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.

Quick Takes #291: July Wrap

1. Happy last day of July; a month that felt like it lasted about a month's worth. I'm not sure if that means things are improving or I'm getting better at this new normal.  I do know that it was a month when I wanted the circle a bit smaller, but do now want to check-in and let readers know how we are doing.
2. The kids have been great about their assigned summer work; workbook wise we are about done and are making good progress with summer reading.  I'm also continuing to make good progress with my reading challenges, and thanks to my local library opening for curbside pick-up have recently read some great summer reads.
3. Visiting our community pool has allowed a bit of summer fun in a year when most activities are canceled.  I have been impressed with the distancing policies they have put in place; and really nice to see the kids playing with their friends ~  6 feet apart while covered in chlorine.
4. The Garden is steady but good. We are growing summer squash for the first time and have harvested our first one.  One tomato plant is not growing well but ripening fruit well; the other is growing beautifully and hopefully, the fruit will begin ripening soon.  The mint as always is crazy!
5. July also saw us making a quick trip to Virginia which was wonderful on so many levels.  We had our best trip down traffic-wise in several years.  It was amazing to see my mom and sisters again.  The cousins had a great time together and Lisbeth enjoyed a fun sleepover.
6. Other ordinary but fun family milestones to note this month; Liam is learning to mow the lawn, and Caitlin is learning to ride her bike without training wheels.
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   Please head over to Kelly's for more 7QT's!

Open Book ~ July'20

A Man called Ove by Fredrik Backman is a charming story of a curmudgeon's opinions and how he adjusts to changes in his neighborhood.  Backman through flashbacks and current misadventures tells a wonderful story of the measure of a man and when you realize long held grudges no longer matter.

A Hundred Summers by Beatriz Williams tells the story of Lily Dane and her friend Budgie of New York, Smith and summers in Rhode Island.  Alternating between 1931 and 38; you see these young women grow into adulthood and how the sin of omission can do as much harm as an actual lie.  I found Lily to be a bit too gullible but the writing pulled me in and kept me interested.  Explicit in places so would definitely pre-read if considering for a older teen.

Summer at Tiffany is a memoir by Majorie Hart of the summer of 1945 when she and a college friend became the first girls ever to work as pages at Tiffany's.  Coming from Iowa to New York to work for the summer the author recounts their adventures at Tiffany's, throughout the city, and particularly in Time Square on VJ Day.  A fun, fast read ~ just right for a summer afternoon.

The Personal History of Rachel DuPree by Ann Weisgarber is a fictional but well researched look at the experience of the black homesteader.  Rachel is a cook working in a boarding house in Chicago when the owner's son a Calvary soldier about to retire from the Negro troop comes home for a visit.  By the end of the visit in exchange for her claim to 160 acres; Isaac DuPree agrees to marry her.  The book is a wonderful glimpse of life at the turn of the 20th Century first in Chicago and then the Badlands

A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park tells in an alternating way the daily life of a young Sudanese boy in 1985 and a young Sudanese girl in 2008.  As I read further in this very well written YA book I borrowed from my oldest; I learned that Salva's story of being one of the 'lost boys' of Sudan escaping the war and living first in refugee camps and later coming to the US is true told to the author.  Nye's story is a composite of the many children of Sudan he is now trying to help.  A lovely book which has proven to be the source of some good conversations with my 12 year old about the world and giving back.

For more Open Books please head over to Carolyn's!

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?
   

Quick Takes #290: Mid-June Check-in

1. Hi ~  we made it to Friday. In my case a sunny morning ~ storms predicted for afternoon Friday but still a chance to put down a few thoughts. Here we are slowly resuming to going places; wearing a mask and with a lot of crowd control but expanding the bubble none the less.
2. Our community pool has opened and we have been a couple of times. The older two quickly passed their deep water test and Caitlin re-found her 'doggie paddle.  One of the adjustments for this year is that the pool is not offering lessons so it looks like it will be up to Dr Dad and me to help Caitlin organize her movements into an actual stroke.  So good to actually see people (at a respectful distance) and watch my kids play with some of the friends they are been missing.
3. One upside of the otherwise bummer of no camp is that there is a lot of options of when to do the summer work assigned in a day. After a well deserved break from school work; we are now back at it but at a more leisurely pace.  
4. In the category of 'better late than never' I finally got a couple of tomato plants in the ground, as well as some basil and trying for the first time this year summer squash.  As always we already have a bumper crop of mint, but I am hopefully that with a steady weeding the others plants might have their chance.
5. Nice weather and a still mostly empty calendar has allowed me to keep reading at a wonderful pace. Currently reading this and these titles coming up next.  I had in January set the Goodread challenge of reading 40 books this year; however in the craziness that is this year I'm likely to hit that goal next month!!
6. Another treat that June has brought is the return of HGTV's Good Bones.  While their design direction is often different from mine, I love the mother-daughter dynamic!  The show also really makes me want to go to Indianapolis; which I haven't thought a lot about since I was a kid watch One Day at a Time.
7. Wishing everyone a good weekend ~ and the dads out in blogland Happy Father's Day!!

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

Open Book ~ June'20

Cotillion by Georgette Heyer is another fun Regency comedy of manners.  Kitty is being pressured into marriage by her guardian and appeals to a long-time friend to become betrothed to buy some time.  Freddy agrees reluctantly but then takes her to London and in every way behave in such a way to become one of my favorite Heyer Heroes  As I've come to expect from this author the supporting cast is wonderful and adds to the general confusion and very much to my enjoyment.






Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell is the story of young love between two hurting teens.  They meet on the school bus when Eleanor moves to town and slowly come to care for each other.  Told in alternating perspectives the story is angsty and sweet in that way that good YA can without ever minimizing the serious problems they were facing.  Given the serious issues discussed and blatant examples of bullying would not recommend for young teens.












Rilla of Ingleside by L.M. Montgomery is the last of the Anne of Green Gables series (book 8).  Told from the perspective of Anne's youngest daughter Rilla who at 15 is ready for her first dance and other delights. The story beginning in 1914 tells the story of WW1 as experienced in a little town on the coast of P.E.I. Wonderful characters 'do their bit' and serve from the Homefront, but the next four years are the carefree growing into womanhood she had imagined.  Written for young girls the description of the battles are not at all gory but Montgomery does convey the emotions of waiting for the latest papers.  While those who have read the series better appreciate the cameo's by the minor characters the book can be read as a stand-alone.

News of the World by Paulette Jiles is the story of Captain Jefferson Kidd who has lived through 3 wars and fought in 2. It is now 1870 and he makes his living traveling around north Texas reading the news from various newspapers aloud in towns along the way.  He is now as a favor to another former officer returning young girl, stolen by the Choctaw Indians four years earlier,  to her aunt and uncle near San Antonio.  I liked this quiet, sometimes slow moving story of breaking down communication barriers and forming relationships in this time place. Jiles descriptions of the Texas landscape are wonderful.











Number the Stars by Lois Lowry is the story of two girls in Nazi Occupied Denmark that I borrowed from my 12 year old after she read it with her class.  Annemarie is 10 years old and so is her best friend Ellen; and the book tells the story of how Annemarie's family comes to help and hide Ellen.  While clearly written for middle schoolers I really enjoyed the narrative and it peaked my curiosity enough to spend a couple of days researching the Danish Resistance.

My thanks to Carolyn for hosting this link-up!

Please click over for more Open Book!

First Day ~ Last Day 2019-20

First two trimesters spent in the brick & mortar and the last spent remote learning from home!!

Liam ~ 3rd Grade

Caitlin ~ 1st grade

 Elisabeth ~ 6th grade