Quick Lit August'20

Linking up with Modern Mrs. Darcy and sharing some Quick Lit!

Meet Me in Monaco by Hazel Gaynor and Heather Webb, is a lovely story of time and place as an American actress, French perfumer maker, and British journalist meet and become friends in Canne.  The process of designing and developing a perfume and the role that the flowers and herbs of Provence play adds interesting practicality to the fun of a Royal Wedding.  

A Well-Behaved Woman is a historical fiction novel based on the life of Alva Vanderbilt tells a fascinating story of the late 19th century when old families and new families with money challenged for prominence.  The author Therese Anne Fowler does a wonderful job of taking us into this world as Alva matures and decides for herself which rules to observe and which need rethinking in a changing world.  

Another fun historical fiction novel based on the life of a real person; Lady Clementine by Marie Benedict begins on Clementine's wedding day as she reflects on her courtship with Winston Churchill and continues to follow their lives together up to and including the London Blitz.  While very repetitive in places; overall an interesting read and has peaked my curiosity to learn more about Lady Clementine.

Far from the Maddening Crowd by Thomas Hardy is the story of Gabriel Oaks and Bathsheba, the small village they separately each come to live in.  A lovely story of the successes and failures of the farmer class of England in the eighteenth century.  A quiet classic with wonderful dialogue and interactions amongst the townspeople.

Midyear Reading Challenge Update

 As June wraps-up and we hit the halfway point of the year I thought I would do a quick update for how various different challenges are going.  

 Modern Mrs Darcy Challenge
    I have completed 6/12
    I read The Jane Austen Society for the debut novel category
    I read Circle the Sun for the book recommended by a source I trust
    I read Bossypants for a book by a local author
    I read A Man Call Ove for the book in translation category
    I read Wings of Fire: The Lost Heir for the not my genre book
    And Anne of Avonlea was my reread

For the Unread Shelf Project 2020 hosted by Whitney of the Unread Shelf
   I have read 5 of my top ten list, read and 'returned'  4 of my Prime Reading borrows and have met the monthly reading challenge every month but March, which I skipped to focus on Lenten reading.

For The 20th Century in Books hosted by Ashley of The Big White Farmhouse this year I've read Anne of Avonlea (1909), Rilla of Ingleside (1921), 
Cotillion (1953), Across Five Aprils (1964), and Numbering the Stars (1989).  
At this point I have read a book from 46 of the 100 years.
         


Finally on Goodreads back in January I challenged myself to read 40 books this year.  'Sheltering at Home' and the fact that reading is one of my favorite stress relievers will likely combine to have me hitting that goal sometime next month (currently at 37) and am curious what my yearly total will be.

How is your reading year going?
   

What I'm Reading (likely) this year for the Challenges.

  So once again I'm joining in on the Modern Mrs Darcy reading challenge; and here are my initial thoughts about what to read for the different categories.

1. A book published the decade you were born:  A Summer to Die or A Swiftly Tilting Planet
2. A debut novel: Eleanor and Park
3. A book recommended by a source you trust: Circle the Sun
4. A book by a local author: Bossypants by Tina Fey
5. A book outside your genre comfort zone: The Lost Heir (Wings of Fire 2)
6. A book in translation: A Man Named Ove or Pachinko
7. A book nominated for an award in 2020: ??
8. A reread: ??
9. A classic you didn't read in school: East of Eden or Call of the Wild
10. Three books by the same author: L.M Montgomery or G.Heyer likely.

   Am also focusing on reading down my shelves this year and so have started following Whitney of The Unread Shelf and will be letting her challenge categories helping me choose among my TBR list throughout the year.

  Starting off the year by reading A Gentleman in Moscow which has been on my TBR list for over a year

As This Reading Year Ends

     In 2019 I challenged myself to read 35 books and in the end read 43.  For this coming year I think I'm going to go for 40.  In addition to again taking the Modern Mrs Darcy reading challenge I will also likely join the Catholic Lit challenge hosted by Haley of Carrots for Michaelmas.  Allowing for some overlap I should hopefully be able to strike a good balance between reading for fun and stretching my reading muscles.

     Some favorites from this year; Introduction to the Devout Life, Death Comes for the Archbishop and Eight Cousins.

What were some of your favorite reads of the year?

Summary for 2019

Books Read: 43

Fiction: 31  // Non-Fiction: 12
Kindle Books: 16  // Paper Books: 27 // Rereads: 2

Quick Takes #263: As June Ends

1. Crazily enough tomorrow is the last day of June.  With the last day of school for the bigs being June 15th the month has been a fun blur of finals, end-of-year activities and summer kick-off.
2. We joined a local community pool and have actually gotten a fair amount of pool time in already.  Lisbeth has past her deep water test and Caitlin is exploring how much she can swim with and without her swim-vest.  All of the kids have started lessons; and are for the most part enjoying them. (Current instructor will not let Lisbeth use nose plug which has had a definite dampening effect for her.)
3. The other great excitement of the month was a visit from Lisbeth's twin cousin. The girls played a lot of Minecraft and we were blessed with pool friendly weather. One morning we played tourist and visited the Liberty Bell.  Tough to see her go but luckily we have another visit to look forward to in August.
4. We started working through some of the Summer work assigned by the school and so far very little grumbling and everyone excited to show off their math skills.  Just starting to dig into the reading portion but am very pleased with their work ethic so far.
5. As we hit the halfway point in the year I've completed 9 categories on the MMD reading challenge and including the book I'm currently reading 4 of the Catholic Reading Challenge.  Of course for every book I manage to get off the TBR list I add 3!
6. Have already harvested a couple of tomatoes but something (!!!) is getting our strawberries before we can! Local farm stand is also starting to fill their bins.
7. Prayers for the Maryland Capital Gazette workers and families!!

Please head over to Kelly's for more 7QT's!

Remembering my Dad through books.

   Happy Monday! Hope you all had a wonderful Father's Day. In addition to celebrating Dr Daddy I of course was thinking and remembering my Dad. One of the ways I continue to feel connected to him and his memory is through books. My Dad loved to read and shared that love with my brother, sisters and me (as did my mom).  He would reread his favorites over and over; and some of them have become favorites of mine too.

I wrote about Look to the Mountain earlier this year when I reread it for the 'I don't know which time'.  A wonderful book in and of itself about the settling of the White Mountains region of New Hampshire during the 1770's, made more so by memories it invokes of my dad and the mountain he loved to climb.

God is An Englishmen by R.F. Delderfield is a story of the Industrial Revolution in England told from the perspective of Adam Swann who saw the opportunities the railroad could bring to moving goods around and set about making his fortune while at the same time he and his wife built and raised a family.  This is the first of three books; I don't remember if my dad read the whole series, (I've read and enjoyed the first two) but his copy of the first which I now have shows the signs of many reads.

To Serve Them All My Days also by R.F. Delderfield is the story of David Powlett-Jones a young man in his first teaching job at a private school still recovering from service during the First World War.  The story told over nearly two decades as he and the country heals and redefines itself is very moving in a quiet way.

I also remember my dad reading a lot of James Mitchner of whom I've yet to read any; but when I get there I will likely start with Chesapeake as that is a part of the East Coast that holds memories for us and that I wish to know more about its history.

What books hold a special place in your family history and remembrance of those you've loved?

Quick Lit; June '18

Having missed my chance to link up with Open Book this month due to scheduling craziness I thought I would join the fun over at Modern Mrs Darcy and share some of what I've been reading

Sprig Muslin by Georgette Heyer; as you friends well know I've been a Heyer fan for many years which made it all the more fun to find an undiscovered gem. Sir Gareth Ludlow joins the ranks of  favorite heroes created by Heyer and the book is a delight of white lies and misdirections until it all comes out right in the end.

Underfoot in Show Business by Helene Hanff is a memoir of her trying to make it in New York as a playwright during the 1950's. Full of amazing and hilarious stories; and as a big fan of 84 Charing Cross Road such fun to read more details of her life while she was keeping that correspondence.

One Beautiful Dream by Jennifer Fulwiler is a fun behind the scenes look at the writing of her first book.  As with Fulwiler's first book; this book shares stories of her marriage and family life as she and her husband seek to live a life which allows them to pursue professional dreams while raising the large family they also feel called to.

Joy in the Morning by Betty Smith is not a sequel to A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, but does pick up where the first leaves off.  Annie is a young woman from Brooklyn who has come out to Minnesota to marry her fiancé Carl a law student.  The book is a lovely portrayal of young marriage as these newlyweds navigate the first years of marriage.

And just finished Traveling Mercies by Ann Lamott; part autobiography - part reflections on faith.
The beginning of the book is Lamott's conversion story with the rest of the book reflections on aspects of life and faith. Her style is very approachable; sincere and authentic without being pushy or preachy.

What's in your book pile this summer?

What I'm (probably) reading in 2018

In the end I just can't quit the MMD challenge! Since I have also challenged myself to read thirty books this year I figured there would still be a lot of 'off-roading' even with trying to fulfill these twelve categories.

Inspired by our host's post I thought I would share what I'm thinking of reading this year.

A classic you’ve been meaning to read: Am currently reading A Room with a View.
A book recommended by someone with great taste: The Awakening of Miss Prim got some many raves I knew I had to give it try (currently reading).

A book in translation: Haven't decided
A book nominated for an award in 2018: TBD

A book of poetry, a play, or an essay collection: • Envelope Poems, by Emily Dickinson or A Small Porch, by Wendell Berry

A book you can read in a day: The Penderwicks 
A book recommended by a librarian: Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day

A book that’s more than 500 pages: A Team of Rivals or The Summer Queen (or maybe both)

A book by a favorite author: This category was easy—just not sure which author yet.

A banned book: Not really sure but thinking Of Mice and Men.
A memoir, biography, or book of creative nonfiction: Traveling Mercies or All is Grace.

What is on your reading list this year?

Quick Takes #212

1. 1. Does it ever feel like life knows when you have plans and throws a curve ball. This week the kids had gymnastics camp and we had a playdate scheduled and of course a virus hit. Luckily everyone seems fine now but hoping for smoother days ahead.
   2. Given the above I was so grateful that Haley reposted this wonderful checklist!
   3. We are enjoying the first of this summer's harvest! Basil and mint from our garden and lettuce and cucumbers from the school's for which it was our week to tend.
   4. Elisabeth has been resisting making the jump to chapter books but early this summer she rediscovered the Magic Treehouse books and is loving them!! As a big reader myself it means so much to me to watch her fall in love with books and reading.
   5. One more week of camp and overall I think they have enjoyed it. Swimming lessons have also gone really well and I'm hoping will pay dividends on our trips coming up.
   6. Prayers for the people of Nice!
   7. As of last night we are hunting Pokemon! Updates as warranted #what I do for my kids!
   
   Please head over to Kelly's for more 7QTs
   

Reading recap and looking forward

I will with a bit of luck finish the book I selected for the final category of MMD's 2015 reading challenge later this week; Snowflake Bay a book I choose for its cover and that it was set in Maine at Christmas time as that was where I too was spending Christmas.

Good not great with decent dialogue but I found the plotting slow and the chemistry between the hero and heroine a bit forced. Plus the book kept referring to a city as being in Rhode Island that I know to be in New Hampshire.

Looking forward Modern Mrs Darcy is hosting another reading challenge this year and I'm signing up again. Starting off with Brideshead Revisited for the Book that Intimidates Me category and I have ideas for a couple of the other categories feel like the categories leaves room for me to discover some books along the way.

Speaking of reading challenges; Lisbeth's grade was again challenged to read 40 books over the course of the school year. However unlike last year where it was a tough slog this year she is doing amazing and is already over halfway done and having fun discovering different genres.  As part of the challenge she needs to read 10 non-fiction books and so far 4 of the 5 she read are about dinosaurs.  That's my Lisbeth!!

What are you reading these days?
Anyone else joining the reading challenge?

five faves: fall reads

Linking up with Jenna and inspired by this reading list I thought I would share some of my 

favorite fall reads

1. Anne of Green Gables series: While I love to read and almost always have a book with me in college I was reluctant to start anything new until I had a sense of what the required reading of various classes would be and so every fall I would reread the series. It would be impossible for me to pick of favorite among the eight but for the purposes of this list Anne of the Island (#3) and Anne of Windy Poplar (#4) are especially fun to read in the fall.
2. September by Rosamund Pilcher; nothing like being swept away to Scotland, London and Ibiza with interesting people as they go about their daily lives, heal old wounds and prepare for a big birthday bash.  I truly enjoy how Pilcher juggles many characters and plot lines bringing it all to a very satisfying conclusion.
3. Cloister Walk by Kathleen Norris; a memoir of her time as artist in residence at a monastery where she is a Benedictine oblate and then transitioning back to the everyday at home is a wonderful read at anytime but as it begins in the fall I enjoy starting it then too.
4. Madeleine L'Engle's Crosswick Journal four book collection is a wonderful read and while the first two Circle of Quiet and Summer of the Great-grandmother belongs to the summer; Two-part Invention belongs to the fall. A memoir of her husbands battle with cancer is also a lovely remembrance of a long marriage well lived.
5. Cordelia's Honor by Lois McMaster Bujold; a great space opera turn later in life romance between two people who thought they had their lives all figured out and then life with its many plot twists intervenes.

What do you love to read in the fall?