How to Fake It in Hollywood by Ava Wilder

Title: How to Fake It in Hollywood

Author: Ava Wilder

Publisher: Dell 2022

Genre: Romance

Pages: 368

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Romanceopoly - Library (Free Choice); 52 Books Club - Contemporary Setting

Spice Rating: 4

Grey Brooks is on a mission to keep her career afloat now that the end of her long-running teen TV show has her (unsuccessfully) pounding the pavement again. With a life-changing role on the line, she’s finally desperate enough to agree to her publicist’s scheme: fake a love affair with a disgraced Hollywood heartthrob who needs the publicity, but for very different reasons.

Ethan Atkins just wants to be left alone. Between his high-profile divorce, struggles with drinking, and grief over the death of his longtime creative partner and best friend, Ethan has slowly let himself fade into the background. But if he ever wants to produce the last movie he and his partner wrote together, Ethan needs to clean up his reputation and step back into the spotlight. A gossip-inducing affair with a gorgeous actress might be just the ticket, even if it’s the last thing he wants to do.

Though their juicy public relationship is less than perfect behind the scenes, it doesn’t take long before Grey and Ethan’s sizzling chemistry starts to feel like more than just an act. But after decades in a ruthless industry that requires bulletproof emotional armor to survive, are they too used to faking it to open themselves up to the real thing?

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Next up on the TBR pile:

Spring Bucket List Update #2

Another season, another bucket list. Our main goal is to get out in nature weekly.

Read 45 Books (38/45)
Movie Month - We scrapped this one for now.
Go on 12 Hikes (8/12)
Have an Indoor Picnic
Check Off 50 Hours Outside - We’re getting there…
Visit the Zoo 3 Times
Monthly Bingo/Trivia Nights (1/3)
Use the GetOut Pass 3 Times (1/3)
Make Homemade Cinnamon Rolls
Make a New Dessert
Have an Ice Cream Sundae Night
Two Lincoln Excursion Days
Three State Park Visits (2/3)
Day trip to Des Moines
Plan out curriculum for next year - Working on this
Plan an Indiana trip for summer complete with mini trip - Working on this

Next Up on the TBR Pile:

Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett

Title: Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries (Emily Wilde #1)

Author: Heather Fawcett

Publisher: Del Rey 2023

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 336

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Spring TBR

Cambridge professor Emily Wilde is good at many things: She is the foremost expert on the study of faeries. She is a genius scholar and a meticulous researcher who is writing the world’s first encyclopaedia of faerie lore. But Emily Wilde is not good at people. She could never make small talk at a party—or even get invited to one. And she prefers the company of her books, her dog, Shadow, and the Fair Folk to other people.

So when she arrives in the hardscrabble village of Hrafnsvik, Emily has no intention of befriending the gruff townsfolk. Nor does she care to spend time with another new arrival: her dashing and insufferably handsome academic rival Wendell Bambleby, who manages to charm the townsfolk, muddle Emily’s research, and utterly confound and frustrate her.

But as Emily gets closer and closer to uncovering the secrets of the Hidden Ones—the most elusive of all faeries—lurking in the shadowy forest outside the town, she also finds herself on the trail of another mystery: Who is Wendell Bambleby, and what does he really want? To find the answer, she’ll have to unlock the greatest mystery of all—her own heart.

Oh this was such an utter delight! We dive into an expedition journal by Emily Wilde and start to unravel the mysteries of the faeries in the far north. Emily is the prickliest of academics, but something in her inexhaustible drive to find the truth draws the reader in. We are rooting for her right from the beginning. Once she gets a little taste of the faerie world, the stakes are increased and the potential danger grows closer. I was enjoying the story and then Wendell arrived and I was completely hooked. The story took a very strange turn about 75% of the way through and was absolutely obsessed. I got to the end of the book and couldn’t believe that the story had ended. I wanted to continue the story. Thankfully we are getting a second book next year. I cannot wait.

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Fine Print by Lauren Asher

Title: The Fine Print (Dreamland Billionaires #1)

Author: Lauren Asher

Publisher: Lauren Asher 2022

Genre: Romance

Pages: 448

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Romanceopoly - The Office (Characters meet at work)

Spice Rating: 5

Rowan
I’m in the business of creating fairy tales.
Theme parks. Production companies. Five-star hotels.
Everything could be all mine if I renovated Dreamland.
My initial idea of hiring Zahra was good in theory, but then I kissed her.
Things spiraled out of control once I texted her using an alias.
By the time I realized where I went wrong, it was too late.
People like me don’t get happy endings.
Not when we’re destined to ruin them.

Zahra
After submitting a drunk proposal criticizing Dreamland’s most expensive ride, I should have been fired.
Instead, Rowan Kane offered me a dream job.
The catch? I had to work for the most difficult boss I’d ever met.
Rowan was rude and completely off-limits, but my heart didn’t care.
At least not until I discovered his secret.
It was time to teach the billionaire that money couldn’t fix everything.
Especially not us

I picked this up after it appeared on a ton of spicy romance lists. Well… it’s not that spicy, but it was a decent contemporary romance. We get an enemies to lovers romance set a Disneyworld-like amusement park. I liked the extra discussions of family and banter-filled workplace scenes. Rowan was a great male lead character. Of course I wanted to see him open up to Zahra and everyone else around him. That part of the storyline was my favorite part of the plot. The romance itself was much more sweet than spicy. The book followed the usual format of no steamy scenes until about 60-70% of the way through. I will probably continue reading this series but not rushing out right this second.

Dreamland Billionaires

#1 The Fine Print
#2 Terms and Conditions
#3 Final Offer

Next up on the TBR pile:

Currently #9

Reading: A Tempest at Sea by Sherry Thomas - I finally got the next Lady Sherlock book and am absolutely loving it!

Watching: The Great S3 dropped and we are slowly making our way through it. I absolutely love how unhinged this show is.

Listening: Going all the way back into my podcast archives and I finally started listening to What Roman Mars Can Learn About Con Law. So far I’ve listening to the first five episodes and while I haven’t learned much, the episodes have been enjoyable.

Making: For Sunday’s brunch I made apple cinnamon muffins and they were epic. Time consuming to make, but oh so good to eat.

Feeling: I have a few plates up in the air right now and trying to make sure they don’t fall. It’s making me a bit anxious this week. I just want to set the plates down soon.

Planning: In connection with how I’m feeling, I’m dealing with some logistics this week. I’ve got coop plans and retreat plans to solidify. Hopefully I can get this done by Saturday.

Loving: Really loving the prompt responses that I get from most people when I put a call out for anything. I don’t mean immediate responses (although those are nice too), but responses that are done within a reasonable time period. I really dislike having to track people down to get them to respond. Ugh!

Next up on the TBR pile:

Homeschool W32: Our Year is Winding Down!

What We Studied

As we hit May, our school curriculum plan starts to wind down a bit. We are schooling through the summer, but I ease up our big curriculum and focus on smaller units and special activities. This helps us stay on top of a school mindset without the summer slump. But it always allows me to catchup a bit and relax during the summer.

Literature and Poetry

Arthur and I finished our coop book selection. We really enjoyed the book, but didn’t quite realize that this was going to be a series. Hopefully the second book will get realized soon.

Nat Geo Book of Nature Poetry
Poetry for Young People: Emily Dickinson
The Last Shadow Warrior by Sam Subity

Quentin finished our Australia read aloud selection and started on our Antarctica read aloud selection. He’s not sure about how he feels about Mr. Popper’s Penguins, but has gotten better about listening to our read aloud.

Nat Geo Book of Animal Poetry
A World Full of Animal Stories by Angela McAllister
Around the World in 80 Days by Saviour Pirotta
Audrey of the Outback by Christine Harris
Mr. Popper’s Penguins by Richard and Florence Atwater
Evan Moor Smart Start Read and Write K

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 finished our financial literacy unit. We’ve been doing a ton of review and leftover lessons this past week.

Singapore 1B

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’re so close to the Civil War! One more week of US History before we take a break for the summer. I decided to run us up all the way to secession before stopping.

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
Heart and Soul: The Story of America and African Americans by Kadir Nelson
Nat Geo Our Country’s Presidents
Smart About the First Ladies
Two Miserable Presidents by Steve Sheinkin

Quentin continued his study of the world with Build Your Library Level 0. Quentin finished with the last continent, Antarctica this week. We’ll be doing a week of review and wrap-up to officially finish BYL Level 0.

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
Sophie Scott Goes South by Alison Lester

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 quantum weirdness with some thought experiments.

RSO Physics
The Story of Science: Aristotle Leads the Way by Joy Hakim
The Way Things Work Now
My First Book of Quantum Physics by Sheddad Kaid Salah Ferron and Eduard Altarriba

Quentin will be focusing on animal science with BYL Level 0. We finished out our animal science-lite curriculum with the Great Barrier Reef and the ocean around Antarctica.

Nat Geo Wild Animal Atlas
DK Animal
Lonely Planet: The Animal Book
The Tarantula in My Purse by Jean Craighead George
Keepers of the Reef by Sharon Wismer
Getting to Know Our Planet: Great Barrier Reef by Vicky Franchino
Great Barrier Reef by Martha London

STEAM Coop

The oldest group has moved on to their last theme of the year: Math + Art in Science. The kids played with color and focused on a few projects based on Mondrian’s works. The littles focused on domesticated animals. I actually stepped in to teach the middle kids about the species of animals that we domesticated through history.

Art/Music/Crafts/Cooking/Documentary

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. We started watched Into the West, the mini series from early 2000s. I really like how it follows two main families from the 1820s all the way to the 1870s. We get to see how the west changes in that 50 years hitting all the big events. We’ll be continuing for the next few weeks.

Field Trip

Tuesday we visited the farm to learn about the animals. We learned a ton of facts about the animals that Gifford has on its farm. Our favorite part was getting to pet all the animals. I definitely wanted to take home the baby goats.

High and Low

A cascading failure happened at coop this week. The middles teacher went out sick, then the assistant/substitute, and then the oldest teacher. So we were down two teachers in one week. A friend took over the oldest group and pulled out a great lesson on Mondrian. I stepped in and taught the middles about domestication of animals. All of this happened within 15 hours before coop. It was a few nerve-wracking hours for me trying to make sure that everyone and everything was in place. We pulled it out and the kids had great lessons for the week. But I definitely have some ideas of how we (really me) can avoid the stress next year.

Next Week

Continuing our current read alouds
Finally getting to the Civil War (before stopping)
Wrapping up physics
Review the world for social studies
Watching another episode or two of Into the West
Catching up with our math and language arts packets and random pages

Next up on the TBR pile:

Music Monday - Saint Asonia "Devastate"

And another new song… Really digging this new song. I need to go and download this album immediately.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Life Right Now #15

As I look outside my window:

Right now I am:

Thinking and pondering:

On my bedside table: I recently started two new books and a reread for this coming week

I, Robot by Isaac Asimov, reread for my Nerdy Bookish friends grou
Saturday Night at the Lakeside Supper Club by J. Ryan Stradal
A Tempest at Sea by Sherry Thomas.

On my tv this week: J and I have been watching Ted Lasso, Citadel (not super impressed), The Great, and The Misfits.

Listening to: Mostly just podcasts that are currently airing. I also went back into the archives and have finished listening to the first 100 episodes of 99PI. Really enjoy that little podcast so much. Eventually I might even completely catch up to present day.

On the menu for this week:

Monday - Peanut Noodles with Chicken
Tuesday - Chicken Tortilla Soup
Wednesday - Leftovers
Thursday - Honey Lime Tilapia
Friday - Lemon Ginger Turmeric Chicken and Rice Soup
Saturday - Pepperoni Pizza Casserole
Sunday - Tuscan Kale and White Bean Soup

On my to do list:

Happening this week:

Monday - Home Day
Tuesday - Wildlife Safari Field Trip; Coop Happy Hour
Wednesday - Science Class
Thursday - Coop (last one for the year!)
Friday - Lit Society
Saturday - Home Day
Sunday - Coop Book Club; Nerdy Bookish Friends Book Club

What I am creating:

My simple pleasures:

Looking around the house:

From the camera:

Forest Walking by Peter Wohlleben

Title: Forest Walking: Discovering the Trees and Woodlands of North America

Author: Peter Wohlleben and Jane Billinghurst

Publisher: Greystone Books 2022

Genre: Nonfiction - Nature

Pages: 240

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges:

When you walk in the woods, do you use all five senses to explore your surroundings? For most of us, the answer is no—but when we do, a walk in the woods can go from pleasant to immersive and restorative. Forest Walking teaches you how to engage with the forest by decoding nature’s signs and awakening to the ancient past and thrilling present of the ecosystem around you.

What can you learn by following the spread of a root, by tasting the tip of a branch, by searching out that bitter almond smell?

What creatures can be found in a stream if you turn over a rock—and what is the best way to cross a forest stream, anyway?

How can you understand a forest’s history by the feel of the path underfoot, the scars on the trees along the trail, or the play of sunlight through the branches?

How can we safely explore the forest at night?

What activities can we use to engage children with the forest?

Throughout Forest Walking, the authors share experiences and observations from visiting forests across North America: from the rainforests and redwoods of the west coast to the towering white pines of the east, and down to the cypress swamps of the south and up to the boreal forests of the north.

Randomly I grabbed this volume in connection with A Year in the Woods. This one was more how-to than meditations on nature. Overall, I found the various sections to be very interesting mini lessons on trees in North America. This feels like one of those that you don’t just read once, but keep around for reference as you explore the natural world. Pairing this with Ekelund’s book was the perfect week. In fact, I will be giving this pairing as a book recommendation to a friend at the retreat next month.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Cinders & Sparrows by Stefan Bachmann

Title: Cinders & Sparrows

Author: Stefan Bachmann

Publisher: Greenwillow Books 2020

Genre: MG Fantasy

Pages: 368

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Unread Shelf; Spring TBR

When a scarecrow climbs over the garden wall, delivering twelve-year-old orphan Zita Brydgeborn a letter saying she has inherited a distant castle, she jumps at thechance of adventure. But little does she know that she is about to be thrust into a centuries-old battle between good and evil. Blackbird Castle was once home to a powerful dynasty of witches, all of them now dead under mysterious circumstances. All but Zita. And Zita, unfortunately, doesn't know the first thing about being a witch.

As she begins her lessons in charms and spells with her guardian, Mrs. Cantanker, Zita makes new allies--a crow, a talking marble head, two castle servants just her age named Bram and Minnifer, and the silent ghost of a green-eyed girl. But who is friend and who is foe? Zita must race to untangle her past and find the magic to save the home she's always hoped for. Because whatever claimed the souls of her family is now after her.

I grabbed this book out of our big collection of Owl Crate boxes. I was hoping for something a bit spooky and fun. This definitely hit the spot! Right away the book gives us a great spooky house full of gothic vibes. We meet some mysterious characters and a lost and found orphan. From here, the book immediately drops you into the plot and rushes forward until the end. I loved trying to figure out the mystery and peel back the layers of the house and the characters. I absolutely loved the book and will be keeping this one our shelves.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Odds and Ends

Here's my randomness for the week:

Thankful that the weather is holding out this week so we can still get outside for our events.
Sometimes what I really need is a chocolate brownie.
Feeling like I should see what new music releases are in my music app.
Working on next year’s curriculum has invigorated me to finish this year’s curriculum. We’re so close!
Need to set up a few ice cream meetups for coop friends this summer.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Arch-Conspirator by Veronica Roth

Title: Arch-Conspirator

Author: Veronica Roth

Publisher: Tor Books 2023

Genre: Science Fiction

Pages: 112

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Spring TBR

“I’m cursed, haven’t you heard?”

Outside the last city on Earth, the planet is a wasteland. Without the Archive, where the genes of the dead are stored, humanity will end.

Antigone’s parents—Oedipus and Jocasta—are dead. Passing into the Archive should be cause for celebration, but with her militant uncle Kreon rising to claim her father's vacant throne, all Antigone feels is rage.

When he welcomes her and her siblings into his mansion, Antigone sees it for what it really is: a gilded cage, where she is a captive as well as a guest.

But her uncle will soon learn that no cage is unbreakable. And neither is he.

I randomly grabbed this slim novella off the New Releases library shelf not quite know what I was getting. And then I read the cover and wondered if this was going to be a Greek story. It is in fact! And I loved every page of this retelling of Antigone. Roth has moved the story to a future where we have irrevocably damaged the planet. Society has moved into a fragile state of being with strict rules of life and death. Roth manages to pack a punch into very few chapters each from different perspectives. We get to see society from a variety of perspectives. The story really brought up some interesting questions and philosophical questions. At first, I wanted to have more to the story, but the more I think about it, a novella is the perfect length for this story. Short and sweet, but leaves a big impression.

Next up on the TBR pile:

When in Rome by Sarah Adams

Title: When in Rome

Author: Sarah Adams

Publisher: Dell 2022

Genre: Romance

Pages: 320

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Romanceopoly - Burger Joint (Main character is in the food industry)

Spice Rating: 3

Amelia Rose, known as Rae Rose to her adoring fans, is burned-out from years of maintaining her “princess of pop” image. Inspired by her favorite Audrey Hepburn film, Roman Holiday, she drives off in the middle of the night for a break in Rome . . . Rome, Kentucky, that is.

When Noah Walker finds Amelia on his front lawn in her broken-down car, he makes it clear he doesn’t have the time or patience for celebrity problems. He’s too busy running the pie shop his grandmother left him and reminding his nosy but lovable neighbors to mind their own damn business. Despite his better judgment, he lets her stay in his guest room—but only until her car is fixed—then she’s on her own.

Then Noah starts to see a different side of Rae Rose—she’s Amelia: kindhearted and goofy, yet lonely from years in the public eye. He can’t help but get close to her. Soon she’ll have to return to her glamorous life on tour, but until then, Noah will show Amelia all the charming small-town experiences she’s been missing, and she’ll help him open his heart to more.

Amelia can’t resist falling for the cozy town and her grumpy tour guide, but even Audrey had to leave Rome eventually.

Such a cute little gentle romcom style romance. This was just what I needed to cleanse my palate a bit after a few heavier reads. I sped through this cute little romance rooting for Noah and Amelia right from the beginning. I love meeting the various people in Rome, especially Noah’s sisters. We get a delightful collection of characters to round out the world within the book. I would have liked a little more discussion of the issues Amelia had with Susan and her mom, but the book chose to focus on her romance. The biggest reason that I took off a star was because this one was a bit too Hallmark style for me. I wanted a little bit of steam included. We know that Noah and Amelia have sex, but it’s very quick fade to black the few times it’s brought up. Still a cute little novel.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Homeschool W31: We had a Spring Walk in the Rain

What We Studied

A smallish week in terms of school work, but a full week full of activities and errands.

Literature and Poetry

J continued reading the Bromeliad trilogy to the boys at bedtime. They are very near finishing the third book.

We knocked out a chunk of our current read aloud (the coop book club selection). We will finish that one sometime last week.

Nat Geo Book of Nature Poetry
Poetry for Young People: Emily Dickinson
The Last Shadow Warrior by Sam Subity

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. He’s gotten more into Audrey, but it’s definitely not his favorite (or mine).

Nat Geo Book of Animal Poetry
A World Full of Animal Stories by Angela McAllister
Around the World in 80 Days by Saviour Pirotta
Audrey of the Outback by Christine Harris

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 continued our financial literacy unit. Quentin has very small lessons. Arthur is going more in depth. We’re taking it slow, but continuing with the unit.

Financial Literacy Grade 3
Singapore 1B
A Penny's Worth by Kimberly Wilson

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’re inching closer to the Civil War, but won’t cover the actual war this school year..

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
Heart and Soul: The Story of America and African Americans by Kadir Nelson
Nat Geo Our Country’s Presidents
Smart About the First Ladies
Which Way to the Wild West by Steve Sheinkin
The Oregon Trail: The Road to Oregon City by Jesse Wiley

Quentin continued his study of the world with Build Your Library Level 0. Moved on to our last inhabited by humans continent of Australia and Oceania. We covered Oceania this week. That means that we are finished with 6 of the 7 continents. We will move on to Antarctica next week and then do a wrap-up week to finish the curriculum.

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

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 met to do optics, but the boys decided to create an entire fort in my living room instead. Oh well. We’ll get to the experiments next week.

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 continued watching a new documentary series called Magic of Disney’s Animal Kingdom. It’s a behind the scenes look at caring for the animals at the park. Each episode is less than 30 minutes, so it’s a perfect length for Q. We also covered animals from Australia.

Nat Geo Wild Animal Atlas
DK Animal
Lonely Planet: The Animal Book
The Tarantula in My Purse by Jean Craighead George

STEAM Coop

The oldest group has moved on to their last theme of the year: Math + Art in Science. This week, I taught them how to figure out the approximate age and height of the tree using math. Lots of fun! From there, they received a notebook and we explored nature drawing for awhile. The littles did some printmaking crafts. Only two more weeks of coop left for the year!

Art/Music/Crafts/Cooking/Documentary

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. We started watched Into the West, the mini series from early 2000s. I really like how it follows two main families from the 1820s all the way to the 1870s. We get to see how the west changes in that 50 years hitting all the big events. We’ll be continuing for the next few weeks.

Field Trip

No coop field trip this week, but we did have a great Nature Explorers meeting on Friday. We completed the 3 mile hike at Schramm in between lots of rain. We were cold and wet by the end, but everyone was in good spirits after the hike. The kids found a trove of snails and basically adopted one for the rest of the hike. The boys convinced me to look into getting a snail as a pet. I could actually do a snail…

High

Tuesday was a fun free playdate at the park. We stayed for hours! It was windy and chilly, but the kids had so much fun playing. We spent the rest of that afternoon doing all the errands, but it was worth it.

Low

We got a little behind on our bookwork. Not a big deal, but I’m slightly annoyed by this. I’m sure we can catchup soon.

Next Week

Finishing our current read alouds
Finishing a financial literacy unit (both kids)
Covering light and optics for physics
Moving on to Antarctica for social studies
Watching another episode or two of Into the West
Catching up with our math and language arts packets and random pages

Next up on the TBR pile:

Music Monday - Pierce the Veil "Emergency Contact"

A new Pierce the Veil song! Woohoo! Totally into this song right now.

Next up on the TBR pile:

A Year in the Woods by Torbjørn Ekelund

Title: A Year in the Woods: Twelve Small Journeys into Nature

Author: Torbjørn Ekelund

Publisher: Greystone Books 2021

Genre: Nature Memoir

Pages: 256

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges:

As nature becomes ever more precious, we all want to spend more time appreciating it. But time is often hard to come by. And how do we appreciate nature without disruption? In this sensitively-written book, Torbjørn Ekelund, an acclaimed Norwegian nature writer, shares a creative and non-intrusive method for immersing oneself in nature. And the result is nothing short of transformative.

Evoking Henry David Thoreau and the four-season structure of Walden, Ekelundwrites about communing with nature by repeating a small, simple ritual and engaging in quiet reflection. At the start of the book, he hatches a plan: to leave the city after work one day per month, camp near the same tiny pond in the forest, and return to work the next day. He keeps this up for a year.

His ritual is far from rigorous and it is never perfect. One evening, he grows so cold in his tent that he hikes out before daybreak. But as Ekelund inevitably greets the same trees and boulders each month, he appreciates the banality of their sameness alongside their quiet beauty. He wonders how long they have stood silently in this place—and reflects on his own short existence among them.

A Year in the Woods asks us to reconsider our relationship with the natural world. Are we anxious wanderers or mindful observers? Do we honor the seasons or let them pass us by? At once beautifully written, accessible, and engaging, A Year in the Woods is the perfect book for anyone who longs for a deeper connection with their environment, but is realistic about time and ambition.

This book ended up in a big check out stack when I was looking for forest school lessons for coop. Most of the books were geared toward children, but this one was a little different. I finally picked it up and started reading not quite sure what I was going to find inside. Ultimately, I was delighted by this slim memoir focused on Ekelund’s plan to spend 12 days and nights out in nature. Right away, I loved that Ekelund makes it clear that he doesn’t believe that everyone needs or should do what he did. Further, he doesn’t believe that that’s any one way to experience nature. This was a refreshing take contrasted with a ton of books that basically tell the reader that if they don’t spend a majority of their time outside, they have failed as humans. Throughout the twelve chapters, we get Ekelund’s actual experiences, but also meditations on experience nature and human nature. I found myself reading only one chapter a day wanting to let the ideas sit for awhile before adding more. This is a much better book than Bill Bryson’s A Walk in the Woods, stripping out all the problematic takes and focusing on the experience of being in nature. Loved it!

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Siren of Sussex by Mimi Matthews

Title: The Siren of Sussex (Belles of London #1)

Author: Mimi Matthews

Publisher: Berkley 2022

Genre: Historical Romance

Pages: 400

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: 52 Book Club - City or Country in Title; Romanceopoly - Past Eaves (Read the historical romance that catches your interest)

Spice Rating: 2

Evelyn Maltravers understands exactly how little she's worth on the marriage mart. As an incurable bluestocking from a family tumbling swiftly toward ruin, she knows she'll never make a match in a ballroom. Her only hope is to distinguish herself by making the biggest splash in the one sphere she excels: on horseback. In haute couture. But to truly capture London's attention she'll need a habit-maker who's not afraid to take risks with his designs—and with his heart.

Half-Indian tailor Ahmad Malik has always had a talent for making women beautiful, inching his way toward recognition by designing riding habits for Rotten Row's infamous Pretty Horsebreakers—but no one compares to Evelyn. Her unbridled spirit enchants him, awakening a depth of feeling he never thought possible.

But pushing boundaries comes at a cost and not everyone is pleased to welcome Evelyn and Ahmad into fashionable society. With obstacles spanning between them, the indomitable pair must decide which hurdles they can jump and what matters most: making their mark or following their hearts?

I went into this book expecting a story like The Heiress Gets a Duke or Bringing Down the Duke. Unfortunately, we get a very staid book that dragged throughout the entire story veering off onto tangents about the exact details of habit making and horse breeding. Initially I was excited about the main characters and their individual back stories. But somehow, the characters never really connected to me or to each other. Weirdly, I felt like the was a second book in the series. Ahmad’s constant dropping of hints at an entire backstory was teasing. I thought I had accidentally picked up a second in a series book instead of a first. But alas, I was just annoyed about this great backstory that we never got to really hear about. I could have dealt with most of this, but then, we get absolutely no steamy scenes. Seriously, this was a 2 on my scale. Not even a fade to black for us. Not a series that I want to continue.

Belles of London

#1 The Siren of Sussex
#2 The Belle of Belgrave Square
#3 The Lily of Legate Hill
#4 The Muse of Maiden Lane

Next up on the TBR pile:

A House with Good Bones by T. Kingfisher

Title: A House with Good Bones

Author: T. Kingfisher

Publisher: Tor Nightfire 2023

Genre: Horror

Pages: 247

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: 52 Book Club - With a Dedication

"Mom seems off."

Her brother's words echo in Sam Montgomery's ear as she turns onto the quiet North Carolina street where their mother lives alone.

She brushes the thought away as she climbs the front steps. Sam's excited for this rare extended visit, and looking forward to nights with just the two of them, drinking boxed wine, watching murder mystery shows, and guessing who the killer is long before the characters figure it out.

But stepping inside, she quickly realizes home isn’t what it used to be. Gone is the warm, cluttered charm her mom is known for; now the walls are painted a sterile white. Her mom jumps at the smallest noises and looks over her shoulder even when she’s the only person in the room. And when Sam steps out back to clear her head, she finds a jar of teeth hidden beneath the magazine-worthy rose bushes, and vultures are circling the garden from above.

To find out what’s got her mom so frightened in her own home, Sam will go digging for the truth. But some secrets are better left buried.

Another very creepy horror story from Kingfisher that I absolutely adored. We started with a typically story about family. But pretty quickly we start to realize that something isn’t quite right in this house. The book follows along with quiet dread for awhile before the last third of the book kicks the horror into high gear. I loved Sam’s narration of her life and her memories of childhood. Once we get to the horror part, I was truly horrified. The reveal at the kitchen table made me gasp. And from there, it’s nonstop horror until the end. Oh so good! I am completely a Kingfisher convert and must read everything she has written.

Next up on the TBR pile:

May 2023 Life Goals

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

Read 18 Books - A rare miss for me… oh well.
Make a Summer Bucket List ✓
Knock Out My Brain Dump List ✓
Plan for Coop Wrap for the Year ✓

May Goals:

Read 18 Books
Execute Coop Field Day
Plan Out July Indiana/Ohio Trip
Finalize Retreat Plans and Packing
Knock Out 5 Items on the Summer Bucket List

Next up on the TBR pile:

Currently #8

Reading: After a disappointing historical romance, I wanted something a bit more fun. I’ve picked up When in Rome by Sarah Adams and so far, it’s hitting the spot.

Watching: J and I started watching Citadel and we’re sorta intrigued. We’re going to give it 3-4 episodes to really grab our attention.

Listening: I went on a big podcast backlist kick and listened a ton of Revolutions (S3 Haitian Revolution) and 99PI episodes.

Making: The boys and I worked on our summer bucket list (started yesterday) and I decided to make a scrapbook for them. I did something similar years ago for the twins and tried to recreate. Arthur was delighted when I showed him yesterday. I even left space for pictures they take.

Feeling: I had a terrible pain flare last week. Feeling better, but my body was so angry. I’m still recovering.

Planning: With that summer bucket list, I’m filling out the rest of our schedule for summer.

Loving: Today a friend set up a park playdate. I was just thinking that we had nothing on the schedule for today and a friend stepped in and fixed the problem. We love having free morning with friends.

Next up on the TBR pile: