The Highlander's English Bride by Vanessa Kelly

Title: The Highlander’s English Bride (Clan Kendrick #3)

Author: Vanessa Kelly

Publisher: Zebra 2020

Genre: Romance

Pages: 448

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges:

Lady Sabrina Bell has never been so embarrassed in her life. Not only did her new suitor fail to appear for their morning rendezvous in Hyde Park, but a thief pushed her into the Serpentine. Being rescued by a burly Highlander just adds to her humiliation. Nor is he content with rescuing her just once. Even when Sabrina travels to Edinburgh as part of King George’s entourage, Graeme Kendrick is there, interfering, exasperating, and so very tempting . . .

Once notorious for being the most unruly Kendrick brother, Graeme now runs dangerous missions for the King’s spymaster. Yet nothing has prepared him for Sabrina. The only child of a wealthy earl, and the pampered goddaughter of the king himself, she is stubborn, impetuous, and far too good for him. He doesn’t deserve her, but he can protect her and then send her safely back home. But the bonny Sassenach has her own ideas—and a plan for seduction that no red-blooded Highlander could resist . . .

Graeme was the perfect Kendrick for the next book. I loved the little glimpses that we saw of him in the previous books and was excited to see his story laid out. Graeme has a heart of gold even through he keeps things cool on the outside. But that makes him a very compelling main character. Once he meets Sabrina, the story kicks into gear and we are off on an adventure. Their banter is great but even more, I loved the little bits of humor. Sabrina isn’t as strong as Ainsley, but she’s a great addition to the Kendrick clan. I can’t wait to see what happens next to the family.

Clan Kendrick

#1 The Highlander Who Protected Me
#2 The Highlander’s Christmas Bride
#3 The Highlander’s English Bride
#4 The Highlander’s Irish Bride
#5 The Highlander’s Holiday Wife

Next up on the TBR pile:

Whiteout by Various

Title: Whiteout

Author: Dhonielle Clayton, Tiffany D Jackson, Nic Stone, Angie Thomas, Ashley Woodfolk, Nicola Yoon

Publisher: Quill Tree Books 2022

Genre: YA Romance

Pages: 291

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges:

Atlanta is blanketed with snow just before Christmas, but the warmth of young love just might melt the ice in this novel of Black joy, and cozy, sparkling romance—by the same unbeatable team of authors who wrote the New York Times bestseller Blackout!

As the city grinds to a halt, twelve teens band together to help a friend pull off the most epic apology of her life. But will they be able to make it happen, in spite of the storm?

No one is prepared for this whiteout. But then, we can’t always prepare for the magical moments that change everything.

A very cute story about a group of friends trying to help two of them get back together in the midst of a snow storm. We get chapters from each friend’s perspective. The chapters were short but full of heart. I sped through this book and ended with a warm hug. The book wasn’t my favorite, but it was a delightful little young adult romance. I loved all the personalities and perspectives from the friends. A very nice book for the holiday season.

Next up on the TBR pile:

You're a Mean One, Matthew Prince by Timothy Janovsky

Title: You’re a Mean One, Matthew Prince (Boy Meets Boy #2)

Author: Timothy Janovsky

Publisher: Sourcebooks 2022

Genre: Romance

Pages: 304

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges:

Matthew Prince is young, rich, and thoroughly spoiled. So what if his parents barely remember he exists and the press is totally obsessed with him? He's on top of the world. But one major PR misstep later, and Matthew is cut off and shipped away to spend the holidays in his grandparents' charming small town hellscape. Population: who cares?

It's bad enough he's stuck in some festive winter wonderland—it's even worse that he has to share space with Hector Martinez, an obnoxiously attractive local who's unimpressed with anything and everything Matthew does.

Just when it looks like the holiday season is bringing nothing but heated squabbles, the charity gala loses its coordinator and Matthew steps in as a saintly act to get home early on good behavior...with Hector as his maddening plus-one. But even a Grinch can't resist the unexpected joy of found family, and in the end, the forced proximity and infectious holiday cheer might be enough to make a lonely Prince's heart grow three sizes this year.

Trying to be Schitt’s Creek and failing very badly. I could not ever get behind Matthew as a person. He annoyed me up through the ending. Even after he started showing a bit of humility and understanding, I still didn’t really see his appeal. Hector I loved, but you can’t love one half and hate the other half in a romance novel. At least the characters on Schitt’s Creek were funny. There was no humor in here to offset the spoiled rich kid-ness. Definitely not my pick for the season.

Boy Meets Boy

#1 Never Been Kissed
#2 You’re a Mean One, Matthew Prince
#3 New Adult

Next up on the TBR pile:

Homeschool W16: Winding Down the Semester

What We Studied

We only have one more official week for the fall semester and we’re definitely ready for a break. This week was full of random appointments with less schooling worked in. We did cover some reading and math and had our final coop meeting of the fall.

Literature and Poetry

Arthur and I continued our read aloud. The story is really getting good. I’m loving that Arthur has recognized a lot of the folklore and mythological characters. Sometimes he really does pay attention.

Nat Geo Book of Nature Poetry
In the Beginning by Virginia Hamilton
Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky by Kwame Mbalia

Quentin focused on reading animal stories from around the world. I’m trying to line them up with our continents as we move across the world. We continued Europe and covered stories from Eastern Europe and Russia.

Nat Geo Book of Animal Poetry
A World Full of Animal Stories by Angela McAllister
Around the World in 80 Days by Saviour Pirotta
Pete the Cat's 12 Groovy Days of Christmas by Kimberly and James Dean
One Wild Christmas by Nicholas Oldland
Merry Christmas, Dear Dragon by Margaret Hillert
The Fool of the World and the Flying Ship by Arthur Ransome
Rechenka's Eggs by Patricia Polacco

Math

For both boys, we have scheduled math for three days a week. One day is focused on logic, games, puzzles, and special projects. The two other days are focused on covering the main math curriculum (Singapore 4A and 4B for Arthur and Singapore 1A and 1B for Quentin). Arthur’s plugging along learning about decimals currently.

Logic Liftoff (Arthur)
Singapore 4B
Lollipop Logic Book 2 (Quentin)
Smart Start Math Grade 1

Social Studies

Arthur continued his large study of United States history using a combination of Build Your Library Level 5 and History Quest United States History. We’ve continued the section covering the Revolutionary War. I’m loving one of our read aloud resources.

A Kid’s Guide to Native American History by Yvonne Wakim Dennis
An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz
We were There Too by Philip Hoose
Words that Built a Nation
History Quest: U.S. History
A Different Mirror
DK American History Visual Encyclopedia
King George: What was His Problem? How to Start a Revolution
Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson
Map Skills for Today Grade 3

Quentin continued his study of the world with Build Your Library Level 0. We moved onto studying Eastern Europe and Russia.

Nat Geo Beginner’s World Atlas
DK Countries of the World
DK Children Just Like Me
DK Children Just Like Me: A School Like Mine

Arthur Independent Time

We are working on following a checklist in a planner for weekly independent work. There’s usually some math workbook pages, an ELA packet, weekly writing prompts (1-2 times a week), independent reading time, and a special creative project. There has been many drawing projects lately.

Science

Arthur is focusing on Physics this year. We are covering the text and related videos at home and then joining friends for experiments and extra projects. We’re back to our RSO with a unit on air and air pressure. The boys really enjoyed trying to prove that air takes up space and has matter. Great experiments this week!

RSO Physics
The Story of Science: Aristotle Leads the Way by Joy Hakim
The Way Things Work Now

Quentin will be focusing on animal science with BYL Level 0.

Nat Geo Wild Animal Atlas
DK Animal
Lonely Planet: The Animal Book
The Tarantula in My Purse by Jean Craighead George

STEAM Coop

One last week for the fall semester. Arthur finished the genetics unit learning a little bit about CRISPR. I had to emergency teach mental health to the middle class. I led the kids on some mindfulness exercises before we made emotional regulation charts and did some animal themed yoga. I pulled out that lesson in 15 minutes and felt really good about the results. Sometimes we just have to quickly pivot and get the job done.

Art/Music/Crafts/Cooking

Field Trip

No field trip, but we did host board game morning on Tuesday. Lots of kids came and played board games. They even did it fairly independently!

On Sunday, we had our book club discussion for The Girl Who Drank the Moon. While discussing, the kids drew their own versions of Glerk and Fyrian and all the rest of the characters. Not all of the kids liked the book, but we had a great discussion of why. They are really starting to get how to talk about books. I’m so excited for spring!

High

I hosted coop happy hour for the coop parents on Tuesday. We had a lovely evening chatting without kid interruptions. Will definitely have to do it again in the spring.

Low

All the doctor appointments! The boys had their well-check visits on Monday so school was a wash. And then I had an appointment on Wednesday morning and one on Friday morning. Lots of poking prodding this week.

Next Week

Finishing our read aloud and maybe starting the coop book club selection (A)
Learning more about the Revolutionary War for US History (A)
Moving forward with 4B for Math (A)
Wrapping up air and air pressure for physics (A)
Finishing Europe for social studies and science (Q)
Celebrating the season with all our coop friends at the Christmas party!

Next up on the TBR pile:

Music Monday - Black Veil Brides "Saviour II"

One of my favorite bands still.

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Highlander's Christmas Bride by Vanessa Kelly

Title: The Highlander’s Christmas Bride (Clan Kendrick #2)

Author: Vanessa Kelly

Publisher: Zebra 2019

Genre: Romance

Pages: 432

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges:

Being thrown over by the man she expected to marry was humiliating enough. Now that Donella Haddon, grandniece of the Earl of Riddick, has also proven a failure as a nun, she has no choice but to return to her family's estate. The brawny Highlander sent to escort her is brash, handsome, and the only thing standing between Donella and a gang of would-be kidnappers. But the scandal in her past can't be so easily outrun . . .

Wealthy widower Logan Kendrick was expecting to meet a plain, pious spinster--not a gorgeous, sharp-tongued lass who can hold her own in any ambush. Though she's known as the Flower of Clan Graham, Donella is no shrinking violet. In fact, she might be the perfect woman to bring happiness back to his lonely little son's life, just in time for Christmas. But first he must protect her from ugly gossip and a mysterious threat--and convince her that their wild, unexpected desire is heaven sent.

The second in this series was definitely better than the first. We get a great main male and a great main female character. I loved the interactions between Donell and Logan. We get two strong characters that have to learn to rely on each other for support. It’s a lovely partnership that I was rooting for from the first page.

Clan Kendrick

#1 The Highlander Who Protected Me
#2 The Highlander’s Christmas Bride
#3 The Highlander’s English Bride
#4 The Highlander’s Irish Bride
#5 The Highlander’s Holiday Wife

Next up on the TBR pile:

Wallbanger by Alice Clayton

Title: Wallbanger (The Cocktail #1)

Author: Alice Clayton

Publisher: Omnific Publishing 2012

Genre: Romance

Pages: 384

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges:

Caroline Reynolds has a fantastic new apartment in San Francisco, a Kitchen Aid mixer to die for, and no O (and we’re not talking Oprah here, folks). She has a flourishing design career, an office overlooking the bay, a killer zucchini bread recipe, and no O. She has Clive (the best cat ever), great friends, a great rack, and no O. Adding insult to O-less, she also has an oversexed neighbor with the loudest late-night wallbanging she’s ever heard. Every moan, spank, and—was that a meow?—punctuates the fact that not only is she losing sleep, she still has—yep, you guessed it—no O. Enter Simon Parker. When the wallbanging threatens to literally bounce her out of bed, Caroline, clad in sexual frustration and a pink baby-doll nightie, confronts her heard-but-never-seen neighbor. Their late-night hallway encounter has…well…mixed results. Because with walls this thin, the tension’s gonna be thick. A delicious mix of silly and steamy, this is an irresistible tale of exasperation at first sight.

I’ve been looking for a good choice for our book club’s Dirty Book Month. I do not think this is my choice. My first issue is that there is too much talk about sex and not enough actual sex. Our main characters don’t actually have sex until the last few chapters of the book. I definitely needed more in my spicy romance. Instead of actual sex, we get a lot of ridiculous sex talk full of silly comments and nicknames. I was very over the silly talk. And then we get to the main characters. I really enjoyed Simon, but Caroline was very naive and grating at times. I think I need to stay away from spicy romances that center around characters in their early 20s. We’ll see how it goes, but this one is going into the nope category.

The Cocktail

#1 Wallbanger
#2 Rusty Nailed
#3 Screwdrivered
#4 Mai Tai’d Up

Next up on the TBR pile:

Odds and Ends

Here's my randomness for the week:

Today is our last coop meeting of the semester! We’re taking a break for the holidays. As much as I love coop, I’m ready for a little break to recenter.
White chocolate cranberry cookies (or cake) sounds like a plan for today’s cooking.
I think I’m going to DNF my current read, or maybe I will suffer through. It’s just not catching my attention.
Feeling very cozy and comfy this week. The snow today is magical.

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Christmas Clash by Suzanne Park

Title: The Christmas Clash

Author: Suzanne Park

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire 2022

Genre: YA Romance

Pages: 349

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges:

Chloe Kwon can't stand Peter Li. It's always been that way. Their families don't get along either: their parents operate rival restaurants in the Riverwood Mall food court—Korean food for the Kwons and Chinese food for the Lis. Now it's the holiday season and Chloe's the photographer at the mall's Santa's Village, and Peter works at the virtual reality North Pole experience right across the atrium. It's all Chloe can do to avoid Peter's smug, incredibly photogenic face.

But it turns out the mall is about to be sold to a developer and demolished for condos. Eviction notices are being handed out right before Christmas. Their parents don't know what to do, and soon Chloe and Peter realize that the two of them need to join efforts to try to save the mall. Just when it seems like they can put aside their differences and work closely (very closely) together, they discover that the Kwon and Li feud goes far deeper than either of them realize...

What is with YA romance doing the Romeo and Juliet trope? I guess it is a classic for a reason and it includes lots of opportunities for great banter. I loved the mall setting to this particular story. The old rivalry between the Chinese restaurant and the Korean restaurant is perfect fodder for the rivalry between Chloe and Peter. Right away, we know that Chloe and Peter are going to end up together, but how are they going to get over their attitudes toward each other? I was completely on board with all the longing glances and confused feelings. So cute! As an added bonus, we get a mystery of how the Lis and Kwons can to be enemies. The book was cute and breezy and fairly chaste. A good pick for this week.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Lovelight Farms by B.K. Borison

Title: Lovelight Farms (Lovelight #1)

Author: B.K. Borison

Publisher: 2021

Genre: Holiday Romance

Pages: 309

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges:

Where the lovelight gleams …

A pasture of dead trees. A hostile takeover of the Santa barn by a family of raccoons. And shipments that have mysteriously gone missing. Lovelight Farms is not the magical winter wonderland of Stella Bloom’s dreams.

In an effort to save the Christmas tree farm she’s loved since she was a kid, she enters a contest with instafamous influencer Evelyn St. James. With the added publicity and the $100,000 cash prize, she might just be able to save the farm from its financial woes. There’s just one problem. To make the farm seem like a romantic destination for the holidays, she lied on the application and said she owns Lovelight Farms with her boyfriend. Only … there is no boyfriend.

Enter best friend Luka Peters. He just came home for some hot chocolate, and somehow got a farm and a serious girlfriend in the process.

A decent contemporary romance with good main characters. While some of Stella’s insecurities got a bit annoying by the end of the book, I was still on board with her as a main character. I wanted to see her succeed with her Christmas tree farm. While she’s on the way to succeed by the end of the book, the romance is the more important focus of the book. Friends to lovers isn’t my favorite romance trope, but this one does work. Luka is such a great counterpoint to Stella that I actually buy their relationship. The steamy scenes don’t kick in until about 60% of the way through, but when they do, they are steamy. Beyond the romance, I did love meeting Stella’s business partners. I am excited to read their stories next.

Lovelight Farms

#1 Lovelight Farms
#2 In the Weeds
#3 Mixed Signals

Next up on the TBR pile:

Currently #22

Reading: You’re a Mean One, Matthew Prince by Timothy Janovsky. I’m fully into my holiday romances for the month.

Watching: J has me start watching Leverage Redemption S1. We’ve almost finished this season and we’ll start the newly released one soon.

Listening: The boys and I have been listening to Christmas music while doing our advent activities.

Making: Today’s activity is making Christmas flavored cookies. I’m thinking Ginger Molasses and Cranberry White Chocolate.

Feeling: I had my doctor’s appointment last week and we now have a plan to tackle my persistent pain. I’m feeling a little less anxious now.

Planning: I’m nearing the end of planning our spring curriculum. Just a few sections to finish prepping. My floor is looking cleaner now.

Loving: We got new pots and pans this week and I’m very excited about the tea kettle. It’s so pretty!

Next up on the TBR pile:

Homeschool W15: Turkey Day and the Start of Christmas

What We Studied

We had a break week for Thanksgiving and a normal week. But with the start of December, our activities increased dramatically. The amount of actual schoolwork that we will get done this month will be small.

Literature and Poetry

Arthur and I started our next read aloud. This will take us toward the end of the year. Even a third of the way in, we are really enjoying this one.

Nat Geo Book of Nature Poetry
In the Beginning by Virginia Hamilton
Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky by Kwame Mbalia
The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill
Many Lucious Lollipops by Ruth Heller

Nat Geo Book of Animal Poetry
A World Full of Animal Stories by Angela McAllister
Around the World in 80 Days by Saviour Pirotta
Four Good Friends by Margaret Hillert (Quentin Reads)
Beatrice Likes the Dark by April Genevieve Tucholke
How to Catch a Witch by Alice Walstead and Megan Joyce
How to Catch a Monster by Adam Wallace and Andy Elkerton
A Spoonful of Frogs by Casey Lyall
Sir Ladybug and the Queen Bee by Corey R. Tabor
Fall Leaves by Loretta Holland
Babushka Baba Yaga by Patricia Polacco
Sir Ladybug and the Bookworms by Corey R. Tabor
Wonder Walkers by Micha Archer
Creepy Crayon by Aaron Reynolds
Shape Shift by Joyce Hesselberth
The Cookie House by Margaret Hillert (Quentin Reads)
The Glass Mountain: Tales from Poland by David Walser
The Little, Little House by Jessica Souhami
Luba and the Wren by Patricia Polacco
The Cats in Krasinski Square by Karen Hesse
The Mitten by Jan Brett

Math

For both boys, we have scheduled math for three days a week. One day is focused on logic, games, puzzles, and special projects. The two other days are focused on covering the main math curriculum (Singapore 4A and 4B for Arthur and Singapore 1A and 1B for Quentin). Arthur started 4B this section. I don’t imagine that it’s going to take us all that long to finish.

Logic Liftoff (Arthur)
Singapore 4B
Lollipop Logic Book 2 (Quentin)
Smart Start Math Grade 1

Social Studies

Arthur continued his large study of United States history using a combination of Build Your Library Level 5 and History Quest United States History. we’ve started the section covering the Revolutionary War. I’m loving one of our read aloud resources.

A Kid’s Guide to Native American History by Yvonne Wakim Dennis
An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz
We were There Too by Philip Hoose
Words that Built a Nation
History Quest: U.S. History
A Different Mirror
DK American History Visual Encyclopedia
Cobblestone: North American Beaver Fur Trade
Struggle for a Continent: The French and Indian Wars by Betsy Maestro
King George: What was His Problem? How to Start a Revolution
Map Skills for Today Grade 3

Quentin continued his study of the world with Build Your Library Level 0. We moved onto studying Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, .

Nat Geo Beginner’s World Atlas
DK Countries of the World
DK Children Just Like Me
DK Children Just Like Me: A School Like Mine
P is for Poland by Agnieszka Mrówcyzńska & Prodeepta Das

Arthur Independent Time

Science

Arthur is focusing on Physics this year. We are covering the text and related videos at home and then joining friends for experiments and extra projects. We took a bit of a break from Physics to explore paper making and print making. The boys even got to make their own homemade paper. After thinking about it, we’re going to recycle (heehee) that idea for coop for spring.

RSO Physics
The Story of Science: Aristotle Leads the Way by Joy Hakim
The Way Things Work Now

Quentin will be focusing on animal science with BYL Level 0.

Nat Geo Wild Animal Atlas
DK Animal
Lonely Planet: The Animal Book
The Tarantula in My Purse by Jean Craighead George

STEAM Coop

We are running right up tot he end of the semester Arthur is continuing the genetics unit while Quentin is learning about mental health.

Art/Music/Crafts/Cooking

We’re planning one doing on art project and one cooking project each week as well as picking a composer or musician to listen to and enjoy. This week music just didn’t happen. But that’s okay. Arthur’s continued with the Outschool drawing class. This week’s animal was a fox and flamingo together. We actually had our last class until probably January Life is just a little hectic right now.

Field Trip

During Thanksgiving week we joined some coop friends at the zoo. We haven’t been the zoo since August. It was nice to get out and the weather was perfect for our excursion.

High

We had a small get together to work on our service project. The coop chose to make no-tie fleece blankets for the local animal shelter. I only finished two blankets, but we had a great chat while cutting and tying.

Low

Not much actual schoolwork was finished this past two weeks. That’s okay, but I had hoped to get a little further in our curriculum.

Next Week

Continuing our new read aloud (A)
Learning more about the Revolutionary War for US History (A)
Moving forward with 4B for Math (A)
Coming back to physics air and air pressure (A)
Covering more of Eastern Europe for social studies and science (Q)
Covering genetics, (A) and mental health (Q) for coop - it’s the last coop meeting of the semester!

Next up on the TBR pile:

Music Monday - Asking Alexandria "See What's on the Inside"

Still just love their sound so much.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Life Right Now #36

As I look outside my window: Bright and sunny, but pretty cold. At least it’s warmer than yesterday.

Right now I am: Going to take a few minutes to read before getting brunch started.

Thinking and pondering: I’m going to host a homeschool seminar for the coop in January. I’m thinking about how I want to structure it.

On my bedside table: You’re a Mean One, Matthew Prince by Timothy Janovsky; Whiteout

On my tv this week: J and have watched a ton of Leverage: Redemption S1 this week. We’ve almost made it through the entire season.

Listening to: Mostly just the usual podcasts. I also added the Alternative Holiday playlist to my rotation this month.

On the menu for this week:

Monday - BBQ Chicken
Tuesday - Leftovers
Wednesday - Fettuccini Alfredo with Chicken, Broccoli, and Bacon
Thursday - Out
Friday - Italian Beef Sandwiches
Saturday - Leftovers
Sunday - Fish and Chips

On my to do list: I’ve got a huge to-do list and am trying to pick off a few things every day. I’m currently working on lots of coop tasks.

Happening this week:

Monday - Kid Doctor Appointments
Tuesday - Coop Board Games; Coop Happy Hour
Wednesday - Mammogram; Santa Visit; Science
Thursday - Coop; Werner Park Lights
Friday - CT Scan; Christmas at Arbor Day Lodge
Saturday - Bookworms Book and Bottle Exchange
Sunday - Coop Boo Club

What I am creating: I’ve been working on our spring curriculum plan lately. I’ve finished Arthur’s plan and am working on Quentin’s plan.

My simple pleasures: My new tea advent calendar is so exciting. I can’t wait to eventually try all of the flavors.

Looking around the house: Things are a bit all over the place. I need to do a whirlwind clean soon.

From the camera: Yummy cookies! The Andes Mint ones were the clear winner.

The Fourth Suit by Neil Patrick Harris

Title: The Fourth Suit (Magic Misfits 4)

Author: Neil Patrick Harris

Publisher: Little, Brown Books 2020

Genre: MG Fantasy

Pages: 336

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges:

Ridley Larsen is everything you want in a friend. She's tough as nails, she's fiercely loyal, and she's smart as a whip. But she can be a harsh critic, which has put her position with the Magic Misfits on the rocks, even as the threat of the group's longtime enemy Kalagan looms large. Ever since his recent appearance in Mineral Wells, the kids know that a showdown with the vicious magician is imminent.
They must first deal with a series of odd instances and random attacks, though, all of which they use to bring themselves closer to discovering where Kalagan may be hiding, and the nature of his true identity. But can Ridley finally master her temper and put her essential magical skills to good use? She'll do anything to protect her friends, and when the time comes, she'll find that the Magic Misfits are strongest when they all work together.
Join the Magic Misfits as they discover adventure, friendship, and more than a few hidden secrets in this finale of the unique and surprising series. Whether you're a long-time expert at illusion or simply a new fan of stage magic, hold on to your top hat!

I finally made it to the conclusion of this series and it was definitely worth the wait. We finally get to unmask Kallagan. But more importantly, all the members of the Misfits finally repair their friendships and find their places. At the end of the series, Carter remained my favorite character, but this book really made me love Ridley. Despite all her prickly bits, she loves fierce. We finally got a glimpse into her family life. We needed that peek behind the curtain to see exactly why she reacts the way she does. I sped through this volume in one day desperate to finish the series. Extra bonus points: Arthur and I both read this series and had a great time discussing it.

The Magic Misfits

Next up on the TBR pile:

Snowpiercer Vol. 1

Title: Snowpiercer Vol. 1: The Escape

Author: Jacques Lob, Jean-Marc Rochette

Publisher: Titan Comics 1984

Genre: Comic

Pages: 110

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges:

In a harsh, uncompromisingly cold future where Earth has succumbed to treacherously low temperatures, the last remaining members of humanity travel on a train while the outside world remains encased in ice.

The surviving community are not without a social hierarchy; those that travel at the front of the train live in relative luxury whilst those unfortunate enough to be at the rear remain clustered like cattle in claustrophobic darkness. Yet, things are about to change aboard the train as passengers become disgruntled...

Okay, so I was very disappointed by the Prequels. The original comic was so much better. We get to actually see the train and the inhabitants. We find out the situation between all of the social classes. And events are set in motion to radically change the status quo. Although after reading this first volume, the prequels make even less sense. There was so much reconning it’s not even funny. Oh well.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Snowpiercer The Prequel Part 2

Title: Snowpiercer The Prequel Part 2: Apocalypse

Author: Matz, Jean-Marc Rochette

Publisher: Titan Comics 2020

Genre: Comic

Pages: 104

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges:

After the extinction event that caused the new ice age, the train Snowpiercer travels perpetually around the globe, with the last survivors of humanity learning to come to terms with their new reality.

Meh. I wanted to see what happened. I guess I did. I wasn’t so mad at this book, just a little bored by the repetitiveness. I think the prequels could have been condensed down into one book. Not sure why we needed multiple.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Snowpiercer The Prequel Part 1

Title: Snowpiercer The Prequel Part 1: Extinction

Author: Matz, Jean-Marc Rochette

Publisher: Titan Comics 2021

Genre: Comic

Pages: 98

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges:

The Snowpiercer saga continues with this brand new story by original artist Jean-Marc Rochette and Eisner nominated writer, Matz. Set before the extinction event that caused the new ice age in which the Snowpiercer travels perpetually around the globe, witness the terrifying events that led to the need for and creation of the eponymous train.

Overall, I enjoyed the plot. The pages progressed a little too slow for me. And I had a hard time really diving into any of the characters. They just didn’t seem that interesting. I kind of just wanted to see how the train came together in the end.

Next up on the TBR pile:

December 2022 Life Goals

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

Read 18 Books
Read 5 from My Unread Shelf
Have a Friendsgiving
Plan the Coop Christmas Party

December Goals:

Read 18 Books

Next up on the TBR pile:

Christmas Bucket List

Another Christmas season is upon us! Time for another bucket list:

Read 10 Holiday Romances
Coop Christmas Party!
Decorate the Mini Tree
Letter to Santa
Christmas Movies x3
Make Paper Snowflakes
Go See Santa at Cabela’s
Go See Werner Park Lights
Hot Chocolate bar
Meet the reindeer
Go for a winter hike
Puzzle Day
Make Gingerbread Cookies
Visit Lauritzen Gardens
Decorate Gingerbread Ninjas
Drive around and see the lights
Fantasy of Lights
Dinner at Coney Island and Visit to Santa Lights
Christmas music dance party
Watch The Grinch
Make Peppermint Bark
Christmas Advent Books
Find a New Christmas Album
Have a Candy Cane Hunt
Go Sledding (Here’s hoping the weather cooperates)
Send out Christmas cards
Take a photo of all four boys together
Finish 2021’s December Daily album
Try a new holiday drink

Next Up on the TBR Pile: