A Place to Hang the Moon by Kate Albus

Title: A Place to Hang the Moon

Author: Kate Albus

Publisher: Margaret Ferguson 2021

Genre: Middle Grade Historical Fiction

Pages: 309

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: 

It is 1940 and William, 12, Edmund, 11, and Anna, 9, aren't terribly upset by the death of the not-so-grandmotherly grandmother who has taken care of them since their parents died.

But the children do need a guardian, and in the dark days of World War II London, those are in short supply, especially if they hope to stay together. Could the mass wartime evacuation of children from London to the countryside be the answer?

It's a preposterous plan, but off they go-- keeping their predicament a secret, and hoping to be placed in a temporary home that ends up lasting forever. Moving from one billet to another, the children suffer the cruel trickery of foster brothers, the cold realities of outdoor toilets and the hollowness of empty stomachs.

But at least they find comfort in the village lending library-- a cozy shelter from the harshness of everyday life, filled with favorite stories and the quiet company of Nora Müller, the kind librarian. The children wonder if Nora could be the family they've been searching for. . . . But the shadow of the war, and the unknown whereaouts of Nora's German husband complicate matters.

A second middle grade book featuring children evacuees during WWII. This one was easier to read than The War That Saved My Life, but still contains some tough situations. However, I didn’t quite love this as much as the other similar book. William, Edmund, and Anna are very lovable characters that you spend the entire book rooting for. The plot is a bit far-fetched, as are many middle grade books, but focusing on their search for family is the important part. I will probably add this to our homeschool read aloud list for future years.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Anatomy by Dana Schwartz

Title: Anatomy: A Love Story

Author: Dana Schwartz

Publisher: Wednesday Books 2022

Genre: Horror

Pages: 338

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Spring TBR

Hazel Sinnett is a lady who wants to be a surgeon more than she wants to marry.

Jack Currer is a resurrection man who’s just trying to survive in a city where it’s too easy to die.

When the two of them have a chance encounter outside the Edinburgh Anatomist’s Society, Hazel thinks nothing of it at first. But after she gets kicked out of renowned surgeon Dr. Beecham’s lectures for being the wrong gender, she realizes that her new acquaintance might be more helpful than she first thought. Because Hazel has made a deal with Dr. Beecham: if she can pass the medical examination on her own, Beecham will allow her to continue her medical career. Without official lessons, though, Hazel will need more than just her books―she’ll need corpses to study.

Lucky that she’s made the acquaintance of someone who digs them up for a living.

But Jack has his own problems: strange men have been seen skulking around cemeteries, his friends are disappearing off the streets, and the dreaded Roman Fever, which wiped out thousands a few years ago, is back with a vengeance. Nobody important cares―until Hazel.

Now, Hazel and Jack must work together to uncover the secrets buried not just in unmarked graves, but in the very heart of Edinburgh society.

Apparently, historical fiction with a medical history theme is my catnip. I’ve read a few in the past and always enjoy them. This particular book definitely hit the spot this month. I loved Hazel and Jack and their different perspectives and stations in life. I loved seeing each of them learn as they navigate Edinburgh. There were a few scenes that I wished had been expanded, but this is a fast moving young adult novel. (I did get very confused as to the exact physical relationship between Hazel and Jack. It was very hand-wavy.) And then we get to the interesting plot lines of becoming a doctor and body snatching. I loved getting into the weeds of Hazel learning and then opening up an ad hoc clinic in her home. My one issue with this book came towards the end. I was not super into the supernatural explanation of the mystery and the very ambiguous ending. Otherwise, I really enjoyed this novel.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Currently #8

Reading: The Rose Code by Kate Quinn - I finally picked up Quinn’s 2021 novel about WWII and Bletchley Park. Right in time to pick up her new one from the library later this week.

Watching: We’re deep in Moon Knight and it is just amazing! I love weird Marvel.

Listening: I finally downloaded the released singles from the new Coheed and Cambria album. I cannot get the songs out of my head.

Making: I’m finally in high gear planning the bookish retreat at the end of June. Right now, I’m picking items for the goody bags. I get so excited at this point in the planning.

Feeling: It started raining yesterday and isn’t forecasted to stop until Friday or so. It’s very damp here right now.

Planning: We are having our spring parent meeting this Thursday and discussing some changes. I’m actually excited about some of our new programs.

Loving: I didn’t feel great last night so J bought me Thai Chicken Soup and it was delicious.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Homeschool W31: Slowing Down Inside at We Get Outside More

What We Studied

We school year round which makes it so much easier to take smaller breaks and easier weeks when the weather is amazing and we want to be outside. This was one of those weeks. We have already finished our history curriculum and math textbooks, so we focused our shortened in house hours to English and lots of reading.

Literature and Poetry

Moving along with our complete read of the Chronicles of Narnia. We started the second to last book and I’m not super impressed, but we will continue and move on next week.

• The Silver Chair by C.S. Lewis

• Hello Earth! Poems to Our Planet by Joyce Sidman

• The Green Mother Goose: Saving the World One Rhyme at a Time by Jan Peck and David Davis

Math

Another week of math games, puzzles, and review

• Ten Hungry Pigs by Derek Anderson

• Logic Countdown

• The School of Numbers

Social Studies

We officially finished History Quest Middle Times last week, but wanted to do some review and wrap-up this week. We started watching Terry Jones’s documentary series Medieval Lives. We’re about 1/3 of the way through. We plan on watching a few more episodes next week and the next to finish out our history study for the years.

Making letters out of grasses

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 studied rainbows and prisms. Quentin’s younger group learned about rainbows and made rainbow jars using water beads. Arthur’s older group learned about rainbows and focused on the light refraction side.

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.

ELA

• Biscuit by Alyssia Satin Capucilli (Q reads)

• Biscuit Finds a Friend by Alyssia Satin Capucilli (Q reads)

• The Tale of Mrs. Tittlemouse by Beatrix Potter

• The Tale of Pigling Bland by Beatrix Potter

• The Tale of Johnny Town-Mouse by Beatrix Potter

• High Five July 2020

• Once Upon a Unicorn's Horn by Beatrice Blue

Math

• Lollipop Logic Book 1

• Tinkeractive PreK Math

Other

• Tinkeractive PreK Science

• Mazes Book

• Busy Day Sticker Book

Field Trip

We had three! Yes three! field trips this week.

On Monday, we did an easy hike around Standing Bear Lake. It was a bit chilly and at times, very windy, but I loved it. We don’t do that lake in high summer as there is no shade at all. Doing a hike in April was perfect.

On Tuesday, we went to the Rose Theater to see Giraffes Can’t Dance. Our coop field trip coordinator got us group tickets that were very cheap. The show was lots of fun and the kids enjoyed it.

On Wednesday, we went to the Joslyn Art Museum one last time before they close for two years (renovations and building a whole new wing). J even took off work to join us. My favorite galleries were already shut down, but we will got to see some great art. And the kids got to play in ArtWorks (kid’s play space) for awhile.

At the theater

Documentary Selection

I have carved out a one hour time block each week to watch a documentary related to our studies. As mentioned above, we are watching Terry Jones’s Medieval Lives series.

Misc. Picture Books Read

• A Spring Stroll in the City by Cathy Goldberg Fishman

• Just Help! by Sonia Sotomayor

• Mr. Pig's Big Wall by Glenn Hernandez

• Spring for Sophie by Yael Weber

• It's Spring! by Samantha Berger and Pamela Chanko

• How to Be on the Moon by Viviane Schwarz

• Dinosaur vs. Santa by Bob Shea

• Pigs to the Rescue by John Himmelman

High

• Taking off most of Wednesday to visit the Joslyn Art Museum was just the break that we needed. And I’m so excited that J got to join us that day.

Low

• Friday I woke up with a terrible migraine (due to massive weather changes). That made for a not great day, but we muddled through somehow.

Next Two Weeks

• Taking a curriculum break with multiple outings

• Finishing the current and starting the next Chronicles of Narnia book

• More math games, puzzles, and review

• Doing an Eric Carle deep dive for reading and art

Next up on the TBR pile:

Music Monday - Harry Styles "As It Was"

Really digging his new stuff. Definitely going to have to download the album.

Extra: Live at Coachella

Next up on the TBR pile:

2021-2022 Desserts and Snacks - March and April

Week 30: Coconut Banana Bread

A great variation of a my usual banana bread. This turned out better than I thought it would. Loved it!

Recipe used from Kylee Cooks

April 2022 Wrap

April TBR Pile (18/27):

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 CJ Cooke

8. Fantasy: A River Enchanted by Rebecca Ross

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

10. Horror: Dead Silence by SA Barnes ✓

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 John Christopher ✓

17. Middle Grade: The Pool of Fire by John Christopher ✓

18. Middle Grade: When the Tripods Came by John Christopher ✓

19. Middle Grade: The White Mountains by John Christopher ✓

20. Middle Grade: The Dragon in the Library by Louie Stowell ✓

21. Read Aloud: City of the Plague God by Sarwat Chadda ✓

22. Added: Girly Drinks by Mallory O’Meara ✓

23. Added: The Paradox Hotel by Rob Hart ✓

24. Added: The Horse and His Boy by CS Lewis ✓

25. Added: Chitty Chitty Bang Bang by Ian Fleming ✓

26. Added: The Second Story by Neil Patrick Harris ✓

27. Added: The Witch’s Heart by Genevieve Gornichec ✓

1,000,000 Page Goal:

Monthly Total: 5102 pages
Pages Remaining: 412,546 pages

Current Read - Anatomy: A Love Story by Dana Schwartz

Books I Gave Up On (0)

Books Bought/Received (5)

• Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel

• Kalikeyi by Vaishnavi Patel

• Crossings by Alex Landragin

• The Girl and the Goddess by Nikita Gill

• The Prisoner of Heaven by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

UnRead Shelf Progress

• Starting Number: 323

• Books Read: 1 (Magic for Liars)

• Books Acquired: 5

• Books Unshelved: 0

• Finishing Number: 327

May TBR Pile:

1. BOTM: TBD

2. Bookworms BC: The School for Good Mothers by Jessamine Chan

3. Friend BC: Thick and Other Essays by Tressie McMillan Cottom

4. Currently Reading Buddy Read:

5. Jane Austen: Sense and Sensibility

6. Fantasy: A Symphony of Echoes by Jodi Taylor

7. Historical Fiction: The Rose Code by Kate Quinn

8. Science Fiction: The Disasters by MK England

9. Poetry: What Kind of Woman by Kate Baer

10. Poetry: Blood Dazzler by Patricia Smith

11. Middle Grade: A Place to Hang the Moon by Kate Albus

12. Middle Grade: The Minor Third by Neil Patrick Harris

13. Middle Grade: The Fourth Suit by Neil Patrick Harris

14. Middle Grade; The War I Finally Won by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley

Movies watched

• Death on the Nile - Very very beautiful and I always enjoy Agatha Christie’s stories.

• Metal Lords - A very relatable and realistic portrayal of teenage years. We loved it!

• Destination Wedding.- Terrible. Couldn’t get through it.

• Rim of the World - Kids loved it, I thought it was cheesy and the tone was all over the place.

• The Outfit - J’s pick for a serious drama. This is a great play put on screen. I really loved it!

• Uncharted - Silly no-stress action film. Very enjoyable.

TV Shows watched 

• Severance S1 - Very trippy. Can’t wait for season 2.

• The World According to Jeff Goldblum - Our fun silly show.

• Once Upon a Time, Happily Never After - So incredibly weird! But I absolutely loved it!

• Hustle S8 - We finally finished the series!

• Last Week Tonight

• Are You Afraid of the Dark S1 - I started rewatching the original series. Still love these episodes.

• Shadow and Bone S1 - Finished the season and cannot wait to see how they deal with season two.

• Starstruck S1-2 - My random pick. It’s a less vulgar version of Fleabag and I really enjoy it.

• Minx S1 - My new favorite show! I absolutely adore the exploration of feminism in the 1970s.

• Slow Horses S1 - We are very into this spy thriller show.

• The Righteous Gemstones S1-2 - Finished season one and started in on season two. This family is just so wacky we can’t resist.

Comments - Overall a very good showing for reading and media this month. I finally read a series that J has been pushing for years. I finished my contemporary romance and I buddy read some decent middle grade with Arthur.

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Witch's Heart by Genevieve Gornichec

Title: The Witch’s Heart

Author: Genevieve Gornichec

Publisher: Ace Books 2021

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 359

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Spring TBR

Angrboda’s story begins where most witches' tales end: with a burning. A punishment from Odin for refusing to provide him with knowledge of the future, the fire leaves Angrboda injured and powerless, and she flees into the farthest reaches of a remote forest. There she is found by a man who reveals himself to be Loki, and her initial distrust of him transforms into a deep and abiding love.

Their union produces three unusual children, each with a secret destiny, who Angrboda is keen to raise at the edge of the world, safely hidden from Odin’s all-seeing eye. But as Angrboda slowly recovers her prophetic powers, she learns that her blissful life—and possibly all of existence—is in danger.

With help from the fierce huntress Skadi, with whom she shares a growing bond, Angrboda must choose whether she’ll accept the fate that she’s foreseen for her beloved family...or rise to remake their future. From the most ancient of tales this novel forges a story of love, loss, and hope for the modern age.

All the shades of Madeleine Miller’s Circe wrapped up in Norse mythology. I very much enjoyed following Angrboda’s story as she comes to terms with who she is, loves, suffers, and eventually accepts the events of Ragnarök. We slowly meander through Angrboda’s years for the first part of the book. I enjoyed getting to know her and Loki and Skadi and Gerd (and then the children). The action picks up in Part II arriving at a crossroads before the last section of the book. I loved how Gornichec weaved multiple characters and versions of stories into a cohesive sequence of events. I loved that she focused on a “side” character from Norse mythology while still allowing appearances from the well-known characters. It was a bit weird watching the MCU’s Loki series while reading this book. Two versions of Loki with an interesting contrast. If you are a fan of Norse mythology or of Miller’s work, this would be a great follow-up.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Odds and Ends

Here's my randomness for the week:

• The weather has finally gotten good enough to put our patio furniture out. We read our read aloud outside yesterday. Loved it!

• Starting a brick of a book three days before it’s due was not the best decision. Think I can knock it out?

• People’s inability to understand simple statements is boggling sometimes. Seriously, not sure how I can be more clear…

• I finished planning our Kansas road trip for next month. Now on to working on the retreat and Indiana summer trips.

Next up on the TBR pile:

When the Tripods Came by John Christopher

Title: When the Tripods Came (Tripods #0.5)

Author: John Christopher

Publisher: 1988

Genre: Middle Grade Scifi

Pages: 160

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: 

When it comes to alien invasions, bad things come in threes.

Three landings: one in England, one in Russia, and one in the United States.

Three long legs, crushing everything in their paths, with three metallic arms, snacking out to embrace—and then discard—their helpless victims.

Three evil beings, called Tripods, which will change life on Earth forever.

And with this book, we finally get to see how exactly the Tripods invaded Earth and eventually dominated the human population. This was very much a War of the Worlds type adventure following one family as they slowly realize what is happening and try to escape. The book opens with a bit action sequence and keeps the pace throughout. I read it in one setting on the edge of my seat waiting to see how it all comes to be. We get to travel with Laurie’s family as they escape to what will become The White Mountains. I really enjoyed this prequel. Good middle grade science fiction that doesn’t seem too dated for our current times.

The Tripods

• #0.5 When the Tripods Came

• #1 The White Mountains

• #2 The City of Gold and Lead

• #3 The Pool of Fire

Next up on the TBR pile:

Beautiful by Christina Lauren

Title: Beautiful (Beautiful #5)

Author: Christina Lauren

Publisher: Gallery Books 2016

Genre: Romance

Pages: 400

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Spring TBR

After walking in on her boyfriend shagging another girl in their place, Pippa Bay Cox ditches London for the States to go on a drunken road trip with Ruby Miller and some of her Beautiful friends.

Scaling the career ladder is the default way to deal with heartbreak—and to just deal—for Jensen Bergstrom. Absolutely buried by his drive and workload, he rarely takes time for himself. But when his sister Hanna convinces him to join the gang on a two-week wine tour, he has a rare moment of cutting loose. Of course, it’s only once he’s committed that he realizes the strange girl he met briefly on the plane is coming along, too. She might be too much for him…or he might realize his life has become too small and needs her to make it bigger, crazier.

With this circle of friends there’s always something going on: from Chloe and Sara’s unexpected personality swaps to Will’s new domestic side to Bennett’s text message barrage and George’s own happily-ever-after. In short, their adventures in love, friendship, and hilarity are nothing short of Beautiful.

The last book in this series and I must admit that Christina and Lauren disappointed me. This one was just not sexy at all. They seem to have completely lost all the steamy momentum from the other books. Pippa and Jensen were sweet but not sexy at all. I loved the appearances from some of the other characters in this series, but overall I kept waiting for the steamy scenes and there just weren’t that many and the ones that were there weren’t that good. Oh well. Not everything is going to be a winner.

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:

Homeschool W30: Recovered and Back to Work!

What We Studied

Thankfully everyone got better from their cold and we had a normal week. I took one picture of us doing school that didn’t involve the chicks. Oh well. Enjoy some baby chickens pictures.

Literature and Poetry

We started and finished a read aloud that I had never actually read before. It’s a delightful little adventure book that we knocked out in a few days.

• Chitty Chitty Bang Bang by Ian Fleming

• I’ve Lost My Hippopotamus by Jack Prelutsky

• Hello Earth! Poems to Our Planet by Joyce Sidman

Math

Another week of math games, puzzles, and review

• Logic Countdown

• The School of Numbers

Social Studies

We covered the last chapter of History Quest Middle Times about Elizabethan Times.

• DK Timelines of Everyone

• When on Earth

• DK History

• DK Timelines of Everything

• Bard of Avon: The Story of William Shakespeare by Diane Stanley

• Shakespeare's Theatre by Andrew Langley

• The Tudors: Kings, Queen, Scribes, and Ferrets by Marcia Williams

• Good Queen Bess: The Story of Elizabeth I of England by Diane Stanley

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 and our mini science unit, we’re focusing on plants and gardening.

• DK Trees, Leaves, Flowers, and Seeds

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.

ELA

• Biscuit and the Lost Teddy Bear by Alyssia Satin Capucilli (Q reads)

• Biscuit Loves the Park by Alyssia Satin Capucilli (Q reads)

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

• The Tale of Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle by Beatrix Potter

• The Tale of Mr. Jeremy Fisher by Beatrix Potter

• The Tale of Tom Kitten by Beatrix Potter

• High Five May 2020

• High Five June 2020

• Our Universe: Earth by Marion Bane Bauer

Math

• Lollipop Logic Book 1

• Tinkeractive PreK Math

Other

• Smart Start Beginning Coding Grade 1

• Tinkeractive PreK Science

Field Trip

There wasn’t a field trip this week.

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

• My Little Pony, Pony Life: Royal Bake-Off by Katie Chilson

• Over in the Meadow by Ezra Jack Keats

• There's a Tiger in the Garden by Lizzy Stewart

• There's a Hole in the Bucket by John M. Feierabend

High

• For Earth Day, we had a little coop party at a member’s house. Mostly it turned into free kids’ play, but sometimes that’s what we really need.

Low

• The chicks had to be returned on Saturday. The kids really wanted to keep them…

Next Week

• Taking a curriculum break with multiple outings

• Starting the next Chronicles of Narnia book

• More math games, puzzles, and review

• Wrapping up the Middle Times for history

Next up on the TBR pile:

Music Monday - Jukebox the Ghost feat. Andrew McMahon "Wasted"

Such a great song and a great collaboration.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Life Right Now #14

As I look outside my window: Clear and bright out there but pretty chilly today (high of 50 degrees) and very very windy. Seriously, I would love it if the wind slowed down a bit. We even gotten a few roof shingles from the neighbor blown into our yard. So windy!

Right now I am: Enjoying a donut. I bought a few yesterday and we drilled it into the kids’ heads that they could have only one this morning. They actually listened so I get my donut.

On my bedside table: Anatomy by Dana Schwartz; A Place to Hang the Moon by Kate Albus

On my tv this week: J and I rewatched Loki S1 with the kids. They loved it of course. He and I then finished S1 of The Righteous Gemstones and Slow Horses.

Listening to: I’ve been doing a huge shuffle of the music on my Apple Music account. Very random and I love it.

On the menu for this week:

• Monday - Italian Beef Sandwiches

• Tuesday - Leftovers

• Wednesday - Leftovers

• Thursday - Swahili Fish Stew

• Friday - Orecchiette with Sausage and Sun-Dried Tomatoes

• Saturday - Bangkok Coconut Curry Noodles

• Sunday - Spicy Stuffed Black Bean Sweet Potatoes

On my to do list: Hmmm… I’m at a bit of a loss. I’ll need to check my big to-do list.

Happening this week:

• Monday - Standing Bear Lake Hike

• Tuesday - Giraffe’s Can’t Dance @ The Rose Theatre;; Bookworms Book Club

• Wednesday - Joslyn Art Museum; Friend Book Club

• Thursday - Coop

• Friday - Home Day

• Saturday - D&D

• Sunday - Currently Reading Zoom for Poetry Month

What I am creating: Nothing right this second, but I might work on my April Memory Planner pages later today.

My simple pleasures: Hot chocolate, warmer temperatures, an engrossing book

Looking around the house: Picking up and vacuuming the first floor yesterday has made me feel so much better. Today I need to work on the kitchen and breakfast area.

From the camera: We had a lovely week taking care of two baby chicks. We named them Sunshine and Shadow. We’re definitely doing this again next year.

The Second Story by Neil Patrick Harris

Title: The Second Story (Magic Misfits #2)

Author: Neil Patrick Harris

Publisher: Little, Brown Books

Genre: MG Fantasy

Pages: 336

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: 

Growing up in an orphanage, Leila was bullied for being different. She turned her hardship into skill by becoming an escape artist--a valuable trait when you belong to a group of magical best friends. But when a famous psychic comes to town, Leila and her pals can't escape the big mystery heading their way. Whether chasing mad monkeys or banishing ghosts from haunted hotels, these six friends will do their best to keep their home of Mineral Wells safe--but can they protect themselves?

Join the Magic Misfits as they discover adventure, friendship, and more than a few hidden secrets in this delightful new series. Whether you're a long-time expert at illusion or simply a new fan of stage magic, hold onto your top hat!

Another super fun middle grade adventure. Arthur read this one and immediately put it into my hands. I had to read it right then and there. I loved that this volume shifted the main focus from Carter to Leila. We get to learn about her backstory and her own internal thoughts. Plus we get another great mystery involving magic (real or not?). We even get a few appearances from previous antagonists. And finally we learn more about the Emerald Ring. Arthur and I will both be continuing this series.

The Magic Misfits

• #1 The Magic Misfits

• #2 The Second Story

• #3 The Minor Third

• #4 The Fourth Suit

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Paradox Hotel by Rob Hart

Title: The Paradox Hotel

Author: Rob Hart

Publisher: Ballantine Books 2022

Genre: Science Fiction

Pages: 336

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Spring TBR

January Cole’s job just got a whole lot harder.

Not that running security at the Paradox was ever really easy. Nothing’s simple at a hotel where the ultra-wealthy tourists arrive costumed for a dozen different time periods, all eagerly waiting to catch their “flights” to the past.

Or where proximity to the timeport makes the clocks run backward on occasion—and, rumor has it, allows ghosts to stroll the halls.

None of that compares to the corpse in room 526. The one that seems to be both there and not there. The one that somehow only January can see.

On top of that, some very important new guests have just checked in. Because the U.S. government is about to privatize time-travel technology—and the world’s most powerful people are on hand to stake their claims.

January is sure the timing isn’t a coincidence. Neither are those “accidents” that start stalking their bidders.

There’s a reason January can glimpse what others can’t. A reason why she’s the only one who can catch a killer who’s operating invisibly and in plain sight, all at once.

But her ability is also destroying her grip on reality—and as her past, present, and future collide, she finds herself confronting not just the hotel’s dark secrets but her own.

Such a twisty, head-turner of a novel. Right away I had hoped that this book would be great based on the hotel as a character aspect. I do so love it when the setting becomes it’s own character within the novel. This one does not disappoint. From the beginning I knew bad things were going to happen but understanding the how’s, why’s, and who's. was the big draw for me. We’re thrown into an unknown situation with a narrator who may or may not be unreliable. From there, we follow January as she tries to unravel the mysteries within the Paradox Hotel and what exactly is going to be the sequence of future events. This science fiction book involves some science but never gets bogged down in the technical talk. We get enough to attempt to understand what is happening within the hotel. But the more immediate mystery is a murder that only January can see. All of the characters kept me guessing as to their motivations and endgames. January was a treat to follow even if I didn’t quite love her ending. I ended up really enjoying this time travel adventure.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Can I Get Some Videos?

Definitely looks like something I would watch

On our shortlist! And I do so appreciate their music choice. Worlds Apart is my favorite Journey song!

We even get some Guns N’ Roses for this one! Music directors are on point lately.

Spring Bucket List Update #1

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 spring:

1. Check off 150 hours of our 1000 hours outside project - 20/150 so far

2. Two Lincoln Excursion Days

3. Three State park Visits

4. Read 50 books - 17/50

5. Day trip to Des Moines

6. At least 6 zoo visits

7. Design board for future kitchen renovation

8. Monthly bingo/trivia nights

9. Do a donation drop

10. Take the kids bowling or mini golfing

11. Log 50 miles on the treadmill

12. Make homemade cinnamon rolls

13. Plan out curriculum for next year - in progress

14. Plan out the Bookish Retreat! - in progress

15. Plan an Indiana trip for summer complete with Indianapolis mini trip - in progress

16. Weekend trip to Kansas

17. Plan a redo for our homeschool space / playroom

18. Do a Closet Cleanout for Me

19. Do a Closet Cleanup for the Kids

20. Work on a Craft Project

Up Next on the TBR:

The Pool of Fire by John Christopher

Title: The Pool of Fire (Tripods #2)

Author: John Christopher

Publisher: 1968

Genre: Middle Grade Scifi

Pages: 204

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: 

After being held captive in the City of Gold and Lead—the capital, where the creatures that control the mechanical, monstrous Tripods live—Will believes that he’s learned everything he needs to know to destroy them. He has discovered the source of their power, and with this new knowledge, Will and his friends plan to return to the City of Gold and Lead to take down the Masters once and for all.

Although Will and his friends have planned everything down to the minute, the Masters still have surprises in store. And with the Masters’ plan to destroy Earth completely, Will may have just started the war that will end it all.

We finally get to see the conclusion of Will’s adventure in the revolt against the Masters. The third book starts right up with the plot and keeps going until the end. We get to revisit the city of the Masters and find out more about how they operate. We reconnect with Beanpole and Henry while learning more about the the other cities of the Masters. I loved how the big confrontation happened and was right there with all of them. My only issue was the very pessimistic ending of the story. It felt really realistic, but very sad. Not quite sure what I feel about all of that. Now, I need to read the prequel.

The Tripods

• #0.5 When the Tripods Came

• #1 The White Mountains

• #2 The City of Gold and Lead

• #3 The Pool of Fire

Next up on the TBR pile:

Currently #7

Reading: Beautiful by Christina Lauren. I finally made it to the last book in this series. They are definitely my current comfort reads.

Watching: While J was gone last week, I started watching Starstruck and Minx and I am addicted to both.

Listening: Sad that the new Coheed and Cambria album isn’t out yet, but I have been listening to the three singles a lot lately.

Making: Made chocolate cake for D&D on Saturday and we’ve almost eaten the entire thing. I may need to make a new variation this weekend.

Feeling: I had my permanent crown put on Monday and am still feeling slightly sore today.

Planning: I need to finish planning out our May Kansas trip. We have lodgings and tickets for one event. I need to get our list of restaurants and other events set.

Loving: We rented two chicks for this week and are having so much fun with Sunshine and Shadow! The boys are learning so much about chickens and caring for them.

Next up on the TBR pile: