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whatcha readin'? {goal 48-books 1-3}

February 16, 2026 Arlene Giddings

I am going to try to stay
on top of talking about books
that I have been reading…
and I realize I say this every year
and every year, I start out strong…
and then sunshine happens
and I lose sight of this goal. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Here we are in the middle of February
and I have only read 3 books so far.
January killed me a little,
I am not really sure why…
but to be fair, my first pick
was a long one and one that I wanted to
savor
and not devour.

1 - Fall on your Knees - Anne Marie MacDonald
💙💙💙💙💙 (re-read)
I love this book.
This one is a re-read for me (more than once)
but it’s been a long time since my last read of it,
so long that I had kind of forgotten a lot of it,
which was nice…it was like reading it all new again…
it’s poetic lyrical dark and moody…
a family saga set in Cape Breton.
I adore it.
And I was just as devastated reading it
this time as I was the first time I read it.

2 - Nine Perfect Strangers - Liane Moriarty
❤️❤️❤️❤️.5
This was my “read in the sauna” book…
and I was completely enthralled. It was intense.
It was so unexpected.
I had loved Big Little Lies by the same author
and am excited to see that this one is already a series also
so I plan to check that out next!

3 - The Wedding People - Alison Espach
❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
This was all over my social media for a while
and I’m easily influenced that way. Heh.
But this was a good influence!
It made me laugh out loud in places.
I absolutely adored the characters,
but especially the relationship between Phoebe and Lila…
well…Phoebe and anyone really.
{And I hated Matt. Like. I really hated Matt.}
This one is definitely worth the read
and I saw there might be a movie coming for it as well!

NEXT UP - SUPER BODY - WILLIAM DAVIS
&
POEMS & PRAYERS - MATTHEW MCCONAUGHEY

In whatcha readin' Tags whatcha readin'?, books, 2026 - Nourish
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2026 WORD - nourish {also known as the-year-of-no-goals}

January 19, 2026 Arlene Giddings

I have been stepping into 2026
quietly….
in my slippers and fuzziest pjs,
hair in a messy bun,
contemplating what I want
for this year
between naps,
work, saunas and
watching the snow fall.

My word for 2026 is nourish.

I didn’t have to think hard about it this year.
Usually there is a list
and lot of pros and cons
and debating and changing of the mind…
but this year,
I know I need nourish.

I want to slow down. To savor.
To notice. To be present.
I want to be mindful of what
I am ingesting…not just food related
(but yes, I think we would all agree that should
be part of it, heh)
but also in every other way….
social media, relationships, tv/movies/music….

how am I spending the finite amount of time
I have…the days, the hours, the minutes…
what really feeds me, what makes me feel satiated.
What makes me feel calm.
What gives me butterflies in my belly.
But also, what calms my central nervous system.

I am not setting goals this year.
But I am focusing on some defined pillars and
adjusting my choices with these things in mind.

I just want to find some calm.
Some quiet peace.
2025 was hard. Harder than I ever fucking imagined.

I just need a little slow softness now.
🩷🩷🩷

In 2026 - Nourish Tags one word, nourish, 2026 - Nourish
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