Library Visit

It has been quite a while since I went to the library. Last time was in December and I was dropping off some magazines for the magazine exchange program but I didn’t even look at the new books shelf! I do use the library frequently but basically for Audiobooks through the Libby App. However, I needed a book for my upcoming mystery book group and as I’ve been trying to curb my book buying a bit as my shelves are overflowing then I thought it’s time to visit the library!

I was happy to see a display for Women’s History Month although I was hoping it would have a bit more nonfiction but maybe those books were already checked out. I didn’t grab any from the display but went over to the holds section to pick up The Bullet that Missed by Richard Osman for my upcoming mystery book group discussion, and then of course went over to the new books section.

There were so many new books that caught my attention but I only picked up two additional books: Roman Stories by Jhumpa Lahiri, translated with Todd Portnowitz and My Brilliant Friend the graphic novel by Chiara Laguna and Mara Cerri. So excited about these. Have you read them?

Before I left of course I had a look at the magazine exchange table because I am really into collage lately for my crafty projects and enjoy going through magazines to pull images I can use. I was able to get several magazines and bonus, some of these are from AllRecipes and Cooking Light which means we may have some new recipes to try this spring.

So a fun visit and now off to get started on one of these books. Let me know if you’ve been going to your library lately and what you’ve found.

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Month in Review

I’m back from five days in Maui! Yes, it really was a work trip but there was quite a bit of downtime and it was wonderful to relax in such a beautiful place. Despite the devastation of the wildfires last year, you can feel the spirit of coming together to rebuild the community.

We had great meals and my favorites being the seafood and fruit. Of course some delicious desserts were also savored at every meal. We went on a whale watching tour and before you think it was all fun, we did some volunteering at Kipuka Olowalu. It was fascinating to learn about native plants and their traditional uses.

While you won’t be able to go into the historic Lahaina as that was lost in the wildfires, you can still visit Maui and help support the community. So if you are planning a trip, I encourage you to check out the Maui official travel site for more information on how you can help and enjoy a great time.

Obviously that is the highlight of the month. A month where I was feeling a bit overwhelmed but as usual travel always has such a great effect on me and I’m feeling a bit more refreshed and excited about a new month and spring just around the corner.

When it comes to the books at first I didn’t think I’d be reading much but time in Maui and the long flights meant I got a bit of extra reading time so I finished six books in February. They are: Winter Solstice by Rosamund Pilcher, These Silent Woods by Kim Cunningham Grant, The Clinic by Kate Quinn, Murder Road by Simone St. James, The Ascent by Adam Plantinga and Fish Swimming in Dappled Sunlight by Riku Onda.

By far, my favorite was Winter Solstice. There was something so comforting about that book and now I’m thinking why did I wait so long to read anything by Rosamund Pilcher? But at least there are more of her books to discover. I barely got in my book for the Japanese Literature reading challenge but I did. Unfortunately, this book by Riku Onda wasn’t as great as the previous novel I read by her but still enjoyable.

I hope you had a wonderful month and can’t wait to hear if you’ve got some reading plans for next month.

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Happy Valentine’s Day

Well, hello there! I know it’s been a bit since I popped in here but we’ve just been so busy. The last few days were a bit stressful as I had to take my mom for some routine appointments and she was anxious which I understand as I get a lot of the white coat anxiety myself, but it’s hard when you’re trying to be strong for two people! All  is good though so I’m grateful for that.

We haven’t had a lot of free time on the weekends either as my husband has had several personal projects going on and weekends are when I try to get caught up on my crafty homework for my Wanderlust class. All of that is fun but there hasn’t been a lot of extra time and we haven’t even had any bookstore outings! It’s just hard to find time for everything isn’t it?

But I cannot complain as I’m off on a work trip next week. The stars have aligned and my husband is able to come with me and I have family coming to stay with my mom. So while it is a work trip it will be at a nice place (someplace we’ve never been to) and I’m sure there will be some downtime to relax.

I can’t wait to see some new scenery and just get out of the regular routine! Of course I promise to share pictures when I return.

So the blog will be quiet for a bit longer but I hope you are all doing well and reading good stuff. And, Happy Valentine’s Day!

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