Another whirlwind of a month, filled with work (which is filled with books), back to school, and a little bit of reading stuffed in here and there. And mosquito bites. They’re TERRIBLE here and I’ve been the recipient of an absolutely egregious amount of mosquito bites this month. Hideous. Hopefully you’re faring better wherever you’re at.

The heat has been a little nuts here recently, but fortunately, we’re trending back downward. Who knows when the actual fall temperatures will come in; with climate change, we’ve had some Septembers with plenty of days in the 90’s still, so. EW. I’m more than ready for jeans, sweaters, hoodies, and NOT sweating to death in the car while I wait for my work shift to start.

But anyway.

Let’s get this recap started, shall we???

Books I Read in August 2024

1. Separate But Not Equal: The Dream and the Struggle by Jim Haskins (read aloud to my daughter)

2. The Unsettlers: In Search of the Good Life in Today’s America by Mark Sundeen

3. Minimal: For Simple and Sustainable Living by Laurie Barrette and Stéphanie Mandréa

4. Daughter of Fortune by Isabel Allende

4. Joey Green’s Incredible Country Store: Potions, Notions, and Elixirs of the Past – and How to Make Them Today by Joey Green

6. Jennifer, Hecate, Macbeth, William McKinley, and Me, Elizabeth by E.L. Konigsburg (read aloud to my daughter)

7. The Girl He Used to Know by Tracey Garvis Graves

8. Laura Lamont’s Life in Pictures by Emma Straub

9. The Book Proposal by K.J. Micciche

10. Families and Other Nonreturnable Gifts by Claire LaZebnik

11. Truly Madly Guilty by Liane Moriarty

12. Edible Plants: A Photographic Survey of the Wild Edible Botanicals of North America by Jimmy Fike

13. The Quiet Damage: QAnon and the Destruction of the American Family by Jesselyn Cook

14. Perfectly Clear: Escaping Scientology and Fighting for the Woman I Love by Michelle LeClair

15. Marshmallow & Jordan by Alina Chau

16. That Librarian: The Fight Against Book Banning in America by Amanda Jones

An okay month. The Unsettlers by Mark Sundeen was an impulse grab at the library that ended up being a fascinating look at the lengths some people go to to live out their ideals of a simple life. The Girl He Used to Know was just intensely delightful fiction about a woman with autism and how she makes her way in the world and finds (and loses, and refinds) love. I wasn’t expecting to enjoy this one as much as I did – granted, I went into it blind and had no idea what it was about, but I really, really enjoyed it. 

Sixteen books this month; eight fiction, eight nonfiction. NINE of these came from my own shelves! I’ve actually gotten over 40 books read and off my own shelves this year so far. I’m REALLY proud of that! The Little Free Libraries around me are bursting at the seams with my books. : )

Bookish Things I Did in August 2024

I worked at the library, does that count? (I hope so!)

State of the Goodreads TBR

Last month, the list was at seven books; this month, it’s six. One book, my daughter and I are going through day-by-day, as it’s intended; one book is in processing at another local library, so I’m waiting on that; one book doesn’t come out until October; one book is on my footstool right now, checked out from another library (because it’s checked out at mine!); one book, I’ll have to get through interlibrary loan; and the last book just became available at my library as an ebook! It’s checked out to someone else right now, but I’ll get to it when it’s in. I’m pleased with all of this!

Books I Acquired in August 2024

The only book I brought home with me this month was a copy of Meet Me at the Lake by Carley Fortune. It came from a trip to deposit books at Little Free Libraries near me.

Current Podcast Love

I’ve listened to all of Dateline, so I’ve moved on to listening to Park Predators (from the makers of Crime Junkie), a podcast about true crime cases that happen in national parks. Super fascinating! 

When I walk or do volunteer work, though, I’m still listening to The Slow Home Podcast with Brooke McAlary.

Stephanie’s Read Harder Challenge

I’m on-and-off reading a chunk of pages from Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman. It’s been on my shelves for ages and I’ve never read it. It’s a lot, though, and I’m not super into poetry, plus my schedule is sometimes a little intense during the days and I forget. So I *will* eventually get all this read, but who knows when?

Real Life Stuff

And it’s September again.

The library is a little less busy now that summer reading is over. I’m being trained to work the front counter and the drive-up window, which is pretty cool. I love it there so much, and I have the most amazing, intelligent, funny, patient, and kind coworkers in the world. I truly hope the community understands what an amazing team runs their library and what an incredible resource it is. We’re so lucky to live in a place with a library like this, and I’m so lucky to be a part of it. 

I did find my first ooh-that-looks-good book while shelving (that’s Edible Plants by Jimmy Fike, #12 in my list this month!), and put my first book on hold after hearing a patron talk about it! So the occupational hazard begins.  🙂

Kids are doing well; younger daughter is back to school and loving it (she begs me to leave early for school every day so she can hang out with her best friend for a few extra minutes before the bell rings); older daughter starts classes in a few weeks and is enjoying spending time with her significant other.

That’s kind of all I have to report for the moment! We’re finding our happy balance between work/life/school and all that comes with those things. I couldn’t be more grateful for my wonderful job and my awesome coworkers. I’d take a full-on break of these awful summer temperatures – and we do have a slightly cooler streak coming up! – but there are definitely still days in the mid-80’s in the forecast, which, ugh. Not all that bad on the days I’m off, but when I’m in work clothes and driving to the library, it’s too far to walk, but close enough that the car doesn’t really cool off before I get there. And then I always have about seven minutes or so to wait until I can reasonably sign in, so I bake in the hot car until then. Bring on temps in the 40’s, please! 

Anyway. Fingers crossed that those cooler fall temps make their way to us sooner rather than later (let’s pretend climate change isn’t a thing right this very moment, okay?  For my sweaty, sweaty sake?). I wish you all a safe, happy, healthy September, filled with excellent books!