A Jane Austen Education by William Deresiewicz

Title: A Jane Austen Education: How Six Novels Taught Me About Love, Friendship, and the Things That Really Matter

Author: William Deresiewicz

Publisher: Penguin Books 2012

Genre: Nonfiction

Pages: 288

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Modern Mrs. Darcy Summer Reading Guide; Seasonal TBR

Before Jane Austen, William Deresiewicz was a very different young man. A sullen and arrogant graduate student, he never thought Austen would have anything to offer him. Then he read Emma—and everything changed.

In this unique and lyrical book, Deresiewicz weaves the misadventures of Austen’s characters with his own youthful follies, demonstrating the power of the great novelist’s teachings—and how, for Austen, growing up and making mistakes are one and the same. Honest, erudite, and deeply moving, A Jane Austen Education is the story of one man’s discovery of the world outside himself.

I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from this book, but ended up really enjoying it. We follow William along as he discovers both life lessons and the works of Jane Austen. The book is part self-reflection, part literary analysis, and part fan letter. I enjoyed how each chapter focused on the writer’s big lesson from a novel and included what was happening in his life at the same time. My favorite chapter was about Northanger Abbey. I loved the discussion of the Thorpes and the Tilneys. A few of the pages do drag a bit, but overall it’s a joy for the fan of Jane Austen.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Dear Fahrenheit 451 by Annie Spence

Title: Dear Fahrenheit 451: Love and Heartbreak in the Stacks: A Librarian's Love Letters and Breakup Notes to the Books in Her Life

Author: Annie Spence

Publisher: Flatiron Books 2017

Genre: Nonfiction

Pages: 248

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Seasonal TBR

If you love to read, and presumably you do since you’ve picked up this book (!), you know that some books affect you so profoundly they forever change the way you think about the world. Some books, on the other hand, disappoint you so much you want to throw them against the wall. Either way, it’s clear that a book can be your new soul mate or the bad relationship you need to end.

In Dear Fahrenheit 451, librarian Annie Spence has crafted love letters and breakup notes to the iconic and eclectic books she has encountered over the years. From breaking up with The Giving Tree (a dysfunctional relationship book if ever there was one), to her love letter to The Time Traveler’s Wife (a novel less about time travel and more about the life of a marriage, with all of its ups and downs), Spence will make you think of old favorites in a new way. Filled with suggested reading lists, Spence’s take on classic and contemporary books is very much like the best of literature―sometimes laugh-out-loud funny, sometimes surprisingly poignant, and filled with universal truths.

Finally! I grabbed this slim volume off the library shelves and read these delightful letters to various books. I really enjoyed Spence’s irreverent take on various books of classic literature as well as random surprise books from the stacks. Some of the letters made me laugh out loud. My least favorite section was the book recommendations at the end, but even those were interesting to see what she paired together. Overall, this is a book for book lovers. A delightful day’s reading.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Homeschool W36: It's Too Hot to School...

What We Studied

Literature and Poetry

We continued reading The Phantom Tollbooth and many other picture books. We also worked on some basic grammar review and more journal writing.

• The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster

• Silver Seeds by Paul Paolilli and Dan Brewer (poems)

• We Need More Nuts by Jonathan Fenske (Arthur read)

• Hello Crabby by Jonathan Fenske (Arthur read)

Math

Continuing with our big review and games. We finished Lollipop Logic Book 3. Now I need to find some other logic puzzle series for Arthur.

• Max Explains Everything: Grocery Store Expert by Stacy McAnulty

• Last to Finish: A Story About the Smartest Boy in Math Class by Barbara Esham

Social Studies

We covered three different U.S. History lessons this week. We started with a lesson on African Americans after the War featuring Richard Allen, Absalom Jones, Paul Cuffee, and Ona Judge. We moved on to a lesson on Benjamin Banneker. And finished with a lesson about John and Abigail Adams.

• Answering the Cry for Freedom by Gretchen Woelfle

• 100 African Americans Who Shaped American History by Chrisanne Beckner

• America’s Black Founders by Nancy Sanders

• The Escape of Oney Judge by Emily Arnold McCully

• Runaway: The Daring Escape of Ona Judge by Ray Anthony Shepard

• Molly Bannaky by Alice McGill

• Tick Tock Banneker’s Clock by Shana Keller

• The Revolutionary John Adams by Cheryl Harness

• A Picture Book of John and Abigail Adams by David A. Adler

• Abigail Adams by Alexandra Wallner

• Leave It to Abigail: The Revolutionary Life of Abigail Adams by Barb Rosenstock

Science

We learned all about matter and changing states of matter this week. I’m amazed at how quickly Arthur (and even Quentin) caught on to this concept.

• Matter: See It, Touch It, Taste It, Smell. It by Darlene Stille

• Change It! Solids, Liquids, Gases, and You by Adrienne Mason

• Solids, Liquids, Gases, and Plasma by David A. Adler

• Experiments with States of Matter by Trevor Cook

Art

Nothing formal

Music

We started our big unit on The Beatles. We are going to listen to all the songs from the Beatles and trace their musical growth through the years. This week we covered everything from 1962 and 1963.

• The Beatles by Mike Venezia

• The Beatles were Fab (and They were Funny) by Kathleen Krull

Unit Theme

We celebrated Pride Month this week by learning about gender identity, the rainbow flag, and the history of Pride. I found some really good basic books to introduce this topic.

• It Feels Good to Be Yourself: A Book About Gender Identity by Theresa Thorn

• The Gender Wheel: A Story About Bodies and Gender for Everybody by Maya Gonzalez

• This Day in June by Gayle E. Pitman

• Pride: The Story of Harvey Milk and the Rainbow Flag by Rob Sanders

• Sewing the Rainbow: The Story of Gilbert Baker and the Rainbow Flag by Gayle E. Pitman

• The Rainbow Flag: Bright, Bold, and Beautiful by Michelle Millar Fisher

Misc. - Random picture books read

• Pup 681: A Sea Otter Rescue by Jean Reidy

• To the Sea by Cale Atkinson

• Ebb & Flo and the Baby Seal by Jane Simmons

• The Boy and the Whale by Mordicai Gerstein

• Beachy and Me by Bob Staake

• Inky's Amazing Escape by Sy Montgomery

• Wake Up, Crabby! by Jonathan Fenske

• Always Remember by Cece Meng

• The Storm Whale by Benji Davies

• A Whale of a Mistake by Ioana Hobai

• A Whale in the Bathtub by Kylie Westaway

• Star of the Sea by Janet Halfmann

• Peanut Butter and Jellyfish by Jarrett J. Krosoczka

• Little Whale by Jo Weaver

• The Heart of a Whale by Anna Pignataro

• Starfish, Where are You? by Barroux

• All the Water in the World by George Ella Lyon and Katherine Tillotson

Highs

• We braved the very high temperatures to go berry picking on Monday. Unlike last year, we actually came home with a ton of strawberries. J made a strawberry pie and a strawberry rhubarb pie out of them. Yum!

Lows

• The very high temperatures meant that we didn’t spend that much time outside this past week. I wanted to go to another state park, but knew we wouldn’t be able to handle the heat.

Next Week

We are going to finish The Phantom Tollbooth as well as our U.S. History Curriculum. For science we will be studying light and sound. We will continue listening to the Beatles and doing a math review. And we will cover Juneteenth for our unit theme.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Music Monday - Mike Shinoda "Happy Endings"

Very excited to hear new music from Mike Shinoda. And this one is much happier than his recently previous work.

Life Right Now #19

As I look outside my window: It’s lovely and bright outside. I’m actually watching our backyard neighbor work on building a swing set for his kids.

Right now I am: Finishing my cup of coffee before I have to go get brunch started.

On my bedside table: The Drowning Kind by Jennifer McMahon; Swamplandia by Karen Russell

On my tv this week: J and I finished the one and only season of Running Wilde with Will Arnett and Keri Russell. He had seen it back when I aired, I never did. It was a nice light show in between more serious things. Plus, Loki started and I am so incredibly in!

Listening to: Mostly politics related podcasts. I’ve been really enjoying What a Day from Crooked Media. It’s a nice little daily news roundup.

On the menu for this week: Umm…. I have a ton of possibilities, but am still formulating a plan. Possibly we will be eating -

• Monday - Broccoli beef with rice

• Tuesday - Red Curry Noodle Soup

• Wednesday - Buffalo Chicken Sliders

• Thursday - Balsamic Pork Roast

• Friday - Leftovers

• Saturday - Chili Verde

• Sunday - Baked Cod with Fennel and Lemon

On my to do list: I need to update my big to do list. I knocked off a ton in preparation for book swap. I need to do a brain dump today and get it all down…

Happening this week:

• Monday - Normal school day

• Tuesday - Park Playdate; Trivia night (My team won last week and had so much fun, we’re doing it again. This week’s theme is Disney Princesses.)

• Wednesday - Grocery and library?

• Thursday - Zoo or State Park Day (haven’t picked yet)

• Friday - Normal school day

• Saturday - The usual

• Sunday - The usual

What I am creating: Future plans. I really want to get back to crafting, but for now, I’m just making plans for all our fall events (book retreat, family road trip, 2nd year of homeschooling, and potentially a kid birthday party).

My simple pleasures: Good conversation with friends, sitting on my back deck in my new patio furniture with a cup of coffee and a book, not 90 degree days…

Looking around the house: Because of the book swap yesterday, my downstairs is looking really good! I went on a cleaning binge and it was well worth it! Today I need to tackle the clean clothes in various bins upstairs and do a general sweep up of random things.

From the camera: My book club finally had our Christmas 2020 book swap get-together yesterday. I hosted and we had lovely conversation, yummy food, and great books! Can you guess what one of our upcoming book club reads is? Trick question: there are two on the table. For July we are reading Malibu Rising (which I won!) and for November we are reading Code Name Helene! June’s selection is The House in the Cerulean Sea, so a friend gifted TJ Klune’s earlier book. I gifted Let’s Pretend This Never Happened because I just finished Jenny Lawson’s newest book (Broken) and had to share my love for her. (J made a strawberry pie and a strawberry-rhubarb pie to go with our meeting)

Looking Glass by Christina Henry

Title: Looking Glass (The Chronicles of Alice Novellas)

Author: Christina Henry

Publisher: Ace 2020

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 301

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: 

Lovely Creature
In the New City lives a girl with a secret: Elizabeth can do magic. But someone knows her secret--someone who has a secret of his own. That secret is a butterfly that lives in a jar, a butterfly that was supposed to be gone forever, a butterfly that used to be called the Jabberwock...

This was such a fun story! We finally get to see what happened to Alice’s birth family after she escaped from the sanatorium. We get to meet her two sisters (one of which she didn’t even know existed) and experience life in the New City. I loved the inclusion of the Jabberwock and the connection between Alice and Elizabeth. I would have loved to read a entire novel with this point of view…

Girl in Amber
Alice and Hatcher are just looking for a place to rest. Alice has been dreaming of a cottage by a lake and a field of wildflowers, but while walking blind in a snowstorm she stumbles into a house that only seems empty and abandoned...

This story was super creepy and I loved it! I have really enjoyed the sections of the series that deal with the villains and this story introduces a terrible new villain for Alice to defeat. It had me itchy all over with its imagery. Very creepy! Love it!

When I First Came to Town
Hatcher wasn't always Hatcher. Once, he was a boy called Nicholas, and Nicholas fancied himself the best fighter in the Old City. No matter who fought him he always won. Then his boss tells him he's going to battle the fearsome Grinder, a man who never leaves his opponents alive...

The low point of the collection. I just didn’t really care about Hatcher’s back story or connections. The only portion that I enjoyed was when Nicholas encounters Cheshire and Rabbit. Otherwise, this story was too long and drawn out.

The Mercy Seat
There is a place hidden in the mountains, where all the people hate and fear magic and Magicians. It is the Village of the Pure, and though Alice and Hatcher would do anything to avoid it, it lies directly in their path...

Strange story, but fitting in this series. There’s a new villain, a deeper exploration of Alice’s magical powers, and one more big obstacle for our main couple. I do wish that we had spent a bit more time with the magician that Alice spent the winter with, but oh well. At least, we get some semblance of a happily ever after for Alice and Hatcher.

The Chronicles of Alice

• #1 Alice

• #2 Red Queen

• Looking Glass (novellas)

Next up on the TBR pile:

Broken by Jenny Lawson

Title: Broken (in the best possible-way)

Author: Jenny Lawson

Publisher: Henry Holt 2021

Genre: Nonfiction

Pages: 304

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Seasonal TBR; Modern Mrs. Darcy Summer Reading Guide

As Jenny Lawson’s hundreds of thousands of fans know, she suffers from depression. In Broken, Jenny brings readers along on her mental and physical health journey, offering heartbreaking and hilarious anecdotes along the way.

With people experiencing anxiety and depression now more than ever, Jenny humanizes what we all face in an all-too-real way, reassuring us that we’re not alone and making us laugh while doing it. From the business ideas that she wants to pitch to Shark Tank to the reason why Jenny can never go back to the post office, Broken leaves nothing to the imagination in the most satisfying way. And of course, Jenny’s long-suffering husband Victor―the Ricky to Jenny’s Lucille Ball―is present throughout.

I love Jenny Lawson so much. She can make me laugh hysterically one minute and have be sobbing the next minute. True story: J told me that I couldn’t read this book in bed because I was shaking the bed too much with my laughter. Lawson is just as absurd as she has been in the previous books. The funny chapters balance out the very tough chapters dealing with life’s struggles. After reading this one from the library, I have to buy this one for my own shelves. I am still thinking about so many of the life lessons that I was reminded of throughout the chapters. So incredibly good.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Summer Planning Videos

Oh to go to a show…

You know I will be watching these. The Fear Street books were jam back in middle school!

This is delightful!

A new Edgar Wright movie? I am so watching this one!

Most definitely adding this to our must-watch list.

Black Mad Wheel by Josh Malereman

Title: Black Mad Wheel

Author: Josh Malerman

Publisher: Ecco 2017

Genre: Horror

Pages: 297

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: 

A chilling novel about a group of musicians conscripted by the US government to track down the source of a strange and debilitating sound

The Danes—the band known as the “Darlings of Detroit”—are washed up and desperate for inspiration, eager to once again have a number one hit. That is, until an agent from the US Army approaches them. Will they travel to an African desert and track down the source of a mysterious and malevolent sound? Under the guidance of their front man, Philip Tonka, the Danes embark on a harrowing journey through the scorching desert—a trip that takes Tonka into the heart of an ominous and twisted conspiracy.

Meanwhile, in a nondescript Midwestern hospital, a nurse named Ellen tends to a patient recovering from a near-fatal accident. The circumstances that led to his injuries are mysterious—and his body heals at a remarkable rate. Ellen will do the impossible for this enigmatic patient, who reveals more about his accident with each passing day.

This book is so incredibly hard to describe. I would place it in the realm of atmospheric horror, more like an general unease and suspense throughout the entire book than a jump-scare type of horror. I really enjoy atmospheric horror. It actually makes me feel scared! This one definitely scratched my horror itch with a creepy journey of memory recovery. I love that we follow Philip (and later Ellen) as he journeys to Africa to find the source of a mysterious sound and then struggles to understand his own memories in a military hospital. I loved that the book is technically set in the 1950s, but it has a timeless quality that further cements the creepy atmosphere. This book is not for people who want definite answers and clear narration. The readers really have to work to piece together the story and what really happened. And yet, I absolutely enjoyed this strange slim novel.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Currently #4

Reading: Broken (in the best way possible) by Jenny Lawson. J said that I can’t read it in bed as I was laughing too loudly and shaking the bed. It’s just that funny!

Watching: J signed us up for a 30 day engineering course with Mark Rober. Arthur has been enjoying his various videos on YouTube. The squirrel ninja course is his current favorite video.

Listening: I’ve gotten a bit behind on a lot of my favorite podcasts. I’m attempting to run the backlog this week.

Making: I tried a new dessert recipe for a chocolate pound cake and it basically grew and exploded in the oven. Not sure if it was the recipe or my oven that caused the issues (our oven is a bit wonky right now). I had to scrape off burnt cake from the bottom of the oven and all over a cookie sheet and my pyrex. I’m going to try it again using a different container.

Feeling: The daily temperature has been hitting 90 every day for the past weekly. I’m just constantly hot and sweaty and I don’t like it.

Planning: I’m deep into planning the Reading Retreat for the end of September. I’ve got the book selections form ready to go and have started doing my expenses spreadsheet. Also, I’m putting the finishing touches on the book swap I’m hosting on Saturday. We didn’t get to do our Christmas swap so we’re doing it in June!

Loving: We got a new patio set! I can now sit on our back deck and enjoy a cup of coffee and a chapter of my current read in the morning before we start school. It’s been delightful.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Homeschool Memorial Day Break

What We Studied

For the last week in May, Memorial Day, and the first week in June, we ended up taking a semi-break. For us, that means we only did school about an hour a day and added in more outings, activities, field trips, games, and crafts. We are schooling year round which easily lends itself to these types of lighter weeks to change things up. We’ve realized that both boys really do well with routine and structure. Dropping all school for two weeks is a terrible idea. Going a bit lighter works perfectly for us!

Literature and Poetry

We read the four book Frog and Toad collection by Arnold Lobel and started reading The Phantom Tollbooth by Norman Juster. Frog and Toad are some of my favorite childhood characters so it was nice to revisit with Arthur. I’ve never actually read The Phantom Tollbooth, but have heard so many amazing things about it as an adult. Arthur’s not completely sold on the story, but I am loving the word play and silliness. Beyond our read alouds, we read a ton of picture books, Arthur tackled some early readers, and focused on reading comprehension. We also completed a sample standardized test meant to close out First Grade. It was a nice review for Arthur and work on some test taking skills.

• Frog and Toad Collection by Arnold Lobel

• The Phantom Tollbooth by Norman Juster

• At the Beach by Alexa Andrews (Arthur read)

• Otter: Hello, Sea Friends! by Sam Garton (Arthur Read)

New playground just opened!

Math

We did a ton of review, some skill building, logic puzzles, and Khan Academy. We’re going to continue with all that throughout the rest of the summer up until we start Level 4 in August.

Social Studies

Nothing formal, but we did a ton of local exploration

Loggerhead

Science

See Unit Theme

Green Sea Turtle

Art

Nothing formal, but a lot of drawing and free expression

Mermaid’s purse and a wobbegong shark (very camouflaged against the wall of the tank)

Music

We finished our American Folk Music unit with lots of bands and songs from the 1960s and 1970s. We could keep going, but have decided to switch focus a bit for June.

Unit Theme

We finally wrapped up our giant Ocean unit. We focused on specific animals on different days along with a trip to the zoo to check out the aquarium. Arthur was super excited to spot both species of sea turtles (loggerhead and green), three species of shark, a couple mermaid purses, and a wobbegong shark! Plus Arthur watched a ton of videos from Brave Wilderness highlighting encounters with various sea creatures.

• DK Ocean

• Nat Geo Ocean Animals

• Ocean Anatomy by Julia Rothman

• Sea Turtles by Gail Gibbons

• Nat Geo Kids: Sea Turtles by Laura Marsh

• Nat Geo Kids: Mission Sea Turtle Rescue by Karen Romano Young

• Octopuses by Elizabeth R. Johnson

• Nat Geo Kids: Ink! by Stephanie Warren Drimmer

• Giant Squid and Octopuses by Ruth Owen

• Giant Squid by Mary M. Cerullo and Clyde F.E. Roper

• Giant Squid by Candace Fleming

• Here There Be Monsters: The Legendary Kraken and Giant Squid by HP Newquist

• Crabs by Ann Herriges

• Hermit Crabs by Ellen Lawrence

• Jellyfish by Grace Hansen

• A Day in the Life: Jellyfish by Louise Spilsbury

• Becoming a Jellyfish by Grace Hansen

• A Day in the Life Sea Animals: Seal by Louise Spilsbury

• Sea Lions by Colleen Sexton

• A Day in the Life Sea Animals: Leopard Seal byKatie Marsico

• Walruses by Renee C. Rebman

• Super Swimmers by Caroline Arnold

• Sea Otters by Nathan Sommer

Misc. - Random picture books read

• Abracadabra It’s Spring by Anne Sibley O’Brien

• Swashby and the Sea by Beth Ferry

• Good Thing You’re Not an Octopus by Julie Markes

• Ocean Soup by Meeg Pincus

• Shark Nate-O by Tara Luebbe and Becky Cattie

• Mister Seahorse by Eric Carle

• Nugget and Fang Go to School by Tammi Sauer

• I'm the Best Artist in the Ocean by Kevin Sherry

• Octopuses One to Ten by Ellen Jackson

• Squid and Octopus Friends For Always by Tao Nye

• I am Not a Fish by Peter Raymundo

• Inky the Octopus by Erin Guendelsberger

• Day at the Beach by Tom Booth

• Crabby Crab by Chris Raschka

• Shark Detective by Jessica Olien

• The Hermit Crab by Carter Goodrich

• You're a Crab by Jenny Whitehead

• After Squidnight by Jonathan Fenske

• The Fisherman and the Whale by Jessica Lanan

• Don't Worry Little Crab by Chris Haughton

• The Seals on the Bus by Lenny Hort

• Following Papa's Song by Gianna Marino

• Sink or Swim by Valerie Coulman

• Flip & Fin: We Rule the School by Timothy Gill

• Compost Stew by Mary McKenna Siddals

• There Might Be Lobsters by Carolyn Crimi

• Whale in a Fishbowl by Troy Howell

• Ida and the Whale by Rebecca Gugger

• Adelita: A Sea Turtle's Journey by Jenny Goebel

• Melissa's Octopus and Other Unsuitable Pets by Charlotte Voake

• A Small Blue Whale by Beth Ferry

• President Squid by Aaron Reynolds

• Mabel: A Mermaid Fable by Rowboat Watkins

Highs

So many to choose from these past two weeks!

Snapping turtle!

• We spent a lovely day at Schramm State Park hiking the 3 mile trail, checking out the education center, observing the fish hatcheries, looking for fossils, and enjoying a picnic. Now that we have a state park pass, we’ll be back!

• We watched a fun Book Blast presentation from the library highlighting some great new children’s books. Arthur made me put almost half of them on hold. At the end, they did a raffle and we won a book bundle of four of the selections. So exciting! They are doing it again July with different books and we definitely going to be attending.

Making magic wands

• The local maker space is doing a summer STEM challenge with projects and activities. We picked up our passports, watched the kick-off, and made our first project! We will be having fun completing activities all summer long and earning prizes.

• Speaking of summer challenges, we signed up for the library’s summer reading program and got our free book to kickstart our summer reading.

• We made our summer bucket list and opened our summer basket! Schooling year round doesn’t mean that we skip summer activities. We just incorporate them into the school days.

Lows

• It’s been super hot around here (in the 90s) and I really don’t want to go anywhere any afternoon. I have messed up our schedule a few days and cause us to be outside after noon. Not making that mistake again.

Next Week

We’re back to a normal-ish schedule for us. I want to get close to finishing our U.S. History curriculum (only 6 more lessons), start our new music unit (The Beatles), complete another read aloud, and continue reviewing for math and language arts. Plus we have a few extra topics for the week including Pride Month and States of Matter. Also, we have strawberry picking and a park playdate scheduled for the week as well as working on a 30 day engineering course as a family.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Music Monday - Papa Roach "Broken as Me"

I’ve been all about the hard rock this past month. And this new Papa Roach song featuring Danny Worsnop from Asking Alexandria is just perfect!

Life Right Now #18

As I look outside my window: It’s bright and sunny with a lovely breeze. The temps are supposed to top 90 today, but this morning it is lovely.

Right now I am: just coming back inside after enjoying a book and an iced coffee sitting in my new patio furniture on the back deck! It’s so nice to actually sit out there more now.

Thinking and pondering: about ways to make my life easier… blocking, grouping, planning ahead.

On my bedside table: The Whispering House by Elizabeth Brooks, The Echo Wife by Sarah Gailey

On my tv this week: We’re progressed with our watching of Hustle and Star Trek: Voyager. We might be done with at least Hustle by end of June.

Listening to: Nothing much really. I haven’t spent much time listening to podcasts this past week. I did catch up with Currently Reading and my politics podcasts this weekend.

On the menu for this week:

• Monday - Thai Red Curry Noodle Soup

• Tuesday - Ginger Glazed Pork Chops and Brussels Sprouts

• Wednesday - Leftovers

• Thursday - Chicken Parmesan

• Friday - Broccoli Beef

• Saturday - Brinner

• Sunday - Leftovers

On my to do list: My immediate tasks are to print curriculum, do laundry, put away laundry, and pop into the library (holds and prize bundle we won). From there, I need to do a big task list brain dump for the rest of June.

Happening this week:

• Monday - Strawberry Picking

• Tuesday - Trivia Night

• Wednesday - Park Playdate

• Thursday - Normal Day

• Friday - Cleaning and Errands

• Saturday - Book Swap!

• Sunday - Normal Day

What I am creating: Mostly just lesson plans. I am also working on plans for the retreat, the coop, and road trip.

My simple pleasures: Hot weather cocktails, being cool, watching the breeze through the trees

Looking around the house: I spent a ton of time doing other tasks yesterday and didn’t get around to my cleaning tasks. Guess what I get to do today? Plus I really want to switch out the clothes and organize the shoes. I would love to have a clear foyer.

From the camera: I got to go to book club… in a restaurant!

The Stars, Like Dust by Isaac Asimov

Title: The Stars, Like Dust (Galactic Empire #1)

Author: Isaac Asimov

Publisher: 1952

Genre: Science Fiction

Pages: 243

Rating: 2/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Perpetual

His name was Biron Farrill and he was a student at the University of Earth. A native of one of the helpless Nebular Kingdoms, he saw his home world conquered and controlled by the planet Tyrann—a ruthless, barbaric Empire that was building a dynasty of cruelty and domination among the stars.

Farrill’s own father had been executed for trying to resist the Tyrann dictatorship and now someone was trying to kill Biron. But why?

His only hope for survival lay in fleeing Earth and joining the rebellion that was rumored to be forming somewhere in the Kingdoms. But once he cast his lot with the freedom fighters, he would find himself guarding against treachery on every side and facing the most difficult choice of all: to betray either the woman he loved or the revolution that was the last hope for the future.

Woof! J warned me that I would not like this one, that I would be very disappointed by the connector novel, and I completely was. This was a convoluted mess of plot and characters with very little interesting discussions or questions. I was very confused about who was who for the first half of the book (and I don’t usually have that problem). Asimov shoved so many new people, new worlds, new factions, and new groups into this very slim book and it didn’t really work. But I made it through and J promises me that this is the low point of the entire Asimov Foundation collection.

Galactic Empire:

• #1 The Stars, Like Dust

• #2 The Currents of Space

• #3 Pebble in the Sky

Next up on the TBR pile:

Bellamy and the Brute by Alicia Michaels

Title: Bellamy and the Brute (Bellamy and the Brute #1)

Author: Alicia Michaels

Publisher: Clean Teen 2017

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 387

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: 

When Bellamy McGuire is offered a summer job babysitting for the wealthy Baldwin family, she's reluctant to accept. After all, everyone in town knows about the mysterious happenings at the mansion on the hill—including the sudden disappearance of the Baldwin's eldest son, Tate. The former football star and golden boy of Wellhollow Springs became a hermit at the age of sixteen, and no one has seen or heard from him since. Rumors abound as to why, with whisperings about a strange illness—one that causes deformity and turned him into a real-life monster. Bellamy wants to dismiss these rumors as gossip, but when she's told that if she takes the job, she must promise to never, ever visit the third floor of the mansion, she begins to wonder if there really is some dark truth hidden there.
Tate's condition may not be the only secret being kept at Baldwin House. There are gaps in the family's financial history that don't add up, and surprising connections with unscrupulous characters. At night there are strange noises, unexplained cold drafts, and the electricity cuts out. And then there are the rose petals on the staircase. The rose petals that no one but Bellamy seems to be able to see. The rose petals that form a trail leading right up to the 3 rd floor, past the portrait of a handsome young man, and down a dark hallway where she promised she would never, ever go…
As Bellamy works to unravel the mysteries of Baldwin House and uncover the truth about Tate, she realizes that she is in way over her head… in more ways than one. Can her bravery and determination help to right the wrongs of the past and free the young man whose story has captured her heart?

A disappointing ebook that I randomly picked up months ago. I thought that it might be a fun fairy tale retelling, but it ended up being a fairly predictable romance and murder mystery. The fairy tale aspects were deleted in favor of a basic teen romance, corrupt politicians, and two lackluster ghosts. I ended up reading through this one, but was very meh by the end of it. I was hoping for more fun atmosphere and characters. I did not get that at all.

Bellamy and the Brute

• #1 Bellamy and the Brute

• #2 Bellamy and the Haunting

Next up on the TBR pile:

Daring Greatly by Brene Brown

Title: Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead

Author: Brené Brown

Publisher: Avery 2012

Genre: Nonfiction - Self-Help

Pages: 290

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Modern Mrs. Darcy Summer Reading; Seasonal TBR

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; . . . who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly.”—Theodore Roosevelt

Every day we experience the uncertainty, risks, and emotional exposure that define what it means to be vulnerable or to dare greatly. Based on twelve years of pioneering research, Brené Brown PhD, LMSW, dispels the cultural myth that vulnerability is weakness and argues that it is, in truth, our most accurate measure of courage.

Brown explains how vulnerability is both the core of difficult emotions like fear, grief, and disappointment, and the birthplace of love, belonging, joy, empathy, innovation, and creativity. She writes: “When we shut ourselves off from vulnerability, we distance ourselves from the experiences that bring purpose and meaning to our lives.”

So many rave reviews of this one and I was very underwhelmed on this one. Everything fell so incredibly flat for me. I was intrigued by the main concept of vulnerability and wanted to learn more. Instead of good actionable items, we get platitudes and lots of case studies. They just didn’t connect to my person. Beyond those issues, the entire construct that Brown presents ignores a whole host inequality issues and discrimination. The book is too focused on white lady problems. I just couldn’t rave about this book at all.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Odds and Ends

Here's my randomness for the week:

• The boys conquered a 3 mile hike on Tuesday and I am so proud of them.

• I three big events tentatively scheduled for fall. Things are happening!

• Eyeglasses are next on my big life list of things to take care of.

• I started reading Broken by Jenny Lawson in bed and realized that was a bag choice. I was laughing so hard, it felt like one of those vibrating beds. Guess that will be my daytime read.

Next up on the TBR pile:

June 2021 Life Goals

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

• Read 15 books, including 5 Unread Shelf reads - Well, I read 19 books, but only 2 of those were from my Unread Shelf. Darn.

• Make Four 52 Dessert Recipes - Fail, but I’ll make up for it soon.

• Weekly Field Trips - Success!

• Create a summer bucket list - Fail, although I have it on our schedule for Friday…

• Finish the Laundry Room - Success! I am so happy with how functional it is now.

• Try two new dinner recipes - Fail

Goals:

I am officially throwing the goals out the window for June. (I also threw out my TBR list) We’re going to take it slow in June and just see where the days go.

Next up on the TBR pile:

May 2021 Wrap-up

May TBR Pile (19/25):

1. Book of the Month Club: The Space Between Worlds by Micaiah Johnson

2. BOTM: The Heiress Gets a Duke by Harper St. George

3. Girly Book Club: (already caught up)

4. Friend Book Club: The Flatshare by Beth O’Leary ✓

5. MMD RC: Still Life by Louise Penny ✓

6. MMD RC: Daring Greatly by Brene Brown in progress

7. Nonfiction: In the Hurricane’s Eye by Nathaniel Philbrick in progress

8. Nonfiction: Buy Yourself the Fucking Lilies by Tara Schuster ✓

9. Fantasy: Ring Shout by P. Djeli Clark ✓

10. Fantasy: Red Queen by Christina Henry ✓

11. Fantasy: Cursed edited by Marie O’Regan and Paul Kane ✓

12. Comic: Something is Killing the Children Vol. 1 ✓

13. Comic: Something is Killing the Children Vol. 2 ✓

14. Comic: Chilling Adventures of Sabrina Vol. 1

15. Science Fiction: The Toll by Neal Shusterman ✓

16. Romance: The Sum of All Kisses by Julia Quinn ✓

17. Romance: The Secrets of Sir Richard Kenworthy by Julia Quinn ✓

18. Kid Read Aloud: Nim’s Island by Wendy Orr ✓

19. Kid Read Aloud: The One and Only Bob by Katherine Applegate ✓

20. Kid Read Aloud: Frog and Toad Collection by Arnold Lobel ✓

21. Added: Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo ✓

22. Added: The Black God’s Drums by P. Djèlí Clark ✓

23. Added: The Beautiful Ones by Silvia Moreno-Garcia ✓

24. Added: The Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James ✓

25. Added: The Book That Made Me edited by Judith Ridge ✓

1,000,000 Page Goal:

Monthly Total: 5469 pages
Pages Remaining: 474,527 pages

Current Read - Daring Greatly by Brene Brown; In the Hurricane’s Eye by Nathaniel Philbrick; The Stars, Like Dust by Isaac Asimov; Bellamy and the Brute by Alicia Michaels

Books I Gave Up On (0)

Books Bought/Received (1) - My BOTM of the month selection was Ariadne by Jennifer Saint. I can’t wait to dive into this one!

UnRead Shelf Progress

• Starting Number: 280

• Books Read: 2

• Books Acquired: 1

• Books Unshelved: 0

• Finishing Number: 279

June TBR Pile: I’m taking a break from the big TBR list and leaving everything open for June. I know there are few books I want to get to (book club selection and library books), but I’m going to let my mood lead my reading this month.

Movies watched

• Mortal Kombat (2021) - Pretty decent action movie.

• Raising Arizona - A rewatch, but it’s been at least 15 years. Still holds up!

• 10 Cloverfield Lane - This was surprisingly good.

• Ghost Rider 2 - How did I miss this ridiculous Nicholas Cage movie? Goodness that was silly.

• Wrath of Man - Back to what Guy Ritchie does best. Oh so good!

• Cruella - I absolutely loved that one!

TV Shows watched 

• The Queen’s Gambit S1 - We sped through this one and it was delightful!

• Calls S1 - So incredibly strange, but I loved it.

• Star Trek: Voyager S3 - Still plugging along, watching all of Trek.

• Below Deck: Sailing Yacht S2 - My silly guilty pleasure show.

• Hustle S1-2 - J wanted me to start this one… decent so far.

Comments - May was a great month for books, movies, TV, and all around fun!

Next up on the TBR pile:

Music Monday - Sullivan King "Venomous"

So excited about this new song featuring Spencer from Ice Nine Kills.