Life Right Now #20

On my bedside table: Anatomy by Dana Schwartz (reread for book club); Pathogenesis by Jonathan Kennedy

On my tv this week: Nothing really. My mom and I watched Below Deck and The Bachelorette before the kids and I left on our road trip. That’s it. That’s all I watched in the last week.

Listening to: During our drive home, I finished Jurassic Park and followed up with A Grown-Up’s Guide to Dinosaurs. Right now, I’m working my way through Camp Red Moon by R.L. Stine before turning back to my usual podcasts.

On the menu for this week:

• Monday - Tacos and Black Bean Soup

• Tuesday - Teriyaki Chicken and Rice

• Wednesday - Texas Cheese Fries and Salad

• Thursday - Hawaiian Pulled Pork Nachos

• Friday - Garlic Shrimp Pasta

• Saturday - Honey, Peach, and Cheddar Grilled Cheese

• Sunday - Bourbon Marinaded Steak, Sweet Potatoes, Broccolini

On my to do list: Everything needs to be put away and all the lists need to be made. I’ve got piles of stuff that needs to be placed in its homes while I do laundry and dishes. And then, I need to make all the lists (grocery, coop, TBR, etc). From there, I ned to time block my free time to tackle coop prep, homeschool prep, and home tasks. I should probably do a brain dump first…

Happening this week:

• Monday - Errand day: grocery, library, Target, etc

• Tuesday - Zoo Day

• Wednesday - Fremont Lakes

• Thursday - National Homestead Monument? (I may change this to something that we missed while I was sick)

• Friday - Crafting at the Park

• Saturday - Home Day

• Sunday - Nerdy Bookish Friends Book Club Meeting

What I am creating: All the lists! And hopefully more Memory Planner pages.

My simple pleasures: Being home. Seriously, it was so nice to wake up in my own bed. Reaffirms that I really am a homebody at my core.

Looking around the house: After the last month of nonsense, things are just everywhere in this house. Not really dirty, but very cluttered right now. I suspect that this week I’ll be purging a bunch of stuff.

From the camera: UFO-like prototype at the National Museum of the USAF in Dayton.

Adult Assembly Required by Abbi Waxman

Title: Adult Assembly Required

Author: Abbi Waxman

Publisher: Berkley 2022

Genre: Fiction

Pages: 374

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Summer TBR

When Laura Costello moves to Los Angeles, trying to escape an overprotective family and the haunting memories of a terrible accident, she doesn’t expect to be homeless after a week. (She’s pretty sure she didn’t start that fire — right?) She also doesn't expect to find herself adopted by a rogue bookseller, installed in a lovely but completely illegal boardinghouse, or challenged to save a losing trivia team from ignominy…but that’s what happens. Add a regretful landlady, a gorgeous housemate and an ex-boyfriend determined to put himself back in the running and you’ll see why Laura isn’t really sure she’s cut out for this adulting thing. Luckily for her, her new friends Nina, Polly and Impossibly Handsome Bob aren't sure either, but maybe if they put their heads (and hearts) together they’ll be able to make it work.

This sorta sequel to The Bookish Life of Nina Hill fell a bit flat for me. There’s something about the frantic/manic writing style of Waxman that started to annoy me at the pages went on. I tired so much after so many abrupt transitions and quirky writing. And then we get to the characters and I just wasn’t connect with any of those at all. It felt like we were trying to create stereotypical or even cartoon characters instead of real people. It just wasn’t believable as a group of real friends. In the end everything came together with a neat little bow and I just didn’t buy it at all…

Next up on the TBR pile:

This Side of the Grave by Jeaniene Frost

Title: This Side of the Grave (Night Huntress #5)

Author: Jeaniene Frost

Publisher: Avon 2011

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Pages: 357

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Unread Shelf; Finishing the Series

Spice Meter: 5 (albeit one with a vampire)

Danger waits on both sides of the grave.

Half-vampire Cat Crawfield and her vampire husband Bones have fought for their lives, as well as for their relationship. But just when they've triumphed over the latest battle, Cat's new and unexpected abilities threaten to upset a long-standing balance . . .

With the mysterious disappearance of vampires, rumors abound that a species war is brewing. A zealot is inciting tensions between the vampires and ghouls, and if these two powerful groups clash, innocent mortals could become collateral damage. Now Cat and Bones are forced to seek help from a dangerous "ally"—the ghoul queen of New Orleans herself. But the price of her assistance may prove more treacherous than even the threat of a supernatural war . . . to say nothing of the repercussions Cat never imagined.

Hmm… I sped through this volume, but wasn’t super excited about the big mystery. It wasn’t super intriguing and I didn’t think the villain was scary enough. In the fact, I thought that Marie was a much scarier antagonist than the actual stated villain. I wanted to see more scenes with Marie and Cat bantering and sparring. That would have increased my enjoyment of this book. My other favorite part were the scenes involving Vlad. He is always a great addition to the story. I will keep reading this series, if nothing else than to complete books from my Unread Shelf. But, I must say that I’m not super into this series at this point.

Night Huntress:

• #0.5 Reckoning

• #1 Halfway to the Grave

• #1.2 The Other Half of the Grave

• #1.5 Happily Never After

• #2 One Foot in the Grave

• #3 At Grave’s End

• #3.5 Devil to Pay

• #4 Destined for an Early Grave

• #4.5 One for the Money

• #5 This Side of the Grave

• #6 One Grave at a Time

• #6.5 Home for the Holidays

• #7 Up from the Grave

• #7.5 Outtakes from the Grave

• #7.6 A Grave Girls’ Getaway

• #8 Both Feet in the Grave

Next up on the TBR pile:

Love Theoretically by Ali Hazelwood

Title: Love, Theoretically

Author: Ali Hazelwood

Publisher: Berkley 2023

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Pages: 389

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: 52 Book Club - Enemies to Lovers

Spice Rating: 5

The many lives of theoretical physicist Elsie Hannaway have finally caught up with her. By day, she’s an adjunct professor, toiling away at grading labs and teaching thermodynamics in the hopes of landing tenure. By other day, Elsie makes up for her non-existent paycheck by offering her services as a fake girlfriend, tapping into her expertly honed people-pleasing skills to embody whichever version of herself the client needs.
 
Honestly, it’s a pretty sweet gig—until her carefully constructed Elsie-verse comes crashing down. Because Jack Smith, the annoyingly attractive and arrogant older brother of her favorite client, turns out to be the cold-hearted experimental physicist who ruined her mentor’s career and undermined the reputation of theorists everywhere. And he’s the same Jack Smith who rules over the physics department at MIT, standing right between Elsie and her dream job.
 
Elsie is prepared for an all-out war of scholarly sabotage but…those long, penetrating looks? Not having to be anything other than her true self when she’s with him? Will falling into an experimentalist’s orbit finally tempt her to put her most guarded theories on love into practice?

I absolutely adored The Love Hypothesis and hoped that this one would be another winner. But, I apparently am a bit over Hazelwood’s romances. I was very annoyed with Elsie throughout most of the book. She was so oblivious to her issues that I wanted to shake her. I just really wanted to see more growth and acknowledgment throughout the book. The romance with Jack felt very one-sided. I loved Jack, but his feelings and issues were completely pushed to the back because of Elsie. I wanted more of a partnership in the romance. And I’m coming to realize that I don’t like Hazelwood’s sex scenes. They are very graphic, but not really well written and steamy enough for me. I keep reading her books and coming away with wanting more.

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer

Title: The Wishing Game

Author: Meg Shaffer

Publisher: Ballantine Books 2023

Genre: Fiction

Pages: 304

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Unread Shelf; BOTM Cleanout

Make a wish. . . .

Lucy Hart knows better than anyone what it’s like to grow up without parents who loved her. In a childhood marked by neglect and loneliness, Lucy found her solace in books, namely the Clock Island series by Jack Masterson. Now a twenty-six-year-old teacher’s aide, she is able to share her love of reading with bright, young students, especially seven-year-old Christopher Lamb, who was left orphaned after the tragic death of his parents. Lucy would give anything to adopt Christopher, but even the idea of becoming a family seems like an impossible dream without proper funds and stability.

But be careful what you wish for. . . .

Just when Lucy is about to give up, Jack Masterson announces he’s finally written a new book. Even better, he’s holding a contest at his home on the real Clock Island, and Lucy is one of the four lucky contestants chosen to compete to win the one and only copy.

