It was a week of more venturing out into the world. I visited one of my favorite libraries, Freeman Library of the Harris County Library System, which just reopened. A man was singing, "I am so happy that my library is open again! I am so happy that my library is open again!" as he climbed the stairs to the library. Freeman Library has a lovely little used bookstore and I spent a few hours browsing the shelves there.
The Book Jumper by Methtilde Gläser ⭐⭐⭐
The Superior Person's Second Book of Weird & Wonderful Words by Peter Bowler ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Bird Way: A New Look at How Bird Talk, Work, Play, Parent, and Think by Jennifer Ackerman ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Book Jumper was a nice romp for those of us who like books-about-books. I couldn't help writing a blog post for The Superior Person's Second Book of Weird & Wonderful Words, and I also felt I had to buy and read the first book since the second book was so good. The Bird Way shattered every belief I had about bird behavior, and that was a good thing.
Bewilderment: A Novel by Richard Powers...7%
The Girl With the Louding Voice by Abi Daré...27%
The Guns of August by Barbara Tuchman (Nonfiction Challenge)...47%
Quo Vadis by Henryk Sienkiewicz (Chapter-a-Day Read)...35%
Bringing Nature Home: How You Can Sustain Wildlife with Native Plants (Naturalist Book Club)...10%
I am enjoying Bewilderment and The Girl With the Louding Voice so much that I don't want to get to the end of either novel.
I've now accumulated 10 books for my 20 Books of Summer challenge. I'm hoping to read 20 books from my 1001 Children's Books list. It was delightful to hear others' thoughts on the 285 books I have left to read. FictionFan recommended The Mystery of the Yellow Room and the Jennings and Darbishire books. Reese at Typings said The Baron in the Trees is one of his favorite books, and that Baron Munchhausen is a "wild ride." (Happily, I have a copy of The Baron in the Trees.) Cath at Read-Warbler told me that her favorite book of childhood is on the list, The Minnow on the Say. (You can understand that I felt the need to order that one.) CLM at Staircase Wit said her sentimental favorite is The Little White Horse. Bron at This Reading Life wrote a whole post about her childhood favorites, and I spent the better half of a day trying to get my hands on some of these books, though I was sadly unsuccessful. Louise at A Strong Belief in Wicker offered to do a read-along with a French children's book during Paris in July this year, and I ordered a copy of A Hundred Million Francs in hopes that this will happen.
We took in two intriguing movies this week.
One was the French sci-fi movie Fantastic Planet. It's the story of a planet where humans are the playthings of the dominant species, and it won the Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival in 1973.
Some Kind of Heaven is a documentary made in 2020 about The Villages, a huge retirement community in Florida, a place one resident describes as "Disneyland for retirees," and it's considered by some to be one of the best documentaries of the year.
Being back in the world has inspired me to do some baking this week.
Good Thing #1
Homemade Granola
Good Thing #2
Good Thing #3
I'm happy you found your way to the Sunday Salon. Sunday Salon is a place for us to link up and to share what we have been doing during the week. It's a great way to visit other blogs and join in the conversations going on there.
Some of the things we often talk about at the Sunday Salon:
- What was your week like?
- Read any good books? Tell us about them.
- What other bookish things did you do?
- What else is going on in your life?
Other places where you may like to link up over the weekend are below. Click on the picture to visit the site.
My linkup for Sunday Salon is below.
I love seeing your books. And that homemade granola looks marvelous!
ReplyDeleteMy mom made the homemade granola first, and she inspired me to make it. It's delicious in addition to being quite healthy.
DeleteI love Richard Powers' writing. I have to look for that new book. The Bird Way also sounds like something I need to add to my list.
ReplyDeleteWe are enjoying a bit more freedom in our activities. It's nice to feel that "normal" is actually attainable.
Richard Powers is probably my favorite contemporary writer. This story has a strong nature theme like The Overstory.
DeleteThanks for the shoutout! I hope you do get to The Baron in the Trees & I hope it holds up for you.
ReplyDeleteI should perhaps mention I'm one of those (increasingly rare) boy Reeses... ;-)
Apologies. Will correct.
DeleteNo worries...I'm amused that these days people think Reese is a girl's name. Mind you, I would have hated it if I thought that when I was six.
DeleteThe foods look delicious! I am going to do something unusual for me and listen to the Girl with the Louding Voice instead of reading it. It became available yesterday, but I've put it off for a week or so while I finish a long book that I am doing for a publisher first.
ReplyDeleteI am listening to Girl with the Louding Voice, too, but I am also reading part of it, too.
DeleteOoohhh...the food looks so good. I'm interested in Some Kind of Heaven since I'm living in a 55+ community in Florida now. I'll have to check it out. Hope you have a great weekend!
ReplyDeleteI can't wait to hear your thoughts on Some Kind of Heaven.
DeleteHome made granola... Now that sounds yummy. I had a look at your review for the Word book, I'm sure you are going to use a whole lot of them for Wondrous Words Wednesday!
ReplyDeleteChildren's books... I always love browsing through them at the library, but never take it come. I wonder if maybe I had my own kids it might have been different. Well, if a miracle ever happens - I know who to contact for the best recommendations!
Hope you will have a good week ahead Dear Debbie!
Lots of Love,
Mareli & Elza
I have certainly read a lot of children's books.
DeleteLoving your book goals. I do need to start reading shorter books, if only to finish them. Here's hoping you have a great reading week, and the food looks delish.
ReplyDeletePeople always ask for the recipe for Cream Cheese Braid after they taste it, but it's a bit complicated to make, and they never make it themselves.
DeleteI've heard mixed reviews on The Girl with the Louding Voice so I'm glad you are enjoying it. If you are looking for book recs for translated books - I enjoy the Aunti Poldi series. I just read the newest book to be translated into English.
ReplyDeleteAunti Poldi looks gentle and fun, and that's appealing to me right now.
DeleteAdded Some Kind of Heaven to my list. Love all of Nadiya's recipes!
ReplyDeleteCan't wait until our libraries open again, and museums!
I'm trying to go slowly through Nadiya's shows.
DeleteYour baking has made me hungry, lol. Have a great week!
ReplyDeleteThe tomato galette didn't look nearly as good as it tasted.
DeleteWeirdly I really don’t have any particular memories of reading children’s picture books when I was a child, so I don’t have any favourites of my own. I do from teaching and reading to my own kids though.
ReplyDeleteI like the sound of Some Kind of Heaven, I’ll add it to my watch list.
Wishing you a great reading week
Interesting that you don't remember reading any children's books early on.
DeleteI love that the guy was singing his library song!
ReplyDeleteAdded The Bird Way and Bewilderment to my TBR. (Girl w/Louding Voice was already on it.)
Children's books...man I wish I had kept mine or that I had at least jotted down the titles or something. I have flashes of scenes in my mind but not titles and authors. I've tried all the websites that help you find a book with only snippets of info to no avail.
Titles I do remember are the Mrs. Piggle Wiggle books, Amelia Bedelia, The Borrowers...I could go on and on but you've got your own list. I gave them all away to a co-worker 30 years ago for her little boys and now I'm having to go back and hunt them down all over again. lol What I need is a list of all the books the Scottsdale Public Library had on their shelves in the 70s. Do libraries keep such records, I wonder? Or are there archived lists of books published by year somewhere online?
Some Kind of Heaven sounds really good. I see that's on Hulu. There's a retirement community in Arizona, Sun City or something. We used to drive out there and go through all the model homes when I was a kid. Now I think I'm old enough to live there. lol
All your baked goods look delicious!!
I think you could Google popular children's books of the 70s and come up with a pretty good list. My parents only bought mystery series for me when I was a child, so I had to rely on the library for finding the really good books. I think that's how I developed a dislike of series books.
DeleteThanks for the link! Next to making up the lists, the most fun part of the Summer Books challenge is acquiring the books - it's like having an extra birthday (without getting older ;) ).
ReplyDeleteYou are right. I've bought a number of books I wouldn't have otherwise bought.
DeleteHomemade granola sounds really good.
ReplyDeleteWe go through it pretty fast. I will probably need to make more next week.
DeleteA trip to the library sounds wonderful! I plan to have a good long browse at mine this week. I'm curious about The Bird Way, it sounds interesting. Already have The Girl With the Louding Voice on my list and understand the audio version is very well done. The homemade granola looks delicious!!
ReplyDeleteI started with the audio of Girl With the Louding Voice and then finished reading the book myself once I got into the rhythm of her dialect.
DeleteThat granola looks really good! Our library finally opened for browsing, I was so excited! I practically raced there one night this week, after Billy got home from work. I was the only one in there besides the staff and it was almost overwhelming to be surrounded by so many books again. It was nice to catch up with everyone who works there though - I had missed them over the past year. :) They did wonder where Wyatt was but I wanted to go all by myself. LOL.
ReplyDeleteThe Girl with the Louding Voice sounds great!
The used bookstore in the library had lots and lots of great titles. It hasn't been opened in such a long time. I came home with a big box of books.
DeleteI've heard great things about the Girl with the Louding Voice! Glad you are enjoying it. And happy days to the library reopening. I was so excited when mine allowed humans in again! Such a great feeling. Those are some yummy goodies you've been making. My big thing made this week was Rice Krispie treats...lol.
ReplyDeleteThat documentary Some Kind of Heaven looks good. I'll have to keep my out for it. I hope you have a wonderful Memorial Day. And good look with your summer reading! I know you'll do it!
I finished Girl With the Louding Voice last night...and, wow. Just wow.
DeleteI can't wait to see what you think about Some Kind of Heaven.
ReplyDeleteI'm still not venturing out into the world very often. I have grown to like being a homebody. Nice assortment of books too. Come see my week here. Happy reading!
ReplyDeleteI bet you are not the only one.
DeleteIt is nice to get out again a bit, isn't it? We ventured out to a restaurant over the weekend- of course some nimrod had to ask me why I was wearing a mask- but by and large it's nice to be out again.
ReplyDeleteI hope you have a wonderful Memorial Day!
I don't usually watch documentaries, but Some Kind of Heaven sounds good! I might have to try that one. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteAll that food looks yummy. I have the kids cooking this summer.
ReplyDeleteThe library I work at has been open to the public (with masks) for quite a while, but we were one of the few in our area. Tomorrow is going to be my first day at work after the statewide mask mandate has been lifted. I'm ready to ditch the mask, although I've enjoyed not getting all the colds I would normally get in a year. I liked your GoodReads review of The Superior Person's 2nd Book of Weird and Wonderful Words, but then your food photos took up all my attention! I think I'm going to join the Big Books of Summer challenge, because I don't know if I can read 20 books over the summer. (Unless I count in my audiobooks, I suppose.)
ReplyDeleteGreat post!
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad to know that Freeman Library is open. I often book shop there.
Wow the baking looks good! I still plan to get to the Girl with the Louding Voice novel. I've heard such great things! It's on my List. Hope you have a great week.
ReplyDeletea wonderful variety of books. every time i come over here, i end up hungry. lol
ReplyDeleteFantastic Planet sounds like a movie I could enjoy.
ReplyDeleteThe library visit and the impromptu singer you encountered there. Classic. That was how it was in Palm Springs over the weekend. Everyone was so darn happy to be outside doing thing. The retired folks at the pool talked my ears off which is why I got very little reading done but oh, the conversations were so fun. Two 80 year old men were past theatre teachers so they really hit it off with my daughter talking about shows and her upcoming college plans. Another single dad was feeling a little emotional over his daughter growing up so fast. I could certainly relate to that.
The book I am currently reading is Summer Darlings but I have to start over. I started it at the pool with all that chatter and then got sidetracked by graduation. Ten percent in and I haven't a clue what I read. Will start over today.
I've heard great things about The Girl with the Louding Voice and really want to read that one. So glad you were able to visit your library. I went to our library today after more than a year! Such a great feeling to return and start getting back to normalcy. And great job on your challenges!
ReplyDeleteHow wonderful to hear someone singing that they are so happy their library is open! 2021 is looking much better, isn't it?
ReplyDeleteYour galette and granola look delicious. We have family coming to visit next month and I plan to make a few fruit galettes (probably peach) for our desserts. I was visiting family in Santa Rosa a few days ago and my cousin made a cherry galette that was delicious!
A fruit galette sounds wonderful. I need to try that soon.
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