It’s still as hot an humid as ever here, but there have been signs of fall on my walks. Bring on the sweater weather. I’m over this summer that seems to want to kill us all.
When walking I’ve been listening to A Bad Day For Sunshine by Darynda Jones. I love starting a new series!
Note: Links to amazon.com are affiliate links. Thanks for your support!
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:
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.
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.
Note: Links to amazon.com are affiliate links. Thanks for your support!
This is linked to Quick Lit on Modern Mrs. Darcy.
I’ve been on summer vacation for two weeks, and I am ready to be back to normal! Love to travel; love to come home even more.
I can’t wait to share my reading with you all again, and to see what you’ve been up to. I hope everyone is having a decent summer, and is safe from all the storms, heat, and fires.
Have a great week everyone. Can’t wait to catch up!
“Until I feared I would lose it, I never loved to read. One does not love breathing.”
Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton -- I still love this book, and re-read it every few years.
Pompeii by Robert Harris -- I’m having a hard time getting into this one, but I love volcanoes so I’ll keep trying.
Mud Rocks Blazes by Heather Anderson -- I’m mentally gearing up for fall hiking!
Note: links to amazon.com are affiliate links. Thanks for your support!
This post is linked to The Sunday Post on Caffeinated Reviewer.
I read 19 books in June. Four of them were re-reads, which is always fun. A lot of people don’t like to re-read, but to me it’s like visiting old friends. Besides that reading is just better when I’m sitting on the porch with a glass of wine and baseball on the radio.
Peach Blossom Spring by Melissa Fu - In 1938 Meilin and Renshu had to flee their home in China. For years they searched for some place to grow roots and finally found it in Taiwan. Eventually they each found stability- Meilin in Taiwan and Renshu in the states. Neither really ever felt safe though until they learned to confront the past. This book was heartbreaking, but in the very best way. You all should read it.
The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese - This audiobook was 31 hours long, and I wish it could have gone for another 31 hours. I loved it so much. It all came together beautifully and I loved the characters. Five stars.
Foster by Claire Keegan - This was a great short story, but I wish I knew more about the families (family?) involved.
The Not-Quite States of America - I read this for a book club, and I wasn’t sure what to expect due to mixed reviews. I ended up enjoying it though I thought some parts were needlessly padded with background information. It seems that this one is better to read than listen from the reviews.
Annie John by Jamaica Kincaid - Yet another book I would have never heard about if not for Litsy challenges! This short book has a lot to say about growing up, the expectations we put on kids, and mother/daughter relationships.
Untangled by Lisa Damour, Ph.D. - This book was excellent. Highly recommend for anyone with a daughter 12 or older.
Our Stories Carried Us Here (Anthology) - A powerful and moving graphic novel anthology about the refugee experience. I‘m going to pass this on to the library at our school’s international academy.
Exiles by Jane Harper - I thought I had figured out the mystery halfway through and I was annoyed that Falk was taking so long to catch up. Then it turned out it was someone I hadn’t suspected at all and I loved the ending.
The Last Word by Taylor Adams - I loved the premise of this book- deranged author goes after lone woman who gave him a one star review on Goodreads. However it seemed to take forever for anything to happen. It was entertaining enough to listen over a busy weekend full of chores though so I’m giving it 3 stars.
Feet in the Clouds by Richard Askwith - Part memoir part history of Fell-Running- aka running up and down mountains in Britain usually in terrible weather. I enjoyed the parts about the author’s pursuits, but wasn‘t as engaged in the historical parts.
Note: Links to amazon.com are affiliate links. Thanks for your support!
This is linked to Quick Lit on Modern Mrs. Darcy.
Holidays lead to out of the ordinary walking routes! I’ve been having a great time reminding myself of local attractions including the National Mall and early morning baseball games.
For audiobooks I’ve been alternating between The Outsider by Stephen King and Yellowface by R.F. Kuang.
Note: Links to amazon.com are affiliate links. Thanks for your support!
I think this week might actually be a normal week- 5 days of work, no holidays, no appointments. I love holidays and travel but it will be nice to get back into a normal routine for a bit.
Weather here has been wild, and that has been cutting down on my walking and gardening time. Sometimes it has rained so hard I can’t even sit on my covered porch without my library book getting wet.
I can’t believe it’s almost mid-July. Summer is going too fast. I have a few weeks of reading other’s posts to catch up on, so I look forward to “seeing” you all this week.
Have a great week everyone.
“He has taught his daughter how to ride a bike, how to swim.
Isn’t each of these a victory in itself?”
As Meat Loves Salt by Maria McCann - I bought this on kindle for a reading challenge, but I’ve heard it’s pretty intense. We’ll see how that goes. I feel no shame in not finishing books if I’m not enjoying them.
The Outsider by Stephen King - Classic Stephen King summer reading. I’m still re-reading for when Holly comes out in September.
Breathless by Amy McCulloch - I read a lot of books that take place in the Himalayas. Some are better done than others. So far so good with this one.
I Know Your Secret by Daphne Benedis-Grab - My daughter and I picked this as a book we could both read while she’s away at camp. She omes back on Saturday so I need to get a move on!
Note: links to amazon.com are affiliate links. Thanks for your support!
This post is linked to The Sunday Post on Caffeinated Reviewer.
I wasn’t around last week because I was dropping my daughter off at summer camp four hours away. I miss her, but I know she is having the time of her life. I’ll pick her up in three weeks, and then it’s time for my family reunion in New Hampshire. I can’t wait for that!
Meanwhile I’ve been working a lot outside between thunder showers and unhealthy air indices. What a weird summer! The sharing garden I’ve been working on has been producing pretty well despite the number of weeds we’ve had to pull. We started harvesting carrots this week, and you wouldn’t expect a carrot to smell good, but they really did. Fresh food is the best.
Have a great week everyone.
“We can forgive without understanding. Sometimes we must. Maybe that’s what forgiveness is - accepting someone’s actions, even if there are no good explanations.”
An Embarrassment of Mangoes by Ann Vanderhoof - One of the best parts of the #ReadingTheAmericas2023 challenge is all of the great travelogues I’ve been reading. This one features a couple sailing through the Caribbean, and it’s making me hungry!
Yellowface by R.F. Kuang - I’m reading this for a big buddy read on Litsy, and it’s really started off strong. It doesn’t hurt that it takes places near where I live so all of the places are familiar.
Hang The Moon by Jeanette Walls - I haven’t started this yet, but it’s next on my pile of books. I’ve seen it on a bunch of summer reading lists so I’m excited.
Note: links to amazon.com are affiliate links. Thanks for your support!
This post is linked to The Sunday Post on Caffeinated Reviewer.
It’s the longest day of the year! Don’t miss it!
I feel like I’m finally getting back in the swing of things after a few weird weeks. Of course it’s supposed to rain all week, but we need it, and there’s always the gym.
I found a new to me path this week which was beautiful until I saw three snakes. I’ll put that place on my winter only list. Lilies are in full bloom everywhere. Mine didn’t bloom last year, but this year they’re amazing.
I’ve been listening to Around The World in 50 Years. Parts are interesting, but the narrator has a new wife or girlfriend in every country and I find that suspect.
Note: Links to amazon.com are affiliate links. Thanks for your support!
Last week we had a dance recital, two parties at our house, a ton of packing for camp, and a evening talk and reception for a group I belong to. This week there’s nothing. You know what that means! Time to read!
Have a great week everyone.
“A dog lives for you. A cat just lives with you.”
The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough - Still working on this - the epitome of summer reading.
Exiles by Jane Harper - I started this during the week, but quickly realized I would need to put it off until the weekend so I could read it all in one sitting.
End of Watch by Stephen King - Re-reading all of the Holly books before the new one comes out in the fall. She’s on of my favorite fictional characters.
Note: links to amazon.com are affiliate links. Thanks for your support!
This post is linked to The Sunday Post on Caffeinated Reviewer.
It must be summer- my books stack is out of control again! There are so many new books that I can’t wait to read out this year. Add that to all of the back-list reads that I’ve been saving because they seemed more like summer reads and I am drowning in my TBR. THIS IS A GOOD PROBLEM TO HAVE!
Meanwhile, May was a great reading month that completely made up for a lackluster April. Here are the highlights.
Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell - This book was wild. It was like Golden Girls but they’re all Rose. I’ll say it again: don’t assume the classics are boring.
Moloka'i by Alan Brennert - I don‘t even know what to say about this book I loved it so much. Who knew a book about a leper colony could make my heart sing like this. This is a must read for historical fiction readers.
Running Man by Charlie Engle - I was in the mood to read about ultramarathons for some reason the other day so I downloaded this audiobook from Scribd. I really enjoyed this book by Charlie Engle who went from addict to athlete to felon.
Embassy Wife by Katie Crouch - This was a fun novel about US Diplomats living in Namibia during the Trump administration. Nothing too deep, but I enjoyed it.
The Violin Conspiracy by Brendan Slocumb - I’d been in a slump, and I was really happy this book brought me out of it. Not a perfect book, but a really enjoyable one.
The Coal Tattoo by Silas House - I’m so glad to have discovered Silas House this year. The way he writes about families and grief just sucks me in to his stories. Perfect for summer reading- I’ll be searching around for more of his books soon.
Assaulted Caramel by Amanda Flower - A decent cozy for after work reading during a stressful week. This one featured a chocolate shop in Amish country. Yum.
A Flicker in the Dark by Stacy Willingham - Fun but very predictable.
Note: Links to amazon.com are affiliate links. Thanks for your support!
This is linked to Quick Lit on Modern Mrs. Darcy.
It’s been a stressful week here near DC. It started with a mysterious sonic boom, and ended with dangerous levels of air pollution from the Canadian wildfires. The picture above was from my metro trip into DC for work on Thursday. I have no experience with wildfires, and if I had known how much my breathing and sinuses would have been impacted I would have never gone. My thoughts go out to the people of Canada who have had to evacuate. This is just horrible.
We are in the last days of school finally, and are busy prepping for trips and camps. It’s a weird thing to do when it feels like the world is ending outside, but we gotta just keep swimming right?
In good news I have a giant stack of promising summer reading to get to, so I’m looking forward to that!
Have a great week everyone.
“Fiction is the great lie that tells the truth about how the world lives!”
The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson - I’m not loving this one. Has anyone read it and loved it? Maybe it’s just a slow start?
The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough - This is a re-read for me. It’s a chunkster, but I’m flying through. This book is perfect summer reading in my opinion.
Untangled by Lisa Damour - All of my mom friends have been reading this, and I have it cued up next in Libby.
Note: links to amazon.com are affiliate links. Thanks for your support!
This post is linked to The Sunday Post on Caffeinated Reviewer.
These weeks have been going by so fast that I’ve been forgetting to post even though I have been meeting my step goals.
I’ve been listening to Abraham Verghese’s The Covenant of Water. I still have 13 hours left to go, which is a good thing. I could listen to this book forever.
Note: Links to amazon.com are affiliate links. Thanks for your support!
How is June going for everyone? We’re in the last two weeks of end of school year messiness. Seems like every day it’s a new party or activity to prep for. It’s all fun stuff once we get there, but there’s a lot of logistics involved!
Have a great week everyone.
“The best things that happen in life rarely make good sense.”
Annie John by Jamaica Kincaid - Loving this short book set in the Caribbean so far. I will probably find someplace to hide on this busy day so that I can finish it in peace.
The Not-Quite States of America by Doug Mack - I’m reading this for my work book club, and it’s pretty good. It’s about the US territories - part history and part travelog.
The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese - I love this audiobook so much. It’s really long and I’m glad because I don’t want it to ever end.
Note: links to amazon.com are affiliate links. Thanks for your support!
This post is linked to The Sunday Post on Caffeinated Reviewer.
It’s officially summer reading season! Here’s to hours spent reading in the sun! I can’t wait. Here’s my summer reading list if anyone is interested. Yes, I know I have high expectations for myself this summer!
Have a great week everyone.
“
Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster. And if you gaze long enough into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you.”
A Flicker In The Dark by Stacy Willingham - I’m one chapter in on this thriller and I think I figured out who did it. I can’t wait to keep reading to see if I’m right.
The Coal Tattoo by Silas House - I “discovered” Silas House this year, and I am so happy I have his whole backlist to go through.
Thunderstruck by Eric Larson - Having trouble getting into this one. Has anyone read it?
Note: links to amazon.com are affiliate links. Thanks for your support!
This post is linked to The Sunday Post on Caffeinated Reviewer.
Summer reading season is almost here! I simply can’t wait. I’ve been making lists since about March, and I wanted to share what I came up with.
I was never a big new releases in the summer person until last summer when I read six of them for a challenge, and now I pay attention. This year I poured over to what’s coming out, and picked these six books to splurge on.
The House Is On Fire by Rachel Beanland
Warrior Girl Unearthed by Angeline Boulley
Symphony of Secrets by Brendan Slocumb
Lady Tan's Circle of Women by Lisa See
Before We Were Innocent by Ella Berman
There are 14 weeks in summer so I pulled 14 books off my shelves that I want to get to. Fingers crossed.
The Word For World Is Forest by Ursula K Le Guin
Feet In The Clouds by Richard Askwith
The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson
On The Road With Francis of Assisi
The Bronte Project by Jennifer Vandever
Looking Up by Matthew Cappucci
Where The Forest Meets The Stars by Glendy Vanderah
In The Time of Our History by Suzanne Pari
The Bookish Life of Nina Hill by Abbi Waxman
My Losing Season by Pat Conroy
Mud Rocks Blazes by Heather Anderson
To me you can’t have summer reading without re-reading some favorites. Here are the three I picked for summer 2023.
The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough
Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton
Note: Links to amazon.com are affiliate links. Thanks for your support!
My walks are still a riot of color, but you can tell the heat will be here soon. Weeds are starting to appear, and the tougher flowers of summer are starting to show. I’m on a 13 day exercising/step count streak. It’s been years since I’ve been able to walk this much and I am so thrilled.
I’m about to start a re-listen to Stephen King’s Finders Keepers. I can’t wait for his new book Holly to come out later this year.
Note: Links to amazon.com are affiliate links. Thanks for your support!
May 2023, how did that happen? Wasn’t it just Halloween? Anyway, I didn’t think April was a very good reading month, but looking back it was actually okay. No five star reads, but plenty of four stars. I think my memory is just reacting to the busyness of this time of year. It’s like once Spring Break happens buckle up, because each day after that means something to do. Teacher and senior gifts, sports, end of year projects and parties, and keeping up with all of the laundry and cooking associated with all of that is exhausting.
Anyway, here’s the best of the best from my April reads.
Hidden Moon by James Church -- These books make very little sense, but when you read mysteries having to do with North Korean government agencies that‘s part of the charm. This is book two in the Inspector O series and I found it just as confusing and enjoyable as the first.
The Widows of Malabar Hill by Sujata Massey -- I loved the characters and setting of this mystery. I‘ll definitely read more in this series.
Watergate by Garrett Graff -- Graft’s deep dive into the history of Watergate had me riveted. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
The Ransomware Hunting Team by Renee Dudley and Daniel Golden -- I enjoyed this history of ransomware, and the stories of the (sometimes) misfits who stepped in to help stop it when the government was slow to act.
Note: Links to amazon.com are affiliate links. Thanks for your support!
This is linked to Quick Lit on Modern Mrs. Darcy.
The weather has been beautiful this week, and I’ve been doing so much reading on my porch. One day I lost my kindle, and it took me about an hour to find it. It was under a cat. Peak cat lady.
Have a great week everyone!
“What was the use of building a legacy if the ones who deserved the fruit never lived long enough for the harvest?”
Moloka'i by Alan Brennert I didn’t get to start this until the end of last week, so I’m still working on it. I really like it so far.
Island Queen by Vanessa Riley This is okay, but I want more. I’m about 3/4 of the way through.
The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samatha Shannon This might be the week when I finally finish this chunkster.
Note: links to amazon.com are affiliate links. Thanks for your support!
This post is linked to The Sunday Post on Caffeinated Reviewer.
The roses and irises are out now. Every time a new flower blooms on my walks I think “These are my favorites!” Then something else blooms and I change my mind.
I started listening to Island Queen by Vanessa Riley last night at my daughter’s soccer tryouts. It’s slow going so far, but I haven’t listened to much. (Just noticed this is free on Kindle Unlimited if you want to give it a try.)
Note: Links to amazon.com are affiliate links. Thanks for your support!
A blog for all things bookish.
