Monday, July 30, 2018

Karen's Summer Reading

A selection of books I've read this summer

Don't Let Go by Harlan Coben
The Sleepwalker by Chris Bohjalian
The Woman in the Window by AJ Finn
Find Me by JS Monroe
Only Child by Rhiannon Navin
The recipe box by Viola Shipman
One of the Boys by Daniel Magariel
The Optimist's Guide to Letting Go by Amy Reichert
Heart on the Line by Karen Witemeyer
Just between us by Rebecca Drake
Uncommon Type by Tom Hanks
I was Anastasia by Ariel Lawhon
A state of Freedom by Neel Mukherjee
Elmet by Fiona Mozley
The talented Ribkins by Ladee Hubbard
The trouble with goats and sheep by Joanna Cannon
Two steps Forward by Graeme Simsion and Anne Buist
The summer that made Us by Robyn Carr
The Noel Diary by Richard Paul Evans


A whirlwind of a summer

Well, today being the first day of school, it is somewhat an end to summer.  But, really Labor Day does officially end summer.

Marian begins her first day of sophomore year at Oak Ridge High School.  She had a busy summer with some highlights including: being in the Ensemble of Oklahoma (singing, dancing and loving it), doing her summer reading (finishing it just yesterday!), re-designing her new room (she's taken over Anna's old bedroom), visiting NYC and seeing her first Broadway show (Anastasia, which is AMAZING), doing some fun things on her summer bucket list (learning to knit, going in the World's Fair Park fountain fully clothed, trying 10 new candies, among other things), and having her wisdom teeth out (not too fun, but it's done!). 

Gabriel starts his junior year at Rice in a few weeks.  This is his last week in NYC. He has had a good time there and loved his internship.  He is renting a house with 7 other guys (4 on each floor) and will be moving into there in the next couple weeks.

Anna got a job, about 6-7 weeks of looking, but her perseverance paid off.  She is an assistant teacher at a daycare and takes care of the 18-24 month old kids.  She has saved enough money and will be moving into her own studio apartment at the end of August.  She is excited to be on her own.  It will be a challenge to organize all her stuff into a small space, but I'm sure she'll work it out.  She is very much looking forward to saving money on gas, as the apartment is walking distance to work.  She worked backstage for Oklahoma and has been asked to work the next show, Deathtrap.