Month: March 2026

Books for Spoonies

Posted on by Wendy Kennar

March is Autoimmune Awareness Month.

Though the truth is, when you live with autoimmune disease (or multiple – as tends to happen), every month feels like Autoimmune Disease Awareness Month.

In my experience, I have found that the sadness, the frustration, the worry don’t get any easier the longer you live with a chronic illness. 

But, in my life there are two things that do help:

1. Connecting with others who “get it.” Whether it’s in-person or over Zoom, these relationships are essential in navigating a life with chronic illness. 

2. Books.

Along those lines, I’m excited to share I have curated a special booklist on Bookshop.org titled, “Books for Spoonies: Chronic Illness, Chronic Pain, & Invisible Disability.” These are all books I own. Books that have provided me with comfort and knowledge. Books that have made me feel seen and understood. 

If you’re looking to add any of these books to your own personal library, now is a good time to do it. Bookshop.org is offering 15% OFF* these select titles when you enter BSO15 at checkout, valid until April 1, 2026. *Discount off list prices, and excludes Ebooks. 

I don’t have a magic wand to ease the pain, to gift you a restful night’s sleep, or to lessen the persistent symptoms. But know that I’m here, thinking of you, thinking of us. We’re in this together. 

And, please let me know if I have missed any titles you think should be on my Books for Spoonies List. (Also, full disclosure, my writing does appear in two of these books — Accessing Parenthood: Stories By and About Parents with Disabilities and The Things We Don’t Say: An Anthology of Chronic Illness Truths.)

Please note: Just a reminder that if you do use my link to purchase any of these books, I do make a small commission on your purchase at no additional cost to you. And, for every commission I earn, Bookshop.org will match it and donate it to their indie bookstore pool. 




Chicken Soup for the Soul: Being Grandma

Posted on by Wendy Kennar

“From the very beginning, my mom and son shared a special connection. After all, they were Birthday Buddies.”

Friends, I’m so happy to share my personal essay “Birthday Buddies,” (which includes the sentence above), has been included in Chicken Soup for the Soul: Being Grandma. The book features 101 “heartwarming, amusing, and inspirational stories” written by “grandmothers, grandchildren, and everyone in between.” 

The book is a tribute to grandmothers and the special love grandmothers share with their families, and I’m very proud to be a part of it. 

It’s always exciting to have my writing selected for publication.

But to be honest, having my writing published in a book brings those exciting feelings to a higher level. 

And having this particular story published in this particular Chicken Soup for the Soul edition is meaningful and thrilling and special on a whole other level.

You see, my mom and my son are Birthday Buddies. And later this month, my mom will turn 81 the same day my son will turn 18! 

And if I may suggest — Mother’s Day isn’t too far away. Start your shopping early and purchase a copy of Chicken Soup for the Soul: Being Grandma for the special grandmothers in your life. 

Friends, do you have a special memory or anecdote about your grandmother? Feel free to share in the comments. 

Please note: I am including a link to buy the book that I’m highlighting this week. If you use my link, I do make a small commission on your purchase at no additional cost to you. I am working with Bookshop.org which also sends a portion of the profit to support local, independent bookstores.

Not in the Christmas Plan

Posted on by Wendy Kennar

Question — Do you limit your holiday reading? Do you read Christmas and Chanukkah-themed romances only during the month of December? Or, maybe starting in November? Or, do you consider holiday rom-coms worthwhile reading material all year long?

When it comes to decorations, I have a very “don’t rush it” outlook. (For instance, in our house, Easter decorations won’t be put out until April. Now it’s March, so I have a decorative shamrock hanging on our front and back doors.)

However, when it comes to books (and movies) I think you should read (and watch) what you want, when you want, even if it’s not the season for it.

Along those lines, I recently read Etta Easton’s holiday novella Not in the Christmas Plan.

I bought this book before I read the blurb. I bought this book simply because Etta Easton wrote it. (You may remember I read, loved, and wrote about Ms. Easton’s debut novel, The Kiss Countdown and her second novel, The Love Simulation.)

The book is definitely a fast read. There are some super-sweet moments and some really touching moments. And lots of Christmas charm. However, for all its lightness, the book does include heavy topics including grief and labor complications. 

Here are just a few passages that had me pause and savor the writing:

“The carolers knock again and Grant catches my hand. ‘Not everything requires you to give something back, Eve. Sometimes, just letting people bring you joy is enough.’ He looks from me to the door and patiently waits for me to make the decision.”

“This time I tried to perfect Christmas, hoping that if everything was just right, Ivy would come home.
“Maybe the problem isn’t that I keep losing things. Maybe it’s that I keep hoping I won’t.” 

“Ms. Thomas studies me for a long moment, then quietly says, ‘You remind me of your father.’
“I smile weakly. ‘Because I’m a control freak?’
“‘Because you love so fiercely,’ she says gently. ‘He did too. But he gave so much of himself to others that he forgot to leave anything for his own happiness.’”

This was a sweet novella, though I must admit I preferred Ms. Easton’s full-length, space-themed romance novels. And, my copy had many typos which really did interrupt my reading flow. However, I am still glad I bought, and read, this book and am always happy when I can share books with my reader friends!

Dear readers, what is the most recent holiday romance you read? And, did you read it during the holiday season or at another time?

Please note: I am including a link to buy the book that I’m highlighting this week. If you use my link, I do make a small commission on your purchase at no additional cost to you. I am working with Bookshop.org which also sends a portion of the profit to support local, independent bookstores.