A Marvellous Light by Freya Marske

Title: A Marvellous Light (The Last Binding #1)

Author: Freya Marske

Publisher: Tordotcom 2021

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 384

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Seasonal TBR; Unread Shelf Project - Book Bought for the Cover

Robin Blyth has more than enough bother in his life. He’s struggling to be a good older brother, a responsible employer, and the harried baronet of a seat gutted by his late parents’ excesses. When an administrative mistake sees him named the civil service liaison to a hidden magical society, he discovers what’s been operating beneath the unextraordinary reality he’s always known.

Now Robin must contend with the beauty and danger of magic, an excruciating deadly curse, and the alarming visions of the future that come with it―not to mention Edwin Courcey, his cold and prickly counterpart in the magical bureaucracy, who clearly wishes Robin were anyone and anywhere else.

Robin’s predecessor has disappeared, and the mystery of what happened to him reveals unsettling truths about the very oldest stories they’ve been told about the land they live on and what binds it. Thrown together and facing unexpected dangers, Robin and Edwin discover a plot that threatens every magician in the British Isles―and a secret that more than one person has already died to keep.

Oh this was a delight from start to finish! I got a mix of The Magicians and Jonathan Strange, but much lighter with some great romance. We get thrown into the story and slowly start to unravel the pieces along with Robin. He was such a wonderful character that you cannot help but love him. As we get thrown into the mystery, we slowly start to meet the rest of the cast of characters. Edwin comes across as a straight-laced aristocrat, but we get to peel back the layers along with Robin. I absolutely loved their burgeoning friendship and then romance. (But be forewarned that there are some very open door steamy scenes in this book. Oh, definitely needed a fan to myself a few times.) The mystery was sufficiently intriguing and dangerous. I sped through the pages not wanting the book to end. I cannot wait for the next book in the series.

The Last Binding

• #1 A Marvellous Light

• #2 A Restless Truth

Next up on the TBR pile:

Snow & Rose by Emily Winfield Martin

Title: Snow & Rose

Author: Emily Winfield Martin

Publisher: Random House 2017

Genre: MG Fairytale Retelling

Pages: 213

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: 

Snow and Rose didn’t know they were in a fairy tale. People never do. . .
Once, they lived in a big house with spectacular gardens and an army of servants.
Once, they had a father and mother who loved them more than the sun and moon.
But that was before their father disappeared into the woods and their mother disappeared into sorrow.
This is the story of two sisters and the enchanted woods that have been waiting for them to break a set of terrible spells.

I’m always up for a fairy tale retelling and this one was perfect. We get a nice retelling of the Snow White and Rose Red story set in a patch of uncanny woods. We get to see two young girls navigate their new life and the dangers outside the cabin. I loved the changes in the old tale coupled with the beautiful imagery. The small watercolors added delight to the story. I sped through this beautiful novel in an afternoon.

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Apollo Murders by Chris Hadfield

Title: The Apollo Murders

Author: Chris Hadfield

Publisher: Mulholland Books 2021

Genre: Mystery

Pages: 480

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: 

1973: a final, top-secret mission to the Moon. Three astronauts in a tiny spaceship, a quarter million miles from home. A quarter million miles from help.

NASA is about to launch Apollo 18. While the mission has been billed as a scientific one, flight controller Kazimieras "Kaz" Zemeckis knows there is a darker objective. Intelligence has discovered a secret Soviet space station spying on America, and Apollo 18 may be the only chance to stop it.

But even as Kaz races to keep the NASA crew one step ahead of their Russian rivals, a deadly accident reveals that not everyone involved is quite who they were thought to be. With political stakes stretched to the breaking point, the White House and the Kremlin can only watch as their astronauts collide on the lunar surface, far beyond the reach of law or rescue.

I went into this book with very high hopes and unfortunately, this did not live up to my expectations. Inside this book is a great political thriller. I loved the bits that dealt with the politics of the space program. I loved the intrigue of spyycraft. And the various characters were intriguing to follow. But then, the actual text gets bogged down in the technical writing. I really did not need to know exactly how Cessna airplane actually works. I imagine that this could have been edited down at least 100 pages to help trim the fat. As it stands, I kept wanting to put it away and read something with a bit faster pace. There’s something here, I just don’t think It completely works as is.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Music Monday - A Day to Remember feat. Mark Hoppus "Re-Entry"

A collab between A Day to Remember and Mark Hoppus is just amazing.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Homeschool W25: Midwest Weather Changed Our Plans

What We Studied

We had a schedule with a few field trips, but those changed due to the weather. After last weekend’s storm, the temperatures dropped dramatically and didn’t recover. It was cold and the wind made it even colder.

Our Book Outlet finally came! Lots of things for next year (except for the Beatrix Potter books).

Literature and Poetry

Finally finished Aru Shah this week and concluded our American Tall Tales unit. I really enjoyed both and I think Arthur did also.

• Aru Shah and the End of Time by Roshani Chokshi

• Poetry Outside Your Window by Nicola Davies

• When Green Becomes Tomatoes by Julie Fogliano

• American Tall Tales by Mary Pope Osborne

• The 12 Most Amazing American Myths and Legends by Anita Yasuda

• Casey Jones by Stephen Krensky

• Mike Fink by Steven Kellogg

• Pecos Bill Tames a Colossal Cyclone by Eric Braun

• Pecos Bill by Stephen Krensky

• Pecos Bill, Monster Wrangler by Benjamin Harper

• Pecos Bill Colossal Cowboy by Sean Tulien

• John Henry Vs. the Mighty Steam Drill by Carl Meister

• John Henry: An American Legend by Ezra Jack Keats

• Ain't Nothing but a Man: My Quest to Find the Real John Henry by Scott Reynolds Nelson

• John Henry by Stephen Krensky

• John Henry, Steel-Drivin' Elf by Benjamin Harper

• Paul Bunyan by Steven Kellogg

• The Tall Tale of Paul Bunyan by Martin Powell

• The Bunyans by Audrey Wood

• Paul Bunyan's Sweetheart by Marybeth Lorbiecki

• Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Whale by Penelope Gruber

• Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox: The Great Pancake Adventure by Matt Luckhurst

• Paul Bunyan vs. Hals Halson: The Great Lumberjack Challenge! by Teresa Bateman

Both boys had successful dentist appointments

Math

We sped through Unit 10 about time. Really it was a big review while ago doing some more adding and subtracting time.

• Logic Countdown

Social Studies

We ended up not actually doing our history unit this week. No big deal, we’ll just push it a week. This is why I add in “break” weeks to our schedule. Gives us a lot of flexibility.

Arthur Independent Time

To allow for one-on-one time with Quentin, I have added an hour of independent work time for Arthur. Each week, he will have a mix of packet work (mostly grammar and math review), independent reading time, and special projects. Many of his projects will be aligned with our literature selections (some taken from B&R Language Arts curriculum) and history.

Science and STEAM Coop

We didn’t have coop this week due to our scheduled break week. We’ll be back next week with our First Responders theme.

For science, we started our big Earth Science unit focusing on geography, geology, and volcanoes and earthquakes.

• When Planet Earth was New by James Gladstone

• Earth by Quinn M. Arnold

• Home on the Earth by Laura Purdie Salas

• Dirtmeister's Nitty Gritty Planet Earth by Steve Tomecek

• Stickmen's Guide to Mountains and Valleys in Layers by Catherine Chambers

• The Magic School Buss Inside the Earth by Joanna Cole

Art/Music

None this week

Quentin

I have scheduled at least four 1-hour time blocks for one-on-one time with Quentin. I bought Blossom and Root’s Early Years Volume 2 curriculum to use as our base. I love the variety of activities and some of the bigger projects included. Quentin started his next unit on the farm. Basically that means a ton of farm themed books, some themed ELA and math pages, and a few mini crafts and projects.

ELA

• Winter Story by Jill Barklem

• On a Farm by Alexa Andrews (Q reads)

• Life on a Farm

• Farmyard Beat by Lindsey Craig

• Biscuit's Snow Day Race by Alyssa Satin Capucilli (Q reads)

• Farm by Rebecca Pettiford

• My Farm Friends by Wendell Minor

• Going to a Farm by Rebecca Rissman

• Dinosaur Farm by Penny Dale

• Busy Bug Builds a Fort by David A. Carter (Q reads)

• Song of the Wild: A First Book of Animals by Nicola Davies

• Old MicMickey Had a Farm

• I Like the Farm by Shelley Rotner

• The Farmer by Ximo Abadia

• Amara's Farm by JaNay Brown-Wood

Math

• Lollipop Logic Book 1

• Smart Start Beginning Coding Grade 1

Other

• High Five January 2018

Field Trip

The weather was not cooperating with us this week. We again got below zero a few of the days. We did venture out to the zoo on Wednesday. It was chilly, but we got to visit the elephant babies (and they were right up front!) and warm up in the jungle and the desert dome. We also had a park day on the one slightly warmer day. The boys had fun, but more importantly, I had a lovely conversation with two coop moms. (The boys also had their dentist appointments this week.)

Documentary Selection

I have carved out a one hour time block each week to watch a documentary related to our studies.

Misc. Picture Books Read

• Letters from Bear by Gauthier David

• Snickerdoodle Takes the Cake by Ethan Long

• A Child of Books by Oliver Jeffers

• The Paperboy by Dav Pilkey

• A New Green Day by Antoinette Portis

• How to Catch a Star by Oliver Jeffers

• In the Half Room by Carson Ellis

• If I Were the Sunshine by Julie Fogliano

• The Boy with Big, Big Feelings by Britney Winn Lee

High

• Getting out to the zoo on Wednesday was delightful. We got to spend 15 minutes observing the new elephant babies. They are incredibly adorable.

Low

• Super cold temps cancelled our planned hike on Friday. I was looking forward to getting out into nature more. Thankfully, we have rescheduled for Wednesday.

Baby Sonny!

Next Week

• Starting 3B Unit 11 (Data Analysis) for math

• Beginning City of the Plague God for our read aloud

• Analyzing a few picture books for literature

• Covering the Renaissance for history

• Getting acquainted with the paintings of Rosa Bonheur

• Continuing with our farm unit for Quentin

• Exploring rocks and minerals for science

Next up on the TBR pile:

Wild Swans retold by Xanthe Gresham Knight

Title: Wild Swans

Retold By: Xanthe Gresham Knight Illustrated by Charlotte Gastaut

Publisher: Barefoot Books

Genre: MG Fairytale Retelling

Pages: 48

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: 

Young Eliza and her eleven brothers' lives are transformed when a plague ravages the Kingdom of the North and kills their mother, the Queen. When their father remarries, their brilliant and "unusual" new stepmother becomes obsessed with finding a cure for the plague and protecting her new family - so obsessed that she decides to turn the boys into swans so they can fly away from the plague, and to send Eliza to a far-away village the plague hasn't touched. Years later, the Queen discovers a cure for the plague just before she dies from it herself. With the kingdom in chaos, it's up to teenaged Eliza to find her brothers, break the Queen's spell on them, return home to cure the plague - and claim her rightful place in the kingdom!

Such a gorgeous slim retelling of the 12 Swans fairy tale. The writing is great and the retelling bit was entertaining and engaging. But the real star here is the illustrations. Gastaut pairs the text with gilded images rich in detail and whimsy. I was entranced with the illustrations and had to wrench myself away from those to continue reading the text. A lovely few minutes spent on this volume.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Life Right Now #9

As I look outside my window: It’s bright and sunny and the temps are going to be in the mid-60s today. So much better than the high of 10 on Thursday.

Right now I am: Ready to settle in with my current book

On my bedside table: Lots of Middle Grade Novels for the rest of March!

On my tv this week: We started watching two great shows, one hilarious and one very weird and serious but amazing: Our Flag Means Death and Severance.

Listening to: Just my usual podcasts. But I did find a new podcast called The Rise and Fall of Lularoe. Definitely starting this one next week!

On the menu for this week:

• Monday - Honey Lime Jalapeño Chicken

• Tuesday - Coffee Rubbed Pork Loin

• Wednesday - Lemon Dill Capellini Salmon

• Thursday - Leftovers

• Friday - Jalapeño Popper Bacon Bean Soup

• Saturday - Grilled Cheese Night

• Sunday - Mosterdsoep

On my to do list: I need to put some random things away, finish the laundry, clean the kitchen

Happening this week:

• Monday - Home School Day

• Tuesday - Errands morning and then School Day

• Wednesday - Schramm Hike (trying again with a better forecast)

• Thursday - Coop

• Friday - Fire Station Tour; Lit Society

• Saturday - Home Day; D&D

• Sunday - Home Day

What I am creating: I finished February’s Memory Planner pages yesterday. So that means that today I want to work on my birthday insert page.

My simple pleasures: Banana bread, reading a book in one sitting, a bit of quet

Looking around the house: I did a mad vacuum yesterday, but I would love f0r the kids to clean the playroom so that could get vacuumed.

From the camera: During our family game night, Arthur rolled 5 skulls! We were playing HeroQuest and with the wizard’s spell and five skulls, he immediately decimated the dread knight. Amazing!

Fierce Fairytales by Nikita Gill

Title: Fierce Fairytales: Poems and Stories to Stir Your Soul

Author: Nikita Gill

Publisher: Hachette Books 2018

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 176

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Seasonal TBR

Traditional fairytales are rife with cliches and gender stereotypes: beautiful, silent princesses; ugly, jealous, and bitter villainesses; girls who need rescuing; and men who take all the glory.

But in this rousing new prose and poetry collection, Nikita Gill gives Once Upon a Time a much-needed modern makeover. Through her gorgeous reimagining of fairytale classics and spellbinding original tales, she dismantles the old-fashioned tropes that have been ingrained in our minds. In this book, gone are the docile women and male saviors. Instead, lines blur between heroes and villains. You will meet fearless princesses, a new kind of wolf lurking in the concrete jungle, and an independent Gretel who can bring down monsters on her own.

A friend read this one and loved it and it sounded right up my alley. We get a beautiful collection of subversive takes on classic fairytales. Told in verse and in prose, we examine the motivations and histories of many villains and heroines. I especially loved the few centered on Alice in Wonderland. Towards the end of the collection, Gil moves out of the realm of fairy tales to deal with modern feminism. I was absolutely enthralled by this collection. So much so that I think I need to own this in physical form.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Electric Idol by Katee Robert

Title: Electric Idol (Dark Olympus #2)

Author: Katee Robert

Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca 2022

Genre: Romance

Pages: 375

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Seasonal TBR

In the ultra-modern city of Olympus, there's always a price to pay. Psyche Dimitriou knew she'd have to face Aphrodite's jealous rage eventually, but she never expected her literal heart to be at stake...or for Aphrodite's gorgeous son to be the one ordered to strike the killing blow.

Eros has no problem shedding blood. Raised to be his mother's knife in the dark, he's been conditioned to accept that he's more monster than man. But when it comes time to take out his latest target...he can't do it. Confused by his reaction to Psyche's unexpected kindness, he does the only thing he can think of to keep her safe: he binds her to him, body and soul.

Psyche didn't expect to find herself married to the glittering city's most dangerous killer, but something about Eros wakens a fire inside her she's never felt before. As lines blur and loyalties shift, Psyche realizes Eros might take her heart after all...and she's not sure she can survive the loss.

I went from a light and frothy romcom to a very steamy thriller romance. Now that’s more like it. I enjoyed the first book in the series and was looking forward to Psyche and Eros’s romance. We get to see more of the Thirteen and their political machinations. I have really enjoyed that part of the series. And then we get to the actually romance. I really enjoyed getting to know Eros and Psyche. They were a great enemies to lovers situation. Their particular brand of romance wasn’t as exciting to me as Hades and Persephone, but still enjoyable. I spend through this volume desperately wanting to see how they would outwit Aphrodite. Overall a very enjoyable steamy romance.

Dark Olympus

• #1 Neon Gods

• #2 Electric Idol

• #3 Wicked Beauty

Next up on the TBR pile:

To Sir, With Love by Lauren Layne

Title: To Sir, With Love

Author: Lauren Layne

Publisher: Gallery Books 2021

Genre: Romance

Pages: 288

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: 

Perpetually cheerful and eager to please, Gracie Cooper strives to make the best out of every situation. So when her father dies just months after a lung cancer diagnosis, she sets aside her dreams of pursuing her passion for art to take over his Midtown Manhattan champagne shop. She soon finds out that the store’s profit margins are being squeezed perilously tight, and complicating matters further, a giant corporation headed by the impossibly handsome, but irritatingly arrogant Sebastian Andrews is proposing a buyout. But Gracie can’t bear the thought of throwing away her father’s dream like she did her own.

Overwhelmed and not wanting to admit to her friends or family that she’s having second thoughts about the shop, Gracie seeks advice and solace from someone she’s never met—the faceless “Sir”, with whom she connected on a blind dating app where matches get to know each other through messages and common interests before exchanging real names or photos.

But although Gracie finds herself slowly falling for Sir online, she has no idea she’s already met him in real life…and they can’t stand each other.

My favorite podcast recommended this contemporary romance as a fun re-envisioning of You’ve Got Mail and this totally is that. Right away we get a strong connection to the fun story and I knew how it would end. But this is all about the journey. I loved diving into Gracie’s life in New York and connecting with her friends and family. From there, of course we need a wonderful meet-cute with Sebastian. I loved him immediately, all straight-laced corporate man. It was delight getting to know them. The book ends with a happily ever after, but that was known in the beginning. This one is all rom-com with no real spice, but still a lot of fun.

Next up on the TBR pile:

I Hope This Finds You Well by Kate Baer

Title: I Hope This Finds You Well Poems

Author: Kate Baer

Publisher: Harper Perennial 2021

Genre: Poetry Collection

Pages: 80

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: 

“I'm sure you could benefit from jumping on a treadmill”

“Women WANT a male leader . . . It’s honest to god the basic human playbook”

These are some of the thousands of messages that Kate Baer has received online. Like countless other writers—particularly women—with profiles on the internet, as Kate’s online presence grew, so did the darker messages crowding her inbox. These missives from strangers have ranged from “advice” and opinions to outright harassment. 

At first, these messages resulted in an immediate delete and block. Until, on a whim, Kate decided to transform the cruelty into art, using it to create fresh and intriguing poems. These pieces, along with ones made from notes of gratitude and love, as well as from the words of public figures, have become some of her most beloved work. 

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Kingdom by Jess Rothenberg

Title: The Kingdom

Author: Jess Rothenberg

Publisher: Henry Holt 2019

Genre: YA Fantasy

Pages: 352

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Seasonal TBR

Glimmering like a jewel behind its gateway, The Kingdom™ is an immersive fantasy theme park where guests soar on virtual dragons, castles loom like giants, and bioengineered species—formerly extinct—roam free.

Ana is one of seven Fantasists, beautiful “princesses” engineered to make dreams come true. When she meets park employee Owen, Ana begins to experience emotions beyond her programming including, for the first time… love.

But the fairytale becomes a nightmare when Ana is accused of murdering Owen, igniting the trial of the century. Through courtroom testimony, interviews, and Ana’s memories of Owen, emerges a tale of love, lies, and cruelty—and what it truly means to be human.

I was pitched that this was a young adult version of Westworld, and it definitely is! We get a seemingly perfect amusement park full of technological advancements. I loved the world building in this book. We really get a sense of the park and the different environments we can encounter. Once we establish some of the world, we get to follow Ana as she slowly starts to unravel her own thoughts and feelings. And the lingering mystery of who died and who killed them. The book is completely fun popcorn adventure, but I still loved reading it. The story was highly enjoyable and the characters were fun.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Currently #4

Reading: A Marvellous Light by Freya Marske. I’m really digging this book full of magic, romance and mystery.

Watching: We finally watched Train to Busan and it was amazing! Of course, I had to pick a zombie movie for my birthday movie choice.

Listening: Been rocking my Apple Favorites playlist. Sometimes the mix is a bit strange, but I love it.

Making: I have a video chat scheduled with another coop member to discuss strategies moving forward. We’ll see how it goes…

Feeling: My birthday day out was amazing and felted me feel slightly refreshed.

Planning: I’ve been thinking about what events we want to plan for this spring. Of course, I’m banking on the pandemic to continue to get better. I’m hoping that we can do a couple day trip to Des Moines or KC and maybe a family trip to Chicago.

Loving: I bought myself some great presents on my birthday day out. I think my favorite might be my Frida Kahlo doll.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Homeschool W24: 5 1/2 Hours Outside in One Day!

What We Studied

Arthur started the week sick canceling out planned zoo day. We did spend all day Tuesday outside and had our usual coop.

**Turns out I took basically no pictures last week. It was a strange week for us (mentally) and I just didn’t get pictures taken. Oh well. I promise we still did things.

Literature and Poetry

While continuing to read Aru Shah, we also started our unit on American Tall Tales. We’re focusing on one character per tale and reading a variety of tales and information while working through a companion packet I found. We’ll be continuing this into next week also.

• Are Shah and the End of Time by Roshani Chokshi

• American Tall Tales by Mary Pope Osborne

• The 12 Most Amazing American Myths and Legends by Anita Yasuda

• Davy Crockett Saves the World by Rosalyn Schanzer

• Davy Crockett and the Great Mississippi Snag by Cari Meister

• Sally Ann Thunder Ann Whirlwind by Steven Kellogg

• Thunder Rose by Jerdine Nolan

• Johnny Appleseed by Steven Kellogg

• Johnny Appleseed by Reeve Lindbergh

• The Story of Johnny Appleseed by Aliki

• Johnny Appleseed by Rosemary and Stephen Vincent Benet

• Johnny Appleseed Plants Trees Across the Land by Eric Braun

• Outside Your Window by Nicola Davies (Winter and Spring sections)

Math

Arthur’s still sitting with 3B Unit 9 covering fractions. We finished the lessons and did some extra practice. We’ll be wrapping this up next week, but I’m sure we’ll revisit later this spring.

• Logic Countdown

Social Studies

This chapter of History Quest focused on the Inca Civilization. We’ve watched enough documentaries previously, that this was almost a review for Arthur. He still learned a bit about their farming practices, and we still had a good time reading and looking up pictures.

• DK Timelines of Everyone

• When on Earth

• DK History

• DK Timelines of Everything

• DK Explorers

• Where is Machu Picchu? by Megan Stine

• Inca by Lawrence Kovacs

• Ancient Civilizations: Aztecs, Maya, Incas! by Anita Yasuda

• Ancient Incas by Michael Burgan

• Myths, Legends, and Sacred Stories

Arthur Independent Time

To allow for one-on-one time with Quentin, I have added an hour of independent work time for Arthur. Each week, he will have a mix of packet work (mostly grammar and math review), independent reading time, and special projects. Many of his projects will be aligned with our literature selections (some taken from B&R Language Arts curriculum) and history.

Science and STEAM Coop

Coop was all about space. The littles group made watercolor salt space paintings and talked about space travel. The other older group finished their lap books about the solar system. At home, we did some review about space.

For our actual health unit, we talking about our senses and how they work. Lots of pointing out examples of using our senses throughout the week.

• My Five Senses by Aliki

• iDiscover the Body by Carolyn Scrace

• My Amazing Body by Ruth Martin & Allan Sanders

• My Body by Martha E.H. Rustad

House down the street had to remove a tree and now has a holiday themed inflatable every month. We stopped by after our park day.

Art/Music

None this week

Quentin

I have scheduled at least four 1-hour time blocks for one-on-one time with Quentin. I bought Blossom and Root’s Early Years Volume 2 curriculum to use as our base. I love the variety of activities and some of the bigger projects included.

ELA

• Nick and Nack Blow Bubbles by Brandon Budzi

• There is a Town by Gail Herman

• Little Penguin and the mysterious Object by Tadgh Bentley

• The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt

• High Five August 2018

Math

• Lollipop Logic Book 1

Other

• I Spy Learn and Go

Field Trip

None this week

Documentary Selection

I have carved out a one hour time block each week to watch a documentary related to our studies.

Misc. Picture Books Read

• Snow Dance by Erica Farber (Q read to me)

• This Book is Gray by Lindsay Ward

• The Love Letter by Anika Aldamuy Denise

• Big Snow by Jonathan Bean

• Love by Matt de la Pena

• Eyes that Speak to the Stars by Joanna Ho

• Goldi Rocks and the Three Bears by Corey Rosen Schwartz

• If You were a Panda Bear by Wendell and Florence Minor

• Puppy by Keith Graves

• Negative Cat by Sophie Blackall

• The Great Puppy Invasion by Alastair Heim

High

• We had a park playdate on Tuesday morning and then added another park playdate that afternoon. We basically spent all of Tuesday outside and it was amazing! We added to our outside hours and just enjoyed the break in the weather. For reference, last night it froze and snowed almost 2 inches. A little different from the temps in the 60s this past week.

Low

• Arthur got sick on Monday morning (food related, not COVID related) and we had to cancel our zoo day. We’re hoping to go again this Wednesday, but it really put a damper on our day.
  

Next Week

• Starting 3B Unit 10 for math

• Finishing reading Aru Shah and covering American Tall Tales

• Covering the Renaissance for history

• Diving into the farm for Quentin’s big unit

• Exploring the paintings of Rosa Bonheur

• Taking a break from coop (scheduled week off)
  

Next up on the TBR pile:

Music Monday - Muse "Won't Stand Down"

Really digging this new song from Muse. And Quentin is a huge fan.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Life Right Now #8

As I look outside my window: It’s still very overcast and cold out after yesterday’s storms. It’ll be cold for my birthday day out, but at least the rain stopped.

Right now I am: Getting ready to leave for my day out.

On my bedside table: Lore by Alexandra Bracken; Gilded by Marissa Meyer

On my tv this week: We’ve watched a few decent movies this past week and started Severance S1.

Listening to: Nothing much except for my usual podcasts.

On the menu for this week:

• Monday - Chicken and Noodles

• Tuesday - Ham and Cheese Croissants

• Wednesday - Jalapeño Popper Bacon and Bean Soup

• Thursday - Coffee-Rubbed Pork Loin

• Friday - Leftovers

• Saturday - Ranch Cheddar Chicken

• Sunday - Lemon Dill Capellini Salmon

On my to do list: I’m certain that I have a list, but I have completely forgotten what is on the list. Guess I need a refresher.

Happening this week:

• Monday - Regular School Day

• Tuesday - Dentist for kids; Park playdate

• Wednesday - Zoo Day

• Thursday - Regular School Day

• Friday - Schramm Hike Day

• Saturday - Home Day

• Sunday - Home day

What I am creating: After a bit of a break, I’m back to working on my 2022 Memory Planner.

My simple pleasures: German Chocolate Cake, book shopping, a new puzzle

Looking around the house: I should really vacuum the downstairs tomorrow morning.

From the camera: Yummy birthday cake for me.

Clean Air by Sarah Blake

Title: Clean Air

Author: Sarah Blake

Publisher: Algonquin Books 2022

Genre: Science Fiction

Pages: 320

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: 

The climate apocalypse has come and gone, and in the end it wasn't the temperature climbing or the waters rising. It was the trees. They created enough pollen to render the air unbreathable, and the world became overgrown.

In the decades since the event known as the Turning, humanity has rebuilt, and Izabel has grown used to the airtight domes that now contain her life. She raises her young daughter, Cami, and attempts to make peace with her mother's death. She tries hard to be satisfied with this safe, prosperous new world, but instead she just feels stuck.

And then the tranquility of her town is shattered. Someone—a serial killer—starts slashing through the domes at night, exposing people to the deadly pollen. At the same time, Cami begins sleep-talking, having whole conversations about the murders that she doesn't remember after she wakes. Izabel becomes fixated on the killer, on both tracking him down and understanding him. What could compel someone to take so many lives after years dedicated to sheer survival, with society finally flourishing again?

A bit of mixed bag with this one. I was intrigued by the post-apocalypse setup and was intrigued by the murder mystery aspect of it. I love good disaster dystopian novel and this one seemed to fit the bill. I enjoyed the world-building and the murder mystery aspects. I was on the edge of my seat to figure out exactly who was killing people in the neighborhood. Those sections were done well. I was less interested with Isabel and her reactions to life and the murders. Her constant cycling through apathy and anxiety left me tired. It felt odd to me to follow someone who is having very PTSD-like symptoms ten years after the inciting events. I had a hard time connecting to her and her actions. I almost wish that we had either focused on the murders or the adjustment to a new way of life. Izabel was not the person that I wanted to follow on this journey.

Next up on the TBR pile:

All These Bodies by Kendare Blake

Title: All These Bodies

Author: Kendare Blake

Publisher: Quill Tree Books 2021

Genre: YA Thriller

Pages: 304

Rating: 2/5 stars

Reading Challenges: 

Summer 1958. A gruesome killer plagues the Midwest, leaving behind a trail of bodies completely drained of blood. 

Michael Jensen, an aspiring journalist whose father happens to be the town sheriff, never imagined that the Bloodless Murders would come to his backyard. Not until the night the Carlson family was found murdered in their home. Marie Catherine Hale, a diminutive fifteen-year-old, was discovered at the scene—covered in blood. She is the sole suspect in custody.

Michael didn’t think that he would be part of the investigation, but he is pulled in when Marie decides that he is the only one she will confess to. As Marie recounts her version of the story, it falls to Michael to find the truth: What really happened the night that the Carlsons were killed? And how did one girl wind up in the middle of all these bodies?

Oh blergh. I went into this book thinking that it would be a spooky suspenseful young adult novel. Unfortunately, we didn’t really get any of the spook except for a few very brief scenes. Instead, we got a very stilted and strange retelling of a criminal case written by a teenage boy. I was not a fan of the voice of the book. The writing was all over the place and not well constructed. I kept getting pulled out of the story every time Michael referred to something that would happen in the future or some realization that he made at a later date. But most of the story is written in a very present sense. Beyond the writing style, I was not a fan of the story and specifically the constant misogyny. Every other page is felt like some character was saying that there was no way that Marie killed anyone because she was a, wait for it… girl. I just could not. I realize that the book is set in 1958, but it was written last year. I don’t think we need to focus on this aspect so much. And finally, we get to ending and I was completely flabbergasted. It’s a terrible ending. Such a disappointment.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Odds and Ends

Here's my randomness for the week:

• Unexpectedly warm temperatures this week meant that we spent almost all Tuesday outside.

• Really need to reschedule our zoo day.

• Trying to organize my itinerary for my birthday day out. I might have too many stops on my list.

• Speaking of, I’m really hoping that I can squeeze in some clothes shopping.

• I’ve finished 4 books in like 5 days. Crazy reading lately!

Next up on the TBR pile:

February New Movie Month 2022

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 about 100 movies that we wanted to watch. Due to the long running time of a few movies (Godfather extended editions and LOTR with the kids), we have a slightly lower-than-usual number for the month, but we did watch some good ones. Here’s what we watched:

The French Dispatch - Classic quirky Wes Anderson with amazing design and characters. I loved the story about the student protest the best.

House of Gucci - Oh This was so good! Lady Gaga was amazing. The fashion, the betrayals, the over-the-top personalities. I could not get enough!

The Godfather - I’ve never actually seen it and J convinced me to watch this month. Much better than I thought it was going to be. I enjoyed it. Tom is the best character!

Bad Boys for Life - Terrible, but made partially better with cocktails.

The Godfather Part II - I didn’t think it could get more serious than the first one, but it did. I loved seeing the parallels between Michael and Vito.

tick, tick… BOOM! - Andrew Garfield is amazing in this one! He clearly did his homework to play Jonathan Larson in this adaptation of Larson’s musical and life.

The King’s Man - There was a weird tone to this movie, but we enjoyed it overall.

The Godfather Part III - I actually really enjoyed this part of the trilogy.

Jesus Christ Superstar: Live Arena Tour (2012) - Completely missed this one. Tim Minchin is really the star of this production.

Fistful of Vengeance - A “sequel” to the television shoe Wu Assassins… Not great, but a couple of good scenes.

Black Friday - Terrible horror movie, but I loved it.

Parker - Turns out we’ve actually seen this, but neither one of us could remember anything about the movie.

The Royal Wedding - Terrible. This was not funny at all.

The Orange Years - This is my childhood in documentary form! Perfect capper for our month of movies.

Next Up on the TBR pile: