Hello hello, and welcome to Episode 122 of Life On the Brink!
It’s time once again for one of my favorite episodes of the year, the always-beloved “favorite-books-i-read-last-year” episode, where I am sharing 6 of my favorite reads from 2024! Some are brand new, some are old classics, but all of them hold a special place in my heart and have my complete recommendation. I’m also recapping my season of reading while caring for a newborn, and sharing my reading goals for the coming year.
Now’s the perfect time to stock up your TBR!
What’s in my teacup? A vanilla latte that I made myself! See the Little Joy for details…
"You have me watching birds, and though I don’t know their names like you know them, I have seen small bright singers puff before they trill. That’s how I feel. I sing myself out to you, and my talons clutch the branch, and I am wrung out until your next letter gives me breath, fills me to bursting."
This Is How You Lose the Time War
MY TOP READS OF 2024:
-This Is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone
-52 Loaves: One Man's Relentless Pursuit of Truth, Meaning, and a Perfect Crust by William Alexander
-Funny Story by Emily Henry
-The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame
-Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe
-Be Ready When the Luck Happens by Ina Garten
"It's true that a child belongs to its father. But when a father beats his child, it seeks sympathy in its mother's hut. A man belongs to his fatherland when things are good and life is sweet. But when there is sorrow and bitterness he finds refuge in his motherland. Your mother is there to protect you. She is buried there. And that is why we say that mother is supreme. Is it right that you, Okonkwo, should bring your mother a heavy face and refuse to be comforted? Be careful or you may displease the dead. Your duty is to comfort your wives and children and take them back to your fatherland after seven years. But if you allow sorrow to weigh you down and kill you, they will all die in exile."
Things Fall Apart (a powerful quote!)
“It’s a library, Daphne. If you can’t be a human here, where can you?”
This Week’s Little Joy: This espresso machine by CASABREWS. I received it for Christmas and have used it almost every day since. It's officially "We have Starbuck's at home" season for me and I'm so excited. I will hopefully enter my latte art era this year, and I know all the syrup making will commence this summer. This model is nothing fancy, but is a really good price and makes exactly what I need; every morning is that much more special!
What I’m Listening To: This is a HUGE album conglomerate (the equivalent of 21 discs) of every single string quartet Haydn every wrote. As you can see, he was a prolific composer! Zoe and I have been big fans lately; I find it's stimulating and uplifting pretty much any time of the day.
Thank you so much for listening! Feel free to leave a comment, or head to Apple Podcasts to leave a star rating or review. If you have any suggestions for future episodes, send an email in the contact form on this site. I’d love to hear from you, and I'll be back in February!