what I enjoyed reading & some travel photos
One of my favorite parts of keeping a very relaxed personal curriculum is looking back before rushing into what’s next.
I always think these recap posts will be about the books, but they usually end up being about my experiences and learning.
This month was a exceptional because we spent 3 weeks traveling the Mid-West states. We drove through a total of 15 states but spent significant time in 12.
I was absolutely enthralled by being in completely different climates. The wildlife, greenery, many varieties of birds, and trees were so amazing to this Arizona desert native. Also, humidity is no joke! I was surprised at how intense the afternoon heat felt with high humidity.
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Let’s jump into my August Recap!!
📚Some Reading Favorites:
[note: this post is NOT sponsored, I'm just sharing what I enjoyed this month]Memoir:
🎧Bomb Shelter by Mary Laura Philpott — This is was such a fun collection of stories from Philpott’s life told in a way that I didn’t want to stop listening. She would start a new essay and I would think “What on earth? This is completely out of context!”, and then she would weave threads through from previous stories and themes that I didn’t even see coming.
I have had so many big feelings this last month. Motherhood is such a strange grueling workout filled with constant learning and difficult growth. This book sat with me in those moments, full of compassion, and helped me see depth and gratitude that I couldn’t on my own. And it made me laugh. 💙
Please share this post with a friend!😁
The Story and Tragedy of the Titanic:
We had so much fun learning and experiencing the Titanic museum in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.
With the museum on our trip itinerary, my teens came up with the idea that we should bring suits and dresses to show up in 1st class style when we went. We got some strange looks but my teens called it “aura farming” so apparently it was worth it. 😜
📖14 April 1912: Titanic by David Ross — I found this book at the used book store and brought it to read after our visit to the museum. It was full of facts and photos that added to what we had learned that day and in our history curriculum the year before.
And after dinner that evening we watched the movie Titanic (1997)🎥 written and directed by James Cameron (obviously skipping the few scenes with nudity).
I also found the historical fiction novel: 📖The Titanic Sisters by Patricia Falvey which I plan to read soon. You all know how much I loved themed reading!
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This Moment Mattersby Ruth Chou Simons —
Eeeek!!! 🤩🤸♂️ I got to do a live interview with Ruth Chou Simons!! We had a great conversation and it was such a joy to talk with her about her book. She even gave a spoiler about the project she is working on next!
Make sure you catch our conversation ↙️
Cultivating Delight: Interview with Ruth Chou Simons
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My 1950’s & 60’s Unites States History Themed Reading
As I’ve mentioned in last month’s recap I’m on a learning tangent filling in gaps of what I know about the 1950’s and 60’s. In the past, I spent a lot of time learning about the Civil Rights Movement but missed some key people. I also haven’t learned enough about life during the Cold War Era and early feminism to satisfy me yet so my list continues.
- 📖Forty Ways to Look at JFK by Gretchen Rubin — This book was perfect to read in short bursts of attention when I had a few moments in the evenings. Rubin’s writing is compelling and looked at JFK from so many angles I loved it.
- 🎧The Book Club for Troublesome Women by Marie Bostwick — I finished this early in our trip and absolutely loved it! I appreciate that the characters developed well and that the author showed the many sides to expectations from society.
- 🎧A Map to Paradise by Susan Meissner — This book is set in Malibu in 1956 at the height of the Cold War. Focused on the story of three women: a blacklisted Hollywood starlet, an Eastern Europe immigrant with falsified papers, and a widow caring for her agoraphobic brother-in-law. All three are battling a sense of displacement. The novel smoothly moves from one POV to another tackling multiple time lines and stories from the past. I really enjoyed it!
- 🎧Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus — This book grabbed my attention from the start and made me wish our 8 hour drive days were longer. I plan to finish it while working through the laundry and cleaning aftermath of our long trip. I’ve heard that there is also an American period drama miniseries created by Lee Eisenberg, based on the novel. (adding that to my “To Watch’” list…😉)
We spent some time walking around downtown Nashville and Memphis and it was so cool! We were able to see and experience so many things from the 60’s that I’ve learned about. And being a mid-life lady I read all the plaques and historical markers. It was exciting!
So, how about you??
What have you been up to this month? What has your reading life been like? What has captured your attention?
I’d love to hear about it!
I’m excited to see where this next month’s reading list takes me.
I hope you find time to learn something (and do a bit of travel) that makes your world feel just a little bigger.
Thanks for following along with my end-of-summer journey.
📒🍂 Happy Reading —
Join our free, low-key book club!!
We start next Thursday (Sept. 3rd)
https://embracinghome.substack.com/p/welcome-to-book-club-and-what-were