Sunday Bookends: Autumn is coming, watching summer movies, and school is starting soon



It’s time for our Sunday morning chat. On Sundays, I ramble about what’s been going on, what the rest of the family and I have been reading and watching, and what I’ve been writing. Some weeks I share what I am listening to.

This week I’m joining up with Kimba at Caffeinated Reviewer, Deb at Readerbuzz, and Kathyrn at The Book Date.

What’s Been Occurring

 We had a threat of flash flooding Friday thanks to the remnants of Hurricane Debby but in the end the pattern moved to our west and Westfield, Pa., which is a couple hours from us, was hit extremely hard. Some areas around us had some issues but nothing like Westfield.

Temperatures have cooled way down and now that we are moving toward Autumn (which I wanted) I am feeling somewhat melancholy, knowing that our days of swimming are coming to an end. Little Miss and I haven’t been swimming in two weeks due to either algae in the pool that had to be treated, a leak that was found and fixed, or chlorine that was too high. We are going to try again today but with temps only supposed to get in the low 70s I have a feeling we won’t be in long.

The days are already getting shorter – I’ve noticed that it is dark by 8:30 now. The cats are looking for more snuggles than before and we are now preparing for the start of the school year.

I have almost all the curriculum we need for the year but I do need a couple of things still for The Boy, who is a senior this year and will be attending a local trade school again this year.  

What I/we’ve been Reading

Trouble Shooter by Louis L’Amour

Renee by Sandra Ardoin

Clueless At the Coffee Station by Bee Littlefield

 Tracking Tilly by Janice Thompson

The Clue of the Whistling Bagpipes by Carolyn Keene




A Simple Deduction by Kristi Holl

The Gardner’s Plot by Deborah Benoit

The Author’s Guide to Murder by Karen White, Beatriz Williams, and Lauren Willig

An Assassination On the Agenda by T.E. Kinsey

Little Miss and I are listening to The Best Halloween Ever by Barbara Robinson

The Boy is listening to The Witcher, book one.

The Husband is reading The Donut Legion by Joe R. Lansdale

What We watched/are Watching

Since I last posted a Sunday Bookends I have watched a lot but I didn’t write it all down so I might not remember everything.

I know I watched a couple of summer movies – Mr. Hobbs Takes A Vacation and Summertime.

I have started Somewhere in Time but I haven’t finished it yet.

I watched Ladies in Lavender and a couple marathons of Murder She Wrote as well as an episode of Yes, Minister with my mom.


What I’m Writing

I am writing the third book in the Gladwynn Grant Mystery series: Gladwynn Grant Shakes the Family Tree.

The first book in the series is free today on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C1KSQJXP

Cassie, the eighth book in the Apron Strings Book series releases Thursday. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D1VW9TVK

On the blog I shared:

What I’m Listening To

I am listening to the Cross Country Quilters by Jennifer Chiaverini.

Recent Blog Posts I Enjoyed

Now it’s your turn

Now it’s your turn. What have you been doing, watching, reading, listening to or writing? Let me know in the comments or leave a blog post link if you also write a weekly update like this.


Did you know that I am having a huge discount on the paid subscriptions for my Substack and that when you are a paid subscriber you will receive sneak peeks to upcoming books (like Gladwynn Grant Shakes the Family Tree, which will come out this autumn), behind the scenes looks, discounts, author interviews, giveaways, and many other perks?

No?

Well, now you know. You can find my substack, which is updated a few times a month, at www.lisarhowler.substack.com

Top Ten Tuesday: My (Loosely) Planned Summer Reading List

|| Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. ||

This week we were asked to list the books on our Summer 2024 To-Read List.

I actually have a list this year but whether I stick with it remains to be seen.

I also want to add some lighter books to this mix so if you have any suggestions let me know.

I have more than 10 books on my summer reading list but I’m going to just list 10. It doesn’t mean I’ll only read these, but I’d like to read these at some point this summer.

This list is in no particular order and, as always, is subject to change. It’s actually already changed in the last week. Ha!

  1. Lord Edgware Dies: A Hercule Poirot Mystery by Agatha Christie (already started and enjoying)

2. The Clue of The Whistling Bagpipes by Carolyn Keene

    3. Little Men by Louisa May Alcott (a late edition)

    4. Dandelion Cottage by Carol Watson Rankin

    5. Ever Faithful by Karen Barnett

    6. The Cross County Quilters by Jennifer Chiaverini

    6. Trouble Shooter by Louis L’Amour

    7. The Bobbsey Twins On Blueberry Island by Laura Lee Hope

    9. An Assassination on the Agenda by T.E. Kinsey

    10. The Real James Herriot: A Memoir of My Father by Jim Wight

    Additional books I’m reading or will, most likely read, A Sentence to Death by Anthony Horowitz (already started), Summer By The Tides by Denise Hunter, Return to Gone Away Lake by Elizabeth Enright (already in the middle of this with Little Miss and it’s a perfect summer read), and The Secret of Red Gate Farm by Carolyn Keene.

    Since I am a mood reader, I am sure some of these books will get pushed back to fall or winter.

    Do you have any books you hope to read this summer?