"Outside a dog a book is man's best friend, inside a dog it is too dark to read!" -Groucho Marx========="The person, be it gentleman or lady, who has not pleasure in a good novel, must be intolerably stupid." -Jane Austen========="I don’t believe in the kind of magic in my books. But I do believe something very magical can happen when you read a good book."-JK Rowling========"I spend a lot of time reading." -Bill Gates=========“Ahhh. Bed, book, kitten, sandwich. All one needed in life, really.” -Jacqueline Kelly=========
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Sunday, July 26, 2026

Sunday Salon -- My family and books


Mom with her great-grandsons, telling stories.

This week we are in Central Oregon for a family reunion. I thought it would be fun to find out what everyone was reading and what books they have enjoyed this year so far. It has been fun collecting their information and stories. And now I'm sharing what I've learned with you. Enjoy! (Links lead to Goodreads so you can read more about the variety of books!)

Anne (me) I'm a reading omnivore: I like literary fiction, poetry, narrative nonfiction, historical fiction, graphic novels, YA, Children's books but I will read it all -- mysteries, fantasy, Sci-Fi, even horror.

Kathy (sister) Enjoys reading literary fiction and inspirational nonfiction.

Don (husband) Prefers reading nonfiction.

Tom (brother-in-Law) Enjoys both fantasy and Sci-Fi.

Kaylyn (niece) Romantasy is her go-to genre.
  • Currently reading: 
    • Silver Elite (Book 1 of series "Silver Elite") by Dani Francis. (Romantasy, dystopia) 
  • Favorite of the year: 

Bobby (nephew-in-law) Bobby is a reading omnivore but 2/3rds of what he reads is nonfiction especially on the topic of business and leadership. When he reads fiction he prefers Classic Lit or Stephen King novels. Bobby reviews books and articles on his blog: Bobbypowers.com

Dan (son-in-law) Dan enjoys Grimdark Fantasy, a new subgenre to me.

Rita (daughter) Like me Rita is in two book clubs. She reads a lot of contemporary fiction, and especially enjoys romance and Romantasy novels. She also reads to her children every night so is always up to her eyeballs in middle grade and children's books.

Working on a puzzle together.


Jamie (grandson, preschool) Jamie likes being read to as long as there are good illustrations.

Ian (grandson, upper elementary) Ian is a reader! He devours his favorite series in no time flat, he especially likes those which feature magic and dragons.
  • Currently reading:
  • Favorite book/series of the year:
    • Dragonborn (Book 1 "Dragonborn" series) by Struan Murray (MG, Fantasy)

Tony (brother) Tony considers himself an omnivore reader and almost exclusively listens to audiobooks.

Becky (sister-in-law) Likes historical fiction and thrillers

Shirley (my mom, age 97) Is currently making her reading selections from the on-site library at her retirement home
  • Currently reading: 
    • A Reader's Digest compilation of condensed books (Remember them?)
  • A book she has liked this year: 

Carly (daughter) Likes to alternate between these genres: fantasy, thrillers, historical fiction, and romance. She almost exclusively consumes books in the audio format

Rock (brother-in-law) Likes to read Christian nonfiction

Brent (nephew) Likes Classic and literary fiction and philosophical nonfiction
  • Currently reading:
  • Favorite so far:
    • The Road by Cormac McCarthy (Literary fiction)

Grace (sister) Enjoys historical fiction and as a preschool teacher is all about great easy books for children

Michael (nephew-in-law) As a father of young children he doesn't have a lot of extra time on his hands to read but when he does he likes to read practical books where he learns something and Sci-fi
  • Recently completed:
    • A 1950s Navy tools handbook (Informational, historical)
  • Favorite book of the year:

Rachel (niece) Is a reading omnivore as long as the book is a page-turner and that includes all kinds of nonfiction. The mother of two young boys she admits that most of her reading is for the kids.

