The 20 Books of Summer turned into 15 for me. But, they were a good fifteen; I had a wonderful Summer of reading. My favorite books from the list include Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry, Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert, and Scenes From A Childhood by Jon Fosse. The first I read for Classic Club Spin #38. The second I read for Paris in July. The third I read because Jon Fosse has become my favorite author, replacing Haruki Murakami who formerly held that position ever since I hosted the first Japanese Literature Challenge in 2006. (Does this mean I should host a Norwegian Literature Challenge sometime? 🤔)
And now for something completely different: are you waking up with golf sized welts that seem to have come from nowhere? My son was so terrified his new apartment had come with bedbugs that he called Orkin, and for $300.00 had the whole thing sprayed. I’m afraid they took advantage of him for it doesn’t appear that bedbugs are the culprit. No, in Illinois the culprits are Oak Mites, which feast on eggs the cicadas have left behind. You can’t see them. You can’t feel them sting you. But the itch that they leave behind is nearly intolerable. None of the creams we have bought are terribly effective; the best thing I’ve found is holding an ice cube up to my skin until it melts.
Also, staying inside and reading on the couch helps. I have begun reading for the R.I.P. XIX, which runs from September 1 through October 31. No longer does Carl from Stainless Steel Droppings run the event (where have so many of my blogging friends gone?!). Instead, you can post, and read about Readers Imbibing Peril, on Instagram at #ripxix.
It is sad to say goodbye to Summer. There has been such joy in swimming at Centennial Beach, and participating in all the reading adventures so many have provided. Thank you Cathy, and Emma, for hosting your reading challenges. Thank you Deb Nance for hosting Sunday Salon all this time!
Happy September to all.
Ah yes the terrible oak leaf itch mite! When an insect has the word itch in its official name, you know it's bad.
ReplyDeleteLike you, we were originally quite scared we had bedbugs, fleas or what not in our house. Then we thought about what we did. My husband had been picking up all the clusters of dead leaves so I could mow the lawn, andthe rest is history.
Seriously, the CDC ot our cities (Elmhurst for me) should really have informed us NOT to pick these things by hands.
Though I also read that a large tree can shed 300,000 mites/day!! Yes, 300,000 and of course they are carried by the wind.
But thy only bite you (for food) if they stay on your body for at least 4 hours. So after working in the garden: shower right away, and ALL clothes in water.
A lesson to remember for next time!
I'm so glad Words And Peace made you read something special.
And now I'm REALLY curious about Fosse vs.Murakami!!
Which Fosse should I start with?
By the way, the upcoming new Murakami is really good, lol
I first came to Jon Fosse through the International Booker Prize, with Septology, and I was absolutely gobsmacked. For me, it was like he could read my mind so perceptively did his writing match my thinking. You may not like him, of course, he is very “stream of consciousness”, but not in a way which is hard to understand. In fact, you may just turn the pages without even realizing it, as I did.
DeleteThose nasty mites! Come September, or frost, whichever is sooner. And no more mowing for you! Or, sitting under oak trees and reading, as I have done.
My son who lives in Chicago is keeping a look out for the mites. It's good to know that they can be controlled easily by showering after being outdoors. It's interesting to me as a naturalist that the mites are connected to the cicadas.
DeleteI think they develop in the moldy dead oak leaves - dead because the cicadas did a lot of slots at the end of branches to insert their eggs
DeleteI think I had checked out Septology, I may need to try again
DeleteThe mighty mites sound really terrifying. I haven’t heard about them here in Michigan but they are no doubt planning their trip. A lot of pests are finding a better life farther north than their original home — that’s because even a slight temp. change caused by global warming makes them viable in new places.
ReplyDeletebest, mae at maefood.blogspot.com
The miyrs aren’t terrifying as much as super annoying. I’m so glad you don’t have them in Michigan! My cousin, in Virginia, doesn’t have them, either. Lucky for you two!
DeleteMan, good luck with those horrible bugs.
ReplyDeleteNorwegian Challenge - yes, do it!
That’s all I needed, Tom, a go-ahead from you, one of my favorite reader friends. I have compiled a list of 50 as a possible start…my mind is buzzing, in a good way. 🇳🇴
DeleteI'm glad you enjoyed your Books of Summer. I'm especially glad to hear that you loved Lonesome Dove; it's one of my favorite reads ever.
ReplyDeleteNow I see that I need to try Jon Fosse. I have had him on my radar, but I have not actually looked around to see if I could find any of his work at the library. Since I'm a Murakami fan, it sounds like I would like Fosse, too.
Lonesome Dove is one of my favorite books ever, too. I have read it before, writing one of my very first blog posts about it in 2006. It has a special place in my heart in part, I think, because my father knows cattle is well. He is my favorite cowboy, and all I know about them is so well depicted in McMurtry’s Pulitzer Prize winning novel.
DeleteAs for Jon Fosse…yes, a Must Read! I am thinking quite seriously of a Norwegian Literature Challenge, and already compiling lists of authors and titles. It would be so lovely to have you along when I finish the details.
Ugh I read about those mites!! I am sorry that you have to deal with them!
ReplyDeleteI love Lonesome Dove, although it has been a really long time since I read it last.
I found Lonesome Dove worth the reread, should you wish to do so!🥰
DeleteI’m glad you enjoyed all your reading time. May September bring more good reads, fun times and endless love and hope.
ReplyDeletewww.rsrue.blogspot.com
There’s something so lovely about reading and September, that whole Back to School feeling, I guess. Of course, I could find a reason to read at any season, as I suppose all of us could.
DeleteOh those mites sound horrid! I hope they disappear soon. After a good experience with Orkin my elderly parents to were taken advantage of when they had a new issue arise.
ReplyDeleteIt seems we have to be so careful, now, of being told the truth. I’m sorry about your parents and my son having been taken advantage of.
DeleteUgh, oat mites are terrible here in Kansas too. I think the the 900-page book should count as three! Congrats on completing 15 books, and yay for R.I.P. getting started today. I know what you mean about disappearing blogging friends. So many have "retired" from it, and honestly I've thought about doing that myself, yet I keep going!
ReplyDeleteI never imagined that I would be blogging for almost eighteen years, but that is that it means to me to chat about books with other readers. So lovely to “meet” you.
DeleteYuck about the mites! Those bites sound really, really annoying. Hope they are soon gone. Blogging friends who 'retire' - yes, seems to be happening. I have thought about it, but I don't really want to do it. I do take breaks and am about ready to come back for fall after a summer break. I'll be reading for R.I.P., but I always do - ha! Hope you have a nice weekend!
ReplyDeleteI’ve thought about leaving, too, but I think your idea of taking breaks is a better one. I think we’ve both been reading for the R.I.P. since the beginning of time!👻
DeleteIt sounds like your summer reading was very rewarding! I didn't get close to 20 books, but the quality made up for the lack in quantity. Lonesome Dove was my favorite last summer and I'd love to reread it one day. The mites sound just awful and I hope their life cycle is just about over. The itch, swelling, and uselessness of commercial products remind of the noseeums that plague us in Sanibel!
ReplyDeleteIt’s funny how so many of us have read, and loved, Lonesome Dove. It shows the power of excellent writing. And the no-see-ems in Florida are the worst! I remember walking through clouds of them, but at least they don’t sting.
DeleteM, I did not complete the 20 books like I had wanted. I just lost my reading mojo midway through summer. I'm starting to get back on track, so I'm hoping I'll be reading up a storm come fall. Sounds like you enjoyed your summer reading - so glad to hear it :) Those mites however sounds dreadful. Yikes! I'm looking forward to R.I.P. XIX - I have great pile of books for it, so that will be fun :) It's wild to think that fall is so near already. Where has summer gone?
ReplyDeleteI’ve picked up a few Stephen King books, but a little of him goes a long way for me. I think I’ll revisit The Little Stranger, and The Historian, two of my favorite autumnal reads.
DeleteGood grief I have not heard of Oak Mites. Yikes. Will the Orkin spraying kill off these things? We don't have the welts here - knock on wood. But wasps are swarming now in this area. You had a great summer reading ... 15 is good and yours were long, congrats.
ReplyDeleteI think Orkin kills all kinds of things…including my son’s budget! At least we know there are no bedbugs in his complex. I will have to be content with fifteen books, although it seems I can never reach twenty! Next year, it’s children’s picture books for me.😛
DeleteI thought that was the Bradbury of the same title. I got that about a decade ago but yet to read it....I'm glad your summer is going because it means ours is coming, and I can't wait! #SundaySalon
ReplyDeleteHi Lydia, I’m not sure which Bradbury you’re speaking of; I’ll have to go hunt that down. Glad Summer is coming your way, and even more glad that Winter is approaching us. Too much heat in the Midwest, for just one girl. Thanks for visiting me today.
DeleteThanks for the reminder to post my summary of the summer reading challenge. I didn't do as well as in years past, but I'm pleased with my results. Lonesome Dove is such a gem, isn't it? I loved the audiobook.
ReplyDeleteThose bites sound dreadful! I got bit by something earlier this summer, and had several bites that lasted for over a week, itching like crazy. They weren't mosquito bites, so maybe they were a mite of some sort, although we don't have cicadas on the OR coast.
It's been a few years since I've participated in the RIP challenge, and I'm sorry that Carl is no longer hosting. Remember the 24-Hour Readathons that Andi & Heather used to host? That was a fun event, too.