5 on a Friday

December 20, 2024

Happy Friday! I have a confession to make – my reading life has taken a backseat this holiday season, but one of my personal goals is to show up in this space on a weekly basis (read more about my philosophy of “placeholder habits” here). Today I’m simply sharing my version of “Last, Now, Next.”

This is an AI generated picture – I typed “cozy winter reading.” If you aren’t familiar, AI really struggles with book covers and titles. Doesn’t this look like a great place to read? Anyway, just a good reminder that not everything you see on social media is real!

Last

I recently finished The Maid by Nita Prose for a book club discussion this week. I gave this book 4 out of 5 stars. I loved the hotel setting and the main character, Molly. If you are looking for a delightful mystery, this one is for you.

Now – Physical

I am about 100 pages into The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon. This one has been on my TBR for quite a while because I loved one of her other books, I Was Anastasia. I can already tell The Frozen River is going to be a favorite – I love how Lawhon ties in real historical events with great characters and plot. It really is the perfect winter read!

Now – Audio

The other day, I was perusing Libby for an audiobook by narrator Julia Whelan (yes, you can search by narrator!). When I saw that After I Do was ready to borrow, it was an easy decision for me. Sometimes I struggle with fiction on audio because the storyline can be difficult to follow, but I find that Taylor Jenkins Reid writing style makes understanding the plot and characters a breeze. (I love falling asleep to an audiobook, but I have to admit that this one is so good that it keeps me awake for longer than I expect.)

Now – Daily

Every morning, I have been reading a section of Notes on a Nervous Planet by Matt Haig. I started reading it in September and still have over 100 pages to go! I need to make a plan for my daily non-fiction read once I am finished. Here’s a quote from a recent section that I loved:

“Keep ignoring pop-up ads and pop-up thoughts. Keep a space that is you and put a fence around it. Keep reading. Keep writing.”

I have two books on my list that I plan to read soon for book club and one that falls directly into the “I’d love to if I have time” category. The two that I plan to read are Weyward by Emilia Hart (an award winner!) and Good Dirt by Charmaine Wilkerson (pub date: January 28, 2025). If I have time, I’ll read A Fall of Marigolds by Susan Meissner (a new-to-me author!).