A Month in Summary - July 2025

 

Little Whale Cove

Depoe Bay, Oregon

July 2025

Another page flipped on the calendar and summer is winding down. For many, it's been a long hot summer and I'm hearing that you're eager for cooler temps and fall activities. Here on the Oregon coast, we're just entering our nicest time of the year. The chilly, overcast days aren't nearly as frequent as in June and July, and the temps are climbing into the mid-60s. We typically travel in September, which everyone says is the best month of the year, but I'm hoping August will prove to be just as lovely.

My reading felt a bit off in July, mainly due to two lackluster novels, one of which was far too long. The two books I read in print were over 400 pages, and the two audios were between 8 and 10 hours. I spent two weeks reading The Frozen River, and while I enjoyed it, I began to get impatient, eager to make more headway on my Summer Reading challenge. My reading has also suffered due to my new interest in watching a couple of episodes of The Handmaid's Tale each night. I also used to read for about an hour in the afternoon before fixing dinner, but my new obsession interest in American Mah Jong has me playing several games on my computer. 

 

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

How the Light Gets In by Joyce Maynard (3.5/5)

The Poppy Fields by Nikki Erlick (2/5)

The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon (4/5)

So Far Gone by Jess Walter (4.5/5)

Movies & TV Series:

Missing - An ok show, but I've already forgotten the plot. 

Place of Execution - Another decent show, but not at all memorable.

Force of Nature: The Dry 2 - I read Jane Harper's book in 2018 and thought it was decent, but the series wasn't as good.

The Residence - Silly, although I did enjoy the main character. 

The Handmaid's Tale (Season 2) - I've watched two seasons and will continue despite the unsettling themes about women's rights that feel far too prescient in today's world. 

Visitors:

My aunt and uncle (Alison & Brian) came up from Manhattan Beach for a few days. We had a wonderful visit with them!

Hiking:

Molly and I hiked Cascade Head for the second year in a row. It was a beautiful, sunny day!

New Obsession:

As mentioned above, I've started play American Mah Jong with a friend in my neighborhood. In addition to our face-to-face games, I've started playing online, which is a great way to improve my skills. I love it!

New Car!

Yes, we bought a new car. We traded in the Miata, which after owning for less than two years proved to be somewhat impractical. It looked cute, especially with the top down, but it wasn't very comfortable for either of us. We started looking at Subarus and I fell in love with the Outback Limited. It has more bells & whistles than my 2010 Forester (which we sold to some good friends before moving to Oregon), and I think it will be a better fit for us than the Miata.

Lastly, we received our second tsunami alert since moving to the Oregon coast in 2017. Thankfully, nothing came of the advisory. Phew!

Hope you're all enjoying your summer! Happy reading!