Hello again, friends. We are finally back in Connecticut, but the photo above was taken earlier this month in Harper's Ferry, West Virginia. We hadn't planned to stop, but a short travel day allowed for a spontaneous detour. This beautiful spot is at the confluence of the Shenandoah and Potomac Rivers. It's also the site of abolitionist John Brown's historic 1859 raid on the federal armory. We parked at the Harper's Ferry National Historic Park, and took a shuttle bus into the historic town.
We had time to explore the museums, shops, sip an afternoon coffee, and enjoy the natural beauty of the area. Definitely the highlight of an otherwise uninspired few days of travel!
After a couple days of unpacking and laundry at home, our next stop was a surprise Mother's Day visit to central New York. I told Mom we' be arriving Monday, but our CT daughter scheduled my Mother's Day brunch on Saturday so we were able to pull off the surprise!
As far as reading goes, there hasn't been much of that this month.
Recent reading//
Mad Mabel by Sally Hepworth
This proved to be exactly the right book at the right time for me. I needed a page-turning plot, an unexpected twist or two, plus interesting, well-developed characters. Sally Hepworth delivered on all three counts. Plus, I just loved 81-year-old Mabel!
Mabel is a curmudgeonly old woman who keeps to herself, but seems to know about everything that happens on her street. When she discovers the dead body of an elderly neighbor, rumors from her past resurface. So many people around her died during her childhood. Did she really kill them all?
The story is told in dual timelines by young Mabel and present-day Mabel. When I was nearing the halfway point, the audio edition narrated by Hannah Fredericksen and Jenny Seedsman became available. It definitely added to my overall enjoyment.
This my second Sally Hepworth novel. (The Mother-in-Law was a solid 4-star read for me back in 2019 but, unfortunately, I never reviewed it here.) Now I'm officially a fan.
⭐⭐⭐⭐💫
Current reading//
War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
The year-long slow read with Footnotes and Tangents continues and, despite our travels, I've managed to keep up with the schedule.
Yesterday I read a particularly vivid and moving chapter in which the character Natasha danced a classic Russian folk dance. From our daily recap/newsletter, I learned that the chapter is so notable that it inspired the title of Orlando Figes 2002 classic Natasha's Dance: A Cultural History of Russia... a title which has been on my tbr list for years.
About to start//
The Things We Never Say by Elizabeth Strout
I pre-ordered this in hardcover and plan to get started this afternoon.
Murder Takes a Vacation by Laura Lippman
I'm not a big mystery reader, but Lippman is a reliable choice when the mood strikes. This will be my evening/kindle read.
The week ahead//
I can't believe Memorial Day is a week away. We have several chores and appointments scheduled this week. The most important is a getting our SUV serviced. It's one of the big tune-ups they do every 30,000 miles... and we've certainly put on a lot of miles lately!
On Saturday we'll celebrate our son-in-law's birthday. Then we're considering another trip to central NY on Sunday. We'll have a traditional Memorial Day cookout and I'll get to see the siblings I missed last weekend. I know my parents will appreciate another visit!
How have you been lately? What are you reading?
