A Month in Summary - August 2025

Little Whale Cove

Depoe Bay, Oregon

August, 2025

It's been really hot in the valley (Salem, Portland, etc.), and when that occurs we get a lot of fog (or marine layer) on the coast. It may look chilly, but it's very humid, so 60 degrees here feels warmer than it sounds.

August has slipped away without much in the way of notable activities on my calendar. We had dinner out a couple of times with friends, and had some neighbors in for an enjoyable dinner on another night. We finally bought a new mattress (Saavta), which seems to have helped alleviate our morning aches & pains. I taught a group of my mom's friends how to play Mah Jong (Chinese version), so they're having fun with that. I'm still addicted to the American version of the game, playing mostly online here, but would love to find a couple of other people to join me and my friend, Anne, for face-to-face games. Meanwhile, Rod & I are getting ready for a road trip down to Northern California (Sonoma County) for my aunt's memorial picnic. We'll camp along the way with Bodega Bay as our destination for a few nights. The forecast looks pretty nice with temps a little warmer than here, but not super hot, which is a relief. 

My reading was pretty good this month, but there weren't any outstanding books to add to my keeper shelves. I usually wait until after Labor Day to wrap up my Summer Reading challenge, and with the holiday falling on the first day of September, I'm losing a week or so of reading time. I didn't do as well as in previous years, but I'll save those details for a separate post.

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

The Trap by Catherine Ryan Howard (3.5/5)

My Lover's Lover by Maggie O'Farrell (4/5)

Under the Influence by Joyce Maynard (3.5/5)

Keep Moving: Notes on Loss, Creativity, and Change by Maggie Smith (4/5)

Flight Behavior by Barbara Kingsolver (4/5) - re-read

Movies & TV Series:

Person of Interest (Season One) - This first season has A LOT of episodes! We're enjoying it, but after 23 episodes, I think we'll take a break and watch something else. Thanks for the recommendation, Tina!

The Handmaid's Tale (Season 3 ) - I'm still enjoying this series, and I'm considering a re-read of the book, which I read in 2002.

Local Oceans With My Mah Jong Pals:

Online Mah Jong:

I hope you're enjoying the three-day weekend. Happy reading!

A Month in Summary - March 2025

Little Whale Cove

Depoe Bay, Oregon

March 2025

I love this time of year! The days are longer, trees and shrubs are budding out, daffodils are dancing in the breeze, the rainy season is almost over (which means more dry days to get outside and walk!), and the daytime temps are creeping up into the 60s. We have several book events coming up in April (click here for dates and locations), so we're busy prepping to get back on the road in the RV. 

I had a decent month of reading, but only one book stood out from the others, and it was very good. My current book isn't holding my attention, but I'm sticking with it since I am determined to read all of Maggie O'Farrell's novels. I'm hoping it's just one of those books that requires time and patience.

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

Boundary Waters by William Kent Krueger (2/5)

More or Less Maddy by Lisa Genova (3.5/5)

Beyond That, the Sea by Laura Spence-Ash (4.5/5)

Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout (4/5) - reread

Listen for the Lie by Amy Tintera (3.5/5)

Movies & TV Series:

Zero Day - Entertaining, but not great. The acting wasn't impressive, and I felt the cyber attacks hit a little too close to home during these turbulent times.

Black Doves - Very, very good! I'm not a huge fan of Keira Knightley, but Ben Whishaw is fantastic (and very easy on the eyes). I could watch the show a second time, especially now that I know what the heck happened!

Runaway Juror - After the death of Gene Hackman, this movie popped up in our Netflix listings. I can't remember if I saw the movie when it first came out, but I know I read the book many years ago. We enjoyed the movie quite well.

Paradise (Season One) - Excellent! The story unfolds layer by layer with the weaving of past & present timelines. I was spellbound. Sterling K. Brown (from This Is Us) is outstanding.

Severance (Season One) - I finally jumped on the bandwagon and after a few episodes, was hooked. This is an entertaining, albeit WEIRD psychological thriller. Great acting. On to season two!

Reacher (Season Three) - Entertaining, but pretty silly at times. At the beginning of each episode, we tried to guess how long it would take before Reacher took his shirt off.

Visitors:

Amy came out from Tennessee for a long weekend visit. (Will had to stay home and work and take care of the dogs.) We had such a great time catching up, and she taught me and my girlfriends how to play the American version of Mah Jong. Great fun! Hope it isn't too long before she and Will can both come out for another visit.