August 2019 Wrap-up

August TBR Pile (22/28):

Book of the Month Club: The Mermaid and Mrs. Hancock by Imogen Hermes Gowar ✓
Girly Book Club: You Think It, I’ll Say It by Curtis Sittenfeld ✓
Friend Book Club: The Summer Wives by Beatriz Williams
UnRead Shelf Pick: Booknotes edited by Brian Lamb ✓
Random TBR Pick: Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan ✓
Ebook: Hope for the Best by Jodi Taylor ✓
Series Pick: The Invisible Library by Genevieve Cogman
Monthly Keyword: The Hot Zone by Richard Preston
Monthly Motif: The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware ✓
Nonfiction: Columbine by David Cullen ✓
Fantasy: Early Riser by Jasper Fforde
Comic: Lumberjanes Vol. 8 ✓
Science Fiction: Dark Matter by Blake Crouch ✓
Science Fiction: Recursion by Blake Crouch ✓
Mystery: The Twelve Clues of Christmas by Rhys Bowen ✓
Horror: Let the Right One In by John Lindqvist
Romance: Ayesha at Last by Uzma Jalaluddin ✓
Romance: Waiting for Tom Hanks by Kerry Winfrey ✓
Historical Fiction: Resistance Women by Jennifer Chiaverini
Thriller: The Mother-in-Law by Sally Hepworth ✓
Thriller: Lock Every Door by Riley Sager ✓
Essays: I Miss You When I Blink by Mary Laura Philpott ✓
Anne Bogel Rec: Hope and Other Punch Lines by Julie Buxbaum ✓
Anne Bogel Rec: Time After Time by Lisa Grunwald ✓
Added: A Woman of No Importance by Sonia Purnell ✓
Added: The Girl in Red by Christina Henry ✓
Added: Save Me the Plums by Ruth Reichl ✓
Added: State of the Union by Nick Hornby ✓

1,000,000 Page Goal:

Monthly Total: 7185 pages
Pages Remaining: 590.896 pages

Current Read - Let the Right One In by John Lindqvist

Books I Gave Up On (0)

Books bought/received (0)

September TBR Pile:

Carry-over: Let the Right One In by John Lindqvist
Book of the Month Club: In the Hurricane’s Eye by Nathaniel Philbrick
Book of the Month Club: Early Riser by Jasper Fforde
Book of the Month Club: Well Met by Jen DeLuca
Girly Book Club: The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai
Friend Book Club: The Summer Wives by Beatriz Williams
Book Club: The Immortalists by Chloe Benjamin
Perpetual Pick: The Alchemist by Paulo Coehlo
UnRead Shelf Pick: Five Quarters of the Orange by Joanne Harris
UnRead Shelf Pick: Kate Chopin by Emily Toth
Random TBR Pick: City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert
Ebook: Waiting for a Rogue Like You by Samantha Holt
Ebook: What’s a Rogue Got to Do with It by Samantha Holt
Series Pick: Unravel Me by Tahereh Mafi
Monthly Keyword:The Bookfish Life of Nina Hill by Abbi Waxman
Monthly Motif: 1776 by David McCullough
Nonfiction: Bad Blood by Jon Carreyou
Nonfiction: The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson
Nonfiction: I’ll Be Gone in the Dark by Michelle McNamara
Fantasy: Once and Future by Amy Rose Capetta
Fantasy: The Thousandth Floor by Katharine McGee
Science Fiction: Alien: Echo by Mira Grant
Mystery: Heirs and Graces by Rhys Bowen
Mystery: Queen of Hearts by Rhys Bowen
Mystery: The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton
Horror: The Boy on the Bridge by M.R. Carey
Horror: Wilder Girls by Rory Power
Historical Fiction: The Lake House by Kate Morton
Creativity: Craft a Life by Amy Tangerine
Anne Bogel Summer Rec: Gravity is the Thing by Jaclyn Moriarty
Anne Bogel Summer Rec: The Last Romantics by Tara Conklin

Movies watched

The Grinch - I took the kids to a Wednesday morning showing. Cute expansion of the book.
Levitated Mass - Interesting documentary about an art installation.
The King of Kong - J has been wanting me to watch this documentary for awhile now. I was no expecting all those twists and turns.
John Wick 3 - Finally got to see this one. So good! But the real stars of the movie were those dogs!
Shadow - The set design of this movie is just amazing. And the last 40 minutes are bananas!
The Nutcracker and the Four Realms - Meh… I loved the ballet interlude, but the rest of the movie seemed a bit disjointed.

TV Shows watched

The Boys S1 - We were concerned, but this adaptation was amazing. Can’t wait to see what they do for S2.
Stranger Things S3 - Loved that they amped up the horror this season.
Game of Thrones S2-4 - We’ve finally made it past the Red and Purple Weddings. I think we are now caught up to where we stopped watching.
Legion S3 - Slowly working our way through this season.
Wu Assassins S1 - Hmmm.. mixed feelings about this series. The action scenes are incredibly. The exposition and pacing was very off.
Lucifer S4 - I finally caught up and now have to wait until S5 airs.
The 100 S6 - Another cliffhanger ending of course.

Comments - Wow! I thought August would be a huge slowdown for my reading, but that did not happen. Instead, I had a huge reading month knocking off a ton of titles from my TBR.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Booknotes edited by Brian Lamb

Title: Booknotes: Stories from American History

Editor: Brian Lamb

Publisher: Penguin Books 2002

Genre: Nonfiction - U.S. History

Pages: 556

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: UnRead Shelf

American history is shaped by great and small events, and in recent years a generation of writers has brought these events to life. They have shared these stories with the viewers of the long-running C-SPAN author-interview program Booknotes, and here some of the best have been collected for readers to savor. In this volume, more than eighty contemporary writers and historians examine seminal moments from American history, celebrated and uncelebrated alike.

Obviously the subject matter of this collection is right up my alley. And it’s been sitting on my shelf for years now. I finally dove in and picked it as my #slowbutsteady read for August. I actually finished it by the end fo the month picking away at the essays one section at a time. I very much enjoyed the stories told in each essay. I even learned a bit about American history. My only complaint is that these are transcripts of a television show. Sometimes, the writing style left much to be desired.

Next up on the TBR pile:

State of the Union by Nick Hornby

Title: State of the Union: A Marriage in Ten Parts

Author: Nick Hornby

Publisher: Riverhead Books 2019

Genre: Fiction

Pages: 132

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges:

Tom and Louise meet in a pub before their couple's therapy appointment. Married for years, they thought they had a stable home life--until a recent incident pushed them to the brink.

Going to therapy seemed like the perfect solution. But over drinks before their appointment, they begin to wonder: what if marriage is like a computer? What if you take it apart to see what's in there, but then you're left with a million pieces?

Unfolding in the minutes before their weekly therapy sessions, the ten-chapter conversation that ensues is witty and moving, forcing them to look at their marriage--and, for the first time in a long time, at each other.

A random library shelf pick. I had heard of the television adaptation of the book and I always want to read the book before seeing the adaptation. This is a slim little novella featuring the scenes from a marriage was an interesting experience to read. We only get so much information from Tom and Louise. In fact most of the writing is dialogue. There’s very few descriptions throughout. I read this in one day, picking through each week’s entry. Overall, I really enjoyed this novella. Although there isn’t a big definite ending and I’m not sure it’s the happiest book. It’s very much in line with the mood of Hornby’s other works. I can’t wait to watch the television show.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Odds and Ends

Here's my randomness for the week:

Spent 30 minutes yesterday making a giant to-do list. All the swirling task in my head are on paper. I feel better.
I want to bake all the things! Unfortunately I’m sick and have no energy…
Spending two days resting at home (in between home and childcare tasks of course) has allowed me to catch up on some television.
I love smooth writing plans.
This year’s birthday party theme is fun on paper, harder to translate to real things. Really need to work on the activities…
I can’t wait to dive into my September TBR stack this weekend. I think I have some real winners in there…

Next up on the TBR pile:

Save Me the Plums by Ruth Reichl

Title: Save Me the Plums: My Gourmet Memoir

Author: Ruth Reichl

Publisher: Random House 2019

Genre: Memoir

Pages: 269

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges:

When Condé Nast offered Ruth Reichl the top position at America’s oldest epicurean magazine, she declined. She was a writer, not a manager, and had no inclination to be anyone’s boss. Yet Reichl had been reading Gourmet since she was eight; it had inspired her career. How could she say no?

This is the story of a former Berkeley hippie entering the corporate world and worrying about losing her soul. It is the story of the moment restaurants became an important part of popular culture, a time when the rise of the farm-to-table movement changed, forever, the way we eat. Readers will meet legendary chefs like David Chang and Eric Ripert, idiosyncratic writers like David Foster Wallace, and a colorful group of editors and art directors who, under Reichl’s leadership, transformed stately Gourmet into a cutting-edge publication. This was the golden age of print media—the last spendthrift gasp before the Internet turned the magazine world upside down.

Another Anne Bogel Summer Reading List pick. I’m slowly working my way through the entire list for this summer and most of the picks have been enjoyable. I haven’t followed Reichl’s career, but I loved reading about her time at the editor of Gourmet magazine. I was fascinated by her transition of jobs and quick learning I never knew exactly what an editor-in-chief of a magazine did, and this book was a great lesson. However, my favorite parts were when she dove into food itself. Now that I’ve read this one, I feel like I need to read Reichl’s other works.

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Girl in Red by Christina Henry

Title: The Girl in Red

Author: Christina Henry

Publisher: Berkley 2019

Genre: Fiction

Pages: 292

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Monthly Motif - Color; Horror

It's not safe for anyone alone in the woods. There are predators that come out at night: critters and coyotes, snakes and wolves. But the woman in the red jacket has no choice. Not since the Crisis came, decimated the population, and sent those who survived fleeing into quarantine camps that serve as breeding grounds for death, destruction, and disease. She is just a woman trying not to get killed in a world that doesn't look anything like the one she grew up in, the one that was perfectly sane and normal and boring until three months ago.

There are worse threats in the woods than the things that stalk their prey at night. Sometimes, there are men. Men with dark desires, weak wills, and evil intents. Men in uniform with classified information, deadly secrets, and unforgiving orders. And sometimes, just sometimes, there's something worse than all of the horrible people and vicious beasts combined.

Red doesn't like to think of herself as a killer, but she isn't about to let herself get eaten up just because she is a woman alone in the woods....

I picked this one up at the suggestion of the Reading Glasses podcast and sped through it on edge the entire time. I love dark fairy tale-esque stories and this one really packed on the dark. Red is such a compelling character. The world building is complex and yet relatable. Often I am not a fan when a character and/or author mentions something, but doesn’t explain, but clearly is leaving it until later in the book. This story did that a few times and yet I wasn’t annoyed. Perhaps because I really enjoyed Red’s voice I couldn’t wait for her to reveal the entire story of how she got to the current point in her journey. I loved the play on the Red Riding Hood story complete with “wolf.” And then we get the final horrifying twist to the story. I was here for every single reveal. So good!

Next up on the TBR pile:

A Woman of No Importance by Sonia Purnell

Title: A Woman of No Importance

Author: Sonia Purnell

Publisher: Viking 2019

Genre: Nonfiction - History

Pages: 368

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Library Love

In 1942, the Gestapo sent out an urgent transmission: "She is the most dangerous of all Allied spies. We must find and destroy her."

The target in their sights was Virginia Hall, a Baltimore socialite who talked her way into Special Operations Executive, the spy organization dubbed Winston Churchill's "Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare." She became the first Allied woman deployed behind enemy lines and--despite her prosthetic leg--helped to light the flame of the French Resistance, revolutionizing secret warfare as we know it.

Virginia established vast spy networks throughout France, called weapons and explosives down from the skies, and became a linchpin for the Resistance. Even as her face covered wanted posters and a bounty was placed on her head, Virginia refused order after order to evacuate. She finally escaped through a death-defying hike over the Pyrenees into Spain, her cover blown. But she plunged back in, adamant that she had more lives to save, and led a victorious guerilla campaign, liberating swathes of France from the Nazis after D-Day.

Another incredible story of a fascinating woman during WWII. I immediately fell for Virginia and her search for purpose in life. She’s such a fascinating character. The story dragged a bit during the early section, but once Virginia moved into position in France, the pacing moved forward. There were definitely parts of the story that were hard to read. But, overall, I learned so much about the variety of resistance activities within France during the occupation.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Music Monday - Love Fame Tragedy "My Cheating Heart"

Digging this new band being featured on AltNation.

Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan

Title: Wil Grayson, Will Grayson

Author: John Green and David Levithan

Publisher: Dutton Books 2010

Genre: Young Adult Contemporary

Pages: 320

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Perpetual - NPR Teen; MMD - Same Author

One cold night, in a most unlikely corner of Chicago, two teens—both named Will Grayson—are about to cross paths. As their worlds collide and intertwine, the Will Graysons find their lives going in new and unexpected directions, building toward romantic turns-of-heart and the epic production of history’s most fabulous high school musical.

My last big John Green novel that I hadn’t read. I dove in and I wasn’t as enthralled by it as I have been by other books. The writing style switch between the two Wills was quite jarring. The first few times it switched, I really had to take a minute to adjust. Once I got further into the book, I found I was much more involved in the storyline and the two Wills. But ultimately, I just wasn’t that interested or connected to the characters. A lot of the story really fell flat for me. I definitely liked John Green’s later books much more.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Life Right Now #24

On my bedside table: Let the Right One In by John Lindqvist; State of the Union by Nick Hornby

On my TV: J and I finished Wu Assassins S1 and Game of Thrones S3. We also finally watched John Wick 3 (so good).

Listening to: The usual podcasts.

On the menu:

Monday - Spinach Feta Grilled Cheese
Tuesday - Ham and Potato Soup
Wednesday - Leftovers
Thursday - Mongolian Beef
Friday - Italian Noodle Soup
Saturday - Chicken and Dumplings
Sunday - Kielbasa Skillet

On my to do list: I need to check the twins’s school account, schedule an appointment to get my driver’s license, think about buying Legoland tickets for Christmas time, clean out the boys’s closet (putting away clothes, sorting the too small items), and pull my TBR pile for September.

Happening this week:

Monday - Library Visit; RnR Construction Class
Tuesday - Park Play Date
Wednesday - Two different park play dates
Thursday - Museum Day
Friday - RnR Gym and Art Class
Saturday - Behind the Scenes Zoo Train
Sunday - Home day

What I am creating: Working on my Memory Planner pages for August and Q’s Project Life album (almost finished with his 2018 album).

My simple pleasures: A cool breeze, hot tea, good food memoirs

What I’m planning: Working on our September plans

Looking around the house: Other than the kid closet, I should rework our entry way and deal with the box in the kitchen.

Looking forward to: A quieter week coming up

From the camera: Storming the castle at the Pirate Festival

Ayesha at Last by Uzma Jalaluddin

Title: Ayesha at Last

Author: Uzma Jalaluddin

Publisher: Berkley 2019

Genre: Romance

Pages: 366

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Random TBR Pick

Ayesha Shamsi has a lot going on. Her dreams of being a poet have been set aside for a teaching job so she can pay off her debts to her wealthy uncle. She lives with her boisterous Muslim family and is always being reminded that her flighty younger cousin, Hafsa, is close to rejecting her one hundredth marriage proposal. Though Ayesha is lonely, she doesn't want an arranged marriage. Then she meets Khalid, who is just as smart and handsome as he is conservative and judgmental. She is irritatingly attracted to someone who looks down on her choices and who dresses like he belongs in the seventh century.

When a surprise engagement is announced between Khalid and Hafsa, Ayesha is torn between how she feels about the straightforward Khalid and the unsettling new gossip she hears about his family. Looking into the rumors, she finds she has to deal with not only what she discovers about Khalid, but also the truth she realizes about herself.

Another pick off of Anne Bogel’s Summer Reading List. I quite enjoyed this modern romance set in Toronto. It was lovely to get a diverse couple to play off of. I most liked the sections of the book that really dove into the various beliefs and lifestyles of the characters. Ayesha was a great voice to follow along. I loved following her story and watching her grow more comfortable in her identify throughout the book. I can see the similarities to Pride and Prejudice, but find it to be a completely different story for me.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Summer Bucket List Update #3

Arthur’s officially in school, but we still have summer weather to enjoy. 10/25 completed.

Read 50 books - 40books read so far. I’ll complete this goal, no problem.
Have an appetizer night ✓
Tie Dye Shirts
Weekend trip to the Cosmosphere
Try 3 ice cream places 3/3 ✓
- 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.
- eCreamery - I tried the green apple sorbet and the raspberry and strawberry sorbet. So yummy! J had the lime sorbet, also very good, and the kids had the chocolate ice cream.
Go on 5 picnics 3/5
- One at the splash pad before school started
- One at another splash pad
- One at Chalco Hills Regional park
Visit an outdoor cinema
Make s’mores
Go to 3 movies 2/3
- Lego Movie 2 - I took the littles to the weekday $1 showing of the second Lego Movie. Love the cheap movies!
- The Grinch - Another cheap weekday movie!
Make sangria
Find and complete a new puzzle ✓
Visit 2 other library branches
- Swanson Branch - For book sale and library browsing
Complete the summer reading program ✓
Visit Mahoney State Park
Check out Pirate Putt and Medieval Putt ✓
Visit 5 Nebraska Passport spots (1/5)
- It’s All About Bees - A cute little bee themed store in Omaha. I picked up some honey for our house and for a care package.
Try a new food truck ✓ - The Durham Museum had food trucks for their Back-to-School Party. I had yummy pork tacos from The Churro Truck.
Go on a brewery tour/tasting
Run through the sprinklers/splash pad ✓
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 ✓
Complete a series ✓

Next up on the TBR pile:

You Think It, I'll Say It by Curtis Sittenfeld

Title: You Think It, I’ll Say It

Author: Curtis Sittenfeld

Publisher: Random House 2018

Genre: Short Stories

Pages: 223

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Library Love

A suburban mother of two fantasizes about the downfall of an old friend whose wholesome lifestyle empire may or may not be built on a lie. A high-powered lawyer honeymooning with her husband is caught off guard by the appearance of the girl who tormented her in high school. A shy Ivy League student learns the truth about a classmate’s seemingly enviable life.

Curtis Sittenfeld has established a reputation as a sharp chronicler of the modern age who humanizes her subjects even as she skewers them. Now, with this first collection of short fiction, her “astonishing gift for creating characters that take up residence in readers’ heads” (The Washington Post) is showcased like never before. Throughout the ten stories in You Think It, I’ll Say It, Sittenfeld upends assumptions about class, relationships, and gender roles in a nation that feels both adrift and viscerally divided.

This is the Girly Book Club selection for August and it was a dud for me. I finished this collection of short stories a while ago, but had to sit with my thoughts to really understand my problems with them. My initial reaction was: Human beings are trash. After thinking more about it, I am going to stick to that statement. Diving deeper, I was left with a very depressed cynical view of humanity after every single story. I don’t need “happily ever after” stories, but these seemed so incredibly pessimistic about life and relationships. I thought that “Gender Studies”, “Bad Latch”, and “The Prairie Wife” were very interesting stories, but my goodness they were bleak. Once I thought about the stories even more, I realized that almost all of the characters featured were upper middle class and white. There was so much privilege inherent in all their lives. I think I might be over stories that focus on this demographic (full disclosure: I am part of these demographic). I am wanted to read about a variety of stories and situations. I don’t think I will have very charitable things to say about these stories at book club. But I have to admit that these stories are very well written.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Hope and Other Punch Lines by Julie Buxbaum

Title: Hope and Other Punch Lines

Author: Julie Buxbaum

Publisher: Delacorte Press 2019

Genre: Young Adult Contemporary

Pages: 320

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Literary Escapes - NJ

Abbi Hope Goldstein is like every other teenager, with a few smallish exceptions: her famous alter ego, Baby Hope, is the subject of internet memes, she has asthma, and sometimes people spontaneously burst into tears when they recognize her. Abbi has lived almost her entire life in the shadow of the terrorist attacks of September 11. On that fateful day, she was captured in what became an iconic photograph: in the picture, Abbi (aka "Baby Hope") wears a birthday crown and grasps a red balloon; just behind her, the South Tower of the World Trade Center is collapsing.

Now, fifteen years later, Abbi is desperate for anonymity and decides to spend the summer before her seventeenth birthday incognito as a counselor at Knights Day Camp two towns away. She's psyched for eight weeks in the company of four-year-olds, none of whom have ever heard of Baby Hope.

Too bad Noah Stern, whose own world was irrevocably shattered on that terrible day, has a similar summer plan. Noah believes his meeting Baby Hope is fate. Abbi is sure it's a disaster. Soon, though, the two team up to ask difficult questions about the history behind the Baby Hope photo. But is either of them ready to hear the answers?

Not sure what I was expecting when I picked this one up. Well, that’s not true. I was thinking this would be a very typical young adult romance. Instead, we get a very powerful story of teens dealing with perceptions, growing up, and identity. I loved following Abbi as she navigates an identity that was thrust upon her in infancy. She attempts to explain to others how this identity feels, but often the other characters put their own ideas and feelings onto her. I love that the romance wasn’t the main focus of the book. Sure Abbi and Noah end up together. I don’t think that is really a spoiler. But that storyline feels very third tier in the grand scope of the book. I’ll admit that this book had me tearing up in multiple spots. It was a lot more hard-hitting than I was expecting. This book may not make it onto my Top 10 for the year (seriously, I’ve read way too much this year already), but I may have to put it in my Top 25.

Next up on the TBR pile:

End of Summer Videos

I’m always here for the Jane Austen!

I will definitely be seeing this.

What fun!

A childhood favorite of mine! I cannot wait!

Love this list!

Exactly!

Yes yes yes!

Time After Time by Lisa Grunwald

Title: Time After Time

Author: Lisa Grunwald

Publisher: Random House 2019

Genre: Historical Fiction

Pages: 401

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Library Love

On a clear December morning in 1937, at the famous gold clock in Grand Central Terminal, Joe Reynolds, a hardworking railroad man from Queens, meets a vibrant young woman who seems mysteriously out of place. Nora Lansing is a Manhattan socialite whose flapper clothing, pearl earrings, and talk of the Roaring Twenties don’t seem to match the bleak mood of Depression-era New York. Captivated by Nora from her first electric touch, Joe despairs when he tries to walk her home and she disappears. Finding her again—and again—will become the focus of his love and his life.

Nora, a fiercely independent aspiring artist, is shocked to find she’s somehow been trapped, her presence in the terminal governed by rules she cannot fathom. It isn’t until she meets Joe that she begins to understand the effect that time is having on her, and the possible connections to the workings of Grand Central and the solar phenomenon known as Manhattanhenge, when the sun rises or sets between the city’s skyscrapers, aligned perfectly with the streets below.

As thousands of visitors pass under the famous celestial blue ceiling each day, Joe and Nora create a life unlike any they could have imagined. With infinite love in a finite space, they take full advantage of the “Terminal City” within a city, dining at the Oyster Bar, visiting the Whispering Gallery, and making a home at the Biltmore Hotel. But when the construction of another landmark threatens their future, Nora and Joe are forced to test the limits of freedom and love.

I was a bit confused about this book at the beginning. I thought it was a straight-forward historical fiction novel, but nope, there’s was definitely a fantastical element to this novel. I immediately fell for Nora and Joe and wanted to watch them through the years. And overall, I really loved reading their story. I was not a huge fan of the second romance featured. If the book ended about 75 pages before it actually did, this one would have earned 5 stars from me. As it stands, I did enjoy this historical fiction.

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Mother-in-Law by Sally Hepworth

Title: The Mother-in-Law

Author: Sally Hepworth

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press 2019

Genre: Mystery

Pages: 340

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: I Love Libraries; Cloak and Dagger

From the moment Lucy met her husband’s mother, she knew she wasn’t the wife Diana had envisioned for her perfect son. Exquisitely polite, friendly, and always generous, Diana nonetheless kept Lucy at arm’s length despite her desperate attempts to win her over. And as a pillar in the community, an advocate for female refugees, and a woman happily married for decades, no one had a bad word to say about Diana…except Lucy.

That was five years ago.

Now, Diana is dead, a suicide note found near her body claiming that she longer wanted to live because of the cancer wreaking havoc inside her body.

But the autopsy finds no cancer.

It does find traces of poison, and evidence of suffocation.

Who could possibly want Diana dead? Why was her will changed at the eleventh hour to disinherit both of her children, and their spouses? And what does it mean that Lucy isn’t exactly sad she’s gone?

Another pick from Anne Bogel’s Summer Reading Guide. I was expecting a very pedestrian thriller type of mystery, but this one really had depth. About 50 pages into this novel, I was fully invested in uncovering the secrets of the Goodwin family. I could not stand Diana and loved Lucy at the beginning of the book. By the end, things switched a bit and I began to really see Diana as the strong woman she was. I really enjoyed the back and forth in point of view and time periods. It added so much layer to the storyline and characters. I really enjoyed this one so much. Great pick from the Summer Reading Guide.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Music Monday - Marshmello feat. A Day to Remember "Rescue Me"

So digging this collaboration!

Life Right Now #23

On my bedside table: Time After Time by Lisa Grunwald; You Think It, I’ll Say It by Curtis Sittenfeld

On my TV: J and I are moving through Games of Thrones S3 and Wu Assasins. I’m almost done with Lucifer S4.

Listening to: Podcasts, podcasts, and more podcasts. Also, I’m digging the Favorites playlist Apple Music has been making for me. Good soundtrack for my gym days.

On the menu:

Monday - Spicy Shrimp Burrito Bowls
Tuesday - Sweet Potato and Kale GC
Wednesday - Pulled Pork
Thursday - Leftovers
Friday - Ham and Potato Soup
Saturday - Honey Lime Chicken
Sunday - Kielbasa Skillet

On my to do list: I imagine that I have things I need to do, but like most Sundays, I can never remember them.

Happening this week:

Monday - Zoo Day?
Tuesday - RnR Art Class; Errands; Library
Wednesday - Parent’s Night Out Morning; Gym Pool or Park Time
Thursday - Chalco Hills Playdate; Reader’s Night at Harvey Oaks
Friday - RnR Open Play
Saturday - Midwest Pirate’s Festival!
Sunday - Home day

What I am creating: I got back into Quentin’s 2018 PL Album. I’m up to the end of November, so getting close!

My simple pleasures: Brownies, good history book, a cool breeze

What I’m planning: Q and .I are still settling our weekly routine. Need to make a few tweaks.

Looking around the house: I did a power clean on Thursday and things are looking good. Yesterday J and moved the lawn and edged the yard. Looking much better. I hope to do a bit of weeding and pruning this week.

Looking forward to: Q is going to Parent’s Morning Out on Wednesday morning which means I get 2 hours free!!!! Trying to decide if I should run errands, shop, or just get a coffee and read.

From the camera: Q and I spent a morning at the Children’s Museum

Hope for the Best by Jodi Taylor

Title: Hope for the Best (The Chronicles of St. Mary’s #10)

Author: Jodi Taylor

Publisher: Headline 2019

Genre: Science Fiction

Pages: 320

Stars: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Ebook; Finishing the Series; Alphabet Soup - T

Max is no stranger to taking matters into her own hands. Especially when she's had A Brilliant Idea. Yes, it will mean breaking a few rules, but - as Max always says - they're not her rules.

Seconded to the Time Police to join in the hunt for the renegade Clive Ronan, Max is a long way from St Mary's. But life in the future does have its plus points - although not for long.

A problem with the Time Map reveals chaos in the 16th century and the wrong Tudor queen on the throne. History has gone rogue, there's a St Mary's team right in the firing line and Max must step up.

You know what they say. Hope for the best. But plan for the worst.

Another good adventure story through time. Overall I really enjoyed the plot and the various time periods visited. Max, as usual, is a delight and I love following her around. I loved reconnecting with Matthew and Matthew Ellis. Unfortunately, this volume was not quite as good as some of the previous. The reason: not enough Peterson and Markham! We need to go back to St. Mary’s and spend more time in its halls. Maybe next story…

The Chronicles of St. Mary’s:

Next up on the TBR pile: