Sun Symbol Books

Let the journey begin 🇨🇱

Dog + Book 💜

All around us, life bursts forth with miracles ❤️

Café con 🐶♥️ y

💜 TRUE OR FALSE: A chat with a work bestie is better than a coffee break 💜

I’m so so thankful for my beautiful friend and fellow SLP, . She went all out and got me these two from my TBR for my birthday! I devoured The Great Alone in a weekend and immediately followed it with Once There Were Wolves by Charlotte McConaghy. Both haunting tales set in wildly beautiful country, both are perfect to read outside bundled up on a winter day.

I’ve always loved my job, but this year came with a rare and unexpected gift - someone to inspire me, support me, make me think, and have my back. So lucky to be on this wilddddd ride with you, Mackenzie!

🎂Q: Do you like the date of your birthday?

🎂A: January is always a special month because of my birthday - it’s a time of renewal, reflection, and growth. I think of fall birthdays as the real party people. Gearing up for the holidays, everyone’s ready to party. In January, people are pretty drained and aren’t as ready to party. ☺️ No matter what time of year, it’s always a great time to be showered with love and gifts. Happy birthday to me!

🎶🎂Happy Birthday to me! 🎂🎶

My wonderful husband took me on a bookshop date for my birthday, and we got these gems! I can’t wait to dive in.

Thanks for making it a great one, 💜

🌮 Q: What is your favorite kind of Mexican food?

🌮 A: I can’t pick one! I’m remembering a trip to Acapulco where we swam in the ocean all morning and then had the most amazing ceviche, sopes, and mango con chile. One of my favorite meals ever!

🌮 This book is set in my home state of Texas, and I got a little boost of joy every time the author mentioned traditions and descriptions of Texas.

🌮 I absolutely love novels that center around career changes and finding one’s passion in life, so I knew from the synopsis that this would be a winner for me.

🌮 This is a sweet, funny, written-from-the-heart romance that stirs in themes of family loyalty and small-town rivalries to create a delicious read. It’s the perfect accompaniment to a relaxing holiday weekend.

🌮 Thanks mom for the wonderful Christmas gift!

💜Who teaches you perseverance?

💜My husband!

So I knew my husband was brilliant from seeing his designs over the years and marveling at his mad skills when we had “art dates.”

He, like me, worked for years in a corporate environment that had everything you could want on paper, but in practice left something to be desired.

So he bought some land. He spent his free time sketching, then making models (pictured), then drawing blueprints, then pouring the foundation. The result, of course, is this gorgeous home.

I never doubted that the house would be beautiful, or for that matter, never believed that it would be easy to bring it to life. I just couldn’t have imagined the force of will it would take to wake up every day, for 365 days, and go at it with no real guarantees. And he did it.

So please excuse the gushing. Secondhand pride is strong. Someone just get me some tissues and get this man a beer.

Best Feel Good Rom Coms:
🧡Life’s too Short by Abby Jimenez (hilarious friends to lovers; ugly cry warning)
🧡The Bookshop of Second Chances by Jackie Fraser (delightful Scottish love story for book lovers)

Best Thriller
🩸🔪They Never Learn by Layne Fargo (when you cheer for the killer)

Best Writing
✅🥇✏️Kate Quinn - it’s always gonna be Kate Quinn. The Serpent and the Pearl by Kate Quinn

Best (Only) Nonfiction
🤓🥶Birdseye by Mark Kurlansky (fascinating history of the man who popularized frozen foods)

October 2021
1. Evil Things by Katja Ivar
2. The Mountains Bow Down by Sibella Giorello 🎧
3. The K Team by David Rosenfelt🎧
4. Faithless in Death by JD Robb
5. Life’s too Short by Abby Jimenez
6. Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder by Joanne Fluke 🎧
7. The Bookshop of Second Chances by Jackie Fraser
8. Traicionada by Danielle Steele 🎧
9. The Switch by Beth O’Leary
10. The Serpent and the Pearl by Kate Quinn
11. They Never Learn by Layne Fargo
12. Birdseye by Mark Kurlansky 🎧
13. Pieces of Her by Karin Slaughter
14. Legacy by Nora Roberts

🧡💀Q: Are you dressing up for Halloween?

🧡💀A: If face paint counts!

🧡💀 I’ve been celebrating all month long with spooky books, spiced drinks, and long nature walks to enjoy the changing leaves.

🧡💀 What’s your favorite thing about the autumn season?