A Dawn Most Wicked and Something Strange and Deadly by Susan Dennard

Title: Something Strange and Deadly (Something Strange and Deadly #1)

Author: Susan Dennard

Publisher: HarperTeen 2013

Genre: YA Horror

Pages: 416

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Unread Shelf Project

Sixteen-year-old Eleanor Fitt’s brother is missing. And when she discovers that the Dead are rising in Philadelphia and wreaking havoc throughout the city, she knows that her brother is involved.

So Eleanor enlists the help of the Spirit-Hunters. This motley crew, hired to protect the city from supernatural forces, is after the necromancer who has been reanimating corpses. Their skills can save her brother. But as Eleanor spends time with the Spirit-Hunters, and their handsome inventor, Daniel, the situation becomes dire. Now not only is her reputation at risk, but her very life may hang in the balance.

This volume has been sitting on my shelves for a few years now. Of course I had to read it during Spooky Book Month to stay on theme. The first few chapters were a bit confusing as we don’t get the backstory of the Dead or the current state of the world. Once I settled in and started following Eleanor’s storyline, I slowly got a handle on the world and began enjoying myself. This is a typical YA adventure fantasy full of slightly whiny characters and some predictable light romance. I really got into the story once we meet the Spirit Hunters and the mystery starts unraveling. From there, I sped through the rest of the book. This volume ends on a bit of a cliffhanger but the main mystery is concluded before the end page. I imagine that I will finish this series, but probably not right away.

Title: A Dawn Most Wicked (Something Strange and Deadly #0.5)

Author: Susan Dennard

Publisher: HarperTeen 2013

Genre: YA Horror

Pages: 150

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: 

Daniel Sheridan is an engineer’s apprentice on a haunted Mississippi steamer known as the Sadie Queen. His best friend–the apprentice pilot, Cassidy Cochran–also happens to be the girl he’s pining for … and the captain’s daughter. But when it looks like the Sadie Queen might get taken off the river, Daniel and Cassidy have to do whatever they can to stop the ghosts that plague the ship.

Fortunately, there happens to be a Creole gentleman on board by the name of Joseph Boyer–and he just might be able to help them …

My paperback copy of the first book in the series included this prequel novella at the end. I didn’t realize that Daniel had a big backstory, but I did enjoy following him during his first encounter with Joseph and Jie. the ghost scenes are truly creepy and I definitely want more from that angle in the next book.

Something Strange and Deadly

• #0.5 A Dawn Most Wicked

• #1 Something Strange and Deadly

• #2 A Darkness Strange and Lovely

• #3 Strange and Ever After

Next up on the TBR pile:

Music Monday - Paramore "This is Why"

This is the month for my fave bands of the 90s and early 00s to come back with new music apparently. Loving this sound from Paramore!

Next up on the TBR pile:

Life Right Now #31

Right now I am: Deciding what to make for brunch today…

Thinking and pondering: How many more books can I fit in this month? Or maybe I should just continue Spooky Book Month into November.

On my bedside table: Still Life with Crows by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Childs; Beastly Bones by William Ritter

On my tv this week: We are continuing Spooky Movie Month. We’re in the middle of watching the entire Alien and Predator series (in release date order).

Listening to: After listening to an episode of All Things Murderful with Meredith, I had to download and start listening to Limetown. I also requested the prequel book to read after listening to S1.

On the menu for this week:

• Monday - Fancy BLT Grilled Cheese

• Tuesday - Book Club

• Wednesday - Book Club

• Thursday - Lemon Ginger Turmeric Chicken and Rice Soup

• Friday - Swedish Meatballs

• Saturday - Smothered Pork Chops

• Sunday - Teriyaki Shrimp and Rice

On my to do list: I got a new PCP assigned to the boys and myself, but now I need to call the office and make appointments.

Happening this week:

• Monday - Vala’s Day (possibly the last visit of the season)

• Tuesday - Virtual Park Ranger Program; Book Club

• Wednesday - Science; Book Club

• Thursday - Coop

• Friday - Outschool Class; Kids’s COVID Boosters

• Saturday - Home Day

• Sunday - Home Day

What I am creating: Working on a puzzle this weekend and my October Memory Planner pages.

My simple pleasures: Family time at the pumpkin patch; less pain; hot tea

Looking around the house: Apparently our patio furniture will just be staying int he living room for this winter Extra seating I guess.

From the camera: Beautiful sunset at the pumpkin patch and a view of one of the old barns.

My Favorite Thing is Monsters by Emil Ferris

Title: My Favorite Thing is Monsters Book 1

Author: Emil Ferris

Publisher: Fantagraphics 2017

Genre: Comic Horror

Pages: 416

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Fall TBR

Set against the tumultuous political backdrop of late ’60s Chicago, My Favorite Thing Is Monsters is the fictional graphic diary of 10-year-old Karen Reyes, filled with B-movie horror and pulp monster magazines iconography. Karen Reyes tries to solve the murder of her enigmatic upstairs neighbor, Anka Silverberg, a holocaust survivor, while the interconnected stories of those around her unfold. When Karen’s investigation takes us back to Anka’s life in Nazi Germany, the reader discovers how the personal, the political, the past, and the present converge. Full-color illustrations throughout.

This volume has been on my radar for awhile now, but I finally picked it up to enjoy. I dove straight in to this book not knowing the premise at all. Right away we learn that we are reading a murder mystery, but one filled with internal musings from our protagonist as well as observations of life. We follow Karen who thinks of herself as werewolf. We learn about her life in a small urban apartment with her mother and brother. We slowly meet the neighbors and learn about the rhythms of life in the particular neighborhood. All throughout, at the heart of the story is the question of who killed Anka Silverberg. I was a bit upset to learn the the story does not actually conclude with this volume, but intrigued enough to continue reading.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Fall Bucket List Update #1

My favorite season of the year. We’re diving into the spooky season and planning on soaking up all the fall fun.

1. Visit Vala’s 5x ✓

2. Celebrate Friendsgiving

3. Read 50 Books (23/50)

4. Complete Spooky Movie Month - in progress

5. Execute a Halloween Party for Coop

6. Have an Art/Craft Day

7. Two State Park Visists

8. Two Zoo Visits

9. Pick Out and Carve Pumpkins

10. Go Trick-or-Treating

11. Jump in a Pile of Leaves

12. Go Through a Corn Maze

13. Make 5 Fall Recipes

14. Make Leaf Art

15. Go Pick Apples ✓

16. Go on a Fall Forest Hike ✓

17. Make 3 Pumpkin Recipes

18. Go Bowling

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Wrong Girl by R.L. Stine

Title: The Wrong Girl (Return to Fear Street #2)

Author: R.L. Stine

Publisher: HaperTeen 2018

Genre: YA Horror

Pages: 328

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Fall TBR; Unread Shelf Project

Poppy Miller swears she will get payback for Jack Sabers’s cruel prank that humiliated her in front of all her friends.

Then her classmates start turning up dead.

All eyes are on Poppy. Is Poppy being framed? Or did the kids of Shadyside High mess with the wrong girl?

In this Fear Street story, only one thing’s for sure—someone is out for DEADLY revenge.

After the high of the last book in this series, I was hoping for more of the same. Unfortunately, this one just fell flat for me. We don’t get the first death until way past the 50% mark. That’s unusual for these books. From there things move quickly, but I wasn’t really into the story. I thoroughly disliked Poppy and her narration was very grating at times. Even the narrations from other characters were not intriguing. I was not impressed and definitely felt disappointed when I reached the end of the book. Not for me.

Return to Fear Street

• #1 You May Now Kill the Bride

• #2 The Wrong Girl

• #3 Drop Dead Gorgeous

Next up on the TBR pile:

You May Now Kill the Bride by R.L. Stine

Title: You May Now Kill the Bride (Return to Fear Street #1)

Author: R.L. Stine

Publisher: HarperTeen 2018

Genre: YA Horror

Pages: 344

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Fall TBR; Unread Shelf

Two sisters, divided by time. Each with a terrible resentment she can barely contain.

Two Fear family weddings, decades apart... Each bride will find that the ancient curse that haunts the Fears LIVES ON. It feeds off the evil that courses through their blood. It takes its toll in unexpected ways, and allows dark history to repeat itself.

In this Fear Street story, family ties bind sisters together—till DEATH do they part.

Super duper fun pulpy horror novel just like the ones from the original Fear Street series. I really loved all of those books as a preteen and early teen and was super excited to see a new series revisiting the old stomping ground. This one starts off with a story set in the early 1920s in which we meet a branch of the Fear family. Of course, we know that things are not going to end well for at least some members of the family. And then we jump to present day to almost repeat the story but with new characters and a few twists. I sped through this book enjoying all the pages. This gave me all the nostalgic feels that I wanted this month.

Return to Fear Street

• #1 You May Now Kill the Bride

• #2 The Wrong Girl

• #3 Drop Dead Gorgeous

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Book of Cold Cases by Simone St. James

Title: The Book of Cold Cases

Author: Simone St. James

Publisher: Berkley 2022

Genre: Mystery, Horror

Pages: 352

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Fall TBR; Unread Shelf

In 1977, Claire Lake, Oregon, was shaken by the Lady Killer Murders: Two men, seemingly randomly, were murdered with the same gun, with strange notes left behind. Beth Greer was the perfect suspect—a rich, eccentric twenty-three-year-old woman, seen fleeing one of the crimes. But she was acquitted, and she retreated to the isolation of her mansion.

Oregon, 2017. Shea Collins is a receptionist, but by night, she runs a true crime website, the Book of Cold Cases—a passion fueled by the attempted abduction she escaped as a child. When she meets Beth by chance, Shea asks her for an interview. To Shea’s surprise, Beth says yes.

They meet regularly at Beth’s mansion, though Shea is never comfortable there. Items move when she’s not looking, and she could swear she’s seen a girl outside the window. The allure of learning the truth about the case from the smart, charming Beth is too much to resist, but even as they grow closer, Shea senses something isn’t right. Is she making friends with a manipulative murderer, or are there other dangers lurking in the darkness of the Greer house?

Another absolute win from St. James. I really loved The Sun Down Hotel and really hoped that this one would be another winner. It was! We get a decades old murder cases, a heroine with past trauma, an intriguing possible villain, and a creepy creepy locale (in this case a house stuck in time). I dove in and read this book in just about three days. I was obsessed with figuring out the details of the murders and understand Shea’s present and potential future. St. James keeps up the suspense all throughout the novel, not letting up until the story concludes. Her writing creates those visual scenes in my head that I want in a paranormal thriller. I cannot wait to discuss this later this month at book club.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Currently #19

Reading: I finally grabbed My Favorite Thing is Monsters by Emil Ferris from the library. I’m really loving the drawings and the mystery involved in the passages.

Watching: We transitioned from Spooky Movie Month to Spooky Movie Series Month. We watched the Underworld series and Blade series. Now we are in the middle of the Alien and Predator series.

Listening: Catching up on the back episodes of Currently Reading. Somehow I got behind by 6 episodes or so.

Making: The weather turned chilly, so that means that I’m making all the soups this season. We had very yummy baked potato soup last night.

Feeling: Today the high is 45 degrees and we are planning on being outside all day at Arbor Day Farm. I foresee being very chilly today.

Planning: We’re fast approaching Halloween and I’m filling in our activities.

Loving: I pulled out a puzzle for this weekend. Haven’t done of these in awhile. I was very excited to get back to puzzling.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Homeschool W10: A Very Chill Week

What We Studied

After the epic birthday party weekend, we decided to have a very chill week. We went minimal places and didn’t go so heavy on the schoolwork. It was nice to have a bit of a break from everything. We still managed to get some work and lots of reading done.

Literature and Poetry

We finished The Wild Robot Escapes (oh so good) and paused before our next read aloud choice. We have been reading a collection of scary stories before bed each night.

• The Wild Robot Escapes by Peter Brown

• Nat Geo Book of Nature Poetry

• In the Beginning by Virginia Hamilton

• Poetry for Young People: Robert Frost

• The Cabinet of Curiosities

Quentin focused on reading animal stories from around the world. I’m trying to line them up with our continents as we move across the world. We wrapped up South America. We also started and finished the first book in the My Father’s Dragon series. Q really liked it, so we plan on reading the next two volumes over the next two weeks.

• Nat Geo Book of Animal Poetry

• A World Full of Animal Stories by Angela McAllister

• Around the World in 80 Days by Saviour Pirotta

• My Father’s Dragon by Ruth Stiles Gannett

• Fox at Night by Corey R. Tabor (Q reads)

• Captain Cat Goes to Mars by Emma J. Virján (Q reads)

• Hop on Pop by Dr. Seuss (Q reads)

• Bunny Will Not Jump! by Jason Tharp (Q Reads)

• Bunny Will Not Smile by Jason Tharp (Q Reads)

Math

For both boys, we have scheduled math for three days a week. One day is focused on logic, games, puzzles, and special projects. The two other days are focused on covering the main math curriculum (Singapore 4A and 4B for Arthur and Singapore 1A and 1B for Quentin). We played a lot of math packet catch-up this week. We had been pushing hard and it was nice to slow down a bit and work on mastery of skills.

• Logic Liftoff (Arthur)

• Singapore 4A

• Lollipop Logic Book 2 (Quentin)

Social Studies

Arthur continued his large study of United States history using a combination of Build Your Library Level 5 and History Quest United States History. We paused on the larger history timeline to finish reading a historical fiction book about the founding of James Town.

• A Kid’s Guide to Native American History by Yvonne Wakim Dennis

• An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz

• Turtle Island: The Story of North America’s First People by Eldon Yellowhorn and Kathy Lowinger

• What the Eagle Sees: Indigenous Stories of Rebellion and Renewal by Eldon Yellowhorn and Kathy Lowinger

• We were There Too by Philip Hoose

• History Quest: U.S. History

• DK American History Visual Encyclopedia

• Blood on the Water: James Town 1607 by Elisa Carbone

Quentin continued his study of the world with Build Your Library Level 0. We finished our study of South America. Next up is Europe.

• Nat Geo Beginner’s World Atlas

• DK Countries of the World

• DK Children Just Like Me

• DK Children Just Like Me; A School Like Mine

• Mia’s Story by Michael Foreman

• Ada's Violin: The Story of the Recycled Orchestra of Paraguay by Susan Hood

• The Magic Bean Tree: A Legend from Argentina by Nancy Van Laan

• Abuelo by Arthur Dorros

Arthur Independent Time

We are working on following a checklist in a planner for weekly independent work. There’s usually some math workbook pages, an ELA packet, weekly writing prompts (1-2 times a week), independent reading time, and a special creative project. There has been many drawing projects lately.

Science

Arthur is focusing on Physics this year. We are covering the text and related videos at home and then joining friends for experiments and extra projects. We covered the sections about levers and made a few levers.

• RSO Physics

• The Story of Science: Aristotle Leads the Way by Joy Hakim

• Levers by Sally M. Walker

Quentin will be focusing on animal science with BYL Level 0. We talked a lot about the southern part of South America and the animals who live there. We also continued reading our true book about wild animals.

• Nat Geo Wild Animal Atlas

• DK Animal

• Lonely Planet: The Animal Book

• The Tarantula in My Purse by Jean Craighead George

STEAM Coop

The older class continued their telecommunications theme. They finally learned about the internet and wireless communication. Quentin’s class focused on the structure of our government. They got to vote on some issues and see democracy in action.

Art/Music/Crafts/Cooking

We’re planning one doing on art project and one cooking project each week as well as picking a composer or musician to listen to and enjoy. This week music just didn’t happen. But that’s okay. Arthur’s continued with the Outschool drawing class. This week they made a picture of a gazelle. He even decided to trace over the lines in marker and then color it a bit afterward. Love it!

Field Trip

None this week for us

High

• The quiet time was nice

Low

• Sad to miss out on the homeschool fall dance on Thursday, but the boys really were not feeling it. Hopefully the organizer does it again in spring. We would definitely attend!

Next Week

• Starting Howl’s Moving Castle (A)

• Moving to the Pilgrims for US History (A)

• Finishing levers for Physics (A)

• Introducing Europe for social studies and science (Q)

• Continuing to read the My Father’s Dragon series (Q)

• Traveling to Nebraska City for Arbor Day Farm field trip

• Getting out to Vala’s (with J) at least once this week

• Covering telecommunications, one last class, (A) and government (Q) for coop

Next up on the TBR pile:

Music Monday - blink-182 "Edging"

A new blink-182 song and the original line-up. Is it 1998? I love it!

Next up on the TBR pile:

Life Right Now #30

As I look outside my window:

Right now I am:

Thinking and pondering:

On my bedside table: The Wrong Girl by R.L. Stine

On my tv this week: We completed our rewatch of the Blade series. Turns out, I never actually watched number two, so it was a completely new experience for me. I’ve also been keeping up with Bachelor in Paradise, Below Deck Med, and The Great British Baking Show (Mexican week was in very bad taste).

Listening to: The usual podcasts. My brain has not been able to take much audio input this week, so not big music binges.

On the menu for this week:

• Monday - Baked Potato Soup

• Tuesday - Firecracker Chicken

• Wednesday - Leftovers (possibly out at Vala’s)

• Thursday - Blackened Salmon

• Friday - Beef Stew

• Saturday - Apple Bacon Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

• Sunday - Buffalo Chicken Nachos

On my to do list: Now that bivalent COVID boosters have been approved for kids, I’m waiting for the local pharmacies to change their policies so I can make the kids appointments. Beyond that, I need to take care of the dentist bill, prep curriculum for November, do my biweekly coop checks, switch out my summer/winter clothes, and set up some playdates.

Happening this week:

• Monday - Home Day

• Tuesday - Arbor Day Farm

• Wednesday - Kid Dentist Appointments; Vala’s

• Thursday - Coop

• Friday - Outschool Drawing Class

• Saturday - Home Day

• Sunday - Home Day

What I am creating: Now that the party is over, I’m catching up on my Memory Planner pages. I also would love to maybe think about Christmas cards this month, but not sure if I will have the bandwidth for that.

My simple pleasures: Hot cup of coffee, uninterrupted reading time, a cozy blanket - I’m leaning hard into the fall vibes right now.

Looking around the house: I still have patio furniture in my living room (from the party last weekend) and it may just live here for the winter. Where I usually put it in the garage is full of other stuff now. I do need to get the boys to pick up some of their piles though and their room is a disaster.

From the camera: Loving the new drinks and decor at Edge of the Universe

Once Upon a Curse: 17 Dark Faerie Tales

Title: Once Upon a Curse: 17 Dark Faerie Tales (Once Upon #1)

Author:

Publisher: Fiddlehead Press 2016

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 360

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: 

Seventeen magical stories from NY Times and USA Today bestsellers and award-winning authors that will entice you to the darker side of faerie tales. More Grimm than Disney, in this collection you’ll find twists on Snow White, Hansel & Gretel, Rumpelstiltskin, The Snow Queen, Cinderella, The Pied Piper, Alice in Wonderland, and Red Riding Hood, plus new tales paying homage to the old traditions. Shadows cannot exist without light, however, and you’ll find enough happily-ever-afters to lift your spirits in this anthology full of adventure, dark powers, and ultimately the enduring power of true love.

YARROW, STURDY AND BRIGHT by Devon Monk – Sweet music cannot hide a wicked heart…
FAE HORSE by Anthea Sharp – Faerie bargains can grant any desire, but be careful what you wish for.
THE QUEEN OF FROST AND DARKNESS by Christine Pope - Her heart is the only thing colder than a Russian winter….
BONES by Yasmine Galenorn - Sometimes, your most cherished dream can turn out to be a nightmare.
MAGIC AFTER MIDNIGHT by C. Gockel – The Wicked Stepmother is about to meet her match…
DANCE WITH THE DEVIL by Donna Augustine - When the devil makes a deal with a dancer, he gets more than he bargained for.
NO GIFT OF WORDS by Annie Bellet - Never steal from a witch...
THE GRIM BROTHER by Audrey Faye – Not all walks in the wood end well…
BEAST INSIDE BEAUTY by Danielle Monsch - Happily Ever After ain't guaranteed when Once Upon a Time is here.
FAESCORNED by Jenna Elizabeth Johnson - The Morrigan, Celtic goddess of war and strife, must relive a painful memory that reminds her of what she can never have.
DRAWN TO THE BRINK by Tara Maya - Sajiana's job is to hunt down monsters brought alive from paintings. She never expected to meet one so handsome... or to need his help.
THE VARIANCE COURT by Alexia Purdy - Anna, a struggling college student, discovers a mysterious ring that turns her quiet life chaotic when the ring's magic doesn't do what it's told.
THE MORRIGAN by Phaedra Weldon – A young man discovers he has leprechaun blood – and is wanted by dark faerie forces.
ALICE by Julia Crane - A twisted tale of Alice and Wonderland. Facing madness and an ominous prophecy, Alice chooses to follow her heart despite knowing her world is about to change forever.
STILL RED by Sabrina Locke – When the Hunters come, can there be any escape?
THE FINAL STRAW by Jennifer Blackstream - To banish a gold-spinning demon, first you must guess his name...
THE UNICORN HUNTER by Alethea Kontis – Only Snow White knows what really happened in the forest…

I was scrolling through my Kindle app (boy is that a colossal mess!) and stumbled upon this collection I bought a few years back. I wanted something light but spooky and this seemed like the perfect choice. Like with every short story collection, this one is a mixed bag. But overall, I really enjoyed these short snippets and takes on new and old fairy tales. Some definitely fall on the horror side of things while others were more light-hearted and only slightly spooky. Decent collection that I’m sure I got for nearly free during some sale.

Next up on the TBR pile:

A Court of Frost and Starlight by Sarah J. Maas

Title: A Court of Frost and Starlight (ACOTAR #3.5)

Author:Sarah J. Maas

Publisher: Bloomsbury 2018

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 272

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Fall TBR

Feyre, Rhysand, and their friends are still busy rebuilding the Night Court and the vastly altered world beyond, recovering from the war that changed everything. But Winter Solstice is finally approaching, and with it, the joy of a hard-earned reprieve.

Yet even the festive atmosphere can't keep the shadows of the past from looming. As Feyre navigates her first Winter Solstice as High Lady, her concern for those dearest to her deepens. They have more wounds than she anticipated-scars that will have a far-reaching impact on the future of their court.
Bridging the events of A Court of Wings and Ruin with the later books in the series, A Court of Frost and Starlight explores the far-reaching effects of a devastating war and the fierce love between friends.

A short novella to tide us over until the next book. Nothing too big happens but we do get to see the story from multiple perspectives. We get some more information on the dynamics between characters. And we get to see how some have fared since the war with Hybern. It was a good novella but without much action. It’s a very quiet story.

A Court of Throns and Roses

• #1 A Court of Thorns and Roses

• #2 A Court of Mist and Fury

• #3 A Court of Wings and Ruin

• #3.5 A Court of Frost and Starlight

• #4 A Court of Silver Flames

Next up on the TBR pile:

Odds and Ends

Here's my randomness for the week:

• Dealing with the management side of coop is not my favorite at all…

• Temperatures are all over the place once again his week and next. I would like a week of 60-70 degree temps please. That would be magical.

• My patio furniture was moved inside for the party and I think it may live in my living room for the winter. I feel silly putting it back outside, but also the space in the garage has changed since April.

• COVID boosters were just approved for kids! I’m off to make appointments for the boys!

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Yoga Store Murder by Dan Morse

Title: The Yoga Store

Author: Dan Morse

Publisher: Berkley 2013

Genre: Nonfiction - True Crime

Pages: 361

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Fall TBR; Unread Shelf Project

It was a crime that shocked the country. On March 12, 2011, two young saleswomen were found brutally attacked inside a lululemon athletica retail store in Bethesda, Maryland, one of the nation’s wealthiest suburbs.

Thirty-year-old Jayna Murray was dead—slashed, stabbed, and struck more than three hundred times. Investigators found blood spattered on walls, and size fourteen men’s shoe prints leading away from her body.

Twenty-eight-year-old Brittany Norwood was found alive, tied up on the bathroom floor. She had lacerations, a bloody face, and ripped clothing. She told investigators that two masked men had slipped into the Bethesda lululemon store just after closing, presumably planning to rob it. She spoke of the night of terror she and her coworker had experienced. Investigators were sympathetic…but as the case went on, Brittany’s story began to unravel. Why rob a business that dealt mostly in credit cards? Why was Jayna murdered but Brittany left alive? Could the petite, polite Brittany have been involved? Most chilling of all: could she have been the killer?

A thoroughly predictable and yet engaging examination of a real murder case. One of my favorite podcast hosts has talked about this book multiple times, so I finally picked it up. True crime is not usually my genre, but I found this walk-thorough of the case to be very well-written and clear. We follow the police detectives as they examine the evidence and attempt to understand who murder Jayna Murray and why. The summary gives away part of the ending, but I was still interested to understand the why position. Unfortunately, we don’t really get a clear reason why, but I still thought it was a worthwhile story to tell.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Fledgling by Octavia E. Butler

Title: Fledgling

Author: Octavia E. Butler

Publisher: Grand Central Publishing 2007

Genre: Horror

Pages: 310

Rating: 2/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Fall TBR

Fledgling, Octavia Butler’s last novel, is the story of an apparently young, amnesiac girl whose alarmingly un-human needs and abilities lead her to a startling conclusion: she is in fact a genetically modified, 53-year-old vampire. Forced to discover what she can about her stolen former life, she must at the same time learn who wanted—and still wants—to destroy her and those she cares for, and how she can save herself. Fledgling is a captivating novel that tests the limits of "otherness" and questions what it means to be truly human.

I picked this up as an extra buddy read with my Nerdy Bookish Friends group after we had read Parable of the Sower. I was definitely intrigued by the idea of Octavia Butler writing a vampire story. I dove in and was very disappointed by the actual story. The entire conceit is that our main character, a vampire, is suffering from amnesia. We have to learn about the world as she learns about the world. I get the concept, but it ends up resulting in a ton of exposition dumps. And the dialogue is often very clunky. None of the conversations seem natural. Finally we get the real reason that I gave it only 2 stars. Our main character is supposed to be 53 years old, but looks like she is 10 years old. Okay fine, but then she engages in very adult sexual encounters. Nope nope nope.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Homeschool W8-9: Lots of Pumpkin Patch Time!

What We Studied

Our week 8 ended being a bit abbreviated because of lots of different activities, so I’m combining it with our week 9 for the recap. We ended our week 9 with the boys’ epic Knights of the Round Table Party, so we had another slightly abbreviated week. Still got a lot of school done and time outside, but we will be playing catch-up a bit on our next flex week (after week 10).

Literature and Poetry

As our extra read aloud, we finished A Wolf Called Wander in the middle of the two weeks. For our actual curriculum, we started and almost finished The Wild Robot Escapes. I really loved the entire duology of Roz’s adventures. I loved every part of those books. We’ll be wrapping that book up this week and diving into our next read aloud (and the coop book club selection for October).

• The Wild Robot Escapes by Peter Brown

• Nat Geo Book of Nature Poetry

• In the Beginning by Virginia Hamilton

• Poetry for Young People: Robert Frost

• A Wolf Called Wander by Rosanne Parry

Quentin focused on reading animal stories from around the world. I’m trying to line them up with our continents as we move across the world. We stayed in South American for our stories.

• Nat Geo Book of Animal Poetry

• A World Full of Animal Stories by Angela McAllister

• Around the World in 80 Days by Saviour Pirotta

• Looking for Jaguar and Other Rain Forest Poems by Susan Katz

• Tales Our Abuelitas Told: A Hispanic Folktale Collection by Alma Flor Ada

• Jabuti The Tortoise: A Trickster Tale from the Amazon by Gerald McDermott

• Biblioburro: A True Story from Colombia by Jeanette Winter

• Love and Roast Chicken by Barbara Knutson

• Miro in the Kingdom of the Sun by Jane Kurtz

• One Day in the Tropical Rain Forest by Jean Craighead George

Math

For both boys, we have scheduled math for three days a week. One day is focused on logic, games, puzzles, and special projects. The two other days are focused on covering the main math curriculum (Singapore 4A and 4B for Arthur and Singapore 1A and 1B for Quentin). Quentin finished his Tinkeractive text so we are ready to move onto Singapore and Smart Start Math.

• Logic Liftoff (Arthur)

• Singapore 4A

• Tinkeractive Math Kindergarten

• Lollipop Logic Book 2 (Quentin)

Social Studies

Arthur continued his large study of United States history using a combination of Build Your Library Level 5 and History Quest United States History. We wrapped up our exploration of the various groups of Native Americans pre-1492 and dove into the European colonization of the continent. We ended up covering Jamestown and beginnings of what would be Virginia.

• A Kid’s Guide to Native American History by Yvonne Wakim Dennis

• An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz

• Turtle Island: The Story of North America’s First People by Eldon Yellowhorn and Kathy Lowinger

• What the Eagle Sees: Indigenous Stories of Rebellion and Renewal by Eldon Yellowhorn and Kathy Lowinger

• History Quest: U.S. History

• DK American History Visual Encyclopedia

• 1607: A New Look at Jamestown

• Blood on the Water by Elisa Carbone

Quentin continued his study of the world with Build Your Library Level 0. We did a study of South America covering multiple regions. We also had a Sunnie Press maps for Rio de Janeiro and a Atlas Crate box for Brazil.

• Nat Geo Beginner’s World Atlas

• DK Countries of the World

• DK Children Just Like Me

• DK Children Just Like Me; A School Like Mine

• Along the Tapajos by Fernando Vilela

• Living in Brazil by Chloe Perkins

Arthur Independent Time

We are working on following a checklist in a planner for weekly independent work. There’s usually some math workbook pages, an ELA packet, weekly writing prompts (1-2 times a week), independent reading time, and a special creative project. There has been many drawing projects lately.

Science

Arthur is focusing on Physics this year. We are covering the text and related videos at home and then joining friends for experiments and extra projects. We covered more simple machines. and more from our Story of Science.

• RSO Physics

• The Story of Science: Aristotle Leads the Way by Joy Hakim

• Screws by Sally M. Walker and Roseann Feldmann

• The Math Book

Quentin will be focusing on animal science with BYL Level 0. We talked a lot about the Amazonia rainforest and the animals that live there.

• Nat Geo Wild Animal Atlas

• DK Animal

• Lonely Planet: The Animal Book

• The Rainforest Grew All Around by Susan K. Mitchell

• Rainforest by Julia Groves

• In the Rainforest by Kate Duke

• Anteaters, Bats, and Boas: The Amazon Rainforest from the Forest Floor to the Treetops by Roxie Munro

• Rainforests by Andrea Silen

• Over and Under the Rainforest by Kate Messner

• The Great Kapok Tree by Lynne Cherry

• The Leaf Detective: How Margaret Lowman Uncovered Secrets in the Rainforest by Heather Lang

• Tree of Wonder: The Many Marvelous Lives of a Rainforest Tree by Kate Messner

STEAM Coop

The older class continued their telecommunications theme. Arthur got really into making a transmitter tower and a crystal radio. Quentin’s class focused on life skills.

Art/Music/Crafts/Cooking

We’re planning one doing on art project and one cooking project each week as well as picking a composer or musician to listen to and enjoy. This week music just didn’t happen. But that’s okay. Arthur’s continued with the Outschool drawing class. He has really gotten into the idea of a new animal each week. He drew an elephant and a red panda.

Field Trip

We had a Zoom tour of a radio station to align with our telecommunications unit. It was fun too see a working radio station even if it was virtual. We also had coop school pictures which led to a park playdate practically next-door to the studio. We also went to the pumpkin patch multiple times these past two weeks. Good thing we have season passes.

High

• Quentin’s 6th birthday was right at the end of September. We had a fun day at the pumpkin patch even if I did just about expire afterward.

Low

• My body has been hurting lately. It got much worse these past two weeks. Not a fan at all.

Next Week

• Finishing The Wild Robot Escapes and staring Howl’s Moving Castle (A)

• Moving to the Pilgrims for US History (A)

• Covering levers for Physics (A)

• Reading some animal stories from South America (Q)

• Finishing the South American countries (Q)

• Covering telecommunications (A) and government (Q) for coop

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Girl and the Goddess by Nikita Gill

Title: The Girl and the Goddess

Author: Nikita Gill

Publisher: G.P Putnam’s 2020

Genre: Poetry

Pages: 352

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Fall TBR; Unread Shelf Project; Unread Shelf RC - Poetry

Meet Paro. A girl with a strong will, a full heart, and much to learn. Born into a family reeling from the ruptures of Partition in India, we follow her as she crosses the precarious lines between childhood, teenage discovery, and realizing her adult self. In the process, Paro must confront fear, desire and the darkest parts of herself in the search for meaning and, ultimately, empowerment.

Nikita Gill's vivid poetry and beautiful illustrations have captured hearts and imaginations--but in The Girl and the Goddess, she offers us her most personal and deeply felt writing to date: an intimate coming-of-age story told in linked poems that offers a look into the Hindu mythology and rich cultural influences that helped her become the woman she is today.

I grabbed this one after reading another collection of Gill’s poetry based on fairy tale and story characters. I slowly made my way through this collection. We get a bit of a autobiographical take on mythology, folklore, and history. I was definitely interested in how Gill would incorporate all three of those things. I really enjoyed Gill’s voice and her way of weaving fantasy and reality. I will definitely have to pick up Gill’s other collections.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Her Majesty's Royal Coven by Juno Dawson

Title: Her Majesty’s Royal Coven

Author: Juno Dawson

Publisher: Penguin 2022

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 448

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Fall TBR - Buddy Read Discussion

If you look hard enough at old photographs, we’re there in the background: healers in the trenches; Suffragettes; Bletchley Park oracles; land girls and resistance fighters. Why is it we help in times of crisis? We have a gift. We are stronger than Mundanes, plain and simple.

At the dawn of their adolescence, on the eve of the summer solstice, four young girls--Helena, Leonie, Niamh and Elle--took the oath to join Her Majesty's Royal Coven, established by Queen Elizabeth I as a covert government department. Now, decades later, the witch community is still reeling from a civil war and Helena is the reigning High Priestess of the organization. Yet Helena is the only one of her friend group still enmeshed in the stale bureaucracy of HMRC. Elle is trying to pretend she's a normal housewife, and Niamh has become a country vet, using her powers to heal sick animals. In what Helena perceives as the deepest betrayal, Leonie has defected to start her own more inclusive and intersectional coven, Diaspora. And now Helena has a bigger problem. A young warlock of extraordinary capabilities has been captured by authorities and seems to threaten the very existence of HMRC. With conflicting beliefs over the best course of action, the four friends must decide where their loyalties lie: with preserving tradition, or doing what is right.

Oh goodness! We picked this book hoping for a accessible and lighter read after some heavy choices. It was a much easier read, but one that was loaded with a lot of interesting questions and topics. Right away I picked up on the dichotomy between HMRC and Diaspora. We get some great conversations about race and privilege that harken back to many criticism of Third Wave Feminism. I’m looking forward to discussing the topic deeper during our discussion. We also get some great pieces about identity in general. I loved Niamh and Leonie so much as they try to navigate the intersections of their past and their present. I loved seeing how these two women were still supportive of all their coven sisters even when there were disagreements. I was rooting for both of those women to really come into their own throughout this story. The story itself becomes super fast-paced in the last 1/3 of the novel racing to a final confrontation. I did not quite see the ending playing out like it did, but was really enjoying the story. This volume leaves off on a very big cliffhanger, so beware. I will most definitely be picking up the next one once it’s released.

Her Majesty’s Royal Coven

• #1 Her Majesty’s Royal Coven

• #2 The Shadow Cabinet

• #3 untitled

Next up on the TBR pile: