Once & Future Vol. 4

Title: Once & Future Vol. 4

Author: Kieron Gillen, Dan Mora, Tamra Bonvillain

Publisher: Boom Studios 2022

Genre: Comics

Pages: 160

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges:

WAR OF THE KINGS!

Bridgette, Duncan, and Rose, – along with the entirety of Britain – are dragged into the Otherworld. It's a land of predatory monsters and things seem like they can't get any worse.

Of course they can. A rival king rises to confront Arthur, plunging the land into civil war... and both pursue Bridgette, Duncan and Rose as they travel across the land, desperately trying to find a way to return Britain to its senses...

New York Times bestselling writer Kieron Gillen joins Russ Manning Award winning artist Dan Mora, and colorist Tamra Bonvillain present the next chapter in the Hugo and Eisner Award nominated series.

Collects Once & Future #19-24.

Another great collection of issues from this series. The tension is definitely ratcheting up from our last trade. Things are becoming dire and the final war is looming closer and closer. In this volume, we get some maneuvering and more insight into the enemy camps. We also encounter two more story characters, one of which I gasped out loud at the reveal. I really loved the inclusion of Shakespeare and his works. Can't wait to see what happens next.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Mrs. Caliban by Rachel Ingalls

Title: Mrs. Caliban

Author: Rachel Ingalls

Publisher: Harvard Common Press 1982

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 103

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges:

In the quiet suburbs, while Dorothy is doing chores and waiting for her husband to come home from work, not in the least anticipating romance, she hears a strange radio announcement about a monster who has just escaped from the Institute for Oceanographic Research… Reviewers have compared Rachel Ingalls’s Mrs. Caliban to King Kong, Edgar Allan Poe’s stories, the films of David Lynch, Beauty and the Beast, The Wizard of Oz, E.T., Richard Yates’s domestic realism, B-horror movies, and the fairy tales of Angela Carter―how such a short novel could contain all of these disparate elements is a testament to its startling and singular charm.

Definitely one the stranger books I’ve read lately and it was our Nerdy Bookish Friends pick for December (library hold came early). I dove in not knowing what to expect. Right away, I had such sympathy for Dorothy. She’s stuck in a terrible place with no energy to attempt to change it. And then we encounter Larry, and Dorothy begins to think of her like in different ways. I loved seeing the effect Larry had on Dorothy much more than the scenes with Larry. I was getting hopeful that Dorothy would get a happy ending. The actual ending of this book is much more complicated and I’m still not sure how exactly I feel about the entire thing. Right now, I’m really leaning into 3 stars as my rating. It was fine, but nothing very exciting.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Homeschool W13: Ummm... It was an uneventful week.

What We Studied

It felt like a weird week, but we did manage to get a good chunk of schooling done.

Literature and Poetry

A new read aloud was started this week. Arthur is enjoying the humor and parts about friendships. A plus is that it’s easy to read aloud. I like it when the prose flows.

• Nat Geo Book of Nature Poetry

• In the Beginning by Virginia Hamilton

• Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus by Dusti Bowling

• The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill

• Behind the Mask: A Book About Prepositions by Ruth Heller

Quentin focused on reading animal stories from around the world. I’m trying to line them up with our continents as we move across the world. We continued Europe and covered stories from the France, Germany, Austria, Belgium, and The Netherlands. We also started reading The Children of Noisy Village by the author of Pippi Longstocking. it’s like a collection of vignettes.

• Nat Geo Book of Animal Poetry

• The Children of Noisy Village by Astrid Lindgren

• A World Full of Animal Stories by Angela McAllister

• Around the World in 80 Days by Saviour Pirotta

• Mel Fell by Corey R. Tabor (Quentin Reads)

• How to Become a Knigth by Todd Tarpley

• If You Find a Leaf by Aimee Sicuro

• The Glorious Flight: Across the Channel with Louis Bleriot by Alice and Martin Provensen

• The Cat Who Walked Across France by Katy Banks

• Henri's Scissors by Jeanette Winter

• Up and Away! How Two Brothers Invented the Hot Air Balloon by Jason Henry

• Three Perfect Peaches by Cynthia DeFelice and Mary DeMarsh

• I, Crocodile by Fred Marcellino

• Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans

• Adele & Simon by Barbara McClintock

• Mornings with Monet by Barb Rosenstock

• Three Sacks of Truth by Eric A. Kimmel

• The Twelve Dancing Princesses by The Brothers Grimm

• The Pied Piper of Hamelin by Lisbeth Zwerger

• Hansel & Gretel by Holly Hobbie

• The Star Child by The Brothers Grimm

• The Bremen Town Musicians by Doris Orgel

• Mother Holly by Bernadette Watts

• Iron Hans by Stephen Mitchell

German night dinner: bratwurst, sauerkraut, German potato salad, apple strudel

Math

For both boys, we have scheduled math for three days a week. One day is focused on logic, games, puzzles, and special projects. The two other days are focused on covering the main math curriculum (Singapore 4A and 4B for Arthur and Singapore 1A and 1B for Quentin). Arthur officially finished 4A, so we’ve been doing some review before we start 4B in December.

• Logic Liftoff (Arthur)

• Lollipop Logic Book 2 (Quentin)

• Smart Start Math Grade 1

Social Studies

Arthur continued his large study of United States history using a combination of Build Your Library Level 5 and History Quest United States History. We covered the growth of the English colonies, touched on the other European colonies, and explored the start of slavery.

• A Kid’s Guide to Native American History by Yvonne Wakim Dennis

• An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz

• We were There Too by Philip Hoose

• Words that Built a Nation

• History Quest: U.S. History

• A Different Mirror

• DK American History Visual Encyclopedia

• The Winter People by Joseph Bruchac

• Map Skills for Today Grade 3

Quentin continued his study of the world with Build Your Library Level 0. We moved onto studying France, Germany, Belgium, The Netherlands, and Austria.

• Nat Geo Beginner’s World Atlas

• DK Countries of the World

• DK Children Just Like Me

• DK Children Just Like Me: A School Like Mine

• E is for Eiffel Tower by Helen L. Wilbur

• Follow Me Around France by Wiley Blevins

• Linnea in Monet’s Garden by Christina Björk and Lena Anderson

• Pedal Power: How One Community Became the Bicycle Capital of the World by Allan Drummond

• Windmill De Kat by Hyo-mi Park

• Follow Me Around Germany by Wiley Blevins

• Neuschwanstein Castle by Grace Hansen

• Out of the Shadows: How Lotte Reiniger Made the First Animated Fairy Tale Movie by Fiona Robinson

Arthur Independent Time

We are working on following a checklist in a planner for weekly independent work. There’s usually some math workbook pages, an ELA packet, weekly writing prompts (1-2 times a week), independent reading time, and a special creative project. There has been many drawing projects lately.

Science

Arthur is focusing on Physics this year. We are covering the text and related videos at home and then joining friends for experiments and extra projects. We covered pulleys this week. I bought a great construction kit that builds 26 different simple machines.

• RSO Physics

• The Story of Science: Aristotle Leads the Way by Joy Hakim

• The Way Things Work Now

Quentin will be focusing on animal science with BYL Level 0. We did just a little overview of the animals of Europe.

• Nat Geo Wild Animal Atlas

• DK Animal

• Lonely Planet: The Animal Book

• The Tarantula in My Purse by Jean Craighead George

STEAM Coop

We’re back to coop after our absence week. Arthur continued with genetics. The kids learned about genotypes and phenotypes and played with Punnett squares. Quentin explored renewable energy.

Art/Music/Crafts/Cooking

We’re planning one doing on art project and one cooking project each week as well as picking a composer or musician to listen to and enjoy. This week music just didn’t happen. But that’s okay. Arthur’s continued with the Outschool drawing class. This week’s animal was a koala and its baby.

Field Trip

We didn’t have a field trip this week at all. We did attempt to have a park afternoon, but it started raining pretty much as soon as we got there.

High

• Not school related, but we had a great playdate on Saturday with a friend that we hadn’t seen for awhile. We need to so it again soon.

Low

• There was a general feeling of apathy this week. Not great energy at all.

Next Week

• Continuing our new read aloud (A)

• Moving to the French and Indian War for US History (A)

• Taking a break from physics to explore the printing press and printmaking (A)

• Covering more of Western Europe for social studies and science (Q)

• Covering genetics, (A) and renewable energy (Q) for coop

Next up on the TBR pile:

Music Monday - Angel Haze feat. Sia "Battle Cry"

An older song, but I just rediscovered Angel Haze. I really like her sound. Reading to my Apple Music.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Life Right Now #34

As I look outside my window: it look nice and sunny out, but

Right now I am: Eating a small breakfast before prepping for brunch and then my tattoo appointment.

On my bedside table: The Midwife’s Revolt by Jodi Daynard; Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus

On my tv this week: J and I have been watching a lot of random and new movies and documentaries this week. Mostly very good viewing.

Listening to: Mostly podcast this week. I started listening to If Books Could Kill and am loving it so much. Check it out!

On the menu for this week:

• Monday - Smoked Sausage and Potatoes

• Tuesday - Leftovers

• Wednesday - Out for Bingo

• Thursday - ???

• Friday - ???

• Saturday - Ranch Cheddar Chicken

• Sunday - Greek Night

On my to do list: Eye appointments are next on my list. I also should get a start on my Christmas present list.

Happening this week:

• Monday - SAC Museum

• Tuesday - Home Day

• Wednesday - Errands; Science; Music Bingo

• Thursday - Coop

• Friday - Outschool

• Saturday - Home Day

• Sunday - Home Day

What I am creating: Nothing really… although I need to get Christmas cards started.

My simple pleasures: Brownies and hot tea, a good reread

Looking around the house: Things are decent looking right now. I should vacuum upstairs later today and probably clean the master bathroom.

From the camera: My tattoo idea board. Very excited to get it done today.

Fall Bucket List Update #2

My favorite season of the year. We’re diving into the spooky season and planning on soaking up all the fall fun.

1. Visit Vala’s 5x ✓

2. Celebrate Friendsgiving

3. Read 50 Books (36/50)

4. Complete Spooky Movie Month ✓

5. Execute a Halloween Party for Coop ✓

6. Have an Art/Craft Day

7. Two State Park Visists

8. Two Zoo Visits

9. Pick Out and Carve Pumpkins ✓

10. Go Trick-or-Treating ✓

11. Jump in a Pile of Leaves

12. Go Through a Corn Maze ✓

13. Make 5 Fall Recipes ✓

14. Make Leaf Art

15. Go Pick Apples ✓

16. Go on a Fall Forest Hike ✓

17. Make 3 Pumpkin Recipes

18. Go Bowling

Next up on the TBR pile:

Fairy Tale by Stephen King

Title: Fairy Tale

Author: Stephen King

Publisher: Scribner 2022

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 608

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Fall TBR

Charlie Reade looks like a regular high school kid, great at baseball and football, a decent student. But he carries a heavy load. His mom was killed in a hit-and-run accident when he was seven, and grief drove his dad to drink. Charlie learned how to take care of himself—and his dad. When Charlie is seventeen, he meets a dog named Radar and her aging master, Howard Bowditch, a recluse in a big house at the top of a big hill, with a locked shed in the backyard. Sometimes strange sounds emerge from it.

Charlie starts doing jobs for Mr. Bowditch and loses his heart to Radar. Then, when Bowditch dies, he leaves Charlie a cassette tape telling a story no one would believe. What Bowditch knows, and has kept secret all his long life, is that inside the shed is a portal to another world.

King’s storytelling in Fairy Tale soars. This is a magnificent and terrifying tale in which good is pitted against overwhelming evil, and a heroic boy—and his dog—must lead the battle.

Early in the Pandemic, King asked himself: “What could you write that would make you happy?”

The Nerdy Bookish Friends buddy read for November. I must admit that I have enjoyed Joe Hill’s writing over his father’s writing for years now, so I wasn’t necessarily super pumped for this read. On the other hand, I wasn’t mad about the selection. I was intrigued by King’s take on a fairy tale world and hero’s journey. By the end of the book, I had a few high points and a few duds. I loved how King featured the various fairy tales as easter eggs throughout the book. We get to see Charlie recognizing the stories as he encounters characters, settings, and events. I loved picking up all of those references. I also loved seeing how Charlie’s speech changes as he emerges himself in the world of Empis. Those were the high points. On the flip side, the pacing was terrible. For the first fourth of the book (~175 pages), nothing magical happens. It’s so incredibly slow. Once we get to the other world, things accelerate, but there are weird slow patches throughout the book. The entire section set in the prison lasted way too long. And then we get to the odd tone of the main character. I just don’t think that King writes 17 year olds very well now. There were some strange scenes that I just didn’t connect with. By the end of the book, I was left with very mixed feelings. Probably not the book for me.

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater

Title: The Scorpio Races

Author:Maggie Stiefvater

Publisher: Scholastic Press 2011

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 409

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Fall TBR

Some race to win. Others race to survive. It happens at the start of every November: the Scorpio Races. Riders attempt to keep hold of their water horses long enough to make it to the finish line. Some riders live. Others die. At age nineteen, Sean Kendrick is the returning champion. He is a young man of few words, and if he has any fears, he keeps them buried deep, where no one else can see them. Puck Connolly is different. She never meant to ride in the Scorpio Races. But fate hasn't given her much of a choice. So she enters the competition - the first girl ever to do so. She is in no way prepared for what is going to happen. As she did in her bestselling Shiver trilogy, author Maggie Stiefvater takes us to the breaking point, where both love and life meet their greatest obstacles, and only the strong of heart can survive.

This book was so hyped up to me that I was pretty disappointed by the actual thing. We start off strong with two orphaned teens deciding to risk their lives to the Scorpio Races. I was intrigued but the idea of the water horses and hoped the book kept the threat of them front and center. Instead, we focus on other people’s petty and vicious games. We see a relationship develop between the two main characters, but I wasn’t really sold on their romance. Everything seemed just a bit too lackluster for me. I ended up finishing the book and not really caring what happened to Sean or Puck I wasn’t left with a strong impression at all. I don’t think this one was for me.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Odds and Ends

Here's my randomness for the week:

• Rereading an old favorite and it’s still so good.

• Thinking about Christmas presents. Not sure which direction to take with the boys.

• We’re officially indoors for coop until probably late March/early April.

• Might need to swing by and get a pick-me-up coffee later after errands. It’s cold and dreary today.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Comfort me with Apples by Catherynne M. Valente

Title: Comfort Me with Apples

Author: Catherynne M. Valente

Publisher: Tordotcom 2021

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 103

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges:

Sophia was made for him. Her perfect husband. She can feel it in her bones. He is perfect. Their home together in Arcadia Gardens is perfect. Everything is perfect.

It's just that he's away so much. So often. He works so hard. She misses him. And he misses her. He says he does, so it must be true. He is the perfect husband and everything is perfect.

But sometimes Sophia wonders about things. Strange things. Dark things. The look on her husband's face when he comes back from a long business trip. The questions he will not answer. The locked basement she is never allowed to enter. And whenever she asks the neighbors, they can't quite meet her gaze....

But everything is perfect. Isn't it?

I won’t spoil this slim volume, but it most definitely is an interesting retelling of a very old story. I spent the first half puzzled over what was actually going on. Then very quickly all the pieces fell into places. Once Sophia meets a being in the park, everything came rushing to a conclusion. This is a book that must be read without looking at reviews. They will spoil everything! I opened this one up and read it in one sitting. I found myself getting angrier and angrier as the story progressed (as I should have, it’s kinda the entire point). Once the reveals happen, I felt very justified in my anger towards religion and the patriarchy. Only after I read it did I see that this is from Tordotcom. I adore that publishing house; no wonder I loved this one.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Currently #20

Reading: I’m getting closer to finishing Fairy Tale by Stephen King for a my Nerdy Bookish Friends book club. Overall, it’s been good, but King is a bit too long-winded for my tastes.

Watching: We’ve been on a Bollywood kick lately. Very over the top movies, but I’m loving it.

Listening: I got in a weird mood the other day and wanted to listen to some 70s women-led rock. So I downloaded all of Heart’s albums and binged listened. So good.

Making: For brunch I made blueberry sour cream coffee cake. Now I want to make all the different kinds of coffee cake. Perfect for these chilly Sunday mornings.

Feeling: We are in hibernation mode this week. Curling up with a good book and a cup of tea is just right.

Planning: I’m working on our Christmas plans. I need to formulate our Christmas advent and start making travel pans.

Loving: I’m all about the weird books lately. I finished Comfort Me with Apples on Sunday and Mrs. Caliban yesterday. Both were very strange.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Homeschool W12: Halloween is My Favorite Holiday!

What We Studied

We settled into a calm and relaxed week of school. We didn’t run around everywhere, but focused on a few activities with our coop friends

Literature and Poetry

We finished Howl’s Moving Castle as our main read aloud. We even watched the movie version for family movie night on Friday. Arthur really enjoyed the book and the movie. We finished our current book club book just in time to join in the meeting. The kids had a lovely evening chatting about the book. We also started the next book club selection.

• Nat Geo Book of Nature Poetry

• In the Beginning by Virginia Hamilton

• Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones

• The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin

• The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill

Quentin focused on reading animal stories from around the world. I’m trying to line them up with our continents as we move across the world. We continued Europe and covered stories from the United Kingdom and Ireland.

• Nat Geo Book of Animal Poetry

• A World Full of Animal Stories by Angela McAllister

• Around the World in 80 Days by Saviour Pirotta

• Fox the Tiger by Corey R. Tabor (Quentin Reads)

• Fox Versus Winter by Corey R. Tabor (Quentin reads)

• Nat Geo Kids Halloween by Laura Marsh

• The Littlest Mummy by Brandi Dougherty

• The Littlest Witch by Brandi Dougherty

• The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything by Linda Williams

• Ten Timid Ghosts by Jennifer O'Connell

• Room on the Broom by Julia Donaldson

• Trick or Treat Crankenstein by Samantha Berger

• Strega Nona by Tomie dePaola

• Bonaparte Falls Apart by Margery Cuyler

• Miss Turie's Magic Creatures by Joy Keller

• Frankenslime by Joy Keller

• Back to School with Bigfoot by Samantha Berger

• Jamie O'Rourke and the Pooka by Tomie dePaola

• Jamie O'Rourke and the Big Potato by Tomie dePaola

• Fiona's Lace by Patricia Polacco

• Finn McCoul by Brian Gleeson

• The Irish Cinderlad by Shirley Climo

• Ronan and the Mermaid by Marianne McShane

• An Illustrated Treasury of Scottish Mythical Creatures

• Katie in London by James Mayhew

• The Teeny-Tiny Woman by Paul Galdone

• Robin Hood and the Golden Arrow by Robert D. San Souci

• The Great Smelly, Slobbery, Small-Tooth Dog by Margaret Read MacDonald

• The Woman Who Flummoxed the Fairies by Heather Forest

• The Black Bull of Norroway by Charlotte Huck

• An Illustrated Treasury of Scottish Mythical Creatures by Theresa Breslin

• An Illustrated Treasury of Scottish Fairy Tales by Theresa Breslin

• An Illustrated Treasury of Scottish Castle Legends by Theresa Breslin

Arthur’s Candy

Math

For both boys, we have scheduled math for three days a week. One day is focused on logic, games, puzzles, and special projects. The two other days are focused on covering the main math curriculum (Singapore 4A and 4B for Arthur and Singapore 1A and 1B for Quentin). Arthur officially finished 4A. We we probably take a small break before starting in on 4B. To celebrate Halloween, we graphed out our category into a variety of categories. The boys had fun.

• Logic Liftoff (Arthur)

• Singapore 4A

• Lollipop Logic Book 2 (Quentin)

• Smart Start Math Grade 1

Quentin’s Candy

Social Studies

Arthur continued his large study of United States history using a combination of Build Your Library Level 5 and History Quest United States History. We covered the founding of the rest of the English colonies.

• A Kid’s Guide to Native American History by Yvonne Wakim Dennis

• An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz

• We were There Too by Philip Hoose

• Words that Built a Nation

• History Quest: U.S. History

• DK American History Visual Encyclopedia

Quentin continued his study of the world with Build Your Library Level 0. We moved onto studying England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales.

• Nat Geo Beginner’s World Atlas

• DK Countries of the World

• DK Children Just Like Me

• DK Children Just Like Me; A School Like Mine

• S is for Shamrock: An Ireland Alphabet by Eve Bunting

• Follow Me Around: Ireland by Wiley Blevins

• Whole Wide World: Big Ben by Kristine Spanier

• Follow Me Around: United Kingdom by Wiley Blevins

• Edinburgh Castle by Grace Hansen

Arthur Independent Time

We are working on following a checklist in a planner for weekly independent work. There’s usually some math workbook pages, an ELA packet, weekly writing prompts (1-2 times a week), independent reading time, and a special creative project. There has been many drawing projects lately.

Q’s messy hands at coop

Science

Arthur is focusing on Physics this year. We are covering the text and related videos at home and then joining friends for experiments and extra projects. We covered the rest of wheels and axles.

• RSO Physics

• The Story of Science: Aristotle Leads the Way by Joy Hakim

• The Way Things Work Now

Quentin will be focusing on animal science with BYL Level 0. We did just a little overview of the animals of Europe.

• Nat Geo Wild Animal Atlas

• DK Animal

• Lonely Planet: The Animal Book

• The Tarantula in My Purse by Jean Craighead George

Work in progress

STEAM Coop

We’re back to coop after our absence week. Arthur caught up with genetics and Quentin studied anatomy. We had our last 70 degree day of the year (probably), so we had a great meeting at the park. We probably won’t be back out until late spring.

Trick-or-treating

Art/Music/Crafts/Cooking

We’re planning one doing on art project and one cooking project each week as well as picking a composer or musician to listen to and enjoy. This week music just didn’t happen. But that’s okay. Arthur’s continued with the Outschool drawing class. This week’s animal was a panther.

Field Trip

We didn’t have a field trip this week Instead, we had other activities to occupy our time. On Monday, we had the Coop Halloween Party at the park. The kids got to trick or treat and make some crafts. On Tuesday evening, we had coop book club. Many of the families had not finished the book, but we still ha da good discussion. We also picked our selections for the next six months.

High

• The Halloween party was such a great time. I really love that coop has decided to do these quarterly holiday parties.

Low

• We didn’t get through as much curriculum as I had hoped that we would. I might need to retool our schedule a bit.

Next Week

• Starting a new read aloud (A)

• Moving to the conflicts with Native Americans for US History (A)

• Moving to pulleys for Physics (A)

• Covering Western Europe for social studies and science (Q)

• Covering genetics, (A) and renewable energy (Q) for coop

Next up on the TBR pile:

Music Monday - Motionless in White "Werewolf"

I completely missed that fact that MIW put out a new music video on Halloween. This is hands-down my favorite song on the album and I’m super excited that there’s a music video now. So good!

Next up on the TBR pile:

Life Right Now #33

On my bedside table: Comfort Me with Apples by Catherynne M. Valente; Mrs. Caliban by Rachel Ingersoll

On my tv this week: We’ve continued our movie month with a mix of action and adventure.

Listening to: I rediscovered my love of the band Heart so I decided to just do a register to all their albums. So good!

On the menu for this week:

• Monday - Sesame Chicken

• Tuesday - Chicken Shawarma Fries

• Wednesday - German Night: Brats, Potato Salad, Apple Strudel

• Thursday - Leftovers

• Friday - Swedish Meatballs

• Saturday - Spaghetti and Meatballs

• Sunday - Sausage and Potatoes

On my to do list: I got doctor’s appointments set, so I guess that means that I need to make eye appointments next. I also need to do a bit of coop update

Happening this week:

• Monday - Home Day

• Tuesday - Home Day (I know it’s Election Day, but I already voted by mail.)

• Wednesday - Science

• Thursday - Coop

• Friday - Tattoo Appointment (finally); Outschool Class

• Saturday - Playdate with a friend

• Sunday - Book Club Zoom

What I am creating: Absolutely nothing. I really need to get going on Christmas cards soon.

My simple pleasures: A pain-free (well almost) day. After all the flare-ups lately, it’s nice to have an almost pain-free day. I always have a bit of pain now, but no sharp pains today, so It’s a win.

Looking around the house: I started vacuuming yesterday. Today I should probably tidy up the kitchen and get some random things put away upstairs.

From the camera: The weather turned so it was time for my twine a year haircut! Loving how bouncy it is right now.

Tunnel of Bones by Victoria Schwab

Title: Tunnel of Bones (Cassidy Blake #2)

Author: Victoria Schwab

Publisher: Scholastic 2019

Genre: MG Fantasy

Pages: 304

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: 

Trouble is haunting Cassidy Blake . . . even more than usual.She (plus her ghost best friend, Jacob, of course) are in Paris, where Cass's parents are filming their TV show about the world's most haunted cities. Sure, it's fun eating croissants and seeing the Eiffel Tower, but there's true ghostly danger lurking beneath Paris, in the creepy underground Catacombs.When Cass accidentally awakens a frighteningly strong spirit, she must rely on her still-growing skills as a ghosthunter -- and turn to friends both old and new to help her unravel a mystery. But time is running out, and the spirit is only growing stronger.And if Cass fails, the force she's unleashed could haunt the city forever.

Another good volume in this spooky middle grade series. I loved the change of location to Paris. We get to visit some iconic locations as Cassidy’s parents film their television show. I especially loved all the time that we spent in the Catacombs. The atmosphere was just right. I was a little less excited about the main ghostly mystery. It was interesting, but didn’t have the level of menace from the first one. I would have liked a bit more in the scary department. And then there’s the relationship between Cassidy and Jacob. I feel like there was a lot of rehashing of the same conversation concerning Jacob’s ties to Cassidy and not enough actually growth in that department. I would have liked to see more developments. Maybe the next book will actually bring this back into focus.

Cassidy Blake

• #1 City of Ghosts

• #2 Tunnel of Bones

• #3 Bridge of Souls

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Lost Vampire Prince by Melody Raven

Title: The Lost Vampire Prince (Evil Rising #1)

Author: Melody Raven

Publisher: 2019

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 283

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Fall TBR

Nicolas is the embodiment of royalty. Strong. Powerful. Deadly. The only thing he's missing is his throne.

Decades ago a vampire mutiny murdered his father and forced him into hiding, but all that is about to change. A mortal woman smart enough to learn the truth about him and naive enough to trust him is the perfect pawn to sneak him back into the monarchy.

Nothing is going to stop Nicolas from getting what is rightfully his. Not lust. Not love. And not Anna. At least that's what he thinks.

A fun and sexy vampire romance for today’s reading. This was one of those Kindle daily deals and I threw on my library just in case. Sometimes what I need is something that entertains me for a night, but doesn’t require much thought to process. I wanted a spooky romance and I got one. There’s nothing spectacular about this book, but it really scratched the itch I had. I might even continue on in the series.

Evil Rising

• #1 The Lost Vampire Prince

• #2 The Vampire Villain

• #3 Her Very Own Demon

• #4 The Werewolf and the Siren

• #5 Beauty and the Shapeshifter

Next up on the TBR pile:

What Moves the Dead by T. Kingfisher

Title: What Moves the Dead

Author: T. Kingfisher

Publisher: Tor Nightmare 2022

Genre: Horror

Pages: 176

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges:

When Alex Easton, a retired soldier, receives word that their childhood friend Madeline Usher is dying, they race to the ancestral home of the Ushers in the remote countryside of Ruritania.

What they find there is a nightmare of fungal growths and possessed wildlife, surrounding a dark, pulsing lake. Madeline sleepwalks and speaks in strange voices at night, and her brother Roderick is consumed with a mysterious malady of the nerves.

Aided by a redoubtable British mycologist and a baffled American doctor, Alex must unravel the secret of the House of Usher before it consumes them all.

Super creepy short retelling of Poe’s “The Fall of the House of Usher.” That has always been a favorite of mine and I randomly stumbled upon this retelling and read it in one sitting. It’s a gorgeous homage to the original story with expanded explanations for the illness that Madeline and Roderick suffer. We get some extra creepy scenes involving wild hares that certainly gave me pause. I enjoyed the update to the narrator character giving Easton a much more interesting and expansive backstory. Overall, a very enjoyable slim novella for a fall night’s reading.

Next up on the TBR pile:

November 2022 Life Goals

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

• Read 18 Books ✓

• Complete Spooky Movie Month ✓

• Go to Vala’s at Least 5x ✓

• Have a Fun Birthday Party for the Boys ✓

November Goals:

• Read 18 Books

• Read 5 from My Unread Shelf

• Have a Friendsgiving

• Plan the Coop Christmas Party

Next up on the TBR pile: