A Summer List
Since I did not post a list for June, I have decided to just post one list for the whole summer! It will be longer than usual, of course, because I have watched a lot of shows, read a lot of books, listened to a lot of podcasts...you get the idea. And because this will be a bit long, I'm not going to waste a lot of time on the introduction.
My Current Books
If you didn't know, I started working at the Onarga Public Library this summer. This has been both a blessing and a curse {don't worry, I have an entire post planned on just that topic}, but suffice it to say, I have been reading a lot more than normal. And I normally read a whole-stinking-lot, so I'm going to highlight a couple of my favorites and then just list the others.
The Bookshop on the Shore by Jenny Colgan was absolutely brilliant! It is a sequel, but we do not have the first book at OPL, and at the time, the inter-library loan system was not running yet. It's the story of a woman named Zoe who moves to Scotland from London with her young son. She has a job both in a mobile bookshop and as a sort of nanny/governess for a reclusive wealthy man in a manor house. Before you start thinking this is just like every single one of those "nanny gets with the single dad" stories, just stop. It isn't. I mean, parts of it are, but the characters are not caricatures of anyone. They are fleshed out and lovable. And it is hilarious--the youngest boy refuses to learn Zoe's name and instead just calls her "Nanny 7" and insists that others do the same. Colgan's voice is unique, and I want to read everything she has ever written now.
The Postmistress by Sarah Blake is a unique World War II story, focusing on three women who seemingly have nothing in common. It is based on a question: what if a postal worker refused to deliver a letter? Oh, this one was good. It had me in tears at the end.
The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden is the first in a series. It takes place in Russia before Russia was Russia, back when it was a bit more wild. The main character, Vasya, can see the Russian folk spirits, which is a huge impetus for the plot. Anyone who knows any old folklore from Europe and Asia knows there are often stories of spirits that have certain jobs. There are spirits that tend the home, there are spirits that live in the rivers and trees. But what if these spirits were real--and what if something was hunting them? It took a bit to get into, partly due to the Russian vocabulary the author used, and partly because I had a hard time keeping track of the characters at the beginning. But about 1/3 of the way in, I was hooked.
I am currently reading Agnes Gray by Anne Bronte as part of a read-along within a Facebook group I'm in. Another governess story, but not one that makes looking after children seem like a joyful thing. The children Agnes has to look after are terrors, in every sense of the word. No romanticizing of nannyhood here!
In June and July, I have also read...
Flights of Fancy by Jen Turano
The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley
After a Fashion by Jen Turano
Devil in Winter by Lisa Kleypas
A Change of Fortune by Jen Turano
Oolong Dead by Laura Childs
The Beast Within by Serena Valentino
A Bride for Keeps by Melissa Jagears
The Teaberry Strangler by Laura Childs
How to Be Less Stupid about Race by Crystal Marie Fleming
Into the Whirlwind by Elizabeth Camden
The Adventuress by Tasha Alexander
Scones and Bones by Laura Childs
Behind the Scenes by Jen Turano
Hell Bay by Will Thomas
The Proposal by Mary Balogh
Agony of the Leaves by Laura Childs
The Arrangement by Mary Balogh
My Current Shows
I've found some new documentary-type shows that I am really enjoying, plus a few well-loved shows I am rewatching.
Mystic Britain on the Smithsonian Channel is quite entertaining. The two hosts, Clive Anderson {of the British Whose Line} and Mary Ann Ochota {an anthropologist} go around Britain diving into some of its more mystical bits of history. They cover obvious things, like Stonehenge, the Druids, and the Arthur legends, but also less well-known {but no less interesting} topics, like Maeshowe, bog mummies, and the Rollright Stones.
An American Aristocrat's Guide to Great Estates, also on the Smithsonian Channel, is hosted by Julie Montagu, a woman from Sugar Grove, Illinois, who just happens to be a viscountess. She married the heir to the Earl of Sandwich and lives in a manor house in England. She takes us to other historic English estates and gets us some inside access visitors normally would not get. The series is all about the running of these estates and how they have survived into the 21st century. Very interesting, and you get to see lots of cool stuff!
Beecham House on PBS is my new obsession! The season finale just aired on Sunday, and I cannot even handle the cliffhanger. I'm going to need to rewatch all six episodes over and over until I know for sure they are doing a second season. The story centers around an Englishman named John Beecham who has made his fortune in India, just before the colonial era really began. But he has a very mysterious past, which we learn bit by bit as his family joins him at his new home in Delhi--appropriately named Beecham House. Some really great actors and actresses grace the screen {Lesly Nichol, aka Mrs. Patmore from Downton, and Leo Suter, who has been seen in Sanditon and Victoria}. Gurinder Chadha, the director of Bend it Like Beckham, is the creator of the show. The look into this part of the world is absolutely gorgeous. The wardrobes, the settings, the music...it really is a joy for all of your senses.
