Books I read in 2023

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41 books this year, listed below in the order I read them. You’ll notice some authors appear more than once (Abby Jimenez, Lisa See, Emily Henry), some are work-related, and all the books with an * designate that we read them for Book Club (7 books and a yearly plan completed in 2023!).

Enjoy the list, with a few thoughts as they come!

Flying Solo by Linda Holmes
Linda Holmes is a podcaster I enjoy listening to (Pop Culture Happy Hour) and this is her second novel. Good stuff!

The Guest List by Lucy Foley *
Our first book club book of 2023 – and a suspense-filled one it was!

Lunar Love by Lauren Kung Jessen
Predictable and fun.

Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell
Haunting and memorable. So good.

Layover (short story) by Emily Henry

Last Circle of Love by Lorna Landvik
Love me some Lorna!

People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry *
You’ll notice lots of Emily Henry – again!

The Art of Gathering: How We Meet and Why it Matters by Priya Parker
Learned about this through podcasts. Great podcast during COVID times and great instagram all the time.

Love Poems for Anxious People by John Kenney
A silly and delightful little book.

Love & Saffron by Kim Fay
Told in letters – great fun!

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Great story… an author that is solid.

Truly, Madly, Guilty by Liane Moriarty
I listened to this and didn’t find it wonderful

The Dry by Jane Harper *
Book in a bag – Great suspense!

Part of Your World by Abby Jimenez
Saw this author at RPL – great book, great to listen to her.

Atomic Habits: An Easy Way to Build Good Habits and Break Bad Ones by James Clear

The Long Way Back by Nicole Baart
Pre-release read – suspenseful!

Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing by Matthew Perry
Haunting depiction of addition; made his death seem even more sad because of reading it.

Saturday Night at the Lakeside Supper Club by J. Ryan Stradahl
Met this author in Rushford – inspiration for our Supper Club Tour!

Saints for All Occasions by J. Courtney Sullivan
I love J. Courtney Sullivan books… great characters.

Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez
Another Jimenez book… another winner!

I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy
Listened to the audio… what a horrible childhood.

My Antonia by Willa Cather *
What a treat. Listened to the audio and read along. Great book recommended by ChatGPT!

Trauma Stewardship: An Everyday Guide for Caring for Self While Caring for Others
Work work work… and a great book for the work we do.

Dreams of Joy by Lisa See
I love Lisa See books. I listened to this one and it was sort of plodding but good characters.

Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
What a delight. So unexpected. So good.

The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend by Katarina Bivald *
Another delight and filled with books books books! Lovely story!

Happy Place by Emily Henry
Another Henry – good stuff.

Lady Tan’s Circle of Women by Lisa See
Predictably good.

Truth or Beard by Penny Reid
A light fluffy read.

Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear *
What a good one this is… want to read more!

The Sweet Spot by Amy Poeppel
I love Poeppel books and this is no exception! Great fun story.

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
So glad I finally got to this, although those WW2 books are difficult.

The Lake House by Kate Morton *
Book club! Ghosts and suspense…

You, Again by Kate Goldbeck
I didn’t love this, but it was ok. Supposed to be “harry met sally-“esque, but just ok.

The House We Grew Up In by Lisa Jewell *
Complex families…

The Christmas Orphans Club by Becca Freeman
A podcaster I listen to and a delightful holiday story!

My Christmas Curse by Joan Gable
Found it on my Kindle…

Tom Lake by Ann Patchett
Ah… good stuff.

Leaders Eat Last: Why Some Teams Pull Together and Others Don’t by Simon Sinek
Work work work…

The Better Half by Alli Frank and Asha Youmans
What a delight! Loved this book. Very fun.

The Christmas Bookshop by Jenny Colgan
A nice holiday treat…

Gratitude 11 and 12

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I knew I wouldn’t be consistent! But here I am .. catching up.

Yesterday was another hot day and we strolled after dark, because it’s dark so early! Hot October days are little gifts. I know they won’t last, so I’m grateful for days with nice weather. 85 in October feels different than 85 in July, after all.

And today… I’m grateful for music. I listen to a lot of podcasts and audiobooks, but Chris listens to different music each night before bed. It’s fun to learn about the bands he loves. We also have been watching Beat Shazam, a game show where you have to quickly identify songs. It’s fun. Lots of genres I’m bad at, but it is fun when you know!

“Let gratitude be the pillow upon which you kneel to say your nightly prayer. And let faith be the bridge you build to overcome evil and welcome good.”

Maya Angelou

More to come!

Gratitude 10

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Today I turned 55 and celebrated 9 years of marriage. Ah. It was a great day. I’m grateful for the heat, for the walk in the morning, and for the small gathering of friends and family at our favorite taco place. I’m grateful Griffin knows my name and wanted to give me a birthday hug today.

I’m looking forward to some autumn adventures and was able to do some research today for that trip. Ah.

Gratitude 9

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This guy. Days like these.

Tomorrow is our 9th anniversary…

Today we drove. We took twistie roads, ate lunch at a cute cafe and browsed Johnny Appleseed days. We watched pelicans and pointed out colorful trees. We found the end of MN Hwy 55 and drove some of the WI Great River Road.

We never run out of things to talk about: deep and reflective or silly and unimportant. We listen to music and create playlists. We talk about future goals and plans.

Looking forward to celebrating 9 years with many more to come!

A wine tasting with a view

Gratitude 7

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The ED team, past and present… Mostly past

I’m grateful for these people.

These are the friends I have worked with during the past (almost) 12 years I’ve worked in the ED. We joke about being trauma bonded to each other and there is truth in that. We all know the challenges of our job.

I’m grateful for our history and I’m grateful there are new beginnings.

Some of the same… still my crew.

Our ED crew is changing and that is exciting and I’m grateful for the teaching and learning that is happening daily.

Life is good.

Gratitude 5

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Today my employer showed its appreciation for employees. As a team we were able to go get lunch from the food tent, but first we took advantage of the photo booth and registered for door prizes. It was a busy day, but we were able to get away for 30 minutes, listen to live music, and listen to trivia questions. Lunch was delicious and everyone was gracious.

I’m grateful for the team I work with. I’m grateful for my tenure in the job and the culture that I get to influence in some way.

Tomorrow I’ll snap a pic of our photo booth strip and add that. It’s a keeper!

Gratitude 4

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Books! Book Club! Books, books, books! Today I’m grateful for books and for book club!

We met tonight for book club and discussed “Maisie Dobbs” over burgers. I finished the book at the last minute, after listening to the audiobook from the library.. Ah. I love finishing a book.

Our book club always discusses the book, even if we skip the hard questions. We have a good track record of all of us actually reading most of the book before meeting, too! We laugh a lot and eat well and catch up on what life has happened between the times we see each other. Our time together is always more than two hours, sometimes up to four! We have been meeting and discussing books for almost 20 years!

I love book club.

I also love this time between books. Savoring what was just finished and anticipating what book will come next. I have an abundance of books to choose from, with a full Kindle, a towering stack on my bedside table, and one overflowing shelf of TBRs (To Be Reads).

Ah, books. ❤️

❤️ August Book Club ❤️

Gratitude 3

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Tonight I’m grateful for friends who bring the merch. Kristine and Mike started a supper club tour in July and we have been able to join on three of their adventures so far! Wiederholt’s outside Hastings, Sullivan’s outside Trempeleau, and tonight, Ettlin’s Ranchero in Webster.

Every night at a Supper Club is special. Onion rings, a relish tray, old fashioneds and ice cream drinks elevate any night. Tonight was extra-special because, *merch*, but also because it is Kristine’s birthday! For one week we are the same age and then I turn a year older.

I’m grateful for Kristine’s friendship, her fun-loving spirit, and her creativity! I love a theme and this is a fun one – and now we have the T-shirts!

Supper Club Tour
Wiederholt’s