Wesley (my sister's grandson, toddler) He had a pile of books with him to consume this week. He loves books!
  • Favorite book right now: 

Oh boy this was a fun activity and it really got everyone talking. I learned things about my beloved family members like my nephew who loves to read classic lit (like me) and my brother who almost exclusively listens to audiobooks (like my daughter). Notice there are very few people with similar tastes. The girl cousins all like romance or Romantasy and the sisters/sister-in-law all like historical fiction. Other than that there isn't a lot of crossover. I usually keep up on what my daughters are reading and will often ask my sisters what is on their nightstands. We all help keep Mom in books now that she doesn't go to the public library. My husband reflected on this project and wondered aloud if it unusual for everyone in a family to consider themselves readers. I think so!

Old and young: everyone loves to swim.


Well, we're off to go float the Deschutes River and will try to avoid as much forest fire smoke as possible. (It seems that all of Oregon in on fire.) Tonight we will celebrate my oldest sister's birthday. It will be our last meal together before we start to disperse to points south, north, east, and west after another fabulous family reunion.

Thanks for reading.

-Anne



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Thursday, June 18, 2026

Review: WHISTLER by Ann Patchett



Title: Whistler by Ann Patchett

Book Beginning/ First Line Friday quote:


Friday56 quote:
'No one would say such a thing today, but there was a time when it did not feel like lunacy to want what the majority of the human population had. Your mother’s deal was that I had to give up Skip [Eddie’s partner] and give up being gay. I know it sounds terrible now, but she didn’t know any better. I’m the one who should have known better.'
Summary: Daphne, a 53-year-old English teacher, has a chance meeting at the Metropolitan Art Museum in New York with Eddie Triplett, her stepfather for one year when she was nine-years-old. When Daphne finally recognizes her "stalker" she burst into years. Here is the stepdad of her childhood whom she loved so much, just 40 years later. Over the ensuing months Eddie and Daphne renew their relationship and family bond, with Eddie even introducing Daphne as his daughter at a party of his friends. The two clearly share something very special. As they share memories of their past they can't help but recall that Daphne saved Eddie's life after a horrifying car accident on a snowy winter night. It was just a week after that accident that Daphne's mother abruptly demanded a divorce and two haven't seen each other since that time. 

Review: By looking at the cover with a horse on it one would think that the story is perhaps a Western or at least set in the West. In fact, the story of the horse, Whistler, doesn't even enter this story until the middle of the book. While Eddie and Daphne are trapped in the car on the snowy hillside after the accident. Eddie, a book editor, tells Daphne the story of a woman who wrote an account of a time in her life when she was thrown off her horse and was so badly hurt that she was sure she was going to die but she whistled and the horse came back and stayed with her until she was rescued. The woman was convinced it was love which saved her. And so it is with Eddie and Daphne who return to each other after all those years and find that love [father-daughter love] which had been missing.

Don and I listened to the audiobook of Whistler together on the last leg of our 13-day car trip recently. In fact, we had to finish it at home after our return as we still had four hours of listening left to go. As we turned off the audio-player as the story ended I was wiping the sad/happy tears off my face as Don stood up and remarked, "Well, that book sort of fizzled out." What? Had we listened to the same book? Don thought the story was sweet but sort of plotless. I thought it was nearly perfect as we learned the stories of two people who were clearly thrilled to have found each other again. "That's what I mean," Don grumbled. "Where was the action?" As I stumbled around looking for words to express my thoughts on the book it hit me that indeed the book had no big trauma, or rising and then falling action. The book wasn't crammed full of awful people doing awful things. It was a gentle story about family love, relationships, and the importance of friendships.

Today before I embarked on writing this review, I read a interview in Elle Magazine with Ann Patchett which finally gave me the words I needed when I tried to explain the book to Don. 
Like the story Eddie tells Daphne in their overturned car, Whistler itself is a intentionally warm-hearted tale, made all the more remarkable for the courage of these qualities. Over the years, numerous readers and interviewers have asked Patchett why she writes books that the author herself has referred to as “good, smart literary fiction that will not crush people’s souls.” In an era of buzzy sad-girl lit and weird-girl lit and ragebait lit, the PEN/Faulkner Award winner writes literary masterworks about “people who are not perfect, trying their best and showing up for each other,” she says. They’re not simple books—please, don’t call them simple—but they are precise in their purpose.
Patchett continued-
“And it is how I live my life. I can watch the news; I can read the paper; I can know that terrible things are happening everywhere. But in my life, everybody’s so nice. In the bookstore, in my house, in my neighborhood, in the grocery store, people are kind to one another. I know that part of it is that these are my eyes, and this is the way I see the world, and the more you see it, the more it reflects back. It becomes self-selecting. I’m not seeing horror in my everyday life. I’m reading it. I know it’s there. But it feels very realistic to write stories about people being kind.” (Elle Magazine)

That's it. That is precisely what I was saying [obviously badly] to Don. The reason I like Patchett books, and this one is no exception, is because the characters are not perfect, they are just trying their best and they show up for one another. And the books are full of kindness and thoughtfulness. Heaven knows we need more of that in our lives these days.

I'm guessing Don will rate the book with 4 stars, but he is not here right now to ask, and you can tell from this review I rated the book with 5 stars.



___________________________________________________



-Anne
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Saturday, April 4, 2026

Sunday Salon --- Ready, Set, Go!

We've had a rainy spring so far but the street trees are ever faithful in their announcement of the season.

Hawaii-bound!  By the time most folks on the West Coast wake up, our whole immediate family will be aboard a Hawaiian Airlines jet winging our way toward Hawaii. It is spring break for our daughter, a middle grade teacher, and for her children so we planned this special trip around their time off. Our first stop will be the Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park on the big island. There was a big volcanic eruption just a few weeks ago so we certainly hope we can see some hot lava with our own eyes. We'll explore that part of the island for two days, then head to Kona and the beach for the remainder of trip. We bought our grandsons snorkels and masks for Christmas and everyone is hoping they get a chance to use them to see fish underwater. My next post will undoubtedly be full of photos. Aloha!

Kīlauea volcano, March 10, 2026. (Photo credit: USGS)

Weather on the Volcanoes (According to the the National Park Service): 
The weather at the summit of Kīlauea volcano (~4000' elevation) varies daily and may be rainy and chilly any time of the year. Temperature varies by elevation. At the summit of the volcano, temperatures may be 12 to 15 degrees cooler than at sea level. (Monday is supposed to get to 60°F, no rain.)

The weather at the summit of Mauna Loa volcano (~13,680' elevation), winter temperatures and snow are a possibility during any season. There can be extreme hot conditions during the day, and below freezing temperatures at night. (We only plan to view this from afar!)

The "doomsday" letter: Even though we are all excited for our trip, it brought up a thought which I couldn't shake -- What if the plane goes down with all of us aboard? Who will know where to pick up the dog? Will anyone be able to figure out our accounts? With this thought I forced my husband to write a letter to send to my sister and his brother giving them a few details about where to find everything (including the dog) and where to start. It is such a gruesome thought. But now it is done and we can go on our flights knowing all will be well.

 

April is National Poetry Month. Here is what I've been reading (and plan to read while I'm in Hawai'i):

--Little Alleluias by Mary Oliver. 
     This new collection will travel with me to the 50th State. The book contains more essays than I realized so I may or may not make much progress during the trip.

--Startlement by Ada Limón. Read my review here.

--Poems and Prayers by Matthew McConaughey. 
     I'm always a little hesitant to read books by actors, thinking they are just trying to cash in on their success. Poems and Prayers by Matthew McConaughey seems to be an exception to that rule and comes from a very sincere space. McConaughey is clearly a man of faith and works on his relationship with God. His poems show an evolution in his faith walk and his prayers all seem so real -- nothing pious or stilted. Throughout the book McConaughey makes notes about what was going on in his life when he wrote the various poems or prayers. Included throughout, and most of these were delightful, he adds little aphorisms or proverbs, short little statements that contain a general truth. I just opened the book to this one: "IT'S GOOD WHEN YOUR SUCCESS GOES TO YOUR HEAD. / AS LONG AS IT GOES TO YOUR HEART AS WELL." 
     Admittedly, I am not as impressed with the actor's poems compared to his prayers. Like everything in life, sometimes things suffer by comparison. I had just finished reading poetry collections by two masters of the craft -- Ada Limón and Victoria Chang -- before I started reading this book. I'm afraid their skills showed off McConaughey's deficits. But not enough to keep me from generally enjoying the book. Also, I gained some valuable insights.
     Here is a sample portion of one of his poems which is also a prayer:

