I’m doing pretty well on challenges so I don’t feel stressed about them. I want to enjoy what I read and how I blog. I’ve decided to take a little break from the books on my TBR list that I feel I ought to read. I started the last two and because I’m feeling lazy, I don’t think I’m going to get through them. The rest of my Summer TBR list is Time and Again, Flight Behavior, The Wind-Up Girl, and Bring Up the Bodies. My favorite post this month was about struggling to decide what to read, and when to read books because you feel you should. Margaret Atwood’s new book (coming soon) is very good but I struggled with the story at times. I also loved the second book in Hugh Howey’s Silo series. Cheryl Strayed’s book of advice column responses blew me away.

It’s hard to pick a favorite read this month because these books are so different. The Watchmaker of Filigree Street by Natasha Pulley.You’re Never Weird on the Internet (Almost) by Felicia Day.Tiny Beautiful Things by Cheryl Strayed.The Suffragette Scandal by Courtney Milan.We had a great time exploring Paso Robles, San Diego, and Laguna Beach, plus spending time with family. Our vacation in California gave me a lot of reading time, between flying and sitting by the pool and the beach. Maybe that has something to do with my being a near-compulsive reader and preferring solitude to socializing? I’m not sure. Friendships have never been my strong point. As I get older I find good friendships are harder to maintain, or maybe it’s hard to find friends I have a lot in common with. They are friends we have a great time with, and we’ll miss them. I’m sad and envious and excited to visit them, all at once. This month we also said farewell to our close friends who are moving to London. I’ve been putting it off for too long, and my November deadline seemed SO far away, until I realized it was almost September. This week I begin my LAST class for my master’s degree, a course on early learning and family engagement. I’m still experimenting, but mint, strawberries, and cucumbers seem to work well infused in water. My favorite summer find is my water bottle that holds fresh fruit and herbs. For August, I’m thinking about the things I’ll miss most about summer, like reading in the sun, eating dinner and drinking wine on our deck, and working in my garden.

Emerald city gentleman s club reviews