Summer Reads (May- July)

I've been in a bit of a reading lull lately.  Nothing has really held my interests (and I have no idea if it's the books or my mind).  

 At the end of May- EOG prep, end of year stress, and deadlines came baring down, so I de-stressed in the evening with a SPY marathon 'kick'.  I mean "kick" both physically and literally.   I watched a ton of tv female spies "kick" butt. 

I started with La Femme Nikita on the Tubi app (free).  I loved this show in the 90s, and now I love it even more. Why don't we have shows like this anymore!?!   It was the biggest thing back in the day.  I could never get into the new remake, Nikita, but the classic lives on in my heart.      #FOREVERNikita&Michael.  

I moved on to watching some Alias.  I am still team Jennifer Garner to this day, and she was awesome in this role.    

Finally I ended with Citadel on Amazon Prime about two (sexy) Citadel spies who try to work together on a mission without having memory. Who doesn't love Priyanka Chopra Jonas??  She is amazing (loved her in Quantico too)!

Once I had watched all those SPY TV shows, I really wanted to read SPY books (but not the traditional James Patterson/Robert Ludlum stuff). 

Velvet by Lisette Marshall

DNF/ did not finish:  This one held my interest at the start about the protected princess of the castle who is very intrigued with the castle spy.  The character 'Velvet' seemed like a spunky lead who would soon do her own "spying".  I realized a few chapters in that the story was moving away from my imagined plot and toward craziness that no longer held my attention.  

Reborn by Meredith Wild

DNF:  I might go back and try this one but it dragged to the point, I got bored.  #ADD

This book is part of a 3 volume set.  It was recommended to me in a book group (had great reviews).  
Reborn tells the story of Tristan (who is like a Jason Bourne type).  He was specifically trained to be a spy and hitman.  Tristan doesn't really remember a lot in his past until he is hired to put a "hit" on Isabel Foster. You guessed it- Isabel is a woman from his past who does remember him. 

                          

Deadly Silence by Rebecca Zanetti

3 STARS:  This one is part of a 3 book set.  I've already bought book #2.  I had planned to read it on vacation but it never happened because I discovered murder case podcasts.    
#Rydker Jones runs a private/ spy agency with his brothers.  Both he and his brothers have a very uncanny ability to solve crimes and find people (almost supernatural).  Throughout the story, we learn there is another plot going on about the brothers who all came from the same orphanage.   I was constantly wondering about their past- Were they part of a government program gone wrong?  kidnapped? experimented on? 
Rydker is also tasked with solving a mystery with a local paralegal who happens to cross all of his personal boundaries if you get my drift...wink. wink.   
I need more answers about the past of Rydker.  I thought some of the storylines dragged a bit without resolve but overall enjoyed this one.  

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Sweet Valley High by Nicole Andelfinger & Claudia Aguirre

3 Stars: Sweet Valley High was my JAM back in the day.  I could not read them fast enough.  I purchased two graphic novels for Carlee.  I'm not sure she loved these as much as I loved mine.  I read "Best Friends" with her on the kindle.  I think she prefers real books to the kindle.  Best Friends starts with twins Jessica and Elizabeth entering Middle School. Soon they realize they are quite different and don't do all the things like they use to do them.  Like it is with all girls, separation can be a very hard adjustment for friends and twin sisters to make.  I love the updated spin they put on the books, ie. they have to share a cell phone and use laptops for homework now. 
I give this one 3 stars because you can never beat the original. 

Ain't She Sweet by Susan Elizabeth Phillips

5 Stars REREAD: If I get in a reading rut I go to Susan Elizabeth Phillips (or Judith McNaught) to reenergize.  I've read Ain't She Sweet quite a few times.  I LOVE Sugar Beth Carey- former bad girl of Parrish, Mississippi.  Sugar Beth was popular, beautiful, rich, spoiled, and the Belle of the Town.  Only now she has returned back to her hometown broke, hurt, and devastated by the way her life has gone.  It doesn't help everyone in town hates her, including the former [hot] teacher she tried to get fired years ago.   I love the story between Sugar Beth and Colin.  Most of all I love Sugar Beth's redemption story in the small town of Parrish.

Beautiful Bad Man & Eyes of Silver, Eyes of Gold by Ellen O Connell

4 Stars for both: I totally switched gears from spies to westerns.  I've never read a western romance in my life.  My facebook reading group made me do it.   I loved the writing of Ellen O Connell!  She certainly has a knack for storytelling and mastering the fine art of 'slow burn'. 

Beautiful Bad Man tells the story of Norah and Caleb who once saved each other as children.  20 years later, their paths cross again and Caleb is tasked with taking the Kansas prairie from Norah (a new widow).  Eventually he ends up helping her in a "wedding bargain". They endure a lot of jerks but sometimes love wins! 

Eyes of Silver, Eyes of Gold tells the story of Anne and Cord who are thrown together in the most violent of circumstances. Those first chapters had me worried (Anne had the most horrible father ever).  Lucky she had Cord in the wild west to protect her and eventually show her true LOVE.   💗

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July  Reads

 

You Deserve Each Other by Sarah Hogle

5 Stars: I found this gem a few weeks ago.  I've never read anything by Sarah Hogle but this one was so good.  Naomi and Nicholas are about to have the 'wedding of the year'.  The problem is Naomi is sooooo miserable.  Neither person wants to marry the other.  Instead of just breaking up (like normal people) they each try to get the other to be the responsible "dumper" leaving one person accountable for the debt from wedding planning. 

To read the antics of this couple as they try to annoy each other was pretty funny but it started to get really good when Naomi and Nicholas realized why they were going to get married in the first place.

The Sechrist Fam Takes West Virginia (again)

It's vacation time, and once again Darren took us to the West Virginia mountains for a surprise.

In true Sechrist fashion about 24 hours before we were to leave for vacation, Carlee got some kind of hellish poison oak.

#sechristfamilyluck  

It started out mild but the more we treated it, the worse it got.  It began to get painful because it traveled to her hairline, her scalp, and neck.   I was getting worried it would travel to her eye.

Several of my pals advised me NOT to wait to go to the weekend clinic.  I have very little experience with this, so I am glad that I did take her instead of waiting it out.  The practitioner on call said that Carlee had one of the worst cases she had seen.  She also told me that if a child has poison oak on the face, always take them to the doctor to prevent the rash moving into the mouth, eyes, etc.  

Carlee did have to power through treatment.  She got a shot and prescription medications before we left.

The nurse was from out tennis fam and was absolutely fantastic with
Carlee (who was in the middle of a panic attack).  

The good news is the poison oak began to clear up within 48 hours.  The bad news- Carlee was on prednisone all week.   (Hyper on wheels!!!)

Once we avoided the poison oak disaster, we played a bit of Trunk Tetris (I was starting to miss my van) but we got it all in and then we HIT THE ROAD! 

I'm a planned person, so I really HATE stops but guess what?

We made a few stops.  

😞
For some reason Connor LOVES antique stores.

His taste runs so classy too.

Total Vintage Style

(At least he doesn't have a racing shirt under that fox fur.)

I don't care for antique shops but sometimes they are really cool. 

Look at all these vintage finds-

I wanted to show Carlee some of the books I had as a kid when I lost her.

Where do you think she was!?!  

(hint- not in the book section)

 In the Vintage Hooker Shoes section    

(not the official term)!

We don't even do drugs and we STILL give the Whites of West Virginia a run for their money with our style.  

You might remember Darren's infatuation with bridges in 2020. 

We revisited the New River Gorge Bridge, and I recreated this picture from three years ago.  

This was during the COVID pandemic. 

We removed our masks for this photo.

2023

Darren tried to say Connor was about four inches shorter than him!?!

No way.  

Connor literally took a growth spurt in one year.

  I love these sweet little peanuts! 

This stop was unexpected but in order to recreate that photo, I had to climb twenty flights of steps in flip flops too big (I didn't know I would be doing mountain climbing people).

  Connor had to turn back to make sure I wasn't dead.  

I was wheezing like a smoker of 50 years butttt

I MADE IT!! 

After hours of riding we reached our destination!!  

The kids and I were a bit skeptical.  There really appeared to be NOTHING around Stonewall Resort 

(the Walmart was 20 minutes away).   

The last WV vacation I deemed "Windy Poplar" from Anne of Green Gables.  This resort I nicknamed "Kellermans" from Dirty Dancing.  

I felt like we were in the Catskills.

I even rented the movie for Carlee during this trip but once I skipped past the good stuff she got bored. 😆

Kellerman's from Dirty Dancing

Stonewall Resort 

All jokes aside, West Virginia is a beautiful state! 

Stonewall is an outdoorsy place. 

In other words there is no video gaming, iPhone(ing), and sitting in front of a screen.  This was a 'get out and move' vacation and it was really good for all of us.

I can't believe it but I now love kayaking!

I want my own kayak.  

The kids used a SUP- stand up paddle board.

I really wanted Carlee to do a double kayak with me because she is so young but she was not down with that plan. 

She took off on her own (technically you are not supposed to go out on your own unless you are 16 years and older). 

What can I tell you?  

The Sechrist Fam are Kayaking Rebels.

Daddy O- 

the only one of us that doesn't tan, poor guy.

There isn't swimming in the lake but we snuck in a bit on the edge.  We asked the 20 year old boy "in charge" (who let Carlee have her own kayak), and he said "if you fall out and swim you won't get in trouble".  

Basically we "fell out" and swam a bit.

Carlee enjoyed the non-chlorine swim with her poison oak. 

I was enjoying the beauty and tranquillity.

Whennnn...

Carlee swore she saw a jellyfish (possibly a flounder) and then Connor told her the real worry should be the bacteria eating ameba that lives in fresh water and attacks the brain first...

and then fun was over for me.

We paddled back to shore while I tried to shield Connor's head from Carlee's oar 

(prednisone don't play). 

The indoor/ outdoor pool provided jellyfish and flesh-eating bacteria SAFE Swimming. 

(They should put that on their brochures.)

The trails gave us a spectrum of magnificent views.

Each night the fire pit was lit.  Families could relax, roast s'mores, or see all the dogs that came out.  

There were so many sweet dogs.

This is Billy.

This MAN Child is Connor.  👅

Night Swimming

Our room was a mess of shoes, towels, wet bathing suits, sun screen, 

and everything in between!! 

Connor and Darren took some time together.  

They really wanted to go to the Trans- Allegheny Lunatic Asylum.

You can read about it here. 

As an EC teacher, I have researched about the HORRIBLE things that once happened in these asylums.  It's truly horrific. 

Medicine Cabinet

D. and C. did the historical tour of the Asylum.  I know they also offer ghost tours in the evening.  I believe the visit was enjoyed by them because they told me a lot about it.  

Afterwards, they scheduled some time to play on the Arnold Palmer Signature Greenway.

Connor was really excited about this one (even though he is a tennis guy).

A dress code is required to play on this course. 

I knew the Lunatic Asylum was a NO for Carlee unless I wanted her to sleep in my room until 8th grade.

We decided to stay at the resort.

Besides, we would rather watch paint dry than golf.  

We spent the rest of the day resting, swimming, kayaking, taking pictures, and we enjoyed a lovely lunch at TJ Muskies together.

.  

Like every place, the resort was short staffed.  When Carlee and I went to the kayaks there was no one to help us get going.  I was tasked with  getting Carlee and myself pushed into the water.  I know for a fact that many of the rooms face the kayaks...

and someone was getting a plus sized SHOW.   

I was ever so gracefully falling on the shore, rolling in and out of my kayak while in the water, and tripping as I pushed Carlee off.

I got my shoes so muddy that I just threw them away when I got back.

I had planned a spa treatment on site for us both but they told me that Carlee was too young.  They were so NOT cool like the 20 year old kayak boy.  

It was Ok because I let her use the "spa" money at the gift shop! 

Carlee takes such great photos! 

I had two free drink coupons to use at lunch. 

Carlee had a 'Shirley Temple' and I had a 'Cake on the Lake'.  😛

We were divas with matching sunglasses! 

We really wanted to do a 'Taco Tuesday' dinner cruise but they filled up too fast.

We decided to reserve an outdoor table for the fam at Stillwaters.  

Look- it's my lucky #3.  

We enjoyed dinner as a family by the lake.  

The meal did NOT disappoint. 

This was a fantastic trip.

Move over Whites of West Virginia...

there is a new FAM in town

THE SECHRISTS OF STONEWALL

Vacation Video Here