June 2021 Wrap-up

June TBR Pile: I did away with my TBR list at the beginning of the month to let the reader inspiration take me where it wanted. Here’s what I read this month:

Daring Greatly by Brene Brown
Bellamy and the Brute by Alicia Michaels
Broken by Jenny Lawson
The Stars, Like Dust by Isaac Asimov
Black Mad Wheel by Josh Malerman
Looking Glass by Christina Henry
Dear Fahrenheit 451 by Annie Spence
A Jane Austen Education by William Deresiewicz
The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster
The Downing Kind by Jennifer McMahon
The Whispering House by Elizabeth Brooks
The Echo Wife by Sarah Gailey
The Road Trip by Beth O’Leary
Scary Stories for Little Foxes by Christian McKay Heidicker
A Master of Djinn by P. Djèlí Clark
For the Wolf by Hannah Whitten
Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir

1,000,000 Page Goal:

Monthly Total: 5530 pages
Pages Remaining: 468,997 pages

Current Read - Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid, Fugitive Telemetry by Martha Wells

Books I Gave Up On (0)

Books Bought/Received (4) - I grabbed two books from Book of the Month. I also received a book that I won from Goodreads and totally forgot about. And I got a book during our book club swap day.

Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
Half Sick of Shadows by Laura Sebastian
Her Last Flight by Beatriz Williams
Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid

UnRead Shelf Progress

Starting Number: 279
Books Read: 0
Books Acquired: 4
Books Unshelved: 0
Finishing Number: 283

July TBR Pile:

Book of the Month Club: ???
Formerly Girly Book Club now Bookworms: Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Friend Book Club: Behold the Dreamers by Imbolo Mbue
MMD RC: People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry
Nonfiction: Wintering by Katherine May
Fantasy: Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo
Fantasy: Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardugo
Comic: Something is Killing the Children Vol. 3
Science Fiction: Fugitive Telemetry by Martha Wells
Romance: Friends without Benefits by Penny Reid
Kid Read Aloud: Prince Caspian by C.S. Lewis
Kid Read Aloud: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C.S. Lewis

Movies watched

Deep Murder - Fun quirky movie
Good on Paper - Interesting little comedy

TV Shows watched

Loki - Oh yes! I can’t wait to watch this one every week.
Running Wilde S1 - I never watched this short-lived comedy sitcom, so we started. Short and sweet, but lots of fun.
Hustle S3-4
Star Trek: Voyager S3-4
Holey Moley S3
Mythic Quest S2
Last Week Tonight
Rick and Morty S5
Making It S3

Comments - I loved having no reins on my reading this month! It was lovely to allow my moods to determine my next reads. There were definitely some misses in there, but I knocked out a ton of titles from my bigger TBR. And we managed to watch some great television this month (hello Loki!!!!). Looking forward to what is July brings!

Next up on the TBR pile:

Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir

Title: Project Hail Mary

Author: Andy Weir

Publisher: Ballantine Books 2021

Genre: Science Fiction

Pages: 482

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: MMD; Seasonal TBR

Usually I copy and paste a book summary here, but all the ones I found contained way too many fucking spoilers! So here is my summary: This is a fun space romp involving a desperate race to save humanity. That’s it. That’s all you need to know before reading this book.

I closed this book and had a huge smile on my face while simultaneously crying. So incredibly amazing. I loved The Martian, but was less enthused by Artemis. I dove into this book after my husband kept shoving it in my face. And I’m so glad that he did! Right from the first page, I was sucked into this story based in space. I love a well-written space adventure and this does not disappoint. Weir includes a lot of science, but it does it in such way that I understood and even if I skimmed it, it wasn’t absolutely essential to the larger story. This review is incredibly vague because I do not want to spoil anything. Seriously, don’t read the summaries, just go and get the book right now.

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Next up on the TBR pile:

For the Wolf by Hannah Whitten

Title: For the Wolf (The Wilderwood #1)

Author: Hannah Whitten

Publisher: Orbit 2021

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 403

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: MMD; Seasonal TBR

As the only Second Daughter born in centuries, Red has one purpose—to be sacrificed to the Wolf in the Wood in the hope he'll return the world's captured gods.

Red is almost relieved to go. Plagued by a dangerous power she can't control, at least she knows that in the Wilderwood, she can't hurt those she loves. Again.

But the legends lie. The Wolf is a man, not a monster. Her magic is a calling, not a curse. And if she doesn't learn how to use it, the monsters the gods have become will swallow the Wilderwood—and her world—whole.

I was so excited for this book and it ended up being a very lackluster read. It felt very derivative and overdone. I was intrigued by the concept of a Little Red Riding Hood retelling (I do love my fairy tale retellings). And this one added in elements of Sleeping Beauty and Rose Red and Snow White and lots of other snippets. I really enjoyed the world building and the Wilderwood itself. Seriously, I think the Wilderwood was the best character in the book. I loved seeing how the forest affected our characters and had it’s own presence. But then we get to the human characters and I got a lot less excited. Red was fine, Eammon was fine, Neve was fine. They were just fine. There wasn’t enough there to really make me care about them. Fife and Lyra annoyed me so much throughout the book. And I thoroughly disliked the constant repetitive actions (e.g. “lounging on the doorway” and “hands raking across __’s face”). At times the writing felt very immature. I loved the descriptions, but not when it focused on the characters. Overall, I think I’m really sick of reading these stories about a naive 20ish young woman who has to save the world. I’ll probably end up reading the sequel when it comes out, but I’m not super excited about it.

The Wilderwood

#1 For the Wolf
#2 For the Throne

Next up on the TBR pile:

Homeschool W38: We're Done!

What We Studied

We’re officially done with our first year of homeschooling! For next week and July, we will be taking it easy. Arthur will be working on his Highlights and BrainQuest summer bridge workbooks. We will be continuing our read alouds and picture books at night. Beyond that, we are going to focus on downtime, games, and fun excursions.

Literature and Poetry

We’re still reading Scary Stories for Young Foxes and really enjoyed it, even if it is really scary. Beyond our reading selection, Arthur completed his end of Grade 1 spelling assessment. Not too shabby! Especially considering that spelling has not really been a focus this past year. (I’m debating about adding it in for next year.) Finally, he’s been working on his Highlights and BrainQuest summer bridge workbooks. These pages are the focus of our language arts and math for the summer.

Scary Stories for Young Foxes by Christian McKay Heidicker

Math

Highlights and BrainQuest summer bridge workbooks

Social Studies

None

Science

We covered motion and forces for our last official week of the school year. I was amazed at how quickly Arthur got the concepts of potential and kinetic motion. Definitely a science kid! We also watched two Magic School Bus episodes about energy and motion.

Forces Make Things Move by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
Give It a Push! Give It a Pull! A Look at Forces by Jennifer Boothroyd
Why Do Moving Objects Slow Down? A Look at Friction by Jennifer Boothroyd
Cece Loves Science: Push and Pull by Kimberly Derting
Experiments with Motion by Susan H. Gray

Art

None

Music

We continued listening to the Beatles. We covered recordings from 1964 to 1966. Arthur has only been a fan of a few songs (seriously, is he even my kid?). His favorites have been “Help” and “Nowhere Man.”

Unit Theme

We did a simple unit theme based on ice cream. We read a ton of ice cream books (fiction and Nonfiction), plus watched a great Modern Marvels documentary about the making of ice cream. Of course, had to also eat some ice cream!

Ice Cream: The Full Scoop by Gail Gibbons
Ice Cream Soup by Ann Ingalls (Arthur Read)
Sweet Success by Liz and Jimmy Reed
Ice Cream Summer by Peter Sís
The Scoop on Ice Cream by Bonnie Williams
Ice-Cream Cones for Sale! by Elaine Greenstein
Saffron Ice Cream by Rashin
Should I Share My Ice Cream? by Mo Willems (Arthur read)
Francesco Tirelli's Ice Cream Shop by Tamar Meir
Vanilla Ice Cream by Bob Graham
Fox Tails: The Giant Ice Cream Mess by Tina Kügler
I Scream Ice Cream by Amy Krouse Rosenthal
The Little Ice Cream Truck by Margery Cuyler
Chuggington: Wilson and the Ice Cream Fair by Mara Conlon (Arthur read)
Curious George Goes to an Ice Cream Shop by Margret Rey and Alan J. Shalleck

Misc. - Random picture books read

Sealed with a Kiss by Beth Ferry
Be Who You Are by Todd Parr
Rainbow: A First Book of Pride by Michael Genhart
Welcome Home, Whales by Christina Booth
Julian is a Mermaid by Jessica Love
Trapped! A Whale's Rescue by Robert Burleigh
Phoenix Goes to School by Michelle and Phoenix Finch
Morris Micklewhite and the Tangerine Dress by Christine Baldacchino
Curious George Good Night, Zoo by Gina Gold
Whale Trails: Before and Now by Lesa Cline-Ransome

Highs

We took advantage of a day with below 90 degree temperatures and went to the zoo. Apparently we had the same idea as everyone else in Omaha. But it was still fun. We finally got to ride the train (it’s been closed since summer 2019)!

Lows

The heat got to all of us and it wasn’t pretty. Lots of grouchiness and terrible attitudes.

Next Week

We’re officially on summer break. We have a stack of library books and our summer workbooks. Plus we have our summer bucket list to check off. And we have made sure to schedule lots of outings and field trips.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Music Monday - Love and Death "Down"

Random find for this month. I really digging this sound.

Life Right Now #20

On my bedside table: So many good books! Definitely too many choices right now… Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir; Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid; People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry; Fugitive Telemetry by Martha Wells

On my tv this week: We caught up with episodes 2 and 3 of Loki (so incredibly good!). Plus we introduce the boys to Captain America for movie night. Keeping it in the Marvel family this week.

Listening to: Mostly my usual podcasts. Nothing super new or exciting.

On the menu for this week:

Monday - Fish
Tuesday - BBQ Cheddar Meatloaf
Wednesday - Leftovers
Thursday - Thai Red Curry Soup
Friday - Pizza Night
Saturday - Fish n Chips; Crab Rangoon
Sunday - BBQ Ribs/Ring of Fire Chicken

On my to do list: So much…

Happening this week:

Monday - Zoo Day! Taking advantage of it not being 100 degrees this week.
Tuesday - Book Club!
Wednesday - Park Playdate
Thursday - Home day
Friday - Possible state park day
Saturday - Home day
Sunday - Home day

What I am creating: Time blocks for July and August. I have so many big projects coming up and really need to organize my time to accomplish all the planning. I hope I have a good routine set up.

My simple pleasures: Air conditioning, good books, ice water

Looking around the house: I put away the kids’ clothes! Hooray!

From the camera: Loving my Sunday morning ritual of coffee and a book on the back deck.

2021 Reading Challenges Mid-Year Update

After the disaster that was 2020, I scaled way back with my reading commitments for 2021. My 2020 reading was decent (230 books!), but I felt like I was committing myself to reading a lot of things that I wasn’t super interested in. I decided to fall back on my mood reading process for 2021 and limit my reading challenges. I kept a few around, but only ones that fit in with what I wanted to do. Let’s see how I’m doing midway through the year.

Goodreads 104/200 - I don’t count this in my update really, but here’s where I’m at overall.
Perpetual Books 19/30 63.3%**
UnRed Shelf Project 21/50 42%
Modern Mrs. Darcy Past Summer Reading Guides 9/20 45%
Winter Seasonal 14/25. 56%
Spring Seasonal. 12/25 48%
Summer Seasonal 2/25. 8%
Fall Seasonal /25
Currently Reading 12/12 100%
UnRead Shelf 7/24. 29.2%*
Kid’s Read Alouds 12/15. 80%**

Total Challenges 1/10 10%

Total Reading Slots 108/251. 43%

* - Needs Work
** - Doing a Great Job

Comments: Letting my moods pick my next read has really been helped this year so far. My reading has hit a steady pace and I’m picking up so many books that I’m excited for. I think the backing off of challenges has really helped me be more content with my reading life.

Next up on the TBR pile:

A Master of Djinn by P. Djèlí Clark

Title: A Master of Djinn

Author: P. Djèlí Clark

Publisher: Tor.com 2021

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 396

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Seasonal TBR

Cairo, 1912: Though Fatma el-Sha’arawi is the youngest woman working for the Ministry of Alchemy, Enchantments and Supernatural Entities, she’s certainly not a rookie, especially after preventing the destruction of the universe last summer.

So when someone murders a secret brotherhood dedicated to one of the most famous men in history, al-Jahiz, Agent Fatma is called onto the case. Al-Jahiz transformed the world forty years ago when he opened up the veil between the magical and mundane realms, before vanishing into the unknown. This murderer claims to be al-Jahiz, returned to condemn the modern age for its social oppressions. His dangerous magical abilities instigate unrest in the streets of Cairo that threaten to spill over onto the global stage.

Alongside her Ministry colleagues and a familiar person from her past, Agent Fatma must unravel the mystery behind this imposter to restore peace to the city—or face the possibility he could be exactly who he seems…

I was super excited by the first full-length from Clark after reading some of his novellas. I got into it and really enjoyed the story following Agent Fatma and her adventures through Egypt. I loved the inclusion of steampunk elements to this alternate history of Egypt. I love a good world-building in my fantasy novels and this one did not disappoint. I really enjoyed puzzling out the mystery and how Fatma was going to catch the killer. I will admit that I had the killer pegged from about a fourth of the way through the novel. But I did still enjoy the ride. My favorite parts were the interactions with the various djinn. I loved seeing all the different types and how they fit into human society. The pacing was a bit off at times and I felt like there’s was a bit much of posturing by some of the characters. For those reasons, I did take off a star.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Pool Time Videos

Ooof So True…

J had me watch this the other night. It’s a fascinating look at an iconic song, even if you don’t really know music theory.

These were way too funny… Loved Six Eggs!

I’ll watch basically anything with Dwayne Johnson in it, but this I’m a bit leery of.

The Whispering House by Elizabeth Brooks

Title: The Whispering House

Author: Elizabeth Brooks

Publisher: Tin House Books 2021

Genre: Gothic Fiction

Pages: 380

Rating: 2/5 stars

Reading Challenges: MMD; Summer TBR

Freya Lyell is struggling to move on from her sister Stella’s death five years ago. Visiting the bewitching Byrne Hall, only a few miles from the scene of the tragedy, she discovers a portrait of Stella—a portrait she had no idea existed, in a house Stella never set foot in. Or so she thought.

Driven to find out more about her sister’s secrets, Freya is drawn into the world of Byrne Hall and its owners: charismatic artist Cory and his sinister, watchful mother. But as Freya lingers in this mysterious, centuries-old house, her relationship with Cory crosses the line into obsession and the darkness behind the locked doors of the estate threatens to spill out.

In prose as lush and atmospheric as Byrne Hall itself, Elizabeth Brooks weaves a simmering, propulsive tale of art, sisterhood, and all-consuming love: the ways it can lead us toward tenderness, nostalgia, and longing, as well as shocking acts of violence.

Such high hopes for this one… and it fell so flat for me. Anne Bogel told me that this one was for fans of Mexican Gothic and Jane Eyre. I was sold after hearing that. But right away, I had less gothic vibes and more unreliable narrator. I was not a fan of Freya from page one and she just got worse at the book went on. And then the story begins to get very muddled and I started to have problems understanding what exactly was happening. Every scene with Cory took on this dreamlike quality that I wasn’t excited about. Instead, I just kept yelling at Freya for every stupid decision. And the plot got very silly and I just couldn’t enjoy myself. Boring.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Homeschool W37: We Finished Our U.S. History Curriculum!

What We Studied

Literature and Poetry

We finished one read aloud and started the next one. I was super excited about reading The Phantom Tollbooth and Arthur was excited about reading Scary Stories for Young Foxes. We also did some journal writing.

The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster
Scary Stories for Young Foxes by Christian McKay Heidicker

Math

Another week of math review and Khan Academy.

Social Studies

We finished our U.S. History curriculum for the year with a lesson on the Bill of Rights and one on the native groups of the Northwest and the Plateau.

We the People: The United States Constitution Explored and Explained by Aura Lewis & Evan Sargent
Flags Over America by Cheryl Harness
Northwest Coast Indians by Liz Sonneborn
The Eagle’s Song: A Tale from the Pacific Northwest by Kristina Rodanas
Raven: A Trickster Tale from the Pacific Northwest by Gerald McDermott
Nez Perce by Sarah Tieck
Plateau Indians by Christin Ditchfield

Science

We covered energy in the form of sound and light. Arthur got pretty interested and made some great connections to previous lessons. We also watched two episodes of Magic School Bus to review our information.

Light is All Around Us by Wendy Pfeffer
The Energy We See: A Look at Light by Jennifer Boothroyd
Invention Hunters: Discover How Light Works by Korwin Briggs
Light Waves by David A. Adler
Science Experiments with Light by Alex Kiskowski
Let's Ride a Wave! Diving Into the Science of Light and Sound Waves with Physics by Chris Ferrie
Sounds All Around by Wendy Pfeffer
The Sound of Silence by Katrina Goldsaito
Science Experiments with Sight and Sound by Alex Kuskowski
Can You Hear Sounds in Space? and Other Questions About Sound by Anna Claybourne
All About Sound by Angela Royston

Art

Nothing formal

Music

We continued with The Beatles by listening to A Hard Day’s Night and Beatles for Sale.

Unit Theme

We spent some time learning about Juneteenth and connecting history to our current social issues. I’m amazed that Arthur really connected and make conclusions as much as he did.

Let's Talk About Race by Julius Lester
Juneteenth for Mazie by Floyd Cooper
All Different Now: Juneteenth, the First Day of Freedom by Angela Johnson
Juneteenth Jamboree by Carole Boston Weatherford

Misc. - Random picture books read

Squid Kid the Magnificent by Lynne Berry
Alistair and Kip’s Great Adventure by John Segal
Together by Emma Dodd
The Whale in My Swimming Pool by Joyce Wan
The Magic School Bus in the Time of the Dinosaurs by Joanna Cole
There’s a Dolphin in the Grand Canal by John Bemelmans Marciano
A Perfect Day by Sarah S. Brannen
Trucks Roll by George Ella Lyon
Lenny the Lobster Can’t Stay for Dinner by Finn Buckley with Michael Buckley
Whale Shines by Fiona Robinson
The Old Mermaid Who Swallowed a Shark by Lucille Colandro
A Home for Leo by Vin Vogel
I’m a Shark by Bob Shea
Introducing Teddy by Jessica Walton
The Whale the Sea and the Stars by Adrián Macho

Highs

We had a lovely park playdate with friends on Tuesday. We are really enjoying shady parks right now due to the high temperatures.

Lows

The temperatures were absolutely ridiculous… and we lost all motivation to go anywhere or do anything.

Next Week

Next up on the TBR pile:

Music Monday - The Violent "Smile Like a Hostage"

Random find from Sirius XM’s Octane.

The Echo Wife by Sarah Gailey

Title: The Echo Wife

Author: Sarah Gailey

Publisher: Tor 2021

Genre: Science Fiction

Pages: 256

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges:

I’m embarrassed, still, by how long it took me to notice. Everything was right there in the open, right there in front of me, but it still took me so long to see the person I had married.
It took me so long to hate him.
Martine is a genetically cloned replica made from Evelyn Caldwell’s award-winning research. She’s patient and gentle and obedient. She’s everything Evelyn swore she’d never be.
And she’s having an affair with Evelyn’s husband.
Now, the cheating bastard is dead, and both Caldwell wives have a mess to clean up.
Good thing Evelyn Caldwell is used to getting her hands dirty.

I was completely blown away by the premise of this novel. I went into it with very little knowledge (just that it was about clones) and that was definitely the way to go. We immediately meet Martine and start to unravel what happened in the past. From there, we start to understand what is going to happen in the future. And things become very complicated. While the plot was fast moving, I kept coming back to the characters and our understanding of what makes someone human. I found the comparison between Evelyn and Martine to be fascinating. I loved following along as they each wrestled with a lot of self-reflection. I’ve read a few reviews that were not happy about the long scientific passages. I found myself skimming those passages but understanding that the focus on the scientific procedures was how Evelyn dealt with the many revelations and and new situations. I’m still thinking about all the implications of this novel. Another win for Sarah Gailey! I have to put their other books onto my short TBR.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Summer TBR

Summer TBR:

Daughters of Sparta by Claire Heywood
Troy by Stephen Fry
World Travel: An Irreverent Guide by Anthony Bourdain
A Psalm for the Wild-Built (Monk & Robot #1) by Becky Chambers
Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid
For the Wolf (Wilderwood #1) by Hannah Whitten
The Guide by Peter Heller
Laundry Love: Finding Joy in a Common Chore by Patric Richardson
The Maidens by Alex Michaelides
Hour of the Witch by Chris Bohjalian
The Kingdoms by Natasha Pulley
People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry
Four Hundred Souls: A Community History of African America 1619-2019
Mara Dyer and Noah Shaw Series by Michelle Hodkin
- The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer (Mara Dyer #1)
- The Becoming of Noah Shaw (The Shaw Confessions #1)
- The Reckoning of Noah Shaw (The Shaw Confessions #2)
The Final Girl Support Group by Grady Hendrix
Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times by Katherine May
Into the Heartless Wood by Joanna Ruth Meyer
The Whispering House by Elizabeth Brooks
Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
Ariadne by Jennifer Saint
Black Cobra Quartet by Stephanie Laurens
- The Untamed Bride
- The Elusive Bride
- The Brazen Bride
- The Reckless Bride
The Thousandth Floor by Katharine McGee
- The Thousandth Floor
- The Dazzling Heights
Every Hidden Thing by Kenneth Oppel
Magic for Liars by Sarah Gailey
A Master of Djinn by P. Djèlí Clark

Spring TBR: Let’s see how I did on my Spring TBR. I managed to read 12/25. Not bad, but not amazing either. I’m so much of a mood reader that sometimes I forget about books that I put on the list. I think summer’s list will go better.

Foundation by Isaac Asimov
Lives of the Monster Dogs by Kirsten Bakis
Girl, Serpent, Thorn by Melissa Bashardoust ✓
Lady Mechanika series ✓
- Volume 5: La Belle Dame Sans Merci ✓
- Volume 6: Sangre ✓
Daring Greatly by Brene Brown ✓
The Girl with the Louding Voice by Abi Dare
A Jane Austen Education by William Deresiewicz ✓
The Neverending Story by Michael Ende
Experiemntal Film by Gemma Files
Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari
The Space Between Worlds by Micaiah Johnson
Broken by Jenny Lawson ✓
A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh
Outlawed by Anna North ✓
The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner ✓
Still Life by Louise Penny ✓
Bridgerton Series by Julia Quinn ✓
- It’s In His Kiss ✓
- On the Way to the Wedding ✓
- Happily Ever After ✓
Swamplandia by Karen Russell
Buy Yourself the F*cking Lilies by Tara Schuster ✓
The Toll by Neal Shusterman ✓
I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith
Dear Fahrenheit 451 by Annie Spence ✓
Will Storr vs The Supernatural by Will Storr
The Nest by Cynthia d’Aprix Sweeney

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Road Trip by Beth O'Leary

Title: The Road Trip

Author: Beth O’Leary

Publisher: Berkley 2021

Genre: Romance

Pages: 398

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges:

What if the end of the road is just the beginning?

Four years ago, Dylan and Addie fell in love under the Provence sun. Wealthy Oxford student Dylan was staying at his friend Cherry’s enormous French villa; wild child Addie was spending her summer as the on-site caretaker. Two years ago, their relationship officially ended. They haven’t spoken since.

Today, Dylan’s and Addie’s lives collide again. It’s the day before Cherry’s wedding, and Addie and Dylan crash cars at the start of the journey there. The car Dylan was driving is wrecked, and the wedding is in rural Scotland—he’ll never get there on time by public transport.

So, along with Dylan’s best friend, Addie’s sister, and a random guy on Facebook who needed a ride, they squeeze into a space-challenged Mini and set off across Britain. Cramped into the same space, Dylan and Addie are forced to confront the choices they made that tore them apart—and ask themselves whether that final decision was the right one after all.

I just read The Flatshare for book club and was expecting more of the same. This book is less fun and light romance and more serious relationship drama. But I found that I really did like it. We get a great forced proximity trope to explore the past and potential future relationship between Addie and Dylan. We get a much more nuanced look at romantic relationships. I can definitely see how O’Leary has grown as a writer since The Flatshare. Addie and Dylan are much more realistic characters. Tiffy and Leon were a bit 2-dimensional. This book was much more relatable. While I really enjoyed the story between Addie and Dylan, I loved seeing the other relationships in the book even more. Addie and Deb have an amazing sister bond and I loved seeing them support each other unconditionally. And I loved seeing how Marcus changed and grew throughout the timeline. This book isn’t going to be on my Top 10 list probably, but I really did enjoy this one.

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Drowning Kind by Jennifer McMahon

Title: The Drowning Kind

Author: Jennifer McMahon

Publisher: Gallery Press 2021

Genre: Thriller

Pages: 285

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges:

When social worker Jax receives nine missed calls from her older sister, Lexie, she assumes that it’s just another one of her sister’s episodes. Manic and increasingly out of touch with reality, Lexie has pushed Jax away for over a year. But the next day, Lexie is dead: drowned in the pool at their grandmother’s estate. When Jax arrives at the house to go through her sister’s things, she learns that Lexie was researching the history of their family and the property. And as she dives deeper into the research herself, she discovers that the land holds a far darker past than she could have ever imagined.

In 1929, thirty-seven-year-old newlywed Ethel Monroe hopes desperately for a baby. In an effort to distract her, her husband whisks her away on a trip to Vermont, where a natural spring is showcased by the newest and most modern hotel in the Northeast. Once there, Ethel learns that the water is rumored to grant wishes, never suspecting that the spring takes in equal measure to what it gives.

I’m not usually one for thrillers, but the premise of this one intrigued me. Plus, two of the hosts of my favorite bookish podcast, Currently Reading, really enjoyed this one. I had to pick it up and I ended up loving it! I get very annoyed when books are labeled as supernatural thrillers but then don’t have any actual ghosts. This one has actual ghosts and it made my heart happy. Right away we are plunged into the very creepy setting og Sparrow Crest and the springs right off the patio. You just know that something tragic is going to happen (and has happened many times before) and it does. From there, we follow Jax as she attempt to unravel the mystery and deal with her own future. We also get the story of how Ethel came to know of the springs and how it affected her life in the late 1920s. I actually liked both story lines, probably because I liked both women. I wanted to see how they were connected and what actually lived at the bottom of the springs. The book did not disappoint. This reminded me of The Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James. I got the same kind of creepy creepy vibes. I might have to pick up McMahon’s previous book soon.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Odds and Ends

Here's my randomness for the week:

The heart is really getting to me… I never want to eat food (even though I really should) and I’m having so much trouble sleeping.
Thankful that we replaced the AC last fall. So much better than last summer!
Watermelon is amazing. That’s all.
I have so many projects in the works. I really need to make a few Gantt charts to help me out.
Working on our fall schedule and I just keep moving everything around. Really need to just commit to something for peace of mind right now.
Speaking of, I need to pull all my material for Quentin and rethink some things. He’s been just passively learning this past year and I think some of it will be beneath him.
Over the last week I have put in a Book Outlet order for 26 books and two Amazon orders a total of 30 books. Five were for the reading retreat and one was for me. The rest are for the kids for homeschooling. So many books will be arriving!

Next up on the TBR pile:

A Jane Austen Education by William Deresiewicz

Title: A Jane Austen Education: How Six Novels Taught Me About Love, Friendship, and the Things That Really Matter

Author: William Deresiewicz

Publisher: Penguin Books 2012

Genre: Nonfiction

Pages: 288

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Modern Mrs. Darcy Summer Reading Guide; Seasonal TBR

Before Jane Austen, William Deresiewicz was a very different young man. A sullen and arrogant graduate student, he never thought Austen would have anything to offer him. Then he read Emma—and everything changed.

In this unique and lyrical book, Deresiewicz weaves the misadventures of Austen’s characters with his own youthful follies, demonstrating the power of the great novelist’s teachings—and how, for Austen, growing up and making mistakes are one and the same. Honest, erudite, and deeply moving, A Jane Austen Education is the story of one man’s discovery of the world outside himself.

I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from this book, but ended up really enjoying it. We follow William along as he discovers both life lessons and the works of Jane Austen. The book is part self-reflection, part literary analysis, and part fan letter. I enjoyed how each chapter focused on the writer’s big lesson from a novel and included what was happening in his life at the same time. My favorite chapter was about Northanger Abbey. I loved the discussion of the Thorpes and the Tilneys. A few of the pages do drag a bit, but overall it’s a joy for the fan of Jane Austen.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Dear Fahrenheit 451 by Annie Spence

Title: Dear Fahrenheit 451: Love and Heartbreak in the Stacks: A Librarian's Love Letters and Breakup Notes to the Books in Her Life

Author: Annie Spence

Publisher: Flatiron Books 2017

Genre: Nonfiction

Pages: 248

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Seasonal TBR

If you love to read, and presumably you do since you’ve picked up this book (!), you know that some books affect you so profoundly they forever change the way you think about the world. Some books, on the other hand, disappoint you so much you want to throw them against the wall. Either way, it’s clear that a book can be your new soul mate or the bad relationship you need to end.

In Dear Fahrenheit 451, librarian Annie Spence has crafted love letters and breakup notes to the iconic and eclectic books she has encountered over the years. From breaking up with The Giving Tree (a dysfunctional relationship book if ever there was one), to her love letter to The Time Traveler’s Wife (a novel less about time travel and more about the life of a marriage, with all of its ups and downs), Spence will make you think of old favorites in a new way. Filled with suggested reading lists, Spence’s take on classic and contemporary books is very much like the best of literature―sometimes laugh-out-loud funny, sometimes surprisingly poignant, and filled with universal truths.

Finally! I grabbed this slim volume off the library shelves and read these delightful letters to various books. I really enjoyed Spence’s irreverent take on various books of classic literature as well as random surprise books from the stacks. Some of the letters made me laugh out loud. My least favorite section was the book recommendations at the end, but even those were interesting to see what she paired together. Overall, this is a book for book lovers. A delightful day’s reading.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Homeschool W36: It's Too Hot to School...

What We Studied

Literature and Poetry

We continued reading The Phantom Tollbooth and many other picture books. We also worked on some basic grammar review and more journal writing.

The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster
Silver Seeds by Paul Paolilli and Dan Brewer (poems)
We Need More Nuts by Jonathan Fenske (Arthur read)
Hello Crabby by Jonathan Fenske (Arthur read)

Math

Continuing with our big review and games. We finished Lollipop Logic Book 3. Now I need to find some other logic puzzle series for Arthur.

Max Explains Everything: Grocery Store Expert by Stacy McAnulty
Last to Finish: A Story About the Smartest Boy in Math Class by Barbara Esham

Social Studies

We covered three different U.S. History lessons this week. We started with a lesson on African Americans after the War featuring Richard Allen, Absalom Jones, Paul Cuffee, and Ona Judge. We moved on to a lesson on Benjamin Banneker. And finished with a lesson about John and Abigail Adams.

Answering the Cry for Freedom by Gretchen Woelfle
100 African Americans Who Shaped American History by Chrisanne Beckner
America’s Black Founders by Nancy Sanders
The Escape of Oney Judge by Emily Arnold McCully
Runaway: The Daring Escape of Ona Judge by Ray Anthony Shepard
Molly Bannaky by Alice McGill
Tick Tock Banneker’s Clock by Shana Keller
The Revolutionary John Adams by Cheryl Harness
A Picture Book of John and Abigail Adams by David A. Adler
Abigail Adams by Alexandra Wallner
Leave It to Abigail: The Revolutionary Life of Abigail Adams by Barb Rosenstock

Science

We learned all about matter and changing states of matter this week. I’m amazed at how quickly Arthur (and even Quentin) caught on to this concept.

Matter: See It, Touch It, Taste It, Smell. It by Darlene Stille
Change It! Solids, Liquids, Gases, and You by Adrienne Mason
Solids, Liquids, Gases, and Plasma by David A. Adler
Experiments with States of Matter by Trevor Cook

Art

Nothing formal

Music

We started our big unit on The Beatles. We are going to listen to all the songs from the Beatles and trace their musical growth through the years. This week we covered everything from 1962 and 1963.

The Beatles by Mike Venezia
The Beatles were Fab (and They were Funny) by Kathleen Krull

Unit Theme

We celebrated Pride Month this week by learning about gender identity, the rainbow flag, and the history of Pride. I found some really good basic books to introduce this topic.

It Feels Good to Be Yourself: A Book About Gender Identity by Theresa Thorn
The Gender Wheel: A Story About Bodies and Gender for Everybody by Maya Gonzalez
This Day in June by Gayle E. Pitman
Pride: The Story of Harvey Milk and the Rainbow Flag by Rob Sanders
Sewing the Rainbow: The Story of Gilbert Baker and the Rainbow Flag by Gayle E. Pitman
The Rainbow Flag: Bright, Bold, and Beautiful by Michelle Millar Fisher

Misc. - Random picture books read

Pup 681: A Sea Otter Rescue by Jean Reidy
To the Sea by Cale Atkinson
Ebb & Flo and the Baby Seal by Jane Simmons
The Boy and the Whale by Mordicai Gerstein
Beachy and Me by Bob Staake
Inky's Amazing Escape by Sy Montgomery
Wake Up, Crabby! by Jonathan Fenske
Always Remember by Cece Meng
The Storm Whale by Benji Davies
A Whale of a Mistake by Ioana Hobai
A Whale in the Bathtub by Kylie Westaway
Star of the Sea by Janet Halfmann
Peanut Butter and Jellyfish by Jarrett J. Krosoczka
Little Whale by Jo Weaver
The Heart of a Whale by Anna Pignataro
Starfish, Where are You? by Barroux
All the Water in the World by George Ella Lyon and Katherine Tillotson

Highs

We braved the very high temperatures to go berry picking on Monday. Unlike last year, we actually came home with a ton of strawberries. J made a strawberry pie and a strawberry rhubarb pie out of them. Yum!

Lows

The very high temperatures meant that we didn’t spend that much time outside this past week. I wanted to go to another state park, but knew we wouldn’t be able to handle the heat.

Next Week

We are going to finish The Phantom Tollbooth as well as our U.S. History Curriculum. For science we will be studying light and sound. We will continue listening to the Beatles and doing a math review. And we will cover Juneteenth for our unit theme.

Next up on the TBR pile: