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Hello to all of my happy readers!!!
Whelp... Covid finally got me.. I was out for 2 weeks. I was only sick for about 3 and 1/2 days but I kept testing positive, and, with Jaycee having a family member that is at risk, we felt that we should be extra cautious. So I am finally back in the shop. I read a ton while I was out, and I listened to quite a few books, and I did sooooooooo much art! Since I have an art room in my house, once I was over the headache and body ache portion of the virus, I went straight to my art room. It is such a happy place. I was able to go out and go shopping and be human over this last weekend, and I just sat outside with the my face up towards the sun (always wearing sunscreen).
I am so excited about this upcoming month! June is my JAM. It is my birthday month, and I will be 45 this year, and I am feeling good. My husband and I are on a new health journey. I feel good, my joint pain is all but gone! I am also so happy for Pride to begin. Most of you know my personal journey...If you don't, please feel free to come in and chat. I am very transparent. My father stopped speaking to me about 2 years ago, and it has been very strained ever since my daughter chose to live her best life. These have been hard and tough years. I miss my dad. But I have reached out to him, I have tried to answer any and all questions in regard to our situation. He wants nothing to do with it. And I can see what he posts online and it is very hurtful and anti-trans. This saddens me. So this year I have chosen to dedicate my time and energy towards the LGBTQIA+ community and their efforts locally. This is what strengthens me, and I am so happy to celebrate this month. I have been buying and searching for the most fun and cool items to sell at this year's Pride Celebration. I would love to have enough prideful shirts to wear a different one every day of the month. So far I have 23 shirts and 2 really cool pairs of shoes.
My oldest, Tristan, was home visiting in May, and it is always lovely to see him. My sweet AJ is going to try to come up for 2 weeks in June. And my John Johnny will be home from the middle of June til about the 3rd week of August. It is so nice to have them home for visits, and it is even better to have them stagger their visits a little so I get some one-on-one time with each of them.
This month I read Love Letters For Joy, by Melissa See. This sweet YA book features multiple humans who are differently-abled. There is a love story in here with a secret letter writer at school. It helps us see love in all shapes, sizes, and abilities. I also read The Handyman Method: A Story of Terror, by Nick Cutter and Andrew Sullivan. I will start this review by stating that I love HORROR and terror. That is a genre I am pretty comfortable in...This book was neither. There was a real creepiness to it. I did like the breaking down of this one character's psyche, however it did not play out well for me with the reason behind the creepy house and the events that followed. It felt like too many other books that I have read before. I tried to listen to Not Funny, by Jena Friedman. I listened to about 20 percent of this title and I just very much did not enjoy it. I listened to Saturday Night at the Lakeside Supper Club, by Ryan Stradal. I wasn't totally feeling the beginning of this one. I am glad that I stuck with it, because it went to an interesting place and worked out nicely. I will put a trigger warning on this book though. It's an interesting book about how grief affects everyone differently. I also listened to Amazing Grace Adams, by Fran Littlewood. This book was interesting and had a very Michael Douglas in the movie Falling Down vibe going on. (Now I am really dating myself.) This mom sets out on a journey to find herself and her worth, and to recover relationships once lost, all while having terrible luck and making fairly poor decisions along the way. I did enjoy this listen. I drove to the airport to pick up Tristan and I had Janet with me, so I picked a children's title for the ride. We listened to Mac B Kid Spy: Mac Undercover, by Mac Barnett, and it was absolutely fantastic...Both mom and kiddo were entertained for the whole trip and we will be listening to the rest of the series. It is perfect for 6 to 99 year olds. I am also about halfway through listening to Big Gay Wedding, by Byron Lane. This one is very fun so far, and an out-loud exaggeration and stereotype of every type of person. Pretty hilarious so far--will let you know.
I hope to read this month: Mary: An Awakening of Terror, by Nat Cassidy. This book has always interested me, and this week we had a customer pop in, and she and I read very similarly and she said she just finished it and said it was so good! We shall see. I am going to read Pageboy, by Elliot Page. This powerful memoir will be out June 6th and I am so excited to read it. Thank you to my publisher for getting me a finished copy 😀. I am THRILLED to read the ARC of the new Ann Patchett that will be out in August, called Tom Lake. I am also going to read Sunshine: A Graphic Novel, by Jarrett Krosoczka--this is a middle grade book. My rep said it is really lovely and set at a summer camp. And if I have time, I will read The September House, by Carissa Orlando. This one comes out in...you guessed it: September-- hahaha. It just looks so creepy and I love that! I am going to finish listening to Big Gay Wedding, by Byron Lane. I also want to listen to So Many Steves: Afternoons with Steve Martin, by Steve Martin and Adam Gopnik. I just love Steve Martin and I think it will be a fun read. I hope to listen to The Making of Another Major Motion Picture Masterpiece, by Tom Hanks. I also want to listen to Pomegranate, by Helen Elaine Lee--I just think it looks interesting. And of course, we'll continue with the Mac B Spy Kid series!!!
Happy Reading and Stay Safe!
Brandy~
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