It’s not Monday
but I have to get caught up
on the books!!
(small spoiler alert if you have never read but
plan to read a tree grows in brooklyn…)

So no dillydallyinglollygagging…
we’ll get right into the next 5
{also am i the only person
who gets confused that 30 take away 26
is four
but books 26-30 is
five books…it’s just me, isn’t it…}
This is why I write about reading and not math. 🤭

26. HAMNET - MAGGIE O’FARRELL
❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️’s out of 5
(and yes, I know I gave 6…it was THAT good)

my direct notes after reading:
I absolutely loved this book. The writing
was lyrical and poetic and tragic.

*I don’t use the word tragic lightly.

And if you get a chance to watch the movie,
do it. It is haunting and beautiful and so
worth it.

27. THE IDENTICALS - ELIN HILDERBRAND
❤️❤️❤️❤️’s out of 5

I took no notes on this book
so that tells me I wasn’t overly moved…
and barely even a picture except
this one that it is upside down in
and overshadowed by my treats. :)
But 4 stars though so I must have liked it.
We’ll just have to take my word for it.
🤷🏻‍♀️

28. INDEPENDENCE FOR LIFE - WIL HARLOW
💛💛💛💛💛 (yellow cause non-fiction…)

This book was SOOOO helpful.
I found it easy to read and make sense of
and I have recommended this many times now.

29. A TREE GROWS IN BROOKLYN - BETTY SMITH
💙💙💙💙💙 (blue because it’s a reread!)

direct from my notes after reading:
I haven't read this book since grade 10 or 11 English R&W when I had Mrs Moynahan for a teacher and got 100% on the exam because I loved this book so much. I wish I still had that exam and could reread what I thought about the book back then. I cried on the deck reading this so many times. When Papa died. When McShane asked to adopt Laurie but said he didn't expect the older ones to call him father, they had a father. My heart, my heart. I am so glad I reread this book.

and then there was THIS ONE!
30. WILDWOOD - COLIN MELOY
❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Randomly found this treasure
while at Daisy-Mae’s Bookshop
with a like-minded best friend
and we had a bit of a tussle over the book
but I did find it first so I bought it
with the promise of lending…
it’s a kids book but soooooo beautifully illustrated
AND such a great fairy tale-ish adventure.
I absolutely loved it
and tomorrow night
WE ARE GOING TO SEE THE MOVIE!
it looks frigging uh-maz-ing!
I already went and bought my treats
and am SERIOUSLY SO EXCITED!
(also, it’s part of a trilogy so I already
ordered the other 2 books that were done
by the same illustrator and now I can’t wait
to get real book shelves to PUT THEM ON!)
OH. and watching THIS makes me
wanna make all of this too!!!

oh! and reading this made me want to draw..
I love when that happens!!