Summer winding down with or without us

The worst part of summer is watching the end come so quickly. I feel like it flew by this year, and that we hardly did anything, and that's definitely our fault. We just let work and other things get ahead of us doing fun things. I've been trying to squeeze the last bit of fun into this last two weeks as I can. I know that fall, winter, and spring doesn't really get packed with fun things, not to say we're sitting at home bored though. We always seem to be on the go, but it isn't the kind of go you look forward to doing, you know? It's just stuff you do, places you're kind of obligated to be.  

Already our calendar is filling up with dance, swim lessons, driver's ed, band performances, school commitments, doctor appointments, etc, but not much room for fun. Summer has always been our fun season, so the fact we haven't done a whole lot of fun is really bumming me out. Next year? Next year I'm planning fun all over the place. Just you wait. 

The week we came back from Iowa we still had a couple of days to put some fun into, so we decided to go to the Como Zoo in St. Paul, MN. It's a free zoo, we like to go at least once during the summer and we haven't gone since 2019 because of the pandemic. You have to make reservations though so it's a bit harder to plan since we're a solid 2.5 hours away, so it isn't like we can go on a whim- it's a whole day of planning. 

I'm so glad we did it though because we had a great day. I'll be honest, the zoo isn't as nice as we remember it, and it is probably because of the pandemic. Lack of visitors = lack of donations = not as many funds for aesthetic upkeep. The animals all look well and cared for, I will say that. The other bummer? No Como Town (a small amusement park area), no animal shows (the little girls were hoping to see the seals), and of course we go on a day it's tremendously warm so the majority of animals were hanging lazily in the shade. 

Lucy was living her best life though because during our entire trip to Iowa, all Lucy wanted was a giraffe. I have no idea where the love of giraffes has come from, but it's intense and no matter where we went, she asked about a giraffe. Of course, we couldn't find a giraffe anywhere, including the zoo we went to in Iowa! One of the first areas of Como Zoo that we went into opens back up to the outdoors and there's a small gift area with, bum bum bum..... a GIRAFFE. Matt beelined it to the store, purchased a giraffe, and that my friends, is the face of a very happy girl. 

Penelope really liked this gorilla. She was pretty interested in his feet and how similar (but also different) they were to hers and she kept hoping he'd wake up and interact, but he was far more interested in his nap and honestly, I was wishing I could take a nap, myself. 

After the zoo we went to an outlet shopping center called Albertville, spent the rest of the money we had on school clothes for four kids (that isn't cheap and that outlet mall is far bigger than it looked from the road). I was exhausted by the time we were done but I managed to rally so we could go to a weird space/alien restaurant with a small arcade. The kids had a fun time, but Matt and I sat there like overtired vegetables. 

The next day we took a drive to Port Wing, Wisconsin, which is where Matt went to school. He showed the kids his old school (which was very tiny, especially considered the high school here or even just the middle school), we went to Twin Falls, and got back into the car. 

We ate lunch in Shell Lake, Wisconsin, and I managed to find a scrapbook store (I haven't been inside of an actual scrapbook store in 10 years!!) and I remembered how much I loved scrapbooking and how I really need to get back into it. Another summer bucket list item was a sunflower field. Last year was the year of dead sunflowers, so this year I told the kids I'll get it together for us to go when they are still alive. 

We barely made it but you know what? They were alive! We went to a different maze this year and it wasn't nearly as nice as last year's. At least last year there were props to take photos on and then a look out area... this place.... nothing. Literally nothing. Also, we were the only people there so it felt very horror movie-ish. The field was in Sarona, Wisconsin and if you have younger kids and need a five minute activity to stretch your legs? This is probably the stop for you. If you want more of a leisurely stroll with pretty views and fun photo areas? Go to the one we did last year for sure. I'd send us there again but then the flowers would for sure be dead. Maybe that should be our tradition. HA! 

I'm trying to decide if we do something this weekend or not, but I do have our corn maze/pumpkin patch weekend marked off already! It felt like fall the other day here and oy... I'm just not ready. 

The Strand Six: Iowa Vacation

I know I normally break our vacation wrap up posts with a couple so they aren't so long, but for the sake of time and the ridiculous list of things I have one week to get done... you're getting it all now. 

Before I go further though, everyone has asked us, "why Iowa?" and the simplest answer is..... we needed to cross it off our map. We have a goal of seeing as many states together as we can and we've done a bunch around MN/WI where we live, except Iowa. It's always the drive-through-it state but you guys- we need to collectively stop dissing Iowa. Iowa is fun and Iowa isn't getting the respect it deserves. 

We took off on Friday and I was so damn sick. No, I wasn't Covid sick, I was adrenaline crash sick. The night before was ROUGH and I won't get into that, but just know that as parents, Matt and I are dealing with a lot and it's a constant barrage of stuff and frankly, that Thursday was just really almost too much for me. Well, I guess it was because that Friday my body was like, "girl- you're done". I was on the verge of throwing up the entire day (and the next), I was in and out of consciousness, I felt like it took everything in me just to sit up straight in the car, my stomach hurt so bad and I had the worst headache. I was awful and I very much do not recommend going on a road trip in these conditions. Anyways. The show goes on, as they say. 

We stopped at Minnesota's Largest Candy Store in Jordan, Minnesota. If you've never been, it's worth the stop, the kids absolutely loved it. 

We then hauled it to Blue Earth, Minnesota to see the Jolly Green Giant Statue Park, and this was so pretty. Not only is this little town really pretty, but they have little Sprout statues all over and you can do a little scavenger hunt to find them all. I'm sad we didn't have enough time to do that. We had to hustle to get to Des Moines, Iowa because that was where we were exploring first. 

We ended up getting to our hotel late (for Pep and Lu) and our hotel was just the worst. It really was. It literally smelled like garlic bread and not even good garlic bread. Ugh. 

The next day we went to Blank Park Zoo, which was a really great little zoo. We saw a ton of animals, the zoo was incredibly well laid out and clean. It wasn't the biggest zoo we've gone to but it was worth our trip. 

After the zoo we decided to go on a train ride, mostly because Penelope asked for one. We drove to Boone & Scenic Valley Railroad & Museum because we had tickets for the Fraser Train. We got there a little early, so we explored the museum and got to climb onto a train. The museum isn't near as cool as the one we have local to us, but what they had was a little bit different so it wasn't a total waste. The train ride though? Beautiful. 

We went over a bridge and I'm not kidding, in the fall this would be STUNNING. The views are beautiful but I can say that is the highest up off the ground I've ever been while in a train!

For dinner, we took a chance on the Drake Diner (which Jackson later discovered was home to a couple of murders and I'm telling you, knowing that know makes me feel strange). The food was great and the decor/restaurant was beautiful. It's a cool little gem in the middle of a neighborhood. 

That's how we ended our first full day in Des Moines. We were exhausted but got to hear a dance party in the hotel parking lot for three hours in the middle of the night. Loved that. :/ 

The very next day we had to get up super early because we had tickets for the 9-12 slot at the Science Center of Iowa. This was a pick from the big kids because they really get into science things, but it turned out being a huge hit for all four kids. I can't hate that. Easily the best areas were the Build It area (you can make a building and see if it withstands an earthquake) and the area with circuits. Penelope really enjoyed circuits and making things turn on/off. 

We ended up getting through the entire science center in about two hours so we had some time to kill before we would need to eat lunch so..... we decided to check out a local bookstore! This is quickly becoming one of my favorite things to do in a new town, and this one did not disappoint. 

Storyhouse Bookpub was the cutest little shop I've been in. We spent quite a bit of time (and money) here and I just wanted to hang out all day. The owner and her employer were literally the sweetest people, and gave us a little scavenger hunt around this up and coming neighborhood. Unfortunately, it was a Sunday so lots of shops weren't open, but Penelope was determined! She had to find a specific book in each store and have her sheet marked off. She went right up to store employees to ask questions, get her sheet signed, etc. You have NO IDEA how proud she was to get her sticker at the end showing she's a super reader. For real, you guys- this store is amazing. 

Also? Iowa has these awesome murals all over and I could have spent entire days just looking for these. But I love this picture because it's everyone's personality and there's Pep with her scavenger hunt sheet! 

Also? I got so many pictures of our family, of Matt and I, the kids, etc. I really wanted this vacation to count. 

After wandering around, we had about an hour-ish drive to Columbus Junction to see the Swinging Bridge Park, home of the Lover's Leap Bridge. We found it easily enough, had some disagreements on how to get to the bridge, finally deciding to take this weird little path which wasn't a fun one to walk. 

We did get a view of the bridge and doesn't that look like a fun one? This one definitely counts as our adventure card of this trip. 

When I tell you this was a swinging bridge? I am not lying to you. This damn thing swung side to side but also up and down and was the scariest bridge I have ever been on. It didn't help that the people behind us started being complete assholes, knowing full well that we had four kids on this bridge. So that was fun. 

We saw this at the end. Fun. 

We were on the way to city #2, Dubuque. I need to pause though and tell you that Des Moines was maybe the prettiest city I've ever been in. Everything was so clean, everyone was so nice and helpful, I really was sad we had to go, but it made me excited for Dubuque. 

We only had one full day in Dubuque so I knew we had to make it count! I knew during my research of Dubuque that I wanted to find some of these murals and we only got photos of a couple but there were SO MANY. If you are traveling through Dubuque, I so highly recommend you drive around and find them. 

I mean, how bad ass is that? I wish more cities had things like that, tap into the artists of your city! 

First up for Dubuque was the National Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium. It's similar to the aquarium we have where we live (though that is solely focused on the Great Lakes), so I know going in that we would really love this and we did. 

We ended up getting there a little early, so we found a little walkway and decided to just watch the morning wake up over the water. It was really beautiful. 

The museum/aquarium was absolutely worth our time and money. We did everything this place had to offer and the kids were bummed by the time we were done. 

Afterwards we were going to get lunch, and I had found Shot Tower Inn online, and it was SO GOOD. It wasn't without drama though, I wanted to take the kids to take a picture of the mural and some guy, presumably picking up an employee from work, started screaming at me he was going to tow our vehicle away. I yelled at him for being an asshole and then, because I can be petty, proceeded to stand there within his view until the place opened for lunch (we had gotten there like 7 minutes early). We said something to our waitress, who made sure we weren't actually towed, and tipped her really well. She was the nicest and this place was pretty great. 

Next up? The Fenelon Place Elevator! I'm all about an inexpensive, quirky thing to do and for $4 a person, you too can ride on the world's shortest and steepest railroad! 

It goes incredibly slow, has a great view at the top, and the neighborhood at the bottom is full of fun little shops. 

We also found a Little Free Library! We didn't find anything for us that day, but it was cool to visit anyways. 

I inadvertently found a bookstore I had wanted to go to while in this neighborhood, too. When we road the elevator back up, we drove to the bottom and found some parking right out front and went in. 

River Lights Bookstore is beautiful. Again, Olivia and I bought a stack of books we don't need but you know.... buy local, am I right? 

We were going to try to go see some caves but in the end decided maybe the kids were wearing out. Our last stop for the whole trip was always meant to be Effigy Mounds National Monument. 

We literally had no idea what it was before we went and I'll be honest, we only saw three. The three at the start of the trail. 

This was something that Jackson had wanted to see and we realized it was one of the "special sights" places on our map that you cross off as you see, so it was a double bonus. What they don't tell you is the trail to see these? 

ALL UPHILL. 

Sure, there are two trails, a two-miler and a four-miler meant for a more "rugged" experience. The two-miler? Is not for out of shape folk. It's not for anyone with a bizarre leg malady we're still getting worked out, and it's not for a toddler who also seemingly has the same thing but the beginning stages. 

To sum it up? We made it .7 of a mile up the mountain before saying screw it and going back down. 

Looking at this it freaks me out because that is a straight down drop off behind Olivia and her legs kept giving out (it's a whole thing, we don't know what it is, we're in the middle of trying to figure it all out). Lucy had to be carried for awhile because her leg was giving out and she was in pain. Jackson had to hold me up. Only Penelope was ready to climb the mountain, and she let us all know repeatedly that SHE is just fine and SHE could do the whole thing, no problem. 

Penelope is not the motivational coach anyone needs. Unless being shamed by a six year old is what drives you, of course. 

We then drove like 5.5 hours home. It was late when we got home, the last two hours were ROUGH. The kids were all asleep, Matt and I had the music cranked so loud and nobody heard a thing. It was crazy. Was our summer vacation over? Nope! Tomorrow? We play local-ish tourists. 

Book Review: The Apology Project

 I can't even tell you the last time I've had this many posts in one week, but here we are! I'm not going to get cocky and say I think this is going to be a trend because I'm learning how to say no and let things go. (I'm doing it really slowly, but just shut up, I'm making baby steps.)

The Apology Project - Jeanette Escudero

Life is about to get complicated for Amelia Montgomery, a prominent litigator in Chicago. She’s been fired for not compromising her principles in a high-profile case and then punching her partner in the nose for the misogynistic comment he made in retort (not her finest moment). Leaving a career that gave her purpose, Amelia can only ask, What next?

Let it be better than her epic failure of a fortieth birthday party: an open bar full of no-shows except for John Ellis, a total stranger and the new associate at her ex-firm. As it turns out, though, he’s very good company—and a wake-up call. With the help of John and a lot of champagne, Amelia considers the people she’s wronged, from old besties to former boyfriends to coworkers. Amelia resolves to make amends—to those who really deserve it.

One apology at a time, Amelia’s looking at the choices she’s made in the past, the new ones she’s making with John, and those she’s making for herself. What next? Maybe a second chance she never expected. 

I have seen this one all over Instagram and the title alone drew me in. I think the concept of people apologizing for being an absolute piece of garbage of a human is pretty out of most people's realm, and honestly? It happens so infrequently that when people do apologize, it immediately gets awkward. Right? Suddenly, neither of you know what to say so you're left nodding your head until someone breaks the pause to leave. You know how it is. Also, I think people feel like if they apologize they are somehow admitting that they as a person are terrible and forever unworthy, which isn't the case. That person just did something really awful/dumb/hurtful/rude/etc, it doesn't necessarily mean they should be tossed to the wind. 

I could speak a lot about apologies. I could even give you a list of people I think owe me an apology, and I can give you a list of people I really should apologize to. I think I will too, because this book kind of drives home the reason for an apology and how it's good for the other person but it is also good for you. I think we can all remember a time where we did something bad, or sad something terrible, and we've thought about it over the years. Apologizing lets that go, and what a weight lifted from you it would be, right? 

That's the journey Amelia goes through in this book. She "retires" from her job as a high powered lawyer because the job was threatening to violate her morals and choices were made. While it's hard to look at the situation as a positive, Amelia soon finds out that she has made no friends despite her professional accomplishments. Enter John, the new guy at her old law firm who suggests she apologize to the people she feels she's wronged in some way. Over time, the list evolves, Millie learns a few things, but with every new lesson learned another one pops up. Having to face some hard truths about herself as a person, this is Millie's journey into becoming a better person. 

Of course, we have some romance in there, for good measure. 

Overall? I liked this one, it would be a 3 star for me. I had a hard time sticking with it in the beginning because Amelia really is unlikeable. She actually is for most of the book and I can tell why nobody wanted to be around her. Unpleasant is an understatement. She's harsh, unforgiving, and no-nonsense, but she also doesn't take into consideration that people have lives and feelings outside of the bubble she's in. The fact John was able to see through a lot of that was honestly a true testament to his interest. Of course, is it even a romance if we don't have some drama that slowly brews and we can all see it coming, threatens to end them for good and then we have an ending? It definitely wouldn't be and this book doesn't short us on that. While the climax was something we could all see from a mile away, it almost felt like a relief when it just happened. 

It's definitely a timely book with the #metoo movement included as a theme throughout, with a nod to cancel culture, it was almost too much at times. I do think the book was very thoughtful in presenting the art of an apology, and why we do it, and if you aren't so sure yourself, you'll learn right along with Millie. 

Thank you to Lake Union Publishing for sending me a copy for review! If you're looking for a fun little book about learning to be the bigger person and saying sorry when it's due, with a dash of romance, this is definitely your next read. 

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Book Box Subscription Coming Out My Ears. Literally.

Like the mature adult I am, I am not going to take full responsibility to the shame I am going to show you. To be fair, we can blame Covid and shipping delays, and I'm going to lay a lot of the blame on them. Way, way back, months ago, Once Upon a Book Club ran into delays because of shipping delays, more Covid, customs delays, etc. Thankfully they were super great about communication on this, but I didn't think anything of it. I don't mind if my box comes a little late, I'll survive. God knows my shelves are full of unread books I've yet to get to- I won't be without reading material.  

All fun and games until the boxes started coming in, and coming in they did. Because I receive both the young adult and the adult box because I have serious FOMO and need help. Now I have a predicament on my hands. Also my shelves, and floor. Send help. 

I can't even tell you what the box theme for any of these are, that's how out of hand things have gotten. I am pretty sure this is the Madame Moustache box, featuring the novel Betting Woman by Jenni L. Walsh. I'm on the fence with this one, the cover doesn't draw me in but it is getting pretty good reviews, so we'll see!

The box featuring Reset by Sarina Dahlan is one that at least my oldest daughter in interested in. Normally I'm not big on fantasy or dystopian, but the line, "Can you love someone you don't remember?" is all I need to read to be all in on this one. 

Again, this is one right up Olivia's alley, Daughter of Sparta (Daughter of Sparta #1) by Claire Andrews. This is getting really great reviews on Instagram, it's the retelling of the Greek myth of Daphne and Apollo. To be honest, I am rusty (to say the least) on my Greek myths, so I'd really be going into this with fresh eyes. The cover DOES look great, so I'm excited to get into it. 

I'm a sucker for a special box. You tell me it's a limited edition and I'm going to give you my money. I'm practically throwing it at you. A Bridgerton box? TAKE MY MONEY. 

I had no idea what would be coming in the box so when it finally came I had to calm down and get in the right mindset to open it all up and just hold back from ripping it all open. The first book, The Duke and I is signed by Julia Quinn. 

The series is getting exclusive, limited edition covers and I LOVE THEM SO MUCH. We also received The Viscount Who Loved Me and An Offer From a Gentleman. 

I also recently received the box for Instructions for Dancing by Nicola Yoon. I'm excited about this one because I've liked some other books Nicola has put out, so I've got high hopes for this one. 

I bet you think that's the last of my shame, right? Uh, no. 

This one came this week. Sisters of Resistance by Christine Wells, a story inspired by Catherine Dior (sister of the more famous Dior), a WWII historical fiction novel many say is interesting and grabs you from the first page. To be honest, historical fiction isn't my go-to genre and anything from the WWII era isn't the top of my list because everyone has done it and I'm over it. We ought to ban WWII era books, at least for a little while. Give us literally any other era, there are so many to pick from! I'm going to give it a try though, so stay tuned! 

Alright, I swear to you, that is all of the boxes I have from Once Upon a Book Club that I have yet to get to. It's so out of hand, it really is. Which one would you pick first? 

If YOU want to try out Once Upon a Book Club, you should use my referral link HERE and we will both get $5 off once you place your first order! 

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Book Review: Captain Cake- Meet the Candy Crew

I won't lie, I held off on taking any photo of this book until Lucy's birthday cake was done. I spent an entire day baking this, I'm getting every photo op out of it as I can. Let that cake work for me. Ha! In all seriousness, I don't review very many children's books lately so I'm always happy to pick one up when I get the chance. 

Captain Cake: Meet the Candy Crew

General Rock needs a crew for his new spaceship, The Sweet Candy. He calls upon Captain Cake, Lieutenant Chocolate, Sergeant Jelly and Private Potato to team up and venture where no sweet has gone before. Will the Candy Crew know how to work together?

I'll start by telling you this is 96 pages, and while that sounds daunting for a children's book, don't panic! Each page has no more than 3 sentences, if that, so it's a rather quick read. It's no longer than reading a Dr. Seuss book, which we all know that while good, are the worst to read at bedtime. In fact, I've banned them. That is a mid-day read, kids. Mid-day. 

I read this with Penelope and Lucy (though Penelope was actually able to read most of this herself and she is at a first grade reading level and can sound out most words) and they really enjoyed it. I heard many times that they don't like pickles (Commander Pickle is in here) so I had to explain we're not eating him. The other favorite character was Lieutenant Chocolate because he's a rational, logical thinker, and it's how we're teaching Pep and Lu to handle problems (instead of flying off the handle), so that was great. There was a part where he had to get to his bed in the dark or something, always an issue with Lucy, though her trek to the bathroom and back isn't very long. They felt bad for Sweet Potato because she's the pilot of the ship and doesn't have any super powers, so I liked the concept of maybe you aren't exceptional at anything, you're still important to those around you. Oh- and there was Jelly, who could shoot jelly through her hands, but she ends up using a different super power in the book. The girls were really hung up on that, how she just switched powers/gained a new one/they couldn't agree on anything. Throughout the book it asks comprehension and engagement questions to keep readers paying attention, which makes this a perfect classroom read. I love when a book can be used at home and/or in a classroom, especially now when a lot of families are choosing to homeschool or go with a hybrid option, finding good books to cover topics like emotional and self regulation is key. 

Overall? This was a cute book. Even if you didn't want to read it start to finish, it does have chapters, perfect if you need to take a break. The illustrations are really nice, felt more like a comic book vibe and the girls thought they were nice. My six and five year old each gave it two thumbs up, so that probably has more weight than my opinion, right? 

Thank you to TLC Book Tours for having me on this tour and sending me a copy for review! If you're looking to add to your collection, this might be a good fit for your family OR classroom. 

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The Strand Six: Road trip 2021

I know I mentioned awhile ago that we were debating on where to take our road trip this year. We spent a LOT of time (I'm seriously talking over 20 hours) to plan out two options. We picked two states that were closest to us that we haven't actually visited because we wanted to cross them off of our map. 

In the end, we chose IOWA. 

I know, you're like, "Iowa!? What the hell are you going to do in Iowa?!" and to that I say... we only kind of have an idea. We have some places/things to do written down that as a family we thought would maybe be fun. The real bummer is we don't have a ton of time so we can't fully see Iowa, so there is like... half the state we won't see. I know that we'll have to go through Iowa to other states, so we thought we could easily do some things on other trips, so it doesn't feel like we're cheating. The other deciding factor was cost. We are really sticking to a budget and trying to still do a vacation but be reasonable with cost. Our other option was Ohio, but when we listed out everything we wanted to do in Ohio? We didn't have enough time OR money, so that was a bummer because honestly, I was pushing for that. 

But you know what? We're going to have fun. 

Though not set in stone, some things we're hoping to see/do on our road trip at some point: 

1. Jolly Green Giant Park: Honestly, you know I love a good roadside attraction, and this one is pretty close to where we'd be driving so why not plan a pee break so you can see a giant green statue? You're no friend of mine if you say no. 

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2. Minneopa State Park: Specifically, I'd like to see Bison Drive and the waterfall. Penelope and Lucy told me they've never seen a waterfall (and I don't think that's true, but also, I can't think of when it would have happened so maybe they are right). 

3. High Trestle Trail Bridge: I knew the minute I saw pictures of this bridge, I had to do it. We are basically banking on plan of getting to this bridge at night so we can see it. I'm also REALLY hoping it's not sketch at all to walk around at night. This might be the first time I'm hoping for a tourist heavy time slot. 

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4. Blank Park Zoo: We actually enjoy going to zoos, and I feel like we basically go to one on every trip. I also feel like the quality of a zoo really says a lot about the city its in as a whole. If it's a great zoo, I leave that city with a great feeling about it as a whole. I'm snobby like that. 

5. Science Center of Iowa: I had some kind of fever dream where we did both the zoo AND the science center on the same day. I don't know what I was thinking, but dammit if we aren't going to try. I didn't think a science center would be a big deal, but both Olivia and Jackson really wanted to do this. I guess they had such a great time at the one in St. Paul, so we're going to give it a try. 

6. A giant swinging bridge. It's actually called Lover's Leap Swinging Bridge and I just really want to see it. And maybe even walk across it. It swings eight stories high and I already know Jackson is not about that life. 

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7. Dubuque stuff. Honestly, this is where I got a little sloppy and have no actual plans. Help me. 

8. National Mississippi River Museum 

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I am really hoping this is pretty great because it's kind of set to be our last thing in Iowa before we come home. 

9. Bookstores, obviously. 

River Lights Bookstore and Prairie Lights Books. I'm hoping that we have time to stop but obviously if we can't... we can't. And I'll probably be sad, but I get it. 

10. Places to eat? Am I missing things that I absolutely CANNOT MISS?! 

We are super excited, we leave for our trip soon, so stay turned for adventure stories. 

Book Review: Sugar Birds

Hey, hey, hey! How is your week going? Three of my four kids have been off to Grandma and Grandpa's house this week so it has been so QUIET. Matt and I literally had no idea what to do. I read, I got blog stuff done, and then I took a lot of naps because I have not felt well, so that's my absence reason this week. I've just felt generally unwell and I don't know what the deal has been. As we head into the weekend, I'm feeling better but not great. I don't know if it's just depression or what. I'd really like to perk up. 

Sugar Birds - Cheryl Grey Bostrom

Northwest Washington State, 1985

For years, Harris Hayes has taught his daughter, Aggie, the ways of the northern woods. So when her mother's depression worsens, Harris shows the girl how to find and sketch the nests of wild birds as an antidote to sadness. Aggie is in a tree far overhead when her unpredictable mother spots her and forbids her to climb. Angry, the ten-year-old accidentally lights a tragic fire, then flees downriver. She lands her boat near untamed forest, where she hides among the trees and creatures she considers her only friends—determined to remain undiscovered.

A search party gathers by Aggie’s empty boat hours after Celia, fresh off the plane from Houston, arrives at her grandmother’s nearby farm. Hurting from her parents’ breakup, she also plans to run. But when she joins the hunt for Aggie, she meets two irresistible young men who compel her to stay. One is autistic; the other, dangerous.

I'm not familiar with the books this one is compared to (The Scent Keeper, The Snow Child, and The Great Alone) but I can tell you this one gave me Where the Forest Meets the Stars vibes. At the time when I first finished that book I was just meh on it, a solid 3 star, nothing special. But now that I'm a ways from it, I appreciate it so much. Along comes Sugar Birds and you guys... this one hurt my heart. Maybe being a mom does that to me. 

In this story we have Aggie, who happens to set her home on fire (parents inside) and she panics. She flees into the woods because she is scared of what will happen to her/consequences but also she feels horribly guilty. Never mind that nothing she does is a normal reaction to the situation, so it made me think maybe she had some kind of mental disorder going on (brother is autistic and mom was severely depressed). She feels somewhat at home in the woods, and the author does an AMAZING job describing the woods and really setting the scene. Enter Celia (who I didn't love) and she's moving to this area to be with grandma and she's got some feelings about it. She's like 16/17 and hates it. Hates her life. Hates everything. Imagine an emotional, emo teen who hates the world and that is Celia. She's just... she's so much and I didn't like her. Oh yes, and then we also have to talk about Colt who is CLEARLY nuts. He's got to be a sociopath or something, but he's the guy you'd hear about on a crime podcast later on. I did not like him and he gave me all of the bad vibes, but thankfully the book mostly centers around Celia and Aggie so never fear. 

The story is told in dual voices, and you can tell these characters are young but also incredibly immature. As someone with a 16 year old, I can tell you that it's pretty authentic. I loved all of the bird references and I loved how much research the author clearly did. This story is a clear dive into human emotions and the power of assumptions can have on your life. I also liked how the author introduces different kind of loss, but shows how different people manage loss because you can see how easy it is to go off the rails without help. 

I can't really tell you more because it ruins the ending for sure, and it's important to read the story not knowing what happened in each scenario and how it happened. I love how the author helps the characters (but us, too) learn that even when things are bleak, you can come back from everything. No matter how bad something seems, you can always turn it around. 

A huge thank you to Spark Point Studio and Cheryl Grey Bostrom for having me on this tour and sending me a copy. I highly suggest this one if you're looking for a fall read (it feels like you need to get cozy, with a blanket, on a comfy chair, with cocoa (unless you're a pumpkin spice kind of person) and dive in. 

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