Wow, I’ve gotten behind with these monthly recaps, with my last one being in April! Our May was crazy. And June is now just a blur. It’s now 8:50 am on July 31st and my to-do list has grown to epic proportions, but I need some chat-time before getting back to work. Setting the timer now for 30 minutes, let’s do this.
Btw, can I say how much I’m loving Grammarly? It’s already found and corrected two errors thus far. Anyway, moving on to:
Movies & TV
I’m combining the two because I didn’t watch any movies or TV in July, other than a couple of episodes of That Girl. And I’m sitting here, scratching my head, trying to remember any I might have seen in June.
Nope. Drawing a blank.
I did watch some great movies in May, however, like:
The Other Woman
Oh, how I love a story about strangers coming together to form unlikely friendships! And I loved Leslie Mann’s character, Kate, who adorably forced herself into Carly’s and Amber’s lives rather than resorting to the cliche tropes of wife vs. mistress by being bitter and angry.
Now, there were some cliche tropes going on, like the “putting estrogen in his smoothie,” trope, but overall … I just loved this story of friendship, love, and revenge …. swollen man nipples and all! And the scene of them all sitting together, embracing each other, on the beach? Sniff. So endearing!
Overboard
I absolutely LOVED the original version with Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell … although as an adult who’s now more aware of social issues, I question the ethics of sleeping with someone under false pretenses. I had hoped the remake would rectify this, but unfortunately, it didn’t. (Or maybe it did and I’m not remembering correctly? Oh well, I’m on a time crunch, here, so let’s move on.)
All and all, I did love how they flipped the roles this time around, making the guy the spoiled, rich, heir. It was a cute, fun movie!
Total Recall 2
Interesting!
Avengers: End Game
Great although there was some confusion on my part from not watching all the other Avengers movies.
Aladin
Oh, wait! I did watch a movie in June, Aladin! Despite my initial hesitation, I kind of had the feeling I’d enjoy this live-action version, but I didn’t expect to absolutely LOVE IT! The costumes? Gorgeous. The characters? Casted to perfection … even Will Smith, who was brave to take on such an iconic role. Jasmine having more of a voice? Hell yeah, great addition.
There was some inconsistencies, but whatever. I enjoyed it for what it was. A colorful, enjoyable movie with fantastic musical numbers. Big thumbs up!
(I still haven’t watched Dumbo or Lion King yet, however. Not sure about those…)
Books
Oh boy, only ten minutes left and Grammarly has a dozen mistakes I need to correct, so time to kick it into gear!
I’ve read many more books in July than I have in previous months, thanks to my decision to decrease my screen time and digitally minimize.
All Amazon links are affiliate links. This doesn’t cost you more but does give me a small commission to use toward website expenses.
Hunger by Jackie Morse Kessler
The arc for Hunger has been on my bookshelf for a long, long time. Because the premise is brilliant … an anorexic is assigned the role of Famine and becomes one of the four horsemen … and it’s a short novel, I took it along on our four-day bike ride on the Great Allegheny Passage.
What an AMAZING book!
A lot of it hit home … hard … due to me being bulimic for twenty years, especially when her one friend binged and purged. I know how hard it is to discuss let alone write a novel about eating disorders, so I applaud Jackie Morse Kessler for having the courage to go there!
The Night the Lights Went Out by Karen White
Another book that has been gathering dust on my bookshelves! I had bought a signed paperback at Bethany Beach Books, the cutest bookstore ever! (And a rarity … I spent the most delicious afternoon there.)
This was the first novel I’ve read by Karen White and I’m now a huge fan! Awesome some read and the cover is pure perfection.
Undomesticated Goddess by Sophia Kinsella
My mom has been on a mission to find me used Sophia Kinsella paperbacks because used paperbacks are the BEST to take on the beach and I want to read more from this author.
This book had everything I wanted in a light summer read … endearing characters, lovely setting, romance, and lots of food. Highly recommend!
Dang. Timer went off. Oh well, 20 minutes was unrealistic anyway. Resetting!
The Library of Lost and Found by Phaedra Patrick
Oh my gosh. I loved, loved, LOVED this book!!!! It’s just the most endearing tale ever with wonderful characters, charming settings such as the library, that sparked so many lovely memories, stories, writing, and a mystery. Perfect, by far one of my favorite books so far this year!
I loved it so much that as soon as I finished listening to it on my Libby App, I immediately borrowed her first novel…
The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper by Phaedra Patrick
I am now such a HUGE Phaedra Patrick fan! Once again, I was swept away by this poignant, endearing and charming, (pardon the pun,) tale of Arthur, as he set upon discovering himself after the loss of his beloved wife.
The birthday party scene. Sigh. Just lovely! I plan on reading Phaedra Patrick’s second novel, Rise and Shine, Benedict Stone, on our upcoming cruise and I will most likely form a healthy obsession for this author since her writing is everything I wish mine could be!
Sigh.
Anyway, there are 16 minutes left. Enough time to format, edit, post this bad boy and get on with my day. But first…
What about you?
QOTD: What did you watch or read in July? Or any month, for that matter. Share if you’d like in the comments below and as always, take care and have a joyful day!
