The Manhattan Projects Vol. 1

Title: The Manhattan Projects Volume 1: Science Bad

Author: Jonathan Hickman, Nick Pitarra

Publisher: Image 2012

Genre: Graphic Novel

Pages: 144

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Mount TBR

What if the research and development department created to produce the first atomic bomb was a front for a series of other, more unusual, programs?

Holy cow! This was a revolutionary volume. I am such a history geek. I love the concept of taking what we know as history and turning it on its head for a fictional series. I'm really loving the character of Richard Feynman. Awesome! Supposedly volume 2 and 3 are on the server, so I'm going to add those immediately!

American Vampire Vol. 3

Title: American Vampire Vol. 3

Author: Scott Snyder, Rafael Albuquerque, and Sean Murphy

Publisher: Vertigo 2012

Genre: Graphic Novel, Horror

Pages: 288

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Read Your Freebies

This volume of the critically-acclaimed AMERICAN VAMPIRE follows the star of AV Volumes 1 and 2, Pearl, and her husband Henry, as he is recruited by a mysterious group of vampire hunters, off to World War II Japan to find a new breed of blood sucker. But what does the notorious vampire Skinner Sweet have to do with it?

Ohhh... such a good volume! I loved seeing the conclusion of the Pearl vs Skinner storyline. And we get a potential new storyline. Plus a great chapter involving Felicia and Cash. I am so excited to continue reading this series.

May's Videos

Very adorable!

A must see!

Looks pretty interesting.

Seriously excited to see this one...

Currently #7

Watching: We have been catching up with Last Week Tonight. The latest episode was on family leave (or lack thereof...). Ugh! It always makes me a bit angry, but I do love John Oliver's style.

Reading: I finished the first volume of The Manhattan Projects last night and started reading Geek Mom. I feel like I really need to take some notes. There are such great activities packed into those pages.

Listening: Arthur has been Mr. Grumpypants this past week. So I've been listening to to a lot of toddler crying lately.

Making: I spent part of the day making dinner for a friend who just had a baby. A group of us are using Take Them a Meal to schedule out our drop-offs. Such a great idea! Instead of constantly asking the new mom what she needs, we sign up and drop off. Or you can even buy and send them a meal.

Feeling: Missing sleep this week... See the "Listening" category for reasons.

Planning: June is filling up fast with activities, classes, and kid fun. And I just agreed to help run the Thirty-One table at a Farmer's Market in Martinez a few times during the month.

Loving: Strong coffee. I bought Italian dark roast because of the "listening" category...

Bout of Books 13.0 Update #1

Monday and Tuesday were strong! I read so much and I have no idea how I actually fit it all in. I didn't participate in any challenges or social media, but I'm okay with that. I just really wanted to read!

Progress:

Pages Read: 235 (The Dovekeepers) + 305 (Born Reading) + 160 (American Vampire Vol. 2)
Total Pages Read: 700
Books Read: 2 1/2
Total Books Read: 2 1/2

Goals:

Read at least 1000 pages
Finish and review at least two selections
Participate in at least one challenge

TBR (my choices, not mandatory reads):

The Dovekeepers by Alice Hoffman √
American Vampire Vol. 2 √
American Vampire Vol. 3
The Manhattan Projects Vol. 1
Geek Mom by Natania Barron, Kathy Ceceri, Corrina Lawson, and Jenny Williams
Creative Thursday by Marisa Anne
Cultivating Your Creative Life by Alena Hennessy
The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin
Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon
Born Reading by Jason Boog √

The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda @ On a Book Bender and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, May 11th and runs through Sunday, May 17th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 13 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. - From the Bout of Books team

American Vampire Vol. 2

Title: American Vampire Vol. 2

Author: Scott Snyder, Rafael Albuquerque, and Mateus Santolouco

Publisher: Vertigo 2011

Genre: Graphic Novel, Horror

Pages: 160

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Read Your Freebies

It’s Las Vegas circa 1935, and Skinner Sweet and our gal Pearl are about to learn the hard way that the bloodsuckers in Hollywood were nothing compared to what awaits them in Sin City.
In just a few short years, young police Chief Cash McCogan has watched his native city of Las Vegas go from cow-town to wild, glittering boomtown. And when the bodies of prominent businessmen start showing up drained of blood, Chief McCogan finds himself facing a threat much darker and deadlier than anything he could have imagined . . . and the only sure bet in town is that Skinner and Pearl are right in the thick of it.

I read the first volume and enjoyed it, but somehow just never picked up the next couple of volumes. I have really enjoyed the story so far. It's very graphic, but I'm very hooked into the continuing adventures of Skinner and Pearl. I can't wait to see how this evolves and the ongoing feud between the groups of vampires eventually ends.

Born Reading by Jason Boog

Title: Born Reading: Bringing Up Bookworms in a Digital Age -- From Picture Books to eBooks and Everything in Between

Author: Jason Boog

Publisher: Touchstone 2014

Genre: Nonfiction - Parenting, Education

Pages: 305

Rating: 2/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Nonfiction Adventure; Dewey Decimal

Born Reading provides step-by-step instructions on interactive reading and advice for developing your child’s interest in books from the time they are born. Boog has done the research, talked with the leading experts in child development, and worked with them to compile the “Born Reading Essential Books” lists, offering specific titles tailored to the interests and passions of kids from birth to age five. But reading can take many forms—print books as well as ebooks and apps—and Born Reading also includes tips on how to use technology the right way to help (not hinder) your child’s intellectual development. Parents will find advice on which educational apps best supplement their child’s development, when to start introducing digital reading to their child, and how to use tech to help create the readers of tomorrow.

This is why I don't read parenting books. I hate their tone! The holier-than-thou attitude will never appeal to me. The entire time I was reading this book, I had this image of the author just going "if you don't follow my exact instructions, your child will be an idiot." Ugh! I cannot stand that tone at all. If you can get past the tone, there were a few interesting tidbits of advice, but it was really hard to find. And so it will probably be another few years before I read another parenting book.

The Dovekeepers by Alice Hoffman

Title: The Dovekeepers

Author: Alice Hoffman

Publisher: Scribner 2011

Genre: Historical Fiction

Pages: 504

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: 21st Century Women Authors; Read Your Freebies; A to Z - D; New Author

Nearly 2,000 years ago, nine hundred Jews held out for months against armies of Romans on Masada, a mountain in the Judean desert. According to the ancient historian Josephus, two women and five children survived. Based on this tragic and iconic event, Hoffman’s novel is a spellbinding tale of four extraordinarily bold, resourceful, and sensuous women, each of whom has come to Masada by a different path.
The lives of these four complex and fiercely independent women intersect in the desperate days of the siege. All are dovekeepers, and all are also keeping secrets—about who they are, where they come from, who fathered them, and whom they love. The Dovekeepers is Alice Hoffman’s masterpiece.

So I really wanted the like this book. I really did! I had heard such great things and the summary intrigued me. Unfortunately I just had a hard time connected with any character and getting past my annoyance with the preaching nature. None of the main characters spoke to me at all. I wanted to find someone real, but they felt like just characters. I also became very annoyed with Yael's narration. She repeated herself way too many times. As to the preaching tone of the novel, I must say that I was fairly turned off. It was weird. Some times it seemed like the characters were pointing out why following the religion was bad and other times they seemed to support it. I couldn't settle on the tone, but the preaching at the reader got to me. Oh well. Another hyped book that I just didn't get into.

Music Monday -- Meghan Trainor "Lips are Movin"

Very catchy song... Somehow I always find myself singing along.

Sunday Sunset #10

Listening To: Over the past week, Sirius XM's The Spectrum was featuring all the tracks from Mumford & Sons' new album. It's a different sound, but I'm really digging it. Definitely need to pick that one up soon.

Book finished: Four A Divergent Collection; Allegiant; At Last Comes Love; Witchcraze; Odd Thomas; Seducing An Angel; The Secret Affair

Reading: The Dovekeepers by Alice Hoffman

On the Nightstand: Drums of Autumn by Diana Gabaldon; The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin

Making Lists: Grocery? I'm doing very well at working ahead of time and planning out dinner weeks in advance. So far it's working well.

From the kitchen: About a week ago, I made a new shrimp scampi recipe. It wasn't the best, but I think I can spice it up and make it better next time.

Crafting: After a few weeks of not making any cards, I've created a ton in the last two weeks. I did an entire series featuring retiring products. And I've been making some cards for my upcoming Fancy Folds, Using Your Scraps, and Stamp Club Classes.

Watching: Besides catching up on some shows, I've been watching season 3 of Hart of Dixie. It's my guilty pleasure show! I've also been catching up on The Voice. So said that Kimberley Nichole was voted off! I guess my favorite is either Megan or Koryn. On the movie front, J and I watched Into the Woods last night. I enjoyed it even if it wasn't just like the musical.

Project: I became a Thirty-One consultant a few weeks ago and have been working on making some connections for my first big party. Loving it so far! Their bags are amazing!

Picture: Picture we send to grandma. We were waiting on J to get off the train.

Bout of Books Goals and TBR

Goals:

Read at least 1000 pages
Finish and review at least two selections
Participate in at least one challenge

TBR (my choices, not mandatory reads):

The Dovekeepers by Alice Hoffman (in progress)
American Vampire Vol. 2
American Vampire Vol. 3
The Manhattan Projects Vol. 1
Geek Mom by Natania Barron, Kathy Ceceri, Corrina Lawson, and Jenny Williams
Creative Thursday by Marisa Anne
Cultivating Your Creative Life by Alena Hennessy
The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin
Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon

The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda @ On a Book Bender and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, May 11th and runs through Sunday, May 17th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 13 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. - From the Bout of Books team

A Secret Affair by Mary Balogh

Title: A Secret Affair (Huxtable Quintet #5)

Author: Mary Balogh

Publisher: Dell Books 2010

Genre: Historical Romance

Pages: 368

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: TBR Reduction; Mount TBR; 52 Books - W19; Seriously Series

Born a commoner, Hannah Reid has been Duchess of Dunbarton since she was nineteen years old. Now her husband is dead and, more beautiful than ever at thirty, Hannah has her freedom at last. To the shock of a conventional friend, she announces her intention to take a lover—and not just any lover, but the most dangerous and delicious man in all of upper-class England: Constantine Huxtable. Constantine’s illegitimacy has denied him the title of earl, so now he denies himself nothing. Rumored to be living the easy life of a sensualist on his country estate, he always chooses recent widows for his short-lived affairs. Hannah will fit the bill nicely. But once these two passionate and scandalous figures find each other, they discover that it isn’t so easy to extricate oneself from the fires of desire—without getting singed.

Not the strongest book of the series and definitely not my favorite. I was never a fan of Constantine's and this book didn't make me like him any better. I also wasn't a huge fan of Hannah. She just seemed so naive that I couldn't get over her behavior. Really I have this novel 3 stars on account of the previous books. This volume just didn't interest me...

Huxtable Quintet

FF #17: Ariel Then and Now

I kept Ariel's outfit very young and fresh. I kept her purple and green palette, but added in some funky accessories. My favorite is the camera necklace. I feel like she would love little kitschy pieces like that. And the skirt reminded me of the the Part of Your World song. She couldn't see the stars from under the sea, but I think she would love looking at them from on land.

Cowl neck top

$7.61 - amazon.co.uk

Striped skirt

shadowplaynyc.com

Disney purple swimwear

hottopic.com

H&M platform sandals

$30 - hm.com

Michael Kors green purse

tradesy.com

Kiel Mead Studio necklace

ahalife.com

Jewel Exclusive leather bracelet

jewelexclusive.com

BCBGMAXAZRIA cat eye glasses

bcbg.com

Quote Wednesday -- Dickinson

Eden is that old-fashioned house we dwell in every day without suspecting our abode until we drive away. -- Emily Dickinson

Seducing an Angel by Mary Balogh

Title: Seducing an Angel (Huxtable Quintet #4)

Author: Mary Balogh

Publisher: Dell 2009

Genre: Historical Romance

Pages: 388

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: TBR Reduction; Mount TBR; Seriously Series

Meet the Huxtables—three headstrong sisters and their dashing brother—each searching for love that’s always a shocking indiscretion away. . . . Here Stephen will risk his reputation and his heart as he enters a scandalous liaison with the infamous beauty intent on seduction. But when passion turns the tables on them both, who can say who has seduced whom?He must be wealthy, wellborn, and want her more than he wants any other woman. Those are the conditions that must be met by the man Cassandra Belmont chooses for her lover. Marriage is out of the question for the destitute widow who stands accused of murdering her husband and must now barter her beauty in order to survive. With seduction in mind, she sets her sights on Stephen Huxtable, the irresistibly attractive Earl of Merton and London’s most eligible bachelor. But Stephen’s first intriguing glimpse of the mysterious, alluring Lady Paget convinces him that he has found the ideal woman to share his bed. There is only one caveat. This relationship fueled by mutual pleasure must be on his terms.

Still pushing through this series. Still liking a majority of the characters. Still allowing the fairly predictable plots. I definitely liked Stephen the best from this book. But I must say that I thought the relationship between Cass and Stephen to be the least realistic so far. I'll still finish the series though. I like my fun fluffy romances from time to time.

Huxtable Quintet

Top Ten Tuesday -- Books I'll Never Read

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish.

Each week we will post a new Top Ten list complete with one of our bloggers’ answers. Everyone is welcome to join. If you can’t come up with ten, don’t worry about it—post as many as you can!

1. Anything by John Grisham -- Just not my style or interest

2. Any political book from the far right -- Bet you can guess my place on the political spectrum.

3. Contemporary romance featuring the military -- No interest in this specific romance genre.

4. Werewolf erotica -- Weirdly specific I know, but it just doesn't interest me at all.

5. Amish/Mennonite romance -- Not going to happen.

6. The Casual Vacancy by J.K. Rowling -- Is it weird that I love Harry Potter but have no interest in reading this one?

7. Anything from Ernest Hemingway -- I've ready a few of his novels and cannot stand his writing. Definitely not on my TBR list.

8. American Sniper by Chris Kyle -- I know it's super hot right now, but I am so not interested in war stories at all.

9. Not That Kind of Girl by Lena Dunham -- I've watched a few episodes of Girls and I just don't get it at all. Don't think I'll ever pick up her book.

10. Any parenting book -- Yeah, just haven't had the urge to pick any of these up...

Odd Thomas by Dean Koontz

Title: Odd Thomas

Author: Dean Koontz

Publisher: Bantam 2003

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 399

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Read Your Freebies; Book to Movies; 52 Books - W18; New Author

Meet Odd Thomas, the unassuming young hero of Dean Koontz’s dazzling New York Times bestseller, a gallant sentinel at the crossroads of life and death who offers up his heart in these pages and will forever capture yours.
Sometimes the silent souls who seek out Odd want justice. Occasionally their otherworldly tips help him prevent a crime. But this time it’s different. A stranger comes to Pico Mundo, accompanied by a horde of hyena-like shades who herald an imminent catastrophe. Aided by his soul mate, Stormy Llewellyn, and an unlikely community of allies that includes the King of Rock ’n’ Roll, Odd will race against time to thwart the gathering evil. His account of these shattering hours, in which past and present, fate and destiny, converge, is a testament by which to live—an unforgettable fable for our time destined to rank among Dean Koontz’s most enduring works.

Our book club selection for May. I dove so hard into this book that I finished it in two days! I just got so engrossed into the story of Odd that I didn't want to leave until the last page. I love the tone of this book. It's a detective novel with supernatural forces. I loved each and every encounter he had with a ghost, especially Elvis. I hope that Elvis makes appearances in the rest of the series. Really all of the side characters were very interesting. I can't wait to see more from Rosalia and Chief Potter and Terri. I have to admits that I didn't realize what was going on until the reveal. But that made the book better. I don't want to be able to predict the ending on page 30. This left in the suspense. I'm thinking that I will have to get the rest of this series soon...

Movie:

The movie is very true to the book. They definitely cut down on some of the side plots (mostly about his parents and Little Ozzie), but the cuts stream line the movie.I wish they had explored more of his relationship wit the Chief. Instead, we focus on Odd, Stormy, and the oncoming danger to Pico Mundo. I was a little put off by the narration, but I guess it's the best way to let the audience know all the quirks about Odd. Anton Yelchin is perfect as Odd Thomas. He's likable and fun, but can turn on a dime to be a bit spooky. Whoever the actress was that played Stormy was good. I believed that her and Odd were the perfect match. I almost got a bit teary-eyed at the end. Very fun movie adaptation of a good book.

Odd Thomas:

#1 Odd Thomas
#2 Forever Odd
#3 Brother Odd
#4 Odd Hours
#4.1 Odd Interlude
#4.2 Odd Interlude
#4.3 Odd Interlude
#5 Odd Apocalypse
#6 Deeply Odd
#6.5 You are Destined to Be Together Forever
#7 Saint Odd

Music Monday -- Florence + the Machine "St. Jude"

Seriously cannot wait for her new album!

Witchcraze by Anne Llewellyn Barstow

Title: Witchcraze

Author: Anne Llewellyn Barstow

Publisher: Harper Collins 1994

Genre: Nonfiction - History

Pages: 255

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Nonfiction Adventure; Feminism; TBR Reduction

Over three centuries, approximately one hundred thousand persons, most of whom were women, were put to death under the guise of "witch hunts", particularly in Reformation Europe. The shocking annihilation of women from all walks of life is explored in this brilliant, authoritative feminist history Anne Llwellyn Barstow. Barstow exposes an unrecognized holocaust -- the "ethnic cleansing" of independent women in Reformation Europe -- and examines the residual attitudes that continue to influence our culture.
Barstow argues that it is only with eyes sensitive to gender issues that we can discern what really happened in the persecution and murder of these women. Her sweeping chronicle examines the scapegoating of women from the ills of society, investigates how their subjugation to sexual violence and death sent a message of control to all women, and compares this persecution of women with the enslavement and slaughter of African slaves and Native Americans.
Ultimately Barstow traces the current backlash against women to its gynophobic torture-filled origins. In the process, she leaves an indelible mark on our growing understanding of the legacy of violence against women around the world.

An interesting read but was definitely more of a historical paper than an accessible piece of nonfiction. I would not recommend to most of my friends; it's just too dry. But I found it a very good in-depth look into the European witch hunts, causes and effects. I liked how Barstow interspersed her analysis with accounts of real stories. By taking a holistic approach to "why," I found Barstow's conclusions to be satisfying. It wasn't just that they were women or old or poor, but a combination of societal, economic, and historical factors that played into the hysteria.

Bout of Books 13.0!

It's that time of year! Time to get my readathon on! I can't wait for Bout of Books to start. Now I'm off to start getting my TBR pile around...

The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda @ On a Book Bender and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, May 11th and runs through Sunday, May 17th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 13 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. - From the Bout of Books team