Hi. How is your October going? It’s been a beautiful month here, quite dry and warm for this far north and this late in the season. The leaves are mostly down and I need to get raking.
I got behind with things so I didn’t post last weekend and now it seems like it’s been a long time. Do you ever feel like you miss one week and you feel like you’re out of the blogging book loop? Usually I like to post once a week on the weekends and visit other sites too, but when life gets busy it can go by the wayside. How many times do you post a week? And how do you manage it? Granted my middle age life is fairly mellow compared to others. I just juggle two part-time jobs, two dogs, 1 husband, 1 bungalow, and tennis, gardening, and biking hobbies. Ha. Though sometimes they all converge. Such is life.
As I turn on the TV news, they’re talking about Adele’s new single out today (Friday) called Easy on Me from her upcoming album 30, due out Nov. 19. Wow the video and song seem really good. The video was filmed in Quebec! You can watch it here. I’m sure her new album will be another blockbuster smash. It appears to be about her divorce.
I liked her previous ones. But it’s been 6 years since her last. And now she’s got a whole new look, right? She got into working out apparently. I’m not sure I can even remember being 30, ha. It was long ago and far far away. (Adele’s actually 33 now.)
Lately we’ve been watching the series American Rust with Jeff Daniels on HBO. It’s okay, though not totally great. Pretty seedy and depressing. We’ve also been watching Season 2 of The Morning Show (on Apple+) but for whatever reason, it’s not grabbing me like Season 1 did. Perhaps it will down the line; I’ve only watched a few episodes.
Then awhile ago, we finished the series The Widow (from 2019) with Kate Beckinsale on Prime. Did anyone see this? It’s about a woman whose husband apparently is killed in a plane crash over the Congo and years later she thinks she sees a man on the news resembling him so she goes to the Congo to try to find out more. It’s a fairly decent suspense drama, though I think my husband picked it more for Kate Beckinsale, right? It was filmed in South Africa, which is cool and is meant to look like Kinshasa.
I can’t think of any other show we’re watching at the moment, but I’m in the midst of the audiobook of Nella Larsen’s excellent novella Passing since I’m looking forward to the movie coming out Oct. 27. It should be good. And now I’ll leave you with a couple reviews of what I finished lately.
We Run the Tides by Vendela Vida / Ecco / 272 pages / 2021
I listened to the audio read by Marin Ireland and was taken away by the story to the Sea Cliff neighborhood of San Francisco and this nostalgic coming of age tale set in 1984 of Eulabee (age 13) and her small group of friends at the Spragg School for Girls. Her best friend is the beautiful and popular Maria Fabiola. But then Eulabee has a falling out with Maria and her group over an incident they say happened but Eulabee say didn’t … and then Maria disappears. But is it for real or what?
This story seems to capture the cliques and lies among teenage girls and their relations with boys during that young adolescent stage. Eulabee is an earnest and book smart protagonist and there are some funny lines in this novel, often about the dopey adults and teachers she has to deal with. I laughed at some of her thoughts about them even though the book is mostly a coming-age drama that ramps up and gets better in the second half.
It seems Eulabee is a youngish 13-year-old and she learns the hard way … that people aren’t always nice or what they seem. Her friend Maria is quite a conundrum. The final chapter jumps forward to 2019 when Eulabee is age 50 … and runs into Maria Fabiola again and they look back on their lives a bit. It’s a good way to get perspective on this tale about friendship and growing up in a particular affluent neighborhood while having less and being on its edges. I gave it around 3.5 stars.
Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson
I’m not exactly sure why I picked this one up but I guess I was looking for a short classic during Halloween month. I hadn’t read RLS before, but he seems to have led an interesting life, growing up in Scotland and traveling widely despite his ill health. He wound up in the South Seas (looking to improve his bronchial problems), and eventually settled in Samoa, with his American wife Fanny, who divorced her previous husband to marry him in San Francisco in 1880. (Wow RLS spent time in Monterey and Napa too.) Kidnapped was first published in a magazine in 1886.
I enjoyed the audio version read by Frederick Davidson Case. The gist of the plot: Set in 1751 outside Edinburgh, Davy Balfour, age 17, is given short shrift in life when his parents die and he goes to his Uncle’s place to settle up … and the next thing he knows he’s in the hold of a ship bound for Caroliny … his Uncle having sold him into slavery. Uh-oh. Luckily the ship crosses paths with Alan Breck Stewart’s, a Jacobite, who befriends David … and they fight off the bad guys, but then get shipwrecked on the rocks … and become separated for awhile and Davy has to survive on an island. Later they reunite and must flee across the heather.
