Weekly Update

Welcome to my weekly update for July 4, 2021! Happy Independence Day, my fellow Americans! As I write this on Friday, we haven't made any plans for the long weekend yet. Someone pointed out that Alaska is not the best place for 4th of July fireworks since we don't really see any darkness at this time of year. Oh well. I'm sure we'll find some sort of celebration! I'm posting pictures from Independence Day in Portland, Maine in 2019. We went out on a schooner with some friends to watch the fireworks from the water! Posted: Ten Anticipated Book Releases for the Remainder of 2021 Read: The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Emmuska Orczy The Golden Tresses of the Dead (Flavia de Luce #10) by Alan Bradley, read by Jayne Entwistle Namesake (Fable #2) by Adrienne Young Two Old Women: An Alaska Legend of Betrayal, Courage and Survival by Velma Wallis, illustrated by Jim Grant Firefly: The Unification War: Part One by Greg Pak, Dan McDaid, and Marcelo Costa, created by Joss Whedon Currently Reading: The Umbrella Academy: Dallas by Gerard Way and Gabriel Bá The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart, read by Del Roy Code Girls: The Untold Story of the American Women Code Breakers of World War II by Liza Mundy Up Next: I need a book set in/written by an author from Australia or New Zealand for one of my reading challenges. I know a lot of you live in these two countries. What do you recommend? What did your week look like? Deb Nance at Readerbuzz hosts The Sunday Salon and Kimberly at Caffeinated Book Reviewer hosts Sunday Post. Kathryn at Book Date hosts It's Monday! What Are You Reading? I have an affiliate relationship with Malaprop’s Bookstore/Cafe in beautiful Asheville, NC. I will earn a small commission at no…

Welcome to my weekly update for June 27, 2021! If you're new here, you might not know that my husband is a traveling healthcare professional. He accepts three-month assignments to fill staffing needs at hospitals around the country and I tag along. I take care of chores and errands while he's at work so that we can explore on his days off. We completed his last assignment in Sarasota, Florida earlier this month. We're now in Anchorage, Alaska! It's warmer here than you probably expect, with highs in the mid-60s and lows in the mid-50s, but still a bit of a shock to our systems! The sun sets at around 11:30 pm and rises around 4:30 am but the sky never truly gets dark. We're getting adjusted though! We normally travel in our motorhome but we didn't want to drive 4000+ miles from home, cross the Canadian border (allowed for essential workers but it still sounds like a pain), and find a campground near the hospital. So this time we flew in, rented a furnished apartment, and borrowed a car from a friend of a friend. We're used to rolling into town, plugging in the RV, and immediately sightseeing, so this experience has been different for us. We've had a lot of little chores that seem to take a lot of time. We haven't gotten out much yet but hope to this weekend now that we're settled in. We visited the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center on Tuesday. It was so cool to see all those native animals in their own environment! Let me know if you've visited Anchorage and have any suggestions for things we need to see! The brown bear is a resident at the Wildlife Center so he was behind a fence and we were up on a…

Welcome to my weekly update for June 20, 2021! Happy Father's Day to all the dads out there, especially my own! We were able to celebrate an early Father's Day with him last weekend. Considering that I hadn't been home since February 2020 because of covid and my husband hadn't been home since September 2019 (I flew home in February for a funeral but he had to work), it was a truly special day. What a busy few weeks! I last posted on May 28 while we were still in Sarasota, FL. I struggled with internet access the whole three months we were there but Verizon finally throttled my data access to the point where I just stopped trying. My apologies for not commenting on your blogs or responding to the very few things I posted here. We finally finished up my husband's work assignment in Sarasota and went home to Asheville, NC for a little over a week! Yay! It was so good to see my family and my mountains! We were ridiculously busy, trying to fit in time with everyone and catch up on overdue doctor and dentist appointments. If you want to feel old, schedule all your yearly appointments in one week. Seriously. Slideshow: The misty mountain view is from my parents' back porch, where I grew up in the Blue Ridge mountains of North Carolina. The clearer view is from my grandmother's front porch, "just up the hill" from my parents. I've been a lot of beautiful places but there's no place like home! Posted: Since my last update on May 23, I've posted Beautiful by Stacy McAnulty, illustrated by Joanne Lew-Vriethoff--5 Stars Ten Quotes about Making a Difference Read: I have been reading quite a bit since my last update on May 23. Less blogging…

Welcome to my weekly update for May 23, 2021! My husband and I haven't watched very many sunsets since we've been on the Gulf coast of Florida, which is a shame. I do love a good sunset. We're trying to make up for lost time now that we've only got a few weeks left here. Last Sunday, we watched it from Lido Beach. Last Monday, we took a Segway tour of Anna Maria Island. I've always wanted to ride a Segway and it was so much fun! I was timid with it at first but quickly got more comfortable and felt like an old pro within 30 minutes. If you get the chance to try it out, go for it! Anna Maria Island was gorgeous. We drove up on a Saturday when we first got here in March but couldn't find parking anywhere, so this was the first time we'd really gotten to explore. The water is indescribable. When I post these pictures from the week, do you prefer a slideshow or the smaller, fixed pictures? Both formats are easy but I don't know if people have strong preferences. Slideshow: The clear, aquamarine water surrounding Anna Maria Island and sunset from Lido Beach Reviewed/Posted: The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie by Muriel Spark Ten Book Titles That Are Complete Sentences The House with Chicken Legs by Sophie Anderson The Trials of Morrigan Crow (Nevermoor #1) by Jessica Townsend Amazons, Abolitionists, and Activists: A Graphic History of Women’s Fight for Their Rights by Mikki Kendall, illustrated by A. D'Amico Read: Amazons, Abolitionists, and Activists: A Graphic History of Women’s Fight for Their Rights by Mikki Kendall, illustrated by A. D'Amico Anahita's Woven Riddle by Meghan Nuttall Sayres The Woman Who Would Be King: Hatshepsut’s Rise to Power in Ancient Egypt by Kara…

Welcome to my weekly update for May 16, 2021! Well, the CDC announcement that fully-vaccinated people in the US can pretty much go back to life as usual was a bit of a surprise, wasn't it? My husband and I will probably continue wearing our masks inside for a while but at least we won't feel as uncomfortable when we see other people without theirs. If, like me, you're struggling with resuming a relatively normal life, I recommend reading this article about irrational covid fears in the New York Times. I read it a few weeks ago and it's helped me put my fears and the risks in perspective. I do advocate following CDC guidance and doing what feels best for you and your family though. We've definitely gotten more active ourselves since I passed my fully-vaccinated mark (my husband was fully vaccinated in January since he's a healthcare worker). We've been to botanical gardens, the aquarium, taken a kayaking tour, and we have a Segway tour planned for tomorrow. This is why we started traveling with my husband's job in the first place so it's nice to get back to activities that we love! I can't even decide which picture to post this week. Sunset, a tricolored heron, a green heron, mangrove tunnels, sand sculptures...it's been a week of photography here! (L) Downtown Sarasota, the John Ringling Causeway, and Sarasota Bay from Bird Key Park (R) Kayaking through the mangrove tunnels in Ted Sperling Nature Park Posted: The Flight of the Phoenix by R. L. LaFevers--4 Stars Rebel Queen by Michelle Moran--3 Stars Amari and the Night Brothers by B. B. Alston, read by Imani Parks--4.5 Stars Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer: 4.5 Stars Ten Books with Nature on…

Welcome to my weekly update for May 9, 2021! Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there! We celebrated early with my in-laws last week. It was nice to spend a long weekend with them. I won't be seeing my own mom today but we're planning to see her and the rest of my family in about a month! I haven't seen any of them since February 2020. Friday was an exciting day for me on Siesta Key! I noticed a crowd gathered ahead of me on my morning walk. As I got closer, I realized that some sort of ship was grounded on a sandbar, not very far offshore. A smaller boat was hovering around and I can't find anything about it on the news, so I assume that whomever was onboard got away safely. Quite a bit of debris had washed ashore though. I also saw my second yellow-crowned night heron! I took the picture in the water a couple of weeks ago; the sandy picture is from Friday. Slideshow Posted: A Curse Dark as Gold by Elizabeth C. Bunce, read by Charlotte Parry--3 Stars The Pretenders (Cemetery Girl #1) by Charlaine Harris and Christopher Golden, illustrated by Don Kramer--3 Stars My ten most recent reads Read: A Curse Dark as Gold by Elizabeth C. Bunce, read by Charlotte Parry Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie by Muriel Spark, read by Miriam Margolyes Flight of the Phoenix (Nathaniel Fludd, Beastologist, #1) by R. L. LaFevers, illustrated by Kelly Murphy Currently Reading: The House with Chicken Legs by Sophie Anderson Amari and the Night Brothers (Supernatural Investigations #1) by B. B. Alston, read by Imani Parks The Woman Who Would Be King: Hatshepsut's Rise…

Welcome to my weekly update for May 2, 2021! As you read this, my husband and I should be spending the weekend with his parents. We've all been vaccinated and they're only a two-hour drive away. It felt safe to us and the CDC says it's okay too. We've had lunch with them a couple of times since we arrived in Florida but this will be our first overnight visit since Christmas 2019. We'll be celebrating an early Mother's Day while we're there. The moonset from Siesta Key was spectacular on Tuesday morning. Posted: Ten Animals in Books Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata, translated by Ginny Tapley Takemori--4 Stars Welcome to the Jungle (Dresden Files #0.5) by Jim Butcher, illustrated by Ardian Syaf--3.5 Stars The Twentieth Wife by Indu Sundaresan, read by Sneha Mathan Six Degrees of Separation from Beezus and Ramona Read: Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata, translated by Ginny Tapley Takemori The Twentieth Wife by Indu Sundaresan, read by Sneha Mathan Welcome to the Jungle (Dresden Files #0.5) by Jim Butcher, illustrated by Ardian Syaf The Pretenders (Cemetery Girl Trilogy #1) by Charlaine Harris and Christopher Golden, illustrated by Don Kramer Currently Reading: A Curse Dark as Gold by Elizabeth C. Bunce, read by Charlotte Parry Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer Up Next: I don't even know. I've still struggled with my concentration this week. We'll see where the mood takes me. What did your week look like? Hosts Deb Nance at Readerbuzz hosts The Sunday Salon and Kimberly at Caffeinated Book Reviewer hosts Sunday Post. Kathryn at Book Date hosts It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

Welcome to my weekly update for April 25, 2021! I got my second vaccine on Friday! I was scheduled to get it at CVS on Thursday but CVS cancelled that appointment at the last minute. A brief scramble led me to Walgreens and they took care of me. As I write this about 24 hours later, I'm tired with a faint headache but otherwise, so far so good! What a huge relief to be fully vaccinated! I haven't felt much like reading or blogging this week for some reason. I worked on some organizational blog stuff in the background and I looked on the Overdrive library app for books on my GoodReads TBR instead. I did listen to a few audiobooks though. I took this picture of a pelican on Longboat Key when my in-laws came up for lunch on Monday. Posted: Ten Colorful Book Covers Read: Night Train to Lisbon by Pascal Mercier, translated by Barbara Harshav--3 Stars. I think this was a case of the wrong book at the wrong time. It's beautifully written and thought-provoking but that wasn't necessarily what I was in the mood for right now. Boston Jacky: Being an Account of the Further Adventures of Jacky Faber, Taking Care of Business (Bloody Jack, #11) by L. A. Meyer, read by Katherine Kellgren--2 Stars. I love the Bloody Jack series, largely because of Katherine Kellgren's unmatched narration, but this one actually angered me at the end. I think the author made a huge misstep. If there were more than one book left in the series, I would stop right here. That's how upset I am. But since I've come this far, I might as well push through to the end. Whose Body? by Dorothy L. Sayers, read by Nadia May--2.5 Stars--The mystery was decent enough although I…

Welcome to my weekly update for April 18, 2021! My best friend from high school and her husband (both fully vaccinated) are stopping by to see us this weekend on their way to their vacation. We can't wait to see them! I haven't seen them in over a year and my husband hasn't seen them for almost a year and a half. Someone built this beautiful sand castle on Siesta Key and I took a picture on my morning walk. Posted: Spirals in Time: The Secret Life and Curious Afterlife of Seashells by Helen Scales--4 Stars Fatima's Great Outdoors by Ambreen Tariq, illustrated by Stevie Lewis--5 Stars The Classics Club Signup--50 classics I plan to read in the next 5 years. Ten Book Titles That Work As Crayola Color Names Read: Fatima's Great Outdoors by Ambreen Tariq, illustrated by Stevie Lewis--I loved this book so much that I've already reviewed it. Link in the title. The Ship of the Dead (Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard #3) by Rick Riordan, read by Michael Crouch--4 Stars. I haven't reviewed any of the books in this series so I won't write too much here. The action is fun and non-stop, as Riordan's loyal readers would expect. I do like that Magnus is more of a healer and peacemaker than a fighter. Don't get me wrong--I love all of Riordan's main characters. But Magnus is different in a way that I appreciate. Also, Riordan tends to write very diverse characters but he really goes all out in this particular series. He understands that representation matters. Cosmic Queries: StarTalk's Guide to Who We Are, How We Got Here, and Where We're Going by Neil deGrasse Tyson and James Trefil--I only had two weeks to read this before it was due back at the library…

Welcome to my weekly update for April 11, 2021! First of all, my apologies that I haven't been visiting other blogs as often as I usually do. At first we were traveling around national parks in Arizona while we were nailing down my husband's next work assignment. But now that we've settled in Florida, our internet connection is inconsistent. I'm getting an idea of times when it might be better, so hopefully I can start visiting your blogs more frequently again. I didn't make it to the beach very often this week so this picture is from a walk around our current campground/mobile home park. I see a surprising amount of wildlife here, especially considering that we're in a "city" park right off a busy interstate. These are glossy ibises. Posted: Fathoms: The World in the Whale by Rebecca Giggs--4 Stars The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind: Creating Currents of Electricity and Hope by William Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer--4 Stars Ten Books I'd Throw into the Ocean Read: Spirals in Time: The Secret Life and Curious Afterlife of Seashells by Helen Scales--4 Stars. Who knew that snails and other shelled creatures could be so fascinating? Scales, a marine biologist, covers topics like why shells have such intricate patterns, "sea silk" made of fibers from Noble Pen Shells, snails that hunt fish and can kill a human within heartbeats, and sea butterflies as harbingers of climate change. I constantly Googled pictures of the species the author mentioned as I read (I didn't realize there were color plates at the back of the book but that didn't matter anyway on my Kindle Paperwhite) and watched videos of some of the more unbelievable species in action. Readers with a scientifically-curious bent will enjoy this one. The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley--4 Stars. I inhaled…