A Month in Summary - January 2020

Tidal Raves Restaurant

Depoe Bay, Oregon

January 2020

January was another great month of reading. I listened to one audiobook, reread an old favorite and borrowed four books from the library. Of the six books I finished, four were outstanding. Next month, I hope to read more from my stacks, but we'll see how that goes since I already have three library books on my nightstand. It doesn't help that my TBR list is growing by leaps and bounds thanks to the new podcasts I recently discovered. But had I not listened, I might not have discovered Two Girls Down, which was one of my favorite reads this month. Between the podcasts and binging on This Is Us, my audiobook numbers may drop in 2020, but it's all good. I'm enjoying all types of media. 

Books Read (click on the title for my review):

The River by Peter Heller (4.5/5)

The Only Plane In the Sky: An Oral History of 9/11 by Garrett M. Graff (5/5)

The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver (5/5)

The Girls by Emma Cline (2/5)

Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata (1/5)

Two Girls Down by Louisa Luna (4.5/5)

First Lines:

They had been smelling smoke for two days. (The River)

Nearly every American above a certain age remembers precisely where they were on September 11, 2001. What began as an ordinary day became the deadliest terrorist attack in world history and the deadliest attack on the United States since Pearl Harbor, shocking and terrifying the global community, exposing us to unimaginable tragedy and evil, while also reminding us of the strength, bravery, and power of the human spirit. Heroes quite literally emerged from the ashes, and the hours and decisions that followed defined not just a generation but our modern era. (The Only Plane In the Sky - Author's Note)

I have been afraid of putting air in a tire ever since I saw a tractor tire blow up and throw Newt Hardbine's father over the top of the Standard Oil sign. I'm not lying. He got stuck up there. About nineteen people congregated during the time it took for Norman Strick to walk up to the Courthouse and blow the whistle for the volunteer fire department. They eventually did come with the ladder and haul him down, and he wasn't dead but lost his hearing and in many other ways was never the same afterward. They said he overfilled the tire. (The Bean Trees)

I looked up because of the laughter, and kept looking because of the girls. (The Girls)

A convenience store is a world of sound. From the tinkle of the door chime to the voices of TV celebrities advertising new products over the in-store cable network, to the calls of the store workers, the beeps of the bar code scanner, the rustle of customers picking up items and placing them in baskets, and the clacking of heels walking around the store. It all blends into the convenience store sound that ceaselessly caresses my eardrums. (Convenience Store Woman)

Jamie Brandt was not a bad mother. Later she would tell that to anyone who would listen: police, reporters, lawyers, her parents, her boyfriend, her dealer, the new bartender with the knuckle tattoos at Schultz's, the investigator from California and her partner, and her own reflection in the bathroom mirror, right before cracking her forehead on the sink's edge and passing out from the cocktail of pain, grief, and fear. (Two Girls Down)

Podcasts:

What Should I Read Next (Anne Bogel) - I don't know who mentioned this podcast, but I am so grateful. I love it and my Goodreads TBR has exploded with all the recommendations.

He Read She Read - Another great podcast for book lovers!

Movies & TV Shows:

Ken Burns' Country Music - I enjoyed the last few episodes in this miniseries, but the first two were a little dull. I started listening to country music in the late 80s. The Judds, Dan Seals, Randy Travis, Dwight Yokum, Garth Brooks, Tricia Yearwood, Rodney Crowell, Roseanne Cash, George Strait, Vince Gill, Kathy Mattea, Keith Whitley, Alan Jackson, Clint Black, Reba McEntire, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Emmylou Harris and, of course, Kris Kristofferson were among my favorites.

The Mule - Entertaining, but somewhat sappy.

This Is Us (Season 1) - Finally jumping on the bandwagon with this series. My husband gave up after the fourth episode, but I'm hooked in spite of the fact that it's a little sappy. The writing is good, though, and I love the non-linear time line. Very creative!

State of Play - Entertaining and a wonderful cast. 

Puzzlemania:

How was your first month of the new decade?