I like how there is justice for David at the end against his Uncle … and his friendship with Alan Breck survives though there’s quite a quarrel between the two that almost undoes them, with Alan having gambled away Davy’s money. Still David and Alan make a good duo and I enjoyed spending time with them and their swashbuckling adventures and all the Scottish words. It made me slightly think of a Scottish smash-up of the tales of Oliver Twist, Robinson Crusoe, and the Count of Monte Cristo. Hmm all good. I gave it about 3.5 stars.
That’s all for now. What about you have you read these and if so, what did you think?
Some weeks are better than others for blogging. Being retired, I read lots but keeping up with reviews is harder so some weeks I’m reading but have little to post. I thought We Run the Tides was a good coming of age story; I’ve enjoyed a few others by that author as well. We watched the first episode of American Rust but never continued. I expected to love it as much as Mare of Easttown but, it just didn’t win me over. Thanks for the heads up on Adele’s new song, I do love her music. Have a good week.
Thanks Diane. Good to hear from you. Yeah the Mare of Easttown was better alas than American Rust. You read & review & post a lot so your blog is excellent. I get a lot of feedback on books I’m looking to read off your site. I agree with you about We Run the Tides … I’ll look for what she writes next. Enjoy your books.
I’ve read a lot of positive comments about Adele’s new songs. Something to look forward to.
I couldn’t get excited about “American Rust” but I am happy that “Succession” will finally be back for its third season with the Roy family that we love to hate. Also, I’m looking forward to viewing “Foundation.” I loved those Isaac Asimov books oh so many years ago.
I’m currently reading Apples Never Fall by Liane Moriarty. Great fun. And for something completely different I’ve started The Varieties of Religious Experience by William James. Not nearly as much fun but quite interesting.
Hi Dorothy, great to hear what you’re reading & watching. I think we’ll try out Foundation too. Succession is a wild one eh? But the acting is dramatic and good to see. They’re all a piece of work! Glad to hear the new Moriarity is a fun one. Have a great week.
I watched a few episodes of The Widow…now I think I should go back and finish it! I keep watching American Rust, but you’re right, it is a bit depressing.
I like the idea of The Morning Show, but I don’t have Apple TV!
Enjoy your week and your books, and thanks for visiting my blog.
Hey Laurel, yeah you should finish The Widow. It gets a bit addictive. Better than American Rust perhaps. And yeah I don’t know how we have Apple TV – ha but I try not to ask too many questions so it goes away. Enjoy your week.
My goal when I started blogging was to post at least once a week, and I’ve somehow managed to do that for the past fourteen years. I sometimes (like this week) have to settled for writing my post in advance and then stopping by to visit others for a shorter time than I really like, but when you are off in the wilds of Arkansas with sketchy Internet you do the best you can.
Robert Louis Stevenson was the name of one of my schools, so I felt obligated to read him when I worked there. I thought his books held up well, and he seems to have been a surprisingly forward-thinking person.
Have a great week, Susan!
Thanks Deb. Your consistency on posting & blogging over the many years has been very impressive. I started in 2009 but have been all over the map with how often etc. I try to keep it up. And I agree Stevenson’s life story is quite alluring, an interesting person & author. Have a great trip this week!
I agree that season 2 of The Morning Show isn’t as good as season 1, but I wonder if it’s because I have to wait a week for each episode to come out so I lose momentum.
I haven’t heard of either of the two books you mention. I am in RIP mode, reading lots of mysteries this month. Have a great week!
Thanks Helen. We’re trying to mix in other shows with The Morning Show to keep on going. We’ll see if it picks up. Hmm. Enjoy your RIP reading. Halloween is coming so quickly! I still need to get pumpkins.
I have never been much of an Adele fan, but boy I have some friends that are crazy about her.
Here is my link:
https://twogirlsandtheirbookishlife.blogspot.com/2021/10/sunday-salon-pumpkin-patches.html
Hi Teri, thanks for stopping by my blog. Yeah perhaps Adele’s music isn’t for everyone but she is definitely quite popular. I enjoyed your post. Tis the season for pumpkin patches! Have a great week.
I hear you on life getting in the way of blogging. Same here! My weeks don’t always go as planned and I sometimes end up not getting to the blog at all. But at least we still try.
I saw the new single for Adelle is out, but I haven’t listened yet. Will do so later tonight!
I have a beautiful leather bound copy of Kidnapped, but I actually have never read it. Will perhaps try the audio as well.
Hope you will have a good week ahead!
Thanks Mareli. Ha we do try to keep up with the blog eh? Some weeks are hit and miss. The audio of Kidnapped was a bit of a challenge to me with the old Scottish references etc. but with perseverance I got the gist & feel for the story. Others say his novel Treasure Island is better. Perhaps I will try that sometime. Enjoy your week too.
I try to post once a week, and know exactly what you mean about how hard it feels to get back into it after missing a week! Even being retired, it’s hard for me to post any more often than that… just too many other things to do!
Sorry to hear American Rust wasn’t as good as expected. I’m still hoping to read the book at some point.
I enjoyed We Run the Tides earlier this year. It was a Shelf Subscription book in either February or March… my first time reading that author.
Hi JoAnn, yeah I agree with you … there’s so many other things going on that posting consistently is always a bit of a challenge. And it seems you get a lot of family visitors there in nice FLA.
We’re still going to keep going with the series American Rust – see where it goes. Glad you read We Run the Tides too. I haven’t tried this author before either but she has some nice observations etc. Enjoy your week.
I try to post twice a week. It is definitely hard to get back into it after missing a week. Just last week my husband and I were on a road trip and I read practically nothing and hardly looked at the internet. It was a nice break, but now I feel behind. We all just do the best we can.
I read Kidnapped several years ago as a read aloud to my boys. We enjoyed it, but liked Treasure Island better. I recently read The Black Arrow by RLS and really enjoyed that. He is a great writer.
Have a great weekend!
Hey thanks Gretchen for visiting my blog. I guess I should try other Stevenson titles and perhaps would like them even better; thanks for the tip on those.
It feels a bit weird to break from the internet right? But it can be good. It’s hard to read on road trips. I often feel like I’m trying to catch up. Have a good week.
For awhile I was blogging every single day but then I realized it was all pretty much drivel so better to contain it to once a week. LOL Recently I did miss a week and made me feel completely out of sorts and like a whole week of my life was lost forever. rofl
As for my October, so far so good. A major deadline is behind us at work so we can all breathe (and sleep) again. I was smart and took tomorrow and next Monday off. BUT my cat has fleas so I’m helping the poor baby deal with that. Frontlined her and am putting coconut oil on her scabby skin.
I’m really bummed that so many people are saying American Rust isn’t that great because I think I remember I really liked the book. Read it decades ago. BUT I like grim, depressing books, movies, series, etc so maybe it will totally be my cup of tea. lol
Widow and We Run The Tides both sound good, but you said Tides only gets 3.5 stars, so, IDK???
Hi Jinjer, yeah I liked Tides – so maybe I should give it 4 stars though maybe it wasn’t overall fully profound or something? It left an impression of their teenage days and was fine, a tad quirky characters…
Sorry to hear about your cat. I hope things improve quickly for Miss Marilyn.
I agree with you – also when I miss a week posting I feel out of sorts. I get way behind … kind of feeling hmm. We will continue on with the series American Rust … it’s not bad, mind you, just sort of grim. You might end up loving it.
Good thing your deadline is over. Take a breather!
I agree with you completely about how easy it is to suddenly feel out of the loop when it comes to blogging…and how quickly it can happen. Even a week can do it sometimes. As for me, I try to post something pretty much every other day mainly so that I can keep up with my reviews. If I leave a book sitting around too long, I really start to lose the detail that and my immediate reaction to the a book, and that makes it harder to do a meaningful review. Posting any more often than that, on the other hand, seems to prematurely kill any conversation about the books I’ve reviewed. And because “the conversation” is really what it’s all about for me, I don’t want to limit it by posting too often. Anyway…works for me.
Thanks Sam for your insights on your posts. It seems every other day is a lot to post! But as you say you’re keeping up with your reviews & what you finish. If it works for you … then that is what matters. I think I put my first impressions of a book on Goodreads and then I transfer & make a fuller review on my site. Even just posting once a week … the week seems to go quickly! Enjoy your reads.
I don’t have a set number of posts per week, but try to share something on Wednesday (photos), but it’s not something I schedule. I post my Looking Back reviews every Friday and have been doing a pretty good job of sticking to that routine. And then there’s my normal book reviews, which I try to post within a few days of finishing a book. I got so far behind with reviews when I working, but I feel like I’ve stayed on top of it since we retired and moved to Oregon. Oh, and I post my monthly summary within a day or so of the new month. That’s it. As far as blog hopping, I use Bloglovin’ and try to keep up, but when we’re traveling, I can fall a week or so behind. I usually read everything, oldest to newest, but don’t always comment. Yes, middle age is fairly calm, but I manage to keep busy. Years ago, I did a “day in the life” post, which was fun. Maybe I’ll do another in the coming months.
Yes, 30 seems like it was a long time ago! We had just moved from San Diego to Nebraska and I became a stay-at-home mom. I spent a lot of time riding my bike and running with a group from the gym. That was also when I got bit more seriously by the reading bug. Prior to that, I never had a TBR stack! 🙂
Too bad about American Rust, but The Widow sounds intriguing. I plan to listen to We Run the Tides, in spite of your average rating. I’ll let you know what I think!
Hi Lesley, it seems you have a good system of what you post & when. It can get tough when we go on trips right? I try not to get behind.
Going from San Diego to Nebraska must have been quite a move difference. But then I think around age 30 I went from Seattle, Wash, to Arlington, Va. Completely across the country! I left things in a storage locker. ha.
We still have American Rust going – it’s getting better perhaps. Let me know what you think of Tides. Have a great week.
When I started blogging I aimed for three posts a week, but it got complicated over the years as I was doing different posts for movies and books, and I usually saw more films than the speed at which I read. It still feels weird that I don’t do it anymore. Anyway, that’s ancient history. 🙁
The RLS made me think of Robinson Crusoe while I was reading your review, and then you mentioned something along those lines. I’ll be starting Only Murders in the Building (Hulu) tomorrow. Then a few series with 0.5 hours-long episodes that typically increase my viewing without taking up too much time because I binge all the episodes in one or two days. I finished Matrix by Lauren Groff and it was a mixed bag; still, it was quirky and different, so I’m glad I read it. It’s veeery sloooow towards the middle despite its 260 pages length, so beware if you decide to pick it up.
Hi Carmen, thanks for the warning on Matrix. I still haven’t gotten to it but at least I know what you thought. Hmm. a mixed bag. What have you picked up now to read? And have you enjoyed not blogging anymore? I guess it gives you more time. I have considered whether to quit at times lately … but then something intangible makes me keep going. Hmm. Not sure what it is. Perhaps it’s just a record of my reads & the give & take on books & shows. Though it is time-consuming etc. But you are reading a lot this year without it. Hope your fall is wonderful there.
It was a mixed bag in the sense that it slowed to a crawl and I thought it was me who was excessively tired, but it turns out that other readers complained about it too. It is literary, so you know that the action is not propulsive, but it is based on the imagined life of a remarkable woman, so it’s inspiring. Afterwards, I read a spooky retelling of a medieval short story (57 pages), written by historian Dan Jones, titled The Tale of the Tailor and the Three Dead Kings (3* – because it wasn’t spooky enough), and now I’m reading Infinite Country by Patricia Engel, which I’m liking thus far.
I miss blogging all the time, for the sense of community, the discussions, and sticking to a structured schedule as the one I had for posting. It became overwhelming after nine years with almost no growth, but it’s worth it. You’re going to miss it a lot if you quit, so don’t. Yes, I have time, but I miss writing about things I love.
My reading is down from last year, but it has picked up considerably since I quit blogging, particularly because I’m no longer afraid of lengthy tomes or plodding storylines; there’s no schedule to follow except reading the book in a reasonable span of time.
Yeah Carmen I really enjoyed your blog but I understand it can be a lot. I will likely keep on going even if I’m not getting much of my own reading done. It seems you are reading a lot now. I appreciate your insights about the blogging and the books. And it’s nice you can read long books now and not adhere to a schedule. Keep it going. 🙂
I like to post at least once a week plus. I’ve somehow set a mental goal for myself (for no reason) to post 10/month. It doesn’t always happen. Despite being retired, I still seem to get busy with other activities. I might check out The Widow. I’m not in the mood for depressing, so I’ll skip American Rust. Lately, I’ve been watching some old TV shows (What’s My Line, The Ed Sullivan Show from the 1950’s and some others from the 60’s on Me TV) Just light and mindless watching but brings back memories.
Hi Judee, that seems fun to see some old shows from the 50s & 60s. I wouldn’t mind seeing some old Carol Burnett shows or Laugh In. It’s been a long time, even the Mary Tyler Moore show would be fun to revisit.
It seems you keep up with posting quite consistently. 10 per month sounds like a lot too. Kudos. Have a great week.
Like you, I prefer to post once a week, but I’ve become much more relaxed about missing a week here and there. After all, it’s meant to be a fun hobby and not another chore on top of all the other stuff. The way I manage is to write an excess of posts, when I have time and then I post these in periods, where I am busy. It works reasonably well, even if I do run out of posts from time to time.
I like Adele’s new single as well
Thanks Stargazer. That’s a good way to handle it … writing extras posts to fill in. I like to keep once a week going. Hmm. though you’re right it’s only a hobby for most of us. It’s nice to realize it’s Okay to miss a week when necessary. Enjoy your week.
I haven’t read Kidnapped yet, but I have it on my shelves, waiting patiently. I stopped blogging for a few month, eventually got back to it, and I’ll post… when I have something to say, lol ! Read a book, visited some place and took pictures or just feel like talking, sharing. Time flies by so quickly ! October has been beautiful and rather warm here in France, but today, autumn is raining and wind is blowing. Enjoy your week !
Hey Iza, thanks. I’ve heard RLS’s Treasure Island is better than Kidnapped but we will see when I get to it. Kidnapped is a good adventure journey in Scotland with the two Davy and Alan Breck. See what you think?!
I am glad you’re back blogging and will post on your own sched. That’s a good way to do it. I used to do it that way too. Glad you’ve had a nice fall. Always like hearing about your life in France. We too have had a dry and warm autumn and a beautiful Sept. & Oct. Though we need some rain.
Enjoy your books.
I’ve been out of the loop for a few weeks now! I’m hoping to get back into blogging this weekend. Life, amiright? Love the fall leaves. It got cold here fast, though, unfortunately.
I think you’ll really enjoy Passing. I saw that one at the Sundance Film Festival early this year and was really impressed.
I’ve wondered about The Widow. I heard mixed reviews so I never put it at the top of the list.
I bet Adele’s new stuff will be amazing as always. Looking forward to it.
Hope you have a lovely week!
Hi Heather, hope all is well there now with your family. Things get crazy and we have to leave for awhile, but that’s all right?! That’s cool you have already seen the movie of Passing. I enjoyed the book a lot. Tonight we might go see Dune at the theater, wow. We haven’t gone to a theater since like 2019!
I look forward to the rest of the Adele album soon. Enjoy your reads!
I try to post two reviews a week, one mid-week check in and then my Sunday post. Although last week I forgot it was Wednesday and then I forgot to schedule a review to post. I do most of my writing in the early morning before I get hit with life. That seems to work for me.
It is dry here at the moment but they claim an atmospheric river is coming Monday and to beware of flooding. Hard to believe but these past two years have not been normal by any means.
Hi Ti, yeah you are usually really organized about your posts & reviews etc. The days seem to pass so quickly now … that once a week is all I can do.
We too are supposed to finally get rain tomorrow, which we havent had in a really long time. It’s been really dry. I’ll be curious to hear if you get the rain there! Enjoy the weekend.
I totally know what you mean about getting so behind. How does that happen right? Ah well, life. I was curious about the Kate Beckinsale movie so I’m glad to hear you enjoyed it. And, I read We Run the Tides earlier this year and I loved it and you are right, having them meet again so many years later was a good way to get a different perspective. I’ve been hearing about Passing from so many other book bloggers and booktubers. I really want to read it – sounds like it’s a wonderful classic.
Hi Iliana — for some reason I didn’t see your comment at first but now I’m responding. I’m glad you also read We Run the Tides … it’s sort of an interesting coming of age tale right? Nostalgic.
Passing is a pretty quick short read. I think you might like it. We found the Beckinsale TV series fairly entertaining, like a foreign thriller. Check it out if you have time. I am still far behind! My reading has been slow much of the year. Good luck with yours!