It’s the end of summer! TBH, I’ve always preferred fall/winter to summer, and especially now that I’m out of school and summer doesn’t automatically mean a vacation, I’m even more over it. BUT, some fun things did happen over the past two months, and I’m excited to share them with you!
What I’m Reading
The Black Veins by Ashia Monet
This delightful novel is found family + road trip + fantasy, so basically it was created for me. I adored all the charaters, and can’t wait to read more by this author!
p.s. – if you use the link above to buy the book, I get a small commission at no extra cost to you!
What I’m Watching
I know everyone was obsessed with this, like, a year ago, but I finally got around to watching it and wow does it deserve the hype! I was amazed how they turned a seemingly simple premise into a compelling series.
What I’m Listening To
Music ~ folklore ~ Taylor Swift
Like everybody and their mother, I’ve been listening to Taylor Swift’s surprise album nonstop. I’m over here impatiently waiting for it to actually feel like fall outside so I can listen to the songs while curled up with a hot cup of tea.
Podcasts ~ The Scaredy Cats Horror Show
Reply All is one of my favorite podcasts, so when the hosts PJ and Alex did a mini-spin off series with the goal of acclimating PJ to watching horror movies, I was sold. I’m similar to PJ in that I want to like horror movies, but alas, I am a scaredy cat. This podcast was the perfect combination of comedy and film commentary.
Other Things Making Me Happy
The highlight of July was that I spent a week in the mountains (at a clean, socially distant) cabin with my family. One of my favorite things was hiking the trails and finding cute little fairy villages all over the place! I tried my hand at building my own, but some of them were crazy good.
I also tried stand up paddleboarding for the first time! It was so much fun, and not nearly as hard as I thought it would be. And when I didn’t feel like standing, I just knelt or sat down. Mostly, it was a lot of fun to be in the water!
Since no summer vacation is complete without s’mores, but there’s a fire ban in the mountains, I used this skillet s’mores recipe! It was dairy free (my husband is lactose intolerant) but really you can use any chocolate, marshmallows, and graham crackers. Super easy and super yummy!
For reasons I can’t explain, I’m now obsessed with James Hoffman, a coffee expert with a lovely YouTube presence. It started with his funnier videos on trying coffee from the ’70s or comparing instant coffees, but now I’ll watch him spend fifteen minutes reviewing a $3,000 espresso machine I’m never going to get. I blame the accent.
In other YouTube news, I found a new booktuber who I adore! Joel Rochester aka Fictional Fates has been a staple in the online bookish community for years, but just began his YouTube channel this month. He has such a fun vibe and creative videos. He also recommended The Black Veins, so I will forever be in his debt.
