My son and I went on a mini adventure today, going to a local state park that has some great walking trails and plenty of shade from old growth forest to keep the heat at bay.

We love this place.  It’s always quiet, even in the middle of summer, with plenty of walking trails to keep us busy for a few hours.  Around 620 acres of land that includes the last of the old growth forests to be found in Western Washington.  One of my favorite places, and added bonus of being less than an hour drive from our house.  And I am going to be selfish and not divulge the name of the park (however, if you know me on facebook, you will find out where it’s at).

And on to the next summer adventure…..  🙂

 

 

Well, I tried for #027 to be on time, but due to server problems and having to switch to another server, then the down time waiting for everything to transfer, well……

here we are for week #028!

After some false starts, I think summer is finally here!  The rain was great for keeping things green but we’re more than ready for some warm weather!!  My lavender, mint, and chamomile plants are going berserk, and I harvested my first lemon cucumbers on Saturday (and from the looks of it I will have a ton of them on my hands in the next week or so).

Perhaps it was a good thing that the server was down, as the books I had finished for #027 were duds, to say the least.  But I bounced back from them this past week with some great books.

One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey — 5 stars!!

Another one of the classics that I can’t believe I haven’t read before!!  A mix of humor and pathos, I found myself laughing then reaching for the kleenex.  A great story, one I can say is in my top 5 favorite classics.

Hope Farm by Peggy Frew — 4 out of 5 stars!

I finished this late last night, one of the better “coming-of-age while living in a hippie commune with unstable parent(s)” stories I’ve read.  A huge thank you to Scribe Publications for an ARC and introducing me to another great Australian author.

Cinder by Marissa Meyer — 4 out of 5 stars!

This was a pleasant surprise.  I picked this out to fulfill part of a summer reading challenge I’m doing, and really didn’t know what to expect.  A retelling of Cinderella with a sci-fi cyborg twist!  There were a few slow parts and I thought a couple of the characters could have been fleshed out a bit more, but overall pretty darn good.

The Lance and the Shield by Robert M. Utley — 4 out of 5 stars!

I had this on my to-read list for 2019 non-fiction.  A very readable, engaging biography and look at the historical struggles of the Native American.  Full review hopefully for August.

Blood on Snow by Jo Nesbo — 4 out of 5 stars!!

I love Jo Nesbo, and this 200 page story was a great afternoon read.  This was not part of Nesbo’s Harry Hole series, rather a stand-alone novella about a hitman with a heart of gold.

The Girls by Emma Cline — 3 out of 5 stars

I was expecting more from this one, but overall it wasn’t bad.  Another coming-of-age story (I seem to be reading a lot of these lately!!), weaving a fictionalized version of Charles Manson and his followers with a teen girl’s need for acceptance and belonging.

Will Haunt You by Brian Kirk — 2 out of 5 stars

This started out pretty strong, with the promise of a potentially interesting horror story.  But about half-way through, the gears seemed to change, almost like the author didn’t know what genre he wanted to write.  There’s hints of sci-fi and even religious awakening….in other words, it turned into a hot mess pretty quickly.  Too bad, it had potential.

The Woven Path by Robin James — 2 out of 5 stars

My goodreads review:

This was almost a 1 star for me, but the intriguing start to the story kept it at 2.  I read this to see if my son would like it, and I can honestly say I would NEVER recommend this to anyone’s kid.  I was fine with the dark and sinister world of the museum, I thought that was great!!  But when you had little punk ass kids torturing a dog to near death (and then the death that followed), well, I started hating this book.  I don’t like animal torture in adult horror books, so finding this in a book aimed at “middle grade” readers really upset me…and made me glad I read it before handing if off to my kid!!  But it wasn’t just this.  The story started out strong, kind of like The Librarian meets A Night at the Museum, with a bit more horror thrown in (and I love a good horror story!!!).  But it fell flat pretty quickly.  I really didn’t care about any of the characters and the evil entity was pretty cliche.  Even when I take away the parts I hated, I still found this “meh” at best.

Your House is on Fire, Your Children All Gone by Stefan Kiesbye — ?!?!?

I’ve been thinking about this one and really have no idea how to rate it.  It didn’t completely suck but it wasn’t great, better than a 2 but kind of strangely meh for a 3.  It’s twisted and weird, but not in a good way that I would recommend.

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This week looks to be pretty busy, with a library program and some planned trips to the beach, as well as  some light hiking.  So I best be off for now, and until next time…..Happy Reading!!

 

Fresh off a loooong holiday weekend….and feeling no different than before it began!  😀  Thursday the 4th was our Independence Day, which is also the unofficial start of giant motor homes driven by idiots who have never driven anything bigger than a Prius clogging up the roads for the next two months.

And yes, I’m getting crankier in my old age, ha!!

We stayed at home, far from the crowds, and enjoyed a quiet weekend.  A neighbor set off a few fireworks for the 4th, and we also watched the Seattle fireworks show on tv.  Ah, life in the middle of nowhere!

I’ve read some great books the past couple of weeks, check them out—-

Mongrels by Stephen Graham Jones — 4 out of 5 stars!

The most unique werewolf story ever!!  Well, at least the most unique one that I’ve ever read!!  I would say this is part coming-of-age and part horror.  I’ll admit it started a bit slow for me, but damn, I didn’t want to put it down!  If you like horror be sure to check this one out.

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas — 4 out of 5 stars!

I think this should be a must-read for everyone.  While I didn’t think the ending did justice to the rest of the story (a little too convenient and too fairytale happy ending), I found this to be a powerful and compelling read.  Highly recommend.

Sudden Sea by R. A. Scotti — 4 out of 5 stars!

Full review coming soon!

Rust and Stardust by T. Greenwood — 4 out of 5 stars!

We are probably all familiar with Nabokov’s infamous Lolita, but few know about the true kidnapping behind the story.  Greenwood takes the story of Sally Horner, the real kidnapping and rape victim, and creates a novel that not only dramatizes her story but imagines the points of views from family, friends, and neighbors.  Greenwood does treat the rapes and physical abuse with kid gloves, and I think it would have added more bite to the story if she had included a few chapters from criminal Frank LaSalles POV, but overall a really good read.

My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She’s Sorry by Fredrik Backman — 3 out of 5 stars

I was spoiled by reading Backman’s A Man Called Ove first since it set a high standard that, sadly, his other books just haven’t measured up to in my opinion.  This one had some good, some bad, and a lot of just plain confusing and/or boring (the confusing, boring parts came with the whole fantasy land created by the grandmother.  Yes, I understood it’s significance but after a while it started to grate on my nerves).

My Sister’s Bones by Cathi Hanauer — 2.5 out of 5 stars

This isn’t really a story about anorexia, more a story about a girl going through her teenage years who happens to have a sister with anorexia.  Maybe if I had read this when it came out in 1996 I would have liked it more (this would have been edgy back then).  There were a few bits that stood out but overall I found it to be boring and almost glorifying in it’s approach to anorexia.

Retribution by Richard Anderson — ??? stars???

I’m still deciding on this one, I will be posting a review shortly.  A huge thanks to Scribe Publications for sending me a copy!

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And another week begins!  I know my son and I will be heading to another of the local library’s summer programs, and I have several library books checked out that I have to get a move on!  So until next week, Happy Reading!!

July already?  The year half over?!

Well, that went by fast!!

This week I decided to do something different and offer a quick mid-year reading update.  At the beginning of 2019, I joined the goodreads yearly challenge and decided to read 150 books this year.  As of yesterday, I had finished 112!!  Hmm, I may need to rethink my goal!

There have been a lot of ups and downs so far, but great books have been in the majority.  Off the top of my head, these are just a few of the ones that really stood out for me:

Scythe and Thunderhead by Neal Shusterman — I am often disappointed by popular bestsellers, those ones that everyone raves on about,  feeling more often than not like Elaine Benes at The English Patient—

But damn, Shusterman delivers with this series!  I haven’t looked forward to the conclusion of a series this much in a very long time!

The Nameless Dark by T.E. Grau — A collection of weird and warped short horror stories.  Definitely up there as my top short story collection of the year.

New Iberia Blues by James Lee Burke — The latest in my favorite series featuring Dave Robicheaux.  And you don’t have to read the entire series to enjoy it!

Where All Light Tends to Go by David Joy — By far one of my favorites this year.  Dark, disturbing, depressing, but also offers glimmers of hope and redemption.

Which leads me to…….

There have been a few authors that have really stood out for me,  leading to some compulsive purchasing and online stalking (well, maybe not the stalking….not yet anyways).  David Joy makes that list, as well as horror authors Chad Lutzke and Keanan Patrick Burke.  And after just finishing Mongrels by Stephen Graham Jones, I may be adding his name to the list as well.

I’ve read a few blah and just plain bad books this year as well, but since I plan on avoiding any more of them I’ll wait until my end of year wrap-up to share those “gems.”

I may have given up on my other New Year resolutions, but I will definitely be making my reading goals by the end of the year!

Have a great week, and as always, Happy Reading!!

Well, the good news is….it’s summer!!

And the bad news…..it’s been rainier and colder than it was a couple of months ago!

But all has not been lost.  My son and I went to a local library program (make sure to check out my blog post, Summer Library Programs), I finally finished watching The Passage (great show!!  I really need to read the trilogy!), and finished up a great selection of books!

 

Natchez Burning by Greg Iles — 4.5 out of 5 stars!

An awesome start to the trilogy!  I will admit the first third seemed pretty slow, but once it got going, I couldn’t put it down.  Even though this is labeled as #4 in the Penn Cage series, you really don’t have to read the earlier books to fully appreciate or enjoy this one.

Dead of Winter by Kealan Patrick Burke — 4 out of 5 stars!

If you’ve ever felt like the Grinch around Christmas, finding the sound of carols beyond annoying or thinking the neighbor’s light display needs to go, you may need to check out Dead of Winter!  This Christmas-themed short story collection is definitely not something that will put you in a festive holiday mood!!  They are dark, edgy, and at times horrific.  If you are a horror fan like me, you need to put this on your holiday to-read list.

The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros — 4 out of 5 stars!

This isn’t really a novel or novella, more a collection of random thoughts and events happening over a period of years to a young girl (presumably based on the author’s life).  I really liked the voice that came through, and the writing was lyrical at times.  This may not be for everyone, but I recommend giving this little book a shot.

Little Heaven by Nick Cutter — 3 out of 5 stars

Finished this morning, and I’m still debating on how much I really liked it.  There were two distinct parts to the story, one set in the ’60’s and the other in 1980.  I’m okay with that, especially since each part was clearly titled as such, but it just didn’t seem to flow well.  It almost felt like the 1980 chapters were added on to lengthen the story.  Things really didn’t start happening until page 200 or so, then it took off in typical Cutter gore and action.  And believe me, there was plenty of gore!!  But overall, it just didn’t come together like some of Cutter’s other works.

The Last Kind Words Saloon by Larry McMurtry — 2 out of 5 stars

I went into this one expecting another great McMurtry read, akin to Lonesome Dove, or Terms of Endearment.  Instead, I found a mediocre at best narrative that really goes nowhere.  There were a few scenes that rose about the rest, but overall something that I wouldn’t recommend even to McMurtry’s biggest fans.

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With the rainy forecast it looks like a potentially good week for finishing up some more great books.  So until next time, Happy Reading!

I love our local library.  The Timberland Regional Library System covers three counties in southwest Washington state, offering services and programs not only to the larger cities but to smaller, rural areas as well.  Each summer, the libraries host a variety of activities for young and old alike.  My son and I have enjoyed many of these free programs, from the storytimes and scavenger hunts when he was younger, to the yearly visit from The Reptile Man and his various snakes, lizards, and tarantulas.

Today was the newest addition to the summer programs:  a local owl sanctuary called For Heaven’s Sake brought some of their rescued owls to the Salkum, WA library and gave a wonderful presentation!

I have always loved owls.  From Owl in the Winnie the Pooh stories to the ones that used to hang out in our barn, I have a great fondness for these beautiful birds and I thoroughly enjoyed seeing them up close.

    

All of the owls were found injured in the wild and brought to the sanctuary for care.  They do their best to heal and rehabilitate each one so they may be returned to the wild, but these six were severely injured so they will be living out their years under the loving care of the For Heaven’s Sake owners and volunteers.

And this is just the beginning of the summer programs my son and I are looking forward to!!

Does your local library offer fun programs that you enjoy?  Feel free to leave a comment and let me know!

First, I want to give a huge shout-out to all the great Dads out there—Happy belated Father’s Day!!

Second, I’m just wondering where the heck Monday went?!  Now that my son is out of school for the summer, the days seem to melt together, making it easy for me to lose track of what day it is.  Shake it off, Glenda!  😀

While this past week was pretty quiet around here, it did provide some extra reading time for me.  And boy, did I find some winners this week!  On Saturday, I received my order of three novellas by Chad Lutzke, who I will admit I am now obsessed with.  No, I’m not turning into the narrator of You, but I am wondering where this author has been all my life (or at least the past few years since he started writing)!  I give a full five stars to the following novellas, all of which I read Saturday afternoon:

Stirring the Sheets

Of Foster Homes and Flies

Wallflower

Lutzke’s stories are listed as horror, but these three I would lean more towards very dark fiction.  And they are addictive!!  His writing style is straight-forward but emotionally powerful and pulls the reader in from the beginning.  I am hooked!!!  If you like your stories on the darker side, be sure to check this author out!!

Where All Light Tends to Go by David Joy — 5 out of 5 stars!!

Another new-to-me author who I am now obsessed with reading more of his stuff (I already have two more of his books on hold at the library).  This one tells the story of Jacob, an 18-ish year old with a drug dealing daddy and a crack whore mom, living in small town North Carolina.  The story is dark and brutal, but with glimmers of light and hope that made me love the characters and story even more.  Highly recommend!!

Our Story Begins by Tobias Wolff — 4 out of 5 stars!

Wolff is probably best known for his memoir, This Boy’s Life, but this collection of short stories shows his range and writing skills.  These are definitely not feel good stories, but still worth checking out.

Strange Weather by Joe Hill — 3 1/2 out of 5 stars

Hill’s collection of four novellas is, well, different.  I was expecting horror and instead got sci-fi and a statement piece on gun control.  They were good, just not what I was looking for.

Killing Eve:  No Tomorrow — 3 out of 5 stars

Why do I keep reading this series when I clearly love the television show more?  *sigh*  I went into this one with lower expectations, and I don’t know if that made the difference but I did find this installment a bit better than the first book.  And, of course, it ends on a major cliffhanger which will have me reading the third book when it comes out in 2020 and lamenting the fact that it is still not as good as the tv show.

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The official first day of summer is this Friday!  While we have no major vacation plans, we will be enjoying local day trips, outdoor living, and family programs at the library.

And, of course, a good book or two!!

Until next time, Happy Reading!!

 

 

This past week has kept me busy, mainly with gardening duties.  I’ve been helping out at a local nursery, potting plants for summer growing season.  Our crew this year kicked ass (great job Karen and Heather!!) and we wrapped up almost everything today, just some odds and ends to finish.

I’ve also been bringing home more plants for my porch and yard:  several heather and lupine starts, scented iris, aronia berry plants, even a small papaya tree start for the house!

This week will also mark the last day of school for my son.  Time for me to start thinking of some good outdoor activities for us to do!

Needless to say, I didn’t get a lot of reading done.  I finished one book, Hunting Annabelle by Wendy Heard, which was a disappointing 2 stars.  It was one of those books that started out not bad, quickly became boring, then ended with a lot of eye rolling and urges to throw it against the wall (since it was a library book I refrained from the throwing, though).

Tomorrow is supposed to be quite warm, I plan on sitting outside, in the shade of our big maple tree, with a large glass of iced tea and a good book.

What will you be reading this week?

Until next time, Happy Reading!!

You know it’s June when the local strawberries start hitting the market!  I was very happy when my husband brought home these delicious beauties.  Our friend, Pedro, started his berry farm a few years ago and we always look forward to getting our supply from him!  Tonight we had some over ice cream; tomorrow I will be making some freezer jam for the winter.

Yum!!

This past week has been a bit busier than usual.  I’ve been helping out at the local fruit tree nursery up the road, mostly with potting plants.  When I get home, I’ve been pretty wiped out and haven’t had the energy at times to do much reading.  I was able to finish these three:

The Mars Room by Rachel Kushner — 4 out of 5 stars!

I just finished this about an hour ago and it is still sitting heavily with me.  Depressing and haunting are the two words that keep popping into my head, especially the last few paragraphs.  The flow of the story is a bit disjointed and there were side stories that just didn’t seem to fit in or go anywhere, but I could not put this one down.

Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan — 3 out of 5 stars

Dynasty meets Mean Girls, with a bit of Kardashian-esque family dynamics—that pretty much sums up this one!  It was a fun, mindless read, but a bit long-winded at times (I think if all of the details about jewelry and designer clothing were omitted, the book would be about 200 pages shorter).  I will probably read the other two  books in the series because I do want to know if Astrid gets a backbone, Eddie gets his ass kicked for being a jerk, and if Nick keeps his inheritance, just not anytime soon.

My Father’s Ghost is Climbing in the Rain by Patricio Pron — 2 1/2 out of 5 stars

The first few chapters sucked me in, then, well, blah.  The middle was repetitive, boring, and just didn’t go anywhere or move the story along.  The last few pages woke me back up, but overall this book just didn’t do anything for me.

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Well, I better sign off so I can get some sleep for potting plants and jam making tomorrow!  Until next week, Happy Reading!!