Summer Reading So Far

My summer vacation is a little over half way done, and I must say my reading game has been strong. It's my goal to read fifteen books, and I think I've finished my ninth, five of which have been in July. 

There are a few reasons why I've been able to. First of all, I've made an effort to put my phone away for longer chunks of time, which is an obvious time saver. Sawyer is also older now, so he plays more independently, and I can also tell him, "hey, I need fifteen minutes of time to read with no interruptions, I'll set a timer and we can talk when it goes off." I've started reading more on the treadmill as well, and I make sure to always have a book on hand. I've been reading a variety of books, both in terms of nonfiction/fiction, subject matter, and complexity. 

I'm also really proud of how much reading Sawyer has been doing, both in terms of his progress learning to sound out words, reading with me, and looking at books independently. He loves looking at Where's Waldo books in the car or in waiting rooms, which has been awesome (he getting so good at them, too!). We made a chart with 100 squares that he gets to mark off each time he helps me read a book (that can either be him sounding out all the words he's capable of, or something more relaxed, like him just doing some sight words like "the"). When he fills up his chart he gets to go to the book store and pick out whatever new book he wants. It's been fun and he takes his little marks super seriously. 

I am super  bummed about my time off going by so quickly, but I'm pretty confident I'll surpass my goal. It's always been my mode of escapism.

Bookish (and not so Bookish) Thoughts

1. Since we've last talked there have been not one, but TWO, earthquakes. I have an intense fear of them (lack of control, blablabla), which I know is unfortunate given that I live in Southern California. The first one hit while I was at the park with Sawyer and the second, much stronger, one hit the next evening while we are at home. There was no damage whatsoever done to my home- we are about 115 miles away from where the epicenter was, but I haven't felt one in many years so I was not happy. To put this in perspective, there were some really bad wildfires five miles away from my house last year and I all I did to prepare was close the windows and turn on the AC.

2. My goal was to start my Etsy shop when I had ten embroidery pieces ready to sell- I just finished number 8, so I'm maybe a week away! I honestly don't have any real expectations about the whole thing, but it's something I've been thinking about doing for like six months and am just going to pull the plug. I'm nervous about pricing, as I don't want to sell things for too much, but I also put a lot of work into what I've created as well (hahaha, I sound like such an asshole). If you want to follow along check out my insta account @daily_floss_ . My most recent hoop is the tree one above! 

3. I started Three Women by Lisa Taddeo, the much-buzzed about book of the sumner, and it's absolutely fascinating. I'll write a longer post on it when I am done, probably, but I think that a lot can be said about it in terms of content, as well as this sort of booming "literary nonfiction" genre. 

4. I hate it when you don't need validation for something, and aren't trying to get any, and someone who you don't want any from whatsoever so magnanimously gives you some. Like they pity you and are throwing you a bone? But in reality you don't care what they think and the whole encounter just makes your skin crawl? UGH.

5. My husband introduced me to Fleabag and I'm liking it, now that we've watched three or so episodes. 

6. I've started reading a separate book when I'm doing incline walking on the treadmill and it's definitely increased my pages. It has to be paperback and nothing too dense- like David Sedaris. 

7. I forgot that I should have been working on letters of rec for my students- I think I have like 50 or 60 to do. I'm slightly over halfway through my summer, so I should probably get on that.

8. I've been thinking a lot about travel lately, and who at this moment in time I'd actively pursue trips with (things that are more than two nights and over 200 miles away). Sawyer, because I have to, my friend Nani because we have SO much fun together, my friends Val and Yurii because they're so chill, my brother because he is up for anything, my friend Joanna because we never run out of things to talk about, and my mom because I can always be honest and she'd never be offended if I was like "I need an hour to myself, yo." (My husband doesn't travel, so he's not a part of this). I'm not planning a trip, but while I was walking today I thought a lot about how my travel style and habits have changed so much from when I was younger.

9. Today I took Sawyer to preschool for the first time in almost a week and drove to the beach to spend several hours alone there. I read a hundred pages, walked for forty-five minutes, and drank a milkshake. It was perfect. 

Bookish (and not so Bookish) Thoughts

I have a hunch that my comments might not be working, unless maybe you have a blogger or google account? I had someone mention it and when I went in to test it the comment didn't get published unless I was logged it (despite having it set up differently). I checked all my settings today and everything was right, so I'm confused. TBD... If you are trying to comment and it's not going through send me a message on Twitter.

I am trying to get outside thirty minute a day, which is pretty easy most of the time. The days where it's not convenient is when I really have to make an effort, and probably when I need it the most. Even if it's just reading with a cup of coffee while Sawyer is at preschool or hanging out with him while he plays in the water- it all counts. 

July means it is time for business- all the things I have put off for the last year need to happen in the next month. Deep cleaning, bathroom refreshing, appointments, etc... It's gotta happen. 

