| Checked Out: October Book Review- Suspense Showdown |

I am not usually one to read mystery books or scary, suspenseful thrillers- I preferred ‘The Boxcar Children’ and Judy Blume to Nancy Drew and ‘Goosebumps’ growing up, and those preferences have stayed with me. I remember opening up Stephen King’s “Desperation” at the young age of 11, reading the first chapter, and having nightmares […]

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| Checked Out: September Book Review- On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous |

“On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous,” by Ocean Vuong, has been on the top of my TBR list for quite some time for trivial reasons: mainly for the beautiful cover and the Instagram hype. I was not familiar with the author’s name and did little research before opening to the first page; I was just so […]

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| Checked Out: August Book Review- Becoming Mrs. Lewis |

I’ve been on a bit of a reading hiatus, which is strange because usually when I travel, I take a book everywhere, wind down with it each night I’m on vacation. But the last month has been spent riding up and down the East Coast, back and forth from Virginia to Connecticut, spending time with […]

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| Shenandoah Spotlight: Chasing Waterfalls At Cedar Run |

We woke up before the sun rose on Sunday morning, faint traces of dawn beckoning us awake. I rubbed my eyes and set my body to autopilot, climbing out of bed and dragging on the clothes that I had set out the night before. My husband and I were meeting some friends for a day […]

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| Five Ways To Spruce Up Your Snail Mail & Support The USPS |

It’s no secret: The USPS has been in the spotlight quite frequently lately. Although it has been a longstanding, essential service that millions of Americans use everyday, the Postal Service is in trouble. From funding shortages to election and pandemic highs and lows, we may see another milestone on the USPS historical timeline soon, but […]

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| Checked Out: June Book Review- The Ten Thousand Doors Of January |

“The Ten Thousand Doors Of January,” by Alix E. Harrow, was another novel that intrigued me by its gorgeous cover. I knew little about the book’s contents, but my favorite indie bookstore, Old Town Books in Alexandria, Virginia, was hosting a “Ten Thousand Doors” meet-up so I purchased the Kindle version in hopes of partaking. […]

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