The Lily Cafe Digest #17

And somehow it’s just about the middle of the year, which also means it’s time for my two week break to focus on family…and a whole bunch of dental appointments. I don’t think my kids are thrilled at the pandemic seeming to be winding down in our area because it means they can’t avoid dentists anymore. Please someone wish us luck and minimal cavities!

The past few weeks have felt a little surreal, almost as though time has just been slipping through my fingers. My son finished virtual First Grade and my daughter learned how to use scissors (fortunately not on her hair – she’s super careful about that!). I had a week of (probably TMI) the worst cramps I’ve ever had. Funny story, I tried explaining them to my 6 year old son, but he has trouble saying cramps, which means he thinks I have crabs. Probably just as painful.

Anyways, I’m still writing my way through Sisters of String and Glass, and must admit I like posting it 5 days a week since it means a whole chapter gets posted each week instead of taking 2 weeks. Though I do have a few characters that went a bit off the rails so now I’m madly trying to catch up with them. I’m also working on This Story, but it’s kind of slow going since the past few weeks have just had a bizarre quality to them for me. I do plan on spending more time on it over the next two weeks. There’s a certain point I’m waiting to get to before I share more about it, and I’m hoping I can get to that point before I return from my break.

In other news:

• I recently discovered my husband’s PJ Masks post from July 2018 is his most viewed post (he doesn’t post anymore). It gets views almost every day, but he has no interest in logging back in, so is unlikely to respond to any comments. You can check out his post here. (He totally means for it to be humorous, but his humor is weird, so it might not translate well here.)
• California is fully reopened as of June 15th and, wow, have things changed! My kids can’t be vaccinated yet, so my husband and I aren’t changing how we do anything. We’re waiting to see the effects of reopening before we make a firm decision on sending our son back into the classroom in August. It was quite a shock when I walked in to get my allergy shot this past weekend to find the waiting area full instead of a line outside the door. I have 20 more of these to get (I think) and 20 more days of feeling very sleepy, so I get practically nothing done on Saturdays now.
• It’s been really hot in Southern California lately. We had a fun heat wave last week that prompted some flex alerts. And for some crazy reason I decided it would be the absolute best time to make bread. Twice. Almost three times.
• Lastly, I’m not sure if anyone’s noticed, but I’ve made some small changes here. I’ve decided to drop WWW Wednesday and will be posting an Impressions post every other week. I also haven’t been keeping up with Books That Remind Me of Other Books even though I have a couple semi-prepared, but hope to resume them when I return.

Finally, a huge thank you to all of you! Thank you for dropping by my blog. To those who so kindly nominate me for tags and awards, thank you for thinking of me. Thank you for leaving likes and comments (though I’ve become absolutely terrible at responding to them lately). Thank you for reading and for being such a wonderful community!

Guest Posts

The Fascination with the Loser and the Mundane by Manik Bal | Excerpt: State of Redemption by Richard McKeown plus a conversation with the author | Excerpt: The Amazon Encounter by John L. DeBoer

The Bookshelf

Book Reviews:

Fantasy and Sci-Fi

An urban paranormal fantasy set in Malaysia with ghosts, gods, and complicated family Review

 

 

A quick, easy fantasy meant to appeal to a wide audience Review

 

 

 

An African-inspired, character driven fantasy about a too curious scholar, his ambitious fiancee, and a warrior with mysterious magic Review

 

 

A fun romp through Greek mythology during the Italian Renaissance with two god-cursed families Review

 

 

The second book in the Terra Haven Chronicles series featuring an adorable creature companion, mystery, danger, romance, and a complicated family Review

 

A wild time travel journey featuring a romance across time and space and alternate history Review

 

 

The second in the Rebirth Saga, it’s a fascinating blend of Star Wars and anime (but take that with a grain of salt) Review

 

 

When Little Red Riding Hood wanders into Beauty and the Beast with a creepy forest and a desperate sister Review

 

 

A fun standalone fantasy that moves fast, but has some great friendships Review

 

 

A lovely Indian-inspired fantasy with a sapphic romance that revolves around the effects of colonization and the roles of women Review

 

 

A crazy game that’s set in the real world, if only things would just stop changing around K Review

 

 

A fantastic dystopian novel with AI and almost too many secret plots and machinations Review

 

 

Women’s Fiction/Romance

A sweet Southern romance about childhood friends and childhood dreams Review

 

 

A funny and witty romance about former college sweethearts Review

 

 

 

Mystery and Thriller

A delightful treasure hunt with threads of history dating back to the Civil War Review

 

 

A thriller that attempted to be a suburban thriller, but was really more interested in following an FBI agent Review

 

 

Fiction

This books crosses religion and archaeology as a hidden cache of records is about to be uncovered Review

 

 

Life Between the Pages:

WWW – May 12, 2021 | Am I Raising a Meg? | WWW – May 19, 2021 | WWW- May 26, 2021 | Upcoming Changes | WWW – June 2, 2021 | Three Bookish Things | First, Middle, and Last Impressions – June 16, 2021 | The Sunshine Blogger Award

Books That Remind Me of Other Books:

Son of the Storm by Suyi Davies Okungbowa | The Kingdoms by Natasha Pulley | Talk Bookish to Me by Kate Bromley

Book Blog Tour: 

Talk Bookish to Me by Kate Bromley

Catch up on Sisters of String and Glass

Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23

Enjoy My Ratio Baking Adventures

How to Make Butter Cookies

Blog Posts I’ve Enjoyed from the Blogging Community

We Toot by Ashley Wheelock, Arwen Evans, and Sandie Sonke from My Bookish Bliss – this one sounds like a must read for any little girl who currently laughs uproariously when it comes to potty humor, like my little girl!

let’s talk about accessibility!!//changing the blog up! from A Fictional Bookworm – this is such an amazing thing Kaya is doing, making her blog more accessible to more people, especially by making it possible for the visually impaired to enjoy her blog

The Plot by Jean Hanff Korelitz – Book Review! from Becky’s Book Blog – I really enjoyed this review, and the book sounds perfect for any writer out there, though it seems the main character isn’t exactly the most likable. Still, sounds like a good fictional novel about where stories come from, and being careful with what you write.

Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake – Alexis Hall from the book life of aubrey smith – while I’ve seen a number of reviews for this book, this is the first one I read and it made me really want to read this book. It sounds amazing and fun and, well, I have a hard time saying no to a book with a cake.

Pandemic Parenting from Mothering Millie – I’ve, more or less, documented what the pandemic has been like for my family and I, but here’s another peek into what life as a parent has been like.

My New & Improved Flash Fiction Formula from Aeryn Rudel’s Rejectomancy – I don’t really write flash fiction, or, really, short fiction at all, but have been thinking about it for a while, so this post is a huge help and a great guide.

Much Ado About Word Count from The Literary Kat – an excellent post, and quick read, about how many words stories in different genres should be, but it shouldn’t be a goal or constraint. A great read for all writers!

A ‘Political’ Poem from Chel Owens – I always get such a kick out of Chel’s post, especially her stories and poems, and how she can say so much while making it fun.

The Reading Women Challenge: To Reread a Favourite from Between Pages – a lovely post dedicated to Persuasion by Jane Austen! As Persuasion beats out Pride and Prejudice in my opinion, I really enjoyed reading about what Rucha loves about Persuasion.

[Update] Where is Zippy Mae? from A. E. Costello – I’m so excited for this budding book series aimed at children. One part what’s wrong with Disney’s The Princess and the Frog and one part the development of her own black heroine, this is a fantastic post centered on female black protagonists. I don’t read middle grade books, but I would definitely make an exception for these!

A sweet summer time treat from Our Little Red House – this does sound like a perfect, cold summer treat! It uses bananas and any other fruits on the verge of becoming too ripe to make a delicious ice cream.

An Adventure To The Underworld//The Bone Way from Luminosity Library – I always love Bertie’s reviews, and this one is no exception. The Bone Way sounds like the perfect read for someone going through a period of grief, maybe as a way to help process it and feel heard.

What Do You Put On That Back Cover?! from Jennifer M. Zeiger – Jennifer is preparing to launch her new choose your own adventure novel out into the world and as shared the back blurb. As always, perfect for children and adults!

Most Sincerely, kat

You can find a list of all the Digests plus some bloggers I adore over here