Can you believe it is almost March? The weather here gave us a sneak peak of things to come this week, but now we are back to regular rainy February weather.

This week, it seems like I’ve spent all my time on Girl Scout cookies. As any leader can tell you, this has been a challenging year with supply issues. Our troop decided not to do booths, so I’ve been giving up most of our inventory to troops who need more cookies. The season continues for a few more weeks, but Lillie is close to being done for the year–which is a huge relief for me!

Speaking of cookies, I participated in a virtual wine and Girl Scout cookies pairing last night with a local winemaker (Hip Chicks Do Wine). This is the second virtual tasting I’ve done with them and I really enjoyed it. Let me tell you, if you pair a Trefoil cookie with the right wine, it will blow your mind!

Because I spent so much of the week doing cookie stuff, I didn’t get as much reading done as I would like. Still, I was able to finish a few books. I’m hoping that I can carve out more reading time this week now that most of the cookies are out of the house!

As usual, I’m linking up with Kathryn at Book Date and her It’s Monday…What Are You Reading? blog hop.

Last week, I finished:

Call Us What We Carry by Amanda Gorman
Date finished: February 23, 2022
Star rating: Five Stars!

There are a lot of hyped books out there, but I think this may be the first widely-hyped book of poetry I’ve come across. It makes sense–Amanda Gorman made waves at the Presidential Inauguration where she was the youngest inaugural poet in history. But, still, she’s young! She is still in her early 20s! Does she actually have a full book of poetry in her?

YES! MOST DEFINITELY YES!

Folks, this book is a revelation. It is not a feel-good volume with odes to daisies and Grecian urns, but rather an unflinching look at our world. I was amazed at how Gorman could take today’s world and its troubles, most of which we are still in the midst of experiencing, and distill them into the perfect verse. She tackles some very heavy subject matters (including Covid and racism), but does so with a sense of curiosity and, at times, playfulness

My one suggestion for this book: Whether you read or listen to your poetry, I would suggest doing both with this. I listened to the audiobook as I read this one. Gorman has a very distinctive cadence that is needed to bring out the full potential of the poems. However, she also does some interesting things with words on the page, which you need to see to experience.

Gorman is a force and her poetry shows that she deserves every bit of the hype.

A Snake Falls to Earth by Darcie Little Badger
Date finished: February 24, 2022
Star rating: 4 stars

This book came on my radar through the Book Cougars podcast and I have Chris and Emily to thank for a unique and enjoyable reading experience.

I do love indigenous literature, but YA doesn’t always work for me. I think that this one worked because it isn’t about angst and young love, but rather finding your place in the world. The two narrators, an indigenous teenage girl on Earth and a cottonmouth young man from the Reflected World. Both characters seemed authentic and I was interested in both their stories.

This book not only tackles friendship and adventure, but also a commentary on the climate crisis. I thought Little Badger’s take on it was both clever and accessible and I hope it will prod readers to think more deeply about the climate.

I’m so grateful that the Book Cougars chose this book for their quarterly discussion as I probably would never heard of it otherwise–and I’m so glad I read it!

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab
Date finished: February 24, 2022
Star rating: 4.5 stars

I have to admit that this book sat on my TBR bookshelf for far too long and the only reason I picked it up was that a new podcast (The Best Buds Book Club) was doing it as a readalong. As it was just sitting on my shelf, I decided to give it a try.

Why did I let this sit for so long? It is exactly the kind of book I love and it did not disappoint. It’s dark and twisty, while at the same time being warm and comforting. I won’t say this is the most unpredictable book, but when you step into a trope as well known as the Faustian tale, you know what to expect.

Still, I enjoyed the take Schwab took on this well-told tale and I found it captivating and, in its way, believable. I know the ending made it for some and broke it for others, but I count myself in the former group as I found it incredibly satisfying. This is a book I would recommend to just about any reader.

Last week, I started reading:

• Sabrina & Corina: Stories by Kali Fajardo-Anstine
• A History of Wild Places by Shea Ernshaw
• Alone in Wonderland by Christine Reed