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Across the Green Grass Fields by Seanan McGuire

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Title: Across the Green Grass Fields (Wayward Children #6)

Author: Seanan McGuire

Publisher: Tor 2021

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 176

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges:

“Welcome to the Hooflands. We’re happy to have you, even if you being here means something’s coming.”

Regan loves, and is loved, though her school-friend situation has become complicated, of late.

When she suddenly finds herself thrust through a doorway that asks her to "Be Sure" before swallowing her whole, Regan must learn to live in a world filled with centaurs, kelpies, and other magical equines―a world that expects its human visitors to step up and be heroes.

But after embracing her time with the herd, Regan discovers that not all forms of heroism are equal, and not all quests are as they seem…

I have absolutely loved the Wayward Children series, but this volume felt very disconnected and flat to me. I have loved the horror elements to previous volumes, but this one was a little too twee for me. I kept expecting Regan to encounter more creatures and adventures. Unfortunately it felt like the story went nowhere for 70% of the book. It didn’t really get interesting until she encountered the kelpie. I just would have liked more from this story. Here’s hoping the next volume brings back all the elements that I have loved.

Wayward Children

  • #1 Every Heart a Doorway

  • #2 Down Among the Sticks and Bones

  • #3 Beneath the Sugar Sky

  • #4 In an Absent Dream

  • #5 Come Tumbling Down

  • #6 Across the Green Grass Fields

Next up on the TBR pile:

swept away.jpg jujutsu11.jpg liminal.jpg jujutsu12.jpg enchantra.jpg water moon.jpg uzumaki.jpg alley.jpg deserter.jpg black paradox.jpg tombs.jpg gyo.jpg soichi.jpg book of the most.jpg great big.jpg jujutsu13.jpg jujutsu14.jpg jujutsu15.jpg seoulmates.jpg twisted1.jpg lore7.jpg jujutsu16.jpg twisted2.jpg twisted3.jpg twisted4.jpg
tags: Seanan McGuire, fantasy, fairy tale stories, 3 stars
categories: Book Reviews
Wednesday 03.17.21
Posted by Tobe Buffenbarger
 

When He was Wicked by Julia Quinn

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Title: When He was Wicked (Bridgerton #6)

Author: Julia Quinn

Publisher: Avon

Genre: Romance

Pages: 426

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Perpetual - NPR Romance; UnRead Shelf

In every life there is a turning point . . .

A moment so tremendous, so sharp and breathtaking, that one knows one's life will never be the same. For Michael Stirling, London's most infamous rake, that moment came the first time he laid eyes on Francesca Bridgerton.

After a lifetime of chasing women, of smiling slyly as they chased him, of allowing himself to be caught but never permitting his heart to become engaged, he took one look at Francesca Bridgerton and fell so fast and hard into love it was a wonder he managed to remain standing. Unfortunately for Michael, however, Francesca's surname was to remain Bridgerton for only a mere thirty-six hours longer—the occasion of their meeting was, lamentably, a supper celebrating her imminent wedding to his cousin.

But that was then . . . Now Michael is the earl and Francesca is free, but still she thinks of him as nothing other than her dear friend and confidant. Michael dares not speak to her of his love . . . until one dangerous night, when she steps innocently into his arms and passion proves stronger than even the most wicked of secrets . ..

Another very enjoyable volume of the Bridgerton saga. I had been wondering about Francesca’s story since the first book. She always seemed to be the lost Bridgerton sibling. We finally get to understand her a little bit better and learn why she was in Scotland during most of the first few books. I loved Francesca and Michael’s relationship, but wished to have spent a bit more time with them after they got together. Plus, no epilogue! That was a bit disappointing. I always want just a little bit more. Only two more siblings to go and I’m hoping that their stories are interesting and romantic.

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)

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Next up on the TBR pile:

swept away.jpg jujutsu11.jpg liminal.jpg jujutsu12.jpg enchantra.jpg water moon.jpg uzumaki.jpg alley.jpg deserter.jpg black paradox.jpg tombs.jpg gyo.jpg soichi.jpg book of the most.jpg great big.jpg jujutsu13.jpg jujutsu14.jpg jujutsu15.jpg seoulmates.jpg twisted1.jpg lore7.jpg jujutsu16.jpg twisted2.jpg twisted3.jpg twisted4.jpg
tags: romance, Julia Quinn, perpetual, NPR Romance, Unread Shelf Project, 4 stars
categories: Book Reviews
Tuesday 03.16.21
Posted by Tobe Buffenbarger
 

Music Monday - Pale Waves "She's My Religion"

For the first two months of the year (I’m extending into March), I decided to do Emo Winter! I’m been really loving The Emo Project channel on Sirius XM Radio. I picked all my selections directly from the channel.

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I’ve heard this band in passing, but this is the song that really caught my attention.

tags: Pale Waves
categories: Music
Monday 03.15.21
Posted by Tobe Buffenbarger
 

Life Right Now #7

As I look outside my window: It’s raining! It rained all night and should rain most of today. It has definitely been awhile since we had any precipitation and since the fall since we had rain.

Right now I am: Getting ready to make a smoothie and do a workout downstairs.

Thinking and pondering: How to structure next year’s schooling? I think we have squarely landed on continuing to homeschool, but there are definitely some areas that I would like to tweak. I want to do more unit studies. I’m been mulling this over this past week.

On my bedside table: Librarian Tales by William Ottens; Duke of Sin by Elizabeth Hoyt

On my tv this week: We dove into both Resident Alien and Mythic Quest. Both were just what we needed after binging WandaVision.

Listening to: My usual podcasts but also Hayley Williams and A Day to Remember on repeat this week.

On the menu for this week:

  • Monday - Sweet Potato Nachos

  • Tuesday - Classic Baked Mac n Cheese

  • Wednesday - Chicken Shawarma Fries

  • Thursday - Leftovers

  • Friday - Thai Red Curry Noodle Soup

  • Saturday - Sesame Chicken

  • Sunday - Smoked Sausage and Potatoes

On my to do list: Lots of odds and ends. Mostly just putting the house back together and organizing homeschooling for the next month or so.

Happening this week: It’s our second week of our Spring Break, but it’s supposed to rain Monday through Wednesday. I need to go grocery shopping on Tuesday and then we might go to the library on Wednesday. Hoping for a clearer day on Thursday to go to the zoo and maybe a park day on Friday.

What I am creating: I want to make some movement on my December Daily album today (or at least this week).

My simple pleasures: Apples, a good historical romance, listening to the rain while falling asleep

Looking around the house: Vacuuming is high on my list today, but otherwise, I’m not going to stress about it.

From the camera: We visited Morrill Hall, which houses the natural history museum in Lincoln. Love the dinosaur fossils!

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tags: Life Right Now
categories: Weekly Wrap-up
Sunday 03.14.21
Posted by Tobe Buffenbarger
 

Thunderhead by Neal Shusterman

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Title: Thunderhead (Arc of a Scythe #2)

Author: Neal Shusterman

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Genre: YA Science Fiction

Pages: 512

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges:

Humans learn from their mistakes. I cannot. I make no mistakes.

The Thunderhead is the perfect ruler of a perfect world, but it has no control over the scythedom. A year has passed since Rowan had gone off grid. Since then, he has become an urban legend, a vigilante snuffing out corrupt scythes in a trial by fire. His story is told in whispers across the continent.

As Scythe Anastasia, Citra gleans with compassion and openly challenges the ideals of the “new order.” But when her life is threatened and her methods questioned, it becomes clear that not everyone is open to the change.

Old foes and new enemies converge, and as corruption within the Scythedom spreads, Rowan and Citra begin to lose hope. Will the Thunderhead intervene?

Or will it simply watch as this perfect world begins to unravel?

Finally got the second volume in the trilogy after purposefully giving it some time, and I sped through it. Multiple times I audibly gasped out loud. I am so glad that Citra and Rowan didn’t completely change their entire personalities, but did show growth and change. But my favorite parts of this volume were all the entries from the Thunderhead. I loved seeing inside the all-knowing being. Its thoughts on life, death, the scythedom, and the future of life on Earth. The action kept up throughout the book forcing me to turn the pages as fast I could. So good! And that twist at the end was a killer! I can’t wait to see how this story ends.

Arc of a Scythe:

  • #1 Scythe

  • #2 Thunderhead

  • #3 The Toll

Next up on the TBR pile:

swept away.jpg jujutsu11.jpg liminal.jpg jujutsu12.jpg enchantra.jpg water moon.jpg uzumaki.jpg alley.jpg deserter.jpg black paradox.jpg tombs.jpg gyo.jpg soichi.jpg book of the most.jpg great big.jpg jujutsu13.jpg jujutsu14.jpg jujutsu15.jpg seoulmates.jpg twisted1.jpg lore7.jpg jujutsu16.jpg twisted2.jpg twisted3.jpg twisted4.jpg
tags: science fiction, young adult, Neal Shusterman, 5 stars
categories: Book Reviews
Saturday 03.13.21
Posted by Tobe Buffenbarger
 

Confessions on the 7:45 by Lisa Unger

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Title: Confessions on the 7:45

Author: Lisa Unger

Publisher: Park Row 2020

Genre: Thriller

Pages: 315

Rating: 2/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Currently Reading - Everyone Loves on Bookstagram

Selena Murphy is commuting home on the train when she strikes up a conversation with a beautiful stranger in the next seat. The woman introduces herself as Martha and soon confesses that she’s been stuck in an affair with her boss. Selena, in turn, confesses that she suspects her husband is sleeping with the nanny. When the train arrives at Selena’s station, the two women part ways, presumably never to meet again.

Then the nanny disappears.

As Selena is pulled into the mystery of what happened, and as the fractures in her marriage grow deeper, she begins to wonder, who was Martha really? But she is hardly prepared for what she’ll discover…

This has really cemented the idea that I do not like thrillers. I’m just always so incredibly disappointed and the twists and turns seem so predictable. This particular book had too many coincidences for my taste. I just couldn’t get behind all the silly things characters, especially Selena, did throughout the story. I got to the end of the book and felt like I had wasted my time.

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Next up on the TBR pile:

swept away.jpg jujutsu11.jpg liminal.jpg jujutsu12.jpg enchantra.jpg water moon.jpg uzumaki.jpg alley.jpg deserter.jpg black paradox.jpg tombs.jpg gyo.jpg soichi.jpg book of the most.jpg great big.jpg jujutsu13.jpg jujutsu14.jpg jujutsu15.jpg seoulmates.jpg twisted1.jpg lore7.jpg jujutsu16.jpg twisted2.jpg twisted3.jpg twisted4.jpg
tags: Lisa Unger, thriller, 2 stars, Currently Reading RC
categories: Book Reviews
Friday 03.12.21
Posted by Tobe Buffenbarger
 

Odds and Ends

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Here's my randomness for the week:

  • We’ve been on a smoothie kick lately and I’ve found some great recipes. Our favorite so far was a mango turmeric one. Oh so good!

  • Today is our third outing of the week. We are not used to being out of the house. I’m exhausted.

  • Found rhubarb at the store, which means I need to make a strawberry rhubarb dessert of some kind.

  • Also, I need to make a batch of gazpacho tomorrow for weekend lunches.

  • Totally forgot we have a virtual wine tasting tonight. I can’t wait to open those bottles! From our favorite winery, Gundlach Bundschu, of course!

  • Need to do some car care next week (key fobs, gas, oil change). Not my favorite thing to do.

Next up on the TBR pile:

swept away.jpg jujutsu11.jpg liminal.jpg jujutsu12.jpg enchantra.jpg water moon.jpg uzumaki.jpg alley.jpg deserter.jpg black paradox.jpg tombs.jpg gyo.jpg soichi.jpg book of the most.jpg great big.jpg jujutsu13.jpg jujutsu14.jpg jujutsu15.jpg seoulmates.jpg twisted1.jpg lore7.jpg jujutsu16.jpg twisted2.jpg twisted3.jpg twisted4.jpg
tags: Odds and Ends
categories: Life
Thursday 03.11.21
Posted by Tobe Buffenbarger
 

I Was Told It Would Get Easier by Abbi Waxman

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Title: I Was Told It Would Get Easier

Author: Abbi Waxman

Publisher: Berkley 2020

Genre: Fiction

Pages: 346

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Modern Mrs. Darcy Summer Reading Challenge

Jessica and Emily Burnstein have very different ideas of how this college tour should go.

For Emily, it's a preview of freedom, exploring the possibility of her new and more exciting future. Not that she's sure she even wants to go to college, but let's ignore that for now. And maybe the other kids on the tour will like her more than the ones at school. . . . They have to, right?

For Jessica, it's a chance to bond with the daughter she seems to have lost. They used to be so close, but then Goldfish crackers and Play-Doh were no longer enough of a draw. She isn't even sure if Emily likes her anymore. To be honest, Jessica isn't sure she likes herself.

Together with a dozen strangers--and two familiar enemies--Jessica and Emily travel the East Coast, meeting up with family and old friends along the way. Surprises and secrets threaten their relationship and, in the end, change it forever.

A cute little story about a mother and daughter on an identity finding trip. Waxman has a breezy style of writing that sucks you into the story. The characters are definitely relatable and likable, even when they do something silly. I found so many interactions so familiar as a mother of teenagers. I don’t have a daughter, but many of the same things apply to sons. The storyline was propulsive. You just needed to see how this particular mother and daughter connected (or didn’t) through the trip. I liked the addition of the side characters. My favorites were Will and Casper. If you need a feel good story, pick this one up.

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Next up on the TBR pile:

swept away.jpg jujutsu11.jpg liminal.jpg jujutsu12.jpg enchantra.jpg water moon.jpg uzumaki.jpg alley.jpg deserter.jpg black paradox.jpg tombs.jpg gyo.jpg soichi.jpg book of the most.jpg great big.jpg jujutsu13.jpg jujutsu14.jpg jujutsu15.jpg seoulmates.jpg twisted1.jpg lore7.jpg jujutsu16.jpg twisted2.jpg twisted3.jpg twisted4.jpg
tags: Abbi Waxman, fiction, contemporary, Modern Mrs. Darcy, 4 stars
categories: Book Reviews
Wednesday 03.10.21
Posted by Tobe Buffenbarger
 

Homeschool W26: An Unexpectedly Shortened Week

Quentin rocking the dentist

Quentin rocking the dentist

What We Studied

Things did not go as planned this week. I had originally planned to do the grocery shopping on Wednesday, which takes me away from active teaching for an entire morning. Usually I give Arthur an independent packet or a project to work on. Wednesday morning, I woke up and immediately realized that none of that would be happening that day. I was hit with a vertigo-inducing migraine. I didn’t leave my bed all day and it was terrible. An entire day where no schooling was done. Then I had to push grocery shopping onto Thursday. Being sick really threw off my entire plan for the week. Thank goodness we had a normal Monday and Tuesday and we’re doing a modified schedule for Spring Break for the next two weeks.

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Literature and Poetry

We ended up finishing Sideways Stories from Wayside School this week. Arthur liked some of the stories, but didn’t seem to appreciate the absurdist humor. Oh well! we still did a lot of reading both from our read aloud and independently.

  • Sideways Stories from Wayside School by Louis Sachar

  • The Biggest Snowman Ever by Steven Kroll (literature study)

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Math

Singapore Math 2A has been completed! Woot! We have 2B, but will be taking a bit of a break for Spring Break and get back into it in late March.

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Social Studies

This week we covered two U.S. History lessons, one on Ben Franklin and one on The French and Indian War. We are slowly working our way to the Revolutionary War.

  • Making Thirteen Colonies by Joy Hakim (decent textbook style book)

  • Ben of All Trades by Michael J. Rosen

  • Ben Franklin Thinks Big by Sheila Keenan

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Science

See Unit Theme

Art

Nothing formal, but lots of random inventions and crafts.

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Music

We finished our Jazz unit. We’ve had a great time tracing jazz through the ages up to modern interpretations. Arthur still loves ragtime, swing, and big band styles the best. He hasn’t really been a fan of any of our selections post 1950s. At least he got a lot of exposure to different artists.

  • Jazz by Walter Dean Myers (poems)

  • Nina by Alice Briere-Haquet

  • The 5 O’Clock Band by Troy Andrews

  • Ruby Sings the Blues by Niki Daly

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Unit Theme

We finished learning about our Solar System this week, covering the Outer Planets. We also watched a few more episodes of The Planets from NOVA. We covered Mars and Jupiter. I learned so much from the Jupiter episode. We will definitely be continuing our study of space into Spring Break.

  • Planet Jupiter by Ann O. Squire

  • DK Space

  • Space Visual Catalog by Sean Callery and Miranda Smith

  • Saturn by Elaine Landau

  • Planet Uranus by Christine Taylor-Butler

  • Neptune by Elaine Landau

  • All My Friends are Planets by Alisha Vimawala

  • Pluto: From Planet to Dwarf by Elaine Landau

  • Beyond Pluto by Elaine Landau

  • Astronaut Handbook by Meghan McCarthy

  • Hedgie Blasts Off by Jan Brett

  • Astro Girl by Ken Wilson-Max

  • Under the Milky Way by Frank Lessac

  • The Girl Who Named Pluto: The Story of Venetia Burney by Alice B. McGinty

  • A Place for Pluto by Stef Wade

  • Astronaut Annie by Suzanne Slade

  • The Three Little Aliens and the Big Bad Robot by Margaret McNamara

  • Garcia & Colette Go Exploring by Hannah Barnaby

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Misc. - Random picture books read

  • Night Tree by Eve Bunting

  • The Shy Little Kitten by Kristen Depken

  • Tiny T. Rex and the Perfect Valentine by Jonathan Stutzman

  • Are You a Bee? by Judy Allen and Tudor Humphries

  • Good Night Little Bot by Karen Kaufman Orloff

  • Leaf by Sandra Dieckmann

  • Lego Jurassic World: Owen to the Rescue

  • Mickey and the Roadster Racers: Mickey’s Perfecto Day

  • Curious George: Lemonade Stand

  • In the City by Chris Raschka

  • Look Out! It’s a Dragon! by Jonny Lambert

Our happy place: the library!

Our happy place: the library!

Highs

  • Friday was my birthday and it was decent weather. We took the opportunity to go to the library and the spend some time at the park.

Lows

  • That migraine really threw me off.

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Next Week

For the next two weeks, we will be having our version of Spring Break. We aren’t completely stopping school, but scaling back and focusing more on crafts and games. We are also planning on doing a few field trips (one to Lincoln!) and spending a part of almost every day at a park.

Next up on the TBR pile:

swept away.jpg jujutsu11.jpg liminal.jpg jujutsu12.jpg enchantra.jpg water moon.jpg uzumaki.jpg alley.jpg deserter.jpg black paradox.jpg tombs.jpg gyo.jpg soichi.jpg book of the most.jpg great big.jpg jujutsu13.jpg jujutsu14.jpg jujutsu15.jpg seoulmates.jpg twisted1.jpg lore7.jpg jujutsu16.jpg twisted2.jpg twisted3.jpg twisted4.jpg
tags: homeschool
categories: Life
Monday 03.08.21
Posted by Tobe Buffenbarger
 

Music Monday - jxdn "Better Off Dead"

For the first two months of the year (I’m extending into March), I decided to do Emo Winter! I’m been really loving The Emo Project channel on Sirius XM Radio. I picked all my selections directly from the channel.

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Really digging this song. Never heard of this guy, but I like it!

tags: jxdn
categories: Music
Monday 03.08.21
Posted by Tobe Buffenbarger
 

Life Right Now #6

As I look outside my window: Sunny, a bit breezy, but almost 70 degrees! The kids will be going outside after brunch.

Right now I am: Finishing a plum cake for brunch, letting it cool, before I make the sausage and eggs.

Thinking and pondering: How to structure out summer/fall for homeschooling? I think we’ve decided to keep doing this for at least another year, but I want to change things up for July and beyond. We are hoping to add in more outside of the house activities (hoping the pandemic lessens by the fall) and connect with other homeschooling families in the area.

On my bedside table: Thunderhead by Neal Shusterman; Walkable City by Jeff Speck

On my tv this week: J and I finished WandaVision last night. So good! We also watched a few movies and caught up with Last Week Tonight.

Listening to: The new Architects album is very very good! They’ve been loving it on Octane and I had to download as soon as it was relaesed last week.

On the menu for this week:

  • Monday - Roasted Lemon Chicken Thighs and Potatoes

  • Tuesday - Mang Cua (Crab and Asparagus Soup)

  • Wednesday - Leftovers

  • Thursday - Grilled Cheese Night

  • Friday - Cajun Chicken and Sausage Alfredo

  • Saturday - Indian Takeout

  • Sunday - Mac n Cheese Casserole with Cheddar and Gruyere

On my to do list: I want to spend next week cleaning out my to-do list, focusing on the all the little tiny tasks cluttering it up. I would like to have a clear list to then do a big brain dump for spring by Friday.

Happening this week: It’s our Spring Break week for homeschooling. Instead of doing no school, we are going to spend a lot of time outside, take a few field trips, and focus on games. We’ll still be doing a read-aloud and some math and finishing our space unit. But the idea is to mix everything up this week. For our field trip, we are going to drive to Lincoln to visit Morrill Hall on the UNL campus. We love their dinosaur fossils and it’s been two years since we went. Hopefully we can get some lunch and eat at a park. And of course we will be going to the museum.

What I am creating: I’m starting work on my December Daily album today. Need to pick my photos and do a basic layout. I’m also starting to plan our next family road trip. It probably won’t happen this summer, but I’m shooting for fall (before it gets really cold, so like September or October).

My simple pleasures: Honey Tea Bread with butter and cup of Irish Breakfast Tea, Puzzle time, a good book.

Looking around the house: Things are okay, but I want to clear out laundry room and foyer.

From the camera: My birthday cake! Apparently the bakery was very confused by the message. Definitely not Schitt’s Creek fans.

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tags: Life Right Now
categories: Weekly Wrap-up
Sunday 03.07.21
Posted by Tobe Buffenbarger
 

To Sir Phillip, With Love by Julia Quinn

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Title: To Sir Phillip, With Love (Bridgerton #5)

Author: Julia Quinn

Publisher: Avon 2017

Genre: Romance

Pages: 426

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Perpetual - NPR Romance

She wrote him a letter...and he stole her heart.

Sir Phillip knew that Eloise Bridgerton was a spinster, and so he’d proposed, figuring that she’d be homely and unassuming, and more than a little desperate for an offer of marriage. Except . . . she wasn’t. The beautiful woman on his doorstep was anything but quiet, and when she stopped talking long enough to close her mouth, all he wanted to do was kiss her . . . and more.

Did he think she was mad? Eloise Bridgerton couldn’t marry a man she had never met! But then she started thinking . . . and wondering . . . and before she knew it, she was in a hired carriage in the middle of the night, on her way to meet the man she hoped might be her perfect match. Except . . . he wasn’t. Her perfect husband wouldn’t be so moody and ill-mannered, and while Phillip was certainly handsome, he was a large brute of a man, rough and rugged, and totally unlike the London gentlemen vying for her hand. But when he smiled . . . and when he kissed her . . . the rest of the world simply fell away, and she couldn’t help but wonder . . . could this imperfect man be perfect for her?

Another thoroughly enjoyable Regency romance! I had really enjoyed the glimpses of Eloise in the previous books so it was nice to read her story. Unlike the last book, we actually come to understand what each person sees in the other. I was invested in their romance. But the real star of the show was the twins Amanda and Oliver. I loved their interactions with Eloise so much! In addition to all that, we get appearances from Anthony, Benedict, Sophie, Colin, and Gregory. I don’t think this volume can top Anthony or Benedict’s stories, but I loved reading it.

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)

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Next up on the TBR pile:

swept away.jpg jujutsu11.jpg liminal.jpg jujutsu12.jpg enchantra.jpg water moon.jpg uzumaki.jpg alley.jpg deserter.jpg black paradox.jpg tombs.jpg gyo.jpg soichi.jpg book of the most.jpg great big.jpg jujutsu13.jpg jujutsu14.jpg jujutsu15.jpg seoulmates.jpg twisted1.jpg lore7.jpg jujutsu16.jpg twisted2.jpg twisted3.jpg twisted4.jpg
tags: romance, Julia Quinn, perpetual, NPR Romance, 4 stars
categories: Book Reviews
Saturday 03.06.21
Posted by Tobe Buffenbarger
 

A Vow So Bold and Deadly by Brigid Kemmerer

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Title: A Vow So Bold and Deadly (Cursebreaker #3)

Author: Brigid Kemmerer

Publisher: Bloomsbury YA 2021

Genre: YA Fantasy

Pages: 415

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Currently Reading - Reflects the Season

Face your fears, fight the battle.
Emberfall is crumbling fast, torn between those who believe Rhen is the rightful prince and those who are eager to begin a new era under Grey, the true heir. Grey has agreed to wait two months before attacking Emberfall, and in that time, Rhen has turned away from everyone--even Harper, as she desperately tries to help him find a path to peace.

Fight the battle, save the kingdom.
Meanwhile, Lia Mara struggles to rule Syhl Shallow with a gentler hand than her mother. But after enjoying decades of peace once magic was driven out of their lands, some of her subjects are angry Lia Mara has an enchanted prince and a magical scraver by her side. As Grey's deadline draws nearer, Lia Mara questions if she can be the queen her country needs.

As the two kingdoms come closer to conflict, loyalties are tested, love is threatened, and an old enemy resurfaces who could destroy them all, in this stunning conclusion to bestselling author Brigid Kemmerer's Cursebreaker series.

Argh! I absolutely adored the first book in the series and very much disliked the second one. I felt like all the characters completely lost all growth and their actions did not align with their motivations. Those same issues continue into the last book in the trilogy. I was so incredibly annoyed by Rhen and Grey and their constant ultimatums and black-and-white view on the situations. Harper and Lia Mara fare much better, but they still annoyed me so much. I just wanted everyone to take a breath and think about what they were doing and who they were doing it to. But no. They just keep barreling through making the same mistakes over and over again. Plus, I very much disliked the rushed feeling of the conclusion. I don’t need a drawn out resolution, but this one just felt like we don’t get anything to explain. So does Harper stay in Emberfall? Is Rhen going to be Grey’s advisor only? Where does he live? Are Lia Mara and Grey going back to Syhl Shallow or staying in Emberfall? Too many unresolved questions. Disappointing.

Cursebreaker Series

  • #1 A Curse So Dark and Lonely

  • #2 A Heart So Fierce and Broken

  • #3 A Vow So Bold and Deadly

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Next up on the TBR pile:

swept away.jpg jujutsu11.jpg liminal.jpg jujutsu12.jpg enchantra.jpg water moon.jpg uzumaki.jpg alley.jpg deserter.jpg black paradox.jpg tombs.jpg gyo.jpg soichi.jpg book of the most.jpg great big.jpg jujutsu13.jpg jujutsu14.jpg jujutsu15.jpg seoulmates.jpg twisted1.jpg lore7.jpg jujutsu16.jpg twisted2.jpg twisted3.jpg twisted4.jpg
tags: Brigid Kemmerer, fairy tale stories, fantasy, young adult, 3 stars, Currently Reading RC
categories: Book Reviews
Friday 03.05.21
Posted by Tobe Buffenbarger
 

Videos for a New Month

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Super fascinating video! Part 2 just came out last week.

I did always love Cruella.

This one looks right up my alley.

How did I miss that they were making a new Mortal Kombat movie? Looks like some silly fun to me.

Most definitely we will be seeing this one.

Looks like this was made just for me!

Oh Britney.

categories: Fun Videos
Thursday 03.04.21
Posted by Tobe Buffenbarger
 

February New Movie Month 2021 Part 2

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It’s become a tradition that we spend most of February watching new-to-us movie month. We kicked off this month with a short list of 100 movies that we wanted to watch. Here’s what we’ve watched the second half of the month:

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Lost Transmissions - Very good, but very serious movie depicting mental illness.

Mazes and Monsters - This was terrible but J made me watch it to understand the first “Dungeons and Dragons” movie.

Freaky - A delightfully fun horror movie! We loved it so much.

The Dig - An understated, but beautiful movie about a very famous (now, not then) archaeological dig.

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Monster Hunter - Haha! This was terrible, but at least we got a bit of Tony Jaa artfully leaping.

Hotel Artemis - Not great. I was hoping for better gun play a la John Wick, but we didn’t really get any.

Buffaloed - Really enjoyed this one. Zoey Deutch is a delight!

Beyond the Mat - Been on our list for years. Interesting look at wrestling.

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The Search for General Tso - Interesting documentary, but not the best.

Cosmic Sin - Terrible, confusing movie. We hoped it would be fun space adventure, but nope.

Next Up on the TBR pile:

swept away.jpg jujutsu11.jpg liminal.jpg jujutsu12.jpg enchantra.jpg water moon.jpg uzumaki.jpg alley.jpg deserter.jpg black paradox.jpg tombs.jpg gyo.jpg soichi.jpg book of the most.jpg great big.jpg jujutsu13.jpg jujutsu14.jpg jujutsu15.jpg seoulmates.jpg twisted1.jpg lore7.jpg jujutsu16.jpg twisted2.jpg twisted3.jpg twisted4.jpg
tags: New Movie Month
categories: Movies
Wednesday 03.03.21
Posted by Tobe Buffenbarger
 

March 2021 Life Goals

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

  • Read 15 books, at least 5 Unread Shelf reads ✓

  • Layout podcast episodes - Until J gets the hang of editing, this is on hold for a bit.

  • Make 4 52 Dessert Recipes - Fail

  • Walk at least 20 miles on the treadmill - Fail. Although I did a respectable 17 miles.

  • Put together drawers for boys ✓

  • Make eye appointments - Fail. It was dentist month apparently.

  • Make dentist appointments ✓

  • Make driver’s license appointment ✓

  • Make a spring wish list ✓

March’s Goals: Lots of carry-over goals for this month.

  • Read 15 books, including 5 Unread Shelf reads

  • Layout podcast episodes

  • Make 4 52 Dessert Recipes

  • Walk at least 20 miles on the treadmill

  • Make eye appointments

Next up on the TBR pile:

swept away.jpg jujutsu11.jpg liminal.jpg jujutsu12.jpg enchantra.jpg water moon.jpg uzumaki.jpg alley.jpg deserter.jpg black paradox.jpg tombs.jpg gyo.jpg soichi.jpg book of the most.jpg great big.jpg jujutsu13.jpg jujutsu14.jpg jujutsu15.jpg seoulmates.jpg twisted1.jpg lore7.jpg jujutsu16.jpg twisted2.jpg twisted3.jpg twisted4.jpg
tags: Monthly Life Goals
categories: Life
Tuesday 03.02.21
Posted by Tobe Buffenbarger
 

2021 Desserts and Snacks - January and February

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Week 1: Cranberry and White Chocolate Cake

This was such a tasty and easy recipe to start off the year. I loved the tart cranberries and extra sweet white chocolate chunks scattered through this simple cake. Arthur also loved it!

Recipe used from Kylee Cooks

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Week 2: Peanut Butter Cookie Gooey Bars

Oh so incredibly good! Next time I should use less condensed milk (just a tad too much), but I loved the balance between peanut butter and chocolate flavor.

Recipe used from Crazy for Crust

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Week 3: Earl Grey Tea Bread

Another great recipe! I have some ideas of how to tweak it (smaller prune pieces for one), but this was great as is toasted with a bit of butter and a cup of tea.

Recipe used from Food & Wine

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Week 4: Sicilian Apple Cake

I liked the taste of this one, but it just didn’t really hit for me. For one, I dislike raisins and unfortunately the ones of the top got really hard. the cake portion didn’t bake like I wanted it to.

Recipe used from Recipe Winners

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Week 5: Inside Out S’mores Bars

These were amazing! i was afraid that these would be too sweet, but they have a great balance of flavors. Definitely will make these again.

Recipe used from Tablespoon

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Week 6: Baked Banana Oatmeal

Meh. This tasted okay (make sure to drizzle it with extra maple syrup), but I wasn’t wowed at all.

Recipe used from Five Heart Home

tags: Desserts and Snacks
categories: Life
Tuesday 03.02.21
Posted by Tobe Buffenbarger
 

Homeschool W25: SO Many Interruptions

What We Studied

This ended up being a very strange week. I had an emergency dentist appointment on Tuesday and the office could fit Arthur in for a regular cleaning on Thursday. And I had promised the kids a trip to the zoo, so we went on Wednesday (along with a library visit). All in all, I felt very discombobulated this week…

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Literature and Poetry

We continued reading Sideways Stories and finally got to my favorite story: Sammy! Arthur didn’t seem to love the absurdist humor of that story, but I loved sharing it with him.

  • Sideways Stories from Wayside School by Louis Sachar

  • The Proper Way to Meet a Hedgehog selected by Paul B. Janecko

  • Space Cows by Eric Seltzer (Arthur read)

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Math

We worked through Unit 4 from Singapore 2A. We did a concept review of multiplication and division. Arthur grasped it very easily again and so we added in some challenge pages throughout the week.

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Social Studies

We went back to A River of Voices United States History and did lessons on the Salem Witch Trials, the Triangular Trade, and Fort Mose. Definitely not the happiest week for history class, but I found some good sources for videos and readings.

  • A Young People’s History of the United States by Howard Zinn and Rebecca Stefoff

  • Making Thirteen Colonies by Joy Hakim

  • The Salem Witch Trials by Sarah Gilman

  • A Child’s Introduction to African American History by Jabari Asim

  • If You Lived When There was Slavery in America by Anne Kamma

  • Fort Mose by Glennette Tilley Turner

  • A Kid’s Guide to African American History by Nancy I. Sanders

Playground in the snow. How Midwest of us.

Playground in the snow. How Midwest of us.

Science

Wrapped into our Unit Theme

Art

Nothing Formal

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Music

Continuing with our jazz study. We finished the 1940s and 1950s and started the 1960s.

  • Jazz ABZ by Wynford Marsalis

  • Jazz Day by Roxane Orgill

  • Birth of the Cool by Kathleen Cornell Berman

  • Before John was a Jazz Giant by Carole Boston Weatherford

  • Spirit Seeker by Gary Golio

  • Sonny’s Bridge by Barry Wittenstein

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Unit Theme

We started a 2-3 week unit on Space and the Planets! We started with the big picture and then started to narrow down to our own solar system. We started a great series of episodes from NOVA focusing on space. This particular selection was all about the Hubble Telescope. I learned so much about the history of the program and what we have learned. We also watched an episode from the series The Planets about the Inner Worlds. I learned a ton about Mercury and Saturn’s moon, Titan.

  • G is for Galaxy by Janis Campbell and Cathy Collision

  • Me and My Place in Space by Joan Sweeney

  • Boy We Were Wrong About the Solar System by Kathleen Kudlinski

  • Galaxies Galaxies by Gail Gibbons

  • Looking Beyond by Steve Parker

  • The Stellar Story of Space Travel by Patricia Lakin

  • 70 Thousand, Million, Million, Million Stars in Space by Paul Rockett

  • Galaxies by Howard K. Tramnel

  • The Solar System Through Infographics by Nadia Higgins

  • DK Space

  • Space Visual Catalog by Sean Callery and Miranda Smith

  • The Dinosaur that Pooped a Planet by Tom Fletcher & Douglas Poynter

  • In the Sky at Nighttime by Laura Deal

  • The Darkest Dark by Chris Hadfield

  • There was an Old Astronaut Who Swallowed the Moon by Lucille Colandro

  • Space: Planets, Moons, Stars, and More! by Joe Rhatigan

  • Journey Through Our Solar System by Mae Jemison

  • Planet Earth by Christine Taylor-Butler

  • If Pluto was a Pea by Gabrielle Prendergast

  • Life on Mars by Jon Agee

  • The Space Walk by Brian Biggs

  • Earth Space Moon Base by Ben Joel Price

  • Space Mice by Lori Haskins Houran

  • Planet Mercy by Ann O. Squire

  • 11 Planets by David A. Aguilar

  • Planet Venus by Christine Taylor-Butler

  • Planet Mars by Ann O. Squire

  • Letters from Space by Clayton Anderson

  • Mousetronaut Goes to Mars by Mark Kelly

  • Space Dog by Mini Grey

  • Lego Man in Space by Mara Shaughnessy

Misc. - Random picture books read

  • Froggy’s First Kiss by Jonathan London

  • A Scent-sational Valentine by Mary Man-Kong

  • Love, Z by Jessie Sima

  • Snuggle Down Deep by Diane Ohanesian

  • Worm Loves Worm by J.J. Austrian

  • This is NOT a Valentine by Carter Higgins

  • 10 Fascinating Facts About Dinosaurs by Rachel Grack

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Highs

  • The zoo visit was much needed.

Lows

  • Emergency dental visit made me lose all momentum.

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Next Week

We will be finishing Jazz, Sideways Stories, and Singapore Math 2A,. We continuing over our Space Theme and U.S. History.

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Next up on the TBR pile:

swept away.jpg jujutsu11.jpg liminal.jpg jujutsu12.jpg enchantra.jpg water moon.jpg uzumaki.jpg alley.jpg deserter.jpg black paradox.jpg tombs.jpg gyo.jpg soichi.jpg book of the most.jpg great big.jpg jujutsu13.jpg jujutsu14.jpg jujutsu15.jpg seoulmates.jpg twisted1.jpg lore7.jpg jujutsu16.jpg twisted2.jpg twisted3.jpg twisted4.jpg
tags: homeschool
categories: Life
Monday 03.01.21
Posted by Tobe Buffenbarger
 

Music Monday - Troye Sivan "Easy"

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For the first two months of the year (I’m extending into March), I decided to do Emo Winter! I’m been really loving The Emo Project channel on Sirius XM Radio. I picked all my selections directly from the channel.

tags: Troye Sivan
categories: Music
Monday 03.01.21
Posted by Tobe Buffenbarger
 
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