What We’re Reading Wednesday, November 16th 

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Happiest of Wednesdays, book friends! Yesterday, we got our first serious snow of the winter here in Pittsburgh, and I was predictably grumpy about it. I love a good snow when I can stay inside all day with a book and a blanket, but I don’t appreciate when it shows up during my work day and threatens to make my commute home a nightmare. 

Snow also means I have to reckon with the fullness of what it means that I insisted upon a high energy breed when we were looking for our pup, Azula. Snow or not, she will demand her walks to get out that Australian Cattle Dog/Australian Shepherd mix energy. 

Still, we make the best of the cold and use it as a good excuse to stay in and read (after walkies, of course). I spent the weekend mostly at home, baking bread and reading, with the cuddle pup by my side after a nice trip to the dog park tuckered her out properly. All that reading time means I’ve got some solid updates for this week! 

(Full disclosure: This post uses Bookshop.org affiliate links. Titles marked with an asterisk were received as complimentary review copies).


Recent Reads

I finished The No-Show over the weekend, and WOW was I surprised by that twist everyone kept telling me would be coming. I utterly adored this book and think it’s my now my second favorite amongst Beth O’Leary’s romances (after The Flatshare, because I cannot be convinced to resist an epistolary setup). 

My full (and spoiler free) review went up earlier this week, here: “The No-Show” Kept Me Guessing


Current Reads

Now that I have managed to catch up on two entire years’ worth of the most recent podcast I became obsessed with, Maintenance Phase, I’m back at the audiobook game. I am continuing along with Tom Felton’s memoir because I can’t resist the fun stories from the Potter set, though I confess I think this will be one of those relatively forgettable books for me in the end. At this point in the book, he’s just sort of going over his relationship to members of the cast, person by person. While I love being reminded that my childhood crush on Rupert Grint was 100% justified, it’s honestly a bit boring.

In print, I decided it was time to give Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow* a go, given its recent accolade at the Book of the Month book of the year. I’m not too terribly far in, but I am really enjoying it so far. It’s one of the thicker books I’ve picked up this year, so we’ll see how long it takes me to read. 


Up Next & On to You

It’s getting to the part of the year where I’ll be able to carve out a bit of extra reading time, so I’m looking ahead with eager anticipation. I’ll be doing a buddy read of Kiss Her Once for Me with my childhood best friend (and OG book friend) after Thanksgiving. This will spark off a few other holiday themed reads I’m planning as we head into the holiday season. 

I’m also excited to pick up my digital ARC of To Get to the Other Side* by Kelly Ohlert. I haven’t seen too much about this one yet in the bookish internet, so I’m going in with relatively unformed expectations, which I like to do from time to time. 

What about you, book friends? What have you been reading lately, and how is it treating you? 


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Furbaby Friday 9/23/22

Happy Friday, book friends! Today is another Friday off from work, and I am grateful for two three-day weekends in a row. This time of year, I really need them. I’ll still be holding virtual office hours for my Intro to Writing students, but at least I don’t have to deal with my morning commute.

When we go to bed before Andy gets home, Azula likes to claim his spot

It’s been a blur of a week with a ton of work to do, and I am exhausted. I’ve been whizzing through audiobooks as my commute continues to be a frustrating mess. Pittsburgh has become home to me in many ways, but the infrastructure of this old city is definitely showing its wear and tear, and we’ve got all the construction projects to prove it.

On Monday, I had to reroute my drive home thanks to a gas line break closing the road I normally take home, making my 45 minute commute well over an hour. When I wasn’t frantically trying to figure out where the heck to go to get home, I was enjoying my audiobook.

In the evenings, I’ve been enjoying the cooler weather and couch cuddles with Azula while getting some reading done. Last night, Mr. Your Book Friend joined us for a nice family reading hour before the Steelers game started.

Reading huddle

In all, another “busy but business as usual” kind of week for us. How was your week?