If We Were Having Coffee: A Fall 2024 Update

I first saw Jamie at Perpetual Page Turner do an If We Were Having Coffee post in 2019, which is an idea she got from a life coach. Since then, I’ve been doing them periodically, though it’s been a lot longer since my last one than I thought! We are overdue for an update, friends.

If we were having coffee…

I would tell you that Don’t Let the Forest In is as good as the hype. Do you like creepy, psychological horror books? If you do, you need to read it. If you’ve already read it, we have to talk about it! I’ve been a fan of the author for a long time, but this book truly blew me away. At its core, this is a book about fighting monsters that feel unbeatable and about the stories we tell ourselves. I loved it so much.

If we were having coffee…

I would tell you this last semester has been one of the busiest of my life. Between both kids, I’m on the road almost every day, doing the Taxi Mom thing. It’s a good life, but it’s also a lot for me. I often feel like I’m fitting my life in around the edges of everyone else’s needs. For a while, that’s okay. But it doesn’t seem like a sustainable way for us to live.

I’m making changes. Next semester, the older child’s school schedule will be a lot more friendly, and hopefully, she’ll be able to drive herself at some point during the semester. I’ll be reducing some of the outside tasks that I take on, which will help, too.

If we were having coffee…

I would tell you that I feel like I’ve been really neglecting this space. Reviews are great, but my vision for this blog has always included more than that. I miss writing up lists of book recommendations and putting together chatty posts and updates. Next year, I hope to prioritize doing more of those things.

If we were having coffee…

I would tell you that after a silly number of years blogging… I am making some blogging friends! I’ve been part of a KidLit group that does monthly Zoom calls and have kept in regular contact with a few people from the group. I’ve really enjoyed talking to people familiar with some of the books and authors that I read, so it’s been a LOT of fun.

I didn’t realize how much I wanted to connect with people and talk about books we’ve both read. It’s great to talk about books with my friends and family, who humor me and let me talk about what I’m reading even though they aren’t familiar with the books. But, wow! I have been having such a great time connecting with people who’ve read a book I want to talk about. It’s also really fun to talk to people who have a passion for talking about books via a blog space. It’s a pretty niche thing, so it’s been awesome to talk to people who also enjoy it.

If we were having coffee, what would you want to tell me?

What’s on your mind today that you want to share with me? Have you recently read anything you love? Is there a niche interest in your life you wish you could talk to more people about?

Thanks for catching up with me. I appreciate you. <3