Book One: What Comes Next and How to Like It
I started out the Summer Reads 2015 with Abigail Thomas’ What Comes Next and How to Like It. A true memoir, the writing style captivated me from the very beginning. I’m wanting to try one of Thomas’ writing assignments: “Take any ten years of your life, reduce them to two pages, and every sentence has to be three words long.” Perfect, no? Let me know if you try it for yourself. Thomas has some great words of wisdom along the way; some strike me now, and some I think will make more sense as I age. I especially like “Part of what I’ve learned is that if it isn’t life and death, it isn’t life and death. I have learned that every moment is precious.” As I was reading this book, I immediately thought it would be one that my Grandma Russell would have enjoyed. I passed it on to my friend Lois, who is also enjoying it very much.
Book Two: All the Light We Cannot See
Anthony Doerr’s All the Light We Cannot See is quite a book. It goes back and forth between years, following two characters during WWII. It’s heavy stuff, both from the number of pages and the content. But it is wonderfully written and absolutely got in my head to the point where I’m thinking about it in my spare moments now that it’s over. I’m not quite ready to start a new book, as I still want to bask in this one for awhile longer. Highly recommend if you can devote the time and energy; it’s not light reading for sure.
Next book up is Hannah Nordhaus’ American Ghost. And so it is, the second week on my summer reads out of 15 weeks and I’m already on book three of my list of eight. I may have to come up with some additional pieces if I keep going.
Garden Update
We’ve been working in the gardens! In addition to the flower gardens, Bob is putting in a vegetable garden in the front yard. I did get all the veggies planted (tomatillos, tomatoes, brussels sprouts, cabbage, lettuce, radishes, cucumbers and strawberries), but still need to get some photos. Last night dropped to 45 and tonight is supposed to drop to 40. This past weekend was flat cold and rainy. We had a fire last night, and I spent all of yesterday in the house with the curtains drawn. I don’t remember it being this cold in June before.
Anyhow, the annuals are all in and five bags worth of mulch is down. This year I re-edged the front garden along the driveway so it’s nice and straight, and put in a few more perennials, plus moved some that needed more space. Looking at my photos from previous years, you might not be able to tell it’s straight once it all grows in, but it does look nice and orderly now.
I will get some more photos this week if the weather cooperates.
Summer Reads 2015
These are the titles I’m planing on reading this summer:
What Comes Next and How to Like It: A Memoir by Abigail Thomas
The Bone Clocks: A Novel by David Mitchell
American Ghost: A Family’s Haunted Past in the Desert Southwest by Hannah Nordhaus
The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
All the Light We Cannot See: A Novel by Anthony Doerr
Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline
The Wishing Thread: A Novel by Lisa Van Allen
The Paying Guests by Sarah Waters
