My brain does not want to be reading non-fiction right now.
​
After a slew of romantasy and hockey romances, I was going to pivot to another romance series. I requested what I thought was the next book from my library, but after reading one sentence, it felt familiar. I dove into my reading list and confirmed that I had, indeed, read that book - and the next one - already. Bummer.

I have more books on my hold list, but they're not ready yet. In the meantime, I picked up the non-fiction read I use to fill gaps like this. My brain has other plans.

Instead of the 40-50 pages I've been managing lately, I'm falling asleep after two. Last night I think I managed two paragraphs. My brain is clearly not in the mood for anything educational at night.

Last night, I got to see two of my colleagues honored at our annual faculty awards gala. They both deserve all the accolades. Even better, everyone else in the room recognized it too. There were lots of cheers and applause. It was also joyful to hear everyone's speeches.

Here's what else made me happy this week:

• Cooler weather allowing us to keep the windows open
• Kiddo said I looked really pretty before I left for an event
• Drinks with the bestie (that ended up being comped because our dinner order took longer than it should have)
• Hot black coffee
• Rewatching the video of our kiddo losing her first tooth
• The shoe game at my University's commencement
• Going to the ballet with my favorite neighbor
• Hearing about a friend's trip to Bangkok
• Kiddo asked for a "nose kiss"

I read a lot of books with my kiddo. Kid Reads is a biweekly look at what we've enjoyed recently. ​

Recently, I read a Culture Study newsletter where an interviewee was asked, "If you could follow only one Instagram account forever, what would it be?"

I found that idea intriguing, so I went through my feed to determine who I would pick. At the start of this process, I followed 84 accounts. Narrowing down the list was not that hard.

The first thing I did was discard the people I know in real life. (This is the bulk of my follows.) I adore their posts, but I can also get the same updates (probably more) in the group chat.

Next, I discarded any accounts I follow strictly for local updates. Again, I have different ways of getting this information. I also tossed out the libraries I follow. Love what they showcase, but those accounts are  too "work" focused for me.

Then, I looked at what was left and tossed out anything I follow "just for fun." These are the accounts that bring me joy but do not add a richness to my life. It was a surprising amount of web comics and comedy.

This left about about four accounts for me to seriously consider. In the end, my pick came down to the fact that this account posts a mix of content, brings me joy, provides some intellectual stimulation, is aesthetically pleasing, and shares something I can't get in other ways.

In the end, Ainsley du Rose came out on top. She lives in Paris (my favorite city) and chronicles her work as a home pastry chef. She provides walking tours of the city (and travel content whenever she leaves town). Ainsley also showcases small businesses, some fashion and design, her dog, and local events. It's the mix of the food, travel, style, and cute dog that won me over.

Another upside of this thought exercise was that I ended up clearing out my follows. 

The kiddo is three good wiggles away from losing her first tooth. We're hoping she loses it at school today so she can bask in the moment with her friends. 

Here's what else made me happy this week:

• Submitted two speaking proposals I'm really excited about
• Looking at the kitty in the window across from us
• Made an impromptu batch of cereal treats
• Turned freezer leftovers into excellent nachos for dinner
• Kiddo read five books to me at bedtime
• Pretty flowers on the walk to work
• Back to windows open weather
• Living in a building where we can lend/borrow things from our neighbors
• Making a dent in my podcast backlog

Heated Rivalry
Rachel Reid

I flew through the first book in this hockey romance universe. Now I'm onto the book that drove the craze. And, you know what, I am greatly enjoying it but I think the TV series might be better (don't at me). The story is fantastic and addictive but the writing is too repetitive. Ilya and Shane's dialogue is practically identical from encounter to encounter. The pace of the story is a little forced. Everything come across as "and then this happened." Again, still having a blast reading this, but I can't call it exceptional.

As a professional development read, I'm working on David Brooks How to Know a Person. It's oddly giving me a good framing for better understanding the umbrella of work I do.

*Books shared here are affiliate links for Bookshop.org

Every single one of these books was saved as a screenshot on my phone.

Welcome to Maycember for those who celebrate.

May. The month of many things.

May. Where the end of the public school year meets summer planning.

May. Where it's college graduation season, and all of the end of the academic year tasks and events that come with it.

May. Where you need to dig out of all the winter/spring needle task items you haven't done yet.

May. Where all you want to do is be outside but, instead, are stuck inside getting things done.

May.

The month that promises a break but immediately lies about it.

The weather has been so brilliant we haven't closed our windows in a week. Even the rainy day was polite. The rain came straight down and simply provided ambiance. I just came back from taking a walk, and this is a 10 out of 10 weather day.

Here's what else made me happy this week:

• The library won the University's Team Award at our annual service awards
• Finding the perfect idea to submit to a conference
• I'm reading a charming romance 
• Fresh flowers on the table
• A student sought me out for advice
• Cute videos in the group chat
• Listening to Enya
• Pizza, wine, and a movie
• Our kiddo's clothing drawers are no longer over crowded

I read a lot of books with my kiddo. Kid Reads is a biweekly look at what we've enjoyed recently. ​