For Lucy, the chance of winning the most sought-after book in the world means everything to her and Christopher. But first she must contend with ruthless book collectors, wily opponents, and the distractingly handsome (and grumpy) Hugo Reese, the illustrator of the Clock Island books. Meanwhile, Jack “the Mastermind” Masterson is plotting the ultimate twist ending that could change all their lives forever.

. . . You might just get it.

People described this as the perfect love letter to the love of books, but this one fell pretty flat for me. Right away, I was super annoyed with Lucy. She was just a pushover and a bland person. I wasn’t really connecting with her at all. And her internal commentary about wanting to be Christopher’s mom got old very quickly. We didn’t need to be reminded every other paragraph. The book picked up once she arrived on the island for the contact, but then we had the dynamic between Hugo and Lucy. I never really bought it. I could not figure out their chemistry. I wish that the author had not put them together for anything romantic. And in reality, nothing really romantic every actually happened in the book. Overall, this story felt a little too twee for me.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Currently #13

Reading: Making my way through Adult Assembly Required by Abbi Waxman for our July book club selection. I loved The Bookish Life of Nina Hill and this is a sorta sequel.

Watching: Being at my mom’s house, there’s just random things on television. I haven’t actually really watched anything.

Listening: Lots of kids playing noises right now

Making: I brought my Memory Planner pages for May. Started working on those last night. Hopefully I can finish by the time we make it back home.

Feeling: Tomorrow we’re leaving Indiana and starting our mini, four day road trip as we make our way back home. I’m very ready to get going on this trip.

Planning: I didn't bring a lot of actual work, but I have been just making a few notes here and there about planning for next year’s homeschool.

Loving: While in Fort Wayne, I got to meet with two old friends for kid-free chatting time. It was so lovely!

Next up on the TBR pile:

Music Monday - The Warning "More"

Reminiscent of the 90s. Loving this song right now.

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Twisted Ones by T. Kingfisher

Title: The Twisted Ones

Author: T. Kingfisher

Publisher: Gallery 2019

Genre: Horror

Pages: 400

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges:

When Mouse’s dad asks her to clean out her dead grandmother's house, she says yes. After all, how bad could it be?

Answer: pretty bad. Grandma was a hoarder, and her house is stuffed with useless rubbish. That would be horrific enough, but there’s more—Mouse stumbles across her step-grandfather’s journal, which at first seems to be filled with nonsensical rants…until Mouse encounters some of the terrifying things he described for herself.

Alone in the woods with her dog, Mouse finds herself face to face with a series of impossible terrors—because sometimes the things that go bump in the night are real, and they’re looking for you. And if she doesn’t face them head on, she might not survive to tell the tale.

I have absolutely loved the three most recent books from Kingfisher. So of course, I picked up this backlist choice very excited. Unfortunately, this one just didn’t land for me. I enjoyed the first section and the build up of tension. The creepy setting and beginnings of strange occurrences got me. But as the book went on, things just didn’t line up for me at all. I got pretty bored. And I didn’t love Mouse and her entire personality. By the end of the book, I was pretty bored with the story. The creep factor felt very bland and I wasn’t excited about the ending at all. At least the newer books have really hit the spot for me.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Life Right Now #19

On my bedside table: The Bees by Laline Paull; Adult Assembly Required by Abbi Waxman

On my tv this week: Nothing in particular. We’ve been traveling and now at my mom’s house, we’re just watching random things.

Listening to: On the drive to Indiana, I listened to about 70% of Jurassic Park. I last read that book about 25 years ago. I forgot how good the book really is. I’ll finish it on the drive back of course.

On the menu for this week: Well, we’re in Indiana and then we will be in Ohio, Illinois, and Missouri. So, I have no real idea of what we are eating this week.

On my to do list: Right now, we’re just enjoying our little road trip.

Happening this week:

• Monday - Putt Putt visit, random shopping, dinner with Mimi

• Tuesday - Splash Pad time

• Wednesday - Dayton, Ohio (Ohio Caverns and Boonshoft Science Center)

• Thursday - Dayton, Ohio (Air Force Museum)

• Friday - Decatur, IL (Scovill Zoo) and Springfield, IL (all the Abraham Lincoln stuff)

• Saturday - Hannibal, MO (all the Mark Twain stuff) and then Home

• Sunday - Home rest day

What I am creating: I brought my Memory Planner stuff with me to Indiana. I’m hoping to squeeze in a little crafty time this next week.

My simple pleasures: Half sweet iced tea, Cookie Cottage cookies, my own bed (dreaming of it and counting down days until I get back to it)

From the camera: Hanging with the penguins at the zoo.

Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez

Title: Yours Truly (Part of Your World #2)

Author: Abby Jimenez

Publisher: Forever 2023

Genre: Romance

Pages: 416

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Unread Shelf Project - July; BOTM Cleanout

Spice Meter: 4

Dr. Briana Ortiz’s life is seriously flatlining. Her divorce is just about finalized, her brother’s running out of time to find a kidney donor, and that promotion she wants? Oh, that’s probably going to the new man-doctor who’s already registering eighty-friggin’-seven on Briana’s “pain in my ass” scale. But just when all systems are set to hate, Dr. Jacob Maddox completely flips the game . . . by sending Briana a letter.

And it’s a really good letter. Like the kind that proves that Jacob isn’t actually Satan. Worse, he might be this fantastically funny and subversively likeable guy who’s terrible at first impressions. Because suddenly he and Bri are exchanging letters, sharing lunch dates in her “sob closet,” and discussing the merits of freakishly tiny horses. But when Jacob decides to give Briana the best gift imaginable—a kidney for her brother—she wonders just how she can resist this quietly sexy new doctor . . . especially when he calls in a favor she can’t refuse.

CW: Anxiety, depression, cheating, miscarriage, pregnancy

As with all of Jimenez’s books, this one deals with some tough subjects. Check out those CWs before reading. I was hoping for an epic real-life romance where the leads have real problems and learn to support each other. This one did not disappoint. We get a sweet story of two slightly damaged adults finding love after pushing each other and everyone else away. I loved getting to hear Briana’s story after she was featured in Jimenez’s previous book, Part of Your World. But the star of the book for me was definitely Jacob. I don’t have quite the same level of anxiety that Jacob does, but I could see so much of me in him. I understand every single thing he did (and didn’t do). I was right there with him for every hard experience and every joy. After reading this, I am reminded of the many things that J does for my anxiety that are just a regular part of our relationship. I really think I found a keeper there. By the end of the book, I was crying happy tears. And then I read the author’s note, and I was full on sobbing. Absolutely perfect book for the perfect time. Definitely going onto my Top 10 of the year! I cannot get over how much this one really hit me. So great!

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Widow of Pale Harbor by Hester Fox

Title: The Widow of Pale Harbor

Author: Hester Fox

Publisher: 2019

Genre: Mystery

Pages: 352

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Summer TBR

Maine, 1846. Gabriel Stone is desperate to escape the ghosts that haunt him in Massachusetts after his wife’s death, so he moves to Maine, taking a position as a minister in the remote village of Pale Harbor.

But not all is as it seems in the sleepy town. Strange, unsettling things have been happening, and the townspeople claim that only one person can be responsible: Sophronia Carver, a reclusive widow who lives with a spinster maid in the eerie Castle Carver. Sophronia must be a witch, and she almost certainly killed her husband.

As the incidents escalate, one thing becomes clear: they are the work of a twisted person inspired by the wildly popular stories of Mr. Edgar Allan Poe. And Gabriel must find answers, or Pale Harbor will suffer a fate worthy of Poe’s darkest tales.

I picked this one off the library new release shelf hoping for some spooky witchy horror. But that’s not quite what this book is. This book is more of a gothic mystery tinged with a bit of romance. Nothing supernatural happens in this book, but we certainly get a feel for the supernatural atmosphere. Overall I enjoyed the plot line and loved the final reveal of the mystery. The characters were okay if a bit disjointed at times. My biggest complaint is that the writing seemed to drag in parts. Having characters struggle internally over the same issues chapter after chapter got to me after while. I started skimming some of the paragraphs to get to the next action beat. Good atmospheric mystery, but I now know to look elsewhere if I want actual ghosts.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Odds and Ends

Here's my randomness for the week:

• Finally feeling better after the migraine (maybe something more?) that wouldn’t stop.

• I’m feeling so much better that the boys and I are on the road today driving to Indiana for a visit.

• Looking forward to the zoo, Coney Island, and Pizza Hut

• Afterward, the boys and I are doing another mini road trip on the way back home. We’ll be stopping in Dayton Ohio, Champaign IL, Decatur IL, Springfield IL (how have I never seen Lincoln’s tomb?), and Hannibal MO. Should be a fun mini trip.

• A week into July and I’ve read three books from my Unread Shelf. A record I think?

Next up on the TBR pile:

Spells for Forgetting by Adrienne Young

Title: Spells for Forgetting

Author: Adrienne Young

Publisher: Delacorte 2022

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 350

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Unread Shelf; BOTM Cleanout

Emery Blackwood’s life changed forever the night her best friend was found dead and the love of her life, August Salt, was accused of murdering her. Years later, she is doing what her teenage self swore she never would: living a quiet existence on the misty, remote shores of Saoirse Island and running the family’s business, Blackwood’s Tea Shoppe Herbal Tonics & Tea Leaf Readings. But when the island, rooted in folklore and magic, begins to show signs of strange happenings, Emery knows that something is coming. The morning she wakes to find that every single tree on Saoirse has turned color in a single night, August returns for the first time in fourteen years and unearths the past that the town has tried desperately to forget.

August knows he is not welcome on Saiorse, not after the night everything changed. As a fire raged on at the Salt family orchard, Lily Morgan was found dead in the dark woods, shaking the bedrock of their tight-knit community and branding August a murderer. When he returns to bury his mother’s ashes, he must confront the people who turned their backs on him and face the one wound from his past that has never healed—Emery. But the town has more than one reason to want August gone, and the emergence of deep betrayals and hidden promises spanning generations threaten to reveal the truth behind Lily’s mysterious death once and for all.

Every month I would get so excited about my Book of the Month deliveries and then I would just let them languish on my shelves. I finally picked one up and flew through the pages. This slightly fantastical tale of secrets, betrayal, and lost loves had me engaged until the last page. I loved being able to experience the story from both August and Emery’s points of view. We get to really dive into these two characters and follow them as the past comes back. Sometimes I am annoyed by the little breadcrumbs an author leaves for the reader, but in this case, it was done well. Every reveal left me wanting more. Beyond the central mystery, which was fantastic, my favorite part of this book was the setting. I could feel rain and the fog closing in on the island as I read. I could see Main Street with it shops lining the curbs and the ferry station at the end. I could smell the salt water and smoke. Young really has a way of setting the stage in her book. Very enjoyable mystery with a side of magic.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Currently #12

Reading: The Widow of Pale Harbor by Hester Fox; I thought it was going to be a moody ghost story, but I don’t think there’s going to be anything actually supernatural in this book.

Watching: I’ll admit that I’m actually looking forward to Charity’s season of The Bachelorette.

Listening: J got me started listening to Hello from the Magic Tavern. So very funny!

Making: Yesterday, I finally felt good enough to make food. Along with dinner, I made pasta salad for today and tomorrow’s lunch.

Feeling: It has taken many days, but I’m finally feeling better.

Planning: I’m feeling so much better that I’m probably going to actually follow through with my plans to travel to Indiana and Ohio later this week.

Loving: Getting a good night’s rest has really been a game changer this week. Sleep is good.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Tread of Angels by Rebecca Roanhorse

Title: Tread of Angels

Author: Rebecca Roanhorse

Publisher: Gallery 2022

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 201

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Summer Reading Challenge

The year is 1883 and the mining town of Goetia is booming as prospectors from near and far come to mine the powerful new element Divinity from the high mountains of Colorado with the help of the pariahs of society known as the Fallen. The Fallen are the descendants of demonkind living amongst the Virtues, the winners in an ancient war, with the descendants of both sides choosing to live alongside Abaddon’s mountain in this tale of the mythological West from the bestselling mastermind Rebecca Roanhorse.

A bit of a strange book to review. The plot line centers around a women trying to defend her sister in a murder accusation. Pretty straight forward, but the world they live in is anything but straight forward. We get a clear divided between the Fallen and the Elect and appearances from demon lords. I sped through this book in one sitting and was engaged the entire time. The weird theological questions that came to mind keep me thinking of this book. Throw in Roanhorse’s personal history and current place in life, and I was even more intrigued. Something tells me that this book is going to creep back into my life in the future…

Next up on the TBR pile:

Music Monday - Bring Me the Horizon feat. Ed Sheeran "Bad Habits"

This is the mash-up of artists that I needed this week. Love how BMTH made the song their own.

Next up on the TBR pile:

July 2023 Life Goals

Let’s check in on June’s goals and my progress. Despite a big medical issue towards the end of the month, I managed to hit all of my goals.

• Read 18 Books ✓

• Enjoy the Mini Road Trip with the Boys ✓

• Enjoy the Retreat ✓

• Pause and Reevaluate Library Holds ✓

• Knock Out 5 Items on the Summer Bucket List ✓

July Goals: After my last few weeks, I’m going to take it easy in the goals department.

• Read 18 Books

• Indiana/Ohio Road Trip

• Finish Prepping for 2023-2024 School Year

Next up on the TBR pile:

June 2023 Wrap-up

June TBR Pile (24/26):

1. Bookworms BC: NONE

2. Friend BC: Other Birds by Sarah Addison Allen ✓

3. Nerdy Bookish Friends BC; The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker ✓

4. Kid Read Aloud: The Deceivers by Margaret Peterson Haddix ✓

5. Kid Read Aloud: The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett ✓

6. Kid Read Aloud: Zoey and Sassafras: Monsters and Mold by Asia Citro ✓

7. Kid Book Club: Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library by Chris Grabenstein

8. Middle Grade: Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes by Jonathan Auxier ✓

9. Middle Grade: Silver People by Margarita Engle ✓

10. Horror: House of Hunger by Alexis Henderson ✓

11. Horror: Don’t Turn Out the Lights: A Tribute to Alvin Schwartz’s Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark ✓

12. Science Fiction: Several People are Typing by Calvin Kasulke ✓

13. Science Fiction: Paradise-1 by David Wellington ✓

14. Science Fiction: Starship Titanic by Douglas Adams and Terry Jones ✓

15. Science Fiction: The Man in the High Castle by Philip K. Dick ✓

16. Fantasy: Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros ✓

17. Fantasy: Stone Blind by Natalie Haynes ✓

18. Fantasy: The Curator by Owen King ✓

19. Fantasy: Pawn of Prophecy by David Eddings ✓

20. Romance: The Secret Service of Tea and Treason by India Holton ✓

21. Romance: The Queer Principles of Kit Webb by Cat Sebastian ✓

22. Romance: The Perfect Crimes of Marian Hayes by Cat Sebastian

23. Romance: Ship Wrecked by Olivia Dade ✓

24. Romance: Happy Place by Emily Henry ✓

25. Romance: The Duchess Takes a Husband by Harper St. George ✓

26. Romance: Icebreaker by Hannah Grace ✓

27. Poetry: Great Goddesses by Nikita Gill ✓

1,000,000 Page Goal:

Monthly Total: 8690 pages
Pages Remaining: 317,107 pages

Current Read - Tread of Angels by Rebecca Roanhorse; Spells for Forgetting by Adrienne Young

Books I Gave Up On (0)

Books Bought/Received (9)

BOTM had a good month! I ended up picking up two selections from them.

• The Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer

• Ink Blood Sister Scribe by Emma Törzs

And then I went to the Bookish Retreat and bought and received 7 more books!

• Farewell to Manzanar by Jeannie Wakatsuki Houston

• Pacific by Simon Winchester

• The Pioneers by David McCullough

• Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kemmerer

• The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy by Megan Bannen

• The Library of the Dead by TL Huchu

• The Crystal Cave by Mary Stewart

UnRead Shelf Progress

• Starting Number: 335

• Books Read: 1 (Other Birds)

• Books Acquired: 9

• Books Unshelved: 0

• Finishing Number: 342

July TBR Pile:

1. Bookworms BC: Adult Assembly Required by Abbi Waxman

2. Bookworms BC: The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna

3. Friend BC: Anatomy: A Love Story by Dana Schwartz

4. Nerdy Bookish Friends BC: The Bees by Laline Paull

5. Kid Read Aloud: TBD

6. Kid Book Club: NONE

7. Literary Fiction: Hester by Laurie Lico Albanese

8. Nonfiction: Quietly Hostile by Samantha Irby

9. Nonfiction: Pathogenesis by Jonathan Kennedy

10. Horror: The Twisted Ones by T. Kingfisher

11. Horror: Silent Came the Monster by Amy Hill Hearth

12. Horror: The Widow of Pale Harbor by Hester Fox

13. Fantasy: Tread of Angels by Rebecca Roanhorse

14. Fantasy: Spells for Forgetting by Adrienne Young

15. Fantasy: Cinderella is Dead by Kalynn Bayron

16. Fantasy: Immortality by Dana Schwartz

17. Science Fiction: Who Fears Death by Nnedi Okorafor

18. Romance: The Perfect Crimes of Marian Hayes by Cat Sebastian

19. Romance: The Secret Lives of Country Gentleman by KJ Charles

20. Romance: Love Theoretically by Ali Hazelwood

21. Comics: Beautiful Darkness by Fabien Vehlmann

Movies Watched

• Driven - I learned about Delorean from a weird history channel, so watched the movie. It was very good.

• Fast X - The only real reason to watch was for Jason Momoa. I can’t believe this has ballooned into a trilogy!

TV Shows Watched 

• Human Target S1-2

Comments - Well June did not go as planned. I started out strong but a massive medical issue hit me about halfway through and curtailed our activities. I managed to listen to some audiobooks toward the end of the month keeping my reading totals up. Just could not use my eyes for much of anything. Here’s hoping July is kinder to me.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Pawn of Prophecy by David Eddings

Title: Pawn of Prophecy (The Belgariad #1)

Author: David Eddings

Publisher: 1982

Genre: YA Fantasy

Pages: 304

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Summer Reading Challenge; Finishing the Series

A fierce dispute among the Gods and the theft of a powerful Orb leaves the World divided into five kingdoms. Young Garion, with his "Aunt Pol" and an elderly man calling himself Wolf --a father and daughter granted near-immortality by one of the Gods -- set out on a complex mission. In the process, as Garion grows into his early teens, he learns to defend himself, grapples with a wild boar, uncovers spies at a king's palace, learns about sorcery and starts to gain a sense of what his own destiny may be.

Another reading request from J from years back. I finally picked it up and it’s been a decent mini reading experience. This book is most definitely the big world-building, set-up book for the rest of the series. It starts off slow as we get to know Garion and his life on the farm. Once the band gets together and starts traveling, the pace picks up but not by a ton. We’re still slowly moving through the storyline it’s not until the last 25% of the book that things really get going. We’re left with many questions by the end of the book. This first volume didn’t blow me away, but it did make me intrigued enough to keep reading in the series.

The Belgariad

• #1 Pawn of Pophecy

• #2 Queen of Sorcery

• #3 Magician’s Gambit

• #4 Castle of Wizardry

• #5 Enchanters’ End Game

Next up on the TBR pile:

Don't Turn Out the Lights

Title: Don't Turn Out the Lights: A Tribute to Alvin Schwartz’s Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark

Author: Various

Publisher: HarperCollins 2020

Genre: MG Horror

Pages: 398

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Summer Reading Challenge

Flesh-hungry ogres? Brains full of spiders? Haunted houses you can’t escape? This collection of 35 terrifying stories from the Horror Writers Association has it all, including ghastly illustrations from Iris Compiet that will absolutely chill readers to the bone.

So turn off your lamps, click on your flashlights, and prepare—if you dare—to be utterly spooked

I grew up in the 80s and 90s obsessed with Alvin Schwartz’s story collection. I most definitely had to grab this volume off the library and immediately devour it. This collection definitely pays homage to the original stories in their set-ups and payoffs. We get a seemingly normal setting that quickly takes a turn. Many of the stories are urban legends redone, but that’s what makes them so satisfying. We know how the story is going to end and yet still keep reading to find out. This stories are mostly short and sweet giving you a one-two punch in just a few pages. I loved a majority of them. A few didn’t work for me, but that’s usual within a short story collection. Overall, this was a great palate cleanser book between more serious pieces.

Next up on the TBR pile: