Books I’m Reading (in February and beyond)

January has come and gone (finally!) and while it’s still going to be cold this week, there may be some light at the end of the tunnel. 

This morning saw many venture up to Gobbler’s Knob in Punxsutawney to see what the groundhog was predicting. Spoiler Alert: Phil saw his shadow, meaning six more weeks of winter. According to Pittsburgh Dad, that means six less weeks of roadwork. 

Football’s over, with the exception of the Super Bowl on Sunday. If you’re a sports nut, what do you turn to now? College Basketball gets a little more interesting now as March Madness isn’t too far away. Friday night is the beginning of the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy. Not too long after that is when pitchers and catchers report to their sites for the start of Spring Training. My dad watched golf over the weekend, so there’s that too, and the Daytona 500.

Last week I finished Matriarch by Tina Knowles, and Meet Me at Luke’s by Kristine Eckart. Both books I started in October. Matriarch is the second of the three books that I picked up at Barnes and Noble on my summer vacation. I learned of Meet Me at Luke’s when Oakmont was hosting a Gilmore Girls event upon release of the book in October. If I was available, I would have gone to it that day. I ordered the book and brought it to the reunion. I even read it in Ligonier one day during my vacation. 

Tina’s memoir covers everything from her childhood to her hair salon to everything else. Family is mentioned as well, including Beyonce and Destiny’s Child and her philanthropy. I learned about it through Michelle Obama’s podcast and was interesting in reading the book. Meet Me at Luke’s covers all parts of the show, and includes the author’s take on the series. Many references are made to pop culture. The Rory Gilmore reading list is on there as well and it is extensive. If you haven’t seen the series, you may not want to read the book cover to cover. 

I like that she highlighted Babette and Morey as a good couple on the show, and even her and Miss Patty’s friendship. Even the side characters get some love here. 

With those books now finished, it’s on to my next reading project. “On Air” talks about the history of NPR, from its humble beginnings in the 1970’s to its triumph and tumult. For me, it’s the second book that I’m reading about the history of the network. I read “This is NPR: The First Forty Years” in 2011. The chapters are long, and I’ll read this like I did so with “The History of Jazz”. I’m looking at finishing this book by April. 

Later this month, I have plans to buy Governor Josh Shapiro’s book which came out last Tuesday. “Where We Keep the Light: Stories from a Life of Service” is the title. I’m interested to see where this book goes. Josh Shapiro put his name in for the Presidential race in 2024 and will likely do so in 2028. Also on my list is “The Jazzmen” which is a biography of some of the most iconic big band jazz musicians of all time. That purchase is leaning probable, but still may be subject to change. I’d like to find a book on Ella Fitzgerald but may push that to later in the Spring. 

January may be out of the way but there’s still plenty of winter to go before we see the first day of Spring on March 20 or 21. Temperatures are looking to moderate by next week (not yet a given, but there’s hope). 

So what are some ways to beat this harsh winter?

Start that new book you’ve had your eye on or focus on those hobbies you wanted to start as a New Year’s resolution. I’m doing that right now as I just started “On Air”. Also, I’ll remind myself to get back to my coloring book, as childish as that sounds. Additionally, I want to get into the practice of writing a daily affirmation or mantra and recite it to myself. 

In these cold, dark days of winter, I need to remind myself that, “This Too Shall Pass”

Finally, I met my cousin in Ligonier at Abigail’s for coffee. We had been planning this for a while. I’ll plan a Cutie‘s visit at some point, maybe in the Spring. The Fire and Ice festival was the weekend prior, you know the one with all the snow. With the cold sticking around, the sculptures should stay up for at least the next week.

We enjoyed each other‘s company and the coffee. They still have the Fire and Ice theme going, and to me that sounds pretty cool. We parted ways, but not without me lending her “The Third Gilmore Girl”. Oh, and there was talk of Gilmore Girls and TV.

Looking forward to visiting Cutie‘s on Thursday.