I’ve wanted to visit the Galapagos Islands for as far back as I can remember. We finally made this dream come true thanks to the Deb at Edge of Wonder Travel. When we came home, I made a travel journal using Ali Edwards’ Travel Collection. Here’s my album and the journaling: (as I put this together, I realized one of the journaling pages hadn’t been printed so I have since fixed that!)
2018 was a rough year for me and as 2019 approached and I started thinking about my word, I looked back on my memories from the last year and quickly realized that all my best moments were when we went on vacation and spent time together as a family, seeing new places, learning, growing, relaxing, and just being together.
So as I picked my word of the year, magic, vacation was at the very top of my list. I wanted us to go on adventures together. As is typical for many New Year wishes, this one sat in the backburner and didn’t get much traction, until I was talking to my friend Evelyn and we exchanged bucket list places to visit. She told me she’d just booked a trip to Africa with an agent.
I don’t know what made me finally take action but within hours, I’d taken down the woman’s phone number, called her and started the process of planning a vacation for us. Galapagos, Madagascar, Alaska, or Hawaii, I told her. I want to do two, I said. One in June and one in August. Let’s do this!
As the process unfolded, I wavered a million times. The complexity, the duration, the prices, the unknown, I could think of a million reasons why this wasn’t the right time, place, or decision for us right now. But I still kept pursuing it because I’d committed to making this year magical, and this was a big part of making that happen.
After weeks of back and forth, I finally bit the bullet and bought the plane tickets to Ecuador. Once those were in my hand, I knew I’d committed to the whole thing. My big dream of going to the Galapagos was going to become a reality. Through every part of this process, anxiety was right there with me. Clothes shopping, figuring out the itinerary, packing, getting all the details right, it never stopped nagging me, but it also didn’t manage to stop me. So after all the hours of worrying and stressing, it’s now time. GALAPAGOS here we come.
We are making magic happen!
Our first destination was Quito, Ecuador. We left San Francisco at 1:30pm and flew to Mexico City where we waited at the airport for 5 hours. Then we took the second four and a half-hour long flight, and arrived at Quito at 5:50 in the morning. We were completely wiped from being on the road for over 13 hours and flight on the short but overnight flight.
A lovely guide picked us up and drove us to La Casa de la Ronda at downtown Quito. It was an hour-long ride and we all struggled to stay awake. Thankfully, the hotel had prepared one of our two rooms so we could immediately take a nap. We said our thank yous and proceeded to take a five-hour nap.
Once we all felt a bit more human, we left the hotel to wander the streets of Quito. First order of business was lunch so we walked into a colorful pizza joint which unfortunately turned out to be only mediocre pizza.
Our bellies full, we headed downtown. They had just had the equinox celebration so there were many street performers, sales people, and wanderers like us. It took us only a few minutes to realize that none of the stores took credit cards so we managed to find a bank and an ATM machine and then ate some delicious ice cream. With the heat, the travel, and the walking around we were all wiped so we decided to go back to our quiet and beautiful hotel to rest a bit and then enjoy the 4pm tea they served. Before we knew it, it was past 6pm and almost dark outside. So we ventured out once more. This time, the streets were very quiet and empty. We found a lovely little restaurant near the hotel and had one final meal before finishing off our day in Quito.
The next morning, we woke up at 5am because another guide, Aldo, was there to pick us up and drive us all the way back to the airport so we could get on the Latam flight to the Galapagos. All of our paperwork was taken care of and we were safely on the flight which stopped in Guayaquil before landing at Baltra airport, on the beautiful Galapagos Islands.
After we landed at the airport, we got off the plane onto the tarmac and slowly started walking. Within moments, we saw two lizards fighting. This was exactly why we’d decided to come here: the magic of nature.
Another guide picked us up from the airport and got us on the bus, to the boat, to the minibus so we could arrive at our first adventure of the day. We drove near Rancho Manzanillo and took a meandering walk in the trees where we got to see some awesome finches and other birds. We also got to see a giant sinkhole. We were quite tired from the 5am wake up go I got worried that the hikes would be too much but it was just the right amount.
Right after our short hike, we drove to the ranch and had lunch surrounded by little birds and beautiful nature. The food was fresh but not super flavorful.
This ranch was home to many, many giant tortoises so the guide first explained all about these tortoises and where there were from and how you can tell age and gender, etc. And then we started walking around the property so we could see these amazing animals ourselves.
Jake and I had seen giant tortoises in the Seychelles so we knew a little bit about them but the kids knew nothing. We got to see many of them, in all sizes. Little babies, giant ones, and everything in between. We found out tat they don’t have ears and can’t hear, but that they feel the vibrations when you approach them.
After our tour, we took a very short drive to walk through an underground lava tunnel which was dark, cold, and magical. And then it was finally time to go to our hotel. We were all wiped and ready to settle in. One more boat ride later, we were finally at the section of the island where Finch Bay Eco Hotel lived. Even though we were tired, on the way down to the hotel, we couldn’t resist the temptation to stop and observe the marine iguanas that were nesting.
Finally, we’d made it to Finch Bay Eco Hotel. What a magnificent and quiet place. Each of our rooms had an outdoor hammock (which I used extensively.) There were ponds filled with ducks and finches and many other Galapagos birds. The ducks also shared the pool with us. Within minutes of arriving, we were welcomed by hotel personnel who explained that all of our meals were included and then gave us the details of the following day. We thanked her and headed to the pool.
After swimming and resting and eating, we headed off to bed since the following day had an 8:15 start time. We all woke up at 7:15 with panic, realizing the wake up call had never come. We quickly got dressed and went down to breakfast, only to realize that there’s a one-hour time difference between Quito and the Galapagos, so it was 6:30am and not 7:30am.
Our first day was a trip to South Plaza Island with two other families, one couple and three women traveling together. We got on the boar and rode for about an hour where we stopped to snorkel. We had cleverly rented wet suits so the water was cold but not unbearable.
We got to see many different sharks, schools of fish, and even an eel. When the snorkeling was over, we rode a little bit more and finally arrived at the island where we took a hike and got to see land iguanas (even a hybrid one!), lots of crabs, sea lions, and many many birds including my favorite frigate birds. Many of the birds were nesting so we got to see a lot of tiny, tiny babies, too.
When we got back to the boat, there was lunch waiting for us so we got to relax and enjoy ourselves. The ride back was windy and rocky,. David ended up feeling really seasick and threw up. Despite that, our first full day was a huge success. Everyone was happy and felt like we were on an adventure.
Even the dinner worked out as the awesome staff kindly let the kids eat burgers and hotdogs instead of the fixed menu. We were one happy family.
Day two was a bit more relaxing. We started out earlier (8am) and once again we had Soto as our guide. This time we were paired with one other family and they had a young son, so we replaced the planned long hike with a boat ride to Tortuga Bay. which meant we got there a lot earlier than planned and we could spend our time really enjoying the marine iguanas. After which we had a wonderful swim in the sandy beaches of Tortuga Bay. After a leisurely swim and fun sandcastles, we got back on the boat and headed back to our hotel.
We then had a break for several hours so we could have lunch, rest, etc. It was really nice to have a break in the day In the afternoon, Soto came back to take us to the Charles Darwin Research Station where we got to see newborn turtles and more iguanas and Lonesome George’s taxidermy. On the way out, we got Nathaniel a stuffed sea turtle and then headed back to the hotel.
That evening was the first of the two Democratic Debates so we ended up watching that over dinner and then headed to bed to rest for our last full day.
On our final day, we had Soto once more. This time we had two of the three women, one of the two families and a new couple. We took a long and rocky boat ride to Santa Fe island where we started a walk on the beach full of sea lions and then a hike through the island to see iguanas and blue footed boobies and more. It was quite hot so we were ready to snorkel by the time the hike was done. The sea was much, much colder in this area so we didn’t end up snorkeling for as long, but we still got to see the beautiful spotted damselfish and the highlight of my trip was watching a sea lion catch a fish underwater with his mouth. After the snorkeling, we had lunch ready for us and got to relax for quite some time. The ride back was a lot less rocky and several of us fell asleep.
That night was the second of the Democratic Debates which we also watched over dinner. Some packing, drying all our clothes and a bit of relaxing is how we closed out our last day on the island.
And finally it was the last morning on the island. We woke up, had one final delicious breakfast and then took the boat from the hotel to the main island where someone picked us up and drove us all the way to the main boat dock for the airport. We took the boat and then the bus again and finally we were at the airport. Another Latam flight that stopped at Guayaquil first and we were back in Quito around 5pm or so. We took the shuttle to the Wyndham Airport hotel where we found out that our rooms were at the Club Level. We munched on some goodies and headed off to bed since we were going to have another early morning for our flight back home.
The flight home was the same Aeromexico pattern where we flew 4+ hours to Mexico City, had lunch at the same restaurant where we’d had dinner on the way over, waited 5 hours, tried to connect to infinitum movil a million times and then took the final 4+ hour flight back to SFO. We got home around 10pm at night and pretty much headed right to bed.
Even though I had hemmed and hawed so much before we went on this expensive, far away, complicated journey, it turned out to be every bit as magical as I had hoped it would be and then some. We were pampered and guided and taken care of in all the possible ways. Every hotel we stayed at was absolutely magnificent. The service was unparalleled. Every item was included and with the exception of meals in Quito, tips, and wetsuits we didn’t spend a penny. It was way more luxurious than anything we’d ever done before.
But the very best part, of course, was being there with all these animals and all this nature. Being together. Remembering what matters most. Taking time to be together and taking time to rest and taking time to go on adventures. Taking time to give hugs. Taking time to have wonderful conversations. Taking time to see the wonders of the world. To see the beauty. It was all so much more than I could have imagined. I will never, ever forget this incredible holiday.
Weekly Intention: This week I am traveling for work. I have a crazy trip planned where I will be in Zurich for about 34 hours and then in London for about 36 hours and then I come back home to leave for Tahoe. So a lot of time on the road. And then a lot of working at work, at airports, on airplanes, etc. So my intention this week is: work hard, be present, sleep as much as I can, and take time for myself where I can.
This month’s intention is:Magical Thinking: Time to let go. This is a hard month for you. Transitions are rough. But you also turn 45. It’s magical to get to have another year. It’s magical to have a high schooler and a middle schooler. Life is magical. Let the small things go and have faith that it will all work out. It always does. This week is a perfect example of how I am going to have to let go. It’s going to be hectic and I am not going to be on top of things the way I wish I were. And yet. It’s going to be okay.
One way I will show up this week: curious.
One magic I will make this week: If I am really lucky I might get to see my friend from high school while in London. It really would be magical.
This week, I will pay attention to: our teams in both of these locations.
This week, I will be kinder to: myself since i will be jetlagged likely.
This week, I will focus on pleasing: work, to ensure the trip ends up being worthwhile.
One new thing I will learn this week: how these teams are doing.
I am looking forward to: visiting london office for the first time
This week’s challenges: lots of airplane time, lots of meetings, lots of jet lag.
Top Goals:
Work: perf. org health. zurich/london meetings. stay on top of email. [heh same list as last week]
Personal: daily drawing, exercise, journal, make time to sleep.
Family: family photos, talk to kids as much as possible, prep Jake, prep lunches.
I will focus on my values:
Love: i love that I often get to read extra on the plane, let’s hope it happens this time, too.
Learn: learn more about the remote offices.
Peace: with the crazy travel schedule
Service: perf
Gratitude: for getting to go on adventures.
This week, I want to remember: it’s fun to be in these offices.
Everyday Magic is a year-long project for 2019. You can read more about my projects for 2019 here.
Magic I Saw this Week: This was one of those wonderful combination weeks. I did a lot of work over the weekend, got my hair done and rested on Sunday and then worked hard until Wednesday. Thursday was my birthday so Jake and I went on adventures and then to back to school night. Friday I climbed, worked hard, and then met my friend Kelly which was a huge treat, then worked again, and then went out on date night to the movies. It was a full and magical week.
Magic I Made this Week: Date night, meeting my friend, celebrating my birthday! lots of magic this week.
Magic of Me that I explored Week: hmm i did some journaling and it was great.
Top Goals Review:
Work: did not do enough perf or org health. did plan the zurich/london meetings. somewhat stayed on top of email.
Personal: did daily drawing, exercised, journal a bit, hiked, did not do any 5ams, was really bad with sleep.
Family: took family photos, went to back to school and morning coffee, did celebrate me!, went on date night, hugged kids, prepped lunches, got ready for trip.
I celebrate: my birthday!
I am grateful for: another wonderful trip around the sun. may there be many mor.
This week, I exercised: went to body pump twice, went on a hike on my birthday and went climbing.
Self-care this week: it’s been a full week which sometimes makes things tougher. getting my hair done was lovely and so was taking the day off for my birthday.
I showed up for: The kids by going to school twice for coffee and back to school night.
I said yes to: i continue to keep saying yes as often as i can.
Here are my goodreads reviews. If you’re on goodreads, add me as a friend so I can see your books too! I’ve also started an instagram account where I join my love of reading with my love of art.
We Are All Good People Here (3 stars): So much happens in this book. It is the story of two women who meet in college in the early 1960s. It follows their lives all the way to when they have kids of their own, and the kids’ lives, too. There are a lot of issues the book addresses including racism, anti-semitism, anti-war (Vietnam) and feminism. The women weave in an out of each others’ lives for a while but then end up back together like when they were young, though not close in the same way. I enjoyed the wide range of historical times covered in this book and liked the characters but didn’t connect with it as much as I usually do with stories that go over such a long period of time like this one did. Liked it but didn’t love it.
Say Say Say (3 stars): Say Say Say is the story of a caregiver named Ella. While the book has many musings about relationships and grief and loss. Overall, I didn’t feel like the novel was long or deep enough for me to connect with it the way I usually like to. But I really loved the parts that revolved around her caregiving. The small bits of deeply intimate life you glimpse into as a caregiver, the ways in which you care and also struggle with how/when to care all felt really realistic and touching to me.
Because You’re Mine (3.5 stars): I don’t usually like twists in my mystery novels. They often feel like the author assumed the reader was stupid and came up with a completely implausible twist. Or it was so easy to tell that I could guess the twist. Or the characters are so dislikable that I don’t even care about the twist. This book, however, did none of those for me. The characters were each flawed but also likable in their own ways. The twists (and there were several) were not easy to guess, for me, and yet reasonably believable. I didn’t care for any of these characters all that much but I really enjoyed the story. If mystery and twists are your thing, you will like this one.
No Happy Endings (3 stars): This author was new to me. I haven’t read her previous books, i don’t follow her on instagram, nor have i listened to her podcast. I wasn’t sure how to rate this book. I felt like while there were several touching parts to it, and some gold as well, but overall I didn’t come away with that much. She has endured unspeakable grief between losing a baby and her husband weeks away from each other. The book did a great job of showing both the deep grief and the incredible joy life can bring. Life is complicated, you should make sure to make the most of your days, we don’t get happy endings but complicated, beautiful and textured lives. I admire the courage of the author and her honesty and I am truly happy for her. Maybe I just read this book at the wrong time and didn’t connect with it as much as I could have. If you’re a fan of her work, I am sure you will love this book.
All the Water in the World (2.5 stars): I should have DNF’ed this book. I could tell at around 10% in that I wasn’t connecting with the book and neither of the characters were resonating with me. And yet I kept reading to see if something would make me change my mind. Alas, it wasn’t so. Sometimes it’s the wrong time for a book and I can’t tell if this was one of those. Either way, this book didn’t really work for me unfortunately. If you’ve read it and liked it, I’d love to hear what made you love it that maybe I just missed.
And there we go, an ok week of reading. Here’s to a great week next week.
Books I Read this Week 2019 is a year-long project for 2019. You can read more about my projects for 2019 here. I am also tracking my books in real time on Good Reads here. If you’re on Good Reads add me so I can follow you, too! I’ve also started an instagram account where I join my love of reading with my love of art.
Here are more stories from my 2019 album. The content for these comes from Ali Edwards Story Kits.
Stories from 2019 is a year-long project for 2019. You can read more about my projects for 2019 here. Everything on the pages is from Ali’s Story Kits unless mentioned otherwise.
Weekly Intention: This is another short week at work because I am taking Thursday off for my birthday and I am planning to have no-meeting Friday. Which puts all the stress on the other three days. Like last week, I also have two trips to the kids’ schools. Back to school night for high school and 5th grade tea. I then will leave for Europe for work at the end of the week. So my intention this week is to spend the evenings with my kids. Helping, being present. To focus hard on staying on top of work for the days I am there. And trying to use all my Friday to catch up so I leave for Zurich without too long of a list.
This month’s intention is:Magical Thinking: Time to let go. This is a hard month for you. Transitions are rough. But you also turn 45. It’s magical to get to have another year. It’s magical to have a high schooler and a middle schooler. Life is magical. Let the small things go and have faith that it will all work out. It always does. I turn 45 this week. I am going to stop and breathe in all the magic in my life.
One way I will show up this week: full.
One magic I will make this week: I am going to be taking Thursday off to celebrate and possibly spend some time with a friend on Friday. I am very excited.
This week, I will pay attention to: how to grow.
This week, I will be kinder to: david still. also nathaniel.
This week, I will focus on pleasing: myself. It’s my birthday week!
One new thing I will learn this week: hmmm. some skills i can develop and how.
I am looking forward to: my birthday! and back to school night!
This week’s challenges: long days, short week, needing to get too much done, two trips to school. [same as last week!]
Top Goals:
Work: perf. org health. zurich/london meetings. stay on top of email.
Personal: daily drawing, exercise, journal, hike, 5am, make time to sleep.
Family: family photos, back to school and morning coffee, celebrate me!, date night, hug kids, prep lunches, get ready for trip.
I will focus on my values:
Love: i love love love my life.
Learn: learn more about this year for both my kids.
Peace: with not being where he needs me to be yet
Service: myself!
Gratitude: for another year.
This week, I want to remember: i am so incredibly lucky!!
Everyday Magic is a year-long project for 2019. You can read more about my projects for 2019 here.
Magic I Saw this Week: So much magic this week. We went to Yosemite National Park and Mammoth Falls for Labor Day weekend and we saw a wide variety of incredible nature. It was truly magical. So many lakes, so many trees and so much beauty.
Magic I Made this Week: Well I climbed big mountains and took trips to my kids’ school and showed up again and again.
Magic of Me that I explored Week: nothing new here still…I know I need to work on this one.
Top Goals Review:
Work: I did a bunch of perf but definitely not enough. I did stay afloat but I also got a ton done on Saturday because I went into work for 9 hours and just finished a bunch of things that were on my list.
Personal: did my daily drawing, exercised, journaled a tiny amount, hiked, did not wake up at 5am this week because I made time to sleep.
Family: we did not take family photos or clean out kids’ closets, but we did do both the back to school and morning coffee, and celebrated Jake, did not go on date night, did hug kids.
I celebrate: hiking to the top of Mt. Dana. 13,000feet and a steep steep insane hike!
I am grateful for: all the different layers of my life. I am really tipping over at this point but I love all the different aspects of my life. I love all the work I have, Love my kids and where they are in their lives, Love my husband and all the things he is exploring and bringing into my life, love getting to draw and exercise and I wish I had twice as many (or maybe three times as many!) hours in the day/week so I could do them each more.
This week, I exercised: i did several hikes in Yosemite, especially Mt. Dana, then I went to yoga, and went outdoor rock climbing with jake which included a 1hour hike. It was plenty of exercise for a week.
Self-care this week: doing a great job on hiking and being outdoors, not as good on the diet though.
I showed up for: Jake this week. We celebrated his 45th birthday by going climbing at Castle Rock where I climbed and I learned how to belay.
I said yes to: as many things as i could this week.
I said no to: working at night when I was exhausted.
Here are my goodreads reviews. If you’re on goodreads, add me as a friend so I can see your books too! I’ve also started an instagram account where I join my love of reading with my love of art.
The Right Swipe (3.5 stars): I have read more romance books this year than I have read in the last five years combined. Romance is not usually my go-to genre and I still wouldn’t call it my go-to genre but this new trend of cutesy-romance is working for me when I am in the mood for a lighter story. This particular story gets a higher than average rating for me because of the incredible diversity in its characters. The main character is an African American woman, her love interest is Samoan, her assistant is Southeast Asian, there’s also a Thai character. There is a character with agoraphobia. I can go on and on. I enjoyed both the main and secondary characters. I will say this is like the 6th romance book I’ve read this year that has an ex football (or baseball) player in it. Not sure why but I’d love a bit more diversity in the male character’s jobs too. If light romance is your genre, you’ll find this one to be your cup of tea.
If You Want to Make God Laugh (4 stars): I loved this book. It takes place in post-apartheid South Africa and covers a lot of the current events of the time either in the background or directly. Including events like Mandela’s presidency, the AIDS epidemic, the racial divide, homophobia, and religion. There are a lot of tough topics covered in the book including several different occurrences of rape.
This is the story of three women whose stories start separately (an ex-nun, an ex-stripper, and a pregnant teenager) and become interconnected. This is a story about motherhood, about the scars we carry with us, about identity and the stories we tell ourselves, about what it means to be family, about how circumstances can unite people in the most profound ways.
I loved all the minutes I spent with this book. It started strong but only got better and better.
The Ten Thousand Doors of January (4.5 stars): ‘”The trouble with you people,” I observed, “is that you believe in permanence. An orderly world will remain so; a closed door will remain closed.” I shook my head, reaching for the door. “It’s very … limiting.”‘
If you like to get lost in stories that take you to other worlds and have adventures and wonderful characters, this book will be worth every delicious minute you spend with it. Just the fact that it has a kid and doors, made me think about The Wayward Children series but about halfway through the book, I realized I loved it for the same reason I love Laini Taylor’s books. Even though the imagery in her books is unparalleled, this book was the closest I have ever come to that type of feeling. This is one of the highest pieces of compliments I can give a book. It’s rare for me to come upon a book that’s unusual and this one managed to surprise me, keep me engaged, make me mad, sad and happy all at once.
“I spent years after the blue Door doing what most willful, temerarious girls must do: becoming less so.”
This book started slow for me. It was interesting from the very beginning but not super-engaging, for me. Just as I was getting sucked into January’s story, the book started alternating chapters between the two books and that didn’t work for me. I was invested in January now and did not want to be distracted by the other story. Even though it all came together, of course, and by midpoint I was fully engaged and fully invested, it took me a while to get there.
“Once we have agreed that true love exists, we may consider its nature. It is not, as many misguided poets would have you believe, an event in and of itself; it is not something that happens, but something that simply is and always has been. One does not fall in love; one discovers it.”
At its core this book is about love, identity, belonging, and family. It’s such a fantastical and beautiful story and it’s a joy to get lost in its pages. Each of the characters is memorable in its own way and you get enough of each of the backstories to see their perspective of the story, to understand their motivations, even if you don’t agree with them.
“Because the place you are born isn’t necessarily the place you belong.”
The love that binds this whole story together was wholly believable to me. I could feel the joy, the sorrow, the longing coming off the pages. That coupled with the visual and magical nature of the story makes this a pure pleasure to read.
“It depends which weighs more: a life, or a soul.”
There’s so much in this gem of a book and I highly recommend it.
Thank you to netgalley and redhook books for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
The Floating Feldmans (3 stars): This family story set on a cruise is setup to be an impending disaster where each family member has a secret they’ve been holding back on, bubbling up. Put all these family members on a boat together for a week and of course things start boiling and spilling over. The story has funny and poignant and tension. The ship exacerbates the typical family get together that’s usually filled with tension and years of stories and resentments. It all comes together, as it always does in these stories and the reader is left feeling whole and a bit better off.
Things You Save in a Fire (4 stars): Katherine Center’s novels always leave me more hopeful about the world. Not in the unrealistic “things are just perfect” way but in the “people are messed up and we are all struggling but also trying to be better” way. This story is no exception. The main character has some deep-rooted experiences that are causing her to show up a particular way in the world and make certain choices but in her core she’s a good person who’s trying to be a better person so she continually does things that are hard for her but are the right thing to do. At her core, the value of doing the right thing and caring about others’ is so ingrained in her that it shows up again and again in this story. It made me fall in love with the main character and it made me believe that she would make these choices because I was bought into this being a core value for her. So I was rooting for her the whole way and I loved the way the whole story came together. As with all her novels, the story is funny, serious, heartwarming all at once. It leaves you feeling full and optimistic. I enjoyed my time with this story and if you have read Center’s other books you will not be disappointed.
Turbulance (3.5 stars): This was a short and interesting book to read, mostly because of its format. It’s a very short book of connected stories. There’s no time or space for the reader to get attached to each character. But each story is very short but about intense/meaningful/relatable experiences in the characters’ lives. Often painful. So the stories pull the reader in quickly and keep you feeling an emotional attachment to the situation more than the characters. Many of the stories have two main characters and then one travels on a plane to another story with another person and then there’s another plane connecting one of those characters to the next story etc. Each chapter header is a airport code to another airport code to help guide the reader through the flow of connections. At its core, it’s about how people are connected and slivers of our lives overlap and touch each other. Many of the stories have something sad at their core: abuse, infidelity, death, illness, etc. Most are not explored deeply since each story is short. Just enough for the reader to sympathize but not likely enough to empathize.
You’ve Been Volunteered (3 stars): If you liked Gelman’s first novel, I am reasonably confident you will enjoy this one, too. It has the same humor around what it means to be a class-mom and much of the similar conversations around marriage, mid-life, school-parent dynamics etc. These novels are a notch about meh for me. They are funny but not hilarious and they have heart but not enough for me to feel really good afterwards. Which is totally fine. I listened to this during a long car ride and it was perfect for that.
And there we go, an ok week of reading. Here’s to a great week next week.
Books I Read this Week 2019 is a year-long project for 2019. You can read more about my projects for 2019 here. I am also tracking my books in real time on Good Reads here. If you’re on Good Reads add me so I can follow you, too! I’ve also started an instagram account where I join my love of reading with my love of art.
