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. I am also linking to 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. I am linking up to Nicole of Feed Your Addiction's Monthly Wrap-Up Post, where any book bloggers who write monthly wrap-up posts can link up and visit other bloggers to see what they have been reading.
Across California the firefighters have been working long hours with little sleep and doing the best they can to save lives and structures. Multiple fires have engulfed the state. I am very grateful for their efforts. The damage caused has been devastating. So many people and animals displaced and lives lost. My uncle and aunt were forced to evacuate as a fire in the northern part of the state threatened their home (they have since been allowed home--thank goodness). And the Girl Scout camp my daughter will likely go to in a year or two had to evacuate here in Southern California due to another fire. The other day someone said it isn't the earthquakes they fear most, living in California. It is the wildfires. And, honestly, I can say I agree with that 100%. California has an annual fire season for a reason--and it is never good. Please keep the fire fighters and those impacted by the fires, both humans and animals, in your prayers and thoughts.
On a happier note, the 23rd of July was my 12th blog anniversary. When I started blogging in 2006, I was not sure how long it would last. The book blogging community has grown exponentially over all these years. Sometimes I miss the smaller version of our community, how close knit we were, old friends now gone. But there is something to be said for progress too, and I am glad to be a part of this ever evolving community. I am so grateful to all of you who have been with me through the years as well as those of you who I have met along the way, including those who may be visiting for the first time. It is my passion for books and wanting to share that love with others that motivated me to start Musings of a Bookish Kitty, and it is that which keeps me going. Thank you for going on this journey with me, and I look forward to seeing what the future holds for all of us!
On a happier note, the 23rd of July was my 12th blog anniversary. When I started blogging in 2006, I was not sure how long it would last. The book blogging community has grown exponentially over all these years. Sometimes I miss the smaller version of our community, how close knit we were, old friends now gone. But there is something to be said for progress too, and I am glad to be a part of this ever evolving community. I am so grateful to all of you who have been with me through the years as well as those of you who I have met along the way, including those who may be visiting for the first time. It is my passion for books and wanting to share that love with others that motivated me to start Musings of a Bookish Kitty, and it is that which keeps me going. Thank you for going on this journey with me, and I look forward to seeing what the future holds for all of us!
New to My Shelves in July:
Recent e-book purchases (can you tell I had witches on the brain?):
Murder Any Witch Way (Brimstone Bay #1) by N.M. Howell
The Bakery Murder (Sweetland Witch) by Zoe Arden
Initiation (Hunters' Watch Brigade #1) by Paula Millhouse
The King Tides (Lancaster & Daniels #1) by James Swain
Whisper Me This by Kerry Anne King
Yuletide Homicide (A Wiccan Wheel Mystery #3) by Jennifer David Hesse
Midsummer Night's Mischief (A Wiccan Wheel Mystery #1)
by Jennifer David Hesse
Bell, Book & Candlemas (A Wiccan Wheel Mystery #2)
by Jennifer David Hesse
Proof of Life by J.A. Jance (hand me down from my mom)
Zita the Spacegirl by Ben Hatke (purchase for Mouse)
What I Am Reading: As seems to be my end of the month pattern, I spent some time toward the end of July catching up on my year long reading projects, reading War and Peace and Les Misérables. I need to be better about spreading out the reading throughout the month . . . I am now well into my August reading in both. Outside of that, I am starting August with the 4th book in Jennifer David Hesse's Wiccan Wheel Mystery series, Samhain Secrets, which is coming out later this month.
What I Am Watching: A couple of nights this past month, I curled up on the couch and escaped into Hallmark's Christmas in July movies. We've also been watching The Worst Witch. My daughter introduced my husband and I to Sugar Rush on Netflix, a baking competition show. It's an easy show to binge watch.
What I Am Watching: A couple of nights this past month, I curled up on the couch and escaped into Hallmark's Christmas in July movies. We've also been watching The Worst Witch. My daughter introduced my husband and I to Sugar Rush on Netflix, a baking competition show. It's an easy show to binge watch.
Off the Blog: In early July we left behind triple digit heat and thunder storms and made our way north to the also hot Sacramento where we took in the sights and visited with family. Somewhere in there Anjin and I celebrated our 20th wedding anniversary, and I successfully got Mouse's hair in a bun. After we got home from our trip, we hit the ground running with rehearsals, and it was back to work for my husband and me.
I will not be around this weekend, I am afraid. Mouse has her two big performances, and things are more than a little bit crazy around here with a house full of company coming and going and the shows to prepare for and carry out. I am hoping to catch at least one of the shows as an audience member--as I will be volunteering through the other. Mouse heads back to school in another week. It doesn't seem possible the summer (at least for school year purposes) is already coming to an end. I am not ready! We did not get to do much with all of Mouse's rehearsals, unfortunately, but then again, that has been an adventure all in itself.
I will not be around this weekend, I am afraid. Mouse has her two big performances, and things are more than a little bit crazy around here with a house full of company coming and going and the shows to prepare for and carry out. I am hoping to catch at least one of the shows as an audience member--as I will be volunteering through the other. Mouse heads back to school in another week. It doesn't seem possible the summer (at least for school year purposes) is already coming to an end. I am not ready! We did not get to do much with all of Mouse's rehearsals, unfortunately, but then again, that has been an adventure all in itself.
My fur-sister
California State Railroad Museum
Mouse playing in the high-speed train cockpit at the Railroad Museum
Visiting the California State Capitol Building
Have you ever seen so many Jelly Belly Jelly Beans?
Jelly Belly Factory Tour
Some old fashioned fun
Stopping for gas at a rest stop
The cats survived their week with the pet sitter.
She's getting so big!
My Little Flying Monkey
"We Go Together" pose
Passing time as they Lullaby League waits their turn
Munchkinland (Wizard of Oz Dress Rehearsal)
Jitterbug Scene (Wizard of Oz Dress Rehearsal)
Here is what I finished reading in July:
- The Diving Pool by Yōko Ogawa
- Sparrow Hill Road by Seanan McGuire
- Alchemy by Marie S. Crosswell
- The Risk of Rogues by Sabrina Jeffries
- Midsummer Night's Mischief by Jennifer David Hesse
- Darkest Heart by Juliette Cross
- Bell, Book & Candlemas by Jennifer David Hesse
- Yuletide Homicide by Jennifer David Hesse
I may not have had much computer time this past month for blogging, but I was able to get some reading in. Many of the reads were short or lighter reads, which made it easy to devour them pretty quickly. It was a mystery and romance type of month, with a bit of fantasy thrown in.
This Past July In Reading Mews:
- Weekly Mews: June 2018 in Review & Mid-Year Freak Out
- Wishing to Read Wednesday: Old & New (#7)
- Bookish Thoughts: Social Creature by Tara Isabella Burton
- Bookish Thoughts: Dawn of the Flame Sea & Demons of the Flame Sea by Jean Johnson
- Wishing to Read Wednesday: Old & New (#8)
- Where Is Your Bookmark? (A Little Yuletide--and murder--in July)
- Bookish Thoughts: A Murder for the Books by Victoria Gilbert
- Wishing to Read Wednesday: Old & New (#9)
Tell me what you have been up to! What are you reading, listening to and watching? How was your July? Do you have anything planned for this coming month?
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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).
Each month I find myself making a list of the books to consider for the TBR List poll. Sometimes I choose a theme. Sometimes I aim strictly for variety. I always struggle with narrowing my list down. This month I am going with second in the series books, and these are the three that made the cut. I cannot wait to see which one you want me to read!
“I think, in time, you’ll either be my greatest mistake or my greatest victory.”
Former witch hunter Elizabeth Grey is hiding within the magically protected village of Harrow, evading the price put on her head by Lord Blackwell, the usurper king of Anglia. Their last encounter left Blackwell ruined, but his thirst for power grows stronger every day. He’s readying for a war against those who would resist his rule—namely Elizabeth and the witches and wizards she now calls her allies.
Having lost her stigma, a magical source of protection and healing, Elizabeth’s strength is tested both physically and emotionally. War always means sacrifice, and as the lines between good and evil blur once more, Elizabeth must decide just how far she’ll go to save those she loves. [Goodreads Summary]
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Autumn leaves aren’t the only things falling in the historic Virginia village of Taylorsford—so are some cherished memories, and a few bodies.
October in Taylorsford, Virginia means it’s leaf peeping season, with bright colorful foliage and a delightful fresh crew of tourists attending the annual Heritage Festival which celebrates local history and arts and crafts. Library director Amy Webber, though, is slightly dreading having to spend two days running a yard sale fundraiser for her library. But during these preparations, when she and her assistant Sunny stumble across a dead body, Amy finds a real reason to be worried.
The body belonged to a renowned artist who was murdered with her own pallet knife. A search of the artist’s studio uncovers a cache of forged paintings, and when the sheriff’s chief deputy Brad Tucker realizes Amy is skilled in art history research, she’s recruited to aid the investigation. It doesn’t seem to be an easy task, but when the state’s art expert uncovers a possible connection between Amy’s deceased uncle and the murder case, Amy must champion her Aunt Lydia to clear her late husband’s name.
That’s when another killing shakes the quiet town, and danger sweeps in like an autumn wind. Now, with her swoon-inducing neighbor Richard Muir, Amy must scour their resources to once again close the books on murder. [Goodreads Summary]
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A team of Navy SEALs go on a mission and disappear without a trace--they are The Lost Platoon.
Investigative reporter Brittany Blake may have stumbled upon the story of a lifetime in her search for her missing brother. When he seemingly disappears overnight, she refuses to accept the Navy's less-than-satisfying explanation. She begins her own investigation, which leads her to top-secret SEAL teams, covert ops, and a possible cover up...
John Donovan is having trouble biding his time, waiting for his Commanding Officer to figure out who set up their platoon. John's best friend and BUD/S partner, Brandon Blake, was one of the many lives tragically lost in the attack against his team. When Brandon's sister, Brittany, tracks John down, looking for answers, he realizes that she may be their best bet--or bait--for finding out who is targeting SEAL Team Nine. [Goodreads Summary]
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