The Low Low Woods by Carmen Maria Machado

Title: The Low, Low Woods

Author: Carmen Maria Machado, Dani, Tamra Bonvillain

Publisher: DC Black Label 2020

Genre: Comic

Pages: 168

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges:

There's something in the woods...

Shudder-to-Think, Pennsylvania, has been on fire for years. The woods are full of rabbits with human eyes, a deer woman who stalks hungry girls, and swaths of skinless men. And the people of Shudder-to-Think? Well, they're not doing so well either.

When El and Octavia wake up in a movie theater with no memory of the last few hours of their lives, the two teenage dirtbags embark on a horrifying journey to uncover the truth about the strange town that they call home.

We get shades of Silent Hill and the creepy atmosphere from the real-life Centralia mixed with magic and transformation. Horrifying yet poignant look at the treatment of women and memory. I was confused for the first issue or so, trying to get my bearings in this very strange town. And then I started to suspect that not all the occurrences were random. The truth slowly unfolds over the issues to reveal decades-long horrors. I loved the interjection of the witch to give council, but it’s the two main characters that have to made the ultimate choice for everyone. I imagine that I will be thinking about this short comic for awhile after reading.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Music Monday - The Pretty Reckless "25"

Not a new song, but The Pretty Reckless did just release an album of B-sides and special versions of past songs. I really like this one when it came out, but didn’t feature it for Music Monday. Corrected!

Here’s the acoustic version off the new album:

Next up on the TBR pile:

I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy

Title: I’m Glad My Mom Died

Author: Jennette McCurdy

Publisher: Simon & Schuster 2022

Genre: Memoir

Pages: 304

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges:

Jennette McCurdy was six years old when she had her first acting audition. Her mother’s dream was for her only daughter to become a star, and Jennette would do anything to make her mother happy. So she went along with what Mom called “calorie restriction,” eating little and weighing herself five times a day. She endured extensive at-home makeovers while Mom chided, “Your eyelashes are invisible, okay? You think Dakota Fanning doesn’t tint hers?” She was even showered by Mom until age sixteen while sharing her diaries, email, and all her income.

In I’m Glad My Mom Died, Jennette recounts all this in unflinching detail—just as she chronicles what happens when the dream finally comes true. Cast in a new Nickelodeon series called iCarly, she is thrust into fame. Though Mom is ecstatic, emailing fan club moderators and getting on a first-name basis with the paparazzi (“Hi Gale!”), Jennette is riddled with anxiety, shame, and self-loathing, which manifest into eating disorders, addiction, and a series of unhealthy relationships. These issues only get worse when, soon after taking the lead in the iCarly spinoff Sam & Cat alongside Ariana Grande, her mother dies of cancer. Finally, after discovering therapy and quitting acting, Jennette embarks on recovery and decides for the first time in her life what she really wants.

CW: All the warnings! Sexual assault, Disorder eating, Child abuse

This was so tough to read and yet I did laugh at a few parts. McCurdy starts at the beginning to show us what exactly it was like growing up in her family. All the family secrets are laid bare as we struggle to understand how these people could treat a little girl like that. And then things get even worse as she ages. I was absolutely appalled at a few scenes and it was very difficult to read them. But you need to to understand why McCurdy then makes the choices that she does in her late teens and early 20s. Everything makes so much more sense. I was glad to see that she is finally on the road to recovery. But I think I would have like another 5 years or so before she wrote this book. I would have liked to hear a bit more about her recovery before reliving all this trauma.

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Lady Tempts an Heir by Harper St. George

Title: The Lady Tempts an Heir (The Gilded Age Heiresses #3)

Author: Harper St. George

Publisher: Berkley 2022

Genre: Romance

Pages: 314

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: 

Tall, dark, and brooding—to say that American Maxwell Crenshaw stood out in the glittering ballrooms of London is an understatement. He vowed never to set foot in England again, but when a summons from his father along with an ultimatum to secure his legacy has him crossing the Atlantic for the last time, reuniting him with the delectable Lady Helena March, he can’t deny the temptation she presents. Or the ideas she inspires…

Lady Helena March is flirting with scandal. Instead of spending her time at teas and balls in search of another husband, as is expected of a young widow, Helena pours her energy into The London Home for Young Women. But Society gives no quarter to unmarried radicals who associate with illegitimate children and fallen women, and Helena’s funding is almost run out. So when the sinfully seductive Crenshaw heir suggests a fake engagement to save them both—him from an unwanted marriage and her from scorn and financial ruin—Helena finds herself too fascinated to refuse the sexy American.

As their arrangement of convenience melts oh so deliciously into nights of passion, their deception starts to become real. But if Max knew the true reason Helena can never remarry, he wouldn’t look at her with such heat in his eyes. Or might the Crenshaw heir be willing to do whatever it takes to win the one woman he’s never been able to forget…

The best book out the series so far! I absolutely loved this story of a fake engagement turned real feelings all wrapped up in the history of Helena and Max’s family’s business dealings. I loved seeing two character actually talk to one another before making ridiculous decisions. I loved the conversations about the plight of single mothers and women in the industrial age. I loved the string characters stand up for their own feelings while also being cognizant of the other’s feelings. This one had so much good communication and lovely romance. So good!

The Gilded Age Heiresses

• #1 The Heiress Gets a Duke

• #2 The Devil and the Heiress

• #3 The Lady Tempts an Heir

• #4 The Duchess Takes a Husband

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Midwife's Revolt by Jodi Daynard

Title: The Midwife’s Revolt

Author: Jodi Daynard

Publisher: Lake Union Publishing 2015

Genre: Historical Fiction

Pages: 426

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Unread Shelf Project

On a dark night in 1775, Lizzie Boylston is awakened by the sound of cannons. From a hill south of Boston, she watches as fires burn in Charlestown, in a battle that she soon discovers has claimed her husband’s life.

Alone in a new town, Lizzie grieves privately but takes comfort in her deepening friendship with Abigail Adams. Soon, word spreads of Lizzie’s extraordinary midwifery and healing skills, and she begins to channel her grief into caring for those who need her. But when two traveling patriots are poisoned, Lizzie finds herself with far more complicated matters on her hands—she suspects a political plot intended to harm Abigail and her family. Determined to uncover the truth, Lizzie becomes entangled in a conspiracy that could not only destroy her livelihood—and her chance at finding love again—but also lead to the downfall of a new nation.

This was our selection for November’s book club and I was not initially thrilled by the summary. But I decided to give it a go anyway and dove in. And it was thoroughly boring. I was bored by our main character. I was bored by the plot line. I was bored by the writing. I thought were was going to be a poisoning plot line, but that doesn’t come into the picture until over halfway through the book. And that portion of the book wasn’t that exciting either. I was just really really bored with this one.

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Highlander Who Protected Me by Vanessa Kelly

Title: The Highlander Who Protected Me (Clan Kendrick #1)

Author: Vanessa Kelly

Publisher: Zebra 2018

Genre: Romance

Pages: 423

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Fall TBR

Lady Ainsley Matthews, heiress and darling of the ton, was expected to make a magnificent match. Instead she’s hiding on a remote Scottish estate, terrified that her vicious former fiancé will use her pregnancy to force her into marriage. One man can help her—Royal Kendrick, son of a distinguished Highland clan. Though a mistake drove them apart long ago, Royal is the only person Ainsley trusts to protect her baby—even if that means agreeing to never see either of them again . . .

Scarred in body and soul by war, Royal suddenly has a purpose—caring for an innocent babe and thereby helping the woman he can’t stop loving. But when Ainsley ultimately returns to Scotland, determined to be a real mother to her child in spite of the risk, there’s only one solution: marriage. And only one likely outcome: surrendering to the desire that’s simmered between them for so long, no matter how dangerous it may be . . .

CW: Sexual Assault, Child Death

And a mostly disappointing Regency romance novel. I wanted to love this one and I did really enjoy the Kendrick Clan. I just could not at all find any way to like Ainsley. She constant lies and lies of omission to Royal didn’t build any tension; they build anger and resentment in me. I was so incredibly annoyed with all of her behaviors. I could not see what Royal saw in her and therefore did not like the book. I am going to continue with the series as I’m am intrigued by the other Kendrick brothers. Hopefully their stories are better.

Clan Kendrick

• #1 The Highlander Who Protected Me

• #2 The Highlander’s Christmas Bride

• #3 The Highlander’s English Bride

• #4 The Highlander’s Irish Bride

• #5 The Highlander’s Holiday Wife

Next up on the TBR pile:

Small Spaces by Katherine Arden

Title: Small Spaces (Small Spaces #1)

Author: Katherine Arden

Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons

Genre: MG Horror

Pages: 218

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges:

After suffering a tragic loss, eleven-year-old Ollie who only finds solace in books discovers a chilling ghost story about a girl named Beth, the two brothers who loved her, and a peculiar deal made with "the smiling man"—a sinister specter who grants your most tightly held wish, but only for the ultimate price.
Captivated by the tale, Ollie begins to wonder if the smiling man might be real when she stumbles upon the graves of the very people she's been reading about on a school trip to a nearby farm. Then, later, when her school bus breaks down on the ride home, the strange bus driver tells Ollie and her classmates: "Best get moving. At nightfall they'll come for the rest of you." Nightfall is, indeed, fast descending when Ollie's previously broken digital wristwatch begins a startling countdown and delivers a terrifying message: RUN.
Only Ollie and two of her classmates heed these warnings. As the trio head out into the woods—bordered by a field of scarecrows that seem to be watching them—the bus driver has just one final piece of advice for Ollie and her friends: "Avoid large places. Keep to small."
And with that, a deliciously creepy and hair-raising adventure begins.

Ooooohhhhh… this book was deliciously creepy! It takes awhile to set up the story. We need to understand a bit about Ollie and the dynamics within her class. We need to get some tantalizing clues as to what’s actually going on. After everything is established, Arden turns up the creep factor and plunges ahead. Once the action gets going, it doesn’t stop until the last page. There were some very creepy scenes in this story. I would not give it to my 6 year old or even my 9 year old (he’s pretty sensitive to the scary). But this adult with a black heart absolutely loved it. I will definitely be picking up the other books in this series.

Small Spaces

• #1 Small Spaces

• #2 Dead Voices

• #3 Dark Waters

• #4 Empty Smiles

Next up on the TBR pile:

Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus

Title: Lessons in Chemistry

Author: Bonnie Garmus

Publisher: Doubleday Books 2022

Genre: General Fiction

Pages: 400

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges:

Chemist Elizabeth Zott is not your average woman. In fact, Elizabeth Zott would be the first to point out that there is no such thing as an average woman. But it’s the early 1960s and her all-male team at Hastings Research Institute takes a very unscientific view of equality. Except for one: Calvin Evans; the lonely, brilliant, Nobel–prize nominated grudge-holder who falls in love with—of all things—her mind. True chemistry results.

But like science, life is unpredictable. Which is why a few years later Elizabeth Zott finds herself not only a single mother, but the reluctant star of America’s most beloved cooking show Supper at Six. Elizabeth’s unusual approach to cooking (“combine one tablespoon acetic acid with a pinch of sodium chloride”) proves revolutionary. But as her following grows, not everyone is happy. Because as it turns out, Elizabeth Zott isn’t just teaching women to cook. She’s daring them to change the status quo.

CW: Sexual Assault

This was chosen as our December book club selection. The reviews keep telling me that this is a “laugh out loud funny” book of strong women. The reviews tell me that it’s a heartwarming story of a woman finding herself. I most definitely disagree. I read this a terribly depressing story about what happens to women in this patriarchal society. We are slapped in the face with all the injustices that Elizabeth faces just because she is a woman. All of that, I could have maybe dealt with. The graphic sexual assault scenes were too far. And then we get Elizabeth herself. I was very annoyed by her completely obliviousness and naïveté when it came to issues and situations. I just couldn’t really root for her in the book. In fact, my favorite characters were the dog, Six Thirty, and the the next door neighbor, Harriet. I would have enjoyed more from them.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Bridge of Souls by Victoria Schwab

Title: Bridge of Souls (Cassidy Blake #3)

Author: Victoria Schwab

Publisher: Scholastic 2021

Genre: MG Fantasy

Pages: 304

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: 

Where there are ghosts, Cassidy Blake follows . . .Unless it's the other way around?Cass thinks she might have this ghost-hunting thing down. After all, she and her ghost best friend, Jacob, have survived two haunted cities while traveling for her parents' TV show.But nothing can prepare Cass for New Orleans, which wears all of its hauntings on its sleeve. In a city of ghost tours and tombs, raucous music and all kinds of magic, Cass could get lost in all the colorful, grisly local legends. And the city's biggest surprise is a foe Cass never expected to face: a servant of Death itself.

And with that, Cassidy’s story comes to a close (or does it?). With this book, we do get a conclusion to the big mystery that was set up in the second book in the series. We finally encounter what is stalking Cassidy through the streets of Paris and now New Orleans. We get to finally meet The Society of the Black Cat and we get more information on what is happening to Jacob. Overall, this series was a delightful spooky read. It’s not true horror, but leans a bit more gentle and twee. My biggest complaint has to be the constant reminders of Cassidy’s condition and her relationship with Jacob. Those passages really felt like filler in the book. I would have liked to see a bit more ghost-busting this one. But I did enjoy the big final battle.

Cassidy Blake

• #1 City of Ghosts

• #2 Tunnel of Bones

• #3 Bridge of Souls

Next up on the TBR pile:

Currently #21

Reading: Finishing The Highlander Who Protected Me by Vanessa Kelly. I picked up this series because two out of the five books are Christmas themed. Just about done with the first book. They are utterly predictable, but I’m totally okay with that.

Watching: We chose Spirited as our family movie selection. Very entertaining! So entertaining that we blew past the kids’ bedtime to finish the movie.

Listening: Very much obsessed with Michael Hobbes’ new podcast If Books Could Kill.

Making: Working on twice-baked sweet potatoes for our Thanksgiving. Love that these are easy to make early for Thanksgiving.

Feeling: I have not been sleeping well lately at all. I am tired. It was help if my body would stop waking me up at 7am when I have no where to be.

Planning: I’m hosting the Coop’s Christmas Party again this year. I got a lead on a Vegan GF baker to make us some cut-out sugar cookies. And I’ve ordered dairy-free hot chocolate mix. Now I need to organize the games and crafts.

Loving: The kids have been playing their own animal show most evenings. Basically they play charades but only do animals.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Homeschool W14: Airplanes, Bingo, and DNA

What We Studied

J left for a work trip from Wednesday to Friday, which always makes our week feel a bit strange. The theme of the week was lazy schooling. We get our usual outings (science and coop), but also spent a ton of time schooling on the couch. Works for me!

Literature and Poetry

Arthur and I finished our current read aloud. He really liked the humor and the friendship bits. I might pick up the sequel for him to read independently.

• Nat Geo Book of Nature Poetry

• In the Beginning by Virginia Hamilton

• Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus by Dusti Bowling

• 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 Portugal, Spain, Italy, Switzerland, and Greece. We also finished reading The Children of Noisy Village by the author of Pippi Longstocking. it’s like a collection of vignettes. I don’t think I was a big fan of the book. I don’t think Q really liked it either. The stories were a bit too old-fashioned for us, which makes sense as it was written in 1946.

• Nat Geo Book of Animal Poetry

• The Children of Noisy Village by Astrid Lindgren

• A World Full of Animal Stories by Angela McAllister

• Around the World in 80 Days by Saviour Pirotta

• Fox and the Bike Ride by Corey R. Tabor

• Snail Crossing by Corey R. Tabor (Quentin Read)

• Three Golden Oranges by Alma Flora Ada

• The Key from Spain by Debbie Levy

• Princess Florecita and the Iron Shoes by John Warren Stewing

• The Beautiful Butterfly by Judy Sierra

• Gabriella's Song by Candace Fleming

• Caterina: The Clever Farm Girl by Julienne Peterson

• Priceless Gifts by Martha Hamilton and Mitch Weiss

• Count Silvernose by Eric A. Kimmel

• The Music of Life: Bartolomeo Cristofori and the Invention of the Piano by Elizabeth Rusch

• Tony's Bread by Tomie dePaola

• Papa Gatto by Ruth Sanderson

• Night Circus by Etienne Delessert

• Two Brothers, Four Hands: The Artists Alberto and Diego Giacometti by Jan Greenberg and Sandra Jordan

• A Tale of Two Brothers by Eveline Hasler

• The Orphan: A Cinderella Story from Greece by Anthony L. Manna and Soula Mitakidou

• The Librarian Who measured the Earth by Kathryn Lasky

• Greek Myths: Three Heroic Tales by Hugh Lupton and Daniel Morden

Bingo Time!

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, so we’ve been doing some review before we start 4B in December.

• Logic Liftoff (Arthur)

• Lollipop Logic Book 2 (Quentin)

• Smart Start Math Grade 1

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 ended up not getting to history this past week, which it totally okay. We will catch up next week.

• 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

• A Different Mirror

• DK American History Visual Encyclopedia

• Map Skills for Today Grade 3

Quentin continued his study of the world with Build Your Library Level 0. We moved onto studying Portugal, Spain, Italy, Switzerland, and Greece.

• 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

• All Around the World: Spain by Kristine Spanier

• Alcazar Castle by Grace Hansen

• Barcelona City Trails by Moira Butterfield

• Gaudi: Architect of Imagination by Susan B. Katz

• Just Being Dali: The Story of Artist Salvador Dali by Amy Guglielmo

• C is for Ciao: An Italy Alphabet by Elissa D. Grodin and Mario M. Cuomo

• Living in Italy by Chloe Perkins

• Cool Italian Cooking by Lisa Wagner

• Follow Me Around Italy by Wiley Blevins

• Follow Me Around Greece by Anna T. Tabachnik

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 took a bit of a break from Physics to explore paper making and print making. The boys even got to make their own homemade paper. After thinking about it, we’re going to recycle (heehee) that idea for coop for spring.

• 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 a study of the animals of the Alps.

• Nat Geo Wild Animal Atlas

• DK Animal

• Lonely Planet: The Animal Book

• The Tarantula in My Purse by Jean Craighead George

STEAM Coop

We’re back to coop after our absence week. Arthur continued with genetics. The kids explored mitosis and extracted DNA from strawberries. Quentin explored renewable energy and made a solar lantern.

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 dog.

Field Trip

On Monday, we visited the SAC Museum. The kids got a private tour and two lessons (planes and rockets) before free play. Quentin’s paper plane flew the farthest so he won a prize. He was very excited to win something. The kids enjoyed the day the museum with their friends.

High

• I somehow took the kids by myself to Music Bingo on Wednesday night. Except for one little meltdown from Q, we had fun. I won and Arthur won. Q didn’t win, but some random guy gave Q his prize (it was a Mulan coloring set). Overall, we had a good evening at the cafe enjoying 2000s Punk.

Low

• Q and I did not finish the ELA and Math packet. The papers are starting to pile up a bit. Hoping we can catch up a bit next week, before we hit December 1st.

Next Week (and the week after)

• Starting our new read aloud (A)

• Moving to the run-up to the Revolutionary War for US History (A)

• Beginning 4B for Math (A)

• Taking a break from physics to explore bridges(A)

• Covering more of Eastern Europe for social studies and science (Q)

• Covering genetics, (A) and renewable energy (Q) for coop - it’s the last coop meeting of the semester!

Next up on the TBR pile:

Music Monday - First Aid Kit "Palomino"

Another group that I’ve rediscovered this month. I’ve always loved their sound. Definitely downloading the new album.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Life Right Now #35

Right now I am: Gathering my library books for a run to the closest branch once they open this afternoon. I’m also making our grocery list (never-ending).

Thinking and pondering: What exactly are we going to do for the coop Christmas party? I have hot chocolate tasting and cookie decorating. I need to think of a few games and fun.

On my bedside table: The Midwife’s Revolt by Jodi Daynard (book club is on the 30th!), Our Crooked Hearts by Melissa Albert

On my tv this week: Not much. Before he left for a work trip, J and I watched a few movies. When he was gone, the kids and I watched a few movies. I spent most nights not watching television, instead reading or listening to a podcast.

Listening to: I finally dove back into Grim & Mild’s offerings with Grim & Mild Presents: Sideshow. I like the biweekly format even if I’m almost a year behind. I’ll binge listen probably driving to Indiana next month.

On the menu for this week:

• Monday - Ranch Cheddar Chicken

• Tuesday - Peanut Sauce Chicken, Broccoli, and Rice Bowls

• Wednesday - Pesto Stuffed Shells

• Thursday - Thanksgiving!

• Friday - Leftovers (of course)

• Saturday - Spinach and Blue Cheese Stuffed Chicken

• Sunday - Black Bean Soup, Tacos

On my to do list: I really need to do a brain dump today. I know that I have a ton of random little tasks to deal with, but right now, they’re all rattling around in my brain.

Happening this week:

• Monday - Possible Festival of Trees visit

• Tuesday - Zoo Day with coop friends

• Wednesday - Home Day / Thanksgiving prep

• Thursday - Thanksgiving!

• Friday - Home Day

• Saturday - Home Day

• Sunday - Nerdy Bookish Friends Zoom Chat about Fairy Tale by Stephen King

What I am creating: Nothing except big to do lists.

My simple pleasures: Cranberry orange scones, singing along at Music Bingo, snuggles with Q

Looking around the house: I did a whirlwind clean for coop on Thursday, so things are looking decent right now. I do want to vacuum at some point today and I know I have a load of laundry to do.

From the camera: I spent my Tuesday night getting my Alice inspired tattoo, finally!

The Devil and the Heiress by Harper St. George

Title: The Devil and the Heiress (The Gilded Age Heiresses #2)

Author: Harper St. George

Publisher: Berkley 2021

Genre: Romance

Pages: 275

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Fall TBR

No one would guess that beneath Violet Crenshaw's ladylike demeanor lies the heart of a rebel. American heiresses looking to secure English lords must be on their best behavior, but Violet has other plans. She intends to flee London and the marriage her parents have arranged to become a published author--if only the wickedly handsome earl who inspired her most outrageously sinful character didn't insist on coming with her.

Christian Halston, Earl of Leigh, has a scheme of his own: escort the surprisingly spirited dollar princess north and use every delicious moment in close quarters to convince Violet to marry him. Christian needs an heiress to rebuild his Scottish estate but the more time he spends with Violet, the more he realizes what he really needs is her--by his side, near his heart, in his bed.

Though Christian's burning glances offer unholy temptation, Violet has no intention of surrendering herself or her newfound freedom in a permanent deal with the devil. It's going to take more than pretty words to prove this fortune hunter's love is true....

A decent follow-up to the first book in the series. I enjoyed Christian throughout the book, but I must say that Violet wasn’t really my favorite. She was just not the best character and foil to Christian. She was much too naive throughout the book and I kept rolling my eyes at her behavior. The actual plot line was decent, but I wanted a bit more banter between my leads. I’ll definitely keep reading this series. I sometimes just need something light and predictable.

The Gilded Age Heiresses

• #1 The Heiress Gets a Duke

• #2 The Devil and the Heiress

• #3 The Lady Tempts an Heir

• #4 The Duchess Takes a Husband

Next up on the TBR pile:

Sunshine by Robin McKinley

Title: Sunshine

Author: Robin McKinley

Publisher: Speak 2010

Genre: Vampire

Pages: 416

Rating:  5/5 stars

Reading Challenges:

There hadn't been any trouble out at the lake in years. Sunshine just needed a spot where she could be alone with her thoughts for a minute. But then the vampires found her . . . Now, chained and imprisoned in a once-beautiful decaying mansion, alone but for the vampire, Constantine, shackled next to her, Sunshine realizes that she must call on her own hidden strength if she is to survive. But Constantine is not what she expected of a vampire, and soon Sunshine discovers that it is he who needs her, more than either of them know.  Originally published as an adult novel, but now in YA for the first time, Sunshine is an alluring and captivating vampire story - one that will ensnare fans of paranormals everywhere.

Back when I first read the book in 2012, I had this to say: “

This novel....  um wow!  The one word that kept popping into my head throughout: Atmosphere.  I haven't read any book lately that evoked such atmosphere.  I loved it!  McKinley puts us right inside of Sunshine's head.  We connect with her right away.  We remember past events, but always at the right time.  We feel every emotion she's feeling.  I especially loved the times when she was confused.  We were confused right there with her.  The writing was confused, but yet still readable.  We see the world through Sunshine's eyes.  Overall the effect is quite brilliant.

It took me awhile to get through this book; not because I was struggling to stay interested, but quite the opposite.  I was so connected with the story and characters that I didn't want it to end.  I was scared at what we might find out.  Don't worry everything worked out in the end...  well in a way.  This book has made me add McKinley to my authors to explore.  I have a feeling this might end up on my Top 10 Books of 2012 list.

Upon rereading, I feel exactly the same way. I absolutely love this book!

Next up on the TBR Pile:

Once & Future Vol. 4

Title: Once & Future Vol. 4

Author: Kieron Gillen, Dan Mora, Tamra Bonvillain

Publisher: Boom Studios 2022

Genre: Comics

Pages: 160

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges:

WAR OF THE KINGS!

Bridgette, Duncan, and Rose, – along with the entirety of Britain – are dragged into the Otherworld. It's a land of predatory monsters and things seem like they can't get any worse.

Of course they can. A rival king rises to confront Arthur, plunging the land into civil war... and both pursue Bridgette, Duncan and Rose as they travel across the land, desperately trying to find a way to return Britain to its senses...

New York Times bestselling writer Kieron Gillen joins Russ Manning Award winning artist Dan Mora, and colorist Tamra Bonvillain present the next chapter in the Hugo and Eisner Award nominated series.

Collects Once & Future #19-24.

Another great collection of issues from this series. The tension is definitely ratcheting up from our last trade. Things are becoming dire and the final war is looming closer and closer. In this volume, we get some maneuvering and more insight into the enemy camps. We also encounter two more story characters, one of which I gasped out loud at the reveal. I really loved the inclusion of Shakespeare and his works. Can't wait to see what happens next.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Mrs. Caliban by Rachel Ingalls

Title: Mrs. Caliban

Author: Rachel Ingalls

Publisher: Harvard Common Press 1982

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 103

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges:

In the quiet suburbs, while Dorothy is doing chores and waiting for her husband to come home from work, not in the least anticipating romance, she hears a strange radio announcement about a monster who has just escaped from the Institute for Oceanographic Research… Reviewers have compared Rachel Ingalls’s Mrs. Caliban to King Kong, Edgar Allan Poe’s stories, the films of David Lynch, Beauty and the Beast, The Wizard of Oz, E.T., Richard Yates’s domestic realism, B-horror movies, and the fairy tales of Angela Carter―how such a short novel could contain all of these disparate elements is a testament to its startling and singular charm.

Definitely one the stranger books I’ve read lately and it was our Nerdy Bookish Friends pick for December (library hold came early). I dove in not knowing what to expect. Right away, I had such sympathy for Dorothy. She’s stuck in a terrible place with no energy to attempt to change it. And then we encounter Larry, and Dorothy begins to think of her like in different ways. I loved seeing the effect Larry had on Dorothy much more than the scenes with Larry. I was getting hopeful that Dorothy would get a happy ending. The actual ending of this book is much more complicated and I’m still not sure how exactly I feel about the entire thing. Right now, I’m really leaning into 3 stars as my rating. It was fine, but nothing very exciting.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Homeschool W13: Ummm... It was an uneventful week.

What We Studied

It felt like a weird week, but we did manage to get a good chunk of schooling done.

Literature and Poetry

A new read aloud was started this week. Arthur is enjoying the humor and parts about friendships. A plus is that it’s easy to read aloud. I like it when the prose flows.

• Nat Geo Book of Nature Poetry

• In the Beginning by Virginia Hamilton

• Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus by Dusti Bowling

• The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill

• Behind the Mask: A Book About Prepositions by Ruth Heller

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 France, Germany, Austria, Belgium, and The Netherlands. We also started reading The Children of Noisy Village by the author of Pippi Longstocking. it’s like a collection of vignettes.

• Nat Geo Book of Animal Poetry

• The Children of Noisy Village by Astrid Lindgren

• A World Full of Animal Stories by Angela McAllister

• Around the World in 80 Days by Saviour Pirotta

• Mel Fell by Corey R. Tabor (Quentin Reads)

• How to Become a Knigth by Todd Tarpley

• If You Find a Leaf by Aimee Sicuro

• The Glorious Flight: Across the Channel with Louis Bleriot by Alice and Martin Provensen

• The Cat Who Walked Across France by Katy Banks

• Henri's Scissors by Jeanette Winter

• Up and Away! How Two Brothers Invented the Hot Air Balloon by Jason Henry

• Three Perfect Peaches by Cynthia DeFelice and Mary DeMarsh

• I, Crocodile by Fred Marcellino

• Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans

• Adele & Simon by Barbara McClintock

• Mornings with Monet by Barb Rosenstock

• Three Sacks of Truth by Eric A. Kimmel

• The Twelve Dancing Princesses by The Brothers Grimm

• The Pied Piper of Hamelin by Lisbeth Zwerger

• Hansel & Gretel by Holly Hobbie

• The Star Child by The Brothers Grimm

• The Bremen Town Musicians by Doris Orgel

• Mother Holly by Bernadette Watts

• Iron Hans by Stephen Mitchell

German night dinner: bratwurst, sauerkraut, German potato salad, apple strudel

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, so we’ve been doing some review before we start 4B in December.

• Logic Liftoff (Arthur)

• Lollipop Logic Book 2 (Quentin)

• Smart Start Math Grade 1

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 growth of the English colonies, touched on the other European colonies, and explored the start of slavery.

• 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

• A Different Mirror

• DK American History Visual Encyclopedia

• The Winter People by Joseph Bruchac

• Map Skills for Today Grade 3

Quentin continued his study of the world with Build Your Library Level 0. We moved onto studying France, Germany, Belgium, The Netherlands, and Austria.

• 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

• E is for Eiffel Tower by Helen L. Wilbur

• Follow Me Around France by Wiley Blevins

• Linnea in Monet’s Garden by Christina Björk and Lena Anderson

• Pedal Power: How One Community Became the Bicycle Capital of the World by Allan Drummond

• Windmill De Kat by Hyo-mi Park

• Follow Me Around Germany by Wiley Blevins

• Neuschwanstein Castle by Grace Hansen

• Out of the Shadows: How Lotte Reiniger Made the First Animated Fairy Tale Movie by Fiona Robinson

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 pulleys this week. I bought a great construction kit that builds 26 different simple machines.

• 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

STEAM Coop

We’re back to coop after our absence week. Arthur continued with genetics. The kids learned about genotypes and phenotypes and played with Punnett squares. Quentin explored renewable energy.

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 koala and its baby.

Field Trip

We didn’t have a field trip this week at all. We did attempt to have a park afternoon, but it started raining pretty much as soon as we got there.

High

• Not school related, but we had a great playdate on Saturday with a friend that we hadn’t seen for awhile. We need to so it again soon.

Low

• There was a general feeling of apathy this week. Not great energy at all.

Next Week

• Continuing our new read aloud (A)

• Moving to the French and Indian War for US History (A)

• Taking a break from physics to explore the printing press and printmaking (A)

• Covering more of 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 - Angel Haze feat. Sia "Battle Cry"

An older song, but I just rediscovered Angel Haze. I really like her sound. Reading to my Apple Music.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Life Right Now #34

As I look outside my window: it look nice and sunny out, but

Right now I am: Eating a small breakfast before prepping for brunch and then my tattoo appointment.

On my bedside table: The Midwife’s Revolt by Jodi Daynard; Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus

On my tv this week: J and I have been watching a lot of random and new movies and documentaries this week. Mostly very good viewing.

Listening to: Mostly podcast this week. I started listening to If Books Could Kill and am loving it so much. Check it out!

On the menu for this week:

• Monday - Smoked Sausage and Potatoes

• Tuesday - Leftovers

• Wednesday - Out for Bingo

• Thursday - ???

• Friday - ???

• Saturday - Ranch Cheddar Chicken

• Sunday - Greek Night

On my to do list: Eye appointments are next on my list. I also should get a start on my Christmas present list.

Happening this week:

• Monday - SAC Museum

• Tuesday - Home Day

• Wednesday - Errands; Science; Music Bingo

• Thursday - Coop

• Friday - Outschool

• Saturday - Home Day

• Sunday - Home Day

What I am creating: Nothing really… although I need to get Christmas cards started.

My simple pleasures: Brownies and hot tea, a good reread

Looking around the house: Things are decent looking right now. I should vacuum upstairs later today and probably clean the master bathroom.

From the camera: My tattoo idea board. Very excited to get it done today.