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2024 Bookish Books Reading Challenge (Hosted by Yours Truly)

My Progress:


33 / 30 bookish books. 110% done!

2024 Literary Escapes Challenge

- Alabama (1)
- Alaska (1)
- Arizona (1)
- Arkansas (1)
- California (9)
- Colorado (1)
- Connecticut (2)
- Delaware (1)
- Florida (2)
- Georgia (2)
- Hawaii (1)
- Idaho (2)
- Illinois (4)
- Indiana (4)
- Iowa (1)
- Kansas (1)
- Kentucky (1)
- Louisiana (1)
- Maine (1)
- Maryland (1)
- Massachusetts (3)
- Michigan (1)
- Minnesota (2)
- Mississippi (1)
- Missouri (1)
- Montana (1)
- Nebraska (1)
- Nevada (2)
- New Hampshire (1)
- New Jersey (1)
- New Mexico (1)
- New York (9)
- North Carolina (4)
- North Dakota (1)
- Ohio (3)
- Oklahoma (2)
- Oregon (2)
- Pennsylvania (2)
- Rhode Island (1)
- South Carolina (1)
- South Dakota (1)
- Tennessee (1)
- Texas (4)
- Utah (3)
- Vermont (2)
- Virginia (2)
- Washington (3)
- West Virginia (1)
- Wisconsin (1)
- Wyoming (2)
- Washington, D.C.* (2)

International:
- Argentina (1)
- Australia (3)
- Bolivia (1)
- Canada (3)
- China (2)
- England (22)
- France (1)
- Ghana (1)
- India (1)
- Indonesia (1)
- Ireland (4)
- Italy (1)
- Poland (1)
- Russia (1)
- Scotland (3)
- The Netherlands (1)

My Progress:


51 / 51 states. 100% done!

2024 Historical Fiction Reading Challenge

My Progress:


50 / 50 books. 100% done!

2024 POPSUGAR Reading Challenge


36 / 50 books. 72% done!

Booklist Queen's 2024 Reading Challenge

My Progress:


52 / 52 books. 100% done!

2024 52 Club Reading Challenge

My Progress:


50 / 52 books. 96% done!

2024 Build Your Library Reading Challenge

My Progress:


36 / 40 books. 90% done!

2024 Pioneer Book Reading Challenge


18 / 40 books. 45% done!

2024 Craving for Cozies Reading Challenge

My Progress:


26 / 25 cozies. 104% done!

2024 Medical Examiner's Mystery Reading Challenge

2024 Mystery Marathon Reading Challenge

My Progress


23 / 26.2 miles (3rd lap). 88% done!

Mount TBR Reading Challenge

My Progress


42 / 100 books. 42% done!

2024 Pick Your Poison Reading Challenge

My Progress:


97 / 109 books. 89% done!

Around the Year in 52 Books Reading Challenge

My Progress


52 / 52 books. 100% done!

Disney Animated Movies Reading Challenge

My Progress


136 / 165 books. 82% done!

The 100 Most Common Last Names in the U.S. Reading Challenge

My Progress:


83 / 100 names. 83% done!

The Life Skills Reading Challenge

My Progress:


19 / 80 skills. 24% done!
Monday, April 01, 2019

Seven People Crammed on a 38-Foot Catamaran for a Year? April Fool's! Or Not ...

(Image from Barnes & Noble)

"I didn't care whether the kids liked sailing or not.  I wanted them to like being a family."
--Emily Orton (from an uncorrected proof of Seven at Sea)

In an effort to downsize, minimize, simplify, and focus on the things that matter most in life, my family and I have decided to sell our houses, get rid of all our stuff, and buy a boat.  The six of us will be living on a 38-foot catamaran for a year while we sail around the Caribbean, the Bahamas, and anywhere else that takes our fancy.  We'll be leaving behind jobs, friends, school, and most of my books (gasp!) for this once-in-a-lifetime chance to experience real family togetherness while exploring new places and testing our gumption on the open sea.  Never fear—I will continue blogging from the "road".  At least when I have Wi-Fi.  And access to new books.  Or maybe I'll just write my own story.  Sound good?

Yeah, right!  April Fool's!  I'm not actually crazy enough to do something like this.  Not even a little bit.  You know who is bonkers enough, though?  Erik and Emily Orton, a couple from New York City.  Back in 2014, they felt like their lives were being overtaken by the inconsequential and mundane.  Despite the fact that they and their five children—aged six to sixteen—lived in a 900-square foot apartment, in which the children were homeschooled and Erik worked, they wanted more togetherness.  The family took sailing classes, bought a boat, and headed to the Caribbean.  Ten months later, they returned to New York sunburned and happy, a strengthened family who had gone through a difficult and unique learning experience which earned them confidence, experience, perspective, and unity.

In Seven at Sea, Erik and Emily recount the adventure with all its ups and downs.  Their account is personal and intimate as they write honestly about what went spectacularly wrong (constant boat repairs, inclement weather, injury, conflict between family members, etc.), and what went gloriously right (meeting other cruisers, seeing new vistas, family time without distraction, etc.).  Like any travelogue, parts of this one feel redundant and dull (did I mention all the repairs?), while other sections are more exciting.  Overall, though, Seven at Sea makes for a compelling read.  Not gonna lie—the Ortons didn't convince me to sell everything and sail around the world with my family, but it was interesting to learn about why and how they did it.  

(Readalikes:  Hm, I don't read many books like this, so I'm not sure what to compare it to.  You?)

Grade:


If this were a movie, it would be rated:


for non-graphic references to sex and scenes of peril

To the FTC, with love:  I received an ARC of Seven at Sea from the generous folks at Shadow Mountain Publishing in exchange for an honest review.  Thank you!
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Reading

<i>Reading</i>
Dumb Witness by Agatha Christie

Listening

<i>Listening</i>
The Soulmate by Sally Hepworth



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