1) Audiobooks!!!
You guys, I feel like I am super late to the party on this one, but I'm in love. I usually throw a podcast on when I'm working in the kitchen or going for a walk, but I run out of episodes and don't always feel like listening to music. I have Annie F. Downs and Emily P. Freeman (side note, stay tuned for when I start going by Erin M. Bennett--apparently there's a middle initial thing going on and I'm not a part of it. Jamie B. Golden too. Dang these women and their middle initials) to thank for the introduction to audiobooks. Both of their recent releases (Downs' Remember God and Freeman's The Next Right Thing--see below) included a free audiobook as a pre-order bonus. Both were released by Christian Audio, so a couple weeks ago I decided to peruse the Christian Audio app to see if they had any other deals on audiobooks. Well, as it turns out, they have a FREE audiobook EVERY MONTH!! (If you hop on in the next few days, April's free book is Lecrae's Unashamed).
THEN I discovered that I can digitally "check out" audiobooks from the library. I'm a happy camper. :) (Also, if you've never done Audible on Amazon before, I believe they have a free 1-month trial--I did it last summer with a book I had to read but wasn't really enjoying) ;)
2) Schitt's Creek
Dan and I flew through the four available seasons of this on Netflix a couple months ago. It is laugh-out-loud funny and so quirky. The fifth season just ended (but it's on Canadian TV, dang it), and next year's season six will be its last.
3) Brooklyn 99
More TV--come on, it's been winter. We were pleasantly surprised by this one. It's on NBC on Thursday nights, but we realized that all the past seasons are on Hulu. Again, SO funny. Amazing characters. Really enjoyable pick.
4) These almonds
You need a dark chocolate covered almond in your life. And if it's also salted? Bonus. These are from Target and they're ridiculously good. Get some.
5) Books and lots of 'em. Again, #winter.
Carnegie's Maid is a fictional work about the real Andrew Carnegie. It's a fascinating and enjoyable read with a definite "Downton Abbey" upstairs/downstairs feel.
Love & Gelato and Love & Luck are two fun teen fiction books. (Read them in this order--it's not necessarily a book and its sequel, but the second does reference characters from the first). Super cute stories that will make you want to travel to Europe. :)
I talked about this one when it was up for Giveaway Day last month, but it was so incredibly inspiring! These two friends, one in a wheelchair, take on the Camino trail in Spain. So good.
Born Survivors is the account of three women who had babies in concentration camps during World War II. You honestly can't even believe that these women survived, much less their babies. This is not a weekend read. I literally took the whole three weeks that I had this from the library, and I read some lighter novels in between sections of it. It's heart-wrenching and fascinating, and every time I read anything about that period of time, I can't believe the horror of what went on.
I chose this one for book club last month and we all really enjoyed it. :) She's a fantastic writer (or her ghostwriter is...) and her life story was really interesting to read about.
Maid was another fascinating nonfiction read. I learned a lot about poverty and the working poor. Land's story was eye-opening and inspiring.
Freeman's podcast of the same name is one of my favorites, and her book is mostly past episodes with some new content. It was a delight to listen to the audiobook, and the actual hardcover is beautifully crisp and clean. :)
I read Thomas' The Hate U Give last year and was excited when it was finally my turn at the library for her new book On the Come Up. I really enjoy her writing, and both books have been eye-opening about life among gang and drug activity in Los Angeles.
Okay, happy spring, friends! We all survived another winter, so go pour a drink to celebrate. :)
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