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| Hosted by The Book Date |
Life
It was another pretty quiet week, mostly because my chronic illness is still flared up. I'm stuck in a pattern where I "crash" (suddenly feel much worse, like I have the flu) every Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. It's getting very frustrating! I skipped my new medication this week, to see if that helps. So, during the week, I only left the house on Wednesday, for a dentist appointment and an appointment with our financial advisor. Then I was flat on my back for the next two days. I also took a very slow, very short walk on a beautiful walking trail that is on the way to the dentist (probably shouldn't have, but it was nice to be outdoors).
Then, much like the last few weeks, I felt better on the weekend. Our son and his puppy came over Saturday. Our son helped us with some yard work and other things, while we played with Chester, who is getting bigger but is still adorable! My husband and son were teasing me because I have often said, "I'm not really a dog person," but I was cuddling, petting, and playing with Chester! He has a very sweet disposition (and only barks to let us know he needs to go out).
Saturday afternoon, our oldest and dearest friends texted to say they were back from their 6 weeks at their cabin in Canada, so we grabbed some takeout and took it over. It was good to see them again and catch up.
The big news is that our basement reconstruction (after mold remediation) is finally finished! Well, the contractors are finished - they put new flooring in Friday and Saturday. We love the new look. Now, we "just" have to sort through the huge piles of stuff in the basement storage areas and main area and put everything back together!
The most exciting news? The temperature and humidity finally dropped enough to turn off the a/c and open the windows! Woohoo!!
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The Prairie Trail Tag - This fun tag with some original questions is based on the old Oregon Trail video game. I've never played the game, but I enjoyed answering the unique questions about books, cookbooks, and reading.
Weekly Reading Update - Talking about the books we've been reading in the past week ... and my husband's and my frequent (and hilarious) memory issues when it comes to what books we've read (or haven't) and when!
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I recently started a Patreon membership (and also a YouTube membership, for those who prefer to use that platform). I'm learning how to use membership on both platforms and getting the hang of things, and I'm having fun posting some members-only content (so far, some short videos, about the books I got for my birthday and my Little Free Library). But don't worry: everything I already do will continue to be free and available to all, as always. I have 3 members so far, and I'm looking forward to growing this community around my blogs and my YouTube channel.
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We just finished watching Marshals, a spin-off of the highly-acclaimed Yellowstone series (my review and a trailer at the link), but you don't have to have watched that to enjoy this new show. Marshals features Kayce Dutton (one of the sons from Yellowstone), played by Luke Grimes, as he tackles a new challenge. He and his son, Tate, are struggling to keep their small cattle ranch afloat when an old Navy Seal buddy who works for the U.S. Marshals asks for Kayce's help when they need someone with knowledge of the local wilderness. That leads to a job offer, and Kayce joins the U.S. Marshals. So, each episode has the Marshals team tackling a new case or looking for a new fugitive, often needing to work with the local reservation, all set against the stunning backdrop of Montana. But, this show also has a lot of heart, as you get to know Kayce's new colleagues and the personal issues they are dealing with, and Kayce's own struggle with grief after losing his beloved wife, Monica (not a spoiler--she's already gone at the start of the show but was still alive at the end of Yellowstone!), the challenges of raising his half-Native American teen son on his own, and his conflict between continuing the ranch life his family has embraced for generations or fully committing to the life of a U.S. Marshal. Kayce was always my favorite Yellowstone character, and we're both enjoying the show very much. We watched the first season over the summer and can't wait for season 2, starting October 4. It's a CBS show, so it's available for streaming on Paramount (we watched it On Demand on cable).
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I'm enjoying another Big Book Summer Read (and a buddy read with my BBS co-host, Melinda at A Web of Stories), The Fraud by Zadie Smith. In February, I read my first novel by Smith, White Teeth (scroll down for my review) , and I loved it, so I've been excited to try another. This novel is quite different, set in Victorian England and centered around a real-life event: the trial of the Tichborne Claimant. A man returned to England from Australia, claiming to be the long-lost heir to the Tichborne baronetcy. Apparently, there was a big trial that captured the attention of the entire nation. The novel focuses on Eliza Touchet, who works as a housekeeper for her cousin, William Ainsworth, a successful novelist. They're both around 70, though William just married the 26-year-old maid with whom he fathered a child, and William's three grown daughters also live with them. This unusual household is at the center of the novel, as they follow the news about Tichborne and argue about the case. As you read, you learn more and more about Eliza, William (who were both real historical figures), and their family (the situation is even stranger than it first appears!). As always, Zadie Smith weaves in discussions of race and class and other serious issues but also has a great sense of humor. I'm enjoying it.
On audio, I finished listening to Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins, the second prequel to The Hunger Games (my review at the link). This novel focuses on Haymitch Abernathy's origin story, though you also see Effie and Plutarch just starting out in their careers. As the story opens, Haymitch, in District 12, has just turned 16, on the Reaping Day for the 50th annual Hunger Games, known as the Quarter Quell. Coriolanus Snow, subject of the prequel The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, is now President of Panem. The Quarter Quell will feature twice as many contestants: 4 tributes from each of the 12 districts. As a prequel, we already know Haymitch's destiny, since he is a character in The Hunger Games. Yet, Collins' writing is so compelling and engrossing that I teared up when he was chosen for the Quarter Quell, even though I knew ahead of time he'd be chosen! I really came to care about young Haymitch and to root for him and his companions. It's a propulsive, immersive novel, and I thoroughly enjoyed it on audio. I had forgotten what an incredible writer Collins is. I had major book hangover after this one!
After giving myself a few days, I started another Big Book on audio, My Friends by Fredrik Backman. I was thrilled to see my Libby request finally came in (I started out at #350!), just as I was recovering from Sunrise on the Reaping! I love Backman's novels on audio, and this one is outstanding so far. It centers on a teen girl, Louisa, who is about to age out of foster care at age 18. Her most cherished possession is a postcard her mother sent her, many years ago. On the front is a beautiful painting. Most people think it's a painting of the sea, but Louisa sees more. She sees the three teen friends on the pier and knows that it's really a painting about them. She hears the painting will be auctioned at a local gallery and sneaks in so she can see it in person. But things never go smoothly for Louisa, and that act is the beginning of a wild adventure for her. In alternating chapters, the reader also gets to know the painter and his teen friends (Louisa was right about the painting). I love the character of Louisa: she is enthusiastic and kind, but has been through some terrible things in her short life. As always, Backman weaves plenty of humor into the deep heart of this novel. I'm loving it so far.
Funny story about my husband's current read: I had just finished The Toll by Neal Schusterman and recommended it, saying it's a great wrap-up to the Arc of a Scythe trilogy. I gave him a summary online of book 2 that helped me to refresh my memory before I read book 3. He started reading it, but was very confused and kept asking me basic questions. He didn't even know who one of the main characters was! We realized that he never read book 2, Thunderhead (scroll down at this link for my review), last summer after I finished it! So, I dug that out for him, and he's reading that now. He says it's making a lot more sense than that quick update did! He's enjoying it. This is a fabulous YA science fiction thriller trilogy.
Our son, 32, is still reading Wind and Truth by Brandon Sanderson, book 5 of his famed Stormlight Archive series. He said he loves the way that Sanderson weaves connections among all of his Cosmere books. This one is 1344 pages long, so he said he'll read a "short" book next, under 600 pages! It's always Big Book Summer for him!
Our daughter-in-law-to-be mentioned yesterday that she just started reading Dust, by Hugh Howey, book three in his Silo series that began with Wool, after finishing Shift, book two (my reviews at the links). I'm happy she's enjoying this series as much as we did, and she and our son have started watching the TV adaptation, Silo, and are loving it! My husband and I are currently watching season 3. She had her bachelorette party this weekend, so I'm sure she's had no reading time!
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