Historically I have viewed August as our last chance to enjoy summer and packed it so full of trips, house projects, and plans that I ended up worn down and raggedy by the end of the month. And actually, the past two years I rolled into September with a dislocated rib and whole-body hives--two weird ways my body tells me to slow down. Consequently, the fall months of midlife have been punctuated with chiropractor appointments and steroids; heating pads and ice packs. Plus a resolution to do things differently next year (which I never do). But this year's health reconstruction project changed the way I mapped out this August. I determined to take it easier, and here's how I did it:
*I donated our extra garden harvests to the chickens. That meant no peeling, chopping, canning, blanching, freezing, or organizing, freeing up a tremendous amount of time and eliminating hurry and pressure. A surprising amount of time and a surprising amount of pressure, really. (That realization has me thinking.)
*I visited Denver and had a girls weekend with my three best friends from high school. We thrifted, hiked at a mom's pace, and ate delicious food that someone else cooked. We spent four days laughing and talking non-stop, catching up and reminiscing in equal measures. I've never taken a trip like this before and kind of thought I'd end up feeling selfish for doing it, but in the end my family was happy and self-sufficient in my absence. I really hope to do it again! Women need other women, ya know?
*Instead of planning a family vacation this year, we opted to let the kids take their own weeklong trip while I stayed home and rested. Jeff and I went out to eat, kayaked, and enjoyed each other's company thoroughly. We got to Facetime with the kids each night and experience their joy secondhand that way. It was bliss.
Now we're into the first week of September and I've been puttering around decorating for fall and baking. Oh, this reminds me! I made the most delicious thing I've made in years: Cinnamon Crunch Peach Muffin Bread. I was going to wait until next month to share, but by then peaches won't be in season and I want you to get to enjoy the best version of this dessert right now!
The first time I made the recipe, I disobeyed the directions by accident. Then I figured I should see what it was supposed to taste like, made it again, and decided that my "wrong" result was better than the recipe as written. A happy accident. I highly recommend this recipe, as it will knock your fall socks off, but make these changes:
1. Instead of swirling the peach jam on the top, mix it into the batter. It will permeate the entire loaf and elevate the flavor.
2. Making this change, your dough will have a higher moisture content. This means you need to bake it a little differently. I baked it for an hour at 350 degrees, then lowered it to 325 until a toothpick came out clean. (Because I'm at high elevation, I had to bake it a lot longer than the recipe says. I think it ended up going for an additional 30 minutes, but you'll need to watch yours and modify for your elevation.)
This bread is five-stars-delicious. Trust me.
Let me know if you make it! Now let me tell you about all of my bookish happenings in August!
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Reading Riches: Everything I Read This Month
(To learn more about each book, click the cover image. You'll be taken to its Goodreads page, with a lengthy description and more reader reviews.)
The Island of Sea Women, by Lisa See
This was our book club selection for August, a mercy because it had been on my TBR for probably four years and I finally prioritized reading it. The Island of Sea Women is a story about the diving women of Jeju, South Korea. It spans seventy years from 1938 - 2008 and takes you back and forth in time to tell the story of childhood friends Young-Sook and Mi Ja.
Not being aware of much South Korean history, I felt a bit gobsmacked after reading this book. I really had no idea the degree of relentless suffering the South Korean people have endured. I'm sure those things contributed to making them a strong and determined people, but the story was hard to read at times because of the torrent of tragedy that is sustained for most of the book. I wished better things for the people in the story. We ended up having a good discussion at book club, but I think all agreed that it was hard to feel good about this one.
My rating: 3/5
Tell Me Everything, by Elizabeth Strout
Tell Me Everything is the fifth book in the worlds of Olive Kitteridge and Lucy Barton; the fourth I've read. I also just learned that this book won the Pulitzer when I posted the cover image.
In this book, Olive Kitteridge is living in a retirement home and Lucy Barton has just moved to the area with her estranged husband, William. There is a suspicious death in the community that interests all of the main characters in one way or other, and everyone plays a part in figuring things out. That's the bare-bones plot, but as with the other Kitteridge/Barton installments, the heart and soul of the story is found in the characters.
I love this world. I love these people. I love how Elizabeth Strout writes. I just love it all. There are content warnings, so I recommend looking into them before diving in.
My rating: 5/5
The Briar Club, by Kate Quinn
The Briar Club finally came through on my library holds list, so I got to read it after a full five months' wait! I requested the audio version due to its length (over 15 hours long) and am so glad that I did. I don't sit much during summer, so I'm not sure that I would have been able to finish it if I had to sit down and physically read the words.
This story is told so uniquely: In the beginning we are plopped into a mysterious murder scene, where one of the narrators feeding us information is the house in which the scene is taking place. An anthropomorphic narrator? Okay. Let's see where this goes...
Where it goes is wild. Boarding in the house are an expansive cast of women from different cultures and walks of life, who take turns telling us their individual stories while also filling out the details of the situation at the beginning of the story. It all culminates in a conclusion that I did not see coming until it neared.
This book kept me company while I did my chores for nearly two weeks, and I was always looking forward to getting back to it. I really enjoyed this story, though it is heavy-laden with unabashed (sometimes simplistic) feminist perspectives and has quite a few content warnings. I wouldn't recommend this for sensitive readers.
My rating: 4/5
Library Additions: The Books I Bagged in August
For no reason in particular, I haven't done much thrifting in recent months. However, in August I thrifted several times. After such a long thrifting break, the stacks were repopulated and my thrift store trips paid off handsomely! Just look at all this loot:
The first photo is exciting because it contains copies of two of my most favorite books of all time, God's Smuggler and The Midnight Library! My old copy of God's Smuggler was in a sad state after many read-throughs by the kids and I. I gave Meg the old one to put on her "Favorite Books" shelves and this one will be mine for reading and loaning out.
I was also happy to get a physical copy of Tess of the D'Urbervilles since I only had the Audible version and am looking to read it again soon. This may sound strange, but sometimes I like to listen to the audiobook while reading the physical book. I find this method especially helpful when reading difficult books, or stories with a slow pace. Having both eyes and ears on the book helps me to not get distracted or stuck.
I finally found a nice copy of My Sister's Keeper, a book that I've been hunting for a 2026 project I have planned. (I'm so excited about this project and can't wait to share in a few months!)
Marked Passages: Thoughts That Made Me Feel, Think, or See Things Differently
You aren’t being tortured for your anger, you’re being tortured by your anger.
-Island of the Sea Women
Modern relationships start more and more like this:
Two people look at each other and say, “I will be what I should be as long as, and to the degree that you are what you should be. And if you’re not, I’m out.”
But in a covenant, two people look at each other and say, “I will be what I should be whether you are what you should be or not.” Therefore, it’s scary to get into a covenant, and it only works if both people in the covenant say that. If only one says that and the other does not, then what you have is exploitation or even abuse.
But, if you really do get into a covenant relationship where two parties are each saying, “You are more important than me. The relationship is more important than my needs. I will be committed to your needs before my needs, and I will be committed to the relationship even if it’s not meeting my needs at the moment. I give you my independence and part of my freedom, as a gift of love,” that is a far more fulfilling, far more deep and profound, far more life-changing and joyful relationship, than a consumer relationship in which each side says, “I’ll be in this as long as you’re meeting my needs.”
-Tim Keller
A Special Snap:
My middle daughter turned 21 in August and we celebrated with tickets to see the Blue Angels airshow. Another milestone for this dynamic woman. I'm so blessed to know her, and to get to watch her move fearlessly through the world. She encourages me to get out there and live!
And that's it for August's reading blog! I hope you had a wonderful month and are looking forward to the season ahead. I know I am! Until next month,
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