Labor Day weekend... the end of "meteorological" summer. It's getting dark a little earlier and the evening air has a chill. I haven't seen any changing leaves here in southern CT, but it's certainly started in central New York. Where did the summer go?
In August...
We had several visits from our NYC daughters, caught up with old CT friends, explored the historic town of Essex, and (thanks to Henri) even spent a few days in NY with my parents. In spite of all that, I still managed to finish five books. BUT one was a play and one was an extended short story, so not very impressive on the reading front.
- The Street by Ann Petry - 4.5/5 stars, classic
- A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams - 3/5 stars, classic, play
- The Women of Brewster Place by Gloria Naylor - 4/5 stars, classic fiction
- We Are the Brennans by Tracey Lange - 4/5 stars, contemporary fiction
- The Sixth Wedding by Elin Hilderbrand -3/5 stars, expended short story
My favorite August book:
September Reading Possibilities//
- Mary Jane by Jessica Anya Blau (currently reading)
- The Sun Does Shine by Anthony Ray Hinton (audio, nonfiction)
- Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë (reread, for RIP)
- The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley (mystery, for RIP)
In September...
We will leave our CT rental mid-month, spend at least a couple of weeks with my parents, then decide when it might be safe to return to Florida.
How was your August? What was your favorite book of the month?
In August, I caught up with two Miriam Toews novels as I've not read any of her nine books. 'All My Puny Sorrows' the film adaptation will premiere at Toronto FF next week. And Sept. is a good time to be in NYC as there's the NYFF at Lincoln Center. Have a great family time, JoAnn!
ReplyDeleteThey didn't allow me to put down my Wordpress link to Ripple Effects when I left my comment. No choice in selecting "Reply as:" other than Blogger.
DeleteArti - I have All My Puny Sorrows waiting on my kindle. Look forward to the film, too. Blogger is constantly trying my patience, especially when it comes to comments. Thanks for persevering!
DeleteAh, returning to Florida. That could be treacherous right now with COVID rates, unmasking, etc. Our area of the county is doing better than most right now, but numbers are still up from a month ago.
ReplyDeleteHelen - That's for sure! I'm hoping things are better (or at least improving dramatically) by the beginning of October or we may stay with my parents just a little longer...
DeleteIt's starting to look like COVID will be with us forever now. And that scares me more because people are growing more nonchalant about it even while people are dying in larger and larger numbers. I'm as careful as ever, but there's only so much we can do for ourselves without becoming near-hermits. Books are a special blessing right now...but I can't imagine living quite like this for the rest of my life. We have lost so much - and so many.
ReplyDeleteSam - My thoughts exactly! Take care and hang in there.
DeletePretty flowers! Mums, right?
ReplyDeleteI'd really forgotten that this is Labor Day weekend. We're usually getting ready to head out on a long road trip right about now, but not this year. :( We'll head up to one of our favorite state parks in another week, but it's disappointing to not be able to go on a real adventure. Stupid Covid.
You ask where summer went. We never had a summer here! We're lucky if we hit 70 once or twice. I shouldn't complain, but it would have been nice to have warmer weather so we could sit outside just a little bit.
It sounds like you've really enjoying your time in CT. Your reading numbers are about the same as mine. I guess we were busy doing other things. I'm really looking forward to We Are the Brennans. I just finished The Most Fun We Ever Had and I LOVED it! Thanks so much for the recommendation. It will definitely be on my Best of 2021 list.
Les - Yes, mums. I do miss fall central New York, but we'll probably go up to the Adirondack mountains for a day before we leave. There will be plenty of leaves changing color there!
DeleteI think when we go to Florida, it will be two twelve-hour days on the road with food packed and stopping as infrequently as possible. Glad we got to meander and enjoy the drive north, but things aren't great now.
We've had a great time in CT and are thinking of buying a summer place here. Now that the house is FL is mostly done, we'll be able to sell the condo. It so convenient for the NYC contingent to visit... we've had someone here almost every weekend.
The Most Fun We Ever Had was my favorite novel last year! So glad you loved it, too. I sure hope she is working on another book.
Enjoy your time at the state park. Sure hope you get at least a day or two of real summer weather!
It has been feeling a little like fall lately, and I am here for it! Enjoy your September reads!
ReplyDeleteAngela - I am, too... just love fall!
DeleteThis summer (what there was of it) flew by. It was either too hot and humid or too rainy most of the summer. Fall is always my favorite season since I stopped being a sun-worshiper around 40 LOL - Looking forward to apple season, pies and other fallish stuff. Hope all your family time is wonderful.
ReplyDeleteDiane - This really was a weird summer, as far as weather goes. I'm planning to do all the fall things before we head south... even a day trip up to the Adirondacks.
DeleteHave a safe trip home! I've noticed a few trees here that have already started changing color. I'm very ready for cooler temperatures. Have a great week!
ReplyDeleteAj - Leaves are starting to change in northern NY, so I'm hoping to get my fill of fall before heading south. Have a good week.
DeleteIt does seem amazing that it's Labor Day again, though we have been lucky to have quite pleasant weather this summer. It would be scary to go to Florida since they seem determined to prolong the pandemic by any means available.
ReplyDeletebest... mae at maefood.blogspot.com
Mae - Can't even begin to express the anger I feel toward FL state government... not only do they seem to be prolonging the pandemic, sometimes it feels like they're actually trying to kill people!
DeleteIt is hard to believe it is Labor Day weekend already!
ReplyDeleteI read a lot of good books in August so it is hard to pick a favorite. I guess I will choose Death at La Fenice by Donna Leon. It is the first in the series and I loved the characters and setting.
Have a good week!
Gretchen - I have never read Donna Leon, but Death at La Fenice is on my kindle. I don't read mysteries very often, but want to try this series!
DeleteGlad to see the year turn towards fall--always a mellow, nesting time of year for me.
ReplyDeleteBest book of August - A Woman of No Importance was spectacular.
Safe travels as you wend your way south.
JaneGS - I've always loved fall and miss it being in Florida. This year we'll try to get in all the fall activities before we go ... fingers crossed a trip up to the Adirondack Mountains, too. Thanks to you, I've got A Woman of No Importance on my library list.
DeleteCul-de-Sac and The Reckoning were my favorite August books. So far, I'm already loving my September reads, like The Good Son.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your books, and I have my eye on The Hunting Party.
Laurel-Rain Snow - I love reading everything I can about the Kennedys. Hadn't heard of The Good Son before, but it sounds like one that belongs on my list!
DeleteVicki - I'm adding Falling to my list.
ReplyDeleteI hope there are No more hurricanes. So much destruction. Ida was particularly awful. You had a good reading month considering all your moves & company. & wish you well getting back to FLA. ... despite the crazy governor ... is he as nuts as he seems?
ReplyDeleteSusan - I hope we're done with hurricanes, too, but this is now the peak. My fingers are crossed. Yes, our governor is indeed nuts. He's trying to attract as much national attention as he possibly can... campaigning for higher office instead of running the state. FL is doomed...
DeleteIt sounded like a good month.
ReplyDeleteMystica - It was! Actually turned out better than expected as far as reading goes.
DeleteSummer flew by! I am ready for fall though. The cooler nights, the crisp air, the crispy leaves - I am ready. :)
ReplyDeleteEnjoy the rest of your stay in the north!
Erin - Summer is always the shortest season, it seems. I love fall and am glad we can enjoy some of it before heading south!
DeleteJoAnn, I liked The Hunting Party and will be curious what you think. I finished Tweleve Patients and liked it. They did a good job of matching the character Max as medical director on New Amsterdam with Dr Eric Manheimer.
ReplyDeleteUgh to Florida's approach to Covid. I hope the rest of the world realizes we aren't all on the same page as deSantis here. Can't wait to vote him out. Hoping our trip north still goes well.
Haven't gotten The Street yet but you have me interested!
Tina - I'm looking forward to The Hunting Party and am glad to know you ended up liking Twelve Patients. We're pretty discouraged about the way Florida has dealt (or not) with the pandemic... can't wait to vote DeSantis out! Fingers crossed for your trip north.
DeleteLove your picture! Glad you got to spend time with your girls and hope you have a nice last few weeks in the 'north'. It's getting cooler here in the mornings - like 70 degrees or I think even 69 this morning. Makes my morning walk a little more comfortable. It's interesting how Kerrville is a little cooler than Austin - two hours further west and away from that Gulf breeze I guess. Enjoy your reading!
ReplyDeleteKay - The overnight lows in Sanibel are finally trending below 80, but still pretty brutal. A couple of mornings here have been in the low 60s - glorious! I'll probably be complaining about the chill before the month is over though.
DeleteI understand your caution about returning to Florida. We saw photos of lots of foolish people at the beach this weekend here in Texas. Sigh.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the heads up about The Street. I will look for it.
I'd love to feel a chill in the evening air. I think I'd stay where you are for another month at least.
Deb - I get that people want to live their lives, but that can still be done safely if everyone cooperate. The pictures of college football stadiums have me shaking my head...
DeleteThe Street was wonderful, but sad... unlike anything else I've read from the Harlem Renaissance.
Where did summer go indeed?! Although we seem to be enjoying another mini summer here in the UK this week, after a pretty grey August! I am glad you were able to see family, enjoy plenty of reading and stay safely away from the bad weather. I hope it won't be too long till you can head back to your house. 🙏🙂❤
ReplyDeleteJessica - I'm glad you're enjoying summer's brief return... hope it sticks around just a little longer for you! Enjoy your reading this week.
DeleteI need to add The Street to my list. This summer has seemed so long to me mainly because I had high hopes we'd be back to living a more normal life but the pandemic is really making it difficult isn't it? Anyway hoping you are able to get to Florida soon. Stay safe!
ReplyDeleteIliana - That's a good point. I know I expected a very different summer from what we ended up with. Still, I relished the time with family even if some trips and activities had to be postponed. Fingers crossed things are much better in Florida in a few more weeks.
DeleteMy favorite book of the month (and of this year so far) is A Month in the Country by J. L. Carr. It's a very short, but very powerful novel.
ReplyDeleteAileen - That's high praise! A Month in the Country has been on my kindle for over a year... I WILL get to it before January. Thanks for the recommendation.
DeleteI'm wondering as well where summer went. It's getting cooler here and some trees are beginning to sport the Fall color. I love Fall but I also hate time flying by like it certainly did this year.
ReplyDeleteI have not been reading much at all but I'm hoping it picks up the rest of this year. We'll see about that. Your August sounded like a lot of fun - I hope September is too.
Athira - My reading typically slows down during the summer, but not nearly as much as it did when the kids were young. I love fall, too, and am glad to be able to enjoy a little of it before we head south again. Hope these back-to-school days are going smoothly for you.
DeleteThis year has been so weird. It drags in places but then speeds ahead. I could not believe it when Labor Day came around.
ReplyDeleteMy fave August read was probably The Perfect Family by Robyn Harding. I was so distracted with my daughter's move and that book held my interest.
Ti - Summers don't get much busier than the one you just had! The Perfect Family sounds like a book that would keep you engaged and offer some distraction from all that's going on. Fingers crossed your daughter's test results come back negative.
Delete