March 2019 Wrap-up

March TBR Pile (27/37):

1. Book of the Month Club: Early Riser by Jasper Fforde

2. Girly Book Club: A River in Darkness by Masaji Ishikawa ✓

3. Friend Book Club: A Place for Us by Fatima Farheen Mirza ✓

4. UnRead Shelf Pick: The Mermaid and Mrs. Hancock by Imogen Hermes Gowar

5. Random TBR Pick: Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman (iPad) ✓

6. Series Pick: A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness ✓

7. Series Pick: Cloaked in Malice by Annette Blair

8. Series Pick: The Battersea Barricades by Jodi Taylor (iPad) ✓

9. Series Pick: The Steam Pump Jump by Jodi Taylor (iPad) ✓

10. Monthly Keyword (Emerald): Newt’s Emerald by Garth Nix ✓

11. Monthly Motif (Royalty, Government, Empires): TBD

12. Comic: Alex + Ada Vol. 1 ✓

13. Comic: Alex + Ada Vol. 2 ✓

14. Comic: Alex + Ada Vol. 3 ✓

15. Comic: Umbrella Academy Vol. 1

16. Comic: Lumberjanes Vol. 2 ✓

17. Comic: Paper Girls Vol. 5 ✓

18. Romance: P.S. I Still Love You by Jenny Han ✓

19. Romance: A Counterfeit Betrothal / The Notorious Rake by Mary Balogh ✓

20. Horror: The Cabin at the End of the World by Paul Tremblay ✓

21. Science Fiction: The Stone Sky by N.K. Jemisin

22. Nonfiction: The Library Book by Susan Orlean

23. Nonfiction: Smoke Gets in Your Eyes by Caitlin Doughty ✓

24. Young Adult: Paper Towns by John Green ✓

25. Young Adult: Five Feet Apart by Rachael Lippincott

26. HP Year-Long ReRead: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

27. Added: And Then You Die of Dysentery by Lauren Reeves ✓

28. Added: Road to Riverdale Vol. 1 ✓

29. Added: Road to Riverdale Vol. 2 ✓

30. Added: Road to Riverdale Vol. 3 ✓

31. Added: The Beauty Vol. 1 ✓

32. Added: The Beauty Vol. 2 ✓

33. Added: The Beauty Vol. 3 ✓

34. Added: The Beauty Vol. 4 ✓

35. Added: Bellman and Black by Diane Setterfield ✓

36. Added: Growing Season by Melanie Legaschulte ✓

37. Added: Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly ✓

1,000,000 Page Goal:

Monthly Total: 6105 pages
Pages Remaining: 620,947 pages

Current Read - Cloaked in Malice by Annette Blair; The Library Book by Susan Orlean

Books I Gave Up On (0) 

Books bought/received (5) - It was my birthday month and I took myself to Half Price Books for some goodies. I only paid $15, so good bargain shopping!

• Tales of Mystery and the Macabre by Elizabeth Gaskell

• The Prince of Mist by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

• The Invisible Library by Genevieve Cogman

• The Girl Who Knew Too Much by Amanda Quick

• The Fortune Hunter by Daisy Goodwin

Aprils TBR Pile:

1. Book of the Month Club: An Absolutely Remarkable Thing by Hank Green

2. Girly Book Club: Fight or Flight by Samantha Young

3. Friend Book Club: TBD

4. UnRead Shelf Pick: Ghostland by Colin Dickey

5. Random TBR Pick: Hunting Prince Dracula by Kerri Maniscalco (not pictured)

6. Series Pick: And Now for Something Different by Jodi Taylor (iPad)

7. Monthly Keyword (All): Turtles All the Way Down by John Green (not pictured)

8. Monthly Motif (Mystery): Cloaked in Malice by Annette Blair

9. Comic: Lady Mechanika Vol. 3

10. Comic: Umbrella Academy Vol. 1 (not pictured)

11. Ebook: The Magnolia Inn by Carolyn Brown (iPad)

12. Ebook: Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi (iPad)

13. Historical Fiction: The Glass Ocean by Beatriz Williams

14. Short Stories: How Long ‘Til Black Future Month by N.K. Jemisin (not pictured)

15. Nonfiction: The Library Book by Susan Orlean

16. Nonfiction: Atlas of the Unexpected by Travis Elborough

17. Nonfiction: Meg, Jo, Beth, Amy by Anne Boyd Rioux

18. Young Adult: Five Feet Apart by Rachael Lippincott

19. Contemporary Fiction: The Dreamers by Karen Thompson Walker (not pictured)

20. Mystery: Tulle Death Do Us Part by Annette Blair

21. HP Year-Long ReRead: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

22. HP Year-Long ReRead: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Movies watched

• Isn’t It Romantic — Pretty good, although I wish they would have leaned in a bit more.

• The Beatles: Eight Days a Night — Interesting documentary. Love all the concert footage I’ve never seen.

• Aquaman — Much better than I thought it would be…

• Quartermass and the Pit — More horror and science fiction this time. Loved it!

• Iron Man - We started rewatching all of the Marvel movies.

• Iron Man 2 - I haven’t watched this one in years. Not as bad as I thought, but not amazing…

• Thor - Oh goodness! This movie needed way more Loki…

• Captain America - Good, but I think Winter Soldier is far superior.

TV Shows watched - Just the usual. Nothing too exciting.

Comments - Another amazing reading month! I really think I should up my GoodReads goal to 215 (up from the current 175). I knocked off a few from my TBR pile and a ton of library books. Hoping to read more from my own shelves in the next two months, but I need to reinstitute my library ban…

Next up on the TBR pile:

Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly

Title: Lilac Girls

Author: Martha Hall Kelly

Publisher: Ballantine Books 2017

Genre: Historical Fiction

Pages: 487

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Ebooks; Popsugar - Plant in Title; Women Authors

New York socialite Caroline Ferriday has her hands full with her post at the French consulate and a new love on the horizon. But Caroline’s world is forever changed when Hitler’s army invades Poland in September 1939—and then sets its sights on France.

An ocean away from Caroline, Kasia Kuzmerick, a Polish teenager, senses her carefree youth disappearing as she is drawn deeper into her role as courier for the underground resistance movement. In a tense atmosphere of watchful eyes and suspecting neighbors, one false move can have dire consequences.

For the ambitious young German doctor, Herta Oberheuser, an ad for a government medical position seems her ticket out of a desolate life. Once hired, though, she finds herself trapped in a male-dominated realm of Nazi secrets and power.

The lives of these three women are set on a collision course when the unthinkable happens and Kasia is sent to Ravensbrück, the notorious Nazi concentration camp for women. Their stories cross continents—from New York to Paris, Germany, and Poland—as Caroline and Kasia strive to bring justice to those whom history has forgotten.

This one was such a disappointment to me. It’s gotten great reviews and my book club picked it for April. My strongest reaction to this book was “meh.” The writing was clunky in certain parts. The story definitely needed to be edited down in sections. But my biggest complaints center on the characters. I just didn’t care about them. There was no emotional connection for me. Were we supposed to feel something for Herta? Or even Kasia when she was struggling with her anger? And Caroline was so flat at times, I just couldn’t. I didn’t really get the message we were supposed to ascertain. I know WWII was horrendous and terrible things were done to people, but beyond that, what?

In finishing the book, I read the afterward from the author. Caroline and Herta were real people. She researched them, Ravensbruck, and the horrors of WWII to create this fictionalized account what happened during and after the war. Okay, so they were real people? I would have rather read biographies of them than this imagining of what went on. And apparently Caroline’s romance with Paul was completely made up. I knew I didn’t like that storyline for a reason. It was so unbelievable and flat to me. Turns out it wasn’t real. That makes me feel better. Overall, I was really disappointed in this book.

Next up on the TBR pile:

A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness

Title: A Discovery of Witches

Author: Deborah Harkness

Publisher: Viking 2011

Genre: Fiction

Pages: 579

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges:  Women Authors; Finishing the Series; Dancing with Fantasy and Sci-Fi - Witches

Deborah Harkness’s sparkling debut, A Discovery of Witches, has brought her into the spotlight and galvanized fans around the world. In this tale of passion and obsession, Diana Bishop, a young scholar and a descendant of witches, discovers a long-lost and enchanted alchemical manuscript, Ashmole 782, deep in Oxford's Bodleian Library. Its reappearance summons a fantastical underworld, which she navigates with her leading man, vampire geneticist Matthew Clairmont.

All Souls Trilogy:

• #1 A Discovery of Witches

• #2 Shadow of Night

• #3 The Book of Life

I enjoyed every page of this book! This reminds me of The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield. Apparently, I really enjoy books that revolve around libraries, literature, and/or academic investigations. And of course, I fell for this book as soon as it was set at Oxford in the Bodlein Library. I was hooked! And then we get a good main heroine, although I must say she wasn’t my favorite from page one. But over the course of the book, I really come to like her and want to see the progress of her story. My favorite character is Matthew. This is a vampire done right. We get the allure and the charm and also the threat and the unworldly persona. I completely fell for Matthew within the first 10 pages of meeting him. As the novel progresses, we get to meet lots of other interesting characters (very intrigued by Satu and Marthe) and go on an epic adventure. I was predicting a horrid cliffhanger at the end of this book and it happened. But that’s okay, I waited to read this series after all the parts had been published. I can’t fit in the next book in April probably, but it’s on my list for May!

Next up on the TBR pile:

Odds and Ends

Here's my randomness for the week:

• Warm, but windy outside. I’ll take it over the below zero temps.

• We need some kind of outdoor toys for this summer… Maybe a small inflatable pool?

• I really need to restart my library ban (and stick to it!). Too many books checked out and I’m not reading my own shelves.

• Excited to find a good playground close by our house.

• Thinking about trying a new scone recipe, but don’t really want to go to the store for ingredients.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Growing Season by Melanie Lageschulte

Title: Growing Season (Season #1)

Author: Melanie Lageschulte

Publisher: Fremont Creek Press 2017

Genre: Fiction

Pages: 256

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges:  Ebook; Women Authors; Literary Escapes - Iowa

Melinda is already at a crossroads when the “for rent” sign beckons her down a dusty gravel lane. Facing forty and downsized from her successful career at a Twin Cities ad agency, she's struggling to move forward when a phone call brings her home to rural Iowa. 

It’s not long before she’s caring for a barn full of animals and working at her family’s hardware store in the community of Prosper, whose motto is “The Great Little Town That Didn’t.” And just like the vast garden she tends under the summer sun, Melinda soon begins to thrive. But when tragedy strikes, can she hold on to the new life she's worked so hard to create?

Filled with memorable characters, from a big-hearted farm dog to the weather-obsessed owner of the local co-op, “Growing Season” celebrates the challenges and joys of rural life.

I picked this one up from Amazon’s Prime Reads. Wasn’t quite sure what I was expected, but I was pleasantly surprised how much I enjoyed this little story of a woman finding her way on a farm in Iowa. I really enjoyed Melinda and her interactions with all the fun side characters. It’s a sweet little story without a definite end clearly setting everything up for the rest of the series. My only negative was when the author really pushed the idea that country living is superior to city living. It was a little heavy-handed in parts. I could have done without all the times she brought it up. At any rate, I think I’ll probably pick up the next book.

Season

• #1 Growing Season

• #2 Harvest Season

• #2.5 A Tin Train Christmas

• #3 The Peaceful Season

• #4 Waiting Season

• #5 Songbird Season

Next up on the TBR pile:

Currently #5

Reading: A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness. So so good! I can’t wait to finish and get the next book.

Watching: J and I decided to rewatch all of the Marvel movies in anticipation of Endgame being released soon.

Listening: I started S2 of Slow Burn podcast the other day at the gym. This season focuses on the investigation and impeachment of Bill Clinton. I’ve realized that I know very little of the details in that case.

Making: Diving back into Project Life albums. I started Quentin’s 2018 alum and hope to start the 2019 Family album this week.

Feeling: Traveling with two small kids stresses me out a bit. Thankfully we’re back home and I feel calmer.

Planning:  I can’t wait for the Stampin’ Up! convention in mid-April. I’m busy planning what I’m going to take (craft kit!) and what I want to do with my limited time in Minneapolis.

Loving: We’re continuing our weekly grilled cheese recipe and I really really love this project! We’ve tried some good recipes and I’ve got some good thinking ones on tap for next month.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Music Monday - Hozier "Dinner & Diatribes"

Really love his voice. This new song is really good.

Life Right Now #8

On my bedside table: A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness; Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly

On my TV: Nothing actually… I didn’t really watch anything while in Indiana. Although J and I have decided to rewatch all of the Marvel movies in anticipation of Endgame.

Listening to: I enjoyed a few episodes of Presidential, This Podcast Will Kill You, The Apocalist Book Club, and Pod Save America while driving back from Indiana.

On the menu:

• Monday - Balsamic Pork Roast, Mashed Potatoes, Peas

• Tuesday - Blueberry Blackberry Grilled Cheese

• Wednesday - Chicken Parmesan

• Thursday - Leftovers

• Friday - Broccoli Beef

• Saturday - Baked Potato Soup

• Sunday - Chili

On my to do list: Back to the weekly grind. I have my usual cleaning schedule to resume. Plus, I need to make a few appointments and start checking off things on my Spring Bucket List.

Happening this week: We’ve got the usual Romp n Roll classes, library visit, and errands. Plus I have book club on Tuesday night (yeah!), a playdate at the Children’s Museum, and a theater performance of Winnie the Pooh. Exciting week!

What I am creating: I want to work on our Project Life albums. The boys are way beyond and the family album is up to January 2019. I need to organize and get my game plan in order.

My simple pleasures: A comfy bed, a bit of quiet time to collect my thoughts and read, fruit infused water.

What I’m planning: Working on my game plan for April’s Stampin’ Up! convention. I am thinking about taking a little craft kit to play with. I need to coordinate with my friend.

Looking around the house: We haven’t been here for a week so things are not dirty, but not particularly spotless. I want to tackle my usual chores and also do a craft supply cleanout.

Looking forward to: Book club! I didn’t like the book (not really at all), but I’m excited for the discussion and a good pint of beer.

From the camera: Friday night snack dinner! I wasn’t in the mood to cook at all. Thank goodness I could put together a fun snack dinner.

P.S. I Still Love You by Jenny Han

Title: P.S. I Still Love You (TATBILB #2)

Author: Jenny Han

Publisher: Simon and Schuster 2014

Genre: Young Adult Contemporary

Pages: 337

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: I Love Libraries; Popsugar - “Love”; Alphabet Soup - H

Given the way love turned her heart in the New York Times bestselling To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before, which School Library Journal called a “lovely, lighthearted romance,” it’s no surprise that Laura Jean still has letters to write.

Lara Jean didn’t expect to really fall for Peter.

She and Peter were just pretending. Except suddenly they weren’t. Now Lara Jean is more confused than ever.

When another boy from her past returns to her life, Lara Jean’s feelings for him return too. Can a girl be in love with two boys at once?

This second book wasn’t as much of a slam dunk as the first one was, but I still really enjoyed. I loved continuing the story of Lara Jean and Peter. I did get a little annoyed at both of them in various parts of the story, but they pulled their heads out of their asses by the end of it. I wonder what the third book is going to be about? Whatever it is, I’ll read it!

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Steam Pump Jump by Jodi Taylor

Title:  The Steam Pump Jump (The Chronicles of St. Mary’s #9.6) 

Author: Jodi Taylor

Publisher: Accent Press 2018

Genre: Science Fiction

Pages: 65

Stars: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Finishing the Series

Not one to let being banged up in Sick Bay stop her, Max has had a brilliant idea. But she needs Markham to execute it on her behalf. The subject of this cunning plan is Peterson, struggling with another bereavement and not doing very well. What’s needed to get him through it is sympathy, sensitivity, tact and understanding.

Step forward Mr Markham, for whom sympathy, sensitivity, etc., are things that happen to other people.

Combine a fanatic from R&D, a head of Security with his own problems, a steam-pump, two historians who can’t even be in the same room as each other, some fractious Protestants and a large body of very dirty water.

Told in Markham’s own words, this is the story of an intervention – St Mary’s style.

This little story was lots of fun, but I’ve decided that the Markham narrated stories are not better than the Max narrated stories. I just really like her voice more. But, we get a fun story involving the potential relationship between Lingoss and Peterson and another fun historical event. I’ll take it!

The Chronicles of St. Mary’s:

• #0.5 The Very First Damned Thing

• #1 Just One Damned Thing After Another

• #2 A Symphony of Echoes

• #2.5 When A Child is Born

• #3 A Second Chance

• #3.5 Roman Holiday

• #4 A Trail Through Time

• #4.5 Christmas Present

• #5 No Time Like the Past

• #6 What Could Possibly Go Wrong

• #6.5 Ships and Stings and Wedding Rings

• #7 Lies, Damned Lies, and History

• #7.5 The Great St. Mary’s Day Out

• #7.6 My Name is Markham

• #8 And the Rest is History

• #8.5 A Perfect Storm

• #8.6 Christmas Past

• #9 An Argumentation of Historians

• #9.5 Battersea Barricades

• #9.6 The Steam-Pump Jump

• #9.7 And Now For Something Completely Different

• #10 Hope is for the Best

Next up on the TBR pile:

Spring Bucket List

A new season has begun! We’re currently in Indiana visiting family, but will be home this weekend. This season’s bucket list was harder to put together than I thought!

1. Read 50 books - I blew away my Winter goal of 45 books, so hoping to keep up the momentum!

2. Eat at 3 new-to-me restaurants - Five seemed to be too many last season, so I adjusted it down to three.

3. Attend two theater performances - The Rose has Winnie the Pooh and Dragons Love Tacos coming up! Can’t wait to see them.

4. Make fun cupcakes - I want to try some new-to-me recipe for these.

5. Create an Easter Egg Hunt - I need to put this on my calendar to collect small items and brainstorm some ideas.

6. Make a planter for the front porch - I want to do something to spruce up our front porch. It’s so boring right now…

7. Find two good parks - One of these days, the kids will be able to play outside. We need to scout out some fun parks!

8. Host a cookout - Speaking of outside, we need to get the grill set-up and make something scrummy!

9. Have fun at OnStage! - I’m meeting a friend for a weekend in Minneapolis at the Stampin’ Up! convention. I can’t wait!

10. Tie Dye Shirts with the boys - We have shirts and some dye, just need to get it all out and play!

11. Check out three new museum/zoos - I know we want to go to the Durham Museum, but maybe also the Union Pacific Museum or the Lincoln Zoo.

12. Check out The Makery - They offer an array of fun craft events. I want to try one out.

13. Create a spring Spotify playlist - I need something fun to listen to in the house or when doing chores.

14. Buy a sprinkler for the yard - it will be hot before we know it!

15. Smoothie month - I would love to move away from coffee every morning and make more smoothies. I might do this as a monthly project in April or May.

16. Mini golf family night - I would love to start this family activity tradition.

17. Make a rain gauge - One of those random crafts I’m thinking of doing.

18. Buy and fly a kite - Living in the plains should give us perfect weather for flying kites!

19. Go berry picking - I know of a few farms around here that do it, just need to research the when.

20. Sign Arthur up for summer camps - He wants to do an animal themed camp, but I need to find a couple and decide.

21. Find a Farmer’s Market - There’s gotta be some around.

22. Make a trip to Peacetree for root beer and beer - Maybe make a little weekend trip out of it?

23. Go on a hike- Maybe a state park? Or along the river? (after all the flooding subsides of course)

24. Visit Old Market - The boys and I haven’t gone yet as it’s too darn cold!

25. Redo my hair - I’m thinking about doing all-over color, or potentially an ombre look.

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Battersea Barricades by Jodi Taylor

Title:  The Battersea Barricades (The Chronicles of St. Mary’s #9.5) 

Author: Jodi Taylor

Publisher: Accent Press 2018

Genre: Science Fiction

Pages: 69

Stars: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Finishing the Series

It's not easy being a rebel. So many new skills to assimilate. Never mind strategic planning, weapons expertise and the like - there's bicycle-stealing, oil-stain removal and boat steering to be mastered first. And quickly.

It's the time of the Civil Uprisings and two young women set out to make a difference. Their only problem? They don't know where they are. Or where they're going. Or what to do when they get there. Other than that ...

This was a bit of a departure for a Chronicles of St. Mary’s short story. Instead of actual time travel, we get the telling of the story of the Battersea Barricades involving Enderby, Shaw, and Mack. Over nine books into the series and I’ve always wondered what happened during the Civil Uprisings. I loved being able to learn the story of the three ladies of St. Mary’s. A quick read, but very enjoyable.

The Chronicles of St. Mary’s:

• #0.5 The Very First Damned Thing

• #1 Just One Damned Thing After Another

• #2 A Symphony of Echoes

• #2.5 When A Child is Born

• #3 A Second Chance

• #3.5 Roman Holiday

• #4 A Trail Through Time

• #4.5 Christmas Present

• #5 No Time Like the Past

• #6 What Could Possibly Go Wrong

• #6.5 Ships and Stings and Wedding Rings

• #7 Lies, Damned Lies, and History

• #7.5 The Great St. Mary’s Day Out

• #7.6 My Name is Markham

• #8 And the Rest is History

• #8.5 A Perfect Storm

• #8.6 Christmas Past

• #9 An Argumentation of Historians

• #9.5 Battersea Barricades

• #9.6 The Steam-Pump Jump

• #9.7 And Now For Something Completely Different

• #10 Hope is for the Best

Next up on the TBR pile:

Rainy Time Videos

Love Bill Hader!

Here for this one

Yep!

The original…

And the sequel!

Spot on as usual…

I actually want to see this one.

Loving this list!

This one looks like so much fun.

Goodness… that was intense.

A Counterfeit Betrothal / The Notorious Rake by Mary Balogh

Title: A Counterfeit Betrothal (Waite #2)/ The Notorious Rake (Waite #3)

Author: Mary Balogh

Publisher: 1992

Genre: Romance

Pages: 560

Rating: 2/5 stars

Reading Challenges: UnRead Shelf; Women Authors; Alphabet Soup - B

A COUNTERFEIT BETROTHAL
 
Lady Sophia Bryant has no intention of marrying anytime soon. Her one desire is to reunite her parents, who have been estranged for fourteen years. Surely, if she happens to announce her betrothal—even a false one—they will be forced to see each other. Devilishly handsome Lord Francis Sutton seems perfect for such deceit, always agreeable to games of passion in which he has nothing to lose. The trap is set—if only Lady Sophia can keep her foolish heart from falling prey to her brilliant snares.
 
THE NOTORIOUS RAKE
 
Lord Edmund Waite is everything that Lady Mary Gregg despises: lewd, lascivious, mocking—the most incorrigible and successful rogue around. A bluestocking like her would never tempt a man whose taste runs to pretty playthings—so Mary is startled to find herself the object of Lord Edmund’s desires. Even more surprising is her reaction to his shocking advances. She may be a lady, but this man knows so well how to make her feel like a woman.

Wow! I did not enjoy either one of these stories. All of the relationships were way too problematic for me. I despised how the characters spoke to each other. The romances were not all that believable or interesting. Definitely not a good choice. This volume is obviously going into the to-sell pile.

Waite:

• #1 The Trysting Place

• #2 A Counterfeit Betrothal

• #3 The Notorious Rake

Next up on the TBR pile:

Winter Bucket List Finish Line

Christmas is over! Time to jump into the bleak season of winter here in the Midwest. This list was a bit of a struggle to create due to the weather constraints, but I think I’ve come up with some goodies.

That’s it! According to calendar, it is spring. Time to retire this bucket list and begin a new one. I didn’t quite get to as many of these as I had hoped, but whatever. We tried.

Progress: 10/25

1. Read 45 books ✓

2. Eat at 5 new-to-me restaurants (3/5) — We ended up trying three new restaurants (two Chinese and one Indiana), but we also went to Le Peep and Wheatfields for brunches. So yummy!

3. Go sledding

4. Attend a hockey game

5. Attend two theater performances (in progress 1/2) - We ended up skipping the current show at the Rose Theater as it’s more suited to an older audience.

6. Bake some bread ✓

7. Make winter crafts ✓

8. Create a table centerpiece ✓

9. Get our fireplace working

10. Movie Month January ✓

11. Weekly Game Day/Night with Arthur ✓

12. Make Valentine’s ✓

13. Try 3 new hot chocolate recipes/mixes

14. Visit two new-to-the-boys museums ✓ - On the way to Indiana, we stopped and played at Legoland Discovery Center in Chicago. I am going to count it.

15. Have an indoor picnic

16. Swim at the gym 5 times (in progress 1/5)

17. Host a tea party!

18. Make a snow globe

19. Make a seasonal door hanger/wreath

20. Complete a jigsaw puzzle ✓

21. Find a great coffee shop for me!

22. Spend an afternoon at a local bookstore

23. Buy some new cozy pajamas

24. Explore an area of Omaha

25. Travel to Indiana for Nick and Alex’s 16th Birthday! ✓ — We’re here!

Next up on the TBR pile:

Newt's Emerald by Garth Nix

Title: Newt’s Emerald

Author: Garth Nix

Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books 2015

Genre: YA Fantasy

Pages: 304

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Perpetual - 365 Days of YA; Monthly Keyword - Emerald; Alphabet Soup - N

After Lady Truthful's magical Newington Emerald is stolen from her she devises a simple plan: go to London to recover the missing jewel. She quickly learns, however, that a woman cannot wander the city streets alone without damaging her reputation, and she disguises herself as a mustache-wearing man. During Truthful's dangerous journey she discovers a crook, an unsuspecting ally, and an evil sorceress—but will she find the Emerald?

I picked this one for the March Key Word, Emerald, but it was one of those books that I did want to read before. And I delighted in this book so much. I love the world building and the similarities to our world. The little touches of magic here and there were delightful. And then we get to the great characters. Truthful is a fun main protagonist. And the Major is not what he seems of course. This was a delightful adventure story full of Regency era fashions and social interactions. Such fun.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Spring TBR

Let's see how I did with my Winter TBR (5/10): Only 50% completion, but I did knock off some books that have been on my TBR for awhile now. And I hope to get to the others soon for my UnRead Shelf Project…

1. An Absolutely Remarkable Thing by Hank Green

2. In the Hurricane’s Eye by Nathaniel Philbrick

3. The Clockmaker’s Daughter by Kate Morton ✓

4. The Mermaid and Mrs. Hancock by Imogen Hermes Gowar

5. To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han ✓

6. Zorro by Isabel Allende ✓

7. Chronicles of St. Mary’s series by Jodi Taylor ✓

8. Ghostland by Colin Dickey

9. One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

10. Eruption by Steve Olson ✓

Spring TBR:

1. Across the Universe by Beth Revis (own) — One of those library sale steals that has been languishing on my stacks even though I really wanted to read it when I bought it.

2. Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi (own) — I was gifted this a few months back and really want to dive in.

3. Booknotes by Brian Lamb (own) — Love my random U.S. History based books. Need to read this one from my bookshelves.

4. Dark Matter by Blake Crouch — A buzzy book I really need to read.

5. A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness — I want to watch the television series, but need to read the books first…

6. Horrorstor by Grady Hendrix — I need to inject more horror into my reading life. I usually really enjoy it.

7. The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs by Stephen Brusatte — A new nonfiction book I really want to read.

8. The Invisible Library by Genevieve Cogman — I’ve heard so many great things about this one. Need to read.

9. Hunting Prince Dracula by Kerry Maniscalco — I started this series and I really enjoyed the first book. I should pick up the second book.

10. Another romance series (own) — I have so many sitting on my shelves. Just need to pick one to start.

Next up on the TBR pile:

A River in Darkness by Masaji Ishikawa

Title: A River in Darkness: One Man’s Escape From North Korea

Author: Masaji Ishikawa

Publisher: Amazon Crossing 2018

Genre: Memoir

Pages: 172

Rating: 2/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Monthly Motif - Governments; Modern Mrs. Darcy - Outside of My Genre Comfort Zone; Alphabet Soup - I

Half-Korean, half-Japanese, Masaji Ishikawa has spent his whole life feeling like a man without a country. This feeling only deepened when his family moved from Japan to North Korea when Ishikawa was just thirteen years old, and unwittingly became members of the lowest social caste. His father, himself a Korean national, was lured to the new Communist country by promises of abundant work, education for his children, and a higher station in society. But the reality of their new life was far from utopian.

In this memoir translated from the original Japanese, Ishikawa candidly recounts his tumultuous upbringing and the brutal thirty-six years he spent living under a crushing totalitarian regime, as well as the challenges he faced repatriating to Japan after barely escaping North Korea with his life. A River in Darkness is not only a shocking portrait of life inside the country but a testament to the dignity—and indomitable nature—of the human spirit.

Very disappointed in this book. It was our Girly Book Club selection for March. I wasn’t expecting a fun and light read, but was really not in the mood for a super dark and depressing memoir. I struggled to find much light in the book. And most of the information about conditions in North Korea I have read about through news investigations. I felt very sorry for what the author went through to strived and ultimately get out of the situation, but I didn’t couldn’t connect to any in the book. And the writing style really bugged me. I understand that this one has been translated, but I just couldn’t move beyond the simplistic writing. I compare a book like this to Elie Wiesel’s work and really found it lacking. Definitely not for me.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Music Monday - Jonas Brothers "Sucker"

I’m not ashamed to say that I actually like this song…

Life Right Now #7

On my bedside table: P.S. I Still Love You by Jenny Han; Chronicles of St. Mary’s short stories

On my TV: Keeping up with The Magicians, Last Week Tonight, and Patriot Act. I finished out this season of The Bachelor.

Listening to: Working through This Podcast Will Kill You and Presidential podcasts.

On the menu: We’re in Indiana so dinner is a bit up in the air this week. I need to meal plan for when we get back to Nebraska.

On my to do list: We’re mainly focused on celebrating the twins’s birthday and spring break this week, so my to-do list is on pause right now. I do want to spend some time doing a brain dump to get things organized.

Happening this week: The twins’s 16th birthday!!! We also have plans to meet up with some friends and I’m going to dinner (sans kiddos) with other friends.

What I am creating: Working on my Memory Planner and planner spreads while here. Somehow I completely forgot all of the pens that I use in those. Argh! I went to Target yesterday and they didn’t have any black ones, just colors. I bought other pens that I hope work, but I need to try them on some scrap paper.

My simple pleasures: Loving iced tea and podcasts on the drive from Nebraska.

What I’m planning: Now that we’re here in Indiana, my next big trip/project is Stampin’ Up!’s OnStage event in April.

Looking around the house: I’m not there…

Looking forward to: Dinner with friends this week and meeting my new niece!

From the camera: We stopped at Legoland Discovery Center outside Chicago on the way to Indiana.