Music Monday - Coheed and Cambria "The Liars Club"

Seriously this song is on constant repeat!

Extra: a live performance version!

Next up on the TBR pile:

Life Right Now #16

On my bedside table: The School for Good Mothers by Jessamine Chan; The Minor Third by Neil Patrick Harris

On my tv this week: J and I ended up watching a great new movie, Operation Mincemeat, and started S2 of The Great.

Listening to: My Chemical Romance just dropped a new album! You better believe it’s on repeat!

On the menu for this week: We are leaving for our mini road trip on Wednesday which means that I don’t need to meal plan this week! Tomorrow we will b having any leftovers and Tuesday we are grabbing takeout before going to the trivia night.

On my to do list: I need to grab some snacks and other assorted items from Target and Trader Joe’s. We need to do a drop of the library books. And I should do a bit more curriculum sorting before we leave.

Happening this week:

• Monday - Home day

• Tuesday - Last minute trip errands; Trivia night with the family

• Wednesday - Road trip time!

What I am creating: Nothing at the moment, although I’m think about retreat goodies.

My simple pleasures: Fun trivia games, getting a handle on curriculum plans, ice water

Looking around the house: I’ll be doing a whirlwind clean tomorrow and Tuesday to prep to leave. I always prefer coming home to a decently clean house.

From the camera: I didn’t win any round, but still I had fun at 90s Music Bingo on Tuesday. I even read a few chapters waiting for people to arrive.

The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels by India Holton

Title: The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels (Dangerous Damsels #1)

Author: India Holton

Publisher: Berkley Books 2021

Genre: Historical romance Fantasy

Pages: 324

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Spring TBR

Cecilia Bassingwaite is the ideal Victorian lady. She's also a thief. Like the other members of the Wisteria Society crime sorority, she flies around England drinking tea, blackmailing friends, and acquiring treasure by interesting means. Sure, she has a dark and traumatic past and an overbearing aunt, but all things considered, it's a pleasant existence. Until the men show up.

Ned Lightbourne is a sometimes assassin who is smitten with Cecilia from the moment they meet. Unfortunately, that happens to be while he's under direct orders to kill her. His employer, Captain Morvath, who possesses a gothic abbey bristling with cannons and an unbridled hate for the world, intends to rid England of all its presumptuous women, starting with the Wisteria Society. Ned has plans of his own. But both men have made one grave mistake. Never underestimate a woman.

When Morvath imperils the Wisteria Society, Cecilia is forced to team up with her handsome would-be assassin to save the women who raised her--hopefully proving, once and for all, that she's as much of a scoundrel as the rest of them.

Oh this was just delightful! We get a mix of pirates, romance, historical capers, modern humor, and even a few steamy scenes towards the end. I loved every single page of this story. Cecilia isn’t necessarily my favorite character, but her relationships with other characters were just such fun. I loved the back and forth with Ned and the back and forth with her Aunt. The villain was appropriately over the top and full of cheese and yet still very dangerous. The houses are delightful extra characters as they battle it out over the Moors. And the rest of the Wisteria Society adds the layers we need to understand this world. I sped through this one and cannot wait to get my hands on the second book. I can’t wait to read Alex’s story.

Dangerous Damsels

• #1 The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels

• #2 The League of Gentlemen Witches

Next up on the TBR pile:

Thick by Tressie McMillan Cottom

Title: Thick And Other Essays

Author: Tressie McMillan Cottom

Publisher: New Press 2019

Genre: Nonfiction

Pages: 244

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Spring TBR

In these eight piercing explorations on beauty, media, money, and more, Tressie McMillan Cottom—award-winning professor and acclaimed author of Lower Ed—embraces her venerated role as a purveyor of wit, wisdom, and Black Twitter snark about all that is right and much that is wrong with this thing we call society.

Ideas and identity fuse effortlessly in this vibrant collection that on bookshelves is just as at home alongside Rebecca Solnit and bell hooks as it is beside Jeff Chang and Janet Mock. It also fills an important void on those very shelves: a modern black American feminist voice waxing poetic on self and society, serving up a healthy portion of clever prose and southern aphorisms as she covers everything from Saturday Night Live, LinkedIn, and BBQ Becky to sexual violence, infant mortality, and Trump rallies. Thick speaks fearlessly to a range of topics and is far more genre-bending than a typical compendium of personal essays.

Essay collections are not usually my jam. I found that really enjoyed this collection more than most. We chose this for our May book club selection. I started the first essay and it was intense and dense. It felt more like academic writing than an accessible piece about race, gender, and identity. I was a bit hesitant to continue, but then the essay got a lot more accessible and interesting.. I was all in in hearing Cottom’s thoughts on a variety of topics. My favorite pieces detailed medical incompetence. While I cannot empathize with all of Cottom’s experience, I have followed the experiences of many women and their awful treatment in the medical establishments. I raged, I cried, and I laughed through this collection. Most definitely on the required reading list.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Odds and Ends

Here's my randomness for the week:

• My short list TBR is all in a jumble right now. I need to get that set right this weekend.

• Less than one week until our Kansas road trip. I’m super excited for a break from our usual routine for a few days.

• Speaking of, I need to make our snack list. I see a trip to Trader Joe’s in my future.

• Getting the retreat planned (so much fun!) and starting on planning our July Indiana trip. Lots of trip planning.

• The temperatures can go back down a bit. Highs in the upper 90s this week was not fun.

• How am I so excited about a coop field day? I hated field day in school. Oh yeah, we are planning a fun relaxed day full of cooperative games not the terrible competition and stress that I experienced in school.

Next up on the TBR pile:

What Kind of Woman by Kate Baer

Title: What Kind of Woman

Author: Kate Baer

Publisher: Harper Perennial 2020

Genre: Poetry Collection

Pages: 94

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: 

“When life throws you a bag of sorrow, hold out your hands/Little by little, mountains are climbed.” So ends Kate Baer’s remarkable poem “Things My Girlfriends Teach Me.” In “Nothing Tastes as Good as Skinny Feels” she challenges her reader to consider their grandmother’s cake, the taste of the sea, the cool swill of freedom. In her poem “Deliverance” about her son’s birth she writes “What is the word for when the light leaves the body?/What is the word for when it/at last, returns?”

Through poems that are as unforgettably beautiful as they are accessible, Kate Bear proves herself to truly be an exemplary voice in modern poetry. Her words make women feel seen in their own bodies, in their own marriages, and in their own lives. Her poems are those you share with your mother, your daughter, your sister, and your friends.

I had to get Baer’s other poetry collection after reading her newest collection, I Hope this Finds You Well. This older collection has a great mix of poems about being a woman and being a mother. Her poetry is sometimes very sparse, but full of emotions and meaning. I found myself reading and rereading certain poems. I might just have to pick this one up for my personal collection.

My favorite poem in the entire collection:

Moon Song

You are not an evergreen, unchanged
by the pitiless snow. You are not a photo,
a brand, a character written for sex or
house or show. You do not have to choose
one or the other: a dream or a dreamer, the
bird or the birder. You may be a woman of
commotion and quiet. Magic and brain.

You can be a mother and a poet. A wife and
a lover. You can dance on the graves you dug
on Tuesday, pulling out the bones of yourself
you began to miss. You can be the sun and the
moon. The dance a victory song.

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Kaiju Preservation Society by Jon Scalzi

Title: The Kaiju Preservation Society

Author: Jon Scalzi

Publisher: Tor Books 2022

Genre: Science Fiction

Pages: 272

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: 

When COVID-19 sweeps through New York City, Jamie Gray is stuck as a dead-end driver for food delivery apps. That is, until Jamie makes a delivery to an old acquaintance, Tom, who works at what he calls “an animal rights organization.” Tom’s team needs a last-minute grunt to handle things on their next field visit. Jamie, eager to do anything, immediately signs on.

What Tom doesn't tell Jamie is that the animals his team cares for are not here on Earth. Not our Earth, at least. In an alternate dimension, massive dinosaur-like creatures named Kaiju roam a warm, human-free world. They're the universe's largest and most dangerous panda and they're in trouble.

It's not just the Kaiju Preservation Society who have found their way to the alternate world. Others have, too. And their carelessness could cause millions back on our Earth to die.

This was just what I needed this week! I came off of a few heavy books and I really wanted something fun. Scalzi delivered on the fun that I wanted! We jump right into an alternate Kaiju Earth filled with wonders and so many dangers. We get to learn with Jamie as he navigates his new job. I sped through book desperate to see what happened next. Sometimes you just need a book that doesn’t take itself too seriously. This fit the bill to a tee.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Music Monday - Motionless in White "Masterpiece"

I really liked “Cyberhex,” but this new song is really my favorite right now!

Next up on the TBR pile:

Life Right Now #15

As I look outside my window: Storms rolled through last night and the remnants are hanging around today. It’s very overcast and wet out there. Guess J’s plan of working on the yard is not going to happen today.

On my bedside table: Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel; The War I Finally Won by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley

On my tv this week: Not a whole lot. We watched the season (series?) finale of Moon Knight and started the next season of Holes Moley. Last night we finally watched Rocketman.

Listening to: Mostly just my favorite playlist and the usual podcasts. I am going to dive into a contemporary romance audio novella in a few minutes.

On the menu for this week:

• Monday - Orecchiette with sausage, sun-dried tomatoes, and lemon

• Tuesday - BBQ Chicken, Apple, Bacon, Cheddar Quesadillas

• Wednesday - Mongolian Beef

• Thursday - Leftovers

• Friday - ???

• Saturday - Texas Cheese Fries

• Sunday - Chicken and Dumplings

On my to do list: Beyond the house chores, I need to prep our house for the curriculum share and swap on Tuesday. That means I need to get the living room and breakfast rooms picked up and set up the folding table to hold curriculum.

Happening this week: It’s going to be very hot this week! Hopefully we can stay cool.

• Monday - Zoo Day

• Tuesday - Curriculum Share and Swap

• Wednesday - Dentist Appointment; 90s Music Bingo

• Thursday - Coop

• Friday - Park Playdate

• Saturday - D&D

• Sunday - Home Day

What I am creating: Mostly plans for the coming months. I spent a chunk yesterday writing posts for the proposed coop changes and plans. Today I need to work on curriculum plans and retreat plans. So many plans!

My simple pleasures: Listening to the rain, a cleaned out van, a fun romp of a book

Looking around the house: Today is vacuum, kitchen, and laundry day! Oh what fun…

From the camera: Fun art from our visit to the Nebraska History Museum

The Rose Code by Kate Quinn

Title: The Rose Code

Author: Kate Quinn

Publisher: William Morrow 2021

Genre: Historical Fiction

Pages: 624

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: 

1940. As England prepares to fight the Nazis, three very different women answer the call to mysterious country estate Bletchley Park, where the best minds in Britain train to break German military codes. Vivacious debutante Osla is the girl who has everything—beauty, wealth, and the dashing Prince Philip of Greece sending her roses—but she burns to prove herself as more than a society girl, and puts her fluent German to use as a translator of decoded enemy secrets. Imperious self-made Mab, product of east-end London poverty, works the legendary codebreaking machines as she conceals old wounds and looks for a socially advantageous husband. Both Osla and Mab are quick to see the potential in local village spinster Beth, whose shyness conceals a brilliant facility with puzzles, and soon Beth spreads her wings as one of the Park’s few female cryptanalysts. But war, loss, and the impossible pressure of secrecy will tear the three apart. 

1947. As the royal wedding of Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip whips post-war Britain into a fever, three friends-turned-enemies are reunited by a mysterious encrypted letter--the key to which lies buried in the long-ago betrayal that destroyed their friendship and left one of them confined to an asylum. A mysterious traitor has emerged from the shadows of their Bletchley Park past, and now Osla, Mab, and Beth must resurrect their old alliance and crack one last code together. But each petal they remove from the rose code brings danger--and their true enemy--closer...

Another great WWII historical fiction novel based on historical fact from Kate Quinn. I really loved her previous two (The Alice Network and The Huntress) and this new one was no exception. Instead of being in physical danger, the women of Bletchley Park are in psychological danger as they navigate the secrets they must keep, doing their job, and having a personal life. I loved learning even more about BP (I had a fair bit of knowledge before reading) and diving in the lives of these three women. Osla was never my favorite, but I was intrigued by her life. Beth was an enigma throughout, but I felt a kinship with her at many times along her journey. Man was most definitely my favorite. She was such a complicated and interesting character. I was in tears when tragedy befell her. I was rooting for her all the way through the novel. A well-executed historical fiction was just what I needed. If you read, make sure to read the author’s note at the end that details The Who and what were real. Very interesting.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Infernal by Linsey Hall

Title: Infernal (The Shadow Guild: Hades and Persephone #1)

Author: Linsey Hall

Publisher: Bonnie Moon Press 2020

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 356

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: 

Hades never saw me coming...

Tuesday night in the library started out normal--alone with cheap beer and a murder mystery. Partying, librarian style. Until the god Hades appears.

When he abducts me, I try to say he's got the wrong girl--I'm no goddess. At least, I don't think so.

Suddenly, I'm in his world, captive. The upside? I live in a castle with a lethally beautiful god who wants to make me a queen. The downside? He's scary AF and also wants me to help him destroy the world.

Obviously that gets a big 'no' from me. I'll do whatever it takes to escape, including seducing the god of death. But together, we're an inferno, and the heat is impossible to resist. His touch fogs my mind, but I must succeed. Otherwise, everyone dies.

Sorta random pick for this month. A FB group centered on sci-fi and fantasy books picked this as a random buddy read. It was cheap on Amazon, so I picked it up and started reading. And surprisingly, I really enjoyed this one. We get a very different Hades and Persephone pairing in this book. The tone is fairly dark and more horror-minded. There is the beginnings of romance, but we definitely end on a big cliffhanger. This was a nice contrast to my other Hades and Persephone stories (Neon Gods, Lore). I will continue this series.

The Shadow Guild: Hades and Persephone

• #1 Infernal

• #2 Awakened

• #3 Captured

Next up on the TBR pile:

A Place to Hang the Moon by Kate Albus

Title: A Place to Hang the Moon

Author: Kate Albus

Publisher: Margaret Ferguson 2021

Genre: Middle Grade Historical Fiction

Pages: 309

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: 

It is 1940 and William, 12, Edmund, 11, and Anna, 9, aren't terribly upset by the death of the not-so-grandmotherly grandmother who has taken care of them since their parents died.

But the children do need a guardian, and in the dark days of World War II London, those are in short supply, especially if they hope to stay together. Could the mass wartime evacuation of children from London to the countryside be the answer?

It's a preposterous plan, but off they go-- keeping their predicament a secret, and hoping to be placed in a temporary home that ends up lasting forever. Moving from one billet to another, the children suffer the cruel trickery of foster brothers, the cold realities of outdoor toilets and the hollowness of empty stomachs.

But at least they find comfort in the village lending library-- a cozy shelter from the harshness of everyday life, filled with favorite stories and the quiet company of Nora Müller, the kind librarian. The children wonder if Nora could be the family they've been searching for. . . . But the shadow of the war, and the unknown whereaouts of Nora's German husband complicate matters.

A second middle grade book featuring children evacuees during WWII. This one was easier to read than The War That Saved My Life, but still contains some tough situations. However, I didn’t quite love this as much as the other similar book. William, Edmund, and Anna are very lovable characters that you spend the entire book rooting for. The plot is a bit far-fetched, as are many middle grade books, but focusing on their search for family is the important part. I will probably add this to our homeschool read aloud list for future years.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Anatomy by Dana Schwartz

Title: Anatomy: A Love Story

Author: Dana Schwartz

Publisher: Wednesday Books 2022

Genre: Horror

Pages: 338

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Spring TBR

Hazel Sinnett is a lady who wants to be a surgeon more than she wants to marry.

Jack Currer is a resurrection man who’s just trying to survive in a city where it’s too easy to die.

When the two of them have a chance encounter outside the Edinburgh Anatomist’s Society, Hazel thinks nothing of it at first. But after she gets kicked out of renowned surgeon Dr. Beecham’s lectures for being the wrong gender, she realizes that her new acquaintance might be more helpful than she first thought. Because Hazel has made a deal with Dr. Beecham: if she can pass the medical examination on her own, Beecham will allow her to continue her medical career. Without official lessons, though, Hazel will need more than just her books―she’ll need corpses to study.

Lucky that she’s made the acquaintance of someone who digs them up for a living.

But Jack has his own problems: strange men have been seen skulking around cemeteries, his friends are disappearing off the streets, and the dreaded Roman Fever, which wiped out thousands a few years ago, is back with a vengeance. Nobody important cares―until Hazel.

Now, Hazel and Jack must work together to uncover the secrets buried not just in unmarked graves, but in the very heart of Edinburgh society.

Apparently, historical fiction with a medical history theme is my catnip. I’ve read a few in the past and always enjoy them. This particular book definitely hit the spot this month. I loved Hazel and Jack and their different perspectives and stations in life. I loved seeing each of them learn as they navigate Edinburgh. There were a few scenes that I wished had been expanded, but this is a fast moving young adult novel. (I did get very confused as to the exact physical relationship between Hazel and Jack. It was very hand-wavy.) And then we get to the interesting plot lines of becoming a doctor and body snatching. I loved getting into the weeds of Hazel learning and then opening up an ad hoc clinic in her home. My one issue with this book came towards the end. I was not super into the supernatural explanation of the mystery and the very ambiguous ending. Otherwise, I really enjoyed this novel.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Currently #8

Reading: The Rose Code by Kate Quinn - I finally picked up Quinn’s 2021 novel about WWII and Bletchley Park. Right in time to pick up her new one from the library later this week.

Watching: We’re deep in Moon Knight and it is just amazing! I love weird Marvel.

Listening: I finally downloaded the released singles from the new Coheed and Cambria album. I cannot get the songs out of my head.

Making: I’m finally in high gear planning the bookish retreat at the end of June. Right now, I’m picking items for the goody bags. I get so excited at this point in the planning.

Feeling: It started raining yesterday and isn’t forecasted to stop until Friday or so. It’s very damp here right now.

Planning: We are having our spring parent meeting this Thursday and discussing some changes. I’m actually excited about some of our new programs.

Loving: I didn’t feel great last night so J bought me Thai Chicken Soup and it was delicious.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Homeschool W31: Slowing Down Inside at We Get Outside More

What We Studied

We school year round which makes it so much easier to take smaller breaks and easier weeks when the weather is amazing and we want to be outside. This was one of those weeks. We have already finished our history curriculum and math textbooks, so we focused our shortened in house hours to English and lots of reading.

Literature and Poetry

Moving along with our complete read of the Chronicles of Narnia. We started the second to last book and I’m not super impressed, but we will continue and move on next week.

• The Silver Chair by C.S. Lewis

• Hello Earth! Poems to Our Planet by Joyce Sidman

• The Green Mother Goose: Saving the World One Rhyme at a Time by Jan Peck and David Davis

Math

Another week of math games, puzzles, and review

• Ten Hungry Pigs by Derek Anderson

• Logic Countdown

• The School of Numbers

Social Studies

We officially finished History Quest Middle Times last week, but wanted to do some review and wrap-up this week. We started watching Terry Jones’s documentary series Medieval Lives. We’re about 1/3 of the way through. We plan on watching a few more episodes next week and the next to finish out our history study for the years.

Making letters out of grasses

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

For coop, we studied rainbows and prisms. Quentin’s younger group learned about rainbows and made rainbow jars using water beads. Arthur’s older group learned about rainbows and focused on the light refraction side.

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

• Biscuit by Alyssia Satin Capucilli (Q reads)

• Biscuit Finds a Friend by Alyssia Satin Capucilli (Q reads)

• The Tale of Mrs. Tittlemouse by Beatrix Potter

• The Tale of Pigling Bland by Beatrix Potter

• The Tale of Johnny Town-Mouse by Beatrix Potter

• High Five July 2020

• Once Upon a Unicorn's Horn by Beatrice Blue

Math

• Lollipop Logic Book 1

• Tinkeractive PreK Math

Other

• Tinkeractive PreK Science

• Mazes Book

• Busy Day Sticker Book

Field Trip

We had three! Yes three! field trips this week.

On Monday, we did an easy hike around Standing Bear Lake. It was a bit chilly and at times, very windy, but I loved it. We don’t do that lake in high summer as there is no shade at all. Doing a hike in April was perfect.

On Tuesday, we went to the Rose Theater to see Giraffes Can’t Dance. Our coop field trip coordinator got us group tickets that were very cheap. The show was lots of fun and the kids enjoyed it.

On Wednesday, we went to the Joslyn Art Museum one last time before they close for two years (renovations and building a whole new wing). J even took off work to join us. My favorite galleries were already shut down, but we will got to see some great art. And the kids got to play in ArtWorks (kid’s play space) for awhile.

At the theater

Documentary Selection

I have carved out a one hour time block each week to watch a documentary related to our studies. As mentioned above, we are watching Terry Jones’s Medieval Lives series.

Misc. Picture Books Read

• A Spring Stroll in the City by Cathy Goldberg Fishman

• Just Help! by Sonia Sotomayor

• Mr. Pig's Big Wall by Glenn Hernandez

• Spring for Sophie by Yael Weber

• It's Spring! by Samantha Berger and Pamela Chanko

• How to Be on the Moon by Viviane Schwarz

• Dinosaur vs. Santa by Bob Shea

• Pigs to the Rescue by John Himmelman

High

• Taking off most of Wednesday to visit the Joslyn Art Museum was just the break that we needed. And I’m so excited that J got to join us that day.

Low

• Friday I woke up with a terrible migraine (due to massive weather changes). That made for a not great day, but we muddled through somehow.

Next Two Weeks

• Taking a curriculum break with multiple outings

• Finishing the current and starting the next Chronicles of Narnia book

• More math games, puzzles, and review

• Doing an Eric Carle deep dive for reading and art

Next up on the TBR pile:

Music Monday - Harry Styles "As It Was"

Really digging his new stuff. Definitely going to have to download the album.

Extra: Live at Coachella

Next up on the TBR pile:

2021-2022 Desserts and Snacks - March and April

Week 30: Coconut Banana Bread

A great variation of a my usual banana bread. This turned out better than I thought it would. Loved it!

Recipe used from Kylee Cooks