Hello, there! How is your day going? It’s been a slow few weeks over here. Who else can say the same? I’m giving an update on how quarantine life has been going lately and dishing on my latest reads and book recommendations below!
You might have noticed, but I’ve been quieter than usual both on social media and here on the blog these past few weeks. Between managing pregnancy exhaustion and keeping my toddler entertained all day long (oh how I miss her preschool right now) – I’ve been slacking on producing content for this space and it’s been tough. I wish I could do it all! Life has thrown us all for a loop. When I do find that bit of free time, I’ve found I tend to focus more on self-care, choosing to relax instead of squeezing in space to run off to my office to work.
I am so passionate about Lone Star Looking Glass and thrive on the energy I feel when shooting exciting content, hitting publish on a new post, and sharing my life’s stories with you all. I miss that feeling! Motherhood’s demands in light of coronavirus life have left me feeling depleted at the end of the day. Instead of heading down the hall to my office after Annie goes to bed, I’ve been tending to skip down the stairs to our bedroom to curl up with my snoogle and a deliciously good book instead. I’ve been feeling so guilty about it but I’m looking at this moment in time as a little break I guess you could say. A break I didn’t know I both mentally and physically needed.
The quiet late evening hours I spend reading has become my happy time. It’s a little escape from the reality we’re all facing right now. Isn’t that what books are for, after all? Their words on their pages give us an opportunity to completely break free to other worlds different than our own.
I’m an avid reader, but I’ve gone above and beyond lately, managing to devour six books since the start of social distancing. I have a few I can’t resist recommending to y’all below along with a peek into my spring reading list.
My 2020 Spring Reading List
Crescent City: A sprawling urban “adult” fantasy following a fearless city girl named Bryce. Read this for a story of loss and love mixed with magic, angels, fae, vampires and more twists and turns than you’d ever expect. It’s a meaty one at 800 pages but what could be better when in quarantine?
Bringing Down the Duke: A historical romance that is anything but cheesy. It’s 1879 and Annabell is a country girl turned student at Oxford with nay a title or penny to her name. She’s on a scholarship given to her by the Women Suffragist movement thus she must uphold the cause to her best ability – even if that means getting close to a closed-minded uppity Duke!
The Starless Sea: This one has popped up on both Goodreads and Amazon as “recommended for me” so I clearly ought to listen. A quick snippet says it is about a timeless lovey story set in a secret underground world complete with pirates sailing upon starless seas. Sign me up!
The Little Shop of Found Things: Currently 1/3 deep into the audio version of this enchanting book. The story follows a mother and daughter as they set up a new life in a haunted antique shop they just purchased in the English Countryside. When Xanthe starts having mysterious connections to the antiques she touches and the stories they hold, a mystery starts to unfold.
The Duke & I (Bridgerton Series): Soon to be a TV series on Netflix! Another love story involving that of a dashing duke. This one follows Daphne Bridgerton as she navigates London’s society season. Upon meeting Simon – a duke and Daphne’s brother’s best friend – the pair decide to enter a fake courtship to ward off unwanted potential suitors on both sides (and Daphne’s ambitious mama.)
Belgravia: From Downton Abbey’s creator Julian Fellows comes the novel Belgravia, about the upper echelon of London society in the 19th century. (You can tell by now I generally love this era, can’t you!?) I haven’t read this all the way through but I have tuned into the first episode of the new series that recently aired on Epix. If you’re a fan of Downton, you’re sure to fall just as hard for the characters on Belgravia too.
Since we can’t escape home to see our friends or visit someplace new … books are the next best thing to tasting something new now!
PS: I’ve linked all of my bedroom Decor Linked Here Those Interested: Anthropologie Curtains // Select Blinds Roman Shades // Article Headboard // Similar Bedding // Furry Pillow // Sconces // Side Table // Minted Art // Ceiling Fan
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xo, alice
What’s on your spring reading list? Let me know in a comment below!
