Little Whale Cove
June 2026
We rarely see hot temps on the coast, but the above photo was taken on June 14th when we hit 80 degrees. We grabbed some cold drinks and headed out to the back deck before the sun disappeared behind the trees. It was wonderful to sit outside, soaking up the warmth of the sun, listening to the birds sing. Fortunately, the sunny weather stuck around for a family gathering later that week. My three brothers and some of their family members, as well as our granddaughter, came to visit over the course of a week. Good times!
My reading didn't seem to suffer from the busy month, and there were a few winners in the bunch. I'm eager to read more by Sally Hepworth and Liz Moore. I have one more of John Boyne's in my stacks for this summer's reading challenge, but I'll wait until August to start that one.
Books Read (click on the title for my review):
The House of Special Purpose by John Boyne (4/5)
Long Bright River by Liz Moore (4.5/5)
Mad Mabel by Sally Hepworth (4.5/5)
Upgrade by Blake Crouch (4/5)
The Safekeep by Yael van der Wouden (4/5)
Gave up on:
Looking for Alaska by John Green
Mink River by Brian Doyle
One Italian Summer by Rebecca Serle
Happiness Falls by Angie Kim
Within Arm's Reach by Ann Napolitano
I'm sure these books have their merits, but I've grown too impatient to stick with a book that doesn't grab me early on.
Movies & TV Series:
Unfamiliar - We enjoyed this series about two former spies living in Berlin with their teenage daughter.
Sherlock - We decided to re-watch this series, but stopped after a few episodes because they were so familiar.
Lee - Also very, very good. I wasn't prepared to be so moved by the story. Kate Winslet is outstanding as Lee Miller.
Visitors:
My heart is full!
Sounds like a lovely month! Your two highest ranked books are two that I really enjoyed, too.
ReplyDeleteHelen, I enjoyed Mad Mabel so much that I'm now listening to The Mother-in-Law. So far, it's not quite as good as MM, but I'm already hooked.
DeleteOh, Les! Loved the pictures of all your family and that granddaughter has grown up!! So beautiful and glad she got to come see all of you. Thanks for sharing all the pics with us! Hope July is great for you! Much love sent!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much, Kay! Can you believe how grown up Shaylyn has gotten?! I know you remember her from early days when she was just a little baby/toddler. Time flies.
DeleteWhat a family gathering! I don't think I even know that many people, lol! As always, a fantastic onthly roundup and lots of good suggestions for my reading and watching list.
ReplyDeleteI agree Project Hail Mary was less than the book. Liked the book, even though Andy Weir can't top the Martian, and I liked how they portrayed Rocky. Have not seen Oppenheimer yet but it also stars my "celebrity husband" Matt Damon, like The Martian, lol.
I managed to finsih the Rebecca Serle book but I dodn't like it nearly as much as In Five Years. Still working on my summer reading goal of tackling the library holds.
Tina, it was a fun gathering! We have a big family! We missed having our daughter here, but hope to see her soon.
DeleteI need to go back and listen to The Martian. I think I tried to read the book, but couldn't get into it. Maybe the audio will grab me like Project Hail Mary did.
I can see why your heart is full! We enjoyed Project Hail Mary the Movie, but we have not read the book yet. I'm so glad that you got in some good books and that you didn't let the heat stop you.
ReplyDeleteDeb, it was a fun gathering. Just missed having Amy here with us. Hope to see her sometime this summer, though. You're in for a treat when you read PHM. The movie just didn't compare.
DeleteWow great family pics! Super lovely to see - the happy gatherings. And it looks like the weather cooperated there. Pretty. I agree the movie of Project Hail Mary was a flop for me ... and Robert had read it and liked the book much better. But others have liked the movie quite a bit so then I started thinking it was just me ... so I'm interested to hear you didn't think it was too great either. I still plan to read the book sometime. You had a good reading month. Happy July!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Susan. I'm still enjoying the memories of the visit. We missed having Amy here, but are hoping to see her sometime this summer. Also hoping to see our granddaughter again, maybe over the holidays. Nice having her on the West Coast, which makes it easier to travel than when she lived in Virginia. Yep, PHM really was a flop in my opinion. It was ok enough to watch at home, but I'm glad we didn't pay to see it in the theater.
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