Saturday, August 05, 2017

Monthly Reading Mews (July Wrap-Up) & What Should I Read Next? (August's My TBR List Poll)

I am linking up to the Sunday Post hosted by the wonderful Kim of Caffeinated Book Reviewer, where participants recap our week, talk about what we are reading, share any new books that have come our way, and whatever else we want to talk about. As well as Stacking the Shelves hosted by the great Team Tynga's Reviews and Marlene of Reading Reality a meme in which participants share what new books came their way recently.

After eleven years of blogging, I finally got around to setting up a Facebook page for my blog. If you are interested, I would love it if you liked/followed my page!

July In Review: I got very little reading done during the month of July, but I have no regrets. My mom, daughter and I flew east to for my niece's wedding and to celebrate my paternal grandmother's 100th birthday. The birthday party turned into a family reunion, with many of my dad's siblings and their kids coming from near and far for the celebration. My grandmother's actual birthday isn't until later this month, but since we were already in town for the wedding, everyone was gracious enough to move the birthday celebration up.

It was a whirlwind visit, and we had an amazing time. My brother and sister-in-law were able to spend much of the time with us, flying in themselves from Northern California. This was my daughter's first visit to the East Coast and meeting all of my dad's side of the family, including her great grandmother. My daughter, husband and I are pretty isolated where we live in Southern California with most of our family being hours away. Mouse was in heaven, surrounded by so many cousins, aunts and uncles. My husband, unfortunately, was unable to come due to work obligations.

We spent a brief amount of time in New York state, visiting Niagara Falls (Mouse's first visit, but my third), when we first arrived. And then on our last day of our visit, we met up with a long time friend and former pen pal of mine and her two children (who Mouse thinks of as her cousins) in Rochester at The Strong National Museum of Play. It's an amazing place, if you ever get the chance to go. The museum has its own library and their are children's books throughout the museum kids can read or check out. Mostly, during our trip, we were in northeastern Pennsylvania, which is such a beautiful part of the country. It was much more humid than I am used to, but I can honestly say I didn't mind given my surroundings. So much green!

The best part of the trip was being able to see my sister and her family, aunts, uncles, cousins, and my grandmother who I hadn't seen in 15 years--and introducing them all to my daughter. Hopefully it will not be another 15 years before we see everyone again.

Here's what I read last month:

Solely For Me:
  • The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
  • The Pinks: The First Women Detectives, Operatives, and Spies with the Pinkerton National Detective Agency by Chris Enss
  • The Girl With All The Gifts by M.R. Carey

Some of the Books I Read With My Daughter in July (a couple of which we read over and over and over again. And then again):
  • Merry Christmas, Amelia Bedelia by Peggy Parish and Lynn Sweat
  • How Martha Saved Her Parents From Green Beans by David LaRochelle and Mark Fearing
  • Ling & Ting: Together in All Weather (Ling & Ting #4) by Grace Lin
  • Biscuit Finds a Friend (World of Biscuit Beginning Reader) by Alyssa Satin Capucilli and Pat Schories
  • Niagara Falls (Wonders of America) by Marion Dane Bauer and John Wallace
  • Pennsylvania: What's So Great About This State? (Arcadia Kids) by Kate Boehm Jerome
My Favorite Book Read in July: Even with my limited reading this month, the book that stands out the most is Angie Thomas's The Hate U Give. It will likely be on my list of top ten books at the end of the year.

Mouse's Favorite Book Read in July: Mouse was disappointed I did not read How Martha Saved Her Parents From Green Beans more often to her while we had it checked out from the library. She even told her dad she wanted to try broccoli because of the book. (Unfortunately, when it came time to eat the broccoli her father made for her, Mouse refused.)


Book Reviews Posted in July (but not necessarily read in July):

Non-Book Review Posts in July:

How did your July shape up reading wise? What was your favorite book you read in July?

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New To My Shelves:

July's My Lit Box included Roxane Gay's latest, Hunger: A Memoir of (My) Body. along with a journal, pencils and a bookmark, centering around the theme of "Once Upon a Time". What happens to us does not define us necessarily, nor does it make us any less worthy of love and respect. Although I do not read memoirs often anymore, I am eager to read this one!


I also received August's My Lit Box, which came in the mail yesterday. The theme for this month is "Love After Loss". Included in the box is What We Lose by Zinzi Clemmons. There's also a candle carrying the scent of memories: Lavender Chamomile, a floral pencil pouch, and a card representing the ideal Heaven for booklovers.


Bookstore Purchases:


The Witchwood Crown, Book One of the Last King of Osten Ard by Tad Williams
and
The Heart of What Was Lost by Tad Williams
(my husband's selections)


Uni the Unicorn by Amy Krouse Rosenthal, illustrated by Brigette Barrager 
and 
You Can't Win Them All, Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister
(Mouse's selections)


The Other Side of Midnight by Simone St. James
and
Ordinary Grace by Willliam Kent Krueger
(my selections)


Monstress, Volume II: The Blood by Marjorie Liu, illustrated by Sana Takeda
(I am so excited about this one!)

Unsolicited Review Book (from publisher):


Betrayal At Iga by Susan Spann

E-Book Purchase:


I am not big on make-up, but I do like trying out new lipsticks. To support my friend, Wisteria Leigh, in her new business, I recently made a Lipsense purchase (and am quite pleased!). In her package to me, she included a book (The True Story of Balto), Forget Me Not seeds, and stickers for my daughter. Talk about winning over a customer!



Have you read any of these? What new books did you add to your shelves recently?


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What I Am Reading/Listening to Now: I took a break from Brave New World Aldous Huxley for the majority of last month because of lack of listening time, but I got back to it this week. I should finish it in another week or so. This past week, I finished reading Ernest van der Kwast's The Ice-Cream Makers, a multi-generational novel about following one's dreams versus family obligations. My dreams the night I finished it were full of ice cream and poetry.

I am now reading In the Time of Butterflies by Julia Alvarez with a Facebook reading group. The book has been sitting on my shelf for years, and so this is a great excuse to finally get to it. Alvarez's book is historical fiction, set in the Dominican Republic and tells the story of four sisters who were active in the rebellion against General Rafael Leonidas Trujillo’s dictatorship. 

Off the Blog:

School will be starting for Mouse the end of the month, and with it the fall soccer season. Mouse is looking forward to playing on a team again. As of right now, there is no coach for her team, and so we're waiting to hear if anyone volunteers. Mouse has been enjoying her ballet class quite a bit this summer and would like to continue with it. I noticed a combo ballet/tap/jazz class is being offered this fall, and, when I mentioned it to Mouse, she really liked the idea. It's going to be a busy school year, I have a feeling. Especially when Girl Scouts starts up again next month.

I am in the process of updating my LibraryThing catalog, going through all the physical books on my shelves and making sure they've been recorded in the system. It's a slow process as I am not able to devote big chunks of time to it at once. When I first entered all my books into the LibraryThing catalog, I was on vacation, childless, and able to devote days to the process, if I wanted to. I had been very good about keeping it up to date--at least until my daughter was born and then our big move. I have a lot of catching up to do, as you can imagine.

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Thank you for helping me decide what book from my TBR collection I should read next:


My TBR List is a meme hosted by the awesome Michelle at Because Reading. It’s a fun way to choose a book from your TBR pile to read. The 1st Saturday of every month, I will list 3 books I am considering reading and take a poll as to which you think I should read. I will read the winner that month, and my review will follow (unfortunately, not likely in the same month, but eventually--that's all I can promise). 




I am continuing this month with the "girl" in the title theme. I don't know how you are all going to decide! All three of these sound like winners. Two are by the same author, believe it or not (just under different names). I look forward to reading whichever wins the poll this next week!


The Girl With the Clock Heart by Peter Swanson ~ It turns out the girl he thought had been his girlfriend who had committed suicide, was not in fact the woman he loved at all. And now, twenty years later, having tried to escape her past, the one he loved is back--and says he is the only one who can help her.


The Girl Who Knew to Much by Amanda Quick ~ A reporter leans on a once world famous magician turned hotel owner for help in getting to the truth when an actress is found dead at the bottom of a pool in 1930's California.


When All the Girls Have Gone by Jayne Ann Krentz ~ A sister joins forces with a private investigator when she discovers her sister has gone missing. The two are drawn together the deeper the danger gets for both of them.



I hope you all have a great week! Happy Reading!



We were able to get up close (and very wet) to Niagara Falls via the Maid of the Mist Boat Tour.
(Canadian Side)

The American side of Niagara Falls from the Maid of the Mist Boat Tour

The Kinzua Bridge was once considered the 8th Wonder of the World, spanning 2,052 feet (625 m) long and 301 feet (92 m) tall. It eventually was closed to trains and opened to the public to walk across (which my sister and her family took advantage of in 2002). In 2003, the bridge was destroyed by a tornado, and the remaining portion of the bridge (since re-enforced) is now a sky-walk for tourists to visit. We walked out to the end--they valley is gorgeous.

 My Niece's Wedding, Along the Allegheny River

Allegheny River View From Wedding Site

Mouse and the Ring Bearer Playing



Mouse and her Great-Grandma

The Mystery Mansion at The Strong National Museum of Play

Display at The Strong National Museum of Play

Heading Home


© 2017, Wendy Runyon of Musings of a Bookish Kitty. All Rights Reserved. If you're reading this on a site other than Musings of a Bookish Kitty or Wendy's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

76 comments:

  1. All the books sound really cool and I can't choose which to vote! Hope you enjoy the eventual winner(:

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    1. Eustacia - It would be a hard choice for me too! I think they all sound good. I am sure I will enjoy whichever wins. :-)

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  2. My goodness, July was a busy time for you! I hope this month is just as productive. I voted for The Girl who Knew too Much for your August tbr because it reminded me of Sunset Boulevard.

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    1. Whitney - July was busy! This month will be a little calmer, I think, but hopefully I will get in more reading. Thank you for voting! I really like the cover of The Girl Who Knew Too Much myself.

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  3. You have a busy July! This year is going way too fast! I have randomly been trying out different books boxes to see which one I like. They are fun to get.

    I voted for When All the Girls Have Gone by Jayne Ann Krentz, cant wait to see what wins.

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    1. Michelle - Yes, this year is definitely going by too fast. I am not ready for the new school year to start and yet soon it will be here. :-S I really enjoy the lit boxes. I'd get them all if I could. As it is, I'm stretching it a bit to get the one I do, but I love it so much. I haven't been disappointed yet.

      Thank you for voting! I haven't tried one of her books under the Krentz name before, but I know she's well liked.

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  4. What a wonderful trip! I hope you don't have to wait so long to see your family again either.

    I loved Ordinary Grace and think you will too.

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    1. Kathy - Thank you! It was wonderful. I'm still adjusting to being home again. I miss all that green! I am looking forward to reading Ordinary Grace!

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  5. I love the photo of Mouse and your Grandma. I am glad you got to visit with so much of your family. I saw you read an Amelia Bedelia, I collect them :) I can't wait to read them to my great niece when she is a little older ( she is almost 2). Have a nice week!

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    1. Ellen - Thank you! I love that photo too. My grandmother's smile is so beautiful. Amelia Bedelia is a favorite in our house. I grew up on her and my daughter is really enjoying her books right now. I hope you have a nice week too!

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  6. Whoa, seems like you had a lot of fun! And you've got some great new additions as well. The Other Side of Midnight sounds pretty good! Hope you enjoy your new books, and happy reading :)

    Here's my STS!

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    1. Rekha - We had a very nice time. :-) I don't imagine I will get as many books this month. I need to stop spending money. Haha. Simone St. James comes highly recommended, and I couldn't resist The Other Side of Midnight. It'll be my first by the author. I love the cover. Thanks for visiting!

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    2. Haha, yes, the book buying problem is all too real. The struggle!

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  7. WOW! What an amazing July!! I still need to get my hands on The Hate U Give.

    I've started wedding planning with my fiancé and your niece's wedding looks almost exactly like what I have in mind for our ceremony!! <3

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    1. Erica - It was a very eventful month. :-) I hope you do get a chance to read The Hate U Give! It's worth it.

      The wedding site was so beautiful. It was on the property of the groom's mother, right in her backyard. Such a lovely view. I am sure your wedding will be equally as beautiful (or maybe even more so!). Congratulations!

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  8. I chose The Girl Who Knew Too Much because I love Amanda Quick. I hope you enjoy it! :D

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    1. Sarah - Thank you for voting! I've read one other Amanda Quick book and really enjoyed it. I have high hopes for this one. :-)

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  9. July was really busy for you! I absolutely loved The Hate U Give! I thought it was amazing, I definitely see it on my top lists of books this year. I voted for The Girl with a Clock For A Heart. It sounds really interesting!

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    1. Tina - The rest of the year will be dull in comparison. :-) Me too! The Hate U Give really was amazing. I can't wait to see the movie. I hope they do justice to it.

      Thank you for voting! I have yet to read a Peter Swanson book, and yet I keep hearing how great his books are. I am eager to give him a try.

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  10. Wow! A 100th birthday party, and she looks great! How wonderful that you and Mouse got to visit and reconnect with family...great photos, too.

    I loved When All the Girls Have Gone...and Not a Sound.

    Enjoy your week, and here are MY WEEKLY UPDATES

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    1. Laurel-Rain - Doesn't she? I thought so too! We had a really nice time, and it was good to see everyone.

      I am glad to hear you loved When All The Girls Have Gone an Not a Sound. I'm looking forward to both!

      Enjoy your week too, Laurel-Rain!

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  11. Love all the pictures! I went with the Amanda Quick book for the magician aspect!

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    1. Shaunesay - Thank you! I wanted to share more, but the post was already long. :-) Thank you too for voting! That one does sound really good.

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  12. Wow quite the month you had! I'm so glad you got to have such an enjoyable time with the family - and see your grandmother for her 100th birthday! She looks amazing for 100 BTW - you've got good genes :)

    Sounds like you are going to have a very busy school year too - Mouse has a lot planned! I think it'll be lots of fun for her though and lots of great experiences. I love LipSense - I just signed up as a distributor more because I want the discount than because I plan to make much money with it (though I certainly wouldn't mind!).

    Oh and I voted for When All The Girls Have Gone- the story really caught my attention. Happy Reading :)

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    1. Berls - Thank you! She's doing really well for 100. :-)

      It will be a busy year. I can't imagine how parents with more than one child juggle it all. As it is, I have to work around my work schedule as best I can and that isn't always possible. As long as Mouse is having fun . . . We won't talk about the music lessons she's been asking for. Haha!

      That's so cool that you are a Lipsense Distributor! I have tried the product two days in a row now and am happy with it so far. It's hard not to buy all the colors and glosses. :-)

      Thank you for voting! I think When All the Girls Have Gone sounds good too.

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  13. Went with The Girl With the Clock Heart by Peter Swanson. Check out my TBR http://worthreadingit.blogspot.com/2017/08/my-tbr-list-august-2017-lets-vote.html

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    1. Bunnita - Thank you for voting! I am anxious to try a Peter Swanson novel. I have heard good things about his books.

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  14. Wonderful pics! Love the Niagara Falls ones and the bridge one is amazing- I had no idea about that! And congrats on your grandmother's 100th!!! Awesome. :)

    Not A Sound looks like a nice thriller. and I'll be curious what you think of Tad Williams' latest. I'm in the middle of Witchwood crown and having a bit of trouble with it... :(

    I voted for When All The Girls Have Gone, sounds good and I love the cover!

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    1. Greg - Thank you! It was so cool being up so close to the water. The last time I was there I was so worried my phone would get wet . . . And now they have water resistance phones. :-) Despite having been to the area before, that was my first time at the Kinzua Bridge. I would love to visit in the fall. The area is surrounded by trees. I bet it's beautiful. Heck, it's beautiful now when it's all green!

      I enjoyed another of Gudenkauf's books and am looking forward to reading Not a Sound. Hopefully Witchwood Crown will get better for you. My husband is reading The Heart Of What Was Lost. He's enjoying to so far. He refers to it as Williams' small book. LOL

      Thank you for voting! I think When All the Girls Have Gone is in the lead so far. :-)

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  15. Wendy, I really love what you share on your blog :) I Always enjoy it!

    I followed your Facebook page (though I’m rarely on there) :)

    I live in north NJ so you were more at my end of the world :) The wedding on the river looked so lovely, though yes, we’ve had a good amount of humidity lately, for sure :-\ It sounds like all of you had a blast, especially your daughter, and I cannot believe how incredibly young your 100-year-old grandmother looks! Wow!

    I’ve never been to Niagara Falls, but heard it’s quite something to see in person. And that museum---that’s what I’d love to see! It looks wonderful :)

    THE HATE YOU GIVE has been mentioned all over the place, so I imagine it’s REALLY good. There are SO many really good books I know I’ll never get to :-\

    Also one of the biggest things about veggies is how they’re cooked and seasoned. Sometimes texture (and you can’t do much about that), but if veggies are blah, or over or under cooked---eh.

    And can you believe I’m just finishing up my 6th or 7th (lost count) read of Sorcerer’s Stone. I’ve read the series 4 times, but SS has gotten more reads, largely because every once in a while, when I’m thinking a lot about my own writing, I get the yearning to read the “master” book of character and world depth and description done to perfection and with succinctness:D

    P.S. I picked the “Clock” book ‘cause it sounded the most intriguing to me :)

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    1. Donna Marie - Thank you! That means a lot to me that you feel that way. And thanks for following my Facebook page. The real test will be if I keep it up. LOL

      The wedding was beautiful. Such a perfect location, I think. Our entire trip was a lot of fun, and I'm so glad we were able to go.

      I would love to spend more time at the Strong museum. I feel like we only touched the surface. My husband was jealous when I told him we were going there. Evidently they have an entire section devoted to the history of video games. Mouse and I didn't get to see it, but I wouldn't have minded peeking in.

      This was my third visit to Niagara Falls. I just love the history of the area. I hope someday you'll get a chance to go. Some of the stuff there is so touristy though, which can be good or bad, depending on your point of view.

      I'm really picky about broccoli myself, so I understand what you mean about it needing to be cooked just right. I do like it when it's done well. The smell is really off-putting though, and to be fair to my daughter, I hated broccoli when I was her age. I didn't start liking it until I was an adult.

      That's neat that you've read Socercer's Stone so many times. I am not a big re-reader, but that is definitely a series I hope to re-read someday. I have the series in audio too, but haven't yet listened to it.

      Thank you for voting! I'm looking forward to reading Swanson's book. No matter which title wins, I would like to read all three. Just not sure when I'll get them all in!

      Thanks for visiting!

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    2. The key with broccoli is garlic, salt and olive oil :) Saute the garlic a bit in chicken broth (I started doing this the past few years instead of cooking in oil), then add the broccoli and salt and saute slowly, then add oil after it's cooked. Same with broccoli rabe (which I didn't eat till I was older and LOVE it). I tend to use onion and/or garlic powder with most veggies, too. Good luck with that! And if you're a big HP fan, the rereading of the series is wonderful because you pick up on the many things from the first book to last that J.K. worked in so brilliantly. Truly a work of genius :)

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  16. Awesome! For your TBR list, I voted for The Girl With the Clock Heart by Peter Swanson!

    Check out my TBR list!


    Here’s my My TBR List !

    Ronyell @ Rabbit Ears Book Blog

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    1. Ronyell - Thank you for voting! I think that one sounds really good too. :-)

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  17. Wow 100 years..go grandma. Sounds like you all had an awesome month. Kids here go back on the 13th of August. I had a tough time decided between the two Krentz books...both were so good! Have a wonderful week!

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    1. Kim - It is amazing she's lived so long. I am glad my daughter got the chance to meet her finally. Some of the schools in the area start this next week. It seems like all the different districts in the area have different start times. At least it means the busy-ness at my work will pick up at a slower rate than it would if all the kids started back to school at the same time!

      Thank you for voting! I am glad you think both the Krentz and Quick books were good. I have only read one book by the author, and that was under her Amanda Quick pseudonym. I'm anxious to give her other work a try as well.

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  18. I've been thinking about doing the same thing - setting up a facebook page for my blog. Have liked/followed yours. Have a great week :)

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    1. Maree - Thank you for following! I am still unsure exactly how I'll put the Facebook page to use, but I figure I will learn as I go. Let me know if you do set up your own page and I'll follow you back. :-)

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  19. I am glad you had a great time at the wedding and party. 100 wow go your grandma! I still need to read The hate u give so bad. I do own it so I have no excuse. Have a great week.

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    1. Megan - Thank you! It was such a beautiful wedding, and it was good to see everyone again at the birthday party. I hope you do get a chance to read The Hate U Give soon. It's so good!

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  20. Love the pictures! Looks like you had a lot of very big events :)

    Hunger is one of the best memoirs I have ever read because it's so real, Gay put all of herself into that book and it shows. It was a 5/5 stars read for me.

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    1. Anastasia - Thank you! It was a big month for our family. I am so glad you liked Hunger. I hadn't really heard much about it before it arrived in my subscription box. I am looking forward to reading it even more now.

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  21. "Play" is my theme for the year (as it was for the last two years), so I think I need to look into this museum of play. What a wonderful time you had up in the north. And so many great books.

    I've just returned from a road trip:
    https://readerbuzz.blogspot.com/2017/08/road-trip-audiobook-marathon.html

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    1. Deb - I think you would really like the Strong museum. I hope you are able to go someday. It is an interactive museum and quite fun for young and old and everyone in between.

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  22. Wow, July was one busy month for ya'll. But it sounds like it was a lot of fun. The pics are wonderful. Hope you have a great week ahead and enjoy then the books.

    Jenea's Book Obsession's Sunday Post

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    1. Jeanea - It was busy, and so much fun! It was hard coming back and getting back to the usual routine. I still don't think my head is completely there. I hope you have a great week too. Thanks for visiting!

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  23. What a marvelous trip and how great for Mouse to get to meet her great-grandma!

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    1. Lisa - I took so many photos to capture the experience for Mouse. I hope she remembers our trip. :-)

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  24. Your trip sounds wonderful! All of my family live within a few hours drive, so I've never had to go for long without seeing someone. How cool that Mouse was able to meet and see everybody! It stinks your husband wasn't able to come. My work partner and her daughter flew to Ohio for a few weeks this summer and her husband had to stay behind, too. That has to be hard. The photos are beautiful!

    I am 99% sure we watched In the Time of Butterflies when I was a senior in high school. It was a fascinating story.

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    1. Charlie - We had such a great time. I missed having my husband there--we've never been that long apart since getting married and it was Mouse's first time away from her father. I think it was hardest for my husband--at least Mouse and I were keeping so busy.

      I didn't know In the Time of Butterflies was made into a movie. I'll have to look for it.

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  25. Sounds like a wonderful family reunion! Mouse is indeed lucky to have met her great-grandma. My daughter (now grown) has vague memories of her great-grandpa, and I'm glad that she at least got to know him a tiny bit.

    Your book haul and boxes look like fun, and I love how you're posting Mouse's reading choices, too. As for which book you should read, I had a hard time deciding between the two Krentz/Quick books, both of which I enjoyed, but I eventually voted for When All The Girls Have Gone.

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    1. Lark - I am so glad my daughter got a chance to meet her Great-Grandmother. I don't know that we'll see her again, which made our time with her extra bittersweet. Thank you for voting! I'm looking forward to reading When All the Girls Have Gone!

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  26. I'm so glad you had such a wonderful time with your family. What a great experience for Mouse as well. I voted for Where the girls have gone because that book has been sitting on my kindle for a year now!

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    1. Samantha - Thank you for voting! I think Krentz book sounds like a fun one.

      Mouse had such a great time. I hope she remembers a lot of it as she grows.

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  27. Awesome post! I can't believe you've been blogging for so long. And you had such a good month too, it seems. You reading list was just as great - titles I'm either interested in, or read and loved! Hope August turns out just as great for you :)

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    1. Evelina - Thank you! I have a feeling August will be less exciting, but hopefully I will read some great books. :-) Enjoy your vacation!

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  28. Looks like you had a great trip! I rarely see my father's family and it has definitely been 15 years or so for many of them. Life just happens, I guess.

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    1. Kelly - It was a lot of fun. I know what you mean about life happening . . . That and cost. Getting time off work and having the money to travel is what hampers me most. :-(

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  29. What a wonderful trip! Thank you for sharing the photos. I really enjoyed seeing Mouse having fun. Enjoy all of your new books! They are all new to me but I hope you love them.

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    1. Carole - It was wonderful. I hated coming back (except I did miss my husband). Thank you for stopping by!

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  30. Sounds like July was good for you. Your trip sounds like fun. And how awesome that you got to see your family again and they got to meet Mouse too.
    And welcome on Facebook! I just liked your page ;)
    Have a great week and happy reading!

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    1. Maureen - It was a busy month. Maybe not a lot of reading, but definitely a lot of fun. :-) Thank you for liking my FB page! I hope you have a great week too!

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  31. What a beautiful wedding! That setting is unreal! Happy birthday to your grandmother. That's a fantastic picture of her and Mouse. The Strong Museum looks really great. Of course the Mysterious Mansion appeals to me immediately! Sounds like you're about to get sucked into the back to school madness! I'm excited about getting back into a routine but these first few weeks are rough!

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    1. Katherine - The wedding turned out to be quite beautiful. I loved the setting. Talk about a dream! Thank you for the birthday wishes for my grandmother. I'm quite fond of that photo too! I would love to visit The Strong Museum again someday. There's so much to see there! I bet Tornado would love it.

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  32. Wonderful pics and your trip sounds like so much fun!

    I've "Not A Sound" too and I look forward to reading it after reading several rave reviews of it.

    Hope you've a great week, Wendy!

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    1. Melody - Thank you! We had a great time. I have heard good things about Not A Sound too and can't wait to read it. I hope you had a great week, Melody!

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  33. Welcome back, Wendy!! And...OMG!! What an AWESOME post this is!! You have SO many GREAT things going on! Well, of course, that calls for more than one comment on my part! Lol.

    First off, CONGRATS on blogging for ELEVEN years!!! WOOT, WOOT!! That's AWESOME!!

    Next, I'm going over to Facebook to like your blog's page! :) :) :)

    OMG, you had a wedding and a birthday?! WOWZA!! And your grandma is turning 100?! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO HER!!!! <3 <3 What a TREMENDOUS blessing for her and the rest of the family!! When I scrolled down, and saw your grandma in the picture, I was amazed! She looks GREAT!! And such a sweet picture, too, with Mouse giving her a kiss on the cheek...awwwww..... (I couldn't help tearing up a bit.)

    You know, Mouse is SO lucky, having so many cousins, aunts, and uncles! I sure envy her!!

    It's too bad your husband couldn't go, too, but I'm sure you and Mouse still enjoyed the visit!! :) :)

    The Strong National Museum of Play sounds like so much fun, and so interesting, too! I would LOVE to be able to go and check it out! :)

    You say you didn't get "much" reading done in July? Well, OF COURSE you mean not much reading for YOU. :) In MY case, three books in one month sounds just about right! Lol. And then you went and read all of those children's books with Mouse! Let me go look in the mirror and see if my face has turned green yet. Lol.

    The theme of the August Lit Box would be very appropriate for me, as I'm still dealing with my Dad's passing, which was a little over 2 years ago.

    Your bookstore purchases are WONDERFUL!! I'm especially interested in "The Monstress", as well as the Tad Williams books and "Betrayal At Iga". All of these sound very intriguing!!

    Well, I'll be back to comment further. Meanwhile, thank you for your lovely and thoughtful comment on my "Shelf Candy Saturday" post!! I really appreciated your insights!!

    Stay tuned for more comments!! HUGS TO YOU & MOUSE!! <3 <3 <3 :) :) :)




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    1. Maria - Thank you. It turned into a rather long post, I'm afraid. I have a tendency to overdue it. LOL

      My eleventh blog anniversary kind of sneaked up on me while I was on break. It's hard to believe it's been that long. And here I still am . . .

      Thank you for checking out my Facebook page!

      We had a really nice visit with our family. And it was good to see my grandmother again. It was kind of bittersweet. I am not sure we'll be able to visit with her again.

      The loss of a parent can be so hard, can't it? My dad died nearly six years ago and sometimes I find myself still struggling with it. I am sorry for your loss.

      Have a great weekend, Maria!

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    2. Thank you for your kind, compassionate words regarding my dad, Wendy. And I'm sorry for your own loss, as well. Yes, it's hard.... Thanks again! HUGS!!!! <3 <3 <3 :) :) :)

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    3. Well, more GOODIES in your post to comment on!

      Mouse's selections look so ADORABLE! Gee, I wish I wuz a weedle kid again.... LOL.

      Gotta check out "The Other Side of Midnight" and "Ordinary Grace". I haven't heard of them, so I will investigate further on GR!

      How NICE that you got a book included in your lipstick package, as well as stickers for Mouse! Yeah, this is GREAT customer service! :) :)

      I saw "Brave New World" at B&N the other day, and almost bought it. I really should read it. I did read "Animal Farm" years ago, and thought it was GREAT. I need to round out my dystopian literary fiction reads with BNW and "1984"!

      The theme of "The Ice Cream Makers" is the same as the one in "Kiss Carlo", a book about an Italian family living in South Philadelphia. I greatly enjoyed this book! And I guess the themes are the same (although of course the plots aren't) because this is such a pervasive issue with families, especially multi-generational ones. It's always about following your own dreams VS family expectations. So I recommend "Kiss Carlo" to you! Besides, the cover is GORGEOUS!! :) :)

      "In the Time of the Butterflies" sounds TERRIFIC! I've heard of it somewhere along the line. So I'll be adding it to my GR shelves.

      How NICE that Mouse will be taking a combo dance class!! Sound like fun!! I'm glad that Mouse is into athletic activities (she likes soccer, too, and then there's the Girl Scouts) in addition to reading. She sounds like a well-rounded girl, and that's thanks to Mom!! :) :)

      Well, I'm wrapping up for now, but I'll be back again!! HUGS TO YOU & MOUSE!! <3 <3 <3 :) :) :)


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    4. Both Ordinary Grace and The Other Side of Midnight come highly recommended to me, so I hope I will like them. They sure sound good!

      Mouse insisted on the bookmark, which I told her makes two for her collection now. She looked at me with wonder and said, "I have a collection?" Haha. Starting her young. :-)

      I really liked 1984. I haven't read Animal Farm though.

      Thank you for the recommendation of Kiss Carlo! I hope you will give In the Time of the Butterflies a try. It is very good. I thought it was interesting how the underground looked to Raul and Fidel Castro as people to admire. I imagine they didn't know much about the kind of leader Fidel would be at that time since he was just coming into power. The very thing they were fighting against, Fidel became. Just in a different country, of course. Anyway, that's a very minor part of the book--just a mention really. I hadn't heard of the Mirabel sisters before, but it sounds like that were very well known--and still are historically speaking.

      Busy is what Mouse is. LOL I wanted to expose her to a variety of activities and then let her choose her own path, so to speak. She seems to like everything though. :-) I wish I could take credit, but I think she's the way she is despite of me and her dad.

      Thank you again for the wonderful comment!

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    5. You're very welcome! <3 :)

      I definitely want to read "In the Time of the Butterflies". It sounds VERY interesting! Besides, I really don't know anything about the history of the Dominican Republic. I had certainly never heard of the Mirabel sisters before. Thanks for the recommendation!! :)

      It's great when parents want to expose their kids to a variety of activities. That's very healthy for a child. And how nice that Mouse is looking forward to the upcoming soccer season! :) :)

      More comments related to the rest of the post: I LOVE those pics of Niagara Falls! I wish I could go up there myself!

      And ooooh, the wedding! What a lovely place to have one! I'm going to Google the Allegheny River. You must all have had the most wonderful time!

      Those birthday cakes are beautiful!! What a blessing, to have your grandma at that age!

      Thanks for sharing all of your wonderful news, and have a great rest-of-the-week! HUGS TO YOU & MOUSE!! <3 <3 <3 :) :) :)

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  34. Your trip sounds like it was wonderful! Those are some gorgeous photos you got of Niagara Falls. I've been there once, took one of the boat tours, not sure which side. And that Museum looks awesome, especially for kids! I hope Mouse enjoys her combo dance classes :-)

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    1. Kristen - It was, thank you! I think Mouse will enjoy the dance class. She is really excited about starting it.

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  35. Well, I really enjoyed this post, belatedly, and wonder why it didn't show up on my Feedly! Love the pics of Mouse with great grandma and on her way home. :)

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    1. Jenclair - Thank you! I think my head is still on vacation. LOL

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