The life in words . . .

A few months ago I talked about how excited I was to go on our honeymoon, how lots of cool things were coming my way in 2020, that I’m super swamped and busy and don’t really have time to process it all…

And then this thing *waves vaguely out the window* hit and…yeah. Honeymoon was basically canceled for us (airline restrictions and bans changed each day so we got a refund/future bookings option, hotels canceled and refunded), to be rescheduled for next spring. Some really cool things that were going to happen this month have also been pushed back and delayed. And I’m still busy, but it’s a different kind.

Last month I talked about my journey to minimize tech, particularly with social media. I laugh about it now because I could not be more connected! I went from ~1 hour a day on my phone screen to ~4 hours on weekdays and ~6 hours on weekends, and my laptop is no longer just for work but also for Zoom for myself and my husband to keep in touch with family and friends. My phone isn’t just for texting and occasional scrolling, but for calls, listening to audiobooks on OverDrive/Libby and Hoopla, and reading the news. I even resurrected my tablet to download library apps and listen to/read books via OverDrive/Libby and Hoopla.

Apart from increased tech and grocery shopping with homemade masks, my life has remained relatively unchanged. I already worked from home for the most part, I didn’t really enjoy going out and being around people anyway. I’m definitely craving hugs from friends and my parents, which is the hardest, absolute hardest, thing right now. I’m thankful for my husband and my cat.

. . . and in images.

But good things did happen January through March! KayLynn Flanders‘s debut YA fantasy Shielded appeared on my doorstep in galley form! (You can find it on NetGalley and EW+!) I also celebrated my 30th birthday with a birthday Starbucks drink, a fresh hair cut, and halting my book buying limitations for one day!

On the Radar

Netflix / Prime / Hulu / Disney+: I finished my Parks & Rec binge and decided to tap into Schitt’s Creek. I have not looked back! Oh my gosh, why did I miss out on this show?! Same goes for The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. I’m halfway through season 2 and thoroughly enjoying it. I also watched Mandalorian and Witcher, and finally saw Togo on Disney+. Now to see Frozen 2!

Shopping: Felix Gray. What a godsend. I experienced eye strain, headaches, and exhaustion with work, and since purchasing these blue light lenses I’ve become focused, energized, and not at all disturbed by screens. This has especially proven helpful during this hot mess of the world!

Cherished Reads

Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport (★★★★★)

Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix Harrow (★★★★★) *review to come!

Born a Crime by Trevor Noah (★★★★★)

Reading Challenge Progress

Based on my 2020 goals.

Library Books: 9/15 

The Mistress of Rome || Digital Minimalism || No Judgments
You’re Not Listening || Tweet Cute || The Authenticity Project 
American Duchess || Born a Crime || A Dangerous Duet

TBR: 3

The Summer Queen || Ten Thousand Doors of January || Queen of the Conquered

Gabaldon / Marillier: 0

Genre Fiction: 5

HISTORICAL || The Mistress of Rome, American Duchess, The Summer Queen, A Dangerous Duet 
FANTASY || Ten Thousand Doors of January, Queen of the Conquered

Looking ahead . . .

This rewind will be changing as time moves on. Of course I’ve seen posts on blogs and IG that are noteworthy, and I’m keeping track of most-read on here too, that I’d love to share with you. But this space will continue to evolve as my personal time allows.

Because this pandemic is making planning difficult, who knows if I’ll get to do these things April through June. But I’m hoping we will be able to see our friends and family in the same room and be able to hug. I look forward to trips to the pool and smelling BBQs and hearing children laugh. My April plans for the honeymoon were cancelled, my plans to Book Expo in May/June were postponed…so let’s just wait as patiently as we can by staying at home and flattening this curve.

What have you been up to January-March?