In My Mom Era

It’s October!!!!! Which means it’s my birthday month—and I’m turning the big 4-0!!!

I honestly don’t believe it.

So, I’m celebrating all month. With all of the little coupons companies send me, anything fun that comes my way—and anything fun I decide to make happen!

But I’m also making lists.

40 books I want to read sooner rather than later. And 40 places I want to visit sooner rather than later.

Because you never know what tomorrow will bring, I’m making these as achievable as I can for myself—especially the places. I mean, I WANT to go to Germany and Austria, but that’s probably not happening anytime soon, LOL!

So tonight, while I’m sitting in the passenger seat with the fam and Ty drives us three hours back home from our excursion through Kentucky and Illinois today, I’m making my lists.

And, trust me, I have a LOT to talk about from today. HAHA! But we’ll do that another time.

Tonight: 10 books. Places will come later. And I’ll keep adding to both lists until I hit 40 by the end of the month.
Eventually, each book I read and each place I visit will get its own post with my thoughts and experiences.

So stay tuned!!

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Book #1 — The Life-Changing Magic of Not Giving a F*ck by Sarah Knight
This one has been out since 2015—and has been sitting on my Goodreads list since 2019.

And honestly? This is RIGHT up my alley with turning 40, because I legit don’t give a shit what people think about me anymore. LOL!!

Book #2 — The Girl Who Wrote in Silk by Kelli Estes

This dual-timeline historical novel was inspired in part by the real history of the Chinese expulsion from Seattle, Washington—and it has rabbit hole written ALL OVER IT for me.

I already know I’m going to end up researching half the history mentioned in this book.

Book #3 — The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd

I remember this book being EVERYWHERE.

Set in South Carolina in the 1960s, it follows a young girl whose life has been shaped by the loss of her mother—and her search to understand her past.

Somehow, I’ve still never read it.

Book #4 — A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles

A Russian count is sentenced to house arrest in a luxury hotel while history and revolution unfold outside his suddenly very small world.

That premise alone is enough for me.

Book #5 — Two Can Keep a Secret by Karen M. McManus

Small-town America. Teenagers missing and murdered. Secrets everywhere.

What could possibly go wrong??

Book #6 — Long Bright River by Liz Moore

Two sisters are torn apart by circumstance and end up walking very different paths through life. Then one disappears while a string of murders is happening.

Soooo… obviously I need to know what happened.

Book #7 — The Alice Network by Kate Quinn

Women spies. World War I. World War II. Lives woven together through unimaginable stories, heartache, betrayal and love.

Basically, somebody looked at my reading preferences and made me a book.

Book #8 — I’ve Got Your Number by Sophie Kinsella

Romance-ish!

This chick is GETTING MARRIED, loses her engagement ring AND her phone, finds an abandoned phone, decides it’s hers now—and hilarity apparently ensues.

Sometimes I just need this kind of chaos in my reading life.

Book #9 — Life After Life by Kate Atkinson

A woman is born… and dies.

Then she’s born again.

And lives.

And dies again.

And apparently just keeps dying and reliving her life??

I have questions. 😂

Book #10 — The Wives by Tarryn Fisher

A woman marries a man who has other wives.

She knows he has other wives.

She’s apparently okay with this arrangement because she’s crazy about him.

And then things start getting weird.

I don’t know, guys. Apparently I need to read the damn book to figure out what happens. LOL!

That’s the first 10!

Ten down. Thirty books to go.

And then there are those 40 places…

Those will come later. 🫶

—Kelly