March 2024 Wrap-up

March TBR Pile (25/31):

Bookworms BC: NONE
Friend BC: The Murmur of Bees by Sofia Segovia ✓
Nerdy Bookish Friends BC: The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova
Kid Read Aloud: The Witches by Roald Dahl ✓
Kid Read Aloud: The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo ✓
Kid Read Aloud: Sideways Stories from Wayside School by Louis Sachar ✓
Kid Read Aloud: Sweep by Jonathan Auxier ✓
Kid Read Aloud: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl ✓
Kid Read Aloud: Amari and the Night Brothers by BB Alston
Kid Read Aloud: Men at Arms by Terry Prachett
Kid Book Club: The Boy at the Back of the Class by Onjali Q. Raúf ✓
Fantasy: Crimson Bound by Rosamund Hodge ✓
Fantasy: Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands by Heather Fawcett ✓
Science Fiction: The Rise and Fall of DODO by Neal Stephenson and Nicole Galland ✓
Science Fiction: Beautyland by Marie-Helene Bertino ✓
Historical Fiction: Two Wars and a Wedding by Lauren Willig ✓
Romance: Ruthless by Anne Stuart ✓
Romance: Reckless by Anne Stuart ✓
Romance: The Worst Best Man by Lucy Score ✓
Romance: So Not Meant to Be by Meghan Quinn ✓
Romance: Bride by Ali Hazelwood ✓
Horror: The Invocations by Krystal Sutherland
Horror: What Stalks Among Us by Sarah Hollowell ✓
Horror: The Screaming Staircase by Jonathan Stroud ✓
Horror: Dark Waters by Katherine Arden ✓
Nonfiction: The Brave Learner by Julie Bogart - in progress, slow and steady read
Nonfiction: Toil & Trouble by Lisa Kröger and Melanie R. Anderson ✓
Comics: Love Everlasting Vol. 1 ✓
Comics: Love Everlasting Vol. 2 ✓
Comics: The One Hundred Nights of Hero by Isabel Greenberg ✓
Comics: A Guest in the House by Emily Carroll ✓

1,000,000 Page Goal:

Monthly Total: 8558 pages
Pages Remaining: 249,312 pages

Current Read - The Spirit Bares Its Teeth by Andrew Joseph White; The Housemaid by Freida McFadden

Books I Gave Up On (0)

Books Bought/Received (10):

It’s my birthday month, so of course I got a free book from BOTM. Plus I grabbed one of the nominees for the best book of the year that I hadn’t already read.

A Fate Inked in Blood by Danielle L. Jensen
Murder Road by Simone St. James
Shark Heart by Emily Habeck

During my birthday day out, I went to two local bookstores and grabbed a few titles. From The Bookworm, I picked up:

Raising Critical Thinkers by Julie Bogart
Lone Women by Victor Lavalle
Book Scavenger by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman
The Phoenix Crown by Kate Quinn and Janie Chang

At Jackson Street Booksellers, I discovered:

DK The Ecology Book
Isaac’s Storm by Erik Larson
The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead
The Invention of Nature by Andrea Wulf

UnRead Shelf Progress

Starting Number: 325
Books Read: 3
Books Acquired: 10
Books Unshelved: 2
Finishing Number: 330

April TBR Pile:

Bookworms BC: The Housemaid by Freida McFadden
Friend BC: Everyone Brave is Forgiven by Chris Cleave
Nerdy Bookish Friends BC: NONE
Kid Read Aloud: Amari and the Night Brothers by BB Alston
Kid Read Aloud: Men at Arms by Terry Prachett
Kid Book Club: Nim’s Island by Wendy Orr
Fantasy: A Tale Dark and Grim by Adam Gidwitz
Horror: The Spirit Bares Its Teeth by Andrew Joseph White
Horror: Empty Smiles by Katherine Arden
Comics: Lore Olympus Vol. 4
Comics: Die Vol. 1
Comics: Die Vol. 2
Comics: Die Vol. 3
Comics: Die Vol. 4

Movies Watched

Argyle
Lisa Frankenstein
Road House

TV Shows Watched

Bachelor
Below Deck
Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist S2
Monarch
Dick Turpin
Shōgun
SAS: Rogue Heroes

Comments - Another big month for reading! I didn’t read that many off my shelves this month, but still read a ton.

Next up on the TBR pile:

2024 Reading Challenges Update #1

I’m back to employing reading challenges to help direct my reading this year. Let’s check in with my progress of all the challenges I am attempting this year.

Goodreads 83/200 41.5%
Unread Shelf 10/50 20%*
Kid Read Alouds 17/50 34%
52 Book Club 17/52 32.7%
She Reads Romance 15/36 41.7%**
COYER 6/20 30%*
Decades 3/12 25%
Lifetime 3/12 25%
In Case You Missed It 4/12 33.3%
Nonfiction Reader 4/12 33.3%
Library Love 25/60 41.7%**
Clock Numbers 2/12 16.7%
Fairytales 2/12 16.7%

Total Challenges 0/13 0%

Total Reading Slots 191/540 34.4%

* - Needs Work
** - Doing a Great Job

Comments: Of course I need to focus on reading the books on my shelf and on my Kindle app. This is a perennial problem for me.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Toil & Trouble by Lisa Kröger and Melanie R. Anderson

Title: Toil & Trouble: A Women’s History of the Occult

Author: Lisa Kröger and Melanie R. Anderson

Publisher: Quirk Books 2022

Genre: Nonfiction - History

Pages: 336

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Nonfiction Reader

Meet the mystical women and nonbinary people from US history who found strength through the supernatural—and those who are still forging the way today. From the celebrity spirit mediums of the nineteenth century to contemporary activist witches hexing the patriarchy, these icons have long used magic and mysticism to seize the power they’re so often denied.

Organized around different approaches women in particular have taken to the occult over the decades—using the supernatural for political gain, seeking fame and fortune as spiritual practitioners, embracing their witchy identities, and more—this book shines a light on underappreciated magical pioneers,

Even though I knew a lot of the information in this book, I really appreciated how the authors clearly moved through the stories. We get a variety of women, from all sides of the occult world. We get to hear about some of the hidden women of history. Their stories are pulled into the light showing all their strength and resilience. My favorite pieces were obviously all those that I knew nothing about. This is the perfect book for readers wanting to know more about important women in history.

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Next up on the TBR pile:

A Guest in the House by Emily Carroll

Title: A Guest in the House

Author: Emily Carroll

Publisher: First Second 2023

Genre: Graphic Novel Horror

Pages: 256

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Library Love

After many lonely years, Abby’s just gotten married. She met her new husband―a recently widowed dentist―when he arrived in town with his young daughter, seeking a new start. Although it’s strange living in the shadow of her predecessor, Abby does her best to be a good wife and mother. But the more she learns about her new husband’s first wife, the more things don’t add up. And Abby starts to wonder . . . was Sheila’s death really by natural causes? As Abby sinks deeper into confusion, Sheila’s memory seems to become a force all its own, ensnaring Abby in a mystery that leaves her obsessed, fascinated, and desperately in love for the first time in her life.

Emily's masterful balance of black and white, surreal colors, rich textures, and dramatic lettering is assured to bring this story to life and give readers a chill up their spine as they read.

Now this book was much more up my alley. We get a horror comic examining a life of complacency and self-doubt. I loved how Abby’s story spirals with Crystal and Sheila’s stories. The interplay between black and white images and bursts of color drove home the push and pull between reality and dreams and nightmares. Throughout the pages, I was rooting for Abby in every encounter. After reading this volume, I definitely need to get more from Carroll.

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Murmur of Bees by Sofia Segovia

Title: The Murmur of Bees

Author: Sofia Segovia

Publisher: Amazon Crossing 2015

Genre: Historical Fiction; Magical Realism

Pages: 471

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: 52 Book Club - Yellow Spine; COYER

From the day that old Nana Reja found a baby abandoned under a bridge, the life of a small Mexican town forever changed. Disfigured and covered in a blanket of bees, little Simonopio is for some locals the stuff of superstition, a child kissed by the devil. But he is welcomed by landowners Francisco and Beatriz Morales, who adopt him and care for him as if he were their own. As he grows up, Simonopio becomes a cause for wonder to the Morales family, because when the uncannily gifted child closes his eyes, he can see what no one else can—visions of all that’s yet to come, both beautiful and dangerous. Followed by his protective swarm of bees and living to deliver his adoptive family from threats—both human and those of nature—Simonopio’s purpose in Linares will, in time, be divined.

Set against the backdrop of the Mexican Revolution and the devastating influenza of 1918, The Murmur of Bees captures both the fate of a country in flux and the destiny of one family that has put their love, faith, and future in the unbelievable.

Our book club pick for March. Somehow I did not realize that I had this sitting on my Kindle app already. And this book did not work for me at all. It started out interesting with the story of this maybe magical boy who is taken in by a family. From there, I thought we would get to read about a magical story of found family and identity. But that’s not where the story went. Instead, we get bogged down in terrible people doing terrible things to those around them. We get an attempt at an examination of the corruption of the Mexican political regimes under Diaz. Unfortunately, none of it really landed for me. And then there were so many sections that I questioned whether or not the writing and story was racist. Ultimately the book became a slog and I dreaded picking it up every day.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Dark Waters by Katherine Arden

Title: Dark Waters (Small Spaces #3)

Author: Katherine Arden

Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons 2021

Genre: MG Horror

Pages: 256

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Library Love

Until next time. That was chilling promise made to Ollie, Coco and Brian after they outsmarted the smiling man at Mount Hemlock Resort. And as the trio knows, the smiling man always keeps his promises. So when the lights flicker on and off at Brian's family's inn and a boom sounds at the door, there's just one visitor it could be. Only, there's no one there, just a cryptic note left outside signed simply as —S.

The smiling man loves his games and it seems a new one is afoot. But first, the three friends will have to survive a group trip to Lake Champlain where it's said Vermont's very own Loch Ness monster lives. When they’re left shipwrecked on an island haunted by a monster on both land and sea, Brian's survival instincts kick in and it's up to him to help everyone work together and find a way to escape.

One thing is for sure, the smiling man is back and he wants a rematch. And this time Brian is ready to play.

The third book in this fun middle grade horror series and I am still very intrigued. In this one, we get a fun shipwreck adventure featuring a sea monster and more ghosts. We get some more information about what happened back in the fall and the reintroduction of a previous character. I loved seeing Brian take a more central role in solving this particular mystery. And of course, we get one heck of a cliffhanger. I completely predicted what was going to happen, but it was still a great ride. And now, I just need to finish this series.

Small Spaces

#1 Small Spaces
#2 Dead Voices
#3 Dark Waters
#4 Empty Smiles

Next up on the TBR pile:

Reckless by Anne Stuart

Title: Reckless (House of Rohan #2)

Author: Anne Stuart

Publisher: MIRA 2010

Genre: Romance

Pages: 408

Rating: 2/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Unread Shelf; She Reads Romance - Historical Romance

Spice Rating: 5

Charlotte Spenser, straight-laced spinster with a search for knowledge, thinks observing an orgy from a safe distance is an excellent idea.

Adrian Rohan, black sheep of an already infamous family, has always encouraged female education, and he’s more than happy to give her hands-on experience.

They’re so mismatched it’s a wonder they don’t explode. He’s everything bad, and she can’t resist him.

What could possibly go wrong?

Wow… I am definitely done with this series. I had my hesitations about the first book. And this volume absolutely confirmed all my hesitations and really soured me on this author. The main storyline features a terrible pairing of people. Charlotte is a naive spinster. Adrian is just a complete asshole. I could not even find one shred of attraction to him. Their entire relationship was extremely dysfunctional. I just wanted both of these characters to run away from each other and never get together again. Blergh. I just cannot with this series at all. On a brighter note, I just removed two books from my Unread Shelf.

House of Rohan

#1 Ruthless
#2 Reckless
#3 Breathless
#4 Shameless
#5 Heartless

Next up on the TBR pile:

Homeschool W26: Activities Rearranged Our Schedule

What We Studied

Unfortunately weather caused us a few problems with this week and we had to cancel coop. Instead, we planned a few activities to fill our time. Coupled with a decent amount of school, and we had a good week.

Literature and Poetry

Arthur finished the last bit of our read aloud and started the next one. The new one is feeling very promising. For the actual literature, we are working on some basic grammar skills. We continued the first Reading Explorer book which focuses on reading comprehension. He also continued his Super Secret Notebook from Blossom & Root.

My America poem collection
Reading Explorer 1
Sweep by Jonathan Auxier
Amari and the Night Brothers by BB Alston

Quentin finished another read aloud. He absolutely loved Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Apparently, Dahl’s sense of whimsy and humor really appeals to him. He also worked on some basic grammar with some fun books.

Sing a Song of Seasons
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl

Math

Arthur wrapped up his unit on volumes.. We’re flying through the lessons. We also finished the Grade 4 Financial Literacy book.

Singapore Common Core 5B
Orbiting with Logic
Evan Moor Financial Literacy G4

Quentin took a break from Singapore to do some review math packets. I wanted a better mastery of basic arithmetic before we dove into multiplication and division.

Singapore Common Core 2A

Social Studies

Arthur covered more of World War II. We focused on Japanese Interment and the treatment of African Americans during the war.

DK American History
We were There Too! Young People in US History
Words that Build a Nation
Heart and Soul
Nat Geo Our Country’s Presidents
An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States
A Different Mirror for Young People
This is Our Land: A History of American Immigration
DK Timelines of Everything
DK History
The Great Depression and World War II by Susan E. Hamen
Write to Me: Letters from Japanese American Children to the Librarian They Left Behind by Cynthia Grady
Rad American History A-Z by Kate Schatz & Miriam Klein Stahl
Fred Korematsu Speaks Up
Chester Nez and the Unbreakable Code: A Navajo Code Talker's Story by Joseph Bruchac

Quentin finished his big unit on Rome. We had to finish out with our favorite episode of NOVA about the colosseum. Even Arthur wanted to rewatch it with us!

History Quest Early Times
DK When on Earth?
Human Wold
DK History
DK Timelines of Everything
DK A Child Through Time
A History of Western Art
DK Science Year by Year
DK Myths, Legends, and Sacred Stories
Find the Journeys Around the World by David Long
Ancient Worlds
A Journey Through Art by Aaron Rosen
Ancient Rome by Peter Chrisp
The Ancient Romans Cohn
DK Eyewitness: Ancient Rome
Stephen Biesty's Ancient World
The Genius of the Romans
Whole Wide World: Colosseum by Kristine Spanier
20 Fun Facts About the Colosseum by Drew Nelson

Science

We had a break week from chemistry class, so science was light this week. We made sure to read more chapters in our Story of Science book.

RSO Chemistry
DK Super Simple Chemistry
Story of Science Vol. 2: Newton at the Center by Joy Hakim
DK The Elements

Quentin wrapped up RSO Life’s Human Anatomy unit with a section on growth and genetics. We did a bit of big review before putting away those books. The last big section of RSO Life is all about the Plant Kingdom.

RSO Life
DK Oversimple Biology
DK Human Body
Know and Glow Human Body
DK Eyewitness: Human Body
iDiscover The Body by Carolyn Scrace

STEAM Coop

Coop was cancelled due to weather.

Art/Music/Crafts/Cooking/Documentary

No formal art and music this week.

DK Music and How it Works
DK The Arts
DK Art and How It Works
Modern Art Adventures by Maja Pitamic and Jill Laidlaw
13 American Artists Children Should Know
A Child's Introduction to Art
Women in Art by Rachel Ignotofsky
Iconic Composers by Nicholas Csicsko & Emi Ferguson
13 Art Movements Children Should Know
13 Artists Children Should Know
13 Modern Artists Children Should Know
The Story of Paintings by Mick Manning & Brita Granström
Why is Art Full of Naked People? by Susie Hodge

Field Trip

On Friday, a fellow homeschooler organized a big group trip the Science Center of Iowa in Des Moines. A group of about 20 kids and parents caravanned to the museum for a few hours of exploration. We had been once about a year ago. It was fun to revisit and re-explore. We even caught a planetarium show. After the museum, most of the families headed back home. I decided to take the kids to the Monsterama Arcade for a few hours of playtime. They have been begging to go back for months. We had dinner at the attached pizza place and played until 7pm before driving back home. It made for a 12+ hour day, but it was worth it!

High

We managed to fit in a nature hike on Tuesday (just us) and an open bounce time at Bounce U on Thursday (with friends). Even with the activities, we had a good school week.

Low

Cancelling of coop created some frustration.

Next Week

Reading more of our read aloud (A) and starting a new collection of stories (Q)
Moving through World War II
Continuing our math units
Exploring some new concepts about the periodic table
Learning more Ancient African Kingdoms
Starting with the plant kingdom for science
Bringing back some art and music

Next up on the TBR pile:

Life Right Now #8

As I look outside my window: Sunny and bright but pretty cold. March’s weather is all over the place per usual.

Right now I am: Ready to pick up my current read for a little bit before making brunch. Later I have my Nerdy Bookish Friends zoom and then we’re off to see The Lion King at the Orpheum.

Thinking and pondering: What polls/questions do I need to posit to the coop? We’re making some changes this year (really we make changes every year) and these ones are pretty big. I’m debating about what to make a poll and what to just change through executive action.

On my bedside table: Dark Waters and Empty Smiles by Katherine Arden; The Murmur of Bees by Sofía Segovia

On my tv this week: We finished Wonderland this week! Another show completed. Otherwise, we’ve been keeping up with Shogun as well as a few random movies.

Listening to: Nothing too exciting. I have been on a Within Temptation kick, so their newest album has come up a lot.

On the menu for this week:

Monday - Mississippi Pot Roast
Tuesday - Honey and Lime Jalapeño Chicken
Wednesday - J’s Birthday Dinner
Thursday - Prawn and Sweet Potato Jamaican Curry
Friday - Ham and Potato Soup
Saturday - Sweet Potato and Quinoa Bowls
Sunday - Ranch Cheddar Chicken

On my to do list: I need to order J’s cake for this week. I also need to find a tax document and hopefully make doctor’s appointments. I should probably do an admin check-in for the coop.

Happening this week:

Monday - Chemistry Class
Tuesday - Home day?
Wednesday - Lauritzen Gardens Field Trip; J’s birthday!
Thursday - Coop
Friday - Home day? Park day? Not quite sure yet.
Saturday - Home Day
Sunday - Home Day

What I am creating: Nothing much. I wanted to get to my Memory Planner today, but it may not happen.

My simple pleasures: Singing along to music in the car, chats with friends, free play time for the kids

Looking around the house: Looking decent.

From the camera: We had another “fancy” ramen night this week. Kimchi flavored instant ramen with lots of toppings!

Ruthless by Anne Stuart

Title: Ruthless (House of Rohan #1)

Author: Anne Stuart

Publisher: MIRA 2010

Genre: Romance

Pages: 409

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Library Love

Spice Rating: 5

Viscount Rohan is a very bad man. Leader of the notorious Heavenly Host, he steers the dissolute and pleasure-seeking aristocracy in their revels. Content in his wickedness, he knows there is no room for a starchy, brave English spinster in his self-indulgent existence, but his body disagrees.

Elinor Harriman is so intent on protecting her baby sister and their dying mother that she doesn’t realize the danger she’s in. The notorious Viscount Rohan could have no interest in someone like her, thank God, and no idea that she melts with longing every time he touches her. She’s an intelligent, plain woman, and his tempting, his teasing has to be some kind of joke.

But Rohan takes his appetites very seriously, and sensible or not, he wants Elinor Harriman in his bed. There is only one problem with indulging himself–he’s starting to want her in his life as well. And that would destroy everything.

I picked this up because I had the three other books in this series sitting on my Unread Shelf. I dove in not knowing what to expect. I loved the first section of this book. The tension between Francis and Elinor was delightful. I was intrigued by the setup and was hoping for a good payoff. But I ultimately thought the book ended much to abruptly and without the catharsis that I wanted. I didn’t feel like Francis and Elinor ever really connected with each other. There wasn’t enough relationship talk for me. I will still continue on with the series as I own the rest. We’ll see how I feel after the next one about continuing farther.

House of Rohan

#1 Ruthless
#2 Reckless
#3 Breathless
#4 Shameless
#5 Heartless

Next up on the TBR pile:

The One Hundred Nights of Hero by Isabel Greenberg

Title: The One Hundred Nights of Hero

Author: Isabel Greenberg

Publisher: Little, Brown and Company 2016

Genre: Graphic Novel

Pages: 224

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Library Love

In the Empire of Migdal Bavel, Cherry is married to Jerome, a wicked man who makes a diabolical wager with his friend Manfred: if Manfred can seduce Cherry in one hundred nights, he can have his castle -- and Cherry.

But what Jerome doesn't know is that Cherry is in love with her maid Hero. The two women hatch a plan: Hero, a member of the League of Secret Story Tellers, will distract Manfred by regaling him with a mesmerizing tale each night for 100 nights, keeping him at bay. Those tales are beautifully depicted here, touching on themes of love and betrayal and loyalty and madness.

As intricate and richly imagined as the works of Chris Ware, and leavened with a dry wit that rivals Kate Beaton's in Hark! A Vagrant, Isabel Greenberg's One Hundred Nights of Hero will capture readers' hearts and minds, taking them through a magical medieval world.

Random comic recommendation from Goodreads that actually landed for me. This is a remix of the story of Scheherazade with added influences for other cultures. There’s an element of feminist rage that I really enjoyed. The stories and legends are inset into the larger story of Cherry and Hero. I loved seeing elements of other well-known and some other not-so-well-known stories.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Odds and Ends

Here's my randomness for the week:

The weather is just not cooperating for coop this week… We couldn’t find a place and had to cancel. The location struggle has really gotten to me.
Think it’s time to send a reminder email for the retreat attendees.
And I have some coop admins tasks to finish today.
Might make some banana bread today. I’m feeling like some type of baked goods.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Two Wars and a Wedding by Lauren Willig

Title: Two Wars and a Wedding

Author: Lauren Willig

Publisher: William Morrow 2023

Genre: Historical Fiction

Pages: 435

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Clock; Decades - 1880s-1990s

September 1896: An aspiring archaeologist, Smith College graduate Betsy Hayes travels to Athens, desperate to break into the male-dominated field of excavation. In the midst of the heat and dust of Greece she finds an unlikely ally in Charles, Baron de Robecourt, one of the few men who takes her academic passion seriously. But when a simmering conflict between Greece and Turkey erupts into open warfare, Betsy throws herself into the conflict as a nurse, not knowing that the decision will change her life forever—and cause a deep and painful rift with her oldest friend, Ava.

June 1898: Betsy has sworn off war nursing—but when she gets the word that her estranged friend Ava is headed to Cuba with Clara Barton and the Red Cross to patch up the wounded in the Spanish-American War, Betsy determines to stop her the only way she knows how: by joining in her place. Battling heat, disease, and her own demons, Betsy follows Teddy Roosevelt’s Rough Riders straight to the heart of the fighting, where she is forced to confront her greatest fears to save both old friends and new….

Set during an electrifying era of nation-building, idealism, and upheaval, Two Wars and a Wedding is the tale of two remarkable women striving to make their place in a man’s world—an unforgettable saga of friendship, love, and fighting for what is right.

I needed a book with the word “two” in the title. I went to Goodreads and did a simple search and this book came up. I really enjoyed Willig’s Pink Carnation series and The English Wife, so I thought I would give this one a chance. Overall, this was an enjoyable story of a one woman’s journey through life, two wars, and heartache. After reading the historical note, I was more interested in the true history behind the story. The historical fiction sections detailed a time period and conflict that not many books focus on. I enjoyed the information about the archaeological digs and the nursing training. I ended up really enjoying following Betsy’s journey. And amazingly, I really came to love Holt as a leading man worthy of Betsy. A very enjoyable historical fiction novel.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Bride by Ali Hazelwood

Title: Bride

Author: Ali Hazelwood

Publisher: Berkley 2024

Genre: Romantasy

Pages: 400

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: 52 Book Club - Includes a Wedding; She Reads Romance - Arranged Marriage

Spice Rating: 5

Misery Lark, the only daughter of the most powerful Vampyre councilman of the Southwest, is an outcast—again. Her days of living in anonymity among the Humans are over: she has been called upon to uphold a historic peacekeeping alliance between the Vampyres and their mortal enemies, the Weres, and she sees little choice but to surrender herself in the exchange—again...

Weres are ruthless and unpredictable, and their Alpha, Lowe Moreland, is no exception. He rules his pack with absolute authority, but not without justice. And, unlike the Vampyre Council, not without feeling. It’s clear from the way he tracks Misery’s every movement that he doesn’t trust her. If only he knew how right he was….

Because Misery has her own reasons to agree to this marriage of convenience, reasons that have nothing to do with politics or alliances, and everything to do with the only thing she's ever cared about. And she is willing to do whatever it takes to get back what’s hers, even if it means a life alone in Were territory…alone with the wolf.

I picked up another Ali Hazelwood romance. Every time I have finished one of her previous books, I have enjoyed, but it’s hasn’t been something I recommend to all friends. Enjoyable, but nothing groundbreaking. I think I feel the same way about this one. I liked it. The plot and characters kept me interested and turning the pages, but I wasn’t raving about it at the end. I will admit that Hazelwood is great at writing sexual tension. All of her books contain a lot of tension. But, I’m not as excited about the after. Misery has a snarky side that I did really enjoy. And I eventually did buy a relationship between her and Lowe. It just took awhile for me to get there. So overall an enjoyable romantasy for my week.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Homeschool W24-25: Still trucking along...

What We Studied

We ended up taking a bit of a break for W24. All three of us were a bit burned out and needed to scale back our school work to reenergize. For W25, we were back to normal. All throughout, we focused on reading our read alouds and enjoying our activities.

Literature and Poetry

Arthur dove into another read aloud and enjoyed the time. We have just a little bit left to finish this week and then move into a new book. Beyond the actual literature, we are working on some basic grammar skills. We continued the first Reading Explorer book which focuses on reading comprehension. He also continued his Super Secret Notebook from Blossom & Root.

My America poem collection
Reading Explorer 1
Sweep by Jonathan Auxier

Quentin started and finished another read aloud. And then we started our newest read aloud. He is very excited to read another Roald Dahl book. He also worked on some basic grammar with some fun books.

Sing a Song of Seasons
Sideways Stories from Wayside School by Louis Sachar
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl

Math

Arthur moved onto a few lessons about finding volume of rectangles. We’re flying through the lessons. We also continued the Grade 4 Financial Literacy book. We have one more lesson to finish in there.

Singapore Common Core 5B
Orbiting with Logic
Evan Moor Financial Literacy G4

Quentin continued Singapore 2A with a unit on measurements. We also finished our logic book!

Lollipop Logic Book 3
Singapore Common Core 2A

Social Studies

Arthur covered the beginning of World War II. We discussed the political and economic situations of various countries in the 1930s and talked about the beginnings of the war. The week ended with Pearl Harbor.

DK American History
We were There Too! Young People in US History
Words that Build a Nation
Heart and Soul
Nat Geo Our Country’s Presidents
An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States
A Different Mirror for Young People
This is Our Land: A History of American Immigration
DK Timelines of Everything
DK History
The Great Depression and World War II by Susan E. Hamen
Dorothy the Brave by Meghan P. Browne

Quentin continued with Rome moving into the Empire. We found a good balance of videos, textbooks, and small readings.

History Quest Early Times
DK When on Earth?
Human Wold
DK History
DK Timelines of Everything
DK A Child Through Time
A History of Western Art
DK Science Year by Year
DK Myths, Legends, and Sacred Stories
Find the Journeys Around the World by David Long
Ancient Worlds
A Journey Through Art by Aaron Rosen
Ancient Rome by Peter Chrisp
The Ancient Romans Cohn
DK Eyewitness: Ancient Rome
Stephen Biesty's Ancient World
The Genius of the Romans
Cleopatra by Diane Stanley
Pompeii: Lost and Found by Mary Pope Osborne
Pompeii... Buried Alive! by Edith Kunhardt

Science

We covered the next few lessons in chemistry. This week is a break and then we will move onto acids and bases. We made sure to read more chapters in our Story of Science book.

RSO Chemistry
DK Super Simple Chemistry
Story of Science Vol. 2: Newton at the Center by Joy Hakim
DK The Elements

Quentin got back into the RSO Life curriculum moving into the unit on Human Anatomy. We covered the nervous system this week.

RSO Life
DK Oversimple Biology
DK Human Body
Know and Glow Human Body
DK Eyewitness: Human Body
iDiscover The Body by Carolyn Scrace
The Museum of Odd Body Leftovers: A Tour of Your Useless Parts, Flaws and Other Weird Bits by Rachel Poliquin
Click: The Inner You
Build a Brain by Kirsty Holmes
The Magic School Bus Explores the Senses by Joanna Cole

STEAM Coop

Arthur continued his unit on spring growth. Their big project this week was creating a mini biome in a plastic bottle. Quentin learned about deserts and then about Emily Roebling, architect of the Brooklyn Bridge.

Art/Music/Crafts/Cooking/Documentary

We managed to fit in a few documentaries to complement our book work. Arthur watched one about the mystery of the Hindenburg. Quentin watched one about the mystery of Roman catacombs and one about the eruption of Vesuvius.

DK Music and How it Works
DK The Arts
DK Art and How It Works
Modern Art Adventures by Maja Pitamic and Jill Laidlaw
13 American Artists Children Should Know
A Child's Introduction to Art
Women in Art by Rachel Ignotofsky
Iconic Composers by Nicholas Csicsko & Emi Ferguson
13 Art Movements Children Should Know
13 Artists Children Should Know
13 Modern Artists Children Should Know
The Story of Paintings by Mick Manning & Brita Granström
Why is Art Full of Naked People? by Susie Hodge

Field Trip

For my birthday day, we ventured to the zoo. I really wanted to see the new baby elephant, but he was still sequestered in the back. We did get to the see the other four babies. And we enjoyed the jungle, aquarium, giraffes, and butterfly and insect building.

High

We managed to fit in a few nature hikes. Getting outside and enjoying the signs of spring was exactly what I needed to uplift my spirits.

Low

The weather took some wild swings these last two weeks. I am not a fan.

Next Week

Finishing our current read aloud and starting some new ones
Moving through World War II
Continuing our math units
Exploring some new concepts about the periodic table
Learning more about Ancient Rome
Wrapping up human anatomy for science
Traveling to Des Moines for a group field trip and visit to the arcade

Next up on the TBR pile:

Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands by Heather Fawcett

Title: Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands (Emily Wilde #2)

Author: Heather Fawcett

Publisher: Del Rey 2024

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 342

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: 52 Book Club - Published in 2024; Library Love

Emily Wilde is a genius scholar of faerie folklore—she just wrote the world’s first comprehensive of encylopaedia of faeries. She’s learned many of the secrets of the Hidden Folk on her adventures . . . and also from her fellow scholar and former rival, Wendell Bambleby.

Because Bambleby is more than infuriatingly charming. He’s an exiled faerie king on the run from his murderous mother, and in search of a door back to his realm. So despite Emily’s feelings for Bambleby, she’s not ready to accept his proposal of marriage: Loving one of the Fair Folk comes with secrets and danger.

And she also has a new project to focus on: a map of the realms of faerie. While she is preparing her research, Bambleby lands her in trouble yet again, when assassins sent by Bambleby’s mother invade Cambridge. Now Bambleby and Emily are on another adventure, this time to the picturesque Austrian Alps, where Emily believes they may find the door to Bambley’s realm, and the key to freeing him from his family’s dark plans.

But with new relationships for the prickly Emily to navigate and dangerous Folk lurking in every forest and hollow, Emily must unravel the mysterious workings of faerie doors, and of her own heart.

Another amazing story featuring the adventures of Emily and Wendell. We get to change the setting and explore new worlds and new creatures. I loved seeing how Emily’s story progresses as she learns to trust her instincts and stand up for herself. And we get to see her interact with new characters in Wendell’s search for his door. I absolutely adored the reappearance of Poe and the introduction of Snowbell. At times this is a quiet story. We get small moments between the characters. And then the plot really amps up and barrels ahead. I cannot wait until the next book in this series.

Emily Wilde

#1 Encyclopaedia of Faeries
#2 Map of the Otherlands
#3 Compendium of Lost Tales

Next up on the TBR pile:

So Not Meant to Be by Meghan Quinn

Title: So Not Meant to Be (Cane Brothers #2)

Author: Meghan Quinn

Publisher: Bloom Books 2022

Genre: Romance

Pages: 480

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Library Love; She Reads Romance - Enemies to Lovers

Spice Meter: 5

Am I friends with JP Cane?
Ha! That's laughable.
Besides the fact that he’s adopted some far-fetched notion from the movie When Harry Met Sally that says men and women can't be friends and work together, it’s safe to say we're not friends. He's annoyingly loud, obnoxiously handsome, and has made an art out of poking all my hot buttons . . . multiple times a day.
So you can imagine how disgruntled I am when I not only have to fly to San Francisco with him for work, but stay in the same penthouse. Yup, we're sharing the same air, twenty-four-seven. We're talking full-fledged working roommates.
The man doesn't know what it means to wear a shirt, thrives off protein bars, and you guessed it, moans loud enough for people to believe he's Meg Ryan in a restaurant.
Spoiler Alert: I WON'T be having what he's having.
Tack on his continuous flirting and his polished good looks, and I'm caught staring down the barrel of a seductive temptation that makes it hard for me to sleep at night.
But guess who can control herself? This girl.
Because if there is one thing I know for certain, it's that JP Cane and I are so not meant to be.

Enemies to lovers is my favorite romance trope, so of course, I picked up this series. I was into the first book and hoped I would love the second. Unfortunately, I really disliked JP and that fact really turned me of to the entire book. We start out strong with a fun slightly antagonistic relationship between Kelsey and JP. We get some good banter and ridiculous situations. But then, JP’s entire demeanor and personality really started to bother me. At a certain point in the book, JP tells the readers that he is completely in love with Kelsey and is going to attempt to get her to see that. But all of his actions are so hot and cold. She does one thing, such as go on a date with another man, and he completely shuts her out. Mind you, she has no idea that JP supposedly loves her. He just completely shuts down and then gets mad at Kelsey when she questions him. His inability to communicate or at least modulate his moods raised some serious red flags for me. I doubt that them declaring their love is going to eliminate his mood swings. Very scary behavior from the male lead. I just couldn’t root for them at all.

Cane Brothers

#1 A Not So Meet Cute
#2 So Not Meant to Be
#3 A Long Time Coming

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Screaming Staircase by Jonathan Stroud

Title: The Screaming Staircase (Lockwood & Co. #1)

Author: Jonathan Stroud

Publisher: Doubleday 2013

Genre:YA Horror

Pages: 440

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Unread Shelf;

A sinister Problem has occurred in London: all nature of ghosts, haunts, spirits, and specters are appearing throughout the city, and they aren't exactly friendly. Only young people have the psychic abilities required to see and eradicate these supernatural foes. Many different Psychic Detection Agencies have cropped up to handle the dangerous work, and they are in fierce competition for business.

In The Screaming Staircase, the plucky and talented Lucy Carlyle teams up with Anthony Lockwood, the charismatic leader of Lockwood & Co, a small agency that runs independent of any adult supervision. After an assignment leads to both a grisly discovery and a disastrous end, Lucy, Anthony, and their sarcastic colleague, George, are forced to take part in the perilous investigation of Combe Carey Hall, one of the most haunted houses in England. Will Lockwood & Co. survive the Hall's legendary Screaming Staircase and Red Room to see another day?

My mother had me watch the one and only season of the television over Christmas. I realized that I had the first book just sitting on my Unread Shelf. So I decided to read it. The television show covers this first book in the first few episodes. And while it speeds up the timeline, most of it is accurately depicted. Turning to the book itself, I wasn’t that enamored with the characters of the story. Anthony is a bright spot among the characters. Unfortunately Lucy is a little too naive and occasionally annoying. And George is just too prickly and occasionally very mean to the other characters. The three of them do not work well together, keeping way too many secrets from each other, while also stumbling about doing their jobs. The larger mystery is interesting, It’s what really kept me reading and ultimately gave this book 4 stars. I loved seeing how the clues fell into places and pointed to the murderer. I doubt that I’m going to continue reading this series, but I did enjoy this first book.

Lockwood & Co.

#1 The Screaming Staircase
#1.5 The Dagger in the Desk
#2 The Whispering Skull
#3 The Hollow Boy
#4 The Creeping Shadow
#4.5 A Portland Row Christmas
#5 The Empty Grave

Next up on the TBR pile:

What Stalks Among Us by Sarah Hollowell

Title: What Stalks Among Us

Author: Sarah Hollowell

Publisher: Clarion Books 2023

Genre: YA Horror

Pages: 400

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: 52 Book Club - Neurodivergent Author; Library Love

Best friends and high school seniors Sadie and Logan make their first mistake when they ditch their end-of-year field trip to the amusement park in favor of exploring some old, forgotten backroads. The last thing they expect to come across is a giant, abandoned corn maze.

But with a whole day of playing hooking unspooling before them, they make their second mistake. Or perhaps their third? Maybe even their fourth. Because Sadie and Logan have definitely entered this maze before. And again before that.

When they stumble on the corpses in the maze, identical to them in every way (if you can ignore the stab and gunshot wounds)--from their clothes to their hidden scars to their dyed hair, to that one missing tooth--they quickly realize they’ve not only entered this maze before, they’ve died in it too. A lot. And no matter what they try, they can’t figure out what—or who—is hunting them.

I cannot remember exactly who recommended this book to me, but I was immediately intrigued but he premise. I fell into this book just like Sadie and Logan fall into the corn maze. The entire premise really spoke to my horror loving heart. But then the novel started to evolve and grew more and more complex. This is not just a simple horror novel. This is a book focused on two people finding the courage to become their true authentic selves. We see Sadie and Logan slowly open up to each other and expose their insecurities and fears. So many times I really felt for Sadie and Logan. I don’t possess many of their insecurities and fears, but I can completely related to a few of them. At the end of the book, there was a hopeful feeling that I absolutely loved.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Currently #5

Reading: I grabbed the new Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands by Heather Fawcett and I am so in love with it! There’s an element of cozy fantasy in this series that I’m really drawn to.

Watching: J and I started the new Shogun series. It is very well researched and extremely cinematic. We are hooked.

Listening: I’ve pushed off audiobooks in favor of podcasts lately. But I haven’t actually listened to many episodes lately. I’m just enjoying the quiet lately.

Making: I’m moving into the next phase of retreat planning. I’m taking a long look at the budget and category breakdowns. Plus I’ve sent the next email so I can start working on the grocery list.

Feeling: After my birthday day out, I’m feeling a lot better. I needed just a bit of time away to recenter myself.

Planning: I’m looking to summer and redoing our bucket list. Last year didn’t go as planned. Hopefully this year we can do some travel (locally) and visit some interesting places.

Loving: Spring is not my favorite season, but I am really enjoying spotting signs of the season while out and about. Little green shoots are catching my eye.

Next up on the TBR pile: