I. Am. Exhausted. This was meant to post on the first, but between my on-campus intensive at Harvard Graduate School of Education (I’m a fancy Lunchable) which delayed it to Wednesday, and then negotiations with Tim to get an unexpected puppy (OMG HE’S SOOOO CUTE). I’m obviously very late. There are more pics at the end (you’re welcome).
We picked up Barnaby the Bernedoodle on Friday, August 5 and it’s been a whirlwind of training and puppy antics ever since. He’s 50% chonk and 50% floof and full of energy. He’s a very good boy and has had very few accidents in the house and is getting even better at letting us know he needs to go outside.
Books and Bookish Things
I made a lot of progress on catching up with my ARCs and clearing off the shelves. I’ll be accepting even fewer over the next few months thanks to Barnaby and school, so expect to see a lot of MM Romance as they’re quick to read and keep me engaged! I read five ARCs and the first four volumes of the My Love Mix-Up! manga.
- Kaleidoscope – Cecily Wong*
- Playing for Keeps (Sporting Secrets #2) – Jax Calder*
- My Love Mix-Up! (Vol. 1) – Wataru Hineukure & Aruko
- Stronger Than Passion (Chesapeake Days #2) – Katherine McIntyre*
- Heat Wave (The Extroardinaries #3) – T.J. Klune*
- My Love Mix-Up! (Vol. 2) – Wataru Hineukure & Aruko
- The Book of Elis – Lou Skelton*
- My Love Mix-Up! (Vol. 3) – Wataru Hineukure & Aruko
- My Love Mix-Up! (Vol. 4) – Wataru Hineukure & Aruko
The most disappointing book of the month was Heat Wave by T.J. Klune. It wasn’t bad, it just felt a little underwhelming and disjointed after the amazing first two books of the trilogy. I’m OBSESSED with My Love Mix-Up! and read each one a couple of times. It’s like a day-to-day Heartstopper set in Japan but with both characters discovering their sexuality. Add in that it’s full of rom-com and comedy of error tropes and they’ve only touched hands once over the four volumes and, yeah it’s PERFECT for me at the moment.
Haven’t really been on social media this month, but this one caught my eye. It’s a book about weaving with a loom inside!
Designer Cai Wei Qun constructed this elaborate book on weaving that opens to reveal a fully functional loom for practicing the techniques within its pages https://t.co/i8nm4c7PfG pic.twitter.com/bs5oOPQBzt
— Colossal (@Colossal) July 20, 2022
What’s Next?
Blogging, knitting, and anything other than puppy training or school work will probably be on hold for the next few weeks. I’m still buzzing from my on-campus experience as everything else will happen online. I’m about 1/4 of the way through Jim Grimsley’s The Dove in the Belly and its fascinating being on the UNC-Chapel Hill campus in the 1970s. Hopefully, I can pick it up again soon to make progress.
And last but not least some more photos of Barnaby: