I am excited to share 1) my latest scrapbooking page for my All About Me album, and 2) what I've been reading lately, in August 2018. First, the page.
I love how this 2-page 6 x 8 turned out. I used all things Ali Edwards from her monthly kits, both the May 2018 and August 2018 kit. I created that this is august journal card mimicking Ali's journal card in the May kit because I loved it! To be honest, I was totally inspired by one of Ali's creative team members for the entire page. I'm a lover of scraplifting; taking someone's idea or page and making it my own with my story, my photos. A favorite READ page this year, definitely.
Second, the books.
It was a slow reading month. Only 6 books, and four of those are re-read In Death books. However. And, that's a honking however. The two books I did read were amazing. In fact, Dear Mr. Knightley, is a contender, for sure, for the top fiction spot of 2018. The Seventh Most Important Thing, a middle-grade reader, provocative and engaging.
Strangers in Death by J. D. Robb. Think Strangers on a Train. Rarely, are we apprised of the would-be killer ahead of time from Lieutenant Dallas' point of view, but believing who the killer is and proving it are two different things. It is definitely and interesting way of approaching the investigation, yet intriguing how Dallas steps through what fits and doesn't to catch the one she knows in her gut is the killer. 60/100
Promises in Death by J.D. Robb. Really good. Sometimes bad things happen to good people. One of the beloved characters will have his/her life altered - and Lieutenant Dallas has to find out who wanted someone dead. This book shuttles Eve into the intimate friendship realm, something she doesn't do well navigating, but is now front and center amidst a murder investigation. I adore how Robb grows Eve Dallas with each book in the series; more tools in the friendship belt kit, or marriage toolbox, or working through her past. I never tire of this series. 61/100.
Kindred in Death by J. D. Robb. Bring tissues. This was a very difficult read as the murder was most heart-wrenching. One of the series' more serious story lines, however, one of the most recent favorites. The relational side of the In Death series was scarce (the snarky quips, the playful banter, and character development, although Robb captured another facet of Dallas that even Dallas didn't know she had in her), rather, the murder investigation took front and center, understandably, with the difficult and brutal nature of the killing. If I were rating this book this one would definitely be a 5/5 stars. 62/100.
Fantasy in Death by J. D. Robb. Definitely, an outside-of-the-box, futuristic style murder, yet, intriguing. Wasn't a favorite; in fact, sort of sad but not in a bring tissues way. A young man loses his head during a holographic enactment and Dallas has to find out how a bright, energetic, mega star in the video realm gets dead when there isn't a trace of evidence to support someone else in the same room. 63/100
The Seventh Most Important Thing by Shelley Pearsall. This middle-grade (or, even younger) story opens with a young boy, Arthur, grabbing a brick and with no apparent reason hurls it at man, who is a fixture in the neighborhood known as the Junk Man because he goes through pieces trash and hauls his 'goods' in a shopping cart. But, Arthur did have his reasons, and the brick only hit the Junk Man in the arm, not the head. But none of that matters to the fierce judge who is ready to send Arthur to juvenile detention forever. After a surprising turn of events, Arthur is given 120 hours of community service as punishment working for none other then the Junk Man himself. What follows is a story of - redemption, especially in the reality that we are not defined by our last poor choice. And not just for the brick-throwing juvenile delinquent. I dog-eared so many pages simply for the thought-provoking quotes I want to reflect on and remember. Definitely a favorite this year. 64/100.
Dear Mr. Knightley by Katherine Reay. Love. Love. Love. Epistolary novels I do so love you so. I had to look up the word. Going on my favorites list and could easily bump off every other fiction novel I've read this year. 65/100