June and July Wrap-up and August TBR

Am I posting this at the end of July?



Should I have posted at least a month ago?

That's also a yes.

But when I initially started working on it, it was the second of July.  and then it was the seventh.  and by the eleventh I was kind of like "you know what, I'll just roll it into next month" so here we are.

So, because this will cover two months of stuff, let's start with June:

Almost half of June was taken up with either travel or being in Kansas.  Because I went to my first Summer Workshop (and had the most amazing, life-changing experience).  And being on the road takes up a lot of time. 

But hey I GOT A TON OF READING DONE.


What I Read:
Coolest thing about this is that I read all but one of what was on my TBR for this month.  So.  Accomplishment. *applause*

The Dark Prophecy ~ Rick Riordan

Overview: The second book in the "Trials of Apollo" series finds our heroes in Indiana, in search of the second oracle they must restore.  And yes, those are battle ostriches on the cover.
Rating: 4 out of 5 (I enjoyed it a lot, but there were a few issues I had with it) (Also, kind of ironically, the book I thought I would have to leave until the end of the month ended up being the first one I read.  Because I couldn't put it down.)

Heist Society ~ Ally Carter

Overview: The retired daughter of a world-famous thief must return to the family business in order to prove that her father's innocence by pulling off the heist of the century.
Rating: 4 out of 5 (I had a great time reading this.  Basically teenage Leverage, y'all.)

The Quarryman's Bride ~ Tracie Peterson

Overview: Eleven years ago, Emmalyne and Tavin were engaged.  But while a family tragedy drove them apart physically, it never loosened the ties of their hearts. 
Rating: 4 out of 5 (I didn't appreciate how Emmalyne's father was portrayed, but I really did enjoy the love story.)

Masterminds: Payback ~ Gordon Korman

Overview: The kids are still on the run, but maybe they've finally found a way to be done with the memory of Serenity forever.
Rating: 5 out of 5 (THIS WAS AWESOME. I read it in its entirety during the last day of the trip, and I loved every second of it.  Please, y'all, read this series.)

A Treasury of Irish Fairy and Folk Tales ~ Various Authors

Overview: Exactly what the title is... it's Irish fairytales.  It's magical.
Rating: 5 out of 5 (I had a great time.)


What I Watched:

Girl Meets World:

I'm rewatching this show because I can and I have no regrets.  It's so fluffy and happy and feel-good.  Although now I'm getting to the kind of angst-y parts.  Which is sad.  But season one is so pure guys. So innocent.  Ugh.

Voltron: Legendary Defender:

Okay, I'm officially on the bandwagon.  I hitched onto the back and I'm so glad that I did.  I'm all the way through season one, and now it's about time that I jump into season two. But this show so far has lived up to the hype, and I'm enjoying it a lot.


What I Listened To:

I listened pretty much exclusively to Steven Curtis Chapman and Dear Evan Hansen whilst traveling.  Raiders March and Something Wild are both just to cause me SW feels.  But the others were most of what I jammed to when I returned.


What I Posted:
June was not the best posting month I've ever had... but it wasn't the worst.
First I told you Why You Should Watch The Bletchley Circle
And then I completed the #VoicesofYA tag


And now we move on to July!

What I Read:

Unlocking the Truth ~ Emily Thomas

Overview: Anne has a new mystery to solve when a mysterious newspaper article arrives at the library, implicating her friends and herself in a crime that happened on their homecoming night.
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 (I absolutely flew through this, but at times the writing left a bit to be desired.)

The Screwtape Letters ~ C.S. Lewis

Overview: An elder demon named Screwtape writes letters of advice to his nephew named Wormwood on how to handle his human, who has recently become a Christian.
Review: 5 out of 5 (It was soooo goooood.  Highly recommend.)

I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You ~ Ally Carter

Overview: Cammie Morgan goes to a school for spies, where she's known as the Chameleon.  But when a school assignment goes awry, she is seen by a normal boy... who thinks she's a normal girl.
Rating: 4 out of 5 (It was really good, but not my favorite)

Andora's Folly ~ Abigayle Claire

Overview: Andora's parents marry her off to a peasant, a fact she is not happy about.  But after being given a letter with strict instructions not to open it, her curiosity may just prove to be too much.
Rating: 5 out of 5 (IT WAS SO GOOD)

Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy ~ Ally Carter

Overview: Cammie and her friends are confused by their teachers' odd behavior... What is Blackthorne, and why is the East Wing suddenly off limits?
Rating: 4 out of 5 (I enjoyed it, and it was super fast paced... I couldn't put it down)

Don't Judge a Girl by Her Cover ~ Ally Carter

Overview: Macey's father is on campaign tour, but when Cammie comes to visit in Boston, things go from exciting to dangerous in a moment.  Now Macey is the target of a terrorist group, and Cammie wants to solve this mystery before next time... when she may not be so lucky.
Rating: 5 out of 5 (Oh my word.  It was so good.  This series, hopefully, is just going to keep getting better)


What I Watched:

Anne With an E:

I finally got around to watching this on Netflix, and I'm so glad that I did.  It's a bit darker than adaptations I've seen in the past, but in a good way.  It felt like coming home.  (Also, Gilbert is adorable.  Look at this sweetheart.  I love him so much.)

Signed, Sealed, Delivered:

Allow me to introduce you to the "Abby, mom, and sis binged this show" for this month.  Guys.  It was so good.  I have so many emotions.  I need to rewatch it asap.  It's about postal workers who solve the mysteries of letters and their recipients and I just loved it so much.  Please watch it so that you can come flail with me.

Young Justice:

(I couldn't find any gifs I liked but look at these nerds)
This show just left Netflix and I hadn't finished it yet so I watched the whole of it in like two days.  Are you proud?  I'm proud.

Penn Zero: Part-Time Hero

(here have a gif with no caption because it's the best I could find)
This past season was crazy.  And so great.  I'm going to miss this show so much it was so good.  I'm so sappy from that finale.


What I Listened To:

I listened to a lot of Steven Curtis Chapman this month and I don't think that's going to change any time soon.  Same with Owl City.  I listened (a lot) to this awesome album called "Music Inspired By The Story" which is basically where a bunch of artists came together with songs based on different Bible characters.  Go listen to it, it's epic.  And Voctave released a new album.  And I listened to the new Broadway version of Holiday Inn.  And then of course Descendants 2 came out this month and "Chillin' Like a Villain" is my jam (but please go watch the video and laugh at Ben's strut)

What I Posted:
Then Sings My Soul (about what God has revealed to me this month)
The Reintegration Cover Reveal! (about the cover for a really cool novel)
The Instant Life (about living not only for the instant, but for the infinite)


What I Plan to Read:

Only the Good Spy Young ~ Ally Carter (book four of Gallagher Girls yesss)

The Giver ~ Lois Lowry (because I bought a beautiful new edition so obviously a reread is in order)

Miracles ~ C.S. Lewis (idk if I'll actually finish it this month, but I'm really enjoying it so far)

London in the Dark ~ Victoria Lynn (because I needed to read this and review it a long time ago... and I haven't yet)


So that's all from me for the past two months.  What about y'all?

~ Abby

The Instant Life

Since time began, humans have been obsessed with figuring it out.  Setting out weeks, months, and years.  At the beginning, the amount of time in the day was dictated by the sun.  The sun went down, humans went to sleep, the sun woke up and so did the people.  But then came the oil lamp.  Then the gas lamp.  Then the electric lamp.  And now, we can have light for as long as we need it, even carrying flashlights smaller than a finger that are bright enough to illuminate an entire room.  And this has changed the way we live.

Our culture is one that is based around the idea that everything should take the least amount of time that it can possibly take.  Microwave ovens were designed so that food could be prepared in a matter of minutes rather than hours.  The same for washing machines and dryers for our clothes.  The industrial revolution meant that machines could make goods at rates faster than a human could ever dream.  The internet allowed for the international market to keep moving, each country in time with one another, even though one is at two in the afternoon and one is at two in the morning.  And it didn't stop there.

A couple of weeks ago, I bought a video game on the PlayStation4 (yes, I play video games.  and yes, I am very happy with my purchase).  Once I'd clicked all the right buttons and gotten a confirmation, I selected the "download now" button.  But alas, to my dismay, the "now" on that button was a misnomer.  The bar on the downloads screen clearly read "Estimated time: 1 hour".

An hour??  How was I expected to wait that long??

There are many things in our lives nowadays that are marketed as "instant".  Instant potatoes, instant soup, instant service.  It's so much so that you could almost say that all of us are living an instant life.

Everything is about immediate gratification.  Veruca Salt's philosophy has become ours.



We want our packages to arrive the moment we click "Buy".  We want to be able to eat as soon as we walk into the kitchen.  And we want God's answer to our prayers right now.

It's easy to fall into this trap.  Society has so ingrained this idea of the "instant" into our minds that often, it's easier to forget about the intricacies of God and just go with the world's fast-paced flow.

But God doesn't operate within time.

This is one of the hardest things for us humans to grasp.  I still don't fully understand it, and I'm pretty sure that I won't until I see Heaven.  Peter summed it up as best he could:

But do not forget this one thing, friends:

With the Lord a day is like a thousand years,

and a thousand years are like a day.

{2 Peter 3:8}

God answers prayer, alright, but it may be in thirty years, our time.  Or it may be in thirty minutes.  He doesn't have the same constraints that we do.  We only get 24 hours a day, and a good portion of that is or should be spent sleeping.  We only have so much time!  We need answers!  We want them now!

One of my Sunday School teachers a few years back said this: "There are three answers that God will give to your prayer - yes, no, and wait."

Wait for the Lord;

be strong and take heart

and wait for the Lord.

{Psalm 27:14}

Let me tell y'all, it's really hard to wait for God.  Waiting for an answer to a question can feel like it's taking an eternity when talking to a fellow human but it may quite literally be an eternity when God's the one you're waiting for.  One example of waiting on God, the first that always pops into my head, is the story of the last good man in the world and how God wiped everything else away.  Noah probably spent years (every one of them rain-less, mind you) building the ark.  Then it took seven days to get the animals loaded.  Then came the forty days and forty nights of torrential downpour while the entire earth got reshaped and wiped out, and then it was another hundred and fifty days of just water.  And then it was another two and a half months before they could just see the tops of the highest mountains.  Then two weeks waiting for the dove to find land.  Guys, it was ten and a half months from the beginning of the flood to the day they stepped off the ark.  Ten and a half months in a boat with only your family and a whole bunch of animals.  I mean, my family can barely stand each other for five hours in the car, can you imagine ten months?  And think of the pressure!  Knowing that your family and your family alone will repopulate the entire world.  Knowing that you'll have to split up and probably won't see each other again.  (Of course, they didn't part ways like they were supposed to... but that's a different story.)

Waiting on God was something that Noah did daily.  And he wasn't the only one.  The Bible is full to the brim with people who waited on the Lord. 

And I don't deny that they had their own struggles with waiting.  Any time they jumped the gun, so to speak, and went before God said to go, they suffered the consequences.  But we can take a lot from their example on how to exhibit the spirit fruit called Patience.

Abraham and Sarah waited for God's promise to come true, for their son to be born, and for a nation to come through him.  Joseph spent two years in a dungeon, waiting for someone to remember he was there.  Moses waited forty years in the desert before God said that the people could enter the Promised Land, and even then, he didn't make it.  Hannah waited for a child.  Gideon, for a command to go.  Naomi waited for God to send her Kinsman Redeemer, and David waited for his anointing as a child to come to fruition.  And Mary, sweet Mary, had to wait for God to tell her what she was supposed to do now - now that she was carrying His own son.  And the list doesn't stop there.

Be still in the presence of the Lord,
And wait patiently for Him to act.
{Psalm 37:7}

In a world that's constantly moving, finding a moment to be still is difficult.  I've always been good at sitting still when told to (being a pastor's kid, it was kind of drilled into me as a child), but it's easier to calm your body when your eyes have something to watch.  It's really hard to wait for something you can't see, especially when you don't know what it is you're waiting for.

But waiting for God to show you something tends to have really cool results.  Starting to read your Bible, with no expectation of what you will find, turns up nuggets of wisdom that you've never heard or that you haven't thought about enough.  Going into it with the prayer, "Tell me something", ends up showing you more than you could possibly imagine.  (and if you need help with that prayer, just pray the words of this song)

I waited patiently for the Lord to help me,

and He turned to me and heard my cry.

{Psalm 40:1}

God's never far from His children.  How neat is it that we get a Father who is both instant and infinite?  Have you ever thought about that before?  God is in this moment, and He will be here forever and forever. 

Take a moment (or, take a lifetime) to think about your Instant Life during this coming week.  And thank God that He has us in the instant, and in the infinite.

His blessings on you and yours,
~ Abby

Reintegration Cover Reveal

A perfect citizen.

A captured rebel.

One decision could destroy them both...

 

Hello, everyone! 

 

Today is a great day that I'm super excited for!

 

Because today, THE COVER FOR ASHLEY BOGNER'S NOVEL, "Reintegration", IS BEING REVEALED TODAY! *trumpet fanfare*

 

And today, you get to see it right here and right now!

 

 

Isn't it beautiful??

 

Here are a few things for you to take a look at:

 

About the Book:

As a Regulator, seventeen-year-old Katherine Holliday’s duty is to protect the people of the Federation from a group of violent rebels who have exiled themselves to the mysterious wilderness. When one of these rebels is captured within the Federation, the government leaders propose an alternative to execution, a procedure they call Reintegration. The procedure involves erasing the rebel’s memory and attempting to make him a member of society. The rebel, a young man named Matthew, is not the violent criminal Katherine expects, and she can’t help but befriend him. A few weeks after Matthew’s Reintegration, Katherine realizes the procedure failed and she is now presented with a choice no one else can help her make. Can she warn her superiors that Reintegration failed, which could mean death for Matthew? Or will she defy everything she knows to help him escape—and risk her own execution?

 

About the Author:

When Ashley Bogner was in third grade, she decided she would be a published author when she grew up. Ashley is a homeschool graduate and has lived in seven different states. She completed a year of Bible college and in the fall will begin pursuing a degree in Communication Studies. After college, her plan is to work in the Christian publishing industry. When not writing, she can be found baking, posting book reviews on her blog, and watching her favorite movies over and over to the point of memorization.

You can find Ashley online on her blog.

 

The book releases August 18, 2017, and personally, I'm really excited. Add the book to your Goodreads shelf here!

 

 

Aaaaaand, I think that's everything! 

Are you excited to read "Reintegration"?  Let me know in the comments below!

 

~ Abby

Then Sings My Soul

The last couple of nights, I've been compelled to read my Bible.  And when you hear a tiny whisper in your head saying "Get up and read your Bible", it's typically a good idea to listen.

Two nights ago, once I had grabbed my brand new, fancy apologetics Bible (it was a gift for graduation) and settled in the living room because I share a bedroom with my sister (and it was midnight), I felt the need to start in Exodus.  I really didn't know why.  I've been wanting to read it, and I knew I would enjoy the story, but, being the good listener I was at the moment inclined to be, I flipped past Genesis and started on book 2.  I read through about half of the plagues before my eyes started getting blurry and I figured it was time for sleep.  The story was fascinating, as I had expected.

Last night, pushed again by that voice, I picked up where I left off.

And guys, I think I found it.  I think I found what I was supposed to find in Exodus.

After the plagues, after Pharaoh says "go" and then changes his mind, after the Red Sea, and after the Egyptian army has been destroyed, the Israelites sing a song.  A song that I had never read.  A song I encourage you to read.

Because right at the beginning of this song, in verse 15:2, there is a phrase that made me sit back and go, "huh."

The LORD is my strength and my song...

And to explain why this really resonated with me, I must tell a bit of a story.  (of course. because it's me.)

I've been a member of our church's praise team (also known as a worship team or worship leaders or whatever your church calls the people who stand in front and sing the melody so that everyone else can follow along) for about two years now.  For the first year, it was unofficial.  I was the fill-in whenever someone got sick because I knew all of the songs because I'd been singing most of them my whole life (our praise team is a bit outdated, but we're working on it).  When my dad passed away, I stepped into the hole he left, even using the same microphone he had (which, I've been told, made some people tear up).  It's been a bit over a year now that I've been singing every Sunday (except when I'm out of town) and I loved it.  For a long time, I loved it. 

But recently, it's seemed like a chore.  I haven't wanted to go to a practice in about a month.  Every Thursday night seems like it comes too fast, and I feel like there are other things I could be doing with my time that would be more productive (writing blog posts, for example).  And it was only this past Thursday night (the first night that I felt the need to read), that I asked myself why.  And I think I've figured it out.  Many of you can probably relate to it.

The worries of the world have seeped in.

Practice has become more of a time to vent and unload our problems to each other than a time to work on our worship.  Complaints of physical pains and emotional turmoil are more prevalent than discussions of what God has revealed to us in the past week.  And that's heartbreaking to me.  Even I've fallen into this pattern of just showing up to sing, not feeling well physically or emotionally.  Any excuse for practice to be cancelled, and a tiny thrill goes through my mind.  I do my best to catch myself, to return my eyes to Jesus, but it's difficult when everyone around you only wants to talk about themselves.

I love my fellow praise team members with all of my heart.  And that's part of why this saddens me.  Because I have found that the best solution for aches and pains of the body and soul is to count your blessings. 

But that's a point for another day.

I've made it my mission, every week, to find a lyric in one of the songs that means something to me.  This isn't hard most of the time, as that's what worship songs are designed to be.  On Sunday morning, God willing, we will be singing "The Heart of Worship".  And on Thursday night, the chorus really struck me.

I'm coming back to the heart of worship,

Where it's all about You.  It's all about You, Jesus.

I'm sorry, Lord, for the thing I've made it

When it's all about You.  It's all about You, Jesus.

I'm sorry for the thing I've made it.  I'm sorry that singing His praise has become a chore when I should feel blessed that He treasures me enough to allow me the privilege of singing to Him.  I'm sorrier about that than I've ever been sorry about anything.

And thus, this verse hit home.  But I found two meanings in it, and I'd like to share them with you.

The LORD is my strength and my song...

Even when I can't find the strength in myself to pray.
Even when I can't find the strength in myself not to cry.
Even when I can't find the strength in myself to sing.
He is.

I don't have to be strong enough.  I will never be strong enough.
But He is.

The first meaning is simply this - that when I have no strength and I have no song, He is right there and he supplies everything that I need.

The LORD is my strength and my song...

There is nothing more precious in my life than the gift of being in God's family.  I'm a chosen heir, I'm a beloved princess, and nothing can take that away.  So why is it that so often I find it hard to pray or to read my Bible or to go to church or to simply sit in His presence and let Him speak to and through me? 

I think often times it's because I've forgotten. 

The congregation is not why I sing.  The praise team is not why I sing.  The expectations, the responsibility, my mom, my dad's legacy, my own spirit and soul - none of these things are why I sing.

God didn't have to give me this gift.  There are times when I doubt that I have a gift at all, and think that I'm the worst singer ever and that everyone who says "good job" is lying and that I shouldn't be on stage because I'm no better at singing than anyone else.  But then I look at the people I know who cannot sing.  And I know several.  They do their best to make a joyful noise, alright, but they probably only sound good to the Father Himself.  And when I look at them, I say a prayer of thanks.  Because God has gifted me.  HE is the strength.  HE is the song.  He is the only good reason I have for doing any of this.

God supplies the song.  I can do nothing else but sing it.

The #VoicesofYA Tag!

Hey, look who isn't dead!

Me for the past two weeks: Abby, you really need to write a blog post today.
Also me:


{We spent two weeks traveling, and I didn't feel like writing posts any of those nights at any of those hotels and I'm going to stop making excuses now, but just know that I am sorry.}

So I have been tagged by Jonathan to do this tag and it looks super fun so HERE WE ARE FOR A TAG!


Question 1: What draws you to YA?
Mostly... I am a young adult.  So it makes sense.

Question 2: Describe your writing process.  Do you like outlines and structures, or seeing where your story takes you?
I'd love to be a plotter.  I really would.  Unfortunately, I have too many pantser tendencies.  Although I do love when my characters develop themselves into more than I expect.  They do that quite a bit.

Question 3: How long have you been writing?  Where are you in your journey?
I've been writing since I was ten years old, so eight years now.  Which is nuts.  But I'm still learning so much about the craft.  Honestly I feel like I know more about writing than I've actually experienced.  Which isn't great.  But I'm working on it. 

Question 4: What do you need to write?  Coffee?  Music?
MUSIC.  I have to have music.  Like, to write anything.  For example, right now, I have my Disney on Broadway playlist on shuffle.  For writing my stories, I like to have something like this, where it's kind of mindless.  I know the songs so well that I can listen to them without having to listen, if you know what I mean.  Which you probably don't.  But it's hard to explain, lol.

Question 5: If you could offer one piece of advice to another writer, (OTHER THAN "don't give up"), what would it be?
Oof, that's tough.  I think I would have to say... "Write what you love."  Find your favorite genre.  Write that.  Find something you enjoy researching.  Write about it.  Even if it isn't a fiction story, even if it's a short story, even if it's a poem, just write what you're interested in.  If you don't enjoy history, don't try to write a historical fiction.  Does that make sense?

Question 6: What book still has you reeling from its plot twist?
So many, to be honest.  But the one that's coming to mind is "A Time to Die".  Because oh my word, guys.  I'm still a little breathless from that ending.

Question 7: What books are you most anticipating for this year?
Oh dear. *glances at Goodreads* Umm... "The Noble Servant" by Melanie Dickerson (this one is already out, but I haven't read it yet... but I'm so looking forward to it) and "The Ship of the Dead" by Rick Riordan (I'm so ready for this one) are the two that I think I'm most excited for.

Question 8: In your opinion, which YA book/series has the most unique premise?
See, I was going to say the "Out of Time" trilogy for this... but everyone else has said that so now I have to think of something else.  I think I'm going to say the "Gallagher Girls" series by Ally Carter.  I've just started the first book, so I can't say much about it yet, but the premise is so unique.  I mean, it's about a school for spies.  How cool is that?

Question 9: What is your all-time favorite quote from YA?
OH GOODNESS NO DON'T MAKE ME CHOOSE.  But are we talking funny quotes?  Because if so, any of Rick Riordan's books are full of them.  But for serious, moving quotes, I really love this quote from Lois Lowry's "Gathering Blue" - "We're the ones who will fill in the blank places.  Maybe we can make it different."  What a life goal, right?

Question 10: What book do you most hope will have a movie adaptation?
Well I would say the "Books of Beginning" trilogy (some of my favorite books of all time), but as they are MG and this is a YA tag, I'll say "Heist Society" by Ally Carter.  Because I really want to see this story on a screen, big or small.  It plays out like a teenaged Leverage, so obviously I need to see it.  Please.

Tagging People:
I don't really know who to tag for this, so if you have a blog and want to do this tag, go ahead and feel free to say that I tagged you.  And then leave me a link to your post so that I can see your answers ;)

~ Abby

Five Reasons Why You Should Watch The Bletchley Circle

Because everything I post apparently has a story behind it, here's the story for this one:

This past week, my brother went to a friend's house to spend the night playing video games and not sleeping or whatever.  He ended up extending it to two nights, so it was just the three of us girls around here.  As we were here for two days with not too much to do, Mom decided that she wanted to browse Netflix and find some shows to watch in the future.  Now this may seem strange, but we've never sat down and just scrolled through the offerings on Netflix, we usually just find something we want and go with that.  But we ended up making a list of shows that we thought were possibilities (always with the thought of if it's bad or nasty in the first episode, we'll stop).  The first one we watched was kind of meh, it wasn't great and it wasn't really clean, and while we had stayed up until 1am watching it, we didn't feel like it had been worth that. 

But then we started this one.

And it was all better.

The Bletchley Circle ran for two seasons from 2012 to 2014, and followed the story of four women in post-WWII England who are trying to live normal lives after working for the government during the war. 

So here's why you should watch The Bletchley Circle:


1. It's short.

The first season is only three episodes, and the second season is only four.  This makes it super binge-worthy.  Each episode is about an hour, so you're only dedicating seven hours of your life to these ladies as opposed to the 50+ I've dedicated to Once Upon a Time (for example).

2. It's historically accurate.

The costumes.  THE COSTUMES, GUYS.  I'm jealous of every single outfit in this show I want them all.  Not only that, but the women's roles in society is accurate, the way they have to acclimate back into society is accurate, and as a history nerd I adored every second of it.

3. It's British.

Dumb reason, I know, but hear me out.  I don't know about you, but I love British television shows.  Now, I still haven't watched Doctor Who or Sherlock, but I love hearing the accents and the lingo.  And I caught myself thinking in a British accent for several days afterward, no joke.  Also, this show is just so British.  What do they do when something goes wrong?  They make tea.  Susan's kids call her "mummy" and it's adorable.

4. GIRL POWER.

Much like "Agent Carter" (another one of my faves), this show features kick-butt women who lead their own lives and don't need no man (except for Susan, who is married to the sweetest guy. I'd marry him.).  We've got a single woman out on her own and living her own life (Millie), a librarian (Jean), a younger woman with an abusive husband and a photographic memory (Lucy), and then of course Susan whose husband is wonderful as I've said, I love him.   But the whole series centers around them going out and solving murders on their own.

5. It's fantastic.

There are heavy themes in this show.  I mean themes like abuse, human trafficking, and, obviously, murder.  But it does it in a way that never ever makes anything seem okay.  Even the others find out that Millie has been smuggling things on the side (which, of course, gets her into trouble), the others make sure that she knows she's in the wrong.  There are consequences for the actions in this show, which is something that is very rare in media these days. 
But on the lighter side, the friendships between the women are wonderful.  There are funny moments.  There's sweetness between Susan and her family, and a cute relationship beginning between Lucy and a Scotland Yard agent in the second season. 

DISCLAIMER:
If you have issues with blood, murder, or things like that, this isn't the show for you. 
But if you're into murder mysteries and awesome women, enjoy, my friends.

~ Abby

May Wrap-up and June TBR

Would someone be so kind as to tell me where May went?  Because it seems like just yesterday it was stretched out before me like the promising month it was.  And now it's gone.  Poof.

May was quite a busy month for me.  I'm not sure I can even remember everything that happened - but most prominently, we conquered recital for another year, and competed in our first Irish dance feis! AND I won first in fast treble jig (which is hard shoe) against like... nine other dancers.  Which is nuts.

Anyway...


What I Read:
(guys I finished 7 books this month.  WHAT EVEN.)

A Time to Die ~ Nadine Brandes

Overview: Parvin Blackwater lives in a society where Numbers are everything.  But when it's discovered that she's been sharing Numbers with her brother, she must face the Wall and the unknown world beyond it.
My Rating: 5 out of 5 (IT WAS AMAZINGGGG)

The Icecutter's Daughter ~ Tracie Peterson

Overview: Merrill Krause is the only woman in the house, fulfilling the promise she made to her dying mother by caring for her father and six older brothers.  But when Rurik Jorgenson rolls into town, the commitment she made to the single life may prove hard to keep.
Rating: 5 out of 5 (a cute, clean, fluffy romance full of twists I didn't expect)

Before the Awakening ~ Greg Rucka

Overview: These are the stories of FN-2187, a stormtrooper, Rey, a scavenger, and Poe, a pilot, in the days before the Resistance changed their lives.
Rating: 4 out of 5 (I enjoyed it a lot, but the writing style wasn't my favorite)

The Blue Fairy Book ~ Andrew Lang

Overview: A book of fairytales, collected by Andrew Lang, featuring tales like "Jack the Giant-Killer", "Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp", and "The Black Bull of Norroway".
Rating: 5 out of 5 (I love fairytales... have I mentioned that enough lately?)

Smek for President! ~ Adam Rex

Overview: Tip and J.Lo are back and headed to New Smekworld.  What could go wrong?  Everything.
Rating: 5 out of 5 (I loved it so muuuuuch please everyone read these books)

Beauty Sleep ~ Cameron Dokey

Overview: When Princess Aurore discovers that her curse will affect not only her but her entire kingdom, she ventures into The Forest, trying to undo the evil cast upon her.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 (it was good, and very original, but the ending took a twist that left me more... confused than anything else)

Nowhere to Be Found ~ Kristin Eckhart (writing as Emily Thomas)

Overview: A young widow inherits her great-aunt's manor house, and while converting it into a library, stumbles upon a mystery that she never knew existed.
Rating: 4 out of 5 (it was really cute)


What I Watched:

Once Upon a Time:

(how i'm entering every room ever from now on)
THE MUSICAL WAS SO MAGICAL. AND THAT SEASON FINALE, GUYS. AHHHH.

The Bletchley Circle:

So we technically watched this on the first day of June but GUYS. I think I'm going to do a post pretty soon talking about this show because OH MY WORD IT WAS AMAZING. And too short. Way too short.


What I Listened To:

So many musicals, wow.  I had some Psych nostalgia this month with the announcement of THE MOVIE WHICH IS COMING IN DECEMBER, I finally listened to the Mary Poppins Broadway soundtrack (it's really great, btw), Feet Do Yo' Stuff was the song for our tap routine this year at recital, and GUYS GO LISTEN TO DEAR EVAN HANSEN except skip the track "Sincerely, Me", there's some language in that one but the rest of it is beautiful and heart-wrenching and ugh this musical.


What I Posted:
I reviewed A Time To Die
I had a ton of fun doing The Playlist Tag
I also reviewed Nowhere To be Found


What I Plan to Read:
(this is a tentative list, as we're doing a lot of travelling this month because I'M GOING TO THE OYAN SUMMER WORKSHOP GUYS I'M SO EXCITED and thus we have to drive to Kansas. And we all know what road trips mean - reading time!)

The Screwtape Letters ~ C.S. Lewis (I'm already mostly done with this one and I'm really enjoying it so far [hopefully I'll get a review up before I leave?])

The Dark Prophecy ~ Rick Riordan (I finally got my hands on it yay! I can't wait to devour this one, it's hilarious so far)

Masterminds: Payback ~ Gordon Korman (I've been waiting to read this I'm so pumped)

Heist Society ~ Ally Carter (the description of this kind of sounds like Leverage and that of course excites me)

The Quarryman's Bride ~ Tracie Peterson (this is the sequel to The Icecutter's Daughter so I'm excited)


I'm not sorry to see May go, honestly, it was a lot.  Now to packing, I guess...

Favorites of the month?  Most anticipated for June? Let me know down below!

~ Abby