Space Station Mir

 June was a superlative reading month for me! I spent a lot of time reading outdoors (and indoors), and I finished several books for review, book clubs, and fun! I surpassed my reading goal for the year of 42 books, and I've read 10 out of 11 books I planned to read by authors of color (though I'll have to expand the goal for 25% of however many books I end up reading). Here's to many more nights of reading this summer! Books Read in June 2024 How to Align the Stars by Amy Dressler (LibraryThing Early Reviewers)--See my review here. To Sir Phillip, With Love by Julia Quinn--Maybe my favorite of the Bridgerton book series so far! I really loved the romance between Eloise and Phillip, and also Eloise's vivacious character, which is a little different from the show. Can't wait to see what they do with this on screen! The Bloodstained Key by Charity Rau (LibraryThing Early Reviewers)--See my review here . The Spirit Well (Lutesong #2) by R.K. Ashwick (LibraryThing Early...

  Clean: The New Science of Skin had been on my TBR for a while, and it recently caught my eye again. This time, I immediately checked it out of the library, and I'm glad I did. It was an interesting before-bedtime read that started out in familiar (to me) territory about our society's recent obsession with skincare, then wended its way through the fascinating recent history of skincare products and soap, a bit about the ineffable nature of the human longing for (spiritual) "cleanliness" and how being "germ-free" has recently subbed in for that role for many people, and finally and most interestingly, the upcoming probiotic and prebiotic skincare market as well as the ways in which our microbiomes really do affect our skin and overall health. The microorganism stuff was the most interesting to me, as well as the validation that pretty much no skincare products or daily cleaning routines aside from handwashing are needed from a healthcare point-of-view (altho...

I'm surprised how many upcoming books I actually am aware of--a few came to mind right away, and for some I had to check Goodreads, but even though I usually read the backlist, turns out I am pretty tuned in this year! Looking forward to seeing everyone else's picks too--Happy Top Ten Tuesday! Books I'm Looking Forward To in the Second Half of 2024  Dreams of Ice and Shadow by Kathryn Troy--July 23, 2024--I've been reading the eARC slowly and helping with the social media build-up to this release for the second in the Frostbite trilogy--I just love Troy's lush, witty writing and intense characters! My Salty Mary by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows--August 20, 2024--I've been wanting to read their irreverent alternate histories and so excited to see one coming about one of my fav women pirates, Mary Read! Until Next Summer by Ali Brady--July 9, 2024--Looks like a fun summer read, and you don't see too many novels about summer camp! The Book of Wit...

 I've been fairly successful with my reading goals so far this year (40 out of 42 read!), but I still have some goals to catch up on or exceed (books by authors of color and women in translation). I've also got my book club books, and I'll throw a few new and/or summery titles into the mix for inspiration. Hoping to read many of these outside, basking in beautiful weather! Happy Top Ten Tuesday! Books On My Summer 2024 TBR She's Up to No Good by Sara Goodman Confino--This is technically for a book club, although I probably won't be able to attend the meeting.  I've heard so many good things about this one, and it looks like a good summer read, so I'm planning to read it anyway. Midnight in Siberia: A Train Journey into the Heart of Russia by David Greene (Book club read)--I already have it out of the library, but have to get on this one! It sounds very interesting but nonfiction usually takes me a little longer. The Edge of Lost by Kristina McMorris (Book cl...

  The Bloodstained Key by Charity Rau The Bloodstained Key is exactly what I wanted it to be--a fleshed out fantasy retelling of the story of Bluebeard. Marianna makes a great protagonist as the "wife who lives," and I also enjoyed the characterization of her maid Betsy and sister Annette, plus the library of everyone's dreams. Rau nails the elements of the original fairytale and expands on them in ways that add to the Gothic, claustrophobic feel of the original. My only silly quibble is that I was distracted by a few awkward uses of diction ("taxidermized" late in the book, when before that the diction was standard American) and references to the "poorhouse" that didn't seem to fit with the other period-type references of balls and matches, and therefore took me out of the world. It's not technically historical fic, but felt weird to me in combination, YMMV. However, I think this is because being so immersed in the world is crucial to what is ...

How to Align the Stars by Amy Dressler (Shakespeare Project, Book 1) Release Date: June 4, 2024 Bea is an astronomy professor at a small college in Washington State; Ben is the college's special collections librarian. They hate each other due to a misunderstanding when they were undergraduates at the same school. This contemporary retelling of Much Ado About Nothing originally seems like just that--one of Shakespeare's most romantically compelling and simultaneously troubling comedies translated into contemporary American academia.  However, gradually, the book, told from the perspectives of Bea and her cousin Heron, reveals itself to be quite a lot more. This is not merely the modern retelling that the names and relationships suggest, but a deeper, feminist and humanist exploration of modern campus life for students and faculty, and a much-needed commentary and alternative ending to the Claudio/Hero storyline that rightfully haunts all feminist Shakespeare scholars. Beatrice a...

Wow, May was a great reading month for me! I got ahead on reading for a couple of my book clubs, finished a few books I'd been reading for a long time (one for years!), and gained a new absolute all-time favorite ( Project Hail Mary) plus a new series that I'm very excited to continue and helps a bit with Bridgerton withdrawal ( Benevolent Society of Ill-Mannered Ladies). How were your reading months? Books Read This Month  Through the Eyes of Poets: Ellicott City at 250--Enjoyed the local connections and poets especially, not as sure about choices to include tangentially related poets, even with explanations--some work but some seemed a little far-fetched. Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir--Officially one of my favorite books of all time--just a delight--I know it's very popular and idk if it's for everyone, but it's for everyone who loved those survival books as a kid, loves space and aliens, and for me, as a teacher, I felt an additional special connection to the ma...