Here's my randomness for the week:
The temperatures increased and I am so hot and sweaty. I hate summer…
I actually read a regular book with regular text. I might actually be moving beyond just reading manga.
Lining up all my projects for the next month, and goodness, it is a lot!
My motivation to cook dinner to quickly waning… I may need to change our meal plan.
Next up on the TBR pile:
Title: Jujutsu Kaisen Vol. 6
Author: Gege Akutami
Publisher: VIZ Media 2019
Genre: Comics
Pages: 192
Rating: 5/5 stars
Reading Challenges: Finishing the Series
Where I Got It: Library
In a world where cursed spirits feed on unsuspecting humans, fragments of the legendary and feared demon Ryomen Sukuna have been lost and scattered about. Should any demon consume Sukuna’s body parts, the power they gain could destroy the world as we know it. Fortunately, there exists a mysterious school of jujutsu sorcerers who exist to protect the precarious existence of the living from the supernatural!
During the Goodwill Event, the Kyoto School's authorities order their students to assassinate Itadori. However, Mahito and a horde of special grade curses and curse users complicate matters by attacking the students. The teachers move quickly to counterattack but find themselves cut off by a barrier. Can the students survive this demonic onslaught?!
Oh no! The students are now in some actual danger due to outside influences. I loved seeing how they figured out the new situation and responded accordingly. I loved seeing the students from both schools come tougher to help each other to dispel the curses. The added complication of the bubble targeting Gojo was a fun wrinkle in their plans. I cannot wait to see how they overcome this obstacle and what it reveals about the characters and the larger mystery.
Jujutsu Kaisen
Next up on the TBR pile:
Title: Jujutsu Kaisen Vol. 5
Author: Gege Akutami
Publisher: VIZ Media 2019
Genre: Comics
Pages: 192
Rating: 4/5 stars
Reading Challenges: Finishing the Series
Where I Got It: Library
In a world where cursed spirits feed on unsuspecting humans, fragments of the legendary and feared demon Ryomen Sukuna have been lost and scattered about. Should any demon consume Sukuna’s body parts, the power they gain could destroy the world as we know it. Fortunately, there exists a mysterious school of jujutsu sorcerers who exist to protect the precarious existence of the living from the supernatural!
Everyone’s surprised (and not necessarily in a good way) when they find out Itadori is still alive, but there’s no time for a heartwarming reunion when Jujutsu High is in the midst of an intense competition with their rivals from Kyoto! But good sportsmanship doesn’t seem to be in the cards once the authorities decide to eliminate the Sukuna threat once and for all...
We dive right back into the Goodwill Event between Tokyo and Kyoto. We get to see more of the Kyoto students and learn more about their specific techniques and talents. I loved seeing how the different characters’ personalities simultaneously work together and clash with each other. The new relationship between Todo and Itadori is interesting. I wonder what will come of that…
Jujutsu Kaisen
Next up on the TBR pile:
Reading: I’m almost finished listening to the next Dungeon Crawler Carl book, The Inevitable Ruin, by Matt Dinniman. I only have about 2 hours left. I have loved every book in this series, but this one is a doozy! So much is happening!
Watching: Stray Kids performed in Japan on May 10th and 11th. I’ve been working through a variety of concert clips online.
Listening: As part of their Japan concerts, Stray Kids debuted one of their new songs. “Hollow” will appear on the new Japanese mini album dropping on June 10th. But I have been listening to the concert clip repeatedly this week. Love it!
Making: I have cooked every night since we got back home. So much food! Thankfully we have mostly kept up with eating the leftovers and not wasting food. It’s just a lot.
Feeling: The temps increased and I am hot and sweaty. I hate summer.
Planning: Starting this week, I teach co-op for the next month. I have this week’s lesson finished (catapults), but am still working on the other weeks. I know we are going to do straw towers next week but need to write out the lesson. And then I need to finalize the other weeks.
Loving: Being hot is no fun, thankfully I have a collection of cheap paper fans to use. If they get destroyed, I just grab a new one. Every bag that I routinely use has one inside.
Next up on the TBR pile:
Based on my new obsession, I decided to do a Top 10 series of my favorite Stray Kids songs. There are so many songs, but I keep coming back to the same ones again and again. (I’m focusing on songs featuring all 8 members; no subunit or solo songs.)
A song off of their newer album with a great hip hop beat. I love it so much!
Bonus live version from earlier this year
Next up on the TBR pile:
Right now I am: Getting ready to make brunch. Before then, I am hoping to get a bit of reading in.
Thinking and pondering: When will people actually do what I requested? I would really love to get some retreat tasks taken care of, but I need their responses first.
On my bedside table: The Stolen Queen by Fiona Davis; more manga
On my tv this week: Once we got back home, we restarted our currently airing shows. We watched some Doctor Who, Leverage, Last Week Tonight, Game Changer, and Mythic Quest. I also restarted my Stray Kids content.
Listening to: All the K-pop. Mostly Stray Kids and ATEEZ, but also some other bands.
On the menu for this week:
Monday - Hawaiian Pulled Pork Nachoes
Tuesday - Burritos
Wednesday - BBQ Cheddar Meatloaf
Thursday - Honey Lime Jalapeño Chicken
Friday - Leftovers
Saturday - Pizza Sliders
Sunday - Beef Tips
On my to do list: Too many tasks I am sure. And yet, I need to do a brain dump today to help organize my thoughts.
Happening this week:
Monday - Dropping the van off for work
Tuesday - Fontenelle Forest Playdate
Wednesday - Joslyn Art Explorer
Thursday - Enrichment Co-op
Friday - Wildlife Safari
Saturday - Home Day
Sunday - Nerdy Bookish Friends
What I am creating: I’m starting to put together the goody bags for the retreat.
My simple pleasures: K-pop, new Stray Kids music, tangerines, iced coffee
Looking around the house: I should probably vacuum upstairs today.
From the camera: Silly boys in the car.
Title: Stitches
Author: Hirokatsu Kihara (art by Junji Ito)
Publisher: VIZ Media 2024
Genre: Horror Short Stories
Pages: 112
Rating: 3/5 stars
Reading Challenges:
Where I Got It: Library
A tumor shaped like a man’s face slowly moves across a woman’s body. The sea shoots glowing balls into the sky, much to the distress of beachgoers. And a girl dressed up for a holiday has no eyes, no nose, nothing—her face is a total blank.
Hirokatsu Kihara pens true stories of unsolved mysteries, stitched together with page after page of Junji Ito’s original illustrations in this collection of nine eerie tales and a bonus manga story.
We get a short collection of horror stories illustrated by Junji Ito.
Face - Creepy creepy body horror that I love!
Library - Cute little ghost story.
From the Sea - Lacked the horror factor that I wanted.
Festival of the Dead - Low on horror, but a lovely take on ghosts.
The Play - Anything with marionettes is creepy to me.
Folk Dance - Meh.
The Kimono - Creepy kid ghosts are always great.
Snow Day - Not enough horror.
Lips - Weird and lacking a point.
Bonus Manga: Summer Graduation Trip - Actually my favorite story in the collection. This manga story was full on creepy and lovely.
Next up on the TBR pile:
Title: Remina
Author: Junji Ito
Publisher: VIZ Media 2005
Genre: Manga Horror
Pages: 256
Rating: 3/5 stars
Reading Challenges:
Where I Got It: Library
An unknown planet emerges from inside a wormhole, and its discoverer, Dr. Oguro, christens the body “Remina” after his own daughter. His finding is met with great fanfare, and Remina herself rises to fame. However, the object picks up speed as it moves along in its curious course, eliminating planets and stars one after another, until finally Earth itself faces extinction… Is the girl Remina the true cause of the catastrophe? A masterwork of horror from Junji Ito, unfolding on a universal scale.
