Magic for Liars by Sarah Gailey

Title: Magic for Liars

Author: Sarah Gailey

Publisher: Tor 2019

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 336

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Seasonal TBR; Unread Shelf

Ivy Gamble was born without magic and never wanted it.
Ivy Gamble is perfectly happy with her life – or at least, she’s perfectly fine.
She doesn't in any way wish she was like Tabitha, her estranged, gifted twin sister.
Ivy Gamble is a liar.

When a gruesome murder is discovered at The Osthorne Academy of Young Mages, where her estranged twin sister teaches Theoretical Magic, reluctant detective Ivy Gamble is pulled into the world of untold power and dangerous secrets. She will have to find a murderer and reclaim her sister—without losing herself.

Our April book club selection and one off my own unread shelves. I was hoping for another great adventure a la Upright Women Wanted. This one didn’t quite live up to the action and adventure. I loved the setting and the overall atmosphere of the novel. Osthorne and all the weird settings really put me in the spooky mood. I was definitely along for the plot itself. I needed to find out what happened to Capley and whodunnit. My biggest issue was with Ivy herself. She just wasn’t a likable character and I completely understand why. She has a past, but some of the desperation was completely self-inflicted. I could only take so much of the desperation before it really started to grate on me. Overall, I enjoyed this novel, but I think it’s going to be farther down he list of favorite Gailey books.

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Dragon in the Library by Louie Stowell

Title: The Dragon in the Library

Author: Louie Stowell

Publisher: Nosy Crow 2019

Genre: Middle Grade Fantasy

Pages: 224

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Spring TBR

Kit can't STAND reading. She'd MUCH rather be outside, playing games and getting muddy, than stuck inside with a book. But when she's dragged along to the library one day by her two best friends, she makes an incredible discovery - and soon it's up to Kit and her friends to save the library... and the world.

Meh. I was hoping for another fun literary themed middle grade fantasy (a la The Bookwanderers), but this one did not deliver for me. It was a little too immature. Definitely lower elementary as opposed to proper middle grade. I was slightly annoyed by the repetition in the narration and commentary about the various characters. It just didn’t really keep my attention and I won’t me reading farther into the series.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Currently #6

Reading: After a few complicated and series books and a middle grade series, I started the space horror Dead Silence by SA Barnes.

Watching: After a long wait, Moon Knight S1 finally started airing. I am very intrigued.

Listening: ice Nine Kills just dropped a new song, “Hunting Season,” and I’m really loving it!

Making: Working on next year’s curriculum and that means piles of books everywhere.

Feeling: A big dentist appointment yesterday means that I have a slightly sore mouth today.

Planning: Working on all our travel plans for the rest of the year. I think we’re ready to start booking hotel rooms this week.

Loving: I have not had a good night’s sleep for awhile now. Sleep sounds amazing right now.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Homeschool W27: Adding to Our Outside Hours!

What We Studied

We combined a “break week” and a regular week for this post. Our break week have turned into a way to catch up on unfinished units, add some special activities, and take a few hours off.

Literature and Poetry

We continued our read aloud and did a few literature studies. A fairly normal week when it came to language.

• City of the Plague God by Sarwat Chadda

• I’ve Lost My Hippopotamus by Jack Prelutsky

• Butterfly House by Eve Bunting

• Three Hens and a Peacock by Lester L. Laminack

• Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney

• The Happy Lion by Louise Patio

• Mossy by Jan Brett

• John Philip Duck by Patricia Polacco

• Ginger and Petunia by Patricia Polacco

Math

Arthur covered Unit 12: Geometry and even did a special project. He created a Multiplication Grid art project.

• Logic Countdown

• Math Art + Drawing Games

Social Studies

We covered two chapters in History Quest: Middle Times learning about Kievan Russia and Mughal India. We did a mini focus on St. Basil’s Cathedral and the Taj Mahal. (Side note: I think I want to add an architecture unit into next year’s curriculum.) And I threw in a mini unit about the stories of Baba Yaga.

• DK Timelines of Everyone

• When on Earth

• DK History

• DK Timelines of Everything

• Follow Me Around: Russia by Wiley Blevins

• Let’s Explore Russia by Walt K. Moon

• Living in Russia by Jesse Burton

• Russia ABCs by Ann Berge

• Matreshka by Becky Hickox Ayres

• The Flying Witch by Jane Yolen

• The Black Geese by Alison Lurie

• Baba Yaga and Vasilisa the Brave by Marianna Mayer

• Grandma Chickenlegs by Geraldine McCaughrean

• Baba Yaga and the Wise Doll by Hiawyn Oram

• Baba Yaga by An Leysen

• Whole Wide World: Kristine Spanier

• Taj Mahal by Cynthia Kennedy Hanzel

• Where is the Taj Mahal? by Dorothy and Thomas Hoobler

• Taj Mahal by Elizabeth Mann

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.

Science and STEAM Coop

For coop, we

Beyond coop, we did a mini unit on the Spring Equinox.

• Goodbye Winter Hello Spring by Kenard Pak

• Sorting Through Spring by Lizann Flatt

• My Nature Sticker Activity Book: In the Forest by Olivia Cosneau

And we continued our geology unit focusing on rocks and minerals and plate tectonics and earthquakes. Arthur loved growing his own lava rock crystals.

• Radical Rocks by Rena Korb

• These Rocks Count! by Alison Formento

• Geology: The Study of Rocks by Susan H. Gray

• Nat Geo Rocks and Minerals by Kathleen Weidner Zoehfeld

• Fantastic Forces and Incredible Machines

• Astonishing Atoms and Matter Mayhem

• Dirtmeister's Nitty Gritty Planet Earth by Steve Tomecek

• I'm Trying to Love Rocks by Bethany Barton

• Rocks by Sally M. Walker

• All About Rocks by Alessandra Potenza

• DK Rocks and Minerals

• DK Rocks and Minerals (other edition)

• My Little Book of Rocks, Minerals, and Gems by Claudia Martin

• My Book of Rocks and Minerals

• The Island that Moved: How Shifting Forces Shape Our Earth by Meredith Hooper

• DK Volcano and Earthquake

• Fault Lines and Tectonic Plates by Kathleen M. Reilly

• Everything Volcanoes and Earthquakes by Kathy Furgang Ch. 3

• Geo Detectives: Volcanoes and Earthquakes by Anita Ganeri

• Earthquakes on Shaky Ground by Lesley McFadzean

• Zhang Heng and the Incredible Earthquake Detector by Randel McGee

Art/Music

We discovered Rosa Bonheur and her animal paintings. The kids loved looking at a big collection of her work and learning a little of her life. Afterward, they did some free drawing inspired by Bonheur’s work.

• Rosa's Animals: The Story of Rosa Bonheur and Her Painting Menagerie by Maryann MacDonald

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. Q finished his big general unit on the farm.

ELA

• Song of the Wild: A First Book of Animals by Nicola Davies

• Biscuit by Alyssia Satin Capucilli (Q reads)

• Biscuit Plays Ball by Alyssia Satin Capucilli (Q reads)

• Biscuit and the Baby by Alyssia Satin Capucilli (Q reads)

• Biscuit’s Day at the Farm by Alyssia Satin Capucilli (Q reads)

• Biscuit Goes Camping by Alyssia Satin Capucilli (Q reads)

• Spring Story by Jill Barkley

• High Five November 2018

• High Five December 2018

• High Five February 2020

• Flubby will NOT Play with That by JE Morris

• Food from Farms by Nancy Dickmann

• Let’s Visit a Dairy Farm by Alyse Sweeney

• What’s It Like to Live Here? Farm by Katie Marsico

• Mrs. Wishy-Washy’s Farm by

• Farm by Elisha Cooper

• On the Farm by Victoria Taylor

• Let's Go to the Farm! by Caryl Hart

• Seasons on the Farm by Nancy Dickmann

• Mighty Truck on the Farm by Chris Barton

• Big Read Barn by Margeret Wise Brown

• Farm Machines by Kathryn Clay

• Finish Farm Packet

• I Spy on the Farm

Math

• Lollipop Logic Book 1

Other

• I Spy Learn and Go

• I Spy on the Farm

• Smart Start Beginning Coding Grade 1

Field Trip

We had a fun day exploring Arbor Day Farm last Friday. We started with a guided lesson about bees and blossoms and then played on our own. Thankfully I remembered to pack a picnic lunch. We ended up spending 6 hours there making it a 8 hour day away from the house. Still, it was a great 6 hours!

Documentary Selection

I have carved out a one hour time block each week to watch a documentary related to our studies. We watched a NOVA episode about gemstones. I learned a lot about how they are made and what distinguishesd one from another. Not a documentary, but a podcast - We started listening to PBS Eons: Mysteries of Deep Time. The first two episodes cover the only human remains in the La Brea Tar Pits and the Piltdown Man Hoax. Fascinating listens as we traveled this week.

Misc. Picture Books Read

• The Universe and You by Suzanne Slade

• Dear Librarian by Lydia M. Sigwarth

• Poo on the Savanna by Emilie Dufresne

• A Pizza with Everything on It by Kyle Scheele

• Dear Reader by Tiffany Rose

• Ten Thank-You Letters by Daniel Kirk

• Nobody Hugs a Cactus by Carter Goodrich

High

• Arbor Day Farm was incredibly per usual. I wish it was a bit closer to home.

Low

• Thursday’s coop meeting was more hectic and chaotic than usual. We were very sad to have to hold it in doors at the temps were hovering in the 30s.

Next Week

• Wrapping up City of the Plague God

• Starting the last three books in the Chronicles of Narnia

• Covering half of 3B Unit 13 about area and perimeter

• Exploring the Ottoman Empire

• Beginning a Beatrix Potter unit for literature

• Continuing our geology unit for science as well as spring and bees for coop

• Hoping to sneak in a study of Beethoven’s music

• Taking a backpack hike at Fontenelle Forest

Next up on the TBR pile:

Music Monday - Northlane "Echo Chamber"

A new-to-me group that I’m loving.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Life Right Now #11

On my bedside table: Tripod Trilogy by John Christopher; rest of the Beautiful series by Christina Lauren

On my tv this week: Continuing with Severance S1 with J. I binged Bridgerton S2.

Listening to: All the usual podcasts, including the new on PBS Eons: Mysteries of Deep Time

On the menu for this week:

• Monday - Salmon (of some kind)

• Tuesday - Potato Leek Soup

• Wednesday - Apricot, Brie, and Bacon Grilled Cheese

• Thursday - Beef Tips

• Friday - Leftovers

• Saturday - Fish Chowder

• Sunday - Black Bean Soup; Chicken Ranch Tacos

On my to do list: I imagine that I have a few things, but mostly I need to work on coop matters.

Happening this week:

• Monday - Big dentist appointment for me

• Tuesday - Fontenelle Forest Backpack Hike

• Wednesday - Regular School Day

• Thursday - Coop

• Friday - Regular School Day

• Saturday - Gifford Farm Easter egg hunt

• Sunday - Home Day

What I am creating: Nothing much at the moment, but I do plan on working on my March Memory Planner pages this week.

My simple pleasures: Good book discussions; D&D fun; good mysteries

Looking around the house: We’re having coop at our house again this coming week. I should do a good cleaning sweep beforehand. The boys especially need to clean their playroom.

From the camera: D&D got a little strange this week.

If the Shoe Fits by Julie Murphy

Title: If the Shoe Fits (Meant to Be #1)

Author: Julie Murphy

Publisher: Hyperion Avenue 2021

Genre: Romance

Pages: 304

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Seasonal TBR

Cindy loves shoes. A well-placed bow or a chic stacked heel is her form of self-expression. As a fashion-obsessed plus-size woman, she can never find designer clothes that work on her body, but a special pair of shoes always fits just right.

With a shiny new design degree but no job in sight, Cindy moves back in with her stepmother, Erica Tremaine, the executive producer of the world’s biggest dating reality show. When a contestant on Before Midnight bows out at the last minute, Cindy is thrust into the spotlight. Showcasing her killer shoe collection on network TV seems like a great way to jump-start her career. And, while she’s at it, why not go on a few lavish dates with an eligible suitor? 

But being the first and only fat contestant on Before Midnight turns her into a viral sensation—and a body-positivity icon—overnight. Even harder to believe? She can actually see herself falling for this Prince Charming. To make it to the end, despite the fans, the haters, and a house full of fellow contestants she’s not sure she can trust, Cindy will have to take a leap of faith and hope her heels— and her heart—don’t break in the process.

Another romcom for my reading month. This one came from a recommendation from the Currently Reading podcast. And it was good. Nothing that I will want to read over and over again, but it was a good romcom book. In general, I think I prefer the spicy romances, but we at least get a good meet-cute and re-meet-cute. My favorite parts of this book were actually the interactions between Cindy and her family. I loved Anna and Drew and the triplets. We get all the elements of good romcom, and I had a good few days reading it, but ultimately this wasn’t amazing.

Meant to Be:

• #1 If the Shoe Fits by Julie Murphy

• #2 By the Book by Jasmine Guillory

• #3 Kiss the Girl

• #4 Tangled Up in You

• #5 Worth Fighting For

Next up on the TBR pile:

March 2022 Wrap

March TBR Pile (23/34):

1. BOTM: TBD

2. Bookworms BC April: The Necromancer’s Lament by David Balog

3. Friend BC April: Magic for Liars by Sarah Gailey

4. Currently Reading Buddy Read: The War that Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley ✓

5. Jane Austen Rereads: Sense and Sensibility

6. Fantasy: The Kingdom by Jess Rothenberg ✓

7. Fantasy: Lore by Alexandra Bracken

8. Fantasy: Gilded by Marissa Meyer

9. Horror: All These Bodies by Kendare Blake ✓

10. Romance: Electric Idol by Katee Robert ✓

11. Romance: If the Shoe Fits by Julie Murphy

12. Romance: To Sir, with Love by Lauren Layne ✓

13. Nonfiction: Animal, Vegetable, Junk by Mark Bittman

14. Nonfiction: The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson

15. Mystery/Thriller: The Hidden by Melanie Golding

16. Science Fiction: The Apollo Murders by Chris Hadfield ✓

17. Science Fiction: Clean Air by Sarah Blake ✓

18. Science Fiction: Even Greater Mistakes by Charlie Jane Anders

19. Science Fiction: A Symphony of Echoes by Jodi Taylor

20. Poetry: I Hope This Finds You Well by Kate Baer ✓

21. Added: A Marvellous Light by Freya Marske ✓

22. Added: Aru Shah and the End of Time by Roshani Chokshi ✓

23. Added: Lost Cities, Ancient Tombs edited by Ann R. Williams ✓

24. Added: Fierce Fairytales by Nikita Gil ✓

25. Added: Wild Swans retold by Xanthe Gresham Knight ✓

26. Added: Snow & Rose by Emily Winfield Martin ✓

27. Added: Hansel & Gretel by Neil Gaiman and Lorenzo Mattotti ✓

28. Added: The Magic Misfits by Neil Patrick Harris ✓

29. Added: The Jumbies by Tracey Baptiste ✓

30. Added: The Magnolia Palace by Fiona Davis ✓

31. Added: The Lion of Mars by Jennifer L. Holm ✓

32. Added: How High We Go in the Dark by Sequoia Nagamatsu ✓

33. Added: The Blackbird Girls by Anna Blackman ✓

34. Added: The Bookwanderers by Anna James ✓

35. Added: Tell Me an Ending by Jo Harkin ✓

1,000,000 Page Goal:

Monthly Total: 6851 pages
Pages Remaining: 417,648 pages

Current Read - If the Shoe Fits by Julie Murphy; Magic for Liars by Sarah Gailey

Books I Gave Up On (0)

Books Bought/Received (28) - This is going to be a huge number. March is my birthday month and I always go a bit crazy with books during my birthday month.

Book of the Month order - I grabbed my free book for my birthday month and two others

• The Cartographers by Peng Shepherd

• The Rules of Civility by Amor Towles

• The Book of Cold Cases by Simone St. James

My stepmom got me a GC to Barnes & Noble, so had to grab a few.

• Kingdom of the Wicked by Kerri Maniscalco

• Dry by Neal Shusterman

• A Curious Beginning by Deanna Raybourn

• Feed by Mira Grant (I’ve already read, would like to have a copy for my shelves.)

During my birthday day out, I stopped at the local used book store and found some picks. This store is a cavern of books loosely organized. I love to place bookish serendipity in that store.

• The Poe Shadow by Matthew Pearl

• Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

• The Rise and Fall of D.O.D.O. by Neal Stephenson and Nicole Galland

• Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark retold by Alvin Schwartz (childhood favorite that I didn’t have in print)

• Still Life with Crows by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child

On my actual birthday, I stopped in at Half Price Books and saw a few I needed.

• The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker

• More Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark retold by Alvin Schwartz

• Scary Stories 3 More Tales to Chill Your Bones retold by Alvin Schwartz

• Number the Stars by Lois Lowry (childhood favorite to add to our kids read aloud selections)

My Book Outlet Order arrived with mostly goodies for homeschooling, but a few things for me!

• Serpentine by Philip Pullman

• The Secret Commonwealth by Philip Pullman

• Aurora Rising by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

• The Guinevere Deception by Kiersten White

• The Camelot Betrayal by Kiersten White

• To Have and to Hoax by Martha Waters

• The War that Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley

• The Screaming Staircase by Jonathan Stroud

• Wicked Saints by Emily A. Duncan

• Ruthless Gods by Emily. A Duncan

• Blessed Monsters by Emily A. Duncan

And I picked up a copy of

• The 1619 Project

UnRead Shelf Progress

• Starting Number: 303

• Books Read: 3

• Books Acquired: 23

• Books Unshelved: 0

• Finishing Number: 323

April TBR Pile:

1. BOTM: TBD

2. Bookworms BC: The Necromancer’s Lament by David Balog

3. Friend BC: Magic for Liars by Sarah Gailey

4. Currently Reading Buddy Read: TBD

5. Jane Austen Rereads: Sense and Sensibility

6. Fantasy: Gilded by Marissa Meyer

7. Fantasy: The Lighthouse Witches by

8. Fantasy: A River Enchanted by

9. Horror: Ramses the Damned by Anne Rice and Christopher Rice

10. Horror: Dead Silence by

11. Romance: If the Shoe Fits by Julie Murphy

12. Romance: Beautiful by Christina Lauren

13. Romance: Beautiful Secret by Christina Lauren

14. Romance: Beautiful Boss by Christina Lauren

15. Science Fiction: A Symphony of Echoes by Jodi Taylor

16. Middle Grade: The City of Gold and Lead by

17. Middle Grade: The Pool of Fire by

18. Middle Grade: When the Tripods Came by

19. Middle Grade: The White Mountains by

20. Middle Grade: The Library of Ever by

21. Middle Grade: The Dragon in the Library by

Movies watched

• Kurt Vonnegut: Unstuck in Time - Interesting documentary diving into the life of Kurt Vonnegut.

• 15 Things You Didn’t Know About Bigfoot - Surprisingly funny.

• Train to Busan - Finally watched this one and it was amazing! Such a good zombie movie.

• Fisherman’s Friends - Very heartwarming movie based on a true story.

• The Adam Project - Utterly delightful! The kids even loved it.

• Spiderman: No Way Home - I rewatched and J watched for the first time. Still love it!

TV Shows watched 

• Severance S1 - So incredibly weird. We love it!

• The Great S1 - Finally finished this season. Can’t wait to start S2.

• Last Week Tonight - Our constant weekly viewing.

• Our Flag Means Death S1 -

• Bridgerton S2 - While I love Anthony’s story so much more than Daphne’s, I still really wanted more.

• Below Deck Sailing Yacht S3 - Really enjoying this season.

• Moon Knight S1 - We started this last night and I’m hooked.

• Once Upon a Time, Happily Never After S1 - Very strange show that I’m so addicted to!

• Hillsong: A Megachurch Exposed - I’m so fascinating by mega churches. I knew a lot, but still very interesting.

Comments - March was a huge month for movies, TV, and books.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Odds and Ends

Here's my randomness for the week:

• Middle Grade March was a great idea. I read some great ones.

• Starting planning the retreat for June and I’m getting so excited!

• But first, I need to finish planning our Kansas trip for May.

• I need some new slip-on sneakers that I can throw on for spring and summer.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Tell Me an Ending by Jo Harkin

Title: Tell Me an Ending

Author: Jo Harkin

Publisher: Scribner 2022

Genre: Science Fiction

Pages: 448

Rating: 2/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Spring TBR

What if you didn't have to live with your worst memories?

Across the world, thousands of people are shocked by a notification that they once chose to have a memory removed. Now they are being given an opportunity to get that memory back. Four individuals are filled with new doubts, grappling with the unexpected question of whether to remember unknown events, or to leave them buried forever.

Finn, an Irish architect living in the Arizona desert, begins to suspect his charming wife of having an affair. Mei, a troubled grad school dropout in Kuala Lumpur, wonders why she remembers a city she has never visited. William, a former police inspector in England, struggles with PTSD, the breakdown of his marriage, and his own secret family history. Oscar, a handsome young man with almost no memories at all, travels the world in a constant state of fear.

Into these characters’ lives comes Noor, a psychologist working at the Nepenthe memory removal clinic in London. The process of reinstating patients’ memories begins to shake the moral foundations of her world. As she delves deeper into how the program works, she will have to risk everything to uncover the cost of this miraculous technology.

And a big old dud for me. I was intrigued by the Black Mirror and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind comparisons. I was looking for a very strange trip through memory and neuroscience (with a dash of the sci-fi thrown in). Unfortunately, we get a book of terrible people speculating about the terrible things they may or may not have done. The pace was excruciating. Nothing happened for chapters and chapters and chapters. And then when things happened, they weren’t that exciting. I was just thoroughly bored and definitely did not like this book.

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Bookwanderers by Anna James

Title: The Bookwanderers (Pages and Co. #1)

Author: Anna James

Publisher: HarperCollins 2018

Genre: Middle Grade Fantasy

Pages: 400

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Seasonal TBR

Since her mother's disappearance, eleven-year-old Tilly Pages has found comfort in the stories at Pages & Co., her grandparents' bookshop. But when her favorite characters, Anne of Green Gables and Alice from Wonderland, start showing up at the shop,Tilly's adventures become very real. Not only can she follow Anne and Alice into their books, she discovers she can bookwander into any story she chooses. Tilly's new ability leads her to fun and exciting adventures, but danger may be lurking on the very next page...

When new secrets are uncovered, it's up to Tilly to solve the mystery of what happened to her mother all those years ago. From debut author Anna James comes a charming and exciting adventure about a bookish young heroine, a mysterious librarian, and a magical bookshop that will delight book lovers everywhere.

Oh this was just so delightful! I always love books that incorporate books and this was such a great adventure story involving characters from books. Right away I was delighted with Tilly and her family’s book store. And then we start to encounter some interesting “people.” The big adventure finally gets going about halfway through the book and then doesn’t stop until the last page. And even then, we know there’s so much more to the story. I absolutely adored following along and must read more in this series soon.

Pages and Co.

• #1 The Bookwanderers

• #2 The Lost Fairy Tales

• #3 The Map of Stories

• #4 The Book Smugglers

• #5 The Treehouse Library

Next up on the TBR pile:

Music Monday - Beartooth "Skin"

Yet another great song from Beartooth.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Life Right Now #10

As I look outside my window: It’s bright and sunny, but pretty chilly today. The high is around 43 degrees.

Right now I am: Getting ready to start a new sci-fi book. Hope this one does not disappoint.

On my bedside table: A few more middle grade books; Tell Me an Ending by Jo Harkin

On my tv this week: J and I finished the S1 of Our Flag Means Death (love it!) and caught up with Jeff Goldblum’s show and Severance. I got to start Bridgerton S2, but I don’ have time to binge the entire thing quite yet. Taking it slow.

Listening to: I’ve been loving the Apple Musicals Playlist and Apple Favorite’s list. Lots of singing this week, much to the disappointment of Arthur and Quentin.

On the menu for this week:

• Monday - Tobe out for dinner (Book Club)

• Tuesday - Brie, Apricot, Bacon Grilled Cheese

• Wednesday - Garlic Shrimp Pasta

• Thursday - Leftovers

• Friday - Potato Leek Soup

• Saturday - ???

• Sunday - ???

On my to do list: I need to organize curriculum, pick up the living room, watch Bridgerton S2 (high priority!), and make a grocery list today.

Happening this week:

• Monday - Book Club for Cloud Cuckoo Land

• Tuesday - Park Playdate; Book Club for The Girls in the Stilt House

• Wednesday - Hair Appointment!

• Thursday - Coop

• Friday - Arbor Day Farm Field trip

• Saturday - D&D

• Sunday - Zoom Book Club for Just One Damned Thing After Another; Zoom Book Club for The War that Saved My Life

What I am creating: Mostly I’m just working on curriculum, although I do want to lay out my March MP pages as it’s the end of the month. I need to figure out what pictures to print.

My simple pleasures: Live theater! Cocktail with J out at a bar!

Looking around the house: I did a whirlwind clean yesterday and the kitchen looks amazing. It really needed a fully counter wipe down and organization. Plus I organized the laundry room. I do get all twitchy when I go in there anymore. Huzzah!

From the camera: Out to live theater for the first time since fall of 2019. J and I went to see Alton Brown. Absolutely hilarious!

The War that Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley

Title: The War that Saved My Life

Author: Kimberly Brubaker Bradley

Publisher: Dial Books 2015

Genre: MG Historical Fiction

Pages: 316

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Unread Shelf; Unread Shelf Project - Season or Phase of Life

Ten-year-old Ada has never left her one-room apartment. Her mother is too humiliated by Ada’s twisted foot to let her outside. So when her little brother Jamie is shipped out of London to escape the war, Ada doesn’t waste a minute—she sneaks out to join him.

So begins a new adventure for Ada, and for Susan Smith, the woman who is forced to take the two kids in. As Ada teaches herself to ride a pony, learns to read, and watches for German spies, she begins to trust Susan—and Susan begins to love Ada and Jamie. But in the end, will their bond be enough to hold them together through wartime? Or will Ada and her brother fall back into the cruel hands of their mother?

I did not expect a middle grade book to hit me this hard emotionally. Ada’s story broke my heart in two. But there was so much hope! We follow along as Ada attempts to reconcile the world with her Mam and the outside world, even during wartime. It makes me so sad to think about the multitude of children who are treated like Ada. I’m still reeling a bit from the roller coaster of emotions. It was a beautiful story full of hardship, but with hope woven throughout. I will have to read the sequel soon.

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Blackbird Girls by Anne Blankman

Title: The Blackbird Girls

Author: Anne Blankman

Publisher: Viking 2020

Genre: Middle Grade Fantasy

Pages: 345

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Spring TBR

On a spring morning, neighbors Valentina Kaplan and Oksana Savchenko wake up to an angry red sky. A reactor at the nuclear power plant where their fathers work--Chernobyl--has exploded. Before they know it, the two girls, who've always been enemies, find themselves on a train bound for Leningrad to stay with Valentina's estranged grandmother, Rita Grigorievna. In their new lives in Leningrad, they begin to learn what it means to trust another person. Oksana must face the lies her parents told her all her life. Valentina must keep her grandmother's secret, one that could put all their lives in danger. And both of them discover something they've wished for: a best friend. But how far would you go to save your best friend's life? Would you risk your own?

Told in alternating perspectives among three girls--Valentina and Oksana in 1986 and Rifka in 1941--this story shows that hatred, intolerance, and oppression are no match for the power of true friendship.

Another middle grade March selection that was really fantastic. I really enjoyed this beautiful tale of survival and friendship. Right away we are thrust into a difficult situation for both Oksana and Valentina and follow them as they grow more and more independent in their thinking and lives. I loved to see the interaction between the girls as they create a bond of friendship. The Soviet Union of the 1980s is not an era that I know much about but I feel like I learned so much through their eyes. We will definitely have to revisit this one when we get to that era in our history study.

Next up on the TBR pile:

How High We Go in the Dark by Sequoia Nagamatsu

Title: How High We Go in the Dark

Author: Sequoia Nagamatsu

Publisher: William Morrow 2022

Genre: Speculative Fiction

Pages: 304

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Spring TBR List

For fans of Cloud Atlas and Station Eleven, a spellbinding and profoundly prescient debut that follows a cast of intricately linked characters over hundreds of years as humanity struggles to rebuild itself in the aftermath of a climate plague—a daring and deeply heartfelt work of mind-bending imagination from a singular new voice. In 2030, a grieving archeologist arrives in the Arctic Circle to continue the work of his recently deceased daughter at the Batagaika Crater, where researchers are studying long-buried secrets now revealed in melting permafrost, including the perfectly preserved remains of a girl who appears to have died of an ancient virus. Once unleashed, the Arctic plague will reshape life on Earth for generations to come, quickly traversing the globe, forcing humanity to devise a myriad of moving and inventive ways to embrace possibility in the face of tragedy. In a theme park designed for terminally ill children, a cynical employee falls in love with a mother desperate to hold on to her infected son. A heartbroken scientist searching for a cure finds a second chance at fatherhood when one of his test subjects—a pig—develops the capacity for human speech. A widowed painter and her teenaged granddaughter embark on a cosmic quest to locate a new home planet. From funerary skyscrapers to hotels for the dead to interstellar starships, Sequoia Nagamatsu takes readers on a wildly original and compassionate journey, spanning continents, centuries, and even celestial bodies to tell a story about the resilience of the human spirit, our infinite capacity to dream, and the connective threads that tie us all together in the universe.

I’m not exactly sure how to review this book. I do know that I loved it and have been talking about it nonstop. There are some very heavy themes in here and it’s definitely not for HSPs. There are many parallels to our current pandemic that made me think about our future and how people have responded to events. I imagine that I will be thinking about this book for many days to come. I’m participating in a zoom conversation at the beginning of April. Maybe I will solidify my thoughts by that time. Overall, I found this collection of connecting stories to be absolutely amazing.

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Lion of Mars by Jennifer L. Holm

Title: The Lion of Mars

Author: Jennifer L. Holm

Publisher: Random House 2021

Genre: Middle Grade Fantasy

Pages: 259

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: 

Bell has spent his whole life--all eleven years of it--on Mars. But he's still just a regular kid--he loves cats and any kind of cake, and is curious about the secrets the adults in the US colony are keeping. Like, why don't they have contact with anyone on the other Mars colonies? Why are they so isolated? When a virus breaks out and the grown-ups all fall ill, Bell and the other children are the only ones who can help. It's up to Bell--a regular kid in a very different world--to uncover the truth and save his family...and possibly unite an entire planet.

Another delightful middle grade adventure story. I read this one in one sitting on a rainy morning. We get to follow Bell as he lives life on the Mars colony, experiences challenges and mysteries, and ultimate finds his place and home. There is death in this book, but it’s done very gently. There is a mystery, but it’s not very scary. And there’s a bunch of interesting side character. I really loved Flossy! I got to the last page and immediately pressed it into Arthur’s hands to read next.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Currently #5

Reading: The Blackbird Girls by Anna Blankman, so far a very stressful but good story about two girls in the aftermath of the Chernobyl meltdown.

Watching: We started Severance S1 and it is so weird.. We love it!

Listening: Really I’m just listening to the usual podcasts. Nothing that exciting.

Making: March is almost over. That means that I’m making plans for my April reading. I really really need to read from my shelves, but I keep getting distracted by shiny new library books.

Feeling: I’m doing okay right now. Feeling a bit of a lull.

Planning: We’re over halfway through the semester. It’s about time to do a survey to start planning our next year.

Loving: We ordered a lemon cake for J’s birthday (a week earlier), and it was incredibly delicious.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Homeschool W26: We Had a Week...

What We Studied

So… we had a week. Overall, it was that exciting, but we made it through the week with a few fun outings.

Literature and Poetry

We started a new read aloud and do a few literature studies this week. A fairly normal week when it came to language.

• City of the Plague God by Sarwat Chadda

• Poetry for Young People: Robert Frost by Gary D. Schmidt

• Me… Jane by Patrick McDinnell

• Sally Jean, Bicycle Queen by Cari Best

• Superworm by Julia Donaldson

• Tops and Bottoms by Janet Stevens

Math

Arthur covered Unit 11: Data Analysis for math. It was a short unit,. but we worked through all the problems.

• Logic Countdown

Social Studies

This chapter of History Quest focused on the Renaissance. We covered a lot of the art and architecture and compared to the earlier Medieval period. Arthur was very focused on Brunelleshi’s cathedral in Florence.

• DK Timelines of Everyone

• When on Earth

• DK History

• DK Timelines of Everything

• Human World

• Leonardo da Vinci by Stephen Krensky

• Leonardo da Vinci by Mary Pope Osborne

• Renaissance by Alison Cole

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.

Science and STEAM Coop

For coop, we talked about first responders and had talk from a local wildlife rescue group. I learned a lot, but the boys were a bit more interested in the crafts we did. Beyond that, we did read some other books and chatted about a variety of first responders.

• Show Me Community Helpers by Clint Edwards

• Helping Hospital by Lindsay Ward

• Real Superheroes by Julia Seal

• First Responders by Allan B. Cobb

• Itty Bitty Kitty Firehouse Fun by Joan Holub

Art/Music

None 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. Q finished Sh, Ch, and Th digraphs and started moving into Level 1 readers. We kept working on math skills and pencil control.

ELA

• Song of the Wild: A First Book of Animals by Nicola Davies

• Biscuit Feeds the Pets by Alyssia Satin Capucilli (Q reads)

• A Snowy Day in Bugland by David A. Carter (Q reads)

• Summer Story by Jill Barklem

• Autumn Story by Jill Barklem

• High Five April 2018

• High Five September 2018

• Farming by Gail Gibbons

• Night on the Farm

• In! Over! and On! (The Farm) by Ethan Long

• Spring on the Farm by MJ York

• Go to Sleep, Little Farm by Mary Lyn Ray

• On the Farm by David Elliott

• Poo on the Farm by Emilie Dufresne

• On the Farm, At the Market by G. Brian Karas

• Old MacDonald had a Farm by Jane Cabrera

Math

• Lollipop Logic Book 1

Other

• I Spy Learn and Go

• Smart Start Beginning Coding Grade 1

Field Trip

On Monday we took the morning for errands and also hit the park for about an hour or so. It was a bit chilly, but not bad at all. The boys really needed some time to run.

Wednesday was a nature hike at Schramm with some coop friends. We did the 3 mile loop, had a picnic, played at the playground, and looked for fossils. It was a glorious 4 1/2 hours out in nature.

Documentary Selection

I have carved out a one hour time block each week to watch a documentary related to our studies.

Misc. Picture Books Read

• Turtle Pond by James Gladstone

• The Little Piggy Went Dancing by Margaret Wild

• Cecil the Pet Glacier by Matthea Harvey and Giselle Potter

• 15 Things NOT to Do with a Puppy by Margaret McAllister

• Anzu the Great Kaiju by Benson Shum

High

• The hike through the woods on Wednesday was absolutely amazing! The boys had a great time with friends and so did I!

Low

• We didn’t get around to our earth science lesson this week and now we’re slightly behind. I don’t like being behind. Thankfully, we have a “break week” next week. I have very glad that I built in breaks in our scheduled lessons to catch up when we get behind.

Next Week

• Starting 3B Unit 12 for geometry

• Continuing reading City of the Plague God

• Finishing up first responders for coop

• Diving into rocks and minerals for science

• Covering the Kiev Russia for history

• Taking Thursday off after coop

• Looking forward to a nature hike on Friday

Next up on the TBR pile:

Music Monday - Bad Omens "Like a Villain"

I cannot get this song out my head. So very good.

Next up on the TBR pile: