Words by Allyson

1. The Widow by John Grisham - I've read a lot of Grisham and this was far and away the most disappointing one I've ever read. Stick to his older stuff and don't waste your time on this one.

2. The Ending Writes Itself by Evelyn Clarke - I went to see the authors on tour for this book when they came to town, and I was very excited to pick it up! I definitely enjoyed it, but read the reviews before picking it up. Some people were very disappointed, but I was not one of them. Part publishing critique, part murder mystery. Lots more death than I was expecting, but I had a good time.

1. East of Eden by John Steinbeck - I think I mentioned here that one of my goals this year is to read more big books since I typically avoid them. I purchased East of Eden years ago in a thrift store and it's been collecting dust on my shelf for years until this month. I was on the fence at the beginning, but by the end I really loved it. There were so many things that made me stop and think, lines that I'll remember. I think this one will stick with me.

2. Vengeful by VE Schwab - This was a reread, and most of it on an airplane from London to DC. I own the UK edition of the first book in the series, Vicious, and grabbed the second book as. souvenir for my trip. It's been several years since I read it and figured a reread would be nice since the final book in the series comes out later this year. Loved it just as much the second time, but fair warning that this one is rather brutal. In fact, I'm surprised I like it given how dark & violent the story is. But Schwab gets me every time - I love basically everything she writes. Eagerly waiting for Victorious.

1. Wyrd Sisters by Terry Pratchett - This was our book club book and it was simply not for me. It's sort of a Shakespeare spoof and I found myself just wishing I was reading Shakespeare instead (which I know is pretentious but I am who I am). There were moments that made my chuckle, but mostly it was a slog for me.

2. The Happy Life of Isadora Bentley by Courtney Walsh - My friend Emily recommended this and it was exactly what I needed after the previous book! I listened to it rather quickly and it was really cute. I've already recommended it to someone else who I think would love it. I'm always a sucker for a sweet romance book.

3. No More Tears: The Dark Secrets of Johnson & Johnson by Gardiner Harris - This is our book club choice for next month, so I got ahead and read it early. It was really interesting and I've been thinking about it a lot, but I do have some criticisms. There are parts that really dragged and that get so bogged down in the science that I would lose the point he was making. Still, it made me sad at some points and angry at others. It's not a shock that a large corporation doesn't always have a compass that points north, but I do wish it wasn't so.

4. The Will of the Many by James Islington - I absolutely loved this. It's much longer than books I normally read so it took me a while to get through, but it wasn't for lack of interest. It's a fantasy novel and I was completely sucked in after the first few chapters. A really creative and interesting magic system, an absolute gem of a main character, and a school setting - couldn't be better. Book 2 is already out, but I think I'm going to give it a month or two before reading just to savor this one a little longer. Highly recommend!

Last Saturday, I took my first ever trip to City of Fairfax Regional Library.

This library is MASSIVE. It felt like it just kept going and going as I wandered around and explored all of the sections. There's a quiet room in the very back but all throughout there are dozens of desks, tables, and armchairs to work or sit and read. And once you've seen the first floor, you can wander upstairs to the Virginia Room with archival records--books, manuscripts, photographs, maps, birth & death records--detailing the history of Fairfax County. I loved wandering around this branch.

The new arrivals section at the front was the largest I've ever seen, and I found as I wandered the stacks that this branch had more of the buzzy titles available than the branches near me (both new arrivals and those in the regular stacks). There were Korean, Spanish, and Vietnamese sections as well as a dedicated section for English language learning. The children's section is right at the front and it was this busiest on this particular day.

The bathrooms were not the most updated, but they were still clean.

The only drawback was the parking garage. There was plenty of spaces, but the garage was very narrow and a bit difficult to navigate. They have a drive thru book drop, but you have to drive all way up the parking garage...which feels a bit like it negates the convenience of "drive thru" to me, but maybe others would disagree. Also the elevator was extremely slow - I will be taking the stairs next time.

Overall, this was an absolute delight, and I will certainly be back. 10/10.

On President's Day, I went to the National Gallery and swung by the gallery where all of the Gilbert Stuart portraits of the presidents hang. It felt appropriate.

I loved this article about reading whole books. Some of my most precious reading experiences were assigned reading from my teachers and professors.

I've had this whole album on repeat for the last week.

I've been loving the Olympics this year. I don't usually get this into the winter games, but something about this year has me completely hooked even on events I don't usually watch. I actually gasped watching USA women's hockey win gold today.

Alison Roman always, but especially for a cozy winter meal.

A couple of weeks ago, before the DC area was covered in ice, I went to the Renwick Gallery for their exhibition State Fairs: Growing American Craft and it did no disappoint. I heard about it because of the cow--a life-sized cow carved out of butter that has certainly got the most publicity from the show. I needed to see the butter cow.

The exhibition covers all categories of craft—quilting and other fiber arts, basketry, ceramics, leatherworking, and more—from all across the US. The works were most often created by women and were on a spectrum from hobbyists to professionals. One prize-winning quilt was made by a 13-year-old girl, and across the room another was submitted by a woman in her 90s. 

As a hobby enthusiast myself, I was deeply inspired by the artistry and enthusiasm in each of the works. It made an impression on me, and I've been thinking about it ever since. Hope these are as inspiring to you as they are to me.