Binti by Nnedi Okorafor

Title: Binti (Binti #1)

Author: Nnedi Okorafor

Publisher: Tordotcom 2015

Genre: Scifi

Pages: 96

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Speccy Fiction - Speculative Novella

Where I Got It: Library

Her name is Binti, and she is the first of the Himba people ever to be offered a place at Oomza University, the finest institution of higher learning in the galaxy. But to accept the offer will mean giving up her place in her family to travel between the stars among strangers who do not share her ways or respect her customs.

Knowledge comes at a cost, one that Binti is willing to pay, but her journey will not be easy. The world she seeks to enter has long warred with the Meduse, an alien race that has become the stuff of nightmares. Oomza University has wronged the Meduse, and Binti's stellar travel will bring her within their deadly reach.

If Binti hopes to survive the legacy of a war not of her making, she will need both the gifts of her people and the wisdom enshrined within the University, itself ― but first she has to make it there, alive.

Our book club selection for January and it was a novella. I was glad for the shorter length after a frantic holiday season. We are dumped into a very strange world based partly on our own history and partly on imagination. It took me a few pages to get my bearings, but once there, I really enjoyed this short story about a woman discovering herself and the world outside her planet. I loved watching Binti transform in just a short amount of pages. She truly feels like a new character but also the same by the end. I am interested in seeing where this series goes. I may just pick up the other two books soon.

Binti

• #1 Binti

• #1.5 Sacred Fire

• #2 Home

• #3 The Night Masquerade

Next up on the TBR pile:

Currently #1

Reading: I’m in the middle of Sphere by Michael Crichton. It’s been so so long since I read this book. I’m thoroughly enjoying it!

Watching: I diverted from the K-dramas and finally started Agatha All Along. I’m over halfway through. Hoping to finish by the end of the month.

Listening: Black Veil Brides dropped a new single and I am obsessed with it! I cannot wait of the new album to drop later this month.

Making: I’ve been working on lesson plans for co-op past few days. I’m teaching Wonders of the World to the big kids this semester. Lots of wonder projects, lots of notes, and lots of slideshows to prepare.

Feeling: We’re still waiting on the college to get back to us about rooms for Academic Co-op that starts on Thursday. Needless to say that I am very anxious right now…

Planning: We are heading to Great Wolf Lodge in KC next week with friends. It should be a great couple of days, but it requires some planning and organizing. I need to pull our clothing. But I also need to review our food spreadsheet we made for the group to see what I need to add to the grocery list this week.

Loving: After the Christmas rush and some deliveries, I’m just so excited to look at all my Stray Kids merchandise. My PCs and posters have been partially displayed. My purse has been decorated. And I’m waiting not so patiently for the last few packages to arrive.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Music Monday - Pierce the Veil "So Far So Fake"

An older Pierce the Veil song that I somehow completely missed. I’m really loving this sound and downloaded the corresponding album.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Life Right Now #1

On my bedside table: I have a random stack of library books to dive into soon after reading the book club book tonight. Thankfully it’s a short novella.

On my tv this week: J and I watched a few movies this past week along with continuing with S5 of Babylon 5. I am also making my way through Agatha All Along. Halfway done!

Listening to: Black Veil Brides dropped a new single ahead of their new album and I’m loving it so much! I’ve also been leaning on my Heavy Bangers playlist.

On the menu for this week:

• Monday - Irish Short Ribs

• Tuesday - Buffalo Chicken Dip

• Wednesday - ???

• Thursday - ???

• Friday - Apple Sausage Rolls

• Saturday - Maafe

• Sunday - ???

On my to do list: Beyond just school work, I need to plan and prep for our Great World Lodge trip next week. I also need to organize some things to work on projects and plans.

Happening this week:

• Monday - Preteen Video Game Hangout

• Tuesday - Home Day

• Wednesday - Dropping J at the airport; Joslyn Art Explorers

• Thursday - Academic Co-op

• Friday - Home day; Picking up J at the airport

• Saturday - Home Day

• Sunday - Dropping off J at the airport; Social Steering Committee Meeting

What I am creating: I’m working on my December Memory Planner pages. And I want to sort through some of my crafting supplies to make project kits.

My simple pleasures: Time with friends

Looking around the house: The dining room was a disaster after Happy Hour, but it’s slowly being cleaned up. I do want to work on cleaning up my office later this week.

From the camera: During Happy Hour, a bunch of us made 2026 Goal Punch Cards. I finished my stack early Saturday and am so excited to have these visual reminders of a variety of goals.

All These Worlds by Dennis E. Taylor

Title: All These Worlds (Bobiverse #3)

Author: Dennis E. Taylor

Publisher: Worldbuilder Press 2017

Genre: Science Fiction

Pages: 336

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Speccy Fiction - Scifi with Spaceship or Space Station Setting; Cover Lover - X, Y, or Z in author’s name

Where I Got It: Our server

Being a sentient spaceship really should be more fun. But after spreading out through space for almost a century, Bob and his clones just can't stay out of trouble.

They've created enough colonies so humanity shouldn't go extinct. But political squabbles have a bad habit of dying hard, and the Brazilian probes are still trying to take out the competition. And the Bobs have picked a fight with an older, more powerful species with a large appetite and a short temper.

Still stinging from getting their collective butts kicked in their first encounter with the Others, the Bobs now face the prospect of a decisive final battle to defend Earth and its colonies. But the Bobs are less disciplined than a herd of cats, and some of the younger copies are more concerned with their own local problems than defeating the Others.

Yet salvation may come from an unlikely source. A couple of eighth-generation Bobs have found something out in deep space. All it will take to save the Earth and perhaps all of humanity is for them to get it to Sol - unless the Others arrive first.

And with this book, we come to the end of one arc in this series. I was definitely wanting to know what would happen with the Others, the Deltans, the last Earthlings, and every other random storyline. This book wraps many of those stories up with plausible endings. There’s no big deus ex machina here, just realistic space battles and human (Deltan, etc) failures and triumphs. I don’t think I love this series quite as much as J, but they are good fast-paced space centered scifi. The audio is well done and I can read one of these in a weekend while cleaning, organizing, or crafting. I will probably keep going after a short ear break.

Bobiverse

• #1 We are Legion (We are Bob)

• #2 For We are Many

• #3 All These Worlds

• #4 Heaven’s River

• #5 Not Till We are Lost

Next up on the TBR pile:

Tourist Season by Brynne Weaver

Title: Tourist Season (Seasons of Carnage #1)

Author: Brynne Weaver

Publisher: Slowburn 2025

Genre: Horror Romance

Pages: 368

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Seasonal Winter - Romance; Romanceopoly - Secret Stacks Club (Plot Twist Pages); Cover Lover - Weapon from the board game Clue

Where I Got It: Library

Spice Rating: 6

Welcome to Cape Carnage! Visit Once, Stay Forever.

You can hide in the farthest reaches of the deepest hell, and I will still drag you out. Even the devil can’t save you from me.

Cape Carnage is a seaside town of colorful houses, quirky shops, and an unusually high body count. With tourists comes trouble, and Harper Starling won’t let anyone ruin her picture-perfect home. A skilled gardener with killer instincts, Harper protects her sanctuary—and her aging mentor with a fading memory—at any cost. Troublesome tourists don’t check out of Carnage. They compost beneath Harper’s award-winning flowerbeds.

But Nolan Rhodes isn’t your average tourist. Devilishly handsome, disarmingly charming, and skilled with a blade, Nolan is relentless in the pursuit of revenge. On every anniversary of the hit-and-run accident that fractured his life, Nolan slays another target. And he’s saved the best for last: the undeniably beautiful Harper Starling. The problem? Harper isn’t the monster he expected. And she won’t go down without a fight.

When an amateur true crime investigator comes to Cape Carnage on the trail of a long-lost serial killer, Harper and Nolan strike an uneasy truce. If Nolan helps Harper protect her town, she’ll keep quiet about his hunting habits . . . for now. But their alliance soon spirals into obsession, one that threatens to shatter every secret in Carnage—including their fragile love.

Not quite to the level of the Ruinous Love trilogy, but I did thoroughly enjoy this book full of more murder than spicy scenes. I enjoyed the strange cat and mouse game the leads played throughout the chapters. We get to see two very broken people deal with traumatic pasts and find romance along the way. The murder scenes were delightful. My favorite was the hands clapping. Morpheus the murder bird was a great addition to all of those scenes. I loved the interactions between Harper and Arthur. The few spicy scenes were very strong. But I felt that the chemistry between Nolan and Harper was lacking a bit. I would have liked some more conversations and/or pining from either of them. The ending does have a cliffhanger, but Nolan and Harper gets a HEA or at least a happy-right-now. I will definitely be picking up the next book when it releases in June.

Seasons of Carnage

• #1 Tourist Season

• #2 Harvest Season

• #3 TBD

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Wildest Things by Andrea Hannah

Title: The Wildest Things

Author: Andrea Hannah

Publisher: Wednesday Books 2025

Genre: YA Fantasy

Pages: 320

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Fairytales - Snow White; Cover Lover - Palindrome (Author Name); Winter - Fairytale

Where I Got It: Library

When her glass coffin unexpectedly shatters, Snow White awakens to anything but a dream. The land is rotting. The animals have mutated. In the twenty years that have passed since Snow bit into the poisoned apple, the kingdom of Roanfrost has transformed from a luscious wild land to a blight-ravaged nightmare. In search of answers and a way to restore her kingdom to its former glory, Snow sets out on a dangerous journey that will test the strength she never knew she had.

Friends will become foes.

New alliances will form.

The Queen with the blood red lips will stop at nothing to seize her power as well as her heart.

If Snow has any chance to survive and restore not only her kingdom, but all of Garedenne, her only option is to become the Seasonkeeper and access the life-giving magic that will heal the plague. But the path to becoming the Seasonkeeper is more treacherous than she could ever imagine―because the wild things have awakened and Snow’s darker impulses yearn to set them free.

I was hoping for a fun dark fairy tale retelling with a sapphic twist. Instead, I got a plodding tale devoid of fun or adventure and definitely no sapphic relationship. My first book of 2026 was definitely a disappointment. I just couldn’t get behind Snow at all as a character. She was too naive for her own good even after the audience learns more about their world and the things she should figure out much more quickly than she does. The entire process of becoming a season keeper was just pretty boring. Nothing exciting to really hold my attention. And do not get me started on the fact that she never really interacts with the Queen’s daughter in person. I wanted so much more! The only thing that saved the book was the chapters told from the mirror’s POV. Those were at least interesting!

Next up on the TBR pile:

2026 Reading Challenges

2026 Reading Challenges

• Goodreads Challenge

• UnRead Shelf Project

• Kid Read Aloud

• Top 100

• Book of the Month

• Nonfiction Reader

• Speccy Fiction

• Romanceopoly

• She Reads Romance

• Cover Lover

• Fairytale Retelling

• New Releases

• Seasonal Challenges

GoodReads Challenge (200) - I’m sticking with my usual 200 books for this overall goal. .

UnRead Shelf (25) - My eighth year participating in this particular challenge. I never seem to actually finish this challenge, but do love the push to read my own books. You can find more information about this challenge at The Unread Shelf.

Kid Read Alouds (30) - Continuing with this challenge again this year. We have some great read aloud choices for the spring semester. And I’m sure that I’ll pick some great titles for the fall semester.

Book of the Month (12) - I have a large stack of previous Book of the Month reads just sitting on my floor. I want to read at least 12 of those.

Top 100 (25) - I always pull out the Top 100 rated books off my Goodreads To Read shelf. I want to make a plan to read 25 of those books. Some also appear on my Unread Shelf so that should help.

Nonfiction Reader (12) - I definitely need to get more nonfiction back into my reading. I’m hoping to get to at least one nonfiction a month. More information at Book’d Out..

Speccy Fiction (12) - Along with the Nonfiction Reader challenge, Book’d Out is hosting a speculative fiction challenge this year. I’m all for speculative fiction reads! I’m going to try to read one from each of the categories. Sign up here.

New Release (12) - I’m joining this new-to-me challenge to account for those new books that I always get distracted by. Sign up at The Chocolate Lady’s Book Blog.

Romanceopoly (37) - I somehow missed this one last year, but I’m back this year. I read a ton of romance and am excited to get back into this challenge. More information at Romanceopoly.

She Reads Romance (12) - Another romance reading challenge for this year. More information at She Reads Romance.

Cover Lover (50) - I love the idea of a challenge focusing on cover designs. I definitely judge a book by its cover. More information at Bloggin’ ‘bout Books..

Fairytale Retelling (12) - I always love fairy tale retellings and this challenge is perfect for me. More information at Charity Rau.

Seasonal Challenges (12) - Last minute, I decided to resurrect my seasonal reading challenges. These will mostly be focused on knocking out some reads I want to areas that I am lacking in.

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I also decided to create my own spice meter for romance books. A 1-5 scale seemed too limiting for the types of books I read. So I expanded it to 8 levels with corresponding explanations. I will be rating all of my romance books on this new scale.

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My rating system:

• 5 stars - loved it, will tell everyone (or almost everyone) to read it

• 4 stars - liked it, would recommend to certain people

• 3 stars - okay book, but maybe not something i would recommend, maybe not a book for me, but I see merit

• 2 stars - disliked it

• 1 star - finished the book, but hated it! will rant to anyone about why I hated this one

2025 Reading Challenges Roundup: Completed and Failed

For 2025, I added some reading challenges to my plan, but didn’t force myself to tailor my reading to those challenges. I had a good variety of challenges, but my overall reading took a hit this year. I really leaned into my mood reading to help keep me motivated.

Overall Stats

3/16 Challenges 18.8%

440/598 Spots 73.6%

Completed Challenges

Goodreads
Goal 249/200 Books 100%

Completed Challenges

Spooky Season
25/25 Books 100%

1. Of Monsters and Mainframes by Barbara Truelove (9/4/25)

2. Dark Tales by Shirley Jackson (9/8/25)

3. In the Shadow of Spindrift House by Mira Grant (9/9/25)

4. A Short Stay in Hell by Steven L. Peck (9/24/25)

5. Dr. Mütter’s Marvels by Cristin O’Keefe Aptowicz (9/25/25)

6. Lone Women by Victor LaValle (9/27/25)

7. The Strange by Nathan Ballingrud (9/28/25)

8. The Sister Who Ate Her Brothers by Jen Campbell (10/3/25)

9. Zomromcom by Olivia Dade (10/4/25)

10. Rosen Blood Vol. 1 (10/8/25)

11. Rosen Blood Vol. 2 (10/8/25)

12. Rosen Blood Vol. 3 (10/9/25)

13. Rosen Blood Vol. 4 (10/9/25)

14. Rosen Blood Vol. 5 (10/10/25)

15. Heartless Hunter by Kristen Ciccarelli (10/11/25)

16. The Carrow Haunt by Darcy Coates (10/18/25)

17. Tomes of Terror by Mark Leslie (10/23/25)

18. Fiend by Alma Katsu (10/24/25)

19. Everyone Knows Your Mother is a Witch by Rivka Galchen (10/25/25)

20. Kingdom of the Wicked by Kerri Maniscalco (10/28/25)

21. The Great Mortality by John Kelly (11/5/25)

22. My Funny Demon Valentine by Aurora Ascher (11/7/25)

23. This House is Haunted by John Boyne (11/12/25)

24. A Land So Wide by Erin A. Craig (11/19/25)

25. The Nightmare Before Kissmas by Sara Raasch (11/26/25)

She Reads Romance
12/12 Books 100%

1. Contemporary - Morbidly Yours by Ivy Fairbanks (12/20/25)

2. Erotic - The Demon’s Bargain by Katee Robert (3/28/25)

3. RomCom - The Lodge by Kayla Olson (12/13/25)

4. Historical - The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy by Megan Bannen (12/26/25)

5. Fantasy - Feathers So Vicious by Liv Zander (8/9/25)

6. Queer - Sweet Obsession by Katee Robert (4/16/25)

7. Sports - Deep End by Ali Hazelwood (3/22/25)

8. Dark - The Never King by Nikki St. Crowe (1/17/25)

9. New Adult - Bingsu for Two by Sujin Witherspoon (12/24/25)

10. Paranormal - The Demon’s Queen by Katee Robert (4/10/25)

11. Suspense - Tender Cruelty by Katee Robert (12/12/25)

12. Holiday - The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year by Ally Carter (12/17/25)

Failed Challenges

UnRead Shelf Project
28/50 Books 56%

1. Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom by Cory Doctorow (1/11/25)

2. Small Angels by Lauren Owen (1/22/25)

3. Partials by Dan Wells (1/21/25)

4. The Hacienda by Isabel Cañas (2/4/25)

5. Shark Heart by Emily Habeck (2/15/25)

6. Horseman by Christina Henry (2/19/25)

7. Scythe and Sparrow by Brynne Weaver (2/18/25)

8. Sweet Obsession by Katee Robert (4/16/25)

9. Everything is Tuberculosis by John Green (4/19/25)

10. Her Last Flight by Beatriz Williams (4/18/25)

11. Love in the Time of Serial Killers by Alicia Thompson (4/25/25)

12. The Stolen Queen by Fiona Davis (5/23/25)

13. Water Moon by Sammantha Sotto Yambao (6/7/25)

14. The Wedding People by Alison Espach (6/29/25)

15. The Familiar by Leigh Bardugo (7/2/25)

16. Wicked Pursuit by Katee Robert (7/10/25)

17. Divine Intervention by RM Virtues (7/10/25)

18. Of Monsters and Mainframes by Barbara Truelove (9/4/25)

19. The Antidote by Karen Russell (9/23/25)

20. Irresistible Devil by Jenny Norbak (9/26/25)

21. Lone Women by Victor LaValle (9/27/25)

22. Stolen Vows by Sav R Miller (10/2/25)

23. Shattered Innocence by Sara Cate (10/16/25)

24. Royal Heart by Nana Malone (10/22/25)

25. Everyone Knows Your Mother is a Witch by Rivka Galchen (10/25/25)

26. Kingdom of the Wicked by Kerri Mansicalco (10/28/25)

27. Tender Cruelty by Katee Robert (12/12/25)

28. The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy by Megan Bannen (12/26/25)

Kid Read Alouds
29/50 Books 58%

1. The Magician’s Nephew by C.S. Lewis (1/13/25)

2. The Egypt Game by Zilpha Keatley Snyder (1/17/25)

3. The Last Mapmaker by Christina Soontornvat (2/5/25)

4. The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien (2/7/25)

5. The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo (2/20/25)

6. Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhhla Lai (2/20/25)

7. The Elephant in the Room by Holly Goldberg Sloan (3/14/25)

8. Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin (3/14/25)

9. Flora & Ulysses by Kate DiCamillo (4/2/25)

10. Impossible Creatures by Katherine Rundell (4/18/25)

11. Matilda by Roald Dahl (4/22/25)

12. Willodeen by Katherine Applegate (4/29/25)

13. Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren (5/2/25)

14. The Giver by Lois Lowry (5/20/25)

15. Odder by Katherine Applegate (5/19/25)

16. Fantastic Mr. Fox by Roald Dahl (6/2/25)

17. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll (8/15/25)

18. When the Sea Turned to Silver by Grace Lin (8/19/25)

19. Through the Looking Glass and What Alice Found There by Lewis Carroll (8/26/25)

20. Around the World in Eighty Days by Jules Verne (9/10/25)

21. The Wild Robot Escapes by Peter Brown (9/10/25)

22. The Story Collector by Kristin O’Donnell Tubb (9/30/25)

23. Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones (10/7/25)

24. The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and Other Stories by Washington Irving (10/9/25)

25. The Bellwoods Game by Celia Krampien (10/31/25)

26. The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill (11/25/25)

27. Granted by John David Anderson (11/23/25)

28. Starry River of the Sky by Grace LIn (12/19/25)

29. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis (12/19/25)

Finishing the Series
16/20 Series 80%

1. Cat and Mouse by HD Carlton ✓

   • Hunting Adeline (1/12/25)

2. Vicious Lost Boys by Nikki St. Crowe ✓

   • The Never King (1/17/25)

   • The Dark One (1/29/25)

   • Their Vicious Darling (2/1/25)

   • The Fae Princes (2/7/25)

3. Alice in Borderland by Haro Aso ✓

   • Volume 2 (1/24/25)

   • Volume 3 (1/24/25)

   • Volume 4 (2/8/25)

   • Volume 5 (2/22/25)

   • Volume 6 (2/22/25)

   • Volume 7 (2/23/25)

   • Volume 8 (2/25/25)

   • Volume 9 (2/26/25)

4. Glimmer Falls by Sarah Hawley ✓

   • A Werewolf’s Guide to Seducing A Vampire (3/1/25)

5. Sex Criminals ✓

   • Volume 1 (3/27/25)

   • Volume 2 (3/27/25)

   • Volume 3 (3/27/25)

   • Volume 4 (3/29/25)

   • Volume 5 (4/23/25)

   • Volume 6 (4/23/25)

6. Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure - Part 1 Phantom Blood ✓

   • Volume 1 (4/22/25)

   • Volume 2 (4/24/25)

   • Volume 3 (4/24/25)

7. Partials Sequence ✓

   • Partials (1/21/25)

   • Fragments (3/18/25)

   • Ruins (3/26/25)

8. Parasyte ✓

   • Volume 1 (3/25/25)

   • Volume 2 (4/2/25)

   • Volume 3 (4/2/25)

   • Volume 4 (4/3/25)

   • Volume 5 (4/11/25)

   • Volume 6 (4/11/25)

   • Volume 7 (4/12/25)

   • Volume 8 (4/12/25)

9. Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure - Part 2 Battle Tendency ✓

   • Volume 1 (4/26/25)

   • Volume 2 (4/26/25)

   • Volume 3 (4/29/25)

   • Volume 4 (4/29/25)

10. Moonshine ✓

    • Volume 2 (3/19/25)

    • Volume 3 (3/19/25)

    • Volume 4 (3/20/25)

    • Volume 5 (3/20/25)

11. Jujutsu Kaisen ✓

    • Volume 0 (6/11/25)

    • Volume 1 (4/9/25)

    • Volume 2 (4/15/25)

    • Volume 3 (4/15/25)

    • Volume 4 (4/20/25)

    • Volume 5 (5/14/25)

    • Volume 6 (5/14/25)

    • Volume 7 (5/24/25)

    • Volume 8 (5/24/25)

    • Volume 9 (5/29/25)

    • Volume 10 (5/29/25)

    • Volume 11 (6/5/25)

    • Volume 12 (6/5/25)

    • Volume 13 (6/23/25)

    • Volume 14 (6/25/25)

    • Volume 15 (6/25/25)

    • Volume 16 (6/26/25)

    • Volume 17 (6/27/25)

    • Volume 18 (6/27/25)

    • Volume 19 (7/11/25)

    • Volume 20 (7/16/25)

    • Volume 21 (7/16/25)

    • Volume 22 (7/19/25)

    • Volume 23 (7/19/25)

    • Volume 24 (7/24/25)

    • Volume 25 (7/25/25)

    • Volume 26 (8/20/25)

    • Volume 27 (10/30/25)

12. Twisted Wonderland: Book of Heartslabyul ✓

    • Volume 1 (6/21/25)

    • Volume 2 (6/21/25)

    • Volume 3 (6/22/25)

    • Volume 4 (6/22/25)

13. Why Raeliana Ended Up at the Duke’s Mansion

    • Volume 1 (7/3/25)

    • Volume 2 (7/5/25)

    • Volume 3 (7/5/25)

    • Volume 4 (7/6/25)

    • Volume 5 (7/7/25)

    • Volume 6 (7/8/25)

    • Volume 7 (7/9/25)

    • Volume 8 (7/9/25)

    • Volume 9

14. Black Rose Auction ✓

    • Wicked Pursuit (7/10/25)

    • Divine Intervention (7/10/25)

    • Stolen Vows (10/2/25)

    • Irresistible Devil (9/26/25)

    • Shattered Innocence (10/17/25)

    • Royal Heart (10/22/25)

15. Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint

    • Volume 1 (8/2/25)

    • Volume 2 (8/7/25)

    • Volume 3 (8/29/25)

    • Volume 4

    • Volume 5

    • Volume 6

    • Volume 7

    • Volume 8

16. Meant to Be ✓

    • Worth Fighting For by Jesse Q. Sutanto (9/3/25)

17. Rosen Blood ✓

    • Volume 1 (10/8/25)

    • Volume 2 (10/8/25)

    • Volume 3 (10/9/25)

    • Volume 4 (10/9/25)

    • Volume 5 (10/10/25)

18. The Savior’s Book Cafe Story in Another World ✓

    • Volume 1 (10/14/25)

    • Volume 2 (10/14/25)

    • Volume 3 (10/15/25)

    • Volume 4 (10/15/25)

    • Volume 5 (10/16/25)

Nonfiction Reader
9/12 Books 75%

1. A History of the World in Twelve Shipwrecks by David Gibbins (2/14/25)

2. The Secret Lives of Colors by Kassia St. Clair (3/14/25)

3. Kinky History by Esme Louise James (4/13/25)

4. Everything is Tuberculosis by John Green (4/19/25)

5. The Darcy Myth by Rachel Feder (7/12/25)

6. Dr. Mütter’s Marvels by Cristin O’Keefe Aptowicz (9/25/25)

7. Tomes of Terror by Mark Leslie (10/23/25)

8. The Great Mortality by John Kelly (11/5/25)

9. Is a River Alive? by Robert Macfarlane (11/18/25)

Quarter of a Century
13/25 Books 52%

1. 2000 -

2. 2001 -

3. 2002 -

4. 2003 - Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom by Cory Doctorow (1/11/25)

5. 2004 -

6. 2005 -

7. 2006 -

8. 2007 -

9. 2008 -

10. 2009 -

11. 2010 -

12. 2011 - The Near Witch by V.E. Schwab (3/5/25)

13. 2012 -

14. 2013 - Partials by Dan Wells (1/21/25)

15. 2014 - Ruins by Dan Wells (3/26/25)

16. 2015 - Shiver by Junji Ito (5/2/25)

17. 2016 - Tomie by Junji Ito (5/3/25)

18. 2017 - The Keeper of Lost Things by Ruth Hogan (2/25/26)

19. 2018 - The Carrow Haunt by Darcy Coates (10/18/25)

20. 2019 - A Song for a New Day by Sarah Pinsker (1/25/25)

21. 2020 - A Beautifully Foolish Endeavor by Hank Green (7/4/25)

22. 2021 -

23. 2022 - The Demon’s Bargain by Katee Robert (3/28/29)

24. 2023 - Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld (3/15/25)

25. 2024 - Somewhere Beyond the Sea by TJ Klune (7/11/25)

Retreat Recommendations
3/12 Books 25%

1. The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang (2/13/25)

2. The Darcy Myth by Rachel Feder (7/12/25)

3. Heartless Hunter by Kristen Ciccarelli (10/11/25)

4. The Sisters of the Winter Wood by Rena Rossner

5. Off with Her Head by Eleanor Herman

6. Pandora by Susan Stokes Chapman

7. Empress for All Seasons by Emiko Jean

8. The High Cost of Free Parking by Donald Shoup

9. The Heaven and Earth Grocery Story by James McBride

10. James by Percieval Everett

11. The House at Riverton by Kate Morton

12. The Bird King by G. Willow Wilson

13. Murder Your Employer by Rupert Holmes

14. There There by Tommy Orange

15. The Governess by Anne Serre

16. The Rook by Daniel O’Malley

17. What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty

18. Divinity 36 by Gail Carriger

19. Tess of the Road by Rachel Hartman

20. Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor

21. The Adventures of Amina al-Sarafi by Shannon Chakraborty

Read Around the USA
13/50 Books 26%

1. Alabama

2. Alaska - The Gathering by CJ Tudor (1/16/25)

3. Arizona

4. Arkansas

5. California - Say You’ll Remember Me by Abby Jimenez (6/24/25)

6. Colordao

7. Connecticut

8. Delaware

9. Florida - Love in the Time of Serial Killers by Alicia Thompson (4/25/25)

10. Georgia - Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry (6/19/25)

11. Hawaii - Her Last Flight by Beatriz Williams (4/18/25)

12. Idaho

13. Illinois

14. Indiana

15. Iowa

16. Kansas

17. Kentucky

18. Lousiana

19. Maine - In the Shadow of Spindrift House by Mira Grant (9/9/25)

20. Maryland

21. Massachusetts - The Bewitching by Silvia Moreno-Garcia (8/23/25)

22. Michigan

23. Minnesota

24. Mississippi

25. Missouri

26. Montana - Lone Women by Victor LaValle (9/27/25)

27. Nebraska - Scythe and Sparrow by Brynne Weaver (2/18/25)

28. Nevada

29. New Hampshire

30. New Jersey

31. New Mexico

32. New York - All the Water in the World by Eiren Caffall (3/7/25)

33. North Carolina

34. North Dakota

35. Ohio

36. Oklahoma

37. Oregon

38. Pennsylvania

39. Rhode Island - The Wedding People by Alison Espach (6/29/25)

40. South Carolina

41. South Dakota

42. Tennessee

43. Texas - Shark Hear by Emily Habeck (2/15/25)

44. Utah

45. Vermont - The Lodge by Kayla Olson (12/13/25)

46. Virginia

47. Washington

48. West Virginia

49. Wisconsin

50. Wyoming

Romanceopoly
25/36 Books 66.7%

1. Crystal Lake (Fairy Tale Retelling) - Kiss the Girl by Zoraida Córdova (1/15/25)

2. Alpine Cottage Inn (Snowbound) - Blame the Mistletoe by Dani Collins (1/10/25)

3. Pin & Peak Lanes (Friends to Lovers)

4. Mystic Pines (Magical Realism)

5. The Frosty Bistro (Mystery Set in Winter) - My Vampire Plus-One by Jenna Levine (3/8/25)

6. New Year, New Love (Second Chance) - The Geographer’s Map to Romance by India Holton (7/29/25)

7. Valentine’s Day Prelude (Grand Gestures) - Say You’ll Remember Me by Abby Jimenez (6/24/25)

8. Heroine’s Rising (Strong, Independent Female Character) - A Werewolf’s Guide to Seducing a Vampire by Sarah Hawley (3/1/25)

9. Luck of the Irish (Irish Main Character or Setting) - Morbidly Yours by Ivy Fairbanks (12/20/25)

10. The Book Nook (Bookish Main Character) - The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year by Ally Carter (12/17/25)

11. Butterfly Garden (Morally Gray Character Getting a Happy Ending) - Hunting Adeline by HD Carlton (1/12/25)

12. Farmers’ Market (Food or Foodie Romance) - Bingsu for Two by Sujin Witherspoon (12/24/25)

13. Festival Barn (Musician or Rock Star) - Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld (3/15/25)

14. Blooming Acres Farm (Farmer or Cowboy)

15. Sunset Picnic (New-to-You) - Ne’er Duke Well by Alexandra Vasti (6/28/25)

16. Parent Trap (Strong Parental Figure)

17. Lotus & Lei (Asian American Author) - Seoulmates by Susan Lee (7/18/25)

18. Spring Fling Pride (LGBTQ+ Characters or Author)

19. Beachside Cafe (Set by the Water or On Vacation) - Swept Away by Beth O’Leary (5/30/25)

20. The Lighthouse (Pirate Character) - A Ship of Bones and Teeth by Karina Halle (1/29/25)

21. Breezy Pier (Strong Summer Vibes, Beach Read) - Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry (6/19/25)

22. Starlight Cinema (Group read) - Is She Really Going Out with Him by Sophie Cousens (8/27/25)

23. Sunset Bay Marina (Been Sitting on Your TBR Pile)

24. Full Moon Adventure (Adventure Romance) - Assistant to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer (1/18/25)

25. Wedding Season (Marriage of Convenience) - Enchantra by Kaylie Smith (6/6/25)

26. Latinx Summer Fiesta (Latinx Author) - Temple of Swoon by Jo Segura (2/5/25)

27. Fireworks Spectacular (Military Romance)

28. Gallery of Shadows (Gothic Setting)

29. The Highpoint (Workplace Romance) - Worth Fighting For by Jesse Q. Sutanto (9/3/25)

30. Willow Grove Park (Sweet Fall or Cozy Setting)

31. Starstruck Sweets (Celebrity Main Character) - The Roommate by Rosie Danan (1/26/25)

32. The Holiday Spectacle (Holiday Theme or Winter Magic) - The Nightmare Before Kissmas by Sara Raasch (11/26/25)

33. Spooky Reads (Horror Romance) — Zomromcom by Olivia Dade (10/4/25)

34. Diwali Lights (Indian Author)

35. Native American Heritage Month (Indigenous Author)

36. Krampus Night (Monsters) - My Funny Demon Valentine by Aurora Ascher (11/7/25)

COYER
11/20 Books 55%

1. Blame the Mistletoe by Dani Collins (1/10/25)

2. Above the Bay of Angels by Rhys Bowen (1/14/25)

3. A Song for a New Day by Sarah Pinsker (1/25/25)

4. The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang (2/13/25)

5. The Near Witch by V.E. Schwab (3/5/25)

6. The Secret Lives of Color by Kassia St. Clair (3/14/25)

7. A Beautifully Foolish Endeavor by Hank Green (7/4/25)

8. Is She Really Going Out with Him by Sophie Cousens (8/27/25)

9. We are Legion (We are Bob) by Dennis E. Taylor (10/1/25)

10. For We are Many by Dennis E. Taylor (11/25/25)

11. The Haunting of HG Wells by Robert Masello (12/3/25)

Cover Lover
35/50 Books 70%

1. Favorite color - Temple of Swoon by Jo Segura (2/5/25)

2. Headwear of some kind (hat, helmet, yarmulke, hijab, etc.) - The Stolen Queen by Fiona Davis (5/23/25)

3. A mode of transportation - Above the Bay of Angels by Rhys Bowen (1/14/25)

4. Bookish elements - Dreadful by Caitlin Rozakas (3/12/25)

5. An author that has a common name spelled in an uncommon way (i.e. Stephenie Meyer, Kelley Armstrong, etc.) - The Secret Book of Flora Lea by Patti Callahan Henry (4/4/25)

6. An illustrated scene - The Demon’s Queen by Katee Robert (4/10/25)

7. A design that is in desperate need of a makeover - The Roommate by Rosie Danan (1/26/25)

8. A wintry scene - The Lodge by Kayla Olson (12/13/25)

9. A summery scene

10. Food

11. A skeleton, bones, or a skull and crossbones - The Dark One by Nikki St. Crowe (1/29/25)

12. Floral elements - The Last Bookstore on Earth by Lily Braun-Arnold (1/30/25)

13. Sports equipment

14. A title and/or scene that makes you laugh - This Inevitable Ruin by Matt Dinniman (5/20/25)

15. Something you might see in a hospital - Cold Eternity by S.A. Barnes (8/6/25)

16. Someone wearing period clothing - Ne’er Duke Well by Alexandra Vasti (6/28/25)

17. A famous structure or landmark (man-made or natural) - All the Water in the World by Eiren Caffall (3/7/25)

18. A frame-worthy design - Water Moon by Samantha Sotto Yambao (6/7/25)

19. At least one person of color (POC) - Seoulmates by Susan Lee (7/18/25)

20. Someone partly or fully submerged in water - Deep End by Ali Hazelwood (3/22/25)

21. A lighted window - Somewhere Beyond the Sea by TJ Klune (7/11/25)

22. A bird - Swept Away by Beth O’Leary (5/30/25)

23. A futuristic scene - Fragments by Dan Wells (3/18/25)

24. A weapon - Chain-Gang All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah (3/21/25)

25. The name of and/or a depiction of a famous person - Dr. Mütter’s Marvels by Cristin O’Keefe Aptowicz (9/25/25)

26. A number in the title or design (numeral or spelled out)

27. A backpack or piece of luggage

28. The words "light" and/or "dark" in the title - Dark Tales by Shirley Jackson (9/8/25)

29. A foggy/stormy scene

30. A television or movie screen

31. No people - Assistant to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer (1/18/25)

32. An object that is broken

33. A silhouette or shadow - Small Angels by Lauren Owen (1/22/25)

34. A piece of jewelry - The Keeper of Lost Things by Ruth Hogan (2/25/25)

35. A sunrise or sunset - The Compound by Aisling Rawle (12/4/25)

36. A cityscape - Service Model by Adrian Tchaikovsky (5/16/25)

37. An aquatic animal - Adrift in Currents Clean and Clear by Seanan McGuire (2/12/25)

38. A light source tha can be held in the hand (flashlight, torch, lantern, etc.)

39. The name of one of the four seasons in the title, design, or author's name

40. Depiction of something that has been spilled (milk, paint, blood, etc.)

41. Eyewear of some kind (sunglasses, goggles, eyepatch, etc.) - My Vampire Plus-one by Jenna Levine (3/8/25)

42. A spooky scene - The Way Up is Death by Dan Hanks (2/21/25)

43. Something you might find in a child's bedroom (teddy bear, nightlight, crib, etc.)

44. A key and/or a keyhole - The Sister Who Ate Her Brothers by Jen Campbell (10/3/25)

45. A real, historical photograph - The Antidote by Karen Russell (9/23/25)

46. A proper noun in the title or design - Emily Wilde’s Compendium of Lost Tales by Heather Fawcett (4/5/25)

47. Something that is plaid

48. Outdated technology (typewriter, film camera, rotary telephone, etc.) - The Haunting of HG Wells by Robert Masello (12/3/25)

49. The name of a month in the title, design, or author's name

50. A flag, pennant, or banner

Fairytale Retelling
5/12 Books 41.7%

1. January (Snow White and Rose Red)

2. February (Sleeping Beauty)

3. March (Peter Pan) - The Never King by Nikki St. Crowe (1/17/25)

4. April (The Twelve Dancing Princesses)

5. May (Villain Retelling) - Heartless by HG Parry (11/8/25)

6. June (The Goose Girl)

7. July (Reader’s Choice) - How to Be Eaten by Maria Adelmann (5/27/25)

8. August (The Little Mermaid) - A Ship of Bones and Teeth by Karina Halle (1/29/25)

9. September (Mythology Retelling) - The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle (3/14/25)

10. October (Alice in Wonderland)

11. November (The Snow Queen)

12. December (Fairytale featuring Santa)

I Read Horror
9/12 Books 75%

1. Vampires - The Gathering by CJ Tudor (1/16/25)

2. Witches

3. Folk Horror - The Bewitching by Silvia Moreno-Garcia (8/23/25)

4. BIPOC Author

5. Ghost Story - The Hacienda by Isabel Cañas (2/4/25)

6. Female Author - Cold Eternity by S.A. Barnes (8/6/25)

7. Cosmic Horror - The Way Up is Death by Dan Hanks (2/21/25)

8. Frightening Cover - Shiver by Junji Ito (5/2/25)

9. Adapted as movie or tv

10. Katsu, Ketchum, King, or Koontz - Fiend by Alma Katsu (10/24/25)

11. Black, Gray, Orange, or Red Cover - The Strange by Nathan Ballingrud (9/28/25)

12. Cryptid - A Land So Wide by Erin A. Craig (11/19/25)

Books to Movies
7/12 Books 58.3%

1. Horseman by Christina Henry (2/19/25)

2. Alice in Borderland (2/26/25)

3. The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle (3/14/25)

4. Parasyte (4/12/25)

5. Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure (4/24/25)

6. War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy

7. The Shining by Stephen King

8. Doctor Sleep by Stephen King

9. Jujutsu Kaisen (8/20/25)

10. Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint (8/2/25)

2025 Wrap-up

Favorite Books of the Year:

• Alice in Borderland series by Haro Aso

• Everything is Tuberculosis by John Green

• Enchantra by Kaylie Smith

• Uzumaki by Junji Ito

• Water Moon by Samantha Sotto Yambao

• Lone Women by Victor Lavalle

• A Drop of Corruption by Robert Jackson Bennett

• Of Monsters and Mainframes by Barbara Truelove

• The Great Mortality by John Kelly

• Tender Cruelty by Katee Robert

Honorable Mentions: The HM category is reserved for rereads that I really loved.

• Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll

• The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis

Total Books Read – 249 books

Total Pages Read – 72,381 pages

I averaged 6032 pages per month.  My lowest month was November with only 3612 pages.  My highest month was April with 8971 pages.  I hope to read 70,000 pages next year.

Book Rating Stats 

• 5 stars —18.1%

• 4 stars —53%

• 3 stars — 22.9%

• 2 stars — 6%

• 1 star — 0 books

• DNFs — 0 books

Next up on the TBR pile:

December 2025 Wrap-up

December TBR Pile (11/12):

1. Bookworms BC: None (Christmas party)

2. Nerdy Bookish Friends: None (Lit Society Month)

3. Kid Book Club: The Star-spun Web by Sinead O’Hart

4. Kid Read Aloud: Starry River of the Sky by Grace Lin ✓

5. Kid Read Aloud: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis ✓

6. Horror: The Haunting of H.G. Wells by Robert Masello ✓

7. Speculative Fiction: The Compound by Aisling Rawle ✓

8. Romance: Tender Cruelty by Katee Robert ✓

9. Romance: The Lodge by Kayla Olson ✓

10. Romance: The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year by Ally Carter ✓

11. Romance: Morbidly Yours by Ivy Fairbanks ✓

12. Romance: The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy by Megan Bannen ✓

13. Romance: Bingsu for Two by Sujin Witherspoon ✓

14. Comics: Lore Olympus Vol. 9 ✓

1,000,000 Page Goal

Monthly Total: 3656 pages
Pages Remaining: 118,957 pages

Current Read - The Star-spun Web by Sinead O’Hart (kid read aloud)

Books I Gave Up On (0)

Books Bought/Received (4)

From BOTM I bought two books: We Who Will Die by Stacia Stark and The Everlasting by Alix E. Harrow.

From preorders, I received Tender Cruelty by Katee Robert. Finally we get Zeus and Hera’s story!

From the Book and Bottle Exchange, I received The Irresistible Urge to Fall for Your Enemy by Brigitte Knightley.

UnRead Shelf Progress

• Starting Number: 303

• Books Read: 2

• Books Acquired: 4

• Books Unshelved: 0

• Finishing Number: 305

January TBR Pile:

1. Bookworms BC: Binti by Nnedi Okorafor

2. Nerdy Bookish Friends: The Curse of Chalion by Lois McMaster Bujold

3. Kid Book Club: The Star-spun Web by Sinead O’Hart

4. Kid Read Aloud: Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson

5. Kid Read Aloud: A Wish in the Dark by Christina Soontornvat

6. Fantasy: The Wildest Things by Andrea Hannah

7. Romance: Tourist Season by Brynne Weaver

Movies Watched

• Wake Up Dead Man

• The Running Man

TV Shows Watched

• Babylon 5 S4

• My Dearest Nemesis - I finished before 2026!

• SKZ Code (2023)

• SKZ Talker (2023)

• SKZ Talker-Go (2023)

Comments - Wrapping up the year with a little month of reading, but I did make my way through some decent reads. Reading fan fiction really did a number on the total of regularly published books I read. I did finish the K-drama I was watching and we made a ton of progress on Babylon 5. Getting close to the end on that one.

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy by Megan Bannen

Title: The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy

Author: Megan Bannen

Publisher: Orbit 2022

Genre: Fantasy Romance

Pages: 416

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Unread Shelf; She Reads Romance - Historical (sorta)

Where I Got It: Rainy Day Books, Kansas City, MO June 2023

Spice Rating: 5

Hart is a marshal, tasked with patrolling the strange and magical wilds of Tanria. It’s an unforgiving job, and Hart’s got nothing but time to ponder his loneliness.  

Mercy never has a moment to herself. She’s been single-handedly keeping Birdsall & Son Undertakers afloat in defiance of sullen jerks like Hart, who seems to have a gift for showing up right when her patience is thinnest. 

After yet another exasperating run-in with Mercy, Hart finds himself penning a letter addressed simply to “A Friend”. Much to his surprise, an anonymous letter comes back in return, and a tentative friendship is born.  

If only Hart knew he’s been baring his soul to the person who infuriates him most—Mercy. As the dangers from Tanria grow closer, so do the unlikely correspondents. But can their blossoming romance survive the fated discovery that their pen pals are their worst nightmares—each other?

This is a very loose retelling of You’ve Got Mail, which honestly did not encourage me to read this book. I was not a fan of the movie and hesitated with this one. Thankfully the book is a very loose retelling with a lot more fantasy plot. I wasn’t quite sure about our main characters at first, but they quickly grew on me. I loved Mercy and her take charge attitude and drive. I loved her care for her family and the business. Hart was a little less likable, but he really started to warm up after being paired with Pen for work. And boy does this book have some great side characters. Zeddie and Pen were definitely my favorites, but there’s also something to be said for the nimkillin. Loved them! And throughout the interpersonal relationships and a bit of romance, we get a big mystery of the increase in drudges. I loved finding out all the threads were interconnected. After the success of this volume, I may just have to pick up the other two in the series.

Hart and Mercy

• #1 The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy

• #2 The Undermining of Twyla and Frank

• #3 The Undercutting of Rosie and Adam

Next up on the TBR pile:

Bingsu for Two by Sujin Witherspoon

Title: Bingsu for Two

Author: Sujin Witherspoon

Publisher: Union Square & Co. 2025

Genre: YA Romance

Pages: 320

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Romanceopoly - Foodie; She Reads Romance - New Adult

Where I Got It: Library

Meet River Langston-Lee. In the past 24 hours, he’s dumped his girlfriend, walked out of his SATs, and quit his job at his parents’ cafe in spectacularly disastrous fashion—even for him.

Somehow, he manages to talk his way into a gig at a failing Korean cafe, Bingsu for Two, which is his lucky break until he meets short, grumpy, and goth: Sarang Cho. She’s his new no-BS co-worker who’s as determined to make River’s life hell as she is to save her family’s cafe.

After River accidentally uploads a video of his chaotic co-workers to his popular fandom account, they strike viral fame. The kicker? Their new fans ship River and Sarang big-time. In order to keep the Internet’s attention—and the cafe’s new paying customers—River and Sarang must pretend that the tension between them is definitely of the romantic variety, not the considering the best way to kill you and hide your body variety.

But when Bingsu for Two’s newfound success catches the attention of River’s ex and his parents’ cafe around the corner, he faces a choice: keep letting others control his life or stand up for the place that’s become home. And a green-haired girl who’s not as heartless as he originally thought . . .

Completely by chance I happened upon this book at the library. And I’m so glad that I actually checked it out and dove in a few days ago. This is a typical angsty teen romance, but it also has a lot of heart and great banter in between ridiculous situations. The book reminded me of Emma Lorde’s Tweet Cute, but even more updated for today. We get two teens trying to find their own identities through the process of saving a family coffee shop. The characters are cute but also very real and relatable. They make mistakes but also grow and change for the better throughout the story. Witherspoon has crafted a cute story with propulsive writing that kept me turning the pages. I’m excited to see what the author writes next.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Homeschool W15-18

What We Studied

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.

• Poetry: Hearth & Story G6

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

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

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 ___________.

• Poetry: National Geography Book of Nature Poetry

• In the Beginning: Creation Stories from Around the World by Virginia Hamilton

Math

Arthur is using Singapore’s Math in Focus Course 2. Effectively this is Singapore’s 7th grade math text. We finished up our textbook for this semester and spent time catching up. We will be playing a bit of review and catchup until January. 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 A

Quentin is using Singapore’s Primary Mathematics Common Core edition 3B and 4A. We finished up our logic book before moving to more complicated puzzles.

• Primarily Logic

• Singapore Primary Common Core 3B

Social Studies

Arthur is using Curiosity Chronicles Modern History Vol. 1. Unfortunately CC only has volume 1 published so far. This will take us to Christmas break. If they don’t release volume 2 by then, I’m going to have to do it myself.

• Curiosity Chronicles Modern History Vol. 1

• DK History

• DK Timelines of Everything

• DK Timelines of Everyone

• DK A Child Through Time

• A Journey Through Art

• DK When on Earth

Quentin is using Build Your Library Level 5 to begin our two year exploration of American History. We covered ________.

• 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

• King George: What was His Problem? by Steve Sheinkin

Science

Arthur is using RSO Earth and Environment 2 and later RSO Astronomy 2 for science. We kept up with our physics prep for co-op.

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

• RSO Astronomy 2 (November-March)

• DK Eyewitness Energy

Quentin is using RSO Physics 1.

• 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 were off for Thanksgiving week. Last 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.

• 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

High

Low

Next Week

• Finishing our read aloud (Q) and starting a new read aloud (A)

• Moving forward with our math chapters - Close to finishing our current textbooks

• Learning about the Consumerism (A) and 1775-1776 (Q) for history

• Covering volcanoes (A) and how planes fly (Q) for science

• Taking a small break for Thanksgiving week

Next up on the TBR pile:

Life Right Now #33

As I look outside my window: Bright and sunny yet again and not too cold.

Right now I am: Prepping dinner in the crockpot and making brunch. I feel like I’m forever cooking and preparing food for the family. Possibly because I am.

On my bedside table: I just did a huge library return clearing out a ton of books that I have no interest in reading at the moment. I only kept the ones that are really piquing my interest. Mostly it’s some horror and dark romance. We’ll see where that goes for early January.

On my tv this week: Nothing really. A migraine earlier this week meant that I could not use my eyes so no television viewing. I did manage to watch two episodes of My Dearest Nemesis after recovering. Only one more episode to go!

Listening to: I’ve been alternating between Bad Omens and Stray Kids. Very different, but fulfill two different music needs.

On the menu for this week: I was trying to just eat out of the freezer and fridge. Not quite going to happen completely, but I did create some meals around those two areas.

• Monday - Chicken Tikka Masala

• Tuesday - Mississippi Pot Roast

• Wednesday - Hot Dogs and Mac n Cheese (yes, I know it’s Christmas Eve)

• Thursday - Appetizers all day!

• Friday - Ring of Fire Chicken, Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes, Brussels Sprouts, Dinner Rolls, Salad (our Christmas dinner celebration)

• Saturday - Out with Mom

• Sunday - Out with Mom

On my to do list: I need to finish prepping for my mom to come on Christmas. I got the guest room mostly squared away, just need to put the sheets on the bed. I need to finish picking up the downstairs and sweep and vacuum.

Happening this week:

• Monday - Home Day (mostly cleaning probably)

• Tuesday - Santa Visit at Cabela’s; Errands and Grocery Shopping

• Wednesday - Home Day

• Thursday - Home Day; Pick up Mom from aiport

• Friday - Home Day

• Saturday - Omaha Tourist Day with Mom, J, and kids

• Sunday - Omaha Tourist Day with Mom

What I am creating: Mostly I’ve just been putting things away and organizing. I put away my craft stuff in favor of working on homeschool plans for the spring semester.

My simple pleasures: Being able to use my eyes (seriously that migraine was terrible), sleep, good stories

Looking around the house: Things are looking up.

From the camera: Sickness meant no pictures of anything

Morbidly Yours by Ivy Fairbanks

Title: Morbidly Yours (Love in Galway #1)

Author: Ivy Fairbanks

Publisher: Lassen Press 2023

Genre: Romance

Pages: 328

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Romanceopoly - Luck of the Irish; She Reads Romance - Contemporary

Where I Got It: Library

Spice Rating: 5

Callum Flannelly would rather dive into an open grave than take a stranger to dinner. But he can only inherit the family undertaking business under one condition: He must marry before his 35th birthday. So it’s out of the mortuary and into the dating scene. Lark Thompson came to Galway, Ireland to embrace life, not be reminded of losing her husband by moving in next to a funeral home.

Then the vivacious Texan animator learns of painfully shy Callum’s dilemma and makes it her mission to help him find The One. Although sworn off love herself, she’s certain Callum will find his match. But as the dating project progresses and their friendship grows, their attraction is undeniable. Spending time with serious, sarcastic Callum starts to crack the ice around Lark’s heart, and the more color Lark brings to Callum’s monochrome existence, the less he can imagine life without her.

If they think they can ignore their connection, they’re dead wrong.

Pretty disappointed in this one. I liked Callum, but Lark just seemed to be very one-dimensional. Her “quirky” Texan personality just left me wanting more. And her insistence of not telling Callum about the fact that she is a widow really annoyed me. I’m not wanting everyone to tell all their secrets within minutes of meeting someone, but it should have been brought up. I liked Callum and the discussions about his stutter and social anxiety. I just didn’t buy those two together. And don’t get me started on the spicy scenes. Really for not happening until over 50% of the way through the book, the sex scene came off stilted and not very hot. I just didn’t buy the sexual chemistry between the two characters. Unfortunately, this book really fell flat for me.

Love in Galway

• #1 Morbidly Yours

• #2 Heart Strings

• #3 The Autumn Affair

Next up on the TBR pile:

Lore Olympus Vol. 9 by Rachel Smythe

Title: Lore Olympus Volume 9

Author: Rachel Smythe

Publisher: Inklore 2025

Genre: Fantasy Comic

Pages: 432

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: 

Where I Got It: Library

“The Underworld has a queen!”

Persephone and Hades are finally reunited when the banished goddess of spring returns to the Underworld to claim her rightful place as queen. Now that Hades and Persephone have defeated and imprisoned the power-hungry Kronos once more, nothing can keep them apart, and years of being separated have only made their desire for each other grow. But the other Olympians can’t help but meddle, pushing the pair to make things official with a coronation—and a wedding.

Ignoring the others who try to define their relationship, Hades and Persephone choose to take things at their own pace and focus on rebuilding the Underworld. They begin by investigating how Kronos was first able to escape, and they learn the horrifying truth that he has captured a powerful young god whose abilities help Kronos project his thoughts outside of Tartarus—thoughts he uses to plague Hera’s every waking moment. Though Kronos’s physical form is locked away, Olympus will never be free until they can rescue the child from the furious Titan’s grasp.

To save the realms, Persephone must figure out her fertility goddess powers and embrace her role as Queen of the Underworld—even as it takes her further from her mother’s expectations and her former place in the Mortal Realm.

This edition of Smythe’s original Eisner Award–winning webcomic Lore Olympus features a brand-new, exclusive short story from creator Rachel Smythe and brings the Greek pantheon into the modern age in a sharply perceptive and romantic graphic novel.

This volume collects episodes 207–233 of the #1 WEBTOON comic Lore Olympus.

Still really enjoying this series. I loved seeing Persephone start to come into her power and role as Queen of the Underworld. I loved seeing her take confident steps towards a full relationship with Hades. I loved seeing her stand up to some of the other characters, especially her mother. My biggest complaint is the seemingly confusing timeline. Some of the chapters are definitely not in linear order and it was a jarring transition to follow. I wish they had been labeled better. But I will keep reading this interpretation of the Greek myths. Only one more volume to go!

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year by Ally Carter

Title: The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year

Author: Ally Carter

Publisher: Avon 2024

Genre: Romance/Mystery

Pages: 293

Rating: 2/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Romanceopoly - The Book Nook (Bookish Main Character); She Reads Romance - Holiday

Where I Got It: Library

Spice Rating: 4

The bridge is out. The phones are down. And the most famous mystery writer in the world just disappeared out of a locked room two days before Christmas.
Meet Maggie Chase and Ethan Wyatt:
She’s the new Queen of the Cozy Mystery.
He’s Mr. Big-time Thriller Guy.
She hates his guts.
He thinks her name is Marcie (no matter how many times she’s told him otherwise.)
But when they both accept a cryptic invitation to attend a Christmas house party at the English estate of a reclusive fan, neither is expecting their host to be the most powerful author in the world: Eleanor Ashley, the Duchess of Death herself.
That night, the weather turns, and the next morning Eleanor is gone.
She vanished from a locked room, and Maggie has to wonder: Is Eleanor in danger? Or is it all some kind of test? Is Ethan the competition? Or is he the only person in that snowbound mansion she can trust?
As the snow gets deeper and the stakes get higher, every clue will bring Maggie and Ethan closer to the truth—and each other. Because, this Christmas, these two rivals are going to have to become allies (and maybe more) if they have any hope of saving Eleanor.
Assuming they don’t kill each other first.

Wow! This was such a disappointment! I was hoping for a great romance mystery with the blurbs likening it to Knives Out. It was no Knives Out. That mystery was smart, intriguing, and complicated but ultimately explainable, even easy enough for the audience to figure it out if they paid attention. This mystery was intriguing but ultimately left unsolved. We get the ultimate letdown by just saying that some mysteries should be left unsolved. NO! The whole point of a mystery book is to solve the case. I was highly annoyed but that part, but what really tanked the book was the romance angle. This was not a romance. This was a jumble of tropes that never really made any logical sense and two characters that I never thought had any chemistry. The FMC was a total grinch most of the time and then did a complete 180 in an instant. Nope. The MMC was creepy and leering constantly needling the FMC but in a stupid childhood playground kind of way. No thank you! And having their first time having sex while the FMC is bleeding from a head wound?!?!?!? No fucking thank you! Ultimate disappoint for the season.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Music Monday - Kami Kehoe "Fade Out"

Found Kami when she was featured in one of my favorite Instagram poster’s videos. She reminds me a lot of Amy Lee. I’m really digging her vibe.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Life Right Now #32

As I look outside my window: It’s bright, but oh so cold! It is currently 11 degrees. Last night when I came home it was 2 degrees. BRRRRR!!!

Right now I am: Deciding how exactly I want my day to go. I have a ton of projects, but also the kitchen is in desperate need of a reorg and clean out.

Thinking and pondering: What should we add to our calendar between now and Christmas?

On my bedside table: I have a stack of library books that I need to preview for a possible Dirty Book Month pick. But… I also have a ton of fan fiction calling my name.

On my tv this week: J and I actually watched a movie the other night! We haven’t done that in awhile. And I kept slowly watching My Dearest Nemesis. Really enjoying that show!

Listening to: SKZ all the time

On the menu for this week:

• Monday - Beef and Barley Stew

• Tuesday - Chicken Parmesan

• Wednesday - Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo

• Thursday - Leftovers

• Friday - Spicy Shrimp Burrito Bowls

• Saturday - Crab and Asparagus Soup

• Sunday - Cajun Stuffed Chicken

On my to do list: So many things I imagine. But my number one priority come Monday is to make a car appointment. I need an oil change, new filters, and a new serpentine belt.

Happening this week:

• Monday - Co-op Winter Party

• Tuesday - Home Day

• Wednesday - Santa at Cabela’s

• Thursday - Nick leaves

• Friday - Home Day

• Saturday - Home Day

• Sunday - Home Day

What I am creating: Mostly just lists… but last night at Friendsmas I did make four cards! I haven’t make cards in forever! It was very nice.

My simple pleasures: Time with friends, hot tea, snuggly blankets

Looking around the house: I need to make a list before my mom comes on Christmas. I have a few specific areas I want to tidy and clean.

From the camera: What I made at Friendsmas!