And Then There were None by Agatha Christie

Title: And Then There Were None

Author: Agatha Christie

Publisher: 1939

Genre: Mystery

Pages: 300

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Mount TBR; Popsguar -- Bestseller from a genre I don't usually read; Back to the Classics -- Woman Author

"Ten . . ." Ten strangers are lured to an isolated island mansion off the Devon coast by a mysterious "U. N. Owen."

"Nine . . ." At dinner a recorded message accuses each of them in turn of having a guilty secret, and by the end of the night one of the guests is dead.

"Eight . . ." Stranded by a violent storm, and haunted by a nursery rhyme counting down one by one . . . as one by one . . . they begin to die.

"Seven . . ." Which among them is the killer and will any of them survive?

A reread for May's book club. It's been so many years since I read this book, it was a nice revisit to a great mystery book. Christie has crafted an amazing mystery that keeps you guessing until the very last pages. Even I forgot exactly how the murders happened. Such fun! I'm not usually a big mystery reader, but Christie is such a great writer and I love it!

Music Tuesday -- Lorde "Green Light"

Not my favorite, but I do like the new Lorde song. 

Quentin: 27-28 Weeks

Likes: All the food! Snuggles with his blankie. All the toys. Arthur. "Jumping" on mommy.

Sitting in the stroller like a big boy!

Dislikes: Being left alone. Teething. Dirty Diapers.

Hanging at Ms Priscilla's!

Sleeping: Naps are crap, but at least he sleeps at night for the most part.

Hoarding food in his bib

Look of concentration

Eating:  His current favorite foods are broccoli, avocado, and cheese. Although he will try anything you put on his tray.

With the jellyfish

A rare nap

Playing: Quentin loves playing with all his toys right now. His favorites are the links (likes to fling them back and forth), Sophie for chewing on, the mirror, his Baby Faces book, and the stuffed snow leopard. He also discovered that Arthur's cars and dinosaurs are perfect for chewing on. Have to have another discussion with Arthur about keeping those away from Q.

Fascinated by the toy at Mel's

Selfie time

Milestones: 

• Throwing things (learning about cause and effect) — He's started throwing things, but I think it's mostly accidental right now.
• Crawling —Not quite yet. Lots of scooting in circles and a bit backwards.
• Squirming instead of wanting to be held —Nope. He loves being held by me at least.
• Answering to his name —Um... maybe? Sometimes I think he answers to his name and sometimes he seems to ignore me.
• Sitting unassisted for longer periods -- He's almost sitting independently.
• Feeding himself finger foods -- Getting so good at picking things up with the pincer grip.
• Getting teeth -- Two bottom teeth so far. Working on a top tooth.
• Working on fine motor skills -- Definitely increasing his skills right now.
• Separation anxiety -- Nothing major yet.

Crazy evening at our house

Lounging in his high chair

Out and About: Other than the doctor appointment, we ventured out for a ton of regular errands and some fun places.

• Playdate at Ms. Priscilla's house with a visit to her fun neighborhood park
•  Happy Hollow for the first time in almost a year. The lower zoo is still closed due to flood damage, but we had fun at the upper zoo and the rides.
• California Academy of Sciences with J. Quentin loved the aquarium so much. I think his favorite were the jellyfish.
• Mel's Play Place Easter Egg Hunt. Q didn't participate obviously, but he had fun watching all the big kids play.

Life Right Now #9

As I look outside my window: The sun isn't quite up all the way. Still hanging out behind the hill.

Right now I am: Eating breakfast, monitoring a playing baby before the toddler wakes up.

On my bedside table: Lots and lots of comics including East of West and The Walking Dead. I hit the jackpot at the library this week.

On my tv this week: We're slowly making our way through The Magicians S2 and Legion S1. Both so good, but we don't want them to end so only one episode per night and not both shows in one night. Arthur and I started Avatar S2. He's really getting into that show.

Listening to: Podcasts. I'm trying to catch up on some podcasts that I've fallen behind on. I caught up with One Bad Mother and Best Friend Banter. Working on The Simple Show and Elise Gets Crafty next.

On the menu for this week:

• Monday - Coffee Cake, Sausage Potato Egg Hash
• Tuesday - Chicken Tortilla Soup
• Wednesday - Honey Lime Tilapia
• Thursday - Pork and Green Chili Stew
• Friday - Leftovers
• Saturday - Apple Cheddar Stuffed Chicken
• Sunday - Brats on the grill

On my to do list: I've got my short list of random tasks to take care of this coming week. Mostly boring but necessary things like buying Q a new carseat.

Happening this week:

• Monday - Walk with some potential new friends
• Tuesday - Home day to clean
• Wednesday - OBM Playdate at our house
• Thursday - Errands; Stamp Club
• Friday - ???
• Saturday - MVPA Spring Social
• Sunday - Possible BBQ at our house

What I am creating: I need to work on the two Bingo make n take cards. Also I want to finish March's memory planner pages and start January's PL pages.

My simple pleasures: Baby snuggles, grapes, planner time.

Looking around the house: The playroom needs a big clean before Wednesday. And I should vacuum and sweep also.

From the camera: Action shot! Arthur finally played in the obstacle course at Mel's.

Tuscany for Beginners by Imogen Edwards-Jones

Title: Tuscany for Beginners

Author: Imogen Edwards-Jones

Publisher: Ballantine Books 2005

Genre: Fiction

Pages: 313

Rating: 2/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Mount TBR; Read Your Book Shelf; New to Me

Belinda Smith has found her very ownTuscanvalley in the sun, having abandoned a dreary cheating husband and an even drearier English town. Running Casa Mia, her own too, too divine bed and breakfast, everything is coming up sunflowers and olive groves for La Contessaof the Valley. Life couldn’t be more perfecto!

Until, that is, the arrival of Lauren–a beautiful, feisty Wall Street ball-breaker who has the gall to announce her plans to open a new B&B. A place just like Belinda’s–only much more glamorous. Even worse, Lauren, whose charmingly calculated smile Belinda recognizes as quite like her own, threatens Belinda’s existence as the epicenter of all things ex-patriot in the valley.

A Under the Tuscan Sun knock-off that was a complete disappointment. I get that Belinda's supposed to be a deluded character in the beginning and then grow after Lauren's arrival, but I didn't care and never grew to like Belinda. I couldn't get over her ridiculous nonsense in the beginning of the book. And the way she treated her daughter? Do not get me started on the wrongness of it all. I just couldn't seem to care about Belinda. The writing wasn't the best and I kept getting distracted by the odd sentence structures. An utter disappointment.

Odds and Ends

Here's my randomness for the week:

• I'm just so incredibly tired...
• Obsessed with my memory planner. Really want to finish march, but I need a bit of uninterrupted time.
• Cookies are my kryptonite right now.
• I'm in desperate need of some good walking sandals.
• The stack of Us and People magazines are calling to me right now.
• Baby toes are way too adorable.
• Speaking of baby, I need to do another clothing resort. Q is growing out of more clothes.
• I need to drink more water...

Currently #6

Watching: Planet Dinosaur -- Arthur choice of documentary currently. Even I have enjoyed watching the 6 episode mini series.

Reading: Tuscany for Beginners by Imogen Edwards-Jones. Part of my Read Your Book Shelf challenge as it's been sitting on my shelves for at least two years. Super disappointed in this one...

Listening: One Bad Mother podcasts. I was two weeks behind, but don't worry, I'm catching up!

Making: Lots of crafty projects! I joined the #The100DayProject starting yesterday. I'm going to attempt 100 days of crafts. I'll be documenting on my Instagram account.

Feeling: Still under the weather. These colds are still lingering...

Planning: SU Bingo make n takes. Getting super excited for my big event at the end of the month.

Loving: I went a little crazy at Sprouts this week and got so much fresh fruit! I could seriously eat it all day although I know I shouldn't.

2017 Spring Into Horror Readathon

From Seasons of Reading:

It's time to sign up for Spring Into Horror!

Remember, it's two weeks now...and at the tale end (the finale weekend) will also be Dewey's 24 Hour Readathon! Official dates are April 17 through 30, starting at 12am CDT Sunday and ending at 11:59pm CDT on Sunday the 30th. Guidelines for the readathon can be found HERE or you can access in the menu at the top of the blog. Any information you need about the readathon can be found there. The hashtag for checking in on social media is #SpringHorrorRAT  You can also check-in and chat at our Facebook group (also can be accessed in the blog menu).

Just remember...the one main "rule" of Spring Into Horror is that you must read ONE scary book (which can be a thriller, mystery, Gothic novel, or similar for those who are faint of heart). The rest of the week...anything goes! Read more horror, or go in for less heart jolting fare. 😀

I missed A Winter's Respite Readathon back in January, but I'm all set for this one! I've got a few horror choices in my TBR pile:

• Anno Dracula by Kim Newman
• Mostly Void, Partially Stars: Welcome to Night Vale Volume 1 by Joseph Fink and Jeffrey Cranor
• A Natural History of Hell by Jeffrey Ford

And I'm sure I'll throw in a few horror themed comics also...

Music Tuesday -- Gorillaz "We Got the Power"

So excited for new music from the Gorillaz!!!! 

So Wild a Heart by Candace Camp

Title: So Wild a Heart (Aincourt #1)

Author: Candace Camp

Publisher: Harlequin 2002

Genre: Historical Romance

Pages: 408

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Mount TBR

Devin Aincourt, Earl of Ravenscar, makes no apologies for who he is—a drinker, a womanizer, a gambler. Having been cast aside by his disapproving father years before, Dev is content to live out his cursed life in this hedonistic manner. Until his mother asks him to make a bold move to restore the family name and fortune: marry a rich American heiress.

Believing it will be a marriage in name only, Dev agrees to marry Miranda. But he never imagined that this feisty, unconventional foreigner would have plans of her own: to restore Blackwater, the old abbey, to its former glory, to extricate Dev from the clutches of a devious mistress and to win his heart for her own. All while risking her own life to an unknown enemy.

For Dev and Miranda, love may be the most lasting curse of all.

I'm usually all for the ridiculous historical romances, but this one had a few problematic points. 1) I was very uneasy about the initial relationship between Miranda and Devin. There were too many references to submission and even alluded to rape. I was not a fan of their power struggle. 2) The early on sex scene between Devin and his mistress was strange and unnecessary to the storyline. Not sure why it had to be in there. Not to mention the inclusion of a "slave." Left a bad taste in my mouth. 3) The side storyline involved Elizabeth was a little too much coincidence for me. Usually there's some deus ex machina, but this one was a bit much... I enjoyed Miranda and Devin once they decided to marry and while working out their life together. It was just the beginning that really threw me.

Aincourt

• #1 So Wild a Heart
• #2 The Hidden Heart
• #3 Secrets of the Heart

Everyday Sexism by Laura Bates

Title: Everyday Sexism

Author: Laura Bates

Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books 2016

Genre: Nonfiction

Pages: 406

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Perpetual - Feminism; I Love Libraries

The Everyday Sexism Project was founded by writer and activist Laura Bates in April 2012. It began life as a website where people could share their experiences of daily, normalized sexism, from street harassment to workplace discrimination to sexual assault and rape.

While this book is extremely depressing, it is also very informative and should be required reading. I could only read a few pages at a time because their were so powerful. I needed extra time to digest the information and experiences. Thank you Laura Bates for giving people a place to share their stories and receive some sense of support.

April 2017 Life Goals

Let’s check in on March’s goals and my progress.

• 30 Day Challenge: New greeting cards every day — Success!
• Have a day alone in San Francisco for my birthday — Success! It was so much fun! I think I need to make this at least a twice a year thing...
• Read 2000 pages —Success! I read over 3500 pages in March. Such a good reading month.
• Read my library books and don’t check out any more (except for the few holds) —Success! I managed to drop off library books and not check out any more.
• Start Q on solids  — Success! He started with avocado and has since branched out to other solids.
• Plan a family day —Success! We went to the California Academy of Sciences yesterday. First time for J and the boys. In April, I'm thinking something more low key. Maybe a picnic at Ardenwood.

April's Goals: Overall April's a big month for me. I've got some big home changes, lots of purchases, and some other big decisions.

• Read 3000 pages -- Going to try and keep the momentum going.
• Figure out the little boys' room situation -- Quentin needs to vacate the twins' room and Arthur needs to give back Alex's mattress by mid-May. Trying to decide what bed configuration we are going to use.
• Buy Quentin a convertible carseat -- My crazy long baby has just about topped out of the infant bucket seat. Should be go with the all-in-one Graco or a cheaper convertible seat of whichever brand. Decisions decisions...
• Revisit the car situation -- Obviously we have to do something before the twins arrive, but I would this to be decided in April. Sick of contorting myself to get kiddos in and out of the nonexistent backseat in the Mini.
• Take of Twins' stuff -- We have to decide on school stuff, summer dates, and plane tickets. Hoping to tackle this all in April.