BOOKS
- I finished Scythe (and later, Thunderhead) and I'm now eagerly awaiting the conclusion to this trilogy.
- I listened to Sadie, which might be the only way to consume that book - it's part podcast, part quest for justice.
- Now I'm settling into my second trimester and reading all the books. I've perused pregnancy books, but lately I've been feeling the heavy emotional reads: Good Talk is a graphic novel memoir about a woman discussing race and racism with her young son; A Heart in a Body in the World is a young adult novel about the violence of control and how we can run away from our past while also running toward a new future; The 57 Bus is a nonfiction book about events that occurred on a public bus in Oakland, California in 2013. All three made me cry.
MOVIES
- We started off the summer of Disney remakes & sequels with Aladdin, then saw Toy Story 4 and The Lion King. Now this mermaid eagerly awaits the live action The Little Mermaid and wonders if Disney's streaming service will be worth it...
- Besides remakes, my favorite movie of the summer was Rocketman. Now we just need to catch up on Bohemian Rhapsody and Yesterday!
OTHER INTERESTING THINGS
- I don't follow basketball, but I did enjoy this story about Giannis Antetokounmpo from The Ringer.
- And a related story that should shock no one - "Experts Say Storytime Can Help Children Recover From Trauma" - but what the article doesn't say is that reading, listening, and engaging with stories helps us all, no matter what age we are.
LIFE
- In early May, I *officially* graduated from Dominican University with my MLIS. While I'm certainly proud of my high school and undergrad diplomas as well, this one means the most to me. I'm so glad I get to put it to use regularly, and I'm forever grateful to friends and family who supported me during my studies.
- In late May, my husband and I found out we are pregnant! So far my favorite pregnancy book is Lucy Knisley's Kid Gloves. It's real and relatable, plus I learned so much about the history of pregnancy and prenatal care.
- My first trimester was filled with naps, soup, and trying to drink as much water as I could. I shouldn't have been surprised that I was also in a massive reading slump. Nothing interested me, mostly because I was exhausted. I was also a bit anxious - as much "fun" as it seemed to have a secret shared only with my husband, it was also hard to not tell people when I really needed their support. Revisiting this piece by Neil Gaiman helped my brain. So did mysteries and thrillers like Your Name, We Were Liars, and Sea Witch.
- By July, I felt much better. My husband and I traveled to Baraboo, Wisconsin to visit Circus World (this has been on his bucket list for a while), and we joined the rest of my family for a reunion/camping trip. While there, we surprised everyone with something we had found out a few weeks prior: we're pregnant with TWINS!
LOOKING FORWARD
- The end of summer brings a wedding, a trip to DC, and the return of school year programming at work.
- My stack of TBR books includes a few contemporary young adult novels that have gotten a lot of buzz (some great, some not good at all), a highly rated young adult crime novel, and a spooky retelling of The Twelve Dancing Princesses.
- It's almost Halloween! I'm excited to celebrate by watching Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, IT Chapter Two, and a few classic horror movies. I also need a good costume to show off my growing belly...
