as always, march was a crazy month. things ramped up at work, there were lots of events happening around the city, and plans began falling in place for the rest of the year.

march highlights

a weeklong sleepover with fitz the dog / grizzlies date with jessi / dear artist opening panel / soulful food truck sunday / finally made it to payne’s bbq / postcards from far away / back into the running swing / inherited a porch couch / farewell dinner for kat / bridge builders climbing trip to tishomingo state park / amos lee concert / planning some upcoming trips / young collectors contemporary / spring weather / lots of quality friend time / firming up plans for upcoming travels

march books

footnotes from the world’s greatest bookstores: true tales and lost moments from book buyers, booksellers, and book lovers by bob eckstein. this was a fun little book to peek through. eckstein has sketched and painted the exteriors of many of the world’s most iconic bookstores and presents them here with anecdotes from owners, managers, faithful customers, and history. included are such institutions as shakespeare and company in paris and livraria lello in porto [said to be jk rowling’s inspiration for hogwarts’ moving staircases] as well as more local places like memphis’ own burke’s bookstore. for a book lover and former bookseller such as myself, this was a lovely read.

we are all doing the best we can with what life hands us. that’s all we’ve ever been able to do. this is how we live our story.

as bright as heaven by susan meissner. i will admit i was not prepared for how much this book moved me. this family story told from the point of view of a mother and her three daughters in 1918 philadelphia packed a punch and left me with all the feels. there were a lot of parts that resonated with things happening in my real life, and it gave me space to release a lot of those emotions. it is always interesting to me how certain books find their way into your life at just the right moment, and this was one of those.

poetry may not be news. but it is all that human beings retain from their journey on this earth.

small country by gaël faye. this was a book of the month selection from last year, and it was really good. faye was born in burundi to a french father and rwandan mother, and his book tells of his view of the 1994 conflicts in rwanda and burundi. it is a fast read but leaves a deep impact, and i was very moved by his story.

currently reading: halfway through the heart of a woman, the 4th volume in maya angelou’s autobiographical series. i continue to be fascinated by her life.

the best things i watched

i started watching the good place, and i am very into it. i finished the first season and am halfway through the second and am enjoying how funny and smart it is. the first three seasons are on netflix, for anyone who is interested in watching.

maggie recommended the umbrella academy to me, and i devoured it in less than a week. i don’t really know how best to describe the show, but it is so interesting, and i look forward to a second season soon.

the best things on the internet

why traveling like a local is actually a myth.

a copy-editing quiz that makes my grammar nerd heart so very happy.

why you should read romance novels.

ayanna pressley is pushing to lower the voting age to 16 for federal elections.

why we should be talking to our coworkers about salary.

the new rankings of the world’s happiest countries is out.

my article on this year’s young collector’s contemporary.

the downward trend of car ownership. i dream of the day i no longer need to own a car.

how to read more.

xx