GOOD REBEL
Goodness rebels bless us to be
more than obedient to Your law.
Even when consequences have no account
give us ear to hear your call...
Amen

--The Trees Witness Everything by Victoria Chang. 
     This delightful collection is made up of poems composed in Japanese syllabic forms called wakas. Each poem is shaped by form and syllable count. The titles of the poems are repurposed from great poets, especially W.S. Merwin. These poems form the frames for the text. Chang described her process: "I selected a Merwin title as a prompt, then one syllabic form at random, and then wrote a poem. I would often read the Merwin poem first, but not always." I have to admit that this randomness made some of the poems seem like they came out of thin air, whereas others seemed to be fully planned.  
     Here are a few samples, with the form in parenthesis:  
 
THE SHIPWRECK  
I sit at my desk. 
Desire is an anchor --- 
I lift it and words come up.
(Form: Katauta, 5-7-7)
                                                                                                                                                            
THAT MUSIC
Once I fell in love
with the music, not the man.
When the music played,
my heart moved like paper boats.
When it stopped, I was eighty.
(Form: Tanka, 5-7-5-7-7)

    If you are looking for a lighter poetry collection and don't know where to start, I recommend you look for something by Victoria Chang. This oddly shaped book is so inviting and easy to read.


Books I'm packing. Will there even be time to read?
  • Theo the Golden by Allen Levi. This is a book club selection. The audiobook is 13 1/2 hours long. If I listen on the plane the whole way there and back I will get close to finishing it. 
  • I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy. I hadn't really planned to read this one, I wanted to listen to it but the e-book came in from the library, so I'll give it a go.
  • The Tomb Guardians by Paul Griffin. Sunday is Easter. I understand this book is a meditation on the crucifiction. It is short and illustrated.
  • Little Alleluias by Mary Oliver. My homage to Poetry Month.
  • And a big book to take to the pool/beach: either Seven Sisters or Those Who Leave and Those Who Stay. Both are over 400 pages. Gulp. What am I thinking that I'll go to Hawai'i and spend the whole time reading? But what if I do? I can't be caught without something to read. P.S.-I changed my mind. I will NOT take a big book with me. Four books seems like plenty, probably over-the-top!
A Little Easter Humor:



Holy Bunny?!
I've been laughing about this all week.
Happy Easter!

Aloha!

-Anne
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Saturday, March 7, 2026

Sunday Salon -- a follow up

Instead of viewing the celestial display of six planets lined up on Feb. 28th, we got to see this beautiful sunset over the Puget Sound and a view of the Olympic Mountains in the background. Too many clouds to see most of the planets.


Weather: Rain or threatening to rain. We understand this rain will turn to snow in the mountains so we are keeping our fingers crossed because we need the snowpack to keep down summer forest fires. The street trees, flowering plums, are starting to bloom out but the skies have been so grey they don't look very impressive.

Messages of love: Last week I wrote about how it seems like something new is happening, that perhaps love and acceptance is starting to break out amidst all the hate and division in our country. The sermon on Sunday at my church paralleled my same message, so much so I asked my pastor to read my blog. He did and sent me this reply:
Hi Anne,

I took you up on your invitation and enjoyed reading your post.  Matthew 25 was on both our hearts last week!  That was funny to see how our messages intersected the same themes.  As we were preparing for Good Friday service, one author said something along the lines of this:  Jesus revealed the violence of the world by embodying the opposite of it, and in that space between, the possibility for peace to take root exists.  We see this best when we aren't yelling angry slogans, but when we put on frog costumes, sing songs, and serve communion in front of detention facilities.   Also, generally speaking, people are attracted to the joyful crowd rather than the hateful one.  It just takes more work and creativity.  

I'm preaching to the choir, simply to say that I appreciated what you have drawn out of this current moment.  We are not without hopeful examples of love. As a side note, I've been grateful for the secular media in this moment, which keeps finding language to be explicit about how MAGA Christians are their own thing, implying some distance from the person of Jesus.  I praise God that even the non-religious crowd can tell the difference....

Pastor John
This week's news brought new concerns about our government (bombing Iran) but the truth remains the same ... if good people don't speak up, nothing will change.


James Talarico won the Senate primary in Texas on Tuesday. I look forward to hearing more from him this year.



Astronomical moments: Don and I drove west to Chambers Bay on the Puget Sound to view the six planets all lined up on Saturday night last week but the weather didn't cooperate and low clouds on the horizon kept us from being able to view Mercury, Saturn, and Neptune. We did see the other three: Venus (during a brief break in the clouds), Uranus (with binoculars), and Jupiter (which was high in the sky near the moon.) We did take some amazing photos of Chambers Bay and the Olympic Mountain range, along with a beautiful sunset. So the trip was worth the effort. See photos above.

A few nights later we set our alarm for 3:20 AM so we could view the Blood Moon/Lunar Eclipse. This time the clouds were so thick we couldn't even see the moon at all. Oh well, we tried. We had to satisfy ourselves with photos taken by people from other parts of the world.

Books and reading: I am really struggling to gain my usual reading mojo. I am going to blame it on my decision to read That Master and Margarita for the Classics Club this month. The book is satire, but I don't really understand what is being satirized. I keep telling myself that no one is making me read the book but now that I've struggled through as much as I have, I will finish it. (And complain about it, if I want to! 😉)
  •  Finished this week:
    • The Vigil by George Saunders -- A higher being sits with a dying man confronting both his mortality and her past. Audiobook. 4 stars.
    • This Is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar -- A love story set against a war which transgresses time. This book blew my mind. Audiobook. 4.25 stars.
  • Currently reading:
    • Corelli's Mandolin by Louis de Bernieres. A reread/relisten of a favorite with my husband, who is enjoying the book immensely. Audiobook. 78%.
    • The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov. Both print and audio. A classic Russian work. Very off-beat. 27%.
    • We Need No Wings by Ann Cardinal. E-Book. A book club selection about religious mysticism and Teresa of Avila. 50%. 
  • Recently acquired from the library -- Up next:
    • The Road to Tender Hearts by Annie Hartnett. Another book club selection.
    • Startlement: Poems by Ada Limon. Will poetry provide the reading fix I need?
  • Blogging:

A little rock and roll: Sometimes singing along to loud music is good therapy.

My cousin's daughter and her rock and roll cover band playing at the Rock the Dock in Tacoma. 


Springing ahead to daylight savings time.

-Anne
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Monday, February 16, 2026

TTT: Books for Armchair Travelers



Top Ten Tuesday: Books for Armchair Travelers

No time or funds for exotic trips? No worries. 
Here are some books which will take you to those spots free of charge!

Italy:

 Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter (Cinqueterre) 
 The City of Falling Angels by John Berendt (Venice)

Spain:

The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón (Barcelona)
 To the Field of Stars: A Pilgrim's Journey to Santiago de Compostela by Kevin Codd (The Camino)


India and Sri Lanka:

The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese (Malabar Coast of Southern India, in the state of Kerala)
The Ministry of Utmost Happiness by Arundhati Roy (Old Delhi and Kashmir) 
Brotherless Night by V.V. Ganeshananthan (Jaffna in the Northern Province of Sri Lanka)

The continent of Africa:

 The Girl with the Louding Voice by Abi Daré (Nigeria)
West With the Night by Beryl Markham (Kenya)
Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah


East Asia:

The Mountains Sing by Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai (Vietnam)
Pachinko by Min Lin Lee (South Korea)
In the Shadow of the Banyan by Vaddey Ratner (Cambodia)
The Man Who Loved China by Simon Winchester
Disappearing Earth by Julia Phillips (Kamchatka, Eastern Russia)

Australia and New Zealand

Island Home by Tim Winton (Western Australia)
Wild Pork and Watercress by Barry Crump (New Zealand)

The Americas

In Darkness by Nick Lake (Haiti)
A Long Petal of the Sea by Isabel Allende (Chile)
The Day the World Came to Town by Jim DeFede (Newfoundland, Canada)
Leave Only Footprints: My Acadia-to-Zion Journey Through Every National Park by Conor Knighton (USA)



I could go on but will stop. I will also be taking notes on your lists to give me idea of good books to read about your reading around-the-world experiences.


-Anne
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Sunday, July 6, 2025

Sunday Salon -- Glacier National Park and Montana Vacation

Panoramic view looking east from Logan Pass in Glacier National Park (Photo credit: A. Bennett)


We are home after a fabulous two-week family vacation to Montana and Glacier National Park

Weather: While in Montana we experienced all kinds of weather. Our first day in Glacier NP was cold, raining, and windy. We attempted an outdoor picnic but had to abandon our plans after several bites of our sandwiches -- aside from the stubborn manly men -- as the women and children all crammed into our pickup to laugh and eat inside the cab. The next day it was beautiful and warm, followed by an overcast day with a huge afternoon rain storm. I guess when mountains are involved one doesn't know what to expect. Now that we are home we are experiencing delightful summer weather with temperatures in the high 70s. Nothing like the scorcher/boiling temperatures the rest of the country is experiencing.

Highlights from our trip:

Welcome to Glacier National Park. Don and Carly at one of many entrances to the park.


Rita and her family at the St. Mary entrance to Glacier NP.


Don and our grandsons on our first hike inside Glacier NP along McDonald Creek.
It was a cold and rainy day.


The weather was glorious for our ride on the Glacier Red Bus the next day on 'Going to the Sun Road' toward Logan Pass. 

The view of St. Mary Lake (East Glacier) right before a huge rain storm.

We saw lots of wildlife. This great shot was taken of a ground squirrel with grass in his mouth on Logan Pass. This is one of my favorite photos of the week. (Photo credit: R. Adams)
 
A Mountain Goat mama with her kid peeking out from behind. We caught her resting on the rocks while other goats romped around at Goat Lick Overlook. (Photo credit: D. Bennett)



Carly and I hung out with these guys (a group of about seven bachelor Bighorn Sheep) while the rest of the family hiked to an overlook beyond the visitor center at Logan Pass. In addition to goats and sheep. we saw deer, elk, pronghorn antelope, a moose, a marmot, and a few chipmunks over the course of the week. We were bear adjacent a few times but never actually sighted any of them. (Photo credit: D. Bennett)


Don and Jamie on the aforementioned hike. (Photo credit: R. Adams)

Dan (Son-in-law) and Ian. The only members of the family to make it to the end of the Logan Pass Outlook trail. Spectacular view! (Photo credit: D. Adams)

An Osprey nest in an old snag at Hungry Horse Reservoir. We saw lots of osprey on the trip, even a pair fishing on Swan Lake and a single bird soaring over Holland Lake. We also saw several bald eagles and a large gang of wild turkeys. We heard many other birds on our Merlin Bird App but didn't see them: Red-eyed Vireo, Swainson's Thrush, Yellow Warbler, Western Tanager, and a Townsend's Warbler. When we were at the top of Logan Pass it said we heard a Spotted Sandpiper, which is a water bird, so we are sure that was a misidentification by the App. 😏



Glacier was experiencing a super bloom of bear grass while we were there. So pretty.


Don and I with Running Eagle Falls (aka Trick Falls) in the background in the Two Medicine area of the park.

Grandsons throwing rocks in Lake McDonald. (Photo credit: R. Adams)



A glorious evening in a beautiful setting on Logan Pass. We had a low-key but joyous celebration of our 43rd anniversary spending time with the people we love most. (Photo credit: D. Bennett)

The "cabin" where we lived together for the week near Essex, MT halfway between West and East Glacier along the Middle Fork of the Flathead River.

After leaving Glacier the family split up and went our separate ways for the second week: 
  • Carly flew home from Kalispell to go back to work. 
  • Rita and her family headed south to more adventures at two additional National Parks: Yellowstone and Grand Teton in Wyoming. 
  • Don and I drove a few miles south to vacation alone at Bigfork on Flathead Lake, where we spent two delightful evenings. Sunday night we ate salmon burgers while drinking Mile High Mules and listening to live music in the park. The duo, Bad Larrys, was very good and we enjoyed the scene and experience very much. The next night we had tickets to a musical, "All Shook Up", at the Bigfork Summer Playhouse after a dinner of amazing brisket tacos at Oro y Plata. We stayed in a beautiful condo overlooking Bigfork Harbor which was great for reading on the sunny deck. The following day we drove down the Swan River valley to join friends for a few days in Seeley Lake. Don and Matt took a beautiful hike to a waterfall above Holland Lake while I visited with his wife, Eileen, and his mother, Loretta, sitting in camp chairs down at the lake. Later that evening we were treated to join the family for a delicious meal at Loretta's home.

Longtime friends and JAG colleagues, Don and Matt at the falls.

A beautiful view of Holland Lake with the Mission Mountains in the background from their vantage point on the trail. (Photo credit: D. Bennett)


Books and reading on vacation:
  • Audiobooks -- Don and I spent 44 hours in his truck together during the trip/from Montana and while we drove around during the weeks there. That gave us a lot of time to listen to books. 
    • The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemison -- Our daughter was with us for the first leg of our trip. She and I agreed on this book which was so popular a few years ago and was listed on the NYT Best books of the 21st Century. It is Sci-fi/Fantasy/Dystopia, a really complicated story not told in chronological order. I think we all agreed it wasn't the best choice for a long car ride, too many details to keep track of. I haven't written a review yet, but hope to have it up in side the next week. 15 hours and 27 min.
    • Catch-22 by Joseph Heller -- The classic anti-war satire published after WWII but before Vietnam. Often funny or silly. Very little about battles, but a lot of insanity about fighting wars in general. Don and I listened to this one without Carly, since she was flying home and we still had a lot of car time left. 19 hours and 58 min.
    • A River Runs Through It by Norman Maclean. I had not read this famous novella before but kept thinking of it as we drove around Montana's many beautiful rivers and lakes. I am so glad we were able to squeeze this in at the end of trip. 3 hours and 45 min.
  • Print books --
    • Tess of the D'Urberville by Thomas Hardy -- My CC Spin book for summer. I started it during the trip, attempting to read on a schedule of 12-pages a day but I got off schedule due to busy days and tired nights.  32% complete.
    • Raising Hare: a Memoir by Chloe Dalton -- This was a perfect choice to read about nature and conservation while I was out in nature! Complete. 
    • Water, Water: Poems by Billy Collins -- I love this poet and I love this collection. Complete.
    • A Long Obedience in the Same Direction by Eugene Peterson -- A Christian devotional and study book. I am working through it a chapter at a time. 51% complete.

    • Grandma Anne (me) reading Someone Builds the Dream by Lisa Wheeler before bed time. It is a new favorite children's book for everyone.

  • E-Book -- I had to start an e-book that I checked out remotely from my library after I finished the two physical books I brought along, Raising Hare and Water, Water.
    • The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley -- Thought I'd try to knock off a few challenges with this book --- 1. Paris in July Challenge and 2. A Goodreads summer challenge. 27% complete.
  • Blogging the past two to three weeks. I prepared a few reviews and blogging memes before I left and scheduled their publication:
(Montana farm, Canola flowers. Photo credit: A. Bennett)



-Anne

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