Gulp by Mary Roach

Title: Gulp: Adventures on the Alimentary Canal

Author: Mary Roach

Publisher: W.W. Norton & Co. 2013

Genre: Nonfiction - Science

Pages: 348

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Nonfiction Reader - Science

Where I Got It: Library

“America’s funniest science writer” (Washington Post) takes us down the hatch on an unforgettable tour. The alimentary canal is classic Mary Roach terrain: the questions explored in Gulp are as taboo, in their way, as the cadavers in Stiff and every bit as surreal as the universe of zero gravity explored in Packing for Mars. Why is crunchy food so appealing? Why is it so hard to find words for flavors and smells? Why doesn’t the stomach digest itself? How much can you eat before your stomach bursts? Can constipation kill you? Did it kill Elvis? In Gulp we meet scientists who tackle the questions no one else thinks of―or has the courage to ask. We go on location to a pet-food taste-test lab, a fecal transplant, and into a live stomach to observe the fate of a meal. With Roach at our side, we travel the world, meeting murderers and mad scientists, Eskimos and exorcists (who have occasionally administered holy water rectally), rabbis and terrorists―who, it turns out, for practical reasons do not conceal bombs in their digestive tracts.

Like all of Roach’s books, Gulp is as much about human beings as it is about human bodies.

Another book full of Mary Roach’s dry wit and interesting science stories. I will admit that this one made me a bit uncomfortable a few times. Reading about the alimentary canal can get gross sometimes. But the interesting facts and the stories are so involved and fascination that I got over my gag reflex. I will be continuing to slowly make my way through all of Roach’s books.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Through Gates of Garnet and Cold by Seanan McGuire

Title: Adrift in Currents Clean and Clear (Wayward Children #10)

Author: Seanan McGuire

Publisher: Tordotcom 2026

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 149

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Speccy Fiction - Published in 2026; New Releases

Where I Got It: Library

After Nancy was cast out of the Halls of the Dead and forced to enroll at Eleanor West's School for Wayward Children, she never believed she'd find her door again, and when she did, she didn't look back. She disappeared from the school to resume her place in the Halls, never intending to return.

Years have passed. A darkness has descended on the Halls, and the living statues who populate them are dying at the hands of the already dead. The Lord and Lady who rule the land are helpless to stop the slaughter, forcing Nancy to leave the Halls again, this time on purpose, as she attempts to seek much-needed help from her former schoolmates.

But who would volunteer to quest in a world where the dead roam freely?

And why are the dead so intent on adding to their number?

I didn’t realize that this series was continuing until I saw it on a featured Goodreads list. I immediately put a hold on it from the library. In this volume, we get to revisit the Halls of the Dead and solve a mystery of the hunger ghosts along with some character favorites. I loved see the ragtag group piece out the mystery and learn exactly who was behind the killings. Those parts were fun. My big complaint was that it felt like nothing was really resolved between the characters. Rather than a complete novella, it felt more like an intermediate chapter. Wondering if we are going to get another book and who it will focus on.

Wayward Children

• #1 Every Heart a Doorway

• #2 Down Among the Sticks and Bones

• #3 Beneath the Sugar Sky

• #4 In an Absent Dream

• #5 Come Tumbling Down

• #6 Across the Green Grass Fields

• #7 Where the Drowned Girls Go

• #8 Lost in the Moment and Found

• #9 Mislaid in Parts Half-Known

• #10 Adrift in Currents Clean and Clear

• #11 Through Gates of Garnet and Gold

Next up on the TBR pile:

Currently #4

Reading: I’m halfway through Mary Roach’s Gulp all about the alimentary canal. I love her dry wit while sharing so much science.

Watching: As we finished Andor S2, we finally started Fallout S2. Love the ridiculousness of this series!

Listening: ATEEZ’s new album has been on repeat lately. At first I wasn’t so excited by “NASA,” but it’s really grown on me. I still like my favorite is “Adrenaline” followed by “Ghost.”

Making: February I was all over the place when it came to the books I wanted to read. I want to go into March with a better plan. I am working on a short list of library books and unread shelf books that I want to read.

Feeling: The last two weeks have been full of pain as I battled a (maybe) kidney infection. Thankfully I am feeling a lot better this week.

Planning: I’m working on our list of March social activities. I want to add a few nature walks and maybe a Lincoln based excursion for the month ahead.

Loving: Despite my illness and the myriad of house tasks and activities, I have managed to fit in a decent amount of reading time lately. It’s so nice to get back into reading even its it’s still less than last year.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Homeschool W24: Change of Plans

What We Studied

We started off the week thinking that it would be a normal week of a park playdate, dentist appointment for me, academic co-op, and a parent info meeting. Most of those plans got interrupted. I can down with a kidney infection that required a trip to urgent care. Co-op was cancelled due to the threat of weather that decided to actually hold off until way after co-op would have let out. And my parent info meeting was cancelled as the only RSVP didn’t want to drive in the aftermath of the storm. (It wasn’t bad, but whatever.) All this meant that we simultaneously got a ton of work done and not enough. It was a strange week…

Literature and Poetry

Arthur is primarily using Hearth and Story G6 for his language arts this year. While I love H&S, there’s never enough literature in there. Thankfully we have a stack of books just waiting to be picked up and read. Beyond H&S, we are focusing on expanding vocabulary and reading comprehension this year. Arthur officially switched to the graphic novel version of Watership Down. He and I started reading a different read aloud. But… I think this one might be a dud for us also.

• Poetry: Hearth & Story G6

• Poetry: A Child’s Introduction to Poetry by Michael Driscoll

• The Vocabulary Workbook for 6th Grade by Kelly Anne McLellan

• Watership Down by Richard Adams

• The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street by Karina Yan Glaser

Quentin is primarily using Blossom & Root G3 for his language arts this year. We will pull some elements from Build Your Library Level 3 and random books that we have around the house. We are also starting the Reading Explorer series to focus on reading comprehension and word choice. Instead of starting a new read aloud, Q and I focused on his religion book this week. He also independently read a graphic novel.

• Poetry: My America

• One World, Many Religions by Mary Pope Osborne

• El Deafo by Cece Bell

Math

Arthur is using Singapore’s Math in Focus Course 2. Effectively this is Singapore’s 7th grade math text. We dove into the second book for the year. We moved onto geometric shapes. Currently into surface area and volume of a variety of 3D shapes. We don’t have formal logic book this year, but are focusing on lots of critical thinking and math puzzles.

• Math in Focus Course 2 Book B

Quentin is using Singapore’s Primary Mathematics Common Core edition 3B and 4A. We are taking a bit of a break from our regular math books to dive into some financial literacy before we circle back. We finished the lessons in the Financial Literacy book. We are starting 4A next week.

• Logic Countdown

• Evan Moor Financial Literacy G3

Social Studies

Arthur was using Curiosity Chronicles Modern History Vol. 1. Unfortunately the company has yet to release the next volume. Instead, I decided to use Build Your Library L4 and Story of the World Vol. 4 to get us through Modern History. We covered multiple history chapters this week. We talked about the Easter Uprising in Ireland, Indiana Nationalism and Gandhi, the Peace of Versailles, the rise of Joseph Stalin, Egypt’s First King, and the rise of Mussolini.

• Story of the World Vol. 4

• DK History

• DK Timelines of Everything

• DK Timelines of Everyone

• DK A Child Through Time

• A Journey Through Art

• DK When on Earth

• Where Poppies Grow

• Smithsonian World War I Timeline by Pamela A Dell

• Living Through World War I by Nicola Barber

• DK Eyewitness World War I

• DK Find Out World War I

• World War I by Steven Otfinoski

• The War to End All Wars: World War I by Russell Freedman

• 1919: The Year that Changed America, by Martin W. Sandler

• Mohandas Gandhi: A Life of Integrity by Sheila Rivera

• DK Eyewitness: Gandhi

• A Taste of Freedom: Gandhi and the Great Salt March by Elizabeth Cody Kimmel

• Grandfather Gandhi by Arun Gandhi and Bethany Hegedus

• Woodrow Wilson: Twenty-Eighth President, by Mike Venezia

• Spanish Flu by Kenny Abdo

• More Deadly Than War: The Hidden History of the Spanish Flu and the First World War, by Kenneth C. Davis (I actually read this one this week)

• Joseph Stalin: A Wicked History, by Sean McCollum (

Quentin is using Build Your Library Level 5 to begin our two year exploration of American History. We managed to catch back up a bit with lessons about the presidencies of Madison, Monroe, Adams. Jackson, and Van Buren. We covered the War of 1812. And we also talked about the Trail of Tears.

• History Quest United States History

• DK When on Earth?

• DK History

• DK Timelines of Everything

• DK Timelines of Everyone

• DK A Child Through Time

• DK American History

• We were There Too

• Words that Built a Nation

• The White House is Burning by Jane Sutcliffe

• Long May She Wave: The True Story of Caroline Pickersgill and Her Star-Spangled Creation by Kristen Fulton

• Our Flag was Still There: The True Story of Mary Pickersgill and the Star-Spangled Banner by Jessie Hartland

• The Star-Spangled Banner by Peter Spier

• The National Anthem by Elaine Landau

• James Monroe by Mike Venezia

• Cobblestone: John Quincy Adams

• Cobblestone: James Monroe

• Priscilla and the Hollyhocks by Anne Broyles

Science

Arthur is using RSO Earth and Environment 2 and later RSO Astronomy 2 for science. We are taking a break from Earth and Environment to start Astronomy 2. No astronomy lesson this week. Arthur did his prep for academic co-op, but that was cancelled. No idea what the schedule looks like now.

• RSO Earth and Environment 2 (August-December; March-May)

• RSO Astronomy 2 (January-March)

• Astrophysics for Young People by Neil DeGrasse Tyson

• DK Timelines of Nature

• DK Space

• DK How Space Works

Quentin is using RSO Physics 1. We covered the chapter about magnets.

• RSO Physics 1

• Physics for Curious Kids Introduction

• The Way Things Work Now

Enrichment STEAM Co-op /Academic Co-op

Co-op was cancelled this week.

Art and Music

We are doing something a little different this year. Instead of trying to do music and art every week, we will be trading off. I realized last year these subjects were always the first to be cut when we had time constraints. We got back into it and had two mini art lessons: one on storytelling in art and one of portrature.

• DK Music and How it Works

• DK The Arts

• Why is Art Full of Naked People? by Susie Hodge

• The Story of the Incredible Orchestra by Bruce Koscielniak

• DK Art and How it Works

• 13 Art Techniques Children Should Know

• The Story of Paintings

Field Trip/Activities

We had planned on a lovely park playdate on Monday afternoon when it was so warm. Unfortunately that got cut short by my medical needs.

High

Despite the problems, I am amazed at how much school work we actually got done!

Low

Going to urgent care and the subsequent nonsense was not fun.

Next Week

• Starting a new read aloud (Q) and continuing our current read aloud (A)

• Continuing with our math textbook (A) and starting 4A (Q)

• Learning about the 1920s-1930s (A) and slavery (Q) for history

• Covering our solar system (A) and atoms (Q) for science

• Week 7 of Academic Co-op!

Next up on the TBR pile:

Music Monday - ILLENIUM and Bring Me the Horizon "Slave to the Rithm"

I am always up for new BMTH music. And a collab with ILLENIUM is perfect for their sound. Loving this one!

Next up on the TBR pile:

Life Right Now #7

As I look outside my window: Bright and cold. Winter has returned.

Right now I am: Making a list of all the house tasks I am going to attempt today. It’s a long list and I’m still recovering, but I need to get at least the living room and kitchen sorted.

On my bedside table: I dove into two books last night, and have a library stack staring me down. I think I want to make a more solid TBR for March. I feel like I’m just picking books at random lately.

On my tv this week: J and I finished Andor S2 and rewatched Rogue One to celebrate. Still really good! I also got back into My Demon S1.

Listening to: My usual playlists. Heavy Bangers has been winning over my K-Pop playlist lately.

On the menu for this week:

• Monday - Chili and cornbread

• Tuesday - Snack Dinner (Book club)

• Wednesday - Broccoli Beef

• Thursday - Kielbasa Skillet

• Friday - Salsa Chicken

• Saturday - ???

• Sunday - ???

On my to do list: A lot I am sure, but I’m taking it one day at time right now.

Happening this week:

• Monday - Home Day

• Tuesday - Enrichment Information Meeting; Bookworms Book Club

• Wednesday - Home Day

• Thursday - Academic Co-op

• Friday - Home Day

• Saturday - Home Day

• Sunday - Coffee and Chat

What I am creating: I’m working on my planner for March, April, and May. I really wanted to play with my stickers for awhile before starting another project. I’m formulating a plan to make something out of my extra SKZ album photo books. Maybe collages?

My simple pleasures: Not feeling so much pain. That’s it.

Looking around the house: Vacuuming and sweeping are the first priority for today.

From the camera: My new favorite SKZ meme

Death Note Vol. 4

Title: Death Note Vol. 4

Author: Tsugumi Obha

Publisher: VIZ Media

Genre: Manga Horror

Pages: 204

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: 

Where I Got It: Library

With two Kiras on the loose, L asks Light to join the task force and pose as the real Kira in order to catch the copycat. L still suspects Light and figures that this is the perfect excuse to get closer to his quarry. Light agrees to the plan in order to have free access to the task force resources. But when Light manages to contact the new Kira, he discovers that his rival is anything but as expected. Will Light escape from love unscathed?

I am left a bit out of sorts at the end of this volume. What happens to the new Kira? I really don’t want that storyline to be shelved… I’m hoping she plays a part in the upcoming power struggles between L and Light. And we get to see more from the various shinigamis.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Death Note Vol. 3

Title: Death Note Vol. 3

Author: Tsugumi Obha

Publisher: VIZ Media 2006

Genre: Manga Horror

Pages: 193

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: 

Where I Got It: Library

Light Yagami is an ace student with great prospects--and he's bored out of his mind. But all that changes when he finds the Death Note, a notebook dropped by a rogue Shinigami death god. Any human whose name is written in the notebook dies, and now Light has vowed to use the power of the Death Note to rid the world of evil. But when criminals begin dropping dead, the authorities send the legendary detective L to track down the killer. With L hot on his heels, will Light lose sight of his noble goal...or his life?

Light is chafing under L's extreme surveillance, but even 64 microphones and cameras hidden in his room aren't enough to stop Light. He steps up the game, but before the battle of wits can really begin, a family emergency distracts him. But even though Light isn't using the Death Note right now, someone else is! Who's the new "Kira" in town?

Oh who’s this new “Kira”? I am very intrigued by this turn of events. We get more back and forth between L and Light and their cat and mouse game that only Light knows for certain that he is playing. We get more information about the Death Note and more rules explained. Some of the scenes get a bit long-winded, but I’m still very much into the storyline.

Next up on the TBR pile:

A Short Walk Through a Wide World by Douglas Westerbeke

Title: A Short Walk Through a Wide World

Author: Doublas Westerbeke

Publisher: Avid Reader Press 2024

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 400

Rating: 2/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Unread Shelf; BOTM Cleanout

Where I Got It: BOTM April 2024

Paris, 1885: Aubry Tourvel, a spoiled and stubborn nine-year-old girl, comes across a wooden puzzle ball on her walk home from school. She tosses it over the fence, only to find it in her backpack that evening. Days later, at the family dinner table, she starts to bleed to death.

When medical treatment only makes her worse, she flees to the outskirts of the city, where she realizes that it is this very act of movement that keeps her alive. So begins her lifelong journey on the run from her condition, which won’t allow her to stay anywhere for longer than a few days—nor return to a place where she’s already been.

From the scorched dunes of the Calanshio Sand Sea to the snow-packed peaks of the Himalayas; from a bottomless well in a Parisian courtyard, to the shelves of an infinite underground library, we follow Aubry as she learns what it takes to survive and ultimately, to truly live. But the longer Aubry wanders and the more desperate she is to share her life with others, the clearer it becomes that the world she travels through may not be quite the same as everyone else’s...

Fiercely independent and hopeful, yet full of longing, Aubry Tourvel is an unforgettable character fighting her way through a world of wonders to find a place she can call home. A spellbinding and inspiring story about discovering meaning in a life that seems otherwise impossible, A Short Walk Through a Wide World reminds us that it’s not the destination, but rather the journey—no matter how long it lasts—that makes us who we are.

There’s so much promise in this book. I wanted to follow Aubry as she travels around the world and tries to unravel the mystery of her illness, the puzzle ball, and the libraries. But the book never gets to any of that. Instead, we are constantly jumping around in time and place focusing on how she hunted for food or inappropriate conduct by adults towards children. We meander but the meandering is full of banal activities and no real message. The only saving grave for this book was Aubry herself. At times she is a fascinating study in character, but somehow still doesn’t really connect with the rest of the world. Such a disappointment.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Odds and Ends

Here's my randomness for the week:

Next up on the TBR pile:

Death Note Vol. 2

Title: Death Note Vol. 2

Author: Tsugumi Obha

Publisher: VIZ Media 2004

Genre: Manga Horror

Pages: 197

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: 

Where I Got It: Library

Light Yagami is an ace student with great prospects--and he's bored out of his mind. But all that changes when he finds the Death Note, a notebook dropped by a rogue Shinigami death god. Any human whose name is written in the notebook dies, and now Light has vowed to use the power of the Death Note to rid the world of evil. But when criminals begin dropping dead, the authorities send the legendary detective L to track down the killer. With L hot on his heels, will Light lose sight of his noble goal...or his life?

Light thinks he's put an end to his troubles with the FBI--by using the Death Note to kill off the FBI agents working the case in Japan! But one of the agents has a fiancée who used to work in the Bureau, and now she's uncovered information that could lead to Light's capture. To make matters worse, L has emerged from the shadows to work directly with the task force headed by Light's father. With people pursuing him from every direction, will Light get caught in the conflux?

Still into this story. I love the inclusion of a new character and giant wrinkle to Light’s plans. That was fun while it lasted. I’m interested to see where the story goes next…

Next up on the TBR pile:

More Deadly Than War by Kenneth C. Davis

Title: More Deadly Than War: The Hidden History of the Spanish Flu and the First World War

Author: Kenneth C. Davis

Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. 2018

Genre: Nonfiction - History, Science

Pages: 304

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Nonfiction Reader; Winter TBR

Where I Got It: Library

2018 marked the 100th anniversary of the worst disease outbreak in modern times: the Spanish flu, a story even more relevant today. This dramatic narrative, told through the stories and voices of the people caught in the deadly maelstrom, explores how this vast, global epidemic was intertwined with the horrors of World War I―and how it could happen again.

Complete with photographs, period documents, modern research, and firsthand reports by medical professionals and survivors, More Deadly Than War provides captivating insight into a catastrophe that transformed America in the early twentieth century.

Arthur was covering World War I for history and I had an urge to read a Spanish Flu book to go along with. I grabbed this one at the library and it was okay. Even though this was listed in the adult section, it reads like a young adult nonfiction book. I found some of the passages to be elementary and repetitive. I fully admit that I know more than the average person when it comes to the Spanish Flu and WWI. This felt more like a primer on the subjects than a deep dive in epidemiology. I even skipped an entire chapter that was just covering the broad strokes of the war. The second half got a little more interesting with more first hand accounts of the epidemic. But it wasn’t enough to really save this one for me.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Homeschool W22-23: Weirdly Abbreviated Weeks..

What We Studied

These past two weeks ended up being filled with activities. That meant that we didn’t get as much book work done. But I am glad that we could take advantage of the good weather and hagn out with friends.

Literature and Poetry

Arthur is primarily using Hearth and Story G6 for his language arts this year. While I love H&S, there’s never enough literature in there. Thankfully we have a stack of books just waiting to be picked up and read. Beyond H&S, we are focusing on expanding vocabulary and reading comprehension this year. Arthur start a classic, Watership Down, but hasn’t really been loving it. It is a long book. I picked up the graphic novel version this weekend from the library. We might switch to that that for him. And then move on with another read aloud selection. I must say that I am enjoying the story. I never actually read this book before now. I will probably continue independently.

• Poetry: Hearth & Story G6

• Poetry: A Child’s Introduction to Poetry by Michael Driscoll

• The Vocabulary Workbook for 6th Grade by Kelly Anne McLellan

• Watership Down by Richard Adams

Quentin is primarily using Blossom & Root G3 for his language arts this year. We will pull some elements from Build Your Library Level 3 and random books that we have around the house. We are also starting the Reading Explorer series to focus on reading comprehension and word choice. We dove into one of my favorite elementary school reads. I’m not sure that Quentin is really loving it, but I am definitely enjoying reading it again. We finished the book. I’m still not sure that Q really loved it, but he didn’t complain out loud so I’m taking the win.

• Poetry: My America

• One World, Many Religions by Mary Pope Osborne

• The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster

Math

Arthur is using Singapore’s Math in Focus Course 2. Effectively this is Singapore’s 7th grade math text. We dove into the second book for the year. We moved onto geometric shapes. This chapter is a lot of review but good review. We don’t have formal logic book this year, but are focusing on lots of critical thinking and math puzzles.

• Math in Focus Course 2 Book B

Quentin is using Singapore’s Primary Mathematics Common Core edition 3B and 4A. We are taking a bit of a break from our regular math books to dive into some financial literacy before we circle back. We only have one more week in the Financial Literacy book and then we are starting 4A.

• Logic Countdown

• Evan Moor Financial Literacy G3

Social Studies

Arthur was using Curiosity Chronicles Modern History Vol. 1. Unfortunately the company has yet to release the next volume. Instead, I decided to use Build Your Library L4 and Story of the World Vol. 4 to get us through Modern History. Arthur finished the major sections on World War I. We still have the Treaty of Versailles to cover next week, but before that, we have Indian and Irish Nationalism to cover.

• Story of the World Vol. 4

• DK History

• DK Timelines of Everything

• DK Timelines of Everyone

• DK A Child Through Time

• A Journey Through Art

• DK When on Earth

• Where Poppies Grow

• Smithsonian World War I Timeline by Pamela A Dell

• Living Through World War I by Nicola Barber

• DK Eyewitness World War I

• DK Find Out World War I

• World War I by Steven Otfinoski

• The War to End All Wars: World War I by Russell Freedman

• 1919: The Year that Changed America, by Martin W. Sandler

Quentin is using Build Your Library Level 5 to begin our two year exploration of American History. No history for Q these weeks. We just couldn’t fit it in.

• History Quest United States History

• DK When on Earth?

• DK History

• DK Timelines of Everything

• DK Timelines of Everyone

• DK A Child Through Time

• DK American History

• We were There Too

• Words that Built a Nation

Science

Arthur is using RSO Earth and Environment 2 and later RSO Astronomy 2 for science. We are taking a break from Earth and Environment to start Astronomy 2. We covered planetary motion. Not a big week for astronomy, but we managed at least one chapter. We also kept up with our physics prep for co-op.

• RSO Earth and Environment 2 (August-December; March-May)

• RSO Astronomy 2 (January-March)

• Astrophysics for Young People by Neil DeGrasse Tyson

• DK Timelines of Nature

• DK Space

• Recentering the Universe: The Radical Theories of Copernicus, Kepler, Galileo, and Newton by Ron Miller

• DK How Space Works

Quentin is using RSO Physics 1. We finished the Story of Science Vol. 1 this week. Next week we will be doing some review and packets before jumping back into Physics.

• RSO Physics 1

• The Story of Science Vol. 1 by Joy Hakim

• Physics: Investigate the Mechanics of Nature by Jane Gardner

• Physics for Curious Kids Introduction

• The Way Things Work Now

Enrichment STEAM Co-op /Academic Co-op

We’ve fully settled into our new rooms at the college. I am liking them so much better than the basement rooms. I think all the classes went really well. Looking forward to our last four weeks.

Art and Music

We are doing something a little different this year. Instead of trying to do music and art every week, we will be trading off. I realized last year these subjects were always the first to be cut when we had time constraints. We didn’t have any music or art this week.

• DK Music and How it Works

• DK The Arts

• Why is Art Full of Naked People? by Susie Hodge

• The Story of the Incredible Orchestra by Bruce Koscielniak

• DK Art and How it Works

• 13 Art Techniques Children Should Know

• The Story of Paintings

Field Trip/Activities

We had a few activities these two weeks including a random park playdate (it was almost 70 degrees), curriculum planning (more for me, but the boys hung out with their friends), Joslyn Art Explorers, Medieval Putt, Prehistoric Putt, and Lost in Fun. I wanted to use the rest of our Get Out Pass before it renewed on the 15th so we managed to sneak in a few more things.

High

Tuesday was the co-op’s annual Valentine’s Day exchange and bowling party. It went so much smoother than last year’s party. We really enjoyed ourselves this time!

Low

Sickness in the Academic Co-op made us rearrange some things. I also really feel bad for the sick families. They have missed so much and we only meet for 9 weeks.

Next Week

• Starting a new read aloud (Q) and switching to the graphic novel version of our read aloud (A)

• Continuing with our math textbook (A) and financial literacy (Q)

• Learning about Indian and Irish nationalism (A) and starting the War of 1812 (Q) for history

• Covering our solar system (A) and magnets (Q) for science

• Week 6 of Academic Co-op!

Next up on the TBR pile:

Music Monday - Yellowcard feat. Good Charlotte "Bedroom Posters"

I had no idea that these two bands decided to collab for a song! I am digging the throwback to late 90s early 2000s emo rock!

Next up on the TBR pile:

Life Right Now #6

As I look outside my window: Bright, sunny, and way too warm for February.

Right now I am: Relaxing after not being able to sleep for the past two nights. My body is truly fucked right now.

Thinking and pondering: Which parks do we want to host Enrichment Co-op at this summer? We have some favorites and some possible new parks. Just trying to balance a lot of factors.

On my bedside table:

On my tv this week:

Listening to:

On the menu for this week:

• Monday -

• Tuesday -

• Wednesday -

• Thursday -

• Friday -

• Saturday -

• Sunday -

On my to do list:

Happening this week:

• Monday -

• Tuesday -

• Wednesday -

• Thursday -

• Friday -

• Saturday -

• Sunday -

What I am creating:

My simple pleasures:

Looking around the house:

From the camera:

Death Note Vol. 1

Title: Death Note Vol. 1

Author: Tsugumi Obha

Publisher: VIZ Media 2004

Genre: Manga Horror

Pages: 195

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: 

Where I Got It: Library

Light Yagami is an ace student with great prospects--and he's bored out of his mind. But all that changes when he finds the Death Note, a notebook dropped by a rogue Shinigami death god. Any human whose name is written in the notebook dies, and now Light has vowed to use the power of the Death Note to rid the world of evil. But when criminals begin dropping dead, the authorities send the legendary detective L to track down the killer. With L hot on his heels, will Light lose sight of his noble goal...or his life?

Light tests the boundaries of the Death Note's powers as L and the police begin to close in. Luckily Light's father is the head of the Japanese National Police Agency and leaves vital information about the case lying around the house. With access to his father's files, Light can keep one step ahead of the authorities. But who is the strange man following him, and how can Light guard against enemies whose names he doesn't know?

This series has been on my TBR list for years now. I finally got around to actually starting it this week. We jump right into the story and immediately I was intrigued by the characters and ethical questions. Light thinks of himself as a good person and a hero in this story, but is he really? The audience definitely has some questions about his behavior. I am very interested in seeing how he grows and changes throughout this story. And Ryuk is such a great “devil on his shoulder” for Light. I cannot wait to learn more about the Death Note and the rules that haven’t been revealed. I will be continuing reading this series.

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Darkest Night

Title: The Darkest Night: Chilling Stories from the Biggest Names in Horror

Author: Various

Publisher: Crooked Lane Books 2024

Genre: Horror Short Stories

Pages: 305

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Winter TBR - Snowy Setting

Where I Got It: Library

From some of the biggest names in horror comes an Advent calendar of short holiday horror stories perfect for the darkest nights of the year.

Edited by award-winning author and anthologist Lindy Ryan and with contributions from masters of horror like Josh Malerman, Eric LaRocca, and Clay McLeod Chapman, this horrific anthology will chill you to the bone.

A very uneven collection of horror stories. A few are great, but most are very short and lacking horror. I was looking forward to horror, but I really don’t think short stories are my format.

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Everlasting by Alix E. Harrow

Title: The Everlasting

Author: Alix E. Harrow

Publisher: Tor Books 2025

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 320

Rating: 2/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Unread Shelf; Top 100; BOTM

Where I Got It: Book of the Month October 2025

Sir Una Everlasting was Dominion’s greatest hero: the orphaned girl who became a knight, who died for queen and country. Her legend lives on in songs and stories, in children’s books and recruiting posters―but her life as it truly happened has been forgotten.

Centuries later, Owen Mallory―failed soldier, struggling scholar―falls in love with the tale of Una Everlasting. Her story takes him to war, to the archives―and then into the past itself. Una and Owen are tangled together in time, bound to retell the same story over and over again, no matter what it costs.

But that story always ends the same way. If they want to rewrite Una’s legend―if they want to tell a different story--they’ll have to rewrite history itself.

Oh my goodness… this was a complete mess for me. I was so incredibly excited about a new Harrow book. I have really enjoyed her previous books. The first chapter was fascinating and I was very excited to read this knight tale. But then the actually story started and I hated it. The style is very strange. Told in a very repetitive and oddly constructed way that found be very annoying throughout. I truly hated the weird second person point of view that came and went. Plus there was so much telling and not much showing. I really dislike books that focus on telling and not showing. And the characters were so hard to like! Owen was a stiff board most of the book. He was such a stereotype that I could not find him interesting. Una was just so mysterious and standoffish. Even when they started to actually open up a bit, I was bored by them.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Blood Over Bright Haven by M.L. Wang

Title: Blood Over Bright Haven

Author: M.L. Wang

Publisher: Del Rey 2023

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 428

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Seasonal - Random Library Pick; Cover Lover - Alliterative title

Where I Got It: Library

For twenty years, Sciona has devoted every waking moment to the study of magic, fueled by a mad desire to achieve the impossible: to be the first woman ever admitted to the High Magistry at the University of Magics and Industry.

When Sciona finally passes the qualifying exam and becomes a highmage, she finds her challenges have just begun. Her new colleagues are determined to make her feel unwelcome—and, instead of a qualified lab assistant, they give her a janitor.

What neither Sciona nor her peers realize is that her taciturn assistant was not always a janitor. Ten years ago, he was a nomadic hunter who lost his family on their perilous journey from the wild plains to the city. But now he sees the opportunity to understand the forces that decimated his tribe, drove him from his homeland, and keep the privileged in power.

At first, mage and outsider have a fractious relationship. But working together, they uncover an ancient secret that could change the course of magic forever—if it doesn’t get them killed first.

The opening chapter to this book was amazing and sucked me in immediately. I wanted deeply invested in what was going to happen in the city. But then, the story started to get bogged down. I found the explanation of the magic system to be tedious and long-winded. I was willing to look beyond that to focus on the bigger themes and the characters. But those also let me down. The themes of colonialism, propaganda, and misogyny were shoved down our throats over and over until all the factions and thoughts felt like caricatures of themselves. The main character had to stand in for so many different kinds of people and ideas. I couldn’t really connect with either of them. Thomil was the better of the two, but I still couldn’t really connect with him. I think the book would have benefitted from chapters in his POV. Overall, I was pretty disappointed in this one.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Currently #3

Reading: I picked up one of my Unread Shelf books, The Everlasting by Alix E. Harrow. I was super excited to get it from BOTM lsat October. Finally getting to reading this one.

Watching: I’m making my way through the first half of Bridgerton S4. I have one more episode left. Thankfully I only have to wait until the end of the month to get the second half.

Listening: ATEEZ’s new mini album dropped last Friday. Really digging the collection of five songs. They have been on repeat this weekend.

Making: Nothing too exciting, but I have been making more complete to-do lists. I feel like a brain dump was necessary to help me organize all the random tasks.

Feeling: It’s been a busy few weeks. I’m tired…

Planning: I’m working on our March activities idea post. What do we want to do in March beyond the regularly scheduled events?

Loving: I’ve spent a decent amount of time lately with friends and it was been delightful! I even got to spend some time with new friends. Feeling like I recharged!

Next up on the TBR pile: