Olivia had a wonderful week! One evening, I decided to give her a little treat. So I created a little triangle out of her cat food and called it a “cat food pizza.” There is no pizza – it’s just her soft food that I shape into a triangle. But she really likes it! Somehow, perhaps this makes it more exciting for her.
Life Update
It’s been super busy this week. But here are a few highlights:
Went out to eat with my partner last night. It’s a 20 minute walk away, so we decided to get some exercise by walking to and from dinner. I think the walking was super useful!
The weather has been cooling. We’ve had some rain, which I adore.
Watching a show on Netflix called “Keep Breathing.” Enjoying it so far – have you seen it?
In our August TBR game, you can see which ARCs we are reading this month.
New to our shelf: We were approved this week for an ARC we are looking forward to! It is a YA thriller. Thank you to author Robin Roe, NetGalley, and HarperTeen/HarperCollins Children’s Books.
This past week really got away from us and we are now trying our best to catch up, alas The Sunday Post is being posted on a Monday. Hope you enjoy it!
Olivia Update 🐾
A major update of our week is reading the book, “I am a Cat” by Sōseki Natsume. When we started the book, she was very happy to have found a feline protagonist. As the book went on, unfortunately, there was less and less cat in the book and she had quite a few issues with that. The book instead started to revolve around our cat’s owner and his friends, at times with very little cat insights thrown in.
While we certainly agree that Sōseki is a great writer, we are highly conflicted about this one due to the lack of cat content in the book. We also found the book difficult to read because of some of the content warnings which we should have read beforehand – there was a whole lot of body shaming and misogyny in the book (while we understand that this book was written over a century ago, we were very alarmed by the high volume of this sort of content). Most alarmingly, there was animal cruelty, so you can imagine my dismay reading these portions with Olivia (I was at a loss of how to comfort her – all I could do was provide her with her favourite tuna squeezie treat while I skipped these parts.) The plot was very minimal as well and it could be a bit tiresome to read at times. However, it is not all bad – Sōseki is able to blend silliness with beautifully analytical and philosophical writing. We laughed out loud so many times during this book that we made a thread of some of our favourite quotes!
— Sara’s Reading Nook ☆ 🇨🇦🇵🇹 (@sarasrdngnook) July 25, 2022
As well, some of the philosophical questions had Olivia and I deeply invested. Through both our nameless feline protagonist and the various characters, the book discusses a wide range of topics: God, creation, death, Westernization, and existence, to name a few. So I will sit with our thoughts on the book for some before committing to a review and star rating. We are comfortable saying that this book is not for who are looking for cat content since it’s so sparse, or for those who have a difficult time reading literature with any of the issues mentioned above.
In other news, Olivia also had a good time being on bird watch this week! There were quite a few spottings, which she alerted me of with a few cackles and chirps to sound the alarm.
Life Update
What a busy week this was! Our entire week of blogging and booktube went straight out the window, but for a good reason. This month we had a family member visit us so we had a marvellous time eating at cafés, attending some highly important events, visiting the ice cream shop (they have some vegan flavours!), and exploring the city together. With work thrown into the mix, all of our days were full with varying degrees of business. We are so happy to have hosted our family member and the outdoor plants have really enjoyed the sun! Temperatures should be a bit cooler this week – I hope they are going to drop for you all in the hot destinations as well.
A major help this week was ordering some vegan salads from a local shop nearby. Here you can see a few of them: Kale Tabouli Salad, Summer “Pasta” Salad, and Beet Poke Salad. Of these, the Summer Pasta Salad was such a win! And the selection really inspired us to get creative with our salad combinations moving forward.
Reading Update
Recently Finished
As you can see from the Olivia Update, we read I am a Cat by Sōseki Natsume and had a very conflicted feel about the book.
I finished Always Never by Jordi Lafebre, read via my Hoopla app. Last week, I mentioned that I was very lukewarm about this read, and that feeling never went away. My biggest issue with the book again lies within the content warnings (I’m starting to think that I really need to pay a bit more attention to those moving forward) and the illustration style. However, my opinions are not necessarily what the majority of readers thought as the book is very highly rated on Goodreads and Storygraph, so don’t let my review throw you off too much!
We started A Lot Like Adiós by Alexis Daria and we are enjoying it so far! It is a second chance romance and is book #2 in the Primas of Power series. I’ve only read the first chapter, but have found it intriguing so far and can’t wait to learn more about Michelle and Gabe.
We are so happy we were approved for A Treacherous Tale by Elizabeth Penney! This is book #2 of the Cambridge Bookshop Series and it follows our protagonist Molly Kimball who runs a bookshop in England. Thrilled because we very much enjoyed book #1, Chapter and Curse. We’ve only read the first chapter but are loving it so far. Olivia especially loves cats Puck and Clarence!
Immediately next, we want to finally start Lore by Alexandra Bracken! Our TBR game has been difficult to complete this month, and we are afraid that some books will have to be read in the month of August. We will be doing a TBR game in August as well! Haha but at least it should be fairly quiet this month and so we hope to finish all of our books – crossovers and new additions, alike!
We’ll see … but The Daughter of Doctor Moreau is looking pretty enticing right about now … how can I possibly focus when there are so many great books to read? I supposed you could say we’re overbooked 😹. We are so happy we received this gorgeous book mail earlier this week!
Olivia had a wonderful week! We recently purchased some tuna Smooth & Savory squeezies, which are her absolute favourite treats.
The image above provides evidence of a very rare spontaneous hammock spotting – Olivia has started to spend time on her hammock! I couldn’t believe my eyes but I really did spot her enjoying her hammock two days ago when I came home from work. I was shocked and I very quickly rushed to take a photo, which is not of very good quality. But, I’m so happy I now have some photographic evidence that she, indeed, is enjoying her hammock. Encouraging!
LifeUpdate
Fresh salad with beautiful veggies.Avocado sushi roll – yum!Cucumber rolls.
This week was a lot of fun. I spent time with family and even had some delicious sushi and salad. My partner’s family lives close to the Farmer’s Market and so all of the veggies are super fresh and very delicious. The sushi rolls were from a local sushi factory and I have to say – the avocado rolls were some of the best I’ve had in a long time!
This weekend I was able to watch my partner play his tennis tournament and sneak in a bit of reading at the same time. The matches were quite long and challenging, and the weather was very hot, but it was just wonderful to watch him have some great tennis this season. He loves the sport and I know it’s a highlight of his to play every summer in the beautiful weather.
ReadingUpdate
Here is where we will insert our stacking the shelves and reading updates!
Yesterday I finished reading A History of Women in the World by Marilyn French via my Libby app. It was a fascinating read about women and their roles in society throughout history as well as various religions and female roles within them. I thought it was just a marvellous book and I learned so much from it that it was difficult to put down – to be honest, this book wasn’t even on my radar until I saw an interview by Margaret Atwood in which she referenced it. I wanted to read it because I thought, well if Margaret Atwood is referencing this novel then I want a bit of an inside look into reference material she may have drawn inspiration from – and I was pleasantly surprised to see that she had actually provided Forwards for each of the various volumes.
The book can be a bit dense at times, and I think there is still a lot of various issues to cover, so I’m looking forward to reading further volumes. I also want to read more recently published material and see a more expansive and extensive approach that reflects feminism today and how the definition is constantly evolving.
I am still reading Always Never by Jordi Lafebre via my Hoopla app. Still feeling a bit lukewarm about this read, but I’m hoping to finish it today since I have some time to read this afternoon and evening. It’s a love story of 40 years told in reverse, and I think the art style is just not my favourite – not sure, but I’m hoping it will grow on me and I will just love the book. It does have high ratings, so I hope that is the trajectory moving forward.
I am a Cat by Sōseki Natsume. This is a three volume translated collection of work written from the perspective of a cat – a dialogue on human nature. I’ve heard a lot about Sōseki’s writing and can’t to dig in! Olivia, especially.
A Lot Like Adiós by Alexis Daria. We have mentioned this book before – it is a second chance romance and we think it will be just perfect to read this week.
Lore by Alexandra Bracken. Finally, we can’t wait to finish Lore by Alexandria Bracken! Greek mythology is something we’re especially looking forward to after reading Marilyn French’s book, mentioned earlier, in which she discusses women’s roles in ancient greece as well as after the common era. Note: all three books were independently purchased via Indigo, Chapters.
New Arrivals
Unfortunately, we have not added anything to our physical or library shelves this week as we’re still chugging along, finishing up our July TBR books. However, I’ll add a few books here we’ve added to our Goodreads and Storygraph TBR shelves recently!
Tuesday: Top Ten Tuesday: Books From My Past Seasonal TBR Posts I STILL Haven’t Read
Friday: Let’s Talk Bookish – Topic TBD
Friday: Reading Sprints Invitation for Saturday Sprints
Saturday/Sunday: Stacking the Shelves, The Sunday Post, The Sunday Salon
Bookstagram
We have been having some fun making reels lately! Here are our latest bookstagram posts:
Booktube
Latest Booktube Videos
Alas! We still have not made all of our mid year booktube videos, but these are to come. Potentials include the mid-year freakout tag, mid-year bookish wrap up OR favourites, and a mid-year reading journal flip through.
QOTD: What are you looking forward to reading this week? Let us know!
This week has been a very restful week for Olivia, though we did manage to sneak in a few adventures here and there.
We’ve gone on the netted balcony/catio together quite a few times for some fun in the sun. She absolutely loves to sniff all the outdoor smells she possibly can.
The weather has been very sunny with clear skies and warm days. Although I personally may enjoy the summer breeze, Olivia is fearful of the wind, a fear that she bravely manages to conquer by the end of each summer season. She inspires me!
We have also discussed our recent reads and she is quite annoyed at the lack of cat books this week – I just must keep reminding her that we will be starting one soon. Now, this clearly provides little reassurance for her – but we really do have a fantastic Cat book coming up soon. So, hold tight, Olivia! We’re almost there!
Life
Last weekend we had a lot of fun and went to a local cafe. They have delicious vegan muffins that have so much flavour, I often need to get a second helping after finishing muffin #1!
Just typing this out makes me want to have another muffin so badly!
After our muffin and caffeine fixes were complete, we then went to our local garden centre and purchased roses, succulents, and plants for our balcony. The garden centre usually has so many choices, but this late in the season it can be difficult to find exactly what you are looking for. But, better late than never!
Reading
Here is where we will insert our Stacking the Shelves and reading updates!
Recently Finished:
We are happy to report that we finished both Radium Girls and Wildseed Witch! Both will both be given full reviews here on the blog very soon (Note: these are NetGalley reads and all of my NetGalley books are provided in exchange for honest reviews), but we are a bit behind at the moment. We also finished Surviving the City which was quite an emotional read. Quickly, we recommend all books if you are looking for a good nonfiction graphic novel (Radium Girls), a magical middle grade fantasy (Wildseed Witch), and/or a powerful and emotional contemporary graphic novel (Surviving the City).
Currently Reading:
Currently, I am reading A History of Women in the World by Marilyn French and Always Never by Jordi Lafebre, taken out from my library via the Libby and Hoopla apps, respectively.
I am learning so much in Marilyn French’s book, and am about 30% of the way through, so far. The book provides insights into the roles of women in society throughout history in ancient Egypt, China, India, Peru, Mexico, Greece, and Rome (among other places). It is eerie to read this book at this moment in time and I am just devouring the book. The Foreword by Margaret Atwood is just awesome.
Always Never tells a love story in reverse over a span of forty years. I’m not quite sure how I’ll end up enjoying this one – I think the art style is not for me, perhaps? But I think the story has a lot of potential, so we will keep moving forward! And perhaps I’ll end up loving it by the end.
Next Reads
All my next reads are books that are picks from my July TBR game. And, frankly, I’m a bit concerned I may not get through all of my books this month! If we can finish these three by the end of next week, oh gosh, then I’ll be on my way to completing the list and all fears re: not finishing will be alleviated swiftly!
Olivia is most looking forward to I am a Cat by Soseki Natsume, a dialogue of human nature from the perspective of a cat. I am looking forward to all three books but think that A Lot Like Adios might be exactly what I’m looking for after some nonfiction and philosophical reads since it is a contemporary romance with a super intriguing synopsis! And it may just be perfect for this point in the summer. Finally, Lore might be interesting to read after reading my current read: A History of Women in the World since they mention ancient Greece quite a bit in the book.
New Arrivals
NetGalley
We have been approved for two books by NetGalley this week and are happy to give our full review soon! The first book is a cozy mystery and is the second book in the Cambridge Bookshop Series – A Treacherous Tale by Elizabeth Penney. We had so much fun reading the first novel that of course we had to request this title! And we cannot wait to see what new mystery Molly Kimball will fall into this time around!
Additionally, we have been approved to read The Lost Witch by Paige Crutcher. It is a fantasy/romance about a time-travelling witch who loses her memory after waking up in her own home 100 years later. Oh, and there are monsters. We are intrigued and hope this will be a great read before heading into Autumn!
Tuesday – Top Ten Tuesdays: Freebie (Note: What topic would you like to see?)
Saturday – Stacking the Shelves
Sunday – The Sunday Post and The Sunday Salon
TBD: Wildseed Witch Review
We will also be hosting our Caturday Reading Sprints on our booktube channel this week! And, still on the list is a mid-year bullet journal flip through.
Update!
Booktube: Here is our Recent Reads video which goes over our weekly reading. Enjoy!
We are so excited to be posting our second Sunday Post update! We are linking up to The Sunday Post via the Caffeinated Book Reviewer and The Sunday Salon at Readerbuzz!
Update
Olivia Update
Olivia 😸 has been on the prowl this morning! She is always assessing her environment to find hidden catnip toys (her favourite is Yeowww catnip Purr!-muda Triangle – she is very happy with it).
On the prowl.
Another favourite of hers this summer is her cooling mat which she loves to lounge on in her office. Though, she has little to no interest in her hammock. We’ve tried placing a familiar blanket her grandmother made for her on top which helps a bit. But, alas, the cat hammock is still an unknown situation in the household!
Olivia, uncertain re: her new hammock. Plotting her escape.
Life
The weather outside has been a mixture of rain/thunderstorms and clear, sunny weather. The rain has been very much welcome, though, as the last few summers have been terribly hot and dry. It looks as though today is the perfect day to get a few plants for our garden – look for a garden update next week!
Reading
We are still working our way through Radium Girls, Wildseed Witch, and Surviving the City. Alas … we have not completed any books this week! However, we did host reading sprints on our booktube channel yesterday which were a ton of fun; thus, we’ve made a fair bit of progress on Wildseed Witch and hope to finish it today!
Blog
This week was all about setting up our new blog! I transferred from Blogger to WordPress.com simply because I wanted to easily use various plugins, I like the community aspect and various other features, and finally I wanted to learn how to use a new-to-me platform.
One minor hiccup when changing domain hosting platforms … What I did not expect was how long it would take for my DNS to propagate – basically meaning that I was unable to access my site for more than a day 😅
But we are still here!
And my cat Olivia and I are SO happy to continue blogging so we can share our thoughts about books and check out everyone’s posts. Thank you for being here!
Thank you!
Last Week On the Blog
Here are our posts from this past week! We’ve been able to write and connect with others. And that’s just so great!
Tuesday: Top Ten Tuesdays (#2): Book Covers That Feel Like Summer
Friday: Friday Reads #2
Saturday: Stacking the Shelves #2
Sunday: The Sunday Post #3
Wildseed Witch and Radium Girls NetGalley Reviews (TBD)
Also, we are planning to host reading sprints next Saturday (Caturday!) on our booktube channel and at the very least film our mid-year reading journal flip-through.
Check out our Reading Journal Setup video from the beginning of the year!
New Arrivals
Definitely check out our Saturday Stacking the Shelves post for this! We purchased new new books and have checked out some books from our library.
