Show Us Your Books May 2021

I notice myself reading less on weekdays and more on weekends. My brain is fried by the end of the work day recently, and I like to just sit outside and read or watch nothing. Just be. Or walk and be. These are the seasons of this life right now. It is also a largely kindle season of life as I have a lot of ARCs I'm working through from Netgalley. And an author interaction season on IG as I went back and forth with four authors this month on their books I posted about. Always enjoyable. 

Please hold some space for Jana and her family. - Jana lost her Grandmom to Covid since the last SUYB. As Jana does, her grandmom loved reading so this one's for her! America will not reach herd immunity to protect our vulnerable population - including seniors, our immune compromised who are unable to get it, and the nation's children - as long as people who have not lived through a global pandemic before this insist they know the way and that way is to not get vaccines because it is their right not to get it. I cannot think of anything more selfish. Get the vaccine. Wear masks as appropriate. Err on the side of caution.

Here's what I've been reading since the last linkup. 

Engrossing Reads

That Summer by Jennifer Weiner - Trigger warnings along the #metoo lines. People are crapping on this in reviews but I was engrossed and liked the storytelling around a very fucking delicate, difficult, and serious subject. Good thoughts to the author and her family as her mom died this weekend after a quick and painful battle with pancreatic cancer and she will be out doing press on this book and what a time. Free advanced copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review, this book's publication day is today!

The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave - I loved this. I devoured it in a few hours. I feel comfortable making a blanket pick it up recommendation on this one as only people who like picking books apart as if they are a book critic or expect every read to be a five star read will find more fault than like in this one. I don't recommend a damn thing to either of those types of readers as they are nearly impossible to please. Free advanced copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review, this book came out 5.4.2021

Hush Little Girl (Detective Josie Quinn #11) by Lisa Reganush Little Girl (Detective Josie Quinn #11) by Lisa Regan - If you've been here for any period of time you know we love a Josie Quinn novel. It is not a solid surety to like the 11th book in a series as much as the first but I can only recall one or two Josies that were eh. I solidly love these. Kindle book, own

We Begin at the End by Chris Whitaker - Duchess is one of the best characters I've read even though she is young and I typically do not find joy in young characters. She reminds me a bit of Polly in She Rides Shotgun. I didn't want to put this one down. hardcover, own, purchased from Bookshop.org under the auspices of Harriett's

Passed the Time Just Fine

A Summer to Remember by Erika Montgomery - This was not my typical read, but it wasn't bad. As the category states, it passed the time. I can imagine a lot of people would like to read this on a beach. Free advanced copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review, this book's publication day is today!

Finding Tessa by Jaime Lynn Hendricks - This is one of those did I just read what I think I read things that has you re-evaluating everything you have read thus far and trying to re-process information. I enjoy that. This kept me invested. Free advanced copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review, this book's publication day is today!

A Deadly Influence (Abby Mullen Thrillers #1) by Mike Omer - This is a perfect example of what I mentioned up top. It took me forever to read this although I enjoyed it like the other Omer books I've read and will read more of this series. Kindle book, own

Not Worth It

n/a

Did Not Finish

n/a

Linkup Guidelines:

This link up is the second Tuesday of every month. The next linkup is Tuesday, June 8, 2021. 

1. Visit and comment with both of your hosts, Jana & me, and check in with as many in our reading circle as you can - give some love to the later linker uppers! 
2. Link back to us in your blog post - if you want the button you can get it from that link

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

TWTW - may things

Friday Bruce was not into wakeup on Friday. I meant to work here for half a day and drive to the shore at lunch and finish out there but I was on a deadline and ended up here until 6:45. MFD put his sail shade covering up out back. When I got to the shore I ate and hung out with Melissa on the porch until about 10 then off to sleep the sleep of the dead. 

Saturday I was up walking dogs by 6, off to creep on supermarket flowers,  and start a new book. I took Bruce and Ben for a long time at Dog Beach, we hadn't been there for months and I want to reacclimate them since that's the beach we'll be hitting the next few months. I got keys made at the hardware store and picked up some paint chips (it'll be the third one down, that is the deepest color of the hyacinths I love at the shore). 

Saturday was a good food and friend day - lunch from Boyar's and Melissa made wings and mac & cheese. We hung out with her and Jim and the kids and just chilled. It was fun. The dogs were tired AF from playing with the kids which we love. 

Sunday Slept in until 9 and it was a fucking miracle and much needed. I packed up and ran a few small errands before saying goodbye to Melissa, Jim, and the kids and heading home through rain and traffic. We had dinner at Mom's to celebrate Rich's birthday. Happy birthday Rich (67+1)! I stopped by my oldest friend Jen's to pick up fundraiser flowers on the way home and chatted for a few. When I got home I lay on the couch like a slug and read. MFD got home around 11:30 and I couldn't fall asleep until nearly 1. 

Show Us Your Books is tomorrow! See you here for that. 

Encouraging yourself to be more active in the kitchen

Where ae my food friends? I know I'm tired after feeling like I've made breakfast lunch and dinner on a loop during the pandemic year, with the dishes that come along with it. I'm tired of all food. Can a woman get a break in the freaking kitchen. Yes, whenever, but I also don't want to eat out constantly so I'm looking for some ways to encourage myself to be a little more active in the kitchen. I need to resist constantly reaching for the takeout menu when it’s time to prepare dinner or just giving up and loading ourselves up in the car and taking off to one of the nearby restaurants with outdoor seating now that we're vaxxed and maxxed. While it is a nice treat to eat out and takeout food can be delicious, doing either or both often poses problems, chiefly making me feel gross. 

Some possible cooking motivators...

Renovate Your Kitchen 

Depending on how much time/money/muscle you're willing to put out, you might want to think about making some changes to your kitchen. You can also do smaller renovations that will give the space and you as the cook some new life. You could consider investing in some new tech. A heat induction hob could be a great choice. Heat induction hobs will adapt to heat the surface of the pan or pot that you are using rather than providing the typical heat ring. So, as well as being economical, this type of tech will also ensure that you don’t have to worry about your food not being equally heated throughout. It can save you from nasty burnt meals. You can also do something as easy as hanging new shelves for spices to make them more accessible, which we did at the shore this winter. It's crazy something so small can give you some oomph.

Try Some New Recipes

It’s possible that you’ve grown bored of your kitchen because it’s always the same meals and food every night. Is there group therapy for that? If so, I need to attend. I've been revisiting old recipes that I stopped making and exploring new recipes more than I have in years like dessert recipes I've been finding online. If you are like me in regards to cooking, you look for new recipes then add your own touches to reinvent them a little. I tend to do that more when cooking and not so much with baking. 

Make It Easier

The easier a recipe/cooking method is, the more I am likely to do it. If you don't have one, you might want to think about investing in a slow cooker. The benefit of a slow cooker is that you will be able to prepare meals throughout the day and then they’ll be ready to eat in a few minutes when you come in. If you've been around here, you know that I am not the biggest fan of the crockpot. My easy method of choice is the air fryer (affiliate link). Of course we are also entering summer, when it's super easy to just throw something on the grill and serve it with a salad. 

What are you doing to be more active in the kitchen and less reliant on take out? 

Sharing is caring - let's hear your tips and tricks and any easy recipes you've been making. 

What's new with you?

Thursday Thoughts - I was nowhere in sight when the church bells rang

Opting out of the ol' morning scroll. My alarm goes on my phone, then the only thing I use it for at least an hour after getting up on the weekdays is taking photos or the timer. My days go so much better. If you are an immediate scroller or consumer of social media or news, try switching that up and see what happens. Mug from HelloLemonZesty.

Signing up for a CSA share delivery this summer through Flocktown Farm. $2 delivery to Bucks.

Pulling over for glimpses of sunsets. Always. This is outside of my high school on the way home from my brother & Aubrey's.

Limping along with a battery deficiency this week. I drove back from the shore Tuesday night with no phone charger. Not a damn one in this Philly house. I used my car charger a little while running errands and also used my brother's yesterday. 

Playing Ghost Busters with my nephew using other toys. Imagination is awesome.

Asking if you have your sunscreen on daily. May is Skin Cancer Awareness Month and skin cancer is America's most common cancer. Fortunately it is also one of the most preventable. 

Picturing Winnie using portrait mode

Spending a few days of fam time with Mark, Sarah, and Harry earlier this week

Searching for curtains for tiny windows. Like 18 inches but not a valance. 

Picking new paint colors because the goddamn paint I picked does not work for fiberglass doors. 

Asking what's my age again. 

Cleaning up after dogs. This shattered lantern from our wedding was fun as it was the same color as the floor. I spared you the two...TWO poop incidents of Gus's that involved middle of the night sheet changing.

Wishing you all a Happy Mother's Day, in whatever capacity you are one

Hugging anyone who finds Mother's Day hard for any reason - because yours isn't here, or you don't have a good relationship, or you want to be a mom but aren't, or you are struggling as a Mom, or you've lost a child, or any of the big or small things that might make the day hard

Watching nothing but I'm about to get into Mare of East Town or whatever it's called. Gimme that Kate Winslet Delco accent.

Reading the newest Jennifer Weiner coming out May 11, and starting something new TBD today. I've been reading almost exclusively on my kindle due to plowing through a bunch of advanced reader copies from Netgalley, so I'm about ready to hold a book. Show Us Your Books is Tuesday!

What's new with you?

What appears beyond the hyphen in Thursday Thoughts titles is what I'm listening to when I'm starting this - this week is Ride Like the Wind by Christopher Cross

TWTW - the one with Mom

Friday MFD did a big clean in the morning as there was sawdust everywhere after the doors got installed. Like, everywhere. And it keeps coming back. Mom and Rich arrived in the afternoon and then went out to do shore things while I finished work. Michelle and Amelia stopped by, and we hung upstairs with Mom & Rich when they got back. 

Saturday Mom and Rich did donuts and beach and boards walk while we got some stuff done around the house. I got a bunch of stuff listed on the local Buy Nothing group and all except one thing was picked up. I love seeing things go to use for others that still have life in them and I don't have the patience to sell most things. I also dropped a book off at the library and lots of cardboard to the recycling center. Mom and I hit Asbury to support some small businesses - I got a new frock at a new boutique occupying the same real estate as my old favorite Blue Lotus that is no longer there. I also got beach tags for the season and we had lunch out! At Hooked on Breakfast. It was good. We relaxed on the porch as MFD was on his Bass Pro Shops odyssey and Rich was on a bike ride. 

When Rich got back we went to the beach and it was lovely down there. As we were sitting there I was like is that Michelle? Her and Amelia were standing right in front of us. I texted her and we were LOLing all night. Mom got chips and shrimp from Ike's for dinner and we hung out for a while before her and Rich hit the boards and I lay down to finish my book. 

Sunday Running on about 4.5 hours of sleep due to Gus moving around a lot and a trail of turds, I took my mom up to Corson's Inlet to go shelling. Not a great selection of shells, but a wonderful dramatic performance by the sky. 

We came back and slugged around. MFD and I did some hanging and moving wall stuff around and reorganizing storage on the third floor which devolved into me screaming about the patriarchy. He went to get a haircut and look at furniture and I met Mom and Rich at the beach. It was hot AF and then cold AF when the wind changed. Regardless of weather it was so awesome to see the return of beach season, people gathering together, and a feeling that was much much lighter than any May 2020 feelings. Get vaccinated! Let's go!

We came back to the house and Mom and Rich left for home. I read and rested and had ice cream for lunch in the afternoon. Mark and Sarah and Harry arrived around 8. We tried the Wawa burgers and fries at 9 pm. The burgers are surprisingly good. 

So happy to see some sort of livable world again - science is amazing. Thanks to everyone doing something wonderful for the world and caring about the health of others by getting vaccinated.

I also met my new shore neighbors and am relieved that they are nice and laid back people. Good neighbors are always important, but when you're running a seasonal rental, it's extra for those few months.