September has been off to a great start with some good reads. I wanted to share with you what I’ve been reading lately:

I’m half way through The Spite House by Johnny Compton. This novel is set in a small town in Texas and the main character, Eric Ross, takes a job as a caretaker of sorts to one of the haunted places in America. On top of that, he’s got two daughters with him but he thinks if he can stick it out and find out what’s going on at the Spite House he’s going to come into a lot of money which will help them continue being on the run. Oh yes, there’s also something mysterious about Eric and his family. Really entertaining and filled with some good spooky scenes.

For my mystery book group which is meeting next week, I’m reading Recipes for Love & Murder by Sally Andrews. I originally had this on audio but was finding it hard to follow so I switched to a Kindle read and I’m really enjoying this. The story is set in rural South Africa and features Tannie Maria who loves to cook and writes a column for the local paper but now her cooking column is cut and she has to start writing an advice column. Well good food can be a recipe for love so why not add some recipes to the advice. Some of the dishes described sound delicious so note to self: do not read this on an empty stomach.

Another book I recently started is Beloved Beasts by Michelle Nijhuis. Yes, another nonfiction. I don’t know what has gotten into me. This book traces the story of the conservation movement and I’m sure it’s going to make me mad, sad but hopefully hopeful too!

Finally a bit on the back burner is Family Lore by Elizabeth Acevedo. This is a story about a Dominican-American family and the main character is Flor. She decides that she wants a living wake but that sets off her sisters and family wondering what is going on. I do love that the dialogue has a mix of English and Spanish but what is not working as well for me right now is the changing POVs and timelines. Perhaps I just need to spend a bit more time with this so the story will flow better.

Anyway that’s what’s on my nightstand. Let me know if you’ve read any of these or what you are reading this week.

Hello and happy Sunday everyone! It’s been too long since I joined in for a Sunday Salon catch up but here I am and let’s get this going. Thank you to Deb at Readerbuzz for hosting the chat.

What I’m reading: I’ll tell you about all of my current reads in a separate post but you know I also love magazines and I am really enjoying the latest issue of Uppercase Magazine. Issue 58 deals with whimsy and finding renewed inspiration especially after creative ups and downs.

What I’m watching: For the past couple of weeks we’ve had a little hummingbird stop by throughout the day. Every time I look out the kitchen window into the backyard, I’m hoping I’ll catch a sight of him. My husband set up his tripod this week and took some great pictures of him.

What we’re making: We are still dealing with very high temps so lighter fare is great and this is a summer salad we enjoyed this week.

What I’ve started: At my annual check-up my doctor told me I really need to start incorporating more exercise and especially doing some weights so I’ve started doing some quick routines via my Fitbit App. Yeah, getting back into exercise after a while is so much harder in your 50s. Talk about feeling sore but at the same time feeling really positive and excited. Wish me luck!

What I’m looking forward to: It’s that time of the year when all the planners come out. The last couple of years I’ve been using a Legend Planner and I think that really helped me focus on setting goals, etc. but there are quite a few things that I’m not using in the planner and I am thinking of simplifying to a Leuchttrum1917 planner. So I’m looking forward to deciding which one soon and placing my order. I can’t believe I’m already thinking about next year!

What is my quote for the week: “I dwell in possibility” ~ Emily Dickinson

Enjoy the rest of the weekend and have a great week ahead!