July wrap-up and plans for August

I think I say this every month, but July really flew by!

Reading

Not as much as usual, to be honest, for several reasons. I was away on vacation for a week, spent my listening time on podcasts rather than audiobooks, and starting watch more tv. Which is all fine! But it means I didn't do great in my categories. Let's have a look, shall we?

Reading Challenge List: I've begun Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi
CBAM: nothing
Romance: finished A Scot in the Dark which I started in June, and is my only June/July romance
Nonfiction: Too Fat, Too Slutty, Too Loud by Anne Helen Petersen

I also read two of the four books I have to read for the IPNE Book Awards, but I can't post about those books until sometime this fall. Now I also have six books to read for the library's community read committee, though I can post about those as I read them. One happens to be Homegoing which was also on my reading challenge so I'm currently killing two birds with one stone.

In terms of reading I'm very torn. On the one hand, I have a lot of assigned reading and want to resist paying attention to what new books are coming out. On the other hand, I'm doing a Fall Book Buzz program at the library with a coworker in which we'll talk about books we're excited about for the fall so I have to pay attention.

Listening

Pic from this month: yarn bombing in Bermuda!

I did listen to one audiobook this month, When Dimple Met Rishi, which I think I started in June. After that, I just listened to podcasts. I just subscribed to Book Riot's new podcast, Annotated, and the first episode was pretty good. It was all about independent bookstores. There was a great episode of Smart Podcast, Trashy Books that I listened to early in the month about an author who is traveling around the world living temporarily in different places while she writes. It sounds kind of amazing.

Halsey has a new album out, Hopeless Fountain Kingdom, which I've been enjoying despite the fact that it begins with an excerpt from Romeo & Juliet.

I've also been digging a song called "Meticulous Bird" by Thao & the Get Down Stay Down (The really weird video is here) and "New Rules" by Dua Lipa (video here.)

Watching

I finished up the latest season of Call the Midwife, watched a few episodes of Miss Fisher's Mysteries, and then decided to revisit Doctor Who. When Peter Capaldi was cast I had only watched a couple of episodes and decided I didn't like him. But I heard it got better, and - I'm not gonna lie - when the announcement came that the next Doctor will be a woman, it rekindled my interest. I'm now halfway through the first Peter Capaldi season and I still think his Doctor is kind of an asshole but I do like Clara a lot.

Also this month I finally saw Cool Runnings, the 1993 movie about the Jamaican bobsled team.

Knitting

I have been knitting! I was going to even throw together a knitting progress post, but failed. At any rate, all this tv watching has resulted in more knitting time and I'm now halfway through the second sock of the pair I began back in the winter. I'm trying to psych myself up to rip back my East Neuk Hoodie and fix the pocket that I screwed up but didn't realize until later. I'd like to be able to wear this sweater in the coming winter.

Eating

I've begun preparing overnight oats for breakfast. There are a ton of recipes on Pinterest and I just took ideas from various ones. I combine oats, chia seeds, banana, almond milk, blueberries, and maybe nuts in a mason jar or other container with a tight-fitting lid, shake it up, and put it in the fridge before I go to bed. In the morning I have a satisfying breakfast that holds me over much longer than cereal does and is more healthy. This week I bought some cherries (on sale!) and slivered almonds to try in my oats.

Doing

The big focus this month was my trip to Bermuda! Nothing else really mattered :)

Plans for August

I need to finish the two books for the book award committee, and I'm also hoping to read Sense and Sensibility or perhaps Emma by Jane Austen. The Classic Book A Month selection for August is Northanger Abbey, but I just read that last year. I want to participate though, so picking another Austen title seems appropriate.

Other than that, my plans are just to enjoy summer as much as possible before it's gone!

How was your July?