5 Things I'm Loving in September

How can we be halfway through September already and only a few days from fall? Seems wild, but there you go. Hope you're all staying healthy and safe and are wearing your masks.

In this COVID world it's often hard to find the happy. Here are five things that have brightened my day over the last six weeks or so.

Amazing Totes

First up, I want to tell you about Rush Order Tees, a custom T-shirt and apparel company that reached out to me to do a collaboration. I was thrilled to be picked and am happy to report a totally positive experience with this company, which gave me the opportunity to pick an item to customize with my blog's logo (an old book illustration). My first thought was aprons, which would fit very well with my Weekend Cooking posts, but once I saw these canvas book totes, I knew that's what I had to get.

The design process was dead easy: I uploaded my image, placed it on a mock-up of the tote, and then added text. If you're feeling less than techy, no worries, Rush Order Tees offers design help, via email or an online chat. Once I was satisfied with my tote, I went through the simple checkout process and then sat back and waited for my bags.

I can't say enough good things about the quality of the book totes. The canvas is heavy, the handles are a great length, and the printing is clear and perfectly centered. This tote may be listed as a book bag, but I plan to take it to the farmer's market and grocery store as well as the library, bookstore, and even the beach.

Check out the site for all the different kinds of items they offer: shirts, hats, towels, aprons, hoodies, duffels, and more. They have sizes ranging from toddler to adult. Oh and new item is face masks!

Think of Rush Order Tees next time you plan a reunion, are hosting a club or business event, or need some swag. Thanks again to Rush Order Tees for the collaboration.

Abrams Dinner Party 2020-2021

Talking about Weekend Cooking, I am so excited to let you know that I'm once again a member of the Abrams Dinner Party. That means I get to tell you all about every fabulous food and drink title that Abrams will publish over the coming year.

As always, you can expect my honest opinions of the titles I receive through this program. I was looking over the list of the fall books, and I can tell you I'm already excited and I haven't even gotten my first book yet: drinks, pie, Christmas, vegan, home-style cooking, and Chinese regional dishes are in my future . . . and yours! Thanks so much to Abrams inviting me back. I'm looking forward all the great cooking ahead.

Blogging Matters

This week (September 13, to be exact) marked my 12-year anniversary writing here on Beth Fish Reads. When I hit publish on that first post, I figured the whole venture would last about a month, if I were lucky. I had no idea how book blogging would change my life.

Never mind the BEAs, the book festivals, the panels, the movie set visits, and being picked as the Audio Publishers Association's 2016 Audiobook Blogger of the Year. The real joy of blogging has been the enduring friendships I made over the years. I've been blessed in that I've been able meet so many of you in person, but one of the miracles is how close I feel to my fellow bloggers, cooks, and photographers, even though we've never seen each other in real life.

As I slow down my posting schedule here on the blog, remember that I still post to Instagram and GoodReads and follow Twitter. I'm just a message away.

Vegetables!

In my last favorites post I told you all about Butcherbox, a meat-delivery service, which we are still very pleased with. As the COVID cases increase in our area, thanks to returning college students (we live a few towns away from a major university), we need to do even more to stay away from the public. We decided to start a Misfits Market subscription, which delivers organic and GMO-free produce directly to our door on a weekly basis for less than we would pay locally. The "misfits" part reflects the fact that the produce is--for various reasons--unfit for the grocery store. The food is completely fresh and delicious; the issues are along the lines of the potatoes may be a funny shape, the onions may be too small, or the plums may have freckles. Um, who cares?

The boxes come in two sizes. The Mischief box will feed 1-2 people and the Madness box will feed 3-4. We chose the larger box, because we love our veggies and I have no problem with freezing or preserving whatever we can't get to. The cost of the smaller box costs $22 and the bigger box is $35. You can totally customize your box, pause for a week or two, switch between the big and small box, and pick your day of delivery.

Misfits Market also offers add-ons, which include additional fruits and vegetables, snacks, cereals, coffee, tea, spices and herbs, and more. Our produce arrives on time, fresh, and unbruised. I'm so impressed with this box. I love it more than our old CSA because I can customize and thus know ahead of time what kinds of fruits and veggies we'll be getting. This makes meal planning easy.

They deliver all over the east and south and into the Midwest. Check them out. If you decide to give Misfits Market a try, you can consider using my code: you get 25% off your first order and I get a credit as well. Here's the code: COOKWME-WN6SIH.

Public Service Announcement: Vote!

The fifth thing that makes me happy these days is working to register voters, help voters obtain mail-in ballots, and encourage people to vote. Here in America, it's never been more important to make your voice heard and to defend democracy and our civil rights. Our most powerful right is the right to vote. The people who serve in our government, from local to federal, are picked by we the people.

