Salt Lake City roses...
As those of you who live in the Northwest know, it’s been a very cool and wet spring and we’re not convinced that Summer has actually arrived yet. I just returned from spending some time with my mother in Salt Lake City, where it really WAS summer, including 96+ degree temperatures! The temperature in Seattle, when I returned home yesterday, was a full 30 degrees cooler! It was a lovely trip and I enjoyed my mother, the sunshine, and the gorgeous summer flowers everywhere.
Books were very much a part of this visit, too. Mom bought 3 books while I was there and has already started reading The Hemingses of Monticello, by Annette Gordon-Reed. While I was there, I read The Lightning Thief, by Rick Riordan. Discussing books over dinner, my sister-in-law recommended Life Class, by Pat Barker, and Pillars of the Earth, by Ken Follett, so I downloaded them onto my Kindle. My cousin (whom I hadn’t seen in 25 years!) told me she is looking for a copy of a book she’d heard about called, Abraham Lincoln, God’s Humble Instrument, by Ron L. Anderson. Sidney Poitier’s book, The Measure of a Man: A Spiritual Autobiography, was sitting on the nightstand in my mother’s guest room. I wished I’d had time to read it. Wild Swans, by Jung Chang; The Forgotten Garden, by Kate Morton; The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, by Stieg Larsson; and Visual Basic, by James Foxall, were books being read by the people sitting nearby on the airplane during my return flight. So it’s safe to say that everyone seems to be enjoying their summer reading! I hope you are, too!
A Fondness For Reading 
Robin, glad you had a nice time in Salt Lake. Yes, summer has definitely arrived in many places. I’m looking forward to coming to the Pacific Northwest for a week in August. We will spend our anniversary week at a house on the Oregon coast. So lovely.
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Gorgeous flowers!! I love that your vacation included lots of books. Be sure to take photos in August in Oregon.
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LOL! I should have put Kay: Be sure to take photos of your trip to Oregon.
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I have to admit I would rather have it be 70 degrees than 96! We are accepting this mild summer while remembering that we were spared snow this winter. It’s a mixed blessing. And 70 degrees means it’s more comfortable to stay outside reading all day long. 😉
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It was a lovely visit, Robin. Red Butte Garden was beautiful and so special to visit it together. Your photo shows a piece of the beauty there.
And the books. I’m set for summer reading.
We are promised a Fourth of July weekend in the eighties.
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Beautiful photo!
It sounds like you had a lovely visit. I wish other members of my family enjoyed books as much as I do. I long for book discussions around the dining room table.
Summer has definitely arrived in Kansas – although the temperature is quite erratic. Last week we were in the middle 90s — this week the lower 80s.
Have a wonderful 4th of July 🙂
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Summer arrived in time for our Annual Rose Viewing, but then took a holiday. Temperatures in the 40s at night and strong ‘zephyrs’. I had a fire in the woodstove last night and finished Larsson’s The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest. Wonderful! Now what? A trip to the library is required, but I am also reading Mountains Beyond Mountains by Tracy Kidder. I am really enjoying your blog – and your links.
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Lovely picture. Any trip that involves books in any form is a great trip!
🙂
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It sounds like you had a lovely vacation in spite of the heat. What fun to sit and chat about books with your mom and sister-in-law. My mom was visiting recently and left me a copy of Pat Barker’s Life Class, so I’ll have to move it up in my stacks. I’m about to review Follett’s World Without End (a follow-up to The Pillars of the Earth) and all I can say it what a fantastic book! You’re in for a treat with the first of these two sweeping epics!!
I wonder if the reader of Visual Basic was really enjoying his summer reading? 😉
My dad and stepmom were visiting from Seattle this past week. We had warm days (high 80s) until the weekend. Then it felt more like the PNW with lots of rain and cooler temps.
Kay’s going to the Oregon coast?! Lucky girl!! I can’t wait to hear all about it. Wave to my mom while you’re there, Kay. 🙂
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What a great vacation! You must read Pillars of the Earth and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Fantastic reads!!
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Gorgeous photo! I heard you’ve been having a very cold summer. One of the PNW residents in a new book group I joined called June “Junuary”. LOL It’s been hot as ever, here. I’m glad you got to warm up. We enjoyed cooling off in Colorado.
Isn’t it fun seeing what everyone around you is reading? I had a blast peeking at covers on our planes and in the airport. 🙂
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Lincoln was a true writer.
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Robin (is it a spring bird?) and roses: perfect match! I keep admiring your voracity for books. My job is reading, mostly, but academic discourse, conceived as such, and my spare time readings are the same but on literature and literary writers… Besides that, some poetry, specially new poets in Spanish. What is the name in English of those pretty flowers we call “taco de reina” ? Did you know that they are on top among the eatable flowers?
Love
Silvia
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Dear Robin:
Your blog is unquestionably one of the most beautiful and rich I have encountered. I appreciate the multiplicity of themes and admire the care you put developing each one.
While I do not have all the time I would like to have to follow closely hardly any blog whenever I manage to visit yours I always feel enriched.
Some time ago I wrote to thank you for having included my book Where the Flame Trees Bloom. Today I tried to email you, but my technological abilities are limited and I was not able to do so, so I have opted to post this comment although my words are directly mostly to you. I have a series of new books, some of which I think may interest your second graders, and would like to send you some copies.
Would you email me with an address I can use to send them.
All best wishes today and always. Have a glorious summer. I am also enjoying my roses so much. After all the rain what a joy this sunny day! Alma Flor
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Oh, Robin how long ago June 30 seems! You must be bustling about getting ready for school now. I wanted to stop by because I just saw a review of a book in the New Yorker that I wanted to tell you about.
Pearl Buck in China
by Hilary Spurling
I wonder if you’ve seen it or even read it. Sounds very good. If you type the title into google, lots of links come up so you can read about it.
Happy school year!
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Hey, you have a great blog here! I’m definitely going to bookmark you! Thank you for your Thank you For Best Content
Books Rick Riordan Store
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Dear Robin,
more than 3 months without any entry – I really miss your beautiful choice of books and thoughts about them.
Can’t wait to have you back!
Kind regards from Mönchengladbach,
emmaP
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Thank you to each of you for your comments, and I apologize for dropping off the face of the blogging world for the last four months! I am back to reading and blogging, and will also be back to responding to my comments in a timely manner!
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HOORAY!!!!!!!!!! 🙂
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i came across this post by chance. how beautiful it is. ❤
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