Saturday, October 16, 2021

A Week of Forest Bathing in Arkansas

 






We are in the forested mountains of northwest Arkansas for a week of hiking and relaxing. I hope to share photos next week.



I downloaded a bunch of books from Overdrive at my library last week. I'm taking these along for our trip to Arkansas. We'll see what I decided to read, but it's nice to have lots of choices.

Renewal: How Nature Reawakens Our Creativity, Compassion, and Joy 
by AndrĂ©s R. Edwards
The Hummingbird's Gift: Wonder, Beauty, and Renewal on Wings by Sy Montgomery
How to Draw Anything Anytime: A Beginner's Guide to Cute and Easy Doodles
Bread for the Journey: A Daybook of Wisdom and Faith by Henri Nouwen
Art Before Breakfast by Danny Gregory
The Book of Delights: Essays by Ross Gay
Hummingbird Salamander: A Novel by Jeff Vandermeer
Extraordinary Insects: Weird. Wonderful. Indispensible. The Ones Who Run Our World.
by Anne Sverdrup-Thygeson
On Trails: An Exploration by Robert Moor
Map: Collected and Last Poems by Wislawa Szymborska








New York Times Opinion, by Farhad Manjoo:









Arkansas!
A week of hiking and relaxing in northwest Arkansas.








Good Thing #1

One of my friends, Elke, is a retired librarian, 
and she often forwards a Daily Ray of Hope
from the Sierra Club. You can subscribe here.



Good Thing #2
The Great British Baking Show is back.



Good Thing #3
I finished a cozy mystery set in a magical bookstore.
The bookstore will send just the book you need to you.

Our book club members will each be reading a Christmas cozy mystery
in December. Recommendations?






I'm happy you joined us here at the Sunday Salon. Sunday Salon is a place 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. 

60 comments:

  1. Ooh, I think I know this place in Arkansas. I can't wait to read more about your experience.
    As for nature, I'm reading a wonderful book by Bernd Heinrich (you probably know at least the author, if not the book), One Wild Bird at a Time: Portraits of Individual Lives (2016). One short chapter on 17 birds. I picked it up to read his portrait of the blue jay, but now want to read the whole book. The author has been living for many years in a cabin in the woods in Maine, so has had many hours of observing. I hate this guy, lol

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    1. I have read that book, and I did like it very much. Right now, I'm looking out at a beautiful mixed deciduous forest with the temperature about twenty degrees cooler than at home, and I feel glorious.

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  2. I hope you are enjoying your trip. I look forward to seeing your photos.

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    1. We walked six and a half miles yesterday. The trees and the hills were amazing.

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  3. Have fun in Arkansas; I lived in Northwest Arkansas in the early 1980's and it is a beautiful place. I hope you aren't too early for the peak fall foliage; as I recall peak was normally in late October. I look forward to your photos. My last read was "What You Wish For" by Katherine Center. I normally don't read romances but she's an exception, and after two Holocaust memoirs in a row, I needed a change.

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    1. We are seeing lots of fall color. I collected leaves yesterday on my walk. Stunning yellows and reds.

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  4. I hope you are enjoying your trip to Arkansas! I am currently reading the second book in a Christmas cozy mystery series. The series is A Christmas Tree Farm Mystery by Jacqueline Frost. The first book is Twelve Slays of Christmas. I'm enjoying it so far. Have a good weekend!

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    1. That sounds great for our December book club. Thanks for the suggestions.

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  5. In the UK it's called The Great British Bake-Off. Maybe that either doesn't translate well or has another meaning but I'm always curious as to why they alter the names of shows in different countries.
    Most of those library book covers are stunning - I hope you get to enjoy a few of them whilst exploring in Arkansas.

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    1. I always call it Bake-Off and I'm American. I don't know why they changed it; I prefer the original name. My aunt and I were just talking about it last week and I kept confusing her by calling it Bake-Off. She kept saying "No, we don't watch that one. We watch the Baking Show." đŸ˜‚ I don't know where I picked up the British version of the name!

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    2. I've seen it called both, and I agree that it is confusing!

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  6. I hope you have a wonderful week in Arkansas --- seems a gorgeous area! Thanks for forwarding the Times opinion article on the love of audiobooks .... it's a good one! I agree that sometimes you can find an audio narrator that makes a book even more sublime!

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    1. I think many people who haven't been able to get into books would change their minds if they listened to a few audiobooks (or even were able to listen to someone read aloud to them).

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  7. I hope you have tons of fun in Arkansas! I'm watching The Baking Show too. I always want to make the stuff I see on there, but I know I don't need the calories. Have a great week!

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  8. I love that the nY times did a piece on audiobook listening, and an associate acting buddy of mine will be thrilled to learn of this as he narrates books.

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  9. I hope you are having a wonderful time hiking and camping!

    I started watching the new British Baking season and am thoroughly enjoying it.

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    1. We are having a fabulous time. It's Monday, and I'm lying out under the trees after taking a lovely morning hike.

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  10. I'll be curious to see what your book club chooses. I can usually only find book #22 or later in Christmas cozies. (An exaggeration, but not by much). It probably doesn't really matter but it feels wrong to pick up a series late in the game.

    I hope you're having a fantastic time in Arkansas!

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  11. Enjoy your trip! I hope you have fun!

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  12. I love that area of Arkansas. Enjoy your time

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  13. I hope you are having a wonderful trip! It looks like you have a nice variety of reading material with you, too. Can't wait to see some of your photos :)

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    1. I can't wait to share them. We've taken four hikes so far.

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  14. Hi Debbie! I hope you are enjoying your trip! I have bought myself a little notebook just for blog comments. I have just made a note on the article you shared about when a book is better if you listen to it. I actually have a couple of books that I will recommend listening to rather than reading!

    As I'm typing here, I am waiting for Goodreads and Amazon to open up so that I can take a look at Prose and cons. For Elza you know...!

    Have a good week and safe travels!

    Elza Reads

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  15. I think the GBBO that you are watching we have already seen. The last season I saw had Matt as a new judge and I did not care for him.

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  16. I love that series by Amanda Flower. Would spend all day in that magical bookshop if I could.

    Have a great week!!

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  17. Ooo have a great trip! It sounds fantastic.

    All of your books sound amazing. I am definitely writing a few down. The trails book, the nature and creativity book, the insects... I've been thinking about what I want to read next month so I will have to check those out.

    Also, I was considering that Amanda Flower series! I read a Living History Museum series by her that I enjoyed, so I was thinking the magic bookshop might be fun too!

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    1. I've only read (part of) one book so far, but I certainly have a lot of good ones on my Kindle.

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  18. hope you have a great time on your hiking trip and that it is so wonderful being outside and so much to see that you don't even have time for a book...except while on the road. i use to be a member of the sierra club, but backed off on all donations...for a while. i feel bad, but mr wonderful was let go due to covid, so...any who...the weather is beautiful here and i hope you have a fantastic week.

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    1. You are just about right, Sherry.

      And I'm so sorry to hear about your troubles.

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  19. Oh that sounds wonderful. Can't wait to see your pics!

    I'll be interested to see what you think of the VanderMeer book. I wasn't sure what to think of it!

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    1. Oh boy. Maybe I should check out the VanderMeer book next.

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  20. Waving to you from NorthEAST Arkansas! Can't wait for your pictures and report!

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  21. Can't wait for your pictures of your Arkansas! Enjoy your trip and your books from Overdrive. I have the first two books in the Amanda Flower series and am looking forward to reading it. You might enjoy the Year Round Christmas series by Vicki Delaney. The first book is Rest Ye Murdered Gentleman. I haven't read that one but have enjoyed several of the later books in the series. Have a wonderful week!

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  22. Oh, love those fall colors! Have a good week.

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  23. Oh, what a wonderful place to hike in the fall! I'll bet the colors are stunning. I walked over 5 miles yesterday to view a light house and realize I really, really need to walking shoes. Do you wear special hiking boots for your outings?

    If your group doesn't mind starting a cozy series, I enjoyed A Quiet Life in the Country, the first installment in TE Kinsey's Lady Hardcastle mysteries. It was humorous, but also well-plotted.

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    1. I do wear special hiking boots. My sister helped me choose some. It makes such a difference, Les.

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  24. Hope you have a great trip! Prose and Cons sounds wonderful (and I am always in love with these cozy mystery book titles, always!)
    Art Before Breakfast sounds cool

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  25. I think you can the the Canadian bake off at DailyMotion! I didn't know there was an American version, I will have to find that.
    The Australian version is either on DailyMotion or YouTube.

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  26. I've just finished reading Yesterday's Children by Jenny Cockell. It was good.

    Arkansas sounds like a lovely place to hike in the fall.

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  27. Whatever cozy mystery I pick, it will have a cat in it!

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  28. Enjoy the Narniathon. I read the books many, many years ago as a child. They belonged to my brother and I had to almost promise my firstborn to borrow and read them. He taught me a special way to hold the book to minimise creasing off the spine and I wasn't allowed to eat or drink near them! Have a great week.

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