Even though I don't feel comfortable working the polls or going door to door, I can still do my civic duty--and so can you. Mr. BFR and I have written hundreds of postcards over the summer, and will continue to do so over the next few weeks. We signed up with Postcards to Voters, but I'm sure there are other such organizations.

Stay safe, wear your mask, and if you live the United States VOTE!

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5 Things I'm Loving in July

As July comes to an end, I thought it was time for another one of my "five things" posts, in which I talk about what I'm loving at the moment. Yes, even in the midst of a pandemic and even though we haven't socialized or seen our friends or family in months, I've found some good.

If you follow me on Instagram, all the photos will look familiar. Click on them if you want to see them full size.

In my kitchen: While cooking during the COVID19 isolation has been a challenge because there are still shortages in the grocery stores and we have decided to stay away from the farmers markets this year, there are still some bright spots. In particular, I've been baking bread now that yeast and bread flour are once again available. (shown: a rye-raisin loaf)

In my bathroom: No, there's nothing ewwww here. Thanks to my friend Daryl from Out & About in New York City, I have finally learned the secret to having winter hair in the middle of July. Only those of you who fight summer humidity will know what I mean by "winter hair." The trick? The anti-frizz products from Living Proof. After just one use I saw immediate results, Now, after just a few weeks, I'm sold. In case you're interested, I'm using the shampoo and conditioner, the leave-in conditioner, and the humidity shield. I also bought the nourishing styling cream, but haven't tried it yet because I've been letting my hair air-dry these days. The other product I'm using is the detangler from Living Proof's Restore line. I'm never going back to whatever I was using before.

In my glass: My current favorite cocktail is the Stray Dog, which I discovered when going through my mom's recipe files. I'm not sure where she got it, since the recipe was handwritten. Here's how to make one. Splash a little Pernod (or Ouzo) in a chilled cocktail glass, swirl it around, and then dump it out. Pour 1.5 ounces of vodka, 1 tablespoon of Cointreau, 1.5 teaspoons of fresh lime juice, and 1 ounce of pomegranate juice into the glass. Stir and add crushed ice.

On my deck: The morning glories we planted from seed in May are now about 12 feet tall and started blooming this week. As I wrote on Instagram, I will never get too old not to be awed by the miracle of how a tiny seed becomes a beautiful, big, healthy plant. Also loving on my deck are the birds that will perch on the bird bath even when we're sitting and talking only a couple of feet away. (shown: morning glory & chickadee)

In my living room: Just like pretty much everyone around the world, we are using the COVID isolation to make changes around the house. We've decluttered, we've cleaned, "we've" gotten rid of tons of books, and we've given a couple of pieces of furniture new life. My favorite is this cushioned cabinet in the living room, which is now my favorite place to sit and read in the afternoons when the sun comes through the window. A simple change made a world of difference. (shown: new reading spot)

These are just a few of the positives in our life during these very trying times. What is making you smile these days? I'd love to know.

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Thoughts on Blogging in the Current Atmosphere

Hello, friends. Long time, no see, right? I'm still here, though my blogging days are definitely changing. In today's post, I want to talk a little bit about why I'm making changes and what to expect from me in the future.

Change Is in the Air

We live in a time of change brought on not only from COVID-19 but also from a slew of very important social movements, particularly #BlackLivesMatter along with several other equality issues, including #WeNeedDiverseBooks. The political climate is polarizing, and for many people everyday life is difficult and economically scary.

It's imperative for all of us to educate ourselves in anti-racism, feminism, diversity, and equality. If you look around the book world or do some internet searching, you'll find book lists and suggestions from people way more qualified than I am. I do read "important" books, but I don't discuss them here on Beth Fish Reads or anywhere in social media, for two primary reasons: (1) I'm not an expert and don't claim to know the ins and outs of politics, medicine, religion, race, education, and so on. (2) I prefer real-time, face-to-face dialogue for expressing my thoughts about deeper topics and for learning from others.

It is under the current sociopolitical atmosphere that I struggle for energy and relevancy.

What I Plan to Write About / Where to Find Me

My focus here at Beth Fish Reads has always been a bit personal. I write about the books that caught my attention, some of which I've read and reviewed and others that I've fed to the giant beast otherwise known as the TBR (to be read) list.

I plan to keep on reading, talking about books, and recommending books. It's just going to look a little bit different from what I've done before. Here's what to expect (assuming an ideal world -- ha, ha):

• On Beth Fish Reads: A quick summary of the books I've read (every so often); lists of books that caught my eye, including audiobook information (hoping for one or two a month); Weekend Cooking posts (at least twice a month).
• On Library Thing: A list of every book I've read, starting in January 2020. No public comments, no ratings.
• On Goodreads: A list of every book I've read, starting in January 2020. Star ratings; some brief public comments if I have something to say.
• On the AudioFile Magazine blog: A post every other Wednesday, alternating between narrator interviews and general audiobook talk.
• On the AudioFile Magazine website and in the print edition: Audiobook reviews.
• On Twitter, Instagram (posts and stories), and (maybe) Litsy: thoughts about books when the mood strikes.

Though my enthusiasm for blogging wanes, my love of books and sharing that love remains strong. I just need to find my place in this strange new world.

Stay healthy and safe. Wear your mask. Tell me what you've read lately.

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Off the Shelf: Thoughts on My Current Reading List

In the old days (i.e., pre-2016) I used to use Twitter to share a photo and short description of the books that caught my eye that week. I miss those Twitter nights, but these days people have much more on their minds than finding their next book--and rightly so.

If I had had a working crystal ball earlier this spring when I accepted pitches and made requests for June books, I may have picked more timely titles. I could not see into the future, so my list of recommended books that published this week (prepared weeks ago) may or may not be currently relevant. Some of the books on my list are pure escape reading, perfect for these days of self-isolation. Others, however, raise difficult issues, and still others take us out of the English-speaking world.

With respect for the troubled times we're in, I've decided to postpone my post . . . read, learn, listen, respect and empower others.

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Off the Shelf; Or What's New in My Part of the World 11

Happy Friday, friends. I hope you are staying safe and healthy. My town is slowly opening up a bit, but we in the BFR household are committed to self-isolation for a while longer. The only thing I'm going to venture out for is visiting a local greenhouse to buy some plants for my deck. It looks so bare out there without flowers.

Last weekend I had ambitious plans to read four books in four days. That, of course, didn't really work out, though I have been doing some reading, which I'll talk about on Monday.

Other than that, here's what I've been up to.

Grateful for: Being able to afford grocery delivery. Though I still go shopping every 10 days or so to pick out my own fresh produce and meat -- shopping services aren't as picky as I am.

Trying: Our outdoor farmers' markets have opened, and next week I'm going try the order-ahead, contact-less pickup option from my favorite market. If it goes smoothly, I'll be avoiding the grocery stores completely.

Enjoying: New deck and porch furniture. We bought a new dinning table for our deck and are loving the new sleeker look. Meanwhile, Mr. BFR's quarantine projects have been to build a new table for our deck fountain (photos on Instagram in a few days) and two new benches for the porch. Maybe we'll be able to have friends over before summer's end.

Organizing: It took me a few weeks, but I've finally gone through all my mother's recipe clippings, binders, and boxes. I narrowed down her collection to a reasonable pile, which still needs to be sorted into categories and either put into my own binders or scanned. I'm in no hurry to finish.

Projects: Just in time for the 90-degree weather, I'm finally going to have a chance to start knitting again. I bought yarn for two projects last fall, thinking I'd have plenty of time to knit this past winter. Life doesn't always cooperate. Fortunately, there is no use-by date on yarn. I also plan to get around to the jigsaw puzzle we bought at Christmas and to get back to my lacing. We'll see how much I get done.

Working: As some of you know, I made the decision to start working part-time. Of course for me, part-time still takes up a good chunk of the day, but I have been taking off weekends and have tried to consistently quit work around lunchtime. It's definitely felt weird not to be in my office in the afternoons, but I'm getting used to it.

What's new in your part of the world?

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Off the Shelf; or What's New in My Corner of the World #10

Hi guys! Just a quick check-in today to say that all is fine in the BFR household. I know I have barely posted anything recently, and I wanted to pop in to give you all an update.

Work and play. Traditionally, mid-February to mid-April is my really busy time with work. In other years, I've managed to both work and blog, but this year, with all that is going on in my life and in the world, I had to let something slide for a little bit. For 2020, that meant not blogging.

Like everyone, we've been practicing social distancing and haven't left the house much at all. Mr. BFR has taken a few bike rides, and I've done a little walking. Other than that, we've kept to ourselves except for an occasional grocery run.

Reading. I haven't had the concentration to read much in print/digital, though I've listened to eight. audiobooks over the last month or so. I hope to write a quick post about my thoughts soon . . . maybe this coming Monday. I spent an hour or so last night organizing my April-release books. There are some good titles coming out right now, and I'm looking forward to sharing my top picks with you.

Watching. If you get Hulu, you really should give Little Fires Everywhere a try. The series is based on Celeste Ng's book, which was a powerful read. The show is really well done and worth your time. We're also watching Outlander and lots of news.

Other things. We were very lucky to have sold my mother's house in the current climate. Just by chance in early March we heard about someone who was interested in a house in my mom's neighborhood, and we were able to have a showing before the house went on the market. We did the usual haggling and came to an agreed-on price. Contracts have been signed, and the house passed inspection. The entire place must be cleaned out by mid-May, which means I'll have to take another trip to Ohio during these trying times. I'll be driving, and I hope to have little or no contact with anyone until I get to the house. I'm even bringing food with me so I don't have to shop there.

I hope you all are staying home and staying healthy. For those of you with children, I wish you the best with homeschooling. On Wednesday of next week, over at the AudioFile Magazine blog, I'm recommending some good nonfiction that can be used with school units for teens and older learners. I'll have some middle grade suggestions here on Beth Fish Reads sometime in April.

I'll be back tomorrow with a Weekend Cooking post. Until then, wash your hands & don't touch your face. 

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Off the Shelf; Or What's New in My Corner of the World 9

Hurray for March (technically still two days away, I know) and all it brings. I'm looking forward to better weather, Daylight Savings Time, spring, gardening, and the promise of more outdoor life.

Getting Organized

About six months ago, I admitted total defeat to keeping a bullet journal, although I liked the idea of having a single place to keep track of both my work and personal lives. After researching paper planners, I ended up with one of the popular (and slightly costly) brands because it seemed to offer everything I needed, including the lack of time slots.

After a half a year, I can say I'm more organized than ever. I love seeing everything I have to do for the week all in one place. The layout of the planner I picked provides four (un-timed) sections for each day. I use one for my editing work, one for my writing gigs, and one for personal things. I use the small fourth block for tasks I don't want to forget about but aren't of immediate concern; for example, today I've made a note to start looking for flower seeds at the stores.

I use the weekly sidebar for meal planning and to track my exercise. The monthly dashboard, calendar, and notes pages are handy for brain dumping, making note of library books, planning travel, and keeping an eye on the bigger picture. I love being in a single paper planner.

Do you use a paper planner or have you gone totally digital? Do you have a single calendar or multiples? Do you share your calendar with your family?

More on eBooks

One of my goals for 2020 is to try to increase the percent of books I read digitally. I've decided there are two issues holding me back. The first is how I pick the next book to read. I know I'm so last century, but when I'm looking for a book, I browse my shelves, I look at the covers, I take note of the spine's thickness, and I flip through and read a few pages. Plus I like to see the titles neatly lined up on the shelf.

When I go to pick a digital book, I have to go to my office, wake up the computer, and open a spread sheet or program (I use Calibre) to see what I own. Right there, I'm often halted -- usually out of pure laziness and sometimes because I just don't want to go back to my office and sit at my desk before I can start new book. It often seems easier to stick with print.

How do you keep track of your digital books? Am I the only one who finds the extra steps to be stumbling blocks? I need an easy-to-use system!

Thinking Ahead

I can't wait to set up my deck for the summer, and I'm hoping this year brings better weather than last. I remember summer of 2019 as being windy and wet and not all that inviting for outdoor living. Here are some of the things I'm dreaming about:

• A new dinning set (table and chairs) for the deck. Our current furniture is about 8 years old and is definitely starting to show its age.
• Cleaning up the gardens and planting new perennials.
• Finally getting around to painting and stenciling the wooden bench that sits on the porch.
• Plotting out new places or routes for my outdoor walks.
• New walking / running shoes!
• Planning some weekend outdoor adventures that Mr. BFR and I can do together.

What are you looking forward to doing this summer?

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Off the Shelf; Or What's New in My Corner of the World 8

Quick personal update here. You might have noticed that I haven't been posting much and that I haven't been visiting blogs or posting on Instagram or even tweeting. There's a reason for that.

My mother has been having some health issues, and I've been visiting with her and taking over some care-giving duties from my brother. As you can imagine, all my non-work time is focused on family and helping my mom regain her strength and vigor. I have not been reading or reviewing or tending to my blog.

I will have a Weekend Cooking post up on Saturday. I hope next week I can be more active on social media and my blog. At the moment we're taking each day, one at a time.

So, in case you were wondering what happened to me, now you know.

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Off the Shelf; Or What's New in My Corner of the World 6

In a perfect world, today’s post would be all about how many books I read in 2019, broken down into categories like print vs. audio and fiction vs. nonfiction. Mine is decidedly not a perfect world.

Instead today is a collection of random thoughts about my blog, both in this past year and what I envision for the next year; some shout-outs to a few good things; and my goals for 2020.

