Thinking Ahead (Simple Goals for 2025)

I know it's not January, but it's never too soon to start thinking ahead. I've been seeing posts about how fall is a new starting point for a lot of people. I think the thing I'd add to that is that any point in the year can be a starting point. It could be a random Tuesday in May when you decide, "I've had it. I'm going to start walking every day." And then you do it. Starting points are any time you've had enough of the old habits and you want a change. I have nothing to back me up on this, but my theory is that if you wait until later to start, you're probably not going to do it at all.  

Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash

I've set a lot of goals over the years, but 2024 is the first year I've actually followed through on the majority of them - even though there were some starts and stops and restarts throughout the year. I think one of the biggest reasons for the changes this year is because I wrote my goals down in so many places. I made it public on the blog (for the six people who read it). I posted about it on Instagram (for the 15 people who see those posts). I wrote them in paper notebooks for my own reminder. I set goals in my digital notes on my phone so I could check in and check them off every month. I made new savings accounts for specific financial goals as a tangible reminder every time I logged on for banking stuff. If I don't keep it front and center, then other things take over and the goals fade into the background of busyness. 

Throughout the year I've had little thoughts here and there about the goals I'd like to set for 2025. And although it's a little early, and these aren't set in stone, I'm taking the first step towards making them happen by putting them out there for others to see. Last year I set 24 goals for 2024. I don't know that I'll set 25 goals this year, but this is the starting point. And since goals change and evolve over the year, I think I'll leave room to add to this list as the months tick past. Some are similar to the goals I set for myself this year. Some have slight tweaks. Some are totally new. And all of them stretch me in some way, which is really why we have goals, right? Because staying the same is boring. Let's not be boring.

2025 #SimpleGoals Starting Point

1. Read 60 books (five books a month) - preferably books I already own.
2. After completing 10 TBR books from my shelf, I get one new book. (If you're a child of the 80s, think Booking It, but for adults. Instead of a personal pan pizza, I get a new book.)
3. Add the stationary bike into the mix of exercise (I have it, I just don't use it).
4. Continue to walk 5 days a week, 20+ minutes a day.
5. Get rid of one thing a day (trash and junk mail doesn't count) for a total of 365 items gone.
6. Put experiences on the calendar and make them happen.
7. Once a week, do something special with the Hubs, even if it's just grabbing coffee.
8. Try 52 new recipes (one per week).
9. More fruits and veggies for snacking.
10. Say "yes" to something that challenges me (either personally or professionally).
11. Say "no" to things that don't add value (and work on not feeling guilty).
12. Loosen up. Keep rooting out that inner control enthusiast.
13. Be intentional about spending time with individual kids.
14. Plan a trip, put it on the calendar, save for it, make it happen.
15. Intentionally build relationships - with new people, existing acquaintances, and family.
16. Listen more. Talk less. (Definitely keeping this one from 2024!)
17. Spend time with my parents (another continuation from this year).
18. Find ways to serve the local community as a family.
19. Don't stress about what "might" be. (Another goody from 2024 that I'm keeping!)
20. Write down my #iamthankful list every day. A habit I've recently restarted.
21. ???
22. ???
23. ???
24. ???
25. ???

Have you started thinking about YOUR list?

Making Time to Read (October Books in Review)

If you read my last post, you know that our area (East TN, Western NC) was directly hit by the flooding from Hurricane Helene. Because of that, and so many other things that took place, I only made it through two books in September. It was the first time all year I've failed to read at least four books in a month. I also got thrown off my walking groove those last few days of the month and the first few of October, which is when I decided to set my goal for the tenth month of the year, and it was this...

It felt like an appropriate goal, not just to nudge me back on the reading and walking train, but because there is so much chaos and destruction around us. It's almost hard to know where to start. But then I think about this goal, and that really sums it up, doesn't it? Don't know where to start? Feeling overwhelmed? Just DO SOMETHING. Offer to help a neighbor. Look for a way to organize donations. Give your free time to muck mud out of a house or take a hot meal to those who have no way of cooking at the moment. It doesn't have to be big to be meaningful. 

To make this goal happen, I just grabbed books off my bookshelf or Kindle list and started reading them. I didn't worry about whether they were great literature or not, I just wanted to read something. I didn't focus on walking a mile in less than 20 minutes this month, I just focused on walking 20 minutes. Whatever you might be putting off because you don't know when or where or how to start (or restart), just do something. Get up off the couch and walk laps around your driveway. Open your Kindle app instead of Instagram. Contact local organizations working to help others - wherever you are - and ask what it would take to volunteer for a day. Go do something. You'll feel better for it.

And as for those books I mentioned? Well, here they are (and yes, there is even a re-read in there, the first one of the year, because I read it out loud to my two youngest - and they still giggled, which I love). Since it was October I allowed myself to focus a bit more on the mysteries, mystery writers, who-done-its, and "cozy murders" I'd been hoarding.

1. The Queen of Poisons by Robert Thorogood - ★★★★ It's no secret by now that I really enjoy Robert Thorogood as a writer (including his writing/creating of Death in Paradise), and I really love this series with the quirky Suzy, the formidable Judith, and the ever surprising Becks. Book #3 in the series was just as delightful as the first two, though it fell slightly flat in a few places, thus the four stars rather than five - but this can be easily forgiven! And I was still guessing as to the identity of the murderer right up to the big reveal. It was the perfect cozy weekend mystery where I could lose myself from the chaos of the real world for a while. I can't wait to see what these lovely ladies get up to in book #4! Four Stars. {Amazon Associates Link} 
2. Mr. Popper's Penguins by Richard and Florence Atwater - ★★★★★ The story behind me reading this book for the first time (age 7) is long and boring, but over the years I have reread it a few times, most recently with my two youngest (ages 12 and 13), as they still humor me when I read children's stories out loud to them. For those who haven't read it, Mr. Popper is a bit of an eccentric house painter, with a very patient family, who loves learning about life at the Poles more than anything else. When an Antarctic explorer hears about Mr. Popper, he ships off a penguin, Captain Cook, to become the newest inhabitant of the Popper household. The Poppers eventually end up with twelve energetic penguins who take the Popper family from coast to coast, and beyond! Five stars. {Amazon Associates Link}
3. Absolution by Murder by Peter Tremayne - ★★ Book #1 (of 35) of the Sister Fidelma Mysteries. I received this as part of a Secret Santa gift last year from someone who knew I liked to read cozy mysteries. It was okay if you like mysteries set in the 7th century involving monks and religious women who may or may not be interested in each other. It didn't have any objectionable scenes or crass language, so that's a bonus, and the murderer wasn't immediately obvious, so that was nice. Three murders later, with an Irish female law expert (Sister Fidelma) leading the case, everything is wrapped up, the religious debate where all of this has been happening has been settled, and we're left with an open door to the next book. Two-and-a-half stars. {Amazon Associates Link} 
4. Blackbeard's Ghost by Ben Stahl - ★★ I grew up watching the 1960s Disney movie by the same name, and purchased this after I noticed (as an adult) that the movie was based off of the book by Ben Stahl. Let me just say that it's not the book's fault that it is NOTHING like the movie, but it tainted my enjoyment of the book for its own merit. The only thing it had in common with the movie was the character of Blackbeard and the fact that he got called back as a ghost. Otherwise, absolutely nothing like the film. Apart from that, the story was just so-so, the character development was lacking, and it was kind of like a poorly written Hardy Boys (which is saying something). In the case of the movie, Disney improved the story (by essentially rewriting the entire thing). Overall, while I'm glad I read it for the experience, I just can't give it more than 2 stars. Watch the movie! {Amazon Associates Links: Book or Movie}
5. Murder Your Employer by Rupert Holmes - ★★★★ I promise I'm not a homicidal maniac looking for ways to off the people I work with (helps that I do contract work!), but I had Kindle credits and it came up as something I might like based on other books I read, and so here we are. The beginning of the book was a bit slow, but around the half-way mark it picked up speed until I was having a hard time putting it down. Despite it being a book about teaching people to murder their employer, there was a surprising moral code to it. One caveat is that, especially when we actually get into the murders, there is some sexual content (not graphic, but implied), and some vulgarities (including misusing Christ's name). Still, the ending was a total surprise (all the way to the very end in the epilogue), and while I waffled between three and four stars, I ended up going with four, because it's a unique story, and no one seems to be able to come up with those anymore. {Amazon Associates Link} 
6. The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving - ★★★★★ If you haven't read the original version of this short story and have only seen the Disney cartoon with Bing Crosby crooning, you are missing out. As I read this aloud to my kids for school literature yesterday, I was struck by two things. 1) How closely the cartoon followed the book - down to the words/phrases used. They primarily cut out the descriptions, and added a couple of things to make it more humorous. 2) The number of vocabulary words now gone from our daily communications. I knew (or at least had a familiarity with) about 98% of the words Mr. Irving used, and even though I consider myself well-read and well-educated, there were still a handful of words I had never heard before or couldn't define. We have truly handicapped ourselves by allowing words to be redefined or lost altogether, but we don't have to give up without a fight, which is why both my kids and I read books like this. Five stars. {Amazon Associates Link}
7. Agatha Christie: An Autobiography by Agatha Christie - ★★★★★ As a long-time fan of her most famous Belgian detective, I was excited when I discovered Agatha had also taken the time to pen an autobiography. A fascinating woman with an intriguing family and a unique life, who never took herself seriously as an author, I thoroughly enjoyed learning more about this woman - from her childhood through her early adult years, her foray into Middle Eastern travel, her second life with Max (13-years her junior!), all the way through her 75th year. This was a fantastic way to end the month's reading goals. If you enjoy her mystery writing and plays, you will probably appreciate this. Her writing is never boring, despite her protestations. Would recommend. Five stars. {Amazon Associates Link}

And with that, October and her books come to and end. Choosing to "Do Something" more than made up for the lack of reading last month and it was a delight to make time for books that engaged me, or at least got my out of my reading rut. Same with the walking - although I stopped aiming for a under-20-minute-mile pace, I hit it almost daily. Good habits build on each other. Today is November 1st. Get out there and Do Something today. 

Happy Doing!

Notes from My Bookshelf: September

NOTE: To be perfectly frank, I wrote most of this blog post at the beginning of September. But the last four days of the month have changed everything. The community where I live in upper East Tennessee was devastated by Hurricane Helene. Roads washed away (including portions of I-26 and I-40 between here and Asheville, NC), houses completely gone, electricity and water cut off - in some areas it will be weeks before it comes back, people have lost everything, and the final total of casualties has yet to be determined. While we, personally, had very little direct impact (a tree down, lost water for a day), our community and the surrounding areas, are hurting, and therefore, so are we. We're doing what we can to help - cutting up trees, volunteering at our local Park and Rec to receive, organize, and hand out donations, but it the weight of this event is still being felt, and it will be years before this beautiful mountain area I am blessed to call "home" recovers. Please pray for us, for East TN and Western NC, and upstate SC. 

WRITTEN PRIOR TO 9/27 ↓

I got a new mug for this fall season that reads, "The -ber months are finally here" and nothing could sum up my feelings about autumn any better than that. The occasional morning crispness, the evening chill that takes us from summer heat to the hint that cooler seasons will not abandon us forever. The smell of bonfires, the crunch of autumn apples (dipped in caramel), and the pumpkins. Of course the pumpkins. Forever a pumpkin girl. The self-seeding pumpkin patch in my backyard is all ablaze with yellow flowers and growing enough pumpkins to satisfy even my desires. And every November, when we toss them back into the corner, it's a bit like saying, "Goodbye dear friend. We'll see you again next year, when winter has brought rot and spring has turned you to seeds. When summer is finally over and your green stems will poke out again and remind me, as surely as you always do, that you will be back, just in time for autumn." 

Photo by alex geerts on Unsplash

Knowing that I had already met my goal of 48 books for the year didn't stop me from attempting to stick to my sub-goal of reading four books a month. What did stop me was a hectic family schedule and a large proofreading job the last week of the month. Life happens. EDIT: I still had hopes when I updated this on 9/25 that I would finish at least one more book, possibly two, but after Hurricane Helene unloaded on us on 9/27, all thoughts of reading were gone.

However, it also didn't deter me from getting into some more comfortable territory, with mystery being a top contender for my attention this month (I have two more going in my Kindle app at the moment). Now that the "race" to complete the larger goal is over, I'm still focusing on the books that have been sitting on my shelves (virtual or physical) for months, even years, awaiting their turn on my nightstand. Here's what I read through this month:

1. Swiss Family Robinson by Yohann David Wyss - ★★★★ It took me almost a year to get through this book with my youngest (she was 11 when we started, she's 12 now), but it was more a matter of life interruptions than disinterest in the story. After showing her the old Disney film, I insisted that we read the book together so she could hear the original. It was our regular read-aloud on her night each week (until life intervened), but we finally finished it this month and she was glued to the story. Our biggest complaints (and the reason it's probably more like a 3.5 star than a true 4 star) was just that there were a LOT of animals and names to keep straight, and we both found that a bit difficult, in addition to the boys names being similar. However, while I don't plan on reading it again, it is a definite "should read at least once" book. Just make sure you get the unabridged version! Three-and-a-half-stars. {Amazon Associates Link}
2. The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman - ★★★★★ Oh my goodness, I had minimally high hopes for this one, and for once I wasn't disappointed! I've been so sick of three star books, so this was a delightful discovery. The way I've been describing it to people (and I know I'm a bit late to the party, but still...) is like every cozy BBC mystery show meets Jessica Fletcher and her friends. Nursing home friends with plenty of kick left in them, solving crimes using a lifetime of skills and connections. No questionable language (THANK YOU MR. OSMAN!), no unnecessary sexual encounters, and an ending I can totally live with. Two thumbs way up. I got this on Kindle last October, and now I'm thinking it's time to use some Barnes & Noble gift cards I've been hoarding to buy the others! Five stars. {Amazon Associates Link}

If you've made it this far, thanks for reading. Wherever you're reading from, I hope you and your family are safe and well, and that you're enjoying whatever signs of fall are showing themselves in your area. Make time to read and do the things you love, with the people you love, because we're not guaranteed tomorrow. 

Simple Goal Check-In (September)

In January I wrote a post outlining the 24 #simplegoals I had selected to work towards in 2024, and I gave a longer update in June about how things were going at the half-way point. As we're entering the final quarter of the year (mind boggling!) I thought now would be a good time to check in on those and let you know where things stand. 

Photo by Clay Banks on Unsplash

24 Simple Goals in 2024

1. Buy no new books. Two, maybe three books. Calling this a success! 
2. Read 48 books from my own shelves. DONE!
3. Use the treadmill. Walking six days a week since June 1st.
4. Put the phone down. TERRIBLE, but a work in progress.
5. Clean out and pare down. Some, but not as much as I was hoping to.
6. Save for a rainy day. Did well, had low income months, had to use it for bills.
7. Use cash for certain expenditures. Off and on.
8. Burn the candles. Two thumbs up! But...I also bought more. {Facepalm}
9. Create a repertoire of simple meals. Meh.
10. More fresh foods, less processed, sugary, high-carb stuff. Definitely working on this!
11. Avoid Amazon on bad days and late nights. Better, but room for improvement.
12. Say "yes" to something new at work. I just did, in fact!
13. Say "no" to things that don't add value. Much better at this!
14. Eat the food we already have. Working on this, but still room to improve.
15. Participate in teaching my newest driver how to drive. There's been a "pause" on that.
16. Save for a school trip in the '24/'25 school year. See "bills due, low cash months."
17. Host more meals with friends and acquaintances. There are seasons for this - yes and no.
18. Listen more. Talk less. I feel like I've improved in this area, but still room to grow.
19. Spend time with my parents. Time is fleeting. Been mindful about stopping by.
20. Give quality gifts, not quantity (next Christmas). Fewer gifts, for sure. Progress.
21. Build relationships with family. I think there have been some positive steps.
22. Write more. Shockingly, I've been faithful to write at least once-a-month on the blog!
23. Don't stress about what "might" be. I have been learning to let go faster.
24. Count my blessings. Work in progress.

Under the heading of each of these goals, I also set some sub-goals that give me baby-step achievements along the way. Something to celebrate and help with motivation. For example, when I set the goal of reading 48 books this year, I broke that down to reading at least four books a month. Obviously, there were months when I read more than that (and achieved my goal for the year sooner than expected), but setting that smaller monthly goal helped keep me on track and motivated to keep going. 

I did the same thing with using the treadmill, but I didn't figure out the sub-goals for that until the middle of the year. I had started out strong on the walking in the beginning (like most people when they set their New Year Resolutions), but then faded off after getting sick and having some calendar challenges. But in May, when I was fed up with my lack of self-discipline, I decided to set a goal for the month of June: Walk Every Day in June. About 10 days into it, after talking to a couple of my accountability partners, I decided to take Sundays off. So six days a week, I was downstairs, walking between 5-30 minutes a day. I gave myself a wide target to hit...making it easier to achieve my goal. I don't feel like walking...it's just 5 minutes. And usually, after 5 minutes, I would tell myself, "It's just 5 more, keep going." Which is how, most days, I ended up walking at least 20 minutes a day. 

In July I decided to change the target: Walk Six Days a Week, at Least 1 Mile. And I did it. In August, I decided to work on increasing my speed from a 20-minute mile, to less than 20 minutes. Didn't matter how much less, just that it was. By the end of the month I was regularly walking in the 16:50/mile range. Just by setting a smaller sub-goal to challenge myself, I was not only hitting my #simplegoals for the year, but getting a renewed sense of accomplishment each month as I checked off another goal. This month I decided I would take the first step to work my way up in mileage, by walking 1.25 miles every day, under 20 minutes. Not only is it good for my mental health, but I am noticing more stamina, less shortness of breath, and definitely better calf muscles. That's a win-win-win for simple goals!

How are you doing with your goals for the year?

Do you do a regular check-in to see how things are going?

It's not too late to set smaller goals for the remainder of the year!

August Bookshelf Review (2024 Reading Goal COMPLETE!)

August. The month also known as "Autumn Eve" and in which we celebrate the return of the #PSL (that's Pumpkin Spice Latte for the uninitiated). Yes, it's technically summer, but fall decor has been in Hobby Lobby since July. Possibly June. Maybe even May. For me, fall is so close I can taste it, even though it won't officially arrive until September 22. This is immaterial. August is close enough for me to begin dreaming of cooler weather, watching fall reels on IG, and grabbing the first bags of autumn-themed candy at the grocery store (I learned the hard way last year that if you don't buy it when it first arrives on the shelves in July, it won't be there when you go for it in September!). But what does all of this have to do with reading? August also ushers in the last of the hot, summer months, when the idea of curling up with a good book is less appealing than just trying to make it through another scorcher. 

August means we're on the cusp of coziness, shorter days, pots of hot tea, and preparations for the season of hibernation. The time when it is socially acceptable to stay inside and read because one cannot be expected to go outdoors, unless it's associated with a pumpkin patch, a hay ride, or some type of apple-related festivity. The leaves on my cherry tree are turning color and dropping. In other words, my friends, the season of reading is almost here. Get your TBR piles ready! 

Photo by Elora Allen on Unsplash

Despite the fact that we have not yet officially made it through summer, I still managed to knock out one of my #simplegoals for the year of reading 48 books! I considered increasing my goal, but I think I'll just keep reading and save the higher number for a 2025 goal. In the meantime, here are the six books that rounded off my 48 for the year, and were knocked off my TBR list. Number five almost doesn't feel like it should count, but since it was still a book I had never read before...I am totally counting it! 

1. Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz - ★★★★★ This was totally unexpected. I assumed that there would be questionable language and morals in this book (there is a homosexual couple as part of the story, and one of the main characters has a boyfriend who sleeps over, nothing graphic, just mentioned in passing), but in general, I could have been reading an Agatha Christie, or watching some kind of cozy BBC mystery show. Also unexpected (for me) was the mystery within a mystery - which you'll understand if you read it. From the 1950's to modern times and back again - this was altogether a pleasant surprise and one which I have few qualms about recommending to anyone who enjoys a "good" murder mystery with plenty of references to Poirot, Sherlock Holmes, and Midsomer Murders. Five stars. {Amazon Associates Link}
2. Mr. Monk and the Blue Flu by Lee Goldberg - ★★★ It was the weekend and I was tired of thinking and I needed something to just veg out on and run through. Enter the Monk books. The television show was better (for one thing, Natalie wasn't such a pill on the show as she is in the book), but these aren't bad for a little break. There are 19 books in the series, and I've read, I think, three of them. I'm giving this one three stars because I actually enjoyed some of the other characters Goldberg incorporated; underdogs who did their jobs and surprised everyone. Monk even gets his badge back, although (no surprise) it's gone again by the end. I wouldn't necessarily say, "Run out and buy it," but library loan or $3 used (as I found them) are probably worth it. Three stars. {Used and New from $0.02 + shipping on Amazon, FYI - Amazon Associates Link}
3. Mama Maggie by Marty Makary and Ellen Santilli Vaughn - ★★★ I started reading this book aloud to the kids probably 2-3 years ago. We got a little bogged down in it and, honestly, I lost interest. While the things that Mama Maggie is doing in the slums and garbage dumps of Cairo are wonderful, for some reason the story fell flat for me. And maybe that's because it lacked the direct view of the book's subject, written by outsiders who were impressed by her work, rather than the woman doing the work. And of course it wasn't written by her, because she's too busy doing the work she feels God has given her to do, caring for the "least of these" with no fanfare. So while I might enjoy having tea with Mama Maggie (even though they way she is described in the book is a little too ethereal and almost saint-like), I'm not really a fan of this book. Three stars. {Amazon Associates Link}
4. Murder in the Museum by Simon Brett - ★★★ Lots of three star books this month. It was just a season of average, I guess. I picked this particular book up at a local library book sale, knowing nothing about it other that what I read on the cover. Written in 2003, it turned out to be your run-of-the-mill "cozy" British mystery, with a fairly easy-to-figure-out plot. I wasn't surprised when the killer was revealed, I wasn't shocked when the middle-aged amateur sleuth was locked into the hidden room, and I also didn't see the need for the bedroom scene that the author apparently felt compelled to included. It added nothing to the story. I wouldn't go seeking out other books by this author, but if I happened to see another one at a library sale, I might be willing to pick it up for $1. If you decide to try it and like it, there are plenty to choose from as this is book 4 of 21 in the series. Three stars. {Amazon Associates Link} 
5. Richard Scarry's Busy Busy World - ★★★ This was not a book I was planning on or expecting to be on my "Read" list this month (nor slide in as book 47 of 48!), but I purchased it for a great nephew's birthday, and decided to read it before I gave it to him, as this wasn't one with which I was familiar. I actually read all 91 pages out loud to the Hubs, and there were times when we were both snorting - mostly because of the cultural aspects. I am really surprised this book hasn't been yanked yet (considering several Dr. Seuss books were "cancelled" a few years back), but I'm glad it hasn't been, because 1) Adults can make their own choices - I'm not for "Big Brother" deciding what we should and shouldn't read, and 2) It gave us an evening of mirth while reading it. Things that were culturally okay in the 1960s...not so much now. And since I would be introducing my 3-year-old great nephew to Richard Scarry, I decided to keep this book for my own amusement and purchased Cars and Trucks and Things That Go for him instead. Safer. ;) Three stars. {Amazon Associates Link}
6. Anybody Can Do Anything by Betty MacDonald - ★★☆ Having already read her first two books (The Egg and I and The Plague and I) earlier this year and giving them two stars and three stars, respectively (reviews found here), my expectations were low for this book. I didn't dislike it as much as The Egg and I, I didn't really like it as much as The Plague and I, so it's really more of a 2.5 star book than a solid three. This time MacDonald covers her employment history during the Depression (and towards the end bounces ahead in life, without much warning, leaving the reader to wonder how we got there), and the trials and tribulations of being a young, divorced mother looking for work (in all fairness, she didn't have it that hard, her mother stepped in and raised her kids while she gadded about, at least, that's the view I got from her book). I already had it (as well as her fourth - and final - book) on my shelf, so I figured I might as well push through before bidding them farewell. Language warning (crude, misuses the Lord's Name). Two-and-a-half stars. {Amazon Associates Link}

How are you doing on your reading goals for the year? 

Was it a good reading month or a slow one?

What book are you reading right now?

The Reading Nook: July 2024

We aren't one of those families who goes to the beach each summer (or at all). And even if we did, and I were to take a stack of books with me on vacation...I would come home with that same stack, mostly unread. As much as I enjoy reading and self-identify as a bookworm, I also know myself. My best seasons of reading involve cooler weather, shorter days, cozy blankets, and cups of tea, not sea, sand, or travel. And maybe that's because when I'm actually elsewhere, I want to be focused on the new, the present, the things I don't normally see. But when I'm home, with the same routine, day-in and day-out, then books are what take me to different places...Zebra Drive in Botswana, a surprisingly murderous Caribbean seaside town, the cooler mountains of North Carolina, or even the past. When traveling doesn't fit in the budget...reading always will.

Photo by Anna Hamilton on Unsplash

Summer has been a season of slow reading. Longer days don't make space for couch snuggles with a book, and hot weather isn't a friend of porch swing reading, at least for me. I did make time on July 4th to float around in our little backyard pool, reading the first book on my list. It was a lazy holiday with no plans, the kids gone to spend time with grandparents, and no work lingering over my head, so I embraced it. But those days are few and far between. So far, in fact, that by the middle of the month I had only completed one book! Life happens. So on these hottest of summer days, here's what I still managed to read in July (my minimum of four books was met, even with the start of the Olympics, which is saying something!)...

1. Code Girls by Liza Mundy - ★★★★★ I am a fan of history, especially little known stories from WWII, like this one. A well-written tale of the unsung heroines of code breaking, both military and civilian. Former school teachers, the "best and brightest" from women's colleges, brilliant mathematicians and linguists who would have remained buried but for the war. I was so impressed by the tenacity of these women, and the ways in which each one quietly and quickly went about their work, rarely being acknowledged for their role and removed just as quickly once the men came back. I appreciated the story about the woman who, decades after the war, was watching a television news segment about code breaking and shocked her family by saying, "Well, I guess now I can talk about what I did during the war!" As the Greatest Generation leaves us, it's so important to remember these stories and pass them on to the next generation so we do not forget the sacrifices that were made by so many. Five stars. {Amazon Associates Link}  
2. Father of the Bride by Edward Streeter - ★★ Much like The Egg and I, I didn't realize that Father of the Bride started out life as a book. And also like The Egg and I...the movie(s) improved the story. Written in 1949 (one year before Spencer Tracy and Elizabeth Taylor portrayed father and daughter in the first movie production), the book had its moments of levity. But just as I found while reading The Egg and I earlier this year, the language left much to be desired, and my puritanical views of the 1940s had to be tossed out the window yet again. This was rather a disappointment and I cannot recommend this one. Watch the movie (preferably the Steve Martin/Martin Short version from 1991), skip the book. Two stars. {No Amazon Link} 
3. Murder in the Caribbean by Robert Thorogood - ★★★★ With the first book of the month being a bit heavier, and the second book being a flop, I knew I needed to give myself a reading break and go for a book that I knew wouldn't disappoint. And it didn't! I've been watching Death in Paradise since the first season, and very much enjoy the show. When I discovered that the writer/creator of the show, Robert Thorogood, also wrote four books featuring the stubborn but brilliant British DI Richard Poole, I was all in. The first two books in the (sadly short) series can be purchased for Kindle for just $0.99 each (Book 1 and Book 2), while books 3 and 4 are only available in paperback at this time. As with the show, Thorogood's characters jump off the page and there are twists and turns galore, keeping one guessing as to the ending, right up until the big "whodoneit" reveal. This fourth (and final) book in the series is the perfect summer read and a delightful way to spend a lazy weekend afternoon. Four stars. {Amazon Associates Link} 
4. The Address Book by Deirdre Mask - ★★★★ I kept my expectations relatively low for this one, but was pleasantly surprised. Mask does a good job (albeit with some personal bias obvious along the way) of explaining how street addresses affect one's identity, and what they say about race, wealth, and power. Some of my own hidden biases were brought to light while reading this book, and overall, I enjoyed the premise and the writing. We are obviously on opposite ends of the political spectrum, but despite that, I enjoyed seeing some of these topics from a completely different viewpoint, and with her varied and international viewpoint (an African American woman, raised in West Virginia, living in London), I thought she did a good job, overall, of making us think a little more in-depth about the value of an address. It's so much more than just a place to lay your head. Would recommend. Four stars. {Amazon Associates Link}

What was on your reading list in July? Are you like me? Do you read less in the summer, or do you hide from the heat with your head in a book? 

Hit me up in the comments with any "must reads" you found in the last month!

What I Read: June Edition

After the rough reading month of May, I was really hoping for some better, or at least more enjoyable, books in June. Some of the books this month seemed to focus around food and health (some are still in process and didn't make the June list), but I also managed to squeeze in a couple of "just for fun" books, and even considered doing a re-read of an old favorite, because sometimes you just need a comfort book (I didn't do it - still trying to focus on all the books on my shelves that I've never read before). Is there a book that you go back to over and over? A book that feels like a cozy blanket or an old friend? For me, that's the Mitford series by Jan Karon. When this year is over...I fully anticipate reading through that series yet again. It never gets old. 

Photo by Nick Hillier on Unsplash

When I wasn't dealing with school stuff or working through my goals for the month, I found time to enjoy moments of solitude and the following books. 

1. The Secret History of Food by Matt Siegel - ★ I don't remember where I first heard about this book, but the premise of it intrigued me. I'm a sucker for books about food, and the idea of hearing all the "strange but true stories about the origins of everything we eat" totally sucked me in. Unfortunately, the best part about this book was the premise. The author clearly had an agenda, and his writing was too politically tinged for my liking (it's a book about weird food stories, leave politics at the door - that's how I feel anyway!), and full of too many sexual innuendos. While there were several interesting tidbits scattered throughout the book, it wasn't enough to make me recommend it - even if you aligned with his political point of view. One star. {No Amazon Link}
2. The Joy and Light Bus Company by Alexander McCall Smith - ★★★★ A friend recommended The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency books to me back in 2005, before we went to work in Botswana for several months. I've been hooked ever since. This addition to the series (from 2021) is equally delightful, like a comforting cup of bush tea on a breezy, covered veranda. After a number of books I had to work my way through to finish, I needed something that was effortless. I read this in a day. Will Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni become a partner in a bus business? Will Mma Ramotswe work out the case of the wrong Bontle? And what's this about slavery in the Pula Pula house? But of course, this is Botswana, and everything comes out right in the end, as it should. One little word of warning ⚠ about the tendency of this author to be a little more "woke" in each book. It's not in your face, but it's there - the characters gently sharing their more "inclusive" opinions. It's not enough to put me off of the series (yet), but it's worth a mention. Four stars. {Amazon Associates Link}
3. Murder is Binding by Lorna Barrett - ★★★ I received this in a "Secret Santa" gift exchange we did for work last year. My expectations were low, as I don't tend to like themed mystery series (cooking or knitting or, in this case, bookstores) and I find the plots to be thin, the writing weak, and the characters shallow. That being said, I enjoyed this story more than I thought I would, and I love the idea of a town saved from the brink by turning their downtown into a book-lovers paradise (specialty bookstores, everywhere!). Even though the characters were rather shallow, and the writing wasn't anything to write home about, I still enjoyed it enough that I would try another book from the series, if the opportunity presented itself. What I would call a "murder mystery beach read," level of book. Three stars. {Amazon Associates Link}
4. Paul Harvey's America by Stephen Mansfield & David A. Holland - ★★★★ Hello, America. [...] And now you know...the rest of the story! I grew up with these words ringing out on the radio, so when my parents were mid-move a couple of years ago and cleaning out, I took this book off their shelves and finally got around to reading it. I enjoyed learning a little bit more about the man behind the microphone, his upbringing in Tulsa, his early start in radio, and the woman behind the man. Without Angel, he might very well have stayed in small mid-western radio stations, with the rest of America none the wiser as to what they were missing. Paul Harvey never tried to be anyone but himself, a point which stands out throughout the book. Not a long book, but what I would call a good summertime read. Clean, wholesome, and a little nostalgic for the bygone days. Four stars. {Amazon Associates Link}

If you've been following along, that brings my book total for the year up to 38 towards my goal of 48. With just ten books remaining to meet that goal, and still six months left in the year, I'm expecting to exceed the original plan, but I'm okay with that. What bookworm wouldn't be, right? 

What was on YOUR nightstand this month? 

What's your "go to" book when life is hard and you are looking for a short break from reality? 

Hit me up in the comments and give me your best recommendations...from the last month, the year so far, or all time favorites.