#Penpalooza First Lines

Throughout the pandemic many of us looked for new ways of entertaining ourselves while trying to calm our fears from the world outside. The world outside was scary. The world outside was for the first time an unknown place. The only "safe" place was inside, locked away in a world we have always called home … Continue reading #Penpalooza First Lines →

‘The Loophole’ by Naz Kutub

I received this wonderful ARC from my indie bookstore, originally given to me to pass along to my kiddos, however, I just had to read it first :)This is a wonderful story filled with adventure and for what our main character Syeed is searching for what he believes he wants but learns and grows throughout … Continue reading ‘The Loophole’ by Naz Kutub →

A Bit of Unpacking

Hello my lovely #Penpalooza Family! Well it has definitely been a while. And so to not have to write the same letter over and over (because there are better things to write about) I thought I would make one big post to my blog to let everyone know where I have been and what I … Continue reading A Bit of Unpacking →

The Secret Garden

By: Frances Hodgson Burnett "One of the most delightful and enduring classics of children's literature, The Secret Garden by Victorian author Frances Hodgson Burnett has remained a firm favorite with children the world over ever since it made its first appearance. Initially published as a serial story in 1910 in The American Magazine, it was … Continue reading The Secret Garden →

On This Day One Year Ago….

I was excited this morning when I pulled up my TimeHop app and discovered that today is a very special anniversary for myself and some very special friends I have made along the way. But, before we get to celebrating let's go back in time a little to discover how we got to where we … Continue reading On This Day One Year Ago…. →

Are We Done Yet?

This has been an unusual week for me. What started off as a normal go to work, come home to my family routine was interrupted by the fear of Covid making an entry into our world and the silly red tape of getting myself back to my routine. On Tuesday, one of my tribe showed … Continue reading Are We Done Yet? →

People We Meet On Vacation – Emily Henry

Typically I am not a huge fan of Rom-Coms, however, this book has captured my heart and brought every Rom-Com I have ever read or watched together into one brilliant piece of work.With my preconceived idea of what this book would be, I went into this story believing I knew exactly where it would take … Continue reading People We Meet On Vacation – Emily Henry →

I Wrote This For You

PleaseFindThis "I need you to understand something. I wrote this for you. I wrote this for you and only you. Everyone else who reads it, doesn’t get it. They may think they get it, but they don’t. This is the sign you’ve been looking for. You were meant to read these words." I was pleasantly … Continue reading I Wrote This For You →

“It was paper that saved me”

For those who love books about books with a bit of technology thrown in to spice things up, then I welcome you to Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore.How it took so long for me to discover this wonderful novel is a mystery to me, but I am happy my bookseller made this recommendation. "The Great Recession … Continue reading “It was paper that saved me” →

The Nutcracker

E. T. A. Hoffmann Growing up my parents would take me each Christmas season to see The Nutcracker ballet. I always enjoyed falling into the magical story and imagined being up on the stage dancing with the Sugar Plum Fairy. I have never lost my love for the ballet and still enjoy any production the … Continue reading The Nutcracker →