Monday Musings

Gorgeous double rainbow on Friday afternoon. I chose the right time to walk up and get the mail!

My week: My mom flew back to Colorado on Monday night. I miss her already, but I'm so glad she was able to come visit. And we had a great time on Kauai! This weekend we went to the pick-your-own-pumpkin patch and relaxed at home.

Reading: In my last Monday Musings post I said I was planning to start Kate Morton's "The Forgotten Garden" after I finished up "Rebecca," but then it occurred to me that I better start on the library books I know I won't be able to renew.

First I read "A Gentleman in Moscow" by Amor Towles, an author I had never even heard of until the hype for this, his second novel, started up. But he definitely has the potential to become a favorite -- I absolutely loved this delightful novel about a count who gets sentenced to live out his days in the Hotel Metropol in Moscow after being convicted of being an unrepentant aristocrat during the Bolshevik Revolution. The writing was gorgeous, the main character was utterly charming, and the story was delightful!

Then I started another newish historical fiction novel, "The Last Days of Night" by Graham Moore (screenwriter of "The Imitation Game"), which is about the rivalry between Edison and Westinghouse, the battle between A/C and D/C current, and the dispute over the creation of the light bulb. I'm not very far in yet, but I have noticed the writing is just slightly less stellar than I imagined (though still perfectly adequate), which is extra apparent after just finishing the amazingly written "A Gentleman in Moscow." I'm still enjoying it, though! The subject matter and time period are certainly interesting.

Knitting: I didn't knit a single stitch this week, but I did splurge and buy the pattern and yarn kit for the "Gilmore Girls" mystery knit-along. It's a cowl (design unknown -- that's the mystery) to be worked on while watching "Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life." I can hardly believe I spent that much money on yarn for a cowl (which I won't even get to wear for the next three years) but I just could not resist those colors, especially the aspen bark one. I'm so excited!

Watching: We went to see Ben Affleck's new movie, "The Accountant," about an accountant/assassin whose autism enhances his particular skill set but makes it nearly impossible for him to form relationships. The movie was pretty good, and I liked the twist given to the typical action/guns/revenge plot by the main character's autism and the (hard to watch, at times) flashbacks to his difficult upbringing.

We also started watching the British crime drama "Broadchurch." It's a modern-day detective story set in the quiet seaside community of Broadchurch in Dorset, centered on the suspicious death of an 11-year-old boy. The investigation uncovers many dark secrets in the small community. We watched the first three episodes and I'm definitely intrigued!

Eating: I made from-scratch chicken noodle soup for the first time ever! I used this recipe from Tyler Florence (with a few tweaks) and was proud of myself for making my own stock. (Though I didn't have a turnip like the recipe calls for -- I accidentally bought a beet! Luckily I realized that before I put it in the pot.)

Blogging:

Monday Musings

16 Pet Names Inspired by Novels

2015 Travel Recap: Niagara Falls
I Judge Books By Their Covers: The Last Days of Night

Looking forward to: My birthday is this week! I've spent my last two birthdays in the Smoky Mountains surrounded by stunning fall foliage, so this year's is a little anticlimactic, but I'm thinking I might go get my free birthday drink from Starbucks and have a mini Harry Potter marathon.

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