What's Up Wednesday- July 10th

What's Up Wednesday is a weekly meme geared toward readers and writers, allowing us to touch base with blog friends and let them know what's up.  Should you wish to join, check out Jamie's or Erin's lovely blogs and sign up with the link widget at the bottom of the post.

WHAT I'M READING

This weekend I picked up SHADOW AND BONE by Leigh Bardugo. It was a very fun read. Perfect for hammock reading and holiday escapism. The only quibble I had with it, is that there was a very, very simple solution to a stalemate in the book that could have saved hundreds of lives. I wanted to slap the characters for not thinking of it. I won't spill the beans because it's a spoiler, but I will do this....*grumble grumble*

One thing I loved about the book was it's rather unusual world setting that had a very eighteenth century Russian feel. It reminded me how much I love that setting and so I promptly downloaded ANNA KARENINA to reread. Reading Russian novels during the heat of the summer is perfect, because how lovely to read about sledges and ice skating when it's ninety degrees and sweltering. Plus, I'm hoping Karenina will last me more than a measly two days. (I love being in the middle of a book. I'm saddened when they're finished and I hate to have to find a new one. I just want to be in the glorious middle all of the time.) After rereading Karenina, I plan on watching the most recent movie adaptation again with Keira Knightley, which if you haven't seen it...Go Watch It NOW. (I'll wait) It's absolutely STUNNING! And oh those costumes!

WHAT I'M WRITING

After finishing my rewrites on July 1st, I've done very little else in the writing department. I think I needed to take just a small break before going through the whole MS again and fixing things. Plus there was so much going on this weekend. I kept getting lured away by invitations to go boating, and fantastic hikes and of course holiday parties. (Have you tried to say "no" to a party lately...it isn't as easy as it should be.) At one point, I was summarily kidnapped and hauled physically out of the house.

I hereby promise to be better this week and tackle a few things. I won't bore you with the list, because it's almost identical to last week's 'to do' list. *cough cough* *looks sheepish*

WHAT ELSE I'VE BEEN UP TO

I've always loved fireworks. I have very fond memories of going to the 4th of July fireworks with my noisy boisterous tribe family when I was little. My mother, who is still a child at heart when it comes to fireworks, would camp out for hours with us so that we could get as close as physically possible. So the silver and gold was right above our heads and ash rained down on our faces. 

Sarasota is a wonderful town if you happen to love fireworks. Because not only do they shoot off fireworks for Everything (Groundhog Day, Father's Day, etc. etc.) but they also pull out all the stops on the 4th. You can take your pick of going to 6 different beaches to see them and the reflection out over the water is fantastic. This year, we went to a friend's house who lives right on the bay. My favorite part was floating on my back in the still, blackness of the water and watching the explosion of sparks above me. Seeing fireworks with your head underwater and the noise silenced is almost surreal.