What I Read — June 2023
What I Read — June 2023

As we entered June, with the warm promise of summer to come, I couldn't help but indulge in some easier-to-read books while soaking up the turquoise waters of Lake Bled in Slovenia.

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booksSarah Harperbook blog, The Island of Missing Trees, Elif Shafak, historical fiction, Cyprus, love story, Greek Cypriots, Turkish Cypriots, conflict, slow burn, sensory writing, Spells for Forgetting, learning, Turkish/Greek conflict, lyrical prose, love, loyalty, heritage, The London Séance Society, Sarah Penner, mystery, Paris, séance, spiritualism, high-profile murder, crime, deceit, Drama Free: A Guide to Managing Unhealthy Family Relationships, Nedra Glover Tawwab, psychology, establishing boundaries, complex relationships, family dynamics, enmeshment, gaslighting, neglect, abuse, single parent, divorced parents, blended family, emotional abuse, physical abuse, breaking cycles, Maybe in Another Life, Taylor Jenkins Reed, romance, Los Angeles, high school friends, alternate narratives, divergent paths, formulaic chick lit, immaturity, Tuck Everlasting, Natalie Babbitt, classic, eternal life, consequences, immortality, philosophical journey, romantic novels, emotional storytelling, historical novels, cultural conflicts, paranormal mysteries, supernatural elements, self-help books, love triangles, alternate timelines, young adult fiction, coming-of-age stories, philosophical fiction, mortality, booktok, book, book review, book recommendation, bookstagram, book recommendations, book lover, book list, books, book club, audiobook, audiobooks, reese's book club, reading review, read, read 52 in 52, read 52, reading, read 21 for 2021, reading list, reading goals, reading challenge, reading habitsComment
Coast to Cascades: How to Spend 6 Days in Croatia
Coast to Cascades: How to Spend 6 Days in Croatia

What I loved about Croatia is that for a relatively small country, there was so much to do. For our trip, we wanted a little bit of everything. We were seeking a diverse experience for our trip…

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europe, travelSarah HarperCoast to Cascades, 6 Days in Croatia, Croatia travel, Croatia trip, travel guide, travel tips, Croatia beaches, Game of Thrones filming locations, national parks in Croatia, Split, Plitvice, Dubrovnik, day trips, Split beaches, pebble beaches, Kasjuni Beach, Radisson Blu Beach, Diocletian's Palace, Old Town Split, Green Market Split, Marjan Park, Plitvice Lakes National Park, Self-Guided Tour, Get Your Guide, Upper Lakes, P2, P3, boat ride, Big Waterfall, Entrance 1, Walls of Dubrovnik, Dubrovnik tour, King's Landing, Jesuit Stairs, gelato in Croatia, Mr. Pozzetti Premium Ice Cream, Chimney Cones, Peppino's Gelato Garden, Sladoledarnica Emiliana, Ela's Gelateria Artigianale, aROMA gelato experience, Gelateria Riva, Hajduk Ice Creams, Proto Fish Restaurant, Adriatic Sushi & Oyster Bar, Maestro Grill Club, Pizzeria Portas, Konoba Korta, Croatian cuisine, Dalmatian cuisine, Croatia vacation, Travel guide Croatia, Croatia itinerary, Explore Croatia, Best of Croatia, Things to do in Croatia, Croatia attractions, Croatian beaches, National parks in Croatia, Croatia, Croatia tourism, Coastal Croatia, Croatian coastline, Adriatic Sea, Croatian islands, Beaches in Split, Historic sites in Split, Plitvice Lakes day trip, Nature in Croatia, Dubrovnik city tour, Dubrovnik Old Town, Traditional food in Croatia, Croatian seafood, Gelato in Croatia, Best gelato in Split, Dining in Dubrovnik, Local restaurants in Croatia, Croatian culture, Explore Dalmatia, Adriatic coast, Croatia travel tips, Hidden gems in Croatia, Off the beaten path Croatia, Croatia by the sea, Croatian history, Outdoor activities in Croatia, Adventure travel in Croatia, Croatian architecture, Croatia by boat, Croatia by car, Travel experiences in CroatiaComment
What I Read — April and May 2023
What I Read — April and May 2023

Entering into the first few days of June, I feel like April and May flew by… so much so that I missed the April book blog…

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booksSarah Harperbook review, book recommendation, book blog, literature, fiction, non-fiction, bestsellers, reading list, bookworm, book lover, book club, author, novel, genre, literary, storytelling, plot, characters, narrative, suspense, romance, mystery, thriller, fantasy, science fiction, historical fiction, self-help, psychology, biography, memoir, philosophy, classics, poetry, young adult, children's books, audiobooks, e-books, reading habits, literary analysis, literary criticism, literature review, booktok, book list, bookstagram, book recommendations, book, books, audiobook, nonfiction, read, read 52, read 21 for 2021, reading challenge, reading review, reading goals, reading, read 52 in 52Comment
Scotland's Urban Gems: Glasgow and Edinburgh Travel Guide
Scotland's Urban Gems: Glasgow and Edinburgh Travel Guide

It’s official — I love the UK. Our very first trip to Europe was London in 2018 and we’ve been trying to find an excuse to make a return trip to the UK ever since…

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travel, europeSarah Harpereurope, european travel, scotland, edinburgh, glasgow, uk, united kingdom, holyrood palace, holyrood hotel, moxy merchant city, wooly cows, wooly coos, george's square, merchant city, winter travel, kelvingrove park, kelvingrove art museum, glasgow cathedral, necropolis, ginger twist studio, be inspired fibres, yarn, wool, knit, knitting, knitter, hobby knitter, arthur's seat, royal mile, aran sweater, harris tweed, tweed scarf, swanston farms, hike, hiking, urban hiking, allermuir trail, golden hour photography, brewdog, brew dog, brewery, circus land, circus lane, royal botanical garden, calton hill, edinburgh castle, chulo's, chulo's stuffed cookies, ramen dayo, the butterfly and the pig, lebowskis, kyloe, clarinda's tearoom, six by nico, whiski rooms, tigerlily, howies, enisgn ewart, cold town house, artisan roast, scones, clotted cream, cream tea, the steading, sunday roast, afternoon tea, tartan scarf, tweed jacketComment
What I Read — March 2023
What I Read — March 2023

Germany seems to be hanging onto winter with every fiber of its being. As is usual with the winter months, all of these cozy nights have me fighting between my two favorite hobbies…

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booksSarah Harperbook, book review, booktok, book list, bookstagram, book blog, book recommendations, book club, reading challenge, reading review, read, read 52 in 52, reading goals, reading list, read 52, reading, read 21 for 2021, unraveling, spring reads, peggy orenstein, non-fiction, nonfiction, memoir, audible, audiobook, libby, libby app, library, crafting, age of vice, march reads, march reading, march, contemporary fiction, mistakes were made but not by me, brene brown, carol tavris, elliot aronson, psychology, cognitive dissonance, finlay donovan series, finlay donovan jumps the gun, mystery, thriller, crime fiction, 80/20 running, matt fitzgerald, fitness, running, running goals, marathon, marathon training, eat and run, scott jurek, ultramarathon, veganComment
What I Read — February 2023
What I Read — February 2023

Somehow I (unintentionally) managed to find a bunch of short books for the shortest month. I also physically read more books than normal this month since we spent an entire week traveling through Scotland…

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booksSarah Harperreading challenge, reading review, read, read 52 in 52, reading goals, reading list, read 52, reading, read 21 for 2021, booktok, book list, book, book blog, book club, books, book review, book recommendations, bookstagram, winter, winter reads, anti-social, andrew marantz, politics, non-fiction, nonfiction, novel, fiction, trump, 2016 election, social media, spells for forgetting, witches, witch, witchery, witchcraft, mystery, thriller, murder, murder mystery, max brooks, adrienne young, devolution, world war z, sasquatch, sci-fi, science fiction, horror, shut up and run, robin arzon, run, running, running goals, marathon, fitness, health, peloton, burn rate, bonobos, andy dunn, bipolar, bipolar disorder, memoir, once there were wolves, charlotte mcconaghy, dnfComment
Knitting Challenge: Recreate the Die Hard Sweater
Knitting Challenge: Recreate the Die Hard Sweater

At this point, I don’t think my knitting obsession is a secret. Sitting in a little yarn shop in Old Town Alexandria in 2019 for my first lesson, I had no idea I’d be making almost all of my winter clothes in a few short years…

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craftsSarah Harperknit, knitting goals, kniting, knit sweater, knitting goal, knitting, knit to flatter, ravelry, knitting pattern, knitting process, die hard, sweater, pullover, shawl collar, diy, craft, crafting, hobby, hobby knitter, knitter, knitting techniqueComment
What I Read — January 2023
What I Read — January 2023

A brand new year and so many books to read! As I was sitting down to write my goals this year, I decided to be a little bit looser with my reading goals…

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booksSarah Harperreading challenge, reading review, read, read 52 in 52, reading goals, reading list, read 52, reading, read 21 for 2021, booktok, book list, book, book blog, book club, book review, book recommendations, bookstagram, set boundaries find peace, nedra tawwab, psychology, self helf, audible, audiobook, libby, libby app, library, the maid, mystery, thriller, nita prose, adult children of emotionally immature parents, lindsay gibson, boundaries, boundary setting, the very secret society of irregular witches, sangu mandanna, fantasy, magic, witch, witches, romance, a wizard's guide to defensive baking, t kingfisher, bakery, i never thought of it that way, monica guzman, nonfiction, non-fiction, politicsComment
23 for 2023 List
23 for 2023 List

Since 2019, the bestie and I have dedicated one of our weekly walk and talks to discussing our yearly list. I love sharing our goals and look forward to this call every year…

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goalsSarah Harperhappier podcast, happier, gretchen rubin, elizabeth craft, liz craft, outside23in23, challenge, reading, build, one word theme, writing, book writing, organization, cook, cooking, marathon, run, running, running goals, race, nanowrimo, social media, knit, knitting, knitting goal, knitting goals, sweater, knit sweater, pattern, connetion, connection, friends, friendship, mindful eating, lightroom, photo editing, photography, body composition, bod pod, metabolic anaylsis, 22 for 2022, party, wreath, crochet, outside, outdoors, holiday cards, side hustle, minimalist wardrobe, blog, blogging Comments
UPDATE: 22 for 2022
UPDATE: 22 for 2022

One of our friends asked Mark how I was adjusting to living in Germany. While often sought out, overseas assignments can often take a toll on spouses…

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goalsSarah Harpergretchen rubin, happier podcast, happier, elizabeth craft, podcast, 22 for 2022, rest 22, weight loss, weight training, travel, healthy, healthier, one word theme, run, running, running goals, half marathon, weight, weight lifting, closet, headspace, meditation, journal, journaling, bruges, bruges belgium, belgium, spain, seville, read, reading, reading challenge, reading goals, read 52 in 52, read 52, read 21 for 2021, yoga, crochet, stride analysis, evernote, adventure, amsterdam, dslr, dslr camera, lightroom, cooking, recipes, beyond beef, vegetarian, vegetarian cooking, vegetarian recipes, duolingo, german, nanowrimo, book, book writing, novel, novel writing, restaurant Comments
Year in Review - 2022
Year in Review - 2022

Looking back on 2022, it looks like we were permanently on vacation which is almost the truth. Here‘s how we spent our days this year…

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reflectionsSarah Harperswitzerland, black forest, europe, european, european travel, year in review, end of year, new year, hiking, hike, january, taylor swift cardigan, knit, knitting, dry january, dublin, ireland, nice, budapest, ruins bars, hungary, netherlands, tulips, tulip, amsterdam, the hague, spain, granada, seville, spangdahlem, john legend, boleslawiec, poland, brussels, belgium, lake constance, mosel, mosel valley, porto, portugal, paris, france, oktoberfest, volksfest, munich, stuttgart, germany, bruges, half marathon, cologne, karneval, prague, czechia, christmas, christmas market, bern, champagne, bordeaux, hennessey, cognac, omaha beach, normandy, mont st michel, lyonComment
What I Read — November 2022
What I Read — November 2022

Usually when I write my book blogs, I try to put my favorites at the top, knowing that some people may not read the whole article…

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booksSarah Harperreading challenge, reading, read, reading review, read 52 in 52, reading goals, reading list, read 52, read 21 for 2021, booktok, book list, book, book club, books, book review, book recommendations, bookstagram, audible, audiobook, libby, libby app, brene brown, book blog, november, the gifts of imperfection, psychology, self helf, self-care, self care, personal development, mental health, atlas of the heart, ted talk, the cartographers, peng shepherd, hester, laurie lico albanese, nathaniel hawthorne, the scarlet letter, the extended mind, annie murphy paul, happier, happier podcast, how to host a viking funeral, fantasy, thriller, mystery, historical fiction, kyle scheele, motivation, motivationalComment
What I Read — September & October 2022
What I Read — September & October 2022

Apparently autumn is the time for me to fall heavy into spooky books with a generous side of betterment…

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booksSarah Harperbook review, booktok, book, book club, bookstagram, books, book list, book recommendations, reading challenge, reading review, read, read 52 in 52, read 52, reading, read 21 for 2021, reading list, reading goals, fall reads, fall, autumn, autumn reads, audible, audiobook, libby, libby app, library, mindset, carol dweck, psychology, nonfiction, self helf, self-care, self care, self help, laziness does not exist, devon price, laziness, dracula, horror, classic, classics, literary classic, literature, bram stoker, vampire, transylvania, count dracula, bobby bones, fail until you don't, philosophy, memoir, practical magic, alice hoffman, fantasy, magic, witches, witch, witchery, rules of magic, magic lessons, bones and all, young adult, ya, YA fiction, stephen king, it, pennywiseComment
What I Read — August 2022
What I Read — August 2022

Well August was a blur. We did a ton of traveling in August, trying to eke out every last bit of value of our 9-Euro-Ticket…

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booksSarah Harperreading challenge, reading review, read, read 52 in 52, reading goals, reading list, read 52, reading, read 21 for 2021, booktok, book list, book, book club, books, book review, book recommendations, bookstagram, short books, audiobook, goodreads, nikki erlick, the measure, fiction, contemporary fiction, nonfiction, memoir, hillbilly elegy, jd vance, tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow, gabrielle zevin, to shake the sleeping self, jedidiah jenkins, lapvona, ottessa moshfeghComment
What I Read — July 2022
What I Read — July 2022

This month we hit our one-year anniversary of living in Germany! Unlike our first July here, this one has been hot…

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booksSarah Harpernonfiction, read, read 52, reading review, reading list, reading goals, reading challenge, reading, read 52 in 52, book list, book, book club, books, book review, book recommendations, bookstagram, booktok, tiktok boooks, tiktok books, july read, july reads, summer, summer reading, summer reads, fast feast repeat, gin stephens, health nonfiction, the obesity code, jason fung, obesity code, intermittent fasting, the field of blood, field of blood, joanne freeman, history nonfiction, history, audiobook, audible, library, libby, libby app, civil war, upstream, dan heath, psychology, business, business nonfiction, the passage, justin cronin, sci-fi, science fiction, the walking dead, knit to flatter, knit, knitting, amy herzog, crafting, crafts, crafts nonfictionComment
What I Read — June 2022
What I Read — June 2022

Halfway through the year, I unconsciously gravitated towards books that helped me live my one-word theme for 2022…

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booksSarah Harperbook, book review, book list, book recommendations, book club, books, bookstagram, audiobook, short books, reading challenge, reading review, read, read 52 in 52, reading list, read 52, reading, reading goals, summer reading, summer reads, yearbook, seth rogan, the storied life of aj fikry, gabrielle zevin, memoir, fiction, the siren, katherine st. john, katherine st john, thriller, the untethered soul, michael a singer, michael singer, the half life of ruby fielding, lydia kang, self help, self care, historical fiction, virginia woolf, mrs dalloway, classic, classics, literary classic, libby, library, literature, the obesity code, health nonfiction, jason fung, intermittent fasting, marie forleo, everything is figureoutable, happier, happier podcast, buy yourself the f lilies, buy yourself the f*cking lilies, tara schuster, memior, the reading list, sara nisha adams, wild and wicked things, francesca may, fantasyComment
What I Read — May 2022
What I Read — May 2022

It’s officially summer in Europe aka the best time of year! You can definitely tell that my brain space was in dire need of everything light, fluffy and warm fuzzy this month…

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booksSarah Harperbook, book review, book list, book recommendations, book club, books, bookstagram, audiobook, short books, reading challenge, reading review, read, read 52 in 52, reading list, read 52, reading, reading goals, summer reading, summer reads, yearbook, seth rogan, the storied life of aj fikry, gabrielle zevin, memoir, fiction, the siren, katherine st. john, katherine st john, thriller, the untethered soul, michael a singer, michael singer, the half life of ruby fielding, lydia kang, self help, self care, historical fiction, virginia woolf, mrs dalloway, classic, classics, literary classic, libby, library, literatureComment
What I Read — April 2022
What I Read — April 2022

This month was pretty light on the reading front due to a decent amount of travel. That said, I still had a few good reads this month while taking the trains and planes to-and-fro…

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booksSarah Harperreading challenge, reading review, read, read 52 in 52, reading list, read 52, reading, read 21 for 2021, book list, book club, book recommendations, book review, bookstagram, audiobook, non-fiction, nonfiction, april, april reads, spring reading, spring reads, goodreads, hester fox, a lullaby for witches, historical fiction, fiction, YA fiction, how to change your mind, michael pollan, lsd, psychedelics, mushrooms, psychology, psilocybin, sarah j maas, fantasy, a court of thorns and roses, acotar, feyre, malibu rising, taylor jenkins reid, the seven husbands of evelyn hugoComment
Polish Pottery Shopping Guide: Tips for Finding the Perfect Pieces
Polish Pottery Shopping Guide: Tips for Finding the Perfect Pieces

One thing I did tell myself is that if I could, I would say yes to whatever opportunities presented themselves. And that’s how I ended up going on a Polish pottery road trip…

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travel, europeSarah Harperpoland, pottery, polish pottery, wroclaw, boleslawiec, salt market square, october, travel, travel itinerary, fall travel, europe, european travel, best city tours, vodka, spiz brewery, cathedral, church, churches, jatki, hansel and gretel, doors, gnome, gnomes, gnome statues, pierogies, dobra pierogarnia, ceram, cermika millena, millena, irena, manufacture sp.j. factory stoneware, manufaktura, henry's, andy polish pottery, zaklady, andar, cer-farComment