Jenn LeBow

Magenta cover of Austin Channing Brown’s new book, Full of Myself, with the title written in bold black rounded letters with oversized thick lines, edged in gold.

Authors Prentiss Hemphill and Austin Channing Brown seated in chairs on a stage, each holding a mic, with a small white table between them holding water cups and copies of Austin’s new book. They are enjoying a discussion.

Austin Channing Brown greets an old acquaintance with a hug.

Austin Channing Brown and Prentiss Hemphill greet a reader.

I was honored to be an advance reader of Austin Channing Brown’s gorgeous and joyful new book, “Full of Myself.” Black Pearl Books and the Austin Public Library put on a great event Tuesday night introducing the book! It’s SO GOOD, y’all!

Inside the 139 minutes that upended the US-Ukraine alliance | CNN Politics White House chefs were at work in the West Wing on Friday laying out plates of rosemary chicken, celery root puree and collard greens when the sound of raised voices began floating over from the Oval ...

They were serving up plates with collard greens on them? Yeah, Trump never planned to eat that meal. Zelenskyy was set up for this.

I usually give it 3 chapters, but if I have put it down & I’m about to start reading again, I ask myself, “Do I really care what happens to these characters/to learn what this author wants to teach me? If the answer isn’t a fairly strong “yes,” I don’t invest more time. (Unless for book club.)

Book cover art of 1970s Dell Yearling edition of Ruth Sawyer’s children’s book “Roller Skates.” Young girl in a red hat and pink dress, holding an apple, skates by a smiling fruit vendor.

Day 13. I read this so many times as a child. Just learned that Ruth Sawyer’s daughter was married to Robert McCloskey of “Make Way to Ducklings” fame. So cool! #BookSky #Books #BookChallenge

This year, I have finally accomplished what I always wanted to: I am ready for Christmas as I go to bed on Dec. 23. Gifts are bought & wrapped. Groceries are in the house, ready to cook. Santa has stocking stuffers & family pjs ready to go. Huge achievement for someone with ADHD! 🎄🎁❤️

Perhaps one of the best pieces of advice I ever got: It’s always better to avoid a collision, even if you have the right-of-way.

Cover art for Mary Oliver’s book, “Winter Hours.”

Day 12. I can’t choose just one Mary Oliver book, so here’s one appropriate for the season. She writes of a “thousand unbreakable links between each of us and everything else." Swoon. #Books #BookSky #BookChallenge

I’ve been thinking about the questionert on @colbertlateshow.bsky.social - 5 words to sum up your life. For 2025, my 2 words are SPAM BLOCK: Strength, Peace, Adventure, Movement, Books, Love, Order, Clarity, Kindness. (It may be cheating a little, but it’s easy to remember!)

Cover art for Natalie Babbitt’s book, Tuck Everlasting

Day 11. Definitely got me thinking about the nature of mortality at a young age. #Books #BookSky #BookChallenge

I had the honor of meeting Ms. Nikki Giovanni when she spoke & read some of her poetry at Baylor during the 1991-92 school year. I never forgot her line, “I am so hip, even my errors are correct.” Rest in power, great wordsmith & mighty inspiration.

Texas friends, especially: someone you know may need this info. #ASafeChoice

Mary Oliver is my favorite! ❤️

We loved it too! Friendly people, great weather, awesome music, & creative art scene!

Did you enjoy Cuba? I lived there 2013-2016.

Another good piece of advice I received:

When you find yourself arguing over something that’s not actually important, you can end the discussion by saying, “You may be right.” Even when/if you’re convinced they’re wrong. 😂

Book cover art for “Jubilee,” by Margaret Walker.

Day 10. Wonderful book on its own. Also an excellent alternative to the very biased, racist Civil War narrative of “Gone With the Wind.” #Books #BookSky #BooksChallenge

There is value in both the staying to fight and the leaving for a more peaceful existence. We need people who will do both things, or nothing will ever get better in red states.

Some of them (hypothetically, you understand) are 7th-generation Texans and shouldn’t be driven out of their own state by people who moved here & managed to grab power. (Cough, Dan Patrick, Ken Paxton, cough)

Book cover art for “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time,” by Mark Haddon.

Day 9. (This is going to take awhile. I keep missing days. 🤦🏻‍♀️) One of the many books that taught me empathy.

"The tariff bill? The Hawley-Smoot Tariff Act? Which, anyone? Raised or lowered?... raised tariffs, in an effort to collect more revenue for the federal government. Did it work? Anyone? Anyone know the effects? It did not work, and the United States sank deeper into the Great Depression."

It’s so encouraging to open this app and have tons of notifications. Today, it’s because my funniest, kindest cousin & I found each other on here, and she responded to all my posts at once, but still… 😂❤️

I love it so much!

Cover art from book “Breakfast of Champions,” by Kurt Vonnegut.

Day 8. King of Snark. Won my heart in high school. #Books #BookSky #BooksChallenge

Sorry, I meant to add alt text to say: Cover art from children’s book “Frog and Toad Are Friends,” by Arnold Lobel.

Here’s another:

“Go to weddings, funerals, & graduations. People always remember that you showed up on their most important days.”

Day 7. “Blah,” said Toad. IYKYK #Books #BookSky #BooksChallenge

Day 6. I will never look at trees the same way again. #Books #BookSky #BookChallenge

Day 5. My spouse & I read this aloud. Fascinating! #Books #BookSky #BookChallenge

Book cover art for “Jayber Crow,” by Wendell Berry

Day 4 One of the most beautifully-worded books I’ve read. #Books #BookSky #BookChallenge

Fully concur.