End of July

Now it's literally the last day of July...wow. I feel like I'm still trying to get my bearings this summer...

We went on a little weekend get away two weeks ago to see CODA for Sundance's Locals showings. I saw it during the festival and knew it would be a good one to take the family to. But the screen was a bit too small and since there is a lot of ASL in the movie there are a lot of subtitles. My far away sight isn't quite as good as it used to be. That's all to say it made enjoying the movie a tad more difficult but it was still a beautiful night up in the mountains and we were able to enjoy some great food and enjoy the scenery and cooler weather.

DH's youngest brother and his family dropped by for a quick lunch with their 6 kids on the way to Texas. G enjoyed chatting with some of his cousins for a bit. Then the week after that his third youngest brother dropped by for a quick dinner with his son and another niece. Everyone is heading down to Texas to see how their father is doing. Since he got Covid last summer he hasn't been doing well, unfortunately. Long haul Covid is real and it messes with other stuff you might have going on.

We've also been fixing up a few things around our porch. We painted our door! It's a nice dark red. Today we finished getting a doorbell in only to realize our chime box doesn't work...but light switches are fixed! Fans are cleaned out. We're hoping to sand and stain our little back porch next week or the week after.

G hanging with Dolly at her book store!

Hiking with friends!

Grateful For:

Being able to see family we haven't seen for awhile.

Being able to get away for a weekend.

Having awesome mountains close by to hike!

Post(s) since my last post:

Mini Book Reviews: Adulthood Rites, Imago

Reading Life:

Finished:

The Bombay Prince by Sujata Massey (#3 in the Perveen Mistry series).

Currently Reading:

Philosophy book club and Back to the Classics (classic by a woman): The Second Sex by Simone de Beauvoir.

Reading with G: The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer. We have just two or three chapters left. He's really enjoyed it and we'll probably start the sequel right after we finish.

Back to the Classics challenge: The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery and Black Beauty by Anna Sewell. I should be done with these....

The Premonition: A Pandemic Story by Michael Lewis. I'm over halfway and it's been really eye-opening on how government works? or doesn't? I can only read about one chapter at a time since I can get pretty down about it...

The Wild Silence by Raynor Winn (listening to this one) This is her follow up to the Salt Path. I got about halfway before I had to return it to the library...I'll pick it back up when I can get it again!

Nonfiction Reading Challenge (oceanography prompt): The Soul of an Octopus: A Surprising Exploration into the Wonder of Consciousness by Sy Montgomery

The Searcher by Tana French. This is the latest stand alone book by Ms. French. Over halfway and then I'm hoping to actually get to some other classics I've been neglecting this summer...

Watching Life:

Watched a ton of Olympics last weekend. Got a bit busy this week so I'm hoping to catch up on some tonight and tomorrow with my DVR.

We also watched Jungle Cruise as a family on Disney+. We just don't feel safe going to a movie theater right now. Cases are going up in our area. We live in a county where not as many are vaccinated...It was a lot of fun, just what we needed! It reminded me of Pirates of the Caribbean, The Mummy, and Jumanji all rolled into one.

Ted Lasso's second season just started up!

And I've been loving the Fear Street trilogy on Netflix. I lived off of those books as a teenager. I think they did a great job.

Making:

Here's the blanket I crocheted for my friend's new baby!

My book blogger friend Stacy has been going puzzle crazy this summer and she inspired me! Cat days of summer are here!

I also made chicken adobo for the first time last week! I'm making things with squash, lots of grilled corn, pulled pork, and salads. We'll be getting lots of tomatoes soon from our CSA so I'm trying to figure out salsa canning!

Looking forward to:

G has a camp next week! He'll be interacting with lots of peers for five days straight. They have a mask mandate for the camp and lots of it will be outside. And it's not an overnight camp. But I'm very excited for him. 

He starts school, middle school! next month. There will not be a mask mandate since our lovely state legislature has made it illegal for the health departments to demand schools to do that...And given the area we live in, I know our school won't require them. But G will be wearing one. I found him some comfy reusable masks. It's just so frustrating...I guess that's not a looking forward to...yikes. 

Joining in with Deb from Readerbuzz's Sunday Salon

Mini Book Reviews: Adulthood Rites, Imago...

Adulthood Rites (#2 Xenogenesis) by Octavia Butler

Published: 1988 by Aspect

Genre: Sci-fi, Dystopia

Format: Kindle, 277 Pages, Own

Publisher's Summary:

In this sequel to Dawn, Lilith Iyapo has given birth to what looks like a normal human boy named Akin. But Akin actually has five parents: a male and female human, a male and female Oankali, and a sexless Ooloi. The Oankali and Ooloi are part of an alien race that rescued humanity from a devastating nuclear war, but the price they exact is a high one the aliens are compelled to genetically merge their species with other races, drastically altering both in the process.

On a rehabilitated Earth, this "new" race is emerging through human/Oankali/Ooloi mating, but there are also "pure" humans who choose to resist the aliens and the salvation they offer.These resisters are sterilized by the Ooloi so that they cannot reproduce the genetic defect that drives humanity to destroy itself, but otherwise they are left alone (unless they become violent).

When the resisters kidnap young Akin, the Oankali choose to leave the child with his captors, for he the most "human" of the Oankali children will decide whether the resisters should be given back their fertility and freedom, even though they will only destroy themselves again.

This is the second volume in Octavia Butler's Xenogenesis series, a powerful tale of alien existence.

My Thoughts:

I loved the world-building and the philosophy behind this series. It's a way to explore what makes us human and who deserves to be treated as such. I enjoyed Akin's journey as he struggles to understand humans and the Oankali and how he fits into this new society.

Imago (#3 Xenogenesis) by Octavia Butler

Published: 1989 by Aspect

Genre: Sci-fi, Dystopia

Format: Kindle, 224 Pages, Own

Publisher's Summary:

The stunning conclusion to a postapocalyptic trilogy about an alien species merging with humans—from “one of science fiction’s finest writers” (TheNew York Times).
Human and Oankali have been mating since the aliens first came to Earth to rescue the few survivors of an annihilating nuclear war. The Oankali began a massive breeding project, guided by the ooloi, a sexless subspecies capable of manipulating DNA, in the hope of eventually creating a perfect starfaring race. Jodahs is supposed to be just another hybrid of human and Oankali, but as he begins his transformation to adulthood he finds himself becoming ooloi—the first ever born to a human mother. As his body changes, Jodahs develops the ability to shapeshift, manipulate matter, and cure or create disease at will. If this frightened young man is able to master his new identity, Jodahs could prove the savior of what’s left of mankind. Or, if he is not careful, he could become a plague that will destroy this new race once and for all.

My Thoughts:

A fantastic conclusion. I thoroughly enjoyed Butler's thoughtful story on whether humanity can change and if not, whether or not we're worth saving...

Stranger Planet by Nathan W. Pyle

Published: June 16th, 2020 by Morrow Gift

Genre: Humor, Graphic Novel

Format: Ebook, 144 Pages, Scribd

Publisher's Summary:

In this eagerly awaited sequel, Nathan takes us back to his charming and instantly recognizable planet colored in bright pinks, blues, greens, and purples, providing more escapades, jokes, and p h r a s e s.

Nathan mixes his most popular Instagram comics with more than thirty original works created exclusively for this second volume to explore four major topics: traditions, nature, emotions, and knowledge. He inducts new and longtime fans into a strangely familiar world and its culture, from “cohesion” (marriage) to “mild poison” (alcohol) to the full lyrics to “The Small Eight-Legged Creature” (sung to the tune of The Itsy-Bitsy Spider).

Bright, colorful, and whimsical—yet charmingly familiar—Stranger Planet is out-of-this-world fun.

My Thoughts:

So funny!!! If you haven't read the first in the series go check it out. It's just such a great look at the weirdness that is humanity! And the second one is not any different. He'll never run out of things to make fun!

The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas

Published: first published in 1844

Genre: Action/Adventure

Format: Ebook, 1276 Pages, Scribd

Publisher's Summary:

Thrown in prison for a crime he has not committed, Edmond Dantes is confined to the grim fortress of If. There he learns of a great hoard of treasure hidden on the Isle of Monte Cristo and he becomes determined not only to escape, but also to unearth the treasure and use it to plot the destruction of the three men responsible for his incarceration. Dumas’ epic tale of suffering and retribution, inspired by a real-life case of wrongful imprisonment, was a huge popular success when it was first serialized in the 1840s.

My Thoughts:

I was surprised at how lively and fun the book was! I was expecting it to be a bit more droll like Les Mis...I'd call this a French Soap Opera! 

The thing that stuck out most with me is how much Dumas' ties Dantes' revenge to God's Wrath aka Vigilante Justice that's sanctioned by God. Not until the end does he question even a little bit about what he has done as part of his revenge. There are a couple of casualties that he did not plan along the way. But he makes it up by helping others along the way...I like that twist. Usually it's "revenge is a dish best served cold." And how revenge truly never works. Which I think is mostly true. But yeah it was just fun to see this side of it. Fun escapism. The baddies get their just desserts!

There is also a theme of memories and remembrance throughout the book. Of course, Dantes remembers; he is exacting his revenge slowly and carefully. The ones who are his friends ponder and remember their past and remember him. The enemies are the ones who only remember once the "guillotine" has dropped.

Overall, I really enjoyed reading it and glad I finally took the time to do so this year!

I also recently watched the movie done in the early 2000s...It was OK. But they switched it up and used the whole "revenge is a dish best served cold" idea. Irritated me. They took out key characters and completely changed the ending. But what do you do when you only have 2.5 hours to get in a 1200+ book! I'd like to see a limited series done.

*Read for Back to the Classics challenge and The Classics Club challenge

Mid-July...Wait, What?

 Technically summer doesn't end until September but...for most the summer winds down at the end of August or first of September as our kids go back to school! So yeah, my brain is not processing that it's actually the 14th of July today.

We had a pretty good 4th of July weekend. A BBQ with friends and neighbors and some extra time to relax and enjoy one another.

We also had my friend's son over for a couple days while she and her husband dealt with her cancer appointments. Yep, F*ck cancer. Her son and my son get along so well. They both had a great time and I was happy to help in any way.

G and I managed a small hike last weekend. We got up really early and made it up to the trailhead so we could beat the crowds and the heat...but it's a windy road into the mountains for about 14 miles and G had been reading right before we got into the canyon...well, as soon as we got there. He got out of the car, went pale, said he didn't feel so good and proceeded to puke his guts out. After he got it all out he drank a ton of water and sat for a bit and declared he was ready to commence the hike! I didn't think we'd do the whole thing so I was happy he was feeling good enough to try. We made it to the first lake and that was it but we enjoyed some time in nature and we even saw two moose by the small lake on our way back down. Hopefully we'll be able to get back this summer and see the other two lakes.

We're also getting CSA baskets over the summer. Farm fresh fruits and veggies all summer long. My friend did face painting on the 4th as well. And of course, selfies with Shadow!

Can you spot the moose?

So peaceful up there!

Grateful For:

1. Finishing off the baby blanket I promised for my friend's newborn son. The pattern turned out really nice. It's a lot smaller than I thought it was going to be but she should be able to use it for other things as he gets bigger.

2. No major fires in my city! All fireworks were banned and I think I only saw two or three fireworks go off on the 4th. I was really surprised more people didn't light them off. Bonus my cat Shadow didn't freak out like she usually does every year with the big fireworks.

3. CSA farm fresh veggies! I've been figuring out ways to actually get these veggies eaten. It's been fun finding new recipes and getting new ideas to eat them all up. I want to try my hand at canning some tomatoes and salsa this summer. I know we'll be getting a ton of tomatoes. Only G and me actually eat tomatoes. So between giving some away and eating them, I need to figure out how to can them for the winter. 

Reading Life:

Finished:

I have finished up quite a few since my last post a few weeks ago! Yay! Which means I'm still really behind in my book reviews....

• 
  
  Written in Bone: Hidden Stories in What We Leave Behind by Sue Black (I love Sue Black and everything about this book)
• World Travel: An Irreverent Guide by Anthony Bourdain and Laurie Woolever (A short but sweet book with a lot of great thoughts about Bourdain and what he leaves behind) This also finishes off my food prompt for my Nonfiction Reading challenge! yay!
• Stranger Planet by Nathan W. Pyle (I think his first one is a bit better but these are all hilarious. A really funny and poignant look at the weirdness that is humanity)
• The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas (I was surprised at how readable this classic is. It's quite the little French soap on revenge and memory. The 19th century classic prompt is complete for my Back to the Classics challenge).
• The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins (this one completes my psychological thriller prompt for my I Read Horror All Year Long challenge). 
• Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism by Amanda Montell (Fantastic look at how language shapes our beliefs and vice versa. A great primer into cults and cult-like groups and how we all need to belong.) Read this!
• Project Hail Mary by Andy Weis (hands down my favorite fun fiction read of the summer! I truly loved everything about this book).
• Arsenic and Adobo by Mia P. Manansala (a fun new cozy mystery series. I'm actually going to try my hand at chicken adobo next week because of this book!)
• The Trespasser by Tana French (I finally finished of the Dublin Murder Squad series!)

Wow that's 9 books! A few have been books I've been reading for awhile now but still. I'm pretty proud of that.

Currently Reading:

Philosophy book club and Back to the Classics (classic by a woman): The Second Sex by Simone de Beauvoir.

Reading with G: The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer

Back to the Classics challenge: The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery and Black Beauty by Anna Sewell.

The Premonition: A Pandemic Story by Michael Lewis (so good already)

The Wild Silence by Raynor Winn (listening to this one) This is her follow up to the Salt Path.

The Bombay Prince by Sujata Massey (#3 in the Perveen Mistry series)

Nonfiction Reading Challenge (oceanography prompt): The Soul of an Octopus: A Surprising Exploration into the Wonder of Consciousness by Sy Montgomery

Watching Life:

The best movie I've seen this summer is Luca on Disney+. I cried through most of it. It's a beautiful story on finding your own strength and taming your inner critic. Best kids movie in a long time!

We've been watching Lego Masters, Crime Scene Kitchen, and Making It as a family. DH and I are watching Loki (Love so much).

I've been catching up on Kevin Can F*ck Himself. So good. Highly recommend this one.

I'm watching the NBA Finals as well.

Making:

Lots of interesting salads! We've been getting lots of heads of lettuce in our CSA. Since it's summer and salads are always a healthy option, I've been looking at ways to make the typical salad even better. Lots of different ingredients and different vinaigrettes. So far only G has complained! But he still eats them!

Zucchini bread! We've gotten lots of zucchini. So bread has been made. I'll probably make one more loaf. I've made zucchini pizza bites for lunch once. Next week will probably be a kebab night with zucchini on the menu.

We've also been getting beets. I did not grow up on beets. I've been roasting them. But I'd love to find other ways to use them. Maybe in desserts? Red beets have that beautiful reddish purple color to them. I'm wondering if I can use that for a red velvet cake or something...

Looking forward to:

Today and tomorrow DH's brother and his family are dropping through on their big summer vacation. G will be able to play with some cousins! So he is definitely excited about that.

Friday we're heading up to Park City for a drive-in movie and a little swimming at the local hotel. We haven't gotten away since 2019....Nala kitty's anti-seizure meds have been reduced so we can safely take a night away. It's been a long time coming!

If you have any good beet recipes let me know!

Cat Thursday--It's So Hot!

 

Welcome to the weekly meme (hosted by Michelle at True Book Addict) that celebrates the wonders and sometime hilarity of cats! Join us by posting a favorite lolcat pic you may have come across, famous cat art or even share with us pics of your own beloved cat(s). It's all for the love of cats!  

Summer is in full swing. We're hitting 100+ days all this week. At least it's a dry heat...I do really well in June and then July hits and I'm done...it's the cat days of summer and the beach reads come out with the cocktails in hand...

Reading Challenge Updates!

June was Sci-fi Summer Readathon hosted by Michelle at Seasons of Reading. I managed to get two books in

• Adulthood Rites by Octavia Butler
• Imago by Octavia Butler

Which finished off the Xenogenesis series for me. A very thought-provoking series and I'm still mulling on it. Hopefully I'll some reviews up soon!

It's also been awhile since I updated my all year long reading challenges. I know I haven't done a few reviews and I KNOW I'm really behind on a couple as well. The summer is just getting away from me.

I've been really enjoying stretching my usual horror readings with this one. 5/12 complete. I'm hoping to catch up by the end of the month. I finished off The Upstairs Wife by Rachel Hawkins in June. I'm hoping to complete The Good House and Asylum this month.

1. The Ascent by Ronald Malfi (Winter)
2. The Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James (Spirits or ghosts)
3. The Upstairs Wife by Rachel Hawkins (Psychological)
4. Hide and Seeker by Daka Herman (monsters)
5. The Route of Ice and Salt by Jose Luis Zarate (A body of water)
6. The Luminous Dead by Caitlin Starling (scary book cover)
7. Sawkill Girls by Claire LeGrand (A woman on the cover)
8. Asylum by Madeleine Roux or The Girl in the Well by Rue Chupeco(written by a woman)
9. The Good House by Tananarive Due (written by a best-selling horror author)
10. The Rust Maidens by Gwedolyn Kiste (Indie author)
11. The Silent Companions by Laura Purcell (Historical horror)
12. The Twisted Ones by T. Kingfisher (Folk horror)

I am super behind on this one. Classics are my nemesis which is why I chose to do this challenge...kick my butt in gear! 3/12. I am three behind. I am currently reading Black Beauty and The Little Prince so hopefully that will help me get back on track!

I just finished The Count of Monte Cristo! Clocked that bad boy in 6 months!

1. A 19th century classic: any book first published from 1800 to 1899

• The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas

2. A 20th century classic: any book first published from 1900 to 1971. All books must have been published at least 50 years ago; the only exceptions are books which were written by 1971 and posthumously published.

• Go Tell It on a Mountain by James Baldwin

3. A classic by a woman author.

• The Second Sex by Simone de Beauvoir

4. A classic in translation, meaning any book first published in a language that is not your primary language. You may read it in translation or in its original language, if you prefer. 

• The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Epinay

5. A classic by BIPOC author; that is, a non-white author.

• Dust Tracks on a Road: An Autiobiography by Zora Neale Hurston

6. A classic by a new-to-you author, i.e., an author whose work you have never read.

• A Room of One's Own by Virginia Woolf

7. New-to-you classic by a favorite author -- a new book by an author whose works you have already read. 

• Wives and Daughters by Elizabeth Gaskell

8. A classic about an animal, or with an animal in the title. The animal can be real or metaphorical. (i.e., To Kill a Mockingbird).

• Black Beauty by Anna Sewell

9. A children's classic. 

• The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame
• The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
• Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm by Kate Douglas Wiggin

10. A humorous or satirical classic.

• Catch-22 by Joseph Heller
• Slaughter-house Five by Kurt Vonnegut
• Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra

11. A travel or adventure classic (fiction or non-fiction). It can be a travelogue or a classic in which the main character travels or has an adventure. 

• Gulliver's Travels by Jonathon Swift
• The Kon-Tiki Expedition by Thor Heyerdahl

12. A classic play. Plays will only count in this category.

• A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry

This is by far my most up-to-date! I'm actually ahead on this one. I'm a big non-fiction fan. 7/12 complete! I'm hoping to read Cork Dork this month. I'm leaving a few more of the heavy hitters for later, though. We shall see how it all plays out later...

1. Biography

You Never Forget Your First: A Biography of George Washington by Alexis Coe

2. Travel

The Salt Path by Raynor Winn

3. Self-help

The Self-driven Child: The Science and Sense of Giving Your Kids More Control Over Their Lives by William Stixrud and Ned Johnson

4. Essay Collection

Wow, No Thank You by Samantha Irby

5. Disease

The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat and Other Clinical Tales by Oliver Sacks

6. Oceanography

The Sea Around Us by Rachel Carson

Deep: Freediving, Renegade Science, and What the Ocean Tells Us About Ourselves by James Nestor

The Soul of an Octopus: A Surprising Exploration into the Wonder of Consciousness by Sy Montgomery

7. Hobbies

World Travel: An Irreverent Guide by Anthony Bourdain and Laurie Woolever

8. Indigenous Cultures

Fifth Sun: A New History of the Aztecs by Camilla Townsend

1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus by Charles C. Mann

Heartbeat of Wounded Knee: Native America from 1890 to the Present by David Treuer

9. Food

Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain

Cork Dork by Biana Bosker

Wine Girl by Victoria James

Blood, Bones, & Butter by Gabrielle Hamilton

10. Wartime experiences

A Woman in Berlin: Eight Weeks in the Conquered City by Anonymous

Last Witnesses: An Oral History of the Children of World War II by Svetlana Alexievich

The Unwomanly Face of War by Svetlana Alexievich

11. Inventions

Broad Band: The Untold Story of Women Who Made the Internet by Claire L. Evans

Longitude: The True Story of a Lone Genius Who Solved the Greatest Scientific Problem of His Time by Dava Sobel

12. Published in 2021

Cosmic Queries: StarTalk's Guide to Who We Are, How We Got Here, and Where We're Going by Neil deGrasse Tyson and James Trefil

The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco: Book Review

 

Source

The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco

Published: 1980

Genre: Historical Fiction, Mystery

Format: Paperback, 536 Pages, Own

Rating: 3 stars

Publisher's Summary:

The year is 1327. Benedictines in a wealthy Italian abbey are suspected of heresy, and Brother William of Baskerville arrives to investigate. When his delicate mission is suddenly overshadowed by seven bizarre deaths, Brother William turns detective. His tools are the logic of Aristotle, the theology of Aquinas, the empirical insights of Roger Bacon—all sharpened to a glistening edge by wry humor and a ferocious curiosity. He collects evidence, deciphers secret symbols and coded manuscripts, and digs into the eerie labyrinth of the abbey, where “the most interesting things happen at night.”

My Thoughts:

I never thought I'd enjoy a book set in the 14th century at a monastery would be so intriguing! But It was. And I thoroughly enjoyed reading about Brother William and how he uses his logic and knowledge to figure out who is murdering all the monks!

The story is told through his novices eyes but when his novice is an old man and can look back on these events with a more discerning eye. 

Now, I'm not going to give it 4 or more stars because there are a lot of really slow parts, especially at the beginning that introduces us to the history of the time with the Pope and the kings and the different branches of sects that were dueling it out for power. Eco explains in an afterward section that he purposely added those boring sections to weed out his readers! Well, I stuck with it. lol.

And while it's a mystery in the sense that there are monks being murdered and Brother William is there to figure it out, I felt it was more about philosophy in novel form. How can logic and emotion fail us in equal measure? Well, this book will let you know!

Not quite what I expected but overall glad I read it. I see why it's a modern classic.