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Showing posts from July, 2019

A letter to Mia Barron, audiobook narrator of Good Riddance by Elinor Lipman

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Dear Mia Barron, I just finished listening to you read Good Riddance , the latest novel from Elinor Lipman. I remember reading and enjoying some of her novels in the 1990's and early 2000's, but I haven't read one in years. The premise of this one (a yearbook thrown away, a nosy neighbor, a documentary film!) sounded so fun, and its length (8 hours 7 minutes) is my audiobook sweet spot. Immediately after I started listening, your voice sounded so familiar. I searched Audible to see if you'd narrated another audiobook I listened to. Nope. I read your IMDB page , and the most likely reason your voice felt so familiar is one episode of Grey's Anatomy  in season six . Or maybe your voice is one of those that feels familiar for no reasons. Either way, I kept finding excuses to listen and finished in a week. Then, about half-way through, after what passes for a twist in this book, I realized (can I be honest?) I didn't really like this book very much, but I wanted

a love letter to Jasmine Guillory

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Dear Jasmine, After reading and enjoying your first two novels, The Wedding Date  and The Proposal , and hearing you speak at ALA last summer, I was excited to revisit those characters in your third novel, The Wedding Party, but also get to know new characters in this fictional universe. I wouldn't consider your books a series (would you?), but I do love seeing the characters pop up in the other novels. It's so much fun. This book features Maddie and Theo, the two best friends of Alexa, the heroine of The Wedding Date , but I admit, I didn't remember much about either one . Thankfully, your reminders helped me remember without feeling like you were re-telling key scenes from The Wedding Date .   And I fell so in love with both of them, but especially Maddie, that I might even go back and re-read The Wedding Date  knowing what I know now. I'm a reader who doesn't read many romance novels (perhaps I just haven't found the right ones?), but I love your romance

Introducing my July Mind & Body Challenge

I didn't plan to write about my July challenge on July 1st. I wanted to, of course, because I want everyone to tell me how awesome I am, but I also admit receiving congratulations before actually beginning is pretty meaningless. So I thought I'd wait until I was half-way through to tell y'all I've been doing this challenge. That way, if I failed, no one would even to have know. But I posted a sweaty selfie on my Instagram story after my workout this morning and captioned it "day one of July fitness challenge done." And then a few people asked what challenge I was doing, so I thought, why not make myself vulnerable and write a little about what I'm doing and why? I made up a challenge for myself for July. Here's what I pledge to do each day: At least three miles (probably always on the elliptical, but I might switch it up) Read for at least 1 hour (leave my phone in another room and set a timer) Have no more than one alcoholic drink It's a mi