The Sunday Salon: Our Time in CT Winds Down

Mystic Seaport, Mystic CT

It's Sunday again and this is my last update from Connecticut. How is it that we've been here for two month and it feels more like two weeks?? We've enjoyed time with our daughters, reuniting with old friends, walks along the shoreline, exploring the towns around us, reading and relaxing on the porches, and eating more than a few lobster rolls. We already want to come back next summer!

My reading, unfortunately, has been slow this month. Numerous distractions plus too many days spent on a book I wasn't completely invested in are behind that. The book in question, Mary Jane by Jessica Anya Blau, is not  a bad book, just a case of bad timing. I finally set it aside around the 40% mark with plans to pick it up again later. 

Current reading//

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë

The combination of Novel Pairings two-part podcast discussion and RIP made this seem like the perfect time to revisit this book. My favorite approach to classics lately is a read/listen combination and Thandiwe Newton's audiobook narration is adding to the overall experience. Just past the halfway mark, I'm enjoying the journey... but somehow forgot the book is nearly 600 pages long!

 

The week ahead//

...probably won't be too exciting. Main events include cleaning, organizing, packing, maybe a pedicure, and driving to central NY. Next weekend is my mother's birthday!

That's it for my week. How was yours? What are you reading?

The Sunday Salon is hosted by Deb at Readerbuzz.

It's Monday, What Are You Reading? is hosted by Kathryn at Book Date.

August Wrap-Up and September Reading Plans

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?

It's September and RIP is Here!

 

It's September and you know what that means... RIP is back! Now in its 16th year,  RIP - Readers Imbibing Peril - has a home at @perilreaders on Instagram and twitter. The event, which runs through Halloween, encourages readers everywhere to enjoy: 

• Mystery
• Suspense
• Thriller
• Dark Fantasy
• Gothic
• Horror
• Supernatural

Visit @perilreaders to check out various challenges and information on this year's group read.

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I'm not a big mystery reader, I definitely don't read horror, and have never gotten into fantasy either, but there are still plenty of books on my RIP tbr. These are the ones I hope to read this year:

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë (reread)

The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley (audio)

 An Elderly Lady Must Not Be Crossed by Helene Tursten (release date 10/5)

Are you participating in RIP this year?