Simple Meals + Honest Book Reviews + Practical Living
Right now is a great time of the year to walk around your home with a trash bag and a donation bag, and just go to town. The new year energy is fresh, and strong, and sometimes just powering through an hour long declutter session can make a world of difference.
Monday holidays always throw off my entire week. I don’t know. It just does. It was a really fun filled week, lots of snow showers, though it’s a bit too warm to accumulate into actual snow. We had lots of hot chocolate, and great adventures. I’m giving this week a B- for meal planning.
As the year wrapped up, I realized just how much reading I managed to fit into life with a baby and three young kids. I set a very modest goal of 30 books — and ended the year around 72.
To close out 2023, here are 23 standout reads, spanning fiction, thrillers, romance, and nonfiction. These are not ranked — just books I truly loved.
For our December book club, I’m thrilled to share a truly thoughtful and beautiful novel: The Collected Regrets of Clover by Mikki Brammer. I’ll admit—at first glance, the subject matter might feel heavy. This is a fictional story centered around a death doula, her work, and her personal life. But I hope you won’t let that deter you. This book is poignant, inspiring, and deeply life-affirming in the most unexpected way. 🤍
