A Month in Summary - June 2026

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.

Project Hail Mary - Watched this with my husband and my mom. We all read the book and agreed it was so much better than the movie. I liked how Rocky was portrayed, but overall this was a disappointment.

Oppenheimer - Very, very good.

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!

A Month in Summary - May 2026

Port Townsend, Washington

May 2026

What a fun month! We celebrated my husband's 74th birthday, and my mom's 93rd. No photos, but we went out for a nice dinner. And there was cake (twice), too. My mom has been doing her PT for her hip, and her recovery has gone very well. So well that Rod and I decided to take an RV trip up to Port Townsend and the surrounding areas. Two of my brothers came to visit my mom while we were away, tag-teaming their time so she wasn't alone for too many days. Rod and I enjoyed our R&R, reading, walking, sitting in the sun, etc. Our good friends joined us in Nehalem for the last three nights, which was also fun. The weather cooperated for the most part, especially in Port Townsend, which made for enjoyable walks into town, as well as watching two eagles and a half dozen blue heron fishing on the spit. I even spotted a otter scampering down the sidewalk in front of our RV! He looked like he knew exactly where he was going.

You would have thought I'd get a lot of reading in, but I gave up on two books, and only finished one while on our trip. I'm about a quarter of the way in on my current read, and while I'm enjoying it, it's taken me over a week to read 150 pages. I'm hoping to make more progress today between folding laundry. I did manage to get a lot of reading in before our trip, and finished six books for the month. My favorite was Barbara Kingsolver's The Lacuna, which is excellent!

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

The Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver (4.5/5)

Kate & Frida by Kim Fay (3/5)

Wreck by Catherine Newman (4/5)

The Road to Tender Hearts by Annie Hartnett (4/5)

Heart the Lover by Lily King (4/5)

Clear by Carys Davies (3.5/5)

Gave up on:

The Wild Beneath by Kelly Anderson

Whale Fall by Elizabeth O'Connor

Movies & TV Series:

Remarkably Bright Creatures - This is the rare case in which the movie is better than the book. My husband and I both got choked up at the ending.

The Nordic Murders - Meh. Not great, but not terrible. Not sure if we'll watch any more of this series.

Ted Lasso (Season One) - I know I'm late to the party, but I'm so glad I decided to give this another try. We watched the first episode several years ago and weren't impressed. This past month, I watched the first season by myself and loved it. Lots of laughing out loud, which is always great. 

Detective Hole (Season One) - I  haven't read any of Nesbo's books, but this series was quite good. Very gritty and dark, but very good. 

Travel:

Nehalem Bay State Park, OR

Quinault River, WA

Point Hudson, Port Hudson, WA

Quinault River, WA

Neahkahnie Mountain

(looking toward Manzanita, OR)

A Month in Summary - April 2026

Little Whale Cove

Depoe Bay, Oregon

April 2026

April was a busy month with all sorts of appointments and socializing. With the longer days, I'm getting out to catch the sunset, which is now occurring around 8:30. By early July, it will set around 9:00, which is so great. I love this time of year so much!

I had a pretty nice month of reading with all five books earning four stars. Three of the authors were new to me, and I look forward to reading more by each of them. I also continued with my reading of The Winds of War, which is quite long. And, I spent three weeks reading The Lacuna! I finally finished that door stopper today, so it will go on May's summary.

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

The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller (4/5)

Culpability by Bruce Holsinger (4/5)

Celestial Lights by Cecile Pin (4/5)

The Bletchley Riddle by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin (4/5)

Raising Hare by Chloe Dalton (4/5)

Movies & TV Series:

The Pitt (Season 2) - This is such an outstanding series. The writing and acting are terrific. I'm tempted to watch the first season again before the third drops.

Maigret (Seasons 1 & 2) - We watched the original series (starring Rowan Atkinson) in early 2025. This updated version is just as good!

Person of Interest (Season 2) - We watched 9 episodes of this second season and called it quits.

Adolescence - 4 part series. Very disturbing, but excellent acting. Can't say I'd recommend it, though.

Shrinking (Season Three) - I keep coming back to this show in order to watch Harrison Ford, who is very good in his role. Without him, I doubt I'd bother to watch anymore.

The Morning Show (Season Four) - Not sure why I keep watching this one either. Brain candy.

Young Wallander (Season 1 & 2) - I've never watched the original Wallander series, but now I'd like to. I enjoyed the mysteries of this updated series, but didn't care for Adam Palsson as Wallander.

Puzzlemania:

Sparks Joy:

I loved watching the return of Artemis II on April 10th. There are lots of great photos here on NASA's website.

Spring Colors in My Neighborhood:

Happy reading!

A Month in Summary - March 2026

Little Whale Cove

Depoe Bay, Oregon

Hooray for spring! I love this time of year. Longer days and more sunshine always makes me happy. Other than various medical appointments (for me, my husband, and my mom), it was a fairly quiet month, as my reading reflects. Looking back at last March, I see that I read two more books this month than in 2025. I also see that I learned how to play American Mah Jong in March 2025. The 2026 cards were recently mailed out and I'm enjoying the challenge of learning the new hands. What a great way to exercise your brain! No trips in April, but we're excited about a two-week RV trip in late May. 

My reading was pretty good in March. I had one re-read, which was very entertaining. I finished the Dalton series, and am eager to see what Shannon Bowring comes up with next. Only one of the four new releases was a winner, so it's back to my backlist TBR stacks. I am determined to read the books that were on my fall reading list. (I'm looking at you The Lacuna!)

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

Theo of Golden by Allen Levi (3/5)

Where the Forest Meets the River by Shannon Bowring (4.5/5)

In a Distant Valley by Shannon Bowring (4/5)

Heartwood by Amity Gaige (3/5)

The Likeness by Tana French (4.5/5)

Before I Forget by Tory Henwood Hoen (3/5)

A Family Matter by Claire Lynch (4/5)

Gave Up On:

The Emperor of All Maladies by Siddhartha Mukherjee

Flesh by David Szalay

Movies & TV Series:

The Bear (Season Four) - Gloomy. Morose. 

The Pitt (Season Two) - Love this show! Great cast and writing.

Shrinking (Season Three) - I probably wouldn't continue with this show if it weren't for Harrison Ford. The tender moments are very good, but the humor falls short.

Miracle: The Boys of '80 - We enjoyed watching this documentary after the 2026 Olympics. I always thought the U.S. team beat the Russians for the gold, but it was Finland they beat in the final game. 

Puzzlemania:

Family News:

Mom came home after almost two weeks in rehab after hip replacement surgery (due to a broken hip). We are so happy to have her back home with us!

Ladder:

I joined Ladder at the beginning of the year and am so pleased with Team Elevate. Coach Elise keeps me motivated, and I've been getting in 4-6 workouts every week. I especially love that I can workout from home with my own equipment (weights, bench, Peloton, and yoga mat). Let me know if you're interested and I'll send you a link for a free week.