It's the 4th of July - What are you Reading this Weekend?

Happy 4th of July! Did you sleep in, or were you up and about doing exciting patriotic things? Here in DC there are about a million different things you can do and see, so I am excited for a little bit of exploring this weekend.  The Sheebster and I mostly slept in (true patriots), but I'll be spending part of the day with some friends as well.

In honor of the one-hundredth anniversary of the beginning of the First World War, I will also be spending some quality time with these two this weekend:

The Daughters of Mars: I know I've mentioned this book before, and I'm still working on it! It feels like I've been reading it forever, but I like taking this one slowly and picking it up when I feel like it.  It's the story of two sisters from rural Australia who become war nurses during WWI - and their travels and adventures through Africa, the Middle East, and Europe.  Despite my slow reading, I'm really liking it.

A History of the Twentieth Century:  I've just started this one and have made it through the first chapter, "The First Decade," and am on the year 1914.  The one thing this book has made me realize is that as messed up and violent as the world is now, it's been that way for a while.  At least the plague isn't killing as many people! (bright side).  I am no history buff, but in reading about the lead-up to WWI, it seems a lot like one side clamoring for war (desperately, manically) and the other side sort of hassled and resigned to its inevitability.  America seems pretty focused on protecting forests at this point in history, and figures like Franco and Ghandi are just peeking their heads out onto the world landscape.

And that's that! What are your plans for this weekend? Reading anything in particular?

Here's to good books, good conversation, and good weather :)

happy fourth of july!

Summer Reading

Hi!

I fell off the blogging roll pretty hard there.  Like...falling off a log. Life's been very generous with me the past month (!) of radio silence here.  Below are some lovely peeks into a busy few weeks, but non-photographed highlights include: lots of good food, my first visit to California, seeing the Pacific Ocean, meals with friends, my birthday, learning to cook, hikes, sitting out on the deck, summer rain, farmers'  markets, my first ever root beer float, and the weather here finally cooling to something other than 90+ humidity.  Here's hoping the rest of the summer is full of goodness too.

But - getting back to business! Usually the only things I bring with me to read on a (shorter) flight are my Kindle and a magazine, unless there is a very compelling book I'm reading at the time.  I love a real book in my hands, but I like to travel as light as I possibly can.  This usually means I end up reading some good ole Harry P. on the plane, but I'm branching out here for the sake of blogging and my imaginary jet setting twin.  Without further ado...pretend this isn't the 70000th "Books to Read This Summer" post you've seen this week, and forgive my gentle foray back into the land of the blogging:

What about you? How have your first few weeks of summer been? Anything good on your list?

Anything you'd rip off my list and replace with something else?  Happy Friday and Happy Reading!

steel wool

purple lilacs

what does one wall say to another?

sunshine in terracotta