The Sunday Salon: Home Again!

The Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi, Santa Fe 

Hello, friends, it's good to be home. After nearly two weeks of travel and a couple family weddings, we're finally back! Wedding #1 was in the central NY town where we lived for 30 years. We stayed with my parents for 5 days and spent time with my entire family before returning to CT to regroup for a couple of days. Next we flew off to Santa Fe for wedding #2. This time for a nephew on my husband's side of the family... more relatives, celebrations, plus plenty of shopping and sightseeing. I'm exhausted, but very happy! The photo above is the view of Santa Fe's famous cathedral from the terrace outside the wedding ballroom. 

Now that we're back, unpacked, and the laundry is done, I'm ready to start MY summer vacation! The zero-gravity lounge chair and a stack of books are calling... 

Recent reading//

The Bodyguard by Katherine Center

I am not a romance reader, but decided to try this because it's the August selection at Modern Mrs. Darcy bookclub. The discussions there are fun and I especially enjoy the live author chats if I've read the book beforehand. Plus, readers seem to love Katherine Center. The Bodyguard featured a cute story and I did enjoy reading it - a perfect airplane book. But overall, it felt a little too light and far-fetched for my taste. 

⭐⭐⭐

Sandwich by Catherine Newman

Now this is my idea of a perfect summer read - family drama, coastal New England setting, some lovely quotes, realism (maybe too much?) with both humor and sadness, and quick reading. It's ideal for a day at the beach or pool... or zero-gravity lounger on the porch in my case. I have a feeling this may be one of those books where my rating rises as I continue to think about it.

⭐⭐⭐⭐ 

Life is a seesaw, and I am standing dead center, still and balanced: living kids on one side, living parents on the other. Nicky here with me at the fulcrum. Don't move a muscle, I think. But I will, of course. You have to.

Current reading//

Team of Rivals by Doris Kearns Goodwin

I'm 500 pages in now, but didn't pick this up at all during our travels. It's still an excellent read and I'm trying to decide whether to go back to my slow, steady pace or just power through. We'll see...

Fresh Water for Flowers by Valérie Perrin

I just started this one yesterday and after 50 pages, I really like the writing and am intrigued by the main character. 

The week ahead//

Even though we're home for a while now, I am planning another quick trip to central NY to see my parents, get my hair cut, etc. That'll just be for a night or two. Otherwise, I plan to read, take morning walks with an audiobook, and maybe I'll even rediscover my kitchen ;-)

How have you been these past few weeks? What have you been reading?

The Sunday Salon is hosted by Deb at Readerbuzz.

A July Check-In

Hello, friends. I hope you all enjoyed the long 4th-of-July weekend. That holiday holds so many special memories of our years on the lake in central NY... it's hard to believe we moved nearly five years ago! Here's an old photo taken from our dock that always brings a smile to my face. 

Our summer travel season continues, but we're home now so here's a quick update before the next trip. The second half of June passed in a blur of travel and family events. The highlight was a bridal shower in Pittsburgh for our daughter. We were also able to spend time with her future in-laws and explore a new-to-us city.  Who knew Pittsburgh has so much to offer? 

We enjoyed a long Independence Day weekend on the CT coast with our daughter, son-in-law, and grandpup. Their lives have been extra stressful lately, so we kept things pretty low-key... long walks, family meals, games, movies, and reading. It was just what everyone needed!

Next up is a family wedding in central NY, then a few days to regroup before flying to Santa Fe for our nephew's wedding and my birthday! Although there hasn't been a lot of time for reading, the books I have read are all quite good.

Recent Reading//

Olga Dies Dreaming by Xóchitl González 

With more heft and substance than the cover might imlpy, this book was a surprise hit for me. I thoroughly enjoyed the characters, the storyline kept me turning the pages, and I loved learning about Puerto Rican culture and history. I'm happy Modern Mrs. Darcy selected this for July's discussion... I surely would have missed it otherwise! 

⭐⭐⭐⭐💫

How to Read a Book by Monica Wood 

This is the book I read over the holiday weekend. My short goodreads review: Books, Maine, forgiveness and second chances. This feel-good story was a quick read... perfect for a summer weekend!

⭐⭐⭐⭐💫

Current reading//

Team of Rivals by Doris Kearns Goodwin 

I'm still reading a handful pages every morning and still loving Team of Rivals. For such a long work of straight up history, it is surprisingly readable and interesting. Even Ann Patchett is a fan... she featured DKG's books on last  Friday's "New to You" instagram video.

About to start//

Spoon River Anthology by Edgar Lee Masters 

This classic was mentioned so frequently in How to Read a Book  that I was inspired to look for a copy. I found a multi-voiced audio production to download via hoopla and the ebook on Libby. Here's the publisher's summary:

Deemed "essential" in the canon of American literature, this audiobook masterpiece performed in its entirety by a full cast makes the classic accessible to everyone. From a cemetery in a fictional mid-American town, the dead speak the truths about their lives. Some speak of hardships and sordidness; others, of their simple, honest, happy lives. Some are elderly and others are youthful or children; mortality has claimed them all. Their voices reach us deeply, alternately plaintive, anguished, enigmatic, angry, contemptuous, and comedic, evoking themes of love and hope, disappointment, despair, and abiding faith. As the Spoon River residents examine their lives, they invite us to do the same.

I'll let you know how it goes...

Also near the top of the TBR pile//

The Bodyguard by Katherine Center

Persuasion by Jane Austen

Fresh Water for Flowers by Valérie Perrin

We're traveling for much of the next few weeks, so I'll check in again after our 'travel season' is over. In the meantime, I hope you all stay cool and have plenty of good books to read!