2021 Reading Challenges Roundup: Completed and Failed

Once again we come to the end of another reading year and a whole bunch of reading challenges. To review, I said way back in January 2020:

“I’m going for mood reading in 2021. I went with challenges that don’t stifle my reading in any way. I want my reading challenges to feel exciting and motivating. “

And that did stay true throughout the year. I really leaned into the mood reading let the rigid idea of reading challenges fall a bit to the wayside. Here’s a quick overview of what happened with the challenges that I did set up:

2021 Reading Challenges

• Goodreads Challenge ✓

• Perpetual Books ✓

• UnRead Shelf

• MMD Summer Reading Guide ✓

• Winter TBR

• Spring TBR

• Summer TBR

• Fall TBR

• Currently Reading Podcast ✓

• UnRead Shelf Project

And now let’s break down all the individual challenges, starting with those that I completed:

Completed Challenges

Goodreads
Goal 223/200 Books 100%

Modern Mrs. Darcy Summer Reading
Goal 20/20 Books 100%

1. I Was Told It Would Get Easier by Abbi Waxman (3/10/21)

2. Still Life by Louise Penny (5/12/21)

3. Girl, Serpent, Thorn by Melissa Bashardoust (4/28/21)

4. Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo (5/14/21)

5. Daring Greatly by Brene Brown (6/4/21)

6. Broken by Jenny Lawson (6/11/21)

7. A Jane Austen Education by William Dereieswicz (6/16/21)

8. The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster (6/15/21)

9. The Whispering House by Elizabeth Brooks (6/23/21)

10. For the Wolf by Hannah Whitten (6/29/21)

11. Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir (6/30/21)

12. Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid (7/7/21)

13. People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry (7/14/21)

14. The Kingdoms by Natasha Pulley (7/28/21)

15. World Travel by Anthony Bourdain (8/20/21)

16. Laundry Love by Patric Richardson (8/21/21)

17. A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers (9/11/21)

18. The Guide by Peter Heller (10/6/21)

19. Love Lettering by Kate Clayborn (10/23/21)

20. Code Name Hèléne by Ariel Lawhon (11/13/21)

Perpetual Books
Goal 30/30 Books 100%

1. The Robots of Dawn by Isaac Asimov (1/20/21)

2. The Duke and I by Julia Quinn (1/24/21)

3. The Viscount Who Loved Me by Julia Quinn (1/27/21)

4. An Offer from a Gentleman by Julia Quinn (1/27/21)

5. Romancing Mister Bridgerton by Julia Quinn (1/29/21)

6. Duke of Midnight by Elizabeth Hoyt (2/12/21)

7. Darling Beast by Elizabeth Hoyt (2/19/21)

8. Dearest Rogue by Elizabeth Hoyt (2/23/21)

9. Sweetest Scoundrel by Elizabeth Hoyt (2/26/21)

10. To Sir Philip With Love by Julia Quinn (3/6/21)

11. When He was Wicked by Julia Quinn (3/16/21)

12. Duke of Sin by Elizabeth Hoyt (3/20/21)

13. Duke of Pleasure by Elizabeth Hoyt (3/23/21)

14. Duke of Desire by Elizabeth Hoyt (3/24/21)

15. It’s In His Kiss by Julia Quinn (3/30/21)

16. Robots and Empire by Isaac Asimov (4/7/21)

17. On the Way to the Wedding by Julia Quinn (4/16/21)

18. The Bridgertons: Happily Ever After by Julia Quinn (4/17/21)

19. The Stars, Like Dust by Isaac Asimov (6/5/21)

20. The Currents of Space by Isaac Asimov (8/7/21)

21. Pebble in the Sky by Isaac Asimov (8/14/21)

22. Prelude to Foundation by Isaac Asimov (8/25/21)

23. Forward the Foundation by Isaac Asimov (8/31/21)

24. Foundation by Isaac Asimov (9/8/21)

25. Foundation and Empire by Isaac Asimov (9/15/21)

26. Second Foundation by Isaac Asimov (9/22/21)

27. Foundation’s Edge by Isaac Asimov (9/28/21)

28. The Bloody Chamber by Angela Carter (10/9/21)

29. Bird Box by Josh Malerman (10/15/21)

30. Foundation and Earth by Isaac Asimov (10/16/21)

Kid Read-Alouds
Goal 15/15 Books 100%

1. The Very Very Far North by Dan Bar-el (1/16/21)

2. Mathilda by Roald Dahl (1/26/21)

3. Just Beyond the Very Very Far North by Dan Bar-el (2/11/21)

4. Fortunately, the Milk by Neil Gaiman (2/18/21)

5. Sideways Stories from Wayside School by Louis Sachar (3/5/21)

6. Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie (3/19/21)

7. The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate (4/9/21)

8. Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren (4/23/21)

9. Nim’s Island by Wendy Orr (5/6/21)

10. The One and Only Bob by Katherine Applegate (5/21/21)

11. Frog and Toad Collection by Arnold Lobel (5/28/21)

12. The Phantom Tollbooth by Norman Juster (6/15/21)

13. Scare Stories for Young Foxes by Christian McKay Hiedicker (6/30/21)

14. Prince Caspian by C.S. Lewis (7/20/21)

15. The Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C.S. Lewis (7/30/21)

Currently Reading Reading Challenge
Goal 12/12 Books 100%

1. Kept me turning the pages after midnight - The Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow (2/5/21)

2. Can't wait to give someone else - The Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James (5/25/21)

3. Binged in a day - Solutions and Other Problems by Allie Brosh (1/15/21)

4. Makes me feel cozy - Tales from the Hinterlands by Melissa Albert (4/20/21)

5. Read with a buddy - The Widow by Fiona Barton (2/10/21)

6. Takes me to another world - Girl, Serpent, Thorn by Melissa Bashardoust (4/28/21)

7. Reflects the season I read it - A Vow So Bold and Deadly by Brigid Kemmerer (3/5/21)

8. Someone desperately wanted me to read - The Midnight Library by Matt Haig (4/3/21)

9. So good I didn't want it to end - The Toll by Neal Shusterman (5/8/21)

10. Wanted to read so badly, but then it got lost in my TBR - The Day of the Triffids by John Wyndham (1/26/21)

11. I picked up randomly in the library or bookstore because it called to me - The Beautiful Ones by Silvia Moreno-Garcia (5/22/21)

12. Everyone is loving on Bookstagram, podcasts, or Goodreads - Confessions on the 7:45 by Lisa Unger (3/12/21)

Failed Challenges

UnRead Shelf
Goal 26/50 Books 50%

1. Leave the World Behind by Rumaan Alam (1/13/21)

2. Piranesi by Susanna Clarke (1/14/21)

3. One to Watch by Kate Stayman-London (1/17/21)

4. Sanctum by Madeleine Roux (1/23/21)

5. An Offer from a Gentleman by Julia Quinn (1/27/21)

6. Romancing Mister Bridgerton by Julia Quinn (1/29/21)

7. Duke of Midnight by Elizabeth Hoyt (2/12/21)

8. The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides (2/17/21)

9. Darling Beast by Elizabeth Hoyt (2/19/21)

10. Sweetest Scoundrel by Elizabeth Hoyt (2/26/21)

11. The Star-Crossed Sisters of Tuscany by Lori Nelson Spielman (2/27/21)

12. When He was Wicked by Julia Quinn (3/16/21)

13. It’s In His Kiss by Julia Quinn (3/30/21)

14. Outlawed by Anna North (4/6/21)

15. The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner (4/13/21)

16. Lady Mechanika Vol. 5 (4/21/21)

17. Lady Mechanika Vol. 6 (4/23/21)

18. Just Like Heaven by Julia Quinn (4/24/21)

19. A Night Like This by Julia Quinn (4/27/21)

20. Still Life by Louise Penny (5/12/21)

21. The Secrets of Sir Richard Kenworthy by Julia Quinn (5/26/21)

22. Portrait of a Scotsman by Evie Dunmore (10/13/21)

23. The Ex Hex by Erin Sterling (10/26/21)

24. In a Spindle Splintered by Alix E. Harrow (10/27/21)

25. Under the Whispering Door by TJ Klune (11/5/21)

26. Harlem Shuffle by Colson Whitehead (11/27/21)

Fall Seasonal
Goal 8/25 Books 0%

1. Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo (10/8/21)

2. Girls Meets Duke series by Tessa Dare

   • The Wallflower Wager (10/2/21)

   • The Bride Bet

3. The Woods are Always Watching by Stephanie Perkins (10/5/21)

4. Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins

5. The Bloody Chamber by Angela Carter (10/9/21)

6. The Last Unicorn by Peter Beagle

7. The Guide by Peter Heller (10/6/21)

8. Portrait of a Scotsman by Evie Dunmore (10/13/21)

9. Well Matched by Jen DeLuca (12/21/21)

10. A Spindle Splintered by Alix E. Harrow (10/27/21)

11. The Diabolical Miss Hyde by Viola Carr

12. Lives of the Monster Dogs by Kristin Bakis

13. Underground Airlines by Ben Winters

14. Magic for Liars by Sarah Gailey

15. The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry

16. Daughter of the Forest by Juliet Marillier

17. Code Name Helene by Ariel Lawhon (11/13/21)

18. Garlic and Sapphires by Ruth Reichl

19. The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern

20. A Court of Throne sand Roses by Sarah J. Maas

21. The Witches by Stacy Schiff

22. Ariadne by Jennifer Saint

23. The Heiress Gets a Duke by Harper St. George

24. Half Sick of Shadows by Laura Sebastian

25. Rereads

    • Sunshine by Robin McKinley

    • The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert (10/24/21)

Unread Shelf Project Reading Challenge
Goal 11/24 Books 16.7%

1. January: High Expectations - Leave the World Behind by Rumaan Alam (1/13/21)

2. February: Got for free - The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides (2/17/21)

3. March: Bought on a trip -

4. April: Bought from used bookstore - Just Like Heaven by Julia Quinn (4/24/21)

5. May: Bought as a new release -

6. June: Bought in a spending spree - Portrait of a Scotsman by Evie Dunmore (10/13/21)

7. July: Bought for the cover -

8. August: From an independent bookstore -

9. September: Want to learn from -

10. October: Secretly afraid of -

11. November: Published before 2000 -

12. December: Reminds you of childhood -

13. More than 500 pages -

14. Impulse buy -

15. On the shelf longer than a year - The Secrets of Sir Richard Kenworthy by Julia Quinn (5/26/21)

16. Author you've never read before - The Ex Hex by Erin Sterling (10/26/21)

17. Bought because of a recommendation -

18. Given to you that you didn't ask for -

19. Got for a special occasion - Under the Whispering Door by TJ Klune (11/5/21)

20. Favorite genre - A Night Like This by Julia Quinn (4/27/21)

21. Bought because of the hype - Harlem Shuffle by Colson Whitehead (11/27/21)

22. From a Little Free Library -

23. Most recently acquired - The Star-Crossed Sisters of Tuscany by Lori Nelson Spielman (2/27/21)

24. Backlist title by an author with a newer release available - Sanctum by Madeleine Roux (1/23/21)

Summer Seasonal
Goal 12/25 Books 40%

1. Daughters of Sparta by Claire Heywood

2. Troy by Stephen Fry

3. World Travel: An Irreverent Guide by Anthony Bourdain (8/20/21)

4. A Psalm for the Wild-Built (Monk & Robot #1) by Becky Chambers (9/11/21)

5. Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid (7/7/21)

6. For the Wolf (Wilderwood #1) by Hannah Whitten (6/29/21)

7. The Guide by Peter Heller

8. Laundry Love: Finding Joy in a Common Chore by Patric Richardson (8/21/21)

9. The Maidens by Alex Michaelides

10. Hour of the Witch by Chris Bohjalian

11. The Kingdoms by Natasha Pulley (7/28/21)

12. People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry (7/14/21)

13. Four Hundred Souls: A Community History of African America 1619-2019 (9/17/21)

14. Mara Dyer and Noah Shaw Series by Michelle Hodkin

    • The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer (Mara Dyer #1)

    • The Becoming of Noah Shaw (The Shaw Confessions #1)

    • The Reckoning of Noah Shaw (The Shaw Confessions #2)

15. The Final Girl Support Group by Grady Hendrix

16. Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times by Katherine May (7/30/21)

17. Into the Heartless Wood by Joanna Ruth Meyer

18. The Whispering House by Elizabeth Brooks (6/23/21)

19. Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir (6/30/21)

20. Ariadne by Jennifer Saint

21. Black Cobra Quartet by Stephanie Laurens

    • The Untamed Bride

    • The Elusive Bride

    • The Brazen Bride

    • The Reckless Bride

22. The Thousandth Floor by Katharine McGee

    • The Thousandth Floor

    • The Dazzling Heights

23. Every Hidden Thing by Kenneth Oppel

24. Magic for Liars by Sarah Gailey

25. A Master of Djinn by P. Djèlí Clark (6/25/21)

Winter Seasonal
Goal 14/25 Books 56%

1. One to Watch by Kate Stayman-London (1/17/21)

2. Still Life by Louise Penny (own)

3. Solutions and Other Problems by Allie Brosh (1/15/21)

4. The Duke and I by Julia Quinn (1/24/21)

5. The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin (own)

6. Asylum Series by Madeleine Roux

   • Sanctum (1/23/21)

   • Catacomb DNFed

   • Novellas DNFed

   • Escape from Asylum DNFed

7. A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah Maas (library on hold)

8. The Ends of the World by Peter Brannen (1/23/21)

9. The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers (library on hold)

10. Exhalation by Ted Chiang (1/12/21)

11. Piranesi by Susanna Clarke (1/14/21)

12. Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari (library on hold)

13. The Once and Future Witches by Alix Harrow (2/5/21)

14. Darling Beast by Elizabeth Hoyt (2/19/21)

15. Underland by Robert Macfarlane (2/3/21)

16. Wellington by Aaron Mahnke (1/16/21)

17. Disappearing Earth by Julia Phillips (library on hold)

18. Garlic and Sapphires by Ruth Reichl (own)

19. I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith (own)

20. The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson (library on hold)

21. Daring Greatly by Brene Brown (library on hold)

22. The Nest by Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney (own)

23. Scythe by Neal Shusterman (2/13/21)

24. Lock In by John Scalzi (1/30/21)

25. The Robots of Dawn by Isaac Asimov (1/20/21)

Spring Seasonal
Goal 12/25 Books 32%

1. Foundation by Isaace Asimov

2. Lives of the Monster Dogs by Kirsten Bakis

3. Girl, Serpent, Thorn by Melissa Bashardoust (4/28/21)

4. Lady Mechanika series

   • Volume 5: La Belle Dame Sans Merci (4/21/21)

   • Volume 6: Sangre (4/23/21)

5. Daring Greatly by Brene Brown (6/4/21)

6. The Girl with the Louding Voice by Abi Dare

7. A Jane Austen Education by William Deresiewicz (6/16/21)

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 (6/11/21)

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 (4/6/21)

16. The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner (4/13/21)

17. Still Life by Louise Penny (5/12/21)

18. Bridgerton Series by Julia Quinn

    • It’s In His Kiss (3/30/21)

    • On the Way to the Wedding (4/16/21)

    • Happily Ever After (4/17/21)

19. Swamplandia by Karen Russell

20. Buy Yourself the F*cking Lilies by Tara Schuster (5/5/21)

21. The Toll by Neal Shusterman (5/8/21)

22. I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith

23. Dear Fahrenheit 451 by Annie Spence (6/15/21)

24. Will Storr vs The Supernatural by Will Storr

25. The Nest by Cynthia d’Aprix Sweeney

2021 Desserts and Snacks Wrap and 2022's Plan

Week 21: Cake Batter Blondies

The kids loved these treats on the Fourth of July. And I thought they were pretty good too.

Recipe used from Sally’s Baking Addiction

Week 22: Mini Apple-Raspberry Cobblers

I also made these on the Fourth of July for the adults. They were good little pies and even better with ice cream.

Recipe used from Food Network

Week 23: Blueberry Muffins

These are the best blueberry muffins that I’ve ever had or made. They are absolutely amazing! These need to go into our regular rotation.

Recipe used from Alton Brown

Week 24: Oatmeal Banana Bread

This turned off very dry and dense. I’m not sure if it was an issue with our oven or the rising agents, but it did not work well at all.

Recipe used from Simply Whisked

Week 25: Blueberry Lemon Upside Down Cake

This was a very yummy breakfast cake. Will make again.

Recipe used from Delish

Week 26: Cranberry Orange Cake

Another good breakfast cake. I best this would be better with fresh cranberries.

Recipe used from The View from Great Island

2022 Plan

2021 did not work out for our plan of making 52 Desserts and Snacks. So I’m breaking all my rules and extending this challenge into 2022. We are going to continue with last year’s plan and just add on.

Winter Bucket List

After taking a bit of a break from bucket lists in 2021 (seriously, that year was a trash fire), I’m back this year. We have a variety of projects that we want to accomplish this coming year and I want to make some intentions for each season. For winter:

1. Check off 150 hours of our 1000 hours outside project - We’re doing this informally with a whole group of friends in town. Which reminds me to go and buy our Nebraska state park pass for 2022.

2. Have a birthday day out for my 40th! - I didn’t get to do my birthday day out last year due to the pandemic. I’m hoping that I can restart this tradition in early March. I’m thinking antiques, bookstores, and a good lunch.

3. Weekend trip to Chicago - We been talking about going to the Field Museum for a few years now. I’m going to try to swing this before school lets out for the summer.

4. Read 50 books - Always have to have a reading goal.

5. Day trip to Des Moines - I’ve been wanting to take the boys for a exploration trip for awhile.

6. At least 6 zoo visits - We love the zoo in the winter!

7. Trip to see the frozen waterfall at Platte - Since hearing about it, I’ve wanted to check it out. We’ve seen the waterfall in spring, summer, and fall; it’s time to see it in winter.

8. Movie Month February - We used to do this in January, but that month is just too hectic. Here’s to February and a month of new-to-us movies.

9. Weekly Game Day/Night with Arthur — We have a ton of card and board games at the house. I want to start playing more regularly with Arthur.

10. Make winter crafts — We can’t really spend a lot of time outside, so it’s prime time for crafting. I need to peruse Pinterest for some ideas.

11. Design board for future kitchen renovation - I really want to start thinking about styles and finishes for our future kitchen renovation. It won’t happen for another few years, but I like getting the general ideas down.

12. Make Valentine’s — I love crafting of course, but want to make some cute Valentine’s for this year.

13. Have a monthly (indoor) picnic — Weather doesn’t allow for outside ones of course, but I want to start this as a monthly tradition.

14. Finish one craft project - Seriously, last year as a desert of crafting. I would love to get back into it in 2022.

15. Monthly bingo/trivia nights - We found a fun little bar that hosts trivia and bingo nights. Definitely need to do this monthly!

16. Go sledding - No real snowfall yet, but I’m sure we will have at least one big one this winter.

17. Buy a new Nebraska State Park permit - We loved exploring last year, but the permits run from January to December. Time for a new one.

18. Do a donation drop - We have clothes, books, and random housewares that I would really love to get out of the house soon.

19. Take the kids bowling - Haven’t done it for years, maybe we should try it!

20. Dye my hair purple - I’ve put it off for years due to the pandemic. I would love to get it done professionally for this year.

21. Log 50 miles on the treadmill - Need to get using it again.

22. Learn to knit - A homeschool friend has offered to teach us. I’m so down for this!

23. Replace 50% of my socks - Silly little goal, but a lot of my socks are old and some have holes. I want new cozy socks!

24. Make homemade cinnamon rolls - Been on my random list for years, maybe 2022 is the year!

25. Complete 3 television series - We’ve been working on a few for awhile now. Time to knock them out!

Christmas Bucket List Final

Instead of a separate bucket list, I’m just going to highlight our advent activities for December.

Decorate Mini Tree ✓ (This pic was pre-decoration, but they got it down and started their advent calendars.)

Letter to Santa ✓

Christmas Movies with the Kids x3 ✓

• 8 Bit Christmas - Lovely 80s nostalgia for the parents. Heartwarming for the kids.

• Dr. Sesuss’ The Grinch - Marcus Theaters was having $5 retro Christmas movies.

• The Muppet Christmas Carol - Family favorite!

Make Paper Snowflakes ✓ - Arthur ripped a few, but we managed to make about 6 for the breakfast nook window.

Get New Christmas PJs and Socks ✓

Go See Santa at Cabela’s ✓ - We always have to check out the taxidermy animals and see the aquarium while there. And this year the boys got me to buy them those giant stuffed reindeer. We also ended up visiting Santa at The Durham Museum.

Go See Werner Park Lights ✓

Hot Chocolate bar ✓ - We tried Mint, French Vanilla, and Amaretto. Arthur and Quentin loved the Amaretto best and I really enjoyed the French Vanilla.

Meet the reindeer - We never made it to this activity.

Go for a hike and get pine cones - Ditto

Puzzle Day ✓ - This year’s selection was Christmas cats!

Make Gingerbread Cookies ✓ - Quentin was a big helper coating the cookies with sugar.

Visit Lauritzen Gardens - We never went.

Coop Christmas Party ✓ - No pictures as they feature other kids, but we had a great party right before we left for Indiana.

Decorate Gingerbread Houses ✓ - Always a disaster, but we love it.

Drive around and see the lights ✓

Fantasy of Lights ✓

Botanical Gardens Christmas Display ✓

Cookie Decorating ✓ - We ended up doing this during the coop Christmas Party.

Dinner at Coney Island and Visit to Santa Lights - Line was crazy long so we skipped.

Christmas music dance party ✓ - Always a favorite!

Watch The Grinch ✓ - Always a favorite!

24 Days of Christmas Books

• Gingerbread Baby by Jan Brett

• Gingerbread Christmas by Jan Brett

• Catch that Cookie by Hallie Durand

• Five Little Monkeys by Eileen Christelow

• The Wheels on the Bus at Christmas

• The Library Gingerbread Man by Dotti Enderle

• Who Will Pull Santa's Sleigh by Russ Willms

• The Gingerbread Pirates by Kristin Kladstrup

• Dream Snow by Eric Carle

• Snow Globe Wishes by Erin Dealey

• The Dinosaurs' Night Before Christmas by Anne Muecke

• Olive, the Other Reindeer by J. Otto Seibold

• Santa in the City by Tiffany D. Jackson

• Santa's Secrets Revealed by James Solheim

• Comet, the Unstoppable Reindeer by Jim Benton

• A Polar Story in the Snow by Mac Barnett

• Snow by Sam Usher

• The Wild Christmas Reindeer by Jan Brett

• Gingerbread Friends by Jan Brett

• Snow is Fun by Steve Henry

• Little Fox in the Snow by Jonathan London

• Good Night, Reindeer by Denise Brennan-Nelson

• How Santa Really Works by Alan Snow

• Snow Friends by Margery Cuyler

• A Chick n Pug Christmas by Jennifer Sattler

• Mouse's Night Before Christmas by Tracey Corderoy

• The Gingerbread Girl by Lisa Campbell Ernst

• The Gingerbread Girl Goes Animal Crackers by Lisa Campbell Ernst

• Last Stop on the Reindeer Express by Maudie Powell-Tuck

• The Christmas Eve Tree by Delia Huddy

• Martin MacGregor's Snowman by Lisa Broadie Cook

• What the Dinosaurs Did the Night Before Christmas by Refe and Susan Tuma

• Hurry, Santa! by Tomie dePaola

• One Wild Christmas by Nicholas Oldland

• Vegetables in Holiday Underwear by Jared Chapman

• T. rex at Swan Lake by Lisa Carrier and Lenore Hart

• The Nutcracker's Night Before Christmas by Keith Brockett

• Five Busy Elves by Patricia Hegarty

• Snow by Roy McKie

• The Christmas Quiet Book by Deborah Underwood

• Ten Ways to Heart Snow by Cathy Camper

• Wolf in the Snow by Matthew Cordell

• The Littlest Elf by Brandi Dougherty

• The Littlest Reindeer by Brandi Dougherty

• Merry Christmas, Stinky Face by Lisa McCourt

• Peppa Pig and the Christmas Party

• Russell's Christmas Magic by Rob Scotton

• The Great Reindeer Rebellion by Lisa Trumbauer

• 12 Days of Christmas by Kate Toms

• Jingle Bells by Rosie Greening

• The Story of the Nutcracker Ballet by Deborah Hautzig

• There's an Elf in Your Book by Tom Fletcher

• Snow Bunny's Christmas Gift by Rebecca Harry

• If Snowflakes Tasted Like Fruitcake by Stacey Previn

• Winter is for Snow by Robert Neubecker

• The Great Santa Stakeout by Betsy Bird

Other Holiday Movies Watched

• The Man Who Invented Christmas

• A Christmas Wish

• Single All the Way

• Love Hard

• Encanto - We went to the movie theater for this one!

• One Royal Holiday

• The Knight Before Christmas

• A Castle for Christmas

Next up on the TBR pile:

Homeschool Christmas Break 2021

What We Studied

While we didn’t completely stop all schooling, we did take it pretty easy this Christmas break. We did a lot of holiday related activities. Plus, we traveled to and from Indiana to visit a few family members. We are getting back at it today, but easing back in.

Literature and Poetry

We kept reading Scary Stories for Young Foxes: The City, but ultimately didn’t get very far. We were distracted by lots of picture books and the ones the boys got for Christmas. So lots of random reading, but not organized.

• Scary Stories for Young Foxes: The City by Christian McKay Heidicker

Math

We mostly played some math games. Arthur also did some math in his independent packet.

Social Studies

No big unit, but Arthur did complete an entire Map Skills book (Grade 1). It was mostly review, but good practice.

Arthur Independent Time

To allow for one-on-one time with Quentin, I have added an hour of independent work time for Arthur. Each week, he will have a mix of packet work (mostly grammar and math review), independent reading time, and special projects. Many of his projects will be aligned with our literature selections (some taken from B&R Language Arts curriculum) and history. This week, he focused on packet work and some random building projects.

Science and STEAM Coop

No coop obviously. We did continue watching random PBS Eons videos, picking up some of the ones we missed and those set during the last Ice Age.

Art/Music

Nothing this week

Quentin

I have scheduled at least four 1-hour time blocks for one-on-one time with Quentin. I bought Blossom and Root’s Early Years Volume 2 curriculum to use as our base. I love the variety of activities and some of the bigger projects included.

ELA

• High Five issues

Math

Other

• Dinosaur Puzzle Book

Field Trip

Other than just traveling to Indiana, we didn’t really have any field trips. We’ve been laying fairly low due to the pandemic.

Documentary Selection

I have carved out a one hour time block each week to watch a documentary related to our studies. We didn’t actually watch anything this week, but made up for it by all the PBS Eons videos for our dinosaur unit.

24 Days of Christmas Books - It’s become a tradition. I wrap packages of holiday books for each day of December until Christmas. We have a great group of books this year!

• Christmas is Awesome by Sabrina Moyle

• The Last Christmas Tree by Stephen Krensky

• The Crayon's’ Christmas by Drew Daywalt

• Christmas City by Michael Garland

• Goodby Autumn, Hello Winter by Kenard Pak

Picture Books Read

• Freedom Soup by Tami Charles

• Can I Be Your Dog? by Troy Cummings

• Beware of the Crocodile by Martin Jenkins

• No by Claudia Rueda

• No more Cuddles by Jane Chapman

• The Way Back Home by Oliver Jeffers

• Give Your Cat a Bath in Five Easy Steps by Nicola Winstanley

• Bear Came Along by Richard T. Morris

• Chez Bob by Bob Shea

• Inside Cat by Brendan Wenzel

High

• Beyond the usual Christmas Eve and Day fun, we loved hosting a Christmas party for the coop before we left. The kids did some art, decorated cookies, played bingo and pin the nose on the reindeer, and did hot chocolate tasting. it was chaotic fun!

Low

• I anticipated that this would happen, but was still thrown off when the boys’ attitudes really fell off a cliff right after Christmas. We had a few really rough days and needed to get back into our school routine.

Next Week

• Traveling to Polynesia for History

• Reading more trickster tales and continuing our read aloud

• Starting 3B for math

• Covering famous Nebraskans and Iowans for coop

• Exploring emotions for health

• Beginning concentrated reading lessons for Quentin

• Discovering Hokusai’s paintings and woodcuts

Next up on the TBR pile:

2021 Wrap-up

Favorite Books of the Year: I don’t usually rank or have categories for my favorites, but this year, I’m going to do something a bit different…

1. Book of the Year: Piranesi by Susanna Clarke

2. Kid Read Aloud: The Very Very Far North (and sequel Just Beyond the Very Far North) by

3. YA Series: Scythe Trilogy by Neal Shusterman

4. SciFi Series: Foundation by Isaac Asimov (all 15 books collectively!)

5. SciFi Standalone: Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir

6. Fantasy: A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers

7. Fairy Tale: Tales from the Hinterland by Melissa Albert

8. Horror: Ring Shout by P. Djèlí Clark

9. Contemporary Romance: People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry

10. Historical Romance: An Offer from a Gentleman by Julia Quinn

11. Nonfiction: Underland by Robert McFarlane

12. Collection: The Anthropocene Reviewed by John Green

13. Memoir: Broken by Jenny Lawson

Honorable Mentions: The HM category is reserved for rereads that I really loved.

• The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren

• The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert

Total Books Read – 223 books

Total Pages Read – 67,488 pages

I averaged 5624 pages per month.  My lowest month was April with only 4922 pages.  My highest month was December with 6495 pages.  I hope to read 50,000 pages next year.

Book Rating Stats 

• 5 stars — 65 books

• 4 stars — 97 books

• 3 stars — 43 books

• 2 stars — 16 books

• 1 star — 2 books

• DNFs — 0 books

I think my spread of stars is pretty accurate to how I read and enjoy books. I expect mostly 4 star books with some great and some not-so-great and very few terrible books. Most of those terrible books were book club selections and those “hot” books everyone was reading, but really aren’t for me.

Next up on the TBR pile:

December 2021 Wrap-up

December TBR Pile - 23 read:

1. Bookworms BC: (Already Read)

2. Friend BC: The Reading List by Sara Nisha Adams ✓

3. The Twelve Dates of Christmas by Jenny Bayliss ✓

4. The Holiday Swap by Maggie Knox ✓

5. A Winter’s Knight by Elizabeth Cole ✓

6. A Grosvenor Square Christmas ✓

7. Never Kiss a Man in a Christmas Sweater by Debbie Johnson ✓

8. Pastels and Jingle Bells by Christine S. Feldman ✓

9. A Pirate for Christmas by Anna Campbell ✓

10. Scandalous Lord Dare by Stephanie Laurens ✓

11. Where the Heart Is by Darcy Burke ✓

12. We Met in December by Rosie Curtis ✓

13. Always, in December by Emily Stone ✓

14. The Princess Plan by Julia London ✓

15. God Rest Ye, Royal Gentlemen by Rhys Bowen ✓

16. Miss Moriarty, I Presume? by Sherry Thomas ✓

17. Well Matched by Jen DeLuca ✓

18. Beautiful Bitch by Christina Lauren ✓

19. Beautiful Stranger by Christina Lauren ✓

20. A Princess for Christmas by Jenny Holiday ✓

21. The Tourist Attraction by Sarah Morgenthaler ✓

22. A Season for Second Chances by Jenny Bayliss ✓

23. As You Wish by Cary Elwes ✓

24. The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame ✓

1,000,000 Page Goal:

Monthly Total: 6495 pages
Pages Remaining: 434,304 pages

Current Read - Life’s Too Short by Abby Jimenez; A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles

Books I Gave Up On (0)

Books Bought/Received (9) - Seriously I lost track…

UnRead Shelf Progress

• Starting Number: 294

• Books Read: 0

• Books Acquired: 11

• Books Unshelved: 0

• Finishing Number: 305

January TBR Pile:

1. BOTM: TBD

2. Bookworms BC: The Plot by Jean Hanff Korelitz

3. Friend BC: (Already Read)

4. Currently Reading Buddy Read: A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles

5. Romance: Mistletoe and Mr. Right by Sarah Morgenthaler

6. Romance: Enjoy the View by Sarah Morgenthaler

7. Romance: Life’s Too Short by Abby Jimenez

8. Romance: Duke, Actually by Jenny Holiday

9. Romance: Beautiful Bombshell by Christina Lauren

10. Comics: Monstress Vol. 6

11. Comics: Lumberjanes Vol. 20

12. Comics: Far Sector

13. Nonfiction: How Zoologists Organize Things by David Bainbridge

14. Nonfiction: The Comfort Book by Matt Haig

15. Fantasy: A Marvellous Light by Freya Marske

16. Fantasy: House of Hollow by Krystal Sutherland

17. Fantasy: Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse

18. Fantasy: Questland by Carrie Vaughn

Movies watched

• 8 Bit Christmas - Entertaining for this 80s kid.

• The Harder They Fall - Absolutely amazing! And the soundtrack is killer.

• The Man Who Invented Christmas - Loved the style of this one, really made it a good movie.

• Single All the Way - Not a favorite. I didn’t feel the romantic chemistry at all.

• Love Hard - Oof. Catfishing should not be rewarded.

• A Christmas Wish - So incredibly smaltzy, but fun.

• A Muppet Christmas Carol - A family favorite and the best movie version of A Christmas Carol!

• Encanto - Watched at the theater. Loved the music. Less of a fan of the storyline. Although Bruno was great!

• Spiderman: No Way Home - Another theater movie. This was absolutely amazing!

• A Knight Before Christmas - Very silly and forgettable.

• Don’t Look Up - This one hit a little too close to the truth of the world to be enjoyable although I see what Adam McKay was doing with this movie.

• Christmas at the Castle - Really I watched for Cary Elwes who did not disappoint.

• One Royal Holiday - Love Aaron Tveit, the plot was very predictable.

TV Shows watched 

• Hit Monkey S1 - Super strange and yet I was very into it.

• The Bachelorette with Michelle - Kinda disappointed in this season although Michelle was much better than Katie.

• Below Deck S9 - Thank goodness for Eddie and Captain Lee!

• Cowboy Bebop S1 - We loved it! So sad that Netflix canceled the show.

• The Great S1 - Finally started this one and it is delightful.

• Doctor Who S13 - I don’t think this season of Doctor Who worked well at all. Too many questions, not enough answers.

• Dash and Lily S1 - My mom and I binged this in one day. Very cute little show.

• it’s Always Sunny S15 - How is this show still going and still funny?

• The Witcher S2 - Just started, but so far, it’s really good.

• Ghosts S1 (UK Version) - J binged it over Christmas, so now we are watching together. it’s good.

• Letterkenny S10 - So excited that it’s back!

• Shadow and Bone S1 - I finally started and it’s been great so far. They made Mal more of a decent human and included my favorite Crows.

Comments - I ended my reading year very strong with 23 reads! Only two of those were 5 stars, but mostly I just wanted something light and fluffy for this month. I also ended up watching a ton of media somehow and loved most of it. Here’s to 2022!

Next up on the TBR pile:

Never Kiss a Man in a Christmas Sweater by Debbie Johnson

Title: Never Kiss a Man in a Christmas Sweater

Author: Debbie Johnson

Publisher: One More Chapter 2015

Genre: Romance

Pages: 222

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: 

For single mum Maggie, Christmas has always been a family occasion – her daughter Ellen filling the house with her bubbly warmth and mistletoe, her dad Paddy having one too many festive tipples, and the traditional family Christmas tree looking like a drunken elf vomited a rainbow all over it.

But this year, with both Ellen and Paddy away for the holidays, Maggie’s facing a truly blue Christmas – alone with nothing but a bottle of Baileys and an M&S turkey dinner.

Until walking the snowy streets of Oxford, Marco Cavelli quite literally crashes into her life – and, complete with broken leg, becomes her unexpected houseguest. All dreamy brown eyes and 6’5” of gorgeousness, the man is hotter and more delicious than a freshly baked mince pie.

Though Maggie always thought it’s a truth universally acknowledged that you never kiss a man in a Christmas jumper?

Decent little Christmas romance to end my year’s reading. This is just as light and fluffy as I was hoping that it would. I loved Ellen in the very small parts that she appeared in. Seriously, she was a great kid. As for Maggie and Marco, their romance was fairly believable and swoony. And I hear that this was made into a Hallmark movie. I’ll have to look this one up to add to next year’s viewing. I would have liked more steam, as this is clearly leaning into the sweet romance. But it was enjoyable overall.

Next up on the TBR pile:

As You Wish by Cary Elwes

Title: As You Wish: Inconceivable Tales from the Making of The Princess Bride

Author: Cary Elwes

Publisher: Atria 2016

Genre: Nonfiction

Pages: 272

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: 

The Princess Bride has been a family favorite for close to three decades. Ranked by the American Film Institute as one of the top 100 Greatest Love Stories and by the Writers Guild of America as one of the top 100 screenplays of all time, The Princess Bride will continue to resonate with audiences for years to come.

Cary Elwes was inspired to share his memories and give fans an unprecedented look into the creation of the film while participating in the twenty-fifth anniversary cast reunion. In As You Wishhe has created an enchanting experience; in addition to never-before seen photos and interviews with his fellow cast mates, there are plenty of set secrets and backstage stories.

On advice from J, I listened to this audiobook driving to Indiana for Christmas. It was a complete delight. We get this amazing behind-the-scenes look at the making of a beloved movie. My favorite bits were all the stories involving Andre the Giant. He was much more interesting than I had known. I loved listening to Cary Elwes telling the stories. You could tell that he really loved making this movie with these people. The audiobook was made even better by the voices of some of the other players involved. This book is definitely for those that love the movie; I don’t think someone who has never seen the movie would get much out of these stories. As it is, I loved the movie and thoroughly enjoyed this book.

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Tourist Attraction by Sarah Morgenthaler

Title: The Tourist Attraction (Moose Springs, Alaska #1)

Author: Sarah Morgenthaler

Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca 2020

Genre: Romance

Pages: 375

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: 

Curl up with a quirky small-town Alaskan rom-com that'll leave you laughing over:

• A grumpy local and the sunny tourist who turns his world upside down

• A rogue moose who threatens to steal every scene

• A vacation you'll never forget

• And a sweet romance that doesn't need to scald the pages to burn its way into your heart

He had a strict "no tourists" policy...until she broke all of his rules.When Graham Barnett named his diner The Tourist Trap, he meant it as a joke. Now he's stuck slinging reindeer dogs to an endless parade of resort visitors who couldn't interest him less. Not even the sweet, enthusiastic tourist in the corner who blushes every time he looks her way...

Two weeks in Alaska isn't just the top item on Zoey Caldwell's bucket list. It's the whole bucket. One look at the mountain town of Moose Springs and she's smitten. But when an act of kindness brings Zoey into Graham's world, she may just find there's more to the grumpy local than meets the eye...and more to love in Moose Springs than just the Alaskan wilderness.

This story of Alaska marries together all the things you didn't realize you needed: a whirlwind vacation, a friendly moose, a grumpy diner owner, a quirky tourist, plenty of restaurant humor, and a happy ending that'll take you away from it all.

A very breezy but sweet romance set in Alaska. I was under the impression that this was a Christmas book but it’s actually set during the summer. Oh well. I still loved the setting of Moose Springs, Alaska. Zoey is a good main character but Graham was clearly the favorite person in the book. I loved his relationships with all the other townspeople. Ulysses was the best random encounter. I can’t wait to revisit the town and find out what happens with the resort.

Moose Springs, Alaska

• #1 The Tourist Attraction

• #2 Mistletoe and Mr. Right

• #3 Enjoy the View

Next up on the TBR pile:

A Grosvenor Square Christmas

Title: A Grosvenor Square Christmas

Author: Anna Campbell, Shana Galen, Vanessa Kelly, Kate Noble

Publisher: 2013

Genre: Romance

Pages: 171

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: 

Four breathtakingly romantic tales of a Regency Christmas from four bestselling romance authors.

Down through the years, enchantment touches a tall gray house in Grosvenor Square. The legend of Lady Winterson’s Christmas ball promises true love and happiness to one lucky couple. Who will feel the magic this winter?

1803 - The Seduction of a Duchess by Shana Galen

Rowena Harcourt, the Duchess of Valère, never forgot the handsome footman who helped her escape the French Revolution. For fourteen years, Gabriel Lamarque has loved Rowena—now at Lady Winterson’s Christmas ball, has fate finally delivered a chance to win her hand?

1818 - One Kiss for Christmas by Vanessa Kelly

Nigel Dash is London’s most reliable gentleman, a reputation he never minded until he fell in love with beautiful Amelia Easton. Unfortunately, Amelia sees Nigel as a dependable friend, not a dashing suitor. At Lady Winterson’s famous Christmas ball, Nigel vows to change Amelia’s mind—by sweeping her off her feet.

1825 - His Christmas Cinderella by Anna Campbell

At the season’s most glittering ball, a girl who has never dared to dream of forever after discovers a Christmas miracle.

1830 - The Last First Kiss by Kate Noble

Susannah Westforth has always loved Sebastian Beckett – but he’s only ever seen her as a friend. When Sebastian takes his Grand Tour, Susannah transforms herself into a woman he’ll notice. Now Sebastian is back, just in time for Lady Winterson's Christmas ball – but the last thing he expects to see is his little Susie, all grown up...

You’re invited to join the whirling dance at Lady Winterson’s sparkling Christmas ball, where miracles happen and true love shines forever. How can you resist?

These were all decent little stories but I wanted more from them. We get beginnings or middles but nothing like a satisfying story. I wanted a whole lot more for these characters. So another mostly disappointing collection of stories.

Next up on the TBR pile:

A Season for Second Chances by Jenny Bayliss

Title: A Season for Second Chances

Author: Jenny Bayliss

Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons 2021

Genre: Romance

Pages: 448

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: 

Annie Sharpe’s spark for life has fizzled out. Her kids are grown up, her restaurant is doing just fine on its own, and her twenty-six-year marriage has come to an unceremonious end. Untethered for the first time in her adult life, she finds a winter guardian position in a historic seaside home and decides to leave her city life behind for a brand-new beginning.

When she arrives in Willow Bay, Annie is enamored by the charming house, the invigorating sea breeze, and the town’s rich seasonal traditions. Not to mention, her neighbors receive her with open arms—that is, all except the surly nephew of the homeowner, whose grand plans for the property are at odds with her residency. As Christmas approaches, tensions and tides rise in Willow Bay, and Annie’s future seems less and less certain. But with a little can-do spirit and holiday magic, the most difficult time of her life will become…a season for second chances.

I enjoyed Bayliss’s previous book, but this one was a miss for me. I was expecting another Christmas romantic comedy. This is not that. Instead we get a very slow moving look at a woman starting again in a new-to-her village. Not enough happened to keep me really interested. I wanted more and something a little lighter. Oh well. Not every book I read is a winner.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Miss Moriarty, I Presume? by Sherry Thomas

Title: Miss Moriarty, I Presume? (Lady Sherlock #6)

Author: Sherry Thomas

Publisher: Berkley 2021

Genre: Mystery

Pages: 365

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges:

A most unexpected client shows up at Charlotte Holmes's doorstep: Moriarty himself. Moriarty fears that tragedy has befallen his daughter and wants Charlotte to find out the truth.

Charlotte and Mrs. Watson travel to a remote community of occult practitioners where Moriarty's daughter was last seen, a place full of lies and liars. Meanwhile, Charlotte’s sister Livia tries to make sense of a mysterious message from her beau Mr. Marbleton. And Charlotte’s longtime friend and ally Lord Ingram at last turns his seductive prowess on Charlotte—or is it the other way around?

But the more secrets Charlotte unravels about Miss Moriarty’s disappearance, the more she wonders why Moriarty has entrusted this delicate matter to her of all people. Is it merely to test Charlotte's skills as an investigator, or has the man of shadows trapped her in a nest of vipers?

And now we come to the end of the series… And what an ending it was! We finally get to meet Moriarty in person and dive into his organization and personal life. Obviously this volume was going to involve Reichenbach Falls and the “death” of Sherlock. It was fun to read how this was going to get twisted and updated for this version of the story. I loved the interactions between Charlotte, Ash, and Mrs. Watson. Those three are the core of this series and it was fitting for the series to end with then. I loved the setting of the Garden and the atmospheric elements of the story. I completely sped through this not wanting to wait for the ending! Now I am a little sad the series is over. I really might have to go back and re-read it soon.

Lady Sherlock

• #1 A Study in Scarlet Women

• #2 A Conspiracy in Belgravia

• #3 The Hollow of Fear

• #4 The Art of Theft

• #5 Murder on Cold Street

• #6 Miss Moriarty, I Presume?

Next up on the TBR pile:

A Princess for Christmas by Jenny Holiday

Title: A Princess for Christmas (A Princess for Christmas #1)

Author: Jenny Holiday

Publisher: Avon 2020

Genre: Romance

Pages: 396

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: 

Leo Ricci's already handling all he can, between taking care of his little sister Gabby, driving a cab, and being the super of his apartment building in the Bronx. But when Gabby spots a "princess" in a gown outside of the UN trying to hail a cab, she begs her brother to stop and help. Before he knows it, he's got a real-life damsel in distress in the backseat of his car. 

Princess Marie of Eldovia shouldn't be hailing a cab, or even be out and about. But after her mother’s death, her father has plunged into a devastating depression and the fate of her small Alpine country has fallen on Marie’s shoulders. She’s taken aback by the gruff but devastatingly handsome driver who shows her more kindness than she’s seen in a long time.  

When Marie asks Leo to be her driver for the rest of her trip, he agrees, thinking he’ll squire a rich miss around for a while and make more money than he has in months. He doesn’t expect to like and start longing for the unpredictable Marie. And when he and Gabby end up in Eldovia for Christmas, he discovers the princess who is all wrong for him is also the woman who is his perfect match.

Perfectly decent little Christmas story, but not my favorite. This one is definitely a Hallmark/Lifetime Christmas movie in book form, but with some slightly explicit scenes. Really those scenes annoyed me the most. I was fully onboard with a princess of a made-up country falling for a Bronx guy scenario complete with chaste kisses in the snow and maybe a slightly heated embrace. With this story, we get some random sexual encounters that feel very high school in their tone and description. I wasn’t a fan of the dirty talk aspect as it felt very immature in this case. (If done well, I don’t mind dirty talk at all. See my enjoyment of many eroitca stories.) Something about Leo and Marie’s relationship felt slightly off to me. But I am intrigued by Max and want to read his and Dani’s story.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Well Matched by Jen DeLuca

Title: Well Matched (Well Met #3)

Author: Jen DeLuca

Publisher: Berkley 2021

Genre: Romance

Pages: 313

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Seasonal TBR

Single mother April Parker has lived in Willow Creek for twelve years with a wall around her heart. On the verge of being an empty nester, she’s decided to move on from her quaint little town, and asks her friend Mitch for his help with some home improvement projects to get her house ready to sell.

Mitch Malone is known for being the life of every party, but mostly for the attire he wears to the local Renaissance Faire—a kilt (and not much else) that shows off his muscled form to perfection. While he agrees to help April, he needs a favor too: she'll pretend to be his girlfriend at an upcoming family dinner, so that he can avoid the lectures about settling down and having a more “serious” career than high school coach and gym teacher. April reluctantly agrees, but when dinner turns into a weekend trip, it becomes hard to tell what's real and what's been just for show. But when the weekend ends, so must their fake relationship.

As summer begins, Faire returns to Willow Creek, and April volunteers for the first time. When Mitch's family shows up unexpectedly, April pretends to be Mitch's girlfriend again...and it doesn't feel so fake anymore. Despite their obvious connection, April insists they’ve just been putting on an act. But when there’s the chance for something real, she has to decide whether to change her plans—and open her heart—for the kilt-wearing hunk who might just be the love of her life.

After a disappointing second book in the series (I just really didn’t love the main characters), we get to Mitch and April’s very good story. I have loved Mitch since seeing him in the first book and always wanted to get to know him better. Thankfully, we get to see him in all his kilted glory for this book. It is true that April annoyed me throughout sections of this book, but I also realize why she struggled opening up to Mitch. Being independent for so long definitely made it hard for her to trust and give in to someone else. Totally understand that even if it annoyed me. I loved that we get to see her continued relationship with her daughter and get some pop ins from the rest of the characters we know. I also liked that this one wasn’t completely centered not he Ren Faire. We get som great scenes toward the end of the book, but a lot is set in April’s house and other locations. It helps to keep the series feeling fresh. And apparently, there’s going to be a fourth book! I’ll definitely have to add that one to my future reading list.

Well Met

• #1 Well Met

• #2 Well Played

• #3 Well Matched

Next up on the TBR pile:

Homeschool W17: Last Week of the Semester!

What We Studied

We took it a bit easy for our last week of the fall semester. We wrapped up a few units, had our last coop meeting, and then took Friday off to go to the zoo.

Literature and Poetry

We finished reading The Wind in the Willows. I ended up really enjoying it and reading it out loud is definitely the way to go. We started on our next read aloud selection. It wasn’t on my original list, but we saw it at the library and had to grab it.

• The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame

• A Snowflake Fell: Poems About Winter by Laura Whipple

• Scary Stories for Young Foxes: The City by Christian McKay Heidicker

• How Santa Got His Job by Stephen Krensky

• How Santa Lost His Job by Stephen Krensky

Math

We mostly wrapped up some math packets and did some extra scale reading practice. Plus, there was lots of play with tangrams this week! And Arthur finished his Primarily Logic book.

• Primarily Logic

Social Studies

History Quest wrapped up our semester with a chapter about the Hundred Years’ War. We learned all about the conflict and focused on Henry V and Joan of Arc for our biographies.

• DK Timelines of Everyone

• When on Earth

• DK History

• DK Timelines of Everything

• Joan of Arc by Demi

Arthur Independent Time

To allow for one-on-one time with Quentin, I have added an hour of independent work time for Arthur. Each week, he will have a mix of packet work (mostly grammar and math review), independent reading time, and special projects. Many of his projects will be aligned with our literature selections (some taken from B&R Language Arts curriculum) and history. This week, he focused on packet work and some random building projects.

Science and STEAM Coop

We finished our dinosaur unit with more PBS Eons videos. I taught coop this week and we made simple circuits. The kids were very excited to play with the Snap Circuits board I bought. It was a good meeting to end on.

Art/Music

Nothing this week

Quentin

I have scheduled at least four 1-hour time blocks for one-on-one time with Quentin. I bought Blossom and Root’s Early Years Volume 2 curriculum to use as our base. I love the variety of activities and some of the bigger projects included. Quentin and I read a lot of books, did some alphabet review, and completed a few math packets. We also played a decent number of dice games and board games.

ELA

Math

Other

Field Trip

We had a park playdate planned for Wednesday but that was canceled when a very dangerous storm blew in. Tornados touched down about 10 miles from our house, but didn’t cause too much damage. To make up for our lost trip, I called school off on Friday and we went to the zoo. I love going in the winter when there are no crowds and you can really linger over the animals. We got to see the penguin feeding. It was a nice morning.

Documentary Selection

I have carved out a one hour time block each week to watch a documentary related to our studies. We didn’t actually watch anything this week, but made up for it by all the PBS Eons videos for our dinosaur unit.

24 Days of Christmas Books - It’s become a tradition. I wrap packages of holiday books for each day of December until Christmas. We have a great group of books this year!

• The Nutcracker's Night Before Christmas by Keith Brockett

• Five Busy Elves by Patricia Hegarty

• Snow by Roy McKie

• The Christmas Quiet Book by Deborah Underwood

• Ten Ways to Heart Snow by Cathy Camper

• Wolf in the Snow by Matthew Cordell

• The Littlest Elf by Brandi Dougherty

• The Littlest Reindeer by Brandi Dougherty

• Merry Christmas, Stinky Face by Lisa McCourt

• Peppa Pug and the Christmas Party

• Russell's Christmas Magic by Rob Scotton

• The Great Reindeer Rebellion by Lisa Trumbauer

• 12 Days of Christmas by Kate Toms

• Jingle Bells by Rosie Greening

• The Story of the Nutcracker Ballet by Deborah Hautzig

• There's an Elf in Your Book by Tom Fletcher

• Snow Bunny's Christmas Gift by Rebecca Harry

• If Snowflakes Tasted Like Fruitcake by Stacey Previn

High

• Taking Friday morning off to go to the zoo was the right call. We wandered around and got to interact with lots of animals without the crowds. The mongoose was being playful and the baby gorilla was so adorable.

Low

• Wednesday’s bad weather cancelled all our fun plans! We were supposed to have a park playdate with coop friends and then that evening I was supposed to go to Musicals Bingo with some friends. It was to be my one night out before traveling with the kids. Darn midwest weather!

Next Week

• Nothing! It’s Christmas Break! Although we are going to be doing more holiday activities, puzzles, and games. We will officially start the spring semester on January 10th.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Life Right Now #39

As I look outside my window: Bright and sunny although it is cold today.

Right now I am: Getting ready to dive into my next book, Miss Moriarty, I Presume? by Sherry Thomas. It’s the last book in the Lady Sherlock series and I am desperate to see how everything ends.

On my bedside table: A Season for Second Chances by Jenny Bayliss; lots of Kindle holiday romances

On my tv this week: We continued with the current seasons of It’s Always Sunny and Doctor Who. We watched a few more episodes of The Great S1 and started The Wticher S2.

Listening to: Mostly trying to catch up with my podcasts. Only 5 gazillion episodes left to go.

On the menu for this week: I have no idea. We’re leaving on Tuesday, so I don’t really have definitely plans made.

On my to do list: I need to finish packing obviously. I also have a few errands to run later today to prepare for travel. And I should really consult my giant break projects list to make a time blocking plan.

Happening this week:

• Monday - Coop Christmas Party

• Tuesday - Travel Day!

• Wednesday - Visit to the Botanical Gardens and stop to see the lights downtown

• Thursday - Fantasy of Lights

• Friday - Christmas Eve!

• Saturday - Christmas Day!

• Sunday - Christmas with other side of the family

What I am creating: Packing lists. I have about 60% of our stuff ready to be loaded into the van. But I still have that other 40% to take care of. Checking my packing lists again to make sure I didn’t miss anything.

My simple pleasures: D&D with friends, a nice cup of cocoa, good night’s rest.

Looking around the house: Whirlwind cleaning yesterday really helped lighten my mood. I like to leave the house for travel in a decent shape so when I come home, I’m not annoyed by the mess. J will still be here, but he’s much less messier than the kids.

From the camera: Thankful that the very scary storm on Wednesday produced some high winds in the area, but not much else. Still, it was a tense few hours spent in the basement just in case.

Beautiful Stranger by Christina Lauren

Title: Beautiful Stranger (Beautiful #2)

Author: Christina Lauren

Publisher: Gallery Books 2013

Genre: Romance

Pages: 356

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges:

Escaping a cheating ex, finance whiz Sara Dillon's moved to New York City and is looking for excitement without a lot of strings attached. So meeting the irresistible, sexy Brit at a dance club should have meant nothing more than a night's fun. But the manner--and speed--with which he melts her inhibitions turns him from a one-time hookup and into her Beautiful Stranger.

The whole city knows Max Stella loves women, not that he's ever found one he particularly wants to keep around. Despite pulling in plenty with his Wall Street bad boy charm, it's not until Sara--and the wild photos she lets him take of her--that he starts wondering if there's someone for him outside of the bedroom.

Hooking up in places where anybody could catch them, the only thing scarier for Sara than getting caught in public is having Max get too close in private.

Ah this is better! I realized that part of why I gave the first two books in this series 3 stars was because I didn’t absolutely love the main characters. Their constant sniping at each other wasn’t really my thing. The banter between Max and Sara is much more enjoyable and gave this book another star! I would have totally fallen for someone like Max. Once again, we start with a bang, get it, bang? and push ahead full steam for the rest of the book. Very open door, and I loved it. Such fun! Now back to my regularly scheduled holiday romances.

Beautiful Bastard

• #1 Beautiful Bastard

• #1.5 Beautiful Bitch

• #2 Beautiful Stranger

• #2.5 Beautiful Bombshell

• #3 Beautiful Player

• #3.5 Beautiful Beginning

• #3.6 Beautiful Beloved

• #4 Beautiful Secret

• #4.5 Beautiful Boss

• #5 Beautiful

Next up on the TBR pile:

Pastels and Jingle Bells by Christine S. Feldman

Title: Pastels and Jingle Bells (Heavenly Bites #1)

Author: Christine S. Feldman

Publisher: 2013

Genre: Romance

Pages: 103

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: 

Trish Ackerly never expected to cross paths with Ian Rafferty again, but when she spots the former bully of her childhood years through her bakery window, she thinks she may just have been given the best Christmas gift ever: the opportunity to finally give Ian the comeuppance he deserves.

But clearly she does not have a knack for this whole revenge thing, because before she can make good on her plans, Trish gets inadvertently drawn into Ian’s life in an unexpected way that lets her see just how different the man is from the boy he used to be. In fact, much to her astonishment, she actually starts to like the guy.

A lot.

Trouble is, Ian doesn’t know who she really is, and explaining it to him is going to be a little difficult now—which is bad news, because Trish is starting to realize that all she really wants for Christmas this year…is Ian.

Cute little introduction story, but just not enough. This needed to be twice as long so we could actually spend some time with Trish and Ian as a couple. I loved Kelsey and really felt like we need to dig into her more and learn about her life. Plus, where’s her mom? Cute and fun, but not enough for me!

Heavenly Bites

• #1 Pastels and Jingle Bells

• #2 Love Lessons

• #3 Playing Cupid

Next up on the TBR pile:

Beautiful Bitch by Christina Lauren

Title: Beautiful Bitch (Beautiful #2)

Author: Christina Lauren

Publisher: Gallery Books 2013

Genre: Romance

Pages: 161

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges:

Just when Chloe’s career starts to take off, Bennett wishes it would all slow down long enough to spend a wild night alone with his intern-cum-girlfriend. Preferably one in which he can show her he’s still the boss.

After her continued refusals to take time off with him, Bennett can finally no longer take no for an answer. And so the couple find themselves with two plane tickets, one French villa, and a surprising conversation that, predictably, leaves them wrestling under the covers.

Decent little novella and continuation of Chloe and Bennett’s story. I like the story, but didn’t love the construction. We jump back and forth through their timeline following the events of Beautiful Bastard. I would have liked a bit more of a linear progression. And the different fonts for each point of view were unnecessary. We could have had chapters just title “Chloe” or “Bennett” to designate. For some strange reason, I am still into this series (despite the lower rating) and will be continuing.

Beautiful Bastard

• #1 Beautiful Bastard

• #1.5 Beautiful Bitch

• #2 Beautiful Stranger

• #2.5 Beautiful Bombshell

• #3 Beautiful Player

• #3.5 Beautiful Beginning

• #3.6 Beautiful Beloved

• #4 Beautiful Secret

• #4.5 Beautiful Boss

• #5 Beautiful

Next up on the TBR pile: