2016 Reading Challenges Update #1

Somehow I almost forgot to post this update during the first quarter of 2016... Thankfully I remembered, right at the end of April! This year I scaled back on the number of challenges and number of spots. I wanted to switch the focus from reading challenge to just reading So far my strategy seems to be working very well!

Total Challenges: 2/13 15.4%

Total Spots: 227/372  61%

Individual Challenge Progress:

• Perpetual Reading Challenges  12/20
• Read My Own Damn Books  18/40
• I Love Libraries  24/24  100%**
• Nonfiction  8/20
• Popsugar  15/40
• What’s in a Name   2/6
• Fairytale Retelling  1/10
• Books to Movies  3/10
• Finishing the Series  1/6
• Graphic Novel  20/24
• Women Authors  6/20
• 52 Books in 52 Weeks  17/52
• Picture Books   100/100  100%***

*Successes: I've already completed two reading challenges!!! And I'm close to completely a few others.

**Failures (Needs Improvement): I'm definitely behind on my What's in a Name, Books to Movies, and Nonfiction. I'm sure I'll get to these soon enough!

April 2016 Wrap-up and Monthly TBR

Hop on over to Booksessed to participate.

April's TBR Pile (10/10):

1. Book Club Selection: (already read)
2. MVPA Book Club Selection: Let's Pretend This Never Happened by Jenny Lawson (reread) √
3. Series Pick: The Orchid Affair by Lauren Willig √
4. Nonfiction Pick: Failure is Impossible by Lynn Sherr √
5. Jar Pick: Ready Player One by Ernest Cline √
6. Jar Pick: A Dance with Dragons by George R.R. Martin √
7. Added: Away in a Manger by Lauren Willig √
8. Added: Ivy and Intrigue by Lauren Willig √
9. Added: After You by Jojo Moyes √
10. Added: The Lost by Sarah Beth Durst √
11. Added: The Garden Intrigue by Lauren Willig √

Picture Book Roundup:

1. Twenty-Six Pirates by Dave Horowitz
2. Duck to the Rescue by John Himmelman
3. Food Trucks by Mark Todd
4. The Day Louis Got Eaten by John Fardell
5. Cock-a-Doodle Dudley by Bill Peet
6. Pigs to the Rescue by John Himmelman
7. Build, Dogs, Build by James Horvath
8. Go Go Go Stop by Charise Mericle Harper
9. Space Dog by Mini Grey
10. Yellow Copter by Kersten Hamilton
11. Look by Jeff Mack
12. Alphabet Trains by Samantha Vamos
13. Bad Pirate by Kari-Lynn Winters
14. Elephants Can't Jump by Jeanne Willis
15. Noisy Animal Peekaboo by Sirwett
16. Hiccupotamus by Steve Smallman
17. Dino-Daddy by Sam Lloyd
18. How Do Dinosaurs Stay Safe? by Jane Yolen
19. Ninja Bunny by Jennifer Grey Olson
20. Firebears The Rescue Team by Rhonda Gowler Greene
21. A People House by Dr. Seuss
22. Hello Olaf by Andrea Posner-Sanchez
23. Camp Rex by Molly Idle
24. Pirates in Pajamas by Caroline Crowe
25. Small Elephant's Bathtime by Tatyana Feeney
26. Sophie's Animal Parade by Amy Dixon
27. Dining with Monsters by Agnese Baruzzi

1,000,000 Page Goal

Monthly Total: 3882 pages
Pages Remaining: 757,668 pages

Current Read - The Iron Warrior by Julie Kagawa

Books I Gave Up On (0)

Challenges Completed  -- My first completed challenge of 2016 is I Love Libraries! I can't resist the shiny new finds from the library.

Books bought/received

Amazon $4

• And Only to Deceive by Tasha Alexander (for book club)

2016 Total Spent: $7.27

Comments - 2016's reading has rocked! I've read so many great books, got some off my shelves, and added to my pages read total. I'm so excited as to what May will bring. The next Bout of Books readathon is coming soon (I'll be posting my goals/TBR posts soon). But that also means that I have just a few weeks before the twins arrive. We'll see how my reading fairs in the summer.

May's TBR Pile:

1. Book Club Selection: (already read)
2. MVPA Book Club Selection: And Only to Deceive by Tasha Alexander
3. Series Pick: Saga Vol. 5
4. Nonfiction Pick: ???
5. Jar Pick: Breathe by Sarah Crossan
6. Jar Pick: The Iron Warrior by Julie Kagawa

The Garden Intrigue by Lauren Willig

Title: The Garden Intrigue (Pink Carnation #9)

Author: Lauren Willig

Publisher: New American Library 2012

Genre: Historical Fiction

Pages: 388

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Read My Own Damn Books

Secret agent Augustus Whittlesby has spent a decade undercover in France, posing as an insufferably bad poet. The French surveillance officers can’t bear to read his work closely enough to recognize the information drowned in a sea of verbiage.

New York-born Emma Morris Delagardie is a thorn in Augustus’s side. An old school friend of Napoleon’s stepdaughter, she came to France with her uncle, eloped with a Frenchman, and has been rattling around the salons of Paris ever since. Now widowed, she entertains herself by holding a weekly salon, and loudly critiquing Augustus’s poetry.

As Napoleon pursues his plans for the invasion of England, Whittlesby hears of a top-secret device to be demonstrated at a house party. The catch? The only way in is with Emma, who has been asked to write a masque for the weekend’s entertainment. In this complicated masque within a masque, nothing goes quite as scripted—especially Augustus’s unexpected feelings for Emma.

Still loving this series, but I will say this volume wasn't my favorite. I was a fan of Augustus and Emma, but the pacing seemed very off. The ending felt very rushed and a bit far-fetched. I would have loved to spend a bit more time wrapping up the storyline and getting a better declaration of love the two main characters. I just didn't completely buy into their ending. Possibly we will see these two characters again... Can't wait to see what happens in the next volume!

Pink Carnation:

• #1 The Secret History of the Pink Carnation
• #2 The Masque of the Black Tulip
• #3 The Deception of the Emerald Ring
• #4 The Seduction of the Crimson Rose
• #5 The Temptation of the Night Jasmine
• #6 The Betrayal of the Blood Lily
• #7 The Mischief of the Mistletoe
• #8 The Orchid Affair
• #8.5 Away in a Manger
• #8.7 Ivy and Intrigue
• #9 The Garden Intrigue
• #10 The Passion of the Purple Plumeria
• #11 The Mark of the Midnight Manzanilla
• #12 The Lure of the Moonflower

Videos for Your Enjoyment

This has to be the best one yet! 

Must see movie. I really did like the book.

That was beautiful...

I didn't even know this was coming out! Must see must see!

Is it weird that I want to see this ridiculous looking movie?

Currently #5

Watching: J and I dove into Houdini and Doyle (itv) and we are so addicted! The show is so much fun and love Stephen Mangan and Michael Weston as the title characters!

Reading: Finished Ready Player One by Ernest Cline on Tuesday, so I picked up The Garden Intrigue by Lauren Willig to finish out April.

Listening: Lots of podcasts! I'm currently trying to catch up on Elise Gets Crafty. Still like a year behind on that one...

Making: Started on the May Design Team and Stamp Club cards. I get to preorder from the new catalog on May 3rd, but in the meantime, I picked up a few new stamp sets to tide me over.

Feeling: I'm still having a lot of scar tissue/ligament pain, but the nausea has decreased. Definitely liking the second trimester more than the first.

Planning: The twins are arriving in a few weeks. I'm starting to figure out what we want to do while they are here.

Loving: The sunshine helps me feel better. And ice cream always helps!

