So here’s what’s been weighing on me…

The trip that almost wasn’t

My mom and I leave in three weeks for our New England road trip, but we spent a lot of time in August and early September worrying that we would have to cancel. Why? Finding a dog sitter for my mom’s spicy dachshunds was not going well. Since my mom recently divorced her last dog sitter, it was time to find someone new (my mom really wanted to do an in-home dog sitter rather than boarding them). However, Chip can be a bit reactive at times and doesn’t play well with children, so we had a few not-so-great experiences during “test runs” at potential dog sitters’ homes. One of those dog sitters had children, which should have been a red flag for us, but alas. Funny thing is, he mostly left the children alone, but got nippy with the dog sitter herself. The second dog sitter backed out before she even met the dogs because of my mom’s disclaimer on her Rover profile. (I totally understand her hesitancy, but dang, don’t string us along for a week after reassuring us that you were fine with reactive dogs!) Finally, we found a dog sitter we hoped would be a calm, chill influence on Chip. He lived alone in a house with a gated yard and had no other animals. And he agreed to not accept any other boarders while watching the dogs.

We were very honest about Chip’s behavior, and he seemed willing to work with him. The dog sitter agreed to do a sleepover to test the waters, which happened last week. While Chip wasn’t exactly on his best behavior (he got nippy, sigh), he was still willing to watch the dogs while we’re on vacation, especially if my mom started working on some of the training ideas the dog sitter gave her.

I haven’t even been able to get excited about this trip because I’ve been so unsure if it was going to happen. We were talking about bringing the dogs with us (which would entail a plane ride…), shortening the trip so we wouldn’t be away for so long, changing it to North Georgia or Asheville so we could drive there with the dogs, or canceling it altogether. In the end, the trip is on, and we even found a dog sitter who might double as a trainer for that spicy fur-brother of mine.

(Lucy is her own style of spiciness, mainly in the way she barks at you for attention and loses her goddamn mind when she sees squirrels, ducks, or lizards out the window. It’s a much tamer version of reactive, as she can be picked up and redirected much more easily than Chip.)

The flare that won’t go away

I am still not in a good place with my psoriatic arthritis treatment. I’ve been on methotrexate (25mg) injections since mid-May, and I am six weeks into Humira (40mg) injections. It typically takes three months to start seeing improvements, so I’m still holding out hope, but I am also very frustrated by my lack of progress. I’ve also been on steroids since late January, and I am so ready to be done with them because the side effects suck. However, every time I try to taper, my pain returns. It happened before I started Humira injections, so I increased my dose based on my rheumatologist’s recommendation. After a few weeks on Humira, I restarted the taper. I’m down to 2mg, which is nothing, but I’m having pain again. (My knees hurt like a bitch when I’m walking up or down stairs, and I’m feeling that familiar pain in my hips/IT band when I stand up.) It’s not as bad as it was before starting treatment, but I’m still not 100%.

I’ve also been processing the realities of having a chronic autoimmune condition. Getting insurance to accept my Humira prescription, working with a special pharmacy to deliver my meds, and being so grateful that insurance is covering the cost 100% (when I could be paying $300 a month out of pocket)… it’s been a lot to deal with. Not to mention: What if Humira doesn’t work? I know there are other options, but omg, I just really want to find the right treatment already. What if I’ve spent a whole month trying to get Humira approved and then another three months waiting to see if it’ll work… and it doesn’t? That’s four months not necessarily wasted, but four months gone. I’m trying not to fall down the “what if” thought spirals, but I’m also tired of being on steroids, tired of pain, tired of the wait-and-see approach. I’m tired of not being able to work out at the intensity I was used to. In five years, maybe I’ll look back on this year and remember how hard it was but also that I got through it and found a great treatment plan, but damn, it is hard to be in the valley.

The periods that remain terrible

Last week, I had an appointment with the gynecologist who would be doing my endometrial ablation. Unfortunately, she does not think this path is the right one for me based on the size and location of the fibroid in my uterine cavity. Since it’s distorting the shape of this cavity, my gynecologist is concerned that the ablation device may not be able to adequately treat the entire uterine lining, which could make the ablation less effective. Plus, since I’m only 38 and potentially have many years before menopause, she’s worried the results wouldn’t last until then. It was not the conversation I expected to have, that’s for sure.

There are still a few options. The big one is a hysterectomy. She’d leave my ovaries in place so that I wouldn’t go into menopause, but I felt my heart race the minute she brought up this option. This is a no-go for me right now. The second option is a myomectomy. This would involve just removing the fibroid. (I asked my gynecologist about this because nobody in my gynecologist’s office told me about this; a friend who is also dealing with fibroids mentioned this option to me.) I truly cannot remember why she wasn’t a big fan of this option (my head started spinning when she mentioned hysterectomy and I found it hard to focus), but I’ll ask again at the follow-up. The third option is a medication called tranexamic acid, which I would only take on my heaviest flow days and it would reduce bleeding.

During this appointment, the gynecologist did a biopsy, which is standard procedure for people who come into their office complaining about heavy bleeding. I don’t expect to receive any awful news from this biopsy (considering we know the fibroid is what’s contributing to my heavy bleeding!), but you can be sure as shit I will get a hysterectomy to save my life. I just can’t go forward with it in an elective way, not yet at least. At my follow-up, I’ll again ask about the myomectomy and if I don’t get a straight answer, I’ll probably seek a second opinion. In the meantime, I definitely want to try the tranexamic acid and see how that improves things! (At this point, what are a few more pills, especially if I don’t have to take them daily?)

It’s a bummer to accept that things may not be as simple as I had hoped when my gynecologist brought up the idea of an endometrial ablation. Which also wasn’t going to be a simple procedure, but it was much better than dealing with the heavy bleeding, iron deficiency, and exhaustion every month. But I may just have to deal with it, and well, I hate that option, too.

None of these issues are tragic. Some may even be first-world problems. But they are weighing on me, and they are causing my mental health to be a little less stable than I’d like it to be. But that’s what meds and therapy are for, right? I haven’t had to take my “escape” med in a few weeks, which is great, and now I just need to reach into that mental health toolbox I’ve cultivated and do things like take a walk in the sunshine and prioritize sleep and drink water and nourish my body. Sometimes I forget that mental health is about the basics: sunshine, sleep, and nourishment. It’s also definitely about the meds and the therapy, but I can’t forget the basics.

So I’m okay and I appreciate anyone who reached out while I was on my impromptu blog break. It felt good to be missed! I am back. I have blogging inspiration again. And I hope you’re hanging in there, too.

Monday, August 17

• 10:10am-10:12am: tidying apartment (audiobook)
• 10:40am-10:50am: puttering around (audiobook)
• 1:16pm-1:23pm: playing Happy Color on my phone (audiobook)
• 1:52pm-2:01pm: chores/puttering (audiobook)
• 2:43pm-2:59pm: working (audiobook)
• 3:13pm-3:31pm: more chores/playing Happy Color (audiobook)
• 6:50pm-7:00pm: playing Happy Color while waiting for food to cook (audiobook)

Total: 1 hour, 12 minutes of audiobook

Notes: As you can clearly see here, I go in fits and starts when it comes to audiobook listening time. My longest stretch was 18 minutes, and my shortest was 2 minutes. And, on Monday, I didn’t pick up either of the print books I’m reading! It was one of those busy evenings when I chose an early bedtime over reading time.

Tuesday, August 18

• 6:17am-6:24am, 6:30am-6:42am: Enormous Wings (30 pages)
• 6:21pm-6:33pm: Wild Side (19 pages)
• 9:02pm-9:20pm: Wild Side (33 pages)

Total: 49 minutes of reading and 82 pages

Notes: Everything flip-flopped on Tuesday! I didn’t listen to my audiobook at all, but instead was able to sneak in some reading time throughout the day! I started my day with reading on the couch with coffee (with a break to play my NYT games!), and then read a little while waiting for dinner to cook and before starting my evening routine.

Wednesday, August 19

• 9:02am-9:24am, 9:26am-9:38am: morning routine (audiobook)
• 10:34am-10:39am: playing Happy Color on my phone (audiobook)
• 12:17pm-12:29pm: making lunch (audiobook)
• 3:02pm-3:05pm: puttering (audiobook)
• 3:12pm-3:32pm: working (audiobook)

Total: 1 hour, 14 minutes of audiobook

Notes: It’s super interesting to me that during the work week, I’m getting my reading time either via audiobook or physical book, but not both (at least through Wednesday). These days are pretty busy for me, so I try to get my reading in as best I can. If I can listen to my audiobook, I might be less mindful of reading my physical book. If I don’t have time for my audiobook, I’ll try to sneak in some physical reading time during the day.

Thursday, August 20

• 8:55am-9:07am: puttering around (audiobook)
• 9:39am-9:55am: morning routine (audiobook)
• 10:08am-10:18am: doing my hair and makeup (audiobook)
• 11:52am-12:00pm: waiting for a meeting to start (audiobook)
• 3:07pm-3:16pm: chores (audiobook)
• 4:47pm-5:00pm: tidying/working (audiobook)
• 7:48pm-7:58pm: Enormous Wings (12 pages)
• 9:44-9:55pm, 10:06pm-10:18pm, 10:26pm-10:34pm: Enormous Wings (39 pages)

Total: 1 hour, 59 minutes of reading time and 51 pages read with my eyes

Notes: There were a few interesting things about today! I broke up my morning routine and did it between work breaks, and then I also had a weird pocket of time when I finished one work task and had a meeting starting in a few minutes, so I used that time to play Happy Color and listen to my audiobook! Then I had less than 40 pages left in Enormous Wings, so I decided to read a few chapters at a time, then get up to clean the apartment/do my evening routine. I often break up my reading time like this, as I’m an easily distracted reader, and this way, I can get some reading and productive time in one fell swoop.

Friday, August 21

• 6:48am-7:01am: Wild Side (22 pages)
• 4:44pm-4:52pm: Wild Side (20 pages)
• 5:04pm-5:41pm: Wild Side (39 pages)

Total: 58 minutes of reading time and 51 pages read

Notes: Not a super busy reading day, especially for a Friday. I did a little bit of reading in the morning (with coffee!) and then read in the late afternoon while I was making cookies for book club. I got home from book club a little after 10 p.m., talked with my mom on FaceTime, and then went to bed shortly after. And no audiobook today! A part of the reason for less audiobook listening is that a) it was a little annoying to track all my start and stop times, so I opted for more podcasts this week, and b) I’m listening to volume 8 of Emma M. Lion, and once I finish this volume, I won’t have any more new Emma books until volume 9 releases!

Saturday, August 22

• 7:16am-7:29am, 7:53am-8:16am: Wild Side (47 pages)
• 2:48pm-3:06pm, 3:24pm-3:40pm, 3:48pm-3:59pm, 4:11pm-4:50pm: Wild Side (142 pages)
• 10:15pm-10:22pm, 10:38pm-10:56pm, 11:28pm-11:47pm: evening routine/chores (audiobook)

Total: 2 hours, 44 minutes of reading time and 189 pages read with my eyes

Notes: Hoo boy! This was a reading goblin type of day. I started with some reading time in the morning (with a break for my morning routine), then had an intense reading session after a nap. I really wanted to finish Wild Side on Saturday, so I stayed in bed and read in a bunch of spurts. During the breaks, I played Happy Color on my phone. I also used one of the breaks to scroll Etsy for cute holiday-themed collars for the cats. And then in the evening, I got back to my beloved Emma M. Lion while doing my evening routine.

Sunday, August 23

• 8:07am-8:32am: phone games (audiobook)
• 10:27am-10:47am: Days at the Morisaki Bookshop (24 pages)
• 4:39pm-4:50pm: Days at the Morisaki Bookshop (15 pages)
• 5:26pm-5:49pm: Days at the Morisaki Bookshop (53 pages)

Total: 1 hour, 19 minutes of reading time and 92 pages read with my eyes

Notes: A fairly normal Sunday of reading. I hoped to read more after watching Sunday night’s episode of Big Brother, but I opted to chat with my mom and go to bed early instead!

Fun stats from this week

• Total reading time: 10 hours, 5 minutes
• Number of reading sessions: 42
• Average reading time per day: 1 hour, 26 minutes
• Format breakdown: 53% print, 47% audiobook
• Reading pace: 92 pages/hour
• Pages read with my eyes: 495 pages

How my reading has changed through the years

• I’m not reading before bed anymore – This used to be a huge part of my reading life, but once I got a CPAP, it really changed this part of my life. I don’t even think it needed to, but it took me a long time to get used to prepping this part of my nighttime routine, and I started waiting until I was ready to go to sleep to get into bed. I’d read on the couch or in my reading chair before going to bed. I think I’m more of a pro at using a CPAP now, so I could probably add reading in bed back into my routine, but I haven’t yet.
• I’m reading more in the morning – This has been a fun change! I love making a cup of coffee, then sitting down with my book and reading until I finish my coffee. It used to happen in my beloved reading chair (RIP), but now it happens on the couch. It’s a great way to start my day and make a little progress in my book! I don’t do it every morning, but it happens most mornings.
• Weekly reading time is down from 2018 and 2021 – I’m still above my weekly reading time from 2014 by 2 hours, but I also wasn’t listening to audiobooks then. In 2018, I read for 11+ hours, and in 2021, it was 13+ hours. I think my lack of nighttime reading really affected my final tally here.

How things have stayed the same

• Audiobook vs physical reading time is nearly identical – In 2021, the split was exactly 50/50, and in 2026, it was slightly more physical reading than audiobooks. But the percentages are very similar, which means I’m still making plenty of time for audiobooks in my reading life!
• I read the most on the weekends – This is not a surprise to any reader with a corporate job, is it? Here’s a great stat: 57% of my physical reading happened on Saturday and Sunday. Wild! Whenever I have a “bad” reading week and don’t read as much as I want during the week, I know I’ll make up for it on the weekend. (Although this weekend was a bit of a misnomer since I didn’t have a ton of plans. I definitely don’t “catch up” as much when I have a busy weekend.)

I’ll see you guys back here in another 4-5 years to see how my reading habits have evolved!

Do you read more before bed or in the morning?

The Clocks by Agatha Christie (★★★☆☆)

Print • Owned (Barnes & Noble) • Mystery • 1963

Short synopsis: When typist-for-hire Sheila Webb arrives at a seaside house for a mysterious appointment and discovers a corpse surrounded by six clocks set to different times, Hercule Poirot is called in to unravel a bizarre murder that no one can explain.

This synopsis is slightly misleading because Hercule Poirot isn’t really a major part of this book, which is probably why it wasn’t one of my favorite Christie mysteries. I need more Poirot in my life, please and thank you! What I did like about this novel wasn’t even the mystery (it was a little confusing at times, tbh), but the characters. Sheila and her cohort of typist friends—that was so fun! It’s part of our history that I knew nothing about: how people hired typists to help write novels, organize notes, etc. I would have loved that job, personally. Ha! As is typical with Christie novels, the cast of characters is vast, and when the murderer was revealed, I had to go back through the beginning of the book because I honestly didn’t even know who was being talked about. So… not the most memorable of Christie’s books, but they can’t all be winners!

Finlay Donovan Crosses the Line by Elle Cosimano (★★★★☆)

Audiobook • Libby • Mystery • 2026

Short synopsis: When Finlay Donovan’s live-in nanny, Vero, is accused of stealing her former sorority’s treasury funds and threatened by a mysterious stalker, Finlay heads to Maryland to uncover the real thief and clear her best friend’s name before she ends up in prison.

These novels are getting increasingly ridiculous, but for some reason, I just don’t care! I love them so much. They are fun, easy to follow, and clever. I adore the relationships, especially between Finlay and Vero. There are some romantic entanglements going on behind the scenes (not between Vero and Finlay, but can you imagine?!), but I think the heart of this series is the power of female friendship. Finlay and Vero will truly do anything for each other, and they have such a healthy, strong friendship. The novel’s mystery had high stakes (prison for Vero!), so I was definitely invested in seeing how it would play out. At times, Vero’s disregard for her house arrest frustrated me (as a goody-two-shoes, rule-follower!), but then again, I’m not reading these for relatability. They are pure entertainment, and that’s what Cosimano delivered once again.

Enormous Wings by Laurie Frankel (★★★★☆ 1/2)

Print • Library • Contemporary Fiction • 2026

Short synopsis: At 77, Pepper Mills is stunned to discover she’s pregnant after moving into a retirement community, and as the bizarre news attracts media attention, activists, and researchers, she must navigate the unexpected choices—and lack of control—that come with becoming a very unlikely mother.

Laurie Frankel is a hit-or-miss author for me. There’s This is How It Always Is, which is one of my all-time favorite books. And then there’s Family Family, her 2024 release, which I DNF-ed. So when I heard the synopsis for Enormous Wings, color me apprehensive. I was very skeptical because, well, did I really want to read a book about a pregnant septuagenarian? Turns out, I really did! This is a book about pregnancy, motherhood, the choice to be a mother, and what it means to be a spectacle. Who gets access to your story? What do you owe to the public? This book has a very specific point of view, especially considering Pepper is living in present-day Texas, where abortion is illegal. She would have to travel to another state to obtain an abortion if that’s what she wanted, and there’s a lot to be said in this story about what it means to have this choice taken away.

Pepper is a fascinating woman. She is smart, funny, and kind, but she’s also a woman in her late 70s, so a lot confuses her. Sometimes she has no problem standing up for herself; other times, she stays silent because she doesn’t know the right move in a situation she’s not used to. She is a fully realized woman who made me nostalgic for my own grandma, especially because she was such a wonderful grandma to her grandkids. Pepper is the kind of character that will stick with me for a long while.

What are you reading?

August 15, 2026 – My fur-siblings have no concept of personal space.

August 16, 2026 – Today, Bri and I recorded our 100th podcast episode and I took zero pictures. Instead, when I got home from a busy day, I collapsed on the couch with my book and my cat. (It’s only upon looking at this photo close up that I see a dirty word, so… erm… sorry?)

August 17, 2026 – She is perfection, no notes.

August 18, 2026 – Did I realize right before bed that I forgot to take a photo today so I snapped a quick one of Eloise on my bed? Yes, yes I did.

August 19, 2026 – I felt cute, so I decided to take a selfie.

August 20, 2026 – LOOK AT THEM. I stepped into my office this morning to get my workday started and found them waiting for me. I squealed very loudly about how goddamn cute they are and took a photo. They stayed in their positions for the first hour of my workday and it was so sweet!

August 21, 2026 – Bedazzling book club! This was a lot of fun and not as hard as I expected. Is my bedazzling perfect? No. Could I have added more gems? Absolutely. But this was a good first try, and maybe it’s time for me to get my own bedazzling kit?

Three confessions

1) Yesterday was my 13-year work anniversary! Can you believe that I started as a scared 25-year-old and look at me now! It’s uncommon for someone to stay at an agency for as long as I have, but what can I say? I love the stability and freedom that comes with being one of the OGs.

2) Ever since I moved into my apartment in October, I’ve had a short phone cord next to my bed. It’s rather annoying because it means I can’t use my phone in bed, especially if it needs to be plugged in. It took me almost an entire year to realize: Get a longer charging cord, Steph! Such a simple solution. It makes me wonder what other things are causing friction in my life that could be solved this easily.

3) This weekend, Bri and I recorded our 100th podcast episode! I can’t believe we made it to this milestone. Most podcasts only do a few episodes, and while ours isn’t even scratching three figures in terms of listenership, it’s small but mighty. And we have fun with it, which is the most important thing.

Three books I recently bought

1) In Every Possible Way by Alicia Thompson – I bought this at Book + Bottle two weekends ago because I’ve been intrigued to read a romance by this author. She’s local!

2) The Paris Daughter by Kristin Harmel – Book + Bottle had a bunch of Kristin Harmel books and I haven’t read anything by her. When I looked at her books on Goodreads, they all had great reviews. I chose this one because the premise enticed me!

3) The Unknown by Riley Sager – This was an add-on with my Book of the Month box because I can’t help myself when it comes to Riley Sager. Plus, the cover is gorgeous!

Three things I’ve said to my cats this week

1) “Oh, is it time for special yum-yums?” I walked out of the bathroom one evening and they were both sitting on the dining room table, staring at me. I knew what that meant! (They love their Sheba Meaty Sticks, so I split one between them a few times a week.)

2) “Are you having hammock time???” Imagine this in a high-pitched voice and accompanied by me collapsing next to my cat to pet her as she sleeps soundly in the hammock by the window.

3) “But why? Why are you so cute?! Who allowed this to happen?!” I say this to my girls a few times a day. At least.

Three more audiobook thoughts

1) Listening speed – I listen to all of my audiobooks on 1.7 speed, but I’ll drop it down to 1.5 if the narrator has an accent (mostly because my ears just need the words slowed down a bit so I can understand the plot). I never listen to my books on 1x speed anymore. I used to, but now that feels so slow.

2) Balancing podcasts and audiobooks – Many people said that they don’t listen to audiobooks because they have a large podcast queue and yes, I can relate! When I had a commute, I would use that time for audiobooks. Listening at a faster speed meant I could usually get through one book a week with my 30-minute (one way) commute. And then 2020 happened and figuring out how to work audiobooks back into my life was difficult! How I do it these days is that in the morning, I finish whatever podcast I had going the day before and then turn on my audiobook. The goal is to finish 2 hours of the audiobook before I can return to my podcasts. (And since I’m listening at 1.7 speed, 2 hours is just over an hour of “real” listening time.) I don’t always do this, as sometimes there are podcast episodes that are calling to me, so I miss a day, but I generally come back to it the following day.

3) Romance novels on audio – One thing I forgot to mention in my post is that one of the genres I refuse to listen to on audio is romance! Y’all, I just can’t do it. I can’t listen to all the sex scenes. No, no, no, no, no. It makes me cringe just thinking about it! (If the romance is by an author that I know writes closed-door romances, I might attempt it, but I still get weirded out by all the love talk.)

Three things I’m doing this weekend

1) Book club – We weren’t able to sync up our schedules to meet up for book club in July, so this is a July/August book club meeting. Our activity for the evening is bedazzling! I may bring my pill container to bedazzle because this is what book club for elder millennials is all about these days.

2) A writing date with Mikaela – I am making lots of progress in my novel! There have been weeks where I struggle to write 500 words and weeks where I am typing away like a madwoman, completely delighted by my characters. I am currently in a state of flow with my novel, so I’m excited to get back to it.

3) Watching a movie – I have a goal to watch two movies this month and I have watched exactly zero movies. It will either be Sleepless in Seattle or The Martian, just need to figure out what I’m in the mood for.

Three things on my to-do list

1) Finalize our New England itinerary – I like to create very detailed travel itineraries (as in, “8:00am – leave hotel and go to SPECIFIC RESTAURANT for breakfast, 9:30am – order Uber to go to THIS SPECIFIC LOCATION). It’s just what I need to feel settled and confident as an anxious traveler! I have a draft of our vacation, but I’m created separate tabs in the spreadsheet for each day, which makes my little organizer heart very happy.

2) Deep clean the girls’ feeders – I wash out the bowl and wipe down the feeder a few times a week, but I only do a deep clean every quarter. It entails taking apart the entire system, washing everything by hand, and then leaving it out to air dry before putting it back together.

3) Write some postcards – I’m a little behind on my snail mail goal for this year, so I need to catch up in August!

Three things we’re doing on our New England road trip

1) Doing a tour of Fenway – Are we baseball fans? No. But are we excited to tour this iconic park? Hell yes! (This was a specific ask from my mom, so her wish is my command.)

2) Visiting Acadia National Park – I am so excited about this. The views are going to be insane, especially in early October!

3) Driving through Smuggler’s Notch in Vermont – It’s one of those quintessential fall road trip experiences, so of course we’re doing it!

Three things on my Etsy wish list

1) Postcards – I love finding fun postcards on Etsy, and I’m starting to run low with my current stack so it’s time to peruse my Etsy favorites to figure out which batch I want to order this time around.

2) iPhone cases – I think I’m ready for a new phone case, and Etsy never lets me down. I have my eye on this black cat/rainbow phone case!

3) Lots of great feminist tees – Childless cat lady? Read books and fight the patriarchy? Stay woke? I have lots of options!

Three things that made me happy this week

1) Snickers pumpkins being back in stock! We are so back, you guys.

2) An excellent mid-year review

3) Watching Lila go nuts over the cat grass I bought. She was so aggressive with it that the pot kept falling off the table!

Three recent searches

1) “claire foy” – she was mentioned on this week’s Patreon episode on The Popcast and I was like, “Why does that name sound so familiar?” Turns out, she played Queen Elizabeth in the first few seasons of The Crown!

2) “what’s a dopamine deficit in relation to ADHD?” – yes, I’m still doing a lot of research and rabbit-holing about ADHD. Do I have ADHD? I have no idea, but at the very least, the strategies that work for people with ADHD resonate so well with me.

3) “why do my airpods keep pinging?” – This happens from time to time when I’m charging my AirPods. Turns out, it’s due to the outlet. I switched to a different outlet and no pinging!

What’s something you’re doing this weekend? What made you happy this week?

Last week, Sarah’s Bookshelves Live had a really fun Patreon episode where she and a co-host ran through a list of questions about their audiobook listening routines, and well, I couldn’t help myself. I loved the discussion so much that I copied down the questions to answer them myself!

Why would someone choose to read an audiobook over the written word? (Or, another way of saying this: When do I intentionally choose audiobooks over the written word?)

I choose audiobooks to get more reading time into my life. I would read a lot fewer books if I wasn’t consuming 3-4 audiobooks every month. These days, around 33% of my reading life is audiobooks. And for someone who reads 100+ books every year, that’s a significant number of audiobooks! I’ve also found that I prefer listening to audiobooks for certain genres. For example, I like to listen to dense nonfiction books and character-driven novels on audio. In print, I’d likely DNF these books because they can feel a little tedious to read. When I’m listening while taking a walk or making dinner or doing chores, it’s a lot easier to consume something that may not be rapturously exciting.

There are certain types of books, too, that I intentionally choose to listen to. I love listening to memoirs (especially if they are read by the author, although not all authors should read their memoirs and that’s a hill I will die on). I love oral histories on audio because they usually have a full cast and it feels like listening to a dramatic play! And I really love listening to series that would otherwise fall to the wayside if I had to pick up each book in print. I only have so much space for print books in my reading life, so I want to make sure I devote it to the stuff I really want to read with my eyes. I’m all caught up with the Finlay Donovan series thanks to audio, and the only way I’ve stayed current with the Three Pines series is by listening to the audiobooks. (Although I still haven’t read the latest book – oops!)

Anyway, long story short: I read audiobooks because it allows me to consume so many more books than I would otherwise, and because certain genres and formats just work better for my brain on audio.

Do you experience books differently in audio than in print?

The answer to this is a resounding, of course! While I’m not here to debate if audiobooks “count” as reading (GTFO with that outdated opinion, thank you very much), I do think the way our brain processes audiobooks vs the written word is different. In some ways, it makes the reading experience so much richer. Listening to all of the Emma M. Lion books on audio has been the best treat for my ears. I’m excited to read them in print soon and see how that changes my relationship with the series (if it does at all!). I’ve also had experiences where I start an audiobook and quickly discover I need to pick up the print book. This just happened with the latest book in the Lady Sherlock series. I’ve done most of these books on audio, but I had a lot of trouble keeping track of all the characters and plotlines in the most recent one, so I DNF-ed it on audio and now have to figure out how to work it into my reading schedule.

I think there is something to be said for the fact that sometimes I don’t listen as closely as I should and miss details from time to time. But that happens with print books, too, because I tend to skim over long descriptive paragraphs. I think our brains take in information differently, whether orally or visually, and that’s also why audiobooks don’t work at all for some people. (It’s also why audiobooks can be a great option for auditory learners!) So yes, some types of books would probably be better to read with my eyes so I can really take in the information and slow myself down while reading, but it doesn’t mean I didn’t get enough out of an audiobook to understand what it was about or how it impacted me.

What are you doing that you can multitask and pay attention to your audiobook?

There are so many things I can do while listening to my audiobook:

• Work (I have certain tasks that don’t require a ton of brainpower)
• Making breakfast/lunch/dinner
• My morning and evening routines
• Going for walks
• Doing chores
• Playing a game on my phone
• Coloring
• Driving
• Puttering around my apartment

There are certain instances where I won’t listen to an audiobook. I have a Bluetooth shower speaker, but I never listen to my audiobook while showering because the sound isn’t great to pay attention to dialogue and such. It’s fine to half-listen to a podcast, but I don’t enjoy listening to audiobooks in the shower. I also don’t listen to audiobooks at the gym. I just feel like I can’t concentrate as well as I want to!

And I should also say that I live by myself so I don’t have to worry about anyone else getting annoyed by my constant audiobook listening. I’m sure my audiobook listening time would vastly decrease if I started living with someone else!

How do you choose your audiobooks?

This one is easy, and it’s my most uncomplicated method of choosing books. But there’s still a bit of logistics involved because I can’t make anything too easy for me, right?! I flip through three different types of books every month:

• Fiction
• Mystery/thriller
• Nonfiction

I try to always go in this order as I choose my books. The last book I read was a mystery (the latest Finlay Donovan, in fact!), so my next audiobook will be nonfiction. What I’ll do is open up Goodreads, go to my “want-to-read” list, and sort by date. I’ll start at the top or bottom of my list (depending on what book I chose previously—Finlay Donovan was near the bottom, so I’ll start from the top this time) and then make my way down the list until my eyes land on a book that falls into my genre parameters and interests me at this moment in time. Then I’ll check my audiobook apps (Libby and Hoopla) to see if the book is available as an audiobook on either one. I’ll also take a gander at the length because I am pretty averse to reading anything over 13 hours. As long as it’s available and doesn’t have a wait, I’ll snatch it up! If the wait is only a few weeks, I’ll get on the holds list and find a different book to read while I wait. Or, if it seems like a super popular book and I’m desperate to listen to it on audio, I’ll check Spotify. I get 15 audiobook hours every month with Spotify, so as long as I haven’t hit my limit, there’s a good chance I’ll just pick it up there.

However, I will say I broke my routine when I started reading the Emma M. Lion books. I had to! I wanted to read one right after the other, but I made myself read one Emma, then one non-Emma, then one Emma, then one non-Emma. I also forced myself to take a month-long break in May and July because I didn’t want to read the series too fast! Alas, I am now on the final book (for now) so I will be back to my regularly structured audiobook routine starting next week.

How do you rate an audiobook – are you rating the narration/performance, the book itself, or both?

I honestly try not to factor the narration/performance into my audiobook ratings. If the narration is particularly great, I might bump it up half a star because it makes the reading experience so much richer. But if the narration didn’t work for me, I try not to dock the book itself because of it. A great example of this is Blue Sisters by Coco Mellors. The audiobook narrator was awful. So monotone, and it didn’t make any part of the reading experience richer. But I loved that book so much (and I know I would have DNF-ed it in print), so I suffered through the terrible narration and still gave the book 5 stars. Not all authors have any sort of say when it comes to the audiobook narrator and how it’s performed, so I don’t want to use that as a reason to give a book a bad rating.

Do you listen to audiobooks? Why or why not?

August 8, 2026 – A lovely brunch date with my friend Lynn! We took a stroll over to Book + Bottle afterwards since Lynn had a gift card burning a hole in her pocket. And maybe I bought some books, too, to support a local indie bookstore. It’s called giving back???

August 9, 2026 – Look at this majestic girl! A few times a month, I wake up with back pain from my sleeping position. Thirty minutes with the heating pad and a hit of Advil help a lot. When I’m done with the heating pad, I turn it off but leave it on the couch for the girls to enjoy.

August 10, 2026 – Should I warn you now that this post is mainly cat photos? It wasn’t a thrilling week! Anyway, Lila snoozed on top of the couch next to me while I took a quick siesta on Monday afternoon. She’s my little napping buddy!

August 11, 2026 – Eloise loves a freshly made bed. I find her snoozing away on a daily basis!

August 12, 2026 – Hello, you majestic girl. This was taken after a nap on Thursday. (I was so tired this week!)

August 13, 2026 – I had to bring in my doormat while they were pressure-washing our building, and the girls love rolling around on it for some reason. This morning, Eloise enjoyed some doormat + sunshine time.

August 14, 2026 – Oh hell yes. I found pumpkin spice creamer at the grocery store, and I couldn’t resist! Listen, in Florida, fall is a feeling. We don’t get changing leaves or cooler weather. Fall lives in your heart, and right now, my heart is telling me it’s ready to lightly dip my toe into some fall-like things.

Is it too early to think about fall? 

Note: This is a spending report, so I’m only talking about money I spent after it hit my bank account. Don’t expect to see anything about my 401k, FSA, health insurance, etc.

Bills ($2,750 | ↓ $122 from June): This includes rent, phone, electric, Internet, utilities, car payment, and school loan. It was a little less than June because I didn’t have to pay two utilities bills this month. Hooray for that! My electric bill was about $40 more in July than June, though.

Food ($847 | ↑ $290 from June): Womp, womp. After a massively successful June in terms of my food budget, I spent far more in July. Most of this overage was because my Uber Eats orders were out of control ($225 in July compared to $96 in June), and I also spent a lot more on groceries.

Travel ($600 | ↑ $495 from June): We’ve booked all of our accommodations for our New England road trip in October, and my mom put all of the deposits on her credit card. I’m slowly paying her back for my half!

Misc ($514 | ↑ $514 from June): I wasn’t sure how to categorize my hosting bill since it’s one of those expenses that only happens every few years. I’m putting it in miscellaneous.

Car ($340 | ↑ $87 from June): Most of these expenses were the same ole, same ole. However, it was also time to pay my car insurance renewal. Every month, I put $150 into a savings account specifically for this purpose, so once I transferred that money over to my checking account to pay the bill, I was left with a balance of just over $100. This happened last time I had to renew my car insurance, so I should probably increase my monthly car insurance savings to $175, but ugh, I am resistant to that idea!

Savings ($300 | ↑ $100 from June): I didn’t do anything different with my savings this month, so this increase was likely due to putting more money away into my “fun” savings account after reviewing my goal progress for the week, ha

Shopping ($240 | ↓ $169 from June): I continue to reduce my spending on shopping, woohoo! (It was $640 in April, $484 in May, and $409 in June.) This month, my biggest shopping category was beauty because I needed to replace some items, like my tinted moisturizer and facial cleanser. I also bought some new-to-me hair care products, including clarifying shampoo and root-lifting spray. My second-highest category was home, followed by miscellaneous.

Gifts ($212 | ↑ $212 from June): A much busier month, considering last month I didn’t spend any money on gifts. But I celebrated my mom’s birthday, got some gifts for a friend’s birthday, and bought some school supplies for an initiative my apartment was running for a local charity.

Spa ($206 | ↑ $44 from June): A little higher this month because I got a very bougie pedicure since I met my Uber Eats goal last month! I also got an underarm wax and paid for my massage membership.

Entertainment ($189 | ↓ $67 from June): I’d like to keep my entertainment budget under $200, so I’m very happy with this final total! Most of this comprises meals with my mom, family, friends, etc.

Household Supplies ($166 | ↓ $84 from June): The biggest expense for this category was replenishing my backstock of hand soaps. (I’ve decided that I must use Bath & Body Works hand soaps now, so it’s a bit more expensive.) I was also running low on Wallflower scents, so I bought five when they were having a sale. I picked up some other things, too, like flossers, mouthwash, Command Strips, etc.

Subscriptions ($83 | ↑ $13 from June): I’m trying to remember why I paid a little more for my subscriptions in July than June. Maybe I had my BOTM credit taken out this month, and I didn’t last month? I’m at a loss, and this is why I need to take better notes.

Pets ($78 | ↓ $197 from June): Nothing major here, just paid for the girls’ vet plans and bought a new scratcher.

Medical ($10 |↓ $8 from June): I had to pay a medical bill. I could have used my FSA, but it was $10, so whatever.

Spending Goals

Here is a report on the five money goals I’m tracking:

• Spend below my means – I did not achieve this in July. I spent $543 above my means, but that mostly accounts for the hosting fee I had to pay, so I’m choosing to be okay with this number. Spending above my means has become an anomaly more often than not, and I’m still not carrying a balance on my credit card, so let’s hope I can clean things up in August!
• Spend under $600 on groceries and $100 on Uber Eats orders – While I did achieve my grocery goal ($547), I spend far too much money on Uber Eats orders ($225).
• Spend under $500 on shopping – Complete! I spent less than $250 on shopping expenses, wahoo!
• Add $250 to my emergency savings every month – LOL I totally forgot I had made this goal. Awesome.
• Track and report on no-spend days – Only three days in July: July 4, July 7, and July 11.

What was the last beauty product you bought?

Game Changer by Rachel Reid (★★★★☆)

E-Book • Libby • Contemporary Romance • 2018

Short synopsis: A pro hockey star falls for the barista whose smoothies seem to bring him luck, but as their secret relationship deepens, he must decide whether his career is worth keeping the man he loves hidden.

The Compound by Aisling Rawle (★★★★☆)

Print • Owned (Book of the Month) • Fiction • 2025

Short synopsis: Lily joins a reality TV competition on a remote desert compound where contestants vie for luxury prizes and basic necessities, but as the producers push them into increasingly dangerous situations, she must decide how much she’s willing to sacrifice to survive.

The best way I can describe this book is to call it interesting. It’s the kind of book that was easy to set down, but I also got immediately engrossed whenever I picked it back up. None of the characters are particularly likable, least of all the main character, Lily. I felt the same way about the characters in Yesteryear—they’re pretty terrible people, but they’re fascinating to follow around. This is a book about consumerism and the lengths people will go to win, but it’s also about how much someone has to lose: if you don’t have an impressive job or a satisfying home life to go back to, you might be willing to make a lot more sacrifices than other people would. I also have to give the author credit for pulling all of this off as a debut; it’s an inventive premise with a genuinely interesting plot and well-written characters. It’s not a book I’d necessarily recommend, but it would make for a pretty interesting book club discussion.

The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion, Vol. 7 by Beth Brower (★★★★★)

Audiobook • Hoopla • Historical Fiction • 2023

Short synopsis: Emma M. Lion offers up her Unselected Journals, however self-incriminating they may be. Armed with wit and a sideways amusement, Emma documents the curious realities of her life at Lapis Lazuli House.

Volume 7 of The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion follows Emma through the spring of 1884, where her will-they-or-won’t-they becomes a lot more will-they. Emma is also trying to help her cousin Arabella through her season, in the hopes she will finally secure a husband. And Young Hawkes remains the most exceptional fictional character I’ve ever come across. Am I in love with him? Perhaps. Emma starts seeing all the different secrets the three men in her life are keeping from her, and it’s leading to some very exciting plotlines to come. I have one more volume to read, and then I have to wait for Beth Brower to release Volume 9. A travesty!

What are you reading?

August 1, 2026 – She looks little and sweet, but this girl lost her damn mind when she saw a dead bug on the patio and was very angry we wouldn’t let her outside to eat it. Her bark was so loud, my watch gave me a sound warning.

August 2, 2026 – I didn’t do a whole lot on Sunday, so at the end of the day, as I was preparing for bed, I realized I hadn’t taken a single picture. I told Eloise to pose for me. This is the best she could do.

August 3, 2026 – Ultrasound time to measure my fibroids. My biggest fibroid (4 cm) hasn’t grown much, while my other fibroid has grown large enough to protrude into my uterine cavity. This means I’ll likely still be eligible for an endometrial ablation, and I’ll go for a consult in early September.

August 4, 2026 – EXCUSE ME MS LILA. You are not allowed to be this cute!

August 5, 2026 – I went on a Thriftbooks shopping spree over the weekend, and the books were delivered today! This stack only cost $30!

August 6, 2026 – I bought a new cart for my office. It came disassembled, so I put the metal bins on the floor of my office, and I was certain one of the cats would jump in them. Sure enough, 30 minutes later, I hear snoring behind me and turn to find Lila enjoying a snooze!

August 7, 2026 – Bri adopted a new dog! Asher is a five-year-old greyhound who is so stinkin’ cute and looks like he could have been a sibling to Titan, her dog who recently passed away. Here he is sitting on the couch like a human. (And if you look closely, you can see Bri’s other dog Tessie in the background!)

What was the last photo you took?