Snapshot from Along the Broken Road: 2015 - Week 27

Checking in for the week of July 5 through July 11.

WHAT I READ |
Gatsby's Girl (Caroline Preston) - Certainly (and openly admitted, by the author) a work of fiction based loosely on a few facts and filled with the broad strokes of imagination to round it out, I have to say that if even a fraction of this story is actually true, it explains why I always found "The Great Gatsby" so lonely and depressing. If Daisy was Ginevra and Gatsby was Fitzgerald, himself, it is obvious what a number Ginevra did on him that resounded throughout the remainder of his much too short life. Both Scott and Ginevra were barely likable and far more pitiable than anything else. I found the book kept me turning the pages, not with entertainment or a fantastically woven tale, but more in the way one can't help but look at a wreckage. At end, I just felt...sad.
All Through the Night (Mary Higgins Clark) - Definitely more "cozy mystery" than typical Mary Higgins Clark suspense, not that that's a problem for me. I enjoy both. This was a short, easy read. It was a little comical to me to read a Christmas-themed mystery in the middle of summer (Christmas in July! ha). I haven't read many of the Alvirah books from MHC's library, so perhaps the "cozy mystery" genre applies to this particular series. Either way, once I adjusted my mindset, the book was a nice diversion, if not all that mentally challenging or heart thumping.
The Kingmaker's Daughter (Philippa Gregory) - You know how you put your iPod on shuffle and one song finishes and another starts, but they are so different, the transition is abrupt and almost jolting? Even if you really like both songs? That's how it felt going from cozy mystery to 15th century historical fiction.

WHAT WE ATE|
T did up some burgers and some pasta salad and some corn on the cob, and it was just like summer on a plate. We also tried out a new recipe for Taco-Spiced Chicken. And then we went with some menu staples: Linguine with Clam Sauce. Ravioli Soup. Chicken and Dumplings.

WHAT I BOUGHT/TRIED/ACCOMPLISHED|
I tried a new blush, after using one by Maybelline forever. This one is Physician's Formula. It has sunscreen built into it and I'm all for more layers of protection on my oh-so-white skin. I'm rather impressed. It takes very little product to achieve the amount of color I like. This compact is going to last me ages, I suspect. I also accomplished not melting into a puddle, because have mercy, this is the hottest summer I can remember since moving here.

CANDLE SCENTS|
Honeydew Melon (YC) - Just soft, sweet, juicy summer this week.

WHAT THIS WEEK LOOKED LIKE|
Never mind the "feels like," the actual temp alone justifies this indulgence.


Rainy season.


Leeeeetle frogs.


I feel like this demands some kind of profound revelation, but really it just made me laugh. (T was working on a project for a friend's beach condo. The B was, well, being a B.)