August Reading Wrap-Up and a List of September Possibilities

Hello, friends, and happy September! Fall is definitely on the way, but before I settle in with autumnal reading, here's a quick wrap-up of my August books.

August was a good reading month for me. I only read four books, but they were all winners. Two were  backlist titles from favorite authors, one was a classic reread (a long annotated edition this time) and I enjoyed one popular new release.

Books Read in August

Abide with Me by Elizabeth Strout

literary fiction, I'm an Elizabeth Strout completist! ⭐⭐⭐⭐

The House on Fripp Island by Rebecca Kauffman

literary fiction, a favorite author,  backlist ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Annotated Mansfield Park by Jane Austen, David M. Shapard

classic, reread,  MMD Austen in August ⭐⭐⭐⭐

These Summer Storms by Sarah MacLean

contemporary fiction, new release ⭐⭐⭐⭐

September Reading Possibilities

Good Morning Comrades by Ondjaki 

World Lit Digital PBC, in translation (completed)

The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion, Volume 1 by Beth Brower 

historical fiction, buddy read project, (completed)

This Motherless Land by Nikki May

MMD September selection (in progress)

When the Cranes Fly South by Lisa Ridzén

literary fiction, in translation, new release

Writers & Lovers by Lily King 

reread, literary fiction

No More Tears: The Dark Secrets of Johnson & Johnson by Gardiner Harris

nonfiction, read/listen combination

I finished the two short books already, so my September reading is already off to a good start. What was your favorite August book? What are you looking forward to reading this month?

A July Wrap-Up, At Last and a Reading Update

Hi, remember me? I'm still here, but can't seem to manage any kind of blogging consistency lately. The summer seems to be flying by and it's been a hot, humid, and relatively dry one in our corner of CT. Friday we had a brief respite from the humidity, but still nothing in the way of rain. Overall, we've kept things low-key the last couple of months, and I couldn't be happier. There have been no major trips, weddings, or remodeling projects and as a result, it's been a pretty relaxing summer. 

So what have we been doing? We visited central NY a couple of times to see my family and attend a bridal shower for my nephew's fiancé. Our oldest daughter and son-in-law moved into their house in West Hartford, so we've been trying to help them as much as possible. (We still have one more daughter and son-in-law left in NYC.) My morning walks, when they happen, have been early and we've been exploring historic sites, gardens, and lobster shacks all around the state. July was also a decent reading month.

 Books Read in July

By Nightfall by Michael Cunningham

Bug Hollow by Michelle Huneven

Speak to Me of Home by Jeanine Cummins

The Jane Austen Insult Guide for Well-Bred Women by Emily Reed

The Other Side of Now by Paige Harbison

Recent Reading//

Abide with Me by Elizabeth Strout

This was my only unread Elizabeth Strout novel, and now I'm a completist! Originally published in 2006, it is a somber story about a Congregational minister in a small, rural Maine town trying to hold it all together after his wife's untimely death. He has two young daughters, parishioners with complex problems who look to him for guidance, and is also dealing with his own crisis of faith. As he tries to work through it all, the local gossip mill churns mercilessly painting an unfavorable, largely inaccurate portrait of Reverend Tyler Caskey. 

As always, I loved Strout's writing, but this book will not go down as one of my favorites. It's worth a read especially if, like me, you're angling to become a Strout completist, but I much preferred the Lucy Barton and Olive Kitteridge novels.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Current Reading//

The Annotated Mansfield Park by Jane Austen, David Shapard

This year for Austen in August, I'm reading a couple chapters a day of Jane's longest novel and discussing with a small group over at Modern Mrs. Darcy book club. This annotated edition is nearly 900 pages long and I'm just past the midpoint.

The House on Fripp Island by Rebecca Kauffman

A backlist (2020) title from a new favorite author, I've read just over a third of this one.

Dracula Daily by Bram Stoker

The real-time reading of this epistolary novel continues. It's getting creepy!

How is your summer going? What have you been reading lately?

 

June Reading Wrap-Up and a List of July Possibilities

Despite the recent heat wave, June has been a very good month. For the first time in what feels like years, we went an entire month without traveling! Our oldest daughter and son-in-law spent some time with us as they closed on their new house, and a week later everyone was here for Father's Day. It's been wonderful to stay close to home and enjoy the CT shoreline.

The reading was good this month, too. I finished six books! That's a lot for me, but most of them were on the short side. Now I'm caught up with book club selections, and look forward to a month of commitment-free reading in July. 

BOOKS READ IN JUNE

The Correspondent by Virginia Evans

My favorite book of the year so far!

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Annotated Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

A beautifully annotated edition of a favorite classic

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Everything is Tuberculosis by John Green

nonfiction, especially good on audio

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Hear the Wind Sing by Haruki Murakami

Murakami's first published work, book #1 of The Rat series, for book club

⭐⭐⭐

Pinball, 1973 by Haruki Murakami

The Rat #2, for book club

⭐⭐⭐💫

The Phoenix Pencil Company by Allison King

debut fiction, MMD July selection

⭐⭐⭐

JULY READING POSSIBILITIES

By Nightfall by Michael Cunningham (in progress)

Bel Canto: The Annotated Edition by Ann Patchett 

True Grit by Charles Portis

Abide with Me by Elizabeth Strout

On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons From the Twentieth Century by Timothy Snyder

An Unfinished Love Story: A Personal History of the 1960s by Doris Kearns Goodwin

Dracula Daily (ongoing, real time read-along)

Also in July//

We're going to central NY to spend the long 4th of July weekend with family, and are looking forward to my sister-in-law's visit here mid-month. "The kids" will all be around to help celebrate my birthday later in the month. With no big travel plans ahead, I'm looking forward to plenty of porch reading!

How was your month? What was you favorite June book?

May Reading Wrap-up and A List of June Possibilities

 

our last evening in Florida

May is always a busy month for us and this year was no different. We started the month in Florida, spent five days traveling north to Connecticut, made two trips to central NY to see family, and we've had our daughter and son-in-law staying with us in CT while they looked for a house. So I was surprised to look back at my reading and find that I'd completed five books. And even better, they were all 4 or 5-star reads. I'll take that any month!

BOOKS READ IN MAY

Search by Michelle Huneven

literary fiction, MMD book club, 4 stars

Run for the Hills by Kevin Wilson

literary fiction, MMD book club, 5 stars

Voices in Summer by Roasmunde Pilcher

fiction, 4 stars

Hot Air by Marcy Dermansky

literary fiction, 4.5 stars

Ordinary Time: Lessons Learned While Staying Put by Annie B. Jones

nonfiction, essays, 4 stars

JUNE READING POSSIBILITIES

The Correspondent by Virginia Evans (Completed - LOVED it!!)

The Annotated Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald (in progress)

Everything is Tuberculosis: The History and Persistence of Our Deadliest Infection

by John Green (nonfiction, audio, in progress)

Dracula Daily by Bram Stoker (readalong in real time, in progress)

Wind/Pinball: Two Novels by Haruki Murakami (for World Lit Book Club)

 

Beyond these books already in progress and reading commitments, my goal for the summer is to read from my shelves, both physical and virtual. We'll see how it goes...

What was your favorite May book?

March Wrap-up and April Reading Possibilities

Where did March go? I enjoyed visits from family members, time with friends, great beach weather, and some really good books! March is truly "high season" around here and the island was busier than it's been since before Hurricane Ian in 2022. Around 50% of hotel rooms and condos have been restored and the recovery continues. Restaurants, shops, and the bike paths are crowded. We're still waiting for a couple of favorite restaurants to come back (fingers crossed!) but other cities that have faced similar devastation have told us that it takes a full five years.

March was also my best reading month so far this year, in terms of both quantity and quality.

BOOKS READ IN MARCH

Three Apples Fell from the Sky by Narine Abgaryan - 4.5 stars

World Lit Book Club, fiction, in translation - my thoughts

I'll Come to You by Rebecca Kauffman - 4.5 stars

literary fiction - my thoughts

Three Days in June by Anne Tyler - 4 stars

 fiction - my thoughts

How to Stay Married by Harrison Scott Key

memoir, book club selection, not for me- my thoughts

You Are Here by David Nicholls - 5 stars

fiction - my thoughts

APRIL READING POSSIBILITIES 

A Fever in the Heartland by Timothy Egan

narrative nonfiction, finished, review coming soon

Kate & Frida by Kim Fay

epistolary fiction, in progress

The Enchanted April by Elizabeth von Arnim

classic, fiction, reread

Search by Michelle Huneven 

fiction, MMD May selection

Censoring an Iranian Love Story by Shahriar Mandanipour

fiction, in translation, World Lit book club

,

Wellness by Nathan Hill

fiction, priority TBR

Also in April//

Our time in Florida is winding down and our calendar for the month is filling up! We have a few home maintenance service calls, dinners with friends, a farewell gathering or two, plus another visit from our daughter and her husband coming up. We're also looking forward to Easter in just a couple of weeks. 

How was your month? What was your favorite March book?

Feeding time! Zoom in to see roseate spoonbills, wood storks, ibis, and great egrets.

 

February Reading Wrap-Up and a List of March Possibilities

We're approaching mid-March and I know it's late for a February reading wrap-up, but here we are... The month of February seemed to fly! We finished our Hurricane Ian repairs, furnished and decorated the ground level guest suite, and welcomed our first guests to that space since 2022. What a milestone! We loved having our oldest daughter and son-in-law here for two weeks at the beginning of the month. Then we were delighted to host an old friend from our days by the lake in central NY. And finally, just moments before February ended, Twin A and her husband (minus Winnie the Whippet) arrived for a 10-day stay. 

As far as reading goes, it was a pretty slow month. I spent almost all of February on a long nonfiction classic and credit Tina for keeping me on track. On the fiction side, things were definitely lighter and easier reading!

BOOKS READ IN FEBRUARY

Good Dirt by Charmaine Wilkerson - MMD book club selection, fiction, 4 stars

Testament of Youth by Vera Brittain - nonfiction, classic, buddy read, 3.5 stars

How to Read a Book by Monica Wood - reread, fiction, 'UpLit', 4.5 stars

My thoughts on all three titles are here.

MARCH READING POSSIBILITIES

Three Apples Fell From the Sky by Narine Abgaryan (completed)

in translation, for World Lit Book Club

I'll Come to You by Rebecca Kauffman (completed)

fiction, new release 

How to Stay Married by Harrison Scott Key (in progress)

nonfiction, memoir, MMD April selection

Three Days in June by Anne Tyler

fiction, new release

You Are Here by David Nicholls

fiction, from my shelves

... and we'll see what else catches my eye!

What your your favorite February book? What are you looking forward to reading in March?

January Reading Wrap-up and A List of February Possibilities

Hello, friends. Here we are well into February and so far this month seems to be flying! It feels like a big change from last month when January just dragged on forever. 

In January... we began our drive to FL on New Years Day, making stops along the way to visit my cousin and some old friends. Once we got here, there were repairs to attend to, friends to catch up with, a barrage of disturbing national news, and record-breaking cold. As a result my reading got off to a slow start, but picked up again toward the end of the month.

.

BOOKS READ IN JANUARY

A Good Life by Virginie Grimaldi

fiction, in translation, 4 stars, my thoughts 

Oranges by John McPhee

nonfiction, classic, 3 stars, my thoughts

I've Tried Being Nice: Essays by Ann Leary

nonfiction, essays, 4 stars, my thoughts 

How the Light Gets In by Joyce Maynard

fiction, 4.5 stars, my thoughts

FEBRUARY READING POSSIBILITIES

Testament of Youth by Vera Brittain (in progress)

Good Dirt by Charmaine Wilkinson (MMD February selection)

Three Apples Fell from the Sky by Narine Abgaryan

You Are Here by David Nicholls

The Briar Club by Kate Quinn

Our daughter and son-in-law have been here visiting since the beginning of the month and are planning to stay for another week or so. They're fortunate to be able to work from home and I love having them around! Obviously, I haven't had quite as much time to read, so I expect February will be a slow reading month. If I'm lucky I'll finish two or three of the titles listed above.

How was your January reading? What was your favorite book last month?

 

November Reading Wrap-Up

Before too much of December gets away from me, I want to post my November reading wrap-up. Overall it wasn't the greatest reading month. Between the election and Thanksgiving travels, I didn't read as much as I'd planned. But I did enjoy the four books I did finish.

BOOKS READ IN NOVEMBER

The Secret Lives of Church Ladies by Deesha Philyaw 

short stories, reread, audio,⭐⭐⭐💫

The Duchess of Bloomsbury Street by Helene Hanff

nonfiction, travel memoir, ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Weyward by Emilia Hart

historical fiction, read/listen combination, book club, ⭐⭐⭐⭐

A Good Life by Virginie Grimaldi

literary fiction, in translation, ⭐⭐⭐⭐

DECEMBER READING POSSIBILITIES

The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro (in progress)

The Wedding People by Alison Espach

Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson

What I Ate in One Year by Stanley Tucci (audio)

I don't expect to read all of these in December. We have another trip to central New York planned mid month, expect a full house over the Christmas holiday, and then we'll pack up and head to Florida! It's always good to have a few books lined up though, right?
 

July Reading Wrap-Up and List of August Possibilities

Happy August, friend. This is not a month I usually look forward to, but after a June and July filled with travel, weddings, and family celebrations,  I am happily anticipating a slower paced, relaxed month at home.  

Despite our July travels, it turned out to be a better reading month than I was expecting. I finished four novels, plus made some progress  on my Team of Rivals nonfiction project. The novels were mostly light and easy to read... exactly what the month called for!

BOOKS READ IN JULY

Olga Dies Dreaming by  by Xóchitl González

fiction, ⭐⭐⭐⭐💫

my brief comments

How to Read a Book by Monica Wood

 fiction, ⭐⭐⭐⭐💫

my brief comments 

The Bodyguard by Katherine Center

romance, ⭐⭐⭐

my brief comments

Sandwich by Catherine Newman

fiction, ⭐⭐⭐⭐

my brief comments

The above graphic is a new feature at The Storygraph. As far as I can tell, Storygraph is a goodreads alternative which offers better statistics and lots of graphics. Last January I decided to test it out for a year, but so far it hasn't been quite as useful for me... probably because my friends are all on goodreads. Have you explored The Storygraph?

AUGUST READING POSSIBILITIES

Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln

by Doris Kearns Goodwin

in progress, I'll finish this month

The Annotated Persuasion

by Jane Austen, David M. Shapard 

in progress - a community read with MMD 

Elena Knows

by Claudia Piñeiro,  Frances Riddle (Translator)

August is Women in Translation Month

Fresh Water for Flowers

by Valérie Perrin, Hildegarde Serle (Translator)

from my Summer Reading List, another WiT possibility

Dayswork

by Chris Bachelder and Jennifer Habel

MMD September selection

September by Rosamunde Pilcher

a buddy read beginning in late August

How was your month? What was your favorite July book?

 

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!