Mini Book Reviews: April 2025

 Disclaimer: I received ARCs of Enough: Climbing Towards a True Self on Mt Everest, Heartwood, The Griffin Sisters' Greatest Hits, and The Imagined Life. This post contains affiliate links.

April was another great month of reading for me. You know it's a good month when your lowest rated book was by Jennifer Weiner. She's usually a win for me, but this time, <i>The Griffin Sisters' Greatest Hits</i> was just ok. Maybe it was just me--the ratings on Goodreads disagree with me. It could be just a matter of personal taste. But that's what is so great about reading books--there's something for everyone. And if you don't like it, you don't have to finish it. Thankfully, no DNFs this month! 

Running: The Gift that Keeps on Giving

I have been a runner for most of my adult life. The impact that running has had on me is immeasurable. From mental health to physical fitness, from confidence to composure, from youthfulness to body acceptance--the list could go on forever-- running has provided me with so much more than miles. After two runs with friends this week, I was reminded once again of the many benefits of this never-ending gift. 

My why regarding running has changed over the years, but no matter what reason I have for a particular run, I always get so much more than I need. Even the bad runs teach me something--and really, is there ever a bad run? I feel so lucky to be a runner; as I age, even more so! Running truly is the gift that keeps on giving.

Up and Down

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I hate to be that person who talks about the weather, but as a runner, it's in my DNA. While we in the Midwest are accustomed to wild weather swings, this spring has been more challenging than usual. Don't like the weather? Just wait--it will change. And let's not even talk about the ever-present wind. It's enough to send a runner to the treadmill! 

That may be an exaggeration, but I'm glad that I'm not training for anything. Content to 'just run', I got all my miles in this week. I'm always grateful for the sunshine, even on the cooler days. I also received some new gear, which always makes me happy!

Agility, Baby!

Will Spring ever come? It was a gloomy, cool week here in Chicagoland--at least until the end of the week when the sun finally came out! That didn't stop me from taking all my runs outdoors. I had a lot of fun on my trail runs leaping over puddles and fallen trees. It sure keeps things interesting!

I Needed To Run!

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It has been A WEEK. 

Volatile weather, wild swings on the stock market, and 3 trips out to see my parents kept me on my toes. Add to that all those extra work projects I'm involved in. I had to be flexible with my workout schedule and I got it all in except for one run. I'm really leaning into my workouts for stress relief as well as committing to them as 'my time'. I'm going to do my best to not let anything get in the way of that.

The week ended on a high note, though. On Saturday, I had a date with Erica at a sound bath in the city. After that, I met up with the kids for some beers. It's always so great to see them and any time I'm in the city, I do my best to connect!

Mini Book Reviews: March 2024

 Disclaimer: I received ARCs of Broken Country, The Dream Hotel, Dream Count, Claire Darling, Hot Air, and Saltwater from NetGalley and the publishers. This post contains affiliate links.

Thank goodness March has 31 days because I had a lot of books to read this month! I was also fortunate to have 2 weeks off work with plenty of downtime to read. I even had time to meet my goals of reading one Kindle read and one non-fiction read. My favorite book? Broken Country, which will most likely be one of my favorite books of the year. 

I hope you'll find something here that interests you!

I Ran a Race!

After all that activity of the past two weeks, I settled back into the routine of everyday life. But not before I ran a race! Long-time readers know that I like to run the Chicago Shamrock Shuffle 8k in March—it's a race that I return to year after year. I think I first ran it in 1993. My youngest son said he'd run with me. This was his longest race distance so far.

The iconic Columbus Drive start line