Not my favorite of Ito’s stories. This one started interested, but quickly devolved into one long chase scene. I wanted more suspense and creep factor in the story. Instead, I found Remina herself to be a blank piece of paper and Remina the planet was not horrifying enough. I would have liked more time spent exploring the surface of the planet. So not my favorite.
Next up on the TBR pile:
Title: Dissolving Classroom
Author: Junji Ito
Publisher: Vertical Comics 2013
Genre: Manga Horror
Pages: 178
Rating: 4/5 stars
Reading Challenges:
Where I Got It: Library
What destiny awaits them after the screaming?
A pair of twisted siblings—Yuuma, a young man obsessed with the devil, and Chizumi, the worst little sister in recorded history—cause all sorts of tragic and terrifying things to happen wherever they go. These scary short stories will shock you with a literal interpretation of the ills that plague modern society.
We get a collection of stories that focus on a mysterious pair of siblings. The first story really just pushes you into horror and doesn’t let up. I loved some of the stories in this collection. The social commentary was spot on! A few of the stories got a little obscure, but the sheer horror kept me engaged. Overall, I really good mini collection of Junji Ito stories.
Next up on the TBR pile:
Title: Fragments of Horror
Author: Junji Ito
Publisher: VIZ Media 2014
Genre: Manga Horror
Pages: 224
Rating: 3/5 stars
Reading Challenges:
Where I Got It: Library
An old wooden mansion that turns on its inhabitants. A dissection class with a most unusual subject. A funeral where the dead are definitely not laid to rest. Ranging from the terrifying to the comedic, from the erotic to the loathsome, these stories showcase Junji Ito’s long-awaited return to the world of horror.
Another collection of short horror stories from Ito.
Futon - Very creepy with a fun twist at the end.
Wooden Sprit - Meh. Not a fan of the weird sexual nature to this one.
Tomio * Red Turtleneck - Fun and gory, but the ending was weak.
Gentle Goodbye - Very sorrowful story.
Dissection-chan - Jumbled and weird, but not in the good way.
Blackbird - My favorite from the collection, very trippy and creepy.
Magami Nanakuse - Not sure what we were going for with this one.
Whispering Woman - Slow descent into madness.
Next up on the TBR pile:
We completed one regular school week and then a few days of another week before leaving for Indiana for Alex’s graduation. So I decided to combine these two weeks into one post.
Arthur is primarily using Hearth and Story G5 for his language arts this year. Arthur started and finished another Applegate book. We have loved every book that she has written. We also covered more grammar and extra language arts assignments.
Willodeen by Katherine Applegate
Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein
Quentin is primarily using Blossom & Root G1 for his language arts this year. We will pull some elements from Build Your Library Level 2 and random books that we have around the house. We finished reading two classics.
Poetry: A First Book of the Sea by Nicola Davies
Matilda by Roald Dahl
Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren
Arthur is using Singapore’s Math in Focus Course 1. Effectively this is Singapore’s 6th grade math text. We finished the textbook and will be doing review for the summer.
Math in Focus Course 1 Book B
Quentin is using Singapore’s Primary Mathematics Common Core edition 2B and 3A.We are close to finishing 3A, but not quite there.
Singapore Primary 3A
Primarily Logic
Arthur is using Curiosity Chronicles Early Modern History Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 this year. Beyond random documentaries and museum visits, we will be pausing our history study until August.
Quentin is using History Quest Middle Times with Build Your Library Level 2 as his main history curriculum. We will be pausing history until August.
Arthur finished his RSO Biology 1 course with the end of the academic co-op. We switched gears a bit and covered a few BookSeeds from Blossom & Root.
Quentin finished RSO Earth & Environment and RSO Astronomy 1 as a base. He started a side unit about oceans. We got through multiple topics and watched a few episodes of Blue Planet to reinforce.
A First Book of the Sea by Nicola Davies
Ocean Anatomy by Julia Rothman
DK Earth's Incredible Oceans by Jess French
DK Ocean
DK Eyewitness Ocean
The Ocean in Your Bathtub by Seth Fishman
The Girl Who Built an Ocean: An Artist, an Argonaut, and the true Story of the World's First Aquarium by Jess Keating
A Turtle's View of the Ocean Blue by Catherine Barr
Oceanography: The Study of Oceans by Susan H. Gray
Manfish by Jennifer Berne
Marie's Ocean: Marie Tharp Maps the Mountains Under the Sea by Josie James
Solving the Puzzle Under the Sea by Robert Burleigh
Ocean Speaks by Jess Keating
Life in the Ocean: The Story of Oceanographer Sylvia Earle by Claire A. Nivola
We covered our fourth week of co-op. Arthur covered slime chemistry. Quentin wasn’t feeling it and stay home that day.
Art will be very sporadic this year, but we do have some fun excursions planned. And I will incorporate art projects into a lot of other subjects and unit studies.
For music, we are using Music Lab: We Rock! as our spine. Each week we will be learning about a different rock musician and focus on a particular song. I have also created Spotify playlists so we can listen on the go. We listened to Blondie, David Bowie, The Smiths, and Depeche Mode these weeks. Many winners for our listening.
Music Lab: We Rock!
DK Music and How it Works
DK The Arts
Before leaving for Indiana, we had our twice a year visit to Arbor Day Farm. We absolutely love that place and can spend all day exploring and playing. A ton of homeschool friends joined us for a full day.
Thankfully we have reached the point in the year where we can slow down the lessons to allow for travel and activities.
Arthur hasn’t gotten to all the literature pieces that I had hoped for this year. Not a huge deal as we will just continue, but I think I need to recalibrate for next year’s plans.
We are currently in Indiana and not covering any big lessons. We brought a bag of work to complete and will just fit it in here and there.
Next up on the TBR pile:
Based on my new obsession, I decided to do a Top 10 series of my favorite Stray Kids songs. There are so many songs, but I keep coming back to the same ones again and again. (I’m focusing on songs featuring all 8 members; no subunit or solo songs.)
This week’s song is a fun banger. It’s a lot more light-hearted than many of the songs in my Top 10, but I still love it so much.
Live on Music Bank
Next up on the TBR pile:
On my bedside table: The Stolen Queen by Fiona Davis
On my tv this week: I’m slowly making my way through Crash Landing on You and it’s absolutely addictive.
Listening to: K-pop, all the K-pop
On the menu for this week: No idea. I do need to meal plan for May while here.
On my to do list: Taking a break while in Indiana. But I am trying to finish out some retreat tasks while here.
Happening this week: We will be in Indiana until Wednesday… not sure of the rest of our plans while here.
What I am creating: I brought my Memory Planner pages for April to work on while in Indiana. Hoping to find some time to get them done.
My simple pleasures: A good audiobook, an easy drive across country, margaritas
Looking around the house: We are currently not at home, but I hope that J actually cleans out the guest bedroom while I’m gone.
From the camera: Congrats to Alexander for graduating college!
Title: Tomie
Author: Junji Ito
Publisher: VIZ Media
Genre: Manga Horror
Pages: 752
Rating: 4/5 stars
Reading Challenges: Quarter of a Century - 2016
Where I Got It: Library
Tomie Kawakami is a femme fatale with long black hair and a beauty mark just under her left eye. She can seduce nearly any man, and drive them to murder as well, even though the victim is often Tomie herself. While one lover seeks to keep her for himself, another grows terrified of the immortal succubus. But soon they realize that no matter how many times they kill her, the world will never be free of Tomie.
I do love Ito’s Tomie stories. You just know going in that everyone is going to die, even Tomie, and somehow she will come back in some creepy way. Most of these stories were great fun and I enjoyed seeing how Tomie manipulates various people. I will admit that over 700 pages of Toomie stories got a little repetitive. But I still really enjoyed this collection of stories.
Next up on the TBR pile:
Title: Shiver
Author: Junji Ito
Publisher: VIZ Media 2015
Genre: Manga Horror
Pages: 400
Rating: 4/5 stars
Reading Challenges: Quarter of a Century; I Read Horror - Frightening Cover
Where I Got It: Library
This volume includes nine of Junji Ito’s best short stories, as selected by the author himself and presented with accompanying notes and commentary.
An arm peppered with tiny holes dangles from a sick girl’s window… After an idol hangs herself, balloons bearing the faces of their destined victims appear in the sky… An amateur film crew hires an extremely individualistic fashion model and faces a real bloody ending… An offering of nine fresh nightmares for the delectation of horror fans.
As this is an anthology, I’m doing a one sentence review for each story.
Used Record - Meh. Not my favorite, slow and lacking in the horror.
Shiver - Loved this horrifying take on a cursed object.
Fashion Model - Monsters are always a favorite story focus.
Hanging Blimp - My favorite of the collection. This was so disturbing!
Marionette Mansion - Puppets are always creepy; loved it.
Painter - A Tomie focused story. Interesting, but not my favorite of the Tomie stories.
The Long Dream - Weird premise of this one, but I really enjoyed it.
Honored Ancestors - Creepy creepy creepy. Loved the twists in here.
Greased - This one was very gross, even for me.
Fashion Model: Cursed Frame - Yes! A bonus monster story.
Next up on the TBR pile:
Here's my randomness for the week:
We’re currently traveling to Indiana for Alex’s graduation… I wasn’t looking forward to the travel part of this year’s trip.
Thankfully we are having fun exploring the Field Museum in Chicago today.
Next up on the TBR pile:
April TBR Pile (32/33):
Bookworms BC: (not reading)
Friend BC: The Secret Book of Flora Lee by Patti Callahan Henry ✓
Friend BC: Her Last Flight by Beatriz William ✓
Nerdy Bookish Friends BC: Dawn by Octavia Butler
Kid Book Club: (not reading)
Kid Read Aloud: Flora & Ulysses by Kate DiCamillo ✓
Kid Read Aloud: Impossible Creatures by Katherine Rundell ✓
Kid Read Aloud: Matilda by Roald Dahl ✓
Kid Read Aloud: Willodeen by Katherine Applegate ✓
Romance: The Demon’s Queen by Katee Robert ✓
Romance: Sweet Obsession by Katee Robert ✓
Romance: Love in the Time of Serial Killers by Alicia Thompson ✓
Fantasy: Emily Wilde’s Compendium of Lost Tales by Heather Fawcett ✓
Nonfiction: Kinky History by Esme Louise James ✓
Nonfiction: Everything is Tuberculosis by John Green ✓
Comics: Sex Criminals Vol. 5 ✓
Comics: Sex Criminals Vol. 6 ✓
Comics: Parasyte Vol. 2 ✓
Comics: Parasyte Vol. 3 ✓
Comics: Parasyte Vol. 4 ✓
Comics: Parasyte Vol. 5 ✓
Comics: Parasyte Vol. 6 ✓
Comics: Parasyte Vol. 7 ✓
Comics: Parayste Vol. 8 ✓
Comics: Jujutsu Kaisen Vol. 1 ✓
Comics: Jujutsu Kaisen Vol. 2 ✓
Comics: Jujutsu Kaisen Vol. 3 ✓
Comics: Jujutsu Kaisen Vol. 4 ✓
Comics: Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure Part 1 01 ✓
Comics: Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure Part 1 02 ✓
Comics: Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure Part 1 03 ✓
Comics: Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure Part 2 01 ✓
Comics: Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure Part 2 02 ✓
Comics: Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure Part 2 03 ✓
Comics: Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure Part 2 04 ✓
1,000,000 Page Goal
Monthly Total: 8971 pages
Pages Remaining: 162,551pages
Current Read - Shiver by Junji Ito; The Stolen Queen by Fiona Davis
Books I Gave Up On (0)
Books Bought/Received (3)
I preordered Katee Robert’s newest book, Sweet Obsession.
At Half Price Books, we sold a ton and I only bought two for myself
The Silver Arrow by Lev Grossman
The Death of Jane Lawrence by Caitlin Starling
UnRead Shelf Progress
Starting Number: 300
Books Read: 4
Books Acquired: 3
Books Unshelved: 0
Finishing Number: 299
May TBR Pile: Because of our travel plans, I’m really going to wing my TBR this coming month. We’ll see what happens!
Movies Watched
The Trouble with Jessica
The Day the Earth Caught Fire
A Working Man
Captain America: Brave New World
TV Shows Watched
Last Week Tonight
Clone High (2022)
Below Deck: Down Under
Interview with a Vampire S1
Um, Actually
Alice in Borderland S1
Kingpin Katie
Mythic Quest S4
The Studio
Game Changer S7
Dimension 20 S2: Escape from the Bloodkeep
Leverage: Redemption
Doctor Who S
SKZ Code S1
Stray Kids Two Kids Room (2019) Vol. 4-5
Stray Cuts (2017)
SKZ The 9th (2018)
SKZ & SKZ (2018)
SKZ Talker (2018-2019)
SKZ Talker Go (2018-2019)
Finding Stray Kids (2019)
CHOISKZ (2019)
One Kid’s Room (2019-2020)
Two Kids Room+1 (2020)
Finding Stray Kids: God Edition (2020)
Mysterious Kitchen (2021)
Kingdom: Legendary War (2021)
Comments - Wow! I may have broken my reading brain, but I have really dove into manga and enjoyed the journey. I imagine that May will also be full of manga. And I watched a lot of Stray Kids content for my television time. A worthwhile month.
Next up on the TBR pile:
Title: JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure Part 2 Battle Tendency Volume 4
Author: Hirohiko Araki
Publisher: VIZ Media
Genre: Manga
Pages: 405
Rating: 3/5 stars
Reading Challenges: Finishing the Series
Where I Got It: Library
The conclusion of the fight against the Pillar Men! It has been a long and perilous journey for JoJo and his allies. Many battles have been fought and many lives lost. Now the final showdown with Wamuu is at hand, and armed with the red-hot desire to avenge his fallen comrade, JoJo faces an evil being so powerful it staggers the mind. Find out who prevails in this explosive finale!
We come to the end of Part 2 and I found myself being over this entire series. I’m not a huge fan of the characters. The art can be confusing when paired with action. And I dislike a lot of the exposition dumps. We are planning on trying to watch the anime version, but I think I am done reading the manga.
JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure Part 2 Battle Tendency
Next up on the TBR pile:
Title: JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure Part 2 Battle Tendency Volume 3
Author: Hirohiko Araki
Publisher: VIZ Media
Genre: Manga
Pages: 261
Rating: 3/5 stars
Reading Challenges: Finishing the Series
Where I Got It: Library
JoJo and Caesar face their most powerful foe yet—the leader of the Pillar Men! Armed with the ability to create a weapon from any part of his body, he is more than a match for JoJo and his allies. And now that his brethren have fallen, he’s got a score to settle. Prepare for a battle unlike any before!
Another volume where I really liked parts of it, especially the sections involving Caesar, and didn’t love other parts, mostly JoJo. While the first JoJo was arrogant at times, he also understand honor and responsibility. His grandson is just annoying and I found it hard to root for him. The only parts that saved this volume involved Caesar. Loved him!
JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure Part 2 Battle Tendency
Next up on the TBR pile:
Based on my new obsession, I decided to do a Top 10 series of my favorite Stray Kids songs. There are so many songs, but I keep coming back to the same ones again and again. (I’m focusing on songs featuring all 8 members; no subunit or solo songs.)
The video game feel of this song really gets stuck in my head all the time. I also love the changes in melody throughout.
And just for fun, here’s a live performance version.
Next up on the TBR pile: