Bonjour, friends! Our temps will start going back up today, so that tiny taste of fall weather we got this week is only a memory. It was nice while it lasted, but at least it’s officially September now!

I’m still on my break from blogging full-time; it’s a much-needed one, and I’ll be back when I’m ready, but for now, I’m just doing monthly roundup posts while I get myself together. There just aren’t enough hours in the day for everything sometimes, right? So I’m having to prioritize a little, and right now my mental health comes first. As it should. 

But more about all that later; let’s get this recap started, shall we?

Books I Read in August 2023

1. Welcome Back, Maple Mehta-Cohen by Kate McGovern

2. The New American Judaism by Jack Wertheimer

3. Hello Stranger by Katherine Center

4. Death in Yellowstone by Lee H. Whittlesey

5. Anatomy of Innocence by Laura Caldwell

6. Lost Connections by Johann Hari

7. The Temple Bombing by Melissa Fay Greene

8. Cobalt Red by Siddarth Kara

9. Whisper by Chrissie Keighery

10. In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson by Bette Bao Lord

11. Cheap Land Colorado by Ted Conover

12. A Fever in the Heartland by Timothy Egan

13. Women Talking by Miriam Toews

14. If All The Seas Were Ink by Ilana Kurshan

15. Blankets by Craig Thompson

16. Escaping Utopia by Janja Lalich

17. Take My Hand by Dolen Perkins-Valdez

18. The Orphan Keeper by Camron Wright

Not a bad month! Somewhat of a heavy month in terms of topics, but I’m happy with the reading I did. Lots of reading on the porch, which has been nice. 

Best reads of the month: Hello Stranger was a fascinating read about a portrait artist that goes face blind (I adore Katherine Center anyway, and she really knocked this one out of the park); Lost Connections helped me to look at depression and anxiety different, and was a super timely read; Take My Hand, historical fiction about forced sterilization in the 1970’s, is one that will really stick with me.

Seven fiction; ten nonfiction; one graphic novel that’s a fictionalized autobiography (maybe? Hard to tell. It touts itself as a graphic novel and not a graphic memoir…). Fourteen of these were from my TBR. One was for a reading challenge. Speaking of which…

Reading Challenge Updates

CHECK THIS OUT!!!!!!!!!!!

Folks, this was a TIME. So much work, but so enjoyable. I discovered some new-to-me authors that I love, returned to some old favorites, hate-read some poorly written fanfiction, journeyed outside my usual reading comfort zone, and learned a lot about myself as a reader. I truly enjoyed this challenge, even though it was a LOT.

Yay me! : )

State of the Goodreads TBR

So, last month we left off at 94 books. I’m trying to tear through these remaining books at a fairly terrifying rate; my goal is to get it down to a very, very small number so I can only add things I truly want to read, read those things, and then dedicate the rest of my reading to a combination of stuff I own and then things I discover from wandering aimlessly in the library (do you know how long it’s been since I did that with any kind of regularity? YEARS). Anyway, this month, the number is…

83!!!

I’m thinking at this pace, if I’m really careful about what I add, barring any unforeseen nightmares that keep me from reading, I should be able to have this list cleared out by January or February, and then 2024 can be a little more relaxed in what I read. I’m digging that idea. : )

Books I Acquired in August 2023

So, I made a trip to visit Sandy, a longtime friend from my longtime parenting board. In addition to a lovely hike in a forest preserve, good conversation over a delicious lunch, and a tour of the town, Sandy and I went into a local bookstore, and I purchased a copy of Mend!: A Refashioning Manual and Manifesto by Kate Sekules. I’m super into visible mending (I’m currently wearing two darned socks), and this was a local bookstore, so I wanted to support them. I’ve only read a bit of the book so far, but I love it already.

Bookish Things I Did in August 2023

…other than my trip to the bookstore, I can’t think of any… I organized some books around the house, does that count?

Current Podcast Love

Okay, I cannot say enough good things about Wilder, about Laura Ingalls Wilder, Little House on the Prairie, and the cultural impact of these things. If you grew up with the Little House books and have grappled with their meaning and cultural significance of them in any way, you need to listen to this podcast. It’s well-researched, well-narrated, fabulously produced, and incredibly thought-provoking. I’ve been enjoying it immensely on my walks home from dropping my daughter off at school and while I’ve been gardening and doing projects around the house.

I’m also filling in the gaps with Digging Up the Duggars. So close to being caught up! 

Stephanie’s Read Harder Challenge

Currently on hold for a bit.

Real Life Stuff

So. 

Here we are.

School year has started, and my younger daughter is back at public school, in person. She’s one of two kids in her class still masking. I pick her up for lunch every day, and she has a car picnic while I read to her (hey, captive audience! Might as well make good use of that time).

So far, so good. *fingers crossed, knocking on every available wooden surface* Little bit of friend drama, but that’s to be expected in fourth grade. She’s had good days and bad, but she’s only asked to be homeschooled again once (our agreement was that she has to give it until at least December, to give it a fair chance). I think she’ll end up sticking it out.

I’m keeping busy. It’s been so hot here that my motivation has kind of been utter garbage, but I’m trying, and I think that’ll keep improving as the weather cools down (we’ve got another week or so of garbage temps, but then it’ll be a little better). I’ve been learning to play the mandolin (slowly!), I engaged in some visible mending and embroidered a shirt, I’ve been gardening, I’ve been brushing up on my French grammar and vocabulary, and I’ve definitely been reading. I’d like to find more purpose, though, but I’m not sure where I’m going with that, or what that would look like.

I’ve also been doing some volunteer gardening with a local sustainability/permaculture group, and it’s been beyond relaxing and rewarding. I’m meeting such amazing people, and I’m learning so much. I swear, if my body would let me, I could hang out in that garden all day, yanking weeds and listening to other people talk. If you’ve ever thought about engaging with a group like this local to you, I cannot recommend it highly enough. My anxiety drops to almost zero when I’m there. 

That’s about it for now. I’m going to continue on with my mental health break for a bit, until I feel ready to return. Stay safe, stay healthy; like half my Facebook feed has COVID right now, which is not great. Take care of yourselves, and others.

Wishing you all a beautiful September.