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Emily C Gardner

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The Wondering Years by Knox McCoy
25 Bunny Books perfect for Spring
17 Wintery Children’s Books
A Bible Literacy Book Flight
An Epistolary Book Flight

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First... PEONIES!! 😍 This is our first (of many) bushes to burst forth and I am always so happy to bring these fragrant beauties into my house. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Second... How many @booksnugs can I take on a weekend trip 😏 Definitely three. ‘Tis the season of kiddos out of school, garden projects, and a bigger work load so my reading is veering toward easy and fast. I don’t mind! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Halfway through MOO by Sharon Creech a middle grade novel in verse about 12 year old Reena and her family’s move from the city to a farm in Maine. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ I read and loved my first graphic novel, El Deafo, a couple months ago so I was excited that @harperkid asked if I’d be interested in a free review copy of @terrilibenson’s JUST JAMIE. It’s a graphic novel about friendships in middle-school. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ I MISS YOU WHEN I BLINK has been high up on my TBR for awhile and it got even higher when @jamiebgolden plugged it in a recent overrated books episode of @thepopcast (I am one of the few, apparently, who trusts Jamie’s judgement of books 😂). ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ What are you reading this weekend?

Our daisies aren’t blooming yet, but we have lily-of-the-valley in profusion. Their sweet scent has been a bright spot during this endless rain. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Daisies and Devotion by @authorjosiskilpack is our today! @shadowmountainpub #partner I read this second installment of the Mayfield Family series a few weeks ago when I was in a reading dry spot. The female lead was strong and snappy, the love interest was charmingly flawed, the regency time period is always enjoyable. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ I appreciate Shadow Mountain’s Proper Romance books but I don’t read all of them. This will be a series I keep up with - light, quick and enjoyable. Perfect palette cleansers.

A Wolf Called Wander (@harperkid #partner) felt like watching a Planet Earth episode through the eyes of a wolf. Both my son and I were riveted (he could easily convince me to read “just one more chapter”) and I’m not necessarily an animal person. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ This #middlegrade novel is based on a real wolf, OR-7 who traveled thousands of miles in the PNW. I learned a ton about wolf habits by reading this book, but beyond the animal knowledge it was full of beautiful reflections and what it means to be a family and the importance of community for survival. The striking illustrations bring it to life and help capture younger reader’s attention. Highly recommend. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ #awolfcalledwander

Ruth Reichl has both the gift of storytelling and the ability to describe food in an exquisitely compelling fashion. Her latest memoir, Save Me The Plums (which my husband insists on calling All The Plums We Cannot Eat), recounts her tenure as Editor-In-Chief of Gourmet magazine. Ruth’s reflections on her colleagues, the food industry and magazine business, affluence and food were a delight. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ There was a time when working for Gourmet, or the like, was my dream job so this book was a fun and nostalgic plunge back into those passions. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ I was instantly transported to my senior year in high school when I cooked regular meals for my grandparents, flexing my burgeoning creative cookie muscles recreating the caramelized salmon from a favorite restaurant and crafting cream puff swans for an afternoon tea. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ I was taken back to a patio table, eating tapas with the food critic of the KC Star as she came up with the idea for my first blog. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ I felt the heat of tears build behind my eyes while the owner of a new bakery berated me for comparing his confections to Costco frosting in a review for my college newspaper. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ I was learning my way around a restaurant kitchen cooking breakfast for an assortment of sleepy inn guests then walking across the street to sprinkle the perfect dusting of sea salt onto small domes of brown butter cookies that Oprah had taken a liking to. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ As wave upon wave of memories came creeping to the forefront, I was struck once again by the power of food and the skill of those, like Ruth, who add to it’s power with words.

Oh Anna Karenina... ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ I finished #annakin8 last week but had to check out this copy from the library to document it because, guys, I caved and listened to the vast majority of this vast book via Audible. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ One third of it was fantastic. One third was decent. One third was a bore. That last third overshadowed the fantastic parts for me. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Am I glad I can say I’ve read Anna Karenina? Sure. Would I recommend this classic to people? Probably not. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Hoping this isn’t too much of a spicy take.

“If you have a nice clump of foxgloves in your back garden you cannot ever be bored. There is the echo of all the sweet and liquid sounds of the country in their pale bells. In addition, I am told that their roots, if boiled and added to the soup, are guaranteed to make your most disagreeable enemy expire in considerable discomfort within twenty-four hours, but I have not tested this personally.” ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Down The Garden Path fictionalizes 1920s Jazz-age playboy Beverley Nichols’ love affair with the garden. He buys an old estate in the English countryside and chronicles the transformation of his crumbling garden. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ I feel like the quote above captures Nichols’ writing style well - lovely turns of phrase with a generous helping of wit. I found his descriptions charming and his diatribes about gardening mishaps and his neighbors laugh out loud funny. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Many thanks to Erin @erindotsmith for recommending this one! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ On a gardening note: I may have rashly bought 50 tulip bulbs last fall after watching a series of videos from @floretflower, But was richly rewarded this Spring! #ayearinflowers

I 100% approve of her pre-nap reading choices. @tundrabooks, we both thank you for sending these our way! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Kelly Hill has perfectly captured the spirit and whimsy behind our favorite red-haired heroine in these charming oversized board books. Kelly’s hand-embroidered illustrations are gorgeous and endlessly creative. Every time I think I’ve picked a favorite, I’m wooed by a different one...

The stomach bug is meandering its way through our family but I did get to escape this morning to a library book sale! Spent $16 on this stack - see any good ones?

Daisy Jones and The Six was everything I was hoping it would be - compelling structure, interestingly flawed characters and an unexpected bit of sweetness at the end. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ This is my first Taylor Jenkins Reid book and now I’m wondering if I should pick up some of her others... Please weigh in if you’ve read more from TJR!

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