Fall Bucket List Update #2

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 (36/50)

4. Complete Spooky Movie Month ✓

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:

Fairy Tale by Stephen King

Title: Fairy Tale

Author: Stephen King

Publisher: Scribner 2022

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 608

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Fall TBR

Charlie Reade looks like a regular high school kid, great at baseball and football, a decent student. But he carries a heavy load. His mom was killed in a hit-and-run accident when he was seven, and grief drove his dad to drink. Charlie learned how to take care of himself—and his dad. When Charlie is seventeen, he meets a dog named Radar and her aging master, Howard Bowditch, a recluse in a big house at the top of a big hill, with a locked shed in the backyard. Sometimes strange sounds emerge from it.

Charlie starts doing jobs for Mr. Bowditch and loses his heart to Radar. Then, when Bowditch dies, he leaves Charlie a cassette tape telling a story no one would believe. What Bowditch knows, and has kept secret all his long life, is that inside the shed is a portal to another world.

King’s storytelling in Fairy Tale soars. This is a magnificent and terrifying tale in which good is pitted against overwhelming evil, and a heroic boy—and his dog—must lead the battle.

Early in the Pandemic, King asked himself: “What could you write that would make you happy?”

The Nerdy Bookish Friends buddy read for November. I must admit that I have enjoyed Joe Hill’s writing over his father’s writing for years now, so I wasn’t necessarily super pumped for this read. On the other hand, I wasn’t mad about the selection. I was intrigued by King’s take on a fairy tale world and hero’s journey. By the end of the book, I had a few high points and a few duds. I loved how King featured the various fairy tales as easter eggs throughout the book. We get to see Charlie recognizing the stories as he encounters characters, settings, and events. I loved picking up all of those references. I also loved seeing how Charlie’s speech changes as he emerges himself in the world of Empis. Those were the high points. On the flip side, the pacing was terrible. For the first fourth of the book (~175 pages), nothing magical happens. It’s so incredibly slow. Once we get to the other world, things accelerate, but there are weird slow patches throughout the book. The entire section set in the prison lasted way too long. And then we get to the odd tone of the main character. I just don’t think that King writes 17 year olds very well now. There were some strange scenes that I just didn’t connect with. By the end of the book, I was left with very mixed feelings. Probably not the book for me.

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater

Title: The Scorpio Races

Author:Maggie Stiefvater

Publisher: Scholastic Press 2011

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 409

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Fall TBR

Some race to win. Others race to survive. It happens at the start of every November: the Scorpio Races. Riders attempt to keep hold of their water horses long enough to make it to the finish line. Some riders live. Others die. At age nineteen, Sean Kendrick is the returning champion. He is a young man of few words, and if he has any fears, he keeps them buried deep, where no one else can see them. Puck Connolly is different. She never meant to ride in the Scorpio Races. But fate hasn't given her much of a choice. So she enters the competition - the first girl ever to do so. She is in no way prepared for what is going to happen. As she did in her bestselling Shiver trilogy, author Maggie Stiefvater takes us to the breaking point, where both love and life meet their greatest obstacles, and only the strong of heart can survive.

This book was so hyped up to me that I was pretty disappointed by the actual thing. We start off strong with two orphaned teens deciding to risk their lives to the Scorpio Races. I was intrigued but the idea of the water horses and hoped the book kept the threat of them front and center. Instead, we focus on other people’s petty and vicious games. We see a relationship develop between the two main characters, but I wasn’t really sold on their romance. Everything seemed just a bit too lackluster for me. I ended up finishing the book and not really caring what happened to Sean or Puck I wasn’t left with a strong impression at all. I don’t think this one was for me.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Odds and Ends

Here's my randomness for the week:

• Rereading an old favorite and it’s still so good.

• Thinking about Christmas presents. Not sure which direction to take with the boys.

• We’re officially indoors for coop until probably late March/early April.

• Might need to swing by and get a pick-me-up coffee later after errands. It’s cold and dreary today.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Comfort me with Apples by Catherynne M. Valente

Title: Comfort Me with Apples

Author: Catherynne M. Valente

Publisher: Tordotcom 2021

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 103

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges:

Sophia was made for him. Her perfect husband. She can feel it in her bones. He is perfect. Their home together in Arcadia Gardens is perfect. Everything is perfect.

It's just that he's away so much. So often. He works so hard. She misses him. And he misses her. He says he does, so it must be true. He is the perfect husband and everything is perfect.

But sometimes Sophia wonders about things. Strange things. Dark things. The look on her husband's face when he comes back from a long business trip. The questions he will not answer. The locked basement she is never allowed to enter. And whenever she asks the neighbors, they can't quite meet her gaze....

But everything is perfect. Isn't it?

I won’t spoil this slim volume, but it most definitely is an interesting retelling of a very old story. I spent the first half puzzled over what was actually going on. Then very quickly all the pieces fell into places. Once Sophia meets a being in the park, everything came rushing to a conclusion. This is a book that must be read without looking at reviews. They will spoil everything! I opened this one up and read it in one sitting. I found myself getting angrier and angrier as the story progressed (as I should have, it’s kinda the entire point). Once the reveals happen, I felt very justified in my anger towards religion and the patriarchy. Only after I read it did I see that this is from Tordotcom. I adore that publishing house; no wonder I loved this one.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Currently #20

Reading: I’m getting closer to finishing Fairy Tale by Stephen King for a my Nerdy Bookish Friends book club. Overall, it’s been good, but King is a bit too long-winded for my tastes.

Watching: We’ve been on a Bollywood kick lately. Very over the top movies, but I’m loving it.

Listening: I got in a weird mood the other day and wanted to listen to some 70s women-led rock. So I downloaded all of Heart’s albums and binged listened. So good.

Making: For brunch I made blueberry sour cream coffee cake. Now I want to make all the different kinds of coffee cake. Perfect for these chilly Sunday mornings.

Feeling: We are in hibernation mode this week. Curling up with a good book and a cup of tea is just right.

Planning: I’m working on our Christmas plans. I need to formulate our Christmas advent and start making travel pans.

Loving: I’m all about the weird books lately. I finished Comfort Me with Apples on Sunday and Mrs. Caliban yesterday. Both were very strange.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Homeschool W12: Halloween is My Favorite Holiday!

What We Studied

We settled into a calm and relaxed week of school. We didn’t run around everywhere, but focused on a few activities with our coop friends

Literature and Poetry

We finished Howl’s Moving Castle as our main read aloud. We even watched the movie version for family movie night on Friday. Arthur really enjoyed the book and the movie. We finished our current book club book just in time to join in the meeting. The kids had a lovely evening chatting about the book. We also started the next book club selection.

• Nat Geo Book of Nature Poetry

• In the Beginning by Virginia Hamilton

• Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones

• The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin

• The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill

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 continued Europe and covered stories from the United Kingdom and Ireland.

• Nat Geo Book of Animal Poetry

• A World Full of Animal Stories by Angela McAllister

• Around the World in 80 Days by Saviour Pirotta

• Fox the Tiger by Corey R. Tabor (Quentin Reads)

• Fox Versus Winter by Corey R. Tabor (Quentin reads)

• Nat Geo Kids Halloween by Laura Marsh

• The Littlest Mummy by Brandi Dougherty

• The Littlest Witch by Brandi Dougherty

• The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything by Linda Williams

• Ten Timid Ghosts by Jennifer O'Connell

• Room on the Broom by Julia Donaldson

• Trick or Treat Crankenstein by Samantha Berger

• Strega Nona by Tomie dePaola

• Bonaparte Falls Apart by Margery Cuyler

• Miss Turie's Magic Creatures by Joy Keller

• Frankenslime by Joy Keller

• Back to School with Bigfoot by Samantha Berger

• Jamie O'Rourke and the Pooka by Tomie dePaola

• Jamie O'Rourke and the Big Potato by Tomie dePaola

• Fiona's Lace by Patricia Polacco

• Finn McCoul by Brian Gleeson

• The Irish Cinderlad by Shirley Climo

• Ronan and the Mermaid by Marianne McShane

• An Illustrated Treasury of Scottish Mythical Creatures

• Katie in London by James Mayhew

• The Teeny-Tiny Woman by Paul Galdone

• Robin Hood and the Golden Arrow by Robert D. San Souci

• The Great Smelly, Slobbery, Small-Tooth Dog by Margaret Read MacDonald

• The Woman Who Flummoxed the Fairies by Heather Forest

• The Black Bull of Norroway by Charlotte Huck

• An Illustrated Treasury of Scottish Mythical Creatures by Theresa Breslin

• An Illustrated Treasury of Scottish Fairy Tales by Theresa Breslin

• An Illustrated Treasury of Scottish Castle Legends by Theresa Breslin

Arthur’s Candy

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). Arthur officially finished 4A. We we probably take a small break before starting in on 4B. To celebrate Halloween, we graphed out our category into a variety of categories. The boys had fun.

• Logic Liftoff (Arthur)

• Singapore 4A

• Lollipop Logic Book 2 (Quentin)

• Smart Start Math Grade 1

Quentin’s Candy

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 covered the founding of the rest of the English colonies.

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

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

• We were There Too by Philip Hoose

• Words that Built a Nation

• History Quest: U.S. History

• DK American History Visual Encyclopedia

Quentin continued his study of the world with Build Your Library Level 0. We moved onto studying England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales.

• 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

• S is for Shamrock: An Ireland Alphabet by Eve Bunting

• Follow Me Around: Ireland by Wiley Blevins

• Whole Wide World: Big Ben by Kristine Spanier

• Follow Me Around: United Kingdom by Wiley Blevins

• Edinburgh Castle by Grace Hansen

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.

Q’s messy hands at coop

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 rest of wheels and axles.

• RSO Physics

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

• The Way Things Work Now

Quentin will be focusing on animal science with BYL Level 0. We did just a little overview of the animals of Europe.

• Nat Geo Wild Animal Atlas

• DK Animal

• Lonely Planet: The Animal Book

• The Tarantula in My Purse by Jean Craighead George

Work in progress

STEAM Coop

We’re back to coop after our absence week. Arthur caught up with genetics and Quentin studied anatomy. We had our last 70 degree day of the year (probably), so we had a great meeting at the park. We probably won’t be back out until late spring.

Trick-or-treating

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’s animal was a panther.

Field Trip

We didn’t have a field trip this week Instead, we had other activities to occupy our time. On Monday, we had the Coop Halloween Party at the park. The kids got to trick or treat and make some crafts. On Tuesday evening, we had coop book club. Many of the families had not finished the book, but we still ha da good discussion. We also picked our selections for the next six months.

High

• The Halloween party was such a great time. I really love that coop has decided to do these quarterly holiday parties.

Low

• We didn’t get through as much curriculum as I had hoped that we would. I might need to retool our schedule a bit.

Next Week

• Starting a new read aloud (A)

• Moving to the conflicts with Native Americans for US History (A)

• Moving to pulleys for Physics (A)

• Covering Western Europe for social studies and science (Q)

• Covering genetics, (A) and renewable energy (Q) for coop

Next up on the TBR pile:

Music Monday - Motionless in White "Werewolf"

I completely missed that fact that MIW put out a new music video on Halloween. This is hands-down my favorite song on the album and I’m super excited that there’s a music video now. So good!

Next up on the TBR pile:

Life Right Now #33

On my bedside table: Comfort Me with Apples by Catherynne M. Valente; Mrs. Caliban by Rachel Ingersoll

On my tv this week: We’ve continued our movie month with a mix of action and adventure.

Listening to: I rediscovered my love of the band Heart so I decided to just do a register to all their albums. So good!

On the menu for this week:

• Monday - Sesame Chicken

• Tuesday - Chicken Shawarma Fries

• Wednesday - German Night: Brats, Potato Salad, Apple Strudel

• Thursday - Leftovers

• Friday - Swedish Meatballs

• Saturday - Spaghetti and Meatballs

• Sunday - Sausage and Potatoes

On my to do list: I got doctor’s appointments set, so I guess that means that I need to make eye appointments next. I also need to do a bit of coop update

Happening this week:

• Monday - Home Day

• Tuesday - Home Day (I know it’s Election Day, but I already voted by mail.)

• Wednesday - Science

• Thursday - Coop

• Friday - Tattoo Appointment (finally); Outschool Class

• Saturday - Playdate with a friend

• Sunday - Book Club Zoom

What I am creating: Absolutely nothing. I really need to get going on Christmas cards soon.

My simple pleasures: A pain-free (well almost) day. After all the flare-ups lately, it’s nice to have an almost pain-free day. I always have a bit of pain now, but no sharp pains today, so It’s a win.

Looking around the house: I started vacuuming yesterday. Today I should probably tidy up the kitchen and get some random things put away upstairs.

From the camera: The weather turned so it was time for my twine a year haircut! Loving how bouncy it is right now.

Tunnel of Bones by Victoria Schwab

Title: Tunnel of Bones (Cassidy Blake #2)

Author: Victoria Schwab

Publisher: Scholastic 2019

Genre: MG Fantasy

Pages: 304

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: 

Trouble is haunting Cassidy Blake . . . even more than usual.She (plus her ghost best friend, Jacob, of course) are in Paris, where Cass's parents are filming their TV show about the world's most haunted cities. Sure, it's fun eating croissants and seeing the Eiffel Tower, but there's true ghostly danger lurking beneath Paris, in the creepy underground Catacombs.When Cass accidentally awakens a frighteningly strong spirit, she must rely on her still-growing skills as a ghosthunter -- and turn to friends both old and new to help her unravel a mystery. But time is running out, and the spirit is only growing stronger.And if Cass fails, the force she's unleashed could haunt the city forever.

Another good volume in this spooky middle grade series. I loved the change of location to Paris. We get to visit some iconic locations as Cassidy’s parents film their television show. I especially loved all the time that we spent in the Catacombs. The atmosphere was just right. I was a little less excited about the main ghostly mystery. It was interesting, but didn’t have the level of menace from the first one. I would have liked a bit more in the scary department. And then there’s the relationship between Cassidy and Jacob. I feel like there was a lot of rehashing of the same conversation concerning Jacob’s ties to Cassidy and not enough actually growth in that department. I would have liked to see more developments. Maybe the next book will actually bring this back into focus.

Cassidy Blake

• #1 City of Ghosts

• #2 Tunnel of Bones

• #3 Bridge of Souls

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Lost Vampire Prince by Melody Raven

Title: The Lost Vampire Prince (Evil Rising #1)

Author: Melody Raven

Publisher: 2019

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 283

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Fall TBR

Nicolas is the embodiment of royalty. Strong. Powerful. Deadly. The only thing he's missing is his throne.

Decades ago a vampire mutiny murdered his father and forced him into hiding, but all that is about to change. A mortal woman smart enough to learn the truth about him and naive enough to trust him is the perfect pawn to sneak him back into the monarchy.

Nothing is going to stop Nicolas from getting what is rightfully his. Not lust. Not love. And not Anna. At least that's what he thinks.

A fun and sexy vampire romance for today’s reading. This was one of those Kindle daily deals and I threw on my library just in case. Sometimes what I need is something that entertains me for a night, but doesn’t require much thought to process. I wanted a spooky romance and I got one. There’s nothing spectacular about this book, but it really scratched the itch I had. I might even continue on in the series.

Evil Rising

• #1 The Lost Vampire Prince

• #2 The Vampire Villain

• #3 Her Very Own Demon

• #4 The Werewolf and the Siren

• #5 Beauty and the Shapeshifter

Next up on the TBR pile:

What Moves the Dead by T. Kingfisher

Title: What Moves the Dead

Author: T. Kingfisher

Publisher: Tor Nightmare 2022

Genre: Horror

Pages: 176

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges:

When Alex Easton, a retired soldier, receives word that their childhood friend Madeline Usher is dying, they race to the ancestral home of the Ushers in the remote countryside of Ruritania.

What they find there is a nightmare of fungal growths and possessed wildlife, surrounding a dark, pulsing lake. Madeline sleepwalks and speaks in strange voices at night, and her brother Roderick is consumed with a mysterious malady of the nerves.

Aided by a redoubtable British mycologist and a baffled American doctor, Alex must unravel the secret of the House of Usher before it consumes them all.

Super creepy short retelling of Poe’s “The Fall of the House of Usher.” That has always been a favorite of mine and I randomly stumbled upon this retelling and read it in one sitting. It’s a gorgeous homage to the original story with expanded explanations for the illness that Madeline and Roderick suffer. We get some extra creepy scenes involving wild hares that certainly gave me pause. I enjoyed the update to the narrator character giving Easton a much more interesting and expansive backstory. Overall, a very enjoyable slim novella for a fall night’s reading.

Next up on the TBR pile:

November 2022 Life Goals

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

• Read 18 Books ✓

• Complete Spooky Movie Month ✓

• Go to Vala’s at Least 5x ✓

• Have a Fun Birthday Party for the Boys ✓

November Goals:

• Read 18 Books

• Read 5 from My Unread Shelf

• Have a Friendsgiving

• Plan the Coop Christmas Party

Next up on the TBR pile:

Homeschool W11: All the Fall Fun!

What We Studied

Another combo post of a Flex Week and the regular week. These Flex Weeks are really working out well for my compulsion to schedule and check off boxes. We fit in a few activities but also a lot of relaxing time at time following a few appointments.

Dentist appointment!

Literature and Poetry

We started Howl’s Moving Castle as our next main read aloud. Of course, we are still continuing our creation stories and our Nature Poetry. We have been reading a collection of scary stories before bed each night. Arthur and I started The Westing Game, our coop book club selection. We need to read it quickly as the meeting is on Tuesday night.

• Nat Geo Book of Nature Poetry

• In the Beginning by Virginia Hamilton

• Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones

• The Cabinet of Curiosities

• The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin

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 started Europe and covered stories from Scandinavia. We also started and finished the My Father’s Dragon collection. Q really liked it, so I call is a success.

• 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 and the Jumping Contest by Corey R. Tabor (Quentin reads)

• The Mystery of the Dragon Eggs by Maggie Testa (Quentin reads)

• Sir Ladybug by Corey R. Tabor (Quentin Read)

• FriendBots: Blink and Block Bug Each Other by Vicky Fang (Quentin Read)

• Fox is Late by Corey R. Tabor (Quentin Read)

• Ola by Ingri and Edgar Parin d'Aulaire

• The Three Billy Goats Gruff by Jerry Pinkney

• Agnes's Place by Marit Larsen

• The Troll with No Heart in His Body and Other Tales of Trolls, from Norway by Lise Lunge-Larsen

• D'Aulaires' Book of Norwegian Folktales

• The Pancake Boy by Lorinda Byran Cauley

• The Dragon's Hoard by Lari Don

• Master Maid: A Tale of Norway by Aaron Shepard

• Nat Geo Treasury of Norse Mythology

• The Most Beautiful Story by Brynjulf June Tjønn and Øyvind Torseter

• Boots and His Brothers by Eric A. Kimmel

• The Kalevala: Tales of Magic and Adventure

• The Princess Mouse by Aaron Shepard

• A Little Bitty Man and Other Poems for the Very Young by Halfdan Rasmussen

• Fat Cat by Margaret Read MacDonald

• The Whispering Town by Jennifer Elvgren

• Coffee Rabbit Snowdrop Lost by Betina Birkjær

• Hans Christian Andersen: The Journey of His Life by Heinz Janisch

• The Mouse Bride by Linda Allen

• The Sinking of the Vasa by Russell Freedman

• Now that Night is Near by Astrid Lindgren

• The Little Old Woman and the Hungry Cat by Nancy Polette

Weekly LEGO creation - a Star Wars speeder that crashed

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. I also pulled out the Autumn tangrams to play with on a rainy day. The boys always love when I pull those out and it helps them work on their spatial relations.

• Logic Liftoff (Arthur)

• Singapore 4A

• Lollipop Logic Book 2 (Quentin)

• Smart Start Math Grade 1

Proof we did do some bookwork

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 moved onto the Plymouth colony and the settlement of New England. We’re slowing moving through the timeline, but it’s a good pace for us.

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

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

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

• We were There Too by Philip Hoose

• Words that Built a Nation

• History Quest: U.S. History

• DK American History Visual Encyclopedia

• 1621: A New Look at Thanksgiving

Quentin continued his study of the world with Build Your Library Level 0. We did an overview of Europe and moved into the Scandinavian countries. We even had an Atlas Crate for Sweden, so extra fun was had.

• Skill Sharpeners Geography Grade K

• 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

• D is for Dala Horse: A Nordic Countries Alphabet by Kathy-jo Wargin

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 wheels and axles.

• RSO Physics

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

• The Way Things Work Now

• Wheels and Cranks by David Glover

Quentin will be focusing on animal science with BYL Level 0. We did just a little overview of the animals of Europe.

• Nat Geo Wild Animal Atlas

• DK Animal

• Lonely Planet: The Animal Book

• The Tarantula in My Purse by Jean Craighead George

Honey Brown Butter, Chocolate Fudge, Cherry, and Salted Caramel Apple

S’mores and Bourbon Pecan

STEAM Coop

We had a very strange two weeks of coop. The first week, Arthur finished up the Telecommunications unit. Unfortunately things conspired against the middles and littles and so we pivoted to show and tell and board games. The kids still got some time to socialize and see their friends. The second week, I had a dentist appointment and the kids weren’t feeling great, so we skipped coop that week.

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 made a great picture of a dolphin and sea turtle and one of a sparrow. He is really loving this class and it’s really keeping up his skills.

Field Trip

We ventured out on the coldest day of the year so far (25 degrees!) to Arbor Day Farm. We spent all day there exploring nature and hanging out with some friends. it was very chilly, but we did have a good day.

We also had a virtual park ranger program where a Park Ranger from Petrified Forest talked to the kids about the National Parks and specifically her park. It was a good hour discussion. And we got to stay home and enjoy the program from our couch. Extra win!

High

• We hit Vala’s three times to get the most out of our season passes. Monday was rough as it was raining the entire time, but we redeemed ourselves with Friday’s visit. We hit all our favorite places and enjoyed lots of treats. Loved it!

• On the general life front: The kids finally got access to the bivalent COVID booster. A small worry taken off my plate for this season. And the boys had their regular dentist appointment with no issues. They’ll be back in 6 months.

Low

• Rainy and cold on our field trip days messed up our flow. And the kids had a touch of a cold, so that wasn’t fun.

Next Week

• Finishing Howl’s Moving Castle (A)

• Moving to the French, Dutch, and Spanish settlements for US History (A)

• Moving to pulleys for Physics (A)

• Covering Western Europe for social studies and science (Q)

• Reading some Halloween themed books (Q)

• Covering genetics, (A) and anatomy (Q) for coop

Next up on the TBR pile:

October 2022 Wrap

October TBR Pile (20/27): It’s spooky book month!

1. Bookworms BC: The Book of Cold Cases by Simone St. James ✓

2. Friend BC: The Midwife’s Revolt by Jodi Daynard

3. Nerdy Bookish Friends BC: Her Majesty’s Royal Coven by Juno Dawson ✓

4. Nerdy Bookish Friends BC: Fledgling by Octavia E. Butler ✓

5. Currently Reading Bookish Friends BC: The Book Eaters by Sunyi Dean

6. Fantasy: The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry

7. Fantasy: A Court of Frost and Starlight by Sarah J. Maas ✓

8. Fantasy: Beastly Bones by William Ritter ✓

9. Fantasy: Moon Called by Patricia Briggs ✓

10. Mystery: A Curious Beginning by Deanna Rayburn

11. Fairy Tale: Once Upon a Curse ✓

12. Horror: Reliquary by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child ✓

13. Horror: You May Now Kill the Bride by R.L. Stine ✓

14. Horror: The Wrong Girl by R.L. Stine ✓

15. Horror: Something Strange and Deadly by Susan Dennard ✓

16. Horror: A Dawn Most Wicked by Susan Dennard ✓

17. Comic: My Favorite Thing is Monsters by Emil Ferris ✓

18. Science Fiction: The Rise and Fall of D.O.D.O. by Neal Stephenson

19. Nonfiction: The Yoga Store Murder by Dan Morse ✓

20. Nonfiction: The 1619 Project

21. Poetry: The Girl and the Goddess by Nikita Gill ✓

22. Kid Read Aloud: The Wild Robot Escapes by Peter Brown ✓

23. Kid Read Aloud: Blood on the Water by Elisa Carbone ✓

24. Kid Read Aloud: My Father’s Dragon by Ruth Stiles Gannett ✓

25. Kid Read Aloud: The Cabinet of Curiosities ✓

26. Kid Read Aloud: The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin ✓

27. Kid Read Aloud: Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones

1,000,000 Page Goal:

Monthly Total: 6557 pages
Pages Remaining: 374,900 pages

Current Read - What Moves the Dead by T. Kingfisher; Fairy Tale by Stephen King

Books I Gave Up On (0)

Books Bought/Received (3)

BOTM had some great selections this month and I ended up buying two of them.

• Spells for Forgetting by Adrienne Young

• Foul Lady Fortune by Chloe Gong

UnRead Shelf Progress

• Starting Number: 338

• Books Read: 8

• Books Acquired: 2

• Books Unshelved: 0

• Finishing Number: 332

November TBR Pile:

1. Bookworms BC: Wrong Place Wrong Time by Gilliam McAllister

2. Bookworms BC: Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus

3. Friend BC: The Midwife’s Revolt by Jodi Daynard

4. Nerdy Bookish Friends BC: Fairy Tale by Stephen King

5. Nerdy Bookish Friends BC: Mrs. Caliban by Rachel Ingalls

6. Currently Reading Bookish Friends BC: Comfort Me with Apples by Catherynne Valente

7. Fantasy: The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry

8. Mystery: A Curious Beginning by Deanna Rayburn

9. Horror: What Moves the Dead by T. Kingfisher

10. Science Fiction: The Rise and Fall of D.O.D.O. by Neal Stephenson

11. Nonfiction: The 1619 Project

12. Kid Read Aloud: Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones

13. Kid Book Club: The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill

Movies watched

• Morbius - Terrible mess of a movie. Only the scenes with Matt Smith were good.

• Underworld - A rewatch so we can finish this series. Not terrible.

• Underworld: Evolution - Worse than the first one definitely, but I don’t think absolutely terrible.

• Underworld: Rise of the Lycans - Thought we had watched this one, but I remembered nothing. Still enjoy Michael Sheen, but that’s about it.

• Underworld: Awakening - The low point in the series. The narrative was a jumbled mess with lots of retconning throughout. Charles Dance was a joy.

• Underworld: Blood Wars - Better than the last one, but not great. There were so many larger mythology issues, but the movie’s plot line was tighter.

• Blade - Decent superhero movie pre-MCU

• Blade II - Somehow I never actually watched this one. A mess of a plot and terrible CGI.

• Blade: Trinity - Decent conclusion to the trilogy. Of course I love the inclusion of Ryan Reynolds.

• Mad God - Phil Tippett’s passion project. Very weird and disturbing in parts, but a vision of animation of imagination.

• Alien - Always enjoy watching this one.

• Aliens - A very decent sequel. Much more action than horror, but still a great movie.

• Predator - Haven’t rewatched in years. I actually enjoyed this one mostly.

• Predator 2 - A new watch for me. Pretty terrible characters (and seriously egregious female nudity scene), but I did like more content focused on the Predator.

• Alien 3 - Not sure that it’s a favorite, but interesting. Totally forgot that Charles Dance is in this one.

• Alien Resurrection - Never saw it. Definitely a interesting one. I was rooting of the xenomorphs throughout this one.

• Alien Vs. Predator - Oof Don’t think about the plot line too much. I did enjoy a few of the action sequences.

• Alien Vs. Predator 2 - Not good. Not good at all.

• Predators - Decent movie. We’ve found that the Predator series is more consistent than the Alien series (but I think that Alien is the best movie still).

• Alien: Prometheus - Very pretty, but the plotline left much confusion. Not quite sure how it really fits into the original Alien series.

• Alien: Covenant - Like this one better than the previous, but still confused abut the larger timeline/plot. Did love Michael Fassbender’s David!

TV Shows watched 

• Archer

• Batchelor in Paradise

• Below Deck: Mediterranean

• Last Week Tonight

• Lower Decks S3

• Ghosts S (UK)

• Avenue 5 S2 - I didn’t even realize that they were making a second season.

Comments - A very decent showing for Spooky Book and Month month! We ended up watching three big sci-fi/fantasy series and I read over 50% from my shelves. I had so much fun leaning into the spooky that I am going to carry it into next month as well. Used to stop on November 1st, but it’s my favorite time of the year, I’m going to continue.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Life Right Now #32

Thinking and pondering: How much pain is too much? I’m glad that I have an appointment made for early December, but goodness I don’t know if I can make it that far. I’m having 4 pain days for every 3 good ones.

On my bedside table: Fairy Tale by Stephen King; Tunnel of Bones by VE Schwab

On my tv this week: We are continuing our spooky movie month with the rest of the Alien and Predator series.

Listening to: I finished S1 on Limetown and am ready to reading the prequel book before moving onto S2.

On the menu for this week:

• Monday - Charcuterie Board

• Tuesday - Chicken and Dumplings

• Wednesday - Leftovers

• Thursday - Swedish Night

• Friday - Pizza Night

• Saturday - England and Ireland Night

• Sunday - Teriyaki Shrimp

On my to do list: Beyond the house tasks below, I need to make eye appointments. I also need to make my November TBR pile I need to do some other long range planning for the rest of the semester.

Happening this week:

• Monday - Halloween! We have the coop party and then trick-or-treating.

• Tuesday - Coop Book Club

• Wednesday - Science

• Thursday - Coop; Lit Society

• Friday - Haircut for me; Outschool drawing class

• Saturday - Home Day

• Sunday - Home Day

What I am creating: I’m need to finish my October Memory Planner pages and I would like to think about Christmas cards.

My simple pleasures: One last visit to the pumpkin patch; warm chocolate chip cookies; horrifying books

Looking around the house: I really need to vacuum. I was going to do it yesterday, but I had a very bad pain day so no go. Maybe I can get it done today. I also need to do laundry and put away all those clothes.

From the camera: Book club by the fire pit. I love fall!

Moon Called by Patricia Briggs

Title: Moon Called (Mercy Thompson #1)

Author: Patricia Briggs

Publisher: Ace Books 2006

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Pages: 288

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Unread Shelf Project

Mercy Thompson is a shapeshifter, and while she was raised by werewolves, she can never be one of them, especially after the pack ran her off for having a forbidden love affair. So she’s turned her talent for fixing cars into a business and now runs a one-woman mechanic shop in the Tri-Cities area of Washington State.

But Mercy’s two worlds are colliding. A half-starved teenage boy arrives at her shop looking for work, only to reveal that he’s a newly changed werewolf—on the run and desperately trying to control his animal instincts. Mercy asks her neighbor Adam Hauptman, the Alpha of the local werewolf pack, for assistance.

But Mercy’s act of kindness has unexpected consequences that leave her no choice but to seek help from those she once considered family—the werewolves who abandoned her...

Finally started this series after being encouraged by a friend. Very solid urban fantasy featuring a strong heroine, sexy men, a big mystery, and lots of action. I was very hooked about 30 pages in the book. I had to orient myself to the world before really diving in, but once I got it, I sped through the rest of the book. I really fell for Mercy. She’s a loner but has a wide net of acquaintances. I loved seeing how she connected and reconnected with various people throughout the book. There’s a ton of action in this volume and we learn quite a bit about Mercy’s world. I am very intrigued to keep reading these books.

Mercy Thompson

• #1 Moon Called

• #2 Blood Bound

• #3 Iron Kissed

• #4 Bone Crossed

• #5 Silver Borne

• #6 River Marked

• #7 Frost Burned

• #8 Night Broken

• #9 Fire Touched

• #10 Silence Fallen

• #11 Storm Cursed

• #12 Smoke Bitten

• #13 Soul Taken

Next up on the TBR pile:

Beastly Bones by William Ritter

Title: Beastly Bones (Jackaby #2)

Author: William Ritter

Publisher: Algonquin Young Readers 2015

Genre: YA Historical Fiction; Horror

Pages: 296

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Fall TBR

In 1892, New Fiddleham, New England, things are never quite what they seem, especially when Abigail Rook and her eccentric employer, R. F. Jackaby, are called upon to investigate the supernatural. First vicious shape-shifters disguise themselves as a litter of kittens, and a day later, their owner is found murdered. Then in nearby Gad’s Valley, bones from a recent dig mysteriously go missing, and an unidentifiable beast starts attacking animals and people, leaving mangled bodies behind. Charlie calls on Abigail for help, and soon Abigail and Jackaby are on the hunt—for a thief, a monster, and a murderer.

Another fun adventure story! I’m really enjoying the mix of The Nutty Professor and Sherlock Holmes in Jackaby. We don’t learn a ton more about him, but we do explore a bit more about others in his orbit and unveil a bit of the larger mystery. I love that we get to follow Abigail through these stories. We learn things as she learns them. We get to see everything from her very reader-like viewpoint. For this particular story, we move out into the country and encounter a dragon? It might be a dragon, or it might be something else. We have to solve the mystery along with the characters. I was glad that Charlie was an important part of this book and hope to see hime in the next one. A thoroughly enjoyable series.

Jackaby

• #1 Jackaby

• #1.5 The Map

• #2 Beastly Bones

• #3 Ghostly Echoes

• #4 The Dire King

Next up on the TBR pile:

Odds and Ends

Here's my randomness for the week:

• Dentist appointment this morning and surprisingly I had very little pain.

• Unfortunately, I had pain elsewhere due to my scar tissue. Can’t have an entire day pain free…

• I did make a doctor’s appointment to start the long process of figuring out everything that’s wrong with me, but it’s not until early December.

• Thinking about extending Spooky Book Month through November. There are so many good ones on my stack that I am not going to get to by Tuesday.

• I really need to make a clothing shopping list for myself. Underwear and socks are a must. I want some new Pjs also and my sneakers are getting very worn.

• The area around my chair is mess. I haven’t had a chance to clear up the curriculum piles, library books, magazines, and assorted items. Guess what I’m doing Saturday morning.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Reliquary by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child

Title: Reliquary (Pendergast #2)

Author: Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child

Publisher: 1997

Genre: Horror

Pages: 464

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Unread Shelf Project

Hidden deep beneath Manhattan lies a warren of tunnels, sewers, and galleries, mostly forgotten by those who walk the streets above. There lies the ultimate secret of the Museum Beat. When two grotesquely deformed skeletons are found deep in the mud off the Manhattan shoreline, museum curator Margo Green is called in to aid the investigation. Margo must once again team up with police lieutenant D'Agosta and FBI agent Pendergast, as well as the brilliant Dr. Frock, to try and solve the puzzle. The trail soon leads deep underground, where they will face the awakening of a slumbering nightmare... in Reliquary, from bestselling coauthors Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child.

Finally read this one after picking it up at a used book store a few months back. I enjoyed the character of Pendergast in Relic so it seemed that I would enjoy the sequel to that book and the next in the Pendergast series. And I did! Overall, this is a very Michael Crichton style science adventure story. We get another excursion to the New York Natural History Museum’s labs to solve the murders of multiple headless corpses. Along the way we encounter some familiar faces and meet new ones. I especially loved the team up of D’Agosta and Pendergast against the majority of the NYPD. There are some super creepy scenes in this book, mostly the underground ones. They kept the story moving along and not get mired in the techno-babble in the lab. The last 50 pages are one big suspenseful scene. I have another in this series sitting on my Unread Shelf. I may have to push it to the top part of the stack. I probably won’t ever read all 30 books in this series, but I might just knock off a few more in the upcoming years.

Next up on the TBR pile: