there's no place like gnome.

I’ve shared my routine with you before. I read books on my Kindle (checked out from my library via the Libby app) while I eat breakfast. It, quite honestly, is one of my favorite parts of the day. It helps me get out of bed; I look forward to it. I used to be a CRAZY reader who kind of died during college/seminary but I’m so glad she’s back.

Without further ado, here’s what I read and (mostly) loved in 2023:

Ruth Gallway novels by Elly Griffiths. I counted them up; I read EIGHT of these books in 2023. It’s no secret; I love a good series that guides me to what I should read next. Ruth is an archaeology professor in England who gets wrapped up in helping the local police force solve crimes. They’re a bit corny, easy reads but, oh dear, how I have come to love Ruth as a character. There are two books left in the series; they’re currently on my holds list with the library. I will cry when it’s over.

Veronica Speedwell Mysteries by Deanna Raybourn. I read the first two of these novels this year and again, love how it leads me to add the next one to my holds list. They’re fun reads.

Historical fiction: The Rose Code by Kate Quinn. The Only Woman in the Room by Marie Benedict.

(I think I really like mysteries. Huh. The whodunit calls to me.) The Night She Disappeared by Lisa Jewell. The Last Mrs. Parrish by Liv Constantine. The Sanatorium by Sarah Pearse. We Were Never Here by Andrea Bartz. In the Woods by Tana French.

Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus. (So lovely. Still have yet to watch the Apple TV series!)

Upgrade by Blake Crouch.

How the Penguins Saved Veronica by Hazel Prior. I remember crying a lot with this one; like good crying.

The Marriage Portrait by Maggie O’Farrell.

The Stolen Book of Evelyn Aubrey by Serena Burdick. A novel that bounces between two time periods.

Truth or Beard by Penny Reid. A silly little romance, corny and a bit ridiculous. (But I’ll still read the next one.)

Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros. I literally JUST finished this one tonight. I love fantasy/other-world novels. This one was a little, erm, graphic romantically which I could have done with a little less but, OF COURSE, it ended with a HUGE surprise and now I need to read the next one in the series like tomorrow (but will need to wait patiently until it’s my turn on Libby to check it out).

Ten years ago, I turned 30. (Maths.) I then conned my family into taking a train to downtown Chicago, meeting up with my birthday twin, cousin Connor, who was living in Chicago at the time. I remember shopping, the German Christmas market, and a joyous weekend to mark a new decade. I have very few photos except this one – a selection of us eating a pretzel at the market.

This year, this past Friday, I turned 40. So I conned my husband into taking the train to Chicago for a night. (Conned, not really. He was more than willing.) Since we moved to WI from MN, we live 20 minutes from an Amtrak train stop … and we haven’t gone once. It was time to take the hour long ride to Union Station.

But first, let’s start with Friday. The actual day. I took the day off of work so I could prep soup in the slow cooker, get groceries, and clean the house. No joke. I haven’t had a full day at home since probably, oh, early October; it felt like the best gift to give myself.

We took the 11:30 train on Saturday, grabbed some lunch in the food hall at Willis tower, and then headed downstairs to The Color Factory. (The first of two factories we’d visit this day.) What colorful fun. Lots of photo opps, laughs and treats. A conveyor belt of macarons to begin. A series of different rooms/experiences that link color to taste, sound, and compliments.

The line to the Christmas market was about a block long so we decide to continue on towards the hotel. We stopped at a Paper Source store I didn’t know existed downtown. (Love Paper Source!) We ditched our overnight things and headed further north to our second factory – The Cheesecake Factory. A super delicious dinner and cheesecake to go.

Today (Sunday) was an international day of sorts. We started at Eataly which is a coffee bar, Italian market, bakery, deli, restaurants, etc. etc. (The croissants were so very tempting.) We came home with pasta straight from Italy, chocolates, and coffee. We found that HMart, an Asian grocery, was just a few blocks past Union Station and thus we decided to take a gander and purchase a few things, both known and unknown. (Photo below: Italy on the left, Asia on the right.)

In conclusion: Turning 40 for Lindsay means spending a free day running errands, preparing food, and cleaning the house. It also means walking 12 miles around downtown Chicago, stopping not in their fancy department stores but rather purchasing groceries at international grocery markets. If this is life in this next decade, I’m not mad about it.