At the end of last summer I finally managed to get my porch renovated. It was too late in the season to make much use of it, but this summer it may well be my reading spot of choice (if the weather cooperates and I don't melt from the heat and humidity that summer in the Midwest brings).
I have splurged on a comfy chair complete with a pillow seat, which this morning I discovered that a local stray cat had already started making use of. We're going to have to have a little chat about that, and tonight the pillow comes inside. I have two flower boxes in progress and I hope to add some pots of herbs and maybe even some kind of patio tree to make a nice shelter/screen from my neighbors. I'll share a photo or two when the space is more presentable.
I am still contemplating my April reading choice and appreciate the comments. This past year has been a challenging one for both reading and blogging (particularly the latter). I am reading slower than normal (which was already slow). I am enjoying those books I am really connecting with, but sometimes it takes a few misfires to find just the right sort of story, so I am doing some sampling from the current stack.
I had a look back at my other choices this year so far and maybe monthly prompts will be discontinued next year. Who can say. Sometimes the book works and sometimes not. And it seems more often than not I stick with my theme, but end up choosing an entirely different book than appeared in the initial stack. (And that's okay, too). For example, in March I wanted a nice academia setting, and am only now picking up something very different than what came to mind when I made my stack. I have had a copy of Stephen King's Carrie for ages, and indeed, it is set in a school! I like the story, which is interspersed with newspaper clippings and excerpts from books.
This year I seem to be reading more library books than usual and lately I have been bingeing on mysteries mostly. Currently I am reading The Secrets of Wishtide by Kate Saunders (just finished), C.S. Harris's first Sebastian St. Cyr mystery, What Angels Fear (will be continuing on with this series)--the Saunders is pretty firmly Victorian era and the Harris about the time of the Napoleonic Wars. I forgot how much I enjoy the Mary Russell books and have been immersed in The Language of Bees with the next book already at the top of my reading pile. And I just got notice that my turn with the newest Maisie Dobbs book has arrived and I will be picking it up this weekend. Always good to have another book I want to look forward to!
I have a very healthy stack of library books and I frequent my local indie bookstore, so I hope to share my finds here. I am sorry I have been so absent in the last year. I do miss all the bookish chatting and online readalongs and news about new releases and what exciting things are going on in the book world. I am hoping for inspiration and momentum to get me back on track here. And as always I appreciate your comments! I hope your reading year is going better than mine!