Hi there! I just want to start by saying, I’m sort of new to this whole blogging thing so please bear with me! Why did I create this blog you ask? Well, to put it simply, It’s a space that I created to share books and reviews while I am trying to navigate working full time, being a mom and wife and my volunteer work. I’m not going to lie, I am one exhausted human but I do have a passion for reading and bookish stuff. First, let me share a little about me. I am a wife and mom to a 17 year old daughter and a 12 year old French Bulldog. I work full-time in healthcare. I am a U.S. Army Veteran. I volunteer with my daughter’s marching band and a local food pantry. I also volunteer at a local, literary arts non-profit which I absolutely love! The concept of this page came to me as I was signing up for annual reading challenges on a lot of these fancy bookish blogs. This blog is partly to keep me motivated to complete those challenges but it serves another purpose as well. As I scroll through IG and TikTok, I couldn’t help but notice all of those aesthetically pleasing and staged bookish posts and bookstagrams. Two thoughts cross my mind, the first, wow that is really beautiful! Then that thought is immediately followed by, “Yeah, but is that real life for most people?” As I’m sure you’ve probably guessed it, social media portrays the very unrealistic life most often. When that happens, I don’t know about you but, afterwards, I’m left feeling a little less than sometimes or like my life is not on par with these content creators. Social Media is great for a great many things but it is notorious in making many feel inadequate. Those influencers living the life in their posts and here I am, bone tired, coming home from an 8 hour shift on my feet all day, trying to figure out what the hell I can slap together for supper while my daughter and husband are both blowing my phone up with questions. Don’t get me wrong, I applaud people that can have the space, time and money to create that kind of content but that just isn’t me. I’m pretty simple. I’m going to be totally honest here…..I’m lazy a lot of times. I start reading challenges and usually don’t finish them. I barely am able to get supper on the table most nights and my energy levels are in the toilet but….with the new year approaching, I decided to make a resolution to be more intentional with my time and devote it to reading more. I wanted to create a place for folks like me. A place for honest book reviews and no frills. Just relatable and realistic busy life aesthetics or non-aesthetics. I wanted a place for busy and tired people like me, who love to read, to come and enjoy books and bookish stuff. I have to admit that when I see some of those aesthetically pleasing posts with the jetsetter bookworm who travels all over the world posting a pic of their latest read next to an espresso over looking their posh balcony in Italy….I get a little jealous and then I’m reminded that….well…honey, that is not your life and likely, never will be…..and that is Ok! That is why I’m here…to have a place for the average, ordinary everyday, hard-working and exhausted person like me to feel welcome and at home and more importantly…..to talk about books!!! Let’s all unite in our messy, crazy, busy, exhausting , beautifully unique yet ordinary lives and enjoy some books. I will be participating (or attempting to) in a few reading challenges in 2023 and I’m super excited to kick things off. The ones I’ll be participating in are linked on the sidebar so feel free to click on the challenge button and it will take you to the respective page to join in the fun! They are all crossovers so I’ll be able to knock several birds out with several stones hopefully. Along with the challenges linked in the sidebar, I’ll be participating in the Linz The Bookworm challenge here and the PopSugar Reading challenge here —> https://www.popsugar.com/entertainment/reading-challenge-2023-49013480 I would love to hear about any challenges you may be participating in during 2023. Please comment below with your reading goals and challenges! My apologies ahead of time for my beginner’s blogger skills but it’s a learning journey for me. Please feel free to follow or friend me on Goodreads as well if you’d like. Well with this first post done, I’m tired y’all but let’s read!