July Reading Roundup

July was another busy reading month.  I read four nonfiction books and two fiction novels.  Here's a brief review and rating of each book I read.

Overcoming Toxic Emotions **

by Leah Guy

This is a book about emotional healing and self-care.  It has some good thoughts and ideas, but I didn't find anything truly life changing in it.  It isn't a long book (about 160 pages) and the author's writing style is very easily readable, but her references to "energy" and "vibrations" didn't resonate with me.   The author refers to herself as a "spiritual guide" and "healer" but she is not any kind of credentialed mental health care professional, so while there are some good things in the book, there was much I took with a grain of salt.  I probably won't read any more books by this author. I gave this book on two ** stars on Goodreads. (Own, Kindle edition).

The Kings of Big Spring****

by Bryan Mealer

This is sweeping multi-generational memoir of the Texas based family of author Bryan Mealer.  Mealer begins the saga in  1892 with his great-grandfather leaving the Georgia mountains to look for wealth and adventure in the open country of Texas.  Mealer researched and tells the story of his family in a way that makes the reader feel a part of the clan, and their search (as the title says) for God, Oil and the American Dream.  I listened to the audiobook read by the author, but I also own a hardcover edition of the book.  For anyone interested in the history of ordinary and extraordinary American families and individuals who weather the storms of time and everyday existence, this is an excellent and interesting story.  I gave the book four stars **** on Goodreads.  (Own, hardbound, listened to audiobook from library).

Little Broken Things ***

by Nicole Baart

A few months ago, I read another of Nicole Baart's book (Everything We Didn't Say) and I really liked it, so I decided I would probably like another of her books.  I did not like Little Broken Things nearly as much as the first book of Baart's that I read.  Little Broken Things reads like a long and confusing dysfunctional family soap opera.  The characters weren't particularly likable and some of the plot elements made no sense.  In addition, at almost 400 pages, the book just seemed to to go on and on and on.  The ending was a little weird and the characters reactions to it seemed unrealistic.  I have probably over rated this book, and if it were possible I would have given it 2 1/2 stars.  It isn't the worst book of this genre that I have read, but certainly not the best.  I probably won't be inclined to seek out more books by this author.  I gave the book 3 *** stars on Goodreads.  (Own, paperback, purchased used). 

Reconnecting with Your Estranged Adult Child *****

by Tina Gilbertson

This is an excellent book for anyone facing the situation of estrangement. Psychotherapist Tina Gilbertson covers just about every aspect of rifts between parents and adult children.   This is not just a book about family estrangement however. It is an excellent handbook on all kinds of communication, relationships and self-care.  It is highly readable and broken into small sections.  Recommended for all parents experiencing rocky relationships with adult children.  Read this book now to learn how to take care of your own needs and save relationships that may be in trouble.   I gave this book 5 ***** stars on Goodreads. (Own, paperback, purchased new). 

We Were Liars ***

by E. Lockhart

This is a story of wealth, greed, love, lies, family, loss, grief and deep dysfunction.   Every summer the three daughters of wealthy Harris and Tipper Sinclair gather with their children on their father's private island off the coast of Massachusetts.  One summer, a terrible accident leaves the oldest of the Sinclair grandchildren injured, addicted and emotionally damaged.  As the story of  unfolds, family secrets and lies are put together like pieces of puzzle, until the startling conclusion.  I had a hard time getting into this book until almost the very end, but the ending makes the rest of the story worth sticking with.  Even though it wasn't my favorite book, I gave We Were Liars 3 stars *** on Goodreads.  (Own, hardbound, purchased used). 

I Am Malala  ****

by Malala Yousafzai

This is an interesting and compelling biography of Malala Yousafzai, a Pakistani school girl who is known because she was shot by the Taliban on her way home from school in October 2012.  This book is her story, but it is also the detailed story of her family and childhood, as well her home country, Swat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, in Pakistan.  The book tells of the volatile political situation in Pakistan, especially as the Taliban came to power in the days after the 9/11 attack in the U.S.. Well worth reading, to get a better picture of that part of the world and the political situation that has led to so much loss of life in the U.S. and other parts of the world.  I gave this book 4 stars **** on Goodreads because of its important historic and political content.  (Own, hardbound, purchased used, listened to library audiobook). 

Here's a peek at what I'm reading as we begin the new month.  I got over 100 pages into another mystery/thriller and decided that it was way too violent and troubling for me, so I just started Missing by Erin Kinsley. I am hoping that it is more to my liking.  I am also reading a nonfiction, Walking on Eggshells by Jane Isay. 

Please let me know what you have been reading lately.  I am always looking for good book recommendations.  

Have a good August, and keep reading!

Until next time,

😊Deb💖

"The reading of all good books is like conversation

with the finest people of the past..."

~Descartes

Thankful Thursday and Favorites of the Week

Here are some of the things I am most grateful for this week at the end of July.  Thank you to Jen at Overflowing with Thankfulness, and Susanne at Living to Tell the Story for hosting this weekly opportunity to look for the good and be grateful!

😊 We had a safe trip to and from Idaho as we helped Josh get his car and his stuff up to BYU-Idaho last weekend.  It was a long holiday weekend (Pioneer Day - a state holiday in Utah) and we expected possibly heavy traffic, but not so much.  Everything was fine. The trip went smoothly with no problems.  We always pray for safety before starting road trips and I am grateful for God's grace and safety in our travels. 

😊Josh is adjusting to life in Idaho.  We haven't heard a lot from him this week (not a bad thing) and what we have heard has been positive.  He said that so far he likes BYU-Idaho and living in small town Rexburg, Idaho.   This is an aerial picture of part of the campus and town. The location of Josh's apartment is in the bottom left area outside of the photo.  It is very close to campus.  I am grateful that he is settling in and having a positive experience so far in Idaho.

😊I was so pleased that we found a nice, nearby hike last Saturday morning when we were in Rexburg to help Josh move into his apartment.  I knew that Josh was having some anxiety about the move and starting something new, so getting out in nature and hike was exactly what he needed!  (I needed it to). I am so grateful for being able to spend a nice morning hiking with Josh and Charly last Saturday before the day got super busy with his move-in. 

😊 My little fig tree continues to grow and flourish after a very late start due to dying off last the winter.  I thought it was completely dead, but kept watering the pot and it came back from the root.  I love this little tree (which is definitely NOT native to cold, snowy Utah).  Watching it come back and grow helps me believe that we can come back from life's problems, and flourish once again, and I am very grateful for that.

😊 Even though our temperatures in Northern Utah have been HOT this week, mornings are cooler and I am grateful that Charly and I have been able to take a morning walk most mornings this past week. 

😊 One morning this past week, Charly and I were browsing at one of our favorites thrift stores, when I happened upon a chair that was very similar in style and color to one of two comfy (but old) chairs we have in our living room.  The chair we found at the thrift store was in nearly new condition and it was only $30.  We have had the old chairs for many years, and at least one them (the one Charly sits in most of the time) is badly worn.  We thought of getting them recovered, but at $900 a piece (the estimate from the upholstery shop) that wasn't going to happen.  We were excited to find a chair in great condition to replace the one that is worn out.  You can see in this picture how well the chairs match. The new chair is still in the back of our vehicle, and the old one is on the driveway.   The colors are a perfect match, and you can also see how badly worn the old chair is.

The new chair is now in our living room, and it looks great. Getting a like-new comfy chair (for $30) that is a great match to another chair we have is certainly something to be grateful for. 

😊 One of our granddaughters has a birthday coming up and her mom tells me that she really likes Barbies and unicorns.  I found her a Barbie with a unicorn and a book about How to Catch a Unicorn on Amazon, and ordered them.  I am grateful for the convenience and variety on Amazon, that helps me find just the right things for each grandchild (and everyone else I like to remember with gifts)!

😊 This same granddaughter is getting baptized a few days after her birthday, as I mentioned this in my weekend post. We are excited and grateful that we have been invited to attend and participate.  I have been asked to lead the music for congregational hymns at the service, and I am happy to help out.  I am grateful for Youtube videos that are helping me brush up on my music-conducting skills. 

😊 Charly and I have been enjoying almost daily daytime dates.  Sometimes, we get lunch and sometimes we just go get a soda, like this picture.  I am grateful for summer vacation because I get to spend more time with Charly.

Thanks for visiting to share the blessings I have seen in my life this past week.   Have a good weekend. 

Until next time,

😊Deb💖

"Thank you is the best prayer anyone could say."

~Alice Walker

Currently and The Weekend We Became Empty-Nesters....Again

The weather - is hot - 95 degrees with 23% humidity.  I am staying inside in the AC today.

I'm feeling - tired.  The past weekend, moving Josh up to Idaho, was exhausting.  I have also been going through the clothing Josh left in his closet here.  He didn't have room for everything in his student housing room, so he asked me I would go through his closet and donate some of the clothes he hadn't worn for a while.  A woman in our church congregation volunteers at a local homeless shelter and has asked for clothing donations for the homeless, so last night, I was able to take a box of some of Josh's clothes that he hadn't worn since high school.  I also cleaned all of the bathrooms this morning, so I am tired and I laid down and took a little nap this afternoon.

Listening to - The Matt Walsh Show on Youtube.  He's saying some very interesting things about the recent news about big pharma, depression and antidepressant medication, and incidentally, I completely agree with him.  I absolutely do not agree with him on everything, but I do on the topic of depression and antidepressants. In the background, I can hear the dryer drying all the laundry I have been doing today. 

Watching - nothing today.  Last night, Charly and I watched the final episode of The Chosen season 2. 

Celebrating - the beginning of Josh's move to Idaho and beginning his educational journey at BYU-Idaho. 

Reading - We Were Liars by E. Lockhart.  I'm not crazy about this book, but will finishing it probably today or tomorrow.  I will then read Walking on Eggshells by Jane Isay.  I am still listening to the audiobook I am Malala by Malala Yousafzai.

In the kitchen - take-out Chinese food for lunch.  I only ate half and will eat the other half for dinner.  

Thinking about - our trip to Idaho over the weekend to move Josh to BYU-Idaho.   Here is a little more about that. 

We left our home about mid-day on Friday to drive to Rexburg, Idaho where Josh will be going to school at BYU-Idaho.   Josh took his car, we we drove with him because he couldn't fit all of his stuff in one car.  Also, we wanted to be there to help him get settled in, and deal with any last minute move-in glitches.  

We stayed in Pocatello on Friday night, because Josh wanted to meet up with a certain young lady he met who lives there. Pocatello is about 2.5 hours from where we live in Utah, so we go there by late afternoon on Friday, accounting for gas and potty stops. While Josh met up with his friend for dinner, Charly and I had dinner, then went "treasure hunting" in a couple of Pocatello thrift stores.  I didn't take any pictures at all on Friday, but then there really wasn't much worth taking pictures of. 

Saturday morning, we all woke up pretty early and decided to make the drive up to Rexburg (only about an hour and a half) even though Josh couldn't check into his new apartment until the management office opened at 11 a.m..  Josh asked if we could find a place to go on a little hike while we were waiting.  We had considered going to Craters of the Moon National Monument, but that was a round trip of 250 miles away, and we simply didn't have time for that.  

We found a great little hike about 25 minutes from the college Josh will be attending and drove out along country farm roads, until we got to Cress Creek Nature Trail. This was a lovely, 1.5 mile loop hike that offered awesome views of the Snake River and surrounding farmland.  Here are some pictures. 

It was a nice way to spend the morning together before Josh checked and began moving into his new space.  

This is the apartment building that is now home to Josh.  Josh's room is the on the middle (2nd) floor. 

Josh's student apartment is a six bedroom with a common living room/dining room/ kitchen area.  All of the bedrooms are single/private bedrooms. 

This is the kitchen area.  Some other students were also moving in on Saturday and some of their cleaning supplies were on the table. 

This is Josh's bedroom, as he began to move in.

The bedroom is small.  It has a desk and a twin size bed with drawers in the bed frame.  The opposite wall is a closet space with some shelves for storage.  

Once Josh had everything in his room, we went to lunch at a Chinese restaurant then to several stores so he could get some things he needed. 

One of the things we were looking for was some kind of room air conditioner for Josh's bedroom.  There is not central air conditioning in his apartment, although there is a window AC unit in the common living room/kitchen area.  Josh had a tower fan, but we finally decided to order this small room evaporative cooler through Amazon.  

Later, we also went to dinner.  The fries I got with my cheeseburger were delicious - probably made fresh from Idaho potatoes. 

Sunday morning, Charly and I left quite early in the morning to come back to Utah.  There was a beautiful sunrise on Sunday morning, which seemed symbolic of the dawning of Josh's adventure as a student at BYU-Idaho. 

We got back home about lunch time on Sunday. We ate lunch and unpacked.  Later in the afternoon, I got a text from my daughter with this invitation to our granddaughter's baptism next month. We were happy to get this invitation and we are looking forward to attending this happy family occasion!

This weekend is a long holiday weekend in Utah, because we have a state holiday - Pioneer Day - which celebrates early pioneers reaching the Salt Lake Valley in 1847.   Monday was just a regular day for Charly and I. We worked on our weekly cleaning chores, then got lunch at a new to us Asian restaurant.  This was the Mongolian Beef I ordered and it was delicious!  I ate half for lunch and will have the  other half for dinner.  

Coming up this week - a lot!  I have appointments tomorrow and Wednesday, a meeting of my book group on Thursday evening and a day-long event on Friday. 

What I'm thankful for - 

• Safe travels to and from Idaho
• Getting Josh moved into his student apartment
• Having a nice hike on Saturday morning
• Getting invited to our granddaughter's baptism next month
• Josh continuing his education at BYU-Idaho
• More fun coming up before I go back to school on August 11

That's all for this post.  Thanks for stopping by for a visit.  Have a good week. 

😊Deb💖

"The future belongs to those who believe 

in the beauty of their dreams."

~Eleanor Roosevelt