A Midsummer Chat

My reading stack, summer favorites, and other fun things to note.

Summertime is my favorite, and I cannot believe it's halfway over. There is so much to love about this season: the sunshine, popsicles, warm weather, easy-going days, vacationing, dining on the patio, the scent of sunscreen, flip-flops, fresh fruits and vegetables, extended daylight, and so on. I am excited about the summer movie releases, beach days, travel, and other activities.

I thought it would be fun to share what is in my reading stack, what shows I'm watching, and some summer favorites. I love a sneak peek into what others are doing, and I think sharing about our seasons gives us pause to reflect on what's meaningful. Life rushes by, and noticing what brings us joy is important.

Summer Reading Stack

A good mix of beach reads, non-fiction, and fiction are listed here.

To Read

Blood from a Stone: A Memoir of How Wine Brought Me Back from the Dead (strange title, but go check it out!)

Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City

Maame

Walking with Sam: A Father, a Son, and Five Hundred Miles Across Spain

Counterfeit

The Soulmate

The Book of Lost Names

All My Knotted-Up Life: A Memoir

Ones I've Read

The Anomaly- This is an exciting sci-fi thriller.

The Dry- a mystery and book #1 in the Aaron Falk series. I enjoyed it and look forward to reading book #2.

Demon Copperhead- Barbara Kingsolver is a gifted author, but I found this book too heavy and depressing. Others claim it's the best book they've read all year!

The Guest- This one was on several summer must-reads lists, and I don't know why. I thought it was awful and probably should have stopped reading it halfway through.

God and The Gay Christian: The Biblical Case in Support of Same-Sex Relationships- The book was thought-provoking, an excellent read, and one I've recommended to others.

We Are the Luckiest: The Surprising Magic of a Sober Life. I listened to this memoir on Audible and admired the author's journey to sobriety.

Summer Shows/Movies

Shows

The Lincoln Lawyer (Netflix)

The Bear (Hulu) *warning- lots of coarse language

Hijack- (currently watching on Apple TV)

Jack Ryan (Prime)

The Diplomat (Netflix)

Shiny, Happy People (currently watching on Prime)

The Reluctant Traveler with Eugene Levy (currently watching on Apple TV)

Movies

Champions (watched on Peacock)

Book Club 2 (watched on Peacock)

I hope to see these movies now in theaters: Sound of Freedom, Mission Impossible-Dead Reckoning; & Indiana Jones and The Dial of Destiny.

Summer Favorites

• Cold brew coffee- my husband bought me this for Mother's Day, and I'm shocked at how much it reduces the acidity in coffee.

• Fresh berries- give me all the strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries.

• I bought a straw hat from Costco with UV protection and a strong strap.

• During Amazon Prime Day, I purchased two pairs of inexpensive polarized sunglasses and won't panic if I lose a pair like I would with my expensive ones.

• The sun on my face (while wearing sunscreen, of course). It just feels so good!

• With all the beautiful, warm weather we are enjoying, I've been able to wear some cute linen dresses, sundresses, and sandals.

• The slow days of summer

A Few Other Fun Things:

It's been fun to go wine tasting, enjoy dinner with friends, have my children and their spouses home for a vacation, go for walks on the beach, and try new recipes. My husband and I are taking an overseas trip at the end of summer, and we are both looking forward to that.

What are things on your summer list? What are you reading and watching? Do you have any vacations planned? What are some of your summer favorites, and how are you spending the slow days of summer? I would love to know ☀️

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