It’s a good thing I did lots of reading in June because July has been slow for me. Maybe it is the heat of Texas. Today will be the fifth day in a row of record heat and the 11th day in a row where temperatures are 105 degrees or higher.
It could be I’m still catching up from the Trip of a Lifetime. My trip to New Zealand and Australia was amazing and I’m sure I’ll write something up for the blog. I did post about it on Facebook and Instagram if you are curious. Anyway, bills and mail were waiting for me when I got home so my summer reading time has been cut down.
And I’ve been reading other, less entertaining things, like the lease agreements on my sons’ apartments. The boys will be heading back to college and they are trying apartment life in lieu of dorm life. I never lived in a dorm, so I’m a little sad.
I do have one thing I’ve read that has been lovely. My friend Selma Martin put out her debut poetry collection, In The Shadow of Rainbows: A Collection of Songs of Presence. You can find it on Amazon, but I’ve included the book description below.
In The Shadows of Rainbows: A Collection of Songs of Presence by Selma Martin
Here is the book description:
In this dazzling debut poetry collection of over 60 carefully selected poems, author Selma Martin points the way to the beauty in the everyday, the shadow of the rainbow, and the silver lining at the edge of every cloud.
Favouring lyrical forms, and revelling in rhymes and musical language, the individual poems in this collection harmonise together in symphonic splendour to form an enlightening and delightful whole.
My take
The book is a #1 New Release and has some wonderful reviews. I’m partial to her poem Insomnia. I had a chance to hear Selma read the poem in her own voice, and it was beautiful. I also enjoyed When Death Comes. The topic might be a bit morose, but Selma approached death as something to be curious about. It is a a poem that made me stop and think.
I read the digital version of the book, but I’m planning to buy the paperback copy as well. I can see myself curled up with a blanket and hot chocolate in December (see how I’m transporting myself to a cooler time of year) and reading her poems. Even if poetry isn’t your chosen medium, give Selma’s work a try. It is accessible and interesting and pulls you in!
What else I’m reading
I finished John Dies at the End by David Wong on audiobook. It was outside of my wheelhouse, but I did have a great conversation with my college-aged son about why he liked it so much. The things we do for our children…
I also read two Preston and Childs books while I was on the plane. Cold Vengeance and White Fire kept my interest and made the flights go by fast. Small problem with White Fire: there were several missing chapters in the paperback copy I had, but it was fine. I figured out what happened!
August Plans
Next month I will be moving our two boys into their apartments and our daughter starts her last year of high school. I have some books I want to read, but I’m not holding myself to any schedule. I suspect there will be some tears shed as I watch my kiddos continue their journey. It’s a good thing, but change is always hard.
Until next time…