Progress came to a screeching halt with spring cleaning. Now with sizzling summer temps, little progress outside, and air conditioning inside, none to zip inside. Windows are a biggee, inside and out, but it’s too hot to contemplate doing windows in 97 degree temps with “feel like” temps of 105 F. Closets, cupboards, still beckon but at least it was hot enough to clean rugs and have them dry enough to walk on within a half a day.
Also, despite all the prep and barricades surrounding my veggies, the varmints found a way to eat the beans and peas, and most anything else I was hoping to harvest by July. I am, however, raising a bountiful crop of mosquitoes in the little water tub for the lotus seeds I planted and coaxed to the surface. The lotus seeds need six hours of sun and don’t get that on the deck but appear quite happy for the time being.
I’m thinking at this point if the critters won’t eat my tomatoes or radishes, maybe that’s all I can count on in my veggie garden. I may rip it out and put in a water feature—transplant my lotus plants. Maybe I could grow frogs.
Of course, we are still going to the Y three times a week, greatly enjoying the classes, meeting other seniors, and discovering muscles we forgot we had. We added another class for the current challenge, ending in August.
My “boys,” the CE and our son, celebrated birthdays the end of June. Upcoming doctor visits are beginning to take an additional toll on time with each birthday though, a reminder that time marches on…and on…
We reviewed sixteen books in June—trying to catch up with the books read during the May hiatus. (I’m still not entirely caught up.) The book up for review in July at the Y Book Club is Beartown, of which I’m familiar, of course, but will have to get the book and familiarize myself with salient points. I had a difficult time with it first time through.
The source of our books is our library, NetGalley, and author and publisher requests. As always, the links on titles are to our reviews that include purchase information.
Famous Last Words by Gillian McAllister
Blackout by David Rosenfelt (audiobook)
Mini-reviews
Dogged Pursuit by David Rosenfelt (CE review)
Fatal Verdict by Peter O’Mahoney (CE review)
Smoke on the Water by Jack Bartley (CE review)
What We Left Behind by Luisa A Jones (CE review)
Finlay Donovan Digs Her Own Grave by Elle Cosimano (audiobook)
One in a Million Boy by Monica Wood (audiobook-book club)
Body of Evidence by Stephen Penner (CE review)
A Body at the Book Fair by Ellie Alexander
The Midwife of Hope River by Patricia Harman (audiobook)
How to Hotwire an Airplane by Henry Rausch (buddy read with the CE)
Folded Corners by Jean Grainger
Audiobooks Mini-Reviews
Never Lie by Freida McFadden (audiobook)
Women of War by Suzanne Cope (audiobook)
The Last Conclave by Glenn Cooper (CE review)
The CE had more than one five-star review in June. He really loved Smoke on the Water and The Last Conclave, but we both loved How to Hotwire an Airplane.
Favorite for June – How to Hotwire an Airplane
My Reading Challenges page…caught up with May and June but dismayed at the numbers.
The Goodreads landing page may be correct at 94 for a goal of 150 or 63%, but the book count widget is still well off, leading me to believe that even when I reach my goal of 150, it won’t register the win. Otherwise, I appear to be behind in all my challenges except Goodreads.
I hope you found a book or two listed above that appealed to you and I always appreciate your comments. Most especially if you have reading suggestions! Have a warm but safe July!
©2025 V Williams
June is usually a lovely month with Summer Reading Challenges being the perfect excuse for staying indoors and reading. While our temps were pretty mild in the upper Midwest, it can get muggy and staying indoors to read or write posts is a good alternative to working in the gardens. The veggie garden, oh so slow to take off this year, the flower garden not much better, and the fairy garden (my son refers to it as “the swamp”) just a wild mess as usual. Perhaps I’ve lost that fight and now the goal is to keep the weeds down.
June is also birthday month, our son being born on the CE’s birthday—double celebration. We took the opportunity to run to Indianapolis to catch the Indiana State Museum exhibit.
Rosepoint Publishing 