For many of us, July marks the middle of summer. After July 4th, school supplies come out at the stores, Halloween decor is in the seasonal section, and back to school sales start. Although it can be difficult, this month, I decided to slow down, find joy in the little things, and just savor the lazy days of summer.
Earlier in July, I went on a wonderful family vacation to northern Michigan with my husband and two young adult children. Many of the things we had planned, were out doors enjoying nature. We ate all our meals together, no phones allowed. But, the best thing was that we took time to reconnect with one another and just be present with one another, laughing, telling old stories, and reminiscing about past summers.
I am hoping you've also had time to slow your roll this summer and just be present in the moment. Of course, having a book and favorite beverage in hand is just the icing on the cake.
Until Next Month!
Happy Reading! 🍹😎📚
Same As it Ever Way By: Claire Lomabardo
Well, this book took me a bit longer to devour, as it is close to 500 pages, but I have to say it’s my favorite book read in 2024, thus far. The main character, Julie Ames, is a 57 year old librarian, wife, and mother of two grown children. In the beginning of the book, Julia encounters Helen Russo, an older woman, at a grocery store. This single event sets off a chain of events that unravels hidden secrets from their pasts. The plot is told in two twisted strands, a double helix of past and present events. If you like books with well- developed characters that feel like your friends by the end, family drama thrown in, and relatable situations &secrets throughout, then this is a book for you. I gave it 🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩 on the devour scale.
Sandwich By: Catherine Newman
This was the perfect book to read at the end of my own family summer vacation. I devoured this book in 2 days! Not only because it’s only a little over 200 pages but also because I was so immersed in the story. Rachel (also known as Rocky) is middle-aged and sandwiched between her young adult children and her aging parents. For the past two decades, her family escapes to Cape Cod to vacation to the same beach house. The book is structured over a week allowing the reader to find out what each day of their vacation entails. It’s also told in first person, from Rocky’s POV, which I think gave it a more personal feel. If you like books set in the summer, families figuring out life together, with some past and present secrets revealed, then this is a book for you. I gave it 🤩🤩🤩🤩 on the devour scale.
Bonus Book: Paper Palace By: Miranda Cowley Heller
It is a perfect August morning, and Elle, a fifty-year-old happily married mother of three, awakens at "The Paper Palace"--the family summer place which she has visited every summer of her life. But this morning is different, due to one unexpected event. Now, over the next twenty-four hours, Elle will have to decide between the life she has made with her genuinely beloved husband, Peter, and the life she always imagined she would have had with her childhood love, Jonas, if a tragic event hadn't forever changed the course of their lives. As Heller colors in the experiences that have led Elle to this day, we arrive at her ultimate decision with all its complexity. Tender yet devastating, The Paper Palace considers the tensions between desire and dignity, the legacies of abuse, and the crimes and misdemeanors of families. I read it the summer of 2021 and gave it 🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩 on the Devour Scale.
I Hope This Finds You Well By: Natalie Sue
This debut novel is one that I guarantee will make you laugh out loud one min and get teary eyed the next. It takes place in an office where Jolene accidentally has access to all her coworkers private emails. She knows she should report it, but she just can’t resist reading them. As the reader, we get wrapped up in also learning about these characters personal lives. If you like books that are witty, filled with lovable but broken characters, and happy endings, then this is a book for you. I gave it 🤩🤩🤩🤩 on the devour scale.
The Bear - Season 3 (Hulu)
A young chef from the fine dining world comes home to Chicago to run his family sandwich shop after a heartbreaking death in his family. A world away from what he's used to, Carmy must balance the soul-crushing realities of small business ownership, his strong-willed and recalcitrant kitchen staff and his strained familial relationships, all while grappling with the impact of his brother's suicide. As Carmy fights to transform both the shop and himself, he works alongside a rough-around-the-edges kitchen crew that ultimately reveals itself as his chosen family. Watch Trailer Here
Bookish Flights Podcast (New Episodes on Wednesdays)
Bookish Flights is a show where we tell our stories through our favorite books. It is sure to grow your to-be read (TBR) pile and not leave you wondering what to read next.
We are all busy and this show encourages you to make time for your reading life. You will be inspired to read more, to try a new genre and to get more out of your reading life.
If you want to read more good books, you have come to the right place! Head over to www.BookishFlights.com to learn more.
NYT Game - Strands
Strands is a word search with a few twists. Each day, the puzzle has a theme, and your job is both to find the one word that describes the theme as well as a handful of examples. The first twist is that Strands allows the letters in a word to travel in multiple directions. The second letter can be above the first letter, while the third letter might be at a diagonal from the second. The third twist in Strands is that there is a way to receive hints. If you highlight any three words, even words that have nothing to do with this puzzle, Strands will then give you a hint.The final twist with Strands is that the name of the theme itself is in the puzzle, and it always stretches from one end of the grid to the other, meaning between the left and right sides or the top and bottom.
