Hi all, how did we get to July already? June went by in a flash. We’re getting a bit of a long weekend here since it’s almost Canada Day, yay. July is typically our hottest month of the year, so we’re into the real summer now, not the fake stuff. We’ll be gardening lots and taking the dogs for swims at the river. Meanwhile, I’m continuing on with happy animal photos and this miniature horse foal comes from a neighbor’s on our street. He’s a cute little guy. Some of these miniature horses are smaller than large dogs. Our neighbor has about 50 of them. I think he shows them in Texas. The foals are in his front yard watched over by their mothers.
Lately we’ve been watching the TV drama series Fleishman Is in Trouble from 2022 (on Disney+ or FX & Hulu). I read and liked the novel it’s adapted from in 2019 and now we’re finding the series pretty entertaining too with Jesse Eisenberg and Claire Danes as a couple in NYC with two young kids who are navigating a separation and divorce after 15 years together. Eisenberg plays Toby Fleishman a doctor whose wife goes MIA for a couple weeks and he’s dealing with having the kids all the time and getting into dating apps. But then her unknown whereabouts sort of sends him into a tailspin. We haven’t finished it just yet.
Also you might have seen that the New York Times put out a list of the 100 Best Movies of the 21st Century. It follows its list last summer of the 100 Best Books of the 21st Century. I’m still looking over the movie list — many I know but some I don’t — and I will keep the book list as a reference too. Do you have a favorite film since 2000? That’s a hard thing to choose, so I will have to think on it for a while.
And now let’s talk about what’s coming out in July. There’s new novels by such well-known authors as Adriana Trigiani, Gary Shteyngart, Rachel Joyce, Daniel Silva, Stacey Abrams, and Martin Walker among others. I’m looking at those and a few others, including Beck Dorey-Stein’s novel Spectacular Things (out July 1) that “follows the struggles and triumphs of two sisters from a family of soccer stars,” according to Publishers Weekly.
It sounds like a family drama with some tragedy involved. I read the author’s last book From the Corner of the Oval, which was a memoir of her years as a stenographer in the Obama White House, and now this is her follow-up. It’s getting some good reviews, so we will see.
Next up is Samuel Hawley’s debut novel Daikon (out July 8) that re-imagines that a third U.S. atomic bomb at the end of WWII winds up in the enemy hands of the Japanese. I usually don’t read many alternative history kinds of tales, but this novel has received so much praise that I need to check it out.
Apparently in real life there were rumors that at least three bombs were hauled to Japan at the end of WWII — one for Hiroshima, one for Nagasaki and another one that didn’t deploy? (I’m still unsure where this rumor thought it went). But this novel apparently tells a scintillating story of what might have been. The author grew up in South Korea to missionaries and now lives in Istanbul, Turkey.
I’m also looking to read Sophie Elmhirst’s nonfiction book A Marriage at Sea: A True Story of Love, Obsession, and Shipwreck (out July 8). This story is one that made my summer reading list. Somehow I had heard or seen it was coming out and that it was quite an adventure/survival tale.
I don’t want to say too much of what the cover blurb says happens: but apparently it’s about a British couple —Maurice and Maralyn Bailey — who quit their jobs, sold their house for a boat and set sail in June 1972 with a plan to go from Britain around the globe to New Zealand, exploring new lands on the way. Apparently all went well the first year but then later something perilous happens that stretches their partnership to its limits. I’m almost a bit too chicken to read their adventure-gone-wrong tale but now I need to know more. And I’m sort of a sucker for sailboating stories, so I’m on the library wait list for it.
In what to watch this month, some might be game for the return of Dexter: Resurrection (July 11) and Star Trek (Season 3) Strange New Worlds (July 17), both on Paramount+, but I will pass on those and perhaps check out the series premiere of Ballard (July 9 on Prime). It’s a spinoff series from Bosch Legacy that features detective Renee Ballard (played by Maggie Q) who runs the LAPD’s new cold-case unit.
She looks to be a pretty bad-assed cop but will the show be anywhere near as good as either of the Bosch series? We can only hope. They’re all based on characters in author Michael Connelly’s books. The show’s 10 episodes should surely be enough to tell.
I also plan to check out the series Washington Black (on Hulu July 23) adapted from the 2018 historical novel of the same name that was shortlisted for the Booker Prize by Canadian author Esi Edugyan. It’s about an 11-year-old boy who flees a Barbados sugar plantation and must make his way in the world after escaping slavery. He’s quite a clever kid who has many adventures. The novel was great, so I’m game for the series, and I hope Esi Edugyan will have another novel soon.
In movies the new Superman film is coming out July 11 with David Corenswet playing the Man of Steel. He might be great, but us old-timers are fine to stick with the old movies with Christopher Reeve. He will always be Clark Kent to us, lol. You recall Chris starred in four films as Superman from 1978 to 1987. And that’s where it will end.
Meanwhile the film Shoshana (due out July 25) looks to be a good political thriller about a British police officer and a Jewish woman who fall in love amid the political turmoil of 1930s Tel Aviv … with tensions high as the British attempt to maintain order in a city with a mixed Arabian and Jewish population. It’s inspired by true events and is directed by British director Michael Winterbottom, known for several good films, including the Steve Coogan Trip films and A Mighty Heart about Danny Pearl.
And lastly in music for July, there’s new albums by Sweet Season, Lord Huron, Trisha Yearwood, Tyler Childers, Jade Bird, Patty Griffin, and newcomers Billie Marten, and Dylan Gossett among others. I’ll pick Dylan Gossett’s album Westward (out July 18) with the country song Tree Birds on it. Enjoy. He’s from Austin, Texas and has a nice country sound.
That’s all for now. What about you — which new releases are you looking forward to? Happy Canada Day and 4th of July week.
Good to see all the books you have listed, and the authors who have new books coming out soon. I need to look out for them.
Hi Mae, thanks. These books are on my radar though I probably won’t get to them right away. I’m still working on my summer list. Have a great week.
Yes ma’m! Counting down the days to Dexter: Resurrection!!!
I loved the Fleischman series and the book is on my shelf but I haven’t read it yet.
Hi Jinjer, I put Dexter on for you, lol. I’m surprised a bit the show is coming back. We’re nearing the end of Fleishman and it’s a bit intense and sad for Claire Dane’s character. Hopefully she gets some help. Have a great 4th.
Aww, look at those cute minature horses. We had good friends in Nebraska who had several. They might have taken them to shows, pulling carts maybe? Your neighbor has 50?!! Wowzers.
Fleishman is in Trouble sounds good. I have always like Claire Danes. Remember My So-Called Life?
Hmm, Daikon sounds like it might be worthwhile. I’m trying to think if I’ve read any “alternate history” novels. I guess Stephen King’s 11/22/63 falls into that category. I remember looking at The Plot Against America by Philip Roth, but never did read it. Oh! I found one on my blog. Resurrection Day by Brendan DuBois. I read it it 1999 and gave it 4 stars. I said it was an excellent thriller. I’ve forgotten everything about the book, though.
I’m going to mention A Marriage at Sea to Rod since he enjoys nautical books. He’s in the middle of writing another shipwreck book, though, so he may not want to read this one for a while.
We might give Ballard a try, although we weren’t impressed with Bosch Legacy. Didn’t even finish watching that one, although we loved Bosch.
Happy Canada Day on Tuesday!
Thanks Lesley, we had a nice Canada Day yesterday and the day was a beauty. (I didn’t hear any fireworks either – might have been a ban.)
I don’t think I’d seen mini-horses till we moved here. The guy has a lot on his acreage. I had a pony once in Calif. when I was in 2nd grade. 🙂
Interesting about Resurrection Day. I don’t remember that one. I’ll check for your review of it. I think I’ve read only one or very few alternate history novels so Daikon will be rare for me. Someday I’ll read the long King novel which everyone liked. Robert enjoyed it.
I didn’t see Claire Danes in My So-Called Life – I guess I was busy with DC life then. But did you ever watch her series Homeland? Wow. Fleishman is pretty good too. Not sure about Ballard but we’ll give it a shot sometime.
Have a nice week & 4th. It’s turned hot here and must water the plants!
I absolutely love Lord Huron! They are almost always playing here. Them or The National Parks. I’ll have to listen to Dylan Gossett.
I want to give hugs to those little horses! I can’t stand how cute!
Hi Erin, yes the little horses are crazy little things. Pretty adorable.
I like the sound of Lord Huron too. I don’t know the National Parks as well but I will try them out. Thanks for recommending. Dylan Gossett is a newbie to me and I think he’s just starting out. Much music this month. Cheers.
Yes, Happy Canada Day! Those horses are way too cute! Love that picture. And 50 of them – amazing! I will definitely be trying Ballard, but setting my expectations in the reasonable range. I love the Ballard books and I’ve found that sometimes the TV adaptations suit me and sometimes not so much. I have enjoyed the Bosch series, but interestingly enough, I haven’t read all the Bosch books.
Hi Kay, thanks, our Canada Day was really nice here. And hot days are upon us now. Yeah I think my expectations are a bit lower for Ballard after Bosch but still plan to check it out. You are a Connelly expert so I like hearing your thoughts on the books & series. I have not read the books. But we were fans of (both) the Bosch series. Apparently Renee Ballard was inspired by a female detective who was a consultant on his Bosch novels. I’d like to read the books with her. Cheers, have a happy 4th!
Lots of interesting titles to look forward to, some by authors I have enjoyed in the past. I had not heard about the “Ballard” series so I’ll have to look for that. I like that character very much.
Hi Dorothy, yeah I was surprised the Ballard series was already coming out. I thought it would be out in the fall. See what you think. Have a nice week & Happy 4th.
That’s a great happy animal photo! Miniature horses are just the cutest. The foal almost looks like a stuffed animal! Surprisingly, I don’t have any July releases on my radar right now, but still have a couple from June I’m hoping to get to. Off to peruse the 21st century’s best movie list…
Hi JoAnn, that Best movie list is taking me a while just to read through. Some I agree — some not so much. Parasite at #1? I thought it was a crazy movie.
And I probably won’t get to these July books anytime soon, except the Marriage at Sea book, which is on my summer list.
The mini-horses do look a bit unreal up close. They are like stuffed animals!
Enjoy your 4th. And Happy July.
Happy Canada Day and July 4th! Those miniature horses are the cutest. The only release I have on my radar from July is Silva’s latest. I’m still trying to fit in several reads from June that made it to Amazon’s and Barnes&Noble’s Best of the Year so Far lists, plus quite a few from earlier months. I’m reading a bit faster now (thank goodness, and fingers crossed it holds). Happy reading week ahead!
Thanks Carmen, Canada Day was really nice here. I thought you might be interested in the new Silva novel. He’s still churning out a book per year. But not sure you liked the Cornwall book as much. Still I’m sure the new one will be one to get. I will have to check out some of these Best Books of the Year So Far lists. I’ve been mostly sticking to reading my summer list, so been busy with that. Good luck with your reading. And Happy 4th.
I love the miniature horse! Never saw Dexter the first time around But I know it was a popular series. A Marrige At Sea sounds interesting. I am hoping there was no tragedy. Traveling around d the world at sea for over a year seems risky.
Hi Kathy, I will continue on with happy animal photos in light of the news, lol.
And I never watched Dexter either but I know Jinjer at the Angeleno blog liked that show. And yeah I think A Marriage at Sea is going to be quite a survival tale … boating around the world in 1972 was likely quite risky. If you get stranded in the ocean, no one might be able to hear or find you for a long while. Hmm scary.
Have a great week & Happy 4th.
Oh my goodness, those mini horses are too cute. Do you get to visit them often?
I think I will add Daikon to my list. Like you, I don’t usually read alternative fiction but this sounds interesting. I gave up on the Niall Williams book, Time of the Child after reading about 40 pages. I kept drifting and there wasn’t enough t o pull me in. Reading some reviews about it I am in the minority.
Currently reading The History of Sound by Ben Shattuck and enjoying that style very much.
Will email you soon. It’s nice to relax and get some reading in now without anything else demanding my time.
Hi Tina, those mini horses are just like three houses up from us — so we can go anytime. I often walk with the dogs in the mornings up there. There’s about 3 foals right now in their front yard.
Yeah the Daikon novel seems a bit different. And I agree with you about Time of the Child, just a bit much. I’m glad things are settling down for you …. and all the hard work of the move is behind you. It seems a great place for you all.
Happy July reading!
When we were coming home from a senior field trip last week, we saw a farm where miniature horses are raised. They are so cute.
Thank you for sharing cute animal photos, BTW. Please keep them coming.
I plan to read A Marriage at Sea as soon as it comes in for me at the library.
Hi Deb, yeah I hadn’t seen mini-horses before moving to this street. But the foals are almost like toy dolls, interesting to behold. Interesting you saw them there too. I will try to keep going with the happy animal photos. (The news is so bad, sadly.)
You might get to A Marriage At Sea before I get to it …. it looks like a whopper of a survival tale, so beware. But it should be interesting … a real story of this couple in 1972. Their trip seemed a bit ambitious … and risky. Happy reading.
Love those miniature horses. Especially the foals.
My husband and I are interested in the 100 Best Movies List, but I have barely gotten through the first 20, and I don’t know how far Glen has gotten.
For some reason I have to force myself to read alternative history novels but I almost always love them once I start. I loved SS-GB by Len Deighton, but then he is one of my favorite authors. But I still put off reading it forever.
We will be watching Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 3 but not necessarily as soon as it comes out. Depends on what shows we are involved in at the time. We have pretty much watched everything related to Star Trek except for animated shows. And we haven’t gotten to Star Trek: Section 31 with Michelle Yeoh yet. It did not do very well, but we will watch it anyway.
Happy Canada Day!
Thanks Tracy, we had a really nice Canada Day. It was a beauty.
I agree with you — the 100 Best Movie List is taking a long while to peruse through.
Good to hear about the Len Deighton novel. I’ve read only a couple alternative history fiction — but critics are saying this Daikon is really worth checking out. It does make you think — these kinds of tales — what if something in history had been different … perhaps we wouldn’t be the same as we are now.
I didn’t realize you were big (Star) Trekkie fans, though I knew you liked sci-fi books. I hope you enjoy Season 3. Many movies and TV shows with it over the years. Have a great week & Happy 4th.
That miniature horse and her baby are oh-so-cute!! We’ve been in the 90s this week, so summer is officially arrived. Sounds like you have some wonderful summer activities planned. I’m sure your dogs will be thrilled to be swimming in the river! I haven’t watched Bosch yet. I read a few of the novels years ago. I should check it out. Have a great week, Susan!
Hi Rachel, thanks. It’s supposed to be near 90 here today too — yikes! Hope you are able to stay cool there. The heat is on. The mini-horses & their foals are cute to watch … luckily they have some shade with the trees.
We took the dogs for a long swim yesterday and they are zonked out now, lol.
I think you’d like the Bosch series sometime … pretty gripping. But summer is too busy. Enjoy your trip to Montana and Happy 4th!
How the heck is it already July?! Ugh. Time is moving far too quickly for me this year and I am not accomplishing all the things (think reading) that I wanted to do. Don’t panic, Helen. The year still has 6 months.
Yeah it has been moving too quickly …. especially the summer months. We need to slow it down and make the best of summer. Enjoy!
Love the little horses! My granddad raised Shetlands which are enormous compared to some of today’s miniatures.
I added Fleishman is in Trouble and Washington Black to my TBW lists. Thanks!
Hi Joy, I hope you enjoy Fleishman and Washington Black. We just finished Fleishman and it sort of has a twist at the end of the series. See what you think. I’m looking forward to Washington Black premiering July 23.
And interesting to hear about your grandfather’s Shetlands. I agree some ponies are big compared to the miniature horses at my neighbor’s house.
Have a happy 4th!
Such a great post–chock full of good stuff to check out.
First, I love the mama and baby mini horses. So sweet. Like stuffed animals!
I put Fleishman is in Trouble on the to-watch list along with Ballard and Washington Black.
A Marriage at Sea is on the maybe read list. My husband watches You-Tube videos of couples who said around the world, up and down the coasts, etc as well as boat-building videos, so a book on the topic would be good…I think!
Tree Birds hits all the right notes (s0 to speak) for me. Love the harmonica 🙂
Hope you have a great week and keep those animal pics coming. We all need a break from the madness.
Thanks Jane. I’ll keep putting out these Preview posts each month and the Happy animal pics. I can’t stand the news these days. !!
See what you think of those TV series. And I think the book A Marriage at Sea will be a doozy of a survival tale that takes the couple’s marriage to the brink apparently. I’m still on the wait list for it, so we will see. I remembered your husband was a boat builder. I wonder what he’d think of this tale?
I’m glad to hear you liked the sound of the song Tree Birds. It has an upbeat country vibe. And a harmonica!
Enjoy your 4th and take a break from the madness. Cheers.