Silver Linings and Routine Travel

As I’ve mentioned before, I’ve been traveling consistently for work this year. Mostly it’s tiring, but the last few weeks have been spent in Grand Island, NE (third largest city!).  In addition to having more dining options, Grand Island also has a very condensed collection of antique stores downtown and last week I decided to browse the largest one over lunch.

I only had about 45 min but I still saw several things I would actually love to own and lots of others that I would love if I had a different house.

First off, this chair was in the display window.  I’m very sorry for my inability to take a picture through glass.

The lines are interesting and it’s in great shape.  If I hadn’t just picked these up on Craigslist I’d have been really tempted.

I loved the lines of this for maybe an entryway piece and of course anything that will hold books is a huge plus in my house.

To be honest I would say most of what my eye is drawn to in a store like this is book storage related.  I don’t love the door with shelves but I think it’s an interesting idea. 

And of course I would love a place to put a library ladder.  If only I had space for a library.

There’s so much cute small stuff that totally depends on the person whether it catches your eye or not. The only purchase I made where these candlestick holders. They are heavy and attractive and I’ve been looking for a reasonably attractive affordable pair so these are perfect.

If I didn’t already have really colorful dishware in the kitchen (God I love Fiestaware!) I’d have been really tempted by these canisters.

Speaking of kitchens I want the right kitchen for these next two pieces really bad.  The first would make a great additional pantry for a kitchen without one but a little spare floor space.

I’m also in love with this small island.  It’s the perfect option for additional counter space in a kitchen that’s not quite big enough for a traditional island.

I actually have more pictures but I decided this was enough for now.  There are several other stores to check out on future lunch breaks so you can probably anticipate future posts.

Seasonal Reading Habits

Over the last few years of keeping track of what I’ve read and WHEN I’ve noticed that I have a few consistent seasonal reading preferences. 

January through June

I read a LOT the first half of the year.  At the beginning of the year I read a mix of topics and reading levels.  I tackle at least one book that intimidates me and I try new genres and POVs.  I read recommendations that I’ve been meaning to get to and at least one book that a parent has challenged on their teen’s school reading list and is subsequently trying to keep ALL the other teens from reading it.

I think this has something to do with being really gung-ho to start a new reading year.  I’m always really aware of what new books are coming and know I need to get to the books that I missed the previous year before I forget about them. 

July though August

I would love to know why I struggle to read during the summer.  I actually feel bad for books I read during these months because I just don’t focus as well.  Books read in July and August HAVE to completely suck me in or I will leave them 30% finished for weeks.  As of right now it’s August 2nd and I have five books in progress.  Normally I would DNF one or two at this point, but am I giving up because they aren’t good or because it’s me and summer? 

Romance is my go to genre in the summer.  I think because I’m more likely to feel immersed by romance.  I also trust my summer feelings for this genre more so it I’m bored at 30% I’m confident it won’t get better and DNF.  I also re-read a lot.  And I shouldn’t even attempt to read fantasy during the summer.  I don’t have the focus for it and they end up DNF’d or I hate them.  It’s really not fair to the author.  I read Daughter of Smoke and Bone in July of 2013 and did not like it.  Ditto The Girl of Fire and Thorns summer of 2012. Both of these were loved by readers who I generally agree with.  Sometime I feel like I should give these series another shot, but my initial reactions are too hard to get passed. 

September through early October

Brief return to my early year habits.  If I have another tough or long book I really want to get done or a challenge to complete now is the time. 

Late October through December

Work is CRAZY busy at the end of the year.  Pre-blog/Goodreads I assumed I read less during this time period, but I actually read at my normal pace.  What I cut out are bookish decisions.  I don’t read to complete challenges or stretch my habits.  If I’m going to binge on a series/author this is when it will happen.  It’s also the time of year I’m most likely to enjoy the fantasy genre.

Last year I read binged on the four available books in Sarah J Maas’s Throne of Glass series.  I also read Shadow & Bone by Leigh Bardulo.  Once January rolled around, I decided to wait until Nov-Dec this year to finish the series because I loved book one and wanted to give myself a good shot at enjoying books 2-3.  In 2013 I read 6 books by Jennifer Armentrout/J Lynn. I’ve read some since and haven’t been all that impressed.

I purchase more books late in the year also. When I find an author I want to binge on I don’t have the patience to wait for their books at the library (or the time to go get them).  I go a tiny bit Kindle crazy.

What about you?  Have you noticed any seasonal reading habits?  Slumps that happen every year at the same time?  Any other patterns I didn’t bring up?

Ten Fairytale Retellings I've Read/Want To Read

Every Tuesday the ladies over at The Broke and the Bookish host a book related Top 10.





This week is Top Ten Fairytale Retellings I've Read/Want To Read. I struggled with this topic a bit, but I think it’s cause I’m just not aware that books are retellings.


Top Four I Want to Read





Winter by Marissa Meyer – This might be my most anticipated book this year. Meyer has done a stellar job of retelling of Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, and Rapunzel while also creating a cohesive fantasy/dystopian world around them. I can’t wait for her take on Snow White.


Darcy’s Tale by Stanley Alexander Hurd – Pride and Prejudice from Mr. Darcy’s perspective.  I struggle to read Jane Austen, but I love the story of Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy.


Never Never by Brianna Shrum – The Captain Hook origin story. Only reading the synopsis had me looking at the Peter Pan story differently.


The Red Tent by Anita Diamant – Not really a retelling, but the story of biblical women from Genesis who only get passing mentions in the Bible.


Top Five I Recommend





Daughter of the Forest by Juliet Marillier – This is a retelling of an Irish story The Swans.  It barely counts as I was familiar with the original story when I read this one, but it’s a gorgeous story and it’s technically a retelling.


A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J Maas – A very interesting fantasy story that re-imagines Beauty and the Beast.


Cinder/Scarlet/Cress by Marissa Meyer – See my notes on Winter above.

July Recap

And my July reading slump continues.  This is annual.  I only read 5 books in July.  Seriously 5.  I knew I was slumping but that’s a bigger slump than I though.  I did one review post of two mini books reviews.  So at least it wasn’t a review goose egg month.

Books Read

Paperweight by Meg Haston
Bully by Penelope Douglas
Up in Smoke by Tessa Bailey
Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover
Between the Notes by Sharon Huss Roat

Challenge Update

Shockingly, I made no progress for the Read Harder Challenge from Book Riot this month.  In total I have 16 complete out of 24, but everything left is proving very challenging.  I started (slowly) reading All the Light You Cannot See by Anthony Doerr and The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith so hopefully I’ll be able to check off two more categories in August.

On My Blog Roll

Vox.com has had several articles lately on how we view meat and the ethical consequences of meat consumption.  I’ll never be a vegetarian – I’m a 34 year old who struggles to eat vegetables – but I still found these really thought provoking.

What’s the difference between eating pork belly and puppy belly? Not much.

Why eating eggs causes more suffering than eating beef

The Dorito Effect: Healthy food is blander than ever — and it's making us fat

Emily Henderson is always good and this month had an bookish post.

DIY ‘BOOK’ BOOKENDS

In Other News

I rewatched Jurassic Park a couple weeks ago and came away with two observations: the soundtrack is iconic and it’s too scary for me. Yes I’m pathetic.

Lot of purging of excess stuff lately.  I’ve taken several loads to Goodwill lately and Salvation Army is coming for bigger stuff today. 

I’m still traveling for work and the town we’re in now has quite a few antique shops.  I hit one of them over lunch last week and found some really interesting pieces.  Hopefully I get a post with pics up soon.  AND I only bought a set of candlestick holders.  I need to NOT replace all the stuff I’m purging.  At least not right away.

 

Mini Reviews–Comedy Memoirs

Yes Please written and read by Amy Poehler

I dare you to read this book and not want to be Amy’s friend when you’re finished. In addition to being funny and surprisingly insightful, Yes Please highlights Amy’s warmth as a person.  You can tell how much she cares about everyone who comes into her life.

She tells funny stories, shares wonderful insights

“It takes years as a woman to unlearn what you have been taught to be sorry for.”

and gives what I feel is very good advice.

“Great people do things before they're ready. They do things before they know they can do it. Doing what you're afraid of, getting out of your comfort zone, taking risks like that- that's what life is. You might be really good. You might find out something about yourself that's really special and if you're not good, who cares? You tried something. Now you know something about yourself”

Amy is self deprecating, but also incredibly confident and I was so drawn to that the entire time I was listening.  She discusses situations in her life that have been hard and she also talks about one in particular that she’s ashamed of and the security I think it takes to tell those stories to the world is enviable.

I loved the book and the narration.

 

Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me written and read by Mindy Kaling

I’ve listened to quite a few memoirs by comedians at this point, but this is the first time I’ve felt like I had a lot in common with the writer.  Mindy’s a reader and I loved her insights on friendship – see chapter “Best Friend Rights and Responsibilities”.  Plus at 5’10” I’m evidently the perfect height to be her friend.

“After all these years with friends who are five ten or taller, I have come to carry myself with the confidence of a tall person. It’s all in the head. It works out.”

Mindy and her roommate put together a two person play entitled “Matt and Ben” that they actually performed on stage and I SO wish I could have seen it because just hearing about it made me laugh.

I will admit the last third of the book was a little scattered.  Like Mindy had run out of memoir material and it got random, but I was still entertained.

Overall wonderful book and Mindy’s narration definitely made it better.

Top Ten Books That Celebrate Diversity/Diverse Characters

Every Tuesday the ladies over at The Broke and the Bookish host a book related Top 10.

This week is Top Ten Books That Celebrate Diversity/Diverse Characters. Eight of the ten I’ve read this year.  I’m a little scared of what that says about my reading choices in previous years.

Books that celebrate racial diversity

Life In Motion by Misty Copeland

Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng

The Living by Matt de la Pena

Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson

Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

Books that celebrate neurodiverse characters

The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion

My Heart and Other Black Holes by Jasmine Warga

Books that celebrate GLBTQ characters

Tell the Wolves I’m Home by Carol Rifka Brunt

Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli

Hold Me Closer Tiny Cooper by David Levithan

Last Ten Books That Came Into My Possession

Every Tuesday the ladies over at The Broke and the Bookish host a book related Top 10.

This week is “Last Ten Books that Came into My Possession”. 

Last Five Book Purchases

Since rediscovering the library my books purchases have drastically diminished.  I had to go back 3 months for 5 books.  Unfortunately they end up at the bottom of my TBR because I always have library books due back.

 

An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

This books sounds amazing and so far it’s in the moderate amount of hype range.  I need to read it before I’m sick of hearing about it without reading it.

 

 

 

 

P.S. I Still Love You by Jenny Han

If you told me when I finished To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before that I wouldn’t read the sequel the SECOND it came out I wouldn’t have believed it.  Still really excited for this one.

 

 

 

 

All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr

For a serious book I’m really excited about it – I just need a solid weekend that I don’t have a bunch to do.  I need to not have distractions when I read harder books.

 

 

 

 

Come as You Are by Emily Nagoski

This was actually a library book and about 50 pages in after wishing I could write notes on every other page I decided to go ahead and buy it.  If you’re looking for a good non-fiction read and have any interest in women’s sexuality (AKA you are a woman or you might want to have sex with one) this is a really interesting informative read.

 

 

 

Inked by Eric Smith

The lone ebook in the mix – I picked it up for $1.99 and I’ve heard great things.  But ebooks have taken a backseat to library books and physical purchases.

 

 

 

Last Five Library Books

I’ve talked a lot about my recent rediscovery/love of the library.  These are all very recent

 

Watchmen by Alan Moore

A co-worker strongly recommended this and since it’s mentioned favorably in Eleanor & Park I decided to give it a try.  It will only be my second graphic novel but I’ve only heard good things.

 

 

 

 

Between the Notes by Sharon Huss Roat

As mentioned in my last post, I love music and therefor books with music.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Always Emily by Michaela MacColl

Fictionalized story about Emily and Charlotte Bronte growing up.  I literally downloaded the ebook from the library about an hour ago. 

 

 

 

 

 

Rook by Sharon Cameron

I honestly am not sure what this is about other than taking place during the French Revolution.  The description is very intriguing without giving anything away.

 

 

 

 

The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien

Honestly I’ll be surprised if I get this read, but I wanted to try something different for me and this was the winner.