#plotdrivenlife
Experiences Inspired by Books
Selfie-Expression
I have to admit that I thought I would have a lot more free time while observing the last two months of stay-at-home orders. With school obligations and a one-year-old who is juuuuuuussssstttttt about to walk on his own, our days seem to fly by, and I wind up on the...
Make Coding “App”-etizing for Students
Last week, Missouri's governor Mike Parson announced that all schools in the state will remain closed through the end of the school year. It wasn't a surprise for most of us educators, but the announcement sure sucked. We teachers miss our kids! And we're especially...
Speaking Graphically
Woah! It’s almost been a YEAR since I last posted, and the main reason for that is my happy, healthy almost one-year old-son! I can’t even believe how fast the last eleven months have gone, but they haven’t left much time for reading or writing. That changed this past...
Know Yourself
Please note that this post contains some affiliate links. This week's #plotdrivenlife experience is one I've been ruminating about since last summer. In order to carry it out, I had to do some serious self-reflection and even a bit of soul-searching. Before I share...
Synth-esize with Me
This week's #plotdrivenlife experience is one of my favorite to date. Not only did it send me down a rabbit hole of other reading, it required a serious commitment from both me and Mike to call it a success. More on that in a sec, but first, let me introduce the book...
The Price of Beauty
I REALLY had to put on my big-girl pants for this week's #plotdrivenlife experience, but first, let me share a book that had me thinking about its message long after I finished it: Dhonielle Clayton's, The Belles: In the fantastical land of Orleans, Camellia...
Fly Like an Eagle
I have never been particularly interested in birds because I prefer the type of animals that you can cuddle and walk, but this week's book had me plan a #PlotDrivenLife experience to learn more about birds native to the St. Louis area. It just so happens that the...
The Gift of Memory
As you can probably imagine, I've been a whole lot more sentimental about family since we reconnected with my dad's maternal family in 2018. I've mentioned many times that we experienced a miracle, and it's made me treasure the family I've always known even more. I...
Do You Believe in Ghosts?
If I had to choose one genre to read for the rest of my life, I'd choose mystery. I love true crime tv, podcasts like Serial, and I'll forever have a special place in my heart for all of Mary Higgins Clark's formulaic murder mysteries. My husband jokes that he sleeps...
Not So Far From the Tree
There are many things I wish I had done better in 2018, but the beauty of the new year is that we get to make fresh, new promises to ourselves and dream about what could be in the coming months. As I reflected on 2018, I thought about this little blog and how much...
Regurgitated Frog
From O’Fallon to Jimmy Fallon By now, you probably know that Jimmy Fallon picked Children of Blood and Bone for the Tonight Show’s Summer Reads book club. And how cool is it that his audience helped choose a book with strong, diverse characters, the first...
Turtle Takeover
Heroes in a Half-Shell! Were you a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles junkie like me as a kid? I spent many an afternoon in front of the tv in the 1990s, totally absorbed with these “heroes in a half-shell” with “turtle power!” As I reflect on this completely ridiculous...
Stranger than Fiction
Rewind a Minute Well, it's been entirely too long since I last shared a new #plotdrivenlife adventure, but I hope that this update to a post I wrote in 2017 will absolutely blow your mind and prove to you that books change lives! In August 2017, I wrote a post...
Moxie, #metoo & MacGyver
Podcast Driven Life I have to admit that I've been living more of a Podcast Driven Life lately, and I'm cringing at how far behind I am on my Goodreads Challenge for the year. However, I think the lessons I'm learning from the podcasts I'm currently addicted to are...
Countdown to My Death
If the title of this week's blog post made you think I'm dying, don't worry. I'm completely healthy. But this week's book certainly has me thinking about how I'll use the rest of my time on Earth, especially after experiencing the death calculator! Capital Gaines:...
Puzzle Mania!
The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee Happy holidays, everybody! My gift to you this week is a recommendation to read one of the best books I read in 2017: The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee. Historical fiction doesn’t get any...
Will Roadtrip for Books
When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon I love a good romance, and I took the recommendation of Emily Hall, owner of a local indie bookshop called Main Street books, when I picked up this week's book: When Dimple Met Rishi. Dimple Shah yearns to make a name for...
This Blog Goes to the Dogs
The Female of the Species by Mindy McGinnis If you're looking for a spooky book to read this Halloween, may I suggest The Female of the Species? Author Mindy McGinnis is also responsible for one of my favorite 2017-18 Gateway nominees called A Madness So Discreet; the...
Get in My Belly!
It's been a while since I lasted posted, but I hope to have several posts for you over the next few weeks! North of Happy by Adi Alsaid We are fast approaching the season of food. Thanksgiving is a month away, and if you celebrate Christmas like I do, you might...
Balloons, Bonbons & Bacon
I love it when other people share their own #plotdrivenlife experiences, and one of my favorite fellow librarians, Shannon Grieshaber, recently shared one with me in her own recent blog post. In my opinion, the coolest part about planning a #plotdrivenlife experience...