1- LIFE UPDATES: I am headed to PHL (with G!) this weekend to spend some time with family. My dad has had a lot of medical ups and downs over the past several weeks, and I’m glad to be getting to visit. (And I will get to see Laura too!). I feel like I have greatly benefitted from an August that was mostly routine/at home and feel pretty caught up with . . life. Hopefully I can keep the positive momentum going with more action on the calendar over the next few weeks (and really, months).
AND! Josh is headed back to work today! He is not fully healed but he can weight-bear and will start with clinic/ultrasound reading/etc (no call or long surgeries yet). He has also been swimming and going to lots of PT. Onward and upward . . .
2- Did you know Elisabeth was on BOBW this week!? She did an awesome job sharing the details and personal experiences taking the kids on a months-long European adventure during the school year. If you feel like you know her through her blog but have ever been curious as to what her voice sounds like (lovely!), now is your chance to find out!
3- Speaking of podcasts, reader/listener Rebecca alerted me to this excellent Australian episode of Ladies We Need to Talk:
The guest is a researcher and I felt she focused nicely on solutions (vs just a rant!).
4- READING UPDATE. I am in a reading groove after a bumpy summer! Apparently I’m in Backlist Mode, because I’ve started just grabbing titles at the library that I vaguely remember WANTING to read but never go to (The Measure, and now the pick below):
This one came out last year so it isn’t super old, and I feel like I saw on it on a ton of ‘best of’ lists. Plus, I enjoyed Fleishman is in Trouble.
Trigger warning: drugs, graphic sexual content (and I’m only at page 84 out of over 400, haha!). Definitely enjoying it so far, though.
(AND I’m about halfway through The Glass Castle and still wondering how the 9th grade English teacher will manage the conversations around that one . . . it’s fascinating AND I feel mildly traumatized while reading it.)
5- Music listening project continues to be fun for me! This past week the “albums of focus” were Brennan Wedl’s self-titled album and Brandon Flowers’ THRASHER. (I did not mean to pick two with such similar names, but it happened). I REALLY liked both, but I think the winner would have to be THRASHER. He’s such a good storyteller!
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I’m happy to hear that Josh is doing well! Swimming and PT sounds great. I hope your dad is okay- I’m glad you’re getting up there to see him.
I listened to BOBW with Elisabeth! Her voice and some of her expressions kind of reminds me of yours (I’m wondering if anyone else noticed that???)
Hope you have a fun weekend!
Safe travels and hope it’s a great weekend with your family! I always love your books recs. I just finished Sisters of a Halved Heart (from the short summer list from MMD). If you like a book with some family drama I would recommend!
Long Island Compromise was great. Elisabeth was such a great guest on BOBW! I also listened to her on the Reframe, where she discussed the trip from a financial perspective–also fascinating! I think you and I have been on a similar reading wavelength lately because you mentioned recently that you were reading Whistler and Letter from Japan, both of which I just finished. Whistler might be my new fave Ann Patchett (which is a high bar) and Letter from Japan was great for getting me in the mood for Japan–we are going on an epic family trip for two weeks next June and I am in the thick of trip-planning mode right now, booking hotels and researching itinerary ideas, so it was very fun to read about the country and culture.
also LOOOVED whistler and YES! I told Kae to read Letter from Japan as she’s thinking of a trip too!!!
Thanks for having me on BOBW, Sarah. It was so fun.
Safe travels to PHL, and what an exciting day that Josh is progressing back to work. Also… WHAT A SUMMER for you. So many big, hard things happening. So it’s good to see some positive trends in various aspects of life <3
I loved The Glass Castle but think it would have been a VERY tough read in Grade 9!!! Is this assigned reading for A? It is definitely traumatizing; I remember the burning water from boiling hotdog scene (I think I have that right) all these years later. I haven't watched the movie, though, and don't think I'll ever have the stomach to do that.
YES! ASSIGNED, whole class (honors 9th english) reading it. I am also surprised at the choice; I don’t have a problem with it necessarily but YEAH! A LOT!
I have a 2nd grader and I think I’m going to follow your lead and read The Boxcar children along with their class haha. Much easier than The Glass Castle. We aren’t supposed to read together with the kids (like before bed) bc they are making slowly through it in class and they don’t want kids reading ahead. so it would be on my own but I think it might be fun and spark some convos with her.
I understand this is personal so no need to respond at all but as someone also married to a proceduralist who takes lots of call I’ve been curious how Josh’s group has handled his absence. Did the hospital hire a locums provider or were they able to reduce volume at all?
no – the group was 3 for a long time, so they’ve been okay. (it has been 8 weeks). i think there have been some incentives for others taking extra call above the usual #. his group has been super kind + supportive!
That’s great that they were able to make it work. So glad that he is on the mend!
Long Island compromise was in my top five for 2025. The ending is fantastic.
ooh good to know!! I’m really enjoying it.
A good pairing for The Glass Castle is Destroy This House by Amanda Uhle – so great!
thank you!!
The Glass Castle wow- very compelling but agreed, so intense for that age. My 4th grader is reading Out of the Dust and has been having a very hard time with it. She’s very sensitive but there are also some really dark themes (lots of death, tragedy, neglect, etc) and I was shocked when I looked it up and it says usually recommended for grades 6-8. Was not expecting her to be crying at night going to sleep during the first week of school – ugh!
oh wow!!! That sounds like a LOT for 4th grade!!!! Yeah it’s interesting – I’m quite lax when it comes to ‘mature’ content overall but I was STILL surprised!