My New Blog Home

Hi all!! 

I have moved! Please check me out for all my book reviews and whatnot over at 

https://crackercrumblife.com/

Thanks!! 

We Need a Holiday...

And I hate to be rude..

We are heading to the wilds of Michigan, and I can't wait! I was hoping to get a post in before we left, but that didn't happen. Not enough time in day some days. 

Also, this is my last true post here on QM. When I get back, I will be posting all my book content over on Cracker Crumbs. It just seems like a good time to make the move! 

I'll see you all when I get back! I have lots of posts planned, which is just crazy for me!

Book Review: Heaven Adjacent by Catherine Ryan Hyde

Title/Author: Heaven Adjacent by Catherine Ryan Hyde
Source: Little Bird Publicity in exchange for an honest review

Goodreads Summary:

Roseanna Chaldecott spent her life as a high-powered lawyer in Manhattan. But when her best friend and law partner dies suddenly, something snaps. Unsure of her future, Roseanna heads upstate on one tank of gas and with no plans to return.

In the foothills of the Adirondacks, Roseanna discovers the perfect hideout in a ramshackle farm. Its seventy-six acres are rich with possibilities and full of surprises, including a mother and daughter squatting on the property. Although company is the last thing Roseanna wants, she reluctantly lets them stay.

Roseanna and the young girl begin sculpting junk found around the farm into zoo animals, drawing more newcomers—including her estranged son, Lance. He pleads with Roseanna to return to the city, but she’s finally discovered where she belongs. It may not provide the solitude she originally sought, but her heart has found room for much more.

My Thoughts:

We all have dreams that we put away until later. That vacation, that car, that house in the country or on the beach or in Paris. Those things we talk about when we talk about someday. And in the meantime, we are going about our everyday business of working, working, working, and tucked in between what we have to do are the things we want to do. But what if someday never comes?

In Heaven Adjacent, Roseanna Chaldecott had a good life. A great life, by some standards. A fancy car, financial security, an apartment in a topnotch neighborhood. But she lacked things she didn't even know she lacked, like meaningful relationships with her own family. Or friends. It took a tragedy to show her that while she can buy anything she wanted, that she wasn't living her life to the fullest. Or even really at all. And then on a backroad in the middle of nowhere, she started to find the things she really needed most. Little by little, she lets some things go, while letting other things in.

I loved this book. I found it to be wonderfully inspiring, to lead me to examine my own life, to see where I could make changes. Some things don't have to wait for someday. Some things we can do, right the heck now. I really enjoyed this book, and its message to readers. A quick read, but one that packs a big message.

The Sunday Post/It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

Check out the The Caffeinated Book Review for the Sunday Post

It's Monday! What Are You Reading is hosted by Kathryn at Book Date

It was a good week! We took a slow down and it was lovely. Billy and I had a date day, which was awesome, and then today (Sunday) we took the boy to the country to pick peaches, which he loved! :)

After much deliberation and hemming and hawing, I have decided to move this blog's content to my other blog. I paid for that domain, which is why I am moving there instead of everything here, and for some reason it seems harder to keep up two blogs instead of one. :( I really hope that if you follow me now, that you will choose to follow me there. :) I have not done this before, so I am not going to make the big move and stop blogging here until the end of August. I will miss old Quixotic Magpie, but I hope that you will enjoy me just as well over at Still Life, with Cracker Crumbs. You will get the same book content, probably even more book content, but also some personal lifestyle posts as well. :) Here is the link to that blog if you want to check it out! 

Still Life, with Cracker Crumbs.

Read Last Week:

Dreams of Falling by Karen White - I waited months to read this book, and it didn't disappoint!! I loved this book. Karen White is probably at the tops of my lists of go-to authors right now. :)

I also started Picnic at Hanging Rock and also a book called The Obituary Society I got for free from Amazon. 

  

Reading this Week:

When We Found Home by Susan Mallery: Doesn't this cover just grab you? I love it. I am so drawn to the water, even on book covers. 

Watching:

the Tour de France - this year has been nuts! Big names have fallen, been injured, or been dropped due to not meeting the time requirements! This year they made some new rules, making the time requirements per stage shorter, and also dropping a team member from each team. It has made for a crazy race!

A Series of Unfortunate Events - wow, this is amazing! I love Neal Patrick Harris as Count Olaf, and it is a visual feast. Plus I love all the direct to the audience commentary, and the humor. Perfectly well done.

Red Oaks (Amazon Prime) - Another new addiction. A coming of age type story set in the 80s. Love it.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

It's Monday! What Are You Reading is hosted by Kathryn at Book Date

Whew!! I am pretty sure we had our busiest week ever last week!! I am ready for a slowdown this week, for sure. My poor husband worked over 60 hours last week, I had more work at the office than normal (I even did some of it at home!), and of course normal family life stuff. Lol. And of course I had a million things planned on little man's calendar as well, doctors appointments, therapy- it all worked out so that all three of us were super busy! And in the mix we had a funeral and a graduation party. Wyatt and I did some cool stuff together though - we went to a Dinosaur play group and lesson, we went to the art fair, and today we all went to the Belle Isle Kite Festival. We are all exhausted, and in between work, we had fun. 

Read Last Week:

I also managed to read during someone's naptime.

I loved both of these books. All the Little Lights kept me guessing! I absolutely loved the secrets in this book. So good.

Reading this Week:

Oh my gosh I am so excited for both of these books!! Dreams of Falling I have been waiting for like forever; Picnic at Hanging Rock, I learned of it from Jennifer at Book Den, and wanted to read it. Then I watched the Amazon mini-series, and now I want to read it more than ever! 

Watching:

Series of Unfortunate Events, the Tour de France 

How about you all? How is your world?

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

It's Monday! What Are You Reading is hosted by Kathryn at Book Date

The weather got so much nicer midweek!! We have had some quality pool time and outside time, it has been lovely. This week I have lots of fun things planned for our family - Wyatt and I are going to a Jurassic Wonders event for toddlers Monday morning, then the two of us are hitting our hometown art fair Wednesday morning. Then Thursday, Billy and I are having date night at the art fair - we are looking forward to a night out together! We have the myriad not fun stuff to do too, but ugh, let's not even think about that stuff. Lol. 

** I had to stop midpost because my friend posted that a Snowy Owl is hanging out at our police station. I had to go see, because it's July! Snowy's don't come down this far until midwinter usually. We found the owl on top of the station, and yep, it is definitely a snowy! I am worried about it - I did let a park ranger friend know about it, in case it needs help. It's in the wrong place and we are having such hot days. It was the first one I ever saw! 

Read Last Week:

  

Return to Tradd Street - I love Karen White's work. She is definitely a go-to for me

Anne of Green Gables - So, this was my first time reading Anne. And I think I am just too old maybe to appreciate this book, or I have missed my opportunity for it, because I just didn't really like it. :( Although, I do want to visit PEI now. I was more intrigued by the setting. 

Reading This Week:

I've got a few things going on..

  

I am reading Upstream as part of an online nature book club I am a part of. I just picked up, and I am looking forward to reading it. :) 

Watching:

Series of Unfortunate Events, Churchill's Recruits (this was excellent!), and since it is July, the Tour de France! We are such big fans of the tour! 

How about you all? What is going on in your world?

The Sunday Post/It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

Check out the The Caffeinated Book Review for the Sunday Post

It's Monday! What Are You Reading is hosted by Kathryn at Book Date

Thanks to everyone for the well wishes for my aunt last week. She has come through a lot in the past two weeks and she still has her struggles but she is hanging tough.

Read Last Week:

  

I am still reading Anne of Green Gables, but I finished Season of Wonder and Flight Patterns. I loved them both! I really needed a Christmas romance, there is nothing happier I don't think. And Flight Patterns was really well done; I could not stop reading it. So good!

Reading This Week:

This book sounds interesting - I am intrigued by the blurb calling the bed and breakfast "mysterious". Looking forward to reading it this week! I am also going to keep reading Anne. :) 

Watching:

Glow, Series of Unfortunate Events, 13 Reasons Why. We have been holed up a little bit this weekend, due to the horrific heatwave! We did go swimming yesterday but for the most part, we have been hanging out inside, crafting, reading, watching tv, listening to music. It is much harder to hunker down these days, with a three year old who just wants to outside all the time! It is just too hot right now, especially for my guy who has a hard time regulating to high temperatures. 

How about all of you? How is it going?