August was the month when the schools (and nurseries) went back and social distancing was generally scrapped, leaving us all in a bit of a no-man’s-land where nobody was sure what sort of distancing was polite.

What I have read

In August I really powered through some audiobooks (four, in fact!). It’s amazing how much more I listen when I get really into a book.

• Katie Morag and the Wedding (Katie Morag #6) – Mairi Hedderwick
• Katie Morag and the Birthdays (Katie Morag #12) – Mairi Hedderwick
• Dilly’s Lass (Dilly’s Story #2) – Rosie Goodwin
• The Key to the Indian (The Indian in the Cupboard #5) – Lynne Reid Banks
• Confessions of a Curious Bookseller – Elizabeth Green
• Long Shadows (Elizabeth Cage #3) – Jodi Taylor
• The Bookshop of the Broken Hearted – Robert Hillman
• Three Bedrooms, One Corpse (Aurora Teagarden #3) – Charlaine Harris
• The Hidden Staircase (Nancy Drew #2*) – Carolyne Keene**
• The Mystery of the Ivory Charm (Nancy Drew #13*) – Carolyne Keene**
• The Bookshop on the Corner (Scottish Bookshop #1) – Jenny Colgan
• Black Mould (Rivers Of London Graphic Novel #3) – Ben Aaronovitch

And I’m currently reading:

• Going Green – Nick Spalding
• Night Witch (Rivers Of London Graphic Novel #2) – Ben Aaronovitch
• How to Argue With a Racist: History, Science, Race and Reality – Adam Rutherford

*This is the US numbering, the books weren’t published in the UK until some 40 years later, and they printed them in a different order.

** These were both written by the first Nancy Drew writer Mildred Wirt, also known as Mildred Wirt Benson.

What I have watched

• Hollyoaks, some more Mythbusters and Only Connect.
• I have also returned to the American show Hoarders which is on Amazon Prime.
• I watched the first episode of season 5 of True Blood before getting sidetracked by Hoarders.
• Our Tuesday night movies this month were: The Princes Diaries 1&2 and High School Musical 1&2. 
• The Olympics, mostly the highlights show, and then the Paralympics highlights and The Last Leg.

What I have done

It has been another busy month as Brodie was off nursery and we had another week of annual leave.

We went to:

• Our new nature walk at Birnie & Gaddon lochs (again)
• The beach and beach-side park at Carnoustie, and the beach and park at Arbroath
• Craigtoun Country Park where we rode the miniature railway, the tractor train and Brodie had a go on the trampolines, plus we found a few of the Seven Dwarfs lurking about
• Tayport for what was supposed to be a short walk, which then turned into a longer walk and beach exploring and a picnic lunch at the harbour

Also this month:

• Brodie turned 4 so we had a party and I did some baking in advance (the birthday cake is my mum’s work, I don’t do sponges!)
• We carried on looking after the nursery plot (and eating the produce)

What I have bought

No Blytons but I did buy a very nice copy of Torridons’ Triumph by Marie Muir. I’ve had the second book in the series (Torridons’ Surprise) for years but have never read it as I like to read series in order!

What has your month looked like?