September 2019 Wrap-up

September TBR Pile (16/38):

1. Carry-over: Let the Right One In by John Lindqvist ✓

2. Book of the Month Club: In the Hurricane’s Eye by Nathaniel Philbrick

3. Book of the Month Club: Early Riser by Jasper Fforde

4. Book of the Month Club: Well Met by Jen DeLuca

5. Girly Book Club: The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai DNF

6. Friend Book Club: The Summer Wives by Beatriz Williams ✓

7. Book Club: The Immortalists by Chloe Benjamin ✓

8. Perpetual Pick: The Alchemist by Paulo Coehlo

9. UnRead Shelf Pick: Five Quarters of the Orange by Joanne Harris

10. UnRead Shelf Pick: Kate Chopin by Emily Toth

11. Random TBR Pick: City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert

12. Ebook: Waiting for a Rogue Like You by Samantha Holt

13. Ebook: What’s a Rogue Got to Do with It by Samantha Holt

14. Series Pick: Unravel Me by Tahereh Mafi

15. Monthly Keyword: The Bookfish Life of Nina Hill by Abbi Waxman ✓

16. Monthly Motif: 1776 by David McCullough

17. Nonfiction: Bad Blood by Jon Carreyou ✓

18. Nonfiction: The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson

19. Nonfiction: I’ll Be Gone in the Dark by Michelle McNamara ✓

20. Fantasy: Once and Future by Amy Rose Capetta

21. Fantasy: The Thousandth Floor by Katharine McGee

22. Mystery: Heirs and Graces by Rhys Bowen

23. Mystery: Queen of Hearts by Rhys Bowen

24. Mystery: The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton

25. Horror: The Boy on the Bridge by M.R. Carey

26. Horror: Wilder Girls by Rory Power ✓

27. Historical Fiction: The Lake House by Kate Morton

28. Creativity: Craft a Life by Amy Tangerine

29. Anne Bogel Summer Rec: Gravity is the Thing by Jaclyn Moriarty

30. Anne Bogel Summer Rec: The Last Romantics by Tara Conklin ✓

31. Added: Alien Echo by Mira Grant ✓

32. Added: The Woman in the Lake by Nicola Cornick ✓

33. Added: The Hot Zone by Richard Preston ✓

34. Added: The Lost Duke of Wyndham by Julia Quinn ✓

35. Added: East of West Vol. 9 ✓

36. Added: Mr. Cavendish, I Presume by Julia Quinn ✓

37. Added: They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera ✓

38. Added: The Library of Lost and Found by Phaedra Patrick ✓

1,000,000 Page Goal:

Monthly Total: 5505 pages
Pages Remaining: 585,391 pages

Current Read - Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness

Books I Gave Up On (1) - The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai

Books bought/received (0)

October TBR Pile: It’s spooky reads month, so my TBR is going to look a little different…

1. Girly Book Club: The Broken Girls by Simone St. James

2. Friend Book Club: Kitchens of the Great Midwest by J. Ryan Stradal (obviously not spooky)

3. Lives of the Monster Dogs by Kirsten Bakis

4. The Hunger by Alma Katsu

5. The Tower Formerly Known as Sears by Lisa M. Lilly

6. Graveminder by Marisa Marr

7. Paper Dolls by Anya Allyn

8. Marionette by Anya Allyn

9. Music Box by Anya Allyn

10. The Witches by Stacy Schiff

11. Easy Bake Coven by Liz Schulte

12. Rabid by Bill Wasik and Monica Murphy

13. The Lady from the Black Lagoon by Mallory O’Meara

14. Red Shirts by John Scalzi

15. Passenger by Alexandra Bracken

16. Before I Go to Sleep by S.J. Watson

17. Bird Box by Josh Malerman

18. The Bloody Chamber by Angela Carter

19. Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr

20. White is for Witching by Helen Oyeyemi

21. The House with a Clock in its Walls by John Bellairs

22. Feed by MT Anderson

23. Asylum by Madeleine Roux

24. A Madness So Discreet by Mindy McGinnis

25. The Walking Dead Vol. 32

26. Capturing the Devil by Kerri Maniscalco

27. How to Survive a Plague by David France

28. Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness

29. The Relic by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child

30. Challenger Deep by Neal Shusterman

31. Heathen Vol. 2

32. Sword and Pen by Rachel Caine

33. The Philosopher’s War by Tom Miller

34. Rat Queens Vol. 6

35. Fantasticland by Mike Bockoven

36. The Hike by Drew Magary

37. The Dead Girls of Hysteria Hall by Katie Alender

38. Horrorstor by Grady Hendrix

39. Sleeping Giants by Sylvain Neuvel

40. Meddling Kids by Edgar Cantero

41. A Head Full of Ghosts by Paul Tremblay

42. Blackbird by Anna Carey

43. Life Among the Dead by Daniel Cotton

Movies watched

• Paper Towns - Finally watched this John Green adaptation. I think this was my favorite of his books.

• Satanic Panic - What a weird movie, and yet I liked it.

• Downtown Abbey - AHHH!!!!! I got to see the new movie at a special early screening. So much fun!

• Booksmart - Really loved this one!

• Spider-Man: Far From Home - Finally! I avoided every single spoiler and it was so worth it!

• The Impossible - Very emotional movie based on a true story.

TV Shows watched

• Game of Thrones S6-8 - We finished the last three seasons of the show! Not happy about the ending, but overall I’ve really enjoyed this series.

• Big Little Lies S2 - Finally started the second season. Not really wanting to binge it, but it’s good so far.

• Chilling Adventures of Sabrina S1 - Finally started this series and I don’t understand why I waited so long. The first few episodes have been so much fun!

• Superstore S5 - One of the few sitcoms we watch.

• The Good Place S4 - It’s back finally! And for the last season. I’m so excited to see where this goes.

Comments - Another great reading month in terms of pages, but not so great in terms of reading quality. There were definitely a few duds in there. I’m looking forward to all the spooky reads I have lined up for next months.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Life Right Now #27

On my bedside table: Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness; Living Among the Dead by Daniel Cotton

On my TV: We’re so close to finishing Game of Thrones! Only two more episodes to go. I also finally started The Chilling Chronicles of Sabrina and am loving it. Plus The Good Place and Superstore are back!

Listening to: All the Binge Mode: Game of Thrones podcast episodes. So close to the end!

On the menu:

• Monday - Honey and Lime Jalapeno Chicken

• Tuesday - Brie Grilled Cheese

• Wednesday - Leftovers

• Thursday - Pork and Green Chili Stew

• Friday - Dinner out

• Saturday - BBQ Chicken

• Sunday - Grown Up Bacon Grilled Cheese

On my to do list: Oof! So many little things on my list.

Happening this week:

• Monday - Nothing. I’m thinking gym, library, potentially a park.

• Tuesday - Tinkergarten

• Wednesday - Parent’s Morning Out at RnR (means gym for me); Park after school

• Thursday - RnR

• Friday - School Carnival

• Saturday - Living History at the Fort

• Sunday - Nothing

What I am creating: Working on my Memory Planner, projects for the birthday party, and some Project Life spreads.

My simple pleasures: Simple yellow cake with chocolate icing, listening to the sound of the rain (especially at night), snuggles with Q

What I’m planning: The birthday party of course! We have two weeks to get everything ready.

Looking around the house: I did a big clean of my craft area yesterday. Lots of bits sorted, put away, thrown away, or bagged for donation. I want to organize my PL supplies and my desk is still a mess, but at least the cubbies and the floor are cleaned up.

Looking forward to: The elementary school carnival is this Friday. Arthur is super excited! Here’s hoping we have a good time.

From the camera: Hanging out at Vala’s all Wednesday afternoon and evening.

The Library of Lost and Found by Phaedra Patrick

Title: The Library of Lost and Found

Author: Phaedra Patrick

Publisher: Park Row 2019

Genre: Fiction

Pages: 352

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: 

Librarian Martha Storm has always found it easier to connect with books than people—though not for lack of trying. She keeps careful lists of how to help others in her superhero-themed notebook. And yet, sometimes it feels like she’s invisible.

All of that changes when a book of fairy tales arrives on her doorstep. Inside, Martha finds a dedication written to her by her best friend—her grandmother Zelda—who died under mysterious circumstances years earlier. When Martha discovers a clue within the book that her grandmother may still be alive, she becomes determined to discover the truth. As she delves deeper into Zelda’s past, she unwittingly reveals a family secret that will change her life forever.

This was a random pick from the New Releases shelf at the library. I can’t resist a book cover featuring books and a tea cup. it was too cute to pass up. I dove into the story and loved following Martha along her journey. We encounter such great characters and situations. I loved Siegfried the best of all the town’s inhabitants. Throughout the story we get such great connections to the past. The chapters from Betty’s point of view were difficult to read, but I understand so much more about Martha once learning about her and Betty’s past. Thankfully this story had a happy ending. It left me with all the warm feelings.

Next up on the TBR pile:

They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera

Title: They Both Die at the End

Author: Adam Silvera

Publisher: HarperTeen 2017

Genre: YA Fiction

Pages: 384

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Popsugar - Set in a single day

On September 5, a little after midnight, Death-Cast calls Mateo Torrez and Rufus Emeterio to give them some bad news: They’re going to die today.

Mateo and Rufus are total strangers, but, for different reasons, they’re both looking to make a new friend on their End Day. The good news: There’s an app for that. It’s called the Last Friend, and through it, Rufus and Mateo are about to meet up for one last great adventure—to live a lifetime in a single day.

This one was quite the disappointment for me. I had heard great things, but many of the characters really fell flat. The insta-love was problematic. And the story dragged in many places. I just didn’t connect with the emotional weight of the story or really any of the characters. I’m sure many other people would love this book. I am not one of them.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Odds and Ends

Here's my randomness for the week:

• Four hours at the pumpkin patch may be my limit, but it was fun while it lasted.

• It’s Quentin’s 3rd birthday… I think I might need to make a small cake for tonight’s dessert.

• Renewed interest in hosting a crop day. I’m thinking late October.

• Looking forward to all the spooky reads for next month. I jumped the gun a bit by reading Wilder Girls by Rory Power this past week.

• Cooler temps this week have been amazing. I get to sleep with a comforter again!

Next up on the TBR pile:

Mr. Cavendish, I Presume by Julia Quinn

Title: Mr. Cavendish, I Presume (Two Dukes of Wyndham #2)

Author: Julia Quinn

Publisher: Avon 2008

Genre: Romance

Pages: 370

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: UnRead Shelf

Amelia Willoughby has been engaged to the Duke of Wyndham for as long as she can remember. Literally. A mere six months old when the contracts were signed, she has spent the rest of her life waiting. And waiting. And waiting . . . for Thomas Cavendish, the oh-so-lofty duke, to finally get around to marrying her. But as she watches him from afar, she has a sneaking suspicion that he never thinks about her at all . . .

It's true. He doesn't. Thomas rather likes having a fiancée—all the better to keep the husband-hunters at bay—and he does intend to marry her . . . eventually. But just when he begins to realize that his bride might be something more than convenient, Thomas's world is rocked by the arrival of his long-lost cousin, who may or may not be the true Duke of Wyndham. And if Thomas is not the duke, then he's not engaged to Amelia. Which is the cruelest joke of all, because this arrogant and illustrious duke has made the mistake of falling in love . . . with his own fiancée!

The companion novel to The Lost Duke of Wyndham and it was a good one, even with some repetition. We get the first book, but told from Thomas and Amelia’s points of view. I didn’t love these two quite as much as Jack and Grace. However, I did come to love Amelia as a great foil for Thomas and even for the Dowager. A nice Regency romance for my weekend reading.

Two Dukes of Wyndham

• #1 The Lost Duke of Wyndham

• #2 Mr. Cavendish, I Presume

Next up on the TBR pile:

Wilder Girls by Rory Power

Title: Wilder Girls

Author: Rory Power

Publisher: Delacorte Press 2019

Genre: YA Fantasy

Pages: 357

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: 

It's been eighteen months since the Raxter School for Girls was put under quarantine. Since the Tox hit and pulled Hetty's life out from under her.

It started slow. First the teachers died one by one. Then it began to infect the students, turning their bodies strange and foreign. Now, cut off from the rest of the world and left to fend for themselves on their island home, the girls don't dare wander outside the school's fence, where the Tox has made the woods wild and dangerous. They wait for the cure they were promised as the Tox seeps into everything.

But when Byatt goes missing, Hetty will do anything to find her, even if it means breaking quarantine and braving the horrors that lie beyond the fence. And when she does, Hetty learns that there's more to their story, to their life at Raxter, than she could have ever thought true.

This book was downright terrifying. The reader is thrown directly into living in quarantine suffering from the Tox. I loved attempting to figure out what exactly the Tox is and how it is affecting the Raxter girls. As the story unfolds, my unease grew my leaps and bounds. By the end, I was on the edge of my seat completely terrified. This may be shelved as young adult, but it definitely has adult scares. Definitely loved this one!

Next up on the TBR pile:

Fall Bucket List

Ahhh fall! My favorite season of the year. I really missed it when we lived in California! Now I get to enjoy all the fall fun!

1. Visit two pumpkin patches

2. Carve pumpkins

3. Read 10 spooky books (not kids)

4. Read 20 spooky kids books

5. Make 5 pumpkin recipes

6. Go on a hayride (or a hayrack ride as they call it here)

7. Take pictures of boys in a pile of leaves

8. Find a new Halloween activity

9. Create a fall signature cocktail

10. Bake a pie

11. Watch 20 Fall/spooky movies

12. Navigate a corn maze

13. Buy Halloween pajamas

14. Buy a new nail color for fall

15. Make a leaf craft

16. Buy a new pair of boots

17. Buy and complete a new puzzle

18. Decorate the front porch

19. Make a scarecrow

20. Go trick-or-treating

21. Fill 25 more reading challenge slots

22. Find a Halloween door hanger

23. Dye my hair something suitably fall

24. Watch It’s the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown

25. Eat at 3 new-to-me restaurants

Next up on the TBR pile:

Music Monday - Sleater-Kinney "Can I Go On"

OMG!!! I am way too excited about this new album!

Summer Bucket List Finish Line

And with that, summer has come to an end. I didn’t cross off all my items (do I ever?), but I think a 50% completion rate is very good for this season and all the busy-ness. 13/25 completed

1. Read 50 books ✓

2. Have an appetizer night ✓

3. Tie Dye Shirts

4. Weekend trip to the Cosmosphere

5. 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.

6. Go on 5 picnics 5/5 ✓

   • One at the splash pad before school started

   • One at another splash pad

   • One at Chalco Hills Regional park

   • One at a neighborhood park

   • One at another fun park

7. Visit an outdoor cinema

8. Make s’mores

9. Go to 3 movies 3/3 ✓

   • 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!

   • Downtown Abbey - I got to see this during a special preview. Oh so good!

10. Make sangria

11. Find and complete a new puzzle ✓

12. Visit 2 other library branches

    • Swanson Branch - For book sale and library browsing

13. Complete the summer reading program ✓

14. Visit Mahoney State Park

15. Check out Pirate Putt and Medieval Putt ✓

16. 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.

17. Try a new food truck ✓

18. Go on a brewery tour/tasting

19. Run through the sprinklers/splash pad ✓

20. Ride a Ferris Wheel

21. Go to a concert (indoor or outdoor)

22. Go tanking

23. 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.

24. Visit Hollywood Candy in Old Market ✓

25. Complete a series ✓

Next up on the TBR pile:

East of West Volume 9

Title: East of West Volume 9

Author: Jonathan Hickman, Nick Dragotta

Publisher: Image 2019

Genre: Graphic Novel

Pages: 136

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Graphic Novel

The penultimate trade collecting the fan-favorite story of love at the end of the world.  Collects EAST OF WEST #39-42

Oooofff that was one intense trade. We’re coming so close to the end, I can taste it. I loved how we got to see the previous showdown between the Four Horseman kicking off this apocalypse cycle. Plus we get some intriguing movement with many of the main characters. Not sure that I will be able to wait until this fall sometime for the end.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Bad Blood by John Carreyrou

Title: Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup

Author: John Carreyrou

Publisher: Knopf 2018

Genre: Nonfiction - Business

Pages: 339

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: 

In 2014, Theranos founder and CEO Elizabeth Holmes was widely seen as the female Steve Jobs: a brilliant Stanford dropout whose startup “unicorn” promised to revolutionize the medical industry with a machine that would make blood testing significantly faster and easier. Backed by investors such as Larry Ellison and Tim Draper, Theranos sold shares in a fundraising round that valued the company at more than $9 billion, putting Holmes’s worth at an estimated $4.7 billion. There was just one problem: The technology didn’t work.

A riveting story of the biggest corporate fraud since Enron, a tale of ambition and hubris set amid the bold promises of Silicon Valley.

Been on my list for awhile now. Once I dove in, I was completely hooked by the story. The twists and turns, the extraordinary hubris of some people, and the ultimate downfall of a company really struck me. It was a bit strange to be reading a story that featured so many places I have actually been to. Definitely weird. But then, my knowledge of the area wasn’t enough to really clue me into the entire story. Carreyrou’s reporting dives deep into the various employees and intricacies of business decisions. Now I feel like I should dig up the podcast to listen to after reading the book.

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Lost Duke of Wyndham by Julia Quinn

Title: The Lost Duke of Wyndham (Two Dukes of Wyndham #1)

Author: Julia Quinn

Publisher: Avon 2008

Genre: Fiction

Pages: 371

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: UnRead Shelf

Jack Audley has been a highwayman.

A soldier. And he has always been a rogue. What he is not, and never wanted to be, is a peer of the realm, responsible for an ancient heritage and the livelihood of hundreds. But when he is recognized as the long-lost son of the House of Wyndham, his carefree life is over. And if his birth proves to be legitimate, then he will find himself with the one title he never wanted: Duke of Wyndham.

Grace Eversleigh has spent the last five years toiling as the companion to the dowager Duchess of Wyndham. It is a thankless job, with very little break from the routine . . . until Jack Audley lands in her life, all rakish smiles and debonair charm. He is not a man who takes no for an answer, and when she is in his arms, she's not a woman who wants to say no. But if he is the true duke, then he is the one man she can never have . . .

After some heavy books lately, I had to fall back to one of my comfort genres: Regency Romance. I’ve had this first book of a duology sitting on my shelves since Borders closed years ago. I finally dove in and read it in less than 48 hours! Such a comfort read! I immediately fell for Grace and her highwayman suitor Jack. A great meet-greet. And then we get the big question of whether Jack is the lost Duke of Wyndham… From there the story gallops along until its conclusion. I was here for every single page. The ending was just a great feel-good conclusion with a lovely happily-ever-after. I can’t wait to pick up the companion novel. Thank goodness it’s sitting on my nightstand.

Two Dukes of Wyndham

• #1 The Lost Dyke of Wyndham

• #2 Mr. Cavendish, I Presume

Next up on the TBR pile:

Leaves are Falling Videos

Call me intrigued…

My favorite show from my early teen years and the reboot looks utterly terrifying!

Interesting list of music facts

I seriously cannot wait!

This looks cute…

Hope this is as funny as it looks in the trailer…

Always love these lists

Yes to all of these!

Dumb, but I’ll watch it

In total agreement here.

The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai

Title: The Great Believers

Author: Rebecca Makkai

Publisher: Viking 2018

Genre: Fiction

Pages: 421

Rating: DNF

Reading Challenges: 

If you knew the date of your death, how would you live your life?

It's 1969 in New York City's Lower East Side, and word has spread of the arrival of a mystical woman, a traveling psychic who claims to be able to tell anyone the day they will die. The Gold children—four adolescents on the cusp of self-awareness—sneak out to hear their fortunes.

The prophecies inform their next five decades. Golden-boy Simon escapes to the West Coast, searching for love in '80s San Francisco; dreamy Klara becomes a Las Vegas magician, obsessed with blurring reality and fantasy; eldest son Daniel seeks security as an army doctor post-9/11; and bookish Varya throws herself into longevity research, where she tests the boundary between science and immortality.

This is the September book club selection for the Girly Book Club. I gave it almost 100 pages and just couldn’t continue. I was intrigued by the storyline of the AIDS crisis in Chicago, but greatly disliked the modern storyline. Also, I could not connect to any of the characters. So many of them felt so flat to me. Nope.

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Hot Zone by Richard Preston

Title: The Hot Zone: The Terrifying True Story of the Origins of the Ebola Virus

Author: Richard Preston

Publisher: Anchor 1994

Genre: Nonfiction - Science

Pages: 323

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Monthly Keyword - August; Nonfiction - Pre2000

A highly infectious, deadly virus from the central African rain forest suddenly appears in the suburbs of Washington, D.C. There is no cure. In a few days 90 percent of its victims are dead. A secret military SWAT team of soldiers and scientists is mobilized to stop the outbreak of this exotic "hot" virus. The Hot Zone tells this dramatic story, giving a hair-raising account of the appearance of rare and lethal viruses and their "crashes" into the human race. Shocking, frightening, and impossible to ignore, The Hot Zone proves that truth really is scarier than fiction.

How have I never actually read this one? I love reading about infectious diseases. I am fascinated by ebola. But this book has sat on my TBR list for decades… I finally got around to it and loved every page of it. The story of Ebola’s almost outbreak in Virginia is terrifying even more because it’s all true. The book is written in a fictional narrative style throughout most of the chapters, but we really get a sense of time and place with all parties involved. I really enjoyed the chapters that set up our knowledge of ebola at the end of the 1980s. At times, I think the writing got a little too detailed with things like what the participants wore or ate, but overall I was on the hook the entire time.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Music Monday - A Day to Remember "Degenerates"

Loving this new song from a band I’ve enjoyed in the past.

Life Right Now #26

On my bedside table: The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai; The Lost Duke of Wyndham by Julia Quinn

On my TV: I watched a few episodes of Riverdale S2 and Big Little Lies S2 while J was at a few events. We have continued with Game of Thrones S6.

Listening to: My usual podcasts. Nothing too exciting this week.

On the menu:

• Monday - Fettuccine Alfredo with Chicken, Bacon, and Broccoli

• Tuesday - Philly Cheesesteak Grilled Cheese

• Wednesday - Leftovers

• Thursday - Teriyaki Noodles

• Friday - Chicken Pad Thai Nachoes

• Saturday - Pizza Night

• Sunday - Vegetable Beef Soup and Rosemary Bread

On my to do list: I’ve got to write a few emails and return a few messages. I also need to do another perusal of my big to-do list. We’ll see how it goes…

Happening this week:

• Monday - RnR Construction; Visit to Backyard Playworld

• Tuesday - Tinkergarten

• Wednesday - Parents Morning Out at RnR; Playdate at Echo Hills Park; Book Club

• Thursday - Vala’s?

• Friday - Bob’s Construction Night at OCM

• Saturday - National Museum Day at Morrill Hall

• Sunday - Nothing

What I am creating: Working on some birthday party crafts ahead of the party and finishing my August Memory Planner pages.

My simple pleasures: Enjoying a cool sprinkle every few days. Loving the quiet time I find here and there. Watching a great smart movie.

What I’m planning: Adding some fall themed activities and outings for the rest of September and October. Also finalizing the birthday party crafts, decor, and activities.

Looking around the house: I should do a bit of cleaning before the babysitter arrives.

Looking forward to: Hamilton!!!!! We finally get to see it live tonight.

From the camera: Ice cream stop on Saturday

The Summer Wives by Beatriz Williams

Title: The Summer Wives

Author: Beatriz Williams

Publisher: William Morrow 2018

Genre: Fiction

Pages: 400

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: UnRead Shelf

In the summer of 1951, Miranda Schuyler arrives on elite, secretive Winthrop Island as a schoolgirl from the margins of high society, still reeling from the loss of her father in the Second World War. When her beautiful mother marries Hugh Fisher, whose summer house on Winthrop overlooks the famous lighthouse, Miranda’s catapulted into a heady new world of pedigrees and cocktails, status and swimming pools. Isobel Fisher, Miranda’s new stepsister—all long legs and world-weary bravado, engaged to a wealthy Island scion—is eager to draw Miranda into the arcane customs of Winthrop society.

But beneath the island’s patrician surface, there are really two clans: the summer families with their steadfast ways and quiet obsessions, and the working class of Portuguese fishermen and domestic workers who earn their living on the water and in the laundries of the summer houses. Uneasy among Isobel’s privileged friends, Miranda finds herself drawn to Joseph Vargas, whose father keeps the lighthouse with his mysterious wife. In summer, Joseph helps his father in the lobster boats, but in the autumn he returns to Brown University, where he’s determined to make something of himself. Since childhood, Joseph’s enjoyed an intense, complex friendship with Isobel Fisher, and as the summer winds to its end, Miranda’s caught in a catastrophe that will shatter Winthrop’s hard-won tranquility and banish Miranda from the island for nearly two decades.

Now, in the landmark summer of 1969, Miranda returns at last, as a renowned Shakespearean actress hiding a terrible heartbreak. On its surface, the Island remains the same—determined to keep the outside world from its shores, fiercely loyal to those who belong. But the formerly powerful Fisher family is a shadow of itself, and Joseph Vargas has recently escaped the prison where he was incarcerated for the murder of Miranda’s stepfather eighteen years earlier. What’s more, Miranda herself is no longer a naïve teenager, and she begins a fierce, inexorable quest for justice for the man she once loved . . . even if it means uncovering every last one of the secrets that bind together the families of Winthrop Island.

Our book club selection for September. I enjoy a good historical mystery and this one was a page-turner. Miranda is a great character to follow through the years. I was rooting for her to find peace and happiness through the years. I was fascinated by Isobel and wished we got to see a bit more from her. But the mystery of death of Hugh Sr. and Joseph’s confession kept me moving through the story. A very intriguing read for this week.

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Immortalists by Chloe Benjamin

Title: The Immoralists

Author: Chloe Benjamin

Publisher: Putnam 2018

Genre: Fiction

Pages: 346

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: 

If you knew the date of your death, how would you live your life?

It's 1969 in New York City's Lower East Side, and word has spread of the arrival of a mystical woman, a traveling psychic who claims to be able to tell anyone the day they will die. The Gold children—four adolescents on the cusp of self-awareness—sneak out to hear their fortunes.

The prophecies inform their next five decades. Golden-boy Simon escapes to the West Coast, searching for love in '80s San Francisco; dreamy Klara becomes a Las Vegas magician, obsessed with blurring reality and fantasy; eldest son Daniel seeks security as an army doctor post-9/11; and bookish Varya throws herself into longevity research, where she tests the boundary between science and immortality.

Full disclosure: I almost gave up on this book. I read the first section, Simon’s story, and almost couldn’t continue. It was so devastating and emotional that I expressed interest in wanting a break and possibly turning to a lighter read. Instead, I sat down the next day and sped through Klara’s story and into Daniel’s. I ended up finishing the book and really enjoying it. I just have to say that this one is very emotional. Klara’s story was my favorite. I feel for her drive for something different and free -spirit ways. Daniel’s story ended up being my least favorite; I just didn’t connect to him as a character. In the end, this is a wonderful character study of a family.

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