Prior Lake 

August, I'm not sure I liked you very much. There's a lot I don't write about publicly but suffice it to say my stress level is at an all-time high. If that wasn't enough, we've had the threat of an attack from North Korea, the evil of white supremacists in Charlottesville (and the white folks still somehow rationalizing it away), and the devastation of Hurricane Harvey in Texas. It's enough to make me want to bury myself under a mountain of books and never come back out. But that would be the luxury of privilege so I'm figuring out where and how to stand with my community. 

In times like these, writing a What I'm Into post can seem trite or silly. I have come to find these posts serve as a touchstone, reminding me no matter what difficulties I face in my personal life or the world experiences, there are good moments as well. Sometimes it's hard to find the silver linings and they don't always balance out the hardships but all hope it not lost. We're making our way. I believe this much is true.

Read and Reading

Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine (Honeyman) cracked my heart right open. I haven't encountered a character like Eleanor Oliphant in a long time. She lacks emotional intelligence, keeping to herself at work and living an otherwise solitary life. It was painful to read in places, seeing just how unaware she is of her social ineptitude. Then there's the glimpses of something tragic in her past, something that might explain why Eleanor is the way she is. In spite of all this, I could not help but root for Eleanor. I wanted her to wake up to the beautiful world around her and to heal from whatever happened to her. Eleanor is the kind of character that demands a response. I laughed, I cried, I groaned, and I might have even cheered out loud for her. Cannot confirm or deny. Gail Honeyman packed a punch with this novel. It's the best novel I've read so far this year and that's saying something, given the amazing novels I've already read. 

The Animators (Whitaker) is a beautiful, haunting, and bittersweet portrayal of friendship. Sharon and Mel's friendship is singularly unique. It is co-dependent and hard and wonderful in the way I imagine many friendships are when it is also mingled with partnership at work. The plot was fresh and unexpected. I simply could not have guessed the places Whitaker would take these characters, which never failed to elicit a big reaction from me. Like I'd gasp out loud or shake my head or simply tear up. It was tough to read in places because of how heartbreaking it could be. It reflected how gritty life can be, as well how complicated family dynamics can be. It was hard to see the way we can wound the people we love best. Sharon was not the easiest to read about either because of her passivity and ability to deny the truth in front of her. It's the kind of character that usually drives me crazy but there was something so compelling about her and about Mel as well. I could not look away. But there was something so raw about her relationship with Mel and what they brought out in each other. As much as I wanted them to be more honest with each other, especially as certain developments arose, I understood the tenuousness that can occur with someone who has known you for ages and yet maybe doesn't fully know you now. It's subtle but the way this played out through the story had me holding my breath. I wanted to root for Sharon. I wanted to watch her grow and while it took some getting there, the payoff was worth it. I'll be reflecting on this one for some time to come. This would be perfect for book clubs.

An Extraordinary Union (Cole) may be the only Civil War book/series I'll happily read and recommend. It's written by a woman of color and the heroine is a freed woman posing as a slave in order to spy for the Union army who is drawn to the white man posing as a Confederate soldier who is also a spy for the Union. That was enough to convince me to give this historical romance a chance and I'm so glad I did. Elle is based on a real person and I loved getting to experience this time period through her eyes.

Who Thought This Was a Good Idea?: And Other Questions You Should Have Answers to When You Work in the White House (Mastromonaco) is an enjoyable behind the scenes look at Obama's presidency, as well as his stint as senator. I learned a lot about just how campaigns are run and the many people- and details- that go into it. I'm truly impressed with what Mastromonaco was able to accomplish and that she stayed in politics for as long as she did. She also has some wonderful career advice blended into this memoir, some of which I wish I'd heard when I first started my career as a social worker but still comes in handy now as I head in other directions.

There was so much I loved about What To Say Next. Julie Buxbaum has an uncanny ability to write books about teenagers and hard situations that are compulsively readable. There were certainly moments when my heart ached for the characters but the majority of the novel, I read with a smile on my face. That's a gift! David and Kit were such compelling characters, particularly David whom we learn has Asperger's (although he also sets the record straight since Asperger's has been folded into the Autism spectrum in the DSM-V and is no longer a diagnosis.) Along with grief, Buxbaum also delves into cyberbullying and this section of the book made me so glad social media wasn't around when I was in high school. David and Kit give so much to each other and it was wonderful to see them become friends and then something more. There are two major things that happen toward the end that caught me off guard, one of which was a bold plot choice and I'm not sure if the threads were there throughout the novel to support it. But it propelled us to some resolution and I liked where we landed overall. Not quite as good as Tell Me Three Things but it had everything I love about Julie Buxbaum's work. 

You can see all the books I've read at Goodreads. 

Currently reading: The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness (Alexander), Write Naked: A Bestseller's Secrets to Writing Romance and Navigating the Path to Success (Probst), Milk And Honey (Kaur), The Chronicles Of Harris Burdick (Van Allsburg), The Alice Network (Quinn), The Reporter's Kitchen (Kramer), The Queen And The Cure (Harmon)

Music:

New discovery: Natalie Taylor

Listen to the What I'm Into playlist.

TV

So You Think You Can Dance is my bright spot on Monday evenings. I'm rooting for Logan, Koine, Lex, and Mark but the whole crew is so great.

Podcasts:

An important episode to listen to in light of recent protests: Armed Militias and The New Protest Landscape on Fresh Air.

I was fasciated by This American Life's We Are In The Future. I didn't know much about Afrofuturism before listening but it filled me with hope and I'm not even the movement's target audience.

I listened to seasons 1 and 2 of Revisionist History and it absolutely blew me away. I had listened to one episode in July, which was enough to convince me to binge my way through the rest. Well worth listening to and particularly timely given current events.

I finished the archives of How To Be Amazing with Michael Ian Black. Favorites from those episodes: Harlan Coben (a must-listen for writers!), Valerie Plame, Dan Savage, Audra McDonald, Baratunde Thurston.

Code Switch: The Unfinished Battle In The Capital Of The Confederacy.

How I Built This is a new discovery. I've been struck by just how much luck is involved in most of the founders' success. At any point, their businesses could have failed but they didn't. Favorite episodes: Instagram: Kevin Systrom & Mike Krieger, Samuel Adams: Jim Koch, Southwest Airlines: Herb Kelleher, Drybar: Alli Webb.

Highlights:  

• Lunch at Pizza Luce with Claire. We didn't have nearly enough time to talk but my beloved muffuletta sandwich hit the spot.

•  I started volunteering at the library!!! This has been the best thing. I volunteer for two hours once a week at the branch by my house and those hours fly by. It shouldn't be as much fun as it is- after all, I'm just shelving books and finding the ones people have reserved- but I suppose it's further proof of why I want to work there. It feels good to be in my element and give back to my community.

• A few months ago I discovered Nature's Bakery Fig Bars, which are dairy-free breakfast bars. They are seriously so good! Strawberry, blueberry, and raspberry are my favorite flavors. They also have a brownie version, which makes for an excellent dessert.

• Kelly and I went to a farmers market and then had breakfast at L'Etoile du Nord, which is the most darling place. They gave me a giant mug for my tea and the food was amazing.

• Then Kelly drove us across St. Croix Crossing, a brand new bridge which connects Oak Park Heights, MN and St. Joseph, WI. The project was apparently a long time coming. I loved the design and never would have guessed it hadn't been there for years because of how seamlessly it integrated with the landscape. 

• I somehow amassed $300 in credit for Stitch Fix (did everyone sign up ages ago and get their first fix at the same time?!) this month so I requested my first Fix in about a year and a half. They sent me two amazing shirts (the other 3 items didn't work out for various reasons) so I requested another Fix for next month. Thanks to everyone who used my referral link!

• I got to spend time at my friend Chris Ann's new home on the lake. It is so beautiful out there and I had fun going out on the boat and then tucking into an amazing meal cooked by her husband. So great to have a night catching up with Kelly, Chris Ann, and her family.

• I went back to my pixie cut! It's not exactly the same as the haircut that started it all 4 years ago but it is just as sassy. I've enjoyed playing around with the length and having a "longer" shorter cut the past year but it feels good to have it be really short again.

• I didn't get to go outside for the solar eclipse- I was at work and it was actually cloudy and rainy that day- but I watched it on NASA's website which was pretty neat.

• I took care of Hermione the kitten again and it was so lovely to have her purring next to me whenever I was home. She's such a sweetie.

• This refrigerator pickle recipe.

• I've been hard at work on manuscript revisions. My goal was to have it finished by the end of this month and I'm not quite there but I am making good progress and hope to finish it this weekend. Then it'll be back to my editor for one more round and I'll have to start figuring this whole self-publishing thing out. Yay!

• The particular shades of pink and orange of the sunrises I've seen on the way to work the past few weeks.

Favorite Instagram:

 
I love my library.

(If you want to follow me on Instagram, my user name is leighkramer.)

On The Blog:

I've been weary and this could have been the proverbial last straw But I Wasn't Alone.  

Book reviews: The Dream Keeper's Daughter, Beard In Mind, The One That Got Away 

What I'm Into Link Up Guidelines:

1. Today’s link-up will stay open for one week. The next What I'm Into link up will be Monday October 2. 

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What have you been into this month? 

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