Brooklyn Nine-Nine, because I love this show and it makes me happy and I don't have to explain myself any further than that. It is hilarious and insanely relevant--check out the episode Moo-Moo from season 4, if you want to know what I mean.
And I have been rewatching Outlander from the beginning. I am to the mid-season shift in season 2, when Claire and Jamie leave France and head home to Scotland. The first three seasons are on Netflix, and I have season 4 on DVD if you need to borrow it.
I'm also excited because The Alienist has started again on TNT. I really enjoyed the first season {I bought the book, haven't read it yet}. We shall see if the second season holds up!
My Current Podcasts
Some are new, some are old favorites.
The British History Podcast. I listened to over 60 episodes this summer, and we are finally to the year 900. It has been interesting to listen to this show while also watching Mystic Britain, even though some of the topics on the tv show were covered years before in the podcast. Also, the podcast includes lines like, "[the history of] Northumbria makes Game of Thrones look like Sesame Street." And it's true. History can be stranger than fiction--and bloodier by far.
Binge Mode: Harry Potter. I finally finished the entire show while I was on vacation in early June. I may have been weeping in my hotel room during the last episode, but we'll never know for sure, will we?
Brooklyn Nine-Nine: The Podcast. First, it is hosted by Marc Evan Jackson, who plays Kevin Cozner {the husband of Captain Raymond Holt}, and he is amazing. Second, it is only six or seven episodes--one episode per season. They talk to the actors, they talk to guest stars, they talk to the creative team including writers, wardrobe designers, directors, and producers. If you like B99, then listen to this podcast.
The Stubborn Light of Things. This podcast is hosted by Melissa Harrison, an English novelist and nature writer. Basically, Melissa goes for a walk outside and takes us with her. She talks about the animals and plants she sees, and each episode relates back to an overarching theme, like "Time" or "Binaries" or "Uncertainty." She has guests--obviously, not in person ones, because this is a current podcast taking place in the pandemic--and they read poetry and nature notebooks of old English nature enthusiasts. I like to listen to it when I walk at night. It's very soothing.
Get Sleepy. As most of you know {or maybe you didn't know this}, I have a lot of trouble falling asleep. I've tried just about everything, and right now one thing that is working is this podcast. Each episode starts with a short meditation to get you relaxed, and then they tell a story. Sometimes it's of a train journey, sometimes it's an old folk tale. The one I keep listening to is a drive to a northern English village. The storyteller does a lot of describing of the scenery and engages your senses. I am doing a horrible job explaining it, but if this sounds like something you would enjoy, check it out. And Apple's podcast app has a sleep timer, so you can turn on an episode and know that your phone will turn it off and not just run all night long.
My Current Tea
I've been drinking through some of my stash. I've found half-full containers of loose leaf tea. I've found boxes containing only one or two more tea bags {clearly, I was saving them for a reason that I can no longer remember}. So I've been finishing things up and trying a few new things.
This Huckleberry tea was a gift, and it was divine. My dear friend brought it back from her honeymoon {because people know how to buy me gifts, obviously}. It is an herbal tea, which made it perfect for right before bedtime.
I have extolled the virtues {solely my opinion} of Bohea tea before, so I'm not going to do that now. I had about 1/3 of a container left, so I've been drinking through that.
This Tolkien-themed tea is minty and herbal and absolutely perfect for imagining you are in a cozy little hobbit hole under the ground and not in a crazy pandemic world. Of course, a dark lord trying to take over the earth with an army of orcs is pretty bad. But this hobbit hole sure is cozy...
My Current Coffee
I'm going to do something slightly different here. I'm not just going to tell you about the coffee I've been drinking at home--I'm also going to tell you about one of my favorite coffee shops in the world. First, though, I've been drinking quite a lot of coffee. Door County coffee, of course. Cherry Creme was a new flavor for me, but it was delicious--and very appropriate, if you've ever been to DC.
I've also been drinking a Snick-a-Doodle coffee which was an end-of-year gift from a student {she gets me}. It is very yummy--not too strongly flavored. Very, very good.
So the coffee place I mentioned is {you guessed it} in Door County. In the town of Sturgeon Bay, on the corner of 5th and Jefferson is a coffee shop. It's called 5th and Jefferson. It is the bottom floor of a beautiful old house and has tons of little nooks inside with seating options ranging from couches to wooden chairs. Outside, they have lots of little cafe tables and picnic tables and Adirondack chairs. Plus, the place is absolutely funky! They have made it so unique, with llamas and dolls and hula dancers and all kinds of cute decor. My favorite drink is called The Llama, which is a maple latte. If you're ever up in DC, go check it out! You will not regret it!
Whew! That was a looooooong list. It took a long time to write it. Hopefully it takes you a long time to read it...or not, if you're more of a skimmer. If you've come across any books/shows/podcasts/teas/coffees you think I would enjoy, please share! And maybe if I write about your recommendation, you'll get some kind of prize. I said maybe. That word is my safety net. But there's a good chance you'll get a prize. 😍
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