Welcome back to the Sunday Salon (hosted by Deb at Readerbuzz)! I've been joining the linkup on the last Sunday of every month to share both life news and bookish updates.
All covers are linked to Goodreads.
May News
1. My sister graduated from her PhD program this month!!! Back at the beginning of May, my parents drove my husband and me to Philadelphia to attend her graduation ceremony. It was a very long day, but I'm so glad we went and I'm so proud of all the hard work she put into her degree. I didn't get any good pictures of her walking across the stage, so here's a very far away photo of the Philadelphia skyline (I'm actually astonished at how well it turned out, considering I took it through a glass window from the back of a moving vehicle).
2. My husband started his training at the police academy last week!
3. I'm going indie. At an open mic night with some close friends earlier this month, someone suggested that I self-publish. She put it the right way for me to hear it at the right time, I guess, because the idea lodged in my brain and now I'm planning to release my first book, a YA retelling of Snow White, sometime late this year or early next year. So stay tuned for more details on that!
Just Finished Reading
On Tuesday, I finished Things My Son Needs to Know about the World by Fredrik Backman. I have now read everything he's published to date!
On Wednesday, I finally finished Kuleana: A Story of Family, Land, & Legacy in Old Hawai'i by Sara Kehaulani Goo. I say "finally" because I had to force myself through this book. It was not a pleasant reading experience, unfortunately.
On Friday, I finished The Kingdom of Almonds by Ariel Kaplan, the final book in the Mirror Realm Cycle. I truly loved this series and can't recommend it enough!
Currently Reading
I'm currently listening to The Perfect Couple by Elin Hilderbrand, mostly because it has an umbrella on the cover, so I need it for my 2026 Cover Lovers Reading Challenge. Also, it was available on CD at my library.
I'm also rereading The Girl From Everywhere by Heidi Heilig! I have thought about this book every summer since I finished it nine years ago. It's the perfect summer read, and I finally decided to revisit it this year!
I finally got Becca Kinzer's new book, Not What We Pictured, from the library, and I just started reading it yesterday! Very fun so far, as expected.
Last Week on the Blog
Top Ten Tuesday: My Favorite Books by My Favorite Authors
Many congratulations to your sister! Exciting stuff between your decision to self-publish and your husband beginning the police academy.
ReplyDeleteThank you! Yes, I'm so excited for the next couple of years as we pursue our new career paths!
DeleteI forgot to say, that’s a very cool photo - especially taken from a moving car!
ReplyDeleteHaha thank you!
DeleteI *think* Not What I Pictured is my next book, once I finish the current one I am reading! Indie authors seem to be doing better than they used to do. I read and enjoy a lot of Indie authors. Good luck with the venture, and good luck to your husband with the police academy. Have a great week!
ReplyDeleteI'm thoroughly enjoying it so far! About 20% of the way through. I'm glad to hear that you read a lot of indie authors! I'm a little nervous, but self-publishing just gives you so much more control and I feel like it's finally time to take the leap. Thanks for stopping by!
DeleteCongratulations to your sister! I think the photo of the skyline is excellent. I look forward to hearing more in the future about your self-publishing venture.
ReplyDeleteThank you! I look forward to sharing more :D
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