Writings, Wanderings

Hard to believe June is almost over! I've been enjoying my time off by reading more than I have in some time. I added a few more children's books to this year's list--and I even had an audience for one! I babysat my not-quite-two-month-old niece earlier in the month and in between holding and walking her around, I got to read my first story with her :) Mamasaurus by Stephan Lomp was a fun, quick read--this is the first book I got to read to my baby niece! I loved the simplicity behind the illustrations but also that it did not shy away from using the long names of the dinosaurs. There was one moment that hinted at danger, but even that was glossed over. I think this would be a fun read-aloud to preschool-aged kids starting to get interested in dinosaurs. Miguel and Amazing Alebrijes by Roni Capin Rivera-Ashford and Aaron Rivera-Ashford is a follow-up to the Disney movie Coco. I love this movie and was excited to see more its culture. While I enjoyed the book overall...

The final cover is here! And good thing too, since this novella releases in two days! I am now off to celebrate Father's Day with my family; my niece is getting baptized! How are you spending this Sunday?

Nancy Drew. I'm not joking when I say it is possible I have read 100 of the many books written about the teenage girl detective. (Some research turns up over 300 titles across the various lines.) While nearly all the stories were enjoyable reads, some titles stand out more than others. One of my favorites is actually a set of three, the Passport to Romance trilogy (released in 1992 by Simon & Schuster) These three books set their mysteries against the backdrop of fantastic European destinations. Nancy and her friends first travel to Switzerland and then head on to Italy before finishing their touring in Greece. These books tantalized my imagination with their touches of the culture of these countries; I especially remember details from Rendezvous in Rome  with its mention of the Etruscans and a daring chase through the Coliseum. Each book wrapped up its own mystery, but the trilogy introduced a romance arc that also kept me reading. I had to find out if Nancy chose her ...

Like the title says, the first book in my romance novella trilogy is free in Kindle format for two days. This is in honor of the third book releasing on June 18th! https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07NK8TL6D A guided trip to Paris with friends was supposed to be relaxing for long-term couple Quinn and Connor. Her upcoming job relocation though forces the two to face a difficult decision about their future as a couple.

May was a rather abysmal reading month for me. If you're looking at this list of five books and thinking that is about the norm for me so this being a low book-count month sounds off, full disclosure: most of these books were started in April or earlier (one was picked up for the first time back in 2018...) May marks the end of my school year and while my extracurricular responsibilities tapered off in the first half of the month, I was mentally burnt out. I am proud of this school year but I was too busy between work and my own life. Unfortunately, I drifted into reading fanfiction instead of novels which while fun doesn't add to my book totals. What I did read is a pretty random mix but here goes. The Lost Duke of Wyndham  by Julia Quinn. I really liked her Bridgerton series so I am always looking for another enjoyable read. I got this book at a library book sale along with another one of hers. While this one does not measure up to my favorite series, it certainly had i...