**A knock sounds at the door. I lift myself up from my desk and make my way to the door, only to be greeted by the postman. I happily take the letters he passes along to me and flip through the envelopes as I walk back to my chair. A bright blue one calls to me so I peel it open and give it a read. It would appear as though my mother is coming for a visit in two days’ time. I smile to myself and start to get my little cottage ready for her visit and prepare the spare room. A vase full of flowers is placed in the dining area to brighten it up, and I place a small gift on the bed for her. I just love when she comes for a visit.**

A few months ago, I had the idea to have my mom do a post and she immediately started to think of what she wanted to write about. We had planned to have this up as one of my February posts, so today we finally get to share it. Somehow, I grew up as the only reader in my family, but you will all get to see a small peek into my mom’s reading journey. So without further ado, let’s get into my mom’s guest appearance!

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Hi! I’m just another readers mom and if I could give myself an alias, it would probably be “not a reader.” Growing up, the literary world never appealed to me as much as playing video games or listening to music. About nine or ten years ago I picked up a book from the library and my husband and kids wagered a bet as to whether or not I could finish this book (thank you to my kids for having faith in me). I pushed through and read the whole thing just so they could win. Four years ago, I read Matt Haig’s The Midnight Library in 3 days and suddenly convinced myself that I am now a reader. So, I did what seemed like a fun thing to do and went to town ordering books. These books, almost all 28 of them, are now decorative pieces collecting dust on my nightstand. 

I did read 2 of them over the course of a month in October. Really Very Crunchy by Emily Morrow and Dirty Laundry by Richard Pink and Roxanne Emery. Both have YouTube channels. Emily’s is really very crunchy and Richard and Roxanne are adhd_love. Really Very Crunchy was an easy read and felt relaxed, like you were chatting with a friend. Her husband jumps in at the end of her chapters with his own funny little takes on the topic. She believes crunchiness is a spectrum and this book is a nice way to take a peek into a more nontoxic, “crunchy’” lifestyle. 
As for Dirty Laundry, I came across their channel adhd_love a couple years ago and instantly related to Roxanne. I saw so much of myself in her and her struggles, humor, life, and mannerisms that I almost feel as though I should get myself tested for adhd. Life would probably begin to make so much sense. This was also an easy read and her husband jumps in as well with words of compassion and ways to help and navigate life with a neurodivergent partner. This too felt comfortable to read, like someone was chatting and letting you take a peek into their life. They are both very loving and accepting of the challenges and ups and downs of life and neurodivergence. 

As for the other 26 books, I will need to dust that pile off and get reading. They mostly consist of non fiction (mental and physical health and wellness), which is the genre I enjoy most. The internet is where my reading mostly takes place. I could have a question, thought, or area of interest, go online, and do a deep dive on said topic, devouring article after article. It’s short enough usually to hold my attention span and I like to learn because knowledge is power.

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Something I always joke about is that my mom’s TBR is awfully big for not being a reader. It’s actually almost as big as my own physical TBR. But I will say that I was so proud of her for reading The Midnight Library. Not only did she read a book, but she did so in only three days! And then she read two in the span of about a month in October! It was actually really fun getting her to do a post with me, so I’d love to bring her back for another guest feature in the future. But first . . . that TBR needs a bit of dusting off (and to stop being used as coasters).

xoxo,

Just another reader