Duke of Desire by Elizabeth Hoyt

Title: Duke of Desire (Maiden Lane #12)

Author: Elizabeth Hoyt

Publisher: Grand Central 2016

Genre: Romance

Pages: 308

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Perpetual - NPR Romance

A Lady of the Light Refined, kind, and intelligent, Lady Iris Jordan finds herself the unlikely target of a diabolical kidnapping. Her captors are the notoriously evil Lords of Chaos. When one of the masked---and nude!---Lords spirits her away to his carriage, she shoots him . . . only to find she may have been a trifle hasty. A Duke in Deepest Darkness Cynical, scarred, and brooding, Raphael de Chartres, the Duke of Dyemore, has made it his personal mission to infiltrate the Lords of Chaos and destroy them. Rescuing Lady Jordan was never in his plans. But now with the Lords out to kill them both, he has but one choice: marry the lady in order to keep her safe. Caught in a Web of Danger . . . And Desire Much to Raphael's irritation, Iris insists on being the sort of duchess who involves herself in his life---and bed. Soon he's drawn both to her quick wit and her fiery passion. But when Iris discovers that Raphael's past may be even more dangerous than the present, she falters. Is their love strong enough to withstand not only the Lords of Chaos but also Raphael's own demons?

CW: Rape, sexual assault, child abuse

A strong showing for the Maiden Lane with Raphael and Iris’s love story. I fell for Raphael after his appearance in the previous book. I desperately wanted to hear his story and find a conclusion to the Lords of Chaos storyline. We get both in this book, but with many many depressing and troubling scenes and stories. It was a bit hard to get through, especially when Raphael tells his story. The book was very dark. I have enjoyed the mysteries and adventures throughout the series, but this one really took it to a new level. Beyond those portions, I did enjoy watching Raphael and Iris fall in love. Their scenes were very steamy. Not my absolute favorite, but I really did enjoy this volume.

Maiden Lane

• #1 Wicked Intentions

• #2 Notorious Pleasures

• #3 Scandalous Desires

• #4 Thief of Shadows

• #5 Lord of Darkness

• #6 Duke of Midnight

• #7 Darling Beast

• #8 Dearest Rogue

• #9 Sweetest Scoundrel

• #10 Duke of Sin

• #10.5 Once Upon a Moonlit Night

• #10.7 Once Upon a Christmas Eve

• #11 Duke of Pleasure

• #12 Duke of Desire

• #12.5 Once Upon a Maiden Lane

Next up on the TBR pile:

Duke of Pleasure by Elizabeth Hoyt

Title: Duke of Pleasure (Maiden Lane #11)

Author: Elizabeth Hoyt

Publisher: Grand Central 2016

Genre: Romance

Pages: 337

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Perpetual - NPR Romance

IN THE ARMS OF DANGER
Bold. Brave. Brutally handsome. Hugh Fitzroy, the Duke of Kyle, is the king's secret weapon. Sent to defeat the notorious Lords of Chaos, he is ambushed in a London alley-and rescued by an unlikely ally: a masked stranger with the unmistakable curves of a woman.

IN THE HEAT OF DESIRE
Cocky. Clever. Courageously independent. Alf has survived on the perilous streets of St. Giles by disguising her sex. By day she is a boy, dealing in information and secrets. By night she's the notorious Ghost of St. Giles, a masked vigilante. But as she saves Hugh from assassins, she finds herself succumbing to temptation . . .

ONE KISS WILL CHANGE THEIR LIVES FOREVER
When Hugh hires Alf to investigate the Lords of Chaos, her worlds collide. Once Hugh realizes that the boy and the Ghost are the same, will Alf find the courage to become the woman she needs to be-before the Lords of Chaos destroy them both?

I have thoroughly enjoyed the Maiden Lane series, but I just didn’t love this one. I did enjoy the larger mystery of the Lords of Chaos and the intrigues there. But I just didn’t connect to the romance between Alf and Hugh. There was too many questionable interactions involving consent. And then we get the whole High thinking Alf was a boy and then very quickly realizing that she wasn’t and engaging in a sexual relationship. I just couldn’t get behind their relationship Disappointing to me. And this was extra disappointing as it came after Valentine’s story that I absolutely adored. Things are looking up for the next book focused on the Duke of Dyemore.

Maiden Lane

• #1 Wicked Intentions

• #2 Notorious Pleasures

• #3 Scandalous Desires

• #4 Thief of Shadows

• #5 Lord of Darkness

• #6 Duke of Midnight

• #7 Darling Beast

• #8 Dearest Rogue

• #9 Sweetest Scoundrel

• #10 Duke of Sin

• #10.5 Once Upon a Moonlit Night

• #10.7 Once Upon a Christmas Eve

• #11 Duke of Pleasure

• #12 Duke of Desire

• #12.5 Once Upon a Maiden Lane

Next up on the TBR pile:

Homeschool: Spring Break Edition

What We Studied

The past two weeks were our spring break. We didn’t leave the house much, but tried to slow our schooling pace and engage in some school field trips. We even met a new friend and hope to have more outdoor playtimes.

Literature and Poetry

We read Peter Pan over break and I forgot how muddled the writing is. I had to do a lot of editing on the fly and even skipped some sections here and there. We won’t be revisiting that one.

• Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie

• Snowmen at Night by Carolyn Buehner (literature study)

• A Crankenstein’s Valentine by Samantha Berger (literature study)

• The Popcorn Astronaut by Deborah Ruddell (poems)

Math

We did our daily (or almost daily) math pages, but also engaged in math games and fun projects. We also continued with our Lollipop Logic and a few sessions of Khan Academy.

• Double the Ducks by Stuart J. Murphy

• 3 x 4 by Ivan Burnetti

Social Studies

We sorta celebrated St. Patrick’s day with some books and a few crafts.

• The Littlest Leprechaun by Brandi Dougherty

• The Leprechaun Who Lost His Rainbow by Sean Callahan

• There was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Clover by Lucille Colandro

• The Gingerbread Man and the Leprechaun Loose at School by Laura Murray

• The Leprechaun Under the Bed by Teresa Bateman

Science

Instead of a formal science study, we got out into nature with some field trips. We got a free library pass to Fontenelle Forest and had a lovely hike through the forest. We will definitely be checking out that pass more often and tracking how the forest changes. On Thursday, we traveled to Lincoln to visit Morrill Hall and the natural history museum. The museum was fun even if parking was a bit of a nightmare. Afterward we had a fun picnic at a park and then stopped at the candy outlet on the way home. We also had a few park days and a trip to the zoo.

Art

Instead of a formal art unit, Arthur completed daily LEGO challenges. We had a mix of challenges and design ideas. I loved the low-key nature of the project and Arthur loved creating all kinds of fun constructions.

Music

As we were skill covering space, we studied Gustav Holst’s The Planets. Arthur liked Mars and Jupiter best. I am partial to Saturn.

Unit Theme

All about space! We continued our study of space. Lots of great library books were read! We also watched a few more NOVA episodes about various subjects including Saturn, the Ice Worlds, and Apollo 8. We did some fun free-form art projects including making a constellation poster. Finally, we had a box of fun space themed crafts

• Mars’ First Friends by Susanna Leonard Hill and Elisa Paganelli

• A Trip into Space by Lori Haskins Hour

• Sadie Sprocket Builds a Rocket by Sue Fliess

• Pluto Gets the Call by Adam Rex

• Goodnight Astronaut by Scott Kelly

• Moon by Britta Teckentrup

• What Miss Michelle Saw by Hayley Barrett

• My Rainy Day Rocket Ship by Markelle Sheppard

• DK Space

• Once Upon a Starry Night by Jacqueline Mitton and Christina Balit

• What We See in the Stars by Kelsey Oseid

• A is for Astronaut by Clayton Anderson

• Professor Astro Cat’s Space Rockets by Dominic Walliman and Ben Newman

• The Stellar Story fo Space Travel

• Space Visual Catalog

• The Complete Guide to Space Exploration by Ben Hubbard

• The First Men Who Went to the Moon by Rhonda Gowler Greene

• Daring Dozen: The Twelve Who Walked on the Moon by Suzanne Slade

• Moonshot: The Flight of Apollo 11 by Brian Floca

• Margaret and the Moon: How Margaret Hamilton Saved the First Lunar Landing by Dean Robbins

• To the Stars by Carmella Van Vleet and Kathy Sullivan

• Mae Among the Stars by Roda Ahmed

• Space Heroes by Hannah Dolan

• You Should Meet Mae Jemison by Laurie Calkhoven

• Rockets and Spaceships by Karen Wallace

• The 100 Year Starship by Mae Jemison

• She Caught the Light: Williamina Stavens Fleming Astronomer by Kathryn Lasky

• Mars! Earthlings Welcome by Stacy McAnulty

• Just Right: Searching for the Goldilocks Planet by Curtis Manley

Misc. - Random picture books read

• Share Some Kindness, Bring Some Light by Apryl Stott

• Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood: Daniel Learns to Ride a Bike

• Paw Patrol: Mission Paw

• The Magic School Bus Rides Again: Deep-Sea Dive

• Porcupine Cupid by Jason June

• Spy Guy by Jessica Young

• The Owl Who Asks Why by Michelle Garcia Anderson

• Meet a Baby Zebra by Lisa Ownings

• A Book of Sleep by Il Sung Na

• A Thousand White Butterflies by Jessica Betancourt-Perez & Karen Lynn Williams

• Stuck by Oliver Jeffers

• Fowl Play by Travis Nichols

• Duck & Goose: Honk! Quack! Boo! by Tad Hills

• Lego Ninjago Movie: Shark Attack

• Can You Tell a Velociraptor from a Deinonychus? by Buffy Silverman

• Shy Willow by Cat Min

• Rabbids Invasion: Attack of the Zombie Rabbids

• Juno Valentine and the Magical Shoes by Eva Chen

• Let’s All Creep Through Crocodile Creek by Jonny Lambert

• When the Wind Blew by Alison Jackson

• Road Trip by Steve Light

• How Tall was a T Rex? by Alison Limentani

Highs

• I figured out the free library pass to Fontenelle Forest so we had a lovely morning in nature without having to pay. Definitely doing that again and hoping to use to pass for Lauritzen Gardens during their Easter Egg hunting weeks.

• The Raptor Refuge at Fontenelle was a delightful surprise. We got up close to many birds of prey (including the bald eagle pictured). An employee took the time to chat with us and give us much more information than what’s on the signs. Lots of fun!

Lows

• The cold and rainy weather meant less park days than I had wanted.

• Quentin had a random sick day the first Monday of break which meant no outside time that day (and it was gorgeous outside).

Next Week

Back to our regularly scheduled homeschool… We’ll be diving into the following topics:

• The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate

• Singapore Math 2B Unit 6 (reviewing mental addition and subtraction)

• Composer John Williams

• Spring Equinox

• Plants and Growing

• Native Groups of the Plains

• The Start of the American Revolution (thru Lexington and Concord)

• Daily Doodling Journal

Next up on the TBR pile:

Music Monday - This Wild Life "Nothing Hurts Like Love"

For the first two months of the year (I’m extending into March), I decided to do Emo Winter! I’m been really loving The Emo Project channel on Sirius XM Radio. I picked all my selections directly from the channel.

A very moody song for today’s choice.

Life Right Now #8

As I look outside my window: It’s bright and sunny outside (and fairly warm), but there is a wind advisory. It wouldn’t be spring in Nebraska without a wind advisory.

Right now I am: Deciding which smoothie to make for our pre-brunch meal. I think I might go with blueberry almond butter…

Thinking and pondering: How much work do I want to do in the laundry room? Our dryer died about two months ago and now our washer is dying. So we are going to get a new pair, but that leaves lots of choices. We decided on stacking them, but then we have to remove the cabinets that are above the units. I hate the cabinets as they aren’t functional at all. I can hardly reach anything in them and I’m not that short. We’re a bit scared to see the state of the walls once we get those off. And then there’s the option of painting, possibly removing the soffit above the cabinets, opening the closet up to a mudroom nook, and putting in some type of shelving unit in the open space. So many choices! I need to plan out some more once we get the cabinets out.

On my bedside table: Dangerous Women by Hope Adams; Recipe for a Perfect Wife by Karma Brown

On my tv this week: We started The Falcon and Winter Soldier this week and I don’t know if I can wait each week to watch this. We also caught up on Superstore and Resident Alien. Plus we threw in some episodes of Star Trek: Voyager. I’m currently in almost at the end of season 2.

Listening to: I binged Nothing More yesterday and had J listen to The Emo Project during lunch. Now that my favorite Bachelor podcast was canceled, I need to find a replacement this week.

On the menu for this week:

• Monday - Spaghetti and Meatballs

• Tuesday - Thai Red Curry Noodle Soup

• Wednesday - Chicken Shawarma Fries

• Thursday - Leftovers

• Friday - Apple Cheddar Stuffed Chicken

• Saturday - Crab Coconut Curry

• Sunday - Sesame Chicken

On my to do list: I have a lot of little tasks for the week and I hope to make some progress on my TBR pile.

Happening this week: Nothing much. I have two book clubs (still on zoom of course) and we’ll be going to the library. Otherwise, it will be a normal homeschooling week.

What I am creating: Nothing much. I hope to continue working on my December Daily album if I get a chance.

My simple pleasures: Good pizza, a vacuumed house, flavored seltzer water

Looking around the house: The first floor is looking a lot better than it did yesterday. I spent a lot of time cleaning out and reorganizing the playroom. I also got a ton of random crap picked up and put away.

From the camera: We love the aquarium!

Spring TBR

Spring TBR: Trying to lay out another 25 (well 28 actually) books that I want to read this spring. The list is a mix of unread shelf books and random ones from my TBR that I really wanted to get to soon.

1. Foundation by Isaace Asimov

2. Lives of the Monster Dogs by Kirsten Bakis

3. Girl, Serpent, Thorn by Melissa Bashardoust

4. Lady Mechanika series

   • Volume 5: La Belle Dame Sans Merci

   • Volume 6: Sangre

5. Daring Greatly by Brene Brown

6. The Girl with the Louding Voice by Abi Dare

7. A Jane Austen Education by William Deresiewicz

8. The Neverending Story by Michael Ende

9. Experiemntal Film by Gemma Files

10. Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari

11. The Space Between Worlds by Micaiah Johnson

12. Broken by Jenny Lawson

13. A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

14. My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh

15. Outlawed by Anna North

16. The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner

17. Still Life by Louise Penny

18. Bridgerton Series by Julia Quinn

    • It’s In His Kiss

    • On the Way to the Wedding

    • Happily Ever After

19. Swamplandia by Karen Russell

20. Buy Yourself the F*cking Lilies by Tara Schuster

21. The Toll by Neal Shusterman

22. I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith

23. Dear Fahrenheit 451 by Annie Spence

24. Will Storr vs The Supernatural by Will Storr

25. The Nest by Cynthia d’Aprix Sweeney

Winter TBR: Let’s see how I did on my Winter TBR! 14/25 Decent showing for the season. A few were library books that I couldn’t fit in. A few were unread shelf books that I still really want to get to, but I got wrapped up in other series.

1. One to Watch by Kate Stayman-London ✓

2. Still Life by Louise Penny

3. Solutions and Other Problems by Allie Brosh ✓

4. The Duke and I by Julia Quinn ✓

5. The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

6. Asylum Series by Madeleine Roux (Sanctum, Catacomb, Novellas, Escape from Asylum) ✓

7. A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah Maas

8. The Ends of the World by Peter Brannen ✓

9. The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers

10. Exhalation by Ted Chiang ✓

11. Piranesi by Susanna Clarke ✓

12. Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari

13. The Once and Future Witches by Alix Harrow ✓

14. Darling Beast by Elizabeth Hoyt ✓

15. Underland by Robert Macfarlane ✓

16. Wellington by Aaron Mahnke ✓

17. Disappearing Earth by Julia Phillips

18. Garlic and Sapphires by Ruth Reichl

19. I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith

20. The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson

21. Daring Greatly by Brene Brown

22. The Nest by Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney

23. Scythe by Neal Shusterman ✓

24. Lock In by John Scalzi ✓

25. The Robots of Dawn by Isaac Asimov ✓

Next up on the TBR pile:

Duke of Sin by Elizabeth Hoyt

Title: Duke of Sin (Maiden Lane #10)

Author: Elizabeth Hoyt

Publisher: Grand Central 2016

Genre: Romance

Pages: 369

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Perpetual - NPR Romance

A MAN OF SIN
Devastatingly handsome. Vain. Unscrupulous. Valentine Napier, the Duke of Montgomery, is the man London whispers about in boudoirs and back alleys. A notorious rake and blackmailer, Montgomery has returned from exile, intent on seeking revenge on those who have wronged him. But what he finds in his own bedroom may lay waste to all his plans.

A WOMAN OF HONOR
Born a bastard, housekeeper Bridget Crumb is clever, bold, and fiercely loyal. When her aristocratic mother becomes the target of extortion, Bridget joins the Duke of Montgomery's household to search for the incriminating evidence-and uncovers something far more dangerous.

A SECRET THAT THREATENS TO DESTROY THEM BOTH
Astonished by the deceptively prim-and surprisingly witty-domestic spy in his chambers, Montgomery is intrigued. And try as she might, Bridget can't resist the slyly charming duke. Now as the two begin their treacherous game of cat and mouse, they soon realize that they both have secrets-and neither may be as nefarious-or as innocent-as they appear . . .

And the series has returned to the unbelievably steamy fun romp! I was intrigued by Valentine in the previous books and was so glad that he gets his own book! I absolutely fell for Val from the first chapter of this one (really from the last chapters of the previous book). I needed to see where Val’s journey led him and all the secrets of Bridget’s past. I’m so glad that Hoyt didn’t make Valentine a White Knight, but made his growth much more realistic to his original appearance. And Val definitely brought the steam factor. Oh goodness! He was so wicked! I loved very single minute of this book. I’m not sure any of the rest of the book will be able to top this one.

Maiden Lane

• #1 Wicked Intentions

• #2 Notorious Pleasures

• #3 Scandalous Desires

• #4 Thief of Shadows

• #5 Lord of Darkness

• #6 Duke of Midnight

• #7 Darling Beast

• #8 Dearest Rogue

• #9 Sweetest Scoundrel

• #10 Duke of Sin

• #10.5 Once Upon a Moonlit Night

• #10.7 Once Upon a Christmas Eve

• #11 Duke of Pleasure

• #12 Duke of Desire

• #12.5 Once Upon a Maiden Lane

Next up on the TBR pile:

Librarian Tales by William Ottens

Title: Librarian Tales: Funny, Strange, and Inspiring Dispatches from the Stacks

Author: William Ottens

Publisher: Skyhorse 2020

Genre: Nonfiction

Pages: 240

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges:

Here is the good, the bad, and the ugly of librarian William Ottens’s experience working behind service desks and in the stacks of public libraries, most recently at the Lawrence Public Library in Kansas. In Librarian Tales, published in cooperation with the American Library Association, readers will learn about strange things librarians have found in book drops, weird and obscure reference questions, the stress of tax season, phrases your local librarians never want to hear, stories unique to children’s librarians, and more.

Ottens uncovers common pet peeves among his colleagues, addresses misguided assumptions and stereotypes, and shares several hilarious stories along the way. This book is must reading for any librarian, or anyone who loves books and libraries, though non-library folks will also laugh and cry (from laughing) while reading this lighthearted analysis of your local community pillar, the library.

I have followed Librarian Problems for years and was really looking forward to a fun look at libraries. I was here for all the fun stories and quirky situations. I was ready for the behind-the-scenes tour. Instead, I got a fairly boring look at how Ottens became a librarian and the various positions he held. It was more of a dry look at the organization structure of libraries than celebrating the weird. I was bored.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Like a Lion Videos

Super fascinating video! Part 2 just came out last week.

I did always love Cruella.

This one looks right up my alley.

How did I miss that they were making a new Mortal Kombat movie? Looks like some silly fun to me.

Most definitely we will be seeing this one.

Looks like this was made just for me!

Oh Britney.

Across the Green Grass Fields by Seanan McGuire

Title: Across the Green Grass Fields (Wayward Children #6)

Author: Seanan McGuire

Publisher: Tor 2021

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 176

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges:

“Welcome to the Hooflands. We’re happy to have you, even if you being here means something’s coming.”

Regan loves, and is loved, though her school-friend situation has become complicated, of late.

When she suddenly finds herself thrust through a doorway that asks her to "Be Sure" before swallowing her whole, Regan must learn to live in a world filled with centaurs, kelpies, and other magical equines―a world that expects its human visitors to step up and be heroes.

But after embracing her time with the herd, Regan discovers that not all forms of heroism are equal, and not all quests are as they seem…

I have absolutely loved the Wayward Children series, but this volume felt very disconnected and flat to me. I have loved the horror elements to previous volumes, but this one was a little too twee for me. I kept expecting Regan to encounter more creatures and adventures. Unfortunately it felt like the story went nowhere for 70% of the book. It didn’t really get interesting until she encountered the kelpie. I just would have liked more from this story. Here’s hoping the next volume brings back all the elements that I have loved.

Wayward Children

• #1 Every Heart a Doorway

• #2 Down Among the Sticks and Bones

• #3 Beneath the Sugar Sky

• #4 In an Absent Dream

• #5 Come Tumbling Down

• #6 Across the Green Grass Fields

Next up on the TBR pile:

When He was Wicked by Julia Quinn

Title: When He was Wicked (Bridgerton #6)

Author: Julia Quinn

Publisher: Avon

Genre: Romance

Pages: 426

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Perpetual - NPR Romance; UnRead Shelf

In every life there is a turning point . . .

A moment so tremendous, so sharp and breathtaking, that one knows one's life will never be the same. For Michael Stirling, London's most infamous rake, that moment came the first time he laid eyes on Francesca Bridgerton.

After a lifetime of chasing women, of smiling slyly as they chased him, of allowing himself to be caught but never permitting his heart to become engaged, he took one look at Francesca Bridgerton and fell so fast and hard into love it was a wonder he managed to remain standing. Unfortunately for Michael, however, Francesca's surname was to remain Bridgerton for only a mere thirty-six hours longer—the occasion of their meeting was, lamentably, a supper celebrating her imminent wedding to his cousin.

But that was then . . . Now Michael is the earl and Francesca is free, but still she thinks of him as nothing other than her dear friend and confidant. Michael dares not speak to her of his love . . . until one dangerous night, when she steps innocently into his arms and passion proves stronger than even the most wicked of secrets . ..

Another very enjoyable volume of the Bridgerton saga. I had been wondering about Francesca’s story since the first book. She always seemed to be the lost Bridgerton sibling. We finally get to understand her a little bit better and learn why she was in Scotland during most of the first few books. I loved Francesca and Michael’s relationship, but wished to have spent a bit more time with them after they got together. Plus, no epilogue! That was a bit disappointing. I always want just a little bit more. Only two more siblings to go and I’m hoping that their stories are interesting and romantic.

Bridgerton

• #1 The Duke and I

• #2 The Viscount Who Loved Me

• #3 An Offer from a Gentleman

• #4 Romancing Mr. Bridgerton

• #5 To Sir Philip, With Love

• #6 When He was Wicked

• #7 It’s in His Kiss

• #8 On the Way to the Wedding

• Happily Ever After (2nd Epilogues and Violet’s Story)

Next up on the TBR pile:

Music Monday - Pale Waves "She's My Religion"

For the first two months of the year (I’m extending into March), I decided to do Emo Winter! I’m been really loving The Emo Project channel on Sirius XM Radio. I picked all my selections directly from the channel.

I’ve heard this band in passing, but this is the song that really caught my attention.

Life Right Now #7

As I look outside my window: It’s raining! It rained all night and should rain most of today. It has definitely been awhile since we had any precipitation and since the fall since we had rain.

Right now I am: Getting ready to make a smoothie and do a workout downstairs.

Thinking and pondering: How to structure next year’s schooling? I think we have squarely landed on continuing to homeschool, but there are definitely some areas that I would like to tweak. I want to do more unit studies. I’m been mulling this over this past week.

On my bedside table: Librarian Tales by William Ottens; Duke of Sin by Elizabeth Hoyt

On my tv this week: We dove into both Resident Alien and Mythic Quest. Both were just what we needed after binging WandaVision.

Listening to: My usual podcasts but also Hayley Williams and A Day to Remember on repeat this week.

On the menu for this week:

• Monday - Sweet Potato Nachos

• Tuesday - Classic Baked Mac n Cheese

• Wednesday - Chicken Shawarma Fries

• Thursday - Leftovers

• Friday - Thai Red Curry Noodle Soup

• Saturday - Sesame Chicken

• Sunday - Smoked Sausage and Potatoes

On my to do list: Lots of odds and ends. Mostly just putting the house back together and organizing homeschooling for the next month or so.

Happening this week: It’s our second week of our Spring Break, but it’s supposed to rain Monday through Wednesday. I need to go grocery shopping on Tuesday and then we might go to the library on Wednesday. Hoping for a clearer day on Thursday to go to the zoo and maybe a park day on Friday.

What I am creating: I want to make some movement on my December Daily album today (or at least this week).

My simple pleasures: Apples, a good historical romance, listening to the rain while falling asleep

Looking around the house: Vacuuming is high on my list today, but otherwise, I’m not going to stress about it.

From the camera: We visited Morrill Hall, which houses the natural history museum in Lincoln. Love the dinosaur fossils!

Thunderhead by Neal Shusterman

Title: Thunderhead (Arc of a Scythe #2)

Author: Neal Shusterman

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Genre: YA Science Fiction

Pages: 512

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges:

Humans learn from their mistakes. I cannot. I make no mistakes.

The Thunderhead is the perfect ruler of a perfect world, but it has no control over the scythedom. A year has passed since Rowan had gone off grid. Since then, he has become an urban legend, a vigilante snuffing out corrupt scythes in a trial by fire. His story is told in whispers across the continent.

As Scythe Anastasia, Citra gleans with compassion and openly challenges the ideals of the “new order.” But when her life is threatened and her methods questioned, it becomes clear that not everyone is open to the change.

Old foes and new enemies converge, and as corruption within the Scythedom spreads, Rowan and Citra begin to lose hope. Will the Thunderhead intervene?

Or will it simply watch as this perfect world begins to unravel?

Finally got the second volume in the trilogy after purposefully giving it some time, and I sped through it. Multiple times I audibly gasped out loud. I am so glad that Citra and Rowan didn’t completely change their entire personalities, but did show growth and change. But my favorite parts of this volume were all the entries from the Thunderhead. I loved seeing inside the all-knowing being. Its thoughts on life, death, the scythedom, and the future of life on Earth. The action kept up throughout the book forcing me to turn the pages as fast I could. So good! And that twist at the end was a killer! I can’t wait to see how this story ends.

Arc of a Scythe:

• #1 Scythe

• #2 Thunderhead

• #3 The Toll

Next up on the TBR pile:

Confessions on the 7:45 by Lisa Unger

Title: Confessions on the 7:45

Author: Lisa Unger

Publisher: Park Row 2020

Genre: Thriller

Pages: 315

Rating: 2/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Currently Reading - Everyone Loves on Bookstagram

Selena Murphy is commuting home on the train when she strikes up a conversation with a beautiful stranger in the next seat. The woman introduces herself as Martha and soon confesses that she’s been stuck in an affair with her boss. Selena, in turn, confesses that she suspects her husband is sleeping with the nanny. When the train arrives at Selena’s station, the two women part ways, presumably never to meet again.

Then the nanny disappears.

As Selena is pulled into the mystery of what happened, and as the fractures in her marriage grow deeper, she begins to wonder, who was Martha really? But she is hardly prepared for what she’ll discover…

This has really cemented the idea that I do not like thrillers. I’m just always so incredibly disappointed and the twists and turns seem so predictable. This particular book had too many coincidences for my taste. I just couldn’t get behind all the silly things characters, especially Selena, did throughout the story. I got to the end of the book and felt like I had wasted my time.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Odds and Ends

Here's my randomness for the week:

• We’ve been on a smoothie kick lately and I’ve found some great recipes. Our favorite so far was a mango turmeric one. Oh so good!

• Today is our third outing of the week. We are not used to being out of the house. I’m exhausted.

• Found rhubarb at the store, which means I need to make a strawberry rhubarb dessert of some kind.

• Also, I need to make a batch of gazpacho tomorrow for weekend lunches.

• Totally forgot we have a virtual wine tasting tonight. I can’t wait to open those bottles! From our favorite winery, Gundlach Bundschu, of course!

• Need to do some car care next week (key fobs, gas, oil change). Not my favorite thing to do.

Next up on the TBR pile:

I Was Told It Would Get Easier by Abbi Waxman

Title: I Was Told It Would Get Easier

Author: Abbi Waxman

Publisher: Berkley 2020

Genre: Fiction

Pages: 346

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Modern Mrs. Darcy Summer Reading Challenge

Jessica and Emily Burnstein have very different ideas of how this college tour should go.

For Emily, it's a preview of freedom, exploring the possibility of her new and more exciting future. Not that she's sure she even wants to go to college, but let's ignore that for now. And maybe the other kids on the tour will like her more than the ones at school. . . . They have to, right?

For Jessica, it's a chance to bond with the daughter she seems to have lost. They used to be so close, but then Goldfish crackers and Play-Doh were no longer enough of a draw. She isn't even sure if Emily likes her anymore. To be honest, Jessica isn't sure she likes herself.

Together with a dozen strangers--and two familiar enemies--Jessica and Emily travel the East Coast, meeting up with family and old friends along the way. Surprises and secrets threaten their relationship and, in the end, change it forever.

A cute little story about a mother and daughter on an identity finding trip. Waxman has a breezy style of writing that sucks you into the story. The characters are definitely relatable and likable, even when they do something silly. I found so many interactions so familiar as a mother of teenagers. I don’t have a daughter, but many of the same things apply to sons. The storyline was propulsive. You just needed to see how this particular mother and daughter connected (or didn’t) through the trip. I liked the addition of the side characters. My favorites were Will and Casper. If you need a feel good story, pick this one up.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Homeschool W26: An Unexpectedly Shortened Week

What We Studied

Things did not go as planned this week. I had originally planned to do the grocery shopping on Wednesday, which takes me away from active teaching for an entire morning. Usually I give Arthur an independent packet or a project to work on. Wednesday morning, I woke up and immediately realized that none of that would be happening that day. I was hit with a vertigo-inducing migraine. I didn’t leave my bed all day and it was terrible. An entire day where no schooling was done. Then I had to push grocery shopping onto Thursday. Being sick really threw off my entire plan for the week. Thank goodness we had a normal Monday and Tuesday and we’re doing a modified schedule for Spring Break for the next two weeks.

Literature and Poetry

We ended up finishing Sideways Stories from Wayside School this week. Arthur liked some of the stories, but didn’t seem to appreciate the absurdist humor. Oh well! we still did a lot of reading both from our read aloud and independently.

• Sideways Stories from Wayside School by Louis Sachar

• The Biggest Snowman Ever by Steven Kroll (literature study)

Math

Singapore Math 2A has been completed! Woot! We have 2B, but will be taking a bit of a break for Spring Break and get back into it in late March.

Social Studies

This week we covered two U.S. History lessons, one on Ben Franklin and one on The French and Indian War. We are slowly working our way to the Revolutionary War.

• Making Thirteen Colonies by Joy Hakim (decent textbook style book)

• Ben of All Trades by Michael J. Rosen

• Ben Franklin Thinks Big by Sheila Keenan

Science

See Unit Theme

Art

Nothing formal, but lots of random inventions and crafts.

Music

We finished our Jazz unit. We’ve had a great time tracing jazz through the ages up to modern interpretations. Arthur still loves ragtime, swing, and big band styles the best. He hasn’t really been a fan of any of our selections post 1950s. At least he got a lot of exposure to different artists.

• Jazz by Walter Dean Myers (poems)

• Nina by Alice Briere-Haquet

• The 5 O’Clock Band by Troy Andrews

• Ruby Sings the Blues by Niki Daly

Unit Theme

We finished learning about our Solar System this week, covering the Outer Planets. We also watched a few more episodes of The Planets from NOVA. We covered Mars and Jupiter. I learned so much from the Jupiter episode. We will definitely be continuing our study of space into Spring Break.

• Planet Jupiter by Ann O. Squire

• DK Space

• Space Visual Catalog by Sean Callery and Miranda Smith

• Saturn by Elaine Landau

• Planet Uranus by Christine Taylor-Butler

• Neptune by Elaine Landau

• All My Friends are Planets by Alisha Vimawala

• Pluto: From Planet to Dwarf by Elaine Landau

• Beyond Pluto by Elaine Landau

• Astronaut Handbook by Meghan McCarthy

• Hedgie Blasts Off by Jan Brett

• Astro Girl by Ken Wilson-Max

• Under the Milky Way by Frank Lessac

• The Girl Who Named Pluto: The Story of Venetia Burney by Alice B. McGinty

• A Place for Pluto by Stef Wade

• Astronaut Annie by Suzanne Slade

• The Three Little Aliens and the Big Bad Robot by Margaret McNamara

• Garcia & Colette Go Exploring by Hannah Barnaby

Misc. - Random picture books read

• Night Tree by Eve Bunting

• The Shy Little Kitten by Kristen Depken

• Tiny T. Rex and the Perfect Valentine by Jonathan Stutzman

• Are You a Bee? by Judy Allen and Tudor Humphries

• Good Night Little Bot by Karen Kaufman Orloff

• Leaf by Sandra Dieckmann

• Lego Jurassic World: Owen to the Rescue

• Mickey and the Roadster Racers: Mickey’s Perfecto Day

• Curious George: Lemonade Stand

• In the City by Chris Raschka

• Look Out! It’s a Dragon! by Jonny Lambert

Our happy place: the library!

Highs

• Friday was my birthday and it was decent weather. We took the opportunity to go to the library and the spend some time at the park.

Lows

• That migraine really threw me off.

Next Week

For the next two weeks, we will be having our version of Spring Break. We aren’t completely stopping school, but scaling back and focusing more on crafts and games. We are also planning on doing a few field trips (one to Lincoln!) and spending a part of almost every day at a park.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Music Monday - jxdn "Better Off Dead"

For the first two months of the year (I’m extending into March), I decided to do Emo Winter! I’m been really loving The Emo Project channel on Sirius XM Radio. I picked all my selections directly from the channel.

Really digging this song. Never heard of this guy, but I like it!

Life Right Now #6

As I look outside my window: Sunny, a bit breezy, but almost 70 degrees! The kids will be going outside after brunch.

Right now I am: Finishing a plum cake for brunch, letting it cool, before I make the sausage and eggs.

Thinking and pondering: How to structure out summer/fall for homeschooling? I think we’ve decided to keep doing this for at least another year, but I want to change things up for July and beyond. We are hoping to add in more outside of the house activities (hoping the pandemic lessens by the fall) and connect with other homeschooling families in the area.

On my bedside table: Thunderhead by Neal Shusterman; Walkable City by Jeff Speck

On my tv this week: J and I finished WandaVision last night. So good! We also watched a few movies and caught up with Last Week Tonight.

Listening to: The new Architects album is very very good! They’ve been loving it on Octane and I had to download as soon as it was relaesed last week.

On the menu for this week:

• Monday - Roasted Lemon Chicken Thighs and Potatoes

• Tuesday - Mang Cua (Crab and Asparagus Soup)

• Wednesday - Leftovers

• Thursday - Grilled Cheese Night

• Friday - Cajun Chicken and Sausage Alfredo

• Saturday - Indian Takeout

• Sunday - Mac n Cheese Casserole with Cheddar and Gruyere

On my to do list: I want to spend next week cleaning out my to-do list, focusing on the all the little tiny tasks cluttering it up. I would like to have a clear list to then do a big brain dump for spring by Friday.

Happening this week: It’s our Spring Break week for homeschooling. Instead of doing no school, we are going to spend a lot of time outside, take a few field trips, and focus on games. We’ll still be doing a read-aloud and some math and finishing our space unit. But the idea is to mix everything up this week. For our field trip, we are going to drive to Lincoln to visit Morrill Hall on the UNL campus. We love their dinosaur fossils and it’s been two years since we went. Hopefully we can get some lunch and eat at a park. And of course we will be going to the museum.

What I am creating: I’m starting work on my December Daily album today. Need to pick my photos and do a basic layout. I’m also starting to plan our next family road trip. It probably won’t happen this summer, but I’m shooting for fall (before it gets really cold, so like September or October).

My simple pleasures: Honey Tea Bread with butter and cup of Irish Breakfast Tea, Puzzle time, a good book.

Looking around the house: Things are okay, but I want to clear out laundry room and foyer.

From the camera: My birthday cake! Apparently the bakery was very confused by the message. Definitely not Schitt’s Creek fans.