobook via Libby) 

Elyse Friedman

The Opportunist (ebook via Cloud Library)

Robert Galbraith

The Running Grave (Cormoran Strike #7, audiobook via Audible)

 

Jessica George

Maame (audiobook via Audible)

Xochitl Gonzalez

Olga Dies Dreaming (audiobook via Hoopla)

 

Tess Gunty

The Rabbit Hutch (ebook via Cloud Library) 

 

Janice Hallett

The Appeal (The Appeal #1, audiobook via Audible) 

The Christmas Appeal (The Appeal #1.5 via Audible)

 

Hanna Halperin

I Could Live Here Forever (audiobook via Cloud Library)

Jane Harper

Exiles (Aaron Falk #3, audiobook via Audible)

Katherine Heiny

Games and Rituals (audiobook via Cloud Library)

Single, Carefree, Mellow (audiobook via Cloud Library)

 

Monica Heisey

Really Good, Actually (audiobook via Audible) 

 

Emily Henry

Happy Place (hardcover)

 

Sally Hepworth

The Soulmate (hardcover) 

 

Kristan Higgins

A Little Ray of Sunshine (ebook via Cloud Library) 

 

Elin Hilderbrand

The Five-Star Weekend (hardcover)  

Winter Street* (audiobook via Hoopla)

Winter Stroll* (audiobook via Cloud Library) 

Winter Storms* (audiobook via Libby)

Winter Solstice* (audiobook vis Libby)

 

Nathan Hill

Wellness (audiobook via Libby)

Michelle Hoffman

The Second Ending (ebook via Cloud Library)

 

Gill Hornby

Godmersham Park (audiobook via Hoopla) 

Michelle Huneven

Search (audiobook via Libby)

Jenny Jackson

Pineapple Street (hardcover)

Balli Kaur Jaswal

Now You See Us (ebook via Cloud Library)

 

Emiko Jean

Mika in Real Life (audiobook via Hoopla)

Abby Jiminez

Yours Truly (Part of Your World #2, audiobook via Libby)

 

Ethan Joella

A Quiet Life (audiobook via Libby) 

A Little Hope (audiobook via Libby)

 

Sophie Kinsella

The Burnout (audiobook via Libby)

 

Mary Beth Keane

The Half Moon (ebook via Cloud Library) 

 

Claire Keegan

Foster (ebook via Hoopla)

Dan Kois

Vintage Contemporaries (ebook via Cloud Library)

 

R.F. Kuang

Yellowface (audiobook via Libby)

Mary Kubica

Just the Nicest Couple (audiobook via Hoopla)

 

Christina Lauren

The True Love Experiment (audiobook) 

The Honeymoon Crashers (Unhoneymooners #1.5, audiobook via Libby)

Tracey Lange

The Connellys of County Down (hardcover)

 

Ann Leary

The Foundling (audiobook via Libby)

Elinor Lipman

Rachel to the Rescue (ebook)

 

Fran Littlewood

Amazing Grace Adams (audiobook via Audible) 

Kim Lock

The Other Side of Beautiful (audiobook via Hoopla)

 

Lindsay Lynch

Do Tell (ebook via Cloud Library)

 

Kathryn Ma

The Chinese Groove (audiobook via Audible) 

 

Portia Macintosh

Better Off Wed (audiobook via Hoopla) 

The Faking Game (audiobook via Hoopla)

Long Time, No Sea (audiobook via Hoopla)

 

Rebecca Makkai

I Have Some Questions for You (audiobook via Audible) 

 

Jessa Maxwell

The Golden Spoon (audiobook via Libby) 

 

James McBride

The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store (audiobook via Libby)

Mhairi McFarlane

Between Us (ebook via Cloud Library)

Elizabeth McKenzie

The Dog of the North (audiobook via Cloud Library)

Dervla McTiernan

The Wrong One (audiobook via Audible)

Jenny Mollen

City of Likes (audiobook via Cloud Library)

 

Annabel Monaghan

Same Time Next Summer (audiobook via Cloud Library)

Meg Mitchell Moore

Summer Stage (hardcover)

Amelia P. Morris

Wildcat (audiobook via Libby) 

 

Elizabeth Morrow

A Pint of Judgement (hardcover)

 

Jojo Moyes

Someone Else's Shoes (hardcover) 

 

Tim Murphy

Speech Team (audiobook via Cloud Library)

 

Matthew Norman

Charm City Rocks (audiobook via Cloud Library)

 

Onyi Nwabineli

Someday, Maybe (audiobook) 

Caroline O'Donoghue

The Rachel Incident (audiobook via Cloud Library)

Beth O'Leary

The Wake-Up Call (audiobook via Libby)

Lynn Painter

Mr. Wrong Number (Mr. Wrong Number #1, audiobook via Cloud Library)

The Love Wager (Mr. Wrong Number #2, audiobook via Cloud Library)

Better than the Movies (Better than the Movies #1, ebook via Cloud Library)

Accidentally Amy (audiobook via Hoopla)

Ann Patchett

Tom Lake (audiobook via Audible)

 

Amy Poeppel

The Sweet Spot (ebook via Cloud Library) 

 

Tirzah Price

Pride and Premeditation (Jane Austen Murder Mystery #1, audiobook via Libby)

 

Andrew Ridker

Hope (audiobook via Audible)

Jane L. Rosen

On Fire Island (audiobook via Cloud Library)

Emma Rosenblum

Bad Summer People (hardcover)

Richard Russo

Somebody's Fool (Sully #3, audiobook via Audible)

Anastasia Ryan

You Should Smile More (audiobook via Hoopla)

 

Julie Schumacher

The Shakespeare Requirement (Jason Fitger #2, audiobook via Cloud Library) 

The English Experience (Jason Fitger #3, audiobook via Cloud Library)

 

Caitlin Shetterly

Pete and Alice in Maine (audiobook via Cloud Library)

 

Curtis Sittenfeld

Romantic Comedy (hardcover)

Kylie Scott

End of Story (ebook)

Leeanne Slade

The Rebound (audiobook via Audible)

Elissa R. Sloan

Hayley Aldridge Is Still Here (audiobook via Cloud Library)

Jane Smiley

A Dangerous Business (audiobook via Libby) 

 

Rachel Lynn Solomon

Business or Pleasure (ebook via Cloud Library) 

 

Cindy Steel

Faking Christmas (audiobook via Cloud Library) 

D.E. Stevenson

Green Money (ebook via Hoopla)

Bel Lamington (audiobook via Cloud Library) 

The Fair Miss Fortune (audiobook via Cloud Library)

Sarah Strohmeyer

We Love to Entertain (audiobook)

Booth Tarkington   

Alice Adams (audiobook via Hoopla)

 

Maud Ventura

My Husband (library book)
 

Elizabeth Von Armin

The Enchanted April* (audiobook via Hoopla) 

 

Catherine Walsh

Holiday Romance (Fitzpatrick Christmas #1, paperback)

Jenny Xie

Holding Pattern (audiobook via Libby)

 

Laura Zigman

Small World (ebook via Cloud Library) 

An (*) indicates a reread.  All ebooks are purchased on sale via the Kindle Store or checked out from the e-offerings of the Elmhurst Public Library.  All audiobooks are from Audible.com or the Elmhurst Public Library's e-offerings (Hoopla, Cloud Library, and Libby Apps).  

Update ... I'm a Ringleader.

In a rare burst of authorly energy, I posted earlier in December about five extras I was going to try to fit in during the holiday season and dubbed these my "Five Golden Rings."  NTB, but I did accomplish all five, with varying degrees of success.

1.  Walk the Winter Lights at Central Park in Oak Brook.  

This one was easy peasy!  My daughter had two Friday night basketball games at the Oak Brook Park District.  She has to arrive thirty minutes before her games so she and my hubby went inside after we parked the car, and I walked down to the Winter Lights.  The weather was balmy so the walking path was crowded with families and strollers, etc.  I couldn't walk in speed mode, but I enjoyed the jaunt and refrained from barrelling anyone over.  These lights are cheerful and free and they stay up until sometime in February.  Perhaps I'll go back in 2024!

  

 

 

 

 2.   Sit on the couch with my kids and watch the Mickey Christmas special of their choice.  

We didn't fit this one in until late afternoon on Christmas Day.  It wasn't a fail, but it wasn't the special cozy moment I'd been imagining.  My kids aren't 6, 4, and 2 anymore.  They're 17, 15, and 13.  They all reported for duty and my husband settled in as well.  We watched the the one where Goofy's son Max loses his faith in Santa Claus and the one where Huey, Dewey, and Louie repeat Christmas Day over and over again until they learn the true meaning of Christmas.  We are in a new Christmas era and that's okay. 

 

 

  

3.  Walk to Elmhurst History Museum and enjoy the Lost Chicagoland Department Stores exhibit. 

I totally did this!  I walked over late afternoon on a Friday and spent about thirty minutes taking in this exhibit.  I did NOT grow up in Chicagoland so had very few personal memories or ties to these department stores, but I still enjoyed thinking about the elegance and elevation of the old-fashioned department store experience.  I have my own special memories of taking the bus to the downtown (Hamilton, OH) Elder-Beerman, having lunch with my Grandma Hinkel in their tea room, and her treating me to cinnamon bears at their candy counter.  I also have fond memories of visiting various holiday windows and displays in downtown Cincinnati as a girl. 

 

 

 

 

 

4.  Do one "extra thing" at church.  

The empty stable early in December.

Full house on Christmas Night

I actually did two "extra things" at church, but neither required much effort so I am not patting myself on the back too hard.  One was that I went to 7:30am mass for the Feast of the Immaculate Conception since, due to space constraints, parents were discouraged from attending the more convenient school celebration.  Not bitter at all.  I'm fine.  Seriously though, I felt like the mass meant more to me because my husband and I had to work a bit to get there.  The other thing I did was attend the lighting of the stable after 4:30 mass.  We processed outside, sang a few Christmas carols, and the lights were turned on so we could all see ... the empty stable.  It was a little chilly, but sweet, and there were cookies afterward (inside).  Also sweet.  To be honest, this activity would typically have been a tough sell for my family, but because my daughter was altar serving and had to process out for the lighting, it was easy for my husband and I to attend as well.  I had intended to try and attend one of the evenings of reflection, prayer, and music, but I didn't make it.  Next year!

5.  Make Peppermint Crunch Puppy Chow and share with a friend. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I made it, but I didn't share it with a friend because my family's overwhelming reaction was "meh."  To be fair, not one of them is a peppermint fan so I'm not sure why I thought this would be a hit.  Worth a try!  I made my own perfect puppy chow right before Christmas and shared that with friends instead. 

While I wouldn't categorize any of my "five golden rings" as life-changing, most were pleasant and positive and not one was arduous.  By writing them down and publishing them for my 0-3 blog readers, I felt a sense of accountability that was stronger than me shoulda woulda coulda-ing to myself about getting to the Winter Lights or checking out that exhibit before it ends.  Inspired by the sense of accomplishment and satisfaction I feel from grabbing these five golden rings, I have made a list of 24 for 24 that I will be using to get more out of life in the year to come.  Stay tuned. 

5 Golden Rings

 

It's December 5th.  I have two trees up, more than a few gifts secured, and my cards ordered.  I've attended four holiday events and have some more to go.  There have and will be plenty of opportunities to feel festive and connect with friends and loved ones.  

As my kids get older and I get wiser, pulling it all together gets a little easier and little less stressful and chaotic.  I never quite feel that I have achieved the ideal Advent state of anticipation and stillness, but I've made progress.

However, there are always the extras you hope to add to the mix during the Christmas season that usually don't end up happening.  For example, I always think about how wonderful it would be to  make ornaments to attach to gifts, host a caroling party for my daughter's classmates, take a family drive to hit the coolest Christmas lights, or finally make it to The Walnut Room after 22 years of living in Chicago.  

But ... baby steps. 

This year I'm aiming for five little things ... my "Five Golden Rings" for December 2023.  If I go 0/5 or 4/5, so be it, but I'm sharing them here for accountability and inspiration.

 

My "5 Golden Rings" for December 2023

1.  Walk the Winter Lights at Central Park in Oak Brook.  This is a short but enchanting walk through the woods at the Oak Brook Park District.  Best not attempted on a bitterly cold evening but delightful on a mild night or with proper bundling.  Bonus points if I get a kid or friend to join me, but walking it alone would still count.

 2.   Sit on the couch with my kids and watch the Mickey Christmas special of their choice.  Once Upon a Christmas.  Twice Upon a Christmas.  Mickey's Christmas Carol.  Any one of these gems will do.  It is a cliche, but I feel like it was five minutes ago that my kids had wet post-bath hair and Christmas footie pajamas.  My oldest goes to college next year, and I am craving this moment on the couch with my squad.

 3.  Walk to Elmhurst History Museum and enjoy the Lost Chicagoland Department Stores exhibit.  I drive or walk past the EHM multiple times each day.  I notice the signage for the current exhibit and think, "Oh, that sounds cool, I will check it out."  And then, I don't.  It is free and a five-minute walk from my house.  Again, bonus points if I get a kid or friend to go with me, but solo is fine too.

4.  Do one "extra thing" at church.  Concert?  Prayer service?  Early morning weekday mass?  A talk?  Dealer's choice.  

5.  Make Peppermint Crunch Puppy Chow and share with a friend.  I love making and consuming my own special-recipe puppy chow.  My college roommate blew her family's minds with a Peppermint Crunch Puppy Chow that she debuted at Thanksgiving.  I'm going to give it a whirl.  We don't bake Christmas cookies or make fudge or pour melted chocolate into holiday-shaped molds around here, but we can expand our puppy chow repertoire.  

Stay tuned. 

The Buffett Way (Not Warren)

Can I rightly claim the title "Parrothead"?  I suspect not, but I also suspect Jimmy Buffett would never have asked me or anyone to produce a membership card or state their case with evidence.  I have been a casual Buffett fan since high school.  Growing up in Greater Cincinnati, it was hard not to be.  Jimmy Buffett and The Coral Reefer Band visited Cincy's River Bend outdoor concert venue for multiple-night stands year after year.  I attended two of those River Bend concerts in the 90s and saw Buffett with my husband and some friends at Wrigley Field in 2005.  I've visited Key West on three occasions (not that I ran into Jimmy Buffett there, but I associate him with the place and its spirit).  I have a magnet purchased at a Cheeseburger in Paradise burger spot, but for the life of me, I can't recall when and where I sampled that famous burger.  I remember that I liked it, as is true for most of my cheeseburger encounters. 

I'm not a deep tracks Buffett fan, but every track on the album Songs You Know By Heart is ... a song I know by heart.  I'd probably be fine if I never heard "Margaritaville" again and I reached my max on "Cheeseburger in Paradise" a few summers ago when I introduced it to my kids and we ended up blasting it in the Odyssey almost daily.

I never thought about how I'd feel when Jimmy Buffett passed away, but turns out, I felt pretty sad and then, after days of listening to my favorite of the songs I know by heart, pretty grateful.  My forty-eight year old self couldn't help but marvel at the cleverness and wisdom of the lyrics.  My friend Kristin (who introduced me to Buffett because she had cool older siblings) and I have been texting about Buffett songs and it's been fun to connect about this music we both love, appreciate, and understand.  It's been over a month since his passing, and no one asked for my deep thoughts on Jimmy Buffett's life and work.  I don't know that I have many deep thoughts, except to reflect that if you've created music that has brought people joy and hope and fun and community and escape from everyday drudgery, you've made the world a better place.  I wanted to record the Buffett lyrics that mean the most to me in the hopes that I'll remember to press play on Buffett when I need him.  Here they are ...

From "Changes in Latitude"

If it suddenly ended tomorrow I could somehow adjust to the fall

Good times and riches and son-of-a-bitches I've seen more than I can recall 

and

Oh, yesterday's over my shoulder, so I can't look back for too long

There's just too much to see waiting in front of me and 

I know that I just can't go wrong

With these changes in latitudes, changes in attitudes

Nothing remains quite the same

With all of my running and all of my cunning

If I couldn't laugh I just would go insane

If we couldn't laugh we just would go insane

If we weren't all crazy we would go insane

 

 

From "Pirate Looks at Forty"

Mother, mother ocean, after all the years I've found

My occupational hazard being my occupation's just not around

 

From "Fins"

She came down from Cincinnati

It took her three days on a train

Looking for some peace and quiet

Hoped to see the sun again.

From "Come Monday"

I hope you're enjoying the scenery

I know that it's pretty up there

We can go hiking on Tuesday

With you I'd walk anywhere

California has worn me quite thin

I just can't wait to see you again

Come Monday, it'll be all right

Come Monday, I'll be holdin' you tight

 

 

From "Son of a Son of a Sailor"

 

As a dreamer of dreams and a travelin' man

I have chalked up many a mile

Read dozens of books about heroes and crooks

And I learned much from both of their styles

 

and

 

Haul the sheet in as we ride on the wind

That our forefathers harnessed before us

Hear the bells ring as the right rigging sings

It's a son of a gun of a chorus

 

Where it all ends I can't fathom my friends

If I knew I might toss out my anchor

So I cruise along always searchin' for songs

Not a lawyer a thief or a banker

 

 

And the moment that really choked me up from "He Went to Paris"

Now he lives in the island, fishes the pilin's

And drinks his green label each day

He's writing his memoirs and losing his hearing

But he don't care what most people say

Through 86 years of perpetual motion

If he likes you he'll smile and he'll say

Jimmy, some of it's magic, some of it's tragic

But I had a good life all the way

 

 

I hope I can say the same ... some of it's magic, some of it's tragic, but I had a good life all the way.

2022 Reading Highlights

And, here you have them, my reading highlights of 2022.  I'm just sharing titles, authors, and loose categories.  If you want to know more about any of the titles, message me or check my Instagram @booksandcarbs where I have posted mini reviews of all the books listed below.  Unless otherwise indicated, these books are 2022 releases.   

 

Fiction Highlights 

People Person by Candice Carty-Williams

 

Boy Swallows Universe (2018) by Trent Dalton

 

Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
 

The Christie Affair by Nina de Gramont

 

The All of It (1986) by Jeanette Haien

 

Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver

 

Betty (2020) by Tiffany McDaniel

 

The No Show by Beth O’Leary

 

The Maid by Nita Prose

 

This Time Tomorrow by Emma Straub 

 

Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt

 

Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin 

Memoir/Non-Fiction Highlights

How to Keep House While Drowning by KC Davis

 

Think Again:  The Power of Knowing What You Don't Know (2021) by Adam Grant

 

The Storyteller: Tales of Life and Music (2021) by Dave Grohl 

 

I Want to Thank You: How a Year of Gratitude Can Bring Joy and Meaning in a Disconnected World by Gina Hamadey

Breaking Free:  How I Escaped My Father--Warren Jeffs--Polygamy, and the FLDS Cult (2017) by Rachel Jeffs   

 

I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jeanette McCurdy

             

Did Ye Hear Mammy Died by Seamas O'Reilly

 

This Will Be Funny Later by Jenny Pentland

 

Hello, Molly! by Molly Shannon

"New Books from Favorite Authors" Highlights

 

Smells Like Tween Spirit (Class Mom #4) by Laurie Gelman

 

Meant To Be by Emily Giffin 

 

The Hotel Nantucket by Elin Hilderbrand

 

A World of Curiosities (Chief Inspector Gamache #18) by Louise Penny

 

2022 Year of Books -- Non-Fiction

2022 MEMOIRS, ESSAYS, and OTHER NON-FICTION

Selma Blair

Mean Baby: A Memoir of Growing Up (audiobook via Cloud Library)

 

Oliver Burkeman

Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals (audiobook via Libby)

 

Allie Casazza

Declutter Like a Mother: A Guilt-Free, No-Stress Way to Transform Your Home and Your Life (audiobook via Hoopla)

 

Liesl Clark

The Buy Nothing, Get Everything Plan: Discover the Joy of Spending Less, Sharing More, and Living Generously (audiobook via Libby) 

 

Anderson Cooper

Vanderbilt: The Rise and Fall of an American Dynasty (audiobook via Hoopla) 

John Crist

Delete That: And Other Failed Attempts to Look Good Online (audiobook via Cloud Library)

K.C. Davis

How to Keep House While Drowning: A Gentle Approach to Cleaning and Organizing (audiobook via Libby)

Minnie Driver

Managing Expectations: A Memoir in Essays (audiobook via Cloud Library)

 

Jenna Fischer & Angela Kinsey

The Office BFFs: Tales of The Office from Two Best Friends Who Were There (library book)

 

Lauren Graham

Have I Told You This Already?: Stories I Don't Want to Forget to Remember (audiobook via Cloud Library)

 

John Green

The Anthropocene Reviewed (audiobook via Libby)

 

Jennifer Grey

Out of the Corner (audiobook via Cloud Library)

Rachel Jeffs

Breaking Free: How I Escaped My Father--Warren Jeffs--Polygamy, and the FLDS Cult  (audiobook via Cloud Library)

 

Ralph Macchio

Waxing On: The Karate Kid and Me

 

Jeanette McCurdy

I'm Glad My Mom Died (audiobook via Audible)

Shauna Niequist

I Guess I Haven't Learned That Yet: Discovering New Ways of Living When the Old Ways Stop Working (hardcover)

Zibby Owens

Bookends: A Memoir of Love, Loss and Literature (ebook via Kindle First Reads)

 

Seamus O'Reilly

Did Ye Hear Mammy Died? (audiobook via Audible) 

 

Mary Laura Philpott

Bomb Shelter: Love, Time, and Other Explosives (library book)

 

Christine Platt

The Afrominimalist's Guide to Living With Less (library book) 

Priscilla Beaulieu Presley

Elvis and Me (audiobook via Cloud Library)

David Sedaris

Happy-Go-Lucky (audiobook via Audible)

 

Tim Sommer

Only Wanna Be with You: The Inside Story of Hootie & the Blowfish (audiobook via Hoopla) 

 

Philip Van Doren Stern

The Greatest Gift: A Christmas Tale (audiobook via Hoopla)

 

Ali Wentworth

Ali's Well That Ends Well: Tales of Desperation and a Little Inspiration (audiobook via Cloud Library)

Casey Wilson

The Wreckage of My Presence (audiobook via Libby)

 

 

 

An (*) indicates a reread.  All ebooks are purchased on sale via the Kindle Store or checked out from the e-offerings of the Elmhurst Public Library.  All audiobooks are from Audible.com or the Elmhurst Public Library's e-offerings (Hoopla, Cloud Library, and Libby Apps).

 

2022 Year of Books -- Fiction

 2022 FICTION 

Lyssa Kay Adams

A Very Merry Bromance (audiobook via Cloud Library)

Alexandra Andrews

Who is Maud Dixon? (audiobook via Libby)

Louis Bayard

Jackie and Me (audiobook via Libby)

 

B.K. Borison

Lovelight Farms (audiobook via Hoopla)

 

Julie Buxbaum

Year on Fire (ebook via Cloud Library) 

Candice Carty-Williams

People Person (audiobook via Libby)

 

Katherine Center

The Bodyguard (hardcover)

 

Ann Cleves

The Long Call (audiobook via Hoopla) 

 

Jennifer Close

Marrying the Ketchups (audiobook via Cloud Library)

 

Jenny Colgan

An Island Wedding (Mure #5) (audiobook via Libby)

Welcome to the School by the Sea (audiobook via Cloud Library)

 

Katie Cotugno

Birds of California (audibook via Libby)

 

Sophie Cousens

Before I Do (ebook via Cloud Library) 

 

Trent Dalton

Boy Swallows Universe (audiobook via Hoopla) 

 

Andrew DeYoung

The Temps (audiobook via Hoopla) 

 

Robert Galbraith

The Ink Black Heart (Cormoran Strike #6) (audiobook via Audible)

 

Bonnie Garmus

Lessons in Chemistry (hardcover)

 

Laurie Gelman

Smells Like Tween Spirit (library book)

Emily Giffin

Meant to Be (hardcover)

 

Nina De Gramont

The Christie Affair (audiobook via Libby)

 

Elly Griffith

The Stranger Diaries (Harbinder #1) (audiobook via Hoopla) 

Jasmine Guillory

Drunk on Love (ebook via Cloud Library)

Jeannette Haien

The All of It (ebook via Cloud Library)

 

Greer Hendricks

The Golden Couple (audiobook via Cloud Library)

 

Emily Henry

Book Lovers (ebook via CloudLibrary)

 

Sally Hepworth

Unchartered Waters (audiobook via Audible)

The Younger Wife (ebook via Cloud Library)

Kristan Higgins

Out of the Clear Blue Sky (ebook via  CloudLibrary)

 

Elin Hilderbrand

The Hotel Nantucket (hardcover)

 

Sarah Hogle

Twice Shy (ebook via Cloud Library)

 

Linda Holmes

Flying Solo (audiobook via Libby)

 

Abby Jiminez

Part of Your World (ebook via Cloud Library) 

 

Louise Kennedy

Trespasses (audiobook via Cloud Library)

Marian Keyes

Again, Rachel (audiobook via Cloud Library)

Barbara Kingsolver

Demon Copperhead (audiobook via Audible)

 

Jean Hanff Korelitz

The Latecomer (audiobook via Audible) 

Elinor Lipman

Ms. Demeanor (ebook via Cloud Library)

Sarah Lotz

The Impossible Us (audiobook via Libby)

 

Lia Louis

Eight Perfect Hours (audiobook via Libby)

Portia MacIntosh

Just Date and See (audiobook via Hoopla)

The Meet Cute Method (audiobook via Hoopla)

Single All The Way (audiobook via Hoopla) 

Joyce Maynard

The Influencer: A Short Story (audiobook via Audible)

 

Lauren McBrayer

Like a House on Fire (audiobook via Cloud Library)

 

Mhairi McFarlane

Mad About You (audiobook via Audible) 

Dervla McTiernan

The Murder Rule (audiobook via Audible)

Jean Meltzer

The Matzah Ball (audiobook via Hoopla)

Lydia Millet

Dinosaurs (audiobook via Hoopla)

 

Denise Mina

Confidence (audiobook via Audible) 

Annabel Monaghan

Nora Goes Off Script (audiobook via Cloud Library)

Margarita Montimore

Acts of Violet (audiobook via Libby)

 

Meg Mitchell Moore

Vacationland (hardcover) 

 

Beth Morrey

Delphine Jones Takes a Chance (audiobook via Cloud Library) 

 

Maggie O'Farrell

The Marriage Portrait (audiobook via Cloud Library)

Beth O'Leary

The No-Show (ebook via Cloud Library)

 

George Orwell

Animal Farm* (paperback) 

Louise Penny

A World of Curiosities (Chief Inspector Gamache, #18) (audiobook via Audible)

 

Tom Perrotta

Tracy Flick Can't Win (audiobook via Libby) 

Rosamunde Pilcher

Winter Solstice* (audiobook via Hoopla)

Claire Pooley

Iona Iverson's Rules for Commuting (audiobook via Libby)

 

Alexandra Potter

Confessions of a Forty-Something F**k Up (audiobook via Audible) 

Jessica Redland

Making Wishes at Bay View (audiobook via Audible Unlimited)

Taylor Jenkins Reid

Carrie Soto is Back (audiobook via Audible)

Jason Rekulak

Hidden Pictures (audiobook via Libby)

 

Jane L. Rosen

A Shoe Story (audibook via Cloud Library) 

 

Kamila Shamsie

Best of Friends (audiobook via Cloud Library)

Maggie Shipstead

You Have a Friend in 10A: Stories (audiobook via Cloud Library)

 

Kate Spencer

In a New York Minute (ebook via Cloud Library) 

Julia Spiro

Full (audiobook via Audible)

Wallace Stegner

Angle of Repose (audiobook via Libby)

Crossing to Safety (audiobook via Hoopla)

 

Nina Stibbe

One Day I Shall Astonish the World (audiobook via Audible)

Emma Straub

This Time Tomorrow (audiobook via Cloud Library)

 

Lynn Steger Strong

Flight (audiobook via Libby)

Elizabeth Strout

Lucy by the Sea (Amgash #4) (audiobook via Cloud Library)

Elissa Sussman

Funny You Should Ask (audiobook via Cloud Library)

 

Anthony Trollope

Christmas at Thompson Hall (audiobook via Hoopla) 

The Warden (Chronicles of Barsetshire, #1) (audiobook via Hoopla)

 

Anne Tyler

French Braid (audiobook via Cloud Library) 

 

Shelby Van Pelt

Remarkably Bright Creatures (audiobook via Libby) 

Rosie Walsh

The Love of my Life (audiobook via Cloud Library)

 

Jennifer Weiner

The Summer Place (hardcover)

 

Julia Whelan

Thank You for Listening (audiobook via Audible)

 

Charmaine Wilkerson

Black Cake (audiobook via Libby) 

 

Tia Williams

Seven Days in June (audiobook via Libby) 

Julia Whelan

Thank You for Listening (audiobook via Audible)

Kevin Wilson

Now Is Not the Time to Panic (ebook via Cloud Library)

 

Kerry Winfrey

Just Another Love Song (audiobook via Cloud Library)

 

Gabrielle Zevin

Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow (hardcover)

 

 

 An (*) indicates a reread.  All ebooks are purchased on sale via the Kindle Store or checked out from the e-offerings of the Elmhurst Public Library.  All audiobooks are from Audible.com or the Elmhurst Public Library's e-offerings (Hoopla, Cloud Library, and Libby Apps).