It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? is hosted by Kathryn at Book Date
Hello everyone! Last week was pretty nondescript around here – it was just busy with a lot of just life things which were not super exciting. I barely even got a chance to read.
I did read one book!
It was cute, but not…I am not sure. It was cute. I love the concept of a baby dragon cafe in a cozy fantasy, but it was not the best written book I have read in this genre. Perhaps the author is still finding her voice. I am willing to give this series another chance with the second book, which comes out I think next week, although I probably won’t be reading it for a while, since I will be moving on to my fall TBR!
This week:
My goal is to finish these two books this next week or so, to finish up my summer reading.
What have we been watching? Hmm. Not much. Billy worked a lot this past week because of some big project they had to finish, and I hate watching shows without him honestly. So I watched a lot of YouTube at night. I should do a big round up of YouTubers I like soon, maybe. I am actually getting closer to the idea of starting my own, but I am having a hard time deciding on what all I want to do with it, and I don’t think I have the right equipment. That is something I am going to explore this fall.
And that is it from me today. Not the most exciting update! I hope that whatever you do today you do something that makes you smile!
Ok I am diving in to fall content because I can’t wait. It is still hot and gross and sticky here, so this is a bit of daydreaming on my part. Can’t I just set the AC super low and cover up with a blanket and have some tea and read some scary stories?
Let’s start with these short little classics of horror and mystery, to just give us a little taste of the season to come. A little autumn amuse-bouche if you will, while we wait for the real thing.
The Willows by Algernon Blackwood: Written in 1907, The Willows is described as early modern horror, and precursor to the weird fiction movement, which is something I am reading a bit of these days. This cover is absolutely chilling to me!
The Ghost Stories of M.R. James: My cousin, who I have shared books with since we were children, has told me over and over for years to read M.R. James. Maybe this is the year! And hmm, I wonder if he has this copy for his study; if not I am thinking this would be a perfect gift for Christmas.
The Haunted Hotel by Wilkie Collins: This short story (novella?) is on my list to read this year. And this edition and cover looks gorgeous and spooky!
Autumn Chills by Agatha Christie: We need to have the Queen of Mystery on this list! I think short stories are a great way to get to know an author before diving into a whole novel, and this collection of autumnal stories is a good place to begin!
Carmilla by J. Sheridan La Fanu: This book was so groundbreaking for its time. It pre-dates Dracula by twenty-six years, and the vampire is a woman. It is sometimes referred to as sapphic, but I hesitate to call it that based on a few things. However, it was a scandalous book in its day, and I feel like the focus on women and sexuality and power is one of the reasons why Dracula is more well known.
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley: Hands down, one of my favorites on this list. I read this in college and fell in love with this whole story. And speaking of feminism, Mary Shelley’s mom, Mary Wollstonecraft, was a pioneering feminist in literature and writing. Just throwing that out there.
The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde: So I haven’t actually read this one. I know the story, roughly, but I should probably read it one day. I knew I had to include it on this list though!
The Turn of the Screw by Henry James: A spooky one alright. Is it a ghost story? Or something else? It is open to the reader’s interpretation. It’s been a very long time since I read this so I don’t remember too much about it. Maybe it is time for a reread.
And there we go. A little bit of fall near the end of summer, on this rainy (here at least) day.
It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? is hosted by Kathryn at Book Date
Hello everyone!! I seem to be in like a fall deep clean kind of mood lately. I have been reorganizing and straightening and getting rid of stuff like crazy around here. Maybe I am nesting, preparing for fall and winter like all the little animals outside are doing. All I know is that our art cabinet is extremely organized right now, and that somehow in my cleaning frenzy I lost one of my sandals. I can only guess that I accidentally threw it out, which makes me sad because I loved it. Lol. However, all of this has had a side effect – now I want Billy to paint our whatever room. A few years ago, we flip-flopped the rooms in our house. It’s a very small house, and we had a room we barely used, the dining room. I realized that we could have more space if we moved our couches and television into the dining room, which we now call the den, and moved all of our other stuff into the living room. So the old living room area now has our dining room table, art stuff, animals, and just leisure activity paraphernalia. But we never know what to call that space! Anyway I am so sick of that paint color and if Billy isn’t able to paint it, then I am going to. I am not a great painter but I just can’t deal with the darkness in that room anymore. Lol.
Phew! Moving on.
Read Last Week:
Last week I read Monk and Robot books 1 and 2. I was gifted this collection edition of both books from an internet friend and I loved reading them back to back. These are just such wonderful stories and I have my husband listening to them as well.
I also read Pat of Silver Bush, which now that I think of it, was another gift! I was blessed with some book mail this summer! Pat is a mixed bag for me. I loved so much of the book, but then, I didn’t like some of the other parts. Review I hope this week, but if you want a sneak peek of it, check out my Instagram. I almost always review there first. I feel like it is a good place to sort of form my thoughts. I don’t know why it makes a difference but it does for some reason. Maybe because I feel like I need to be more succinct, which inspires me to really think about what I am saying instead of just rambling like I am right this minute. Actually this whole post is sort of a ramble!
I tried reading a romance, Out of the Woods, but there was a heavy topic in there that I was not feeling up to so I put it aside.
Last week Billy and I watched Nautilus. It is not the greatest, in terms of production, but it somehow makes it feel more camp. Like we are watching a sci-fi show from the 50s or 60s, sort of over the top and silly, but despite that, we really like it. Or maybe that is why we like it! I feel like mid-season it really started to gel a bit more and get a bit better, and I love the set of the interiors. It just looks so cool, like old school nautical mixed with Victorian era . I also really like how this series does not shy away from the horrors of colonialism, and denounces it, with many characters in the show being survivors of what they call “the Company”. It makes for a very diverse cast and shines a light on some of these historical events that perhaps today’s students don’t know about. I also really like the main female character, Humility, and her enthusiasm and talent for engineering and science. It had a lot going on at first, but it all started to settle in together nicely. We have one episode left that we are going to try to watch tonight, but we also are watching K-Pop Demon Hunters today, so it might be tomorrow instead.
And that is it from me today my friends! I hope that whatever you do today, you do something that makes you smile!
It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? is hosted by Kathryn at Book Date
Hello everyone! It was a pretty good week around here. I have been catching up on a lot of projects and work that I haven’t had time for, and it feels good to get those things done. We also had the grand opening for Wyatt’s Little Free Library last Sunday! He was so excited and proud!
As far as reading goes, I started Pat of Silver Bush and it was slow going at first to get into it. I had a hard time with reading Judy Plum’s dialect and it was just distracting me and I would read about two pages and put the book down. I finally was able to settle down with it yesterday and now I am on a roll. I love how Pat is such a little homebody.
I will be continuing to read this, and when I finish I have this one all lined up.
This wasn’t on my August TBR but I found it while at the library and I thought the cover looked so happy I had to pick it up.
Billy and I finished up Season 3 of Dark Winds and it was amazing. That show is so well done. I already can’t wait until Season 4. We also watched Death Valley, which I really enjoyed, and we just started watching Nautilus. Nautilus is like the perfect amount of cheese and action. It reminds us both of Firefly for some reason.
And that is it from around here! I hope that whatever you do today, you do something that makes you smile!
I have two book reviews up for today, one middle grade translated fiction, the other horror/weird fiction.
Let’s start with Seacrow Island.
Seacrow Island was written by Astrid Lindgren, who is best known for her character Pippi Longstocking. Confession time: I never liked Pippi. She was too unpredictable for me and I didn’t care for that. So I never read any of Lindgren’s other books, assuming I wouldn’t like them either. And honestly, the next one I tried was last year for language arts with Wyatt, and – we didn’t like it. We tried reading Ronia, and we were so bored, so I put that one down and we read something different. However, I saw this book online and I was like, ok one more shot Astrid. And I am glad that I took the chance and read it because I loved it. It was cozy and delightful, filled with quirky characters and animals.
This is the perfect little summer read! I was transported to this small island, filled with family and friends and wonderful animals. I absolutely adore the loyal Bosun, Pelle and his love for all creatures great and small, from wasps to seals and dogs and everything else under the sun. I did have a little cry but overall this book is just perfect for reading and daydreaming. It reminded me of The Penderwicks and the dad reminded me of the father from The Winter Cottage by Carol Ryrie Brink, a little helpless and haphazard. It’s just a wonderful story of children being children and idyllic childhoods, and like I said in my post the other day, now I want to find a small island in the Baltic to summer on with my family.
Chlorine by Jade Song is a a debut book, but it’s a powerhouse. It is a short read, but not a fast one. It is intense, complex, visceral. That was the word that kept coming to me while reading it and describing it to people around me, visceral. Raw. Sort of gross and fluid filled. You forget actually, that you are reading a horror novel, and not some modern classic coming of age, although it is that too. The horror is a slow unraveling; the is a book about ascending and transcending and descending. I didn’t want to put it down while reading, and the times that I did have to come up for air, I was thinking about the book, because there is a lot to think about. I could never do it justice in a review.
Ren’s mother gifts her a mermaid book as a small toddler, still in daycare. She is a very gifted child and even though the book is far too advanced for her age, she can read it. Her pre-school teacher refuses to believe it though, and tests her on reading the book at different times during the day, trying to trip her up. Which is totally despicable to do to a child, but it sets the tone for Ren’s life. Always under pressure, always being tested, always needing to live up to different expectations. Not from her parents; her parents were not like that. They had expectations for Ren, but they were not “tiger parents”. They just wanted the best for her, but mostly stayed out of her way, especially her dad who lived in China. Her mom wanted to make Ren happy, that was obvious. She loved her daughter.
On the surface, this book is about a young girl and her obsession with swimming, with mermaids, with perfection. Once you dive deeper though, there are other themes that stand out. Pain. Isolation. The betrayal of her body, of men. And then the shocking climax to it all, and then the murky ending – Ren exerting bodily autonomy, searching for freedom.
Ren’s love of mermaids leads to a desire to join the swim team, which then turns into a journey to perfection, staying a star swimmer, pleasing her coach, who is not only mercurial in temper but also inappropriate and lecherous. He has exacting expectations for their diets, for their performance, but particularly for his top swimmers, for Ren. The pair make for a good team in terms of swimming and winning, but it is also very destructive for Ren, so much so that when she gets a concussion she goes to practice too soon, before she is healed.
I have a lot to say about this book, and just like when I read The God of the Woods, I am not comfortable typing it out because of spoilers. If you want to listen to me ramble about this, I am posting a video, but beware that I will be giving away spoilers in talking about it fully. I will probably post tomorrow, and make a new blog post with the link.
This book is amazing. It is also gross, repellent in some places, and requires many trigger warnings. In fact they are listed in the author’s note at the start of the book. They are listed as racism, misogyny, self-harm, eating disorders, homophobia, depression, and sexual violence. It was not an easy read at all, but it was a read that I absolutely ended up being glad that I read. It is not feel good. It is not cozy. It probes your brain and makes you think and is horrifying and sad. It is well written though, and I can see this becoming a book that is studied and dissected in university classrooms. It is powerful and alarming and weighty, for a book about needing to stay afloat.
It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? is hosted by Kathryn at Book Date
Hello everyone! It was a pretty good week last week, with a good doctor’s visit for Wyatt. Today I have to mega clean the house, and then later my nieces and brother and SIL are coming over to hang out. I am looking forward to seeing them!
Read Last Week:
I read Seacrow Island, which I absolutely loved, and I also read another in the Campers and Criminals series. Seacrow Island made me want to find an island in the Baltic Sea to summer on with my family. It put me in mind of The Penderwicks and also of Winter Cottage by Carol Ryrie Brink in some ways.
Reading This Week:
This week I feel like reading something a bit weird, but also wanting to finish up a few I had started earlier this summer. I will be reading Chlorine, hopefully finishing Otter Country, and then making some headway into Pat of Silver Bush.
We finished up The Great Canadian Pottery Throw Down, and watched a few episodes of Brokenwood that we have already seen. I would like to start from the very beginning again so I might have to do that on my own. Not sure I can get Billy to commit to that. We also watched The Haunted Mansion, and a movie called Finding You, which was yes, a bit cheeseball, but I absolutely loved it for how Hallmark it felt. Sometimes you just need that, and last night I definitely needed it. Plus it had Saoirse-Monica Jackson in it and I love her. It actually could have had more of her in it honestly. The setting itself was absolutely gorgeous, a small coastal town in Ireland.
Around the Interwebs:
I am planning on catching up on commenting on blogs this week! It’s my big blog goal. I am all about catching up around here. And while I do that, I am also thinking about fall and fall movie watching. And Comfy Cozy Cinema!
And I think that is it from me today! I hope that whatever you do today, you do something that makes you smile!
This week’s prompt: Books Set in/Take Place During X (Pick a place, time, era, etc. Examples: Books set in Europe/Italy/Australia/Chicago, books set in Regency England, books that take place during the 1900s, books set in imaginary worlds/post-apocalyptic/dystopian worlds, books set on the ocean, books set it castles, books that take place during WW2, etc.)
So, a few years ago I read a book that changed my reading. I picked up the book, What You Are Looking for is in the Library, and I loved it. I was hooked. I needed all the cozy fiction/translated/healing fiction. I am so happy that I read a book outside my comfort zone because now it is a favorite genre for me. These titles are a mix of books I have read and books on my TBR for this year. These are all set in Japan, but some of the others that I have read were set in Korea. It was hard to choose the setting for this post!
The Kamogowa Food Detectives made me so hungry. The descriptions of the food, the memories that accompanied these dishes, made this book such a delight to read.
What You Are Looking for is in the Library is still one of my favorites. I could revisit this one over and over again.
The Full Moon Coffee Shop was… interesting. It was not my favorite of these but it was definitely unique!
The Easy Life in Kamusari is a gentle easy read set in the mountains. I loved this little mountain village and its inhabitants.
Butter is completely different and I still haven’t read it. It sounds crazy and is based on a true story! It is “about a female gourmet cook and serial killer and the journalist intent on cracking her case”. It is on my fall TBR list.
Days at the Morisaki Bookshop was another slow, gentle read. And I learned there is a whole area of Tokyo that is known as Book Town that has hundreds of bookstores!
These four are the tops of my list for this genre right now, with The Convenience Store by the Sea as the next up. I have a hold request in for it and I am waiting – hopefully this week! After that Dinner at the Night Library sounds fantastic for fall.
And that is it from me today! I look forward to visiting your posts all week and seeing what you all chose!
I decided on doing books with a salty, watery theme for this post. I am feeling the coastal vibes and this spring and summer I have been picking up books here and there that are in that vein. This list will be both books I have read and books on my TBR.
I loved both House of Salt and Sorrows and The Wicked Deep! They were excellent and I would read them again if my TBR wasn’t so long. All the Murmuring Bones is one I have not read but looks fantastic.
I have all three of these on my hopefuls for summer but I will only get to one of these. I am not sure which one will be the winner! If you have read these, let me know your vote!
I got to ten way too fast. I have so many more!! For my last few though, I chose two that I have read, and two on my list. The Lamplighter and Tidepool are lingering on my TBR, waiting for their time to be read.
Wait for What Will Come is one of my very favorite Barbara Michaels books! It takes place in a crumbling old home on the cliffs of Cornwall, and I reread it at least once a year. Barbara Michaels is one of my comfort authors.
Malamander is a middle grade I read for the first time this year, and it was so atmospheric. I felt like I was in a Scooby Doo episode, or in Innsmuth, or somewhere equally creepy and coastal. I absolutely loved it.
And I still can’t believe how quickly this post went together. I may have to do a part two!
It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? is hosted by Kathryn at Book Date
Hello everyone! I hope you had a good week! We took it pretty easy around here last week, between the heat wave and just needing a slow down. It was nice to be summertime lazy with Wyatt.
We have been amassing books for his post-surgery recovery, and I feel like we have a good start! Wyatt is pretty into dragons now and his reading material reflects that… lol.
What I Am Reading:
This is my current slow read. I am reading it now, but I read nonfiction sooo slowly for some reason. So I am going to have to add in some fiction while I am reading it. I am really enjoying it, and learning a lot more about British books about Otters than I could have imagined, specifically Ring of Bright Water by Gavin Maxwell. I had never heard of this book or movie, but it is one of the books that Darlington read that formed her lifelong love of otters.
It also seems like the perfect time to start Pat of Silver Bush. I am looking forward to retreating into the world of L.M. Montgomery again.
Billy and I finished season 1 of Yellowjackets and are pressing pause on it until fall. We are loving it though.
We have been watching Sirens with Kevin Bacon and Julianne Moore, and it is really good! I also love seeing the shots of the interior design in this show. Everything is like a visual feast. I loooove Simone’s bedroom, and I love Peter’s study. The interior also serves to reflect the secrets of the show, the tone, the weirdness. This article explains it a bit. Anyway, the cool coastal interiors are perfect for summer tv watching.
When we finish this up, I think we are going to start the new season of Dark Winds.
Wyatt’s been watching a lot of cartoons on Apple TV+ mainly Frog and Toad and Camp Snoopy. I have to admit I like when he watches these because I enjoy them too.
Online Things Happening:
Lisa from Boondock Ramblings and I are still hosting our Drop In Crafternoons once a month. Lisa and I have been hosting crafternoons for fellow bloggers on Zoom since January, and it has been so fun. It is nice to meet the person behind the blog, hear their voices, and share more stories – all while we work on whatever craft we choose! There is no right or wrong activity, you don’t even need to craft if you don’t want to. Just hang out, that is fine too! I need to update the dates for this – hopefully I get to that today.
I am also participating in 10, 15, 20 Books of Summer which is hosted by Emma over at Words and Peace, and Annabel at Annabookbel. I am glad that one of the “rules” is that we are allowed to switch up the books from our list at anytime, because I have already done that a few times since the beginning of June. I hope to post a few reviews this week! I went with 10 books but who knows? Maybe I will hit 15!
And that is it for me today! I hope that whatever you do today, that you do something that makes you smile!
Hello everyone! I have been seeing this around the interwebs and wanted to play too!
Favorite Book of the Year So Far:
The God of the Woodsby Liz Moore
I became totally enveloped in this world and this mystery. I was sucked in, and once I was finished, I couldn’t stop thinking about it. And this was even after I knocked a star off. Review coming next week!
Biggest Disappointment:
Dead of Winter by Darcy Coates
I really don’t like to criticize books, because it is all so subjective to the reader. It just wasn’t the book for me.
Biggest Surprise:
Of Salt and Shore by Annet Schaap
There was so much emotion hidden in the pages of this middle grade. So many stories. So much love and found family and loyalty. I absolutely loved it – and cried too. So… you will see this book again on this list.
Made Me Laugh:
The Jewel of the Isle by Kerry Rea
This book cracked me up! It was just so silly and cute and the perfect happy fun romantic read. It was full of adventure and goofiness.
Made Me Cry:
Of Salt and Shore by Annet Schaap
And…repeat from above. If I hadn’t read The God of the Woods, this would be my favorite book of the year so far.
Favorite New to Me Author:
The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst
I loved The Spellshop so much that I need to go find every Durst book out there.
Favorite New To Me Character:
Emily of New Moon by L.M. Montgomery
I love Emily! I loved her sass and her moodiness and that she had a bit of a temper too. She sort of reminded me of Laura Ingalls, and as a kid I loved Laura because she wasn’t perfect and got into mischief – kind of like I did occasionally….
Most Beautiful Book I Have Acquired (Writing):
Nightwalking by John Lewis-Stempel
…all around us the earth had erupted with silver rabbits washing their faces with moon dew.”
New Release I Haven’t Read Yet:
What about you all? I would love to hear how you would answer these questions!
Still Life, With Cracker Crumbs.. 