My May TBR

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On My Nightstand August 24, 2024

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lets go freshmen!

We’re fully back to school now and sports are on every day. That means a lot of outside time for me, but also creating a schedule and sticking to it. Due to all that I’m exhausted, but in a good way. I’ve been mostly working from home this summer so we’ll see what heading back to the office does to all of this careful planning come September.

Reading wise I had been in a bit of a slump at the beginning of the month, but I can feel myself coming back now. I finished 3 books this week, and I’m hoping to do the same next week. I think I just had to give up on some of the books I wasn’t enjoying.

Quote of the week:

“Similarity of opinion is not always—I think not often—needed for fullness and perfection of love.”
— Ruth by Elizabeth Gaskell

On My Nightstand This Week:

Kindle - Ruth by Elizabeth Gaskell - I’m reading this a chapter a day with a group on Litsy. It’s good so far! (And free on Kindle if you’re interested.)

Audiobook - Winds of the Steppe by Bernard Ollivier - This is the last of 3 books in Ollivier’s series about walking The Silk Road. They’re fascinating.

Print - An Unforgiving Place by Claire Kells - This is a fun series about law enforcement officers in the National Parks. This one takes place in Alaska.

It’s a standoff

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On My Nightstand August 18, 2024

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almost full moon

I know it’s gotten boring and people say this every month, but where did this month go? I can’t believe we’re more than halfway through August. Of all the fast months this year this has been the fastest.

We’re volunteering this morning, and then we’re going to see a movie for my birthday in the afternoon. School starts tomorrow, and the first field hockey games are Tuesday and Thursday. In between all that I plan on finding as much time as I can to read on my porch in between watching the moon and listening to baseball.

Quote of the week:

“It pays to do your best work even when you think there’s no point.”
— Pay Dirt by Sara Paretsky

On My Nightstand This Week:

Kindle - Pay Dirt by Sara Paretsky- This is the book I needed right now. I’ve been reading this series since I was in high school, and I love it. I was so excited when the e-book of the latest one came from the library, and I started it as soon as I could.

Audiobook - The Cliffs by J. Courtney Sullivan - This was another very anticipated summer read for me, and so far it is not disappointing me.

Print - Tales From The Torrid Zone by Alexander Frater - I should probably give up on this one soon, but for now it’s what I’m reading when I’m sitting in my car.

Reading in the yard

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On My Nightstand August 10, 2024

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Clouds after debby

Hurricane Debby swept through here yesterday. It was a scary day with tornado and flash flood alerts going off. Luckily the damage here wasn’t too bad, and we got some much needed rain. I have to take the kids to get some back to school stuff this morning, but as soon as we get home I’m throwing on an audiobook and pulling every weed I see while the ground is soft. The things that make you happy in your 40’s!

I thought I was in a reading slump, but it turns out I just didn’t like what I was reading very much. So I bailed on a bunch of books last week and now I’m back on track. Whew!

Quote of the week:

“Rich people, thought Judy- she thought this the, and she thinks it now- generally become most enraged when they sense they’re about to be held accountable for their wrongs.”
— God of the Woods by Liz Moore

tropical downpours while reading the torrid zone

On My Nightstand This Week:

Kindle - Bear by Julia Phillips - I have peopley things to do this weekend, but really all I want to do is hide somewhere and read this book. At 17% it’s so good!

Audiobook - Walking to Samarkand by Bernard Ollivier - I am really enjoying this trilogy of travel memoirs about Ollivier’s walk along the Silk Road between 1999-2002.

Print - Tales From The Torrid Zone by Alexander Frater - Still reading this one bit by bit while I wait for field hockey practice to end. It’s perfect for dipping in and out of.

fresh figs from my tree

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On My Nightstand August 4, 2024

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national gallery of art

I worked this week, but I spent a few of the evenings visiting the local sights since my kids are out of town. They don’t love going to art museums or zoos with me, so I just go when they’re gone. Now the kids are back and we’re getting ready for fall sports next week. Summers never last as long as I think they will!

I also spent some time going through my reading plans for the rest of the year. I read quite a few new releases and ARCs this year which has been fun. However I am really behind in my reading goals. So I planned a way so that I can at least finish my Reading Oceania and Reading The USA challenges.

Quote of the week:

“I started doing several different breathing exercises at once that all canceled each other out.”
— All Fours by Miranda July

national botanical garden

On My Nightstand This Week:

Kindle - The Rhino Keeper by Jillian Forsberg - An ARC for a historical fiction book coming out in October.

Audiobook - The Empire of Gold by S.A. Chakraborty - I bought myself a paper copy of this last year for my birthday, but I realized I just find them much more enjoyable on audio. So I switched to audio but kept my copy of the beautiful book for my shelf.

Print - Tales From The Torrid Zone by Alexander Frater - This one will be with me for a while. I’m enjoying the travel memoir that takes place in various tropical countries, but it’s not something I can curl up with and read for hours.

the national zoo

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On My Nightstand July 28, 2024

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Waking up late today because I stayed up way too late last night watching the Olympics. This will be my life until mid-August. I can’t get enough!

I’ve been reading a lot too, and trying to finish up my July goals. I’m behind this month since we have been on the go so much, and my concentration has been terrible when I do get a minute. Oh well. It’s a hobby not a job. (Talking to myself here.)

Quote of the week:

““Guess what that old family named the house,” he said. “Give me a minute. I’m thinking,” said Delphine, seriously. And then she said: “Manderly.””
— The God of the Woods by Liz Moore

On My Nightstand This Week:

Kindle - Vanishing Edge by Claire Kells - An impulse read- I love books set in National Parks, and have been looking for something similar to Alice Henderson’s series.

Audiobook - The Suspect by Kent Alexander and Kevin Salwen - Listened to a bunch of things before the one thing I really wanted to listen to. This week!

Print - The Alternatives by Caoilinn Hughes - For a book club. I hope it’s a good one! I have a love/hate relationship with “required reading.”

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On My Nightstand July 21, 2024

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We just got back from my annual extended family vacation in New Hampshire. What a time. I am still processing. It’s an awesome thing to see children turn into adults and adults who should be slowing down decide they should do new things like zip lining. I am profoundly grateful for this time with my family. I am also profoundly grateful to be home with my books and my cats!

Have a great week everyone!

Quote of the Week:

“both human nature and a pastry are frail...”
— All Fours by Miranda July

On My Nightstand This Week:

Kindle - Sandwich by Catherine Newman - Very timely to read this book about a woman on vacation with her kids and parents while on vacation with my kids and parents.

Audiobook - The Suspect by Kent Alexander and Kevin Salwen - I never got to this last week, but am looking forward to it now. The Olympics start soon!

Print - I’m not sure! I finished My Own Country while I was away and aren’t sure what I’m in the mood for now! Picking out my next book is fun so I’m looking forward to deciding.

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On My Nightstand July 13, 2024

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It’s a busy morning. My daughter is on her way home from summer camp. Once we pick her up let the laundry begin!

Have a great week everyone!

Quote of the Week:

“I hate estimable young men with brown eyes!”
— Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

On My Nightstand This Week:

Kindle - Feral Creatures of Suburbia by D. Liebhart (ARC) - Still working on this one. No reflection on the book, just hasn’t been a kindle type week.

Audiobook - The Suspect by Kent Alexander and Kevin Salwen - I’ve been wanting to read this book about the Atlanta Olympics bombing for a while, and figured now is the time.

Print - My Own Country by Abraham Verghese - I absolutely love Verghese’s fiction. I’m happy to say his non-fiction is just as immersive. This is a memoir about his early days as a doctor during the beginning of the AIDS epidemic.

This post is linked to The Sunday Post on Caffeinated Reviewer.

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On My Nightstand July 6, 2024

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This week went by so fast! The weeks with days off always do. I’ve been trying to take advantage and read, but it’s so hot I’ve just been falling asleep a lot. I have also been distracted by season two of The Mole on Netflix. Nothing beats the original Anderson Cooper version, but these new ones are pretty good.

Have a great week everyone!

Quote of the Week:

“From past investigations, Juliet had learned that few combinations were more delightful than investigations and scones.”
— The Perils of Lady Cathering de Bourgh by Claudia Gray

On My Nightstand This Week:

Kindle - Feral Creatures of Suburbia by D. Liebhart (ARC) - If this book is as good as the cover it will get a good review from me.

Audiobook - Claws for Concern by Miranda James - These cozies are nice light listens for my audio walks.

Print - I’m about halfway through The Perils of Lady Catherine de Bourgh by Claudia Gray. This series is so fun.

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July 2024 TBR

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June Beginning TBR: 424
June Ending TBR: 416

I made a tiny dent on my TBR last month. I’ll take it!

Books I Want To Read In July:

1-6 Are all book club reads: FoodAndLit, my postal book club, my work book club, Author A Month, and the next Nancy Drew. I’m not sure what all the titles are yet so I won’t list them.

7) Within Arm’s Reach

8) Tales From The Torrid Zone

9) The Perils of Lady Catherine de Bourgh

10) Myst

11) The Oceanography of the Moon

12) Triumphant Sky

13) The Eyre Affair

14) In Extremis

15) The Earth Cries Out

16) All Fours

17) James

18) The Empire of Gold

That’s all I’ve got so far! I’m hoping a shorter list means I’ll get more done? We’ll see!

#JIAM Audiobook Mini-Challenge Results

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I had fun taking part in the #JIAM Audiobook Mini-Challenge with Caffeinated Reviewer and That’s What I’m Talking About.

I finished two of the three challenges I was trying for, and started another.

  • Love your Library (listen to 3 audiobooks from your local library)

  • Going the Distance (listen to 3 audiobooks over 12 hours each)

  • Tackle your Audiobook TBR Pile (listen to 3 audiobooks you already own)

If you want to join sign up here and post reviews here.

On My Nightstand June 29, 2024

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It’s almost July, my youngest is away at camp, and the weather report says approximately 3 million degrees with 200% humidity. Summer reading is in full swing!

We’re halfway through the year so I’m going to be working on some best of 2024 so far lists this week, plus starting to think about the reading challenges I’m committed to and how best to finish them before the end of the year. None of that is necessary or required of course, but I really do love planning my reading almost as much as I love reading!

Have a great week everyone!

Quote of the Week:

“‘There is nothing in this world so pathetic, so moronic, so meaningless as dieting.’”
— Butter by Asako Yuzuki

On My Nightstand This Week:

Kindle - Long Island by Colm Tóibín I’m loving this one just as much as the first one so far. I’m so glad I was able to get it from the library so quickly.

Audiobook - Prodigal Summer by Barbara Kingsolver - I’m not sure if this is working for me on audio so I might switch to print. I’ve read it before so I know I like the story.

Print - Still working on Murder Your Employer by Rupert Holmes. Hopefully I’ll get some time to finish this weekend.

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Walking Wedesday June 26, 2024

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It’s been so hot here I’ve had to resort to taking 2-3 short walks a day instead of one long one. Everything is so dry. We need some rain soon! I read this morning that it’s been a month and that sounds about right.

I just started listening to Margo’s Got Money Troubles. This was one of my most anticipated summer reads so I’m really looking forward to it. I hope it lives up to expectations!

On My Nightstand June 22, 2024

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We were away last week touring colleges and hiking in the smokies. I did a lot of reading but barely finished anything. Just one of those weeks where I couldn’t decide what to read so I read a bit of everything.

I’m itching to start a new cookbook project so I’ll be researching for that this week.

Have a great week all!

Quote of the week

“Language is a maze, and the mind can get lost.”
— The Postcard by Anne Berest

Reading This Week:

Kindle - Long Island by Colm Toibin - I loved Brooklyn and am really looking forward to the sequel.

Audio - Blacktop Wasteland by S.A. Cosby - I love his books and this audio has been perfect summer listening so far.

Paper - Murder Your Employer by Rupert Holmes - Still working on this! Not sure why it’s been such a struggle for me, but now I’m 100 pages in so I might as well finish.

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On My Nightstand June 9, 2024

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This is it on the 2023-2024 school year. Son is done with school, and daughter has one soccer game plus 3 half days of school. We have almost survived. I am looking forward to a little breathing room where every second of every day doesn’t have to be scheduled. I’m behind on visiting blogs. I’m hoping to spend an afternoon this week catching up. After all, my TBR isn’t going to add to itself!

Have a great week all!

Quote of the week

“Nope. Uh-uh. We don’t stick around for that applesauce.”
— The Hudson Collection by Jocelyn Green

Reading This Week:

Kindle - The Postcard by Anne Berest - This book in translation was all over summer reading lists last year, but I’m just getting to it this summer.

Audio - A Lady’s Guide to Etiquette and Murder by Dianne Freeman - For a book club. Sounds fin!

Paper - Murder Your Employer by Rupert Holmes - A lot of people love this one, but I’m still waiting to get into it. I paid cash money for it, so I want to like it, but I won’t give it too much longer.

This post is linked to The Sunday Post on Caffeinated Reviewer.

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On My Nightstand June 1, 2024

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I’m back from my nephew’s graduation and a visit to my favorite book store in the world- Book Barn in Niantic, Connecticut. If you ever have a chance to go, do it! I could spend hours there wandering between the various buildings searching for treasures. I ended up with some summer reading for my kids, one for me, and a mini-stack of vintage Nancy Drews.

Now that we’re home I’m putting in the hours cleaning up my garden and getting back to my walking routine. I have an audiobook going at all times of course!

Have a great week all!

Quote of the week

“This is what you must remember: the ending of one story is just the beginning of another.”
— The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin

Reading This Week:

Kindle - The Hudson Collection by Jocelyn Green - I have an ARC of this book. It comes out in three days so I need to get it done. I’m enjoying it so far so that shouldn’t be a problem!

Audio - The Silence of the Library by Miranda James - I’ve been listening to this series in between other heavier books.

Paper - Songs In Ordinary Time by Mary McGarry Morris - I got this at a friends of the library sale last year and I keep forgetting to read it. This is the week!

This post is linked to The Sunday Post on Caffeinated Reviewer.

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#JIAM Audiobook Mini-Challenge

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I’m looking forward to taking part in the #JIAM Audiobook Mini-Challenge with Caffeinated Reviewer and That’s What I’m Talking About to celebrate audiobook month in June.

There are a list of challenges to chose from- the three I’m going to try for are:

  1. Love your Library (listen to 3 audiobooks from your local library)

  2. Going the Distance (listen to 3 audiobooks over 12 hours each)

  3. Tackle your Audiobook TBR Pile (listen to 3 audiobooks you already own)

If you want to join sign up here and post reviews here.

June 2024 TBR

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May beginning TBR: 393
May ending TBR: 424 (hello summer reading guides!)

I’m hoping to get this back down under 300 by the end of the summer. There are so many good books that came out this summer! The TBR creep couldn’t be avoided.

20 Books I Want To Read In June 2024:

1) My Own Country by Abraham Verghese

2) The Exchange by John Grisham

3) Cultures of Growth by Mary Murphy

4) Clear by Carys Davies

5) Butter by Asako Yuzuki

6) Betrayal by Lilja Sigurdardottir

7) Orphans of Bliss (Short Stories)

8) Murder Your Employer by Rupert Holmes

9) It’s Up To The Women by Eleanor Roosevelt

10) All We Can Save (Various authors)

11) Songs In Ordinary Time by Mary McGarry Morris

12) The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain

13) The Guncle by Steven Rowley

14) The Titan’s Curse by Rick Riordan

15) The Silence of the Library by Miranda James

16) Wolf Trap by Connor Sullivan

17) Litsy Mark Up Postal Book Club

18) Little Women Chapter A Day

19) Nancy’s Mysterious Letter by Carolyn Keene

20) Dead Upon Arrival by Kat Bellemore

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On My Nightstand May 18, 2024

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It’s another busy weekend! Prom tonight, soccer tomorrow, and prep for a week of end of year parties and banquets. Then Friday my son turns 16, and early Saturday morning we leave for a graduation party in Massachusetts. It’s an eight hour drive, but I wouldn’t miss it! (Plus that’s 16 hours of audiobooks.)

Have a great week!

Quote of the week

“Edwin might have clung to England a little longer, but he holds secretly radical views which emerged unexpectedly at a dinner party, thus speeding up his fate.”
— Sea of Tranquility of Emily St. John Mandel

What I’m Reading This Week

On Kindle - The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin - I didn’t get very far with this last week, but this is the week! I’m hoping for a lot of long nights on my porch with this one.

On Paper - Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel - I’ve been loving diving into her books this month with the #AuthorAMonth group on Litsy. I put this one off a few days because I didn’t want to be done with my little project, but now’s the time.

On Audio- I need to start The River We Remember by William Kent Krueger before it disappears from Everand again.

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On My Nightstand May 12, 2024

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started station eleven last week along with my usual cookies and tea.

I had planned on sleeping as late as I wanted before an 11 am soccer game today, but a weird thunderstorm upset my cats. One got so scared she kicked a book onto my head and now I have bruise. I’m just glad it wasn’t bleeding because what if I had to go to the ER for stitches? A cat kicking a book onto my head is totally believable for anyone who knows me, but I would not want to tell that story to a doctor.

Anyway now I’m up catching up on my blogging and letter writing. The ever changing weather has now decided to be sunny, and I hope it lasts for soccer.

Have a great week!

Quote of the week

“Chairs are bad for you anyway...”
— Funny Story by Emily Henry

What I’m Reading This Week

On Kindle - The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin - I want to finish this series, but felt like I needed to go back and refresh my memory on the first book. (I bought this when it was on sale a few months back, but now I see it’s free on Kindle Unlimited.)

On Paper - The Glass Hotel by Emily St. John Mandel - I’m re-reading some of my favorite books by this author this month for the Author A Month challenge on Litsy. It’s been great sitting on my porch, listening to the foxes, and getting lost in this world (again.)

On Audio- Love is a Mix Tape by Rob Sheffield - Another re-read for me. I love the nostalgia.

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