I'm happy to say that August was a vast improvement on the rest of the summer! We had some misadventures with attempting to leave Alohi our of her crate when we're gone as well as a walk-in vet visit, but overall it was a pretty decent, fairly quiet month. Jarrod and I took a couple days off work and spent them hiking (the puppy's first hike), trying a waterside tiki restaurant we'd been meaning to get to, and snorkeling.
We didn't watch many stand-out movies this month, though I did really love the hidden gem The Sapphires. TV-wise Jarrod and I have been watching the latest seasons of Game of Thrones and Homeland. I watched the first couple episodes of Outlander season 2, after finishing the book at the beginning of the month.
Books read: 11
Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon (Outlander #2) // 4 stars
First Grave on the Right by Darynda Jones (Charley Davidson #1) // 3.5 stars
The Lemonade War by Jacqueline Davies (for kids' book club) // 3 stars
This Savage Song by Victoria Schwab (Monsters of Verity #1) // 3 stars
This Is How It Always Is by Laurie Frankel // 4.5 stars
All the Ugly and Wonderful Things by Bryn Greenwood // 4.5 stars
O Jerusalem by Laurie R. King (Mary Russell/Sherlock Holmes #5) // 2 stars
Silent in the Sanctuary by Deanna Raybourn (Lady Julia Grey #2) // 4 stars
Dangerous Minds by Janet Evanovich (Knight & Moon #2) // 3 stars
Throne of Jade by Naomi Novik (Temeraire #2) // 3.5 stars
The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry // 4 stars
Currently reading: One Summer: America, 1927 by Bill Bryson. I'm reading it slowly in 25-page chunks, but I'm thoroughly enjoying this look back at a fascinating few months in America's history!
Favorite book: This Is How It Always Is by Laurie Frankel. Interesting and timely story, impossible-to-resist characters, and good writing.
Biggest let-down: O Jerusalem by Laurie R. King. The Mary Russell/Sherlock Holmes series has been hit-or-miss for me, and unfortunately this installment was incredibly tough to get through. It was so bogged down in unnecessary details and historical info that there was barely a mystery to speak of, and I finally gave up and skimmed the last third.
September release I'm most looking forward to: Dan Brown's new Robert Langdon book, Origin.
Book I'm most excited to read in September: Himself by Jess Kidd! This Irish mystery came out last year and I've been waiting and hoping and wishing for the library to get it -- and it finally came in! I have it on hold ready to pick up.
Books added to to-read list: 11
Most intriguing TBR addition: Red Clocks by Leni Zumas, which comes out in January. From Goodreads: Five women. One question. What is a woman for?
In this ferociously imaginative novel, abortion is once again illegal in America, in-vitro fertilization is banned, and the Personhood Amendment grants rights of life, liberty, and property to every embryo. In a small Oregon fishing town, five very different women navigate these new barriers alongside age-old questions surrounding motherhood, identity, and freedom.
Favorite bookstagram: Find me on Instagram @knittinglindsay!
I took this picture on an evening just as cozy as you might think. After work I had to go grocery shopping in the pouring rain, and after a somewhat rough day I decided to treat myself to a grocery store cinnamon roll. I came home, put on comfy yoga pants and my favorite t-shirt, made coffee, heated up my cinnamon roll, lit a candle and sat down with "The Essex Serpent." And all the while it was gushing down rain outside, a treat both because it's been really dry here lately and because there were a few claps of thunder and flashes of lightning -- something we almost never get in Hawaii!
Favorite book: This Is How It Always Is by Laurie Frankel. Interesting and timely story, impossible-to-resist characters, and good writing.
Biggest let-down: O Jerusalem by Laurie R. King. The Mary Russell/Sherlock Holmes series has been hit-or-miss for me, and unfortunately this installment was incredibly tough to get through. It was so bogged down in unnecessary details and historical info that there was barely a mystery to speak of, and I finally gave up and skimmed the last third.
September release I'm most looking forward to: Dan Brown's new Robert Langdon book, Origin.
Book I'm most excited to read in September: Himself by Jess Kidd! This Irish mystery came out last year and I've been waiting and hoping and wishing for the library to get it -- and it finally came in! I have it on hold ready to pick up.
Books added to to-read list: 11
Most intriguing TBR addition: Red Clocks by Leni Zumas, which comes out in January. From Goodreads: Five women. One question. What is a woman for?
In this ferociously imaginative novel, abortion is once again illegal in America, in-vitro fertilization is banned, and the Personhood Amendment grants rights of life, liberty, and property to every embryo. In a small Oregon fishing town, five very different women navigate these new barriers alongside age-old questions surrounding motherhood, identity, and freedom.Favorite bookstagram: Find me on Instagram @knittinglindsay!
I took this picture on an evening just as cozy as you might think. After work I had to go grocery shopping in the pouring rain, and after a somewhat rough day I decided to treat myself to a grocery store cinnamon roll. I came home, put on comfy yoga pants and my favorite t-shirt, made coffee, heated up my cinnamon roll, lit a candle and sat down with "The Essex Serpent." And all the while it was gushing down rain outside, a treat both because it's been really dry here lately and because there were a few claps of thunder and flashes of lightning -- something we almost never get in Hawaii!
Favorite post: Book Title Book Tag! The tag entailed answering prompts with book titles and it was so fun to put together!
Book reviews:
First Grave on the Right by Darynda Jones
This Is How It Always Is by Laurie Frankel
All the Ugly and Wonderful Things by Bryn Greenwood
First Grave on the Right by Darynda Jones
This Is How It Always Is by Laurie Frankel
All the Ugly and Wonderful Things by Bryn Greenwood
Sounds like a good month, except for poor Alohi having to go to the vet.
ReplyDeleteI just finished Silent in the Sanctuary, too; I thought I had read it years ago, but apparently hadn't finished it then. I'm sorry O Jerusalem was a let-down. It's one of my favorites, but more for the exploration of a different culture than for the mystery itself... which is one reason I also loved Novik's Throne of Jade. One of these days I'll get around to the Outlander series and This Savage Song.
By the way, where did you make your book-cover collage?
You know, I think it might have been a case of wrong book, wrong time with both "O Jerusalem" and "Throne of Jade." I have a gazillion library books out and holds to pick up, and I'm trying to read, read, read to get through everything, and what I've been craving (needing, really!) are fast reads that are hard to put down. That's not really either of those. I will definitely continue both series, though!
DeleteI use Picasa for minor photo editing, and there's a collage function. It can be a little fiddly, but it gets the job done. Overall it's a great program and it's free from Google!
I didn't realize Dan Brown had a new book coming out! I mean, I figured he would eventually, but it was a nice surprise to see you say it'll be out so soon!
ReplyDelete