Christmas Bucket List Finish

We didn’t finish this list, but I’m very much okay with that this year. We needed to take everything a little easier this year. I’m grateful for the slower pace.

Read 10 Holiday Romances (10/10) ✓

• Snowed In by Jaqueline Snowe

• The Christmas Fix by Lucy Score

• A Holiday by Gaslight by Mimi Matthews

• Love in a Blizzard by Britney M. Mills

• White Lie Christmas by Karla Doyle

• A Winter in New York by Josie Silver

• Miss Kane’s Christmas by Caroline Mickelson

• Blue Sky Cowboy Christmas by Joanne Kennedy

• The Worst Christmas Ever? by Rebecca Paulinyi

• Fall for the Rockstar at Christmas by Lyndsey Gallagher

Coop Christmas Party! ✓

Decorate the Mini Tree ✓

Letter to Santa ✓

Christmas Movies x3 (1/3)

• White Christmas

Make Paper Snowflakes ✓

Go See Santa at Cabela’s ✓

Go See Werner Park Lights ✓

Hot Chocolate Bar ✓ - We all agreed that the Salted Caramel was the clear winner.

Meet the Reindeer - We missed them by two days. I didn’t realize that they had a limited stay this year.

Go for a Winter Hike

Puzzle Day ✓

Make Gingerbread Cookies ✓ Also, we decorated a pre-built gingerbread house.

Visit Zoolightful at the Zoo ✓ with bonus Santa meeting

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 ✓

• Merry Christmas, Peanut! by Terry Border

• Who’s that Knocking on Christmas Eve? by Jan Brett

• A Very Quacky Christmas by Frances Watts and Ann James

• Santa Claws by Laura Leuck

• Here Comes Santa Cat by Deborah Underwood

• Maple and Willow’s Christmas Tree by Lori Nichols

• Little Bear’s Special Friend by Claire Freedman

• The Nutcracker’s Night Before Christmas by Keith Brockett

• The 12 Days of Christmas by Greg Pizzoli

• The Nutcracker retold by John Cech

• How to Decorate a Christmas Tree by Vikki VanSickle

• It’s Christmas by Tracey Corderoy

• Clark the Shark Loves Christmas by Bruce Hale

• Was That Christmas? by Hilary McKay

• Bears Stays Up for Christmas by Karma Wilson

• The Christmas Eve Tree by Delia Huddy

• Who’ll Pull Santa’s Sleigh Tonight? by Laura Rader

• The Christmas Tree Who Loved Trains by Annie Silvestro

• The Polar Express by Chris van Allsburg

• Mr. Willowby’s Christmas Tree by Robert Barry

• The Gingerbread Man Loose at Christmas by Laura Murray

• The Christmas Magic by Lauren Thompson

• The Littlest Elf by Brandi Dougherty

• The Littlest Reindeer by Brandi Dougherty

• If You Take a Mouse to the Movies by Laura Numeroff

• How to Catch an Elf by Adam Wallace & Andy Elkerton

• One Snowy Morning by Kevin Tseng

• I’m Going to Build a Snowman by Jashar Swan

Find a New Christmas Album

Have a Candy Cane Hunt

Go Sledding

Send out Christmas cards

Try a new holiday drink

Make a snowglobe

Make Christmas cocktails

Create my December Daily base pages

Read A Christmas Carol ✓

Bonus: We checked out the very large Christmas tree at the Durham.

Bonus: We had to stop at Albanese on our way to Indiana. This year they had a whole moose on a ski mountain display. Loved it!

Bonus: The Fort Wayne Zoo did a whole Christmas daytime thing and we had to check it out. Years ago, they used to have lights at night. This year, they just had some special displays and certain animals were out. Plus free carousel and train rides.

Next Up on the TBR Pile:

December 2023 Wrap-up

December TBR Pilev (22/25):

1. Bookworms BC: None

2. Friend BC: None

3. Nerdy Bookish Friends BC: The Dream-Quest of Vellitt Boe by Kij Johnson ✓

4. Kid Read Aloud: A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle ✓

5. Kid Read Aloud: The Wild Robot Protects by Peter Brown ✓

6. Kid Book Club: A Snicker of Magic by Natalie Lloyd

7. Nonfiction: Counting the Cost by Jill Duggar ✓

8. Romance: Snowed in for Christmas by Jaqueline Snowe ✓

9. Romance: Bad Bachelor by Stefanie London ✓

10. Romance: Gray Hair Don’t Care by Karen Booth ✓

11. Romance: The Christmas Fix by Lucy Score ✓

12. Romance: A Holiday by Gaslight by Mimi Matthews ✓

13. Romance: Love in a Blizzard by Britney M. Mills ✓

14. Romance: White Lie Christmas by Karla Doyle ✓

15. Romance: A Winter in New York by Josie Silver ✓

16. Romance: That Kind of Guy by Talia Hibbert ✓

17. Romance: Miss Kane’s Christmas by Caroline Mickelson ✓

18. Romance: A Not So Meet Cute by Meghan Quinn ✓

19. Romance: Blue Sky Cowboy Christmas by Joanne Kennedy ✓

20. Romance: The Worst Christmas Ever? by Rebecca Paulinyi ✓

21. Romance: The Stopover by TL Swan ✓

22. Romance: Falling for the Rockstar at Christmas by Lyndsey Gallagher ✓

23. Thriller: Whalefall by Daniel Kraus ✓

24. Fantasy: Magical Midlife Madness by KF Breene ✓

25. Fantasy: Under the Smokestrewn Sky by A. Deborah Baker ✓

1,000,000 Page Goal:

Monthly Total: 6250 pages
Pages Remaining: 274,988 pages

Current Read - Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros; Timekeeper by Tara Sim

Books I Gave Up On (0)

Books Bought/Received (3):

For the book club’s Christmas Book and Bottle Exchange, I ended up with Pinot Noir by Mads Molnar. Looks like an interesting mystery/action story.

I actually found two BOTM selections that I really wanted.

• The Kingdom of Sweets by Erika Johansen

• The Gentleman’s Gambit by Evie Dunmore

UnRead Shelf Progress

• Starting Number: 337

• Books Read: 0

• Books Acquired: 3

• Books Unshelved: 4

• Finishing Number: 336

January TBR Pile:

1. Bookworms BC: Mrs. Sherlock Holmes by Brad Ricca

2. Friend BC: The Fortune Hunter by Daisy Goodwin

3. Nerdy Bookish Friends BC: The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey

4. Kid Read Aloud: Charlotte’s Web by EB White

5. Kid Read Aloud: James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl

6. Kid Book Club: A Snicker of Magic by Natalie Lloyd

7. Fantasy: Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros

8. Fantasy: Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman

9. Fantasy: Timekeeper by Tara Sim

10. Fantasy: Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros

11. Science Fiction: All Systems Red by Martha Wells

Movies Watched

• 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea

• Newsies

• Solaris (1972)

• Silent Night

TV Shows Watched

• Doctor Who

• Below Deck: Med

• Bachelor in Paradise

• Slow Horses S3

• Obliterated S1

• Rick & Morty

• Archer - Series finale! I can’t believe that show aired for 14 seasons!

• One Piece S1

• Lockwood and Co. S1

• Percy Jackson and the Olympians S1

Comments - Ending my year on a high note for my reading and media watching. Looking forward to what 2024 will bring.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Falling for the Rockstar at Christmas by Lyndsey Gallagher

Title: Falling for the Rockstar at Christmas (Sexton Sisters #1)

Author: Lyndsey Gallagher

Publisher: 2022

Genre: Romance

Pages: 356

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: 

Spice Meter: 5

Ten years ago, I inherited our family castle and sole care of my youngest sister. More Cinderella, than Sleeping Beauty, at the mere age of twenty-eight I have a teenager to raise and a hotel to run. If the hotel is to survive past Christmas, I need a lottery win, a miracle, or Prince Charming himself to sweep in with a humongous… wad of cash.

When my super successful middle sister announces she’s coming home for the holiday season, I’m determined to put my problems aside and make this the most fabulous Christmas ever. Especially as it might just be the last one in our family home.

I didn’t factor in the return of my first love, Ryan Cooper. Back then he was the boy next door. Now, he’s a world famous singer/song writer. We were supposed to go the States together. He left without me. Now he’s back. Rumour is he has writers block. Apparently this is a last-ditch attempt to find inspiration before his record label pulls the plug permanently.

And guess where he wants to stay? You have it in one- the most inspiring castle hotel in Dublin’s fair city.

Every woman in the city wants to pull this Hollywood Christmas cracker. Except me.I’m going to avoid him at all costs.

Easier said than done when he’s parading around under my roof, with enough heat exuding from his molten eyes to melt every square inch of snow from the peaks of the Dublin mountains...

A breezy decent Christmas romance to end my year’s reading. This is another one of those random free Kindle reads that I grabbed. At first, I was very concerned that our main characters were going to be 18 year olds. Thankfully, only the first chapter is set at that time and then we jump ahead ten years. Much better… From there, we have two characters rediscovering love and lots of added obstacles (of course). Overall, this was fine and breezy. Nothing too ground breaking. And I’m sure that I will forget about this book in a month, but sometimes that’s okay.

Sexton Sisters

• #1 Falling for the Rockstar at Christmas

• #2 Falling for my Forbidden Fling

• #3 Falling for My Bodyguard

Next up on the TBR pile:

Under the Smokestrewn Sky by A. Deborah Baker

Title: Under the Smokestrewn Sky (The Up and Under #4)

Author: A. Deborah Baker

Publisher: Tordotcom 2023

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 195

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges:

Since stumbling from their world into the Up and Under, Avery and Zib have walked the improbable road across forests, seas and skies, finding friends in the unlikeliest of places and enemies great in number, as they make their way toward the Impossible City in the hope of finding their way home.

But the final part of their journey is filled with danger and demise. Not everyone will make it through unscathed. Not everyone will make it through alive.

We finally come to the end of Avery and Zib’s adventures in The Up and Under. Overall, I really enjoyed this series so much. There’s a bit of Alice in Wonderland in there, a bit of The Wizard of Oz, and so much wit and introspection from Seanan McGuire. Adding Jack to the mix in the last book really completed the group for the last adventure. The reveal involving the Crow Girl was just about the most perfect way to continue the story and bring the threads together. I appreciate the fact that we get a definite end to the storyline. Seeing the characters find their places was the perfect way to conclude. I’ll be excited to see what McGuire writes next.

The Up and Under

• #1 Over the Woodward Wall

• #2 Along the Saltwise Sea

• #3 Into the Windwracked Wilds

• #4 Under the Smokestrewn Sky

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Stopover by TL Swan

Title: The Stopover (Miles High Club #1)

Author: TL Swan

Publisher: Montlake Romance 2019

Genre: Romance

Pages: 481

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: 

I was upgraded to first class on a flight from London to New York. The food, champagne, and service were impeccable. The blue-eyed man sitting next to me, even better. He was suave and intelligent. We talked and laughed, and something clicked. Fate took over and the plane was grounded, and we had an unexpected stopover for the night. With no plans, we made our own. We danced and laughed our way around Boston and had a night of crazy passion that no woman would ever forget. That was twelve months ago, and I haven’t heard from him—until today. I started a new job and met the CEO. You can imagine my surprise to see those naughty blue eyes dance with delight when he saw me across the mahogany desk. But I’m not that carefree girl anymore. My life has changed, I have responsibilities. I just got an email. He wants to see me in his office for a private meeting at 8:00 a.m. Naughty blue eyes have no place in the workplace. What kind of private meeting does he have in mind?

I picked this one up as a contender for Dirty Book Month, but I realized that I just couldn’t handle the drama within the storyline. Jameson was much too much an arrogant alpha male for me to root for him. I couldn’t believe some of the things that he did to and around Emily. She was way too immature most of the story. I was very annoyed by her constant whining and need to argue with Jameson. In the end, I didn’t feel like the characters actually resolved any of their fundamental differences. Their big problems were just swept under the rug. I was much too stressed out after reading this story. Not my cup of tea at all.

Miles High Club

• #1 The Stopover

• #2 The Takeover

• #3 The Casanova

• #4 The Do-Over

Next up on the TBR pile:

Blue Sky Cowboy Christmas by Joanne Kennedy

Title: Blue Sky Cowboy Christmas (Blue Sky #2)

Author: Joanne Kennedy

Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca 2020

Genre: Romance

Pages: 352

Rating: 2/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Romanceopoly - Soldier Street

Spice Meter: 4

Book 2 in award-winning author Joanne Kennedy's new Blue Sky Cowboys series, Blue Sky Cowboy Christmas is an emotional, compelling story from a master of the genre. Joanne Kennedy's sexy cowboy romances feature the rugged and lonely Wyoming range, where the nearest neighbors are miles away and the climate is brutal for man and beast. This beautiful and sensuous tale takes place at the holidays, when a lonely cowboy is more desperate than ever to connect with the woman of his dreams.

Nope nope nope. I kept reading this thinking that I was going to enjoy a fun cowboy Christmas romance. Instead, I just kept getting more and more frustrated over the characters inability to talk to each other. Miscommunication is not one of my preferred tropes and it just kept going on and on. I couldn’t handle the constant circular arguments and conversations. This book could have been a third of the length and retained the important bits. I just wasn’t interested in the couple or the story.

Next up on the TBR pile:

A Not So Meet Cute by Meghan Quinn

Title: A Not So Meet Cute (Cane Brothers #1)

Author: Meghan Quinn

Publisher: 2021

Genre: Romance

Pages: 404

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges:

Spice Meter:  5

How did you two meet? The quintessential question asked to every couple. And the answer is usually some bubbly, lovey dovey tale of being struck in the bum by Cupid’s arrow.
My meet cute (well not so meet cute) is slightly different. I was trolling a wealthy neighborhood in Beverly Hills, searching for someone to take me as their bride, you know, to make my arch nemesis jealous who consequently just fired me.
He was stomping around the block like some sort of gorgeous ogre, mumbling about a business deal gone wrong and attempting to finagle his way out of it.
And that's when we bumped into each other.
There were no sparks.
Not even a hint of blossoming love.
But next thing I knew, I was scarfing down free chips and guac, listening to this man lay out all of his problems which led to his big ask . . . he wanted me to be his Vivian Ward, you know, from Pretty Woman--minus the frisky behavior.
We're talking about living in a mansion, intimate double dates, and pretending we were head over heels in love . . . and engaged. Can you imagine?
The absolute audacity.
But people do crazy things when they’re desperate. And I reeked of desperation. So, I struck up a deal.
My one big mistake, though . . . big . . . HUGE? I accidentally fell for the incomparable Huxley Cane.

Another story of a rich bachelor hiring a girlfriend and then falling for her. It may be a common trope in romance, but I also really enjoy it. Hux and Lottie were such a fun couple. Their banter is spot on and so is the ridiculous situations they find themselves in. It is utter fiction and yet it was such a great ride. The scenes with Dave and Ellie were so cringe-worthy, but played perfectly. I couldn’t wait to see what silly situation Hux and Lottie would get themselves into next. Honestly, I sped through this book enjoying every page. This isn’t life-changing romance, but it sure is fun.,

Cane Brothers

• #1 A Not So Meet Cute

• #2 So Not Meant to Be

• #3 A Long Time Coming

Next up on the TBR pile:

Miss Kane's Christmas by Caroline Mickelson

Title: Miss Kane’s Christmas (Christmas Central #1)

Author: Caroline Mickelson

Publisher: Bon Accord Press 2012

Genre: Holiday Romance

Pages: 154

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: 

Spice Meter: 1

With Christmas only three days away, Carol Claus agrees to her father’s request that she leave the North Pole on a mission to help save Christmas. Joining single father Ben Hanson and his children for the holidays seems an easy enough task until Santa informs her that Ben is the man behind the disturbing new book ‘Beyond Bah Humbug: Why Lying to Your Children about Santa Claus is a Bad Idea’. Posing as Miss Kane, the children’s new nanny, Carol pulls out all the stops to show Ben how fun Christmas can be, all the while struggling to understand how one man could hate the holidays so much. How could she, Santa’s only daughter, be so attracted to a man who refuses to believe her father exists? **Please note - this book was formerly titled 'Carol's Christmas'.

Cute little Christmas romance, but I must say that this one was just a little too cutesy for my tastes. We didn’t get enough setup and exploration of the characters for me to really love this one. Carol is fine, but she was much too much of a 2D character. Fine for an afternoon’s reading, but that’s it.

Christmas Central

• #1 Miss Kane’s Christmas

• #2 Mrs. Saint Nick

• #3 The Return of Kris Kringle

• #4 The North Pole Prize

• #5 The Christmas Makeover

• #6 Eve’s Christmas Wedding

• #7 A Very Marisol Christmas

Next up on the TBR pile:

That Kind of Guy by Talia Hibbert

Title: That Kind of Guy (Ravenswood #3)

Author: Talia Hibbert

Publisher: Nixon House 2019

Genre: Romance

Pages: 272

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: 

Spice Meter: 5

She wants a fake relationship. He needs something real.

If there’s one thing Rae can’t stand, it’s pity. She’s forty, frazzled, and fed up—so attending an awards ceremony alone while her ex swans about with his new wife? Not an option. To avoid total humiliation, Rae needs a date of her own. And her young, hot-as-hell new best friend is the perfect candidate…

Zach Davis, king of casual hookups, has a secret: the notorious womaniser craves emotional connection, and anonymous encounters leave him feeling hollow. After years of performance, Zach’s desperate to be himself. So why does he agree to play Rae’s fake boyfriend? And why does it feel so easy?

When the line between pretence and desire blurs, Zach’s forced to face an unexpected truth: there’s nothing phoney about his need for Rae. But the jaded divorcée’s been hurt by playboy men before. Can a weekend of faking it prove that Zach’s for real?

I think I finally found the selection for dirty book month! I have previously read Hibbert and loved her inclusion of a variety of characters, not just skinny and “normal” people finding romance. This is one of her previous books, but I was pulled to it because of the older protagonist. Once I started the book, I immediately fell for Zach and Rae. I loved the idea of a woman finding her place after divorce and finding it with a misunderstood man. Their sexual tension was palpable throughout the first half of the book. I usually want to see steamy scenes earlier in the book, but this was the right balance of tension and action. And then we get to the conversations between the characters. I loved how Zach and Rae finally reveal themselves to each other and come to a beautiful understanding.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Homeschool W16: We're Ready for a Break!

What We Studied

We are definitely ready for Christmas break! It’s been a hectic couple of weeks to finish this semester and I’m ready to be done for a bit. We ended up finishing this semester with a flex week that turned into a week that we used to finish up some lessons and books.

Literature and Poetry

Arthur started and finished a unit on Norse mythology. We then moved on to starting the next coop book club selection. Beyond the actual literature, we are working on some basic grammar skills and starting our writing journey. He also continued his Super Secret Notebook from Blossom & Root.

• Poetry for Young People: American Poetry

• Reading Explorer: Intro

• Norse Mythology

• The Wild Robot Protects by Peter Brown

• A Snicker of Magic by Natalie Lloyd

Quentin got back into the Blossom & Root curriculum with two tales and their variations. I’m really enjoying the format for this year. He also worked on some basic grammar.

• Sing a Song of Seasons

• Fairy Tales Collection

• The Other Side of the Story

• Cinderella by Jenna Mueller

• Cinderella by Barbara McClintock

• Cinderella by Marcia Brown

• Cinderstella: A Tale of Planets not Princes by Brenda S. Miles and Susan D. Sweet

• Cinderella by Michele Marineau

• Cinderella and the Furry Slippers by Davide Cali

• Cinderella and a Mouse Called Fred by Deborah Hopkinson

• Interstellar Cinderella by Deborah Underwood

• Cinderella with Dogs by Linda Bailey

• Cinderella's Rat by Susan Meddaugh

• Rose Red & Snow White by Ruth Sanderson

• Jo Bright and the Seven Bots by Deborah Underwood

• Snow Pony and the Seven Miniature Ponies by Christian Tremmer

• Zoey and Sassafras: The Pod and the Bog by Asia Citro

• The Little Red Elf by Barbara Barbieri McGrath

• Reading Beauty by Deborah Underwood

Math

Arthur came close to finishing Singapore 5A. but not quite finished. We have one more unit. I’m going to wait until January to finish it up and move on to 5B.

• Singapore Common Core 5A

• Orbiting with Logic

• Sir Cumference and the Isle of Immeter by Cindy Neuscwander

Quentin’s all about review right now. I don’t anticipate starting Singapore 2A until January. We also continued our logic book.

• Lollipop Logic Book 3

• Tinkeractive Math Grade 1

Social Studies

Arthur covered more about immigration and urbanization.

• DK American History

• We were There Too! Young People in US History

• Words that Build a Nation

• Heart and Soul

• Nat Geo Our Country’s Presidents

• An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States

• A Different Mirror for Young People

• This is Our Land: A History of American Immigration

• The House that Jane Built: A Story About Jane Addams by Tanya Lee Stone.

• Gittel's Journey: An Ellis Island Story by Leslea Newman

• Wheels of Change: How Women Rode the Bicycle to Freedom

Quentin learned about the ancient Babylonian, Assyrian, and Persian Empires.

• History Quest Early Times

• DK When on Earth?

• Human Wold

• DK History

• DK Timelines of Everything

• DK A Child Through Time

• A History of Western Art

• DK Science Year by Year

• DK Myths, Legends, and Sacred Stories

• Mesopotamia by Sunita Apte

• Ancient Babylon by Karen Bush Gibson

• Lost Cities by Giles Laroche

• The Assyrians by Elaine Landau

• Ancient Persia by Don Nardo

Q’s Cinderella books

ELA, Math, and Science

A’s Math and ELA; Q’s ELA

Science

Arthur continued covering specific elements with our Chemistry class. We’re still loving our little coop class.

• RSO Chemistry

• DK Super Simple Chemistry

• Story of Science Vol. 2: Newton at the Center by Joy Hakim

• DK The Elements

Quentin continued invertebrates and covered reptiles.

• RSO Life

• DK Oversimple Biology

• Reptiles by Ann O. Squire

• DK Eyewitness: Reptile

• Retiles Everywhere by Britta Teckentrup

STEAM Coop

Arthur completed his exploration of board games. The kids made some great games and we got to playtest on the last week. Quentin finished out the semester studying architecture. We’ll be back in January.

A’s ELA and Math

Q’s Math, ELA, and Science

A’s ELA and History

Art/Music/Crafts/Cooking/Documentary

We got back into it covering four artists (Paul Klee, Henri Rousseau, Henri Matisse, Franz Marc) and four composers (Beethoven, Vivaldi, Handel, Tchaikovsky). We managed to have some great free art sessions while listening to various composers. I’m hoping to keep the momentum going in January.

• DK Music and How it Works

• DK The Arts

• Modern Art Adventures by Maja Pitamic and Jill Laidlaw

• 13 American Artists Children Should Know

• A Child's Introduction to Art

• Women in Art by Rachel Ignotofsky

• Iconic Composers by Nicholas Csicsko & Emi Ferguson

• 13 Art Movements Children Should Know

• 13 Artists Children Should Know

• The 39 Apartments of Ludwig van Beethoven by Jonah Winter

• Ludwig van Beethoven by Mike Venezia

• What Music! The Fifty-year Friendship Between Beethoven and Nannette Streicher, Who Built His Pianos by Laurie Lawlor

• The Story of Paintings by Mick Manning & Brita Granström Pg. 50-51

• Why is Art Full of Naked People? by Susie Hodge Pg. 82

• Henri Rousseau by Mike Venezia

• The Fantastic Jungles of Henri Rousseau by Michelle Markel

• Dreaming Pictures Paul Klee

• Vivaldi and the Invisible Orchestra by Stephan Costanza

• The Story Orchestra: Four Seasons in One Day

• Oooh! Matisse by Mil Niepold

• Henri's Scissors by Jeanette Winter

• The Iridescence of Birds by Patricia MacLachlan

• Henri Matisse by Mike Venezia

• Colorful Dreamer by Marjorie Blain Parker

• Matisse's Garden by Samantha Friedman

• Handel: Who Knew What He Liked by T Anderson

Q’s ELA and History

Art and Music

Field Trip

We had a wonderful tour of the Nebraska State Capitol with an emphasis on the art included in the building. I really loved getting more information about this beautiful building. We were even there when they were bringing in the Christmas tree and got to see them set it up.

High

• After our State Capitol tour, some friends joined the boys at Lost in Fun in Lincoln for an entire afternoon of playtime. Sometimes the boys just need unfettered play time with friends and this was the perfect day to do it. Bonus: Lost in Fun was one of our GetOut Pass items, so it was no extra money to go. The next day, we used another GetOut Pass to mini golf at Medieval Putt.

Low

• I’m feeling very tired… it’s been a semester.

Next Week - Break time until January!

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Worst Christmas Ever? by Rebecca Paulinyi

Title: The Worst Christmas Ever? (South West #1)

Author: Rebecca Paulinyi

Publisher: 2018

Genre: Holiday Romance

Pages: 194

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: 

Spice Meter: 4

When Shirley 'Lee' Jones returns home from an awful day at the office, the last thing she expects to find is her husband in bed with another woman. Six weeks until Christmas, and Lee finds the life she had so carefully planned has been utterly decimated.

Hurt, angry and confused, Lee makes a whirlwind decision to drive her problems away and ends up in Totnes, an eccentric town in the heart of Devon. As Christmas approaches, Lee tries to figure out what path her life will follow now, as she looks at it from the perspective of a soon-to-be 31-year-old divorcée.

Can she ever return to her normal life? Or is a new reality - and a new man - on the horizon?

Finding herself and flirting with the handsome local police officer might just make this the best Christmas ever.

A very cute Christmas story about a woman finding her place after a devastation revelation. At first, I was unsure if this really would be a romance as it seemed to have a different tone. But eventually we did get there. Lee is a great character to follow as she upends her life and move to the South West. I fell in love with the village of Totnes and would love to read more about the inhabitants. Small towns at Christmas are my reading kryptonite. It’s a cute little pick-me-up kind of story.

South West

• #0.5 Deadlines and Dates

• #1 The Worst Christmas Ever?

• #2 Lawyers and Lattes

• #3 Feeling the Fireworks

• #4 The Best Christmas Ever

• #5 Trouble in Tartan

• #6 Summer of Sunshine

Next up on the TBR pile:

Life Right Now #38

As I look outside my window:

Right now I am:

Thinking and pondering:

On my bedside table:

On my tv this week:

Listening to:

On the menu for this week:

• Monday -

• Tuesday -

• Wednesday -

• Thursday -

• Friday -

• Saturday

• Sunday -

On my to do list:

Happening this week:

• Monday -

• Tuesday -

• Wednesday -

• Thursday -

• Friday -

• Saturday -

• Sunday -

What I am creating:

My simple pleasures:

Looking around the house:

From the camera:

The Dream-Quest of Vellitt Boe by Kij Johnson

Title: The Dream-Quest of Vellitt Boe

Author: Kij Johnson

Publisher: Tor Dot Com 2016

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 166

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: 

Professor Vellitt Boe teaches at the prestigious Ulthar Women’s College. When one of her most gifted students elopes with a dreamer from the waking world, Vellitt must retrieve her.

Such a strange retelling of a Lovecraft story. Another great read for my Nerdy Bookish Friends book club. I took this book very slow, savoring each section as I followed Boe into the unknown in pursuit of her student. The story unfolds like a dream itself, challenging the reader to determine what is real and what is fiction. Slowly, we meet more horrors in the dreaming world until Boe reaches the gate to the waking world. I’m excited to talk with all my book club friends about this book on Sunday.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Christmas Bucket List Update

Another Christmas season is upon us! Time for another bucket list. Let’s see what I’m hoping to do this year:

Read 10 Holiday Romances (7/10)

• Snowed In by Jaqueline Snowe

• The Christmas Fix by Lucy Score

• A Holiday by Gaslight by Mimi Matthews

• Love in a Blizzard by Britney M. Mills

• White Lie Christmas by Karla Doyle

• A Winter in New York by Josie Silver

• Miss Kane’s Christmas by Caroline Mickelson

Coop Christmas Party!

Decorate the Mini Tree ✓

Letter to Santa

Christmas Movies x3 (1/3)

• White Christmas

Make Paper Snowflakes

Go See Santa at Cabela’s ✓

Go See Werner Park Lights ✓

Hot Chocolate Bar ✓ - We all agreed that the Salted Caramel was the clear winner.

Meet the Reindeer

Go for a Winter Hike

Puzzle Day

Make Gingerbread Cookies

Visit Zoolightful at the Zoo ✓ with bonus Santa meeting

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

• Merry Christmas, Peanut! by Terry Border

• Who’s that Knocking on Christmas Eve? by Jan Brett

• A Very Quacky Christmas by Frances Watts and Ann James

• Santa Claws by Laura Leuck

• Here Comes Santa Cat by Deborah Underwood

• Maple and Willow’s Christmas Tree by Lori Nichols

• Little Bear’s Special Friend by Claire Freedman

• The Nutcracker’s Night Before Christmas by Keith Brockett

• The 12 Days of Christmas by Greg Pizzoli

• The Nutcracker retold by John Cech

• How to Decorate a Christmas Tree by Vikki VanSickle

• It’s Christmas by Tracey Corderoy

• Clark the Shark Loves Christmas by Bruce Hale

• Was That Christmas? by Hilary McKay

• Bears Stays Up for Christmas by Karma Wilson

• The Christmas Eve Tree by Delia Huddy

• Who’ll Pull Santa’s Sleigh Tonight? by Laura Rader

• The Christmas Tree Who Loved Trains by Annie Silvestro

Find a New Christmas Album

Have a Candy Cane Hunt

Go Sledding

Send out Christmas cards

Try a new holiday drink

Make a snowglobe

Make Christmas cocktails

Create my December Daily base pages

Read A Christmas Carol ✓

Bonus: We checked out the very large Christmas tree at the Durham.

Next Up on the TBR Pile:

A Winter in New York by Josie Silver

Title: A Winter in New York

Author: Josie Silver

Publisher: Delacorte Press 2023

Genre: Holiday Romance

Pages: 384

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: 

Spice Rating: 2

When Iris decides to move to New York to restart her life, she realizes she underestimated how big the Big Apple really is—all the nostalgic movies set in New York she’d watched with her mom while eating their special secret-recipe gelato didn’t quite do it justice. 

But Bobby, Iris’s best friend, isn’t about to let her hide away. He drags her to a famous autumn street fair in Little Italy, and as they walk through the food stalls, a little family-run gelateria catches her eye—could it be the same shop that’s in an old photo of her mother’s?

Curious, Iris returns the next day and meets the handsome Gio, who tells her that the shop is in danger of closing. His uncle, sole keeper of their family’s gelato recipe, is in a coma, so they can’t make more. When Iris samples the last remaining batch, she realizes that their gelato and her gelato are one and the same. But how can she tell them she knows their secret recipe when she’s not sure why Gio’s uncle gave it to her mother in the first place?

Iris offers her services as a chef to help them re-create the flavor and finds herself falling for Gio and his family. But when Gio’s uncle finally wakes up, all of the secrets Iris has been keeping threaten to ruin the new life—and new love—she’s been building all winter long.

While I deeply appreciated the references to Moonstruck, this book left me with a lackluster feeling in the end. Way more women’s lit than romance in my opinion. That’s okay, but I just really wasn’t in the mood for that type of story. I wanted to read more fun banter and sweet romance. Gil is a little too saccharine with a very closed off nature. I also wasn’t a fan of the narration. It felt like we just didn’t get to hear enough from the characters to really connect with them. Random side story: I actually have Josie Silver’s previous two book sitting on my Unread Shelf, but picked up and read this one from the library. I should probably read those other ones…

Next up on the TBR pile:

Magical Midlife Madness by KF Breene

Title: Magical Midlife Madness (Leveling Up #1)

Author: KF Breene

Publisher: Hazy Dawn Press 2020

Genre: Fantasy; Romance

Pages: 374

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: 

"Happily Ever After" wasn't supposed to come with a do-over option. But when my husband of twenty years packs up and heads for greener pastures and my son leaves for college, that's exactly what my life becomes.

Do-over.

This time, though, I plan to do things differently. Age is just a number, after all, and at forty I'm ready to carve my own path.

Eager for a fresh start, I make a somewhat unorthodox decision and move to a tiny town in the Sierra foothills. I'll be taking care of a centuries old house that called to me when I was a kid. It's just temporary, I tell myself. It'll just be for a while.

That is, until I learn what the house really is, something I never could've imagined.

Thankfully forty isn't too old to start an adventure, because that's exactly what I do. A very dangerous adventure that will change my life forever. I have a chance to start again, and this time, I make the rules.

I picked this one up under the impression that this was a romance with an older protagonist. I would not categorize this as a romance. The focus of this book is not a romantic relationship, but a woman finding her way after a divorce. I would categorize this as a fantasy women’s lit book. If I reframe my perspective of the book, I really enjoyed it as it stands. Our main character is a delightfully feisty woman who gives no fucks about people’s thoughts on her life. She slowly finds her place in a very strange small town and eventually her own power. The writing is quirky and fun and the action, when it comes, is fast and furious. I’m interested in where this story is going to go in the series.

Leveling Up

• #1 Magical Midlife Madness

• #2 Magical Midlife Dating

• #3 Magical Midlife Invasion

• #4 Magical Midlife Love

• #5 Magical Midlife Meeting

• #6 Magical Midlife Challenge

• #7 Magical Midlife Alliance

• #8 Magical Midlife Battle

Next up on the TBR pile:

White Lie Christmas by Karla Doyle

Title: White Lie Christmas (Colorado Christmas #2; Hope Harbor)

Author: Karla Doyle

Publisher: Karla Doyle 2022

Genre: Holiday Romance

Pages: 74

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: 

Spice Meter: 5

When her friends choose skiing in Colorado for their annual girls’ holiday trip, Krista has to think on her feet to avoid setting foot on the mountaintop. What can a girl who’s afraid of heights do to ensure she stays put in the lodge? Fake a broken leg, of course. There’s plenty to do inside—such as making some very merry memories with the hot guy at the bar. When one night stretches into every night, their fling feels like it could be the start of something bigger than the Rocky Mountains, except Hayden is a ski instructor, and Krista has been telling a white lie this Christmas…

This read a bit more like a Penthouse letter than a romantic holiday story. The problem is that the timeline is so short that we rush into sex and ultimately an engagement!?!?!?!?! all in the space of three days. We don’t get to learn enough about the main characters. Oh well, it was a decently fun story.

Colorado Christmas

• #1 Roman Holiday by Kylie Marcus

• #2 White Lie Christmas by Karla Doyle

• #3 Mountain Lane by Andie Fenichal

• #4 Gingerbread House of Lies by Shyla Colt

• #5 Snow Candy Christmas by Silke Campion

• #6 Humbug Hang Up by Layne Daniels

Next up on the TBR pile:

Currently #23

Reading: I’m deep into Holiday Romances. I always love to end my year with some light-hearted holiday themed romances.

Watching: J and I have been watching Obliterated and it’s a delightful action adventure. It’s full of violence and nudity, but is such a delight.

Listening: We’ve been sprinkling in holiday music during out car time. I need to find a new-to-me album for our travel to Indiana.

Making: Molasses cookies are on the recipe list for this week. J has requested that I don’t take them all to Indiana with me, but make sure to leave a container here for him.

Feeling: It’s been very cold and windy lately which has added to my achy body feelings. Hopefully I can get warm soon.

Planning: I’m starting my travel packing list. I always feel better with a list.

Loving: To help me get warm, I’ve been enjoying raspberry hot chocolate (made with almond milk of course) during our nightly television.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Gray Hair Don't Care by Karen Booth

Title: Gray Hair Don’t Care (Never Too Late #1)

Author: Karen Booth

Publisher: Karen Booth 2021

Genre: Romance

Pages: 276

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: 

Spice Rating: 5

Everything went wrong. And then she went gray.

At 47, newly divorced makeup artist Lela Bennett is dreading her next steps. Dating. Meeting people. Not letting herself go. But then she runs into Donovan James and tries something different—sleeping with her sexy crush from college. Unfortunately, in a post-orgasm stupor, Lela confesses she was in love with Donovan all those years ago. He responds by leaving while she sleeps. The next morning, her gray hairs are practically taunting her. She knows she has to get it together. Forget men. Embrace her age. Own her gray.

Donovan James is a marketing genius, but his ex-wives will tell you—nothing freaks him out like feelings. Three years after his one-night stand with Lela, he’s focused on his daughter’s lifestyle company, but unprepared to meet the face of their new beauty brand. It’s Lela. With stunning silver locks and new confidence, she’s no longer swayed by his charms. When business starts booming, the universe seems intent on throwing them together time and again. And suddenly, two people convinced that romance was behind them are wondering if love could be what’s next.

I picked this one up as a possibility for Dirty Book Month. And while this book is not going to work for that theme, I still really enjoyed this one featuring an older protagonist and a great relationship. Lela is a great FMC who has dealt with a lot of shit in her life and finds her way. Donovan is a great match for Lela in her new life. I especially loved seeing Lela interact with all her friends and Donovan’s daughter. My biggest complaint was that there weren’t enough steamy scenes. I wanted to see more of Lela and Donovan together. Still, this was a good older protagonist romance.

Never Too Late

• #1 Gray Hair Don’t Care

• #2 Brooklyn Monroe Wants It All

• #3 It’s a Widow Thing

Next up on the TBR pile:

Love in a Blizzard by Britney M. Mills

Title: Love in a Blizzard (Christmas at Goldwater Creek #1)

Author: Britney M. Mills

Publisher: Crystal Canyon Press

Genre: Holiday Romance

Pages: 168

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: 

Spice Meter: 2

His heart is closed off, her life is mapped out, and the snowstorm that forces them off course.

Jobless and heartbroken, Lauren Burke returns home to Coldwater Creek hoping to find comfort. On her way home, a blizzard hits, sending her car into a fence and her into the arms of her longtime teenage crush, Walker McBride.

After being dumped, ex-bull rider Walker McBride throws himself into restoring an old lodge in his small hometown of Coldwater Creek. With the grand opening only weeks away, he has no time to rescue damsels in distress, or for that matter, love. But when Lauren shows up, the loneliness he’s been ignoring quickly bubbles to the surface.

Now snowed in, they’re forced to confront their past.

Two hearts.

One snowstorm.

And the chance to find love.

Overall, a cute little Christmas romance novella. So-and-so’s little sister/brother trope is not a favorite of mine, but this one didn’t seem too forced or cutesy. I really hate it when all parties make a huge deal out of the circumstances. This story mostly focused on their current situation and looking to the future. My biggest complaint was the odd references to Christianity throughout the novella. It felt weirdly out of place and forced. And clearly, a spice rating of 2 is not going to be an absolute favorite of mine.

Christmas at Coldwater Creek

• #1 Love in a Blizzard

• #2 Love in the Lights

• #3 Love in a Snapshot

• #4 Love in the Details

• #5 Love a Contract

Next up on the TBR pile: