Music Monday - Rise Against "Ready to Fall"

A very old song that I rediscovered on the radio. I just really love their sound. Takes me back…

Next Up on the TBR Pile:

Life Right Now #19

As I look outside my window: The sky is cloudy, but it’s still super humid. Not the best weather today.

Right now I am: Deciding on what to make for brunch today. We have eggs and bacon, but I haven’t chosen the baked good. Maybe some blueberry scones?

Thinking and pondering: Oh I do not feel ready for school to star ton Monday. I realize that we homeschool and technically I can start whenever, but I did have us scheduled for Monday. I think that we will still start on Monday, but I need to spend some time prepping today.

On my bedside table: Dark Restraint by Katee Robert; The Nice House on the Lake Vol. 2

On my tv this week: I’ve been traveling, so not a lot of television viewing. I did catch up with The Bachelorette and Below Deck. And we discovered that Plebs had a capstone movie special.

Listening to: After finishing an audiobook on the drive home, I got back into S10 of Revolutions. I will finish it at some point, hopefully soon.

On the menu for this week:

• Monday - Apple Cheddar Stuffed Chicken

• Tuesday - Sesame Chicken

• Wednesday - Prosciutto Provolone Fig Grilled Cheese

• Thursday - Lemon Butter Garlic Shrimp

• Friday - Leftover

• Saturday - Honey and Lime Jalapeño Chicken

• Sunday - Loaded Sweet Potato Nachos

On my to do list: I need to finish putting away all the travel stuff. The laundry is half done, but needs to be sorted and put away. Beyond that, I have a kitchen to get sorted and curriculum to organize.

Happening this week:

• Monday - Arthur Dentist Appointment; First Day of School

• Tuesday - Home Day

• Wednesday - Splashed Party; Pokemon Club

• Thursday - Coop

• Friday - Fontenelle Forest Hike

• Saturday - Home Day

• Sunday - Pool Party

What I am creating: Mostly lists…

My simple pleasures: My own bed. Really it’s so nice to be home and sleeping in my own bed.

Looking around the house: Obviously things are very cluttered right away after arriving home on Friday. I need to do a big pickup.

From the camera: Checking out our 4th SR-71. This one was a training plane.

The Nice House on the Lake Vol. 1

Title: The Nice House on the Lake Vol. 1

Author: James Tynion, Alvaro Martinez Bueno, Jordie Bellaire

Publisher: DC Comics 2022

Genre: Comics

Pages: 200

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: None

Where I Got It: Library

Everyone who was invited to the house knows Walter-well, they know him a little, anyway. Some met him in childhood; some met him months ago. And Walter’s always been a little…off. But after the hardest year of their lives, nobody was going to turn down Walter’s invitation to an astonishingly beautiful house in the woods, overlooking an enormous sylvan lake. It’s beautiful, it’s opulent, it’s private-so a week of putting up with Walter’s weird little schemes and nicknames in exchange for the vacation of a lifetime? Why not? All of them were at that moment in their lives when they could feel themselves pulling away from their other friends; wouldn’t a chance to reconnect be…nice? Collects The Nice House on the Lake #1-6.

How did I miss this series? Probably because it came from DC Comics. I’m definitely more of an Image reader. But I finally picked this one up and devoured it. This is a story that starts slow, but hooked me immediately. I desperately wanted to unravel the mystery presented with the inhabitants of the house. We get clues here and there and then the story takes a huge turn. I was absolutely floored and cannot wait to grab the next volume.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Lovely Corruption by Katee Robert

Title: Lovely Corruption (previously published as Undercover Attraction) (The O’Malleys #5)

Author: Katee Robert

Publisher: Forever 2017

Genre: Romance

Pages: 336

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: None

Where I Got It: Library ebook

Spice Rating: 5

Scandal. Wealth. Power. Seduction. Welcome to the world of the O'Malleys.
Ex-cop Charlotte Finch used to think there was a clear line between right and wrong. Then her fellow officers betrayed her, and the world is no longer so black and white. Especially when it's Aiden O'Malley, one of the most dangerous men in Boston, who offers her a chance for justice. The only catch: she'll have to pretend to be his fiancvee for his plan to work.
Aiden can't afford to let anyone see the man behind the mask. To run the O'Malley empire, he has to be cool and controlled at all times. But the moment he meets Charlie, they're playing with fire. Her slightest touch is enough to send him over the edge. At first their "engagement" was a way to eliminate his enemies. Now he'll do whatever it takes to keep her safe-- even if he has to destroy his own family to do it.

Thank goodness the series redeemed itself with this volume. Aiden has always been a closed book in this series, and we finally get to peel back the layers a bit. I loved seeing him become vulnerable and start to see how his actions have affected the other families members. Charlie is a great foil for his personality and strength. We get to see how Charlie tempers Aiden’s worst tendencies and creates more of a bond with the rest of the family. On the other side of the story, we get a lot of big action sequences and suspenseful moments involving the other families. And I must say that the steamy scenes in this one were really memorable.

The O’Malleys

• #1 The Marriage Contract / Dark Succession

• #2 The Wedding Pact / Heated Rivals

• #3 An Indecent Proposal / Twisted Secrets

• #4 Forbidden Promises / Beautiful Vengeance

• #5 Undercover Attraction / Lovely Corruption

• #6 The Bastard’s Bargain / Ruthless Redemption

Next up on the TBR pile:

Beautiful Vengeance by Katee Robert

Title: Beautiful Vengeance (previously published as Forbidden Promises) (The O’Malleys #4)

Author: Katee Robert

Publisher: Forever 2017

Genre: Romance

Pages: 320

Rating: 2/5 stars

Reading Challenges: None

Where I Got It: Library ebook

Spice Rating: 5

Some lines should never be crossed . . . not even for love.
Sloan O'Malley just left her entire world behind-her family, her wealth, and even her real name. For the first time in her life, she's free. She can live the "normal" life she's always wanted: A life without fear. But there's nothing safe about her intensely sexy next-door neighbor.
Jude MacNamara has no room for innocence in his life. Only revenge. Still, he's never been able to walk away from the forbidden, and Sloan--who is every inch of pure, mouthwatering temptation--has forbidden written all over her. Only after it's way too late does he discover the real danger: claiming Sloan as his puts a target on her back. To protect her, Jude is willing risk everything . . . and to hell with the consequences.

Ooof this one did not land for me at all. Right away, I was annoyed by how much of a doormat Sloan was. And she doesn’t really grow much at all throughout the book. Instead we see her stumble around until she falls into bed with Jude. There’s just not enough there to really connect to her as a character. Jude isn’t much better. He’s so drive by revenge that it becomes his entire personality. Not a fan. But my biggest complaint about this book is the accidental pregnancy storyline. I absolutely hate when a virgin has sex and immediately gets pregnant. No thank you! it’s just a tired trope and one that doesn’t allow for the growth of the romance and relationship that I actually want to see.

The O’Malleys

• #1 The Marriage Contract / Dark Succession

• #2 The Wedding Pact / Heated Rivals

• #3 An Indencent Proposal / Twisted Secrets

• #4 Forbidden Promises / Beautiful Vengeance

• #5 Undercover Attraction / Lovely Corruption

• #6 The Bastard’s Bargain / Ruthless Redemption

Next up on the TBR pile:

Music Monday - Royale Lynn feat. Danny Worsnop "Death Wish"

Really digging this collaboration.

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Six by Loren Grush

Title: The Six: The Untold Story of America’s First Women Astronauts

Author: Loren Grush

Publisher: Scribner 2023

Genre: Nonfiction - US History

Pages: 432

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Nonfiction Reader; Clock Reader

Where I Got It: Library

In this account of America’s first women astronauts “Grush skillfully weaves a story that, at its heart, is about desire: not a nation’s desire to conquer space, but the longing of six women to reach heights that were forbidden to them” (The New York Times).

When NASA sent astronauts to the moon in the 1960s and 1970s the agency excluded women from the corps, arguing that only military test pilots—a group then made up exclusively of men—had the right stuff. It was an era in which women were steered away from jobs in science and deemed unqualified for space flight. Eventually, though, NASA recognized its blunder and opened the application process to a wider array of hopefuls, regardless of race or gender. From a candidate pool of 8,000 six elite women were selected in 1978—Sally Ride, Judy Resnik, Anna Fisher, Kathy Sullivan, Shannon Lucid, and Rhea Seddon.

Our book club selection for August was a nonfiction pick! I was really hoping for an engaging story of six fascinating women. We got most of that, but there were a few slow parts. I loved learning about the process of these women becoming astronauts. I was very interested in the process. And I was interested in seeing how NASA adapted and changed over the decades. I was less excited to really get into the nitty gritty of each of these missions. The details started to bog down the book a bit. Overall, I did enjoy this one, but I wonder if the Young Readers version would be better.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Summer Adventures - July

Instead of a summer bucket list, we are just taking the weeks as they come. But we ended up having many adventures this month.

Stormy weather caused us to pivot to the Mahoney Activity Center for an afternoon

Saw Trolls 2 at the theater for the cheap movies series

Pool party at a friend’s house for the 4th of July

Multiple hikes around town - Glacier Creek, Heron Haven,

Exploration at the Luminarium

Multiple pool visits

Second session of swim lessons - A passed Level 2, Q did not

Playing Pokemon at club

Ice cream at Dairy Twist

Sleepover at a friend’s house!

Visited the Omaha Zoo complete with splash pad fun

Old fashioned park playdate

Video games playdate with friends

Sushi train visit

Trip to Indiana!

We popped into the Putnam Museum in Davenport on the way. (Free admission using our Morrill Hall membership pass.)

Due to a plane delay, we found ourselves in Indianapolis for an extra day. Explored the Indiana State Museum and walked along the canal. (Free admission using our Morrill Hall membership pass.)

Next up on the TBR pile:

August 2024 Life Goals

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

• Read 18 Books ✓

• Finish Planning Indiana Trip - Considering that I am here, I’m going to say that it’s planned. ✓

• Complete Our Summer Bucket List ✓

• Prep August and September Homeschool Plans ✓

• Get Academic Coop Off the Ground - Still working on this one.

August Goals:

• Read 18 Books

• Schedule a Meeting for All of Secular Omaha

• Finish Academic Co-op Lesson Plans

• Plan the Boys’ Birthday Party

Next up on the TBR pile: