August Books

Can you believe that reading wasn't my jam growing up?! Clif Notes were my best friends in high school - I'd "read enough" to get by, but other than that I did not enjoy the act of reading so never did it... like ever. Maybe I wasn't reading things that held my interest or maybe it was because it was "required" so I didn't find it enjoyable, but whatever the reason, I'm glad I challenged myself to add the goal of reading 17 books in 2017 (which turned into 88 books in 2017, 77 books in 2018, 67 books in 2019, 66 books in 2020, 67 books in 2021, 41 books in 2022 and 98 books in 2023). The majority of my "reading" has been listening to audiobooks since I don't have as much time to sit and read physical books once I started working full time (not to mention I walk to work and walk on my lunch break so have two-ish hours a day I can listen to something). Even still, holding a physical book is the bomb dot com and I hope to get back to adding more reading vs listening. Just like in years past, writing a monthly recap of the books I get through is a great way for me to both record what I'm reading and to stay accountable. So, here are the books I finished in the month of August:

• His Only Wife by Peace Adzo Medie - This book had been on my "for later" list on my Libby app for a while and it finally became available so I downloaded it and thought I'd give it a listen. I don't remember if I had heard awesome things on this title or if I saw the "Reese's Book Club" little sticker and added it to my list ;) The story centers around a culture not my own (which I always appreciate because I love learning how others live), an arranged marriage in Ghana. I agree with the little blurb on the cover - "Crazy Rich Asians for West Africa (with a good dose of feminism tossed in)". There were parts that made me smile, chuckle, cringe and maybe even one or two that made a little salt water escape my eye. I'll be honest and say when I started I wasn't necessarily expecting it to end the way it did, but I liked the whole storyline. I would give it an 8 out of 10.

• The Tearsmith by Erin Doom - While I was checking my Libby app to see if any of my holds had become available I came across this one and the cover caught my attention. Similarly to the majority of books I read/ listen to - I had no idea what this was about before starting it. Let's just say it had me feeling all the feels (and a few tears may have streamed down my cheek if I'm being completely honest). This is the story of a few kids (it technically focuses on two, but there were others mixed in) who grew up in the same <very abusive> orphanage and the main two were then adopted by the same family. No trigger warnings were included at the beginning of the book, but there is definitely a moody feel and a large amount of violence included. It's a romance FO SHO, but unlike many of the "adult" books in this genre, things weren't explicitly X-rated. I don't want to give the story away persay, but I do want to warn y'all that this is a very spicy book if you know what I mean. Apparently the book has recently been turned into a movie (I saw it pop up when I was Googling a link for the book), so the next time I have access to Netflix I'll probably give it a watch. I would give it a 9 out of 10.

• All That's Left in the World by Erik J. Brown - Once I had logged out of the hubby's Hoopla account and back into my own (THANKS FOR THE EXTRA BOOKS, SAMMY!), this book popped up in my recommended reads. I didn't look at the synopsis, just downloaded it. I am normally not a post-apocalypse type fan, but since I didn't realize it when I checked out I didn't want to 'waste' one of my books for the month, so I continued on. Since I normally don't read this genre (I feel like they end up being zombie reads and those are NOT my jam), I didn't realize what a lack of queer characters there were (which is why this author focused on it) - although if it follows trends of most media, I should've assumed. I enjoyed the relationships and thought overall it was a good book. It kept my attention even though the subject matter isn't my go-to. I would give it an 8 out of 10.

• Butcher & Blackbird by Brynne Weaver - This popped up on my Newly Added list in my Hoopla app and it caught my attention. I loved that it was a trilogy - that way I knew what my next read would be (although Hoopla only has Books #1 and 2 and Libby only has Book #2, so I guess that means I’m going to have to wait to finish the series). I’ve gotta say, if this book was ever turned into a movie it might be X-rated. The story includes: violence, extremely dark humor and lots of very detailed sex scenes. I probably would’ve stopped had the rest of the plot not have been so good. The idea is two serial killers meet when they both show up to kill the same serial killer. I know, dark… but it you can look past the blood and spice the relationships in the books are very well developed. Although the idea may be far fetched, this author definitely added enough detail to make it seem plausible. I’ll be honest and say I even shed a few tears while listening. Also, this audiobook was read by two narrators (and the point-of-view swapped back and for) and I always appreciate that! I’m not sure if they recorded their parts together, but it seemed like they had great chemistry which made me totally buy into the friendship turned romance. Now that I know how SPICY it is, I’ll go into the next book with my expectations adjusted and won’t be caught off guard. This is 100% 'bingeable', in my opinion (but maybe just listen to it on headphones rather than on speaker ;)). I would give it a 9 out of 10.

• Leather & Lark by Brynne Weaver - Well, like I said, I appreciated having a series so I didn't have to look for my next book ;) I would say that I could just copy and paste my review for Butcher & Blackbird, but instead of the stranger to friend to best friend to lover to husband progression this one was a little more of stranger to husband to lover to best friend. Yep, definitely out of the norm in the way these two serial killers (although Lachlan considers himself a 'contract killer' and Lark considers herself a 'multiple deleter') move along in their relationship, so it kept things new and interesting. I'd say I went into this book knowing how 'spicy' the previous book in the trilogy was so that's what I was expecting in this one. With that being said, since the couple were enemies at first, it took longer into the story for the saucy sections to come out. All-in-all I would say I liked this one, but I think I liked the first more because in this one the novelty of serial killers finding friends/ spouses had worn off and wasn't as out of left field as reading the first in the series. I would give it an 8 out of 10.

• The Reason I Married Him by Meghan Quinn - This was on the 'featured' list on my Hoopla app so I grabbed it (#RealTalk - I liked the colors on the cover, that's really all I was going on ;)). Apparently since I had checked out a few 'steamy' books recently this was just continuing the trend... The idea of this one is a "marriage of convenience". We've got two characters that both want something - Aubree wanted the deed to a farm [which she owned half of] and Wyatt wanted a family cabin [but it went to the first grandchild to get marrier]. They came up with a plan to get married for one year so that Wyatt could take possession of the cabin and after the one year they would divorce and Aubree would get the other 50% ownership of the farm and they could go their separate ways (he said it was 'her hand for his land ;)). I found it entertaining and maybe it's because I don't read much contemporary romance, but this was a newfangled plot idea to me. I had two small irks with the book. First, I'm a bit of a prude and when there were sex scenes they were a little outside of my comfort zone. Second, when I ended I was like "what the heck?! It's done already?!" Because I was listening to the audiobook, I didn't realize I was getting to the end of the book (unlike if I was holding the physical book and could see I had few pages left). I guess, if we aren't going to get more of their story, at least I found a new author to read more of (looks like she has many-a-titles to her name). I would give it an 8 out of 10.

• Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus - I had seen a lot of friends posting about how they were or had read this book, so I had added it to my "for later" list on my Libby app. Occasionally I'd scroll through the list and when this one was finally available I snagged it. Other than seeing the mention on social, I didn't know anything about it (but was hoping they all couldn't be wrong ;)). I'm happy to report I really enjoyed this one as well. It is set in the 1960's whe. women were really only seen as mothers and housewives. In this culture, Elizabeth Zott (the main character) stands out in that she is a chemist (and dare I say feminist) who believes women are just as smart and capable as men. There are many ups and downs (deaths, losses of jobs, sexual assault, new careers, births, etc) and I loved to see how Elizabeth would react in each said experience. I also really enjoyed the character development in all of the cast, as well as the relationships that formed and blossomed as the book progressed. It's cute, believable, witty, well researched, inspiring and all the other positive attributes I can think of ;) I don't know that I'll add it to my personal library, but I'd definitely recommend it to folks (when grabbing the link for the book I noticed it was turned into an AppleTV+ mini series, so if the hubby and I ever have access to that streaming service I'd totally watch it). I would give it a 9 out of 10.

• The Inexplicable Logic of my Life by Benjamin Alire Saenz - Scrolling through the "librarians' recommendations" on my Libby app and I saw this one. The front grabbed my attention because it looked like another I had read (SURPRISE, it ended up being from the author of that very book and I didn't notice until blowing up the picture for this post). It also makes sense that I would love this book, seeing as I gave "Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe" two thumbs up (although only 8 out of 10 because I thought it ended abruptly and not the way I wanted ;))! It's a YA book about growing up, grief and so much more. It is heartwarming and beautifully written, but still easy to read (the reading age was 12+). I love that there is love in this book, but it isn't a romantic type love - it's a I-will-die-for-you type love. I would give it a 9 out of 10.

• I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter by Erika L. Sanchez - I had seen this on a couple "must read" lists and since I didn't have any of my other books read, I gave it a try. Although I was not raised in the Mexican culture, I do know what it feels like to be a perfection (or at least try to appear as one) and how much pressure that can put on someone. There are many nuggets to take away from this book, but the first that comes to mind is 'things may be very different than you see'. Julia, the main character, has a sister who was killed (Olga) and the family is trying to keep everything together after this tragedy occurred. From the parents' perspective Olga was the perfect daughter and Julia is anything but similar. I'm not going to spill the beans, but let's just say what Olga was portraying to those around her before the fatal accident wasn't exactly "true". This story is about everything from grief to stereotypes, from acceptance to expectations (and everything in between). I can see why it ended up on so many lists. A well-written, engaging novel all-around! I would give it an 8 out of 10.

• All Your Twisted Secrets by Diana Urban - This came up on my “thriller” list in the YA section of my Libby app. I remembered that it had popped up on the past so I took the nudge and downloaded it. Once the story started it sort of reminded me of a murderous Breakfast Club - a group of students were summoned to a dinner (under the guise of winning a scholarship) and when they arrived they get trapped in the room. They are offered two options (from what appears to be an evil outsider) - use a syringe with poison to kill one person in the room or a bomb will blow in an hour if they don’t kill someone (kill someone or everyone dies). I won’t give anything away, but I did enjoy how the story stitched from the present to different times in the past to explain how they got to where they were. Although I would have preferred an epilogue {One Year Later…} I did appreciate how the ending wrapped everything up {I was a bit shocked and taken aback, but I guess that means the author did a good job}. I appreciate [synonym] the mental health resources at the end of the book, but also think there could have been a trigger warning at the beginning [at least mentioning suicide]. I would give it an 8 out of 10.

• The Bones Beneath My Skin by TJ Klune - I saw this on a friend's Instagram Stories and my jaw dropped. Wait a gosh darn second! I hadn't seen this book before (and I LOVE this author). The hunt for it in audiobook form was on. Thankfully I didn't have to look too hard, since it popped up right away on my Hoopla app. Crisis averted, I downloaded it right away and started listening. As to be expected, I loved it. As with the majority of his books, which are a little out of left field (teenagers with superpowers, talking gnomes, a sort of backwards Pinocchio story, etc), this one was in the same vein. A journalist who was fired and just inherited his family's cabin heads there to sulk and plan his next steps, but when he arrives he realizes he is not the only one there. I won't ruin the rest, but let me tell you that there are some extraterrestrials involved. It's a thriller, mystery, love story and so much more wrapped up in one fast-paced book! There were smiles, laughs, tears, #AllTheFeels! This author's books all may not be in my Top 10, but I sure do love all his books! I would give it a 10 out of 10.  

• The Darkest Corners by Kara Thomas - I found this in the "thriller" section of the Young Adult genre on my Libby app. If you know me, you know I don't do scary (and even some thrillers can be a bit too much for me). Well, before I get into the recap, I should probably tell you I was listening to this before going to bed for a few minutes and woke up at 3:30am thinking someone might be sneaking in through our window. OH GOLLY! {Note: I also could not watch Unsolved Mysteries if this tells you more about me} I need to only listen to happy things around bedtime ;) Anywho, this is a story about a small town that is seemed in murder, lies, domestic abuse, etc. The secrets just kept on coming to light. I would say I did not see the ending coming. It definitely kept me engaged, but maybe a little too much ;) I was thinking after I finished this about how there are so many thriller/ mystery books where apparently everyone is smarter than the police because the main character tends to crack the case wide open... I guess that's why it's considered fiction. I would give it an 8 out of 10.

• You Have a Match by Emma Lord - After a 'thrilling' thriller, I thought it was time for a book that would make me smile. A summer camp book in the young adult section, sure, why not?! As suspected, it was a cute, quick listen. Lifelong friends go to a summer camp, their real feelings are revealed and a couple is formed ;) Okay, okay, there may be a few more details in there than I mentioned (like a DNA test that disclosed a surprise sister, best friends turned enemies turned friends again, etc), but for the most part it follows the standard formula. Nothing too special, but a sweet summertime book nonetheless. I would give it a 7 out of 10.

• Tweet Cute by Emma Lord - I noticed that the author of the previous book had a few more on the Libby app, so I downloaded another for when I was maxing and relaxing in the sun. I actually think I liked this one more than the first. The two main characters are teenagers who go to the same school, both of their parents' own restaurants and they end up having a little war on the corporate twitter accounts. As I'm sure you could have guessed, the two teens end up having feelings for one another and start dating. There were some fun pop culture references that made me smile (i.e. Gossip Girl, snarky Wendy's tweets, Mean Girls memes, etc). This is a great book to snag for a vacation or while you're hanging out at the pool. I would give it an 8 out of 10.

• The Seven Year Slip by Ashley Poston - I had seen this book on so many people's must read books that I got in line on my Libby app. After about six or seven weeks a copy finally became available. The premise of the story is that there is an apartment that will sometimes take you from the present to seven years ago (it doesn't happen every time you walk through the door, it doesn't do it on command, etc). Going back in time can be difficult because if you fall in love you know it won't last (seeing as you aren't with that person in the present). Since it's not a good idea, of course the characters tempt fate and end up falling in love. It was heartwarming, exciting, swoonworthy, but it wasn't "oh my gosh this book is amazing." I figured out where the story was going pretty early on, so wasn't super surprised with anything. Again, a cute and inventive plot (great character development, well written, etc), but I don't think it lived up to the 'promised' hype. I would give it an 8 out of 10. 

• When You Get the Chance by Emma Lord - Might as well keep that Emma Lord (Young Adult high school romance/ coming-of-age story) train rollin', right?! Well, I had checked out a more 'serious' book, but I wasn't in the mood to focus, so snagged this one and used it more as background while I was doing housework, errands, etc. I'm not sure how many of my readers have watched Gossip Girl, but I feel like this book was very similar to an episode I had seen (Dan and Blair both get an internship at a magazine and the two start to have feelings for each other while trying to out-do and one-up each other). Not a super novel or inventive idea, but I did like the side plot of the main character trying to find her mom (who is a mysterious woman who showed up on her dad's porch and dropped off the baby since she didn't want to be a mom). I'll be honest and say as background 'noise' it was fine, but definitely not one that stands out as amazing. I would give it a 7 out of 10.

• Begin Again by Emma Lord - Okay, so this is the last novel of her's on either my Libby or Hoopla app, so I can cross her off my list ;) As to be expected, it was a cute listen, but nothing too earth shattering. In this story, the main character gets into her dream college and tried to follow in her parents' footsteps. It's a coming-of-age story with some Young Adult romance thrown in there for good measure (the main character is dating her best friend from home but may start crushing on her Resident Advisor [RA] in the dorms). I was actually impressed with the author that I didn't expect the twist/ reveal towards the end. I loved all the different relationships Andie made. Although the plot wasn't too fresh, I still smiled throughout the entirety of it. I would give it an 8 out of 10.

• If Only I Had Told Her by Laura Nowlin - Seeing as I was done with all of the Emma Lord books on my apps, I clicked into the "recently added YA" titles and came across this one. The slight blurb I saw mentioned Jenny Han (the author who wrote the "To All The Boys I've Loved Before" and "The Summer I Turned Pretty" series) so I was hoping that meant something along the lines of 'if you like her books {which I do} then you'll enjoy this one'. Thankfully that's what the blurb was going for and I did enjoy this one. I would say that I might not have loved it as much as Jenny's books, but I also went in with high expectations. This is the story of three main characters (each of the parts written from their point of view) who are finding their way through friendships, relationships, grief, uncertainty, breakups, hookups, and tons in between. I was thankful for the trigger warnings at the beginning of the book, but also felt as though I was expecting some of the tragedy that was coming since it was forewarned of before the story started. I definitely wished that there was more to the book, but, hey, maybe that means a follow up is in the works... fingers crossed. I would give it an 8 out of 10. 

• Tokyo Ever After by Emiko Jean - I was scrolling through the 'romance' section of the Young Adult genre on my Libby app (which tends to mostly be about high school crushes or first love - not the 'spiciness' of adult romance ;)) and I came across this book. I noticed there was a "Reese's YA Book Club" sticker on it, so figured I'd give it a go. I tried to go into this one without expectations (since the previous book was sort of a 'let down' because I was assuming it was going to be 'amazeballs' and it was 'good') and I was extremely rewarded because I ended up really enjoying it! I had a best friend who was Japanese and the hubby loves Japan, so when it brought up lots of happy memories. Of course I was rooting for the romance between two of the main characters, but I was surprised to also be extremely invested in the other relationships (the foursome of best friends, the "work" relationships turned friendship, the building of a bond between Izumi and her father, the love story Izumi was conceived out of, etc). Oh, doggy, and when I just went to grab a link for this one I see it is book ONE and there is a follow up! WHOOO HOOO! Hold please while I log into my audiobook apps and see if the second book is available. Okay, stand down, my Hoopla app had the sequel (and the hubby's account still had downloads available - shhhh don't tell ;)). Alrighty, back to this book. I would give it a 9 out of 10.

• The Midnight Library by Matt Haig - So this was another book that I had seen a bunch of people talking about, so when I got the Libby app I added my name to the 'hold' list (sort of like getting in line to check it out) and it finally became available. I was sort of thrown off by the first few words of the audiobook, when it started with "XX hours before Nora decides to die". I mean, I know I said in an earlier book I read that the trigger warnings sort of gave you insight into what would happen, but since I knew nothing about the story a little heads up about suicide would have been appreciated. Anyway, getting past the fact that the story is about a woman who is situationally depressed and is planning her own death, it was an interesting premise. The thought was there's a place between alive and dead where some people get 'caught' and they are able to live different lives they would have lived had they made different choices. I'd never really thought of alternate realities or parallel universes, so it was definitely a topic I had never delved into. The overarching theme was to live the life you are living, have no regrets and don't compare yourself to others. The plot is thought-provoking, interesting and inspiring (but the topic of suicide can be hard for me to read about/ listen to). I would give it an 8 out of 10.

• Where the Rhythm Takes You by Sara Dass - It seems like all of my books on my Libby app that I want to read have super long wait times, so I decided to just go into the YA section and see what popped up when I did the random shuffle of titles. I saw this one, saw that it said YA romance and figured I'd try it. I'm so glad I did stumble across this one. I absolutely loved it! The idea of the plot was someone left the area, made it big, goes back and then looks at past relationships. It's young love (first loves) and growing up. Nothing stood out as specifically amazing (and I won't be adding it to my personal library), but overall I definitely felt all the feels. Smiles, tears, laughs and scoffs. I did really love that it was set on Tobago (we need more diversity in characters and in locations [in my opinion]). I appreciated there was an epilogue (one year later), but I wouldn't be upset if a sequel came out (and that the couple was still as cute as pie ;)). I would give it a 9 out of 10.

• Ophelia After All by Racquel Maire - I grabbed this book as the same time as the previous one (so that it'd give me a little more time before I needed to go on the hunt again ;)). I didn't love this one as much as the other, but it still had its nuggets. I am grateful that while the book discusses coming-of-age it also addressed figuring out one's sexuality. I'd say a lot of the books that have characters who belong to the LGBTQIA+ community seem to have their lives together (or it's assumed that sexuality can't change over time or that everyone has to be comfortable with coming out, labeling oneself, etc). I really appreciated the diversity of characters and where they were along their journey of figuring out who they were and how they related to the world around them. The storyline didn't have anything unique (a friend group getting ready for graduation, going to prom, etc), but it was good. Books like this NEED to exist, this specific novel just wasn't my fave. I would give it a 7 out of 10.

• Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid - This is another one of those books that I've heard 'everyone loves' but had no idea what it was about. It had about an eight week wait on my Libby app so I put it on my 'hold shelf' and forgot about it until it FINALLY became available. (I had read The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by the same author and enjoyed it, so figured it'd be a safe bet.) I am happy to report that this one lived up to the hype for me. The story jumps back and forth through history (it's about a famous family, so sometimes it's in the timeframe of where the parents met and other times it jumps forward to where the now adult kids are in the present [and that portion of the storyline is only a 24-hour span of time]) which I really enjoy because it doesn't give me enough time to try and think about what will happen next. Also, on a personal note, this novel is based in Malibu, CA and the four main characters are all surfers... Well, most of the surf breaks and town locations I have been to so can see it clearly in my mind, not to mention the hubby is a surfer so I speak the same lingo. I thought the character development and relationships with the family were all very believable and well done. As with the first book of this author's I read, I definitely would recommend it to friends! I would give it a 9 out of 10.

With that, August is done-zo. If you have suggestions, let me know! I'm always looking to add to my "must read" list! 

What's the best book you've read lately? 

Workout Recap - Week 34

Sunday, August 18th – 7 mile run with the hubby

Monday, August 19th –  Rest day

Tuesday, August 20th – 4 mile lunch run

Wednesday, August 21st – 60 minutes on the stationary bike

Thursday, August 22nd – 4 mile lunch run

Friday, August 23rd – 60 minutes on the stationary bike

Saturday, August 24th – Rest day

I've been enjoying getting in my lunch runs during the week. I have found a slightly shadier place to do them (rather than running up and down all of the rows in the empty mall parking lot), so I haven't had to come back to the store too terribly sweaty ;) Not to mention I can sleep in for an extra hour or so! Other than that it was a couple rides on the stationary bike - nothing too monumental or terrible. I was originally planning to do my long run for the weekend on Saturday (since the hubby was out of town and I had all day to get it in without losing time with him), but then I remembered I would have to pick him up from the airport Sunday morning and I could run in San Diego. I tend to run the same(ish) routes a lot, so I'm excited to mix it up. [I was also excited to have a whole day to myself, just lounging around and having ZERO to do.]

How were your workouts this past week?

Workout Recap - Week 33

Sunday, August 11th – 60 minutes on the stationary bike

Monday, August 12th –  60 minutes on the stationary bike

Tuesday, August 13th – Post work 3 mile run with the hubby

Wednesday, August 14th – Rest day

Thursday, August 15th – 3 mile run

Friday, August 16th – 60 minutes on the stationary bike

Saturday, August 17th – Rest day

Well, maybe you can guess from the workouts or had a hinkling when you saw the vehicle issues under Saturday, but this week was a little out of the norm... There were some issues at work that I had to take care of, which meant I couldn't do my lunch runs and then on Friday and Saturday "life happened" so runs didn't. Friday afternoon the hubby took the pup to the vet and on his way they were hit by a car. Thankfully they were in the truck so there was minimal damage and no one was injured. (The person responsible had insurance and they will be handling it all, including the rental car when the truck is in the shop, so at least that's one less thing to coordinate and plan.) Then Saturday morning I woke up to go to the grocery store before my run and the car wouldn't start. The lights, radio, etc were all turning on, but when I turned the key there was nothing. I was guessing it was the starter, but obviously am not a mechanic. When I got home from getting groceries in the truck I woke up the hubby and told him about the issue. We then had to deal with finding a shop that could look at it on the weekend, calling our insurance company to have the car towed to said mechanic, etc. I also had to work on Saturday at the store, so after dealing with everything else I wasn't able to get a run in (and then after work and working six days in a row I was beat). I'm not saying any of this to make excuses, but more to say LIFE HAPPENS! I run for the enjoyment, for the health benefits (mentally, physically, emotionally, spiritually), to soak up God's creation, etc, so if a run doesn't happen, THAT'S OKAY! I don't want to make it a habit, but I'm not training for anything, I'm not making money running, etc, so I am in the frame of mind that this hobby is something I love, but it is also not what makes me me, not the end all be all, etc. <steps down off soapbox> In case you needed permission to not feel guilty about missing a run, a workout, a training cycle, etc, GIVE YOURSELF A BREAK and get in what you can, when you can! We are all doing our best and that's all we can do! Here's to next week settling down a bit, but if it doesn't, I'll roll with the punches then too ;)

How were your workouts this past week?

Walt Wednesday

Some people do a "Wordless Wednesday" post, where they simply share a photo or image, but I thought I'd make a little series out of my Wednesdays. And since I love alliteration so much, why not go with Walt Wednesdays (obviously everyone can use a little break from the seriousness, scariness and sassiness of life - and what better way to help put a smile on your face than with a cute wiener dog picture, am I right?!)... So, without further ado...

WALT WEDNESDAY!

When life gets overwhelming, how do you de-stress?

Workout Recap - Week 32

Sunday, August 4th – 9 mile run with the hubby

Monday, August 5th –  60 minutes on the stationary bike

Tuesday, August 6th – 4 mile lunch run

Wednesday, August 7th – Rest day

Thursday, August 8th – 5K to end the day

Friday, August 9th – Rest day

Saturday, August 10th – 60 minutes on the stationary bike

Eh, a so-so week. I'm working with my psychiatrist on changing dosages so my body was a bit off this week. Not a ton of running, but at least I got in three days (even if they were mostly short). In the past I have jumped out of bed (whether my alarm was set for 3am or 5:30am), but nowadays I've been lacking in the get-up-and-go juices (which is why you see a lunchtime run and an afterwork one). Here's to hoping once my brain chemistry gets in order everything else will follow.

How were your workouts this past week?

Workout Recap - Week 31

Sunday, July 28th – 5 mile run

Monday, July 29th –  60 minutes on the stationary bike

Tuesday, July 30th – 4 mile progression run

Wednesday, July 31st –  60 minutes on the stationary bike

Thursday, August 1st – 4 mile lunch run WITH THE HUBBY

Friday, August 2nd –  Rest day

Saturday, August 3rd – 5K run with the hubby

Hubby was in North Carolina from Sunday morning until Thursday morning, so I changed up when during the day I did some of my workouts, but, for the most part, it was my standard routine - a couple midweek runs (I had the hubby meet me on my lunch break Thursday and we got in a few miles together), a couple bikes and a rest day. Eventually I may increase my midweek mileage, but since I'm not training for anything I'm totally fine getting in what I can, when I can. 

How were your workouts this past week?

July Books

Can you believe that reading wasn't my jam growing up?! Clif Notes were my best friends in high school - I'd "read enough" to get by, but other than that I did not enjoy the act of reading so never did it... like ever. Maybe I wasn't reading things that held my interest or maybe it was because it was "required" so I didn't find it enjoyable, but whatever the reason, I'm glad I challenged myself to add the goal of reading 17 books in 2017 (which turned into 88 books in 2017, 77 books in 2018, 67 books in 2019, 66 books in 2020, 67 books in 2021, 41 books in 2022 and 98 books in 2023). The majority of my "reading" has been listening to audiobooks since I don't have as much time to sit and read physical books once I started working full time (not to mention I walk to work and walk on my lunch break so have two-ish hours a day I can listen to something). Even still, holding a physical book is the bomb dot com and I hope to get back to adding more reading vs listening. Just like in years past, writing a monthly recap of the books I get through is a great way for me to both record what I'm reading and to stay accountable. So, here are the books I finished in the month of July:

• The Distance Between Us by Reyna Grande - I had seen this memoir on a few "must read" lists, so once it became available on my Libby app (after maybe two or three weeks), I took my turn and downloaded it. Reyna tells the story of her childhood - including experiences of her parents going from their Mexico home to the United States to earn money, her border crossing, her attending school in the US while not being able to speak a word of English, etc. This book was written a few years back (maybe 11 now), but is just as relevant in today's political scene with so much attention being put on immigration and "the border". Besides living in San Diego (within about 50 miles of the US/Mexico border), I haven't had any personal experience with immigration so I think this gives a real and honest portrayal of what families go through. I would give it an 8 out of 10.

• Happy Place by Emily Henry - I have heard great things about this author and since all of her books on my Hoopla app are in languages other than English, I've had to get in line and wait my turn on my Libby app for them to become available (I think I currently have maybe three or four more of her books in my 'for later' list). This is a story about a group of college friends who are returning to a summer getaway cabin for one last hurray since it will be sold shortly after the summer season. There are three couples, but the majority of the story focuses on one of them who had been engaged but broke off their relationship and had yet to tell their friends about it. I can see why so many people snag this author's books while going on vacation or hanging out at the pool. They are easy reads, but they sure do grab all of you and drag you, head over heels, into the story. There may have been some tears rolling down my face during the listening of this book. Another book that won't make it in my personal library but that was entertaining and worth the read. I would give it an 8 out of 10.

• The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman - This is another book that I had seen mentioned time and time again, so as soon as I downloaded the Libby app I got in line for it. Let's just say it's super fun! The main characters (although, I will be honest, there are a ton of characters and it can be sort of difficult to try and keep them all straight) live in a retirement community. Four of the folks come together to make the Thursday Murder Club where they try to solve murder cases. I just kept picturing my grandmas in the mix and it made me smile. Part of the book is told in first person (in the form of journal entries from one of the four members) and part is told in third person. The book is a mystery book, but it is also super funny, cute and witty along the way. There are so few books with "retirees" as the main characters that it gets extra points solely on that front from me! It's a quick and easy read, even if at points it seemed like it could have been edited a bit shorter. At the end of the audiobook there was a quick interview with the author and I loved hearing that there are more books in the series - WHOO HOO! (And it picks up the following day, so a smooth transition.) I would give it a 9 out of 10.

• Nice Racism by Robin DiAngelo - After a couple novels, it was time to get back into the non-fiction section of my Libby app. I had read White Fragility, by this author, previously and felt it was very insightful, so snagged this one to keep my antiracist education growing. Similar to Dr. DiAngelo's previous works, this one was very impactful and eye opening. I've heard many talks, read many books, etc about the term "nice", but I guess I've never thought about it in the category of racism before. The main point that Dr. DiAngelo is trying to make (at least in my opinion) is the fact that white "progressives" can be doing more damage than the blatant racist. The reason is blatant racism can be confronted head on, but people who want to try to 'keep the peace', make sure everyone is being 'nice', etc, can actually be sitting by and perpetuating racism while thinking they are doing 'good'. The MLK quote (from his Letter from a Birmingham Jail) comes to mind "...I have almost reached the regrettable conclusion that the Negro's great stumbling block in his stride toward freedom is not the White Citizen's Counciler or the Ku Klux Klanner, but the white moderate, who is more devoted to "order" than to justice; who prefers a negative peace which is the absence of tension to a positive peace which is the presence of justice..." The only thing that 'nice' does is alleviates yourself of guilt, but doesn't disrupt racism. This book brought to light things in my own life since we are always growing and learning (everything from moving beyond feeling defensive to paying BIPOC peoples for their expertise). I would give it a 9 out of 10.

• A Marvellous Light by Freya Marske - I actually had this one on my "for later" list on Libby, but the wait time seemed too long and when I looked on my Hoopla app this and the second book in the series were available, so I used two of my downloads for the month to grab them. The opening music made me think it was going to be like Harry Potter, and it was a bit like it, but instead of wizards and muggles there were magicians and non-magical, "regular" people. (FYI: I tend to like YA books because there is less [or at least less graphic] sexy times, but apparently [which I learned when grabbing the link to it] this was not in the YA genre, which means it definitely has its fill of sex, so be warned if that turns you off.) The story was a little slow at parts, but overall the romance and character development had me hooked and kept me engaged. It's a mix of magic, murder and mystery. And I'm excited to see where the storyline(s) go from here. I would give it an 8 out of 10.

• A Restless Truth by Freya Marske - As I mentioned in the previous book recap, I had nabbed the first two books in this series on my Hoopla app. This is a follow up to A Marvellous Light, but it focuses on different characters - Robin's sister and Harriette from Robin's visions. Now that I was aware this is NOT a young adult book, I was assuming this would be a little more adult (and that there would be some sex). I love that this series seems to focus on queer love and how it isn't a big deal. It's dealt with just like heterosexual love - mentioned and moved on from. Seeing as this book is in the same vein as the first, it is still about murder, mystery and magic, all wrapped up in a historical fantasy bow. The only thing that I'm bummed about is neither of my audiobook apps have the third and final book in the series available. I would give it an 8 out of 10.

• Five Survive by Holly Jackson - Once I finished the Good Girl's Guide to Murder series, I went on my Libby app to see if the author had any other books. This one pop up so I got in line to check it out. I will say that although I got caught up in the mystery, I didn't love it. I'm not sure what exactly the reason was, but there were multiple times where I thought to myself "do I really want to listen till the end?!". Maybe it was because it seemed extremely far fetched {six friends go on a road trip for spring break and a snipper finds them, potential mafia connections, etc}, but I did find the fact that the book really only spread out over the course of eight hours intriguing. With that said, I removed the other of this author's books from my "for later" list and think I'll look for some different mystery young adult books (or drop the genre for a while). I would give it a 5 out of 10.

• Anger is a Gift by Mark Oshiro - Since none of the books I was waiting on in my Libby app were available, I started scrolling through a list of "rainbow reads" (libraries pick their favorite books with LGBTQIA+ characters). I saw this one and the title grabbed my attention so I thought I'd give it a try. Although I knew this was a novel, it definitely reflects the reality of numerous similar tragedies, as well as the reality of heaps heroes who persist in the face of adversity (who we should be eternally grateful to!). This book has a very diverse cast of character - some of lesser known/ talked about sexual orientations, people with of different races and immigration statuses, folks with different beliefs (whether religious, political, etc), etc. As I mentioned, this is a fictional story, but I easily could have been reading something out of today's news. It is a story about police brutality, protests, turning schools into something that resembles prisons, different 'warfare' tactics that are employed, etc. It's not an easy read, but it's a super important one. I would give it a 9 out of 10.

• The Prison Healer by Lynette Noni - Like I mentioned for the previous book, since none of my Libby books were available, I decided to go over to my Hoopla app. This book popped up as a trending YA title. I noticed it was a series and that the app had all three books, so I downloaded the first one. This is not necessarily an "easy" read - there is a lot of violence, which may be triggering for some folks. As you may have guessed from the title, this story takes place in a prison. Not only is it a prison, it's a "work prison/ death prison". The main character, Kiva, is still a prisoner, but instead of an extremely strenuous job, she works in the infirmary healing the other prisoners (hence the title of "prison healer" ;). There are lots of twists and turns along the way, so it definitely kept me engaged. There was a HUGE cliffhanger at the end of this book (that I totally did not see coming which doesn't happen often), so I'm stoked to see where the story goes. I would give it an 8 out of 10.

• The Gilded Cage by Lynette Noni - I was stoked that Hoopla had the entire series, so I grab the second book with my final check-out of the month (I'm crossing my fingers the hubby will share one/some of his with me so I can finish them one after another). I've gotta say, this one seemed to be more love focused (overall less violence than the first) and I got caught up in the blossoming relationships (whether friendships or more ;)). There were parts that I liked and made me say "awwwwww" and there were parts that weren't my favorite and made me cringe a bit, but overall I liked to see life OUTSIDE of prison for everyone. Definitely a lot more twists and turns in this one (I love not having enough time to try and guess what's happening next or being bored of a slow storyline) and I'm stoked to see how the series ends (lots of loose ends). I would give it an 8 out of 10.

• The Blood Traitor by Lynette Noni - I worked my magic (ok, I really just had to ask, hehe) and the hubby let me use one of his Hoopla downloads for the month so I could finish this series up. I've gotta say, I really enjoyed this series. I don't know which one was my favorite, but I do wish there was more... I looked at the time left in my audiobook at one point and I was like 10 hours in (with five to go) and we still weren't anywhere near the end of the story. If you've seen/ read the Hunger Games series, it's sort of like that. After all of the trials and tribulations, I want to see what happens next... I know, the authors like to leave it open ended so YOU can choose, but I'm always curious to know what happens to everyone one, five, ten years later. I would say that the section(s) with Kiva's sister could've been a bigger plot line, but the character development was great. Overall I would say this series gets two thumbs up for me (dare I say I would've liked even a little more focus on the romance portion ;)) and hope this author writes many, many more books. I would give it an 8 out of 10.

• People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry - After reading one of this author's books earlier in the month, I went through my Libby app and put some of her books that were already on my "for later" shelf onto my "hold" list. This one finally became available (I was probably on the waitlist for maybe eight or so weeks) so I grabbed it right away. I feel like these are great vacation books, so why not download and listen to them during my lunch walks and act like I'm not working 40 hours a week ;) This one felt like there was a lot of build up... It would switch between different summer trips these two friends took over their years of friendship, mentioning this one specific trip and how everything "changed", but it seemed like you different officially find out about it until way late in the book. Maybe it was meant for suspense, but I thought it could've been touched on earlier and then more of the 'after' could have been explored. Seeing as this is an adult book, there is some sexy time included, but I'd say it definitely wasn't as detailed as the first one I checked out. I would give it an 8 out of 10.

• Farewell to Manzanar by Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston and James D. Houston - This was in the recently added list on my Libby app (in the young adult section ;)). It caught my attention right away because we literally drive by this internment camp every time we visit Mammoth, Bishop, Yosemite, etc. The hubby always says "we should go and learn about the history", but usually we drive by at an 'off' time, we have Walt in the car (and can't leave him in the extreme heat of the Owens Valley), or we are just ready to get there or get home. Well, this book was perfect! It is a memoir of sorts from the time a family was interned at Manzanar to their 'release' and what they experienced afterward. I know that Japanese were sent to internment camps during World War II, but other than knowing it happened, I don't know think I was ever taught anything more (and, if I'm being honest with myself, I hadn't really thought about it before). I found this incredibly insightful. Jeanne is recalling her life before, during and after WWII and since she was a kiddo at that point, it's written in terms that kids can listen and learn from. She had so much eye-opening stuff in this book, not only a glimpse of the humiliation felt by the interned but also a response for people who use the excuse of that during other wars, people were held and she reminds us all that the majority of the Japanese sent to camps were AMERICAN BORN and NOT sympathizers of the "enemy". I know I was originally drawn to this book because of our familiarity of the location, but I think everyone can glean a lot from this personal telling of history. I would give it a 9 out of 10.

• One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston - Okay, so this one is a little more "out there" (sci-fi) than the usual romantic comedy than I'm drawn to, but I've read one of the author's previous books (Red, White and Royal Blue, which has also recently been turned into a movie) and really enjoyed it, so figured this was worth a shot. I've gotta say, I really loved it. There are so many different reasons, but the top three I can think of are: a diverse cast of characters (a lesbian, gay men, a bisexual, a trans man, drag queens, a psychic, heterosexual cis people, etc), the fact that no matter your WHO you are, we all still go through very similar things (and it shouldn't be taboo to talk about) and QUEER JOY! Don't get me wrong, I'm in no way downplaying the discrimination, hatred and violence that has been perpetrated against the LGBTQIA+ community, but there's also so much more to the amazing folks (love, acceptance, badassery ;)) than only tragedy. There were mysteries (both big and small) needing to be solved which kept me intreguied. I would give it a 10 out of 10.

• I Kissed Shara Wheeler by Casey McQuiston - Since I just listened to this author's previous book (AND LOVED IT), I figured I'd check out the last one of her's on either of my apps and hope that I liked it just as much. Well, unfortunately, I didn't... It was sort of a scavenger hunt type idea during the last few months of the kids' senior year of high school. It also turned into a little more of a romance and rivalry. I liked the diversity of characters, but the overall plot and 'mystery' didn't keep me engaged for some reason. Maybe this storyline would be a better movie than a book, but for some reason it didn't sit well with me. I would give it a 6 out of 10.

• The Light We Carry by Michelle Obama - I'll be honest, I think Michelle Obama is an AMAZING woman. Every time I've heard her speak, read an interview, listened to her book, etc, I always am in awe of how kind she is with such a level head about everything. This book was not like her memoir and it's not necessarily a self-help book, but she uses experiences that have shaped her into the woman/ mom/ friend/ wife she is and tries to extrapolate tidbits that she can pass along to the rest of us. I know she is probably not bright and sunshiny all the time, but sharing stories of how she has overcome uncertainty made me sit right alongside her and think "I CAN DO IT TOO!" I love that everything she shares is about doing something actionable. Getting up, doing the work, even if you don't think it is making an impact, do it anyway. I'd say overall this book comes across as hopeful, practical and powerful. I may not being adding it to my personal library, but I think it's definitely a book I can see myself coming back to multiple times. Let's celebrate our uniqueness, let's open our arms to others, let's embrace community, let's practice love (including loving ourselves). I would give it a 10 out of 10.

• Chloe Cates is Missing by Mandy McHugh - The book cover caught my eye when I was scrolling through some of the "thrillers" on my Libby app. Ryan and I have watched our fair share of true crime shows/ movies and this looked like it could be something similar. The story is told from four different characters' perspectives (on the audiobook each was read by different narrators), which I do tend to be partial to. I was really captivated by the story. The premise was a mom wanted something to give her life purpose after having her second child, so decided to start a mommy blog. Twelve years later the blog is still going (to say 'strong' may be an stretch) but whereas when it first started everyone in the family was onboard, now there seems to be trouble in the blogosphere (or, more specifically, IRL). When the daughter who the majority of the blog focuses on (even though the mom always tries to reiterate it is about her life and her experiences) goes missing, it's a race to find out what happened and where she is. There were lots of twists and turns (and I was actually going back and forth on which suspect I thought might have done it) and without giving anything away, there was a reveal at the end I thought was very clever. I could totally see this turned into a movie. I would give it an 8 out of 10.

• Say What You Will by Cammie McGovern - This popped up on my Libby app as a recommended book and I thought I'd check it out. If you've read Eleanor & Park, this is along the same vein (at some points I actually had to think whether I had read this one before because it was so similar). It's a coming of age story with characters who are not normally the focus of mainstream media (a high school senior who has cerebral palsy and is nonverbal and another student who has obsessive compulsive habits). Both Amy and Matthew seem to be in a place there they could both use a friend, and despite how the two got paired together, it's beautiful to see a friendship blossom. There were parts that made me go 'awwwww, that's so sweet' and there are other cringe worthy spots. I am not going to give it away, and I'm always going to say I would prefer to see more of the "after", but I do have to say that I appreciate everything wasn't "happily ever after" and tied up with a nice bow at the end. It is always interesting to see how people think they are showing love to others. I appreciated that the author focused on acceptance (or lack thereof) and individuality. I would give it a 9 out of 10.

• The Summer She Went Missing by Chelsea Ichaso - Apparently the police should hire teens to help solve mysteries/ murders/ cold cases (or at least that's what some of the recent books I've read would suggest). This was in the YA "page turner" list (mostly meaning the thriller genre). Two families vacation together year after year. One summer one of the high school daughters goes missing. The following year the case has gone cold but the two families return to try to bring light back around the situation. The daughter that is not missing and the older brother of the girl who is missing (which happen to have a romance blooming) spend the summer trying to track down the killer/ kidnapper and bring them to justice. I won't spoil the "big reveal", but I wasn't expecting the ending. Nothing amazing about this one, but it was entertaining. I would give it a 7 out of 10.

• In the Lives of Puppets by TJ Klune - Let me start off by saying I LOVE THIS AUTHOR! One of my favorite books is one he wrote (The House in the Cerulean Sea). As soon as I saw this pop up on my Hoopla app [under the hubby's account since I had already run out of downloads for the month, oopsy!] I grabbed it immediately. As expected, this one was just as awesome (might not be in my top 5, but I still thoroughly enjoyed it!). Not only was the story interesting (sort of a retelling of Pinocchio but with characters flipped and other tweaks), but the narrator of the audiobook was AMAZING! I think everytime Rambo spoke I either was chuckling or at least had a HUGE smile on my face. I'll be honest and say that I think some of the portion with the Coachman could've been shortened and the time with the Blue Fairy could've been extended, but overall a chef's kiss from me! If you like TJ's other books, I'm sure you'll love this one too! I would give it a 10 out of 10.

• Cafe con Lychee by Emery Lee - I had seen this on a few Pride Month 'must read' lists so when it finally showed up on my Hoopla app I snagged it right away. I think this one is a case of it was hyped up to be freakin' fantastic and I didn't think it lived up to expectations. It was sort of the reused plot of enemies become friends become partners. Don't get me wrong, I liked some of the nuances of the story, but overall I didn't find anything overly amazing. I did enjoy the fact that every other chapter was written from the perspective of one of the characters (and that there were two narrators doing the voices), but I don't think it'll end up in my forever library. This would be a great beach/ vacation read but I don't think it is a "must". I would give it a 7 out of 10.

• Meet Cute Diary by Emery Lee - After I listened to Cafe con Lychee, I thought I'd see if the author had any other books. (I wouldn't say the last book was amazing, but I was still waiting on my "for later" books to become available and nothing I had access to caught my eye at the moment, so I figured, 'why not?'.) Well, similar to the previous book of theirs I listened to, this one was sweet, but nothing too amazing. Hopefully you know what "meet cute" means, but if not, it's the cute way two people meet (pretty self explanatory, hehe). The main character is trans and wrote a blog where he recorded different 'meet cutes' in the trans community (to give folks hope and as a reminder that they have every right to the "romance" other relationships have). Well, let's just say the blog is popular, but the posts Noah is sharing may be more stories than realities... As I'm sure you can guess, drama ensues and he finds/ loses/ forms/ strengthens/ ends relationships through the ups and downs. Again, cute (and fun beach read), but I won't add it to my personal library. I would give it a 7 out of 10.

With that, July is done-zo. If you have suggestions, let me know! I'm always looking to add to my "must read" list! 

What's the best book you've read lately?