Books, Bugs, and Behind-the-Scenes Work
—Share 4 Somethings September 2026
I’ve noticed that September has been a month of doubles.
- 2 bugs I didn’t want on my body.
- 2 book club experiences that were bigger than the books.
- 2 authors I met and am now reading.
- 2 volunteer projects behind a screen.
Each month I link my Share 4 Somethings post with Jenn.
I also share here my One Second Everyday video from the previous month.
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1. Something I Love
- UNEXPECTED COEXISTENCE
Stick with me because this may sound like things I hate instead of things I love.
I saw a small bump on my stomach one recent morning. I didn’t think too much about it but showed it to my husband Jeff later that night. He immediately questioned it.
With a closer look, we discovered it was a tick. Yikes.
He easily pulled it off for me. I’m very grateful that he has no qualms about such things because I do.
Then last Sunday night, I woke up around 2 a.m. and felt something on my neck. I grabbed it in the dark and set it on my nightstand so I could look at it in the morning when it was light. Maybe a cracker crumb from eating in bed the night before?
Monday morning I took a closer look, halfway expecting nothing to be there, thinking maybe I had dreamed it all up.
But no. Something was there.
It was a dead spider.
Oh my. Uncharacteristic of me, I had killed a spider in the middle of the night with my bare hands.
What I love about both these stories is that I had been calmly coexisting with both these insects on my body before I knew they were there. And all had been well.
(Granted, I don’t want to make a habit of it. I got lucky this time. Yet I do wonder how many insects we have crawling across us on a regular basis that we’re unaware of.
. . . And if you do know about bugs? Just don’t tell me.)
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2. Something Sustaining Me
- BOOKS BEYOND THE PAGE
If you’ve visited my blog more than once, you probably know how much I love books. And book clubs.
I had two full-circle experiences at the last two book clubs I attended this month.
One was at my banned book club. This month, instead of reading a banned book, we read a book about banned books, How to Defend Books and Why: Book Bans and How We Fight Them.
Then we talked about the next month’s book (always a banned book), and it actually got talked down, essentially we banned a banned book from the banned book club.
Instead, we switched to a different banned book to read in October: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis. (You might be surprised to see the books that make the banned and challenged book lists.)
It was an enlightening experience to watch the conversation happen in real time, realizing how complex these decisions are, instead of simply seeing them as black and white.
The second book club experience centered around a book of first-hand stories from a specific minority population. Rather than having those of us outside that population sit around and talk about the book, our group leader invited a woman from that minority to join us and share her personal experience living it.
It really brought the conversation alive.
Hearing from a real person in front of us was different than simply reading words on a page.
I love books for how they teach us new things, but I also love when books open us to new experiences beyond the book itself.
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3. Something Carrying Me Forward
- AUTHOR ENCOUNTERS
I got to meet two authors the past few weeks. And now I’m taking both their books with me into October.
I met Sarah Stankorb at a session at the Wild Goose Festival. She was so kind, and I appreciated her graciousness in how she moderated a sensitive discussion.
Along the way, she happened to mention that she had a book coming out soon. I wrote down the title to look up when I got home: Damned If She Does: Why Women Quit Church and What It Means for the Future of Religion.
I then tracked down an early copy of the audiobook from NetGalley. It’s been fascinating to listen to. I have three hours still to go, and then I’ll review it here. It published September 15, 2026.
The second author I met was Priya Parker, whose book The Art of Gathering was influential for one of my book clubs this year. We’ve had some fun gatherings modeled on some of her suggestions since we read it.
Now she has a new book, The Art of Fighting, that published September 8, 2026.
If I didn’t already know that I loved Priya’s work, I might not have been interested in a book about fighting. But because I had already seen how much her previous work had done for our group, a few of us signed up to see her in person when she came to our city last week.
Before the event began, we got to talk with Priya for a few minutes and tell her about her first book’s effect on us. She was genuinely interested and asked good questions about our gatherings.
We’ll be starting The Art of Fighting in a few weeks as our next book club selection.
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4. Something I’m Making Space For
- BEHIND THE SCENES
Most everyone in the US is likely aware of our elections in November. So I’ve been doing data work with one of the groups I volunteer with to encourage people to go to the polls.
Another group I volunteer with is a disaster response group. We’ve been updating our old website, so I’ve been helping with some of the data and organizational pieces of that.
Neither of these tasks are particularly exciting. They’re not hands-on, nor do they directly help other people.
But nonetheless, behind-the-scenes work is necessary, too.
It’s a good reminder to me that a lot of benefits I receive in life are because people are doing invisible work that I may never see or understand. I want to be more grateful for that.
All in all, September gave me plenty to notice: bugs, books, authors, behind-the-scenes work, and more.
It’s been a good month for me.
How was your month? Share in the comments.
I’m linking at these blog parties
You have had a busy month, Lisa. Wow! I had no idea that The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe was banned at some point. How in the world? It’s one of my favorites. Have a fabulous October!
It’s interesting that you question the bugs in our sleep. I remember hearing we (people) sallow more bugs than we knew. I don’t remember the approximate number the story provided. Yikes!????
You were very brave with the spider, Lisa, to wait until morning to see what is was! I think I would have had to check right away and make sure nothing else was in the bed. 🙂 And wow, like Martha, I am stunned that The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe was banned! That’s so sad. Love and blessings to you!
OH yes, that thought of how many bugs might there be that we don’t realize isn’t a pleasant one but I am sure it’s happened while sleeping or distracted at least a time or two. Glad nothing came of the tick bite! Here we are always on high alert about ticks. I’ve often been so surprised by the books that make the banned book lists. A few I actually thought should be required reading and would make great jumping off points for discussions (like The Hate You Give)!
Sounds like a full month! I hate finding bugs on me or in my bed! It’s not so bad when they’re dead than when I have to chase them down, but still.
I didn’t realize The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe had been banned. Somehow I had never heard about it until my forties. I was shocked that a lady from our church was playing the White Witch in a community play. But eventually I realized what it was all about.
Yikes, Lisa! What is crawling on us unnoticed! My mother was sooo fearful of spiders, harkening back to a childhood incident, where one crawled down her stomach and onto her leg and then scurried away. Because of that, she always wore socks to bed, and had her untied shoes at her bedside to slip into in the middle of the night or in the morning when she woke!
However, that incident was her inspiration for a poem she wrote called “Seasons,” which her granddaughter, our daughter, Sheridan, illustrated, and Mike and I made into a children’s book (a dream of Mother’s!) the summer before she died.
Additionally, we published two of her other poems as children’s books, and my friend Lynne Jackson, great-great granddaughter of Dred Scott, chose her “Russian Wild Strawberries” children’s book as one of the selections for The Dred & Harriet Scott Heritage Foundation’s children’s literacy program. Mother knew of this honor shortly before she died. And she was overjoyed when we published three of her poems as illustrated children’s books.
And these books all began with the initial experience of taking a bad experience of a crawling spider and making something memorable (and beautiful) from it!
However, Lisa, ticks are another matter. They are not your friends! They can be dangerous. Good for tick-hunter Jeff! And fortunate for you. Jeff’s the best. Give him our love.
xo
Lynn
double the joys too I would say but I wouldn’t want bugs crawling over me. Yikes. I love how you stay curious and are so good at noticing what is happening around and within you. You are an inspiration for this practice
I’m glad your encounters with bugs turned out OK, Lisa. (Just reading about them was slightly terrifying!) Your book club meetings sound so thought-provoking. What a great idea to have a someone with first-hand experience come and share with your book club when you were reading that book about a specific minority group. I’m glad September was a good month for you and hope October is as well.
A very busy month!
It would have taken me quite some time to recover myself if I’d had that spider experience! Insects and spiders getting anywhere near me at night skeeves me so much! You were unknowingly brave with your lightning reflex and instinct!
Great observation about the behind-the-scenes work that goes into so many of the benefits and experiences we take for granted. I’m grateful for all those behind-the-scenes people putting in that time, including you.
I’m late to the party, but visiting from SFS.
Lisa, I’m so happy to hear that your husband removed that tick! I squirmed a little just thinking about the spider on your neck. I remember one night when I was lying in bed, and I noticed a spider right above me on the ceiling. I’m so relieved it didn’t fall onto our bed. I saw it just before I turned off the lights for the night.
I love that you had the opportunity to meet two authors; that’s awesome! I’m featuring your post tomorrow.
You sure we’re busy Lisa. I almost killed over hearing about your bug encounter. I’m happy everything turned out okay.
Thanks so much for sharing with Sweet Tea & Friends this month Sweet friend. I’m so happy you’re here.
xo
Calling September a month of “doubles” is a sharper structure than a loose life roundup: two unwanted bugs, and two very different book-club nights, including the banned-book club that talked itself into dropping the next banned title. The second club, built around first-hand stories from a specific minority population, makes the “behind-the-scenes work” in the title feel like social labor rather than just admin.