Life Update Summer 2024

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Welcome back to My Jamaican Vignettes. So we ended up with another blog break, Honestly, I doubt anyone reads these but let’s do a life update, summer 2024 edition.

I am well and so is my family post-hurricane Beryl and I feel tremendously grateful to have not experienced any long-term effects from the storm (I hope) but the coming months of the hurricane season does give me mild anxiety that I am trying to work through. The best thing I can do is prepare and have my storm kit stocked and ready and hope for the best outcome.

Let’s dive into what I have been reading, watching, learning and enjoying the last few months.

I made a secret Pinterest vision board for summer 2024, I wanted to enjoy barbecues, time with my family, brunches and coffee dates with my best friend and to read, oh so much reading. The plan was to read every day in summer (so far I am crushing this goal). But as the days are warm, the unexpected storm at the beginning of the hurricane season,, I feel the need to scale back, realign my dreams and visions from May 2024 with the reality.

Let’s dive in.

Currently Reading

Last Monday, I started three books in three formats, a paperback, an e-book (NetGalley ARC) and an audiobook. Those three books will roll over into this week because I think the farthest I got was 34% of the audiobook.

So I am listening to the audiobook of Curvy Girl Summer by Danielle Allen, it is a contemporary romance and so far it has been a funny book. The male lead is a little bit corny but so far a stand-up guy. The book is a single POV from the main female lead character’s perspective. I am listening to this via Everand (formerly Scribd).

The paperback was featured in my summer 2024 reading list post and is No Reservations by Sheryl Lister. It is women’s fiction with a trio of friends whose fourth best friend died from cancer. I haven’t gotten far enough to have an opinion on this. But I have read from each of the friends’ perspective.

My NetGalley ARC, e-book is The Trial of Mrs Rhinelander by Denny S Bryce and that is historical fiction told in two timelines the 1920s and the 1940s. It is giving The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo vibes. There is passing, marriage, intrigues and the Harlem Renaissance.

Currently Watching

My TV watching started off with a bang in May with season three of Bridgerton. I loved the season.

Presently, I am watching Ann Rice’s Interview With A Vampire that is streaming on Prime Video. I am still on season one but I am so enjoying this. I considered buying the e-book but I know the diversity that the AMC adaptation has isn’t in the books so for now, I will save my money and watch the TV series.

Currently Learning

In June, I enrolled in a LinkedIn Learning path called Advancing as a Digital Marketer. I have been considering doing an MBA with a concentration in digital marketing so the LinkedIn Learning courses are a little taste of what that might entail. So far I have covered, digital marketing foundations, marketing, social media marketing and SEO. The rest of the learning plan will include content marketing, email marketing and newsletters, and analytics.

I like the courses on LinkedIn but I am not 100% sold on the graduate programme.

And that’s me so far this summer.

Looking ahead, I have plans to conquer my summer reading lists and bingo card. I have a BFF date planned later this month and I want to attend a new book festival that’s happening in Kingston at the end of July.

I am looking forward to Emancipation and Independence Day holidays in August.

What are you most excited about for summer 2024?

One Comment

Chantel DaCosta

28/07/2024 at 11:13 am Reply

So I didn’t end up going to the Book Fairy Festival in Kingston. It simply wasn’t in my July budget to attend. But I hope the event was successful and that the organisers will stage another one next year.
I think I should add a section in my budget for activities. I have an entertainment category but that typically goes to eating out. That should change.