Currently | A Kickboxing Huffleclaw

Around Here | It’s been an interesting few weeks. After traveling a lot in late May and early June, I’ve been at home the last few weeks. It’s been nice — my sister and I have been working on house projects, I’ve been doing some cleaning and organizing, and I’m starting to buckle down a bit more with my job search. And, of course, we’re all finding lots of time to be out on the patio.

Reading | Despite being home, my reading in the last few weeks has been pretty slow. I’ve just been picking away at three different titles, which I’m hoping to finish before heading to the cabin for Fourth of July so I can start vacation with fresh titles. I’m really enjoying Tim Hanley’s Wonder Woman Unbound, a look at the strange history of the character from the Golden Age of comic to the present. I love the way he does close reads of the comics to inform his conclusions, it’s so interesting. I’m also making my way through The Other Side of Sadness by George Bonanno, a look at the science of bereavement and loss that is providing a new and interesting perspective on grief. And finally, I’m a few chapters into Some Luck by Jane Smiley, the first in a trilogy following a Iowa family for 100 years, beginning in 1920. The narration is kind of strange in some places, but I think I like it.

Watching | I’ve spent far too much time in front of the television over the last several weeks… some of my favorite shows finally arrived on streaming services, so I’ve been binge-watching recent seasons of Jane the Virgin (SO GOOD), Younger (hilarious), and Prison Break (still really, really silly).

Listening | Because I’m not commuting anywhere, I’ve cut back on my audio book listening in favor of podcasts. Right now I really like The Pollsters (a Republican and a Democratic polling expert talking about the week’s political news), and NPR’s Up First, a new daily podcasts that gives about a 10 minute overview of the day’s news.

Trying | I finally joined my local YMCA, so I’ve been trying to take advantage of their great schedule of group fitness classes. At the moment, Turbo Kick (cardio kickboxing) is my favorite. It’s satisfying to punch out built up aggression. I probably should also start doing more yoga…

Quizzing | I finally got around to getting sorted into my Hogwarts house — I’ve no idea why I never did this before. According to Pottermore’s official Sorting Hat, I’m a Hufflepuff. I also took the BuzzFeed sorting quiz that’s been floating around Facebook and ended up nearly tied as Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw, which feels pretty right to me. Huffleclaws unite!

Blogging | Since I last did a Currently post I shared my April and May Book Report, wrote up some of my nonfiction and fiction finds from BookExpo, and continued posting my 100 Days of Books reviews from Instagram. In the next couple weeks I plan to share my June reading, and finish up 100 Days of Books. And after that, maybe I’ll get back to actual book reviews? A girl can dream.

Anticipating | The next few weeks are going to be a lot of fun. On Saturday, my sister and I are going to see Ed Sheeran in concert. On Sunday, we’re heading to the family cabin for a long Fourth of July weekend by the lake. Then next weekend is my birthday! We’re having a “Happy New Year” themed party as a way of saying goodbye to a difficult year and celebrating what comes next. I can’t wait.