How is it August 31?!

I feel like I’ve been saying that all year, but August seemed to fly by fastest yet. One moment, I was wrapping up #WyrdandWonder and starting my June #BIPOC readathon and now it’s Labor Day weekend.

So to catch up, June was a great reading month. I participated in East City Bookshop‘s Summer Reading Challenge. The challenge was to complete 8 of the prompts between May 27 and September 2. The over-achiever that I am, I finished by June 2 and turned in my sheet. My prize was a grab bag of 3 ARCs: Oye by Melissa Mogollon; The Hazelbourne Ladies Motorcycle & Flying Club by Helen Simonson; and The Loves of Theodore Roosevelt by Edward F. O‘Keefe. Honestly, none of these books I would’ve picked up on my own, but each look really interesting. So YAY for random grab bags. (Also why I love blind date books.)

The rest of June is kind of a blur.

I had to look back through my Instagram account to remember June. How sad is that? But that’s a plus in the positive column for social media. Looking back through my photos reminded me what I did. Otherwise, I’d just be shrugging my shoulders about what I did in June.

What I did do. A lot of puzzles and some Legos. (That’s a given.) I read more. (Also a given.) I bought a box of puzzles from @puzzleknucks for a fundraiser she did and got some awesome puzzles. (Because I needed more puzzles.) I did some DC things, like sightseeing.

And I got this little wooden robot from Leah Houghtaling Woodworking. (If you don’t follow Leah’s IG account, you should. It’s awesome.)

Seriously, how cute is he? He’s sitting beside the Monk and Robot books by Becky Chambers.

I mean seriously, he’s sooo cute and perfect for those books.

Then I got to travel for work.

Work travel can be a mixed bag. It can really suck. But it can also be fun. This time it was fun as I got to spend a month on Guam.

Guam, which is a U.S. Territory, is a tiny little island out in the Pacific Ocean. And I mean WAY out there. It’s a 7-hour flight from Honolulu, Hawaii to Guam. And it’s about 11 hours from DC to Hawaii (without a layover). So in total with layovers, I traveled about 22 hours to get there.

But once I was there, I had a marvelous time exploring the island and the culture.

On the way back, I took a long layover in Honolulu and got to do some Hawaii things, mostly around Waikiki, including seeing a Litsy friend. I also had a good time trying different Mai Tais.

Check out my Instagram to see more of my Guam & Hawaii photos.

I got back on August 4 and now tomorrow is September 1. I’m not really sure where the rest of August went.

The only real thing I’ve done this month (other than work) is clearing my bookshelves. Yes, I’m purging. Seriously purging.

I won’t say that I have too many books because there’s no such thing. But my little apartment is feeling a bit cramped and so I’m re-homing my books. Giving them a new home so others can enjoy the stories that I have.

I’ve listed over 200 books (some in bundles) on PangoBooks. These books desperately need a new home. So help me out and find a new-to-you book to enjoy.

And if you see more than one you want, send me a DM. I’m offering to do deals for those who want 3+ books. I’ll do a special bundle for you.

That’s a wrap-up on Summer 2024!

How was your summer? Share in the comments below.