June 2019: Recap + On My Shelves

June 2019: Recap + On My Shelves

• Oct 28, 2019

Hi friends! I recently shared where I've been the past four months, and I know that I could just skip ahead to an October recap. But I love these monthly updates, so forgive me as I do a little catching up for the next few days.

1. A Bookish Adventure – Early in the month, we were itching for a little shopping trip. We decided to visit our favorite children's bookstore, The Story Shop, and spent quite a while exploring all of its nooks and crannies. I bought two picture books for my boy and one middle grade for myself. Such a fun morning!

2. Broken Arm for My Boy – Is a broken arm a rite of passage? My sweet boy fell off the playground one Saturday and broke his wrist. Thankfully, it was a common break that heals quickly, so he only had his cast for two weeks. And he's such a great patient! It didn't slow him down one bit, and he was so brave about it all.

3. Reason #789 Why We Love Nick – Nick was traveling a lot in June, and oh how we missed him! My son says Nick is his "best player," and he's right. Whether it's running around outside or building towers or playing farm, Nick is all in. And only Nick takes our son into the dollar store, leaves with foam swords, and immediately battles outside.  

4. Pool Days – We love the pool in our new neighborhood, and we visited it a few times in June.  Thank goodness for a waterproof cast! But the best is when I'm able to go solo. When Nick is working from home, sometimes I'll sneak away to the pool during my son's nap. It's heavenly to be able to read my book and soak up the sun!

Read 20 Books | Favorites:

The Shell Seekers by Rosamunde Pilcher

Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson

None Like Him by Jen Wilkin

“I begged time to slow so I could live in this moment a little longer.
Gather all of this up and press these moments between pages like flowers.”
Don't Date Rosa Santos by Nina Moreno

“Most of us can hide our greatest hurts and longings. It’s how we survive each day.
We pretend the pain isn’t there, that we are made of scars instead of wounds.”
King of Scars by Leigh Bardugo

“It was good, and nothing good is truly lost. It stays part of a person, becomes part of their character.
So part of you goes everywhere with me. And part of me is yours, forever.”
The Shell Seekers by Rosamunde Pilcher

“You can’t change one thing without changing everything. We all exist on this planet, each of us, because of an extraordinary, improbable, random series of coincidences that can’t be repeated.
And everything you do affects everything that happens after.”
The Glass Ocean by Beatriz Williams, Lauren Willig and Karen White

“When terrible things have happened to you,
sometimes the promise of something good can be just as frightening.”
Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson

“If I am fully known and not rejected by God, how much more
ought I to extend grace to my neighbor, whom I know only in part?”
None Like Him by Jen Wilkin

As always, I started off with the May 2019 recap. Then, I loved The Friend Zone by Abby Jimenez so much that I decided to write a full-length review for it. My favorite – and most overdue! – blog posts were the recaps of my trip to England with Kelly. I chatted about the books I read abroad, what I did with my bestie on our trip, and what I've been up to back at home. I'm so glad I was finally motivated to get them done! And my last post of the month is one of my personal favorites every year: pairing vacation destinations with books on my summer TBR.

In addition to a long blogging break, I also took one from bookstagram. And while I've missed my little corner of the Internet, I haven't felt the same about Instagram. I don't think I'll be quitting it completely, but I certainly think my priorities have changed. Now, that being said, here's one of the last "What I Bookstagrammed" updates you'll see for the next few monthly recaps. I shared this post in relation to my UK 2019 Recap! • @soobsessedblog

  Favorite Album: Happiness Begins by The Jonas Brothers
I didn't really listen to much in June, but I did turn this on a few times.
I didn't care about them at the height of their popularity, but I'm a fan now.

Sex and the City, Season 6, starring Sarah Jessica Parker, Cynthia Nixon, Kristin Davis, and Kim Cattrall –  I was so excited to finally finish watching this series! I started it because Kelly basically forced me, and she basically quotes it all the time. And now I'm done! While it's not something I'd watch again, it was a fun experience overall. 

Younger, Season 5, starring Sutton Foster, Hilary Duff, and Miriam Shor – As I've probably said before, you have to suspend a lot of disbelief regarding the premise and the depiction of the publishing industry. But it's still really fun! Except I might be rooting for the wrong guy? We'll see how it plays out. Time to watch season 6...

Poldark, Season 4, starring Aidan Turner and Eleanor Tomlinson – I weirdly hate this show if I try to watch it week-to-week but somehow can't get enough if I wait to binge all the episodes once they're done. Who knows! This was a good season, though I'm more invested in Caroline and Dwight than Demelza and Ross at this point.

Little Women (2018) starring Emily Watson, Maya Hawke, Kathryn Newton, Willa Fitzgerald, and Annes Elwy – Nick got me this mini-series for Christmas, and I'd been meaning to watch it ever since. While it doesn't hold a candle to the 1994 movie, I did like it. But I'm way more excited for this upcoming version!

Outlander, Season One / Part One, starring Caitriona Balfe and Sam Heughan – This was a re-watch because I was intending to finally get caught up on the show... and that still hasn't happened. In fact, I still haven't watched any more Outlander since June. Oops! While it's a little slow, I do love seeing this story come to life on screen.

Late Night (2019) starring Mindy Kaling and Emma Thompson – I was determined to see this in theaters because I love Mindy Kaling, so I took myself on a solo movie date. I ended up thinking it was just okay and just didn't find myself laughing nearly as much as I'd expected. I didn't hate it, but I didn't love it either. What a bummer!

Bought: Mythology by Edith Hamilton, The Southern Side of Paradise by Kristy Woodson Harvey and The Penderwicks at Last by Jeanne Birdsall (not pictured)

Book of the Month: Summer of '69 by Elin Hilderbrand

Gifted: Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery (thank Mom!) and Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams (thanks Kristen!)

Kindle: Someone to Wed by Mary Balogh, The Kingdom of Copper by S.A. Chakraborty, Descendant of the Crane by Joan He, Devil's Daughter by Lisa Kleypas, and Courting Darkness by Robin LaFevers

NetGalley: Someone to Honor by Mary Balogh and Twice in a Blue Moon by Christina Lauren