Read Harder 2022 on the porch…

     1. Read a biography of an author you admire~Tell Me a     Story by Cassandra King Conroy🦒 

2. Read a book set in a bookstore~The Sentence by Louise Erdrich~1/29/22 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
3. Read any book from the Woman’s Prize-Shortlist/Longlist/Winner~Fleishman is in Trouble by Taffy Brodesser-Akner 2020 longlist (library)⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️7/31/22
4. Read a book by a POC in any genre that’s about joy not trauma~Honey Girl by Morgan Rogers ⭐️⭐️⭐️8/14/22 
5. Read an anthology featuring diverse voices~Disability Visability edited by Alice Wong~1/11/22 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
6. Read a non fiction YA comic~They Called US Enemy by George Takei~1/06/22 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
7. Read a romance where at least one of the protagonists is over 40~ Our Souls at Night by Kent Haruf ~1/9/22⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
8. Read a classic by a POC~The Count of Monte Christo by Alexander Dumas 🦒
9. Read the book that’s been on your TBR the longest.
10. Read a political thriller by a marginalized author  (BIPOC, LGBTQIA+)~The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen~10/28/2022 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
11. Read a book with an asexual and/or aromantic character~Let’s Talk About Love by Claire Kann⭐️⭐️⭐️11/15/22
12. Read an entire poetry collection~Time is a Mother by Ocean Vuong ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️11/3/2022
13. Read an adventure story by a BIPOC author~Blacktop Wasteland by S A Cosby or Razorblade Tears~2/9/22⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️(kindle)
14. Read a book whose movie or TV adaptation you’ve seen (but haven’t read the book)~ Maid by Stephanie Land~Netflix series Maid(kindle) 1/2 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
15. Read a new to you literary magazine~The Paris Review Issue 240 Summer 2022~9/13/22⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
16. Read a book recommended by a friend with different reading taste~Maureen by Rachel Joyce🦒
17. Read a memoir by somyeone who is trans or non binary~Dear Senthuran by Aweake Emezi 🦒
18. Read a “Best Writing_of the Year” book for a topic and year of your choice. Burning by Megha Majundha 🦒 Best American Short Stories of the Year maybe 2021?
19. Read a horror novel by a BIPOC author~Certain Dark Things by Sylvia Moreno-Garcia ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️🎧11/8/2022
20. Read an award-winning book from the year you were born~The Town by Conrad Richter🦒
21. Read a queer retelling of a classic of the canon, fairytale, folklore or myth~Ash by Malinda Lo ⭐️⭐️⭐️8/17/22
22. Read a history about a period you know little about~Matrix by Lauren Groff (12th Century)⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️2/24/22
23. Read a book by a disabled author~Sitting pretty by Rebekah Taussig⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️9/5/22
24. Pick a challenge from any of the previous years’ challenges to repeat ~Real Life by Brandon Taylor~⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️3/11/2022 All POV characters are POC. 2017

           🌟The Grass Beneath My Feet by SA Cosby~ short

story.     

             Anthony Award ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️2/4/22 OMG     

              Southern Noir

I did not read 5 of my challenges. 😬 I started the Count of Monte Christo. Did not finish. I plan on reading 3 of the other 4. Not The Town by Conrad Richter.

Pop Sugar 2022 finished with one day to spare…

 Pop Sugar 2022~fin

I did not finish PS Advanced for the first time in many years. I had trouble concentrating on my reading. Pan Can has taken my joy in life. I live with fear for my hubby. Seeing him suffer is so overwhelming. But this is what I have. The Sentence by Louise Erdrich, Crying in H Mart and The Matrix by Lauren Groff were my  favorite reads this year. These books set me apart from mainstream readers. I can’t read the best sellers by Colleen Hoover or Taylor J Reid. Just no. Guided by Pop Sugar and Read Harder I read a diverse number of books. A few were not great but they met the challenge criteria. I have enjoyed Audible this year. I read 51 books in 2022. I have a great TBR planned for 2023. I will be 72 in April 2023. Feeling mortal.

1. A book published in 2022~You Made a Fool of Death With Your Beauty by Akweake Emezi(May 2022)⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️6/29/22
2. A book set on a train, plane or cruise ship~Float Plan by Trish Doller(sailboat)⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/7/22
3. A book set in or about a non patriarchal society~The Matrix by Lauren Groff🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟2/24/22 Get thee to a nunnery
4. A book with a tiger on the cover or “tiger” in the title~The Night Tiger by Yangtze Choo ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️11/2/2022
5. A sapphic book~Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo⭐️⭐️⭐️5/30/2022
6. A book by a Latinx author~Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas 🌟🌟🌟4/20/22 (Latinx, trans author)
7. A book with an  anomomatopoeia in the title~Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️2/24/22
8. A book with a protagonist who uses a mobility aid~Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️2/16/22 (Sam-Cane-prothsetic foot)
9. A book about a “found family”~The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune(overdrive)~⭐️⭐️⭐️1/9/22
10. An Anisfield-Wolf book award winner~A Plague of Doves by Louise Erdrich (2009) 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟12/17/2022
11. A book-tok# recommendation~People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry⭐️⭐️⭐️1/6/22
12. A book about the afterlife~ Where the Dead Sit Talking by Brandon Hobson⭐️⭐️⭐️10/13/22
13. A book set in the 1980’s~Tuesday Night’s in 1980 by Molly Prentiss 🌟🌟🌟🌟12/8/22
14. A book with cutlery on the cover or in the title~Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner~🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟3/24/22
15. A book with a Pacific Islander author~Sharks in the Time of Saviors by Kawai Strong Washburn~🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟12/6/2022
16. A book about witches~The Witchcraft of Salem Village by Shirley Jackson🌟🌟🌟🌟12/18/2022
17. A book becoming a movie or TV series in 2022~Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie~🌟🌟🌟🌟11/6/2022 February 2022 movie
18. A romance novel by a BIPOC author~Honey Girl by Morgan Rogers ⭐️⭐️⭐️8/14/22
19. Pop A book that takes place during your favorite season~Real Lif(e)by  Brandon Taylor(fall)~🎧⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️3/11/22
20. A book whose title begins with the last letter of your previous read~(E)mily and Einstein by Linda Francis Lee⭐️⭐️⭐️3/3/22
21. A book about a band or musical group~Rotten: No Irish, No Blacks, No Dogs by John Lydon~The Final Revival of Opal and Nev by Dawnie~🌟🌟🌟🌟12/1/22
22. A book with a character on the ace spectrum~Let’s  Talk About Love by Claire Kann⭐️⭐️⭐️11/15/22
23. A book with a recipe in it~Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner ~☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️3/24/22~jatjuk pine nut porridge
24. A book you can read in one sitting~Float Plan by Trish Dollar ~⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/7/2022
25. A book about a secret~Book Lovers by Emily Henry⭐️⭐️⭐️6/15/22
26. A book with a misleading title~Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟4/13/22🚀
27. A Hugo award winner~This is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar Max Gladstone~🌟🌟🌟12/11/2022
28. A book set during a holiday~The Santa Suit by Mary Kay Andrews ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️2/1/22 (kindle)
29. A different book by an author you read in 2021~The Sentence by Louise Erdrich (The Night Watchman)⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/29/22 🎧 
30. A book with the name of a board game in the title~Fleishman is in Trouble by Taffy Brodesser-Akner⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️7/31/22
31. A book featuring a man made disaster~Sea of Tranquility by Emily St John Mandel🌟🌟🌟🌟12/30/22
32. A book with a quote from your favorite author on the cover or Amazon page~Lucy By The Sea by  Elizabeth Strout ”The depth, complexity, and love contained in these pages are a miraculous achievement.”—Ann Patchett⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️9/22/22
33. A social horror book~The Only Good Indians by Stephan  Graham-Jones ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️11/12/2022
34. A book set in Victorian times ~The Return of the Native by Thomas Hardy⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️6/6/2022
35. A book with a constellation on the cover or in the title~The Night Tiger by Yangze Choo⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️11/2/2022 (4 & 35)
36. A book you know nothing about~The Flatshare by Beth O’Leary ⭐️⭐️⭐️1/27/22
37. A book about gender identity~Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️10/13/2022
38. A book featuring a party~The Guest List by Lucy Foley⭐️⭐️⭐️2/18/22
39. An own voices# SFF book~Certain Dark Things by Sylvia Moreno-Garcia~⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️11/8/2022
40. A book that fulfills your favorite prompt from a past Pop Sugar Challenge~A Calling for Charlie Barnes by Joshua Ferris (2017 An audio book) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️9/5/22

Book Challenge 2022 on the porch…

 It has been a rough year on the porch. My reading has suffered along with my daily life. Caregivers don’t have as much time to read. I have struggled to focus. Pan Can takes up a lot of space. My hubby has reached 18 months in his cancer journey. He has remained positive through it all. Chemo side effects. Several bad falls. ER visits. Trauma of illness. Somehow we have enjoyed the last year, made each day as good as we could make it. Football games. A visit to The Big House. Family visits. FaceTime graduations. Enjoying our backyard all summer and fall.  I digress.

Books I read in 2022

I still have to finish two more books to complete the Pop Sugar Challenge. I’m not even close on the Advanced list. I am about 3/4 of the way finished with the Read Harder Challenge. My first time ever not finishing Read Harder. I’m dissapointed in myself. I hope to finish early 2023 while starting the 2023 lists. I have already started choosing books for next year. I love compiling the lists almost as much as reading the books. I think I am officially a book nerd. 📚📚📚

This is what 71 looks like on the porch…

 So. I googled, what does a 71 year old woman look like. Pictures of a few 71 year old models. Make up and hair included. I googled bathing suit for a 70 year old women. Hoping for a little camouflage. The bathing suits were worn by, maybe, 40 year old models. So I took a selfie of me. I am 71. I realized I don’t have an accurate vision of myself. Not one thing is retouched here. Not that anyone would think these photos were touched up. I have on eye make up and lip gloss. Sunscreen. No foundation. My neck! Oh, my. I can see my fine and not so fine lines. I just wonder why it is so hard to Google a 71 year old woman? This is me being so honest about how I look. I’m not ready to be perfectly honest about how it feels to be a 71 year old woman…

Lucy by the Sea…

 I just finished Lucy by the Sea by Elizabeth Strout. I could not put this book down. I had to stop reading to sleep late one night. That has not happened to me in ages. I needed a book like this one. I am behind on my book challenges for 2022. No books have excited me as in other years. A slump or the circumstances of my life. Pop Sugar Challenge #32

My review: 

I loved this book. Every word of it. It was the first book in a long time that I could not put down. Lucy is a woman of practicality and honesty. She sees herself as she is. Also I feel like I have gone through this time in her life with her. The pandemic. Aging. Her daughter’s trials. Losing friends and lovers. I am nearly her age. “It is a gift in this life that we do not know what awaits us.”-Lucy Barton

#NetGalley #ElizabethStrout #LucybytheSea

Thank you to #NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this amazing ARC.

Today is my birthday…

 

Today I turned 71. It was a wonderful day. I celebrated with my daughters, my hubby, and three grands. Cammy cooked us breakfast, lunch at Stones Deli (Michelle).  Michelle made a shrimp dinner (delicious).  Tiramisu for my cake.  A beautiful Pearl and silver necklace from Papa, t-shirt from Kelley, lavender bath bombshell and cough drops from Cammy. Linen tropical top from Michelle. Jeanne dropped off a bear wind chime and Dog Mom coffee cup. Joanie a gift certificate to Stone’s Deli. Marci sent me a cute blouse. Kelley drove all the way from Texas and picked up Michelle at the airport in Appleton. Michelle and my special surprise, Azalea, flew in from Florida. Tomorrow morning they leave at 4:15 to get back to the airport and Texas. Having our three daughters here for Papa and for my 71st birthday was so heartwarming. It was such a loving thing for them to give to their parents. We have a special family. 

Birthday’s Eve…

Tomorrow I will be 71🎂🎂🎂🥳🥳 hence birthday’s eve. I am having a hard time getting my head around my age. I have enjoyed my girls being here. They are the loves of my life. Their children. So much love. They gave us the experience of children one more time. The unconditional love. The joy of children. The angst of teenagers. Kindergarten. Middle school. High School. Six of our ten graduate from high school this year. 
 Our oldest will be a Junior in college.  The babies are 15, 14, and 12. My love of 54 years. I met him August 30, 1968. Married 53 years this June 14. It is a good life we have. 

Hope is the last thing we as humans let go of. We hold on to hope. 

Visitors on the porch…

Our three daughters surprised us with a visit for my birthday and to spend time with Papa.

                    Friends and family dropped in.   

Two more days until 71. It was a very good day. Our three daughters surprised us. Texas and Florida and Escanaba girls got together and made us so happy. Our youngest grand also made the trip. Our Esky grand girls were also in on the surprise. My heart is warmed by the love of our dear daughters and their families. These are the people who make our life so good. Maya Angelou said,”I sustain myself with the love of family.”  Yes, we do. We know they will be here for us when we need them. This a busy time for our girls and their  families. Graduations. School activities. Moving houses. Moving states. Still they make the time to be here. To show us love and comfort. We appreciate so much all they do. Our wonderful grands bring us so much joy. Our daughters and son-in-laws have raised great kids. It is good to be your parents and grandparents. Thanks and love  to you all. ❤️ Mom and Dad 

Spring has not sprung on this old porch…

 

Three days til 71. Last night I attended Haven’s  award ceremony for Fine Arts. She was one of only two freshmen to receive a Fine Arts Letter. Orchestra, Musical, Marching Band, Pep Band, Choral and Solo and Ensemble.  

 My 70th year has been a tough one. We have lived a charmed life. This year all the charm has wafted away. Where it has gone, I don’t know. My husband’s MRI results showed that his pancreatic carcinoma is in his brain as well as a new liver mass. Radiation therapy. He wants us to enjoy each day he has left. He likes life simple. We can do this. We have only told a few close family and friends about his illness. He has not been well enough to travel or receive visitors. It was Stage 4 already when it was diagnosed during preop for shoulder surgery. May 28, 2021, a day that will live on in pain and fear. I keep a private cancer journal but I finally must share our journey through this relentless disease. 

Monday morning coming down…

 

                                           Cousins

                                    First cousin. 

                                   Sunny Sunday

Four days until seventy-one. Or four days left of seventy. Our nephew, my brother Mike’s son and his dear family visited yesterday from Green Bay. Cammy and girls spent the day with us. It was so much fun They are so young and energetic! The kids are the center of their family. They are so loved. Sunny day but chilly. I made my almost famous spahgetti sauce, pasta and garlic bread. And a Texas sheet cake. They enjoyed everything. It was fun to be so appreciated.  

Today Ivan has an MRI.We do not know what to expect. Hoping for good news. 

How did you meet your spouse?  I was working in Bay City, Michigan at Ritchie’s Drive Inn as a car hop. I stayed with my sister Marci for the summer between my Junior and Senior year of high school. I became friends with some girls from the Upper Peninsula. Garden. MI. Shirley, Suzanne, Linda. I was invited to Shirley’s August wedding in Garden. I stayed with Suzanne, We went for a ride and picked up Ivan and Pat. Fun. The wedding was the next night. Ivan was very flirty. He knocked out my contact then found it on the ground. Later in the evening he announced that, “This is the girl I’m going to marry!” He called me and we started dating long distance. Gladwin (me) Kalamazoo (Ivan). By Christmas we were engaged. Married the following June. It will be 53 year on June14. Three daughters and ten grandchildren!

Senior prom…

 

                                   Isn’t she lovely?    

Six days until 71. Esky Senior prom. I love these pictures of sweet memories. Papa and the M! So stylish! 

Some questions to ask your grandmother:

What is a recipe you would like to stay in the family?

Candy cane cookies. They are a little difficult to make but they mean Christmas to our family. 

What was a favorite childhood toy? I have always been an avid reader. So most of my favorite toys were my books. Robin Hood, Black Beauty, Mrs. Mike, The Long White Month, Nancy Drew, Cherry Ames. I could go on and on. My Barbie doll with a black pony tail and pin curled bangs was another favorite. 

Where were you born? I was born in Holland, Michigan. My mothers name was Stephanie Josephine Piontek Aman. My fathers name was Philip Francis Aman. I had seven siblings. Marcella Maria, Margaret Mary, (twins) Me, Lillian Veronica, Phyllis Anne, Michael Francis, Stephanie Mae, Suzanne, (twins) Joseph Patrick.