We've Made It To July! And Cleaning Out My Bookcases: A Tale of Powering Through an Overwhelming Task

June came and went like so quickly I'm still thinking it's just mid-June. I had to keep reminding myself today was July 1st. Wow. Pandemic has taken away my sense of time, seasons, and I usually can't remember what day it is on any given day. Every day feels like rinse and repeat. 

I spent a few days in June cleaning out my three bookcases and my stacks of books that took up space in my living room, my bedroom, my spare room, and my dining room. I just had to do it. Of course I made a bigger mess and at one point was tempted to just lock my door and drive away to escape, but I stuck it out and after a few days I had pulled through the project. I gave so many bags of books to family--I gave my whole collection of true ghost story books to my niece and my sister; a boxed set of Harry Potter books--the whole series in hardcover (still wrapped in shrink wrap!) to my niece (she is one of the biggest HP fans I know), and lots of books to other family members. Goodwill was sick of seeing me come with a trunk full of books to donate. I've still got a few bags of books to send out into the world, but when all was said and done, I feel good about it. 

I'll confess, I had a mini-meltdown as we pulled away from Goodwill. Luckily I wasn't driving, and I told my boyfriend I just needed a few minutes to grieve and then I'd be okay. And I was. 

The great thing about cleaning out my bookcases is that I discovered some books I really want to read! They were hidden, and now I see them--I guess they just had to be patient for me to find them again. Today I stopped at B&N and bought a book. It felt weird to only buy one book. I usually have 3-4 in my hands. But I wasn't tempted with more than the one I bought. So...as I read the books on my shelves, I will continue to weed my collection. Only books or series that I really cherish get to stay. 

Anyhow, I'm still working on a lot of the books I talked about in my summer reading video on my FB page @bookaliciousbabe. But I've also picked out a few more from the shelves that I am lining up for July:

I've had this on my bookshelves for a few years. A look at race and the history of cooking in the Old South. I've always been fascinated by culinary historians and expect this book to be one of my favorites this year. 

Another book I bought last year and lost it on my overstuffed bookcase. A woman struggles to come to terms with her mother's colorful past in a small town. Jojo Moyes' historical fiction is just as good as her contemporary novels. 

I'm reading this one now, and let me tell you--it.is.weird. So weird! Gothic with a capital G! 1950's Mexico, a rundown estate, and some really odd people. 

True story: my boyfriend, who does not read at all actually told me about this book. He heard the author talking on the radio yesterday and gave me enough information that I could find the book. And heck, the book was just released on Tuesday, and I ran to B&N after work today to purchase it. It's about an amusement park in New Jersey and, as the back cover says "In the 1980's, people didn't just visit Action park. They survived it." Written by the park owner's son, this wild tale of the amusement park with the nickname "Traction Park" is sure to be a wild and crazy ride. I can't wait to read it! 

I've got a few other books I'm working on from June. Trying to ride the wave of actually getting through my stacks and not giving in to my need to play solitaire on my phone for hours at a time (I may have done this last night). 

Happy July reading everyone! 

The Bookalicious Babe

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We've Made It To July! And Cleaning Out My Bookcases: A Tale of Powering Through an Overwhelming Task

June Reads: Friendship, Frauds, and Flowers

June 1st almost slipped by without my to read post. After a very soggy week, today was a beautiful day (a little on the humid side :{) and I spent time in my yard and took a long walk in a local park. Thinking about how I'm going to restrain myself when I buy flowers tomorrow--it's so darn hard to not want them all! But I've just got a few spots to fill, and a few containers, so I hope that keeps me under control. 

I suspect June will fly by, and it's already filling up with things to do and people to see. And, lots of books to read. Many of my library books became available all within the last week, so I've got a chunk to get through quickly. Here's what I plan on reading and reviewing this month: 

I've been waiting for this for awhile. I love Elly Griffith's Ruth Galloway mysteries, so I'm interested in this new murder mystery. 

Publisher review. Two women meet on a plane and their lives become chaotic in this new thriller. 

The School of Essential Ingredients is a favorite novel of mine, so I was beyond excited to see Erica Bauermeister has a new novel! Sure to be a highlight of my summer. 

An exploration of friendship: how we make friends, keep friends, and cherish friendship. 

I read Ruth Hogan's The Keeper of Lost Things and thought it was wonderful. Happily surprised to receive an advanced copy of her latest. The cover...I just LOVE the cover! A woman forms a friendship after suffering loss, and it opens up a whole new world to her. 

Happy June everyone! Create your comfy outdoor reading nook. I hope you can spend as much time as possible reading and relaxing. 

The Bookalicious Babe

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June Reads: Friendship, Frauds, and Flowers

Throwing in the Towel: DNF's for June

Struggle bus

I definitely had the front row on the struggle bus this week.  I've decided I just have to move on from two novels I've been trying to read the past few weeks.  So, The Lie Tree by Frances Hardinge 

and Finding Fraser by KC Dyer, I'm sorry.  

I've given up on you for now.  

I'm about 100 pages from the end of The Lie Tree and I just can't put any more energy into being patient and reading it.  I read reviews on this, a Costa Book of the Year Winner and every one of them was glowing.  Awesome, I thought.  This is going to be sooo good!  I may be missing something, but I just can't get into this novel about a young woman who wants to be a scientist in 1860's England, but is constantly forced to dumb herself down in a world where ladies are to be seen and not heard.  This all involves her father, a famous scientist, a scandal, and his death.  Faith is convinced her father was murdered due to a mysterious plant (the lie tree) he has in his possession.   If you tell lies, and they are believed, the plant produces a fruit that when eaten gives you the truth about whatever you want.  It can be the way to finding the true about life's greatest mysteries--and dangerous in the wrong hands. 

I was annoyed at Faith's constant dumbing down; I was not engaged in the story, and felt the storyline was vague and not compelling enough for me.  

Finding Fraser.  Sorry Jamie, you're going to have to be lost a bit longer for me.  Emma, the main character, decides to travel to Scotland to find her very own Jamie Fraser, that wonderful hero of the Outlander series by Diane Gabaldon.  I was all on board for this book, and thought I would zip through it with a big smile on my face.

Nope.  I've made it to page 109, and I'm ready to set it aside and move onto something else.  Emma is annoying to me, and incredibly naive for a young woman of 29.  I'm not patient enough right now to finish this tale, so I'll say DNF for now, but I'll pick it up again eventually and finish it.  This is not my time to find Fraser.  

So...June is ending.  I'm working on Destiny of the Republic by Candice Millard, and that review will be up next week.  Then I'll have a new batch of books coming up for review in July.  

Look for a chance to win a copy of this novel coming up this week:

Stay cool, stay hydrated, and keep reading! Give me air conditioning, a comfy couch, and a fresh new story to start.  I'm a happy gal.  

Sue  AKA The Bookalicious Babe

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Throwing in the Towel: DNF's for June