"Books can be possessive, can't they? You're walking around in a bookstore and a certain one will jump out at you, like it had moved there on its own, just to get your attention. Sometimes what's inside will change your life, but sometimes you don't even have to read it. Sometimes it's a comfort just to have a book around." - Sarah Addison Allen, Sugar Queen
This is my quarterly recap of 2024 via books, baking, and my birthday.
The Book Nook offered great comfort and warmth this Winter as we endured our coldest days yet in the duplex. Retreating to a space for function can still be fun, it’s in the name, especially if it’s a space filled with stacks and shelves of books. I found myself using my personalized book stamper (pictured above) to place my claim on some favorite books, reading new favorite books (pictured above: The Wishing Game & The Collected Regrets of Clover), adding to my autographed collection (pictured above: The Greatest Love Story Ever Told), and receiving unexpected book mail, birthday books, and book lamps (all pictured below).
Somewhere along the line it became weekend tradition to bake cinnamon rolls and that tradition is holding strong. My Best Favorite bakes the cinnamon rolls, but one weekend I did try my hand at cinnamon roll scones, and they were worthy of a repeat. Keeping the oven going was an attempt to keep the downstairs a livable temperature as well as an attempt to keep the baking adventure alive. Other notable bakes: Nutella croissant spiral, Biscoff cookie butter cookies, Oreos, and potato pancakes.
