A Last-Minute Bookish Gift Guide: Perfect Presents, Without Blowing Your Budget at Barnes and Noble

Here's an uncomfortable truth I've observed about the world: we're only few days away from Christmas Eve, and for many, there's still a lot of panicked, last minute shopping to be done. 

Listen, you were preoccupied, you didn't prepare, and now, every parking lot you enter is a warzone. Stepping through the doors of Target, at this point, could be classified as reckless endangerment of self and sanity. This is not the time for donning rose-colored glasses alongside your gay apparel; instead, this is crunch time, and lest you be the one who gets crunched, you need to find a good present ASAP. The good news is, be it a Work Secret Santa, a Family White Elephant, or what have you, there's always joy to be found in delivering a new book-shaped present to the pile under the tree. 

And yet, here's an additional wrinkle: the damn things are certainly getting expensive these days, aren't they? I recently fell into a bit of a quandary while shopping for my brother, and realized that one of the titles I had been planning on picking up from B&N was currently going for over $40 in hardcover. While sliding a new freshly-printed set of titles off of the shelves might be easy, it certainly isn't cheap. 

The good news is, there's something we can do about that. In fact, by combining a new recently-procured read with a few other budget-friendly and easy-to-find basic pieces, not only does your bookish present come across as thoughtful and deliberate, but they'll never know how many parking lot brushes with death you avoided to do it. 

Consider the following method: 

A GREAT BOOK + A BUDGET-FRIENDLY BOOSTER + A FUN CONSUMABLE

Note: I understand why some people don't like combining multiple presents in one package. In the words of one of the family's most-quoted seasonally-appropriate SNL music videos of all time (which is now, horrifyingly enough, seven years old), you might think that "that just makes each gift seem smaller and dumb." But to be fair, maybe you want to repay a special amount of kindness this year, or maybe you're dealing with someone who has a tendency to get extravagant with their generosity... and besides, I'm not advocating for buying two gifts. I'm saying go for three!

1. first, focus on a great read

First of all, we need to pick out a Really Good Book, one that you know they're going to enjoy. 

Consider how to best select a great bookish present (in a very sneaky way):

• Ask them what some of their goals are for 2024... a really good friend would want to help them achieve those goals! Are they looking to try their hand at penning some words of their own in the new year? Try Stephen King's On Writing. What about spending more time in the kitchen? A cookbook or piece of food writing could be really beneficial here. Want to explore more classics? Pick out one of your favorites, one you know will hold their attention. Use your own experience, but don't be afraid to look up a good list of recommendations or two. Just try to make sure you're aligning with what they've got envisioned for themselves! 
• Check out their home shelves, especially their favorite genres. For best practices, you should probably have an idea of what they have and haven't read already - if only so you can avoid buying a duplicate of something they already own - but it can also tell you what they gravitate towards naturally. For instance, if they've got every single copy in the Murderbot series, then you've got a decent sense they might appreciate Martha Wells' latest release, Witch King, or something like Becky Chambers' Monk and Robot series. 
• Think about ebooks and audiobooks: not every likes reading on ink and paper! Maybe they've got a long commute that lends itself to an engaging audiobook, or maybe they live in a small space that can't accommodate a ton of shelf room. Amazon or Spotify giftcards may ensure they actually use your present in a way that works for them! An easy way to "upgrade" it, of course, is to accompany it with a list of recommendations that you think they might want to look at when they're thinking about how to spend it. 
• Casually ask them to tag along, and help you pick out a present for someone else. While you're doing your own "browsing" watch carefully for what they pick up and put down. If there's something they mention or focus on in particular, something that grabs their attention, you know what to do! 
• And here's the big alternative: ask your friend what kind of reading year they've been having in 2023: if there's something in particular that's been keeping them from reading lately, it might not be the year for a bookish present; maybe something like a Hello Fresh delivery or a homemade "in-house babysitting" coupon would help them enjoy some reading time, more than just another book sitting on their shelf! 

2. something they can reuse + a treat to up the ante

Once you've got your book in hand, it's time to put it together with a few budget pieces that will really make the package perfect. By including something they can reuse time and again, you guarantee that your present has some mileage on it, and with a fun consumable accompanying alongside, they can start enjoying your gift as soon as they open it! 

For instance, lets say your best friend's favorite kind of coffee talk is dishing about The Great British Baking Show, and she can't stop pointing out all of the butter-related Christmas ornaments that all seemed to hit stores this year. Naturally, you've decided to pick her up a copy of one of Paul Hollywood's cookbooks, like Bake, or maybe you grabbed something penned by a past contestant, like Ruby Tandoh's Cook As You Are, or Nadiya Bakes by Nadiya Hussain. What next? 

Well, stopping by a HomeGoods or chef supply store could easily add to the conversation, with something like a large mixing bowl, a set of kitchen towels, a cutting board, or interesting cake tins. Rolling pins and spatulas are typically in pretty good supply, and the same goes for cookie cutters. Then, all you have to do is swing by the local grocer and pick up a pretty baking mix, or favorite ingredient - nice baking chocolates are always appreciated, but you could also try a pretty jam or even just a slightly nicer-than-normal bag of flour -  and voila! You've got a great set of ingredients for a very happy afternoon spent in the kitchen. 

Or lets say you've got a real Romance reader on your hands. Sure, you could just walk down the mass market paperback aisle at your local Fred Meyer with your arm outstretched, and aim for anything with a brightly-colored color block illustration on the cover... but chances are, if you give a girl a Romance, she's going to need at least one or two favorite beverages to enjoy it with. What about a set of pretty thrifted wine glasses or champagne flutes, and a great bottle of something to sip on? If she's a Historical Romance girl, a set of gorgeous thrifted teacup-and-saucer combos and a box of her favorite tea go together like the leads in your favorite Tessa Dare or Eloisa James story. 

Someone who lives and dies by their latest Self Help obsession - think bullet journals, 5am wakeup calls, and reformer Pilates - might appreciate yet another paradigm shift before the new year. James Clear's Atomic Habits is a best seller for a reason, but they might have picked that one up already; look for displays nearby to guide you into what titles generated some buzz this year, or has people looking forward to 2024. A thrifted crock and a new bag of coffee beans, or maybe a thrifted mug and a sampler set of coffee syrups would definitely give this present some pizazz, but something like a fresh, pretty notebook and a can or two of their favorite energy drink works just as well: whatever will help inspire them to start generating their next life upgrade! 

The list could go on and on, really. Your favorite fast-paced Thriller or bone-chilling Horror from this year would pair perfectly with a cozy blanket and a chocolate bar to keep them toasty while things get tense; a buzzy new celebrity memoir - what about those published this year, from Britney Spears and Paris Hilton? - would go great with a new pair of fun sunglasses and some bubblegum to chew. Why not get your Fantasy reader some unique thrifted glassware (aka, goblets and decanters, which I always find while shopping secondhand!) and pair it with one of their favorite sodas? The list goes on and on. 

The point is, of course, that you make the whole thing feel like an experience in itself. It's not just the book, but the environment you create around the book... and besides, this way, even if that title ends up getting a two-star review on Goodreads, your friend still ends up with something cool they can reuse, and when's the last time you turned up your nose at a tasty treat? 

3. don't have time to think that hard? just go with the bookish vibes

Listen, I get it: the last minute always isn't the best time to think creatively. Sometimes, you just need a guaranteed win, something that doesn't require combing the thrift store's homewares section or a Target snack aisle for just the perfect touch. 

Here are a few easy ideas for pieces that can amplify every bookish present: 

• a snack pack, with something salty, something sweet, something crunchy, and/or something chewy, for them to enjoy while making their way through a new stack of books!
• a container of their favorite hot chocolate brand, preferably with marshmallows or peppermint sprinkles alongside!
• a big ol' candle for them to light to set the mood while they're reading. Bonus points if you manage to make it match the book cover! 
• fuzzy socks or slippers. It is a truth universally acknowledged that whether you're playing video games, watching a movie, or reading a book, that your feet are going to get cold. Everyone could use some cozy toes!
• a new journal or notebook, especially when paired with a set of really good pens!

4. make it personal

If you've managed to read this far in this blogpost - or if you've somehow made it out into the Target parking lot with all of your bags, extremities, and sanity intact - then chances are its because you really care about the person who will be on the receiving end of this present. It never hurts to tell them that sort of thing yourself! 

Regardless of what book you buy them, or what you're stashing into your cart alongside, I think it's always a great idea to write a card, too. Listen, you've already established that you're shopping for a reader; why wouldn't they want to read what you might have to say, too? Just a few brief sentences about why they are important to you, and why you chose that particular book out for them, will really make your gift feel special and deliberate.

It's the thought that counts, and when you're putting this much care and attention into giving someone a present, it will undoubtably be one of the most meaningful things they find under the tree this year. 

(Never mind the fact that you waited until the night before Christmas to wrap it.)

Are you done shopping for everyone on your list? What's your favorite present you've purchased for someone this year? Let me know, in the comments below!

Travel Reading Log: What I Read While I Was in Victoria, BC

Hey, remember January? So fresh, so new, so full of hope? It feels like just yesterday... but it certainly wasn't, based on the alarming rate at which April is approaching. Where did the time go? 

Probably lost on yet another one of the vacations I keep tagging along on with my parents. 

Yes, it's been a month since my last installment here on the blog, and it somehow comes in the wake of yet another travel excursion with my family unit.

Lest anyone accuse me of serial-hopping on my parents' tickets, you should know I was specifically invited this time: as much as my college senior brother loves both of them, he wasn't as into the idea of a weekend spent in a foreign country without at least one more buddy with whom to travel. And it just happened to work out. Well, for me, at least... he was the one who got stuck on the pull-out bed in the hotel room. I got one of the two queen beds all to myself. 

So, the four of us sailed away to Canada in order to seek a different shade of grey skies, in the midst of a gloomy PNW March. Don't think I was venturing off without some reading material stuffed into my backpack: after all, Victoria is home to plenty of bookstores. I wasn't all that interested in getting caught in a vulnerable state of mind, thanks to this year's self-imposed book ban! 

The goals of the trip were thusly laid out: Don't leave my brother behind in Canada, and definitely try to finish at least one book. 

Where We Went: Victoria, BC

Victoria, in the Canadian province of British Columbia, makes for an easy weekend jaunt over the border, for those of us who hail from Washington state. In fact, it's less than a three-hour boat ride on one of the Victoria Clipper vessels, a comfortable and leisurely sailing from Pier 69 in Seattle. For those willing to make the drive out to Port Angeles, it's only a ninety-minute ride on the Coho Ferry, which means you can even take your car with you when you go. 

Not that you really need to: one of the best parts of the city is how completely walkable it is, with a waterfront, downtown area, and plenty of fascinating places to explore, all within an accessible distance, and with plenty of options for lodging! Numerous forms of transportation provide the filler for any gaps in your travel needs, like CVS Tours' regular daily stops at Butchart Gardens, or their Hop-On-Hop-Off Bus. There's a series of small pickle boats you can take around the Harbor, courtesy of Harbor Ferry, who will putter you around to where you need to go. Pretty much every hotel you stay at will either have or be able to point you towards a bike rental service, and the roads are specifically equipped to handle bikers. That's not even mentioning Victoria's own public transport systems, either!

Because it's such an easy trip from stateside, you might forget you're in another country at all, save for two defining factors: one, you will almost never have wifi, unless you're willing to park yourself in the lobby of your hotel for an honor of social media scrolling, and two, the proliferation of large bear, beaver, and maple leaf iconography everywhere tells you you're definitely in Canada. 

Thanks to everything from architecture, to local eateries, to tourist souvenirs, Victoria is also fairly reminiscent of Europe, thanks to its British heritage. Expect lots of references to the monarchy, both historical and kitschy, as well as plenty of shops boasting treats from abroad: full English breakfasts and British candies, tea collections created in honor of the late queen, and more. Traditional Scottish wool sweaters, and lots of statues will remind you that British Columbia was originally a British colony, before joining the Canadian Federation in 1871, nearly 100 years after the first American colonies had declared independence. 

My trip to Victoria in 2018 made for my first-ever excursion out of the country, and my second-ever off of American mainland soil. This trip would be the second time I had ever set foot in Canada, which was the same for my brother, only with slightly different baggage: the first time he had ever ventured out of the country was during a soaking-wet, miserable week-and-a-half trip through the Bowron Lakes Circuit, also in British Columbia, with other Boy Scouts. Beset by mosquitos, occasionally orbited by wildlife, and constantly weighing the fear that he and my Dad were never going to make it home, BC hadn't exactly made a sterling impression on him during that particular trip. 

He liked Victoria a lot better. 

Embarking on the Clipper on the port out of Seattle; the views from Ogden Point Breakwater, one of my favorite morning walks of the trip; some of the themed city signage in Chinatown, near Fan Tan Alley

What I Packed

I honestly wasn't expecting to read so much this trip: based on my previous experiences in Victoria, I kind of anticipated more wearing myself out than anything. Besides, the hotel had a pool! 

Still, it wouldn't make any sense to come unprepared. And as it turns out, it was totally necessary! 

The one I hadn't finished since last vacation: Sixteen Ways to Defend a Walled City, K. J. Parker

The easy novella, from a series my brother and I read together: Across the Green Grass Fields (Wayward Children #6), Seanan McGuire 

The bonus: My Kindle... on which I still have quite a few Romance novels waiting to be read! 

What I Actually Ended Up Reading

After several weeks of avoiding the challenge of tackling this frustrating read - one that I had originally started on our last vacation, on Whidbey -  I finally finished Sixteen Ways to Defend a Walled City! Unfortunately, all of the issues I had with the book in the first place, continued to play just as much a part in the second half; however, with the commitment I just wanted to get through it so I could review it properly, I was able to consistently read over the first day or so of our vacation, finishing up the morning of Day Two. 

Am I stoked about the fact that I had to essentially force myself to read this book? No, not exactly pleased. The problem is, it was a very good book, that made such bizarre authors choices and carried such questionable themes that the further I got into the story just made me angrier... at least if it had been bad, I could have put the whole thing to the side. Instead, I'm planning on writing a full review on just this one book, something I haven't done in years! 

In my post-Sixteen Ways upset, I felt like I practically soared through Across the Green Grass Fields. It barely took me any time at all, maybe a cumulative two hours of reading, because it was both a novella and not exactly difficult, which made me feel incredibly accomplished being able to pass it on to my younger brother on the trip back home on Day Three. A good thing, too, because it's an installment in a series that both he and I read, but based on the fact that I'm such a mood reader, something he's stuck, stagnant, in line to read until after I've finished each title first. 

(Listen: as a conservative estimate, I purchase or recommend this kid a minimum of eight-to-ten books a year. It's just that he had the misfortune to join this particular series after I had called a fair-and-square dibs, plus I was the one to lend him the first three installments. He can have a little patience about it.) 

He was relieved to get the title from me, and had finished it as well, before Spring Break was over and he had to go back to school. 

Being that I had somehow managed to finish two books before the three-hours-without-wifi boat ride had even begun chugging its way back home, I wasn't exactly willing to let go of my momentum yet. Thank goodness I had ended up packing that Kindle! I ended up deciding to finish Bromance Book Club, which I had already managed to get 10% of the way into during my "Speed Dating my Kindle Romances" back in February, last month. 

Isn't it nice when a book kind of meets your expectations? I was very nearly done by the time we had docked back in Washington, and had it not been such an exhausting weekend, I probably would have had the whole thing wrapped up with a bow on it before my head hit a pillow. As it stood, I ended up finishing the final stretch of it before 9am the next morning, which I'm calling as having counted. 

So, on the vacation I hadn't really envisioned reading on, I ended up closing out three titles, in about three days.

What Else We Did

Not that I hadn't kept myself incredibly busy, of course! It truly was just the luck of having downtime. After all, you have to have something to do when your screaming feet are trying to monopolize your attention. 

There's really just so much to take your attention in Victoria. 

For starters, I toured a whole lot of bookstores, for someone who truly has no good reason for doing so (Curse you, Book Buying Ban of 2023.)

Bastion Books, so named for its proximity to Bastion Square downtown, is a sweet, small bookstore that couldn't be more than two rooms wide, filled with secondhand, predominantly vintage books. My brother, the musician, managed to zero in on some old-school reference books that he recognized from his use in his own scholarly pursuits, while my Dad was interested in looking at the pieces of art that occupied various corners of the store, clearly created by those who loved books as well. It reminded me of a pocket-sized version of a hometown favorite, Kings Books, in which there is always something old to be made new again. 

Munro's Books, a picturesque, Instagram-friendly, and well-lit bookstore - built out of what used to be a bank - truly ranks among the more beautiful bookstores I've ever visited, though it seems that's a pretty general consensus: the place is typically packed with other interested book lovers, which can make some of its less linearly-organized shelves a bit of a practice in politeness, while contending with the crowd around you. It carries both plenty of bestsellers and new releases, mixed up with genre selections you've never heard of before, as well as gorgeous notebooks and knickknacks to add to your collection. It reminds me a lot of Elliot Bay Bookstore in Seattle, with its ample windows bringing in natural light, and well-curated shelves. While there's no coffee shop here, though, you can easily maneuver your purchases over to Murchie's Tea next door for a cuppa. 

Russell Books - a bit of a longer walk away from Government Street than your other options - was hands-down the family fave. And I know it's an incomplete comparison, but personally, it reminded me of Powell's City of Books in Portland, on two counts: for starters, it's completely unassuming on the outside, only to reveal a behemoth (two stories! with an escalator!) on the inside, and second of all, it had really, truly wonderful prices. This was the bookstore that very nearly broke me! I have pictures saved on my phone of at least seven different titles that I'm still planning of looking up later, closer to my Bloggoversary, once I get my purchasing power back. For both cheap prices and a great selection, Russell Books is an unskippable star. Do yourself an absolute favor, and schedule both Russell Books and the very nearby Cactus Club Cafe into one afternoon.

Because of course, while visiting what has become one of my personal favorite vacation destinations, we weren't just there to read and browse bookstores... we came to eat.  

Cactus Club Cafe won my sibling and I over on our last trip, thanks to its banging guacamole and the promise of frozen rose... frose, to use the appropriate parlance. Unfortunately for us, both items had vacated the menu by the time I managed to go back. Thankfully, though, damn near everything else my brother, parents, and I ordered off the menu was absolutely delicious! The drinks were gorgeous, the appetizers were absolute stunners - the chicken lettuce wraps and the beef carpaccio being crowd favorites - and my Dad and my brother both adored the mashed potatoes that came with their steaks. If it weren't for the dead-set plan on picking up some Beavertails before we headed back to our hotels, we probably would have stayed even longer... the mood lighting, club music, and friendly waitstaff make for a very fun nighttime locations. They also have some of my favorite bathrooms I've ever used, but that's beside the point. 

We also made the triumphant return to another favorite from our last trip: The Fish Store, located out on the docks of Fisherman's Wharf. Not only is it cool to tour some of the nearby houseboats, but the various food retailers on this floating network of docks are absolutely worth the walk to get there. While prices might have gone up a little bit since the last time we visited, my Dad and I are still enthusiastic supporters of The Fish Store's from-the-sea-fresh selection of oysters, which you can purchase at $36 Canadian dollars for a full dozen, with 25% off between the hours of 4 and 5pm. Eventually I will actually try something non-oyster-related on their menu... but then again, why deny yourself the joy of fresh oysters? 

Other absolute can't-miss attractions: Butchart Gardens, accessible via a short, 35-minute-hither-and-thither bus ride, which boasts a number of gorgeously-appointed gardens, as well as a gelato stand, coffee shop, and restaurant; and Beacon Hill Park, a sprawling, green public park oasis that contains numerous walking trails, ponds, and more ducks-per-square-foot than anywhere else I've ever visited... and even a petting zoo that allows you to get up front and personal with goats for only a $6 donation!

On one hand, I feel like I could have stayed there another week without getting bored. There were plenty of things we didn't really get to do there this trip that I absolutely loved last time - like spending more time at the Royal BC Museum, which was under serious construction, or taking high tea somewhere like the Fairmont Empress - and of course I had another hundred or so restaurants lined up that would have made for some good eating. On the other, there's only so much time you can spend in a hotel room with both parents and a college-aged brother without feeling at least a little stir-crazy, so I was pretty happy to venture back to Washington when we did. 

The good news is, this pretty much guarantees a return trip sometime in my future! After all, I still haven't gotten to see any of the nearby castles you can tour, nor have we made it over to Victoria West. It's nice to know that there's more waiting for me, the next time we go back. 

Though honestly, I'd do it just for the oysters. 

Have you ever been to Victoria, BC? Does it sound like the kind of place you'd like to visit? Which bookstore would you choose to shop at? Let me know, in the comments below!

Travel Reading Log: What I Read While I Was On Whidbey

Well, we're two months into the new year, and if there's any Resolution I've been totally delivering on, it's "Get out of the house more." Not necessarily by my own volition, but regardless: I'm nailing it. 

As for last weekend's excursion, the reasoning boils down to this: one of my younger siblings wanted the house all to themselves, in order to celebrate their birthday weekend with friends. My Mom jumped at the opportunity to get away for the weekend, and check out one of the many exciting vacation destinations around the Pacific Northwest. Originally we were planning a little Cannon Beach excursion down on the Oregon coast, but after VRBO prices proved prohibitive and my ceaseless begging to take a ferry ride won out, the date was settled: I packed a bag and some hiking boots, and scooted off to the Whidbey waterfront for a little island time. 

For those keeping score, this is actually the second vacation of my parents' that I've crashed so far this year: the three of us stayed an overnight in a haunted castle in Port Townsend back in January. (Which made for some pre-ferry-boarding shopping this time around, because we already knew which stores we liked best!)

This time, though, I was venturing off with an intention: there was no way I was getting out of this weekend without finishing at LEAST two reads under my belt! In particular, I wanted to wrap up a book I've been wandering through for a while, take out another from the Big Box of Paranormal Romance, and just generally get some reading time back that I've been missing out on for the past few weeks. 

Where We Went: Whidbey Island

Whidbey Island one of the longest, skinniest members of the San Juan Islands, and the largest overall island in Washington State. It is primarily accessible by way of several ferry systems through places like Port Townsend and Mukilteo, or driving around to Deception Pass at the Northern tip of the island. It's also home to several towns, including Langley, Oak Harbor, and Coupeville.

Whidbey seems to have something for just about every Birkenstock-and-sock-wearing PNW traveler. For instance, area farms produce plenty of produce, meat products, and more, and the island boasts a great many farmer's markets, which makes it a regular destination for locavores. It serves as a home to multiple wineries, breweries, and even a cider house, which is why it's considering an exciting tasting destination. Old growth forests, multiple protected state parks, and miles of coastline - each with their own diverse and exciting flora and fauna - make it a playground for nature lovers. It's waterfront views and friendly locals make it a great place to just get away from it all and relax. 

It's a popular destination during the summer for what are surely obvious reasons, but there was plenty to do during February, as well! Sure, the ice cream shops may still be shut up for another month, but we explored cool shops, dined at some truly lovely restaurants, and yes, of course, did an awful lot of reading. Or, at least, I did! 

A row of colorful stores in Langley, the view from the Coupeville wharf, and a Little Free Library we found while exploring!

What I Packed

The one I had to finish: Best American Food Writing 2020, ed. J. Kenji Lopez-Alt

The next in my Paranormal Romance Reading Challenge: Bustin', Minda Webber

The one I want to pass on to my brother when I'm done: Sixteen Ways to Defend a Walled City, K. J. Parker

and an extra romance novel on my Kindle for good measure, of course! 

Is it a lot of books? Yes. But should this have surprised anyone? In fact, it did the opposite, if you're my mom: in the car on the drive over, she and my Dad played a speed round of guessing "How Many Books Did Savannah Bring for This Weekend?" Not only did she immediately guess the correct number, but she even nailed my rationalization for bringing four books, as well, saying, "Well, one is for Friday night, and one is for Saturday morning, and one is for Saturday evening, and one is for Sunday, before we leave!" 

Did I manage to make it that far into my optimistic TBR? Not exactly. Still, I maintain that this is the appropriate number of books for a weekend excursion. 

What I Actually Ended Up Reading

I finally finished reading the second half of Best American Food Writing 2020 on Friday night, and immediately found some new all-time favorites. I've been a dedicated fan of the Food Writing series for a while now, and they make for some of my favorite secondhand or discount finds (that being said, I think I've exhausted almost all of my backlist resources now, and am two away from being fully caught up). 

This installment, in particular, made for some of the most compelling selections of the entire series so far: while the articles published within were all written within the 2019 food writing year, they were selected and organized at the top of the pandemic, and that divide - between who we were, and what would very quickly become important to us - makes for some seriously compelling subtext. I don't want to get too much into it before I publish an official review, but it made for some of my favorite food writing in recent memory. And that's not just because of the really stunning article about the questionable history of crab rangoon. 

I rocketed through Bustin' in just about one sitting, on Saturday afternoon. To be fair: the weather was incredibly cold, windy, and rainy for pretty much the full weekend - we are in February, in Washington, after all - which made it incredibly easy to curl up in front of the fire with a blanket and a good book for about a four-hour stretch.

The book itself was less easy, for reasons I'll get into later, when I officially review this read underneath the umbrella of my Paranormal Romance Reading Challenge. Not to tease you or anything, but this ended up being a much more cerebrally-tasking excursion than originally anticipated, and one that I pretty much subjected my parents to reading along with me, as I kept having to stop and incredulously read selections out loud. (I also ended up winging off several excerpts to my horrified brother via text.)

Due to various components of the novel itself, it took a lot longer to read than I had originally anticipated. It's a good thing that we were trapped inside because of that winter weather: being that I was caught between the February rain and a *ahem* hard place, the only thing keeping me going was with a strict reading schedule. 

I read halfway through Sixteen Ways to Defend a Walled City on Saturday night. 

Who would have thought that a relatively linear medieval-style alternative universe, wherein a walled city is being besieged by intelligent and unrelenting pirates, defended only by the various military strategies orchestrated by one ornery engineer, would make for such a compelling vacation read? 

After working so hard to get through Bustin' - and with the completion of Food Writing 2020 so recently on the backburner - I was already happy with the amount of reading I'd done for the weekend, but wanted to get at least a little of the way into a new one before heading out the following morning. Needless to say, one chapter turned to two, until it was 11pm and I was ready for bed, but not exactly ready to put the book down just yet. 

(Spoiler alert: in the time since, I haven't quite finished the novel, because I've spent a little too much time looking at Goodreads reviews for it... and I took a look at the final chapter, because I was getting anxious about how it all would end. Yes, yes, I can hear your booing from here! It was a series of total mistakes on my part, that have kind of stalled me in picking up again since then... but believe it or not, I'm still planning on finishing it!)

What Else We Did

I know I mentioned the amount of rain we got while on the island, but I truly believe that had we not spent so much time driving around beautiful trees, checking out tourist shops, and eating at such delicious restaurants, I might have been able to get even more reading done! 

My Dad bemoaned one morning this week, after we'd made it home, that sometimes, it feels like the vacations we take are really just food tourist weekends, and honestly, he's not that far off the mark (At least for me it is!). Unsurprisingly, there were a few restaurants we really loved on the island, that I would absolutely be willing to make a return trip to in the future. 

Saltwater, in Langley, is a higher-end dining establishment specializing in - you guessed it - seafood, and was our sought-after table for Friday night. They don't take reservations, so make sure you have someone in your party go in about a half-hour before you'd like to be seated, and use your waiting time to walk around some of the local shops, or snag a glass of wine or two at Ott & Hunter across the street.

It's definitely on the pricier side, but for me - someone who prizes seafood above all else, and rarely ever gets it - it was well worth it to splurge on the seafood tower, which came with a half-crab, the largest shrimp I'd ever seen, and twelve oysters (and you choose the variety). Split between three people, it made for delicious fare, that really made me get into the waterfront vibes that Whidbey is known for. 

The Braeburn Restaurant, also in Langley, boasts one of the highest-regarded breakfast+lunch+brunch lineups on the island. The overall vibe was bright and welcoming, and the drinkware was an eclectic mix of stylized water glasses and mugs that look like they were picked up at a nearby thrift store. 

The food is amply portioned and absolutely delicious: faves included the breakfast bread pudding, and the "Braeburn" sandwich, which consisted of a fried chicken breast suspended between two waffles, complete with bacon jam, goat cheese, and maple butter to go alongside. Definitely one of those places where you can't help checking out the plates being delivered to other diners as they walk through the dining room... one of my best friends calls it one of her favorite places to eat on the island! 

Of course, there are plenty of other local faves to check out for take-with-you goodies; most notably, delicious breakfast pastries, super-sweet truffles, and one of the best pies my parents have ever tasted. 

Little Red Hen Bakery, in Coupeville, has shelves upon shelves of delicious baked goods ready for pickup on a Saturday morning... literally. If you place an order by Thursday evening on their website, they'll have a full box of goodies ready for you to enjoy with your Saturday coffee, without having to battle it out against the rest of the island for the last kouign-amann or ham and cheese scone. We went into the store on Saturday afternoon - to procure any treats for our pre-ferry breakfast the following morning - and were surprised to see they were still pretty well-stocked, especially when it comes into their fragile-yet-delicious croissants (Both chocolate and almond are delicious). 

Greenbank Farm is heralded as the home of Whidbey Pies, which are known across the Puget Sound area for their flavorful, sturdy crusts, and fresh fruit fillings. In the summer, its grassy picnic areas, dog park, and solar farm probably make for a good afternoon's exploring; even in the rain, we still found time to drift through the wine tasting room, the cheese shop, and yes, pick up a pie. We'd recommend Loganberry: Greenbank Farms was once the largest loganberry farm in the world! (And we even picked up some loganberry dessert wine from the tasting shop, too.) 

Sweet Mona's Chocolates, in Langley, made for a seriously sweet outing, too. Tucked inside the colorful shop was a selection of delicious truffles, as well as other kinds of treats, like honeycomb, fudge, and more. We ended up putting together a box of twelve to take home, in flavors like cherry amaretto, banana, and more, and we've been using them as an afternoon pick-me-up all week! 

Of course, there are plenty of cool non-food-related things to do on the island, too. Local stores make for some low-key shopping destinations while you're in town. 

In particular, Coupeville was where I found some of my favorites: Kingfisher Bookstore is a gorgeous, well-organized bookstore, with plenty on offer for those interested in the history of the Puget Sound, as well as buzzy new releases, classic faves, and even displays created to celebrate local authors. 

For someone who's always on the hunt for their next great arts-and-craft supplies, Meet Market made for some very cool perusing, as well as some happy conversation with the person manning the front desk. Not only are there plenty of supplies to check out, but there's also a few tables set up with plenty of others, as a community art space! My Dad spent the time I dedicated to browsing making an origami frog out of some scrap paper, and left it as a thank you for such a wonderful space. I, of course, walked away with a new set of Tombow brush pens (in the "Retro" color collection), a pack of new pencils, a new white gelly roll pen, and some stickers for my siblings.

Soon enough, though, the weekend was over, and we headed on a ferry back to the mainland. I'm pretty stoked on how many books I managed to fit into our all-too-brief stay, but I'm honestly just as excited about all of the seafood, fresh air, and time next to the water we got, for all of that rain we had to contend with. I can't wait to make another return trip to Whidbey soon!

But there's a whole lot of other travel that has to take place before we get there again...

Have you spent much time on Whidbey Island? What are some of your favorite genres to pack on a weekend trip? Let me know, in the comments below!

All the Words I Googled While Reading Jane Eyre: an Argument for Learning Fun Words

I had made it approximately four chapters in, before I found myself stymied. Now this one, I know, I thought to myself, puzzling over the text, but I don't know if I really know it. Was it worth knowing something halfway, and moving on... or satisfying my curiosity, and getting into the specifics? 

Curiosity won out, and I put aside the book, to quickly Google what, exactly, "moiety" meant again. 

According to the search engine's first entry, a "moiety" is a noun, expressing a part or portion of a larger whole, and more specifically, the lesser share or value. Jane, unfortunately, was being robbed of the greater amount of her already meager portions of Lowood School's daily provisions, set upon by older students more used to Brocklehurst's stingy treatments, and being left with only a fraction. 

Had I known this, in a general sense? Yes. I mean, from context clues, you could probably have divined yourself a course towards the idea that only receiving a "moiety" was something bad. Could it have meant "crumbs," or "remains," or something similarly communicating the paltriness of the meal? Yes. But it wouldn't be the same.

One of the fun parts of learning new vocabulary, is the ability to get specific. 

acrimony (noun) - bitterness, resentment, scorn, or other form of persistent ill-feeling between parties.

ameliorate (verb) - to remedy a situation or circumstance; to make something bad, better. 

antipodes (noun) - referring to something's expressed or polar opposite. Because this book was written in England, the phrase was colloquially used to refer to allied places in the Southern Hemisphere, specifically Australia and New Zealand, as "The Antipodes." 

beldam (noun) - an old woman; in particular, an ugly, angry, or malicious one, like a witch. In an archaic sense, it originated with the French term of "belle dame" - or "beautiful woman" - but nowadays, it's mainly a reference to the true name of the Other Mother in Neil Gaiman's Coraline.

cicatrize (verb) - in reference to a wound, the process of healing by way of scar formation.

condole (verb) - to grieve along with someone, or to express sympathy in a more personal way. Like "console," which is confusing because it's only one letter off, but to be fair, it's the root word we get "condolences" from. 

contumacy (noun) - the rejection or refusal of instructions; stubbornly resisting or disobeying authority, especially in the legal sense, like a court order or summons. Later on in the book I also ended up Googling "contumelious," which shares the same root, and refers to someone who is insolent, scornful or insulting. 

So, in case you couldn't divine from the title of the blogpost: here is a list of every single word I had to search up while reading Charlotte Bronte's Gothic classic, Jane Eyre, about a month back in January. It truly, honestly, wasn't meant to be a list that was shared - and certainly not a blogpost - but the more comfortable I got with admitting personal defeat, and turning to the search engine, the more I began to like the idea of publishing this kind of an open rundown when it was all over. 

Why? Why not! Learning new vocabulary is a great time. It's as important a life skill as learning how to shuffle playing cards or perfecting your back handspring: it's fun to be able to trot this kind of impressive display out at parties. 

Chances are, you can think of at least one time in your life that you were having a conversation with someone, and they whipped out the kind of crossword-stumping diction that could make the clouds rain Scrabble tiles. Or maybe, you were having a hard time describing a feeling or situation that felt particular to you, and you experienced that eureka moment when you knew you had just the perfect, specific word to say. It's powerful stuff. 

The thing is, I think most of anyone's persistent negative feelings about looking up vocab are really just remnants of the days where such things could only be accomplished with a hefty dictionary in hand. However, thanks to the easy access of the Internet - and those rectangular space-age devices emitting radioactive waves in our pockets - those tomes are now used to press flowers, or are gaining dust on your very-impressive looking bookshelves. In 2023, you can look up any word, at any time... and depending on how easily your voice command function is able to interpret your speaking patterns, you really don't have to push that many buttons to do it.

You can do it while out at coffee with a friend, frantically tapping your screen under the table to figure out that new slang term you've never heard before. You could be sitting in your parked car, checking out a "Word a Day" app on your phone while picking your kid up from dance class. You could be lying down, using your arm as a temporary bookmark because you accidentally dropped your phone into that awkward crack between your bed and the wall again and you really need to know what the heck "rive" means (It's a verb, basically meaning "to rip apart violently," or to rend or tear or split or crack or break. Lots of options). 

Learning new vocab is more accessible now than it has ever been before. 

dross (noun) - something typically regarded as garbage, worthless, or something that should be thrown away. Specifically, this refers to the scum that forms a floating byproduct on the surface of molten metal, which is fun. 

etiolated (adjective) - having lost vigor or vitality; something withered and pale. I think it's specifically supposed to be about plants that haven't gotten a ton of sunlight, but it just makes me think of Hercules at the end of the Disney movie when he's floating around in the big pit of ghosts. 

halcyon (adjective) - referring to an idyllic or perfect time of the past, referencing a period of prosperity or peace. 

inexorable (adjective) - the quality of being unstoppable or impossible to prevent. If a person is being inexorable, they will stubbornly refuse to acquiesce to requests or prompting; if a large train is being inexorable, I recommend you run out of the way very fast. 

meretricious (adjective) - having the appearance of beauty or attractive qualities, but ultimately, having no value or integrity beyond it. In the archaic sense, it was specifically relating to or characteristic of a prostitute; in a more contemporary angle, it can refer to anything from airport souvenirs to those kinds of expensive desserts you see at cafes that all end up burning the back of your throat with too much sugar. 

mien (noun) - a person's general aspect or manner, especially appearance, giving more indication towards their character, mood, or behavior. 

palliate (verb) - to ease or alleviate the symptoms of something severe or detrimental, but without really relieving the cause. To soothe or moderate, or even disguise the impact of something, like how you can only take so many doses of ibuprofen before you decide you probably should just go see a doctor. 

Maybe it's those "options" - the fact that definitions themselves prove that you can actually use a great many other words you already know, rather than bothering to learn a whole new one - that make us feel like picking up vocab is something best relegated to the teenage, school-shackled set. But the thing is, approximate knowledge is good and all, but specific knowledge holds its own separate kind of power. 

I remember a particularly frustrating conversation, when I was much younger, where I was recounting a story to friends about time spent wandering a shopping center with my family. I explained that I had been "meandering through the aisles," when I was stopped by a sudden fit of laughter. "Meandering?" they said. "Why not just say walking, if that's what you mean?" I'm sure that at the time they thought that I was just trying to flex, but the reality was, I didn't say walking, because I didn't MEAN walking. I MEANT meandering. 

Walking could be anything, but meandering means a lazy, non-directional kind of wandering, like the kind you do at a shopping center. It connotes a sunny afternoon on vacation with my family, far better than just "walking" ever could. I was being specific, not deliberately pretentious, and whether or not my friends got the message, I was delivering it as clearly as I could. 

This story is something that floats to the top of my brain whenever I think about storytelling, and especially how much I hate certain authors who applaud themselves over their own rudimentary diction styles (*cough* Hemingway *cough*). Yes, there is absolutely argument to be made over accessible and straight-forward language... I was an English major, after all, and I hate reading particularly egregious academic articles as much as the next person. At the same time, there is also joy in the deliberation of a perfectly-chosen word, and the excitement that comes when we're given the opportunity to learn something new. 

Words aren't "one size fits all." Sometimes, it pays to get particular. 

paroxysm (noun) - a sudden attack or expression of a particular emotion or activity; an active demonstration of a feeling or impulse. Like if you suffered a paroxysm of weeping at a particularly moving Super Bowl commercial, or a paroxysm of laughter at a particularly funny Super Bowl commercial. 

piquant (adjective) - a distinctive pleasantly sharp taste or flavor... think aged white cheddar, peppery radishes, or pickled red onions. In more general terms, it can also mean something is pleasantly stimulating or exciting to experience. 

privation (noun) - a scarcity or lack of the sorts of things necessary for human survival or well-being, like shelter, food, or heat. Could also more generally refer to a quality or attribute of something that is normally true or present, but is now lacking. 

prurience (noun) - a strong interest in sexual matters, not necessarily just like in being lascivious or horny, but also like being a little too improper or snoopy in conversations; specifically expressing an interest in someone else's sexual behavior. 

repletion (noun) - eating until you're stuffed, beyond simple satisfaction. Can also refer to the condition of a location being filled up, or overcrowded, like a packed bar, or scribbles over the boundaries of a sheet of paper. 

But a specificity in word choice, also means having the conversational clout to back it up. It's a particular solecism - (noun) a slip-up in either expression or behavior; can refer to both a mistake in written or spoken language, as well as a breach in etiquette, or incorrect and awkward behavior - of the well-read individual, that chances are, we've attempted a word in real life that we'd only ever encountered on the page, to disastrous effect. 

I've had my tongue fixed firmly in my mouth for nearly thirty years now, but if that word in my brain only just got there yesterday, chances are that the two are going to tangle a little bit. 

Excellent news: Googling a word brings up not only the definition, but oftentimes, a little button right beside it that allows you to hear how the word is accurately spoken. Will I persist in pronouncing "mien" as a two-syllable word? Maybe. But I've heard how it's supposed to be said enough times that it's pretty solely my own fault in getting it wrong. I'll do my penance for the error by puzzling over how the word "halcyon" doesn't have a hard K sound in the middle of it, when I swear I've heard it that way before. 

The point is, when you learn a new word, it's important to look up how to say it. And then, use it in a sentence a couple of times to make sure you've got the whole operation down right. 

Using an SAT word in conversation makes you sound smart... but using an SAT word incorrectly in conversation makes it look like you're trying to sound smart, which is the kind of social offense that has nothing to do with actually wanting to learn new words. 

sagacity (noun) - the quality of being sagacious; wise, insightful, or astute in observation.

salubrious (adjective) - for something to be beneficial, healthy, or pleasant, especially in comparison to conditions that were not that beforehand.

sardonic (adjective) - sarcastic, grimly mocking, satirical, or cynical. When someone makes fun of you in a way that's meant to make you feel bad. I think this word was used to describe Mr. Edward Rochester upwards of ten times. 

syncope (noun) - fainting, or having a sudden loss of consciousness. 

torpid (adjective) - mentally or physically inactive, very sleepy or lazy, like the Lethargarians who live in the Doldrums in the Land Beyond the Tollbooth. Sometimes we are torpid because we are a hibernating bear, and sometimes we are torpid because we ate too much turkey at Thanksgiving. 

vicinage (noun) - another term for general area or location, like its other version, "vicinity." 

So, to recap: learning new words is fun, and super easy to do. It helps you impress your friends, and get specific about what you're trying to say. And as long as you remember to be deliberate about the ways you transition your newfound knowledge off the page and into conversations, it can be a really fun avenue for building a little more excitement into your diction on a regular basis. 

And just in case you haven't read Jane Eyre before... I highly recommend it. There's, like, a ton of fun words in there to play with. It's also a really great activity to undertake with friends, but furthermore, it's also cool to do on your own, at your own pace. The descriptions are all really pretty, and pretty much everyone in here is bonkers. It's a good time, and you should try it. 

It strikes me only just now that there is entirely the chance that someone doing an assignment on Jane Eyre for a high school English class might just stumble across this blogpost. After all, having to collect an assortment of vocabulary terms for a book report was exactly the sort of thing that I had to do while I was in school. In case you are a scholar, hello and welcome! 

Instead of just copy-pasting my words, why don't you take a different track instead: pass the link on to your teacher, or something. Maybe that way, you get a replacement activity that allows you to engage more with the material, instead... or a the very least, your instructor now views you as the kind of helpful, engaged person who can be trusted with the burden of an A. Maybe even an A+. Best of luck! 

And for the rest of us lifelong learners - the people who look for something new in every day, or at the very least, every other book - I hope you've taken away something just as valuable as a letter grade from this post, too. 

As a personal challenge, I think you should pick one of your favorites and use it in conversation today. 

(Just don't forget to search up the pronunciation, first.) 

Did you find a new favorite word on this list? Have you attempted Jane Eyre before? Let me know, in the comments below!

New Year, Old Shelves: Book-Buying Stats from 2022... and My 2023 Book-Buying Ban

We start with a flashback. 

In a fit of self-imposed expectation -  after gorging myself on bullet journaling content on Instagram at the end of 2021 - I decided to impose some radically different structures on my Book Journal for 2022. Quite a few of these design choices ended up being totally welcome, and honestly, darn helpful... and one, in particular, threw one of my absolutely worst impulse habits into pretty sharp relief. 

I monitored each book I took onto my shelves. I started tracking all of my bookish buys, at the top of each month, on a spread I called "The Receipts." 

(And before you asked, no, I did not manage to spell "receipts" correctly each month. In fact, I got it wrong more often than not. Sometimes, I spelled it correctly, and still second-guessed myself, and had to do it over again anyways.) 

That's not all I tracked, either, as I also made sure to write when I had been given a bookish gift, or checked out something from the library, too. 

Am I positive the numbers are correct and squared away on everything? No, of course not. There's a margin of error for everything human-shaped, and honestly, I feel that mathmatical margin should have a higher allowance when dealing with an English major (Or, at a minimum, just this particular English major). But the fact of the matter is, even if there was some how a chance that I flubbed the numbers a little, the overall effect would still be the same: I spend way too much damn money on books. 

For instance, in January 2022 alone, I checked out ONE book from the library, purchased TEN discounted Kindle novels in ebook format, was delivered SIX books from a Book Outlet order for myself, and purchased SIX additional books for other members of my family. 

Of all those books, only ONE of those ended up getting read by the end of the year, let alone month. 

And it was the library book. 

You see my problem? 

Now I know what you're thinking: what kind of numbers are we talking, here? Well... 

All told, I read FORTY-SIX books in 2022. (Of those, far less than half were from my own shelves as they existed before the start of the year.) 

According to my own (flawed) bookkeeping, the number of physical, in-my-hand-and-on-my-shelves measurable books I either purchased or was gifted and own now, taking up room on my tangible, material shelves, is NINETY-FIVE.

And that's not including the THIRTY-NINE ebooks I also added to my Kindle. 

Nor does it factor in the SEVENTY-SIX books I checked out - be it in person, on audiobook, or on Kindle - from my local library. (That being said, a lot of those are cookbooks, or audiobooks I don't actually end up listening to, so... free pass, right?) 

I also ended up buying THIRTY books for other people - I'm such a giver! - which, depending on which member of my family you are, typically end up making their way onto my shelves, too.

As you can clearly see, that kind of math doesn't scan. Not even a little bit. What's the point of clearing books off of my shelves, like I did in June, if I'm just going to fill them up almost immediately with enough reading material it would take me another two years to clear it all out again, to find my way back to NOT zero, but instead, the over 300 books I had started with? Why do I do this to myself? 

Obviously, something has GOT to give. Which means taking a step back... once more, into a time machine, back to the years of 2015 and 2017. (We were so young back then.) 

By far, my biggest month for obtaining physical books was my Birthday month, back in October. Whether it was due to a self-indulgent Powell's haul, or presents from family, or a splurge at my favorite local secondhand store, I got a total of THIRTY BOOKS added to my shelves.

And of course, three from the library.

book buying ban: we've been around the world, and we'll do it again

First up: 2015. I'm a Junior-then-Senior in college at University of Washington in Seattle, soaring through my term on Panhellenic, living in the city over the Summer for an internship that falls apart almost immediately, and then, moving into an apartment for the first (and so far, last) time. I'm not yet horrifically depressed, and instead, only a gentle sort of semi-depressed, one that comes from being tremendously busy, and seeing a cliff edge in the horizon but not yet being close enough to panic about hitting the brakes.

I don't even mention my Book-Buying Ban until after it's already over, on January 9th of 2016, when I talk about what I learned from the experience. My reasoning behind the decision was basic enough - I was saving money, and reading books I already owned, natch - but I still ended up reading 79 books all-told that year. 

(Ahem. We don't need to talk numbers in the wake of this year's botched Goodreads Challenge... but it's nice to reflect on what you were once capable of, you know?) 

Some of the lessons I learned: how to effectively use every corner of the Tacoma Public Library system, both virtual and physical; understanding the emotional catalysts in play that make me want to buy books; recognizing the benefits of collecting hardcovers; the joys of having friends who lend you things without making you pay for them. 

We take 2016 as it comes - and it seems to be, both personally and socioculturally, kind of a loss all-around - and we stumble into 2017 with the best of intentions. We've done it before, right? Why not make the challenge again? After all, we did it when we were just a poor college student... we're now a poor college grad, and that feels even worse! 

At the time, I head my blogpost announcing said ban with an image, of the 80+ books I have amassed, and not yet read. Oh, no. Eighty? Poor January 2017 Savannah might drop dead of shock if we tell her that we're now well into the four hundreds. (She'd also probably be angry about the fact that we're still single, and maybe even the haircut, but she'll recover.) 

My Word of the Year was "Curate," and I was feeling the editorial spirit; hence, why the intentional streamlining of shelves. More than that, I was having troubles going into bookstores and finding anything I was actually interested in buying, rather than reflecting on all of the unread things at home (Was 2016 just a particularly bad year for publishing, or something?). 

I ended up reading 60 books in 2017 - a steep drop-off from, again, 69 in 2015 - but expressed dismay that I didn't end up clearing as many books off of my shelves as I had originally intended. (That siren song emanating from the local library branch is a beguiling mistress.) 

Both years, though, I gave myself a couple of "outs" for my challenge: I would be allowed to purchase FIVE books on my Bloggoversary, in late July... and in 2017, I budgeted for TWO books on Independent Bookstore Day, as well (which brought the total for that year up to seven). And of course, library books were always a given, and I was open and available to receive books as presents, too. See? Totally doable. 

Which is why I know I'm more than capable of doing it all again. 

what the plan is for 2023

It's a testament to how badly I need this challenge this year, in how desperate my weasel-brain has tried to squirm its way into a couple of exit tunnels already, even before the year had really begun in earnest. "But this doesn't count for the library, right?" it whines over breakfast. "And not cookbooks, either? We love new cookbooks!" 

No, it doesn't count for the library. Or, for that matter, for cookbooks (because I am weak, and extremely susceptible to thrift stores). But I'm being a lot more conscious of why I pick up books in the first place... what makes me feel that desperate, wiggly sensation in my chest that makes me think, "I need to get to Barnes and Noble before it closes!" 

So remember how I said I had those pages in my Book Journal about what books I was buying, every single month, "The Receipts"? (Editor's note: I spelled it wrong again in typing this out.) I'm keeping those pages, but calling them something different: Book Cravings. When I feel those intense emotions in a bookstore, or when I find myself wandering through the paperback aisles in Goodwill, what am I feeling? What am I actually looking for, lusting after? Is it something I can actually find on a shelf? Is it something I can find on a shelf at home? 

Am I looking for an emotional release, some kind of self-soothing technique that's morphed into something transactional? When I use it as a way to celebrate myself on a good day, is it something that could instead be better turned towards a coffee with friends, or a call with my sister? Am I trying to distract myself from something important, that warrants more of my attention? Is there more at play here than just a credit card scan, or that pressed-paper, unbroken-spine, tactile sense of physical grounding when the cashier puts the book back in your hand, along with a receipt? 

You know, Book Cravings. Those things you're feeling when you're Craving a Book. It's not rocket science. 

I think that by tracking the emotions I tie to the act of acquiring new reading material, it will give me greater clarity as to how this particular hobby impact my emotional needs long-term (let alone the financial ones). Chances are, there are other needs here that are not being met when I download a batch of $1.99 romance novels on my Kindle that end up sitting there, untouched, for over a year, and I want to find out what they are. 

So, that's the plan! No Barnes & Noble, Powell's, King's, Thrift Books, or Book Outlet, until the new year... or, you know, July, for my Bloggoversary. Unless I want a cookbook, or to go to the library. 

Come on, guys. I'm being serious. Stop laughing!  

Have you ever undertaken a book-buying ban before? Do you remember when I completed these challenges last time? Let me know, in the comments below!