🔖 Read The Comfort of Drawing Batman by Austin Kleon.

Austin Kleon’s newsletter is the one that I let come to my inbox even after I’ve switched all the rest to RSS. You should read the preview of this and if you like it, do the 7-day trial so you can read the whole thing.

Finished reading: When Grumpy Met Sunshine by Charlotte Stein 📚

Super cute, very hot. 🔥🔥🔥🔥 on the romance.io scale.

I just feel like we need to be more specific than saying things like “In the 1900s” or “In the mid-1900s.” Could we not give a decade? If I see “mid-1900s” I’m all, “1905? 1906” not “1966.”

Photo dump of the school library ready for the first day of school.

Finished reading: This Will Be Fun by E B Asher 📚

Full review forthcoming.

Finished reading: Indigo by Beverly Jenkins 📚

This is so good. I learned more about abolitionism from this romance novel in a more engaging way than any history class I’ve taken would be able to achieve. Highly recommend.

It has been an exhausting week, in a good way. I’m so thrilled to be working with excellent colleagues who are themselves thrilled to have me there.

Finished reading: Hers for the Weekend by Helena Greer 📚

Loved it! This releases August 27. Expect a full review soon!

Finished reading: Gentle Rogue by Johanna Lindsey 📚

I don’t want my 7-year-old to really understand Interview with the Vampire, obviously, but I did tell him that Taylor Swift is in a feud with an imaginary vampire.

Finished reading: The Knowledge Gap by Natalie Wexler 📚

Read this to prepare for collaborating with teachers at work who want support finding books to work into our literacy curriculum. It’s especially interesting as someone who started her teaching career in the era of No Child Left Behind.

🔖🍔🥤 Read The Enduring Mystery of Cook Out.

A Cook Out Junior Tray with a cheeseburger (mayo only), double fries, and Coke was the first meal I had after giving birth, and it was the best meal I’ve ever eaten. (I can’t remember if I also got a shake.)

Finished reading: Tender Rebel by Johanna Lindsey 📚

It’s me, hi, I’m the one watching the Olympic opening ceremonies 5 days late. It’s me.

💀🪦 I wish I could have gone to Funeral Services Education Camp.

Finished reading: Love Only Once by Johanna Lindsey 📚

Hey friends, I am starting a new half-time job as a school librarian in August, so I’ll be taking a break from curating Micro.blog while I get settled in there. I’ll still be using Micro.blog for my personal site like always.

I’ve been reading the staff handbook for my new school library job and my dress is supposed to meet or exceed the standards expected of students. Based on what I saw last year as a parent, I should be fine wearing glittery poofy dresses or cosplaying as Taylor Swift.

San Diego Comic-Con starts tomorrow. Here are a couple resources that help me feel like I’m part of it.

Finished reading: Daring and the Duke by Sarah MacLean 📚

If you want to see Sarah MacLean do a magic trick and turn the villain of two books into the hero of the third, read the Bareknuckle Bastards series.

🔖📚 Read Sherlock Holmes self-insert fanfic written by a 7th grader in 1903.

I love this so much.

Updated my bio:

Middle-aged magical girl. Mom. Once and future school librarian. Contract curator for Micro.blog. Citizen of Romancelandia. I manage multiple chronic illnesses. I love books and games. 🌈♿

🔖 Read Frida Kahlo’s life of chronic pain by Carol A. Courtney (OUPblog).

Looking for examples of chronically ill and disabled creatives to be models for myself. Frida Kahlo is such a great one.

I was reading Austin Kleon’s newsletter and feeling jealous of how he seems to do so much and see so much. I realized that I spend so much of my time in physical pain; if I didn’t, I’d do more other stuff. So now I want to figure out how to modify other stuff so I can do it with the body I have.

🔖 Read Welcome to Your Cronehood by Catherine Newman (Cup of Jo).

I am not psyched about menopause. I’ve already lived a lot of my life for me rather than other people, so I feel ahead of the curve there.