I almost got a puppy a week or two ago. I still have extremely mixed feelings... I saw a three-month-old lab/German Shepherd mix up for adoption nearby. It was adorable, the right size, and the right age. But, there were a lot of cons- it was a $400 adoption fee, plus inevitble costs in the near future (exams, vaccinations, spaying, etc...), and the fact that having a puppy basically tethers you to your home for awhile. So, I decided it wasn't the right time for me and withdrew my lengthy application about two hours after I submitted it. 

Friend dates are a huge priority for me this summer and I'm trying to make plans with a friend or two each week. Being social makes me so much happier and I have more than enough time to see everyone I love. 

I've been trying to not buy new books, but I caved in and ordered Samin Nosrat's Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat after watching the series on Netflix and listening to her on The Armchair Expert. I actually think I might actually read it cover to cover- even after glancing at it for a few minutes I can tell it's an absolute wealth of information and the illustrations are so beautiful.

After having a few low-key days after our vacation, things are getting busy again. Tomorrow my husband and I are going to see Yesterday while Sawyer is at preschool (he goes 2-3 days a week while I am off... it's a happy medium for us both) and then in the evening we are going to go to a local AAA baseball game so we can see the post-game fireworks. We don't have plans on the Fourth (except maybe the splash pad? If it's open?) except to grill at home and probably eat our body weights in brownie ice cream sandwiches. Friday we Sawyer and I have plans to go to a friend's house, Saturday we are off to visit family, and Sunday we're off to the zoo. Phew! Monday and Tuesday are going to be recovery days, that's for sure (minus the dentist and doctor appointments Sawyer has... oh joy).

I just started Cormac McCarthy's No Country For Old Men and I forgot how much I love him. I've had a few male students read it over the years and they always push me to read it... finally, I'm taking their advice! 

Coastal California Trip Recap

Last week Sawyer and I took a vacation up the coast, driving from Southern California to Monterey. It was absolutely beautiful and we did a ton in the four days that we traveled. He was an absolute champ at riding in the car (they're doing a ton of roadwork on the 101 and 1, which meant a lot of time at a standstill). We stayed in Monterey and used that as a sort of home base, since most of the places (except Hearst Castle and Solvang) were within 50 miles.

Day 1: Hearst Castle, lots of stop on the 1 through Big Sur to admire the ocean 

Day 2: Big Basin Redwoods State Park, Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, Cannery Row in Monterey

Day 3: Big Sur, 17 Mile Drive, Carmel-by-the-Sea, Denis the Menace Playground

Day 4: Solvang, drive home 

I highly, highly recommend this trip to pretty much anyone. There is so much to do, so many places to spot, and it's super affordable if you pack breakfasts and lunches. I am determined now to one day road trip from San Diego to Vancouver (or even to Whistler) in a rental car, and then fly home. I think I'd take close to two weeks to do it, so I could make plenty of stops. 

June Reads (also, 9 Years of this Little Space)

Oh, summer. Warmer temperatures, eight weeks off, and so much time to read. I usually put up my big numbers in July, but I started off the summer well, with five books. Considering I had to finish up the school year and took two short trips with a five-year-old I'm pleased. I'm also happy that it was such a good month of reading, with variety. 

I started off finishing our English department book club's choice, Less by Andrew Sean Greer. The book, a Pulitzer winner, is about middle-aged Arthur Less, a writer whose boyfriend is about to marry someone else. He decides to accept any and all invitations that span the glove, taking him to places like Europe, Latin America, and Egypt. Told in an episodic style, something I love, we learn more about him, his past, and his struggles. It's well-written, poignant, witty, and thought-provoking.

I read one non-fiction book this month, 26 Marathons by runner-extraordinaire Meb Keflzighi. I stand by my opinion that everyone can benefit from running memoirs; the drive, motivation, logic, and passion that professional runners exhibit is something we could all use a positive example of. I earmarked a few pages on perseverance and goals to share with my students at the start of the school year.  

I read Haruki Murakami's Norwegian Wood, my first fiction Murakami. I loved it! I loved this narrative voice, his ability to craft such imagery of various places in Japan, and the subtle humor that popped up. I can't wait to dive into more of his work- I've had Kafka on the Shore for years. 

I read Ian McEwan's Machines Like Me, which I discussed with Julie here (we both really liked it!). I also finished up the hot-read of the summer, The Farm by Joanne Ramos, which I discussed through a feminist-lite sort of perspective in this post (if you want a lighter, modern take on The Handmaid's Tale it's for you... a great summer read!). 

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Nine years ago today I wrote my very first blog post here. I've always loved having this space of the internet to talk about books, or whatever else I want. There are posts that have 10 views and posts that have 300.... There are many posts with 0 comments... and quite a few with several... Honestly, though, I do it because I really enjoy it and it's a creative outlet that I need. I'm so thankful for those of you who read and even more thankful for people I've met through blogging that I've interacted in real life.