July 3: Hot, humid, and vacation!

Saving Lucas Biggs by Marisa de los Santos
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Marisa de Los Santos is one of my favorite adult authors, so when she and her husband released a y/a novel, I wanted to read it, too--and I wasn't really disappointed. The plot is a bit clunky, the devices a little timeworn, and the outcome a bit predictable, but I enjoyed the story overall and her writing is as effective and lovely as usual. I think for a y/a reader (which, of course, I am not!) this would work really well. It also reminds me of Ingrid Law's Scumble and Savvy, two y/a books from last summer.

One great quote: "For every big, bad, attention-getting thing that happens, there are thousands of small good ones, acts that might even seem ordinary but really aren't, so many that we can forget to notice them or to count them up. But it's what has always amazed me: not how terrible people can be to each other, but how good, in spite of everything." 211

Knit One Pearl One by Gil McNeil
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The third and final in this fun, funny, readable series dragged a bit, though it could've been my level of busy! Still, it has some laugh out loud scenes and a strong message that it's okay for women to be independent. I will definitely read more Gil McNeil if I can find her. Highly recommended, knitter or not!

The Surprising Life of Constance Spry by Sue Shephard
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Julie sent me this for my birthday, and I *really* enjoyed it, though the writing was poorly constructed and confusing at the beginning (either it got better or I got used to it!). In many ways, this is an odd book: I'd never heard of Spry, and the depth of the story did at times seem excessive for a life that, while interesting, wasn't really heroic or even widely varied. However, Spry's character and the way her life unfolded made for interesting reading, and I ended up liking the book a great deal.

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 And today I picked 12 qts of lovely strawberries with Cathi Goebel, and tomorrow I will probably make jam! Yay! Also made this pie (I replaced the whipped topping (eeewwwww) with 1 cup of heavy cream, whipped with conf. sugar and some vanilla) which was delicious and even better Day 2. And tonight was yoga, which left me noodly and dripping!

Happy July!