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

Title: Ready Player One

Author: Ernest Cline

Publisher: Random House 2011

Genre: Science Fiction

Pages: 374

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Library; Popsugar - NYT Bestseller; 52 Books - W17

In the year 2044, reality is an ugly place. The only time teenage Wade Watts really feels alive is when he's jacked into the virtual utopia known as the OASIS. Wade's devoted his life to studying the puzzles hidden within this world's digital confines—puzzles that are based on their creator's obsession with the pop culture of decades past and that promise massive power and fortune to whoever can unlock them. But when Wade stumbles upon the first clue, he finds himself beset by players willing to kill to take this ultimate prize. The race is on, and if Wade's going to survive, he'll have to win—and confront the real world he's always been so desperate to escape.

Holy cow! I am blown away by this book. Everyone I know needs to read it so we can discuss further... I was immediately sucked into the world of OASIS and Wade's life in and out of OASIS. Cline created such a detailed world that I can see everything perfectly in my mind. The characters are all very realistic. But the best part of the book is all the 80s references... I am in awe of how many references are included in this slim novel! I can't wait to have the twins and J read the book so we can discuss further.

Music Monday -- iPod Shuffle

Amanda Palmer and The Grand Theft Orchestra "Want It Back" 

Rilo Kiley "Portions for Foxes"

The Fray "Vienna"

101 in 1001 Update #15

What I did:

13. Pass 500 books for Arthur’s 1000 Books Before Kindergarten (497/500) — We're sitting so close to 500! We haven't made it yet, but once we include April's reads, this goal will be accomplished.

25. Complete 10 Day in the Life posts (2/10) -- Not completed, but I'm planning another DitL post for this coming week.

34. Make 250 different greeting cards (191/250) -- 8 more different designs for this past month. Getting closer to my goal

45. Make 50 new recipes (46/50) -- I made Spicy Thai Noodles a few weeks back. Good, but I need to add a bit more sauce next time.

72. Donate something extra at each MVPA social x 10 (6/10) -- Our spring social was last week and we held a book drive. I love buying books so I had to buy extra to donate!

Remaining goals and total:

Friends, Family, and Love 1. Send out homemade holiday cards in December 2x (1/2) 2. Build a snowman 3. Complete 52 once a week photos of Arthur 5. Date nights x 20 6. Complete a Jar of Life 7. Host a tea party 9. Write a personal manifesto 10. Take a picture of myself every first day of the month 11. Give 5 Just Because gifts 12. Give Arthur 25 pictures books in 25 days for December 2016 16. Take Arthur and twins to go see Santa

Crafting and Culture 17. Attend an opera or musical 18. Reread the Lord of the Rings Trilogy and The Hobbit 20. Finish one of my Perpetual Reading Challenges 22. Ask 20 friends to suggest one book, and read them all 23. Watch a meteor shower 24. Attend 5 concerts (1/5) 27. Tour a factory 28. Read 100,000 pages toward 1,000,000 page goal (44,743/100,000) 29. Finish 2015 and 2016 Project Life book (family and Arthur) 30. Finish 2015 and 2016 December Daily 32. Watch 100 different TED Talks and do a short review/analysis on the blog (new series) 33. Watch/rewatch every Academy Awards Best Picture since the year I was born (1982) 1982: Gandhi 1983: Terms of Endearment 1984: Amadeus 1985: Out of Africa 1986: Platoon 1987: The Last Emperor 1988: Rain Man 1989: Driving Miss Daisy 1990: Dances with Wolves 1991: Silence of the Lambs 1992: Unforgiven 1993: Schindler’s List 1994: Forrest Gump 1995: Braveheart 1996: The English Patient 1997: Titanic 1998: Shakespeare in Love 1999: American Beauty 2000: Gladiator 2001: A Beautiful Mind 2002: Chicago 2003: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King 2004: Million Dollar Baby 2005: Crash 2006: The Departed 2007: No Country for Old Men 2008: Slumdog Millionaire 2009: The Hurt Locker 2010: The King’s Speech 2011: The Artist 2012: Argo 2013: 12 Years a Slave 2014: TBD 2015: TBD 2016: TBD 35. See a drive-in movie 36. Listen to every song by The Beatles 37. Finish watching every Star Trek television episode and movie 38. Have a Pixar movie month 39. Complete The Artist’s Way 41. Learn Ruby on rails

Food and Drink 44. Take a cooking class 46. Open a cookbook to a random page and make what ever is on it 48. Take a bartending class 51. Make fresh pasta 52. Learn to make a good martini 53. Do a brewery tour 54. Try 25 new restaurants (16/25) 55. Try 5 new to me foods

Health and Fitness 57. Lose 2 pants sizes 58. Walk a 5K 59. Get a massage 60. Take a yoga class 61. Get three pedicures (1/3) 62. Do a spa day 65. Get lasik 66. Get CPR certified again

Travel 67. Stay at a Bed and Breakfast 68. Go on a vacation with Josh 70. Travel to a new state

Philanthropic 71. Give a 100% tip 73. Pay it forward at Starbucks/coffeeshop

Financial 76. Open an Etsy shop

Miscellaneous 79. Get Arthur’s tattoo 80. Get a passport 82. Learn how to use our DSLR 84. Make a chalk mural on the driveway/porch 87. Complete a coloring book 89. Take an IQ test 90. Play Bingo in a bingo hall 95. Go to a convention (blogging, SU, etc) 96. Dye my hair purple 97. Revamp my wardrobe 98. Take real photos of me for my blogs 99. Post a vlog 100. Go apple/berry/etc picking

The Lost by Sarah Beth Durst

Title: The Lost (The Lost #1)

Author: Sarah Beth Durst

Publisher: Harlequin 2014

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 350

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Library; Popsugar - First book you see in a bookstore (library); Women Authors

It was only meant to be a brief detour. But then Lauren finds herself trapped in a town called Lost on the edge of a desert, filled with things abandoned, broken and thrown away. And when she tries to escape, impassible dust storms and something unexplainable lead her back to Lost again and again. The residents she meets there tell her she's going to have to figure out just what she's missing—and what she's running from—before she can leave. So now Lauren's on a new search for a purpose and a destiny. And maybe, just maybe, she'll be found….

Against the backdrop of this desolate and mystical town, Sarah Beth Durst writes an arresting, fantastical novel of one woman's impossible journey…and her quest to find her fate.

This was the first book I saw at the library last week and something about the cover drew me in. I picked it up without really thinking yesterday and somehow finished this book in a day and a half. I was immediately pulled into Lauren's story. More than anything I was fascinated by Lost. The place becomes a character itself. I loved the visual details especially elements like the ocean and the train. Overall, I sped through the book on the edge of my seat waiting to see if Lauren would be able to figure out what she lost and the conclusion of her relationships with Peter and Claire. I loved this book until the very last page. The volume leaves the reader on a huge cliffhanger. I did some digging into the series, but it seems like the rest of the books aren't being released anytime soon. Oh well... Leaving off that last page, I loved the book.

The Lost

• #1 The Lost
• #2 The Missing
• #3 The Found

After You by Jojo Moyes

Title: After You (Me Before You #2)

Author: Jojo Moyes

Publisher: Viking 2015

Genre: Fiction

Pages: 352

Rating:  4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Library; Women Authors

Louisa Clark is no longer just an ordinary girl living an ordinary life. After the transformative six months spent with Will Traynor, she is struggling without him. When an extraordinary accident forces Lou to return home to her family, she can’t help but feel she’s right back where she started.

Her body heals, but Lou herself knows that she needs to be kick-started back to life. Which is how she ends up in a church basement with the members of the Moving On support group, who share insights, laughter, frustrations, and terrible cookies. They will also lead her to the strong, capable Sam Fielding—the paramedic, whose business is life and death, and the one man who might be able to understand her. Then a figure from Will’s past appears and hijacks all her plans, propelling her into a very different future. . . .

For Lou Clark, life after Will Traynor means learning to fall in love again, with all the risks that brings. But here Jojo Moyes gives us two families, as real as our own, whose joys and sorrows will touch you deeply, and where both changes and surprises await.

It took a few chapters before I really dove into this book. But once I did, I read the entire thing over two days. I dove right back into Louisa's life and I really enjoyed reading about how she's moved past Will's death. There were a few times that I got a bit choked up, but no instances of ugly crying like with the first book. Still, I really did enjoy it. Definite recommendation.

March 2016 Clothing Summary

This past summer I participated in a capsule wardrobe challenge. I learned a lot from three months of wearing ~40 pieces. One of the biggest things that I learned was that I hate most of my wardrobe. I have so many ill-fitting and/or not my style pieces cluttering my closet. After completing the summer capsule wardrobe, I decided to take the fall off from that particular challenge and work on building a wardrobe I love. To that end, I started buying clothes agin. But not just any old clothes. No more purchases from the clearance rack “just because it’s cheap.” No more keeping things that don’t quite fit. No more buying things that i love on the mannequin but look silly on me. No more buying clothes that I realistically won’t wear. Instead, I’m trying to be very selective in my buying. So, dear readers, I am going to share with you what I bought during the past month. I will post links if the item is still available and prices i paid. I don’t have a specific budget, but definitely don’t want to spend more than $100 a month. (Realistically I’m aiming for around $40 a month). You will also get to see pieces I bought that I ended up returning. By December, I want to be able to say that I bought some great pieces that I wear often. I also want to plan for a possible winter capsule wardrobe… I decided to add a running total for 2016 at the bottom. I know some months I won’t buy anything and other months I’ll splurge. I would like to monitor my total spent…

Dia & Co. Box — My last Dia & Co. Box for awhile (lots of reasons), I managed to snag one cute lightweight top. I can wear it for at least another month before California gets too hot...

Birthday Presents -- I didn't buy anything, but my mom did buy me a few things for my birthday. So no adding to my total spent, but I did get to add a few pieces to my wardrobe. Forgot to take pics of another top similar to the striped one but in mustard yellow. I know I'm going to love that black dress for this summer.

March Total: $52.00

Total for 2016: $193.74

Music Monday -- RANGE a cappella Hamilton mix

So in love with Hamilton and I stumbled upon this great a cappella mix of the entire thing. Love it!

Failure is Impossible by Lynn Sherr

Title: Failure is Impossible: Susan B Anthony in her Own Words

Author: Lynn Sherr

Publisher: Times Books 1995

Genre: Nonfiction -- History; Biography

Pages: 384

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Perpetual (NonAd; Feminism); Nonfiction; 52 Books - W16

Juxtaposed with contemporary reports and biographical essays, the words of this legendary suffragist reveal Susan B. Anthony as a loyal, caring friend, and an eloquent, humorous crusader. "More than a collection of well-arranged quotations, the work informs, inspires, and gives historical perspective."

Full disclosure: I am a huge history nerd. I also have a B.A. in Women's Studies and Susan B. Anthony has always been one of my favorite historical figures. That being said, I really wanted to love this book. I was fascinated by the idea of using mostly primary sources to get an insight in Anthony's life. Unfortunately, the volume fell flat. I couldn't get beyond the unusual format both in terms of the primary sources being the focus and the chapters divided by topic rather than time period. I just couldn't really get into this one at all. Definitely not the book for me...

Life Right Now #12

As I look outside my window: Bright and sunny. Actual the sun is causing a huge glare on my laptop. I would move but this is my couch spot for morning!

Right now I am: Drinking coffee and prepping to leave for my morning meeting. A few hours away from the toddler = precious!

Thinking and pondering: Trying to decide our meal plan and activity plans for May. So many choices...

On my bedside table: Me After You by Jojo Moyes, The Magician King by Lev Grossman, The Garden Intrigue by Lauren Willig

On my tv this week: We finished season 1 of The Magicians. Holy cow that was intense! We've also been catching up on Elementary, Turn, Archer, and Last Week Tonight. And we started Houdini and Doyle. I love Stephen Mangan and Michael Weston. Definitely a keeper!

Listening to: A giant mix from my iPod. Ive got a bit of everything on there but I've really been digging some Florence + the Machine, Mumford & Sons, and Arctic Monkeys.

On the menu for this week:

• Monday - Garlic Ranch Pizza
• Tuesday - Tater Tot Casserole
• Wednesday - Leftovers
• Thursday - Baked Potato Soup and Molasses Rolls
• Friday - Frozen meal
• Saturday - Cookout at our house! We're making Ring of Fire Chicken, Kale Caesar Pasta Salad, Apple Crisp with Caramel Sauce, and a Blueberry Pie. I'm sure others will bring things.
• Sunday - Leftovers

On my to do list: I'm in charge of buying books for our spring charity. I want to make sure to get books for a variety of ages and books that are cheap. We need to stretch our money! I also need to figure out my Stampin' Up plan for the next few months. The retiring list comes out tomorrow. The new catalog launches June 1st. I want to reevaluate my current supplies, strategically plan my purchases for April and May, and prep for a possibly catalog launch in June!

Happening this week:

• Monday - Nothing activity wise, but Stampin' Up's retiring list will be up. I'll be spending some time looking at that. And I'll have a ton of errands to do: grocery, Target, and Half Price Books (for our spring charity donation)
• Tuesday - Children's Fairyland
• Wednesday - Seven Seas Park
• Thursday - Probably errands; Stamp Club
• Friday - Possibly a walk at Shoreline
• Saturday - Cookout at our house
• Sunday - Book club over Let's Pretend This Never Happened by Jenny Lawson

What I am creating: Nothing at the moment although I am starting to lay out my card designs for May's SSINK Design Team cards.

My simple pleasures: Cucumber Mint Unsweetened Sparkling Water from Target. I found a case on clearance and it's been just the thing to help keep my nausea down. I don't want to drink pop, but I find the carbonation helpful. Sparkling water is perfect but I like a bit of flavor. These little cans are perfect for right now. I'm hoping they have more when I go back tomorrow.

Looking around the house: I'm participating in our parent group garage in May and I need to start the process of setting the sale stuff aside. I think I'll start in the master bedroom and work myself downstairs. I have my big anatomy ultrasound on May 2nd. If it's a boy, we'll be keeping all of Arthur's old clothes of course. If it's a girl, I will be keeping some clothes and selling others. Guess that means that Arthur's room will have to wait until after that scan...

From the camera: From the spring social yesterday.

Arthur: 2 1/2 Years

Arthur's officially 2 1/2 years old! Time has really flown by...

Likes: Animals, cars, planes, trains, reading books, fries, playgrounds

Dislikes: Getting his hair washed, not being able to eat cookies all the time, leaving the park, large noisy crowds

Sleeping: Arthur hasn't consistently napped for probably 8 months at his point. Every once in a while he will tire himself out and fall asleep on the couch. Other than that, it's go go go from about 7:30am to 8:00pm. He still wakes up randomly in the middle of the night. Usually he wants water or a specific animal. Sometimes he seems to have nightmares. He's actually been falling asleep with his door open and the hall light on lately. We're going to be getting him out of the crib and onto a twin mattress on the floor in the next month or so. I want the switch to happen way ahead of the baby coming in October. Fingers crossed that it goes well!

Eating: What can I say, he's a toddler. Some days Arthur will eat anything put in front of him. Other days he eats practically nothing. Picky one day and eating random weird stuff the next day. His favorites include mac and cheese, chicken, fruit, yogurt, and cookies (of course).

Playing: Every minute is playtime! His favorite activities are throwing the ball around, riding his big wheel, playing with vehicles (cars, trucks, trains, doesn't matter), reading, and tickling. He loves going places to play with his friends and enjoys chasing kids around. Hopefully the weather will warm up enough soon so we can head to the pool. He's been asking to go since Christmastime. The pool may be heated, but not that much!

Schedule:Besides a set bedtime, we try to keep mealtimes relatively set. He usually needs a snack at some point in the afternoon (just in time for me to snack also). As far as activities, we try to schedule at least two days of activities and one-two days of house time. Packing too much in ensures a toddler meltdown. But so does staying home for too long. If the weather's nice, we can least play in the backyard.

Out and About: Arthur has lots of favorite places to visit.

• Oakland Zoo -- Animals! and a train ride!
• Bay Area Discovery Museum -- Awesome train table and playground including an actual boat.
• Various playgrounds -- We've been frequenting Seven Seas in Sunnyvale. They turned the splash pad at the beginning of April, just in time for a 90 degree day.
• Library -- We alternate between Castro Valley and Dublin to get our books.
• Target -- If we go, Arthur usually gets a matchbox car.

Odds and Ends

Here's my randomness for this week:

• I just want to eat all the bread this pregnancy. Not the best, I know, but darn it so good!
• As much as I look forward to the parent group quarterly socials, I'm so ready for this one to be over.
• Need to grocery shop soon...
• Too many unread books still sitting on my shelves. The urge to read everything is strong.
• Floored by the season finale of The Magicians. I've read the books and I did not expect all those changes. Crazy... and now we have to wait forever for season 2.
• Arthur woke up in a foul mood this morning. I'm thinking we will be having a day of hanging out and watching some movies. Just don't have the energy for big projects today.
• Wishing I was in Salt Lake City today for Stampin' Up's conference. Oh well. Maybe one of these years I will actually be able to go...
• Parents magazine I loathe your "helpful" parenting articles. So not helpful and super condescending most of the time.

Pink Carnation Series Short Stories by Lauren Willig

Title: Away in a Manger (Pink Carnation #8.5) and Ivy & Intrigue (Pink Carnation #8.7)

Author: Lauren Willig

Publisher: New American Library 2011

Genre: Historical Fiction

Pages: 14; 95

Rating:  3/5 stars  4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Read My Own Damn Books; 52 Books - W15

In this bonus chapter to "The Mischief of the Mistletoe", Turnip and Arabella lose their way in a snowstorm on their way from the wedding. Will Turnip’s wedding night be snowed out? Will Arabella’s nose lead them to safety? (Oh, wait. That’s Rudolph. Never mind.) Was the storm a cunning ploy caused by the French in their quest for domination of the world pudding market?

A silly little chapter involving Turnip and Arabella. Not the greatest story I've ever read, but decently enjoyable.

In this novella (a sequel to "The Secret History of the Pink Carnation"), the newly married spy, the Purple Gentian, and his bride find more than mince pie when they head home for the holidays.

This novella was a great little sequel to Richard and Amy's story. We get the reappearance of some of my favorite characters (Miss Gwen, Miles, Hen, Jane) and learn more about the mysterious Deirdre. Plus we get bookended chapters focused on Eloise. Definitely glad I picked this one up from Amazon.  A lovely addition to the series. Now I can move on to The Garden Intrigue.

Pink Carnation:

• #1 The Secret History of the Pink Carnation
• #2 The Masque of the Black Tulip
• #3 The Deception of the Emerald Ring
• #4 The Seduction of the Crimson Rose
• #5 The Temptation of the Night Jasmine
• #6 The Betrayal of the Blood Lily
• #7 The Mischief of the Mistletoe
• #8 The Orchid Affair
• #8.5 Away in a Manger
• #8.7 Ivy and Intrigue
• #9 The Garden Intrigue
• #10 The Passion of the Purple Plumeria
• #11 The Mark of the Midnight Manzanilla
• #12 The Lure of the Moonflower

A Dance with Dragons by George R.R. Martin

Title: A Dance with Dragons (Song of Fire and Ice #5)

Author: George R.R. Martin

Publisher: Bantam 2011

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 1152

Rating:  5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Perpetual (NPR Scifi/Fan); Read My Own Damn Books; 52 Books - W14

In the aftermath of a colossal battle, the future of the Seven Kingdoms hangs in the balance once again--beset by newly emerging threats from every direction. In the east, Daenerys Targaryen, the last scion of House Targaryen, rules with her three dragons as queen of a city built on dust and death. But Daenerys has three times three thousand enemies, and many have set out to find her. Yet, as they gather, one young man embarks upon his own quest for the queen, with an entirely different goal in mind.

To the north lies the mammoth Wall of ice and stone--a structure only as strong as those guarding it. There, Jon Snow, 998th Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch, will face his greatest challenge yet. For he has powerful foes not only within the Watch but also beyond, in the land of the creatures of ice.

And from all corners, bitter conflicts soon reignite, intimate betrayals are perpetrated, and a grand cast of outlaws and priests, soldiers and skinchangers, nobles and slaves, will face seemingly insurmountable obstacles. Some will fail, others will grow in the strength of darkness. But in a time of rising restlessness, the tides of destiny and politics will lead inevitably to the greatest dance of all. . . .

It took me almost two weeks, but I finally finished the last book that's been published in A Song of Ice and Fire. And it was amazing! I was concerned at first because the beginning moved fairly slowly. Once I fully dove in, I was hooked. I loved catching up with Dany and Jon and Tyrion. They were always my favorite characters in the series. Plus we get to see more story from Aria and Davos and some other great characters. Martin has a way with crafting a compelling storyline and characters. I couldn't even predict what was going to happen in the story and that's why I loved it. Martin surprised me at every turn. And that ending was one hell of a cliffhanger. I cannot wait until The Winds of Winter.

A Song of Fire and Ice:

• #1 A Game of Thrones
• #2 A Clash of Kings
• #3 A Storm of Swords
• #4 A Feast for Crows
• #5 A Dance with Dragons
• #6 The Winds of Winter

Music Monday -- All That Remains "What If I was Nothing"

Digging this band on Octane lately... 

Life Right Now #11

As I look outside my window: Grey and rainy. It's been raining for three days now. As much as I love falling asleep to the rain, I think I'm ready for the sunshine to reappear.

Right now I am: Drinking some coffee and eating some breakfast while Arthur watches Mighty Machines.

Thinking and pondering: I need a better plan for this week. The lack of activities could result in too much tv and couch time. Time to pull out my daily pages...

On my bedside table: Almost finished with A Dance with Dragons. From there, I'm planning to read Ready Player One by Ernest Cline, Failure is Impossible by Lynn Sherr, and Let’s Pretend This Never Happened by Jenny Lawson (reread for book club in April)

On my tv this week: J and I caught up with Limitless and The Magicians. Holy cow! Those two shows are killing me (in a good way). I also started watching The Property Brothers S3 during the day.

Listening to: Nothing much this week. A few podcasts here and there, but nothing that exciting.

On the menu for this week: A light menu as we are trying to cut the grocery budget and use the food already in the kitchen.

• Monday - Sausage Crescent Roll, Eggs, Muffins, Oatmeal
• Tuesday - Dijon Brown Sugar Flank Steak, Veggies, Rolls
• Wednesday - Leftovers
• Thursday - Fish, probably Parmesan Tilapia
• Friday - Frozen meal, probably Tex Mex Chicken
• Saturday - Garlic Ranch Chicken Pizza
• Sunday - Pulled Pork Sandwiches

On my to do list: Buy and construct the photo booth frame. Finish a few blog posts. Send out April birthday cards. Send out sprinkle invites. Meal plan for the rest of April.

Happening this week: Super light week. After last week's crazy activities, it will be nice to step back and get a handle on house stuff and future planning.

• Monday - Maybe the park and errands
• Tuesday - Maybe the library
• Wednesday - Spring Social Prep Meeting
• Thursday - Maybe San Francisco Walk with Fremont ladies
• Friday - Nothing, probably house chores
• Saturday - Spring Social!!!!
• Sunday - Happiness Project Check-in

What I am creating: A few design team cards, prepping for Week in the Life in May, Catching up Arthur and twins' PL albums, Sprinkle cards and banners (for May)

My simple pleasures: Rainy nights to fall asleep, granola, grocery deals, snuggly toddlers

Looking around the house: How can Arthur trash the playroom and living room in under 10 minutes? This place is a disaster.

From the camera: Playing with the frogs.