Hello hello! Spring has FINALLY arrived and I’m here for it: the days are once again longer than the nights, temperatures are rising, flowers are blooming, and the rains (oh my, the rains) have finally gone! Add some great books, movies, and music into the mix and we’ve got a happy me!

I Read…

THE ATLAS OF US by Kirsten Dwyer!

Gah, this book! After reading the author’s debut (and wholly falling in love with Dwyer’s writing style), I was super excited to see what she had in store for her sophomore book. Well, guess what: THE ATLAS OF US is just as spectacular as SOME MISTAKES WERE MADE!

It’s a sweet, heart-wrenching story about the journey of grief. We’ve all gone through it (one way or another), and Dwyer does an amazing job of putting the subtle complexities of the grieving process into words—I felt every emotion from Maps.

I loved Maps’ story, her trail family, and how they all showed up for each other. I also loved the popsicles, the journaling, the hiking, the wilderness setting, the nostalgia of base camp, the stupid teenage misunderstandings, and the waterfall jumping.

Dear Kirsten Dwyer: thank you for cramming so much goodness into this book!

I Watched and Listened to…

TAYLOR SWIFT: THE ERAS TOUR on Disney+!

I couldn’t get tickets to see the real thing, so I binge-watched this three-hour concert movie on Disney. It is a spectacular journey through the various musical chapters of one of the world’s most celebrated pop icons. The movie is a reflection of the tour de force that is Taylor Swift. It demands to be seen, even if you’re not a Swiftie!

From the costumes to the sets to the choreographed dancing, to the audience dancing and crying and shouting along with each song: YES, PLEASE! The film magnifies all of it, in a “next-best-thing-to-being-there” kind of way. If you haven’t seen it: please check it out!