Hello readers! Today’s newsletter is all about the books I read on vacation and the books I bought on vacation ~ both major accomplishments given how on-the-go we were and how little luggage space we had! Remember that the Saturday edition of this publication is always available for all readers ~ I am so happy you have welcomed me into your inbox ♡
Friends, I knew going into my trip to Maine with three teens that I wouldn’t be getting much reading time in, but I truly didn’t comprehend just how little downtime there would be! I read for hours on the plane both ways, but while there, I had just a few minutes each morning and evening to read, plus one longer stretch at a coffee shop. Turns out that when forced to spend six straight days with their mother, my kids like to TALK to me! And the middle kid (17) wanted to be on the go the entire time ~ the oldest and youngest are like me and would be happy lounging and reading at the campsite during downtime, but my son is the opposite. And that was great, because we ended up doing SO MANY AMAZING THINGS! I wrote all about our favorite parts of the Maine trip on Thursday ~ it was hard to choose!
Books Read On Our Trip
Just Up the Road by ~ I started this book in the days leading up to the Maine trip and finished it at the beginning of the plane journey there ~ it was SUCH a perfect way to get into the mood for the trip and get a feel for Maine adventures! I love this book and format so much ~ it’s a perfect blend of memoir and travel writing, written in short entries about adventures all over the state of Maine. If this sounds good to you, definitely read the book AND subscribe to Diehl’s Substack
. I immediately handed my paperback copy to my daughter so she could also get inspired for more Maine adventures during her time with MCC.Sandwich by ~ This one doesn’t release until this coming Tuesday, but I am SO glad I decided to dig into my early copy on this trip. This is a perfect summery family story set at a beach house, and was an impeccable fit for my vacation with three older kids. Newman writes young adults with such affection and realness and perfectly captures this middle age sandwich stage of parenting kids and worrying about aging parents all at the same time. Please note that this book contains a lot of content about the endings of pregnancies ~ take care if this is a sensitive topic for you.
Finding Freedom by Erin French ~ I read much of this book on the plane ride home and am so grateful to the person who recommended it to me! I remember borrowing the audio version from Libby a while back, but it just wasn’t the right time for it. However, this Maine-based foodie memoir was such a perfect fit for this trip, and I just sunk into it with abandon. While much of French’s story was difficult, knowing she wrote it after making it out the other side was enough to help me make it through the tough stuff.
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Books Purchased On Our Trip
This was very much NOT a bookish trip, but I did manage to pick up some Maine-based books while there! We stopped into the Sherman’s in Freeport and I was so impressed with their collection of local titles. I grabbed three adult fiction and two picture books and can’t wait to prioritize them this summer!
Hatchet Island by Paul Doiron
Fire Exit by Morgan Talty
The Lowering Days by Gregory Brown
One Morning in Maine by Robert McCluskey
When the Fog Rolls In by Pam Fong
Want more Maine bookstore recommendations? Check out this recent list from
!
Favorite Substack Read of the Week
This week I am sharing the excitement about one of my favorite Wisconsin writer’s NEW BOOK!!! just announced that her December 2024 release is available for pre-order at all the places ~ yay yay!
As a former accountant and personal finance teacher, I absolutely love this book’s title ~ and also think it’s ironic that I love it since the budgeting tool my family has used for years and years is called YNAB ~ You Need a Budget - ha! I contain multitudes?
Don’t forget to check out my updated collection of Favorite Books Set in Maine!
Related pieces from the archive that you may enjoy
That’s all for this week ~ thanks for reading!
I love to hear from readers, so please do reach out to me with questions or feedback at mindfullibrarian@substack.com . If we aren’t already connected on Goodreads, I would love to see you there as well!
I loved Sandwich so much!! I also love Maine so am going to check out your other recommended titles!
Thanks so much for the love! You crammed so much great reading in during your trip!