April 2021 Wrap-up

April TBR Pile (17/24):

1. Book of the Month Club: The Space Between Worlds by Micaiah Johnson

2. BOTM: The Heiress Gets a Duke by Harper St. George

3. Girly Book Club: The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner ✓

4. Friend Book Club: Outlawed by Anna North ✓

5. MMD RC: Still Life by Louise Penny in progress

6. MMD RC: Daring Greatly by Brene Brown

7. MMD RC: The Switch by Beth O’Leary

8. Nonfiction: In the Hurricane’s Eye by Nathaniel Philbrick in progress

9. Fantasy: Girl, Serpent, Thorn by Melissa Bashardoust ✓

10. Fantasy: The Midnight Library by Matt Haig ✓

11. Fantasy: Alice by Christina Henry ✓

12. Fantasy: All the Tides of Fate by Adalyn Grace ✓

13. Science Fiction: Robots and Empires by Isaac Asimov ✓

14. Science Fiction: Sea Change by Nancy Kress

15. Romance: On the Way to the Wedding by Julia Quinn ✓

16. Romance: Bridgertons Happily Ever After by Julia Quinn ✓

17. Kid Read Aloud: The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate ✓

18. Kid Read Aloud: Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lundgren ✓

19. Added: A House at the Bottom of the Lake by Josh Malerman ✓

20. Added: Lady Mechanika Vol. 5 ✓

21. Added: Lady Mechanika Vol. 6 ✓

22. Added: Tales from the Hinterland by Melissa Albert ✓

23. Added: Just Like Heaven by Julia Quinn ✓

24. Added: A Night Like This by Julia Quinn ✓

1,000,000 Page Goal:

Monthly Total: 4922 pages
Pages Remaining: 479,966pages

Current Read - Still Life by Louise Penny; In the Hurricane’s Eye by Nathaniel Philbrick; Something is Killing the Children

Books I Gave Up On (0)

Books Bought/Received (16) - So many! I went a little crazy with a Book Outlet order and came away with multiple books for myself! I also grabbed a selection for my BOTM.

• Arsenic and Adobo by Mia P. Manansala

• The Devious Dr. Jekyll by Viola Carr

• Chasing Cassandra by Lisa Kleypas

• The Queen of Sorrow (Queens of Renthia #3) by Sarah Beth Durst

• The Deepest Blue by Sarah Beth Durst

• You May Now Kill the Bride (Return to Fear Street #1) by R.L. Stine

• The Wrong Girl (Return to Fear Street #2) by R.L. Stine

• Say No to the Duke by Eloisa James

• Underground Airlines by Ben Winters

• The Last Voyage of Poe Blythe by Ally Condie

• The Book of Dust (La Belle Sauvage 1) by Philip Pullman

• The City in the Middle of the Night by Charlie Jane Anders

• Furthermore by Tahereh Mafi

• Whichwood (Furthermore #2) by Tahereh Mafi

• Magic for Liars by Sarah Gailey

• The Reckoning of Noah Shaw (Shaw Confessions #2) by Michelle Hodkin

UnRead Shelf Progress

• Starting Number: 270

• Books Read: 6

• Books Acquired: 16

• Books Unshelved: 0

• Finishing Number: 280

May TBR Pile:

1. Book of the Month Club: The Space Between Worlds by Micaiah Johnson

2. BOTM: The Heiress Gets a Duke by Harper St. George

3. Girly Book Club: (already caught up)

4. Friend Book Club: The Flatshare by Beth O’Leary

5. MMD RC: Still Life by Louise Penny

6. MMD RC: Daring Greatly by Brene Brown

7. Nonfiction: In the Hurricane’s Eye by Nathaniel Philbrick

8. Nonfiction: Buy Yourself the Fucking Lilies by Tara Schuster

9. Fantasy: Ring Shout by P. Djeli Clark

10. Fantasy: Red Queen by Christina Henry

11. Fantasy: Cursed

12. Comic: Something is Killing the Children Vol. 1

13. Comic: Something is Killing the Children Vol. 2

14. Comic: Chilling Adventures of Sabrina Vol. 1

15. Science Fiction: The Toll by Neal Shusterman

16. Romance: The Sum of All Kisses by Julia Quinn

17. Romance: The Secrets of Sir Richard Kenworthy by Julia Quinn

18. Kid Read Aloud: Nim’s Island by Wendy Orr

19. Kid Read Aloud: The One and Only Bob by Katherine Applegate

Movies watched

• Godzilla vs. King Kong - Decent kaiju movie.

• Point Break - New version. Beyond terrible.

• Nobody - Very John Wick-esque but starring Bob Odenkirk. We really enjoyed this one.

• Say My Name - A quirky action comedy. We really like these types of movies.

TV Shows watched 

• AP Bio S1-3 - We finished the series and I laughed so hard!

• Falcon and the Winter Soldier S1 - Really enjoyed the buddy cop elements of this show.

• Below Deck

• Staged S1-2 - We needed to watch this. Delightful.

• Star Trek: Voyager S2-3 - Slowly continuing on with our goal of watching all the Star Trek. Voyager really is very uneven…

Comments - Very good reading month! I actually knocked out 6 from my Unread Shelf. Unfortunately, I added 16 books to that same shelf. Goodness… Well, more books for me to love I guess.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Scouring the Internet for Videos

Looks like an interesting variation of the superhero genre.

This movie has gotten very high review. Guess we’ll be putting it on our shortlist.

I’m even more intrigued by the second trailer. I do so love Cruella!

Girl, Serpent, Thorn by Melissa Bashardoust

Title: Girl, Serpent, Thorn

Author: Melissa Bashardoust

Publisher: Flatiron Books 2020

Genre: YA Fantasy

Pages: 325

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Currently Reading RC - Takes Me to Another World; Modern Mrs. Darcy Summer Reading

There was and there was not, as all stories begin, a princess cursed to be poisonous to the touch. But for Soraya, who has lived her life hidden away, apart from her family, safe only in her gardens, it’s not just a story.

As the day of her twin brother’s wedding approaches, Soraya must decide if she’s willing to step outside of the shadows for the first time. Below in the dungeon is a demon who holds knowledge that she craves, the answer to her freedom. And above is a young man who isn’t afraid of her, whose eyes linger not with fear, but with an understanding of who she is beneath the poison.

Soraya thought she knew her place in the world, but when her choices lead to consequences she never imagined, she begins to question who she is and who she is becoming...human or demon. Princess or monster.

Now this is an excellent fairy tale retellings incorporated different myths and legends. I have read so many not well executed retellings and was hesitant to pick this one up. Thank goodness I did! In it, we get a beautiful combination of various Persian tales as well as elements of more western tales like Sleeping Beauty and Rapunzel. Bashardoust weaves a beautiful story that feels both historical and fantastical. We follow Soraya on her journey of identity from the poisoned princess locked away to the poisoned princess free. I was so hoping that her ending would not involve being a simple human and thankfully we get a very different ending. Beyond Soraya we get wonderful characters including my favorite cameo, Nasu. If you read this, make sure to read the end notes about Bashardoust’s inspirations. I learned so much and now really want to read a book of Persian tales.

Next up on the TBR pile:

A Night Like This by Julia Quinn

Title: A Night Like This (Smythe-Smith #2)

Author: Julia Quinn

Publisher: Avon 2011

Genre: Romance

Pages: 384

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Unread Shelf; Unread Shelf Project RC - Favorite Genre

Anne Wynter might not be who she says she is....

But she's managing quite well as a governess to three highborn young ladies. Her job can be a challenge: in a single week she finds herself hiding in a closet full of tubas, playing an evil queen in a play that might be a tragedy (or might be a comedy; no one is sure), and tending to the wounds of the oh-so-dashing Earl of Winstead. After years of dodging unwanted advances, he's the first man who has truly tempted her, and it's getting harder and harder to remind herself that a governess has no business flirting with a nobleman.

Daniel Smythe-Smith might be in mortal danger....

But that's not going to stop the young earl from falling in love. And when he spies a mysterious woman at his family's annual musicale, he vows to pursue her, even if that means spending his days with a 10-year-old who thinks she's a unicorn. But Daniel has an enemy, one who has vowed to see him dead. And when Anne is thrown into peril, he will stop at nothing to ensure their happy ending....

CW: Rape, sexual assault (not described in details, but there)

Much better than the first book in the series. These characters are actually interesting and likable. I totally bought their romance. Their back-and-forth was lovely and engaging. I enjoyed the mystery of who Anne was and the lingering affects from Daniel’s banishment. I was even more excited that Quinn didn’t make Hugh a complete villain. He is going to be delightful as a hero in the next book. I cannot wait! My biggest complaint is the lack of steamy scenes. The one scene seems very rushed and unfocused, but I think this just might be how Quinn writes them.

Smythe-Smith Quartet:

• #1 Just Like Heaven

• #2 A Night Like This

• #3 The Sum of All Kisses

• #4 The Secrets of Sir Richard Kenworthy

Next up on the TBR pile:

Homeschool W31: A 1/2 Week to Account for Appointments

Apparently, I took no photos this week except my post-vaccine picture and a few at the park on Thursday…

What We Studied

I had multiple dentist appointments and my second vaccine appointment, so I decided on a 1/2 week. We cut out history and unit themes to focus on ELA, math, and science (Earth Day and climate change). It worked really well to balance all of our families needs.

Literature and Poetry

We finished Pippi Longstocking and watched the 1988 movie version for family movie night. Arthur actually really liked Pippi and I didn’t mind reading it at all! We also did a bit more of the poentry unit that we didn’t finish last week.

• Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren

• The Year Comes Round: Haiku Through the Seasons by Sid Farrar

• The Barefoot Book of Earth Tales by Dawn Casey and Anne Wilson

• The Earth is Painted Green: A Garden of Poems About Our Planet edited by Barbara Brenner

Math

We wrapped up Unit 9 and 10 in Singapore Math 2B. We’re on track to finish the book in about two weeks.

Social Studies

Nothing this week

Science

We celebrated Earth Day but learning about the various ways we can help the Earth. Later in the week, we did a mini study on climate change along with a couple of good NOVA documentaries about the topic.

• Storybots: The Amazing Planet Earth (Arthur read)

• Celebrating Earth Day by MJ York

• The Earth Gives More by Sue Fliess

• One Earth by Eileen Spinelli

• Thank You Earth by April Pulley Sayre

• Does Earth Feel? by Marc Majewski

• My Friend Earth by Patricia MacLachlan

• Our Earth Helping Out by Peggy Hock

• On Earth by G. Brian Karas

• Earth Hour by Nanette Heffernan

• Dear Earth… from Your Friends in Room 5 by Erin Dealey

• Our Gift-Filled Earth by Eun Hee Na

• Heal the Earth by Julian Lennon

• Climate Change by Peter Benoit

• The Magic School Bus and the Climate Change by Joanna Cole

Art

Nothing this week

Music

As we got behind last week, we finished listening to some of Alexandre Desplat’s movie scores. Arthur really enjoyed his Wes Anderson movie scores and the Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows Part 2 score. The more serious movies, he did not enjoy but I did.

Unit Theme

See science

Misc. - Random picture books read

• Badger’s Perfect Garden by Marsha Diane Arnold

• Library Mouse: A Museum Adventure by Daniel Kirk

• Raindrops Roll by April Pulley Sayre

• L is for Library by Sonya Terry

• The Forever Garden by Laurel Snyder

• Little Blue Truck’s Springtime by Alice Schertle

• Hooray for Spring by Kazuo Iwamura

• Not Quite Narwhal by Jessie Sima

• The Song of Spring by Hendrik Jonas

• The Not So Quiet Library b Zachariah Ohora

• The Fox in the Library by Lorenz Pauli

• Little i by Michael Hall

• Crinkle, Crackle, Crack It’s Spring by Marion Dane Bauer

• Two Shy Pandas by Julia Jarman

• The Curious Garden by Peter Brown

• Milo Imagines the World by Matt de la Peña

• Thomas Jefferson Builds a Library by Barb Rosenstock

• Violet and Victor Write The Best-ever Bookworm Book by Alice Kuipers

Highs

• On Thursday, we had a lovely playdate with two other coop families. I’m so excited to have a group for the kids (and for me) this coming school year. I’m already planning possible themes and field trips.

• Our two NOVA episodes on energy and climate change were very interesting. I even learned some things!

Lows

• Two dentist appointments took me out of commission for all of Tuesday. And Arthur and Quentin’s attitudes suffered for it. They were little bears on Wednesday. We really do love our routine in this house.

Next Week

We’re back to a somewhat normal schedule next week, although we do have multiple outside activities planned. We are going to cover the last chapter of History Quest: Ancient Times about Arabia. We will be starting our new read aloud (Nim’s Island), new science unit (Oceans), and new music unit (American folk music). I can feel us winding down a bit as the end of the year comes closer.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Music Monday - Manchester Orchestra "Bed Head"

I really enjoy the sound of Manchester Orchestra and this new song is great!

Life Right Now #13

As I look outside my window: Another sunny but slightly chilly weekend. Although the temperature is supposed to reach 75 degrees today!

Right now I am: Laying out clothes for the week. Tomorrow it’s supposed to be 88 degrees, Tuesday 74, and then going back and forth all week. So I guess shorts for the kids tomorrow and short sleeves all week?

Thinking and pondering: How to structure our homsechooling next year in relation to the coop that’s forming? We don’t have the details worked out yet for the coop, but I need to start planning our schooling before we take our break in July.

On my bedside table: Girl, Serpent, Thorn by Melissa Bashardoust; The Toll by Neal Stephenson (finally finished the Scythe trilogy!); Still Life by Louise Penny (another three chapters for our read along)

On my tv this week: We finally finished S2 of Star Trek: Voyager. The series itself is a bit uneven, but I do like Janeway a lot. Hopefully we finish all of Star Trek before I die.

Listening to: Mostly podcasts, although I once again had Architects’s new album on repeat a few days.

On the menu for this week: I still have to be careful with my temporary bridge (permanent going in on May 6th), so my meal plain is a bit disjointed.

• Monday -

• Tuesday -

• Wednesday -

• Thursday -

• Friday -

• Saturday

• Sunday -

On my to do list: We really need to get the laundry room finished this week so we can install the new washer dryer set. The plumber last week had to replace the entire water line box as the old was severely corroded. We figured, but it meant that he had to cut out the drywall that we now have to replace. J picked up the tools and plans on doing that bit today. Then we can sand, prime, and paint a nice shade of white (same as my craft room actually) and install next weekend. I’m so ready to have a functioning laundry room again.

Happening this week: A few things on our list for this week, but thankfully none are dentist appointments. I just realized that I didn’t plan for our grocery trip in here. Crap.

• Monday - Trip to the garden center for plants (I put this off last week because of the freezes; finally getting some plants); Book Club

• Tuesday - Gifford Farm visit (they now have piglets!); Book Club

• Wednesday - Park Playdate with coop families

• Thursday - Normal day

• Friday - Normal day

• Saturday - Laundry room cleanup

• Sunday - Laundry room install

What I am creating: Just plans. No crafting although I just got my new Stampin’ Up catalog and I’m itching to make something paper craft related.

My simple pleasures: Being able to chew at least on one side again.

Looking around the house: Really wishing to get rid of the random bins in my hallway, but we need to fix the laundry room first.

From the camera: Second vaccine down! I felt fine yesterday (I got it on Friday), but J suffered a bit of a reaction.

Just Like Heaven by Julia Quinn

Title: Just Like Heaven (Smythe-Smith #1)

Author: Julia Quinn

Publisher: Avon 2011

Genre: Romance

Pages: 374

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Unread Shelf Project

Honoria Smythe-Smith is:

A) a really bad violinist
B) still miffed at being nicknamed "Bug" as a child
C) not in love with her older brother's best friend
D) all of the above

Marcus Holroyd is:

A) the Earl of Chatteris
B) regrettably prone to sprained ankles
C) not in love with his best friend's younger sister
D) all of the above

Together they:

A) eat quite a bit of chocolate cake
B) survive a deadly fever and the world's worst musical performance
C) fall quite desperately in love

It's Julia Quinn at her best, so you know the answer is...

D) all of the above

I was a bit disappointed by this one. Overall, I enjoyed the book, but found the main characters lacking in, well, character. I just didn’t find Honoria or Marcus very compelling as romantic leads. I was interested in learning more about the Smyth-Smith family, but I didn’t love this one. I wanted more from our romantic leads. And I definitely wanted more steamy scenes. One mostly closed door scene was not enough at all. I fear that this will continue, but I do have the second and fourth book in the series, so I’ll probably keep reading them.

Smythe-Smith Quartet:

• #1 Just Like Heaven

• #2 A Night Like This

• #3 The Sum of All Kisses

• #4 The Secrets of Sir Richard Kenworthy

Next up on the TBR pile:

Lady Mechanika Vol. 6

Title: Lady Mechanika Vol. 6: Sangre

Author: Joe Benitez, M.M. Chen, Martin Montiel, Brian Ching

Publisher: Benitez Productions 2020

Genre: Graphic Novel

Pages: 144

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: UnRead Shelf; Seasonal TBR

Lady Mechanika accepts a job in Spain protecting a Barón's son who was allegedly attacked by a demonic entity, but she quickly begins to suspect the young man's condition was actually caused by illicit experiments forced upon him by his narrow-minded father. As she investigates further, Lady Mechanika gradually uncovers the sinister truth, leaving her entangled in a dangerous situation which seems to have unexpected ties to her own past. A dark tale that exposes the devastating power of love...and hate. Collects the entire five-issue Sangre mini-series, featuring a main story by guest artist Brian Ching (Supergirl, Star Wars) and a prologue story by Joe Benitez and Martin Montiel.

Oh… this was turned much darker than I thought it would. I really did enjoy seeing Lady Mechanika grapple with a problem that she may not succeed at defeating. Plus we get a call back to a previous character incarnation from another volume. I’m still really loving this series and cannot wait to see what happens next.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Odds and Ends

Here's my randomness for the week:

• Feels so weird to have a lump of concrete in my mouth where my missing tooth is. Two weeks until I get a permanent tooth.

• Hopefully this week was our last frost and we plant some veggies this coming week.

• I’m on a historical romance reading spree this week.

• Dreaming of being able to eat substantial food again…

Next up on the TBR pile:

Lady Mechanika Vol. 5

Title: Lady Mechanika Vol. 5: La Belle Dame Sans Merci

Author: Joe Benitez, M.M. Chen, Martin Montiel, Beth Sotelo

Publisher: Benitez Productions 2019

Genre: Graphic Novel

Pages: 104

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: UnRead Shelf; Seasonal TBR

Lady Mechanika's investigation into her forgotten past is overshadowed by concern for her associate Mr. Lewis when he becomes enamored of a beautiful and enigmatic young widow, whose own past seems disturbingly linked to the untimely deaths of several creative geniuses. Will Mr. Lewis be next?

Another great volume of comics. I totally predicted where this storyline was going, but it was definitely fun to tag along on the ride.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Tales for the Hinterland by Melissa Albert

Title: Tales from the Hinterland (Hazel Wood #3)

Author: Melissa Albert

Publisher: Flatiron Books 2021

Genre: YA Fantasy

Pages: 240

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Currently Reading - Makes Me Feel Cozy

Before The Hazel Wood, there was Althea Proserpine’s Tales from the Hinterland...

Journey into the Hinterland, a brutal and beautiful world where a young woman spends a night with Death, brides are wed to a mysterious house in the trees, and an enchantress is killed twice―and still lives.

Perfect for new readers and dedicated fans alike, Melissa Albert's Tales from the Hinterland features full-page illustrations by Jim Tierney, foil stamping, two-color interior printing, and printed endpapers.

Finally we get the amazing stories that created the basis for The Hazel Wood. All those dark tales from the Hinterlands are collected into one beautiful volume. It might sound strange to put this volume under my “Makes Me Feel Cozy” challenge, but dark fairy tales are my cozy reads. I love curling up for a cup of tea and a cozy blanket and falling into these strange tales. I must buy my own copy of this soon! I loved every single story, but I do have my favorites. I love the whimsy (until it’s not) of “The Clockwork Bride” and the utter devastation of “Alice-Three-Times.” “The House Under the Stairwell” actually scared me a bit. The imagery is so incredibly vivid that I felt like I was traveling the stairwell to the underworld. Albert does a delightful job in immersing the reader into these tales. I loved it!

The Hazel Wood

• #1 The Hazel Wood

• #2 The Night Country

• #3 Tales from the Hinterland

Next up on the TBR pile:

Homeschool W30: Rainbows, Poetry, and Pippi!

What We Studied

Literature and Poetry

We started reading Pippi Longstocking. I don’t remember ever reading this as a child (just watching the movie from the late 80s), so this is a treat. There are a few word choices here and there that are problematic, but mostly we’re really enjoying the story of Pippi.

We also started our rainbow reading challenge! Each day we read books whose titles including the color of the day. By Saturday, we had worked through the colors of the rainbow. Each day, the boys picked their favorite story to write onto our rainbow.

• Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lundgren

• Raining Cats and Dogs by Will Moses (idioms)

• Ruby, Violet, Lime: Looking for Color by Jane Brocket

• Goodnight, Rainbow Cats by Barbara Castro Urio

• Red House Tree House Little Bitty Brown Mouse by Jane Godwin

• A Fire Truck Named Red by Randall de Sève

• Red by Jan De Kinder

• Little Red Writing by Joan Holub

• Red by Jed Alexander

• Orange Peel’s Pocket by Rose Lewis

• Who Eat’s Orange? by Dianne White

• Black Bird, Yellow Sun by Steve Light

• Yellow Kayak by Nina Laden (Tobe favorite)

• Linus the Little Yellow Pencil by Scott Magoon

• Hare and the Big Green Lawn by Katharine Crawford Robey

• A Green, Green Garden by Mercer Mayer (Arthur read)

• Green by Laura Vaccaro Seeger

• Green Pants by Kenneth Kraegel

• Little Blue and Little Yellow by Leo Lionni

• Blue by Laura Vaccaro Seeger

• One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish by Dr. Seuss

• The Proudest Blue: A Story of Hijab and Family by Ibithaj Muhammad

• Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse by Kevin Henkes

• Violet the Snowgirl by Lisa L. Walsh

• Shrinking Violet by Cari Best

Math

We finished Unit 8 and started on Unit 9 in our Singapore Math 2B. More review, but it’s good practice to strengthen Arthur’s math skills before we move on to more difficult material.

Social Studies

We had a combo week of geography and history. For geography, we studied our last continent: Australia. Arthur really got into that continent. We kept referring back to a three part NOVA series on Australia that he watched months back independently. Some days I’m amazed at how much he retains. For U.S. History we continued with the American revolution focusing on the Declaration of Independence and Soldiers and Leaders (mostly George Washington with a side of Henry Know and others).

• D is for Down Under by Devin Scillian

• Australia and Oceania by Mel Friedman

• Introducing Australia by Anita Ganeri

• Bilby: Secrets of an Australian Marsupial by Edel Wignell

• Over in Australia: Amazing Animals Down Under by Marianne Berkes

• Wombat Walkabout by Carol Diggory Sheilds

• Ready to Dream by Donna Jo Napoli and Elena Furrow

• Under the Souther Cross by Frane Lessac

• Sun Mother Wakes the World adapted by Diane Wolkstein

• Birrarung Wilam by Aunty Joy Murphy and Andrew Kelly

• Wombat Stew by Marcia K. Vaughan

• The Declaration of Independence by Elaine Landau

• The Declaraction of Indepdendence in Translation by Annie Jane Leavitt

• Fight for Freedom by Benson Bobrick

• DK American Revolution

• George Washington by Mike Venezia

• Henry Knox: Bookseller, Soldier, Patriot by Anita Silvey

• Henry and the Cannons by Don Brown

Science

For science, we continue learning about rainbows, spring, and gardening.

• Who’s Awake in Springtome? by Phillis Gershator and Mim Green

• Growing Season by Maryann Cocca-Leffler

• Curious George Discovers the Rainbow

• Take a Walk on a Rainbow by Miriam Moss

• The Rainbow by Felicia Law

• Raindrop Plop by Wendy Cheyenne Lewison

• A Peaceful Garden by Lucy London

• Spring for Sophie by Yael Werber

• A Seed is Sleepy by Dianna Hutts Aston

• Spring Blossoms by Carole Gerber

• The Seasons of the Year by Emma Carlson Berne

• Plant a Little Seed by Bonnie Christensen

• Spring Thaw by Steven Schnur

• Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt by Kate Messner

• A Bunny for All Seasons by Janet Schulman

• Grow Kind by Jon Lasser and Sage Foster-Lasser

• Grow Happy by Jon Lasser and Sage Foster-Lasser

• Quiet in the Garden by Aliki

• Digger and Daisy Plant a Garden by Judy Young (Arthur read)

• Springtime Blossoms by Jerdine Nolen

Art

Nothing formal

Music

We started listening to Alexandre Desplat’s movie scores, but actually only got to one this week. We’ll carry over to next week.

Unit Theme

We focused on poetry this week to celebrate Poetry Week! We read a variety of poems, including different styles, and tried our hand at writing some poetry. This theme will probably continue into next week.

• Pieces: A Year in Poems and Quilts by Anna Grossnickle Hines

• Handsprings by Douglas Florian

• Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein

• Earth Verses and Water Rhymes by J. Patrick Lewis

Misc. - Random picture books read

• If You Ever Want to Bring a Circus to the Library, Don’t by Elise Parsley

• No Pirates Allowed! Said Library Lou by Rhonda Gowler Greene

• Ming’s Adventure in the Forbidden City by Li Jian

• The Library Book by Tom Chapin and Michael Mark

• Ready, Jet, Go: Mission to the Moon!

• Luna Loves Library Day by Joseph Coelho

• I want a Monster by Elisa Gravel

• Homer the Library Cat by Reeve Lindbergh

• Do NOT Bring Your Dragon to the Library by Julie Gassman

• Wild Kratts: Wild Insects and Spiders

• If I Had a Raptor by George O’Connor

Highs

• We had a lovely park playdate with multiple families that are interested in forming a STEAM coop for the fall. I’m so excited to be able to see other people again!

Lows

• Weird attitudes from the kids. We’ve hit a doldrums. It was sunny most of the week and the kids just wanted to play outside (but not for any length of time). Everyone was in a bit of a funk.

Next Week

I have a ton of weird appointments that are going to negatively affect our school plans. So we are going to do a week of 1/2 days next week. Two of the days, Arthur will have independent packet. the other three days i hope to actually teach a bit. We are going to focus on doing math and reading every day and add in Earth Day and climate change. Plus we will probably listen to more Alexandre Desplat movie scores. That’s it. No history or formal art. I’m going to try to make it easy on me, but keep the kids engaged.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Music Monday - Grouplove "Deadline"

I have a love/hate relationship with Grouplove. I really enjoy some of their music. And some I find incredibly annoying and whiny. This new song I am actually enjoying…

Life Right Now #12

As I look outside my window: It’s bright and sunny. A little on the cooler side, but decent today.

Right now I am: Prepping to make brunch and then make a run to the library.

Thinking and pondering: How to structure our Ocean unit? We’ll be focusing on the ocean for the last week of April and all of May. I’m still working out how to break down the topics.

On my bedside table: Lady Mechanika Vol. 5 and 6; Girl Serpent Thorn by Melissa Bashardoust

On my tv this week: We flew through Staged. Oh how I love David Tennant and Michael Sheen. They are absolutely hilarious. We also watched a few more episodes of Star Trek: Voyager. Eventually I will make it through all of Star Trek.

Listening to: Beyond podcasts, I’ve been listening the new album, For Those That Wish to Exist, from Architects. It’s so incredibly good!

On the menu for this week: I’ve had to redo a lot of the meal plan to accommodate my anticipated pain.

• Monday - Brown Sugar Chicken

• Tuesday - Leftovers

• Wednesday - Spaghetti

• Thursday - Cawl Cennin (Welsh Leek Soup)

• Friday - Spicy Black bean Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

• Saturday - Smothered Pork Chops

• Sunday - Spicy Shrimp Burrito Bowls or Green Chile Enchiladas

On my to do list: Just focusing on making it through the week…

Happening this week: This coming week is going to be my own personal hell week…

• Monday - Dentist appointment (permanent crown to be put in)

• Tuesday - 3 Hour!!!! Dentist appointment (temporary bridge to be put it); Also the plumber will be here to fix our laundry room water lines

• Wednesday - Home/recovery day

• Thursday - Park Playdate

• Friday - 2nd dose of the vaccine!!!!

• Saturday - Expected lazy day due to anticipated side effects of the vaccine

• Sunday - Normal day?

What I am creating: Nothing much.

My simple pleasures: Being able to chew on both sides of my mouth (this will be lovely), new friends

Looking around the house: I’m feeling less twitchy than I was on Friday. I cleaned out the main walkways and I plan on getting the boys to help clean their playroom today. There are random bins everywhere still as we had to clean out the laundry room in anticipating of some basic renovations. At least the mess is contained to a corner.

From the camera: I made this scrumptious raspberry coffee cake last Sunday. I might make an orange cake later today.

The Bridgertons: Happily Ever After by Julia Quinn

Title: The Bridgertons: Happily Ever After (2nd Epilogues and Violet’s Story)

Author: Julia Quinn

Publisher: Avon 2013

Genre: Romance

Pages: 374

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Perpetual - NPR Romance

Ever wonder what happens after the Happily Ever After?

Julia Quinn’s Bridgerton series remains one of the most beloved among historical romance readers, and this collection of “second epilogues”—stories that take place after the original books end—offers fans more from their favorite characters. 

Also unique to this volume is a novella featuring Violet Bridgerton, beloved mother of the eight Bridgerton siblings, in addition to second epilogues for The Duke and I; The Viscount Who Loved Me; An Offer from a Gentleman; Romancing Mister Bridgerton; To Sir Phillip, With Love; When He Was Wicked, It’s in His Kiss; and On the Way to the Wedding sure to satisfy the legions of Julia Quinn fans.

I enjoyed being able to read all the second epilogues for the series. I had been able to read a few (namely books 1-3), but my editions of the rest did not include these stories. I loved Francesca and Michael’s epilogues and Gregory and Lucy’s made me tear up a bit. Overall they were pretty good stories to have. My one big complaint is that the second epilogue to An Offer from a Gentlemen didn’t feature enough Benedict! A travesty!

Bridgerton

• #1 The Duke and I

• #2 The Viscount Who Loved Me

• #3 An Offer from a Gentleman

• #4 Romancing Mr. Bridgerton

• #5 To Sir Philip, With Love

• #6 When He was Wicked

• #7 It’s in His Kiss

• #8 On the Way to the Wedding

• Happily Ever After (2nd Epilogues and Violet’s Story)

Next up on the TBR pile:

On the Way to the Wedding by Julia Quinn

Title: On the Way to the Wedding (Bridgerton #8)

Author: Julia Quinn

Publisher: Avon

Genre: Romance

Pages: 381

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Perpetual - NPR Romance

A funny thing happened ...

Unlike most men of his acquaintance, Gregory Bridgerton believes in true love. And he is convinced that when he finds the woman of his dreams, he will know in an instant that she is the one. And that is exactly what happened. Except ...

She wasn’t the one. In fact, the ravishing Miss Hermione Watson is in love with another. But her best friend, the ever-practical Lady Lucinda Abernathy, wants to save Hermione from a disastrous alliance, so she offers to help Gregory win her over. But in the process, Lucy falls in love. With Gregory! Except ...

Lucy is engaged. And her uncle is not inclined to let her back out of the betrothal, even once Gregory comes to his senses and realizes that it is Lucy, with her sharp wit and sunny smile, who makes his heart sing. And now, on the way to the wedding, Gregory must risk everything to ensure that when it comes time to kiss the bride, he is the only man standing at the altar ...

And we finally get Gregory’s story! I must say that I liked this one much more than Eloise’s and Colin’s stories, but definitely as much as Benedict’s and Francesca’s stories. We just don’t get enough of Gregory’s own personality to make this a 5 star book. I did completely adore Lucy and loved following her story. As an added bonus, we get a very fast-paced tense situation at the conclusion of this novel. A bit of a departure from the rest of the Bridgerton books. I really enjoyed the action sequences. I did want more steamy scenes (seriously such a lack in this one), but overall I thoroughly enjoyed the ending to the series.

For the record, my favorite overall book from the series is When He was Wicked featuring Francesca and Michael. But my favorite character pairing is Benedict and Sophie featured in An Offer from a Gentleman. Seriously, I would have totally picked Benedict out of all the male leads in the series.

Bridgerton

• #1 The Duke and I

• #2 The Viscount Who Loved Me

• #3 An Offer from a Gentleman

• #4 Romancing Mr. Bridgerton

• #5 To Sir Philip, With Love

• #6 When He was Wicked

• #7 It’s in His Kiss

• #8 On the Way to the Wedding

• Happily Ever After (2nd Epilogues and Violet’s Story)

Next up on the TBR pile:

Videos for a Gray Afternoon

I love fun horror films!

This might have potential to be really interesting.

All the Tides of Fate by Adalyn Grace

Title: All the Tides of Fate (All the Stars and Teeth #1)

Author: Adalyn Grace

Publisher: Imprint 2021

Genre: YA Fantasy

Pages: 358

Rating: 2/5 stars

Reading Challenges:

Through blood and sacrifice, Amora Montara has conquered a rebellion and taken her rightful place as queen of Visidia. Now, with the islands in turmoil and the people questioning her authority, Amora cannot allow anyone to see her weaknesses.

No one can know about the curse in her bloodline. No one can know that she’s lost her magic. No one can know the truth about the boy who holds the missing half of her soul.

To save herself and Visidia, Amora embarks on a desperate quest for a mythical artifact that could fix everything―but it comes at a terrible cost. As she tries to balance her loyalty to her people, her crew, and the desires of her heart, Amora will soon discover that the power to rule might destroy her.

I enjoyed the first one this this duology. I loved a lot of the side characters and was intrigued by the world building. But then I read this one and everything felt so different and backwards. Amora completely regressed in her growth becoming a severely whiny teenagers instead of the woman facing responsibility we saw at the end of the first book. And the plot is just boring. I was so bored by the bachelor tour masquerading as a way for Amora to finally get her country back on track. It was silly and added nothing except for a chance for Amora to be very irresponsible and immature. My favorite parts of the first book, the side characters, were all but nonexistent in this one. So incredibly sad that this just didn’t work at all.

All the Stars and Teeth

• #1 All the Stars and Teeth

• #2 All the Tides of Fate

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner

Title: The Lost Apothecary

Author: Sarah Penner

Publisher: Park Row 2021

Genre: Historical Fiction

Pages: 298

Rating: 2/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Unread Shelf Project; Seasonal TBR

Hidden in the depths of eighteenth-century London, a secret apothecary shop caters to an unusual kind of clientele. Women across the city whisper of a mysterious figure named Nella who sells well-disguised poisons to use against the oppressive men in their lives. But the apothecary’s fate is jeopardized when her newest patron, a precocious twelve-year-old, makes a fatal mistake, sparking a string of consequences that echo through the centuries.

Meanwhile in present-day London, aspiring historian Caroline Parcewell spends her tenth wedding anniversary alone, running from her own demons. When she stumbles upon a clue to the unsolved apothecary murders that haunted London two hundred years ago, her life collides with the apothecary’s in a stunning twist of fate—and not everyone will survive.

Spoilers in my review (I can’t not rant about the spoilers)

My immediate review after finishing this book was boring. But then I started to think about it more and I moved to “I disliked that book immensely.” It employs a lot of the strategies and techniques that I hate about historical fiction and women’s fiction and does them very poorly. More specifically, here are my problems with the book:

• I thought it was magical realism or a murder mystery or at least suspense, but nope just straight historical fiction.

• Dual timelime - I almost never enjoy these as one of the stories is much more interesting than the other. In this case, they are both boring.

• Modern woman is supposed to be the reader’s anchor, but I instantly disliked her. I didn’t find her relatable at all, but instead a sad sack woman who falls back into bad communication.

• Gaslighting men - Seriously, I know how terrible men can be. Kind of sick of reading books where they are so villainous. So many in a row!

• No distinction between “voices” - We are given three first person narrators who all sound the same. If you picked a randomly passage, I would be hard pressed to guess which of the three women it was without some historical marker clue.

• All women are obsessed with having/not having children - Big theme I’m noticing in books lately and I’m so over it. Even Eliza at 12 is obsessed with the state of womb, she just doesn’t quite know it yet.

• So many not plausible twists and coincidences. Seriously James ingested the poison to attempt get Caroline back? And her notebook with notes about poisons falls out of her bag and opens to that page so that the police immediately see it when they come in. No fucking way. Too much.

• Why does every modern woman in these kind of books have to be running away from something? In this case a cheating husband (who conveniently follows her and shows just how terrible he can be). Why can’t a woman just stumble upon a mystery and have a group of friends or dare I say a good partner that they share it with.

• Caroline’s stupidity throughout annoyed me so much. Why are we keeping things from Gaynor? Other than you breaking and entering the apothecary shop, nothing is scandalous or illegal. So why the secrecy?

• Warming tincture saved Eliza’s life in the river? WTF?

• (The characters were so forgettable that I almost wrote the main modern character’s name as Claire multiple times.)

So incredibly disappointed in this read. I guess it will be a good one to rip to shreds during book club.

Next up on the TBR pile: