August 2017: Recap + On My Shelves
It's beginning to feel like fall, but it's bittersweet because this summer was one of my very best! Living in the South means it will be warm for weeks, but I welcome the slight dip in temperatures... and pumpkin everything.
1. Exploring the Chattooga River - Nick has been traveling a lot this summer, so we weren't able to make it to the beach for our normal summer vacation. But we did find the time to do a little adventuring closer to home! We drove to the Chattooga one day and had fun helping our boy pick up rocks and throw them in the river.
2. Hiking to Angel Falls - In the same week we went to the Chattooga, we went on two hikes. One of them was to Angel Falls, and it was so gorgeous. Definitely our best adventure! The hike was the perfect distance and the view at the end made it so worth it (and I say this as someone who is generally a hard no on hiking).
3. Happy Memory Keeping Release - I've become a complete Happy Planner addict lately, so I was thrilled when they announced their new Memory Keeping line. I loved the idea, especially because I always wish I was better about printing photos and recording memories. So, obviously, I had to buy stuff to get started.
4. Movie Date with My Dad - It's always fun to spend a little one-on-one time with my dad! Back in June, I gave him a Fandango gift card for Father's Day and told him that we'd have a movie date once there was something out we wanted to see. That ended up being Dunkirk! It was the perfect thing to see with my dad.
Read 14 Books | Favorites:
The Winter Sea by Susana Kearsley
The Names They Gave Us by Emery Lord
Tell the Truth, Shame the Devil by Melina Marchetta
The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith
“Men who watch, and say little, very often are much wiser than the men they serve.”
The Winter Sea by Susana Kearsley
“You can be okay again. Just a different kind of okay than before.”
The Names They Gave Us by Emery Lord
“I might have my own ideas on what I think is the best way to help other people,
but until I know who other people are, I also have the potential of disempowering them
or recklessly hurting them in the process. And that takes time, time spent together
and time spent building a solid relationship.
That takes forgetting the goal of becoming a helper to the helped
and focusing on a deeper compassion that is found in mutual friendship.”
Here Goes Nothing by Kendra Broekhuis
“Sometimes people who care about us say all the wrong things for all the right reasons.”
Tell the Truth, Shame the Devil by Melina Marchetta
“We are the books we read and the things we love. Cal is the ocean and the letters we left.
Our ghosts hide in the things we leave behind.”
Words in Deep Blue by Cath Crowley
“That is the motto women should constantly repeat over and over again. Good for her! Not for me.”
Yes Please by Amy Poehler
“... women need to hear the words. They don't need the world conquered for them,
but they do need a man to speak the words that are in his heart.”
The Autumn Bride by Anne Gracie
The Winter Sea by Susana Kearsley
“You can be okay again. Just a different kind of okay than before.”
The Names They Gave Us by Emery Lord
“I might have my own ideas on what I think is the best way to help other people,
but until I know who other people are, I also have the potential of disempowering them
or recklessly hurting them in the process. And that takes time, time spent together
and time spent building a solid relationship.
That takes forgetting the goal of becoming a helper to the helped
and focusing on a deeper compassion that is found in mutual friendship.”
Here Goes Nothing by Kendra Broekhuis
“Sometimes people who care about us say all the wrong things for all the right reasons.”
Tell the Truth, Shame the Devil by Melina Marchetta
“We are the books we read and the things we love. Cal is the ocean and the letters we left.
Our ghosts hide in the things we leave behind.”
Words in Deep Blue by Cath Crowley
“That is the motto women should constantly repeat over and over again. Good for her! Not for me.”
Yes Please by Amy Poehler
but they do need a man to speak the words that are in his heart.”
The Autumn Bride by Anne Gracie
August was a slow month on the blog! I shared my July 2017 recap and July Quick Lit, and that's it... If you're curious about how I spent my time instead, just take a look at the What I Watched section.
I barely checked Feedly the past month, so I've got tons of blog posts to catch up on. If you've got any I should read, share the link in the comments. But here are two articles I read and enjoyed this past month:
1. "I Give A Book To Every Single Person Who Visits My Home, And It's Changed How I Feel About Reading" by Sadie Trombetta for Bustle - I thought this article was so interesting! I admire the practice and what it's taught the author, even though I can't imagine implementing this in my own life. I'm a book hoarder!
2. "I spent my career in technology. I wasn’t prepared for its effect on my kids." by Melinda Gates for The Washington Post - It's kind of scary to think about how technology will (and already does) affect my son. I hope to do my best navigating this aspect of life, and I liked the practical tips + thoughtful reflection in the article.
Favorite Song: “Look What You Made Me Do” by Taylor Swift
This song took a little while to grow on me, but the video won me over.
I'm not ashamed to admit that I cannot wait for this album in November!
Audiobook: Crown of Midnight narrated by Elizabeth Evans
I didn't listen to a lot of music in August, which I partially blame on TV/movie watching.
But I did re-read Crown of Midnight via audio and loved revisiting this world and characters!
Parks and Recreation, Seasons 1-7, starring Amy Poehler + Best Cast Ever - OH EM GEE. Y'all, I decided to start this on a whim at the beginning of August, and I spent the rest of the month bingeing the entire series. I'm so obsessed with it! I already want to watch it again and may need to write a post about my love.
Trolls (2016) starring Anna Kendrick and Justin Timberlake - When I spotted this on Netflix one day, I decided to turn it on allegedly for my son. But, I'll admit that I was curious about it. I had zero expectations going into it and was surprised by how much I liked it. It's not a new favorite, but it was still fun to watch!
Dunkirk (2017) starring Fionn Whitehead, Tom Hardy and Mark Rylance - I already mentioned this movie in the What I Loved section because I saw it with my dad, but I didn't tell you that I absolutely loved it. The pace was slow, but I loved the multiple timelines and different viewpoints. I'm so glad I got to see this one in theaters!
Gifted (2017) starring Chris Evans and Mckenna Grace - This was a random pick for me, but I was pleasantly surprised! Chris Evans is great in the role, and the girl playing his niece was so adorable. I liked it!
King Arthur: Legend of the Sword (2017) starring Charlie Hunnam and Jude Law - This movie was so awful! What the heck happened?! Nick and I were excited to watch it, but I'm honestly surprised we even finished it.
A United Kingdom (2016) starring David Oyelowo and Rosamund Pike - This movie is from the director of Belle (a favorite), and I loved it so much! It was wonderfully cast, beautifully shot and such a great story.
Lion (2016) starring Dev Patel and Sunny Pawar - I somehow didn't know much about this movie going into it, but I'm so glad I rented it! This was such a moving story - my husband and I were both a little teary at the end.
Used Bookstore Credit (Already Read): Backseat Saints, A Grown-Up Kind of Pretty and Someone Else's Love Story by Joshilyn Jackson and Catch of the Day and The Next Best Thing by Kristan Higgins
Used Bookstore Credit (TBR): The Best Man, Waiting on You, Too Good to Be True, My One and Only, Until There Was You and Fools Rush In by Kristan Higgins, Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan, Still Life by Louise Penny, Hello, Sunshine by Laura Dave, The Trespasser by Tana French and Born a Crime by Trevor Noah
$3 Bargain Buy: Written in My Own Heart's Blood by Diana Gabaldon
For My Collections: Little Women by Louisa May Alcott and Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery (L/R)
From Nick: An Echo in the Bone by Diana Gabaldon and Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow
Unsolicited for Review: The Other Alcott by Elise Hooper, They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera and Even the Darkest Stars by Heather Fawcett
Audible Credit: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling
Thank you for that kids and technology link! I'm bookmarking it to refer to again. I feel like with a toddler, it's a bit of a different ballgame, but I already worry about screentime and if watching some cartoons so I can get a bit of a break is really the best solution. I also find that my own overuse of technology is becoming more apparent the more I think about it for my kid! I'm very new to smartphones and it is SO easy to spend too much time on it and I think it affects adults emotional/mental health as well. Time to start deleting more time suck apps I think :)
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