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In my opinion, the library is one of the best inventions of all time. I am always searching for books to read (both for me and my kids). Here is a list of what I am reading, watching and listening to in 2024:
READING
- Frontier Follies: Adventures in Marriage and Motherhood in the Middle of Nowhere, by Ree Drummond
- Strange Weather in Tokyo, by Hiromi Kawakami
- The Bullet Journal Method: Track the Past, Order the Present, Design the Future, by Ryder Carroll
- Njuta: Enjoy, Delight In: the Swedish Art of Savoring the Moment, by Niki Brantmark
- Unreasonable Hospitality, by Will Guidara
- Neon Lights in Tokyo: An Insider’s Guide to the Best Places to Eat, Drink and Explore, by Ben Groundwater
- The Comfort Book, by Matt Haig
- Tokyo on Foot: Travels in the City’s Most Colorful Neighborhoods, by Florent Chavouet
- Setting the Table: The Transforming Power of Hospitality in Business, by Danny Meyer
- The Ultimate Guide to Frugal Living: Save Money, Plan Ahead, Pay Off Debt & Live Well, by Daisy Luther
- The Latte Factor: Why You Don’t Have to Be Rich to Live Rich, by David Bach
- Tokyo Like a Local, by DK Eyewitness
- Family Style: Memories of an American From Vietnam, by Thien Pham
- My Travels in Japan: A Comic Book Artist’s Amazing Journey, by Audry Nicklin
WATCHING
- Maestro (Netflix)
- Nyad (Netflix)
- Behind the Attraction (Disney+)
- Marcel The Shell With Shoes On (Paramount+)
- Air (Amazon Prime)
- Barbie (Library DVD)
- The Holdovers (Library DVD)
LISTENING (PODCASTS)
- Happier with Gretchen Rubin
- Inside Trader Joe’s
- Edit Your Life with Christine Koh, PhD
- The Lazy Genius with Kendra Adachi
- Didn’t I Just Feed You?
- Were You Raised By Wolves?
- A Beautiful Mess
- The Mom Hour
- The Tea’s Made
- The Calm Christmas Podcast
- TDR Now Travel Podcast
2022
READING
Autobiographies/Memoirs
Tasting Grace: Discovering the Power of Food to Connect Us to God, One Another, and Ourselves, by Melissa D’Arabian
The Comfort Food Diaries: My Quest for the Perfect Dish to Mend a Broken Heart, by Emily Nunn
Taste: My Life Through Food, by Stanley Tucci
Crying in H Mart: A Memoir, by Michelle Zauner
Talking as Fast as I Can: From Gilmore Girls to Gilmore Girls (and Everything in Between), by Lauren Graham (Audiobook)
Christian
Dear White Peacemakers: Dismantling Racism With Grit and Grace, by Osheta Moore
The Lifegiving Table: Nurturing Faith Through Feasting, One Meal at a Time, by Sally Clarkson
Cookbooks/Entertaining
Marbled, Swirled, and Layered: 150 Recipes and Variations for Arful Bars, Cookies, Pies, Cakes and More, by Irvine Lin
Baked Explorations: Classic American Desserts Reinvented, by Matt Lewis
100 Cookies: The Baking Book For Every Kitchen, by Sarah Kieffer
Make It Ahead: A Barefoot Contessa Cookbook, by Ina Garten
The Unofficial Disney Parks Drink Recipe Book, by Ashley Craft
Make It Easy: 120 Mix-and-Match Recipes to Cook From Scratch, by Stacie Billis
The Unofficial Disney Parks Cookbook, by Ashley Craft
Midwest Made: Big, Bold Baking From the Heartland, by Shauna Sever
The Boba Book: Bubble Tea and Beyond, by Andrew Chau
Boba: Classic, Fun, Refreshing-Bubble Teas to Make at Home, by Stacey Kwong & Beyah Del Mundo
Baking All Year Round, by Rosanna Pansino
Beautiful Boards: 50 Amazing Snacks Boards for Any Occasion, by Maegan Brown
Baking For The Holidays: 50+ Treats For A Festive Season, by Sarah Kieffer
Lauren Conrad Celebrate, by Lauren Conrad
Boards, Platters, Plates: Recipes For Entertaining, Sharing and Snacking, by Maria Zizka
This Must Be The Place: Dispatches & Food From The Home Front, by Rachael Ray
Rebel Homemaker: Food, Family, Life, by Drew Barrymore
Home
Remodelista The Organized Home: Simple, Stylish Storage Ideas for All Over the House, by Julie Carlson & Margot Guralnick
She Made Herself A Home: A Practical Guide To Design, Organize, and Give Purpose to Your Space, by Rachel Van Kluyve
Small Space Style: Because You Don’t Need to Live Large to Live Beautifully, by Whitney Leigh Morris
Cozy White Cottage Seasons: 100 Ways To Be Cozy All Year Long, by Liz Marie Galvan
Life in Jeneral: A Joyful Guide to Organizing Your Home and Creating the Space for What Matters Most, by Jen Robin
Never Put a Cactus in the Bathroom: A Room-By-Room Guide to Styling and Caring For Your Houseplants, by Emily L. Hay Hinsdale
Food52 Your Do-Anything Kitchen: The Trusty Guide to a Smarter, Tidier, Happier Space
A Beginner’s Guide to Terrarium Gardening, by Sueko Katsuji, Motoko Suzuki, Kazuto Kihara & Yuya Ohyama
Plant Style: How to Greenify Your Space, by Alana Langan & Jacqui Vidal
The Home Edit Life: The No-Guilt Guide to Owning What You Want and Organizing Everything, by Clea Shearer & Joanna Teplin
Good Housekeeping Simple Organizing Wisdom: 500+ Quick & Easy Clutter Cures
Making Space, Clutter Free: The Last Book on Decluttering You’ll Ever Need, by Tracy McCubbin
Kid Lit/Middle Grade/YA
We’ll Always Have Summer, by Jenny Han
It’s Not Summer Without You, by Jenny Han
The Summer I Turned Pretty, by Jenny Han
A Taste For Love, by Jennifer Yen
The Many Meanings of Meilan, by Andrea Wang
While I Was Away, by Waka T. Brown
Jasmine Toguchi: Mochi Queen, by Debbi Michiko Florence
Just Be Cool, Jenna Sakai, by Debbi Michiko Florence
Summer of a Thousand Pies, by Margaret Dilloway
The Great Peach Experiment 1: When Life Gives You Lemons, Make Peach Pie, by Erin Soderberg Downing
Misc.
Fridge Love: Organize Your Refrigerator For a Healthier, Happier Life, by Kristen Hong
Cooking for Mr. Latte: A Food Lover’s Courtship, With Recipes, by Amanda Hesser.
Little Pieces of Hope: Happy-Making Things in a Difficult World, by Todd Doughty
Novels
Before the Coffee Gets Cold: A Novel, by Toshikazu Kawaguchi
We Are Not Free, by Traci Chee
Convenience Store Woman: A Novel, by Sayaka Murata
The Uncommon Reader: A Novella, by Alan Bennett
Love & Saffron: A Novel of Friendship, Food, and Love, by Kim Fay
Natalie Tan’s Book of Luck & Fortune, by Roselle Lim
Picture Books
Niki Nakayama: A Chef’s Tale in 13 Bites, by Jamie Michalak & Debbi Michiko Florence
Reading
The Read -Aloud Family: Making Meaningful and Lasting Connections With Your Kids, by Sarah Mackenzie
Book Girl: A Journey through the Treasures & Transforming Power of a Reading Life, by Sarah Clarkson
Self-Improvement Books
12 Tiny Things: Simple Ways To Live A More Intentional Life, by Heidi Barr & Ellie Roscher
Beautifully Organized at Work: Bring Order and Joy to Your Work Life So You Can Stay Calm, Relieve Stress, and Get More Done Each Day, by Nikki Boyd
Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management For Mortals, by Oliver Burkeman
The Thank-You Project: Cultivating Happiness One Letter At A Time, by Nancy Davis Kho
Declutter Like A Mother: A Guilt-Free, No-Stress Way To Transform Your Home and Your Life, by Allie Casazza
Niksen: Embracing the Dutch Art of Doing Nothing, by Olga Mecking
Minimalista: Your Step-by-Step Guide to a Better Home, Wardrobe, and Life, by Shira Gill
The Lost Art of Doing Nothing: How the Dutch Unwind with Niksen, by Maartje Willems
From Clutter To Clarity: Clean Up Your Mindset To Clear Out Your Clutter, by Kerri Richardson
Problem Solving 101: A Simple Book for Smart People, by Ken Watanabe
7 Days of Simplicity: A Season of Living Lightly, by Jen Hatmaker
Simple & Free: 7 Experiments Against Excess, by Jen Hatmaker
Grateful: The Transformative Power of Giving Thanks, by Diana Butler Bass
Joyful: The Surprising Power of Ordinary Things to Create Extraordinary Happiness, by Ingrid Fetell Lee
The Little Book of Talent: 52 Tips For Improving Your Skills, by Daniel Coyle
Lightly: How To Live A Simple, Serene & Stress-Free Life, by Francine Jay
Off The Clock: Feel Less Busy While Getting More Done, by Laura Vanderkam
That Sounds Fun: The Joys of Being an Amateur, the Power of Falling in Love, and Why You Need a Hobby, by Annie Downs
Style
Leopard Is A Neutral: A Really Useful Style Guide, by Erica Davies
Travel
At Home in the World: Reflections on Belonging While Wandering the Globe, by Tsh Oxenreider
Without Reservations: The Travels of an Independent Woman, by Alice Steinbach
WATCHING
Movies
Space Jam: A New Legacy
Try Harder! (Hulu)
Top Gun: Maverick
My Big Fat Greek Wedding
Top Gun
Free Guy (Disney+)
Minari
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
Black Widow (Disney+)
Dear Evan Hansen
Turning Red (Disney+)
West Side Story (2021) (Disney+)
King Richard
The Donut King (Hulu)
My Octopus Teacher (Netflix)
The Rescue (Disney+)
Television
Masterchef Jr. (Hulu)
Ms. Marvel (Disney+)
The World According to Jeff Goldblum (Disney+)
Miss Mina (YouTube)
Mikey Chen/Strictly Dumpling (YouTube)
Mark Wiens (YouTube)
Shark Tank (Hulu)
LISTENING
Podcasts