It’s cloudy and a little rainy outside today, and somehow it already feels like autumn. We technically still have about twenty days of summer left, but the weather seems to have decided otherwise. There’s a coolness in the air, the sky is covered in gray clouds, and the occasional rain makes everything feel quieter and more peaceful.

I made myself a cup of matcha tea to enjoy while I take in the gloomy weather. With oat milk. I had some tea this morning without oat milk, but Kel made a Walmart order and had it delivered to the house. She added oat milk and regular milk. Something is comforting about drinking a warm cup of matcha while listening to the rain outside. It feels like a small preview of the cozy autumn days that are just around the corner.

Speaking of cozy, I just finished reading the overhyped cozy fantasy A Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping. It’s exactly the sort of cozy, autumnal book that everyone seems to rave about, and I really wanted to love this witchy fantasy-romance. Unfortunately, despite persevering, I just couldn’t get into it.

For me, the book didn’t have much going for it beyond the cozy vibes. It was cute, with some sweet dialogue and a lovely, homely autumnal atmosphere, but the execution felt immature, and I found myself bored for much of the story. The plot seemed to go around in circles, and, unfortunately, I simply didn’t care about any of the characters.

The profanity and the (very unnecessary) sex scene also felt rather jarring, particularly because the story as a whole had the tone of a book aimed at a much younger audience. And the characters involved had no chemistry. Overall, it was cute, but I found the constant emphasis on “loving yourself just the way you are” a little too juvenile.

This isn’t a book I’d ever feel the need to reread, but I’ve heard great things about Sangu Mandanna’s other book, The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches, so perhaps I’ll give that one a try one day. I just hope it’s a better book. There are a few fantasy books that I have in my TBR on Goodreads that I should try out.

I’m reading The Girls of Atomic City: The Untold Story of the Women Who Helped Win World War II right now, and apparently the author’s goal is to introduce me to every woman who ever lived in Oak Ridge. The book jumps from character to character so much that I’m having a hard time keeping everyone straight. There are SO many people in this book! At this point, I need a character chart, name tags, and possibly a flowchart. But I’m determined to finish it!

I called the health insurance company today, and Alexis now has health insurance. I’m really happy about that. It’s a relief knowing that she has coverage now, and hopefully that will make things a little easier for her. The next thing she needs to do is get her medication refilled, so at least we’re making progress one step at a time.

I have a lot of energy today. Honestly, I’m really restless. I’m having a hard time just sitting still and settling down. I’ve been trying to put that energy to good use by taking quizzes and doing some reading, but my focus just isn’t really there today. I can sit down and start something, but my mind keeps wanting to move on to something else. It makes me wonder, isn’t this medication supposed to help me focus? Maybe today is just one of those days when my brain has decided it wants to be everywhere at once.

I did ride the bike, though, so that helped me burn off some of that extra energy. After that, I marinated the chicken for dinner. We’re having lemon-herb chicken, baked sweet potatoes, and green beans. It should be a pretty good dinner, and I’m looking forward to it.

Now I need to stop writing and actually get moving. Dinner isn’t going to make itself, unfortunately. Time to get in the kitchen and start cooking. I bring my Kindle with me, so while I’m waiting for things to cook, I can read.