June 2020 Wrap-up

June TBR Pile (25/46):

Book of the Month Club: One Day in December by Josie Silver
BOTM: The Two Lives of Lydia Bird by Josie Silver
Girly Book Club: Ask Again Yes by Mary Beth Keane ✓
Friend Book Club: The Library of Legends by Janie Chang ✓
Unread Shelf Random (Jan): Labyrinth by Kate Mosse
UnRead Shelf Selection (Feb): Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi
UnRead Shelf Random (April): Bringing Down the Duke by Evie Dunmore ✓
UnRead Shelf Random (May): Asylum by Madeleine Roux ✓
UnRead Shelf Random (June): Craft a Life You Love by Amy Tangerine
Goodreads To Read Random (Jan): Wanderers by Chuck Wendig
Goodreads To Read Random (June): The Daughters of Temperance Hobbs by Katherine Howe ✓
TBR Jar Random (June): Hollowland by Amanda Hocking ✓
May Theme Wrap-up: Uprooted by Naomi Novik
May Theme Wrap-up: The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry
May Theme Wrap-up: The Beautiful and Damned by F. Scott Fitzgerald
May Theme Wrap-up: One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Theme 1: Mistress of Rome by Kate Quinn
Theme 1: Daughters of Rome by Kate Quinn
Theme 1: Empress of the Seven Hills by Kate Quinn
Theme 2: Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor
Theme 2: Across the Universe by Beth Revis
Theme 2: A Heart So Fierce and Broken by Brigid Kemmerer ✓
Mystery: Cocaine Blues by Kerry Washington ✓
Historical Fiction: Lady of the Eternal City by Kate Quinn
Historical Fiction: The Paris Hours by Alex George ✓
Science Fiction: Sever by Lauren DeStefano ✓
Science Fiction: Artificial Condition by Martha Wells ✓
Science Fiction: Rogue Protocol by Martha Wells ✓
Science Fiction: Exit Strategy by Martha Wells
Science Fiction: Network Effect by Martha Wells
Romance: Whisper of Scandal by Nicola Cornick ✓
Romance: One Wicked Sin by Nicola Cornick (dumped series)
Romance: Mistress of Midnight by Nicola Cornick (dumped series)
Romance: Notorious by Nicola Cornick (dumped series)
Nonfiction: The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs by Steve Brusatte ✓
Ebook: The Glass Hotel by Emily St. John Mandel ✓
Added: The Bromance Book Club by Lyssa Kay Adams ✓
Added: Crowned and Dangerous by Rhys Bowen ✓
Added: The City We Became by NK Jemisin ✓
Added: Hollowmen by Amanda Hocking ✓
Added: The Authenticity Project by Clare Pooley ✓
Added: When Women Ruled by Kara Cooney ✓
Added: Bibliophile by Jane Mount ✓
Added: The Friend Zone by Abby Jimenez ✓
Added: Red, White, and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston ✓
Added: I’d Give Anything by Marisa de los Santos ✓

1,000,000 Page Goal:

Monthly Total: 8354 pages
Pages Remaining: 533,767 pages

Current Read - Get a Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert; Conjure Women by Afia Atakora

Books I Gave Up On (0)

Books bought/received (3) - I ended up getting three Book of the Month selections at the beginning June.

The End of October by Lawrence Wright
One to Watch by Kate Stayman-London
Home Before Dark by Riley Sager

July TBR Pile:

Book of the Month Club: The End of October by Lawrence Wright
BOTM: Home Before Dark by Riley Sager
BOTM: One to Watch by Kate Stayman-London
Girly Book Club: Get a Life Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert
Friend Book Club: The Witches are Coming by Lindy West
Unread Shelf Random (Jan): Labyrinth by Kate Mosse
UnRead Shelf Selection (Feb): Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi
UnRead Shelf Random (June): Craft a Life You Love by Amy Tangerine
Unread Shelf Random (July): Every Hidden Thing by Kenneth Oppel
Goodreads To Read Random (Jan): Wanderers by Chuck Wendig
Goodreads To Read Random (July): Dread Nation by Justina Ireland
TBR Jar Random (July): Pines by Blake Crouch
May Theme Wrap-up: Uprooted by Naomi Novik
May Theme Wrap-up: The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry
May Theme Wrap-up: The Beautiful and Damned by F. Scott Fitzgerald
May Theme Wrap-up: One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
June Theme Wrap-up: Mistress of Rome by Kate Quinn
June Theme Wrap-up: Daughters of Rome by Kate Quinn
June Theme Wrap-up: Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor
June Theme Wrap-up: Across the Universe by Beth Revis
Theme 1: The Invisible Library by Genevieve Cogman
Theme 1: Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson
Theme 1: Something Strange and Deadly by Susan Dennard
Theme 2: The Prince of Mist by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
Theme 2: Midnight Riot by Ben Aaronovitch
Theme 2: TBD
YA: Wicked as You Wish by Rin Chupeco
Nonfiction: The Splendid and the Vile by Erik Larson
Nonfiction: A Homemade Life by Molly Wizenberg
Horror: Sanctum by Madeleine Roux
Horror: The Asylum Novellas by Madeleine Roux
Horror: Catacomb by Madeleine Roux
Horror: The House with a Clock in Its Walls by John Bellairs
Science Fiction: Exit Strategy by Martha Wells
Science Fiction: Network Effect by Martha Wells

Movies watched

Corporate Animals - Such a weird tone. Did not like…
Masterminds - A better comedy, but not great.
Porno - Not as comedic as we were hoping for.
Star Trek: Generations - Decent. Like a long episode of Next Gen.

TV Shows watched

Holey Moley S1-2 - Our fun silly show!
Broadchurch S3 - I was a little disappointed in the resolution of the storyline.
Cosmos S2 - Oh so good.
Battlestar Galactica S1 - As we finished Broadchurch, J had me start this show.
Below Deck S5-6

Comments - Holy cow! Still powering through books while social distancing. I need to do better at reading my own books (my constant refrain), but I’m excited about all the books I’ve been reading.

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Daughters of Temperance Hobbs by Katherine Howe

Title: The Daughters of Temperance Hobbs

Author: Katherine Howe

Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. 2019

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 338

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Library; GR Random June

Connie Goodwin is an expert on America’s fractured past with witchcraft. A young, tenure-track professor in Boston, she’s earned career success by studying the history of magic in colonial America—especially women’s home recipes and medicines—and by exposing society's threats against women fluent in those skills. But beyond her studies, Connie harbors a secret: She is the direct descendant of a woman tried as a witch in Salem, an ancestor whose abilities were far more magical than the historical record shows.

When a hint from her mother and clues from her research lead Connie to the shocking realization that her partner’s life is in danger, she must race to solve the mystery behind a hundreds’-years-long deadly curse.

This volume continues Connie story and her discovery of her ancestors. I enjoyed the book, but felt like the modern sections dragged a bit. I wanted to speed up the storyline for those chapters. I also got annoyed with Connie on multiple occasions for not telling people the truth. The historical chapters were much more interesting. I almost wanted a whole book of just those chapters. I would have loved to read about each of the women through history. Very well researched book featuring stories and characters from early America.

The Physick Book

#1 The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane
#2 The Daughters of Temperance Hobbs

Next up on the TBR pile:

Rogue Protocol by Martha Wells

Title: Rogue Protocol (Murderbot Diaries #3)

Author: Martha Wells

Publisher: Tor.com 2018

Genre: Science Fiction

Pages: 150

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Ebook

Who knew being a heartless killing machine would present so many moral dilemmas?

Sci-fi’s favorite antisocial A.I. is back on a mission. The case against the too-big-to-fail GrayCris Corporation is floundering, and more importantly, authorities are beginning to ask more questions about where Dr. Mensah's SecUnit is.

And Murderbot would rather those questions went away. For good.

Oh Yes! This series just keeps getting better and better. I sped through this volume enjoying every quip from Murderbot and every action sequence. There’s not a deep plot to this one, but we do get more information on the larger conspiracy afoot. Plus we get to see Murderbot interact with another group of humans and bots in an attempt to figure out their identity. So good! I’ll be quickly picking up the next novella.

Murderbot Diaries:

#1 All Systems Red
#2 Artificial Condition
#3 Rogue Protocol
#4 Exit Strategy
#5 Network Effect
#6 Fugitive Telemetry

Next up on the TBR pile:

Music Monday - Asking Alexandria "I Don't Need You"

Their new album is absolutely killing it and this song is amazing!

I'd Give Anything by Marisa de los Santos

Title: I’d Give Anything

Author: Marisa de los Santos

Publisher: William Morrow 2020

Genre: Fiction

Pages: 272

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Ebook; MMD 2020

Ginny Beale is eighteen, irreverent, funny, and brave, with a brother she adores and a circle of friends for whom she would do anything. Because of one terrible night, she loses them all—and her adventurous spirit—seemingly forever. While the town cheers on the high school football team, someone sets the school’s auditorium ablaze. Ginny’s best friend Gray Marsden’s father, a fire fighter, dies in the blaze.

While many in the town believe a notoriously troubled local teen set the fire, Ginny makes a shattering discovery that casts blame on the person she trusts most in the world. Ginny tells no one, but the secret isolates her, looming between her and her friends and ruining their friendship.

Over the next two decades, Ginny puts aside her wanderlust and her dreams. Moving back to her hometown, she distances herself from the past and from nearly everyone in it. She marries a quiet man, raises their daughter, Avery, and cares for her tyrannical, ailing mother, Adela. But when Ginny’s husband, Harris, becomes embroiled in a scandal, Ginny’s carefully controlled life crumbles, and, just when she believes she is regaining her bearings, the secret she’s kept for twenty years emerges and threatens to destroy her hopes for the future.

With the help of fifteen-year-old Avery and of friends both old and new, Ginny must summon the courage to confront old lies and hard truths and to free herself and the people she loves from the mistakes and regrets that have burdened them for so long.

This one was a dud for me. I never really engaged with the characters or the storyline. Something about both felt very immature to me. As for the characters, I kept thinking that adult Ginny was much much younger than she actually was. And Avery sometimes acted 12 and sometimes acted 20. I couldn’t get a good feel for any of them. Harris completely annoyed the crap out of me and I was mad at Ginny for not being more upset by his betrayal. And then we get to the big mystery of the fire. I just didn’t really care. I guessed the secret that Ginny was keeping from about when they revealed the fire. the second twist I didn’t see coming, but I didn’t even really care about it. Overall I was left with a big MEH feeling. Not my type of book.

Modern Mrs Darcy Summer Reading Challenge 2020.png

Next up on the TBR pile:

Life Right Now #21

As I look outside my window: It’s supposed to be sunny and very hot today. Thinking the kids should get outside for some water play after lunch.

Right now I am: Figuring out what to make for brunch today. I’m thinking bacon, eggs, and maybe waffles.

On my bedside table: Exit Strategy by Martha Wells; Conjure Women by Afia Atakora

On my tv this week: J and I dove into Battlestar Galatica and caught up with Holey Moley, Patriot Act, and Last Week Tonight.

Listening to: Mostly podcasts

On the menu for this week:

Monday - Texas Cheese Fries
Tuesday - Smothered Pork Chops
Wednesday - Beef Stew
Thursday - Pizza
Friday - Kharcho
Saturday - ???
Sunday - Black Bean Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

On my to do list: I need to work on our summer bucket list and do a pantry overhaul.

Happening this week: The twins are going back east on Thrusday. So that means that we need to organize and pack early this week.

What I am creating: All the lists. I’m working on our first month or so of homsechooling. And I’m gathering all the resources for the overall year.

My simple pleasures: Chocolate chip cookies, iced tea, quiet reading moments

Looking around the house: The basement demolition has started. We’re working on getting things ready to fix the storage area to turn it into a workshop.

From the camera: We picked up a ton of books from the library this week. It took two people with two handcarts to bring them to my car.

Artificial Condition by Martha Wells

Title: Artificial Condition (Murderbot Diaries #2)

Author: Martha Wells

Publisher: Tor.com 2018

Genre: Science Fiction

Pages: 149

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Ebook

It has a dark past—one in which a number of humans were killed. A past that caused it to christen itself “Murderbot”. But it has only vague memories of the massacre that spawned that title, and it wants to know more.
Teaming up with a Research Transport vessel named ART (you don’t want to know what the “A” stands for), Murderbot heads to the mining facility where it went rogue.
What it discovers will forever change the way it thinks…

I’m again loving the Muderbot’s narration of space adventures. We get a bit more of the overreaching storyline, but mainly focus on an encounter with a collective and a devious company agent. I can’t wait to see what happens next. I hope we get more ART in future books and more of Murderbot attempting to pass for human. Very entertaining!

Murderbot Diaries:

#1 All Systems Red
#2 Artificial Condition
#3 Rogue Protocol
#4 Exit Strategy
#5 Network Effect
#6 Fugitive Telemetry

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Paris Hours by Alex George

Title: The Paris Hours

Author: Alex George

Publisher: Flatiron Books 2020

Genre: Historical Fiction

Pages: 258

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: UnRead Shelf Project; Monthly Theme - June

Paris between the wars teems with artists, writers, and musicians, a glittering crucible of genius. But amidst the dazzling creativity of the city’s most famous citizens, four regular people are each searching for something they’ve lost.

Camille was the maid of Marcel Proust, and she has a secret: when she was asked to burn her employer’s notebooks, she saved one for herself. Now she is desperate to find it before her betrayal is revealed. Souren, an Armenian refugee, performs puppet shows for children that are nothing like the fairy tales they expect. Lovesick artist Guillaume is down on his luck and running from a debt he cannot repay—but when Gertrude Stein walks into his studio, he wonders if this is the day everything could change. And Jean-Paul is a journalist who tells other people’s stories, because his own is too painful to tell. When the quartet’s paths finally cross in an unforgettable climax, each discovers if they will find what they are looking for.

This book really snuck up on me. I made it about 50 pages in and was enjoying the book, but not desperately wanting to finish it. And then we learned even more about our quartet of main characters and I couldn’t put it down. I had to see how their individual searches played out. I had to understand just what kept them going. I demanded to know more about each of their pasts. And we get all of those things in bits and pieces spread out over the novel. By page 125, I could not put the book back down; I had to finish it. This slim novel really packs an emotional punch that I didn’t see coming but thoroughly enjoyed. Each of the main characters (and many of the secondary characters including all the famous ones) leapt off the page. They were as real as you or me. George manages to layer so much characterization and complexities into very short chapters, snippets really. By the end of the novel, I felt like I had head each of their life stories, when the actual action takes place over the course of one day. Breathtaking!

Next up on the TBR pile:

Red, White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

Title: Red, White and Royal Blue

Author: Casey McQuiston

Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin 2019

Genre: Romance

Pages: 425

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Ebook

What happens when America's First Son falls in love with the Prince of Wales?
When his mother became President, Alex Claremont-Diaz was promptly cast as the American equivalent of a young royal. Handsome, charismatic, genius—his image is pure millennial-marketing gold for the White House. There's only one problem: Alex has a beef with the actual prince, Henry, across the pond. And when the tabloids get hold of a photo involving an Alex-Henry altercation, U.S./British relations take a turn for the worse.

Heads of family, state, and other handlers devise a plan for damage control: staging a truce between the two rivals. What at first begins as a fake, Instragramable friendship grows deeper, and more dangerous, than either Alex or Henry could have imagined. Soon Alex finds himself hurtling into a secret romance with a surprisingly unstuffy Henry that could derail the campaign and upend two nations and begs the question: Can love save the world after all? Where do we find the courage, and the power, to be the people we are meant to be? And how can we learn to let our true colors shine through? Casey McQuiston's Red, White & Royal Blue proves: true love isn't always diplomatic.

This was an utter delight! I loved every single page of this book. I’m always up for a good but realistic romance, and thankfully this one delivers. Alex is such a great main character, full of sash and bravery. I was rooting for him right off the bat. I couldn’t wait to see how he would change and grow throughout the novel. Thankfully we dive in pretty much right away. I loved seeing him re-meet Henry and then fall into a wedding cake. From there on out, I couldn’t read fast enough. I had to see them finally get together and realize their feelings. My one complain about the novel: I want to live in that political world, not our own. I even got a bit choked up during the election night chapters. I just really wish 2016 had turned out differently.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Odds and Ends

Here's my randomness for the week:

After a few cooler days, the temps are going back up today. Ugh!
The paper work has been submitted, we are officially homeschooling Arthur next year.
So I’m now deep into resource sourcing mode.
Super excited about my delivery of new underwear. I’m such an adult.
Flat Stanley is not a great book… We need a better choice for next time.
And finally, it’s not a videos week, but I just had to include this one. Who else is squealing in joy?

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Friend Zone by Abby Jimenez

Title: The Friend Zone (The Friend Zone #1)

Author: Abby Jimenez

Publisher: Forever 2019

Genre: Romance

Pages: 384

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Ebook

Kristen Peterson doesn't do drama, will fight to the death for her friends, and has no room in her life for guys who just don't get her. She's also keeping a big secret: facing a medically necessary procedure that will make it impossible for her to have children.
Planning her best friend's wedding is bittersweet for Kristen -- especially when she meets the best man, Josh Copeland. He's funny, sexy, never offended by her mile-wide streak of sarcasm, and always one chicken enchilada ahead of her hangry. Even her dog, Stuntman Mike, adores him. The only catch: Josh wants a big family someday. Kristen knows he'd be better off with someone else, but as their attraction grows, it's harder and harder to keep him at arm's length.

CW: Infertility, death

I read this one as I friend warned me not to read Jimenez’s newer book (The Happily Ever After Playlist) before reading this one for spoilers. I didn’t realize it was a series. Thank goodness I didn’t read the summary of the number two before reading this book. Spoilers abound!

As for this volume, I was disappointed. The first and second halves of this one feel like different books. The tone becomes very serious in the second half and I was not prepared for the switch. The cover deluded me into thinking this was a lighthearted romance story. Nope! There are serious events and issues in this book. I was not prepared at all. And the two biggest themes (infertility and death) could really mess with a person who was not prepared to encounter those in the book. Beyond the tone, I was not on board with Kristen as a main character. She was very immature and selfish throughout most fo the book. I just wanted someone to knock some sense into her at many moments. And the way she treated Josh was so not fair. It was very bad behavior indeed. (I even felt sorry for Tyler who didn’t seem like a terrible guy, just different than Kristen wanted.) One last gripe: the big event in the second half of the book really felt like a device to get Kristen and Josh together. It’s devastating to at least one other character, but most of it gets brushed over so we can see Kristen and Josh get their HEA. Not a book for me.

The Friend Zone

#1 The Friend Zone
#2 The Happily Ever After Playlist
#3 Life’s Too Short

Next up on the TBR pile:

A Heart So Fierce and Broken by Brigid Kemmerer

Title: A Heart So Fierce and Broken (Cursebreaker #2)

Author: Brigid Kemmerer

Publisher: Bloomsbury YA 2020

Genre: YA Fantasy

Pages: 456

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Library; Monthly Theme - June

Find the heir, win the crown.
The curse is finally broken, but Prince Rhen of Emberfall faces darker troubles still. Rumors circulate that he is not the true heir and that forbidden magic has been unleashed in Emberfall. Although Rhen has Harper by his side, his guardsman Grey is missing, leaving more questions than answers.

Win the crown, save the kingdom.
Grey may be the heir, but he doesn't want anyone to know his secret. On the run since he destroyed Lilith, he has no desire to challenge Rhen--until Karis Luran once again threatens to take Emberfall by force. Her own daughter Lia Mara sees the flaws in her mother's violent plan, but can she convince Grey to stand against Rhen, even for the good of Emberfall?

The heart-pounding, compulsively readable saga continues as loyalties are tested and new love blooms in a kingdom on the brink of war.

I fell hard for A Curse So Dark and Lonely. I picked it as one of my three best books for last month. I eagerly got the sequel from the library. I sped through it and came out the other side being utterly disappointed. This is not the same series or story or characters. I couldn’t understand the huge shift from one to two. It’s not character growth, if anything, we get characters going backward. And we are treated to basically no Harper or Rhen in this volume. I was just beyond disappointed. And why is Rhen now complete trash? Grey lied to him and then thinks that he can claim the morale high ground. I just… no. I was not a fan. Lia Mara is a decent character, but she seems to be the counterpoint to Grey and that’s it. I would have liked more from her. And do not get me started on the very last chapter with Rhen. Utter rage! I imagine that I will pick up book three because I want to see how this one ends, but I’m not going to jump on it.

Cursebreaker Series

#1 A Curse So Dark and Lonely
#2 A Heart So Fierce and Broken
#3 A Vow So Bold and Deadly

Next up on the TBR pile:

Ask Again, Yes by Mary Beth Keane

Title: Ask Again, Yes

Author: Mary Beth Keane

Publisher: Schribner 2019

Genre: Fiction

Pages: 390

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Library; MMD 2012-2019

Francis Gleeson and Brian Stanhope, rookie cops in the NYPD, live next door to each other outside the city. What happens behind closed doors in both houses—the loneliness of Francis’s wife, Lena, and the instability of Brian’s wife, Anne, sets the stage for the explosive events to come.

Ask Again, Yes is a deeply affecting exploration of the lifelong friendship and love that blossoms between Kate Gleeson and Peter Stanhope, born six months apart. One shocking night their loyalties are divided, and their bond will be tested again and again over the next 40 years. Luminous, heartbreaking, and redemptive, Ask Again, Yes reveals the way childhood memories change when viewed from the distance of adulthood—villains lose their menace and those who appeared innocent seem less so. Kate and Peter’s love story, while haunted by echoes from the past, is marked by tenderness, generosity, and grace.

For the record, I can see why people love this book. I enjoyed Keane’s writing and the transitions between sentences and paragraphs. She is a talented writer. Unfortunately, I am not a fan of the depressing family drama stories. The story did not grab me at any time. I wasn’t clamoring to pick the book back up after putting it down. It took me almost two weeks read this books. Ridiculously slow for my usual time for completion of 2-3 days. Everything moved so slowly in the book, except for the large time jumps. The characters are all realistic, and yet, I wasn’t connecting to any one of those characters. I just wasn’t a fan of anyone in the novel. The disconnect combined with slow writing and a very dark tone left me not really enjoying this book at all.

Modern Mrs Darcy Summer Reading Challenge 2020-2.png

Next up on the TBR pile:

Music Monday - 10 Years "The Shift"

Digging this new song from 10 Years!!!

Bibliophile by Jane Mount

Title: Bibliophile

Author: Jane Mount

Publisher: Chronicle Books 2018

Genre: Nonfiction

Pages: 224

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Library

Searching for perfect book lovers gifts? Rejoice! Bibliophile: An Illustrated Miscellany, is a love letter to all things bookish. Author Jane Mount brings literary people, places, and things to life through her signature and vibrant illustrations. It's a must have for every book collection, and makes a wonderful literary gift for book lovers, writers, and more.

Such a fun collection of lists and pretty pictures. This was a nice afternoon’s worth of diving into my love of books. A lovely pick-me-up for the week. And I added a ton of my books to my out-of-control TBR list!

Next up on the TBR pile:

Life Right Now #20

As I look outside my window: It’s another sunny day although it is supposed to rain tomorrow afternoon.

Right now I am: Getting brunch ready for later. I’m thinking orange rolls, sausage patties, and eggs.

On my bedside table: The Paris Hours by Alex George; The Daughters of Temperance Hobbs by Katherine Howe

On my tv this week: We restarted Battlestar Galatica as we’ve finished Broadchurch. For run, we’ve been watching Holey Moley.

Listening to: The usual podcasts. I also had Hayley Williams, Fiona Apple, and The Lumineers on repeat.

On the menu for this week:

Monday - Teriyaki Shrimp and Rice
Tuesday - Chicken Parmesan
Wednesday - Chicken Tortilla Soup
Thursday - Broccoli Beef
Friday - Leftovers
Saturday - Takeout Ramen
Sunday - Texas Cheese Fries

On my to do list: I imagine that I will be doing another library pickup this week. Tuesday is also our biweekly grocery visit.

Happening this week: I’ve attempted to schedule another zoo visit for Monday. Hopefully this time we actually get to go. I also have both of my book clubs this week. Still over Zoom, but excited to talk books this week.

What I am creating: I should work on my Memory Planner pages for June. And hopefully I can find time and inspiration to make another card.

My simple pleasures: A cool breeze, a good book, ice water

From the camera: I cut Arthur and Quentin’s hair this week! And it doesn’t look half bad.

The Authenticity Project by Clare Pooley

Title: The Authenticity Project

Author: Clare Pooley

Publisher: Pamela Dorman Books 2020

Genre: Fiction

Pages: 368

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Ebook

Julian Jessop, an eccentric, lonely artist and septuagenarian believes that most people aren't really honest with each other. But what if they were? And so he writes--in a plain, green journal--the truth about his own life and leaves it in his local café. It's run by the incredibly tidy and efficient Monica, who furtively adds her own entry and leaves the book in the wine bar across the street. Before long, the others who find the green notebook add the truths about their own deepest selves--and soon find each other In Real Life at Monica's Café.

I did not really enjoy this book. I was sucked in by the premise and the back of the book blurb. Unfortunately, I don’t think the storyline or the characters live up to the promise. The storyline was fairly predictable. I wasn’t surprised by the bad decisions and silly interactions with the characters. I wanted to really dive into the characters, but they were often just stereotypes. And Julian, who should have been the most interesting one, was left unwraps most of the time. The only bits we saw were decidedly fake and unappealing. I just couldn’t with him and it spiraled out to the other characters.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Summer TBR

Let's see how I did with my Spring TBR: A lockdown due to a global pandemic left more time for reading. I actually did decently on this seasonal TBR. 6/10

Circe and Song of Achilles of Madeline Miller ✓
Two More Her Royal Spyness Novels by Rhys Bowen ✓
The Splendid and the Vile by Erik Larson
All the Stars and Teeth by Adalyn Grace ✓
Serpent and Dove by Shelby Mahurin ✓
Uprooted by Naomi Novik
The Beautiful and Damned by F. Scott Fitzgerald
The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry
How to Be a Woman by Caitlin Moran ✓
A Nonfiction Library Find ✓ - I read Archaeology from Space by Sarah Parcak

Summer TBR: For summer’s list, I decided to pick some series and genres instead of specific books. Maybe I will have more success doing this instead.

Another Romance Series - Don’t care which one, just want to finish a series. Maybe Tessa Dare or Stephanie Laurens.
Three Book of the Month Books - Working my way through the backlog. I want to get the numbers done significantly this season.
Two Her Royal Spyness Books
Two Nonfiction Books - Could be from my unread shelf or the library.
Two Carryover Books from Spring - The Splendid and the Vile; Uproot; The Beautiful and Damned; The Essex Serpent
A Historical Fiction
A Fairy Tale
Four Modern Mrs. Darcy Summer Reading Picks
A Horror Book
Two YA Books

Next up on the TBR pile:

Summer Bucket List

Things are still very much up in the air at the moment. Various places have reopened, but many with heavy restrictions. Our summer bucket list is going to look very different this year. No fun trips and very few outings to places. Instead, we are focusing on activities at home.

Visit Heron Haven
Comic Book Day
Make Ice Cream Sundaes
Hitchcock Nature Center
Read aloud 5 chapter books
Board Game Day
Scatter Joy Acres
Finger Paint
Read 50 books
Have a Backyard Picnic
Weekly Sprinkler Time
Go to the Zoo 5x
Make S’mores
Tie Dye Something
Hopscotch in Driveway
Hike at the River
Complete Two Jigsaw Puzzles
Make Doughnuts

Next up on the TBR pile:

Spring Bucket List Final

A new season has begun! The global pandemic has really put an interesting twist on planning for the spring. We didn’t end up traveling anywhere this month and have loaded up on home activities and schedules. And due to the uncertainty of the near future, I’m shortening the Spring Bucket List to create some manageable goals.

We are still at home and we haven’t really accomplished most of the items on this list. 3/15 items completed. This season of life was really not great at all.

Read 50 books ✓
Make fun cupcakes
Create an Easter Egg Hunt ✓
Make a planter for the front porch
Find two good parks
Tie Dye Shirts with the boys
Create a spring Spotify playlist
Mini golf family night
Go berry picking ✓ - Our local berry farm opened just in time. They had multiple restrictions, but we still got to go and get some strawberries.
Sign Arthur up for summer camps - Camps have been canceled.
Go on a hike
Have a picnic
Put together the littles’s room - In progress
Monthly Massage - The place the I got my birthday massage and then bought a membership has officially closed.
Go antiquing

Next up on the TBR pile: