BOOK REVIEW: Know My Name by Chanel Miller

Know My Name by Chanel Miller was by far the best book I read in 2020 (followed closely by Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi). Miller's book is a memoir about her experience as a sexual assault survivor, including the attack, the court case that followed, and rebuilding her life after physical, emotional, and mental trauma. 

I particularly enjoyed Miller's ability to weave memories of earlier times in her life into her telling of what happened to her. She is a master story teller, even when it comes to the awful, most horrifying bits. Miller's memoir is filled with both vulnerability and strength. At times I found myself openly weeping and crying while at other times I cheered and smiled large at her ability to find joy amid the depths of despair. 

After being attacked by Brock Turner on the Stanford University campus in 2015, Miller sunk into a deep depression that was only made worse through the madness of the criminal justice system. Instead, however, she fought her way back to herself and rebuilt her life. It is clear from her memoir though, that this also entailed dealing with long lasting trauma that may follow her and inform her choices and thoughts and overall being for the rest of her life. She chose over and over to not give in. She chose over and over to experience life and explore her interests. That's not to say it was easy and that's not to say she didn't go through periods where she did want to give up, where she did succumb to her fears and dark thoughts. But, she always climbed back out of the depths. 

Included in the memoir is Miller's victim impact statement which is a masterpiece that no one should ever have to write. It is a masterclass in how not to rape, how not to assault, how not to behave, how not to treat others. 

Miller's assault was not that long ago, but I am sure it will have a lasting ripple effect on her life, the lives of her sister and parents, on her friends, and others. I'm sure the intensity has and will continue to dial down over time, but the assault and all that came with it will always still be there, like a little grain of something in their shoes that they forgot about for the longest time. Then it shifts, and they feel it with every step until they try to remove it, but can't find it. It shifts again and they move on and don't feel it -- even forget about it again until, one day, there it is yet again. 

Every now and then Miller's attacker comes up in the news and do not feel a single bit sorry for him when the news is related to him having a hard time in life. He brought that upon himself. 

Rather than rewrite things I've already written, the rest of this post is primarily from comments I made in a small book group myself and three good friends read Know My Name. I've only edited a little bit for clarity and length. 

This was such a hard book to read, but I'm so glad that I did! I'm so glad I bought it instead of getting it from the library. I'll read it again, but not anytime soon. I know I'll recommend it to many people in years to come too. 

I'm struck by similarities with the Netflix short series "Unbelievable" which is excellent and based on real rape cases near Seattle and in Colorado. In both Miller's book and the Netflix show, there seems to be a clear division in the way men handled and treated victims compared to how women responded. There are some women who will take the "what were you wearing/doing/drinking" or "you should have kept your legs closed" stance and also some women who get embarrassed or don't want to to be involved in such intimate invasions, but I see it far more in men both in media and in life. It's unfortunate since men can be excellent allies -- and they aren't exempt from being victims as well. 

Women are constantly held to double standards from birth and both Miller's book and "Unbelievable" highlight that fact. As I was finishing Know My Name, I also was reading the poetry collection Wild Embers by Nikita Gill which was the perfect compliment to Miller's memoir. The poems feature themes about the double standards women are held to, about boys and men being given a pass for bad behavior because of the idea that "boys will boys", and how women are forced into the defensive position when we deserve to stand strong and not to be subjected to abuse. 

I loved Miller's book (and "Unbelievable" and Wild Embers), but it provokes a strong emotional response as a reader and was difficult, at times, as a result. I was struck by Miller's ability to create vivid images and to craft metaphors while mining the depths of her memories and lived experiences to create context, emotions, and so on.

I hope you'll consider reading Know My Name by Chanel Miller. I think about it regularly even though it's been months since I read it. 

You can buy a copy of Know My Name on Bookshop HERE.

Or find it on Amazon HERE. 

Or look for it at your local library. 

As of my writing this, "Unbelievable" is available on Netflix HERE.

You can find Wild Embers by Nikita Gill on Bookshop HERE.

Or on Amazon HERE.

Or try your local library.

Please note: links may be affiliate in nature. Making purchases through such links may result in a small commission to me at no cost to you. Thank you in advance. 

REVIEW: The Antiquarian Sticker Book -- Over 1,000 Exquisite Victorian Stickers

This certainly is not my normal book review! I never expected to review a sticker book, but this one -- The Antiquarian Sticker Book -- is fantastic!

Warning: this post is image heavy.

Even though I'm a middle aged woman, I still love stickers. I still get that school child jolt of glee at opening up a new sticker pack and deciding where and how to use them. And, I still sometimes think some stickers are too precious to use and I want to save them instead.

As a child, most of my stickers were used fairly randomly and often were affixed to construction paper, my own skin (usually the back of my hands or my cheeks), or were attached to handmade cards -- I was very much a rule follower growing up (and still mostly am), and would not have dared to put a sticker on furniture, a book, or anything else that might be of value or ruined by the placement of a sticker. The last several years, most of my sticker using has been reserved for letters sent to pen pals or I have used them in my journal and planner spreads. And, of course, I have the obligatory vinyl sticker assortment on my laptop cover -- don't you?

Recently, I realized my sticker collection had outgrown the small drawer in which I contain it. As such, I culled several, sending many on to a friend that had recently mentioned a desire to use stickers in her planner, and then I used several to create a rainbow theme, inspired by the professional crafter, Amy Tangerine (professional crafter = #goals), in a notebook. Even with both of those purges of my sticker collection, I still have a TON, so I put myself on a sticker buying ban.

The rainbow sticker spread in my planner.

Then, the very next day, someone in a Facebook group I'm part of posted a picture of The Antiquarian Sticker Book! I was in awe of the amazing stickers between the covers -- more than 1,000 of them! They were just so beautiful that I ordered the book despite my sticker buying ban.

And, I love it! The stickers and the book as a whole are gorgeous, and I don't regret the purchase at all. Let's take a walk through some of the pages:

Front Cover: The Antiquarian Sticker Book

The book's end papers are gorgeous!

There are a few page where almost the entire page is one big sticker.

The peacock is my favorite sticker in the entire book!

The stickers are fairly low-tack, meaning they aren't super duper sticky. I tested one (a sticker of a spider since I am not a fan and can't see myself ever using the spider stickers...ewwwww!), and was pleased that it was tacky enough to stick to a piece of cardstock, but not so tacky that I couldn't easily lift and reposition it. If you need to ensure that the stickers stay stuck down, use your finger to rub across the surface. A painter once told me that the friction helps. I don't know if it's really the friction or heat generated or what, but the trick seems to work on stickers and washi tape. However, if I could see a need to apply glue to some stickers if the surfaces they are going on is not paper or if they application requires that the sticker be permanently affixed. This does not bother me at all as I often use extra adhesive on stickers anyhow when I craft or if I am applying the sticker to a letter that will be folded where I've placed the sticker.

After applying a sticker to this cardstock,
I as able to peel it up with minimal damage to either.

The way the book is structured, each page features stickers on one side and a decorative backing on the other side. The backing side is the same throughout, so although the book is 1 3/16" thick, excluding the front and back covers, only half of that is actually stickered pages. 

I love the cover of this book and the backing of each sticker page so much that I plan to repurpose the book as an art journal when the stickers are all gone -- I'll do art work and collages on the sticker side of each page.

Have you bought The Antiquarian Sticker Book? If so, leave a comment and tell me which sticker is your favorite and how you'll be using the stickers.

Don't have a copy? 

• You can buy the book on Bookshop HERE. 
  
• Or, buy it on Amazon HERE.

Please note: links may be affiliate in nature. Purchases made through these links may result in a small commission for me at no additional cost to you. Thank you in advance!

Now Reading ~*~ November 2020

I haven't posted any book reviews or other reading related items since late October, but that doesn't mean I haven't been reading. I guess I've just not been motivated to sit in front of my computer to write. I don't know...

Regardless, I thought I'd share my November 2020 reading plans and progress. 
If you are struggling with reading during the pandemic, check out THIS post where I talk about increasing my reading amid all the stress and uncertainty in the world right now. 

My full reading plan for November includes:

💙 Lips too chilled by Matuso Basho (poetry)💚 Howl by Allen Ginsberg (poetry)💛 The Scripture of the Golden Eternity by Jack Kerouac (poetry)💜 Essentialism by Grego McKeown (non-fiction, lifestyle, self-help)💛 Know My Name by Chanel Miller (memoir, sexual assault)💚 Blueprint for Revolution by Srdja Popovic (non-fiction, politics, history)💙 The Story of Stuff by Annie Leonard (non-fiction, environmentalism, lifestyle)💛 The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg (non-fiction, lifestyle, psychology)💚 The Black Painting by Neil Olson (fiction)💙 Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo (fiction)
The Story of Stuff by Annie Leonard feels like the perfect compliment to The Art of Frugal Hedonism by Annie Raser-Rowland and Adam Grubb (read my review HERE).
I've already finished Know My Name by Chanel Miller, but as of writing this post, I have not written a review yet. I can tell you this much for now though: Miller's memoir is MUST READ material! She recounts being the victim of a sexual assault and the lengthy trial and messy aftermath, including finding her way back to herself. I truly believe you need to read this book!
I've been slowly making my way through The Power of Habit and Blueprint for Revolution, but am likely to finish both this month. I'm enjoying them, but one has lived in my bathroom until recently, and the other was misplaced until recently. 
I've been reading a chapter or two from Crooked Kingdom several nights per week, and it's been a great book to read in the bathtub on cold nights when I need to warm up! The book is the second of a pair and follows a rag-tag group of young adults through peril, adventure, and the under belly of society. They are at turns terrible and wonderful people. Bardugo's characters all highlight that we all have potential for good and bad within us and that the two can co-exist. This is young adult fantasty/sci-fi fiction and great escapism.

The last two days, however, I've been focused primarily on:
💜 The Scripture of the Golden Eternity by Jack Kerouac (poetry -- I'll likely finish it tomorrow)......buy it on Bookshop: https://bit.ly/3nz5v8e......buy it on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3f59czn

💛 Howl by Allen Ginsberg (poetry -- I'll also likely finish this one tomorrow)

......buy it on Bookshop: https://bit.ly/2HcRbTg......buy it on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3f8qeN0

💚 Lips too chilled by Matsuo Basho (poetry, specifically Haiku -- I finished this one today)

......This specific book is not currently available on Bookshop or Amazon, but I found several copies at reasonable prices with a quick Google search; I happened to buy my copy in Paris, France at Shakespeare and Company.

💙 The Story of Stuff by Annie Leonard (non-fiction, environmentalism, lifestyle -- I'll likely finish this one by week's end)......buy it on Bookshop: not available......buy it on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3pBPgcc
Drop a comment and let me know what you're reading these days!
If you aren't in the reading mood, but you still want to occupy your mind, check out my coloring pages and stationery for sale HERE on Etsy! It's all super fast and easy to download and print at home after purchase! I'm a small business owner, and with the pandemic's economic toll, it's more important than ever to shop small, local, and independent -- hence, my including links to Bookshop above!

Please note: links are affiliate in nature. I'm not sharing them to "make a buck" but rather because I love to share what I'm reading and access to finding the same books. If you do purchase through these links, many thanks! I may receive a small commission as a result, but at no additional cost to you!

My week of Frida Kahlo inspired cooking

In THIS post, I wrote about participating in a weekly women's history themed baking challenge and that the theme for the previous week was Frida Kahlo. At the time of the baking challenge, the cookbook Frida's Fiestas: Recipes and Reminiscences of Life with Frida Kahlo by Marie-Pierre Colle and Guadalupe Rivera was not available at my local library. However, I recently got my hands on it and loved it! 

This cookbook is one part cookbook, one part Mexican history and culture guidebook, and one part Frida Kahlo biography. It is packed with photos not just of recipes, but also from Frida Kahlo's life and Casa Azul -- her home and studio. the book is arranged by months and each month starts with three to five pages of biography and memories of the authors' experiences with Frida, followed by a page with a menu plan for the month -- often based around a holiday or celebration -- and then the recipes. 

Because I didn't have the cookbook during the baking challenge week back in August, I only used one of Frida's recipes that week (I found it online). I also went beyond baking and took it as a Mexican cooking challenge. 

The one recipe I did make that was from Frida's cookbook is Macaroni with Spinach Sauce. Due to a dairy allergy, I made some substitutions, but it turned out fairly tasty, although it looked nothing like the photo in the cookbook. Unfortunately, I neglected to get a photo of mine, but what I ended up with was a casserole that was entirely green, not yellow and green with pasta and spinach clearly defined. Oh well! I do have some ideas for making this again and having it turn out more like the cookbook photo, but we'll see. Here's the same dish in the cookbook:

For the rest of my cooking challenge focused on Mexican dishes, I made a vegan/dairy free Tres Leches cake -- but couldn't find one that fit both my and my son's allergies and so did a lot of alterations to ingredients. It turned out sooooo delicious though! For my three milks, I used Ripple dairy free milk, oat milk, and a coconut based creamer. 

The cake was so delicious! I will definitely make it again. My finished cake: 

I also made vegan barbacoa tacos which I loved, but my son didn't like the flavor very much. The filling is lentils based and was excellent as an enchilada filling too.

Lastly, I attempted to make chilaquiles, but they didn't turn out like authentic chilaquiles. I realized halfway through that the recipe I was using was not at all authentic! You don't need to tell me that these aren't authentic -- I know! I had someone tell me on repeat that they weren't authentic even though I had already stated that at the outset! I actually don't care that much that they aren't authentic because the dish tasted great anyhow!

And, finally, here are some images from Frida's Fiestas: Recipes and Reminiscences of Life with Frida Kahlo:

You can buy the book and support independent booksellers via Bookshop HERE.

Or, buy from Amazon HERE.

Links in this post may be affiliate in nature, resulting in a small commission to me via your purchase but at NO cost to you. Thank you in advance!

BOOK REVIEW: The Art of Frugal Hedonism by Annie Raser-Rowland and Adam Grubb

Several years ago, I tutored a teenaged boy who had a curious habit when it came to eating his after school snacks. This young guy, we'll call him Joe, would take the tiniest bites of his snacks and roll the bites around in his mouth with his eyes closed, chewing far more than necessary, and then swallow the bites. When I asked him about this little habit, he told me it was so that he could really enjoy what he was eating and that by closing his eyes, taking tiny bites, and holding the bites in his mouth while chewing and moving them around for longer than necessary, he created a fuller, much more enjoyable experience for himself. He said he was teaching himself to really enjoy and engage with what he consumed, and that in doing so he was also practicing self control and limiting portion sizes too. He was learning to recognize that great joy can be gained through small experiences and was saving himself many calories (he'd spent several years overweight and out of shape) and quite a lot of money (thanks to not over consuming).

What my student was doing falls under the title of frugal hedonism and today's book review is all about the concept.

Title: The Art of Frugal Hedonism -- a guide to spending less while enjoying everything more

Author: Annie Raser-Rowland and Adam Grubb

Publisher: Melliodora

Year published: 2016

ISBN: 9780994392817

Genre: non-fiction, lifestyle, frugalism, hedonism

Pairs well with freshly baked cookies, 

your favorite coffee or tea,

and your favorite reading chair.

I first read The Art of Frugal Hedonism by Annie Raser-Rowland and Adam Grubb when it was first published in 2016, and I greatly enjoyed revisiting this little treasure trove of tips, hints, and ideas for how to live better while spending less.

I haven't always been a frugalist or hedonist, but when I discovered that the two ideologies could co-exist, I was converted to both!

A frugal hedonist is a person who understands and takes pleasure in enjoying life to the fullest while also being fiscally conservative. Frugal hedonists aren't necessarily scouring the Goodwill for their next pair of jeans or dumpster diving for tonight's dinner, but they might if they see something that's high quality and worth the energy and effort. A frugal hedonist could just as likely be shopping at Goodwill or pulling a nightstand out of a dumpster as spending over $100 on a pair of shoes that they know are high quality and that have a lifetime guarantee and thus will last years rather than the short life span of a cheap pair of sneakers from the discount store. They understand that they have skills and knowledge that might be useful to their neighbor and vice versa and are happy to trade and barter. They understand that an experience is more valuable than an object. They understand that making small shifts here and there can bring significant improvements in their quality of life without making huge financial outlays.

And, Raser-Rowland and Grubb explore all of this and more in their book.

The Art of Frugal Hedonism is an easy read, thanks in large part to how it is organized with brief chapters ranging from one to five page and written in such a way that you could read the book straight through like any other book, or you could dip in here and there for a tip or pick me up or inspiration as you see fit. The writers both have great senses of humor as well, lending the book a friendly and upbeat tone that also adds to the immense readability. They don't use any fancy terminology and don't get bogged down in statistics and calculations to try to prove their points which I've seen in other books on the same topic. Instead, Raser-Rowland and Grubb keep things simple and easy to understand for the regular reader. 

As I noted, this was my second time reading The Art of Frugal Hedonism, but it probably won't be my last. Both times I've read it, I gleaned great tips and ideas and inspiration for my frugal hedonist journey. The first time I read the book, I was much more focused on the frugal aspects of my life journey. This time, I was much more focused on increasing the hedonistic aspects of life while staying committed to my frugalism. 

Raser-Rowland and Grubb make it clear that you don't have to give up all of your daily pleasures in order to pinch your pennies until they turn into diamonds, in fact, I think they'd be horrified if anyone came away with the impression that their book was simply about wealth building through extreme frugality! No, they greatly encourage significantly increasing your life enjoyment, but without sacrificing your financial stability -- in fact, you can significantly increase your joy in life while also increasing your financial stability. Doing so may require changing some habits and may be even more challenging amid things like the pandemic going on worldwide as I write this, but it can be done.

I urge you to start by baking some cookies or a nice quick bread as you sit down to read The Art of Frugal Hedonism. As you put together your cookies or bread, take pleasure in the act of measuring and mixing and shaping. Smell your ingredients and think about how lovely your home will smell once they are combined and baking in the oven. In the US, we are moving swiftly through fall so I also think about how cozy and warm my home will be during and after baking. I like to put on some soft music as I work in the kitchen, and I clean and put things away as I go -- done with the vanilla? Put the jar back in the cupboard and move on to my next ingredient, smelling or tasting things as I go or noting the various colors and textures. As the oven warms, I take a moment to be thankful for my apartment which I love so much. Once all the utensils and bowls are in the sink and my cookies are in the oven, I set the timer and grab my book for 15 minutes of reading joy while sitting in my favorite chair and sipping some lovely warm tea while I read. As I move further into the book, I close my eyes as the first hint of baking cookies starts to fill the air and I inhale deeply, thinking about how delicious the cookies will taste when they are done. And, with my first cookie, I eat it in tiny little bites, feeling and tasting and savoring each one.

That, my friends, is the peak of frugal hedonism for me! 

If your looking to up your life enjoyment while being more mindful of your financial situation, I urge you to consider reading The Art of Frugal Hedonism by Annie Raser-Rowland and Adam Grubb. This is one that I plan to read again and again, so although I read a library copy, I plan to buy a copy for myself.

You can get it from independent book sellers via Bookshop HERE.

Or, buy a copy from Amazon HERE.

Links in this post may be affiliate links in nature.

Purchases through these links may result in small commissions

for me at no added cost to you. Thank you in advance!

BOOK REVIEW: That Kind of Mother by Rumaan Alam

I have rarely read a book that more completely and accurately captures the sometimes monotonous feelings of motherhood while also capturing the fierce protectiveness of motherhood, the tension between one's responsibility to their family versus to their career, and so on. That Kind of Mother by Rumaan Alam captured it all for me. Additionally, the book is set in the 1980s and 90s -- basically my childhood through my early 20s.

I loved That Kind of Mother, but I'm glad I didn't read it when my son was young and I was in the thick of new motherhood -- I think it might have been too real, too accurate. Alam doesn't portray motherhood as overly negative or messy or anything bad, but he does present us with a mother who, while loving her children fiercely, is also a bit stuck. She fixates on Princess Diana and returns to thoughts of Diana throughout the novel when she feels unable to move on in life or when life is just dragging on and on without anything really interesting happening to her. She channels Diana when she feels the need to be strong or elegant, but relates to Diana when she feels trapped in her own life. Yet, our protagonist, Rebecca, also manages to eventually reach for and achieve her goals in life.

Rebecca is not the most likable of characters. At times she is selfish, ignorant, sheltered. She has no idea what life is like for many of those who are on the periphery of her own life. But, she also allows herself to be confronted with her own flaws and she attempts to learn from such confrontations -- not always fully successfully and not always without stepping into a bigger mess first.

I actually found that I liked Rebecca more because of her un-likableness -- she felt more real and well rounded because of her flaws.

Rebecca struggles to breastfeed after her son's birth, but is met in the hospital by Priscilla, a lactation consultant who gently helps -- if I'd had a Priscilla in my life, I'm sure my own breastfeeding experience would have been much different (it was awful). After returning home post-delivery, Rebecca still finds herself struggling and returns to the hospital in order to seek out Priscilla and help. 

Rebecca feels both overwhelming love and protectiveness for her son, as well as irritation and frustration. But, as parents, don't we all feel both at times? Priscilla helps Rebecca navigate through her complex feelings while also encouraging and supporting Rebecca in her career pursuits as a writer after Rebecca hires Priscilla as a nanny. Ultimately, they form a very tight relationship, but not necessarily with the support of Rebecca's husband. 

All seems to be going well when Priscilla becomes pregnant herself and unexpectedly passes away. Rebecca, by now familiar with Priscilla's adult daughter, ends up taking in Priscilla's newborn son. 

But, I didn't mention...

Rebecca, her husband, and their child are white. Priscilla and her son are Black.

Rebecca loves this little boy and new addition to her family just as much as the son she gave birth to. She dotes on them both and supports both, but as the two boys grow and get older, society begins to treat them differently. Society treats her differently -- the white mother of a Black boy? 

Ultimately, this is a novel about motherhood with an undercurrent of a story about race. I suppose a non-mother or non-parent might see it as the opposite -- a story about race with an undercurrent of a story about motherhood. That would not be wrong. It is also a story about adoption and what it means to be a family. And, it is a story about being a woman, separate from the role of mother. 

We all bring ourselves to what we read, and I read this as a story of motherhood and womanhood first. I also read it as a story of adoption. I am a mother. I am adopted. 

Race is brought up several times throughout the novel -- when Rebecca meets other mothers or has a parent-teacher conference, when her adopted son's biological family has concerns about "the talk" about being Black in America, and so on. These issues are dealt with carefully and sensitively, as are the issues around adoption.

That Kind of Mother by Rumaan Alam is a great novel with chapters short enough that a busy parent could easily read a chapter, put it down to attend to a child or dinner or whatever else, then come back to it later in the day without getting lost. The writing is clear and focused and you are carried along in Rebecca's story of motherhood and autonomy as a woman as she grows as in both roles over the years, ultimately stepping fully into herself in both roles. 

You can buy That Kind of Mother by Rumaan Alam on Amazon HERE or on Bookshop HERE.

BOOK REVIEW: The Year of Pleasures by Elizabeth Berg

Title: The Year of Pleasures

Author: Elizabeth Berg

Publisher: Ballantine 

Year published: 2005

ISBN: 9780812970999

Genre: fiction; chick lit; USA fiction

Pairs well with your favorite flannel pajamas,

a slice of berry or peach pie,

and a glass of Merlot.

As I've noted previously, when I'm in a reading slump, I often turn to a well loved novel that I've read several times over. This past week, that was The Year of Pleasures by Elizabeth Berg. 

As a woman who has completely started over more than once in my adult life, I identify closely with the main character, Betta Nolan: after the tragic loss of her husband to cancer, Betta sinks into an understandable period of depression, confusion, worry, loss, and so on. Ultimately, she decides to follow through on a dream she and her husband had involving moving to the middle of the country and starting over in a small town. 

But, of course, nothing is ever as easy as just picking up and moving. Betta does make the move, but it is filled with a sense of directionlessness and a pull towards something that is ill defined yet also tinged with feelings of fate. 

Throughout the story, we learn more and more about the woman Betta was, who she wanted to be, and who she becomes (which is really who she was all along). We meet an adorable cast of characters along the way, ranging from sweet college kids that feel almost like lost puppies looking for their mother to a single mom and her sweet son to a cranky old woman who is dealing with losses of her own, not to mention three old friends from Betta's life before marriage. 

I love this novel for its familiarity, not just because I've read it so many times (at least ten!), but also because I see myself in Betta and her joy in little pleasures that she often denies herself even though her husband encouraged her to indulge. I see myself in her love of fine things, comfortable things, joyful things, heartwarming things. I see myself in her love of quirky things and her joy in creating stories both professionally and as a hobby. I see myself in her use of baking and cooking as a love language. 

Betta starts out lost and very much alone, but throughout the novel, she rebuilds her sense of self, learns to enjoy life again despite a huge loss, and she creates a new home and a new sense of family and community. 

I hope you'll give The Year of Pleasures by Elizabeth Berg a chance and that you'll fall in love with the story and the characters just as I did. 

And, I hope you'll come away with the knowledge and belief that it's ok to use the good soap that you set aside for company, the plush towels you keep for guests, the chocolate that you only buy on special occasions. Don't wait for guests or special occasions. Use the fancy soap and soft towels. Eat the good chocolate. Buy the little bowl that you love even though you don't know what you'd use it for. Life is too short not to indulge in some pleasures.

Buy it on Amazon HERE or on Bookshop.org HERE.