My Book-filled adventure to Japan
These past two weeks, I took a step out of my usual routine of selling books, sipping lattes, and combating temperamental Ohio weather – into bustling streets of Tokyo, thousand-year-old temples of Kyoto, and active volcanoes in Hakone! Despite being on the other side of the world, this bookseller could not part from her pages… So, here’s a peek into the little pieces of Birdie that made it all the way to Japan!
“It’s about Getting Ready for What’s Next”
I believe my obsession with notebooks and journals can be traced directly to back-to-school shopping. There was just something about getting that school supply list and heading to the store, ready to pick out all the things that would carry you through another year.
Back to School Reading Retrospective
I’ve always loved reading, but most of the books we read in class just didn't capture me the same way alternate universe Sailor Moon fics did. With a few exceptions, of course. There were a handful of books, sprinkled throughout my school days, that eventually broadened my horizons. They wore me down and showed me that traditionally published books can be enjoyable.
The Great Vacation Book Packing Dilemma
I'm currently planning for a weeklong family vacation where five children, seven adults, and three dogs will somehow be living under one roof.
But before I even think about clothes, sunscreen, or whether I remembered to pack enough snacks, I have to answer the most important question:
What books am I bringing?
July is Disability Pride Month!
July is Disability Pride Month! This is a month to showcase the stories, successes, and lives of those living with a disability, whether invisible or visible!
Juneteenth: “What greater cause for jubilee could there be?”
Juneteenth is a holiday of delayed gratification. It came as the culmination of centuries of strife and represents one of the greatest tenets of abolition: “Nobody's free until everybody's free” -Fannie Lou Hamer.
Introducing Summer Reading BINGO!
Summer reading is an activity I’ve enjoyed from a young age. I eagerly read as many books as I could and was so excited to turn in my completed summer reading list. As an adult, I haven’t participated in a summer reading challenge in a while. So, when I had the idea to create a challenge that all ages could participate in, I was overjoyed!
Book Recs from Zoe’s cats and snake
So... Plum, Squash, and Oog (my two cats and snake) have urged me to get the message out on each of their favorite books. If you have a sec, just give them a moment of your time so they get off my back... literally. Thanks!
Thousands of lives, Through Their eyes
This month is Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, and also Jewish Heritage Month! [...] Growing up, I remember how excited I was to read a book where I could connect in some way with a character that had a completely different outlook on the world than I did. Not only did it feel like I could live a thousand lives, but that I had a whole new way of engaging with the people around me.
Reading Slump = Over
As a former English major many moons ago, my reading slump has lasted longer than I’d like to admit. Once I was given the freedom to read whatever I wanted post-grad, I found myself unable to pick up anything. The state of the world (and honestly, my life) pulled me away from books and into the mind-numbing world of television. I wanted to connect with reading again but felt like I’d fallen too far behind, and Vanderpump Rules re-runs could give me what I needed, right?
Trans Day of Visibility
So as the powers that be attempt to force Trans people to the periphery of our society, it becomes our responsibility to deliberately illuminate them. It is our duty to hear and read their stories, to learn about their influence on our culture, to join their efforts to resist.
This Must Be The Place
Growing up in the ’90's, people would just come over. There was no “text first” impending social doom. It was a knock on the front door, or a familiar voice shouting through an open window, “Hey-o, anyone home?”
Spring into Reading!
Spring is in the air, and I can feel its joy and renewal seeping back into my days. As a kid, spring meant the return of fun outdoor activities, including my favorite family ritual: picnics with books. We would lie on the newly warmed earth and read together for hours!
Nevertheless, She Persisted
For hundreds of years, women all over the globe suffered severe oppression under the thumb of the patriarchy embedded in societal norms and institutions. In 1920, under the 9th Amendment, women won their long-fought right to vote.