July 2020: Recap + On My Shelves
Aug 3, 2020
I feel like I never have anything new to say here, now that every month looks so similar. We didn't spend as much time outside in July due to the heat, but we made sweet memories at home. But I miss the old normal, y'all!
1. Celebrating Nine Years of Marriage – July 2 marked nine years of marriage for me and Nick, and it's a little crazy to me how quickly time has passed! My love for Nick has only grown, and I'm thankful every day for this life we've built together. We didn't do anything out and about to celebrate because of everything going on right now, but we did have a sushi + Hamilton date night at home the next day. It was low-key, but I wouldn't have changed a thing.
2. Fourth of July Fun – Our neighborhood has a golf cart parade on July 4th, and this was our first year experiencing it. We sat out in the front yard with our boys and waved to all our neighbors while they drove past in festively decorated golf carts and tossed out candy. It was so much fun! Afterward, a snow cone truck drove through, too. Yum! We didn't stay up to watch the fireworks though. For a holiday spent at home, it was full of sweet memories.
3. Shopping with My Sister – Caroline and I went to the bookstore together a few times in July, and it was a fun way to get out of the house for a bit. I didn't buy a ton – mostly because my bookshelves and wallet were still reeling from all the damage I did in June. Haha! But I enjoyed getting to spend time with my sister, and these shopping trips with her have become one of my favorite bookish memories.
4. Jurassic Quest – My sister-in-law sent me information about this drive-thru dinosaur exhibit that was coming to Georgia at the end of July (and into August), and Nick and I thought it sounded fun for our big boy. He's obsessed with dinosaurs, and we hadn't been able to take him on a fun adventure since January. He thought it was so cool, loved seeing the giant triceratops (his favorite), and that made it all worth it to us.
Read 18 Books | Favorites:
Sex and Vanity by Kevin Kwan
The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix
Friends and Strangers by J. Courtney Sullivan
Dear Emmie Blue by Lia Louis
Honorable Mentions:
Hourglass by Dani Shapiro
Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson
Late Migrations by Margaret Renkl
“In space, nobody could hear you scream; on the Internet, nobody could tell if you were lying.”
Big Summer by Jennifer Weiner
“I cannot bring myself to even idly wish any of it—not even the most painful parts—away.
Eighteen years. Change even one moment, and the whole thing unravels.
The narrative thread doesn’t stretch in a line from end to end, but rather, spools and unspools,
loops around and returns again and again to the same spot.”
Hourglass by Dani Shapiro
“...we have changed each other in countless ways, from the profound to the imperceptible.
We didn’t just meet each other that night.
We began the process of making each other into the people we are today.”
Big Friendship by Aminatou Sow and Ann Friedman
“Sometimes she craved a little danger. And that was why she had book club.”
The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix
“A no-good man will tell you he's going to change,” she said.
“He'll tell you whatever you want to hear, but you're the fool if you don't believe what you see.”
The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix
“Honestly, Bessie? People don't care about anyone but themselves. They don't notice anything.
They are never looking at what's interesting. They're always looking at themselves.”
Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson
“When we write about our lives, it's a form of time travel.
We inhabit the body we were back then, and yet we do so from our safe distance in the future.”
Kid Gloves by Lucy Knisley
“Blessed are the parents whose final words on leaving—
the house, the car, the least consequential phone call— are always 'I love you.'
They will leave behind children who are lost and still found, broken and, somehow, still whole.”
Late Migrations by Margaret Renkl
“What we feel always contains its own truth, but it is not the only truth,
and darkness almost always harbors some bit of goodness tucked out of sight,
waiting for an an unexpected light to shine, to reveal it in its deepest hiding place.”
Late Migrations by Margaret Renkl
“It’s never the thing you’re holding back that kills the relationship,” Violet said.
“It’s the holding back itself that does it.”
Friends and Strangers by J. Courtney Sullivan
“The bond between parent and child was all-consuming, and yet its power was not cumulative.
It had to be remade again and again throughout the course of a lifetime.”
Friends and Strangers by J. Courtney Sullivan
“Maybe home isn't a place. It's a feeling. Of being looked after and understood. Of being loved.”
Dear Emmie Blue by Lia Louis
“Instructions for living a life: Pay attention. Be astonished. Tell about it.”
Devotions by Mary Oliver
“I had spent so much time considering the challenge of bearing witness,
of finding ways to transcribe experience so other people would understand.
The work of telling is essential, and it is not enough.
There is always the danger that the energy of the injustice will exhaust itself in the revelation—
that we will be horrified but remain unchanged.”
Notes on a Silencing by Lacy Crawford
Big Summer by Jennifer Weiner
“I cannot bring myself to even idly wish any of it—not even the most painful parts—away.
Eighteen years. Change even one moment, and the whole thing unravels.
The narrative thread doesn’t stretch in a line from end to end, but rather, spools and unspools,
loops around and returns again and again to the same spot.”
Hourglass by Dani Shapiro
“...we have changed each other in countless ways, from the profound to the imperceptible.
We didn’t just meet each other that night.
We began the process of making each other into the people we are today.”
Big Friendship by Aminatou Sow and Ann Friedman
“Sometimes she craved a little danger. And that was why she had book club.”
The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix
“A no-good man will tell you he's going to change,” she said.
“He'll tell you whatever you want to hear, but you're the fool if you don't believe what you see.”
The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix
“Honestly, Bessie? People don't care about anyone but themselves. They don't notice anything.
They are never looking at what's interesting. They're always looking at themselves.”
Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson
“When we write about our lives, it's a form of time travel.
We inhabit the body we were back then, and yet we do so from our safe distance in the future.”
Kid Gloves by Lucy Knisley
“Blessed are the parents whose final words on leaving—
the house, the car, the least consequential phone call— are always 'I love you.'
They will leave behind children who are lost and still found, broken and, somehow, still whole.”
Late Migrations by Margaret Renkl
“What we feel always contains its own truth, but it is not the only truth,
and darkness almost always harbors some bit of goodness tucked out of sight,
waiting for an an unexpected light to shine, to reveal it in its deepest hiding place.”
Late Migrations by Margaret Renkl
“It’s never the thing you’re holding back that kills the relationship,” Violet said.
“It’s the holding back itself that does it.”
Friends and Strangers by J. Courtney Sullivan
“The bond between parent and child was all-consuming, and yet its power was not cumulative.
It had to be remade again and again throughout the course of a lifetime.”
Friends and Strangers by J. Courtney Sullivan
“Maybe home isn't a place. It's a feeling. Of being looked after and understood. Of being loved.”
Dear Emmie Blue by Lia Louis
“Instructions for living a life: Pay attention. Be astonished. Tell about it.”
Devotions by Mary Oliver
“I had spent so much time considering the challenge of bearing witness,
of finding ways to transcribe experience so other people would understand.
The work of telling is essential, and it is not enough.
There is always the danger that the energy of the injustice will exhaust itself in the revelation—
that we will be horrified but remain unchanged.”
Notes on a Silencing by Lacy Crawford
I got off to a slow start at the beginning of the month, but I did eventually hit my stride. I shared my June 2020 Recap, of course, and followed it up with my July 2020 Goals. I shared several book review-related posts: my June 2020 Quick Lit split into Part One and Part Two, Tales & Tiger Lily's June 2020 installment, and a longer post about my love for The Heir Affair by Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan. I chatted about my top ten books of 2020 (so far!) and predicted what will be on my list at the end of the year. It had been a while since I shared what I've been So Obsessed With lately, so it was fun to feature eight recent items I've loved. And finally, my favorite post of the month was writing about my best bookish memories from the past five years. So fun to reflect on them!
Favorite Album #1: folklore by Taylor Swift
I'm as shocked by this surprise release as everyone else, but omg I'm obsessed.
The whole mood and sound of this album is right up my alley, and I can't get enough!
Favorite Album #2: Gaslighter by The Chicks
I listened to more country music in middle and high school, so listening to a new album
from this band feels a little nostalgic for me. And boy, they didn't hold back on the drama!
Hamilton (20120) starring Lin Manuel-Miranda, Phillipa Soo, Leslie Odom Jr. and more – Even though I'm not a musical person, I fell in love with the Hamilton soundtrack back in 2016. So, I was thrilled to watch the show with the original cast in my own home. Thank you, Disney+! And y'all, it was everything I hoped it would be and more. I loved the performances, costumes, set, the way it was staged – all of it! I can't wait to watch it again.
Palm Springs (2020) starring Andy Samberg and Cristin Milioti – I saw someone talking about this movie on social media, so Nick and I decided to turn it on one night. It was ridiculous and so much fun! Watching two characters stuck repeating the same day over and over again could feel very repetitive, but I thought it was done so well here. I'm a sucker for a good romantic comedy, and this one was just right for the mood I was in when I turned it on!
Emma (2020) starring Anya Taylor-Joy and Johnny Flynn – Oh my gosh, I AM OBSESSED WITH THIS MOVIE! I bought this in May but didn't watch it until July, and I'm kicking myself for waiting so long. I laughed so much, majorly swooned, adored the costume and interior design eye candy, and watched it again a few days later. It got mixed reviews, but I loved it. It was a quirky adaptation, and I was happy it leaned into's Emma's initial spoiled immaturity.
Queer Eye, Season 5, starring Bobby Berk, Karamo Brown, Tan France, Antoni Porowski, & Jonathan Van Ness – I think this was my least favorite season, and I can't quite put my finger on why. I wasn't as invested in most of the people being made over – and, in some cases, it seemed like the Fab 5 didn't have a natural rapport with the subject. It was still a delightful binge overall, but I would kind of forget about it as soon as the TV was off.
Book of the Month: Notes on a Silencing by Lacy Crawford, Friends and Strangers by J. Courtney Sullivan, and Big Friendship by Aminatou Sow and Ann Friedman
Bookstore Browsing: Old Lovegood Girls by Gail Godwin
Used Bookstore: Stir by Jessica Fechtor
Online Shopping: Headliners by Lucy Parker, Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson, Today Tonight Tomorrow by Rachel Lynn Solomon, Don't Overthink It by Anne Bogel, House Lessons by Erica Bauermeister, Dear Emmie Blue by Lia Louis, The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slay Vampires by Grady Hendrix, and Friends and Strangers by J. Courtney Sullivan
Gifted: The Lion's Den by Katherine St. John
For Review: You Had Me at Hola by Alexis Daria and Her Last Flight by Beatriz Williams
Audible Sale / Credits: Beartown by Fredrik Backman, The Empire of Gold by S. A. Chakraborty, The Heir Affair by Heather Cocks & Jessica Morgan, Beach Read by Emily Henry, You Deserve Each Other by Sarah Hogle and Dear Emmie Blue by Lia Louis
Kindle: Headliners by Lucy Parker
NetGalley: Anxious People by Fredrik Backman
