June in Review
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As is most of the summer, June was a very good month for books!
All by Myself, Alone by Mary Higgins Clark: I'm a year behind on her books because I refuse to buy them in hardback anymore, yet I still get sucked into each and every one. They're all pretty much the same, but they're the perfect summer fare.
The Last of August by Brittany Cavallaro: This is the second in a series of Young Adult - focused Sherlock Holmes stories. Each book is sort of like the original but with a modern twist. The series is fantastic!
Winterhouse by Ben Guterson: I wanted it to be as good as "Greenglass House", but it just wasn't. It was however, pretty entertaining.
The Summer Seaside Kitchen by Jenny Colgan: Colgan is my very favorite British author and I hope she continues to write for years and years to come. I get so engrossed in her stories of England, that my heart starts to yearn for Great Britain. This book was no different. I'm now secretly planning a trip back to Scotland in my head...
The Little Bookshop of Lonely Hearts by Annie Darling: I bought this last year when I was in England, and I have no idea why it took me so long to read it. I loved it and I'm happy to have realized that she has 3 more sequels in the works. (The very best thing about British writers is their ability to take the same characters and the same lovely settings and write fabulous sequels about them!)
June Travels
June was a month spent in Maryland for the most part. There was a quick day trip to New York City that included an ice cream festival though. The Ice Cream Festival in Bryant Park promising at least 20 different vendors was kind of a letdown. Most of the vendors - save for one or two independent sellers from the city - were giant chains, like Ben & Jerry's and Edy's. I expected to be wowed by all sorts of new and exciting ice cream, but all I got was a few new flavors that I will soon be able to purchase in a grocery store. What a bummer!
However, the bright spot in the experience was a trip to Queens to see The Museum of the Moving Image. It was there that we were treated to the Jim Henson exhibit. It was totally awesome and warmed my Labyrinth and Fraggle Rock loving heart. As it was a super hot day, the hour spent roaming around this super cool space was quite enjoyable. Even more enjoyable was seeing some of Henson's first sketches and the original Skeksis from The Dark Crystal. The exhibit is now permanent and I'd highly recommend seeing it the next time you're in the City. As I learned, Queens is super easy to find - thank goodness for the subway!
June Eats
By far the best food I ate in June was at Carmine's in Washington DC. It's one of my very favorite places in NYC, and I was super excited to learn that there is one in DC - right near the Shakespeare Theatre Company where I spent most of last Saturday. Score! We spent a lovely hour positively gourging ourselves on Spaghetti and Meatballs and Chicken Parmigiana. The best part of Carmine's is that the food is served family style. This means that when you order one meal, you get enough food to feed a small army. It also means when two people have dinner together, you are treated to fabulous lunches for the next few days. It's a win-win for everyone!
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| Go Orioles! Even if they're not having the best season, they took the time to celebrate Pride! |
June Shows
As theatre goes, June was a bit slow. I may have gotten a bit burned out over the last few months, so I've been trying to take it easy. At the start of the month, I saw Bullets over Broadway at the Annapolis Summer Garden Theatre. Attending this show also gave me my first foray into ushering. I am scheduled to usher for their next 2 shows, and I plan to write all about my experiences in a witty but reflective post... But let's just say, ushering is a great way to spend an evening. You work before the show, during intermission and at the end. And in the middle, you see the show for free! I wish the show itself had been worth it.
An 80s show written by Woody Allen that sees the lead female character killed because "she's annoying" is not the best #MeToo era show to produce. But the cast was talented so at least there's that. The next day I saw How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying as part of the Kennedy Center's Broadway Centerstage. If you ever want to know how to put a modern spin on a show that could be seen as dated, get thee to the Kennedy Center immediately. This production was unbelievably fabulous! I loved everything about it! They managed to put a positive spin on songs that were most definitely written at a different time for women, while still managing to bring the laughs. It was a positively perfect production!
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| Can't resist a great pun |
Lastly, was Camelot at Shakespeare Theatre Company. I fell in love with that space the second I walked in. It's small and contained and the perfect place to enjoy a show. As I'm not usually a fan of the older shows, Camelot was quite wonderful. I've always been a sucker for the Arthurian legend, and seeing this spin on it was fun. Thought I don't recall a lot of the smaller details about the legend itself, so the show brought up a lot of questions that I'm definitely going to need to research... But all in all, it was fantastic!
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| We also saw Luke Bryan from the 5th row. You can't tell from this picture but he's SUPER DREAMY! |
June Moves
I jumped into the world of online dating begrudgingly at the urging of everyone I know. I'm still not sure it's for me, but I've met a few gentlemen that are lovely so maybe we can see how it goes. Though, I only look at the app every few days because it stresses me out so much. It's a process...
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| June also saw the Tony Awards and a viewing party at my house. This is an Olaf Cheeseball (Frozen) and Hummus and Pita chips (The Band's Visit) |
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