I'm Preparing to Walk Ireland

Gretchen Anthony News - June 2025

Hey Readers,

If you’ve been following this newsletter, you know my husband and I are becoming empty nesters this fall. You also know I’ve been messy about it. Oh, the gnashing and the tears.

But I have news! Come September, Mr. Anthony and I are putting on our hiking gear and heading to Ireland for six days of hill walking. We’ll use the trip to celebrate our 25th anniversary and sweat our way into passive parenting.

What in the world is hill walking?

Is it hiking? Yes. Backpacking? Sort of. But also not.

Hillwalking is as simple as it sounds – it’s the term used to describe when you hike around hilly or mountainous regions.
—Scouts.org.uk

That didn’t help at all, did it?

Alright, think of hill walking this way:

1. It’s a pastime predominantly located in Ireland, Scotland, and the British Isles. Think: Cliffs and moors. Think: Hound of the Baskervilles and All Creatures Great and Small.

2. You don’t camp. You sleep in B&Bs along the route. Think: Pub lunches and Guinness pulls.

3. If you hire the right tour organizer, they’ll shuttle your luggage from stop to stop. Think: Less crabby, overheated Gretchen. Think: A knapsack full of snacks.

Have you done hill walking before?

If you’ve gone on a hill walking tour, I’d love to hear from you. Route, gear, and touring company advice is all welcome! Comment below or email me.

Mr. Anthony and I are spending the summer in training, and I’ll be chronicling our misadventures on social media. More to come on Instagram and Facebook.

And now, on to the…

Reading Recommendations

1. Joyful Recollections of Trauma by Paul Scheer
   From award-winning actor and comedian Paul Scheer, a candid and hilarious memoir-in-essays on coming to terms with childhood trauma and finding the joy in embracing your authentic self.
   

   This was a two-day read for me, a wonderful memoir. It can at times be heavy, but every anecdote is written with optimism and humor. I especially recommend the audiobook!
   

2. Making Friends Can Be Murder by Kathleen West
   Thirty-year-old Sarah Jones gets caught up solving a murder after unknowingly befriending a dangerous con artist (who’s nothing like what she seems) in this playful, twisty mystery from acclaimed author Kathleen West.
   
   This is Minnesota author Kathleen West’s first foray into mystery, and it’s a fun one. A good match for those looking to escape the world for a bit. Isn’t that all of us?

3. Mother, Nature by Jedediah Jenkins
   “Exquisitely written and completely compelling . . . As Jedidiah Jenkins traces a 5,000-mile route with his wildly entertaining mother, Barb, he begins to untangle the live wires of a parent-child bond and to wrestle with a love that hurts.”—Suleika Jaouad, author of Between Two Kingdoms
   

   I had the pleasure of meeting Jedediah and hearing him speak at the Palm Springs Reader Festival in February 2025, and I knew, from that brief introduction, that this would be a powerful book. It did not disappoint. These days, so many of us struggle to understand the people we love. Jenkins, too, attempts to reconcile painful differences with his own mother during a cross-country trip together. Another great audiobook listen.
   

4. The Serviceberry by Robin Wall Kimmer
   From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Braiding Sweetgrass, a bold and inspiring vision for how to orient our lives around gratitude, reciprocity, and community, based on the lessons of the natural world.
   
   My personal book club’s selection this month. This book is part challenge, part meditation. It’s short, just 128 pages, written from a point of view that’s both evocative and soothing. One of those books you’ll go back to from time to time as a refresher.

I’m still on summer vacation!

My fall calendar is beginning to fill up. Do you have a book club you’d like me to attend, or a special event that needs a speaker or emcee? Reach out.

This month, a thriller set right here in Minnesota

The votes are in, and I am excited to announce our selected title for June 2025: Strike Me Down by Mindy Mejia.

A Special Note About the Author:
Mindy Mejia is a fellow Minnesotan, a bestselling author, and a friend. I love Mindy’s books (I’ve read them all), and her writing is as beautiful as her plots turn pages.

I’ll be interviewing Mindy this month, so look for forthcoming insights about the characters from the author herself.

Barnes & Noble Thriftbooks Bookshop.org Libro.fm Amazon

Join Us LIVE

Join the live discussion Wednesday, June 25 at 7 pm Central. I’ll send the video link to subscribed members a few days before the event.

Mark your calendars!

That’s all for June.

Keep reading and keep your chins up. Until then, drop me a line in the comments, share this post, or just keep being the super cool party people that you are. You can find me over at Instagram and Facebook, too.