Hello, friends. It's June and summer is here. We spent several days in Manhattan this past week and one of the highlights was enjoying a beautiful sunset from our daughter's Upper West Side rooftop. I especially loved watching the lights come on in all those buildings as darkness descended... quite a sight! Also on our agenda was a visit to a local indie bookstore, walking in Central Park, taking in a museum or two, and a few great restaurants. I love New York City!
We're well into the month now, but it just occurred to me that I never posted a May reading wrap-up... probably because I read so little last month! Between finishing up Florida repairs, packing, our road trip north, and then unpacking here in CT, I only finished three books.
BOOKS READ IN MAY
Death Comes for the Archbishop by Willa Cather
classic novel, ⭐⭐⭐⭐
fiction, ⭐⭐⭐⭐
new release fiction, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
*May favorite
JUNE READING POSSIBILITIES
Team of Rivals by Doris Kearns Goodwin
nonfiction, currently reading
Horse by Geraldine Brooks
fiction, currently reading
Olga Dies Dreaming by Xóchitl González
June selection MMD book club, fiction
Long Island by Colm Tóibín
new release, fiction
How to Read a Book by Monica Wood
new release, fiction
Also in June//
June is a busy travel month for us. We started the month with the trip to NYC. This week I'll make a quick trip to central NY for an early Father's Day visit before our daughter and son-in-law come to spend Father's Day weekend with us. Later in the month we'll travel to Pittsburgh for a bridal shower for our daughter, and finally a graduation party for my nephew in the Philadelphia area. Perhaps my list of reading possibilities is a little too optimistic!
Inspired by all of your 20 Books of Summer lists, I've decided to put together a "priority TBR list" of ten books I'd like to read before Labor Day Weekend. I don't know if I'll get to them all, but it's always good to have a plan, right? Look for that post on Tuesday.
What was your favorite book last month? Do you have any special plans for June?
From the Gallery of Tiffany Lamps
Your daughter's view is great! Reminds me a bit of a few views I've enjoyed from places in Seattle. I'm not a big city gal, but city lights can be beautiful. I've only been to NYC three times, but one of those visits was for a full 10 days (!!) with my daughter, who was 12 at the time. We did everything. Shows, shopping, museums, restaurants, etc. We stayed at The Peninsula and loved the easy access to everything we wanted to see and do. I would love to go back and spend some time in the art museums. (Apologies if I've already gushed about my visit to NYC.)
ReplyDeleteI'm eager to get my hands on Sipsworth! The cover art alone is wonderful. My favorite book last month is a tie between The Road to Dalton and Devorgilla Days, however if you ask me in a year what The Road to Dalton is about, I don't know if I'll remember. The setting of Devorgilla Days is more easily pictured.
Have a great week, JoAnne!
Les - I love hearing about your NYC experience and the happy memories! It's hard to believe how much I love the city now, because when we lived in CT in the mid 80s and traveled in regularly for shows, baseball games, continuing ed classes, etc. it was a challenge and finally got to be too much. Probably during one of the garbage strikes, I proclaimed that I was done with the city forever! And I was until our oldest daughter got an internship one college summer. I didn't want her to go, but was then pleasantly surprised by how much better it all was. She kept going back every summer, then one of the twins did, too. Both are still there... for now, anyway.
DeleteDevorgilla Days sounds like a book I'd enjoy. None of my libraries have it, but I'm going to look at the local bookstores.
I think my first visits to NYC were in 1995 & 1996. It felt very safe.
DeleteLes - I was there a few times in the 70s, more regularly in the mid80s, and I think the dramatic improvement occurred in the 90s. Of course you still need to stay aware of what's happening around you, but it's so much safer and nicer now!
DeleteHope you have a good week
ReplyDeletesherry @ fundinmental
Thanks, Sherry.
DeleteIt is hard to get much reading in when you are traveling and visiting others. Audiobooks are great, if you can like listening to them. That is a great way to get some reading in on the road.
ReplyDeleteCindy - I love audiobooks and like to listen to them while I'm walking, cooking, etc. I can listen when traveling by plane or train, but we talk too much in the car, lol!
DeleteI love New York. What a great trip you had. Your books look good. I have Long Island on my wishlist. Hope you have a great week!
ReplyDeleteYvonne - I'll miss it when our daughters decide to leave the city, but know we'll still visit often even when they no longer live there.
DeleteLove the Tiffany Lamps picture. So beautiful! Enjoy all your events and I'll watch for your 'summer list' to come.
ReplyDeleteKay - The Tiffany exhibit was stunning... I especially loved those wisteria lamps!
DeleteI spent time in NYC several years ago, and one of my favorite things to do was watching the sun go down over the city. Beautiful photo.
ReplyDeleteGood luck with your summer reading list. I am not sure why but I can't seem to settle in on some good fiction. I am reading two classics, but I'm reading them incredibly slowly. I hope you will read Long Island. I am very curious about it, and I'd like to see what you think.
Deb - I hope you can find some fiction that calls to you soon... hate when I get into a slump like that. As much as I love classics, it's good to fly through a contemporary novel that pulls me in from the first pages , too.
DeleteSafe travels! That sounds like a lot of adventure. Love the photos!
ReplyDeleteJoy - Thanks. There are so many special occasions this summer. I love it, but it's exhausting, too.
DeleteUgh, I'm so jealous of your trip to NYC!!! And that view!!!!
ReplyDeleteJinjer - I just love NYC!!!
DeleteI have read the first three titles on your list of June possibilities, and they are all good. “Long Island” is on my list as well, but I want to reread the first book before I read the sequel, so it might be a while.
ReplyDeletebest, mae at maefood.blogspot.com
Mae - I've been trying to decide whether to reread Brooklyn first or rewatch the movie...
Deletei am also in NY, but Ithaca (not as exciting as the City). All your travels sound like a ton of fun!
ReplyDeleteHelen - This is a beautiful time of year in Ithaca. Hope you get to enjoy the area in between the moving chores!
DeleteFirst off, would you please adopt me?! Your trip in Manhattan sounds like so much Fun! I am happy you'll be enjoying time with family.
ReplyDeleteI really need to get that Willa Cather book on my list and I just finished Major Pettigrew's Last Stand and liked it very much. that's two I have read from my summer reading so we will see what else is on tap upcoming.
Florida is super hot now and we stay in a lot. Hoping to read quite a bit and maybe garden very early. Love your updates, JoAnn!
Tina - Ha, ha! It really is great to be around family again. I see SWFL is about to get drenched in the next few days... like 15-20" of rain! Things have been pretty dry, but that's just crazy! Hope you're staying cool and dry inside.
DeleteThat's a really striking photo. I love the sunset colors that you captured. It seems difficult to come even close to what the eye sees when I take scenic photos, especially ones with any depth to them. This one came out great.
ReplyDeleteYou remind me again of how much I love Team of Rivals and Doris Kearns Goodwin's writing in general.
Thanks, Sam. That really was a remarkable evening and the photo still doesn't capture it fully. Of all the time we've spent in NYC since the 'kids' moved there, I don't think we've ever watched the entire progression of the sunset to darkness.
DeleteTeam of Rivals is just so good! I'm at the point where Lincoln has been elected and is putting his cabinet together... will probably spend another month on the slow read. Have you been tempted by her new book? I've already added it to my list.
I love the photo of the sunset from your daughter's rooftop, JoAnn! I am glad you enjoyed your visit in New York. I have never been to New York City, although I have been to upstate New York a few times. Someday I will make it to the big city. You may not have read as much as you would have liked last month, but you read some very good books from the sounds of it! I hope you have safe travels this month, JoAnn. Have a great week!
ReplyDeleteWendy - I was happy with the quality of last month's book and am choosing to ignore the quantity, lol. This month is shaping up to be pretty similar!
DeleteI just read a cozy mystery featuring the wisteria Tiffany lamps so it was fun to see a picture of one! I have Sippsworth on my TBR and really want to read pretty much anything by Willa Cather. Safe travels and I hope you are having a wonderful week!
ReplyDeleteKatherine - The Tiffany lamps were all so striking, but I especially loved the wisteria duo. Very fun that they figured into the plot of a cozy mystery! Sipsworth was such a delightful book.
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