Books Are Cool, Reading Is Cool

Monday, June 8, was Name Your Poison Day.

At one point, Lucky looked at the calendar and called out, "Name your poison, Nichole!"

Without missing a beat, Nichole called back, "Ricin!" 

 

I told her the Daisy Dalrymple books I've been reading have had poison used several times. Mystery books are cool. I like that we've got generational mystery readers. My mom introduced me to Agatha Christie books when I was younger and I got into them. I introduced Nichole to Agatha Christie books when she was younger and she got into them.

 

For the Orem Library Adult Reading Challenge this year, I needed a book recommendation from a friend. Nichole recommended a mystery book for me. She's my friend.

It is fun to have book discussions with my children. I love that books and reading are one thing we all have in common in our family. We may have differences in tastes. I wouldn't recommend my "kissing books" to everybody in the family. I did make everyone watch the movie, Seeking Persephone, but only a couple of us have or will read the book. It doesn't stop me from sharing with Jeremy when I'm really enjoying parts of those books, though. 

We do all enjoy similar books from time to time, though. I've taken book recommendations from Lucky before who reads more junior fiction books than I do generally. We all like Terry Pratchett books on some level. Audiobooks on car trips can be fun. We went through the whole (original) Fablehaven series on audiobooks a while back when we were traveling more. 

 

Isn't this funny? I just wanted to mention the funny interaction that happened on Name Your Poison Day then I kept going about mystery books then books in general and... blah blah blah blah blah.

Books are cool. Mystery books are cool.

Here is a picture I made three of my children pose for so I could put it on this blog post.

Oh, look. Jr. Jr. is reading a Fablehaven book. Lucky is reading a Terry Pratchett book. Nichole is reading a mystery. I did not tell them what books to grab. I just told them to grab a book. Ha Ha.

Silent Book Club

Shhhh. 

Nichole and I went to a Silent Book Club at the new library courtyard with the new greenhouse at the Orem Library.

It was so nice. We had a dedicated time to quietly read our books outside. If we wanted to talk (you know me- love to chat with those Orem librarians), there was an indoor space dedicated to talking about books and whatever else. They also had snacks in there. 

It was part of the Adult Reading Challenge so we got another sticker to put in our junk journals. My junk journal is getting a lot of use this year. I love it! 

It was a relaxing evening. 

Screen Free Week 2026

Last week was Screen Free Week. Let's talk about highlights from the week.

Monday through Friday, I went for daily walks to Bridal Veil Falls, including on a day when it was raining. I just took an umbrella.

 

I listened through several audiobooks.

One day I walked beyond Bridal Veil Falls and walked along the Provo River Parkway for a bit. I kept having to dodge little inchworms hanging from their silken threads. I tried to get some pictures using my hand as a backdrop (without touching them) but I couldn't get it to focus on the creatures.

Finally I gave up and started walking back. After a bit I looked down at my sleeve and saw a little inchworm sitting there. I was able to get pictures and a video of it (because my sleeve was a good backdrop) before I picked up a stick to encourage it off of me.

I found another one that I also got off. When I got back to the van, I took off my vest and brushed myself off but I didn't have any more of those little caterpillars on me. That was fun. 

 

May the Fourth, I took a couple kids to the library with me. We said Hi to Libby the Librantula (twice) and picked up some books.

There was a display in the children's section for Star Wars Day, so I picked up a book to read with Jet later.

We ate "sand"wich people at home. 

I wished my friend a Happy Star Wars Day and she let me know they were watching one of the movies.

We didn't watch a movie because it was Screen Free Week but we played a card game that night for Family Home Evening.

May the Sixth was No Diet Day so I told everyone to "Fend For Yourself" for dinner. 

 

May the Seventh was National Tourism Day so we ate Greek Pitas.

I wore my slug shirt I wore on our Pacific Northwest trip a couple years ago. Jet carried around Timothy, the banana slug we got from Mount Rainier on that trip. Jet and I both wore brown shirts and black pants that day.

May the Eighth was No Sock Day. I wore my socks some of the time but took them off other times.

It was also Fintastic Friday. We had Sharkleberry Fin Koolaid and Jeremy brought us home gummy sharks.

That night, I introduced another person to the movie, Seeking Persephone. It's a monthly tradition. This person, however, has read a lot of books by Sarah M. Eden so she is very familiar with the book this movie is based on as well as the series (and a related series).

I know it was Screen Free Week, but this movie watching was postponed from when we were going to watch it in April (I got to watch it with my in-laws). The kids were okay with it because they got to watch a movie during Screen Free Week and eat cucumber sandwiches and drink herbal tea.  

 

Other things from Screen Free Week:

Snuggles

Jet  showing that he learned "Skidamarink A Dink A Dink" at school

Jr. Jr. letting Jet play with the train he built at school (how cool is that)

 

Jeremy finally getting a haircut

Roses blooming 

I'll blog about Saturday and Sunday later. Those days were big deals. 

I Love Reading Challenge Events

On Chocolate Mint Day, February 19, besides eating chocolate mints,

Nichole and I had a lovely mother-daughter date at The Hobbit Book Club Discussion at the Orem Library.

We had great conversation at our table discussing the book and so many other things.

We also got to make pocket-sized Shires. I always love to see how people can have totally different styles when creating things. I also love that, even though we were all book lovers at the event, we could have different interests in books or different favorite and least favorite characters in the same book. 

I loved that event.

Lunar New Year Celebration at the Library

Monday, February 9, was National Pizza Day.

Since I had plans to take family members to the Lunar New Year Celebration at the Orem Library, we had to do quick pizza celebrating.

I managed to get pizzas put together but they needed to be put in the oven. I didn't have time since I was going to pick up Nichole from campus and pick up Lucky from rehearsal before quickly eating and getting to the library.

I figured Nichole would be able to put the pizzas in the oven so this is the conversation I had with Jr. Jr. and Jet.

 

Mom: Nichole will be in charge of putting the pizzas in the oven when I get back.

Jr. Jr.: Got it. Jet will be in charge of putting the pizzas in the oven.

Jet: No. I'll be in charge of taste testing the pizzas.

 

Have I mentioned how much I love my family?

 

I got everybody home, we ate, then Jr. Jr., Jet, and I went to the library for the celebration. 

Jet and I made a Chinese lantern. We trotted like horses because it is going to be the year of the Horse. We did a scavenger hunt and earned fortune cookies. 

Jet took a break to play with things in the main area of the children's section. 

Jr. Jr. took that time to juggle. I love that he likes to continually learn new tricks.

We went back to watch the Lion dancing in the auditorium. 

 Then Jet played some more and we went home.

 Nice night. And we ate pizza.