What I read this month: October 2025

This was a good month for physical books! I had some time off that aligned perfectly with the last installment in the Book of Dust series.

What I Read this Month: September 2025

I had a lot of downtime this month, which meant lots of time to read. Three more books added to my 2025 total as we enter the year's last season.

What I read this month: July 2025

I have been in a reading rut this summer, probably because I've been focusing my free time on running and revising my own novel, but I finally picked up a book that hooked me from the first page, and managed to finish it in just a couple days, beating out the clock on the end of July.

I really need to learn to like audio books, because then I could stack the heck out of my habits.

What I read this month: April 2025

This month's tome took all month to read. Actually, I think I borrowed it at the end of March, got a few chapters in, and then came back to it after a hiatus. I had to renew the loan when I was around the halfway point. This 600-page behemoth took actual concentration to get through. In some ways, it felt like work.

This is book three in a four-book series, and I've been waiting for its release since absolutely devouring the third book in March 2023. I really like this series, and I've grown attached to the characters. I have some gripes, but overall I enjoyed this book and I loved the ending. I'm so excited to see how everything wraps up in book four, which is due out...who knows when.

Books read this month: 1

Total books this year: 4

What I read this month: February 2025

I barely squeezed a book in this month. February is always a busier month because of my birthday, but this February especially felt slammed. Still, a book is a book.

Books read this month: 1

Total books this year: 3

What I read this month: December 2024

December was a busy so I didn't read for most of it, but a quick trip to see family in Florida provided ample time to binge a trilogy I've been meaning to read for awhile!

These three books bring my total count for the year to 29. I didn't have a reading goal in 2024; I simply wanted to feel genuinely excited about reading again, and to naturally pick up books because I felt like reading. I wanted to get to a place where reading had become a true hobby for me again, and I do think I'm there.

What I read this month: November 2024

 

November nearly got away from me because coming back from vacation and diving into a new job took all my attention and energy, but toward the middle of the month I remembered I still had a couple books on loan on my Kindle. Let's dive in!

What I read this month: May 2024

Yikes, another one-book month. This time, it's not totally my fault. The Seattle Public Library got hacked, and ebooks went down. No, really.

I attended a silent book club this month and had to depend on what was on my Kindle. (Thank goodness for that airplane mode hack.) I really wanted to read the next Gaslight Mystery, but alas, I wasn't so lucky. Instead, contemporary romance it was!

What I read this month: April 2024

 

April was not a big reading month for me. I was busy with a lot of other things and just wasn't in the mood for sitting still and reading. I started and abandoned quite a few books this month, and ended up only finishing one. So, this will be a short post!

What I read this month: March 2024

 

I didn't read in February, so I felt like I needed to prioritize it in March. I worked all last year to grow my reading muscle again and I don't want to regress! Sometimes it's pretty sad to realize I just can't read the way I did 20 years ago, when any book could hold my attention non-stop and I could read for 12-hours straight, pausing only for snacks.

But I also feel like it's easier now than it was this time last year, so cheers to progress! Let's dive in.

January reads

Not knowing what to read next is always the biggest obstacle in my way when it comes to reading, and having easy access to a series solves that issue. 

Around mid-January, I took stock and realized I had already finished 5 books! Part of me wanted to pause because I was worried about this blog post, but that seemed like a silly reason to stop reading so...it is what it is! By the end of the month, my grand total was 11, which is one more than my goal for the whole year of 2023.

The thing is, having a series to plow through or a newly discovered favorite author makes picking up the next book effortless; no wonder I was so good at reading as a kid! I had so many unread Stephen King books to discover!

December reads

This month, I planned to read something light and gorgeous to end the year. Unfortunately, the book I was looking forward to ended up being quite the disappointment, but luckily I got my hands on three more of the Gaslight Mystery series and discovered a new favorite, so December wasn't a total loss.

With five books read this month, that brings my total for the year to 23! Considering I planned to read 10, I'm pretty damn happy with that result.

October Reads

 

I didn't actually intend to read anything this month, but three books I've been waiting for became available to borrow mid-month, so I jumped on them all before my holds lapsed. One was a hyped-up fantasy I'd been waiting months for, and the other two were the next in the Gaslight Mystery series. Spoiler alert: I enjoyed them all.

September reads

This month I found a couple new-to-me BookTubers, and binging their videos was strangely motivating. As I've been writing more, I'm more aware than ever that I should be reading more. I'm not exactly reading with purpose yet – that is, I'm not focusing on my own genre or reading with a critical eye – but I do find the practice of reading is making writing easier, and vice versa.

Watching other people talk about reading made me excited to make time for it myself this month.

Pretty soon I'm going to stop patting myself on the back for having rediscovered a hobby with a low cost of entry (free thanks to Libby and my Kindle), but today is not that day.

I read two books this month. Let's dive in!

March reads

 

This month I read three very different books and enjoyed each of them! I didn't have much time to read in February (and technically I finished Spare early in the month), but in March Matt and I got COVID for the first time and I found myself with lots of time to read. I finished two of these books in the week I was sick.

This month brought fantasy, romance, and good ol' literary fiction (which I don't usually like very much). Let's dive in!

January reads

I did not set resolutions this year, but one of my goals for 2023 is to read more. "Read more" is pretty abstract, but I think the plan is to aim for 10 books this year. I can average one a month, taking a couple months off if things get busy. 

These days I borrow ebooks from the library to read on my Kindle, which is very convenient although sometimes annoying because I have to wait for the books I want to be available. I miss collecting books — I got rid of approximately 200 when we moved, and now have only two small bookcases in the house. It was so hard to decide what to keep! There's something about holding a real book in hand, and it's nice to reminisce about what you've read by seeing the book on your shelf. (Don't tell Matt, but I think we could potentially install some floating shelves and expand my collection again, which I'd really love to do.)

Imagined Conversations with Famous People

Months ago, I did a little survey for Matt's and my anniversary. Matt (mostly) correctly guessed that if I could be best friends with a celebrity, I'd choose Stephen King or JK Rowling. When Ana posted about her race with Christopher McDougall, it sparked a memory of that post. It got me thinking about what I would talk about if I were given the chance to run (or walk) with either of them.

Why SK and JR? Well, Stephen King is the author I credit with making me a reader. I could take or leave reading as a kid, but in 4th grade I selected Cujo from my parents' vast shelf of King novels and it completely changed my relationship with books. Suddenly I became a voracious reader and budding writer. I consumed every King book I could get my hands on and I read them without stopping, often finishing them within 48 hours.

I'm pretty sure this was the edition my parents had.

When I first started reading the Harry Potter series, I was in high school. My mom gave me the second book, telling me I could skip the first and not be too lost in the series. (Yes, the first time I reread the entire series, I finally read The Sorcerer's Stone for the first time and it may actually be my favorite. It's so much lighter and funnier than the others!) Anyway, the series obviously opened my eyes to social justice and gave me a smart, kickass female protagonist to look up to.

But the series did more. It helped me understand the genre I was interested in writing. I hadn't realized I was a fantasy/adventure writer until I read Harry Potter, and the revelation was welcome and comforting. JK Rowling made fantasy mainstream, acceptable, and cool.

So anyway. Stephen King actually has a house down the road from one of my high school friends; he was at the Women's March in Sarasota; Britt got to hear him speak - so jealous!

If I could go on a run (or walk) with him, I'd ask:

How did you silence the internal critic who told you your work was garbage?
How did you persevere and find a market for your novels?

Rowling is notoriously active on Twitter and trolls are no match for her British wit. I love watching her take them down. Here are just a few that made me laugh recently:

These are in response to DT supporters who are angry that she speaks out against him frequently.

She also donates absurd amounts of money to charity and began an organization that helps displaced children, called Lumos. If I were to walk with Rowling, I'd ask:

How do you get people to take you seriously being a woman best known for your YA fantasy series?
What can I do to positively impact people and change lives, as you have?

I'd ask them: How did you manage to achieve such success when you came from such broken, disadvantaged backgrounds, and how can I use your examples to inspire students?
I'd ask them: What would you say to someone who looks at the world and feels hopeless?
I'd tell them: Thank you.

I know now that reading and writing saved my life in many ways. I found solace in books and words; I found places where I belonged; I discovered that people who thought like me existed in the world and were successful adults. I didn't realize then how much I needed that, but these days, I know enough to be grateful.

If you could spend time with any celebrity, who would you choose? 
Why?
What would you ask them?

ABK

Mid-Week Musings

In case you missed it, in a highly ironic moment, my calves gave me issues on Sunday after I'd posted how I cured my calf pain just two days earlier. We cut our run short; with the end game in mind - being able to run A1A comfortably and enjoy it - I'm being cautious. When we made up our long run Monday, my legs felt 100% fine! We managed ~8.5 miles that evening.

I'm beginning to think it's my shoes, but my dad suggested I need to start working out my legs again. I have been neglecting lower-body workouts since volleyball started in November, and that's around when my leg pain started. I thought it was from all the extra time on my feet, but maybe it was my lack of cross-training!

Fingers crossed, because if I have to go on a new shoe search again I might lose my mind. I need to be really smart about the last three weeks of training here, but I'd really love it if my calves would just get. it. together.

Skirt Sports announced their 2017 Ambassadors, and I was selected to be an Ambassador Captain for another year! I'm so excited! I was really nervous about my application because I always end up thinking of a million perfect, eloquent responses after I hit "submit." Stay tuned for more inspiring women and Skirt Sport deals in your future.

A little while ago, I was contacted about reading and reviewing Matt Fitzgerald's new book The Endurance Diet. It came in the mail today! The book explores five "core habits" athletes should adopt to perform their best. I can't wait to dive in. I'll give you all a full review when I'm done.

Another promotional offer I received recently was from Run Around USA. Their website takes you on a virtual journey around the US (or Australia or Europe, depending on which map you choose for the year). As you hit milestone cities, they send you souvenirs.

My journey so far. The US map starts in Pittsburgh for some reason!

I'm pretty curious to see how far I can "travel" in a year, and I'll admit I'm a sucker for a free singlet and medal! I'll keep you guys updated as I go and give you my impressions of the program.

For some reason this month has felt incredibly busy and hectic. I expected things to calm down after the holidays. Hopefully I get into some kind of rhythm soon because at the moment I feel just as pressed for time and stressed as I did before break.

Have you read any of Matt Fitzgerald's books?
Do you like to track your mileage on a virtual map of any kind?
Has January felt crazy-busy to you, too?

ABK

I have a Radio so I'm basically a Secret Service agent now

Today I'm thinking out loud with Amanda from Running with Spoons!

1. Despite being completely difficult, sluggish, and electronically glitchy, Tuesday's run felt amazing! Elizabeth and I ran the bridge and when we got to our usual 2-mile mark my watch clocked a single mile. I know the route well enough that I wasn't concerned about adjusting it afterward, but losing the data and our splits was frustrating.

I mean...what do I even say? The run was actually 4 miles, only 3 recorded, and the paces are clearly totally wrong.

The weather was overcast and the pre-storm humidity that so epitomizes the tropics in summertime was in overdrive. Basically we slogged through a run we couldn't even properly track...and yet it was awesome.

Of course, it rained as soon as we finished and got in the car to go home!

2. Kids are officially back to school! I spent my first day putting together teacher resource binders and helping with drop off and pick up; it felt really weird not to have students of my own. I love fostering personal relationships with students and I think that's the way to get kids to care about education, but I still think I'll be able to make a difference and feel fulfilled in this new position, too.

Check out my awesome secret service earpiece!

3. Last year, Kristin introduced me to these amazing gluten free "thin mint" cookies, but I could never find them anywhere. Then, they appeared at my parents' house and I happily helped myself, only to go through withdrawal once they were gone. I'm so glad my Publix is finally carrying them!

I honestly don't remember what real Thin Mints taste like, but I think these are softer, fudgier, and a little more plush than the originals with just the perfect hint of mint.

4. This year our school is doing a book study on The Happiness Advantage. I don't really care to wax on about the book itself, but it got me thinking: can we all afford to be more positive, or should we just accept who we are instead of forcing ourselves to change our personalities?

I'm naturally a realist. I border on pessimistic sometimes. I think I can afford to be more positive sometimes, but I also don't think there's anything wrong with the way I am!

5. Speaking of books, I pre-ordered Harry Potter and the Cursed Child and it arrived last Friday. I read it all that night! I plan to reread it to pick up on some nuance, but it was a nice way to end my usual rereading of the series. It's been eight years since I read a new HP book!

I will say that this is not a novel. It's a play; it's meant to be a play. I like reading plays and I think the stage directions in this one are just whimsical enough to give it a little extra literary flair. I liked the storyline but also felt, at times, that it seemed Rowling had listened too intently to fan theories when crafting it.

The wisdom of the Harry Potter world lives on in this installment.

I won't spoil anything major here, of course. But I enjoyed the added maturity that was sometimes missing when our protagonist was a teenage boy, and I'm considering this an enjoyable companion piece to what I will always consider the "original" series. I loved catching up with my favorite characters again and seeing what their lives are like now, 19+ years down the road.

Yes, I'm talking about them like they're real. Deal with it.

6. I've been thoroughly enjoying the Olympics! I can never sleep the first week of school, so I haven't minded staying up late to watch the events. As usual, I'm obsessed with our gymnastics team (and watch with the same intensity as Aly Raisman's parents) and I'm completely loving Michael Phelps and Katie Ledecky's continued domination in the pool.

I think some of my motivation to get back on track this week is coming from watching the events in Rio!

Have you been watching the Olympics?
Do you plan to read the newest Harry Potter?
What is your favorite Girl Scout cookie?
Are you an optimist, pessimist, or realist?

ABK

Summer Plans

Today I'm thinking out loud about what I hope to accomplish this summer. My break isn't normal this year because of my career transition, so I have less time off. Summer is short anyway because we got out June 13 but start August 1 (next year we'll get out in May); on top of that, I have CRT training in mid-July and then I got back to work for new teacher training July 25.

Saying goodbye to my classroom of seven years.

So in my few short weeks of free time, here's what I plan to do!

1. Housework. I hate to admit it, but from May onward I really dropped the ball on house-related things. I need to get back on track with daily stuff like laundry and dishes, but I also need to pick a backsplash for our kitchen and get that installed. I also need to finally unpack the last couple boxes from our move two summers ago!

2. Cook! I'm trying to put together a little recipe book over the summer so that during the year I have some easy and delicious recipes to fall back on. I'm getting so bored of the same old stuff.

Please share a favorite/easy/crockpot recipe in the comments! Remember to keep it gluten free :)

3. Read. I am so ready to read for fun! HP round 12 (or something), here I come!

4. Working out. I'm excited to try some new workouts and enjoy my runs without the added pressure of work the next day. I have my sights on the Race for FISH 10k in October; my PR for the 10k distance is on that course, and I'd like to beat it this fall.

It's been nice to have a schedule and an accountability partner over the last couple weeks because I've been pretty tired and just going through the motions. You may have noticed. I'm getting my workouts done, but my heart hasn't been totally in them. But I'm ready for summer rejuvenation and the energy and work ethic that comes with it.

5. Travel? Maybe? Matt and I may make a trip to see friends in July, and he'd like to fit a cruise in, but I'm not sure when that will all happen. We try to travel every summer but this year I'm not sure time is on our side.

6. Nothing. Seriously, I'm looking forward to turning off all my alarms and just letting my body get as much sleep as it wants. I have to confess, I like still being in bed when Matt has to get up for work because during the school year I always have to get up first!

I've been doing lots of research on Sleepopolis.

Speaking of beds, this year for our anniversary I'm buying us a new mattress. I can't wait! We're long overdue and I'm so ready to wake up feeling refreshed instead of super sore. I'm too young to be this achy!

Do you have any good summer recipes to share?
Do you like your mattress? Picking a new one is super stressful!
Do you have any trips planned this summer?

ABK