January 2023 Wrap

January TBR Pile (25/29):

Bookworms BC: Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt ✓
Bookworms BC: Come as You Are by Jess K Hardy
Friend BC: Paradise Falls by Keith O’Brien ✓
Nerdy Bookish Friends BC: The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon ✓
Currently Reading Bookish Friends BC: TBD
Kid Read Aloud: Chains by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
Kid Read Aloud: My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George ✓
Kid Read Aloud: The Year of the Dog by Grave Lin ✓
Kid Read Aloud: The Bears on Hemlock Mountain by Alice Dagliesh ✓
Kid Book Club: Samantha Spinner and the Super Secret Plans by Russell Ginns ✓
Kid Book Club: Winterhouse by Ben Guterson
Winter Read: The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden
Romance: Court of the Vampire Queen by Katee Robert ✓
Romance: The Deal by Elle Kennedy ✓
Romance: Misadventures of a Curvy Girl by Sierra Simone ✓
Romance: It Happened One Summer by Tessa Bailey ✓
Romance: Priest by Sierra Simone ✓
Mystery: Ghostly Echoes by William Ritter ✓
Mystery: The Dire King by William Ritter ✓
Comics: Ducks by Kate Beaton ✓
Comics: The Me You Love in the Dark by Skottie Young and Jorge Corona ✓
Comics: Lore, Olympus Vol. 3 by Rachel Smythe ✓
Comics: Lady Mechanika Vol. 7 ✓
Comics: The Dollhouse Family ✓
Short Stories: The End and Other Beginnings by Veronica Roth ✓
Paranormal Romance: Halfway to the Grave by Jeaniene Frost ✓
Paranormal Romance: One Foot in the Grave by Jeaniene Frost ✓
Paranormal Romance: At Grave’s End by Jeaniene Frost ✓
Nonfiction: A Literary Education by Emily Cook ✓
MG: Anya and the Dragon by Sofiya Pasternack ✓

1,000,000 Page Goal:

Monthly Total: 7960 pages
Pages Remaining: 352,425 pages

Current Read - Anya and the Nightingale by Sofiya Pasternack; The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Snagu Mandanna

Books I Gave Up On (0)

Books Bought/Received (3)

Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt - I had to grab this one for book club as the library holds were ridiculously long…
Hell Bent by Leigh Bardugo - BOTM pick and second in the Alex Stern series.
An Endless Fire by Rebecca Ross - BOTM add-on.

UnRead Shelf Progress - In January, I always double check my numbers and get everything organized and cleaned out. My numbers this month will get very strange because of that.

Starting Number: 347
Books Read: 5
Books Acquired: 3
Books Unshelved: 0
Finishing Number: 335

February TBR Pile:

Bookworms BC: Come as You Are by Jess K. Hardy
Friend BC: Take My Hand by Dolen Perkins-Valdez
Nerdy Bookish Friends BC: Babel by R.F. Kaung
Currently Reading Bookish Friends BC:
Kid Read Aloud: Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson
Kid Read Aloud: Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson
Kid Book Club: Winterhouse by Ben Guterson
Winter Read: The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden
Middle Grade: Anya and the Nightingale by Sofiya Pasternack
Fantasy: The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna
Romance: Never Rescue a Rogue by Virginia Heath
Romance: Never Fall for Your Fiancé by Virginia Heath

Movies watched - We went on a big murder mystery movie binge and it was delightful.

Violent Night - Such a fun action movie.
The Shape of All Things - J’s choice of a very odd movie.
Crossroads - Surprisingly good older movie.
Them! - Love the fun scifi monster movies.
The Limehouse Golem - Really enjoyed this dark murder mystery.
The Cheap Detective - Except for a few jokes that didn’t age well, this was a lot of fun.
Deathtrap - So many twists and turns! So good!
Evil Under the Sun - Enjoyed this Agatha Christie adaptation.
Gosford Park - Revisited this great murder mystery movie.
The Batman - Surprisingly good version of the story.
The Last of Sheila - Another great murder mystery.

TV Shows watched

Letterkenny S11
Leverage Redemption S2
Mythic Quest S3
Lego Masters S2
Avenue 5 S2
His Dark Materials S1 (Rewatching the entire series in one big viewing)

Comments - Having a minor surgery and being stuck in bed for a few days did wonders for my January reading stats. I ended up reading 9 books just that week. Beyond that, I’m very proud of reading 5 books from my Unread Shelf (even if 20 of my books came from the library).

Next up on the TBR pile:

Priest by Sierra Simone

Title: Priest (Love Story #1)

Author: Sierra Simone

Publisher: No Bird Press 2022

Genre: Romance

Pages: 378

Rating: 2/5 stars

Reading Challenges: 52 Book Club - Featuring one of the “Seven Deadly Sins”; Romanceopoly - Passion Place

Spice Meter: 8 (for the taboo nature of the pairing)

There are many rules a priest can't break. A priest cannot marry. A priest cannot abandon his flock. A priest cannot forsake his God. I've always been good at following rules. Until she came. Then I learned new rules. My name is Tyler Anselm Bell. I'm twenty-nine years old. Six months ago, I broke my vow of celibacy on the altar of my own church, and God help me, I would do it again. I am a priest and this is my confession.

CW: Suicide, Sexual Abuse

I am so very disappointed in this book. It’s been all over Bookstagram; featured on all the super spicy romance lists. But I came to the end of the book very uncomfortable and not turned on at all. My main issue with this book really centers on the religion piece. All of the characters seem to take their faith very seriously, but also reject all the “rules” that they claim to be so important. I couldn’t wrap my brain around these seemingly contradictory stances. I was very uncomfortable with how the characters try to find the loopholes and edge cases to justify their actions. I would have greatly preferred if they realized that they didn’t actually believe in the religion at all. But it continue claiming to be believers and still not really repenting for their transgressions just felt icky to me. I was hoping for a good deep dive into the ways that the Catholic Church has mishandled the abuse scandals and it’s current stance toward sex, but that seemed to be teased at the beginning and then pushed to the side. At the end, it seemed like everything the characters did was justified because they got married. I just couldn’t with this book. I will not be reading the sequels.

Love Story

#1 Priest
#1.5 Midnight Mass
#2 Sinner
#3 Saint

Next up on the TBR pile:

Homeschool W20: Getting Back into Our Routine

What We Studied

Another week with basically no photos.

I’m finally mostly recovered from surgery, so we started to get back into our regular routine this week. We managed to have a bit of school every day along with a few activities and outings. Plus, I managed to squeeze in a dentist appointment and trip to the grocery story.

Literature and Poetry

For the coop book club, w'e’re continuing our current selection. I’m really really enjoying this book and I know that Arthur is also.

Winterhouse by Ben Guterson

Arthur and I started our next read aloud. Instead of a literature selection from our language arts curriculum, I chose a historical fiction selection from our history curriculum. It’s an intense story, but I thought it would be interesting read about a plague in our country’s history. And it fits nicely with the time period we are studying in U.S. History this month.

Nat Geo Book of Nature Poetry
Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson
One World, Many Religions by Mary Pope Osborne
Poetry for Young People: Emily Dickinson

Quentin focused on reading animal stories from around the world. I’m trying to line them up with our continents as we move across the world.

Nat Geo Book of Animal Poetry
A World Full of Animal Stories by Angela McAllister
Around the World in 80 Days by Saviour Pirotta
The Bears on Hemlock Mountain by Alice Dagliesh
Pig and Pug by Laura Marchesani (Quentin Reads)
I Can Read with My Eyes Shut! by Dr. Seuss (Quentin Reads)

For both boys, we have scheduled math for three days a week. One day is focused on logic, games, puzzles, and special projects. The two other days are focused on covering the main math curriculum (Singapore 4A and 4B for Arthur and Singapore 1A and 1B for Quentin).

Logic Liftoff (Arthur)
Singapore 4B
Lollipop Logic Book 2 (Quentin)
Singapore 1A

Social Studies

Arthur continued his large study of United States history using a combination of Build Your Library Level 5 and History Quest United States History. We covered the Articles of Confederation era as well as the creation of the U.S. Constitution.

A Kid’s Guide to Native American History by Yvonne Wakim Dennis
An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz
We were There Too by Philip Hoose
Words that Built a Nation
History Quest: U.S. History
A Different Mirror
DK American History Visual Encyclopedia
Heart and Soul: The Story of America and African Americans by Kadir Nelson
Shhh! We’re Writing the Constitution by Jean Fritz

Quentin continued his study of the world with Build Your Library Level 0. We’re continuing with our Asian country study. This week we covered the rest of East Asia then hopped on over to the Indian subcontinent.

Nat Geo Beginner’s World Atlas
DK Countries of the World
DK Children Just Like Me
DK Children Just Like Me: A School Like Mine
Follow Me Around Japan by Wiley Blevins
Living in South Korea by Chloe Perkins
Follow Me Around South Korea by Wiley Blevins
The Korean Cinderella by Shirley Climo
The Discovery of Ramen by Phil Amara and Oliver Chin
Grass Sandals: The Travels of Basho by Dawnine Spivak
One Leaf Rides the Wind by Celeste Davidson Mannis
The Origami Master by Nathaniel Lachenmeyer
I, Doko by Ed Young
Chibi Samurai Wants a Pet by Sanae Ishida
Ba-chan The Ninja Grandma by Sanae Ishida
A Pair of Red Clogs by Masako Matsuno
Gigi and Ojiji: What's in a Name? by Melissa Iwai
Living In India by Chloe Perkins
Leila in Saffron by Rukhsanna Guidroz
Mama's Saris by Pooja Makhijani
I See the Sun in India by Dedie King
I See the Sun in Nepal by Dedie King

Arthur Independent Time

We are working on following a checklist in a planner for weekly independent work. There’s usually some math workbook pages, an ELA packet, weekly writing prompts (1-2 times a week), independent reading time, and a special creative project. There has been many drawing projects lately.

Science

Arthur is focusing on Physics this year. We are covering the text and related videos at home and then joining friends for experiments and extra projects. This week was all about magnets! We did some simple magnet experiments. Next week, we will play some games with magnets and make a compass.

RSO Physics
The Story of Science: Aristotle Leads the Way by Joy Hakim
The Way Things Work Now

Quentin will be focusing on animal science with BYL Level 0.

Nat Geo Wild Animal Atlas
DK Animal
Lonely Planet: The Animal Book
The Tarantula in My Purse by Jean Craighead George
A Little Round Panda on the Big Blue Earth by Troy Christie

STEAM Coop

Arthur’s group is continuing its big stop-motion animation project. The kids are planning and storyboarding before they get to actually film the movies. Quentin’s group focused on learning about nutrition. There was lots of sorting different foods and even trying a few.

Art/Music/Crafts/Cooking/Documentary

We’re planning one doing on art project and one cooking project each week as well as picking a composer or musician to listen to and enjoy.

Field Trip

No field trip this week.

High

Another great winter walk this week! We joined some friends at the OPPD Arboretum and tromped through the snow and the woods.

Low

The cold temperatures kept us inside more than I would have liked this week.

Next Week

Continuing our historical fiction read aloud
Keeping on with our math curriculum
Covering Southeast Asia for SS (Q)
Learning about our first two presidents (A)
Playing with magnets for physics
Going on another winter hike

Next up on the TBR pile:

Music Monday - Dorothy "Black Sheep"

Her voice is just so amazing!

Next up on the TBR pile:

Winter Bucket List Update #1

Entering into another winter bucket list.

Go Sledding ✓ - Backyard, but we still did it!
Read 45 Books (25/45)
Bake Some Bread ✓ - I’ve actually made multiple loaves so far this year.
Make Winter Crafts
Movie Month February
Make Valentines
Go on 5 Winter Hikes (3/5)
Have an Indoor Picnic
Make a Snow Globe
Complete 3 Puzzles
Buy Some New Cozy Pajamas
Check Off 50 Hours Outside
Have a Birthday Day Out
Visit the Zoo 3 Times (1/3)
Monthly Bingo/Trivia Nights (1/3)
Take the Kids Bowling
Make Homemade Cinnamon Rolls
Make a New Dessert
Make a Bird Feeder
Have an Ice Cream Sundae Night

Next Up on the TBR Pile:

Life Right Now #3

As I look outside my window: It looks pretty out there, but I know that it’s very very cold this weekend.

Right now I am: Sneaking in a few pages of my book before I need to make brunch.

On my bedside table: Lost in the Moment and Found by Seanan McGuire; The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna

On my tv this week: J and I started a rewatch of His Dark Materials S1 and S2 in anticipation of watching S3. I forgot just how much happens in every episode, but it’s just so incredibly good.

Listening to: Not much this week. I’ve been getting back into the swing of things, but that meant more doing and less listening. I did catch up with Love to See It, Pod Save America, and If Books Could Kill.

On the menu for this week:

Monday - Apple Bacon Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
Tuesday - Chicken Pad Thai Nachoes
Wednesday - Crab and Asparagus Soup
Thursday - Broccoli Beef with Rice
Friday - Pizza Night
Saturday - Italian Noodle Soup
Sunday - Leftovers

On my to do list: I want to organize some things, read, and do a bit of crafting today. But first, I need to finish making a meal plan and grocery list. I should also review our science plans for the week.

Happening this week:

Monday - Home Day
Tuesday - Coop Board Games Meeting
Wednesday - Science
Thursday - Coop; Lit Society
Friday - Winter Hike at Fontenelle Forest
Saturday - Home Day
Sunday - Dragons and Mythical Beasts at The Orpheum

What I am creating: I finally really started my 2022 December Daily album. I need more photo paper to print images, but I got about 80% of them printed and ready to go. I also picked my paper and base color palette. I’ll be just using my stash instead of buying a new kit. I’ve finished three simple pages, only ~500 to go (exaggeration, but it really feels like that many).

My simple pleasures: A good night’s sleep, being back at coop, fresh homemade bread

Looking around the house: I really should vacuum today. And I need to do laundry and put away the clothes…

From the camera: Winter hike at the OPPD Arboretum with some coop friends. I really enjoy taking walks in the winter, who would have guessed?

The Dire King by William Ritter

Title: The Dire King (Jackaby #4)

Author: William Ritter

Publisher: Algonquin Young Readers 2017

Genre: YA Historical Fiction; Horror

Pages: 352

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Finishing the Series; 52 Book Club - Final Book in the Series

The fate of the world is in the hands of detective of the supernatural R. F. Jackaby and his intrepid assistant, Abigail Rook. An evil king is turning ancient tensions into modern strife, using a blend of magic and technology to push the earth and the otherworld into a mortal competition. Jackaby and Abigail are caught in the middle as they continue to solve mysteries in New Fiddleham, New England—like who’s created the rend between the worlds, how to close it, and why the undead are appearing around town.

At the same time, the romance between Abigail and the shape-shifting police detective Charlie Cane deepens, and Jackaby’s resistance to his feelings for the ghostly lady of 926 Augur Lane, Jenny Cavanaugh, begins to give way. But before the four can think about their own futures, they will have to defeat an evil that wants to destroy the future altogether.

And we that, the story of Abigail Rook and Jackaby has ended. And it was quite an ending. We knew things were going to get very serious after the third book, but I wasn’t quite prepared exactly how serious until we get to the halfway point of this book. I was very much on the edge of my seat for the entire second half. I was totally unprepared for the final battle against the Dire King and his allies. I knocked off one star in that I did think that the final confrontation was too drawn out without enough conclusion/reconnection of the characters. I would have liked to see the pacing at the end reworked a bit. But I did love the ending of Abigail’s story. Overall, this has been such a great mystery series.

Jackaby

#1 Jackaby
#1.5 The Map
#2 Beastly Bones
#3 Ghostly Echoes
#4 The Dire King

star-rating-remains-the-most-important-part-of-a-review-cad0047.cad0047.png

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Dollhouse Family

Title: The Dollhouse Family

Author: M.R. Carey, Peter Gross, Vince Locke, Chris Peter

Publisher: DC Black Label

Genre: Graphic Novel

Pages: 144

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Winter TBR

On Alice's sixth birthday, her dying great-aunt sent her the birthday gift she never knew she always wanted: a big, beautiful 19th-century dollhouse, complete with a family of antique dolls. In no time at all, the dollhouse isn't just Alice's favorite toy...it's her whole world. And soon, young Alice learns she can enter the house to visit a new group of friends, straight out of a heartwarming children's novel: the Dollhouse family.
But while the Dollhouse family welcomes her with open arms, in the real world, her family life is becoming much more complicated...and deep within the Dollhouse's twisting halls, the Black Room waits, with an offer to Alice. The house can fix all this, the Black Room says. All she has to do is say the words...
From there unfolds a twisty, surreal, multigenerational horror tale that echoes into centuries past, into Alice's tormented future, and into the beating heart of the madness that makes up our world...literally. Collects The Dollhouse Family #1-6.

Horrific story! Just what I want in my horror comics. We travel with Alice throughout her life getting some glimpses of the past history of the family. When things really ramp up, I was riveted to the page. The action comes fast and heavy with very graphic panels. But such a great story of tragedy and sacrifice.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Lady Mechanika Vol. 7

Title: Lady Mechanika Vol. 7

Author: Joe Benitez, Beth Sotelo

Publisher: Benitez Productions 2022

Genre: Graphic Novel

Pages: 106

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Winter TBR; UnRead Shelf

In a Victorian asylum full of grotesque inmates, sadistic guards, and a fanatical doctor, a young lady wakes to find her arms and legs have been replaced with mechanical limbs. But who among this gruesome menagerie is the true Monster of the Ministry of Hell? The origins of the notorious adventuress known as Lady Mechanika!

Collects LADY MECHANIKA: THE MONSTER OF THE MINISTRY OF HELL #1-4

Oooff This was such a hard trade. We finally get to see part of Lady Mechanika’s past; the trauma that she endured as a child. There were a few panels where I literally gasped out loud at the events depicted. So tough! And yet, it was get to explore her background to inform her current life and outlook. Plus we get some important information about a big bad in the universe. I cannot wait to see what happens next.

Next up on the TBR pile:

At Grave's End by Jeaniene Frost

Title: At Grave’s End (Night Huntress #3)

Author: Jeaniene Frost

Publisher: Avon 2008

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Pages: 342

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Unread Shelf; Finishing the Series

Spice Meter: 5 (albeit one with a vampire)

It should be the best time of half-vampire Cat Crawfield's life. With her undead lover Bones at her side, she's successfully protected mortals from the rogue undead. But though Cat's worn disguise after disguise to keep her true identity a secret from the brazen bloodsuckers, her cover's finally been blown, placing her in terrible danger.

As if that wasn't enough, a woman from Bones's past is determined to bury him once and for all. Caught in the crosshairs of a vengeful vamp, yet determined to help Bones stop a lethal magic from being unleashed, Cat's about to learn the true meaning of bad blood. And the tricks she's learned as a special agent won't help her. She will need to fully embrace her vampire instincts in order to save herself—and Bones—from a fate worse than the grave.

Another very enjoyable Night Huntress novel. I loved the growth of the relationship between Cat and Bones. I loved the central mystery of the unknown threat. A few of the twists and turns were well executed. I did knock off one star as the first 1/3 of the book seemed to really drag.

Night Huntress:

#0.5 Reckoning
#1 Halfway to the Grave
#1.2 The Other Half of the Grave
#1.5 Happily Never After
#2 One Foot in the Grave
#3 At Grave’s End
#3.5 Devil to Pay
#4 Destined for an Early Grave
#4.5 One for the Money
#5 This Side of the Grave
#6 One Grave at a Time
#6.5 Home for the Holidays
#7 Up from the Grave
#7.5 Outtakes from the Grave
#7.6 A Grave Girls’ Getaway
#8 Both Feet in the Grave

Next up on the TBR pile:

It Happened One Summer by Tessa Bailey

Title: It Happened One Summer (It Happened One Summer #1)

Author: Tessa Bailey

Publisher: Avon 2021

Genre: Romance

Pages: 416

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Winter TBR; Romanceopoly - Summer

Spice Meter: 5

Piper Bellinger is fashionable, influential, and her reputation as a wild child means the paparazzi are constantly on her heels. When too much champagne and an out-of-control rooftop party lands Piper in the slammer, her stepfather decides enough is enough. So he cuts her off, and sends Piper and her sister to learn some responsibility running their late father’s dive bar... in Washington.

Piper hasn’t even been in Westport for five minutes when she meets big, bearded sea captain Brendan, who thinks she won’t last a week outside of Beverly Hills. So what if Piper can’t do math, and the idea of sleeping in a shabby apartment with bunk beds gives her hives. How bad could it really be? She’s determined to show her stepfather—and the hot, grumpy local—that she’s more than a pretty face.

Except it’s a small town and everywhere she turns, she bumps into Brendan. The fun-loving socialite and the gruff fisherman are polar opposites, but there’s an undeniable attraction simmering between them. Piper doesn’t want any distractions, especially feelings for a man who sails off into the sunset for weeks at a time. Yet as she reconnects with her past and begins to feel at home in Westport, Piper starts to wonder if the cold, glamorous life she knew is what she truly wants. LA is calling her name, but Brendan—and this town full of memories—may have already caught her heart.

I finally found a Tessa Bailey book that I didn’t hate. I was hoping for a good enemies to lovers trope. We don’t exactly get that here, but I still enjoyed the story of Brendan and Piper. The story went a lot deeper than I was expecting and we get into issues surrounding grief. I was very on board with more serious relationship talk. Ultimately we get a nice romance with a great setting and fun side characters. The sex scenes felt a bit forced in places, but were ultimately decent. I was really just wanting much more banter. I may even read the next book.

It Happened One Summer

#1 It Happened One Summer
#2 Hook, Line, and Sinker

Next up on the TBR pile:

Odds and Ends

Here's my randomness for the week:

We’re restarting the His Dark Materials television series to remember everything before starting season three. It is one of our favorite book series. The series has been a really good adaptation.
Somehow our oldest class of coop has ballooned up tot 16 students. Goodness! We have grown.
So many romance books this month. My reading has exploded!
My body is feeling better although I still get twinges of pain now and then.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Anya and the Dragon by Sofiya Pasternack

Title: Anya and the Dragon

Author: Sofiya Pasternack

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt 2019

Genre: MG Fantasy

Pages: 394

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Winter TBR

Anya and the Dragon is the story of fantasy and mayhem in tenth century Eastern Europe, where headstrong eleven-year-old Anya is a daughter of the only Jewish family in her village. When her family’s livelihood is threatened by a bigoted magistrate, Anya is lured in by a friendly family of fools, who promise her money in exchange for helping them capture the last dragon in Kievan Rus. This seems easy enough, until she finds out that the scary old dragon isn't as old—or as scary—as everyone thought. Now Anya is faced with a choice: save the dragon, or save her family.

I had checked this out months ago, but never got to it before it was due at the library. I remembered that I had wanted to read it and checked it out again. I wasn’t quite expecting the story I got, but enjoyed most of it. I loved following Anya through her adventure involving many magical creatures and a friendly dragon. Once the story finally got going, I enjoyed the adventure. The problem is the story takes way too long to really get going. We spend too much time listening to Anya whine about life. I would have loved to meet the dragon much sooner or even diving more into Ivan’s life much sooner. I am wondering what will happen in the sequel and will probably read that one soon.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Lore Olympus Vol. 3 by Rachel Smythe

Title: Lore Olympus Volume 3

Author: Rachel Smythe

Publisher: Random House Worlds 2022

Genre: Fantasy Comic

Pages: 384

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Winter TBR

All of Olympus—and the Underworld—are talking about the God of the Dead and the sprightly daughter of Demeter. But despite the rumors of their romance, Hades and Persephone have plenty to navigate on their own.

Since coming to Olympus, Persephone has struggled to be the perfect maiden goddess. Her attraction to Hades has only complicated the intense burden of the gods’ expectations. And after Apollo’s assault, Persephone fears she can no longer bury the intense feelings of hurt and love that she’s worked so hard to hide.

As Persephone contemplates her future, Hades struggles with his past, falling back into toxic habits in Minthe’s easy embrace. With all the mounting pressure and expectations—of their family, friends, and enemies—both Hades and Persephone tell themselves to deny their deepest desires, but the pull between them is too tempting, too magnetic. It’s fate.

Another wonderful collection of Smythe’s story of love between Hades and Persephone. It was lovely to revisit the story even though I have read farther in the Webtoons. Smythe’s coloring and illustrations add beautiful atmosphere to the story. I especially love the differences in coloring between all the characters. I cannot wait until the fourth volume publishes.

Next up on the TBR pile:

A Literary Education by Emily Cook

Title: A Literary Education

Author: Emily Cook

Publisher: Build Your Library Publishing 2017

Genre: Nonfiction - Education

Pages: 202

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Winter TBR

Have you researched Charlotte Mason’s philosophy of education but discounted it as old-fashioned and overtly religious? Then this is the book you need to read. In A Literary Education, Emily Cook lays out how she has brought Miss Mason’s ideology into the modern age for secular homeschoolers. In conversational prose she discusses the key tenants used in Charlotte Mason homeschooling and explains how to make them work for your family. You’ll read about: · Living books and how to use them · Reading aloud: the why and the how · Nature study in the 21st century · How to inspire creativity in your children · How to get the most out of the preschool years · How to combine children of multiple ages · And much more! In A Literary Education, Emily shares her 14 year homeschool journey and how she has learned to take Charlotte Mason’s method of home education into the 21st century to give her children a beautiful living books education.

Finally borrowed this from a friend and read it in one sitting. We are eclectic homeschoolers, but a big part of that is Charlotte Mason philosophy. I love the concept of living books, read aloud, and getting out into nature. Unfortunately, the pure Charlotte Mason philosophy is very Christian and we just aren't. I love how Emily Cook distills CM’s philosophy devoid of religion or mid-1800s mindsets and perspectives. Cook details how exactly she implements the philosophy into her everyday homeschool routine. Many of the things she highlights we already do. But I did get a few new ideas and more importantly, ways to view what we are already doing.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt

Title: Remarkably Bright Creatures

Author: Shelby Van Pelt

Publisher: Ecco 2022

Genre: Fiction

Pages: 360

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: UnRead Shelf; 52 Book Club - Book About Secrets

After Tova Sullivan’s husband died, she began working the night shift at the Sowell Bay Aquarium, mopping floors and tidying up. Keeping busy has always helped her cope, which she’s been doing since her eighteen-year-old son, Erik, mysteriously vanished on a boat in Puget Sound over thirty years ago.

Tova becomes acquainted with curmudgeonly Marcellus, a giant Pacific octopus living at the aquarium. Marcellus knows more than anyone can imagine but wouldn’t dream of lifting one of his eight arms for his human captors—until he forms a remarkable friendship with Tova.

Ever the detective, Marcellus deduces what happened the night Tova’s son disappeared. And now Marcellus must use every trick his old invertebrate body can muster to unearth the truth for her before it’s too late.

I resisted reading this book for so long. When someone describes a book as “heartwarming,” I usually run screaming in the other direction. And so, I did not pick up this book last year. Then, a friend picked it for January’s book club selection and I, grumbling, sat down to read it. Surprisingly, I actually enjoyed this one. Mostly, I enjoyed it for the slim interludes chapters narrated by Marcellus. I think I would have loved any entire book narrated by Marcellus. Instead, we have to add a few humans into the mix and a whole host of secrets. The tidy nature of the secrets were a bit too much for me to give this book 5 stars. That and the chapters focused on Cameron really bugged me. I grew to really love Tova and the story of her life. I would have liked more about her and her interactions with the various members of the town. The chapters about Cameron were tough to get through. He was not a great and lovable person and I really struggled wanting to reach through the pages and slap him. A mixed bag. Overall, It was a nice story and I am interested to see everyone’s reaction at book club tonight.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Homeschool W18-19: It's Been a Strange Two Weeks...

What We Studied

We started off the spring semester with a normal week. And then, I had a minor outpatient surgery that knocked me back an entire week. So it was more like a 1 1/4 weeks of actual curriculum. At least we got outside and got to see our friends before I had to stay home. I tried to keep our read alouds going, but really let everything else go.

Literature and Poetry

For the coop book club, we finished reading our current book, Samantha Spinner. We had a fun club discussion with multiple friends. We then started our next selection. I’m really looking forward to that one.

Samantha Spinner and the Super Secret Plans by Russell Ginns
Winterhouse by Ben Guterson

Arthur and I read a survival story over the last two weeks. I didn’t know if he would really get into it, but turns out that he loved it. He even wants to read the two sequels. I told him that we could get them from the library and he could read them during independent reading. He also started learning how to write in cursive. We’re working on it! And Arthur started his study of the world religions.

Nat Geo Book of Nature Poetry
My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George
El Deafo by Cece Bell
One World, Many Religions by Mary Pope Osborne
Poetry for Young People: Emily Dickinson

Quentin focused on reading animal stories from around the world. I’m trying to line them up with our continents as we move across the world. For starting the study of Asia, Q and read a book focused on a Taiwanese-American family celebrating Chinese New Year and going about their year.

Nat Geo Book of Animal Poetry
A World Full of Animal Stories by Angela McAllister
Around the World in 80 Days by Saviour Pirotta
The Year of the Dog by Grace Lin
Pete the Cat's Groovy Bake Sale (Quentin Read)
The Mighty Avengers: These are the Avengers (Quentin Read)

Math

For both boys, we have scheduled math for three days a week. One day is focused on logic, games, puzzles, and special projects. The two other days are focused on covering the main math curriculum (Singapore 4A and 4B for Arthur and Singapore 1A and 1B for Quentin). During one of my off days, I pulled out the winter tangrams for the boys to enjoy. They are always a good distraction.

Logic Liftoff (Arthur)
Singapore 4B
Lollipop Logic Book 2 (Quentin)
Singapore 1A

Social Studies

Arthur continued his large study of United States history using a combination of Build Your Library Level 5 and History Quest United States History. We’ve finished our study of the Revolutionary War. We’ve also continued reading the beginning of Laurie Halse Anderston’s trilogy about slavery in America.

A Kid’s Guide to Native American History by Yvonne Wakim Dennis
An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz
We were There Too by Philip Hoose
Words that Built a Nation
History Quest: U.S. History
A Different Mirror
DK American History Visual Encyclopedia
King George: What was His Problem? How to Start a Revolution
Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson
George Vs. George by Rosalyn Schanzer
Forgotten Founders by Mifflin Lowe

Quentin continued his study of the world with Build Your Library Level 0. We’ve moved into Asia started with the central asian countries of the former Soviet Union.

Nat Geo Beginner’s World Atlas
DK Countries of the World
DK Children Just Like Me
DK Children Just Like Me: A School Like Mine
Follow Me Around China by Wiley Blevins
Living in China by Chloe Perkins
Z is for Zodiac by Elizabeth Rush
The Empty Pot by Demi
Daisy Comes Home by Jan Brett
Lost and Found: Adèle and Simon in China by Barbara McClintock
The Discovery of Fireworks and Gunpowder by Phil Amara and Oliver Chin
Lon Po Po by Ed Young
Liang and the Magic Paintbrush by Demi
Hot Pot Night by Vincent Chen

Arthur Independent Time

We are working on following a checklist in a planner for weekly independent work. There’s usually some math workbook pages, an ELA packet, weekly writing prompts (1-2 times a week), independent reading time, and a special creative project. There has been many drawing projects lately.

Science

Arthur is focusing on Physics this year. We are covering the text and related videos at home and then joining friends for experiments and extra projects. We covered sound waves. Our friends led the boys to some great experiments. We skipped science the second week due to my recovery.

RSO Physics
The Story of Science: Aristotle Leads the Way by Joy Hakim
The Way Things Work Now

Quentin will be focusing on animal science with BYL Level 0.

Nat Geo Wild Animal Atlas
DK Animal
Lonely Planet: The Animal Book
The Tarantula in My Purse by Jean Craighead George

STEAM Coop

We had our first meeting of the year. Arthur started learning how to create stop-motion animation. Quentin learned about marine layers and ocean animals. The second week, we wouldn’t have gone to coop because of my recovery. That was going to be okay with us, but coop was cancelled due to the weather.

Art/Music/Crafts/Cooking/Documentary

We’re planning one doing on art project and one cooking project each week as well as picking a composer or musician to listen to and enjoy. We managed to watch the first episode of How the Earth Changed History. The episode was all about how water has changed the course of civilizations.

Field Trip

We headed to the zoo to focus on ocean animals. We visited the aquarium, sea lions, and stingray beach. It was lovely winter visit.

High

We managed two winter hikes before my surgery. We walked the 3 mile loop at Schramm with some our close friends. We also visited Heron Haven with some other friends. It was lovely to see the nature ares in the height of winter. The iced-over wetlands were very neat to see.

Low

Recovery from surgery has been rough. I could not do much and definitely could not get out of a bed multiple times a day.

Next Week

Starting two new read alouds for literature
Keeping on with our math curriculum
Moving farther east in Asia for SS (Q)
Creating a Constitution for history (A)
Covering magnets for physics
Watching another episode of our documentary series

Next up on the TBR pile:

Music Monday - Yeah Yeah Yeahs "Burning"

Somehow I missed this song completely until I caught it on the radio a week ago. Really love them!

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Me You Love in the Dark by Skottie Young and Jorge Corona

Title: The Me You Love in the Dark

Author: Skottie Young and Jorge Corona

Publisher: Image 2022

Genre: Horror Comic

Pages: 128

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Winter TBR

Writer SKOTTIE YOUNG (I HATE FAIRYLAND, DEADPOOL, STRANGE ACADEMY) and artist JORGE CORONA (NO. 1 WITH A BULLET, SUPER SONS, FEATHERS) follow up their critically acclaimed series MIDDLEWEST with a brand new haunting tale. An artist named Ro retreats from the grind of the city to an old house in a small town to find solace and inspiration without realizing the muse she finds within is not what she expected. Fans of STEPHEN KING and NEIL GAIMAN will enjoy this beautiful, dark and disturbing story of discovery, love and terror.

Collects THE ME YOU LOVE IN THE DARK #1-5

I picked this one up off of a list of great horror comics and it sure did deliver. We get a very spooky slow-build story of an artist trying to find her muse in a creepy house. Of course, things are going to go badly, but not before they seem to go very well. I adored how the monster is revealed in little slivers throughout most of of the story. We don’t get to see the true horror until we’ve completely immersed ourselves in the setting. The art was done beautifully. I sped through this one and then went back and reread it immediately to really slow down and appreciate the construction of this story.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Life Right Now #2

Right now I am: Deciding what to make for brunch. J picked up some cinnamon rolls, but I’m debating on bacon or sausage to go with them and eggs.

Thinking and pondering: How longer until I’m healed? I know the surgeon said two weeks, but I’m hoping to be able to get out and about before that. So far, I’m one week out and feeling decent. But the pain really comes and goes throughout the day.

On my bedside table: Anya and the Dragon by Sofiya Pasternack; The Dollhouse Family; At Grave’s End by Jeaniene Frost

On my tv this week: Not too much tv this week. I’ve been going to bed early because of all the healing. We did manage to watch a few episodes of Mythic Quest, Avenue 5, and Leverage: Redemption. We also watched a couple of classic murder mystery movies (Evil Under the Sun and Deathtrap). We’ve been on a weird murder mystery kick after watching a video reviewing 10 classic movies. We hadn’t seen most of them, so off we went on a movie plan.

Listening to: Just the usual podcasts. I haven’t even really listened to music at all this week. Very strange! But I also haven’t driven anywhere, so I guess that makes sense.

On the menu for this week: It’s a soup heavy week!

Monday - Cawl Cennin
Tuesday - Out for Book Club (hopefully)
Wednesday - Chicken Ranch Tacos and Black Bean Soup
Thursday - Baked Potato Soup
Friday - Apple Bacon Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
Saturday - Cajun Chicken and Sausage Alfredo
Sunday - Leftovers

On my to do list: It’s a mile long, but I still can only really do things that have me sitting in one spot. I have taken some time to work on the Bookish Retreat in June and the coop calendar. I’ll probably keep at that for awhile until I can move around better.

Happening this week:

Monday - Home
Tuesday - Dentist cleaning; Book Club (hopefully)
Wednesday - Science at our house
Thursday - Coop
Friday - Nature Walk at OPPD Arboretum
Saturday - Book Club (other one)
Sunday - Home Day

What I am creating: Nothing really. I do want to work on my 2022 December Daily album, but it’s hard to sit straight up in my chair. Maybe next week.

My simple pleasures: Sleeping through the night, easing off the high powered pain meds, fresh backed cookies (ovens that actually work are amazing!)

Looking around the house: For me being down all week, it’s not in terrible shape. There are lots of random piles that need to be put away, and I should vacuum soon, but it looks decent.

From the camera: I did not take a single picture this week…