Monday Musings

My week: It was kind of a dull, blah, grumpy week here, where a bunch of little things started piling up and up and up and eventually it just seemed like the world was out to make my life miserable. To enhance the black cloud over my little corner of the planet, I just so happened to be reading the most depressing book ever, "A Little Life" by Hanya Yanagihara.

I know from last time we were stationed in Hawaii that it can be very hard for a military spouse to find work here, but I think I really need to buckle down on the job search -- I'm starting to go a bit stir crazy (and, obviously, get a bit grouchy) spending so much time at home with only the cat for company!

Reading: I finished two books last week and started a third. Talk about a book hangover: I finished the 720-page saga "A Little Life" on Thursday and I'm still digesting it. I loved it, I hated it, I was horrified and disgusted, my heart was both warmed and ripped the hell out. I actually watched an hour-long interview with the author in an attempt to better understand her purpose in writing such an emotionally slaughtering book -- and to divine my feelings about it. So far I'm undecided on a rating and don't even know where to start on a review.

Then, since I needed a pick-me-up after the ridiculous heaviness of "A Little Life," I read "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child." As I wrote on Instagram: I read "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child" on Friday evening, and overall I was a bit disappointed. I didn't love the script format (I missed all those descriptive details that come with a real novel, and it was SO short), and I thought the plot was flimsy. And there was one part in particular that made me say, "WHAT?!? That would never happen!" I also didn't appreciate the portrayal of poor Ron as a dopey idiot. Still, though, it was a fun little read and I did love Scorpius. I'm sure "The Cursed Child" would be MUCH better in it's intended format -- a play, not "the eighth book."

And now I'm reading a highly rated crime thriller by John Hart called "Redemption Road," which is set in North Carolina. I'm definitely intrigued, though I'm only just learning the various storylines. I saw it described as a gritty Southern mystery somewhere, and I'm feeling like that's accurate so far. (P.S. The cover is so pretty in real life! The paper feels like a paint canvas and the artwork has a watercolor look to it.)

Knitting: Nothing last week, but I'm about to cast on for a new cardigan, the Earnest pattern by Joji Locatelli. This week is the start of her Fall Knit-Along and I'm excited to participate!

Working on: The blog! I finally started the loooong-overdue process of adding my recent-ish reviews to the book reviews page on the blog (I hadn't done it in over a year; I don't know how I got so behind!). I also finally made a Facebook page for my blog. If you'd like to follow Lindsay's Library on Facebook, you can find the page here!

Watching: We've mostly been watching the Olympics, but on Saturday night we put in a DVD of "Trumbo." It stars Bryan Cranston as a well-known Hollywood script writer and communist who's been blacklisted during the McCarthy-era witch hunts, sent to prison and then unable to find a job. The way he copes, and the way he helps affect change, are amazing. The acting (from Cranston, Diane Lane, Helen Mirren, Elle Fanning and more) was wonderful, and I was pleasantly surprised at how well the (true!) story kept my interest.

Listening to: "Closer" by The Chainsmokers and Halsey. (I do admit that part of the reason I love this song is the mention of Boulder. I'm obsessed with anything related to my home state of Colorado -- even though Boulder is the home of my alma mater's arch-nemesis.)

Eating: We tried two new recipes this week, both from a food blog I recently discovered called Carlsbad Cravings. I'll make a few slight modifications next time, but both the Smothered Baked Chicken Burritos and the Chicken in Coconut Mango Verde Sauce were keepers!

Buying: We've gradually been making our new backyard and patio more hospitable (at least we now have grass) and a couple weekends ago Jarrod built the structure for a raised flower bed. Saturday we picked up a truckload of top soil from a small local landscaping company tucked away on the far west side of the island. It was a typical wacky Hawaii experience: it was the epitome of a laid-back operation, and the owner seemed both delighted and annoyed by our desire to purchase his dirt. He also basically insisted we pay with cash instead of card so he could have some beer money. Yesterday we picked some veggies to plant in our new garden (peppers, tomatoes, eggplant, zucchini, okra), so now we'll cross our fingers and hope it flourishes after all our (well, mostly Jarrod's) hard work!

Looking forward to: This week my mom bought plane tickets for a visit to Hawaii in October! I'm hoping to take her to Kauai, our favorite island, this time.

I'm linking up with Kathryn of Book Date for It's Monday! What Are You Reading?