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Currently | Library Finds and Lady Boxers

Currently June 7 2015.jpg

Time and Place | About 7:45 a.m. on, you guessed it, my couch.

Eating and Drinking | The boyfriend ordered some Pom-berry Black Tea that I’m trying out for the first time. It supposed to be a high caffeine blend, which I will need today since I haven’t managed to sleep in at all this weekend.

Reading | I spent most of this week with Anna Freeman’s The Fair Fight, a historical fiction novel about Victorian lady boxers. I’ll have more thoughts in an upcoming fiction reviewlett post, so for now I’ll say it was excellent (just a bit too long through the middle). The other book I tore through this week was an egalley of Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon (Sept. 4 from Delacorte Books). It’s about an 18-year-old girl with SCID, a disease that makes her allergic to everything, and what happens when she falls for the boy across the street. It was absolutely stellar, so funny and warm and romantic. I had the same kind of reaction to it as I did to Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell. I can’t wait for more people to read it, and thanks to Kelly for the mention that made me pick it up.

Watching | The epic Friends marathon continues. I’m midway through season seven and remain convinced that snarky Ross/Rachel is infinitely better than romantic Ross/Rachel.

Listening | After finishing Missoula, I needed something a little less fraught for an audio book. I picked The Checklist Manifesto by Atul Gawande and, so far, it’s been oddly interesting.

Blogging | This week I looked back at my May 2015 reads and shared five great nonfiction books I’ve read in the last couple of months.

Brainstorming | I’m working on a post for Book Riot of nonfiction by and about lady adventurers. It’s been so fun — my TBR list is growing rapidly — but I’m running into a challenge finding books that feature women who aren’t white. There are ladies of color doing awesome things — Bessie Coleman, Mae Jamison, Sacagawea to name a few — but all of the books about them I’ve found so far are kids books. It’s kind of infuriating. So, I’m hoping to do a little crowdsourcing from you all for suggestions on books or women to feature.

Hating | The company I work for has a very generous PTO policy, and I’m not very good at taking vacation. Consequently, I reached a point this week where I maxed out the vacation days I can accrue. Argh! On the plus side, I anticipate a few half days of work in the next couple of months until I use up a good chunk of my hours going to Europe!

Loving | My favorite Instagram account right now is @hey_jules_studio. She’s doing 100 days of photos of rainbows that are beautiful and precisely organized. They make me smile every time I see one.

Loving II | The library has been good to me lately. I picked up a couple of great books this week, Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson and In the Woods by Tana French.

Anticipating | At this time next week I will be at the lake! I’m more excited than I can tell you for this long weekend at our cabin family with friends. I’ve already started packing the essentials — books, games and booze. Yay!

Happy Sunday, everyone. What are you reading today?

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  • Bryan G. Robinson June 7, 2015, 8:50 am

    I don’t know. I think I like the romantic Ross/Rachel better myself…but maybe that’s because I’m getting older and I like the romance. Wait! I should like the snark, shouldn’t I since I’m getting older? Snark is similar to cranky, right? 🙂

    • Kim June 9, 2015, 8:34 pm

      You love what you love 🙂 I just thought they were mushy and I think it’s more fun when they’re being quippy with each other. But now I’m into the season with the pregnancy, so maybe that opinion will change.

  • bermudaonion (Kathy) June 7, 2015, 9:28 am

    It looks like you’ve gotten in some good reading here lately, although I’m on the fence with a book on boxes. I’ll be watching for your review(lette) of it.

  • kelly June 7, 2015, 10:16 am

    It makes me so happy you liked EVERYTHING EVERYTHING. That book just filled me with delight the whole way through.

    Speaking of, that rainbow instagram account is gorgeous!

    • Kim June 9, 2015, 8:35 pm

      IT WAS SO DELIGHTFUL! I started it in the morning before work and flew through like 100 pages before I made myself get up.

  • Leah @ Books Speak Volumes June 7, 2015, 11:55 am

    I’m so with you on snarky Ross and Rachel… but romance is never really my thing 😛

  • Trisha June 7, 2015, 1:57 pm

    I really need a cabin by the lake. Or friends with a cabin by the lake. But then I would also need a babysitter and possibly a non-farming husband so I could actually go to the cabin by the lake. 🙂 Have fun!

  • Monika @ Lovely Bookshelf June 7, 2015, 2:31 pm

    That’s such a good point about all the kids books on women of color doing amazing things. Definitely overwhelms the number of adult books on the same topic. There’s a very compelling memoir by Jessye Norman called Stand Up Straight and Sing! about growing up in the segregated South and becoming an opera star.
    Janet Mock’s Redefining Realness is worth looking into, too (I haven’t read it yet but it’s on my TBR list)

    • Kim June 9, 2015, 8:36 pm

      Thanks for the recommendation! I was surprised at how many kids books there were that didn’t have adult books on the same person. I’m not sure why that would be.

  • Kay June 7, 2015, 2:47 pm

    Hope you enjoy In The Woods. I liked it a lot. However, some did not. 🙂

    Also, have a great time at the lake!

  • Andi June 7, 2015, 3:04 pm

    There were Victorian lady boxers??? What what? You and my husband re: maxing out PTO. I wish I could do that. 🙂

    • Kim June 9, 2015, 8:37 pm

      Apparently it was a real thing! Now I am desperate for some true stories from that era because man, was that badass.

  • Sarah's Book Shelves June 7, 2015, 6:24 pm

    YES – on snarky Ross/Rachel…my favorite time with them was when they were living together after they dated! And, I’ve heard great things about In the Woods…I read The Secret Place and took a long time getting into it, but I may try In the Woods at some point.

    • Kim June 9, 2015, 8:37 pm

      I can’t remember why I wanted to pick up Tana French… a cluster of reviews, I suspect. Either way, creepy murder always seems good at the lake 🙂

  • Michelle June 7, 2015, 8:51 pm

    I’ve been seeing Everything, Everything pop up all over the place lately. It sounds like I need to pay attention and get to it!

    Have fun at the lake! It sounds wonderful! And use up that PTO, woman! Having too much is a great problem to have, but only if you actually use it!

    • Kim June 9, 2015, 8:38 pm

      I’m so annoyed I maxed out! I had big plans to take a bunch of half days this summer, and then it never seemed to work out. Clearly I need to get back to that before I lose more.

  • nikki @ book punks June 8, 2015, 5:19 am

    Ooo, an upcoming European vacation? Where are you planning on going? Yey.

    • Kim June 9, 2015, 8:39 pm

      London, Bath and Greece with my sister for three weeks this fall. It should be awesome 🙂

  • Athira June 8, 2015, 2:20 pm

    I am on the verge of hitting my vacation accrual limit as well. I have been taking a few half days here and there – this is so awesome!!

    Hope you enjoy your trip to the lake!! Come back with pictures.

  • Jenny @ Reading the End June 8, 2015, 3:07 pm

    I love snarky Rachel, but I find snarky Ross a trial. So I think what I really love is when Rachel and Ross aren’t interacting AT ALL, that would be ideal actually. (Ross is my least favorite. He’s everyone’s least favorite, right?)

    • Kim June 9, 2015, 8:40 pm

      He really should be. He’s the one most likely to annoy me in a given episode. His mopey/angry phase was THE WORST.

  • susan June 10, 2015, 5:12 pm

    Maxed VAC days? You need to take a week at the cabin! When is the Europe trip? Take a breather.