Blogging rhythm: My real-life workload has greatly increased over the last few months, which is nothing but a blessing for everything but my blog. Extra work, means less time to read and less time for writing blog posts. Regardless, I plan to do my best to maintain my posting schedule.

Reading failure and success: I started out 2019 committed to reading a short story a week. That didn’t last long. I also committed to reading more books in translation. I think I did okay in that department.

Fun and inspiring: I was lucky enough to be tapped for the Abrams Dinner Party for both the 2018–2019 season and the 2019–2020 season. I can’t tell you how much I love being part of this program. The cookbooks are terrific, and the other Dinner Party guests are super supportive. I was also recently accepted into the Voracious cookbook review program, and I can’t wait to share even more recipes and reviews with you.

Life-changing discoveries: I finally got myself a set of Bluetooth earbuds. OMG, what the heck was I waiting for? I loved them so much, I bought a second pair when they went on sale. I admitted total failure with maintaining a bullet journal and instead invested in a higher-end paper planner. I love how much more organized I am and am especially happy to not have to draw my own calendar each week. I’m a pen planner, not a decorative sticker planner.

Hopes and dreams for next year: In terms of reading and blogging that is. First, I hope to keep better stats next year and maybe even update my blog's review index (I stopped about halfway through 2017!). Second, I'm determined to increase the percent of books I read digitally. It’s simply time to develop new habits and take a realistic view on the number of books stored in this house. Third, I would like to continue to post more bookish content over on Instagram. It’s fun and may get me back into photography, which has sadly slipped to the back burner. Finally, I want to continue to keep my blogging a no-pressure venture with a relaxed posting schedule. This works for me, and I hope it works for you too.

As I go into my 12th (!) year of blogging, I hope you’ll be on the journey with me. We have all said it a million times, but it's true: The best part of blogging is the community and the wonderful friendships we've all made over the years. Here’s to a safe and happy 2020.

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Quick Update!

Just a quick note today to let you know that all is fine with me. I'm in a bit of a work crunch, which is eating into the time I have for blogging. I will, however, have a book post up on Friday and then a Weekend Cooking post up on Saturday.

All should be back to normal next week.

In the meantime, I have a fun interview with audiobook narrator Michael Kramer scheduled to post tomorrow over at the AudioFile Magazine blog. Click the link to find all my audiobook blog posts for the magazine.

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Off the Shelf; Or What's New in My Corner of the World 5

1. Maine 25; the BRFs 1

October 2019 did not go as planned. I was dreaming of regular workdays, weekends off, and a 2-week working vacation in Maine. What did I get? Way more work that I had planned for (not that I'm really complaining), 5 blissful days working out of pretty second-floor office on an island off the coast of Maine, and a few nights of cooking out of new cookbooks in a rental house kitchen.

The night before I was going to take a day off to visit my friends at AudioFile Magazine in Portland and then go shopping in Freeport, the bomb cyclone came roaring up the eastern coast. It hit us at about 2am and an hour later, with the house shaking and the wind howling, we lost all power, and along with it our heat and water.

I'm sure glad it was really dark out, as we hunkered down to wait out the storm, because in the morning we discovered almost a dozen downed trees, which brought down the power lines and barely missed the house. Yikes! It was scary night.

For reasons too complicated to get into here, we were stuck in Maine for another 4 days before we could load the car and drive back home. It's going to be a dreary slog catching up with work.

Needless to say, I didn't get much reading done and this was the slowest audiobook week I've had in decades. At least we were safe, if a bit cold and stressed.

2. New Books on the Doorstep

I'm still sorting out the mail and packages, but I got some good book mail while I was out of town. Here's what I've unboxed so far. There are a few food books from Abrams, a couple of children's books, and a variety of fiction. You'll be hearing about all the Abrams cookbooks in the weeks to come. Women on Food, a collection of essays, looks really good.

I'm not quite sure why I got two picture books, but one is about all the different kinds of foods being prepared in a city apartment building.

I'm so excited to get a new Peter May, I haven't had a chance to even open the cover, so I don't know where it takes place or what it's about. I also got some speculative fiction from Tor, a fantasy and science fiction imprint I trust.

The new Therese Anne Fowler takes place in current times (I think) and is about a marriage, a community, and racial tensions. This is likely to zoom to the top of the pile. The Nanny is a British thriller full of mystery and family secrets. Finally, I always love the National Geographic encyclopedia books for kids; this one is about North America's indigenous populations.

3. Current Life-Changing Discovery

I've written about bullet journaling several times on this blog and in social media. I love the idea, but several partially used notebooks later, I've come to realize I'm a total BuJo failure. I just never seem to get more than a handful of weeks into the year (once I made it three months!) before I never open the journal again. Even the idea of collections is a failure because if you don't open the book, then you aren't using the information.

I've never had an issue keeping a family wall calendar in the kitchen for appointments, travel, and social events. I've never had an issue keeping a time book for my business. My stumbling block was recording daily tasks and to-dos, habit tracking, and collections -- the heart of the bullet journal.

Then one day over the summer I was wandering around YouTube and came across a bunch of planner videos and I spotted one with a set up that looked perfect for me. It turned out to be the new edition of the Life Planner from Erin Condrin. Although I am totally not into decoration or stickers -- I really, really want a functional planner -- this planner called to me.

I love that I don't have to hand write out all the monthly and weekly setups (one of the down sides of the BuJo), that it has places for my monthly collections, and that each day is divided up exactly how I need it to be. In case you're familiar with the EC Life Planner, I got the neutral vertical.

Here's how I use it. At the beginning of each month is a note page that I use to track incoming books (digital, print, audio) that are publishing that month. On the dotted grid page, I've resurrected my favorite part of my BuJo, my monthly discoveries page, where I record anything new to me that I want to investigate: things to buy, websites to explore, new television shows and music, and so on.

I use the smaller dotted box for habit tracking, and other boxes to track my invoicing and income. Then comes the monthly view, on which I re-create the family calendar, so I don't have to keep running downstairs to see what's going on.

The weekly view, though, is what caught my eye: For each day, I have a section for editing projects, a section for writing projects, a section for personal items, and a small section to track miscellaneous things. I use the side bar for my meal planning. It's perfect (if a little pricey). The most important thing is that I'm using it, and I'm more productive.

If you want to check it out for yourself go to the Erin Condren website. If you use my referral code (or anyone else's), you get $10 off your first purchase. I think I get something too, but I don't know what.

What's new in your part of the world?

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Off the Shelf; Or What's New in My Corner of the World 4

Happy Friday and happy holiday weekend for those of you who have today off. I plan to work, but I think most of my clients are probably enjoying the four-day weekend.

On the Run

In so many ways, I feel like I've been running in circles. It all started with a late April lace weekend, then a trip to see my mom for Mother's Day, then a trip to Colorado for a wedding, and then the Fourth. In between we had our annual doctor appointments, car inspection appointments, and more. Plus we still have a few short trips planned before summer's over. All fine and good, in terms of having some fun times and getting non-work chores done, but I'm really ready to have a totally uninterrupted workweek. Maybe late July???

Audiobook Fans

I don't know how many of you listen to audiobooks, but I wanted to share some news and resources for the listeners out there.

• First, did you know that AudioFile magazine has a daily podcast? The episodes last only a few minutes and each one includes an audiobook recommendation. It's called Behind the Mic and is available via whatever podcast app you like to use. The link will take you to Apple Podcasts, and there you can listen to some of the more recent episodes.
• Did you know there was a daily email newsletter for those of us looking for good prices for audiobooks? It's called Chirp Books, and it alerts subscribers to audiobook deals. Sometimes the discounts are as great as 95 percent! I don't always see books that call to me, but it's always worth seeing what I can buy for about $5.
• Speaking of audibook deals did you know that Audible also publishes a daily newsletter with the audiobook deal of the day. The prices are often around $3. You'll find that newsletter and more by going to to your account details and then clicking on Notifications. I've also signed up for some of the genre newsletters.

Fourth of July

We are so lucky that we can see the local fireworks from our house. We almost always host a Fourth of July dinner--sometimes for lots of people, sometimes for just a few. After dinner we join our neighbors and their guests at the prime viewing spot to chat and watch the show. This year's menu includes grilled chicken wings, a Mediterranean pasta salad, and blueberry crisp. I'm waiting for the dessert to come out of the oven as I'm typing. I'll try to remember to photograph it.

Red Letter Week

Finally, this was a great week in terms of my day job. This month Beatriz Williams's newest novel, The Golden Hour (William Morrow), will appear on bookshelves at your local bookshops and library. I read the book very closely several times--way back in October 2018--because I was the copyeditor.

I'm always excited to get a finished copy of the books I've worked on, but I was smiling big time this week because it turns out Beatriz Williams is a really nice person. Check out the photo, which includes a few lines from her acknowledgments (click image to enlarge it). I think I'll have another cocktail tonight, just to keep the celebration going.

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Off the Shelf; or What's New in My Corner of the World 3

Today is the first day in a long time that I don't have a pile of work awaiting my attention. Mid-April always means a lighter workload for me, and the timing couldn't be better. With milder temperatures, spring fever sets in with a vengeance, and I'm itching to get outside and fix up the deck, clean the porch, and tidy up the yard and gardens.

On the schedule for this afternoon: buy potting soil and clean out my planters so I'll be ready to start shopping the local nurseries. Oh and it's only two more weeks until our outdoor farmers' market opens for the season. Good-bye vegetables from California, hello local produce!

Quiet time: A few years ago I edited a parenting book that inspired Mr. BFR and me to implement a change in our (childless) lives, and it's become a welcome habit. Almost every night after dinner we have a no-screen hour. During that time, we don't watch television and stay off our phones and computers. It's our time to do something fun (like play cards or work on a jigsaw puzzle) or listen to music, read (eBook screens are allowed), do crafts, enjoy a hobby, get a chore done, and so on. We don't always engage in a joint activity, and we don't set a timer. We've both been surprised at how often an hour of reading or playing the guitar (Mr. BFR) or lacemaking (me), turns into a whole evening without the television or social media. It's a great way to de-stress.

Still struggling (kind of): On Twitter the other day I joined a conversation about reading digital books. A couple of us agreed that making the switch was less about reading on a screen instead of holding a book and more about getting used to the other aspects: flagging quotes, marking data for use in reviews, not having a clear visual of how much you've read and where the end of the chapter is. The other big issue was remembering what's in your digital library. When I go to pick my next book, I like looking at the covers, maybe reading the first page or so, and seeing all my choices in a row (or stack). I forget to look at my digital library. One friend mentioned that she keeps a spreadsheet so she can see her digital library. My problem is that I'm not usually near my computer when I go to pick out my next book . . . perhaps I need to print out monthly lists. I'm going to give it a try.

Instagram: I used to share a daily photograph, and I loved looking at the world through the eye of a camera lens. I've gotten away from that, mostly because I live in a small town, walk the same four or five routes, and work from home. I thought my photos were becoming repetitive and I was losing my inspiration. I've recently decided that the pressure was all in my head. Instead of making sure every photo was "artsy" why not just share a moment from my life? I'm about a week into my new approach, and I'm happy. I've been photographing my books, what I baked, what I saw in the garden. I'm just going to go for it. If I get a lot of likes--yay me. If I don't--oh well.

Life changer: Huge shout out to SuziQoregon (Whimpulsive blog), for introducing me to ProtoPage, which I'm now using for my blog reader. I'm just setting it up and haven't added everybody yet, but I'm loving it! Here's what I did. First I either deleted or moved everything on the home screen that was already there (suggested by the app). Then I filled the front page with the blogs I read, editing the view to suit my needs. Now I can go to ProtoPage and see if anyone has published a new post and click through to read it. This works beautifully, and I'm so glad to be back to making the blog rounds. I'm slowly adding everyone's feeds to my ProtoPage home screen and love feeling connected again. BTW: it's a pretty cool site, and you can make tabs for different kinds of blogs or for adding Twitter feeds, news feeds, and even your Google calendar. Say thanks to SuziQoregon.

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Off the Shelf; or What's New in My Corner of the World 2

Life in General: This has been one rough week! You may have noticed that I've barely had any social media presence at all. Work has slammed me. While this is a really, really good thing, I wasn't really prepared for it.

January has always had a sane workload. This year, however, Yikes! It seems that almost all my focus has been on editing and writing. I'm so grateful for the work and feel very lucky to be among those who managed a successful freelance career, but sometimes it's overwhelming.

Book to Movie: I was looking through my blog's archives, and I can't believe I never wrote about Susannah Cahalan's Brain on Fire, a memoir that truly had a lasting impact on me. If you don't know the story, Cahalan, a journalist, suddenly and unexpectedly started showing symptoms of some kind of psychological breakdown. She was on the verge of being institutionalized, when a neurologist asked her to draw a clock. Through this simple test, done hours before her doctors were going to commit her, it was discovered that she had a brain infection and was not, in fact, undergoing a psychotic episode. That book had such an effect on me, I made Mr. BFR promise that he would make sure I was tested if I ever displayed similar symptoms. The other day, we caught the Netflix movie (directed by Gerard Barrett and starring Chloë Grace Moretz). While I don't think the movie packs the punch of the memoir, it's still worth watching.

In the Kitchen: Three cheers for my pressure cooker! I've used it twice already this week: We had beans and rice on Monday and chicken curry on Wednesday. Tonight I'll put it through its paces again for split pea soup with ham. It's cold outside and hot, flavorful, one-pot dinners are so welcome.

Knitting: I've been on a knitting kick lately. I recently finished a white wool scarf (there's a photo on Instagram), and now I'm quickly working on a matching hat. With temperatures dropping below zero, I really, really need that new hat! I was so inspired, I picked up a new pattern book: Cascade Yarn's 60 Quick Knits, which has, as the title says, patterns for 20 hats, 20 scarves, and 20 mittens. The cover shows some of the projects, and I'm already planning next year's Christmas gifts!

My phone: I had a request to talk a little bit about why I picked the iPhone 8 when I bought a new phone a couple of months ago. Here's what my research told me. First, the 8 was half the price of the XS, and I really didn't want to spend $1000 just before the holiday season. Second--and more important--my understanding is that none of the current iPhones are G5 ready, and I knew that if I spent $1000 on a phone, I wouldn't want to replace it in 18 months or so when the new network is released. I won't have an issue ditching the cheaper model when Apple produces G5 phones.

In my cup: Although coffee is my go-to morning beverage, I'm an afternoon tea drinker. Iced in the summer, and hot in the winter. These days I can't get enough of Harney & Son's Hot Cinnamon Spice Tea, which has been one of my favorites for years. I've been drinking it by the pot full all this month.

Making plans: Never mind the -8F temperatures, I've started eyeing up the seed catalogs. I know it sounds crazy, but we're really not all that far away from starting the seedlings and dreaming of this year's garden. Besides, just looking at the photos of the flowers makes me happy and warms my soul.

What's going on your part of the world?

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Off the Shelf; Or What's New in My Corner of the World 1

We're two weeks into the new year, and I already like things better on this side of the calendar. My working life is in good shape, the house is still in order, and we're back to healthful eating. All those things make me happy.

I'm experimenting today with a more personal kind of post. The format is a work-in-progress, but I decided to jump right in. My usual roundups and other book-related posts have not gone away. This "Off the Shelf" series will appear only every few weeks--at least that's my current plan.

Oh, and if the tag "Off the Shelf" is stepping on someone's toes, I apologize profusely. It's all I could come up with. I'm not sure I'm married to the flower photo, but it was conveniently on my phone.

Book quote of the week that made me smile:

It's never too early for a wee dram.

(From Peter May's Lewis Man, which I should finish on audio tonight)

Television series I'm currently addicted to: Travelers on Netflix. I gave the show a try last weekend when I had a night to myself and promptly watched the first three episodes back to back. I love time-travel stories anyway (queue Outlander and Time Traveler's Wife), and this series is action packed, a little mysterious, and totally addictive.

Movies I'm going to review: I'm lucky enough to sometimes have access to screeners and review copies of movies and series, and after the Golden Globes awards, I checked Fox Home Entertainment and was happy to see that I have The Favorite and Bohemian Rhapsody in my queue as well as The Hate U Give. Yes, I'm always way behind in my movies.

A mistake that turned into a blessing: Although I pretty much abandoned my bullet journal in June last year, hope springs eternal. I bought a new journal and am going to try again--for the fourth year. I don't know what's wrong with me, but I'm such a journal failure. Anyway, when I opened my new Leuchtturm1917, I discovered that I had ordered a grid journal instead of a dot one. My first reaction was OH NO! But since I had already pulled the plastic off, I decided to go with it. I know this sounds stupid, but I think the grids may be a turning point for me. I love it!

Life-changing discovery of the year (11 days in): A few months ago I finally had to say good-bye to my iPhone 6. The battery no longer held a charge, but worse my speakers were starting to crap out on me. I totally abused those speakers, considering that I listen to audiobooks every single second I can. I didn't want a new iPhone because I needed that earbud jack. First, I have small ears, and there is only one style of earbuds or headphones that I ever found to be comfortable, and they use a jack. Second, I really didn't want yet another thing I had to charge each night. Third, I couldn't face the tragedy of having my earbuds lose charge partway through a walk. Still, I had to get a new phone.

So I ordered my new iPhone (if you're interested in which model I got and why, ask and I'll write about that next time) and an adapter so I could listen through my trusted earbuds. I was so disappointed: not only does the adapter affect the sound but it adds extra length and weight to the cord and a second place for the buds to inadvertently come unplugged. Enter some research and the discovery that my favorite earbuds come in a Bluetooth model. Now add in the after-Christmas sales.

OMG, where I have been all these years? Yes, the sound was so incredibly improved (even for my cheapo favs), but the magic moment occurred when I was listening to a book while cooking and--without thinking--ran upstairs to get something. Suddenly I realized that I could still hear my book, even though my phone was downstairs! Holy cow! Then there was the time I went to take something out of the oven and realized I didn't have to first make sure the plastic-coated cord was out of the way. My life has changed, and I'm never going back! In fact, I'm going to order a second pair, so I can take an extra set with me on my walks, just in case. Product: Koss BT232i Wireless FitClips (totally unsponsored; just a happy customer)

What's new for you in 2019?

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