The Best Of Summer

All the things that I have enjoyed lately.

Photo credit Jimmy Fisher on Pixabay

By the time you read this I will be on my way to the other side of the world. It isn’t often that you get to fulfill a lifelong dream. But for me, this trip is at the tippy-top of my lifetime bucket list. Why Scotland? It’s difficult to explain. It’s in my bones. In family stories and books I’ve loved and the haunting sound of bagpipes. I have never been there and yet it feels as though I’m going home. I cannot wait to tell you all about this trip when I’m home! And if you’d like to follow along, I’ll be posting to Instagram.

What I enjoyed: I’ve been the guest on dozens of podcasts throughout the years, but I’ve only been able to film one in person. It makes all the difference! You simply cannot beat a face to face conversation. This podcast is the only place on the internet that you will hear me talk about my childhood, my marriage, my kids, and my faith. Those are things I typically hold close, but I was amongst friends for this conversation so it felt safe.

What I watched: My friend

Marybeth Whalen

always comes in clutch with the tv recommendations. In January she forced me to watch a documentary called Love Has Won: Cult of the Mother God. It melted my brain and I promptly made everyone I know watch it as well. Then in July Marybeth suggested another documentary, The Man With 1,000 Kids, while we were on a writing retreat. Once again, I texted about a dozen people and told them to watch it. I also told them to hold onto their butts because there’d be a good chance they would be yelling at their televisions by the third episode. (Watch it, circle back, and I’ll tell you what I screamed at my own tv). Finally, several years ago, Marybeth suggested the miniseries Chernobyl. She swore it was incredible. And I believed her, but promptly forgot about it. Until this last week when I got sick and pretty much just sat on my couch and blew my nose for five days. We watched one episode every night with the boys, and it was a huge hit all the way around.

What I’ve Been Listening To: I tend to buy songs and build playlists with no rhyme or reason. I’ll hear a song, like it, then listen whenever I’m in the car or on a walk. I know the rest of the world discovered John Moreland years ago. But he’s a recent discovery for me and his songs Gentle Violence and Break My Heart Sweetly always take my breath away. I’ve also got a thing for sea shanties at the moment thanks to my upcoming novel. I begin each writing session by listening to Savage Daughter by Ekaterina Shelehova and this rendition of The Humors of Whiskey by Hozier.

What I’ve Been Reading: I took The Square of Sevens by Laura Shepherd-Robinson on our family vacation and it really hit the spot. It’s really fun historical fiction. One of the best things about my job is that so many of my friends are writers as well. And I always get the chance to read their books early. Here are three upcoming novels that I read and loved and think you will adore as well. All of them are available for pre-order: A Very Bad Thing by J.T. Ellison, Every Moment Since by J.T. Ellison, and The Story She Left Behind by Patti Callahan Henry.

I also received copies of Georgia Hunter’s upcoming novel, One Good Thing, along with The King’s Messenger by Susanna Kearsley. I cannot wait to dig into these when I get back from Scotland.

And of course I’ve never had any luck at curbing my own book buying habits. On the recommendation of a friend, I bought Under the Dome by Stephen King and The Road by Cormac McCarthy. I’m saving those for October.

What about you? What have you enjoyed lately?