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Life
Happy Monday! I am SO very glad to be back home after our whirlwind weekend traveling to San Antonio, Texas, and back for our brother-in-law's funeral. We hadn't been there since 2002, and though we've seen our nephews since then (including a funeral last year), we hadn't seen some of their kids in over 12 years! Some were too young to remember us and some hadn't been born yet, so we thoroughly enjoyed getting to know them all better. And we had a wonderful Celebration of Life for our brother-in-law.
Though the occasion was sad, we had plenty of time together sharing memories and laughing. I'm feeling very grateful for our family, and we are determined not to let so much time pass before we see them again!
My husband and I (r) with our nephews & their families
My husband and I with our brother-in-law, Tim, in 2019
We even had a little sight-seeing time Friday morning, to enjoy a beautiful, quiet morning on the Riverwalk and meet our nephew and his kids for lunch, with a quick peek at the Alamo.
Remember the Alamo! 
San Antonio's lovely Riverwalk
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On the Blog
Not much time for anything but planning the trip and packing last week, but I did manage another 2022 wrap-up post:
Favorite Movies Watched in 2022 - My top picks for the year in each genre. I only review movies I enjoy, so all of the movies listed at the end of the post are worth watching!
Blog News:
I have been struggling to decide what to do with my two blogs because I know I am doing too much. I'm always behind, I don't have enough time for other writing (that actually pays!), and the pressure is affecting my health. I love this book blog, and I love the online community here, so I don't want to give that up. So, I decided last week not to write full book reviews, but to focus on Monday posts, movie and TV reviews, and then that leaves time for some stuff I have missed, like Top Ten lists.
Then, I finished reading Lessons in Chemistry (see below) and immediately wanted to write about it to share how great it was! That's when I had a shocking realization: I don't have to review every book I read! I know, crazy, right? I tend to be an all-or-nothing type of person, so this was news to me. So, for now, I think I will write about what I'm reading here in my Monday posts, talk about books in my videos, and maybe (or maybe not) write a full review once in a while when I read something really outstanding. I'll also need to review books I get from publishers, but that's mostly audios and graphic novels these days.
I'd love to hear your thoughts or any suggestions! I'll be finally working on my 2023 goals this week and giving more thought to how I want to spend my time, which brings me to ...
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On Video
Though I posted this video mainly for my chronic illness audience, it's really broadly relevant to anyone who wants tips on effective goal-setting and strategies for taking small steps toward the life you want.
Setting Goals When Chronically Ill (Or Not!)
Now I need to take my own advice :)
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I finished reading Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus last week and absolutely loved it! Great way to start the new year. Now I am reading The Department of Rare Books and Special Collections by Eva Jurczyk, a novel my book group chose for this week. Liesl has worked in the rare books department of a large university in Toronto for decades when her boss has a stroke, and she is appointed as interim department head. Almost immediately, though, a very expensive new acquisition goes missing, and a colleague stops showing up for work. Liesl is under great pressure to find the book and uncover the library's secrets. It's also about being a professional woman surrounded mostly by men and about aging. I'm enjoying it so far; it should be a good book for discussion.
On audio, I am still listening to Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver, one of my all-time favorite authors. It's a novel about a boy named Damon (nicknamed Demon), based loosely on David Copperfield by Charles Dickens. Instead of London, it's set in modern-day Appalachia in the mountains of southern Virginia. Like Dickens, it delves into important issues of poverty in America while also being very entertaining. Kingsolver is a great storyteller, and this is definitely one of her best! I'm loving it so far and having fun recognizing the parallels to David Copperfield (though you don't need to have read that to enjoy this).
My husband, Ken, is still reading one of my Christmas gifts to him, Sand by Hugh Howey. We are both huge fans of his Silo trilogy (Wool, Shift, Dust), which was excellent. Here he explores a different post-apocalyptic world, one buried in sand, with four siblings who get lost after their father dies. Howey is such an incredible writer--I can't wait to read this one, too
Our son, 28, finished The Age of War by Michael J. Sullivan, book 3 in the Legends of the First Empire series. Now, he is reading Enchanter, book 7 in the Spellmonger series by Terry Mancour. If you're a regular reader, you know he's been tearing through this series recently and is loving it!
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You can follow me on Twitter at @SueBookByBook or on Facebook on my blog's page.
What are you and your family reading this week?
Sue, I am a regular reader of this blog, especially the Monday posts about your family and what you are all reading. I also like your movie and TV suggestions. Otherwise your proposed plan sounds good, do what is best for you. Happy New Year. Marjorie
ReplyDeleteThanks for the feedback, Marjorie - and for visiting my blog regularly!
DeleteSue, Your new plan sounds good for you. I like the Monday post about what your family is reading and the news of your family and movie/TV tips. A regular reader, Marjorie
ReplyDeleteThe Department of Rare Books and Special Collections looks interesting. I hope you enjoy your books!
ReplyDeleteMy It's Monday! What Are You Reading? post.
Thanks! I hope you do, too.
DeleteI think it's important for all of us to evaluate how we blog and if the way we're doing it works for us. And that answer changes over the years. I hope this new rhythm gives you more energy for other things (like life).
ReplyDeleteI am so glad you enjoyed Lessons in Chemistry; it was such a fun read.
Thanks for your support, Helen. I think I tend to get stuck in a rut - after all, I have been blogging for 17+ years!
DeleteI'm sorry to hear about your Brother-in-law. At least you had a chance to reconnect with family, although I know that you would rather have your BIL still with you. San Antonio is lovely and I've always wanted to visit--there was a time when my Aunt lived there (she now lives full time in Minnesota), but we weren't able to make it down there while she was there. Oh well.
ReplyDeleteHave a wonderful week! - Melinda @ A Web of Stories
Thanks, Melinda - yes, we were missing our BIL, but the time together was so precious! You should make a trip to San Antonio even without family to visit! Besides the Riverwalk and Alamo, they have outstanding kids' museum and zoo and other attractions - our kids enjoyed it years ago.
DeleteYes totally, we don't have to review every book, or one or two sentences really tell a reader what you thought and whether they want to read it. I so loved Lessons in Chemistry too, one day I'll want to relisten to it. Family funerals can be bittersweet times because you miss the person gone yet appreciate the family that gather. Take care.
ReplyDeleteYes, that's exactly what this weekend was like, Kathryn - so good to see family we rarely get to see, but also sad, of course. Thanks for the support re: reviews!
DeleteIt's always good to see where you want to focus your blogging energy on especially if you have multiple. So says the guy who has three and can barely keep up with one, lol.
ReplyDeleteha ha I get it!
DeleteYou have a great voice for video! Every January I used to set a lot of goals for myself, but now that I'm over 60, I'm more realistic about changing habits. Your plan of choosing just a few goals to focus on is good!
ReplyDeleteI haven't written actual book reviews on my blog in ages, but I haven't "officially" freed myself from the guilt I feel over not writing reviews anymore. I understand about the all or nothing part, too.
Aw, thanks, Laurie! I really enjoy making videos (editing them isn't as much fun, but ...) I like the mini reviews you include in your Monday posts. I was stuck on full reviews because I used to be a professional reviewer and felt like I had to keep that up. Just the thought that's it's OK not to write reviews of everything is so freeing!
DeleteI used to read lots of quilting blogs but got out of the habit. I need to add your blog to my list and get back to them!
ReplyDeleteThanks!
DeleteThanks for the updates. Here's my latest:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.lyndonperrywriter.com/2023/01/review-of-feast-of-fools-anthology.html
So glad you were able to spend time with family, even if the occasion was a sad one.
ReplyDeleteLessons in Chemistry is something I really need to get to this year. And The Department... sounds interesting as well..
My Monday post is here
Thank you - yes, it was bittersweet. Lessons in Chemistry was SO good - I can already tell it will be one of my favorites for 2023. Not everyone in my book group enjoyed Department of Rare Books (some did), but we had a good discussion last night.
DeleteI'm getting to an age where funerals are almost commonplace. The only good thing about them is getting to see people you otherwise wouldn't connect to.
ReplyDeleteBlogging is it's own kind of responsibility and stress. I note that I do not write the kinds of reviews I started out writing. These days I try to write what I want to read. It doesn't have to be much, but I want a bit about the book and a bit about what the reader thought.
I hear you, Cheriee - the only travel we've done in the past year (more than and hour or two from home) was for funerals in Buffalo, Oklahoma, and Texas. Thanks for your input on the blogging questions and what you like to see about books. I appreciate it - I am going into this new year feeling more in control and happy :)
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