May: Sustain

Connection: My favorite connection this month was attending a friend's wedding. And the festivities before and after!

Family: For Memorial Day weekend it was just me and the kids. On Sunday we met up with the wedding party for lunch and the Detroit Institute of Arts. Afterwards we went to see the movie RGB about Ruth Bader Ginsburg - which was excellent.

My husband and I got in two date nights this month. Once for a sushi dinner and another time that was just browsing for house items while the kids were at youth group.  

Faith: I read 1 & 2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon, Hebrews, James, and 1 Peter.

Health: 34 hours of exercise in a 31 day month! I kept up with weights and am starting to add abs on those days.

Intellect: Books I read this month
Book club - The Butterfly Garden by Dot Hutchison. While this book was a very compelling read, I found it hard to put down, it also was a tough read because it dealt with tough topics. We meet Maya in the middle of an investigation that aims to find out why a man known as the "Gardener" has collected a garden full of missing young girls for his own uses.

The Gender Game by Bella Forrest. I found this book fascinating up until the end. I did feel the last chapter was a little rushed and didn't quite go with the rest of the book, but I'm willing to read the next book in the series to find out!
What happens when society has been separated into two kingdoms - one ruled by males and one by females? Violet has found life hard as an orphan and with little options left has agreed to an espionage mission that will take her from the female ruled Matrus to the male ruled Patrius, where she finds that things are not always as they seem.

 

The Journey of Little Charlie by Christopher Paul Curtis. I found this book very hard to read because of the topics of slavery and cruelty. Curtis usually mixes a little more humor in his books and I missed that in Little Charlie. I did like learning about the Canadian settlements during the pre-Civil War era and I liked how Charlie grew on his journey.
 

The Next Thing on My List by Jill Smolinski. While the book starts on a morbid premise: Jane is in a car accident with an acquaintance who dies, it turns cute as Jane finds a countdown list and begins to complete it for the near-stranger. Jane works her way through the list of life activities as she finds herself connecting with other in ways she hasn't before and learning to live her life in a way that puts herself out to new experiences.

Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman. I spent the first third of the book off-kilter because I knew there was more going on than the author was disclosing. But as the book began to unfold, I couldn't stop reading because I wanted to find out what happened next. As more pieces of the puzzle were placed I could begin to see the complexity of Eleanor.

Still Me by Jojo Moyes. Each book in this series keeps getting better! Older characters grow and change as new ones introduce themselves. This book sees Louisa traveling to the US to work for a wealthy couple. Through a series of events Louisa finds herself unemployed, homeless and single. As she begins to re-invent herself, Louisa finds that she questions who she is and what she wants from life.

Spy Ski School by Stuart Gibbs. Another interesting read from Gibbs! This adventure had Ben going to ski school with his fellow classmates to try and befriend a girl who's father is suspected to be a criminal. Of course there are plenty of mis-adventures along the way! Perfect for Middle School ages.
 

When Did You See Her Last? by Lemony Snicket. I am enjoying this series more on the second time through!