Currently #12

Reading: Evvie Drake Starts Over by Linda Holmes

Watching: Finally starting binging Lucifer and I love it! I’m already up to the midpoint of S3!

Listening: Along with NPR UpFirst, I’ve been listening every weekday morning to The Indicator.

Making: So many lists. Story of my life.

Feeling: We’re driving home today and I have really been missing home.

Planning: Working on planning dinners for the next two weeks or so.

Loving: Last night we got peanut butter cup mixers from Culver’s and it was oh so good.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Interview_with_the_Vampire_cover_(1).jpg

Music Monday - Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello "Senorita"

This song is way too catchy…

Life Right Now #20

On my bedside table: Booknotes edited by Brian Lamb

On my TV: Lucifer S3 - Quickly working my way through this show.

Listening to: The usual podcasts.

On the menu: We’re still in Indiana until Tuesday or Wednesday. Then I have no idea what we’re doing for dinner.

On my to do list: Wrapping up what the twins need for school this year. Getting Arthur’s school supplies. Getting all of the rest of our ducks in a row.

Happening this week: We’re in Indiana until Tuesday and then traveling home. We might do a stop and overnight around the Quad Cities, but I really haven’t decided yet. Once home, I have another dentist appointment and Arthur has a visit from his principal.

What I am creating: Nothing really. TBR list for August I guess.

My simple pleasures: A good night’s sleep (not getting it here), a good book, quiet time to watch a show or just relax.

What I’m planning: We have a few weeks before Arthur starts Kindergarten and we’re kicking around a short weekend trip to Kansas. Looking at some possibilities.

Looking around the house: Not home at the moment… But I do know that I have a list of home things to do once I get back this coming week.

Looking forward to: Being in my own bed again.

From the camera: Q and his beloved dinosaur…

Lumberjanes Vol. 5

Title: Lumberjanes Vol. 5: Band Together

Author: Noelle Stevenson, Grace Ellis, Brooke A. Allen, Shannon Watters

Publisher: BOOM! 2016

Genre: Graphic Novel

Pages: 112

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Graphic Novel

The Lumberjanes meet rock n' roll mermaids!

Excited for the annual Bandicoot Bacchanal, Ripley recruits her friends to help her get ready for the dance. But before the Lumberjanes know it, something mysterious begins to bubble to the surface of the lake near camp! Will the Lumberjanes be able to bring peace to the lake in time for the Bacchanal?

I love this series oh so much! All of the characters are amazingly fun and cute! I loved seeing the arrivals of the girls to camp. And we get a great underwater adventure. Definitely need to grab the volume soon.

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Accidental Beauty Queen by Teri Wilson

Title: The Accidental Beauty Queen

Author: Teri Wilson

Publisher: Gallery Books 2018

Genre: Romance

Pages: 304

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Library Love

Charlotte Gorman loves her job as an elementary school librarian, and is content to experience life through the pages of her books. Which couldn’t be more opposite from her identical twin sister. Ginny, an Instagram-famous beauty pageant contestant, has been chasing a crown since she was old enough to enunciate the words world peace, and she’s not giving up until she gets the title of Miss American Treasure. And Ginny’s refusing to do it alone this time.

She drags Charlotte to the pageant as a good luck charm, but the winning plan quickly goes awry when Ginny has a terrible, face-altering allergic reaction the night before the pageant, and Charlotte suddenly finds herself in a switcheroo the twins haven’t successfully pulled off in decades.

Woefully unprepared for the glittery world of hair extensions, false eyelashes, and push-up bras, Charlotte is mortified at every unstable step in her sky-high stilettos. But as she discovers there’s more to her fellow contestants than just wanting a sparkly crown, Charlotte realizes she has a whole new motivation for winning.

Picked this one up because of Anne Bogel’s summer reading guide and read it in less than 36 hours. Very cute little romcom volume full of ridiculous meet-cute, crazy conflicts, and happy ending. It was sweet. Nothing that’s going to land itself on my Top 10, but a very enjoyable read.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Odds and Ends

Here's my randomness for the week:

Ugh, The Bachelorette! Luke P is so manipulative. I don’t even want to see him come back next week. And I’m so afraid that Hannah is going to be pick Jed. Argh!
Not looking forward the to the next couple of days. Temps are going to be in the high 90s and low 100s. I’m so hot all the time.
On a happier note, I’m taking the littles to the Indianapolis Children’s Museum today. I haven’t been in over 10 years. Super excited!
My to-do list needs to be revamped. Working on that today and tomorrow.

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Walking Dead Vol. 31

Title: The Walking Dead Vol. 31: The Rotten Core

Author: Robert Kirkman; Charlie Adlard; Stefano Guadiano; Cliff Rathburn; Dave Stewart

Publisher: Image 2019

Genre: Comics

Pages: 136

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Graphic Novel

Rick leads the Commonwealth's Governor, Pamela Milton, on a tour of the various communities Alexandria is aligned with. Naturally... terrible things begin to happen very quickly.
Collects THE WALKING DEAD #181-186.

After the last volume, i was a bit worn out and unsure of where this story was going. Thankfully this volume helped get the story back on track. The leader of the Commonwealth is a fascinating character addition. Things are going to end badly, I just know it. And I’m super here for it all.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Little Beach Street Cafe by Jenny Colgan

Title: Little Beach Street Cafe

Author: Jenny Colgan

Publisher: William Morrow 2015

Genre: Romance

Pages: 465

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Library Love

A quiet seaside resort. An abandoned shop. A small flat. This is what awaits Polly Waterford when she arrives at the Cornish coast, fleeing a ruined relationship.

To keep her mind off her troubles, Polly throws herself into her favorite hobby: making bread. But her relaxing weekend diversion quickly develops into a passion. As she pours her emotions into kneading and pounding the dough, each loaf becomes better than the last. Soon, Polly is working her magic with nuts and seeds, chocolate and sugar, and the local honey—courtesy of a handsome beekeeper.

I really enjoyed Jenny Colgan’s The Bookshop on the Corner, but this one just feels like a repeat. Or more accurately, a first stab at the story. I know that the setting and characters are different and yet I felt like I was reading the exact same book. I finished this one, but I really was not entranced in the story.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Music Monday - Palaye Royale "Fucking with My Head"

Loving all the new stuff these guys are putting out!

Life Right Now #19

On my bedside table: The Masterpiece by Fiona Davis; The Accidental Beauty Queen by Teri Wilson

On my TV: I completely caught up with this season of The 100. And I finally started Lucifer (it’s delicious!). The little boys and I finished the week watching Mary Poppins Returns.

Listening to: All my usual podcasts. Nothing too exciting right now.

On the menu: We are going to be gone from Tuesday until the next week so no big plans. Monday we are going to have breakfast for dinner so as to not have leftovers in the fridge!

On my to do list: We’re continuing to buy things for back-to-school and specifically the twins moving into the Academy. More immediately, I have to pack for traveling to Indiana on Tuesday. I also need to do a bit of picking up/cleaning before we leave.

Happening this week: We’re traveling to Indiana on Tuesday. While there, Nick has to complete his biology and geometry R finals. I’m planning on talking the littles to the Indianapolis Children’s Museum during that time. Then we are going to catch the tail end of the Three Rivers Festival and fireworks in Fort Wayne.

What I am creating: All the lists!

My simple pleasures: Iced coffee! So much iced coffee! And wacky cake and quiet moments after the littles go to bed.

What I’m planning: Moving forward with the twins’s back to school plans.

Looking around the house: A bit messy, but the usual crap just not in its place.

Looking forward to: The next two nights before we leave. I’m getting in all my solo tv watching.

From the camera: Riding the dragon at Medieval Putt!

Summer Bucket List Update #1

It’s hot, the twins are here, and we’re right in the middle of our summer! Let’s get to our summer bucket list:

Read 50 books - 14 books read so far
Have an appetizer night ✓ - Instead of grilling out for the Fourth of July, we did an appetizer night! Crab rangoon, shrimp cocktail, pumpernickel pretzel pouches, jalapeno poppers, garlic zucchini, watermelon, blueberry lemon upside down cake, Reese’s PB cup cheesecake bites, and hushpuppies.
Tie Dye Shirts
Weekend trip to the Cosmosphere
Try 3 ice cream places 2/3
- Coneflower - Oh so yum! I got Rhubarb Crisp, Arthur and Quentin got Dark Chocolate, Alex got Mint Choc Chip, and J got Coffee, Mint Choc Chip, and White Choc and Basil. I think the winner was Coffee.
- Ted and Wally’s - A favorite in Old Market! I got Almond Joy, Arthur and Alex got vanilla, Quentin got chocolate, and J got Guiness and Fudge Brownie German Chocolate.
Go on 5 picnics
Visit an outdoor cinema
Make s’mores
Go to 3 movies 1/3
- Lego Movie 2 - I took the littles to the weekday $1 showing of the second Lego Movie. Love the cheap movies!
Make sangria
Find and complete a new puzzle
Visit 2 other library branches
Complete the summer reading program ✓ - Alex, Arthur, and I all earned rewards for completing 10 hours of reading.
Visit Mahoney State Park
Check out Pirate Putt and Medieval Putt ✓
- Pirate Putt - Loved this one.
- Medieval Putt - This one has some great hole designs.
Visit 5 Nebraska Passport spots
Try a new food truck
Go on a brewery tour/tasting
Run through the sprinklers/splash pad ✓ - We bought a sprinkler for the backyard. The boys love it!
Ride a Ferris Wheel
Go to a concert (indoor or outdoor)
Go tanking
Try 2 new-to-me restaurants 2/2 ✓
- Barchen - J and I had a date night at this German beer hall and restaurant. Food wasn’t amazing, but beer was good.
- Yum Roll - We had dinner at the fancy food court and I tried the Korean BBQ bowl. Decent, but I think the taco place next door is better.
Visit Hollywood Candy in Old Market ✓ - Lots of fun stopping in after lunch in Old Market one day. I loved all the crazy items thrown into the store. The boys got a basket of candy to last for the rest of the summer.
Complete a series

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Salt Line by Holly Goddard Jones

Title: The Salt Line

Author: Holly Goddard Jones

Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons 2017

Genre: Science Fiction

Pages: 400

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Library love; Popsugar - “Salt”; Dancing with Fantasy and Science Fiction - Utopia

In an unspecified future, the United States' borders have receded behind a salt line—a ring of scorched earth that protects its citizens from deadly disease-carrying ticks. Those within the zone live safe, if limited, lives in a society controlled by a common fear. Few have any reason to venture out of zone, except for the adrenaline junkies who pay a fortune to tour what's left of nature. Those among the latest expedition include a popstar and his girlfriend, Edie; the tech giant Wes; and Marta; a seemingly simple housewife.

Once out of zone, the group find themselves at the mercy of deadly ticks—and at the center of a murderous plot. They become captives in Ruby City, a community made up of outer-zone survivors determined to protect their hardscrabble existence. As alliances and friendships shift amongst the hostages, Edie, Wes, and Marta must decide how far they are willing to go to get to the right side of the salt line.

I picked this one up one the recommendation of the Reading Glasses podcast and loved it. There’s a great utopian society and a spare possibly. And then we get to dig beneath the surface and see what is beyond the wall. I loved the world-building and background information to explain how exactly the characters find themselves in the situation they are in. Once the story moves beyond the wall, the plot picks up the pace and things start to devolve. I immediately felt an attachment to Marta and her backstory. I loved the sections from her point of view. The plot moved fast with the twists and turns. I wasn’t a huge fan of the ending, but overall I really enjoyed the book.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Welcome Summer Videos

Yep!

Hmmm…. maybe

I’ll watch it!

So pretty…

While looking for something else, this great cover popped up! I would have loved to see Palaye Royale at Warped Tour 2018, but we arrived after their set.

Did you hear about the musical featuring the six wives of Henry VIII? Here’s the opening number for you!

The River by Peter Heller

Title: The River

Author: Peter Heller

Publisher: Knopf 2019

Genre: Thriller

Pages: 272

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Library Love; Popsugar - About a Hobby

Wynn and Jack have been best friends since freshman orientation, bonded by their shared love of mountains, books, and fishing. Wynn is a gentle giant, a Vermont kid never happier than when his feet are in the water. Jack is more rugged, raised on a ranch in Colorado where sleeping under the stars and cooking on a fire came as naturally to him as breathing. When they decide to canoe the Maskwa River in northern Canada, they anticipate long days of leisurely paddling and picking blueberries, and nights of stargazing and reading paperback Westerns. But a wildfire making its way across the forest adds unexpected urgency to the journey. When they hear a man and woman arguing on the fog-shrouded riverbank and decide to warn them about the fire, their search for the pair turns up nothing and no one. But: The next day a man appears on the river, paddling alone. Is this the man they heard? And, if he is, where is the woman? From this charged beginning, master storyteller Peter Heller unspools a headlong, heart-pounding story of desperate wilderness survival.

Thrillers aren’t usually my go-to genre, but this one was recommended by Anne Bogel. Of course I had to try it out. And I’m really glad I did. I loved getting to know Jack and Wynn as they traveled down river toward the bay and potential peril. There are a lot of tense moments in this book that held me on the edge of my seat. There were some turns that I did not see coming. The ending wasn’t happily ever after, but I like that in a book. Overall a great read that I sped through in just a day. Couldn’t put it down!

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Peacock Emporium by Jojo Moyes

Title: The Peacock Emporium

Author: Jojo Moyes

Publisher: Penguin Books 2004

Genre: Historical Fiction

Pages: 389

Rating: 2/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Library Love; Monthly Motif - Through the Years;

In the sixties, Athene Forster was the most glamorous girl of her generation. Nicknamed the Last Deb, she was also beautiful, spoiled, and out of control. When she agreed to marry the gorgeous young heir Douglas Fairley-Hulme, her parents breathed a sigh of relief. But within two years, rumors had begun to circulate about Athene's affair with a young salesman.

Thirty-five years later, Suzanna Peacock is struggling with her notorious mother's legacy. The only place Suzanna finds comfort is in The Peacock Emporium, the beautiful coffee bar and shop she opens that soon enchants her little town. There she makes perhaps the first real friends of her life, including Alejandro, a male midwife, escaping his own ghosts in Argentina.

The specter of her mother still haunts Suzanna. But only by confronting both her family and her innermost self will she finally reckon with the past--and discover that the key to her history, and her happiness, may have been in front of her all along.

This was one big confusing bore. There were too many time periods, jumping back and forth, but also spending too much time in one period. I wasn’t super engaged in the storyline. And was super confused for the longest time about the meaning of the first chapter and then the first section. I figured it out by the end, but was utterly bored with the story. On the other side, the characters were self-absorbed and whiny. I just couldn’t find myself liking any of them at all. I thought this was a new book by Jojo Moyes, but it turns out it was published in 2004 in the UK. It’s come to the US only this year.

Next up on the TBR pile: