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Welcome to my weekly update for November 8, 2020!
My husband started his new work assignment last Monday so I feel safe to say that we left Portland, Oregon and we’re now in Oceanside, California, just north of San Diego! We enjoyed our time in Portland but we’re chasing good weather in our RV. We spent last winter in Newport Beach, California, so we’re on slightly familiar territory. We were hoping to go to Arizona but the hospital my husband applied to isn’t in a hurry to hire so he accepted this job instead. It feels good to be a 10-minute drive from the Pacific though! And temperatures right now are perfect for me!
Posted:
Book Review: Get Well Soon: History’s Worst Plagues and the Heroes Who Fought Them–5 Stars
Book Review: The Soul of America: The Battle for Our Better Angels by Jon Meacham–4 Stars
My Year in Nonfiction for Nonfiction November
6 Degrees of Separation: From Dissolution to One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
Read:
Hole in the Sky by William Kittredge
Currently Reading:
A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik
The Last Astronaut by David Wellington, read by Megan Tusing
The October Country by Ray Bradbury
Watching:
The Mandalorian Season 2–We love this show so much! We were planning to wait on watching season two until after all the episodes were released but we just couldn’t. We tend to be slow watchers anyway, so why not get started? I’m not sure how my husband manages to actually watch it over my squeals of “Baby Yoda is so cute!!!!!!” Or “I love his baby Moses basket so much!!!!!!” We’re talking serious tween squealing here. But he is so cute!!!
Up Next:
I realized today that it’s been a little while since I listened to a Bloody Jack book, so I think it might be time to visit Jacky and enjoy Katherine Kellgren’s fabulous narration. I placed some library holds on Mary Roach‘s books so I hope one of those becomes available soon. I’ll also be continuing with Nonfiction November and hopefully reviewing some of my nonfiction books from this year.
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 additional cost to you if you purchase merchandise through links on my site.
29 Comments
Oceanside, eh? You got out of Oregon just in time. We’re at an RV park in Junction City (down by Eugene) for a few days and it dropped to 24 the other night. Thankfully, none of our water lines or tanks froze. Phew!
I lived in San Diego for 20 years and our last house was in Vista. My brother lives in Escondido and one of my nephews works at WorldMark in Oceanside. You’re going to love it there. Which hospital is your hubby working for? I’m curious about where you have your RV parked. We boondock at my brother’s in Escondido and use Uber to get around when we’re visiting. If you want some great Mexican food, head to Solana Beach and go to Tony’s Jacal. Yum!
We hit 30 a couple of nights before we left and turned on our tank warmers and unhooked our water to be safe (we don’t even own a heated hose). I know people live in their RVs in below-0 temps but it just seems like so much work and worry! We’re avoiding it while we can. Thanks for the recommendations!
We unhooked our hose to be safe, too. We have tank heaters, but have never used them. I can’t imagine living in an RV with below zero temps. I would just as soon head to a warmer location!
Me too! I belong to a Facebook group for travel nurses who live in their RVs. Someone just asked for help convincing his wife to live in Reno in the snow so he can go skiing this winter. No thank you says I!
I started a MustReadNonfiction list a number of years ago. My goal was to read at least 12 a year. I have become an addict. So far this year I’ve read 25 nonfiction and that doesn’t include all the nonfiction picture books!
Wow! I’m glad you’re finding so much nonfiction that interest you!
The San Diego area is lovely! I haven’t spent much time there, but we have friends we visit now and again (or did, when travel was okay) and it seems like a great area. Happy reading!
I visited San Diego twice in one month a couple of years ago. Once for a conference with my job and once as a tagalong for a conference for my husband’s job. I think it’s a lovely city. I’ll just be so glad when we get through the pandemic and can properly explore the places we find ourselves in again.
Yes, that part would be frustrating. You have this time to travel and see the country for work, and yet you can’t properly enjoy it. Ugh. Hopefully it won’t last much longer.
Your new spot sounds heavenly, think of me in cold Scotland! I’m resisting the temptation to watch The Mandalorian, I’m saving it for nearer to Christmas. Have a lovely week.
But Scotland is so high on my bucket list–in warmer months, of course. You have more will power than we do if you’re waiting on The Mandalorian!
I’m glad you found a nice spot for the next months with lovely weather. I enjoyed A Deadly Education. I have always wanted to read Get Well Soon but I plan to get the audio because the narrator is Gabra Zackman and I love her. Enjoy your reads!
Anne – Books of My Heart This is my Sunday Post
A friend recommended Get Well Soon to me and she highly recommended the audio book. I just don’t absorb nonfiction as well when I listen to it so I chose the e-book.
Great spot to spend the winter! I have A Deadly Education but haven’t put it on my reading calendar yet. I hope to get to it soon. Come see my week here. Happy reading!
We definitely can’t complain about spending the winter in Southern California!
There is nothing I would like more right now than to be able to chase the better weather. It’s settling down into winter in the UK, and I miss the sun already. 😦 I’ve been seeing so many people talk about A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik. I think I’ll have to add it to my TBR! 🙂 Happy reading!
I’m not a fan of cold, gray, damp days so it has been heavenly for me to chase the sun the past few winters!
I’m glad to know you’ve resettled in the sun 🙂
I’ve had Mary Roach’s books on my TBR forever. I really need to get around to them.
Wishing you a great reading week
Mary Roach cracks me up, even when she’s writing about dead bodies. She sets the bar really high for me when I pick up science-y books.
Sounds like a very good move to chase the warm weather. Should be enjoyable. Happy week’s reading.
We’re happy to be in the sun, that’s for sure!
I’m really glad that your husband is settling into his new job. Oceanside, California sounds like a wonderful place to live. Look at the beauty of that place. How much fun would it be to move every three months?!
I’m very curious about A Deadly Education. I think I also need to find out more about The Soul of America.
Have a good week.
You would probably enjoy The Soul of America. We like exploring new places every three months. Traveling in our RV satisfies my inner homebody since I’m always surrounded by my own things but the new locations make my inner explorer happy.
I like the look of The Soul of America. Enjoy your week, and here are MY WEEKLY UPDATES
Once I got into the flow of The Soul of America, I really enjoyed it.
Wow, your life sounds like an adventure. My hubby watched The Mandalorian and I caught some bits but I’ve been meaning to watch the first season and have yet to do so. You’ve been reading some good books.
We travel three months at a time as my husband fills vacancies at different hospitals. We enjoy it! I love The Mandalorian so much. I hope you like it when you start it!
Glad you are off to some better temps and beautiful beaches! I’m super jealous!
My hubby and I need to start the Mandalorian too. I’m excited. We also need to finish off the last season of The Good Place. Baby Yoda is too cute. I made a couple crochet projects of him this summer. Loved it.
Deadly Education is on my list! I started it but I had to get it back to the library before I could finish. The Last Astronaut looks intense. I need to add that one now.
Which Mary Roach books are you going to read? I’ve read Packing for Mars, Spooked, and Stiff. I’ve been meaning to finish up her others. All have been so good.
I hope you have a wonderful week!
I’ve read Stiff and Gulp. I requested Spook as a transition from all my horror reading last month into Nonfiction November but I still haven’t received it. We love The Mandalorian and The Good Place so much. I hope you like them! We’re a little sad that we’ve only got two episodes of The Good Place left. We’re torn between wanting to know how it ends and stretching out the series as long as possible.