A Labor Day Weekend Update

Hello, friends. Happy Labor Day weekend! We finally have some cooler weather along the CT shoreline and it feels like fall is on the way! The windows are open and I'm loving the early morning and late evening temperatures in the 60s, and even the occasional dip into the 50s. Can my first pumpkin spice latte of the season be far behind?

As much as I love fall, I'm savoring these last few days of summer. We took a picnic dinner to the beach the other night, my brother and SIL from PA stopped to have lunch with us at the lobster shack yesterday on their way to Providence, and tonight we plan to attend the final Concert on the Green of the season. Most schools in the area started last week. That seems early to me since it was always after Labor Day in New York.

Recent reading//

The House on Fripp Island by Rebecca Kauffman

Now this is my idea of a summer read! Two families vacation in a lavish South Carolina beach house. The wives are childhood besties from West Virginia whose paths have drastically diverged, the husbands barely tolerate one another, and the kids (preteens and teens, with angst) are along for the ride. The novel deals with family dynamics, dysfunction, and class issues, plus a there's a drowning. I've enjoyed several of Kauffman's previous novels, especially The Gunners and Chorus, and this was another hit. The goodreads ratings are shockingly low - Too many characters?  Too much dysfunction? - but it was a 5-star read of me. If you're not a fan of a messy family dramas, it's probably best to run in the opposite direction. 

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Annotated Mansfield Park by Jane Austen, David Shapard

I've been a Jane Austen fan for decades, but Mansfield Park was the only one of her novels I'd never gotten around to rereading. It's Jane's longest novel and for years I've considered it my least favorite. As part of an annual Austen in August tradition, a small group at Modern Mrs. Darcy decided to tackle The Annotated Mansfield Park. Last summer we read The Annotated Persuasion and I enjoyed both that particular edition and the leisurely reading and discussion schedule, so I was happy to participate again.

I managed to stick to the schedule until Volume 3, but then lost all restraint and raced through the last few chapters. I still don't care for how it wraps up so quickly and mostly off stage, but it's always a pleasure to read Jan Austen... especially with this group!

⭐⭐⭐⭐

These Summer Storms by Sara MacLean

Family drama in a beach house seems to be my summer reading sweet spot right now. This one is an over-the-top 'rich people behaving badly' story set on a private island in Rhode Island's Narragansett Bay. Franklin Storm, the recently deceased patriarch suggestive of tech mogul Steve Jobs, remains controlling and manipulative even in death. He has set up a surprise win-your-inheritance challenge that takes family dysfunction to the next level. There is also an enjoyable, but unexpectedly steamy, romantic storyline. This was a fun, frothy page-turning summer read.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Current reading//

The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion: Vol. 1 by Beth Brower

This series seems seems to be developing a cult-like following. Very enjoyable so far!

Good Morning Comrades by Ondjaki, translated by Stephen Henighan

This is the next selection for my World Lit book club.

Dracula Daily by Bram Stoker

The real-time readalong continues...

The week ahead//

We don't have a lot planned for the week, other than a day trip to a coastal wildlife refuge in Rhode Island. I also hope to get a painter in for an estimate. My goal is to get the living room, dining area, hall and stairway painted before we head south. Last week we replaced dining room chandelier and that's already made a big difference!

How was your week? What have you been reading?

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?