What I Read On My Summer Vacation

What a whirlwind July was! There was a lot of good, some bad, and some outright chaos. I’ve never taken two vacations in one month before, but I’m really glad I had that time away to temper real life which was honestly kind of like running in a hamster wheel.

And reading, there was a lot of reading! I read 22 books in July. Considering I also drove about 2000 miles, spent time with both sides of the family, and worked more hours than ever I’m happy with that! Thank goodness for long summer nights and audiobooks right?

Here are the highlights:

5 Star Reads:

Where The Forest Meets The Stars by Glendy Vanderah -- It’s been a long time since I’ve loved a book like I’ve loved this one. Jo is recovering from the death of her mother and her own illness while doing grad work in rural Illinois. It all seems simple until a little girl claiming to be an alien shows up. (Note: This is free with Kindle Unlimited at the time of this writing.)

Warrior Girl Unearthed by Angeline Boulley -- Great on audio. The main character is a teenager who is flawed, but cares deeply about her community. I really loved that about this book.

Four Stars:

A Room With A View by E.M. Forster -- Yes another classic that I thought would be boring but was actually really entertaining.

Hijab Butch Blues by Lamya H -- This memoir was great. It was such a unique take on life and faith. I highly recommend it.

Yellowface by R.F. Kuang -- Another book that really made me think. It was perfect for the Litsy reading group I discussed it with. Bonus points for being a book set in DC that wasn’t about politics. (People live here!)

Breathless by Amy McCulloch -- This book about a woman hiking in the Himalayas while a killer is on the loose was a great way to pass the time.

Looking Up by Matthew Cappucci -- Enjoyed this quick read about storm chasing (although I have mixed feelings about storm chasing as a hobby.)

The Marriage Portrait by Maggie O'Farrell -- Whew. What a ride! I loved it. Great ending.

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This is linked to Quick Lit on Modern Mrs. Darcy.

May 2017 Quick Lit

Making my way through The Winds of War on my hammock last weekend. A long book read outdoors=Heaven.

Making my way through The Winds of War on my hammock last weekend. A long book read outdoors=Heaven.

Each month I link with Modern Mrs. Darcy's Quick Lit as a way to talk about the books I liked, but didn't review.

This is my busy season - things are crazy at work, and my kids are both playing sports while trying to complete their year end commitments for Scouts and Religious Education. Each year I say I'm not going to let them leave everything until the end, but each year we have the same situation. I am practically living out of my car at this point. Hence I need to fill my library bag with cozy, fluffy reading material.

The Secret Diary of Lizzie Bennet by Bernie Su and Kate Rorick - I never watched the web series it was based on, but still enjoyed this cute modern Pride and Prejudice. In this retelling Lizzie and co live in California and work in tech.

Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter - This book about a Hollywood starlet in a backwater Italian town was funny in a subtle way. I enjoyed it a lot. Perfect summer reading.

Leave the Grave Green by Deborah Crombie - I'm slowly making my way through this series. These are always reliable, good, short books I can read over a weekend.

What have you been reading lately?

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May 2017 Audiobooks

Camping near the Chesapeake Bay

Camping near the Chesapeake Bay

I've been everywhere this month which means plenty of time for audio books. I've found some winners too. Everything I've listened to has been 4 or 5 stars.

Brunelleschi's Dome by Ross King - I listened to this book for project I'm working on thinking I would grin and bear it. I ended up loving it! It's a super interesting account of building the dome on the Santa Maria del Fiore cathedral in Florence.

The Outermost House by Henry Beston - I grew up near Cape Cod and still go back every year. The Cape Cod that Beston wrote about when he lived there after World War I was a lot different than the one I know! I really enjoyed this narrative ofyear in a place that I love more than anyplace else.

It by Stephen King - 44 hours! That's how long this audiobook was. I think Stephen King is a better writer now, but I still enjoyed my re-read of one of his earlier gory works.

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas - This book took my breath away. Any description I give it won't do it justice, so I'll just say: read it, even if you don't think you like young adult fiction.

Life According to Steph

February 2017 Audiobooks

My February spirit animal

My February spirit animal

Twitter and political podcasts have been distracting me from reading and listening lately. Still I did manage to get in some winners (and some junk that I listened to with my kids and won't discuss here.)

A Light in the Ruins by Chris Bohjalin - A thriller that takes place during WWII and in the years after. A bit greusome in parts, but a pretty good story. It kept me guessing until the end.

A Trick of the Light and A Beautiful Mystery by Louise Penny - I'm still chugging along with these. Each time I start a new one I think "Oh really? Another body in Three Pines? Boring" and then before I know it I'm sucked in. As everyone who reviews these books says these books start with murder, but they're about so much more than the mystery. (To be fair A Beautiful Mystery doesn't take place in Three Pines.)

Bag of Bones by Stephen King - There was a part at the end of this book that almost made me stop listening. Up until then it was a near perfect audiobook. I kept going past that part, and I'm glad I did. Read by the author, and it contained music that added to the story. However I don't think I'll ever re-read it like I usually do with King's books. I know that's probably not very helpful to anyone trying to decide if they should read this book, but I'm not sure what else to say!

Also see Books That Are Saving My Life Right Now.

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Life According to Steph