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A Lit Life

Latest Podcast Episodes & Posts

The It Girl, Library Notes & Gingerbread Dark Chocolate

October 28, 2022 in Literate Love
Just when I thought my week would be calm and uneventful, my youngest ends up with a concussion and the rest of us come down with a cold. Why does it always seem to happen that way? This week, I’ve got two books...
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Ten Middle Grade Historical Fiction Books Every Adult Should Read

October 27, 2022 in Books & Reading, Children's Literature
I wasn’t always a fan of my social studies and history classes growing up. The events seemed so far away, so far removed and so devoid of story. I read passages, underlined facts, memorized dates and regurgitated information for a test at the end of each topic of study. But I...
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Three Books About Cake

October 21, 2022 in Restorative Reading & Writing for Wellness
I have the world’s biggest sweet tooth. Really.  My most favorite thing to enjoy is a yummy slice of vanilla cake with a thick layer of homemade vanilla frosting.  It’s the best.  But along with that sweet tooth, I have some food intolerances, too. I’m gluten-free, dairy-free and watch my sugar,...
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Opossums and Opinions, Creativity & Candy Corn

October 21, 2022 in Literate Love
It was a busy, busy week and I’m ashamed to say I am only just getting my Fall and Halloween decorations out. I usually love to enjoy holiday decorations for a few weeks, but it just wasn’t in the cards this month. So, my weekend will be full of football, decorating...
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Three Books Full of Intrigue

October 18, 2022 in Restorative Reading & Writing for Wellness
Here in upstate New York, the Fall season is in full bloom: it’s colder, it’s rainier, the leaves are turning beautiful colors and the need for some mood reading is kicking in. Add in that Halloween is only a couple weeks away and you have the perfect combination for a reading...
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The Messy Lives of Book People, Superheroes & Calendars

October 14, 2022 in Literate Love
I love, love, love the Fall vibes going on this week. The leaves are turning, the air is cooler, pumpkin spice is everywhere and my warm socks are out. =) This week, I’ve got one FANTASTIC book to share, a writing prompt full of freedom, a wonderful short film and a...
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Three How-To Books That Change Lives

October 11, 2022 in Restorative Reading & Writing for Wellness
I just finished reading Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus and I cannot stop thinking about change and how the world works. This book gave me a perspective I’ve never even considered and I’m leaning into it. Heavily.  Today, I’m sharing three how-to books (yes, they have that phrase in the...
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Lessons in Chemistry, 3 Questions & Energetics

October 7, 2022 in Literate Love
The unthinkable happened this week: I didn’t know what to read next. Can you believe it?! I read a book so powerful that I needed some space to sit with it for a while before I picked up another. Instead, I tried a new journaling technique I really think I love...
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ABOUT

Stephanie

A book-loving, notebook-hoarding bookologist on a mission to change lives one book and one notebook at a time.

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Stephanie's books

Paperweight
Paperweight
by Meg Haston
I read this hauntingly beautiful book on the recommendation of my teenage daughter. She told me it was powerful, told me I wouldn't want to stop reading it...and she was right. Meg Haston invites readers into the mind of Stevie, causing ...
The Gifts of Imperfection
it was amazing
The Gifts of Imperfection
by Brené Brown
I haven't stumbled across anything written by Brene Brown that I did not love and this book is no exception. Written so conversationally as if Brene was literally speaking directly, and only, to me, I could'n help bu be personally moved ...
I'd Rather Be Reading: The Delights and Dilemmas of the Reading Life
it was amazing
I'd Rather Be Reading: The Delights and Dilemmas of the Reading Life
by Anne Bogel
True to its title, this book was simply delightful. I felt like I was talking with a long-lost friend, a fellow book-lover whose life was just as entangled with the plots, settings and characters of fictional books as they were those in ...
Some Places More Than Others
it was amazing
Some Places More Than Others
by Renée Watson
It was almost like I was reading a book that was written just for me, even though the daily lives and locations of the characters were vastly different. The theme of love, self-worth and family connection was prevalent on each and every ...
Touching Spirit Bear
it was amazing
Touching Spirit Bear
by Ben Mikaelsen
This book shook me to my motherly core. I read this with my 13-year old twins as part of a school assignment and was swept into Cole's story of literally fighting for survival and for love. My children were drawn to Cole's story of survi...

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This book was a gorgeous exploration into love, lo This book was a gorgeous exploration into love, loss, family and the complications among them. Tasked with clearing out her family’s home after both her parents passed, Plum wades through the objects of the home and the emotions of her heart. It’s filled with lyrical writing and an invitation to consider our own roots, our own stuff and our next moves.

#ALitLife
#Memoirs
Surprise! I’m here with a bonus episode to close Surprise!

I’m here with a bonus episode to close out the end of National Library week with a delightful middle grade biography of an important bookish figure: Ursula Nordstrom.

Plus, for the first time ever, I invited an additional guest on to share the book love with me. Come listen!

@mother_goose_librarian
#KidLitLove PODCAST LINK IN BIO!
#ALitLife
#MiddleGrade
A Note From My Nudge Notebook… This week, I was i A Note From My Nudge Notebook…

This week, I was inspired to write a really terrible first draft of a picture book inspired by a conversation with my father and grandfather AND the writing advice from inside this incredible middle grade biography by Nancy Hudgins: BOOKS GOOD ENOUGH FOR YOU. Ursula Nordstrom will now stand on my writing shoulders forever.

What acts of inspired action are you taking from the books you’ve read this week?

#NudgeNotebook
Middle grade novels hold a unique kind of magic an Middle grade novels hold a unique kind of magic and Ann Braden unlocks that magic with every novel she writes.

Her newest book is no exception.

HIJACKED BY GOATS is a heartfelt middle grade novel that delicately captures Josie’s inner world and the sheer number of compulsive and overwhelming thoughts that battle for her attention. Officially diagnosed with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Josie progresses through residential treatment and outpatient therapy as she navigates recovery and a kinder way of treating herself.

Ann delicately captures the challenges Josie faces, the overwhelming thoughts and feelings that won’t let her rest and the brave choices she makes to move through them with the support of new friends, family and knowledgeable professionals.

While every middle grade reader might not be able to relate to Josie directly, they WILL be able to relate to going through something hard, wishing away particular thoughts or feelings or knowing someone who is struggling with their mental health. So will every adult reading this book, too.

This book so beautifully captures the entirety of the human condition and invites every emotion to the table, holding out a hand to those that need it and providing a window of empathy to those that need that, too.

It’s an incredible book and I’m forever grateful for having read it.

@annbradenbooks
#KidLitLove
#ALitLife
#MiddleGrade
#OCD
#Bibliotherapy
This. I know this face. I’ve made this face. I now This. I know this face. I’ve made this face. I now have better words to explain the significance of it and the love it holds. Thank you, Ann. ❤️

HIJACKED BY GOATS by Ann Braden

Coming September 2026
Full review coming soon.
@annbradenbooks
A restorative reading and writing practice doesn't A restorative reading and writing practice doesn't just feel good.....it sends a signal of safety to our nervous systems and THAT is what starts well-being at a cellular level.

Come listen as I talk about the one thing standing in the way of a reading and writing life that makes your actual life better and helps you feel better, too. 

We'll take a sensory audit of our reading and writing and brainstorm key ways to speak the language of our bodies and truly enhance our practice. 

Click the podcast link in my bio or visit me on Substack to listen!
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