Life Right Now #25

As I look outside my window: The sun is setting on this Saturday...

Right now I am: Relaxing on the couch with a glass of Gunlach Bunschu's Gewurtztraminer. Oh so yummy! Perfect for a late summer day. 

Thinking and pondering: Which craft project should I start next? I have some autumn and Halloween cards, birthday party crafts, and Christmas cards all on the brain. I should knock out the birthday party crafts first seeing as the party is on Oct. 7th. 

On my bedside table: Paper and Fire by Rachel Caine; The Last Stand by Nathaniel Philbrick

On my tv this week: J and I watched a few episodes of Supernatural S2. I also got back into S4 of Reign. I have about 8 episodes left in the series. And I started rewatching The Great British Bake-Off S4. 

Listening to: Lots more podcasts. 

On the menu for this week:

• Monday - Munchery (probably the tuna dish, can't remember the exact recipe)
• Tuesday - Ranch Cheddar Chicken
• Wednesday - Black Bean Soup
• Thursday - Leftovers
• Friday - Tilapia 
• Saturday - Spicy Thai Noodles
• Sunday - Pizza Day (Craft Crop Day)

On my to do list: Some random weird tasks on my list such as make eye appointments for myself and Arthur, fix the library books (which ones go back soon, which ones to renew, which ones to read now), start the birthday party goody bags, and schedule my October and November craft classes. 

Happening this week:

• Monday - Errand day
• Tuesday - Oakland Zoo!
• Wednesday - Home day?
• Thursday - Children's Creativity Museum in San Francisco
• Friday - ???
• Saturday - ???
• Sunday - Craft Crop Day

What I am creating: Crazy last minute, I finished our stamp club projects for yesterday... 

My simple pleasures: A good bottle of wine, slightly cooler temperatures, checking items off my to-do list

Looking around the house: Oh! The living room is constantly in a state of disorder. Some days I just want to burn it all down!

From the camera: My two littles at the beach this past week... (Photos curtesy of my friend Amanda)

Next up on the TBR pile:

Odds and Ends

Here's my randomness for the week:

• I have the urge bake daily but it's way too hot to do so right now...
• I can't believe I've gotten to Sept. 7th and haven't had a Pumpkin Spice Latte yet
• The downstairs closet is bursting at the seams. Need to declutter!
• Also, the fridge needs a cleanout...
• Not really enjoying my current read, but I should give it another 100 pages (it's the book club selection)

Next up on the TBR pile:

Music Tuesday -- Foster the People "Sit Next to Me"

Great newly released single from Foster the People

Next up on the TBR pile:

One Night for Love by Mary Balogh

Title: One Night for Love (Bedwyn Saga #0.1)

Author: Mary Balogh

Publisher: Dell 1999

Genre: Historical Romance

Pages: 384

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Mount TBR

It was a perfect morning in May . . . 

Neville Wyatt, Earl of Kilbourne, awaited his bride at the altar—when a ragged beggar woman raced down the aisle instead. The cream of the ton saw him stare, shocked, then declare that this was his wife!One night of passion was all he remembered as he beheld Lily, the woman he'd wed, loved, and lost on the battlefield in Portugal. Now he said he'd honor his commitment to her—regardless of the gulf that lay between them. 

After accidentally reading the Simply Quartet before the Bedwyn Saga (didn't know the quartet was a sequel), I picked up the Bedwyn Saga to read their stories. The first half of the book dragged a bit. Or I should say the first half of the book set in the present dragged for me. I enjoyed the few chapters about the time in the army. The second half definitely picked up the pace and the story. Neville was an okay character, but I really loved Lily and Elizabeth. Great characters! I will definitely be reading the rest of the Bedwyn Saga.

Bedwyn Saga

• #0.1 One Night for Love
• #0.2 A Summer to Remember
• #1 Slightly Married
• #2 Slightly Wicked
• #3 Slightly Scandalous
• #4 Slightly Tempted
• #5 Slightly Sinful
• #6 Slightly Dangerous

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Wicked + The Divine Vol. 5

Title: The Wicked + The Divine Vol. 5 Imperial Phase I

Author: Kieron Gillen, Jamie Mckelvie

Publisher: Image 2017

Genre: Comics

Pages: 200

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Graphic Novel

The gods are free to do whatever they want. Inevitably, they do. Collects issues 23-28 of the series, including the critically lauded Kevin Wada magazine issue.

Another great volume. This time we get to see the aftermath of Annanke's death and it's not pretty. The mystery of Persephone is still foremost but now we also get The Great Darkness. Love love loved it! 

Next up on the TBR pile:

September 2017 Life Goals

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

• Read 3000 pages -- Success! In fact, I read 3861 pages in August. Being sick did wonders for my reading life.
• Fix all of 2014 -- Success! I only have to months to finish my entire blog fix. Woohoo!
• Goodwill donation round-up -- Success! J took care of the drop-off while he was off work. A few bags less clutter in the house!
• Plan Arthur and Quentin's birthday party --  50% success. I have started this task, but not finished yet. 
• Plan our Halloween costumes -- 50% success. We know what we want to do. I ordered Q's costume. I still need to buy Arthur and my costumes. J is taking care of his own costume.
• Plan weekly kid activities -- Fail. This one totally just fell by the wayside.

September's Goals:

• Read 2500 pages -- I can't imagine that my reading will be as good as August's totals, so I'm going to decrease my goal again.
• Finish planning the birthday party -- We holding it on October 7th, so this is the month.
• Finish buying/prepping our costumes -- I have a bit more time, but I need to get on this goal.
• Finish my blog fix -- Only two months to go!
• Buy plane tickets for Christmas -- Need to get on this one.

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Great Quake by Henry Fountain

Title: The Great Quake: How the Biggest Earthquake in North America Changed Our Understanding of the Planet

Author: Henry Fountain

Publisher: Crown 2017

Genre: U.S. History

Pages: 288

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Perpetual (nonfiction)

At 5:36 p.m. on March 27, 1964, a magnitude 9.2. earthquake – the second most powerful in world history – struck the young state of Alaska. The violent shaking, followed by massive tsunamis, devastated the southern half of the state and killed more than 130 people.  A day later, George Plafker, a geologist with the U.S. Geological Survey, arrived to investigate.  His fascinating scientific detective work in the months that followed helped confirm the then-controversial theory of plate tectonics.

In a compelling tale about the almost unimaginable brute force of nature, New York Times science journalist Henry Fountain combines history and science to bring the quake and its aftermath to life in vivid detail.  With deep, on-the-ground reporting from Alaska, often in the company of George Plafker, Fountain shows how the earthquake left its mark on the land and its people -- and on science.

Picked this one up on a whim from the Lucky Day shelf at the library. I loved a good history and this one's cover intrigued me. I knew little of the 1964 Alaska quake or really the history of our understanding of earthquakes. Fountain does have quite the storytelling dexterity as Erik Larson, but I must say that this slim volume was informative and engaging. I learned a lot about the history of earthquakes and our understanding plus how the theory of plate tectonics really came into being. George Plafker is a fascinating person. I loved hearing about his personal journey in science interwoven with the Alaska quake. Definitely a great read!

Next up on the TBR pile:

Summer 2017 Reading Finish Line

16/22 Books Completed (72.7%)

Summer is over (at least on the calendar, the weather is still very summer-like here until October). I had a very ambitious list of 22 books to tackle. I've read more than 22 books these past three months, but of course not all 22 books came from my original list. I get distracted by shiny library books. I still made a decent showing of my original list. Anyway, let's see how I did:

1. Rest of Dorothy Must Die series by Danielle Paige:
   1. Stories Vol. 2 √
   2. Stories Vol. 3 √
   3. The Wicked Will Rise √
   4. Yellow Brick War √
   5. The End of Oz √
2. The Infernal Devices series by Cassandra Clare (loaned from a friend):
   1. Clockwork Angel √
   2. Clockwork Prince √
   3. Clockwork Princess (DNF)
3. The Kingdom of Ohio by Matthew Flaming
4. Dearly, Departed by Lia Habel √
5. The Turn of the Screw by Henry James √
6. Secrets of the Heart by Candace Camp √
7. Born a Crime by Trevor Noah √
8. Bellman and Black by Diane Setterfield
9. Voyager by Diana Gabaldon
10. The Probable Future by Alice Hoffman
11. The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa
12. The Custom of the Country by Edith Wharton
13. Simply series by Mary Balogh
    1. Simply Unforgettable √
    2. Simply Love √
    3. Simply Magic √
    4. Simply Perfect √

Along with my original 22 selections, I also added a few random books along the way:

1. Wonder Woman: The True Amazon by Jill Thompson √
2. Zombies: A Brief History of Decay by Olivier Peru √
3. A Trail Through Time by Jodi Taylor √
4. Christmas Present by Jodi Taylor √
5. Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty (July book club selection) √
6. Locke and Key Small World √
7. 50 Great American Places √
8. Dead Feminists by Chandler O'Leary and Jessica Spring √
9. We are Never Meeting in Real Life by Samantha Irby (August book club selection) √
10. The Wicked + The Divine Vol. 1 √
11. The Wicked + The Divine Vol. 2 √
12. The Wicked + The Divine Vol. 3 √
13. Ink and Bone by Rachel Caine √